bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Mass spectrometric study of thermodynamic properties in the Gd2O3‐Y2O3 system at high temperatures
Authors: Kablov Eugene N. , Stolyarova Valentina L. , Lopatin Sergey I. , Vorozhtcov Viktor A. , Karachevtsev Fedor N. , Folomeikin Yuriy I.
Published: December 2016

Rationale

The Gd2O3‐Y2O3 system possesses a number of practical applications, one of the most important of them being production of casting molds for gas turbine engine blades. The components of this system are often added to zirconia or hafnia to obtain high‐temperature ceramics which are used for the development of thermal barrier coatings. However, Gd2O3 and Y2O3 are more volatile than zirconia or hafnia and may vaporize selectively during synthesis or usage of high‐temperature materials which may lead to changes in their physicochemical properties. Therefore, information on the vaporization processes and thermodynamic properties of the Gd2O3‐Y2O3 system is of great importance.

Methods

High‐temperature Knudsen effusion mass spectrometry was used to study the vaporization processes and to determine the thermodynamic properties of the Gd2O3‐Y2O3 system. Measurements were performed with a MS‐1301 mass spectrometer. Vaporization was carried out using a tungsten twin effusion cell containing the sample under study and pure Gd2O3 as a reference substance. Electron ionization at an energy of 25 eV was employed.

Results

At the temperature of 2630 K, GdO, YO and O vapor species were identified over the samples in the Gd2O3‐Y2O3 system. The Gd2O3 and Y2O3 activities and the vaporization rates of samples as functions of composition in the Gd2O3‐Y2O3 system were derived from the partial pressures of the vapor species mentioned. Using these data the Gibbs energy of mixing and excess Gibbs energy of the hexagonal solid solution in this system were calculated at 2630 K.

Conclusions

The thermodynamic properties of the Gd2O3‐Y2O3 system, such as the activities of components and the excess Gibbs energy, obtained in the present study using Knudsen mass spectrometry at 2630 K, demonstrated significant negative deviations from ideal behavior. The vaporization rates of the samples were found to decrease as the Y2O3 content increased. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Physical fitness level affects perception of chronic stress in military trainees
Authors: Tuch Carolin , Teubel Thomas , La Marca Roberto , Roos Lilian , Annen Hubert , Wyss Thomas
Published: December 2016

This study investigated whether physical fitness affects the perception of chronic stress in military trainees while controlling for established factors influencing stress perception. The sample consisted of 273 men (20.23 ± 1.12 years, 73.56 ± 10.52 kg, 1.78 ± 0.06 m). Physical fitness was measured by progressive endurance run (maximum oxygen uptake; VO2max), standing long jump, seated shot put, trunk muscle strength, and one leg standing test. Perceived stress was measured using the Perceived Stress Questionnaire in Weeks 1 and 11 of basic military training (BMT). VO2max and four influencing variables (perceived stress in Week 1, neuroticism, transformational leadership style, and education level) explained 44.44% of the variance of the increase in perceived stress during 10 weeks of BMT (R2 = 0.444, F = 23.334, p < .001). The explained variance of VO2 max was 4.14% (R2 = 0.041), with a Cohen's f2 effect size of 0.045 (assigned as a small effect by Cohen, ). The results indicate a moderating influence of good aerobic fitness on the varied level of perceived stress. We conclude that it is advisable to provide conscripts with a specific endurance training program prior to BMT for stress prevention reasons.
Tacit Rejection of Policy and Teacher Ambivalence: Insights Into English Language Teaching in Bahrain Through Actors’ Perceptions
Authors: Hayes Aneta
Published: December 2016

This article develops Phillips and Ochs's (2003) framework for policy borrowing, particularly their theorisations about indigenisation of international programmes. It uses the example of communicative language teaching (CLT) in Bahrain, exploring teacher perspectives regarding the effects of CLT on the preexisting arrangements in the national education system and the impact of contextual factors on the potential for CLT implementation. The author conducted qualitative focus groups with English language teachers in 10 schools. The analysis elucidates how teachers were tailoring their own ways through the new reforms to strike a satisfactory balance between the government's aims and the attitudes of the public. It answers the question, “What happens to English language teaching policy when it is transplanted to a different culture?” and concludes that it becomes actively rejected. The conclusion offers a conceptual development of Phillips and Ochs's framework, adding the option of rejection to the indigenisation stage. The article ends with some practical implications.
Effectiveness of contemporary techniques for reducing livestock depredations by large carnivores
Authors: Miller Jennifer R. B. , Stoner Kelly J. , Cejtin Mikael R. , Meyer Tara K. , Middleton Arthur D. , Schmitz Oswald J.
Published: December 2016

Mitigation of large carnivore depredation is essential to increasing stakeholder support for human–carnivore coexistence. Lethal and non‐lethal techniques are implemented by managers, livestock producers, and other stakeholders to reduce livestock depredations by large carnivores. However, information regarding the relative effectiveness of techniques commonly used to reduce livestock depredations is currently lacking. We evaluated 66 published, peer‐reviewed research papers that quantitatively measured livestock depredation before and after employing 4 categories of lethal and non‐lethal mitigation techniques (livestock husbandry, predator deterrents and removal, and indirect management of land or wild prey) to assess their relative effectiveness as livestock protection strategies. Effectiveness of each technique was measured as the reported percent change in livestock losses. Husbandry (42–100% effective) and deterrents (0–100% effective) demonstrated the greatest potential but also the widest variability in effectiveness in reducing livestock losses. Removal of large carnivores never achieved 100% effectiveness but exhibited the lowest variation (67–83%). Although explicit measures of effectiveness were not reported for indirect management, livestock depredations commonly decreased with sparser and greater distances from vegetation cover, at greater distances from protected areas, and in areas with greater wild prey abundance. Information on time duration of effects was available only for deterrents; a tradeoff existed between the effectiveness of tools and the length of time a tool remained effective. Our assessment revealed numerous sources of bias regarding the effectiveness of techniques as reported in the peer‐reviewed literature, including a lack of replication across species and geographic regions, a focus on Canid carnivores in the United States, Europe, and Africa, and a publication bias toward studies reporting positive effects. Given these limitations, we encourage managers and conservationists to work with livestock producers to more consistently and quantitatively measure and report the impacts of mitigation techniques under a wider range of environmental, economic, and sociological conditions. © 2016 The Wildlife Society.
Small molecules as therapeutic agents for inborn errors of metabolism
Authors: Matalonga Leslie , Gort Laura , Ribes Antonia
Published: December 2016

Most inborn errors of metabolism (IEM) remain without effective treatment mainly due to the incapacity of conventional therapeutic approaches to target the neurological symptomatology and to ameliorate the multisystemic involvement frequently observed in these patients. However, in recent years, the therapeutic use of small molecules has emerged as a promising approach for treating this heterogeneous group of disorders. In this review, we focus on the use of therapeutically active small molecules to treat IEM, including readthrough agents, pharmacological chaperones, proteostasis regulators, substrate inhibitors, and autophagy inducers. The small molecules reviewed herein act at different cellular levels, and this knowledge provides new tools to set up innovative treatment approaches for particular IEM. We review the molecular mechanism underlying therapeutic properties of small molecules, methodologies used to screen for these compounds, and their applicability in preclinical and clinical practice.
Coping with information style and family burden: Possible roles of self-stigma and hope among parents of children in a psychiatric inpatient unit
Authors: Hasson-Ohayon I. , Pijnenborg G.H.M. , Ben-Pazi A. , Taitel S. , Goldzweig G.
Published: December 2016

Objective

Parents of children who are hospitalized in inpatient psychiatric units must cope with significant challenges. One of these challenges relates to the way in which they cope with illness-related information. The current study examined the relationship between two such coping styles – monitoring and blunting – and family burden among parents of children in a psychiatric inpatient unit. Moreover, the possible moderating roles played by hope and self-stigma in these associations were also examined.

Methods

Questionnaires regarding coping with information style, self-stigma, hope and family burden were administered to 70 parents.

Results

A main positive effect of hope and a main negative effect of self-stigma were uncovered. An interaction between self-stigma and monitoring was also revealed, suggesting that for parents with high self-stigma, compared to those with low self-stigma, more monitoring was related to more burden.

Conclusions

Tailoring family interventions according to coping style and self-stigma is highly recommended as a mean to reduce the family burden of parents whose child is hospitalized in a psychiatric inpatient unit.
Labelling Facial Affect in Context in Adults with and without TBI
Authors: Turkstra Lyn S. , Kraning Sarah G. , Riedeman Sarah K. , Mutlu Bilge , Duff Melissa , VanDenHeuvel Sara
Published: December 2016

Recognition of facial affect has been studied extensively in adults with and without traumatic brain injury (TBI), mostly by asking examinees to match basic emotion words to isolated faces. This method may not capture affect labelling in everyday life when faces are in context and choices are open-ended. To examine effects of context and response format, we asked 148 undergraduate students to label emotions shown on faces either in isolation or in natural visual scenes. Responses were categorised as representing basic emotions, social emotions, cognitive state terms, or appraisals. We used students’ responses to create a scoring system that was applied prospectively to five men with TBI. In both groups, over 50% of responses were neither basic emotion words nor synonyms, and there was no significant difference in response types between faces alone vs. in scenes. Adults with TBI used labels not seen in students’ responses, talked more overall, and often gave multiple labels for one photo. Results suggest benefits of moving beyond forced-choice tests of faces in isolation to fully characterise affect recognition in adults with and without TBI.
Inherently unstable internal gravity waves due to resonant harmonic generation
Authors: Liang Yong , Zareei Ahmad , Alam Mohammad-Reza
Published: December 2016

Here we show that there exist internal gravity waves that are inherently unstable, that is, they cannot exist in nature for a long time. The instability mechanism is a one-way (irreversible) harmonic-generation resonance that permanently transfers the energy of an internal wave to its higher harmonics. We show that, in fact, there are a countably infinite number of such unstable waves. For the harmonic-generation resonance to take place, the nonlinear terms in the free surface boundary condition play a pivotal role, and the instability does not occur in a linearly stratified fluid if a simplified boundary condition, such as a rigid lid or a linearized boundary condition, is employed. Harmonic-generation resonance presented here provides a mechanism for the transfer of internal wave energy to the higher-frequency part of the spectrum hence affecting, potentially significantly, the evolution of the internal waves spectrum.
The Strain Gradient Elasticity Theory in Orthogonal Curvilinear Coordinates and its Applications
Authors: Ji X. , Li A. Q. , Zhou S. J.
Published: December 2016

The strain gradient elasticity theory including only three independent material length scale parameters has been proposed by Zhou et al. to explain the size effect phenomena in micro scales. In this paper, the general formulations of strain gradient elasticity theory in orthogonal curvilinear coordinates are derived, and then are specified for the cylindrical and spherical coordinates for the convenience of applications in cases where orthogonal curvilinear coordinates are suitable. Two basic problems, one is the twist of a cylindrical bar and the other is the radial deformation of a solid sphere, are analyzed under the cylindrical and spherical coordinates, respectively. The results reveal that only the material length scale parameter l2 enters the torsion problem, while completely disappears in the problem of radial deformation of a sphere. The size effect of radial deformation of a solid sphere is controlled by the material length scale parameters l1 and l2. In addition, for the incompressible solid sphere especially, only the material length scale parameter l1 enters this radial deformation problem by neglecting the strain gradient terms associated with hydrostatic strains. Predictably, the present paper offers an alternative avenue for measuring the three independent material length scale parameters from bar twisting and sphere expansion tests.
Service Use and Barriers with Post-Acute-Care Rehabilitation Following Acquired Brain Injury: Family Caregiver Perspectives
Authors: Degeneffe Charles Edmund , Green Richard , Jones Clair
Published: December 2016

The study aimed to understand the use and barriers to use of post-acute-care services by persons with acquired brain injury (ABI). A total of 21 primary family caregivers of persons recently discharged from an ABI acute-care facility in a large southwestern city in the United States participated. Service use in 14 domains appeared consistent with post-discharge needs. In five service areas, participants were not aware the service was available. Professionals in acute ABI rehabilitation units need to be fully aware of the range of available potential supports and diligent in informing injured persons and their families about available post-discharge services.
Navigating Employment Pathways and Supports Following Brain Injury in Australia: Client Perspectives
Authors: McRae Philippa , Hallab Lisa , Simpson Grahame
Published: December 2016

This study investigated the vocational rehabilitation experiences of 29 clients, up to 14 years post brain injury. Data obtained from participant interviews were thematically analysed by employment pathway (‘return to pre-injury employment’, ‘job seeking’ and ‘not worked since injury’). A total of nine themes were identified. Across all pathways, participants identified the importance of working, impact of injury and their own determination. The content for the remaining themes (understanding, adjustment, access, support, disclosure of injury, intervention) varied by pathway, reflecting the differing perspectives arising from integrating back into a familiar workplace versus seeking new employment. In conclusion, programme approaches to vocational rehabilitation need to be tailored to the individual circumstances, opportunities and support needs of people with brain injury pursuing these different pathways.
Factors Associated with Cessation Activities amongst a Multiethnic Sample of Transit Workers
Authors: Cunradi Carol B. , Moore Roland S. , Battle Robynn S.
Published: December 2016

Introduction: Transit workers are a blue-collar occupational group with elevated rates of smoking despite access to free or low-cost cessation services available through their health insurance as a union-negotiated employee benefit. Little is known about the influences on cessation participation in this workforce.

Aims: The purpose of this study is to analyse the factors associated with past-year cessation activities amongst a multiethnic sample of transit workers.

Methods: Cross-sectional tobacco surveys were completed by 935 workers at an Oakland, California, USA-based public transit agency. Data from 190 current smokers (68% African American; 46% female) were analysed. Adjusted odds ratios were calculated to identify factors associated with past-year cessation activity.

Results: Approximately 55% of smokers stopped smoking for one day or longer during the past year in order to quit. Nearly half reported that the most common barrier to quitting was, ‘Not mentally ready to quit because I like smoking’. Workers in the contemplation/precontemplation stage for intention to quit were less likely to have engaged in cessation activities than those in the action/preparation stage (AOR = 0.34). Frequency of coworker encouragement for quitting was positively associated with past-year cessation activities (AOR = 3.25). Frequency of insomnia symptoms was negatively associated with cessation activity participation (AOR = 0.34).

Conclusions: Most transit workers who smoke made a past-year quit attempt. Gaining insight into factors associated with participation in cessation activities can aid worksite efforts to promote cessation and reduce tobacco-related disparities.
A New Impedance Matching Method for an Ultra-Wide Band and Dual Circularly Polarised Feed
Authors: Li Sha , Yan Yi Hua , Wang Wei , Chen Zhi Jun , Liu Dong Hao , Zhang Fu Shun , Jeffrey Natasha
Published: December 2016

In traditional antenna design, metal components are not placed in the central part of the antenna as they change the characteristics of near field radiation. However, we show that placing a metal ring in the centre of the strip lines, which connect the ends of folded high-frequency dipoles, does not damage the performance of the feed. Instead it significantly improves the voltage standing wave ratio of the feed whilst other performance indicators are not compromised. Thus, our findings show an excellent way of improving the wide band feed. Based on this foundation, a new circularly polarised feed for operation between 0.4 to 2 GHz is introduced for the Chinese Spectral Radioheliograph in this paper. The issue of a feed impedance matching network is investigated. By optimising the impedance matching, the performance of the feed is enhanced with respect to the previous realisations of the Eleven feed. The simulation and experimental results show that the gain of the feed is about 10 dBi, and the VSWR is less than 2:1. In addition, the feed has a low axial ratio, fixed phase centre location, and constant beam width in the range of 0.4 to 2 GHz.
Major and trace element geochemistry of the Neoproterozoic syn-glacial Fulu iron formation, South China
Authors: FENG LIANJUN , HUANG JING , LU DINGBIAO , ZHANG QIRUI
Published: December 2016

The Fulu iron formation (IF) is an iron-rich unit in the Neoproterozoic glacial successions, South China. The major element data suggest that the iron sources of the Fulu IF are derived from binary mixing from hydrothermal and detrital loads. The Fulu IF is characterized by slightly positive Eu anomalies similar to other Neoproterozoic IFs, indicating that a high-temperature hydrothermal input may contribute little to Neoproterozoic IFs. A shift from non-existent to slightly negative Ce anomalies of the Fulu IF indicates that the IF precipitated across an iron chemocline separating a weakly oxic surface ocean from an oxygen-depleted deep ocean.
SIMS U–Pb zircon geochronological constraints on upper Ediacaran stratigraphic correlations, South China
Authors: YANG CHUAN , LI XIAN-HUA , ZHU MAOYAN , CONDON DANIEL J.
Published: December 2016

Fossiliferous Ediacaran successions of South China, the Doushantuo and Dengying formations and their equivalents, are key to understanding bio- and geological evolution at the Neoproterozoic–Cambrian transition. However, their absolute ages, especially the upper Ediacaran successions, are poorly constrained. SIMS zircon U–Pb dating results in this study suggest that ash beds at the basal and middle parts of the Jiucheng Member (middle Dengying Formation) in eastern Yunnan Province were deposited at 553.6 ± 2.7/(3.8) Ma and 546.3 ± 2.7/(3.8) Ma, respectively. These new dates indicate that the age for the base of Dengying Formation in eastern Yunnan Province is similar to the 550.55 ± 0.75 Ma date, which is from an ash bed at the top of the Miaohe Member and has been regarded as the age for the base of Dengying Formation in Yangtze Gorges area. These dates do not permit a clear test of the two correlation models for the chronostratigraphic position of the Miaohe Member (uppermost Doushantuo Formation vs. middle Dengying Formation), implying that further integrated intra-basinal stratigraphic correlations and more high-resolution chronological data from the upper Ediacaran deposits of South China are required. New dates of the Jiucheng Member constrain the age of the fossil biotas in the middle Dengying Formation and extend the stratigraphic range ofRangea,HiemaloraandCharniodiscusto 546.3 ± 2.7/(3.8) Ma. The geochronology of the Dengying Formation implies that Ediacaran-type fossils preserved in this formation are younger than the White Sea Assemblage and temporally overlapping with the Nama Assemblage.
The first record of the PermianGlossopterisflora from Sri Lanka: implications for hydrocarbon source rocks in the Mannar Basin
Authors: EDIRISOORIYA G. , DHARMAGUNAWARDHANE H.A. , MCLOUGHLIN STEPHEN
Published: December 2016

Strata exposed near Tabbowa Tank, Tabbowa Basin, western Sri Lanka have yielded the first representatives of the distinctive PermianGlossopterisflora from that country. The assemblage includes gymnosperm foliage attributable toGlossopteris raniganjensis, roots referable toVertebraria australis, seeds assigned toSamaropsissp., sphenophyte axes (Paracalamites australis) and foliage (Sphenophyllum emarginatum), and fern foliage (Dichotomopteris lindleyi). This small macroflora is interpreted to be of probable Lopingian (late Permian) age based on comparisons with the fossil floras of Peninsula India. SeveralGlossopterisleaves in the assemblage bear evidence of terrestrial arthropod interactions including hole feeding, margin feeding, possible lamina skeletonization, piercing-and-sucking damage and oviposition scarring. The newly identified onshore Permian strata necessitate re-evaluation of current models explaining the evolution of the adjacent offshore Mannar Basin. Previously considered to have begun subsiding and accumulating sediment during Jurassic time, we propose that the Mannar Basin may have initiated as part of a pan-Gondwanan extensional phase during late Palaeozoic – Triassic time. We interpret the basal, as yet unsampled, seismically reflective strata of this basin to be probable organic-rich continental strata of Lopingian age, equivalent to those recorded in the Tabbowa Basin, and similar to the Permian coal-bearing successions in the rift basins of eastern India and Antarctica. Such continental fossiliferous strata are particularly significant as potential source rocks for recently identified natural gas resources in the Mannar Basin.
Stories of Hegemony: The Political Stakes of the Rise and Decline of US Power
Authors: Biswas Shampa
Published: December 2016

With Asia as its backdrop, Alfred McCoy's paper gives us a story of the rise of US hegemony after World War II. Using “military bases” rather than wars as a metric of imperial power, the paper traces the geopolitics of imperial expansion (and sometimes retraction) through a close and rich study of the many contestations around US military presence in the Philippines—contestations that occurred in both the United States and the Philippines. In doing so, one of the paper's most profound insights, made with considerable archival documentation, is that colonization and decolonization do not follow a linear trajectory and that its politics, rather than a simple imposition from the colonizer onto the colonized, are instead quite messy, complicated, and perhaps mostly importantly, in a constant state of negotiation. Thus, for instance, the paper shows us that political independence is not a clear rupture from colonization to decolonization, that arguments for the continuation or discontinuation of imperial relations post-independence are complex on both sides of the imperial divide and shift in different directions over time, and that who appears as a “threat” or an “enemy” that mobilizes a national community and nationalist resistance is also complex and inconstant. In other words, McCoy provides us with a historically detailed story of the rise of US hegemony in the latter half of the twentieth century through an account of the complex expansion of the US presence in Asia.
Who lobbies the lobbyists? State Medicaid bureaucrats’ engagement in the legislative process
Authors: Bradley Katharine W. V. , Haselswerdt Jake
Published: December 2016

Research on bureaucratic power typically focusses on rulemaking and policy implementation, while bureaucrats’ participation in the legislative process remains underexplored. We theorise and test a specific mechanism by which bureaucrats attempt to sway legislative outcomes, which we termindirect bureaucratic lobbying. Using a novel survey of state-based health lobbyists in 25 states, we show that state Medicaid agency staff routinely request lobbying assistance from provider associations and consumer advocates. We also provide the first systematic evidence of the conditions under which indirect bureaucratic lobbying is likely to occur. Our results suggest that individual-level policy agreement interacts with institutional factors, most notably agency performance and gubernatorial power, to increase the likelihood that bureaucrats will use this strategy to attempt to influence legislative deliberations.
Polyrhythms, negative space, circuits of meaning: making sense through Dawn of Midi'sDysnomia
Authors: Brett Thomas
Published: December 2016

Dysnomiais a 2013 recording by the jazz trio Dawn of Midi scored for acoustic piano, bass and drums. Eschewing jazz chords, improvisation, swing rhythms and theme and variations, the music is instead organised around repeating rhythmic loops and interlocking melo-harmonic fragments, as one groove assemblage segues into the next like an evolving DJ set. The music sounds equal parts minimal process, electronically sequenced and traditional African. This article engages the musical and philosophical concepts at play inDysnomiato think through writing about music via three paths of speculative inquiry. The first part of the article considers works by Kodwo Eshun, Paul Morley and David Sudnow, idiosyncratic thinkers outside of the mainstream of academic music discourse who vividly approach writing about music through defamiliarising language and inventing concepts, generating associations based on comparative listening and describing the dynamics of musical process. In the second part of the article I draw on these writing techniques to direct my repeated listening encounters withDysnomiaand construct a prose interpretation modelled on the polyrhythms of the music. I conclude with a brief discussion of the phenomenological perspective on musical essences and suggest that music is a model for thinking through writing about music.
How Internet music is frying your brain
Authors: Harper Adam
Published: December 2016

This article argues that the production and reception of certain recent electronic musics has resonated with criticisms of the perceived degenerative effects of digital technology on culture and ‘humanity’ – such as the lack of attention it promotes or the ‘information overload’ it causes – in an at least partially positive way. The resulting ambivalent aesthetics, sometimes thought of as one of ‘Internet music’, embraces particular negative notions of digital mediation in ways that can and have been thought of as satirical, exploratory or ‘accelerationist’. I examine three facets of this aesthetics: maximalism, kitsch and the uncanny valley. I also question the legitimacy of dramatising, even positively, digital media and culture as effectively ‘degenerate’.
ENVIRONMENTAL SCAN ON PHARMACEUTICALS REQUIRING COMPANION DIAGNOSTICS
Authors: Cowling Tara , Boucher Michel
Published: December 2016

Objectives: Companion diagnostic tests (CDx) are used to measure an individual's protein or gene expression (biomarkers) to inform choice of therapy. The increasing number of drugs requiring CDx poses challenges for regulatory and reimbursement policies. To better understand this issue, an environmental scan was conducted by the Canadian Agency for Drugs and Technologies in Health (CADTH).

Methods: The environmental scan was based on a focused literature search and feedback solicited from targeted stakeholders.

Results: The global market for CDx is expected to grow considerably until the end of this decade, with compound annual growth rate around 20 percent. Several factors may impact the adoption of CDx, including the potential cost-savings associated with reduced treatment failures and adverse reactions. Anticipating an expansion in drugs with CDx, some countries have updated their regulatory frameworks, including the United States where the FDA released new guidance in 2014. With respect to reimbursement, both the United Kingdom and Australia updated their evaluation frameworks to inform reimbursement decisions; however, several countries, including Canada, have not published policies for co-dependent technology.

Conclusion: The market size for CDx is expected to considerably expand in the future. The drive in uptake may be influenced by many factors including an increased knowledge of biomarkers and molecular drivers of disease and the potential cost-savings associated with fewer treatment failures and adverse reactions. Assessing whether such benefits materialize is important. Health technology assessment will play an important role in informing policies regarding the clinical use and funding of pharmaceuticals with CDx.
Subsidiarity Post-Brighton: Procedural Rationality as Answer?
Authors: POPELIER PATRICIA , VAN DE HEYNING CATHERINE
Published: December 2016

During the Interlaeken and Brighton conferences in 2010 and 2012 on the reform of the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR or the Court) the High Contracting Parties demanded an increased focus of the Court on subsidiarity when considering cases. The ECtHR had been criticized by several states, in particular the United Kingdom (UK), for second-guessing domestic decisions of the democratically elected legislator. A procedural rationality approach could answer this critique. This approach implies that the Court takes the quality of the decision-making procedure as a decisive factor for its assessment of the proportionality of a domestic measure. In several recent high-profile cases the Court has adopted such approach providing the defending state with a wide margin of appreciation due to the high quality of the decision-making procedure. This contribution discusses to what extent the Court has applied this approach pre- and post-Brighton and the potential pitfalls. The contribution concludes that this approach could provide a vital leeway between the Court's supervisory and subsidiary role in the protection of human rights if applied coherently and consistently. However, it is no magic solution to silence the criticism against the Court as the opponents of the Court do not just reject its approach to proportionality review, but judicial review of legislative decisions altogether.
A review of the design and validation of web- and computer-based 24-h dietary recall tools
Authors: Timon Claire M. , van den Barg Rinske , Blain Richard J. , Kehoe Laura , Evans Katie , Walton Janette , Flynn Albert , Gibney Eileen R.
Published: December 2016

Technology-based dietary assessment offers solutions to many of the limitations of traditional dietary assessment methodologies including cost, participation rates and the accuracy of data collected. The 24-h dietary recall (24HDR) method is currently the most utilised method for the collection of dietary intake data at a national level. Recently there have been many developments using web-based platforms to collect food intake data using the principles of the 24HDR method. This review identifies web- and computer-based 24HDR tools that have been developed for both children and adult population groups, and examines common design features and the methods used to investigate the performance and validity of these tools. Overall, there is generally good to strong agreement between web-based 24HDR and respective reference measures for intakes of macro- and micronutrients.
Selection of porcine oocytesin vitrothrough brilliant cresyl blue staining in distinct incubation media
Authors: Santos Elisa C.S , Pradieé Jorgea , Madeira Elisângela M. , Pereira Miriane M. , Mion Bruna , Mondadori Rafael G. , Vieira Arnaldo D. , Pegoraro Ligia M.C. , Lucia Thomaz
Published: December 2016

Staining with brilliant cresyl blue (BCB) may be used for oocyte selection, but BCB staining itself and the most commonly used selection medium (DMPBS) may compromise the development of porcine oocytesin vitro.This study evaluated DNA fragmentation, nuclear maturation, the area of migration of cortical granules (CG) and embryo development for stained (BCB+) and unstained (BCB−) oocytes incubated in DMPBS and in a modified medium (ReproPel) tested for the first time. Unexposed (UN), BCB+ and BCB− oocytes were incubated composing six groups: DMPBS/UN; DMPBS/BCB+; DMPBS/BCB−; ReproPel/UN; ReproPel/BCB+; and ReproPel/BCB−. There were more BCB+ oocytes in ReproPel than in DMPBS (P< 0.05). The DNA fragmentation was evaluated for oocytes in DMPBS/BCB+, DMPBS/BCB−, ReproPel/BCB+, ReproPel/BCB− and in porcine follicular fluid (control). The frequency of oocytes with no DNA fragmentation was greatest (64.6%) in DMPBS/BCB+ and lowest in ReproPel/BCB+ and ReproPel/BCB− (26.8 and 34.1%, respectively) (P< 0.05). Nuclear maturation rates were greater (P< 0.05) for DMPBS/BCB+ (63.1%), ReproPel/UN (55.1%) and ReproPel/BCB+ (50.2%) than for DMPBS/UN (40.8%) and ReproPel/BCB− (35.5%). The area of CG was greater (P< 0.05) for ReproPel/BCB− (80.7%) and DMPBS/UN (77.6%) than for ReproPel/UN (34.7%). Cleavage rates for DMPBS/BCB+ and ReproPel/BCB+ were greater than for DMPBS/UN (P< 0.05). Blastocyst development rates were greatest (P< 0.05) for ReproPel/UN and ReproPel/BCB+. In both media, BCB staining was apparently unable to select competent oocytes, which likely occurred due to toxicity. Despite the similar nuclear maturation and area of CG compared with DMPBS, oocytes selected in ReproPel presented impaired DNA integrity.
Promotion of glucose utilization by insulin enhances granulosa cell proliferation and developmental competence of porcine oocyte grown in vitro
Authors: Itami Nobuhiko , Munakata Yasuhisa , Shirasuna Koumei , Kuwayama Takehito , Iwata Hisataka
Published: December 2016

In vitro culture of the oocyte granulosa cell complexes (OGCs) from early antral follicles (EAFs) shows granulosa cell (GC) proliferation, but to a lesser extent than that observed in vivo during follicle development. As the number of GCs closely relates to energy sufficiency of the oocytes, enhancement of GC proliferation influences oocyte development. GC proliferation depends on glycolysis and insulin-mediated AKT/mTOR signaling pathway; therefore, addition of culture medium containing insulin and glucose may potentially promote GC proliferation and hence improve oocyte development. In the present study, we assessed the effect of exogenous insulin and glucose concentration on GC proliferation and oocyte energy status as well as developmental abilities of porcine oocytes grown in vitro. In the presence of 5.5 mM of glucose (Low), a comparison of 10 versus 20 μg/ml insulin showed that high insulin enhanced GC proliferation but exhausted glucose from the medium, which resulted in low energy status including lipid and adenosine triphosphate of the oocyte. Whereas, in the presence of 20 μg/ml insulin, medium with 11 mM glucose (High) enhanced GC proliferation and oocyte energy status as well as developmental ability up to the blastocyst stage. Considering that there was no difference in OGCs development observed with medium (10 μg/ml insulin) containing 5.5 versus 11 mM glucose, we concluded that the combination of high insulin and glucose enhanced GC proliferation and energy status of oocytes as well as the developmental ability of the oocytes grown in vitro.
Easterling to Lead Geosciences at National Science Foundation
Authors: Showstack Randy
Published: December 2016

The agency's departing head of geosciences will introduce Easterling to the Earth sciences community as his successor tomorrow at the American Geophysical Union's Fall Meeting in San Francisco.
Application of platelet-rich plasma with stem cells in bone and periodontal tissue engineering
Authors: Fernandes Gabriela , Yang Shuying
Published: December 2016

Presently, there is a high paucity of bone grafts in the United States and worldwide. Regenerating bone is of prime concern due to the current demand of bone grafts and the increasing number of diseases causing bone loss. Autogenous bone is the present gold standard of bone regeneration. However, disadvantages like donor site morbidity and its decreased availability limit its use. Even allografts and synthetic grafting materials have their own limitations. As certain specific stem cells can be directed to differentiate into an osteoblastic lineage in the presence of growth factors (GFs), it makes stem cells the ideal agents for bone regeneration. Furthermore, platelet-rich plasma (PRP), which can be easily isolated from whole blood, is often used for bone regeneration, wound healing and bone defect repair. When stem cells are combined with PRP in the presence of GFs, they are able to promote osteogenesis. This review provides in-depth knowledge regarding the use of stem cells and PRPin vitro,in vivoand their application in clinical studies in the future.
New roles in hemicellulosic sugar fermentation for the uncultivated Bacteroidetes family BS11
Authors: Solden Lindsey M , Hoyt David W , Collins William B , Plank Johanna E , Daly Rebecca A , Hildebrand Erik , Beavers Timothy J , Wolfe Richard , Nicora Carrie D , Purvine Sam O , Carstensen Michelle , Lipton Mary S , Spalinger Donald E , Firkins Jeffrey L , Wolfe Barbara A , Wrighton Kelly C
Published: December 2016

Ruminants have co-evolved with their gastrointestinal microbial communities that digest plant materials to provide energy for the host. Some arctic and boreal ruminants have already shown to be vulnerable to dietary shifts caused by changing climate, yet we know little about the metabolic capacity of the ruminant microbiome in these animals. Here, we use meta-omics approaches to sample rumen fluid microbial communities from Alaskan moose foraging along a seasonal lignocellulose gradient. Winter diets with increased hemicellulose and lignin strongly enriched for BS11, a Bacteroidetes family lacking cultivated or genomically sampled representatives. We show that BS11 are cosmopolitan host-associated bacteria prevalent in gastrointestinal tracts of ruminants and other mammals. Metagenomic reconstruction yielded the first four BS11 genomes; phylogenetically resolving two genera within this previously taxonomically undefined family. Genome-enabled metabolic analyses uncovered multiple pathways for fermenting hemicellulose monomeric sugars to short-chain fatty acids (SCFA), metabolites vital for ruminant energy. Active hemicellulosic sugar fermentation and SCFA production was validated by shotgun proteomics and rumen metabolites, illuminating the role BS11 have in carbon transformations within the rumen. Our results also highlight the currently unknown metabolic potential residing in the rumen that may be vital for sustaining host energy in response to a changing vegetative environment.
Ailanthone targets p23 to overcome MDV3100 resistance in castration-resistant prostate cancer
Authors: He Yundong , Peng Shihong , Wang Jinhua , Chen Huang , Cong Xiaonan , Chen Ang , Hu Meichun , Qin Min , Wu Haigang , Gao Shuman , Wang Liguo , Wang Xin , Yi Zhengfang , Liu Mingyao
Published: December 2016

Androgen receptor (AR) antagonist MDV3100 is the first therapeutic approach in treating castration-resistant prostate cancer (CRPC), but tumours frequently become drug resistant via multiple mechanisms including AR amplification and mutation. Here we identify the small molecule Ailanthone (AIL) as a potent inhibitor of both full-length AR (AR-FL) and constitutively active truncated AR splice variants (AR-Vs). AIL binds to the co-chaperone protein p23 and prevents AR’s interaction with HSP90, thus resulting in the disruption of the AR-chaperone complex followed by ubiquitin/proteasome-mediated degradation of AR as well as other p23 clients including AKT and Cdk4, and downregulates AR and its target genes in PCa cell lines and orthotopic animal tumours. In addition, AIL blocks tumour growth and metastasis of CRPC. Finally, AIL possesses favourable drug-like properties such as good bioavailability, high solubility, lack of CYP inhibition and low hepatotoxicity. In general, AIL is a potential candidate for the treatment of CRPC.
Phase-referenced nonlinear spectroscopy of the α-quartz/water interface
Authors: Ohno Paul E. , Saslow Sarah A. , Wang Hong-fei , Geiger Franz M. , Eisenthal Kenneth B.
Published: December 2016

Probing the polarization of water molecules at charged interfaces by second harmonic generation spectroscopy has been heretofore limited to isotropic materials. Here we report non-resonant nonlinear optical measurements at the interface of anisotropic z-cut α-quartz and water under conditions of dynamically changing ionic strength and bulk solution pH. We find that the product of the third-order susceptibility and the interfacial potential, χ(3) × Φ(0), is given by (χ1(3)−iχ2(3)) × Φ(0), and that the interference between this product and the second-order susceptibility of bulk quartz depends on the rotation angle of α-quartz around the z axis. Our experiments show that this newly identified term, iχ(3) × Φ(0), which is out of phase from the surface terms, is of bulk origin. The possibility of internally phase referencing the interfacial response for the interfacial orientation analysis of species or materials in contact with α-quartz is discussed along with the implications for conditions of resonance enhancement.
Nanoscopy of bacterial cells immobilized by holographic optical tweezers
Authors: Diekmann Robin , Wolfson Deanna L. , Spahn Christoph , Heilemann Mike , Schüttpelz Mark , Huser Thomas
Published: December 2016

Imaging non-adherent cells by super-resolution far-field fluorescence microscopy is currently not possible because of their rapid movement while in suspension. Holographic optical tweezers (HOTs) enable the ability to freely control the number and position of optical traps, thus facilitating the unrestricted manipulation of cells in a volume around the focal plane. Here we show that immobilizing non-adherent cells by optical tweezers is sufficient to achieve optical resolution well below the diffraction limit using localization microscopy. Individual cells can be oriented arbitrarily but preferably either horizontally or vertically relative to the microscope’s image plane, enabling access to sample sections that are impossible to achieve with conventional sample preparation and immobilization. This opens up new opportunities to super-resolve the nanoscale organization of chromosomal DNA in individual bacterial cells.
Extreme warming challenges sentinel status of kelp forests as indicators of climate change
Authors: Reed Daniel , Washburn Libe , Rassweiler Andrew , Miller Robert , Bell Tom , Harrer Shannon
Published: December 2016

The desire to use sentinel species as early warning indicators of impending climate change effects on entire ecosystems is attractive, but we need to verify that such approaches have sound biological foundations. A recent large-scale warming event in the North Pacific Ocean of unprecedented magnitude and duration allowed us to evaluate the sentinel status of giant kelp, a coastal foundation species that thrives in cold, nutrient-rich waters and is considered sensitive to warming. Here, we show that giant kelp and the majority of species that associate with it did not presage ecosystem effects of extreme warming off southern California despite giant kelp’s expected vulnerability. Our results challenge the general perception that kelp-dominated systems are highly vulnerable to extreme warming events and expose the more general risk of relying on supposed sentinel species that are assumed to be very sensitive to climate change.
Observation of a reversal of rotation in a sunspot during a solar flare
Authors: Bi Yi , Jiang Yunchun , Yang Jiayan , Hong Junchao , Li Haidong , Yang Bo , Xu Zhe
Published: December 2016

The abrupt motion of the photospheric flux during a solar flare is thought to be a back reaction caused by the coronal field reconfiguration. However, the type of motion pattern and the physical mechanism responsible for the back reaction has been uncertain. Here we show that the direction of a sunspot’s rotation is reversed during an X1.6 flare using observations from the Helioseismic and Magnetic Imager. A magnetic field extrapolation model shows that the corresponding coronal magnetic field shrinks with increasing magnetic twist density. This suggests that the abrupt reversal of rotation in the sunspot may be driven by a Lorentz torque that is produced by the gradient of twist density from the solar corona to the solar interior. These results support the view that the abrupt reversal in the rotation of the sunspot is a dynamic process responding to shrinkage of the coronal magnetic field during the flare.
Neuroanatomy accounts for age-related changes in risk preferences
Authors: Grubb Michael A. , Tymula Agnieszka , Gilaie-Dotan Sharon , Glimcher Paul W. , Levy Ifat
Published: December 2016

Many decisions involve uncertainty, or ‘risk’, regarding potential outcomes, and substantial empirical evidence has demonstrated that human aging is associated with diminished tolerance for risky rewards. Grey matter volume in a region of right posterior parietal cortex (rPPC) is predictive of preferences for risky rewards in young adults, with less grey matter volume indicating decreased tolerance for risk. That grey matter loss in parietal regions is a part of healthy aging suggests that diminished rPPC grey matter volume may have a role in modulating risk preferences in older adults. Here we report evidence for this hypothesis and show that age-related declines in rPPC grey matter volume better account for age-related changes in risk preferences than does age per se. These results provide a basis for understanding the neural mechanisms that mediate risky choice and a glimpse into the neurodevelopmental dynamics that impact decision-making in an aging population.