bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Impact of 47 Years of No Tillage and Stubble Retention on Soil Aggregation and Carbon Distribution in a Vertisol
Authors: Somasundaram Jayaraman , Reeves Steven , Wang Weijin , Heenan Marijke , Dalal Ram
Published: December 2016

Aggregation often provides physical protection and stabilisation of soil organic carbon (C). No tillage (NT) coupled with stubble retention (SR) and nitrogen (N) fertiliser application (90 N, 90 kg N ha−1 application) can help improve soil aggregation. However, information is lacking on the effect of long‐term NT, SR and N fertiliser (NT, SR + N) application on soil aggregation and C distribution in different aggregates in vertisols. We analysed the soil samples collected from 0‐ to 30‐cm depth from a long‐term (47 years) experiment for soil aggregation and aggregate‐associated C and N. This long‐term field experiment originally consisted of 12 treatments, having plot size of 61·9 × 6·4 m, and these plots were arranged in a randomised block design with four replications, covering an area of 1·9 ha. Soil organic C concentrations as well as stocks were significantly higher under the treatment of NT, SR + N only in 0–10 cm compared with other treatments such as conventional tillage, stubble burning + 0 N (no N application) and conventional tillage, SR + 0 N. Mineral‐associated organic C (MOC) of <0·053 mm was 5–12 times higher (r = 0·68, p < 0·05, n = 32) compared with particulate organic C (POC) (>0·053 mm) in the 0‐ to 30‐cm layer. We found that NT, SR + N treatment had a positive impact on soil aggregation, as measured by the mean weight diameter (MWD) through wet sieving procedure, but only in the top 0‐ to 10‐cm depth. MWD had significant positive correlation with water stable aggregates (r = 0·67, p < 0·05). Unlike MWD, water stable aggregates were not affected by tillage and stubble management. Large macroaggregates (>2 mm) had significantly higher organic C and N concentrations than small macroaggregates (0·25–2 mm) or microaggregates (0·053–0·25 mm). We also found that N application had a significant effect on MWD and soil organic C in vertisols. It is evident that better soil aggregation was recorded under NTSR90N could have a positive influence on soil C sequestration. Our results further highlight the importance of soil aggregation and aggregate‐associated C in relation to C sequestration. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Mangrove outwelling is a significant source of oceanic exchangeable organic carbon
Authors: Sippo James Z. , Maher Damien T. , Tait Douglas R. , Ruiz‐Halpern Sergio , Sanders Christian J. , Santos Isaac R.
Published: December 2016

Exchangeable dissolved organic carbon (EDOC) makes up a significant proportion of the oceanic dissolved organic carbon (DOC) pool, yet EDOC sources to the coastal ocean are poorly constrained. We measured the exchange of EDOC and concentrations of EDOC and DOC in mangrove waters over a 26° latitudinal gradient. A clear latitudinal trend was observed, with the highest EDOC concentrations in the tropics. EDOC exports to the coastal ocean were 4.7 ± 1.9 mmol m−2 d−1, equivalent to 11% of DOC exports (42.1 ± 6.7 mmol m−2 d−1). Pore‐water and groundwater exchange were minor sources of EDOC. EDOC concentrations were equal to 13% ± 4% of DOC concentrations. Based on previous global DOC export estimates, and our EDOC : DOC ratios, mangroves outwell 3.1 Tg C yr−1 as EDOC, equivalent to ∼ 60% of the global EDOC flux from the ocean to the atmosphere. However, seasonality of mangrove EDOC cycling requires further research.
The root of the problem: Direct influence of riparian vegetation on estimation of stream ecosystem metabolic rates
Authors: Dodds Walter K. , Tromboni Flavia , Aparecido Saltarelli Wesley , Fernandes Cunha Davi Gasparini
Published: December 2016

Abundant living roots can be found in some streams and other shallow marine and freshwater habitats. A reach of a small Brazilian forested stream had 28% cover by live roots and exhibited diurnal trends in dissolved oxygen that could be attributed to gross primary production, but we hypothesized that activity of riparian tree roots in the channel caused this pattern. During sunny periods, trees transpire deoxygenated water from roots to the canopy but not in the dark, resulting in diurnal cycles of dissolved oxygen. Whole‐stream shading experiments showed that photosynthesis in the stream is not responsible for the pattern. Sealed chamber measurements showed living roots of riparian vegetation had substantial respiratory activity and ammonium and nitrate uptake, and rates per unit area were greater than sand and less than silt (the other two dominant substrata), indicating roots can substantially alter in‐stream biogeochemistry.
Carbon accumulation in Amazonian floodplain lakes: A significant component of Amazon budgets?
Authors: Sanders Luciana M. , Taffs Kathryn H. , Stokes Debra J. , Sanders Christian J. , Smoak Joseph M. , Enrich‐Prast Alex , Macklin Paul A. , Santos Isaac R. , Marotta Humberto
Published: December 2016

The Amazon floodplains cover approximately 10% of the Amazon Basin and are composed of predominantly anoxic sediments that may store large amounts of carbon. Our study combines 210Pb derived sedimentation rates from four recently analyzed sediment cores (n = 4) with previously published organic carbon (OC) burial estimates (n = 18) to provide a broad, first order estimate of carbon accumulation in Amazon floodplain lakes. The OC burial rates were 266 ± 57 g C m−2 yr−1. This rate is several folds greater than those reported for lakes in arctic, boreal, temperate, and tropical regions. The large amount and spatial variation of OC burial rates in these floodplain lakes highlights the need for increased sampling efforts to better measure these potentially important components of the Amazon Basin carbon budget.
Outcomes of liver retransplantation in patients with primary sclerosing cholangitis
Authors: Henson Jacqueline B. , Patel Yuval A. , King Lindsay Y. , Zheng Jiayin , Chow Shein‐Chung , Muir Andrew J.
Published: December 2016

Liver retransplantation in patients with primary sclerosing cholangitis (PSC) has not been well studied. The aims of this study were to characterize patients with PSC listed for and undergoing retransplantation and to describe the outcomes in these patients. The United Network for Organ Sharing/Organ Procurement and Transplantation Network database was used to identify all primary liver transplantations and subsequent relistings and first retransplantations in adults with PSC between 1987 and 2015. A total of 5080 adults underwent primary transplantation for PSC during this period, and of the 1803 who experienced graft failure (GF), 762 were relisted, and 636 underwent retransplantation. Younger patients and patients with GF due to vascular thrombosis or biliary complications were more likely to be relisted, whereas those with Medicaid insurance or GF due to infection were less likely. Both 5‐year graft and patient survival after retransplantation were inferior to primary transplantation (P < 0.001). Five‐year survival after retransplantation for disease recurrence (REC), however, was similar to primary transplantation (graft survival, P = 0.45; patient survival, P = 0.09) and superior to other indications for retransplantation (graft and patient survival, P < 0.001). On multivariate analysis, mechanical ventilation, creatinine, bilirubin, albumin, advanced donor age, and a living donor were associated with poorer outcomes after retransplantation. In conclusion, although survival after liver retransplantation in patients with PSC was overall inferior to primary transplantation, outcomes after retransplantation for PSC REC were similar to primary transplantation at 5 years. Retransplantation may therefore represent a treatment option with the potential for excellent outcomes in patients with REC of PSC in the appropriate clinical circumstances. Liver Transplantation 23 769–780 2017 AASLD.
Comparison of longterm outcomes and quality of life in recipients of donation after cardiac death liver grafts with a propensity‐matched cohort
Authors: Croome Kristopher P. , Lee David D. , Perry Dana K. , Burns Justin M. , Nguyen Justin H. , Keaveny Andrew P. , Taner C. Burcin
Published: December 2016

The use of liver grafts from donation after cardiac death (DCD) has been limited due to the increased rate of graft failure, mostly related to ischemic cholangiopathy (IC). It is our hypothesis that longterm outcomes and quality of life (QOL) similar to patients undergoing liver transplantation (LT) with donation after brain death (DBD) can be achieved. Clinical outcomes of all patients undergoing DCD LT (n = 300) between 1998 and 2015 were compared with a propensity score–matched cohort of patients undergoing DBD LT (n = 300). Patients were contacted for a follow‐up questionnaire and short‐form (SF)–12 QOL Survey administration. Median follow‐up was >5 years. Graft survival at 1‐, 3‐, and 5‐years was 83.8%, 75.5%, and 70.1% in the DCD LT group and 88.4%, 80.3%, and 73.9% in the DBD LT group (P = 0.27). Patient survival at 1‐, 3‐, and 5‐years was 92.3%, 86.1%, and 80.3% in the DCD LT group and 92.3%, 85.1%, and 79.5% in the DBD LT group (P = 0.81). IC developed in 11.7% and 2% of patients in the DCD LT group and DBD LT group, respectively (P < 0.001). DCD LT recipients who developed IC had inferior graft survival compared with both the DCD non‐IC group (P < 0.001) and the DBD LT group (P < 0.001); no difference in graft survival was observed between the DCD non‐IC group and the DBD LT group (P = 0.50). Physical and Mental Composite Scores on the SF‐12 QOL questionnaire were similar between the DCD LT and DBD LT groups (44.0 versus 45.4; P = 0.34 and 51.9 versus 52.2; P = 0.83), respectively. Similar longterm survival and QOL scores can be achieved between DCD LT and DBD LT. Prevention of IC in DCD LT yields excellent graft and patient survival with virtually no difference compared with DBD LT. Liver Transplantation 23 342–351 2017 AASLD.
Hysteresis in myo‐inositol utilization by Salmonella Typhimurium
Authors: Hellinckx Jessica , Fuchs Thilo M.
Published: December 2016

Growth of Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium strain 14028 with myo‐inositol (MI) as the sole carbon and energy source is characterized by a bistable phenotype that manifests in a growth phenotype with an extraordinarily long and length‐variable lag phase. However, in the presence of hydrogen carbonate, in the absence of IolR that represses the MI degradation pathway, or if cells are already adapted to minimal medium (MM) with MI, the lag phase is drastically shortened, and the bistable phenotype is abolished. We hypothesized that memory development or hysteresis is a further characteristic of MI degradation by S. Typhimurium; therefore, we investigated the transition from a short to a long lag phase in more detail. Growth experiments demonstrated that memory on the population level is successively lost within approximately 8 hr after cells, which had been adapted to MI utilization, were transferred to lysogeny broth (LB) medium. Flow cytometry (FC) analysis using a chromosomal fusion to PiolE, a promoter controlling the expression of the enzymatic genes iolE and iolG involved in MI degradation, indicated a gradual reversion within a few hours from a population in the “ON” status with respect to iolE transcription to one that is mainly in the “OFF” status. Growth and FC experiments revealed that IolR does not affect hysteresis.
Drug‐Mediated Regulation of Glycosaminoglycan Biosynthesis
Authors: Ghiselli Giancarlo
Published: December 2016

Glycosaminoglycans (GAGs) are a heterogeneous family of unbranched polysaccharides that exist in either a free state or attached to proteins and are found on the cell surface as well as in the extracellular matrix. GAGs play essential roles in cellular and tissue homeostasis, and their metabolism is altered in response to several pathological conditions. Despite strong experimental evidence supporting the function of GAGs in various diseases, little is known about the regulation of GAG biosynthesis via pharmacological intervention. In recent studies, the effects of several experimental drugs on GAG biosynthesis in animal models of disease were examined and key enzymes involved in GAG biosynthesis were found to be druggable. In addition to experimental small‐molecule drugs that alter GAG biosynthesis, a number of clinically approved drugs modulate GAG metabolism, contributing to the therapeutic benefits associated with the use of these drugs. In this review article, we propose a classification scheme for drugs affecting GAG biosynthesis. Our goal is to present a rational approach to investigate the pharmacological regulation of these important biological molecules.
Electrophysiological testing is correlated with myasthenia gravis severity
Authors: Abraham Alon , Breiner Ari , Barnett Carolina , Katzberg Hans D. , Lovblom Leif E. , RT Mylan Ngo , Bril Vera
Published: December 2016

Introduction

Electrophysiological studies play an important role in the diagnosis of myasthenia gravis (MG). The objectives of this study was to explore the correlation of jitter and decrement with various clinical symptoms and signs and disease severity.

Methods

We performed a retrospective chart review of 75 MG patients who attended the neuromuscular clinic from April 2013 to May 2014. We compared clinical characteristics between patients with high jitter (>100 µs) and decrement (>10%), and patients with lower values to explore the correlations and optimal thresholds of jitter and decrement for different clinical features.

Results

High jitter and decrement values were associated with more severe disease, manifested by more frequent symptomatic bulbar and limb muscle weakness, more frequent ocular and limb muscle weakness on examination, higher quantitative MG score, and generalized disease.

Conclusions

The yield of the electrophysiological assessment in MG extends beyond disease diagnosis and correlates with disease severity and the presence of generalized disease. Muscle Nerve 56: 445–448, 2017
Vastus medialis and lateralis activity during voluntary and stimulated contractions
Authors: Visscher Rosa M.S. , Rossi Diego , Friesenbichler Bernd , Dohm‐Acker Markus , Rosenheck Thomas , Maffiuletti Nicola A.
Published: December 2016

Introduction

The purpose of this study was to investigate the relative activation of vastus medialis (VM) and vastus lateralis (VL) muscles during voluntary and stimulated isometric contractions at different joint angles.

Methods

Sixteen healthy men (mean age: 26 years) completed maximal voluntary and stimulated contractions of the knee extensor muscles at 30°, 65°, and 100° of knee flexion. VM/VL ratios were calculated from voluntary electromyographic (EMG) and evoked torque recordings.

Results

Both EMG and VM/VL torque ratios were significantly lower at 30° than at 100° of knee flexion (P < 0.05).

Conclusions

These results can be explained by the relatively small contribution of the VM muscle to knee extension torque at short muscle length. Such disadvantage of the VM muscle at extended knee positions does not seem to be compensated by an increased neural drive. Muscle Nerve 56: 968–974, 2017
Comparison of four different nerve conduction techniques of the superficial fibular sensory nerve
Authors: Saffarian Mathew R. , Condie Nathan C. , Austin Erica A. , Mccausland Katie E. , Andary Michael T. , Sylvain James R. , Mull Iian R. , Zemper Eric D. , Jannausch Mary L.
Published: December 2016

Introduction

There are many different nerve conduction study (NCS) techniques to study the superficial fibular sensory nerve (SFSN). We present reference distal latency values and comparative data regarding 4 different NCS for the SFSN.

Methods

Four different NCS techniques, Spartan technique, Izzo techniques (medial and intermediate dorsal cutaneous branches), and Daube technique, were performed on (114) healthy volunteers. A total of 108 subjects with 164 legs were included.

Results

The mean latency of the Spartan technique was longest (3.9 ± 0.3 ms) while the Daube technique was the shortest (3.6 ± 0.7 ms). The mean amplitude of the Daube technique displayed the highest (15.2 ± 8.2 μV) with the Spartan technique having the lowest (8.7 ± 4.2 μV). Among the absent sensory nerve action potentials (SNAPs), the Spartan technique was absent only twice (1.2%) and the Izzo Medial technique was absent more than the other techniques (2.9%).

Conclusions

All 4 techniques were reliable methods for obtaining the superficial fibular nerve SNAP, present in 95% of individuals. Muscle Nerve 56: 458–462, 2017
Validation of the italian version of the 15‐item Myasthenia Gravis Quality‐of‐Life questionnaire
Authors: Raggi Alberto , Leonardi Matilde , Ayadi Roberta , Antozzi Carlo , Maggi Lorenzo , Baggi Fulvio , Mantegazza Renato
Published: December 2016

Introduction

In this study we assess the Italian version of the 15‐item Myasthenia Gravis Quality‐of‐Life questionnaire (MG‐QOL15).

Methods

The validation protocol included the MG‐QOL15, the 36‐item Short Form (SF‐36), the Besta Neurological Institute Rating Scale for Myasthenia Gravis, and the MG‐Composite. We used the Cronbach α to test reliability, the Spearman correlation to test short‐term test–retest, the Kruskal–Wallis test to assess differences in MG‐QOL15 between patients with different disease severity, and the Wilcoxon signed‐rank test to assess sensitivity to change.

Results

Seventy‐two patients were enrolled in the study. The mean MG‐QOL15 score was 15.2 ± 12.2, with α = 0.93 and test–retest correlation = 0.93. Compared with the SF‐36, the MG‐QOL15 was superior in differentiating patients with different MG types (P = 0.041) and severity (P = 0.004), showed higher sensitivity to change (P = 0.003 for improved and P = 0.024 for worsened patients), and had higher correlations with the MG‐Composite (rho = 0.367 vs. –0.213 and –0.154).

Conclusion

The Italian version of the MG‐QOL15 is valid, reliable, stable, and sensitive to changes. Muscle Nerve 56: 716–720, 2017
Isoflavin‐β modifies muscle oxidative stress and prevents a thyrotoxicosis‐induced loss of muscle mass in rats
Authors: Marinello Poliana C. , Bernardes Sara S. , Guarnier Flávia A. , Da Silva Thamara N.X. , Borges Fernando H. , Lopes Natália M.D. , Simão Andréa N.C. , Armani André , Cecchini Rubens , Cecchini Alessandra L.
Published: December 2016

Introduction

We sought to verify whether isoflavin‐beta (Iso‐β), a mixture of isoflavones with antioxidant properties, could prevent thyrotoxicosis‐induced loss of muscle mass and the participation of oxidative stress (OS) in the mechanisms of this prevention.

Methods

Two experimental periods of thyrotoxicosis induction were used in Wistar rats: 3 and 5 days to assess Iso‐β effects before and after thyrotoxicosis‐induced muscle wasting. After euthanasia, peritoneal fat and gastrocnemius muscle were collected, weighed, and muscle OS was assessed.

Results

Iso‐β prevented the loss of gastrocnemius mass in thyrotoxic rats through the prevention of muscle OS generation during thyrotoxicosis, increasing muscle total antioxidant capacity and decreasing mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase activity, lipid peroxidation, and protein carbonyl content.

Conclusion

Iso‐β decreased oxidative modification of proteins, which is known to exert a major role during proteolysis induction and is present in thyrotoxic myopathy, highlighting the potential action of Iso‐β in this complication of the disease. Muscle Nerve 56: 975–981, 2017
Cardiometabolic health and risk of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis
Authors: Timmins Hannah C. , Saw Wilfred , Cheah Benjamin C. , Lin Cindy S.Y. , Vucic Steve , Ahmed Rebekah M. , Kiernan Matthew C. , Park Susanna B.
Published: December 2016

Introduction

Patients diagnosed with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) generally have a limited medical history and a normal body mass index, raising the possibility of a premorbid ALS phenotype.

Methods

The prevalence of cardiometabolic factors was analyzed in 58 ALS patients via comprehensive cardiovascular assessments and compared with Australian population norms.

Results

ALS patients had good cardiac fitness and no reported cardiovascular events. Average blood pressure, heart rate, PR interval, and corrected QT interval were in the normal range. There were significantly fewer obese women in the ALS cohort (13.6%, P < 0.05) and more men with a normal body mass index than in the general population (47.2%, P < 0.001). The percentage of individuals who had never smoked was greater for the ALS cohort (55.8%, P ≤ 0.001), and the prevalence of dyslipidemia was lower (38.7%) compared with the general population (74.4%, P < 0.001).

Conclusion

ALS patients had good cardiometabolic health, with evidence of a reduced vascular risk profile. Muscle Nerve 56: 721–725, 2017
Source parameter inversion for wave energy focusing to a target inclusion embedded in a three‐dimensional heterogeneous halfspace
Authors: Karve Pranav M. , Fathi Arash , Poursartip Babak , Kallivokas Loukas F.
Published: December 2016

We discuss a methodology for computing the optimal spatio‐temporal characteristics of surface wave sources necessary for delivering wave energy to a targeted subsurface formation. The wave stimulation is applied to the target formation to enhance the mobility of particles trapped in its pore space. We formulate the associated wave propagation problem for three‐dimensional, heterogeneous, semi‐infinite, elastic media. We use hybrid perfectly matched layers at the truncation boundaries of the computational domain to mimic the semi‐infiniteness of the physical domain of interest. To recover the source parameters, we define an inverse source problem using the mathematical framework of constrained optimization and resolve it by employing a reduced‐space approach. We report the results of our numerical experiments attesting to the methodology's ability to specify the spatio‐temporal description of sources that maximize wave energy delivery. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Respiratory manifestations in 38 patients with Alström syndrome
Authors: Boerwinkle Caroline , Marshall Jan D. , Bryant Joy , Gahl William A. , Olivier Kenneth N. , Gunay‐Aygun Meral
Published: December 2016

Objectives: Alström syndrome (AS) is a rare, multi‐system condition characterized by retinal degeneration, sensorineural hearing loss, obesity, insulin‐resistant diabetes, hypertriglyceridemia, cardiomyopathy, hepatorenal disease, and recurrent respiratory infections. It belongs to a group of genetic disorders known as primary ciliopathies, which includes autosomal dominant and recessive polycystic kidney diseases, as well as Joubert and Bardet–Biedl syndromes. Prior studies have suggested phenotypic overlap between primary ciliopathies affecting the non‐motile, sensory cilia, and primary ciliary dyskinesia (PCD), a motile ciliopathy characterized by respiratory tract disease. Methods: We describe the burden of oto‐sino‐pulmonary disease in 38 individuals with AS and examines the degree of clinical overlap between PCD and AS. Evaluation at the NIH Clinical Center included clinical examination, chest imaging, and clinical history surveys, as well as measurement of nasal nitric oxide (nNO) in nine patients. Results: Recurrent otitis media was ubiquitous in the AS cohort (92%) with 50% requiring pressure equalization tube placement. A history of bronchitis/pneumonia and sinusitis was reported in 61% and 50% of individuals, respectively. PCD‐characterizing symptoms (laterality defects, unexplained neonatal respiratory distress, year‐round nasal congestion, and wet cough) were far less prevalent in the AS cohort compared to PCD, and the average nNO production in the AS cohort was 232 ± 57.1 nl/min compared to a cut‐off of <77 nl/min for PCD. Conclusions: These data suggest that the oto‐sino‐respiratory complications in AS are prominent enough to warrant increased clinical attention, but significantly impaired respiratory cilia function as seen in PCD is unlikely in AS. (www.clinicaltrials.gov, trial NCT00068224) Pediatr Pulmonol. 2017;52:487–493. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Functional similarities between the dictyostelium protein AprA and the human protein dipeptidyl‐peptidase IV
Authors: Herlihy Sarah E. , Tang Yu , Phillips Jonathan E. , Gomer Richard H.
Published: December 2016

Autocrine proliferation repressor protein A (AprA) is a protein secreted by Dictyostelium discoideum cells. Although there is very little sequence similarity between AprA and any human protein, AprA has a predicted structural similarity to the human protein dipeptidyl peptidase IV (DPPIV). AprA is a chemorepellent for Dictyostelium cells, and DPPIV is a chemorepellent for neutrophils. This led us to investigate if AprA and DPPIV have additional functional similarities. We find that like AprA, DPPIV is a chemorepellent for, and inhibits the proliferation of, D. discoideum cells, and that AprA binds some DPPIV binding partners such as fibronectin. Conversely, rAprA has DPPIV‐like protease activity. These results indicate a functional similarity between two eukaryotic chemorepellent proteins with very little sequence similarity, and emphasize the usefulness of using a predicted protein structure to search a protein structure database, in addition to searching for proteins with similar sequences.
Modeling quantum cascade lasers: Coupled electron and phonon transport far from equilibrium and across disparate spatial scales
Authors: Shi Y. B. , Mei S. , Jonasson O. , Knezevic I.
Published: December 2016

Quantum cascade lasers (QCLs) are high‐power coherent light sources in the midinfrared and terahertz parts of the electromagnetic spectrum. They are devices in which the electronic and lattice systems are far from equilibrium, strongly coupled to one another, and the problem bridges disparate spatial scales. We present our ongoing work on the multiphysics and multiscale simulation of far‐from‐equilibrium transport of charge and heat in midinfrared QCLs.
A partially occulting MACHO‐microlensing event in the Twin Quasar Q0957+561
Authors: Nieuwenhuizen Theodorus Maria
Published: December 2016

A doubly‐peaked quasar microlensing event in the lensed Twin Quasar Q0957+561 A,B (Colley and Schild 2003) is analysed within several lensing models. In the most realistic model a lens resolves in image B the ellipse shaped, bright inner rim of the quasar's accretion disk, intersecting it twice. This lens weighs 0.5 Earth mass and is located inside the Galaxy, at 3 kpc distance. During the passing, it partially occults the source, which allows to describe it as a primordial gas cloud of 1.4 Solar radius and 17 K temperature, in accordance with the theory of Gravitational Hydrodynamics. Lensing by such objects against the Magellanic Clouds and Galactic centre will also lead to occultation dips.
Yukawa's of light stringy states
Authors: Anastasopoulos Pascal , Bianchi Massimo , Consoli Dario
Published: December 2016

Light massive string states can appear at D‐brane intersections with small angles. We compute tri‐linear Yukawa couplings of such open‐string states to massless ones and to one another. Due to ambiguities in the normalisation of the vertex operators, that involve twist fields, we proceed via factorization of appropriate scattering amplitudes. Some peculiar features are observed that may lead to interesting signatures at colliders in the future.
Black holes as collapsed polymers
Authors: Brustein Ram , Medved A.J.M.
Published: December 2016

We propose that a large Schwarzschild black hole (BH) is a bound state of highly excited, long, closed strings at the Hagedorn temperature. According to our proposal, the interior of the BH consists, on average, of a uniform distribution of matter with low curvature and large quantum fluctuations about the average. This proposal represents a dramatic departure from any conventional state of matter and from the longstanding expectation that the interior of a BH should look like empty space except for a very small, dense core (the singularity). Standard effective field theory in terms of the metric and other quantum fields is incapable of describing such a state in a meaningful way. However, in polymer physics, such states can be described by a mean field theory in terms of the polymer concentration. We therefore propose that the interior of the BH be described in terms of an effective free‐energy density which is a function of the string concentration or entropy density; this density being a highly non‐perturbative quantity in terms of the metric and other quantum fields. For a macroscopic BH, our proposed free‐energy density contains only linear and quadratic terms, in analogy with that of the theory of collapsed polymers. We calculate the coefficient of the linear term under the accepted assumption that the dominant interaction of the strings at large distances is the gravitational interaction and the coefficient of the quadratic term by relying on explicit string calculations to determine the rate of interaction in terms of the string coupling. Using the effective free energy, we find that the size of the bound state is determined dynamically by the string attractive interactions and derive scaling relations for the entropy, energy and size of the bound state. We show that these agree with the scaling relations of the BH; in particular, with the area law for the BH entropy. The fact that the entropy is not extensive is a result of having strong correlations in the interior state, and the specific form of the entropy‐area law originates from the inverse scaling of the effective temperature with the bound‐state radius. We also find that the energy density of the bound state is equal to its pressure.
Acetylation dictates the morphology of nanophase biosilica precipitated by a 14‐amino acid leucine–lysine peptide
Authors: Lutz Helmut , Jaeger Vance , Bonn Mischa , Pfaendtner Jim , Weidner Tobias
Published: December 2016

N‐terminal acetylation is a commonly used modification technique for synthetic peptides, mostly applied for reasons of enhanced stability, and in many cases regarded as inconsequential. In engineered biosilification – the controlled deposition of silica for nanotechnology applications by designed peptides – charged groups often play a deciding role. Here we report that changing the charge by acetylation of a 14‐amino acid leucine–lysine (LK) peptide dramatically changes the morphology of precipitated biosilica; acetylated LK peptides produce nano‐spheres, whereas nano‐wires are precipitated by the same peptide in a non‐acetylated form. By using interface‐specific vibrational spectroscopy and coarse‐grained molecular simulations, we show that this change in morphology is not the result of modified peptide–silica interactions, but rather caused by the stabilization of the hydrophobic core of peptide aggregates created by the removal of a peptide charge upon acetylation. These results should raise awareness of the potential impact of N‐terminal modifications in peptide applications. Copyright © 2016 European Peptide Society and John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Mechanism‐Based Modeling of Gastric Emptying Rate and Gallbladder Emptying in Response to Caloric Intake
Authors: Guiastrennec B , Sonne DP , Hansen M , Bagger JI , Lund A , Rehfeld JF , Alskär O , Karlsson MO , Vilsbøll T , Knop FK , Bergstrand M
Published: December 2016

Bile acids released postprandially modify the rate and extent of absorption of lipophilic compounds. The present study aimed to predict gastric emptying (GE) rate and gallbladder emptying (GBE) patterns in response to caloric intake. A mechanism‐based model for GE, cholecystokinin plasma concentrations, and GBE was developed on data from 33 patients with type 2 diabetes and 33 matched nondiabetic individuals who were administered various test drinks. A feedback action of the caloric content entering the proximal small intestine was identified for the rate of GE. The cholecystokinin concentrations were not predictive of GBE, and an alternative model linking the nutrients amount in the upper intestine to GBE was preferred. Relative to fats, the potency on GBE was 68% for proteins and 2.3% for carbohydrates. The model predictions were robust across a broad range of nutritional content and may potentially be used to predict postprandial changes in drug absorption.
Highly accurate benchmark calculations of the interaction energies in the complexes C6H6···C6X6 (X = F, Cl, Br, and I)
Authors: Wang Weizhou , Zhang Yu , Wang Yi‐Bo
Published: December 2016

Different from the case of the benzene dimer, the differences between the interaction energies are always less than 0.50 kcal/mol for face‐to‐face eclipsed, face‐to‐face staggered, and parallel‐displaced configurations of all investigated complexes C6H6···C6X6 (X = F, Cl, Br, and I). Hence, it is a great challenge for quantum chemists to accurately calculate the interaction energies for the three configurations of the complexes C6H6···C6X6. This work demonstrates that results obtained with the PBE0 density functional combined with the D3 dispersion correction (PBE0‐D3) and the basis set def2‐TZVPP are in excellent agreement with the estimates of the coupled‐cluster singles, doubles, and perturbative triples [CCSD(T)] complete basis set (CBS) limit. The other finding in this study is that, in comparison with the gold‐standard CCSD(T)/CBS benchmark, the spin‐component scaled (SCS) zeroth‐order symmetry‐adapted perturbation theory (SAPT0), when paired with the basis set aug‐cc‐pVDZ, performs also very well, and its performance is even better than that of the PBE0‐D3/def2‐TZVPP method or the conventional SAPT/aug‐cc‐pVQZ method. The findings of this study are very significant because both PBE0‐D3/def2‐TZVPP and SCS‐SAPT0/aug‐cc‐pVDZ can deal with the systems with more than 200 atoms.
Survival of Migrating Sea Trout (Salmo trutta) Smolts During Their Passage of an Artificial Lake in a Danish Lowland Stream
Authors: Schwinn M. , Aarestrup K. , Baktoft H. , Koed A.
Published: December 2016

Artificial lake development is often used as a management tool to reduce nutrient runoff to coastal waters. Denmark has restored more than 10 000 ha of wetlands and lakes in the last 14 years as a consequence of ‘Action Plans for the Aquatic Environment’, which aim to meet the demands of the European Union's Water Framework Directive. Juvenile, seaward migrating salmonids are highly affected by impounded waterbodies, as they are subjected to extraordinary high mortalities due to predation and altered habitat. From 2005 to 2015, survival and migration patterns of wild brown trout (Salmo trutta) smolts were investigated by using radio, acoustic and Passive Integrated Transponder telemetry both before and after the development of an artificial lake in a small Danish lowland stream. In 2005 and 2006, before the lake developed, survival was estimated to be 100% in the river stretch where the lake later developed. In 2007 and in the period between 2009 and 2015, mean yearly survival decreased to 26%. Mean time for passing the area increased significantly after the development of the lake from 0.42 to 5.95 days. Generalized additive models were used to model the probability of a successful passage. Water temperature and discharge were key environmental factors affecting survival of the smolts during the passage of the lake. Furthermore, smolt survival was negatively correlated with condition factor. This elevated level of smolt mortality may seriously compromise self‐sustaining anadromous salmonid populations when artificial lakes are developed in connection with rivers. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Imbalance properties of centre‐stratified permuted‐block and complete randomisation for several treatments in a clinical trial
Authors: Anisimov Vladimir V. , Yeung Wai Y. , Coad D. Stephen
Published: December 2016

Randomisation schemes are rules that assign patients to treatments in a clinical trial. Many of these schemes have the common aim of maintaining balance in the numbers of patients across treatment groups. The properties of imbalance that have been investigated in the literature are based on two treatment groups. In this paper, their properties for K > 2 treatments are studied for two randomisation schemes: centre‐stratified permuted‐block and complete randomisation. For both randomisation schemes, analytical approaches are investigated assuming that the patient recruitment process follows a Poisson–gamma model. When the number of centres involved in a trial is large, the imbalance for both schemes is approximated by a multivariate normal distribution. The accuracy of the approximations is assessed by simulation. A test for treatment differences is also considered for normal responses, and numerical values for its power are presented for centre‐stratified permuted‐block randomisation. To speed up the calculations, a combined analytical/approximate approach is used. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Motivational Interviewing in the Reciprocal Engagement Model of Genetic Counseling: a Method Overview and Case Illustration
Authors: Ash Erin
Published: December 2016

Motivational Interviewing is a well‐described counseling method that has been applied to a broad range of health behavior encounters. Genetic counseling is an emerging area of utilization for the method of Motivational Interviewing. The relational and technical elements of the MI method are described within the context of genetic counseling encounters. Case excerpts will be used to illustrate incorporation of MI methods into the Reciprocal Engagement Model of the genetic counseling encounter.
The Effect of Childhood Family Size on Fertility in Adulthood: New Evidence From IV Estimation
Authors: Cools Sara , Kaldager Hart Rannveig
Published: December 2016

Although fertility is positively correlated across generations, the causal effect of children’s experience with larger sibships on their own fertility in adulthood is poorly understood. With the sex composition of the two firstborn children as an instrumental variable, we estimate the effect of sibship size on adult fertility using high-quality data from Norwegian administrative registers. Our study sample is all firstborns or second-borns during the 1960s in Norwegian families with at least two children (approximately 110,000 men and 104,000 women). An additional sibling has a positive effect on male fertility, mainly causing them to have three children themselves, but has a negative effect on female fertility at the same margin. Investigation into mediators reveals that mothers of girls shift relatively less time from market to family work when an additional child is born. We speculate that this scarcity in parents’ time makes girls aware of the strains of life in large families, leading them to limit their own number of children in adulthood.
Exploring the use of Routine Outcome Monitoring in the treatment of patients with a psychotic disorder
Authors: Tasma M. , Liemburg E.J. , Knegtering H. , Delespaul P.A.E.G. , Boonstra A. , Castelein S.
Published: December 2016

Background

Routine Outcome Monitoring (ROM) has become part of the treatment process in mental health care. However, studies have indicated that few clinicians in psychiatry use the outcome of ROM in their daily work. The aim of this study was to explore the degree of ROM use in clinical practice as well as the explanatory factors of this use.

Methods

In the Northern Netherlands, a ROM-protocol (ROM-Phamous) for patients with a psychotic disorder has been implemented. To establish the degree of ROM-Phamous use in clinical practice, the ROM results of patients (n = 204) were compared to the treatment goals formulated in their treatment plans. To investigate factors that might influence ROM use, clinicians (n = 32) were asked to fill out a questionnaire about ROM-Phamous.

Results

Care domains that were problematic according to the ROM-Phamous results were mentioned in the treatment plan in 28% of cases on average (range 5–45%). The use of ROM-Phamous in the treatment process varies considerably among clinicians. Most of the clinicians find ROM-Phamous both useful and important for good clinical practice. In contrast, the perceived ease-of-use is low and most clinicians report insufficient time to use ROM-Phamous.

Conclusions

More frequent ROM use should be facilitated in clinicians. This could be achieved by improving the fit with clinical routines and the ease-of-use of ROM systems. It is important for all stakeholders to invest in integrating ROM in clinical practice. Eventually, this might improve the diagnostics and treatment of patients in mental health care.
Risk assessment tools in criminal justice and forensic psychiatry: The need for better data
Authors: Douglas T. , Pugh J. , Singh I. , Savulescu J. , Fazel S.
Published: December 2016

Violence risk assessment tools are increasingly used within criminal justice and forensic psychiatry, however there is little relevant, reliable and unbiased data regarding their predictive accuracy. We argue that such data are needed to (i) prevent excessive reliance on risk assessment scores, (ii) allow matching of different risk assessment tools to different contexts of application, (iii) protect against problematic forms of discrimination and stigmatisation, and (iv) ensure that contentious demographic variables are not prematurely removed from risk assessment tools.
LASER hemorrhoidal dearterialization
Authors: Boarini Paulo , Boarini Lucas Rodrigues , Candelaria Paulo de Azeredo Passos , Lima Edgard Mesquita de , Boarini Marcelo Rodrigues
Published: December 2016

Introduction Hemorrhoidal disease is associated with the theory of arterial blood hyperflow causing swellings in hemorrhoids and, consequently, hyperplasia and venous congestion. The technique helps to promote the obliteration of the terminals of the superior rectal artery branches without the need for anesthesia by electrofulguration with diode fiber LASER. The objective of this study is to describe the results of 55 patients with hemorrhoidal disease treated by the Hemorrhoidal LASER Procedure technique.

Method Without the need of anesthesia, terminal arterioles of the upper rectal artery are identified by a Doppler transducer (20 MHz probe 3 mm) placed on a specially designed proctoscope. After identification, it promotes arteriolar electrofulguration at 980 nm fiber laser diode, causing interruption of hemorrhoidal flow. This procedure is repeated circumferentially, following the clockwise positions.

Results Between 2011 and 2014, 55 patients underwent the Hemorrhoidal LASER Procedure technique for hemorrhoidal disease grades I, II and III. There was no need for anesthesia and only two patients required sedation for the procedure. The overall satisfaction rate was 89%, with symptom resolution in 84% and a decrease of at least one grade in hemorrhoidal disease in 80% of cases.

Conclusion Hemorrhoidal LASER Procedure is a painless outpatient technique that does not require anesthesia, in addition to being safe and easy to perform. It is effective in reducing symptoms and complications of the hemorrhoidal disease grades I and II, with high satisfaction rates.
Wake structure and thrust generation of a flapping foil in two-dimensional flow
Authors: Andersen A. , Bohr T. , Schnipper T. , Walther J. H.
Published: December 2016

We present a combined numerical (particle vortex method) and experimental (soap film tunnel) study of a symmetric foil undergoing prescribed oscillations in a two-dimensional free stream. We explore pure pitching and pure heaving, and contrast these two generic types of kinematics. We compare measurements and simulations when the foil is forced with pitching oscillations, and we find a close correspondence between flow visualisations using thickness variations in the soap film and the numerically determined vortex structures. Numerically, we determine wake maps spanned by oscillation frequency and amplitude, and we find qualitatively similar maps for pitching and heaving. We determine the drag–thrust transition for both pitching and heaving numerically, and we discuss it in relation to changes in wake structure. For heaving with low oscillation frequency and high amplitude, we find that the drag–thrust transition occurs in a parameter region with wakes in which two vortex pairs are formed per oscillation period, in contrast to the common transition scenario in regions with inverted von Kármán wakes.
The Danger of Chinese Exceptionalism
Authors: Li (李鑫) Xin
Published: December 2016

In the movement of Chinese indigenous management research, a sort of ‘Chinese exceptionalism’ (as critiqued by Peng, 2005: 133) seems to have been emerging, namely, some Chinese scholars see Chinese culture, philosophy, and way of thinking are unique and cannot be accounted for by some of the established, often West-based, theories.
NetworKit: A tool suite for large-scale complex network analysis
Authors: STAUDT CHRISTIAN L. , SAZONOVS ALEKSEJS , MEYERHENKE HENNING
Published: December 2016

We introduce NetworKit, an open-source software package for analyzing the structure of large complex networks. Appropriate algorithmic solutions are required to handle increasingly common large graph data sets containing up to billions of connections. We describe the methodology applied to develop scalable solutions to network analysis problems, including techniques like parallelization, heuristics for computationally expensive problems, efficient data structures, and modular software architecture. Our goal for the software is to package results of our algorithm engineering efforts and put them into the hands of domain experts. NetworKit is implemented as a hybrid combining the kernels written in C++ with a Python frontend, enabling integration into the Python ecosystem of tested tools for data analysis and scientific computing. The package provides a wide range of functionality (including common and novel analytics algorithms and graph generators) and does so via a convenient interface. In an experimental comparison with related software, NetworKit shows the best performance on a range of typical analysis tasks.
REWRITING ROME: TOPOGRAPHY, ETYMOLOGY AND HISTORY IN VARRODE LINGVA LATINA5 AND PROPERTIUSELEGIES4
Authors: MacDonald Carolyn
Published: December 2016

sunt…ista, Varro; nam nos in nostra urbe peregrinantis errantisque tamquam hospites tui libri quasi domum reduxerunt, ut possemus aliquando qui et ubi essemus agnoscere.

(Cic.Acad. 1.3.9)

What you say is true, Varro; for we were wandering and straying about, like foreigners in our own city, and your books, as it were, led us back home, so that we could see at last who and where we were.

With its memorable image of theAntiquitatesguiding home a Roman populace estranged from Rome, Cicero's compliment to Varro epitomises the Roman tendency to intertwine historical knowledge and the urban landscape. In the profusion of scholarship on Roman topography and memory, this tendency has become something of atoposin its own right. In her seminal monographWriting Rome, for example, Catharine Edwards proposes that, ‘topography, for Romans, perhaps played a greater role than chronology for making sense of the past…places became vehicles for a kind of non-sequential history’. Straying about like foreigners in their own city, however, Cicero's lost Romans remind us that the city's history was not immanent in its hills and valleys, monuments and marketplaces. On the contrary, like any other, Rome's mnemonic topography was a work in process, constituted in ‘the persistent return to history, the systematic unearthing of ruins, the conscientious recovery of traditions, and…the reactivation of an inherited past’.