bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Prospective evaluation of Peristeen® transanal irrigation system with the validated neurogenic bowel dysfunction score sheet in the pediatric population
Authors: Kelly Maryellen S. , Dorgalli Crystal , McLorie Gordon , Khoury Antoine E.
Published: February 2016

Aims

To determine the ability of Peristeen® transanal irrigation system to reduce symptoms of neurogenic bowel dysfunction (NBD) in patients using the validated neurogenic bowel dysfunction scoring system for the pediatric population.

Methods

Patients 3–21 years with NBD whose current bowel program was unsuccessful were given the Neurogenic Bowel Dysfunction (NBoDS) score sheet before initiating Peristeen®, and at 2 weeks, 2 months, and 6 months after. All patients were started on Peristeen® with tap water (20 ml/kg) per daily irrigation. Mean and paired t‐tests were completed.

Results

24 patients were enrolled and had follow‐up. Mean age was 10.5 years (range 3–21 years), 25%, 50%, 25% had thoracic, lumbar and sacral level lesions respectively. Mean NBoDS score at initiation of Peristeen® was 20.21 (±5.56), n = 24. The mean score after two weeks of use was 12.75 (±4.40), n = 24. There was a statistically significant decrease of 7.46 (95%CI, 5.07–9.84) points, t(23) = 6.47, P < 0.0005 after two weeks. There was a statistically significant decrease in their scores from initiation to the 2 month time period of 7.00 (95%CI, 2.18–11.82) points, t(9) = 3.29, P = 0.009. By the sixth month of daily use the mean NBoDS score was 9.67 (n = 12). This was an average decrease of 8.83 (95%CI, 5.39–12.28) points from initiation score, t(11) = 5.641, P < 0.005.

Conclusion

The Peristeen® transanal irrigation system provides a significant reduction in NBoDS scores in pediatric patients with NBD. Peristeen® should be considered when other conservative bowel management options have been unsuccessful. Neurourol. Urodynam. 36:632–635, 2017. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Association between adiposity and cognitive function in young men: Hormonal mechanisms
Authors: Bove Riley M. , Gerweck Anu V. , Mancuso Sarah M. , Bredella Miriam A. , Sherman Janet C. , Miller Karen K.
Published: February 2016

Objective

To determine the association between adiposity, hormones, and cognition in young men with abdominal obesity.

Methods

In this cross‐sectional observational study, 53 nondiabetic men with abdominal obesity (mean body mass index, 37.3 kg/m2; age, 22‐45 years) and normal intelligence underwent detailed measures of body composition, hormonal profiles, and cognition. Age‐ and education‐adjusted performance in five cognitive domains was examined.

Results

Total fat percentage was negatively associated with visuospatial skills (P = 0.002) and visual memory (P = 0.012). Insulin resistance (homeostatic model assessment of insulin resistance) was also negatively associated with these domains (P = 0.05 and trend, P = 0.06, respectively). Total testosterone levels were negatively associated with executive function and verbal learning and memory (P = 0.04 for each), but free testosterone was not. Sex hormone‐binding globulin (SHBG) was also inversely associated with performance in these domains (P = 0.015 and trend, P = 0.09, respectively). In a stepwise regression model including percentage fat, homeostatic model assessment of insulin resistance, SHBG, and free testosterone, SHBG was the only variable selected for executive function (P = 0.05) and showed a trend for verbal learning and memory (P = 0.09).

Conclusions

Adiposity and insulin resistance were associated with worse function in visual domains. An unexpected negative association is reported between SHBG and cognitive measures, which seemed to be independent of free testosterone levels.
Synthesis of fluorescent ABA triblock copolymer via click reaction
Authors: Mohammadifar Ehsan , Daneshnia Farkhondeh , Kehtari Moosa , Kharat Ali Nemati , Adeli Mohsen
Published: February 2016

A hyperbranched–linear–hyperbranched (ABA) triblock copolymer containing poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) as linear block and polyglycerol (hbPG) as hyperbranched blocks has been synthesized through a copper‐catalysed click reaction. In order to synthesize the hyperbranched block, propargyl alcohol‐initiated ring‐opening multibranching polymerization of glycidol was used to prepare hbPG with the propargyl segment in the focal point (CHChbPG). Separately, PEG was functionalized at both ends using cyanuric chloride, and then the chloride groups of cyanuric chloride were substituted by azide groups. Finally, the azide‐functionalized PEG was conjugated to CHChbPG via a click reaction. Substitution of the chlorine atoms of cyanuric chloride under different conditions together with click chemistry allows the synthesis of a variety of polymeric architectures. In the last step, fluorescein was attached to the block copolymer as a fluorescent probe in order to study the cell internalization of this copolymer. This type of triblock copolymer is a promising future nanomaterial for simultaneous drug delivery and cell imaging. © 2016 Society of Chemical Industry
Wide Range Control of the Chemical Composition and Optical Properties of Propanethiol Plasma Polymer Films by Regulating the Deposition Temperature
Authors: Aparicio Francisco J. , Thiry Damien , Laha Priya , Snyders Rony
Published: February 2016

This work reports about the significant impact of the substrate temperature (TS) on the chemical composition, bond structure, and refractive index of propanethiol plasma polymers. The experiments are conducted for a TS range (30–120 ºC) related to the inherent heating observed during plasma polymerization processes. This highlights the importance of defining TS in order to reach a real control over the deposition process. Stabilizing TS is essential to establish a good correlation between the plasma chemistry and the chemical composition of the films. This allows the identification of some of the plasma species responsible for the high sulfur content reached under certain growth conditions (S > 40%). This knowledge provides an ample control over the refractive index which is tuned within a wide range (1.63–1.82).
Formation and Penetration of Jets by Shaped Charges with Reactive Material Liners
Authors: Wang Yongzhi , Yu Qingbo , Zheng Yuanfeng , Wang Haifu
Published: February 2016

Reactive material lining is an efficient damage enhancement technology that incorporates the defeat mechanisms of kinetic energy and chemical energy. The liners are fabricated by cold isostatically pressing at a pressure of 250 MPa. In this paper, the formation behaviors of jet with the polymer‐based reactive material liner are investigated by numerical simulation and X‐ray photographs. The corresponding simulations of jet formation are presented, and the results agree well with experimental ones. They show that the reactive material liner can shape almost continuous and straight jet. Compared with the conventional copper liner, the reactive material liner can shape jet in a shorter time, but the jet break easily and lose stability due to its poor ductility. Although the penetration depth is sacrificed slightly when penetrating steel target, the reactive material liner produce a significantly enlarged hole‐diameter.
The influence of Mg2+ coordination on 13C and 15N chemical shifts in CKI1RD protein domain from experiment and molecular dynamics/density functional theory calculations
Authors: Vícha Jan , Babinský Martin , Demo Gabriel , Otrusinová Olga , Jansen Séverine , Pekárová Blanka , Žídek Lukáš , Munzarová Markéta L.
Published: February 2016

Sequence dependence of 13C and 15N chemical shifts in the receiver domain of CKI1 protein from Arabidopsis thaliana, CKI1RD, and its complexed form, CKI1RD•Mg2+, was studied by means of MD/DFT calculations. MD simulations of a 20–ns production run length were performed. Nine explicitly hydrated structures of increasing complexity were explored, up to a 40‐amino‐acid structure. The size of the model necessary depended on the type of nucleus, the type of amino acid and its sequence neighbors, other spatially close amino acids, and the orientation of amino acid NH groups and their surface/interior position. Using models covering a 10 and a 15 Å environment of Mg2+, a semi‐quantitative agreement has been obtained between experiment and theory for the V67−I73 sequence. The influence of Mg2+ binding was described better by the 15 Å as compared to the 10 Å model. Thirteen chemical shifts were analyzed in terms of the effect of Mg2+ insertion and geometry preparation. The effect of geometry was significant and opposite in sign to the effect of Mg2+ binding. The strongest individual effects were found for 15N of D70, S74, and V68, where the electrostatics dominated; for 13Cβ of D69 and 15N of K76, where the influences were equal, and for 13Cα of F72 and 13Cβ of K76, where the geometry adjustment dominated. A partial correlation between dominant geometry influence and torsion angle shifts upon the coordination has been observed. Proteins 2016; 84:686–699. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Surviving the black swan, strategies for process safety specialists, and companies to survive unpredicted catastrophic events
Authors: Murphy John F.
Published: February 2016

This article is a continuation of three articles that I have authored or coauthored on the “black swan,” the rare and unpredictable catastrophic event. The first two papers discussed the concept of the black swan as applied to the chemical and petroleum processing industries and the difficulty in predicting such events. The third paper discussed the fact that we have difficulty maintaining the lesson's learned from black swan events that have occurred. I have survived and witnessed several black swans. Each has affected me personally and professionally. Black swan events are rare but inevitable. Some individuals and companies survive black swan events and continue on while others do not. I have learned that many black swan events, although initially viewed as catastrophes, can result in opportunities from a process safety improvement, career, and personal perspective. This article presents examples of black swan events that have impacted my career in process safety, often in a positive way, and strategies for surviving these “black swan” events from a personal, professional, and a company point of view. © 2016 American Institute of Chemical Engineers Process Saf Prog 35: 13–17, 2016
Spectroscopy, imaging, and selective addressing of dark spins at the nanoscale with optically detected magnetic resonance
Authors: Blank Aharon
Published: February 2016

Unpaired electron spins are an indispensable part of many condensed‐matter systems. Detecting and imaging them, acquiring their spectrum, and selectively addressing these spins at the nanoscale level are ongoing challenges that have been answered only partially to date for a very limited type of physical systems. One recent effort to overcome these challenges makes use of fluorescence detection of paramagnetic defects in diamond crystals to indirectly obtain information about nearby unpaired electron spins that are not fluorescent (known as “dark spins”). Here, we provide a quantitative analysis of the factors affecting the sensitivity of such setup for dark‐spin detection. This is followed by the presentation of a new approach for the detection of the full complex coherent magnetization of the dark spins via its effect on the fluorescence of optically detected nearby diamond defects. This approach can be used for the efficient acquisition of advanced spectroscopic data of a small number of spins as well as for their efficient imaging and selective addressing, based on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)‐like protocols. Our new spectroscopy and imaging approach is theoretically analyzed to obtain estimations about its possible capabilities in terms of sensitivity and imaging/addressing resolution for a sample with specific dark‐spin characteristics.
Differential gene expression patterns during embryonic development of sea urchin exposed to triclosan
Authors: Hwang Jinik , Suh Sung‐Suk , Park Mirye , Park So Yun , Lee Sukchan , Lee Taek‐Kyun
Published: February 2016

Triclosan (TCS; 2,4,4′‐trichloro‐2′‐hydroxydiphenyl ether) is a broad‐spectrum antibacterial agent used in common industrial, personal care and household products which are eventually rinsed down the drain and discharged with wastewater effluent. It is therefore commonly found in the aquatic environment, leading to the continual exposure of aquatic organisms to TCS and the accumulation of the antimicrobial and its harmful degradation products in their bodies. Toxic effects of TCS on reproductive and developmental progression of some aquatic organisms have been suggested but the underlying molecular mechanisms have not been defined. We investigated the expression patterns of genes involved in the early development of TCS‐treated sea urchin Strongylocentrotus nudus using cDNA microarrays. We observed that the predominant consequence of TCS treatment in this model system was the widespread repression of TCS‐modulated genes. In particular, empty spiracles homeobox 1 (EMX‐1), bone morphogenic protein, and chromosomal binding protein genes showed a significant decrease in expression in response to TCS. These results suggest that TCS can induce abnormal development of sea urchin embryos through the concomitant suppression of a number of genes that are necessary for embryonic differentiation in the blastula stage. Our data provide new insight into the crucial role of genes associated with embryonic development in response to TCS. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Environ Toxicol 32: 426–433, 2017.
Anion‐Dependence of Ytterbium Complexes and Their NIR Luminescence
Authors: Wang Jiliang , Li Hongfeng , Chen Peng , Zhang Meiqi , Sun Wenbin , Yan Pengfei
Published: February 2016

The reaction of 2‐aldehyde‐8‐hydroxyquinoline, histamine, and YbX3·6H2O (X = NO3–, ClO4–) affords two ytterbium complexes [Yb(nma)2]·ClO4·2CH2Cl2 (1) and [Yb(nma)(NO3)2(DMSO)]·CH3OH (2) (Hnma = N‐(2‐(8‐hydroxylquinolinyl)methane(2‐(4‐imidazolyl)ethanamine))). The crystal structures were determined by X‐ray diffraction and it has been revealed that the anions have played important role in the assembly. In the case of 1, the Yb3+ ions are completely encapsulated by two nma ligands with uncoordinated perchlorate anion balancing the positive charge. In the case of 2, the Yb3+ ions are ligated by the ligand, oxygen atoms of the nitrate ion, and DMSO. Both complexes exhibit essential NIR luminescence of Yb3+ ions.
The impact of the immune system on the safety and efficiency of enzyme replacement therapy in lysosomal storage disorders
Authors: Broomfield A. , Jones S. A. , Hughes S. M. , Bigger B. W.
Published: February 2016

In the light of clinical experience in infantile onset Pompe patients, the immunological impact on the tolerability and long‐term efficacy of enzyme replacement therapy (ERT) for lysosomal storage disorders has come under renewed scrutiny. This article details the currently proposed immunological mechanisms involved in the development of anti‐drug antibodies and the current therapies used in their treatment. Given the current understanding of the adaptive immune response, it focuses particularly on T cell dependent mechanisms and the paradigm of using lymphocytic negative selection as a predictor of antibody formation. This concept originally postulated in the 1970s, stipulated that the genotypically determined lack of production or production of a variant protein determines an individual's lymphocytic repertoire. This in turn is the key factor in determining the potential severity of an individual's immunological response to ERT. It also highlights the need for immunological assay standardization particularly those looking at describing the degree of functional impact, robust biochemical or clinical endpoints and detailed patient subgroup identification if the true evaluations of impact are to be realised.
The Impaired Balance Systems Identified by the BESTest in Older Patients With Knee Osteoarthritis
Authors: Tamura Takayuki , Otaka Yohei , Konno Syunsuke , Sadashima Kento , Tomatsu Taisuke , Machida Satoshi
Published: February 2016

Background

Balance decreases and activities of daily living (ADLs) deteriorate in older people with knee osteoarthritis (KOA); however, little is known about the systems underlying poor balance control and how those impaired systems are related to decreased ADL.

Objectives

To explore which balance systems are particularly impaired and to examine the relationship between physical ADL and balance in older people with KOA.

Design

Case‐control study.

Setting

Outpatient clinic.

Participants

Thirty people with KOA (mean age: 75.4 years) and 30 age‐matched healthy adults (mean age: 75.4 years).

Methods

The Balance Evaluation Systems Test (BESTest), consisting of 6 sections to evaluate theoretically driven balance control systems, was used for balance assessment. BESTest section scores were compared by use of the Wilcoxon rank‐sum test. Pain and physical ADL in the KOA group were evaluated with the Japanese edition of the Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Osteoarthritis Index. Spearman correlation coefficients and partial rank correlation coefficients were used to investigate the relationship between physical ADL and the BESTest scores, pain, radiography findings, and body mass index.

Main Outcome Measurements

The BESTest total and section scores.

Results

Compared with controls, 5 of 6 BESTest section scores were significantly lower in the KOA group. Physical ADL was significantly correlated with the total BESTest score (r = −0.484, P = .007), pain (r = 0.635, P < .001), Kellgren and Lawrence grade (r = 0.601, P < .001), and body mass index (r = 0.403, P = .027). Partial rank correlation coefficients between physical ADL and the total BESTest score (r = −0.443, P = .021) or section VI‐Stability in Gait (r = −0.466, P = .014) were significant after we controlled for other variables.

Conclusions

Most balance systems were impaired in older people with KOA, and this impairment was associated independently with decreased physical ADL.
Engaging firms: The global organisational field for corporate social responsibility and national varieties of capitalism
Authors: Favotto Alvise , Kollman Kelly , Bernhagen Patrick
Published: February 2016

This article examines the relationship between national varieties of capitalism and firm engagement with the norms and best practices promoted within the global organisational field for corporate social responsibility (CSR). Using a content analysis of the CSR reports of US and European firms, we show that firms from the coordinated market economies (CME) of Europe engage more substantively with labour and human rights than their US counterparts that operate in a liberal market economy (LME). The environmental commitments of firms in both regions, however, are more developed than practices related to these social issues. These findings support the view that CSR is more developed in CMEs than LMEs, but limit this support to social CSR issues. We posit that firms’ higher levels of engagement with environmental CSR likely reflect the extent to which environmental norms have become embedded in global markets rather than how CSR is promoted by national capitalist systems.
Co-governing common goods: Interaction patterns of private and public actors
Authors: Tosun Jale , Koos Sebastian , Shore Jennifer
Published: February 2016

This article addresses co-governance which can be defined as a dynamic interaction between public and private actors to secure the provision of common goods. Which types of relationship between public and private actors exist? Do the forms of co-governance change over time? When is the relationship between public and private actors cooperative, when is it competitive, and when do we witness conflictual relationships? These research questions lie at the heart of this introductory article, which seeks to shed further light on the origins and impacts of the various co-governance patterns. By reviewing the body of research on this topic, we show that different relationships between public and private actors exist, and that the forms of co-governance can also change over time. While the dominant form of co-governance is cooperation, one can also observe instances of competition or even conflict between public and private actors. Most importantly, we find that both public and private actors are ready to reclaim competences in areas where they perceive the other actor to have gained too much influence. As we discuss in this article, the degree of cooperation and competition mostly depends on the existing regulatory arrangements, the congruence of goals of the different actor groups, and the institutionalization of industrial relations. These insights help us to better understand the role co-governance can play in addressing complex public problems.
The Impossibility of a Buddhist State
Authors: SCHONTHAL Benjamin
Published: February 2016

This article considers the effects of special constitutional prerogatives for Buddhism in Sri Lanka. It argues that, contrary to the expectations of both supporters and opponents, these clauses have not done what they claim to do: they have not enhanced the dominance of Buddhism on the island. Through a detailed analysis of recent legal action, this article demonstrates how special constitutional protections for Buddhism, in fact, aggravate and authorize splits among Buddhists. In making this argument, this article points towards a larger thesis: constitutional provisions designed to ensure theinter-religious dominance of one tradition may, under certain circumstances, actually amplifyintra-religious conflicts over the nature, boundaries, and doctrines of that tradition. This work therefore encourages scholars to rethink the assumed polarity between secular-liberal constitutions and religiously preferential ones. Although opposed in their expressive dimensions, religiously neutral and religiously preferential constitutions may in fact generate similar church-state conundrums. The case of Sri Lanka suggests that, in the same way as perfect religious neutrality is impossible, so too is perfect religious supremacy.
INSURANCE LOSS COVERAGE UNDER RESTRICTED RISK CLASSIFICATION: THE CASE OF ISO-ELASTIC DEMAND
Authors: Hao MingJie , Macdonald Angus S. , Tapadar Pradip , Thomas R. Guy
Published: February 2016

This paper investigates equilibrium in an insurance market where risk classification is restricted. Insurance demand is characterised by an iso-elastic function with a single elasticity parameter. We characterise the equilibrium by three quantities: equilibrium premium; level of adverse selection (in the economist's sense); and “loss coverage”, defined as the expected population losses compensated by insurance. We consider both equal elasticities for high and low risk-groups, and then different elasticities. In the equal elasticities case, adverse selection is always higher under pooling than under risk-differentiated premiums, while loss coverage first increases and then decreases with demand elasticity. We argue that loss coverage represents the efficacy of insurance for the whole population; and therefore that if demand elasticity is sufficiently low, adverse selection is not always a bad thing.
A pharmacoeconomic study of traditional anticoagulation versus direct oral anticoagulation for the treatment of venous thromboembolism in the emergency department
Authors: Law Stephanie , Ghag Daljit , Grafstein Eric , Stenstrom Robert , Harris Devin
Published: February 2016

Objectives

Patients with venous thromboembolism (VTE) (deep vein thrombosis [DVT] and pulmonary embolism [PE]) are commonly treated as outpatients. Traditionally, patients are anticoagulated with low-molecular-weight heparin (LMWH) and warfarin, resulting in return visits to the ED. The direct oral anticoagulant (DOAC) medications do not require therapeutic monitoring or repeat visits; however, they are more expensive. This study compared health costs, from the hospital and patient perspectives, between traditional versus DOAC therapy.

Methods

A chart review of VTE cases at two tertiary, urban hospitals from January 1, 2010 to December 31, 2012 was performed to capture historical practice in VTE management, using LMWH/warfarin. This historical data were compared against data derived from clinical trials, where a DOAC was used. Cost minimization analyses comparing the two modes of anticoagulation were completed from hospital and patient perspectives.

Results

Of the 207 cases in the cohort, only 130 (63.2%) were therapeutically anticoagulated (international normalized ratio 2.0–3.0) at emergency department (ED) discharge; patients returned for a mean of 7.18 (range: 1–21) visits. Twenty-one (10%) were admitted to the hospital; 4 (1.9%) were related to VTE or anticoagulation complications. From a hospital perspective, a DOAC (in this case, rivaroxaban) had a total cost avoidance of $1,488.04 per VTE event, per patient. From a patient perspective, it would cost an additional $204.10 to $349.04 over 6 months, assuming no reimbursement.

Conclusions

VTE management in the ED has opportunities for improvement. A DOAC is a viable and cost-effective strategy for VTE treatment from a hospital perspective and, depending on patient characteristics and values, may also be an appropriate and cost-effective option from a patient perspective.
Adverse Events Following Diagnostic Urethral Catheterization in the Pediatric Emergency Department
Authors: Ouellet-Pelletier Julie , Guimont Chantal , Gauthier Marie , Gravel Jocelyn
Published: February 2016

Objectives

The purpose of this study was to assess adverse events associated with diagnostic urethral catheterization (UC) in young children and to determine their impact on the patient and their family.

Methods

This was a prospective cohort study conducted in the emergency department of a tertiary-care pediatric hospital. All 3- to 24-month-old children with fever who had a diagnostic UC were eligible. Parents who consented to participate were contacted by phone within 7 to 10 days after the UC to answer a standardized questionnaire inquiring about complications. The primary outcome was the occurrence of an unfavourable event in the seven days following UC, defined as painful urination, genital pain, urinary retention, hematuria or secondary urinary tract infection. Secondary outcomes included the need for further medical care and the need for parents to miss school or work.

Results

Of the 199 patients who completed the study, 41 (21%) reported a complication: painful urination in 19 (10%) children, genital pain in 16 (8%), urinary retention in 11 (6%), gross hematuria in 9 (5%), and secondary urinary tract infection in 1 (0.5%). Three (1%) parents reported the need for further medical care and three (1%) missed work. Two independent variables (male sex and age 12-23 months) were associated with a higher risk of adverse events.

Conclusions

Urethral catheterization is associated with adverse events in 21% of young children in the week following the procedure. Accordingly, this procedure should be used judiciously in children, considering its potential to cause unfavourable events.
Nε-(carboxymethyl)-lysine, White Matter, and Cognitive Function in Diabetes Patients
Authors: Zhang Jian-Hui , Xu Hong-Zeng , Shen Qi-Feng , Lin Yong-Zhong , Sun Chang-Kai , Sha Lin , Ge Yu-Song , Liu Ying , Wang Chun
Published: February 2016

Objective: To study the relationship of Nε-(carboxymethyl)-lysine level (CML) with microstructure changes of white matter (WM), and cognitive impairment in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) and to discuss the potential mechanism underlying T2DM-associated cognitive impairment. Methods: The study was performed in T2DM patients (n=22) with disease course ≥5 years and age ranging from 65 to 75 years old. A control group consisted of 25 sex- and age-matched healthy volunteers. Fractional anisotropy (FA) of several WM regions was analyzed by diffusion tensor imaging scan. Plasma CML levels were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, and cognitive function was assessed by Mini-Mental State Examination and Montreal cognitive assessment (MoCA). Results: The total Mini-Mental State Examination score in the patient group (25.72±3.13) was significantly lower than the control group (28.16±2.45) (p<0.05). In addition, the total MoCA score in the patient group (22.15±3.56) was significantly lower than the control group 25.63±4.12) (p<0.01). In the patient group, FA values were significantly decreased in the corpus callosum, cingulate fasciculus, inferior fronto-occipital fasciculus, parietal WM, hippocampus, and temporal lobes relative to corresponding regions of healthy controls (p<0.05). Plasma CML level was negatively correlated with average FA values in the global brain (r=−0.58, p<0.01) and MoCA scores (r=−0.47, p<0.05). Conclusions: In T2DM, WM microstructure changes occur in older patients, and elevations in CML may play a role in the development of cognitive impairment.
High-Resolution AMS14C Dates for the Par-Tee Site (35CLT20) and Prehistoric Whale Hunting on the Oregon Coast
Authors: Sanchez Gabriel M , Erlandson Jon M , Culleton Brendan J , Kennett Douglas J , Rick Torben C
Published: February 2016

Evidence for aboriginal whale hunting, long thought to be a practice limited to Northwest Coast tribes in northern Washington and British Columbia’s Vancouver Island, was previously reported at the Par-Tee site on the Oregon coast between about cal AD 620 and 990. An age estimate for a humpback whale phalanx with an embedded elk bone harpoon point was based on radiocarbon dates on charcoal not directly associated with the whale bone. We present high-resolution accelerator mass spectrometry (AMS)14C dates for purified bone collagen extracted directly from the whale phalanx and embedded harpoon point. A calibrated date for the harpoon point places the whale hunting event between about cal AD 430 and 550. The apparent14C age of the whale bone is estimated to be 220±3714C yr older than the marine model age at that time, consistent with values from the eastern Pacific. These new dates suggest that whale hunting took place on the Oregon coast as much as 200–500 yr earlier than previously reported and more than a millennium before historic contact in the region. Our research highlights the significance of museum collections and high-resolution AMS14C dating for addressing a variety of issues related to ancient archaeological sites and cultures.
The industrial archaeology of deep time
Authors: BULSTRODE JENNY
Published: February 2016

For geologists and antiquaries of the late 1850s debates over ancient stone tools were frustrated by a lack of accepted criteria. The artefacts were hard to interpret. It was not self-evident how to judge whether they were ancient or modern, natural or man-made; or indeed whether stone tools could pre-date the use of metal tools at all. Antiquary and papermaker John Evans provided a system that offered to resolve these issues. His criteria and his use of re-enactment, making his own stone implements, gained acceptance among flint experts across fluid disciplinary boundaries and enabled authoritative interpretations of the underdetermined objects. This paper explores how Evans drew on the concerns of his industrial culture to make sense of prehistoric artefacts and support his claim to access the past through his own actions. Situated industrial concerns provided the resources for his flint work: from a patent dispute with astronomer and fellow industrialist Warren de la Rue, through his role in the Victorian arms trade, to the struggle to displace skilled manual labour in his factories. Evans is remembered for pioneering the techniques and classificatory system of modern Palaeolithic archaeology and as one of the founders of the re-enactment science of experimental flint knapping. His work played a significant role in helping reconceive the antiquity of man, yet the system of proof for this grand claim was deeply situated in his industrial culture. This paper explores how the industrial resources of a Victorian papermaker made human history.
Improved interpretation of studies comparing methods of dietary assessment: combining equivalence testing with the limits of agreement
Authors: Batterham Marijka J. , Van Loo Christel , Charlton Karen E. , Cliff Dylan P. , Okely Anthony D.
Published: February 2016

The aim of this study was to demonstrate the use of testing for equivalence in combination with the Bland and Altman method when assessing agreement between two dietary methods. A sample data set, with eighty subjects simulated from previously published studies, was used to compare a FFQ with three 24 h recalls (24HR) for assessing dietary I intake. The mean I intake using the FFQ was 126·51 (sd 54·06) µg and using the three 24HR was 124·23 (sd 48·62) µg. The bias was −2·28 (sd 43·93) µg with a 90 % CI 10·46, 5·89 µg. The limits of agreement (LOA) were −88·38, 83·82 µg. Four equivalence regions were compared. Using the conventional 10 % equivalence range, the methods are shown to be equivalent both by using the CI (−12·4, 12·4 µg) and the two one-sided tests approach (lower t=−2·99 (79 df), P=0·002; upper t=2·06 (79 df), P=0·021). However, we make a case that clinical decision making should be used to set the equivalence limits, and for nutrients where there are potential issues with deficiency or toxicity stricter criteria may be needed. If the equivalence region is lowered to ±5 µg, or ±10 µg, these methods are no longer equivalent, and if a wider limit of ±15 µg is accepted they are again equivalent. Using equivalence testing, acceptable agreement must be assessed a priori and justified; this makes the process of defining agreement more transparent and results easier to interpret than relying on the LOA alone.
Gastrointestinal modifications and bioavailability of brown seaweed phlorotannins and effects on inflammatory markers
Authors: Corona Giulia , Ji Yang , Anegboonlap Prapaporn , Hotchkiss Sarah , Gill Chris , Yaqoob Parveen , Spencer Jeremy P. E. , Rowland Ian
Published: February 2016

Brown seaweeds such asAscophyllum nodosumare a rich source of phlorotannins (oligomers and polymers of phloroglucinol units), a class of polyphenols that are unique to Phaeophyceae. At present, there is no information on the bioavailability of seaweed polyphenols and limited evidence on their bioactivityin vivo. Consequently, we investigated the gastrointestinal modificationsin vitroof seaweed phlorotannins fromA. nodosumand their bioavailability and effect on inflammatory markers in healthy participants.In vitro, some phlorotannin oligomers were identified after digestion and colonic fermentation. In addition, seven metabolites corresponding toin vitro-absorbed metabolites were identified. Urine and plasma samples contained a variety of metabolites attributed to both unconjugated and conjugated metabolites (glucuronides and/or sulphates). In both urine and plasma, the majority of the metabolites were found in samples collected at late time points (6–24 h), suggesting colonic metabolism of high-molecular-weight phlorotannins, with three phlorotannin oligomers (hydroxytrifuhalol A, 7-hydroxyeckol, C-O-C dimer of phloroglucinol) identified in urine samples. A significant increase of the cytokine IL-8 was also observed. Our study shows for the first time that seaweed phlorotannins are metabolised and absorbed, predominantly in the large intestine, and there is a large inter-individual variation in their metabolic profile. Three phlorotannin oligomers present in the capsule are excreted in urine. Our study is the first investigation of the metabolism and bioavailability of seaweed phlorotannins and the role of colonic biotransformation. In addition, IL-8 is a possible target for phlorotannin bioactivity.
A brief analysis of countries’ patterns of participation in the Antarctic Treaty Consultative Meetings (1998–2011); towards leveling the playing field?
Authors: Sánchez Rodolfo A.
Published: February 2016

This paper attempts to describe Consultative Parties’ (CPs) patterns of participation at the Antarctic Treaty Consultative Meetings (ATCM) during the 1998–2011 period. The results of this work show that a subset of the original signatories of the Antarctic Treaty exert the greatest political influence on ATCMs, and can therefore be seen as the main ‘propellers’ of the ATCM system. Although the performance of some of the non-original signatories is becoming increasingly consistent, the system still offers the appearance of being rather asymmetric and endogamic. In addition, a number of factors that might explain the patterns of participation observed are presented and discussed, as a contribution that may allow for achieving a more comprehensive picture of how the work of the ATCMs unfolds through time. The article concludes by presenting likely directions towards which future research on behavioural aspects of Antarctic policy making can be orientated.
Molecular mechanisms of xeroderma pigmentosum (XP) proteins
Authors: Koch Sandra C. , Simon Nina , Ebert Charlotte , Carell Thomas
Published: February 2016

Nucleotide excision repair (NER) is a highly versatile and efficient DNA repair process, which is responsible for the removal of a large number of structurally diverse DNA lesions. Its extreme broad substrate specificity ranges from DNA damages formed upon exposure to ultraviolet radiation to numerous bulky DNA adducts induced by mutagenic environmental chemicals and cytotoxic drugs used in chemotherapy. Defective NER leads to serious diseases, such as xeroderma pigmentosum (XP). Eight XP complementation groups are known of which seven (XPA–XPG) are caused by mutations in genes involved in the NER process. The eighth gene, XPV, codes for the DNA polymeraseɳ, which replicates through DNA lesions in a process called translesion synthesis (TLS). Over the past decade, detailed structural information of these DNA repair proteins involved in eukaryotic NER and TLS have emerged. These structures allow us now to understand the molecular mechanism of the NER and TLS processes in quite some detail and we have begun to understand the broad substrate specificity of NER. In this review, we aim to highlight recent advances in the process of damage recognition and repair as well as damage tolerance by the XP proteins.
Indoor Global Localisation in Anchor-based Systems using Audio Signals
Authors: Moutinho João , Freitas Diamantino , Esteves Araújo Rui
Published: February 2016

This paper presents a method that allows mobile devices to be globally self-localised in indoor localisation systems by transmitting to them data from position reference anchors. The objective is to establish a reliable one-way down-link communication through signals used in the localisation process in a typically strong fading and multipath channel environment. This is accomplished by using signal processing techniques, including coding and forward error correction, to transmit data using a specific transmission control protocol. Experimental results, using audio as the signal between anchors and the mobile device, demonstrate successful data transmission in realistic scenarios like a common noisy and reverberant room. Spread spectrum noise-like masked signals 4·9 dB below background noise were sufficient to attain correct data reception at four metres distance between a loudspeaker anchor and a mobile device's microphone.
KOOPMANS IN THE SOVIET UNION: A TRAVEL REPORT OF THE SUMMER OF 1965
Authors: Düppe Till
Published: February 2016

Tjalling C. Koopmans, research director of the Cowles Foundation of Research in Economics, was the first US economist after World War II who, in the summer of 1965, travelled to the Soviet Union for an official visit to the Central Economics and Mathematics Institute of the Academy of Sciences of the USSR. Koopmans left hoping to learn from the Soviet economists’ experience with applying linear programming to economic planning. Would his own theories, as discovered independently by Leonid V. Kantorovich, help increase allocative efficiency in a socialist economy? Inspired by a vague notion of universal reason spanning the iron curtain, Koopmans may have even envisioned a research community that transcends the political divide. Yet, he came home having discovered that learning about Soviet mathematical economists might be more interesting than learning from them. On top of that, he found the Soviet scene caught in the same deplorable situation he knew all too well from home: that mathematicians are the better economists. Reconstructing Koopmans’s voyage from a first-person perspective puts the spirit of universal economic knowledge at Cowles to test: Is it capable of establishing a dialogue across the political divide of the Cold War or is it limited to the Western academic cocoon?
Involvement of PARP1 in the regulation of alternative splicing
Authors: Matveeva Elena , Maiorano John , Zhang Qingyang , Eteleeb Abdallah M , Convertini Paolo , Chen Jing , Infantino Vittoria , Stamm Stefan , Wang Jiping , Rouchka Eric C , Fondufe-Mittendorf Yvonne N
Published: February 2016

Specialized chromatin structures such as nucleosomes with specific histone modifications decorate exons in eukaryotic genomes, suggesting a functional connection between chromatin organization and the regulation of pre-mRNA splicing. Through profiling the functional location of Poly (ADP) ribose polymerase, we observed that it is associated with the nucleosomes at exon/intron boundaries of specific genes, suggestive of a role for this enzyme in alternative splicing. Poly (ADP) ribose polymerase has previously been implicated in the PARylation of splicing factors as well as regulation of the histone modification H3K4me3, a mark critical for co-transcriptional splicing. In light of these studies, we hypothesized that interaction of the chromatin-modifying factor, Poly (ADP) ribose polymerase with nucleosomal structures at exon–intron boundaries, might regulate pre-mRNA splicing. Using genome-wide approaches validated by gene-specific assays, we show that depletion of PARP1 or inhibition of its PARylation activity results in changes in alternative splicing of a specific subset of genes. Furthermore, we observed that PARP1 bound to RNA, splicing factors and chromatin, suggesting that Poly (ADP) ribose polymerase serves as a gene regulatory hub to facilitate co-transcriptional splicing. These studies add another function to the multi-functional protein, Poly (ADP) ribose polymerase, and provide a platform for further investigation of this protein’s function in organizing chromatin during gene regulatory processes.
Thermal and quantum depletion of superconductivity in narrow junctions created by controlled electromigration
Authors: Baumans Xavier D. A. , Cerbu Dorin , Adami Obaïd-Allah , Zharinov Vyacheslav S. , Verellen Niels , Papari Gianpaolo , Scheerder Jeroen E. , Zhang Gufei , Moshchalkov Victor V. , Silhanek Alejandro V. , Van de Vondel Joris
Published: February 2016

Superconducting nanowires currently attract great interest due to their application in single-photon detectors and quantum-computing circuits. In this context, it is of fundamental importance to understand the detrimental fluctuations of the superconducting order parameter as the wire width shrinks. In this paper, we use controlled electromigration to narrow down aluminium nanoconstrictions. We demonstrate that a transition from thermally assisted phase slips to quantum phase slips takes place when the cross section becomes less than ∼150 nm2. In the regime dominated by quantum phase slips the nanowire loses its capacity to carry current without dissipation, even at the lowest possible temperature. We also show that the constrictions exhibit a negative magnetoresistance at low-magnetic fields, which can be attributed to the suppression of superconductivity in the contact leads. These findings reveal perspectives of the proposed fabrication method for exploring various fascinating superconducting phenomena in atomic-size contacts.
Near-island biological hotspots in barren ocean basins
Authors: Gove Jamison M. , McManus Margaret A. , Neuheimer Anna B. , Polovina Jeffrey J. , Drazen Jeffrey C. , Smith Craig R. , Merrifield Mark A. , Friedlander Alan M. , Ehses Julia S. , Young Charles W. , Dillon Amanda K. , Williams Gareth J.
Published: February 2016

Phytoplankton production drives marine ecosystem trophic-structure and global fisheries yields. Phytoplankton biomass is particularly influential near coral reef islands and atolls that span the oligotrophic tropical oceans. The paradoxical enhancement in phytoplankton near an island-reef ecosystem—Island Mass Effect (IME)—was first documented 60 years ago, yet much remains unknown about the prevalence and drivers of this ecologically important phenomenon. Here we provide the first basin-scale investigation of IME. We show that IME is a near-ubiquitous feature among a majority (91%) of coral reef ecosystems surveyed, creating near-island ‘hotspots’ of phytoplankton biomass throughout the upper water column. Variations in IME strength are governed by geomorphic type (atoll vs island), bathymetric slope, reef area and local human impacts (for example, human-derived nutrient input). These ocean oases increase nearshore phytoplankton biomass by up to 86% over oceanic conditions, providing basal energetic resources to higher trophic levels that support subsistence-based human populations.
Negative global phosphorus budgets challenge sustainable intensification of grasslands
Authors: Sattari S. Z. , Bouwman A. F. , Martinez Rodríguez R. , Beusen A. H. W. , van Ittersum M. K.
Published: February 2016

Grasslands provide grass and fodder to sustain the growing need for ruminant meat and milk. Soil nutrients in grasslands are removed through withdrawal in these livestock products and through animal manure that originates from grasslands and is spread in croplands. This leads to loss of soil fertility, because globally most grasslands receive no mineral fertilizer. Here we show that phosphorus (P) inputs (mineral and organic) in global grasslands will have to increase more than fourfold in 2050 relative to 2005 to achieve an anticipated 80% increase in grass production (for milk and meat), while maintaining the soil P status. Combined with requirements for cropland, we estimate that mineral P fertilizer use must double by 2050 to sustain future crop and grassland production. Our findings point to the need to better understand the role of grasslands and their soil P status and their importance for global food security.
Spatiotemporal patterns of population in mainland China, 1990 to 2010
Authors: Gaughan Andrea E. , Stevens Forrest R. , Huang Zhuojie , Nieves Jeremiah J. , Sorichetta Alessandro , Lai Shengjie , Ye Xinyue , Linard Catherine , Hornby Graeme M. , Hay Simon I. , Yu Hongjie , Tatem Andrew J.
Published: February 2016

According to UN forecasts, global population will increase to over 8 billion by 2025, with much of this anticipated population growth expected in urban areas. In China, the scale of urbanization has, and continues to be, unprecedented in terms of magnitude and rate of change. Since the late 1970s, the percentage of Chinese living in urban areas increased from ~18% to over 50%. To quantify these patterns spatially we use time-invariant or temporally-explicit data, including census data for 1990, 2000, and 2010 in an ensemble prediction model. Resulting multi-temporal, gridded population datasets are unique in terms of granularity and extent, providing fine-scale (~100 m) patterns of population distribution for mainland China. For consistency purposes, the Tibet Autonomous Region, Taiwan, and the islands in the South China Sea were excluded. The statistical model and considerations for temporally comparable maps are described, along with the resulting datasets. Final, mainland China population maps for 1990, 2000, and 2010 are freely available as products from the WorldPop Project website and the WorldPop Dataverse Repository.