bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Seismic anisotropy and its precursory change before eruptions at Piton de la Fournaise volcano, La Réunion
Authors: Savage M. K. , Ferrazzini V. , Peltier A. , Rivemale E. , Mayor J. , Schmid A. , Brenguier F. , Massin F. , Got J.‐L. , Battaglia J. , DiMuro A. , Staudacher T. , Rivet D. , Taisne B. , Shelley A.
Published: April 2015

The Piton de la Fournaise volcano exhibits frequent eruptions preceded by seismic swarms and is a good target to test hypotheses about magmatically induced variations in seismic wave properties. We use a permanent station network and a portable broadband network to compare seismic anisotropy measured via shear wave splitting with geodetic displacements, ratios of compressional to shear velocity (Vp/Vs), earthquake focal mechanisms, and ambient noise correlation analysis of surface wave velocities and to examine velocity and stress changes from 2000 through 2012. Fast directions align radially to the central cone and parallel to surface cracks and fissures, suggesting stress‐controlled cracks. High Vp/Vs ratios under the summit compared with low ratios under the flank suggest spatial variations in the proportion of fluid‐filled versus gas‐filled cracks. Secular variations of fast directions (ϕ) and delay times (dt) between split shear waves are interpreted to sense changing crack densities and pressure. Delay times tend to increase while surface wave velocity decreases before eruptions. Rotations of ϕ may be caused by changes in either stress direction or fluid pressure. These changes usually correlate with GPS baseline changes. Changes in shear wave splitting measurements made on multiplets yield several populations with characteristic delay times, measured incoming polarizations, and fast directions, which change their proportion as a function of time. An eruption sequence on 14 October 2010 yielded over 2000 shear wave splitting measurements in a 14 h period, allowing high time resolution measurements to characterize the sequence. Stress directions from a propagating dike model qualitatively fit the temporal change in splitting.
Simulated recovery of Europa's global shape and tidal Love numbers from altimetry and radio tracking during a dedicated flyby tour
Authors: Mazarico Erwan , Genova Antonio , Neumann Gregory A. , Smith David E. , Zuber Maria T.
Published: April 2015

The fundamental scientific objectives for future spacecraft exploration of Jupiter's moon Europa include confirmation of the existence of subsurface ocean beneath the surface ice shell and constraints on the physical properties of the ocean. Here we conduct a comprehensive simulation of a multiple‐flyby mission. We demonstrate that radio tracking data can provide an estimate of the gravitational tidal Love number k2 with sufficient precision to confirm the presence of a liquid layer. We further show that a capable long‐range laser altimeter can improve determination of the spacecraft position, improve the k2 determination (<1% error), and enable the estimation of the planetary shape and Love number h2 (3–4% error), which is directly related to the amplitude of the surface tidal deformation. These measurements, in addition to the global shape accurately constrained by the long altimetric profiles, can yield further constraints on the interior structure of Europa.
A Sketchbook for the City to Come: The Pop‐Up as R&D
Authors: Hill Dan
Published: April 2015

Dan Hill, an Executive Director at Future Cities Catapult, is not content to accept that architecture is willy‐nilly the carapace for the desires of the society that constructs it. He argues that pop‐ups – all too often the tools of corporate branding or the cat's paw of gentrification – should be used to implement overt social initiatives, presaging an architecture of positive change in cities. A member of the Finnish Innovation Fund Sitra's Strategic Design Unit from 2011 to 2012, he helped lead the Open Kitchen initiative featured here.
Building Community
Authors: Kahn Andrea
Published: April 2015

Without the legal and economic strictures of permanent construction, pop‐up architecture offers a unique opportunity for architects to build small‐scale structures that enable community participation and social engagement. What, though, are the political manifestations for instigating this type of public participation through lightweight architectural programming? Andrea Kahn, Adjunct Professor of Urban Planning at Columbia University Graduate School of Architecture, Planning and Preservation (GSAPP), examines this phenomenon by profiling three projects located in the public realm by Jonathan Kirschenfeld and CDR Studio in New York, and Vallo Sadovsky Architects in Bratislava.
Agents for Urban Food Education and Security
Authors: Lim CJ
Published: April 2015

Pop‐ups provide a unique means of physically communicating issues to a wider public through their placement in city centres and areas with a high footfall. Food security, agricultural and sustainability are matters close to the heart of CJ Lim, Professor of Architecture and Urbanism at the Bartlett School of Architecture, University College London (UCL), and founder of Studio 8 Architects. Here, through a speculative project, ‘The Food Parliament’, and some of the many pop‐ups and kiosks that he has observed on his travels, he proposes how transitory architecture might help bring wider attention to unsustainable patterns of consumption and food dissemination.
Lithium–Sulfur Cells: The Gap between the State‐of‐the‐Art and the Requirements for High Energy Battery Cells
Authors: Hagen Markus , Hanselmann Dominik , Ahlbrecht Katharina , Maça Rudi , Gerber Daniel , Tübke Jens
Published: April 2015

Li–S cells are considered a highly attractive electrochemical storage system, especially due to their high potential gravimetric energy density. The long‐term target of all Li–S research activities must be to outperform state‐of‐the‐art Li‐ion cells. A current benchmark is the Panasonic NCR18650B, which has a gravimetric energy density of ≈240 Wh kg−1 and several hundred relatively stable cycles. The possible 18650 Li–S cell energies and cell costs are calculated for various sulfur loads, sulfur utilizations, and electrolyte/sulfur ratios with the aim of determining the cell and electrode property values required to outperform the NCR18650B. These values are compared with statistical information obtained from an extensive literature review of 274 Li–S publications over the last 12 years to show the gap between state‐of‐the‐art Li–S research and requirements for high energy density cells. Finally, a carbon nanotubes‐based electrode is introduced, which meets important criteria for obtaining high gravimetric cell energy densities.
Preparation and characterization of linear and star‐shaped poly L‐lactide blends
Authors: Khajeheian Mohammad B. , Rosling Ari
Published: April 2015

A series of star‐shaped poly(l‐lactide) (sPLLA) with different branch length was synthesized by ring‐opening polymerization of l‐lactide using pentaerythritol as initiator and stannous‐octoate as catalyst. The structures and properties of the sPLLAs were characterized by 1H‐NMR, rheology, differential scanning calorimetry, and size‐exclusion chromatography. The star‐shaped polymers were blended with a linear PLLA resin (3051D; NatureWorks) and studied for their melt flow and thermal properties. Blends containing 10 wt % of sPLLA displayed equivalent zero shear viscosities to PLLA 3051D, however displaying stronger shear thinning and increased melt elasticity. The blends exhibited also similar thermal and crystallization properties as the PLLA 3051D. A higher ratio of low molecular weight sPLLA (30 wt %; Mwtotal: 2500 and 15,000 g mol−1) lowered the zero viscosity and increased shear thinning of PLLA 3051D. Crystallization of PLLA 3051D appears to increase at 30 wt % blends with the higher molecular weight sPLLA, while the star‐shaped structure acts as a nucleating agent. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2016, 133, 42231.
Aboriginal resources change through time in New England upland wetlands, south‐east Australia
Authors: Beck Wendy , Haworth Robert , Appleton John
Published: April 2015

It has previously been assumed that New England high‐country environments were not conducive to intense Aboriginal occupation and associated ceremonial activities. How productive were upland wetlands (lagoons) for Aboriginal occupation of high country in eastern Australia through time? Especially during their intermittent phases, upland lagoons provide a diverse and changing mix of deep water, marsh and the green pick of recently exposed lake bed, a rich aggregation of both plant and animal resources not available in other environments. Upland wetlands can be a surprisingly productive Aboriginal resource in an otherwise harsh country, and would at times allow for high population aggregations, such as for ceremonies. We surveyed the ecological literature on New England lagoon characteristics, on vegetation and on birds and other fauna used as resources by Aboriginal people. This was then compared with palaeo‐environmental data to prepare an account of potential resources for the New England region over time. We found that overall productivity of lagoons can be high, with large numbers of plant and animal species present in the wetland environment, especially in the early and very late Holocene. Productivity is highest not at the lake‐full stage, but when the moist littoral zones are at their most extensive. The reasons for the apparent sparseness of occupation of the high country before the mid‐Holocene are unresolved but open to informed speculation about the changing resource inventory of the wetlands, and the mid‐Holocene appearance of new technologies that may have enabled more efficient use of resources. In the later Holocene, Aboriginal occupation in upland areas became visible in the record, and included an exceptionally high number of ceremonial sites juxtaposed with the areas of greatest lagoon concentration. This suggests either that these wetlands had become more productive and diverse over time or that people had learnt how to make better use of the available wetland resources, to the point of supporting the larger numbers often associated with ceremonial activity. More research into the location and chronology of wetland archaeological sites is required to resolve the question of whether the apparent early lack of sites is a question of visibility or a real hiatus.
Human–environment interactions at regional scales: the complex topography hypothesis applied to surface archaeological records in Australia and North America
Authors: Holdaway Simon J. , King Geoffrey C.P. , Douglass Matthew J. , Fanning Patricia C.
Published: April 2015

We match stone artefact distributions and assemblage compositions at the local geographical scale to measures of both complex topography and environmental history, as suggested by the work of Bailey and King. By comparing two study regions that have different topographic complexity measures, one in western New South Wales, Australia, and the other in Oglala National Grassland, North American Great Plains, we show that people created distinct long‐term landscape use histories in both regions. While stone artefact manufacture and use, and indeed the transport of stone artefacts over great distances, feature in both areas, the accumulation of stone artefacts in different places leads to a quite different site use history in each of the case study regions.
RDAP14 summit: Introduction
Authors: Johnson Andrew
Published: April 2015

EDITOR'S SUMMARY

The March 2014 ASIS&T Research Data Access and Preservation Summit (RDAP14) held in San Diego, California, featured keynote talks, panel discussions, poster sessions and post‐conference workshops geared to curating research data. Speakers addressed education about data management, putting together data management plans and policy development, with the challenge of defining roles in collaboration woven through presentations. Keynote speakers detailed specific collaborative efforts to promote preservation of and access to research outputs and to facilitate their discovery and reuse. Panels addressed hurdles such as limited resources and coordinating efforts within and beyond institutions, and speakers shared updates on the National Science Foundation's DataNet and the public access requirements of the White House Office of Science and Technology. Followup workshops provided expanded opportunities to learn about instructional practices and assessing data management maturity.
Funding agency responses to federal requirements for public access to research results
Authors: Kozlowski Wendy
Published: April 2015

EDITOR'S SUMMARY

A February 2013 government mandate directed federal departments and agencies to develop plans to promote access to the publications and data generated from federally funded scientific research. Panelists representing the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), the National Science Foundation's Directorate for Social, Behavioral and Economic Studies and the National Institutes of Health Office of Extramural Research shared updates on their agencies’ progress. While each agency has more or less stringent policies in place for preserving data and making it accessible, the mandate expands their application without additional resources or guidance on writing or evaluating data management plans. The agencies represented will make efforts to minimize the burden on researchers, but audience members questioned who will handle the data management. Possible solutions include having librarians assigned to research projects or providing training to increase citation of datasets and link these outputs to grants.
Lightning talk summary
Authors: Briney Kristin
Published: April 2015

EDITOR'S SUMMARY

Eight brief talks at RDAP 2014 gave an intriguing introduction to a variety of projects in data curation. EarthCube, an effort to build a cyberinfrastructure to manage and share data in the geosciences, and GlueX, a massive scale data management project, both face the challenge of building strong collaborations of diverse stakeholders to direct project development. Training and implementation are the focus for an intense team effort by Stanford University librarians to handle a repository backlog as well as for the University of Cincinnati's training for trainers to help researchers adopt good data management practices. Establishing a deposit workflow and creating and assigning consistent metadata are key to linking reports for Purdue University's Joint Transportation Research Program and to coordinating the National Snow and Ice Data Center's multiple databases. Data management and preservation extends to data related to the process as well as the end product in game design at the University of California, Santa Cruz. Speakers from the University of Illinois at Urbana‐Champaign discussed the disheartening finding that the National Science Foundation's funding for research proposals did not correlate with their having data management plans.
Metadata use in research data management
Authors: Wiley Christie
Published: April 2015

EDITOR'S SUMMARY

Prompted by federal requirements, academic institutions and librarians have become more involved in data management planning. An e‐research implementation group was formed at the University of Illinois to develop and promote data initiatives in a variety of ways, including updating a data management website to provide education and awareness to students and faculty. Part of the site focuses on documentation and metadata, describing traditional and nontraditional data types and sources, including lab notebooks, data files and database contents, workflow and operating procedures. The site details the importance of data documentation for the immediate research project and for the institution, explains metadata and provides links to metadata standards and resources.
Life cycle analyses of bulk‐scale solid oxide fuel cell power plants and comparisons to the natural gas combined cycle
Authors: Nease Jake , Adams Thomas A.
Published: April 2015

In this work, detailed cradle‐to‐grave life cycle analyses are performed for a current state‐of‐the art natural gas combined cycle and a bulk‐scale solid fuel cell power plant fuelled by natural gas. Life cycle inventories are performed for multiple configurations of each plant, including designs with carbon capture capability. Consistent boundaries (including all supply chain and upstream processes) and unit bases for each process are defined for each process. The ReCiPe 2008 life cycle assessment method is used to quantify the impacts of each plant at both mid‐ and end‐point levels. Three impact assessment perspectives (individualist, hierarchist, and egalitarian) are considered. The results of these life cycle analyses are compared in order to determine the environmental trade‐offs between potential power generation pathways. Results indicate that power generation using solid oxide fuel cells has a smaller life cycle impact than the natural gas combined cycle when the entire life cycle of each option is considered.
A valuable and promising method for recording brain activity in behaving newborn rodents
Authors: Blumberg Mark S. , Sokoloff Greta , Tiriac Alexandre , Del Rio‐Bermudez Carlos
Published: April 2015

Neurophysiological recording of brain activity has been critically important to the field of neuroscience, but has contributed little to the field of developmental psychobiology. The reasons for this can be traced largely to methodological difficulties associated with recording neural activity in behaving newborn rats and mice. Over the last decade, however, the evolution of methods for recording from head‐fixed newborns has heralded a new era in developmental neurophysiology. Here, we review these recent developments and provide a step‐by‐step primer for those interested in applying the head‐fix method to their own research questions. Until now, this method has been used primarily to investigate spontaneous brain activity across sleep and wakefulness, the contributions of the sensory periphery to brain activity, or intrinsic network activity. Now, with some ingenuity, the uses of the head‐fix method can be expanded to other domains to benefit our understanding of brain‐behavior relations under normal and pathophysiological conditions across early development. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Dev Psychobiol 57: 506–517, 2015.
Carbene Complexes Based on Dilithium Methandiides
Authors: Gessner Viktoria H. , Becker Julia , Feichtner Kai‐Stephan
Published: April 2015

Invited for the cover of this issue is the group of Viktoria Gessner at the University of Würzburg, Germany. The cover image shows the versatility of methandiide‐based carbene complexes with respect to bonding and the choice of metals.
Impaired dendritic inhibition leads to epileptic activity in a computer model of CA3
Authors: Sanjay M. , Neymotin Samuel A. , Krothapalli Srinivasa B.
Published: April 2015

Temporal lobe epilepsy (TLE) is a common type of epilepsy with hippocampus as the usual site of origin. The CA3 subfield of hippocampus is reported to have a low epileptic threshold and hence initiates the disorder in patients with TLE. This study computationally investigates how impaired dendritic inhibition of pyramidal cells in the vulnerable CA3 subfield leads to generation of epileptic activity. A model of CA3 subfield consisting of 800 pyramidal cells, 200 basket cells (BC) and 200 Oriens—Lacunosum Moleculare (O‐LM) interneurons was used. The dendritic inhibition provided by O‐LM interneurons is reported to be selectively impaired in some TLEs. A step‐wise approach is taken to investigate how alterations in network connectivity lead to generation of epileptic patterns. Initially, dendritic inhibition alone was reduced, followed by an increase in the external inputs received at the distal dendrites of pyramidal cells, and finally additional changes were made at the synapses between all neurons in the network. In the first case, when the dendritic inhibition of pyramidal cells alone was reduced, the local field potential activity changed from a theta‐modulated gamma pattern to a prominently gamma frequency pattern. In the second case, in addition to this reduction of dendritic inhibition, with a simultaneous large increase in the external excitatory inputs received by pyramidal cells, the basket cells entered a state of depolarization block, causing the network to generate a typical ictal activity pattern. In the third case, when the dendritic inhibition onto the pyramidal cells was reduced and changes were simultaneously made in synaptic connectivity between all neurons in the network, the basket cells were again observed to enter depolarization block. In the third case, impairment of dendritic inhibition required to generate an ictal activity pattern was lesser than the two previous cases. Moreover, the ictal like activity began earlier in the third case. Hence, our study suggests that greater synaptic plasticity occurring in the whole network due to increase in reception of external excitatory inputs (due to impaired dendritic inhibition) makes the network more susceptible to generation of epileptic activity. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Cholinergic, but not NMDA, receptors in the lateral entorhinal cortex mediate acquisition in trace eyeblink conditioning
Authors: Tanninen Stephanie E. , Yu XiaoTian , Giritharan Thamy , Tran Lina , Bakir Rami , Volle Julien , Morrissey Mark D. , Takehara‐Nishiuchi Kaori
Published: April 2015

Anatomical and electrophysiological studies collectively suggest that the entorhinal cortex consists of several subregions, each of which is involved in the processing of different types of information. Consistent with this idea, we previously reported that the dorsolateral portion of the entorhinal cortex (DLE), but not the caudomedial portion, is necessary for the expression of a memory association between temporally discontiguous stimuli in trace eyeblink conditioning (Morrissey et al. (2012) J Neurosci 32:5356‐5361). The present study examined whether memory acquisition depends on the DLE and what types of local neurotransmitter mechanisms are involved in memory acquisition and expression. Male Long‐Evans rats experienced trace eyeblink conditioning, in which an auditory conditioned stimulus (CS) was paired with a mildly aversive electric shock to the eyelid (US) with a stimulus‐free interval of 500 ms. Immediately before the conditioning, the rats received a microinfusion of neuroreactive substances into the DLE. We found that reversible inactivation of the DLE with GABAA receptor agonist, muscimol impaired memory acquisition. Furthermore, blockade of local muscarinic acetylcholine receptors (mACh) with scopolamine retarded memory acquisition while blockade of local NMDA receptors with APV had no effect. Memory expression was not impaired by either type of receptor blocker. These results suggest that the DLE is necessary for memory acquisition, and that acquisition depends on the integrity of local mACh receptor‐dependent firing modulation, but not NMDA receptor‐dependent synaptic plasticity. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Controlling and culturing diversity: Experimental zoology before World War II and Vienna's Biologische Versuchsanstalt
Authors: Logan Cheryl A. , Brauckmann Sabine
Published: April 2015

Founded in Vienna in 1903, the Institute for Experimental Biology pioneered the application of experimental methods to living organisms maintained for sustained periods in captivity. Its Director, the zoologist Hans Przibram, oversaw until 1938, the attempt to integrate ontogeny with studies of inheritance using precise and controlled measurements of the impact of environmental influences on the emergence of form and function. In the early years, these efforts paralleled and even fostered the emergence of experimental biology in America. But fate intervened. Though the Institute served an international community, most of its resident scientists and staff were of Jewish ancestry. Well before the Nazis entered Austria in 1938, these men and women were being fired and driven out; some, including Przibram, were eventually killed. We describe the unprecedented facilities built and the topics addressed by the several departments that made up this Institute, stressing those most relevant to the establishment and success of the Journal of Experimental Zoology, which was founded just a year later. The Institute's diaspora left an important legacy in North America, perhaps best embodied by the career of the developmental neuroscientist Paul Weiss. J. Exp. Zool. 323A: 211–226, 2015. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Gonadotrophic cells and gonadal sex differentiation in medaka: Characterization of several northern and southern strains
Authors: Horie Yoshifumi , Kobayashi Tohru
Published: April 2015

Gonadotropins play an important role in gametogenesis and reproduction in vertebrates. Their localization in the pituitary during gonadal sex differentiation has been studied mainly in southern (Oryzias latipes) strains of medaka fish, with that in northern medaka (O. sakaizumii) remaining poorly understood. Hence, in this study, we characterized gonadal differentiation and gonadotrophic cells during sex differentiation in two northern strains (HNI and Kaga) and two southern strains (Hd‐rR and d‐rR/Tokyo). All strains exhibited similar sex differentiation at hatching, such as (1) sex difference in germ cell number (XX > XY), and (2) the transition of XX germ cells into meiosis, and (3) presence of glycoprotein‐α (Gpa)‐ positive cells. However, follicle‐stimulating hormone‐β (Fshb)‐positive cells were first detected in the pituitary 1 day post‐hatching in HNI. Exposure to high‐temperature conditions and to cortisol in a dose dependent manner resulted in the localization of Fshb cells in the pituitary at hatching. This study demonstrates differences in gonadotropin subunit expression between northern and southern strains of medaka, and suggests that Fsh is not involved in early gonadal sex differentiation, such as the sex difference in germ cell number, and that high‐temperature induce Fshb expression via cortisol production in medaka. J. Exp. Zool. 323A: 392–397, 2015. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Biological responses to flexion/extension in spinal segments ex‐vivo
Authors: Hartman Robert A. , Yurube Takashi , Ngo Kevin , Merzlak Nicolas E. , Debski Richard E. , Brown Bryan N. , Kang James D. , Sowa Gwendolyn A.
Published: April 2015

Mechanical loading is a salient factor in the progression of spinal disorders that contribute to back pain. Biological responses to loading modes like flexion/extension (F/E) in relevant spinal tissues remain unstudied. A novel, multi‐axial experimental system was developed to subject viable functional spinal units (FSUs) to complex, in‐situ loading. The objective was to determine biological effects of F/E in multiple spinal tissues—annulus fibrosus, nucleus pulposus, facet cartilage, and ligamentum flavum. Rabbit lumbar FSUs were mounted in a bioreactor within a robotic testing system. FSUs underwent small (0.17/0.05 Nm) and large (0.5/0.15 Nm) range‐of‐motion F/E for 1 or 2 h of cycling. Outcomes in each tissue, compared to unloaded FSUs, included (i) relative mRNA expression of catabolic (MMP‐1, 3 and ADAMTS‐5), pro‐inflammatory (COX‐2), and anabolic (ACAN) genes and (ii) immunoblotting of aggrecan degradation. Total energy applied to FSUs increased in groups subject to large range‐of‐motion and 2‐h cycling, and moment relaxation was higher with large range‐of‐motion. F/E significantly modulated MMP1,‐3 and COX‐2 in facet cartilage and MMP‐3 and ACAN in annulus fibrosus. Large range‐of‐motion loading increased MMP‐mediated aggrecan fragmentation in annulus fibrosus. Biological responses to complex loading ex vivo showed variation among spinal tissues that reflect tissue structure and mechanical loading in F/E. © 2015 Orthopaedic Research Society. Published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Orthop Res 33:1255–1264, 2015.
Racial and ethnic disparities in access to and utilization of living donor liver transplants
Authors: Nobel Yael R. , Forde Kimberly A. , Wood Linda , Cartiera Katarzyna , Munoz‐Abraham Armando S. , Yoo Peter S. , Abt Peter L. , Goldberg David S.
Published: April 2015

Living donor liver transplantation (LDLT) is a comparable alternative to deceased donor liver transplantation and can mitigate the risk of dying while waiting for transplant. Although evidence exists of decreased utilization of living donor kidney transplants among racial minorities, little is known about access to LDLT among racial/ethnic minorities. We used Organ Procurement and Transplantation Network/United Network for Organ Sharing data from February 27, 2002 to June 4, 2014 from all adult liver transplant recipients at LDLT‐capable transplant centers to evaluate differential utilization of LDLTs based on race/ethnicity. We then used data from 2 major urban transplant centers to analyze donor inquiries and donor rule‐outs based on racial/ethnic determination. Nationally, of 35,401 total liver transplant recipients performed at a LDLT‐performing transplant center, 2171 (6.1%) received a LDLT. In multivariate generalized estimating equation models, racial/ethnic minorities were significantly less likely to receive LDLTs when compared to white patients. For cholestatic liver disease, the odds ratios of receiving LDLT based on racial/ethnic group for African American, Hispanic, and Asian patients compared to white patients were 0.35 (95% CI, 0.20–0.60), 0.58 (95% CI, 0.34–0.99), and 0.11 (95% CI, 0.02–0.55), respectively. For noncholestatic liver disease, the odds ratios by racial/ethnic group were 0.53 (95% CI, 0.40–0.71), 0.78 (95% CI, 0.64–0.94), and 0.45 (95% CI, 0.33–0.60) respectively. Transplant center‐specific data demonstrated that African American patients received fewer per‐patient donation inquiries than white patients, whereas fewer African American potential donors were ruled out for obesity. In conclusion, racial/ethnic minorities receive a disproportionately low percentage of LDLTs, due in part to fewer initial inquiries by potential donors. This represents a major inequality in access to a vital health care resource and demands outreach to both patients and potential donors. Liver Transpl 21:904‐913, 2015. © 2015 AASLD.
Effect of temperature on the passive state of Alloy 31 in a LiBr solution: Passivation and Mott‐Schottky analysis
Authors: Fernández‐Domene R.M. , Blasco‐Tamarit E. , García‐García D. M. , García‐Antón J.
Published: April 2015

The passive behaviour of Alloy 31, a highly‐alloyed austenitic stainless steel (UNS N08031), has been investigated in a LiBr heavy brine (700 g/l) at different temperatures using potentiostatic polarisation and Mott‐Schottky analysis. Cation vacancies have been found to be the dominant defect in the passive films formed on Alloy 31. An increase in temperature enhanced the generation of cation vacancies at the film/solution interface and raised the steady‐state passive current density. The density of defects within the passive film also increased significantly with temperature, making the film more conductive and less protective against localised attacks.
Investigation of agar as a soil analogue for corrosion studies
Authors: Spark A. J. , Cole I. , Law D. , Marney D. , Ward L.
Published: April 2015

Solid agar based gels have been investigated as an electrolyte system for the electrochemical study of soil corrosion, specifically microbiologically influenced corrosion (MIC) in soil. Traditional techniques for studying corrosion in soil include solutions and soil samples; however these systems do not reliably simulate the physico‐chemical properties of soil. Soils are complex environments with three phases critical to corrosion (solid‐soil, liquid‐water and gas‐oxygen). Therefore there is a need for a system which replicates and considers this complex environment and its effects on corrosion processes, while reducing inconsistencies and variations associated with moisture and oxygen content in soil. Open circuit potential (OCP) and potentiodynamic scans (PDS) were conducted on carbon steel exposed to solid agar electrolyte with varying oxygen concentrations. Results were analysed using Tafel extrapolation, consistency in anodic‐cathodic trends and optical microscopy of the exposed regions. For the conditions tested, a cathodic shift was seen with the observed corrosion potentials being notably lower than the measured OCPs. Consistency in the anodic‐cathodic trends of the PDS was observed with minimal oxygen conditions. Overall, an agar based gel system has potential as an electrolyte for soil based MIC studies, especially as an analogue for moist clay soils.
A damage index of indentation sensitivity in low velocity impact conditions
Authors: Lopresto V. , Caprino G. , Leone C. , Langella A.
Published: April 2015

The empirical model recently found by the authors for the prediction of the indentation depth was verified for composite laminates different in matrix and fiber subjected to low velocity impact loads. The data obtained in a previous research on common glass and carbon fiber laminates made by commonly used epoxy matrix, were here compared to the results obtained on laminates made by glass fibers immersed in phenolic matrix and novel basalt fibers immersed in epoxy resin. The model takes into explicitly account the tup diameter and presents the advantage that only a single material constant to be experimentally determined is necessary for the prediction. The comparison showed that the value of the constant is different for the different material systems analyzed so that it can be assumed as an index for the indentation sensitivity. POLYM. COMPOS., 36:987–991, 2015. © 2015 Society of Plastics Engineers
Synthesis and physical properties of highly branched perfluorinated polymers from AB and AB2 monomers
Authors: Quast Matthew J. , Argall Aaron D. , Hager Cassandra J. , Mueller Anja
Published: April 2015

Highly branched perfluorinated aromatic polyether copolymers were prepared from the polycondensation of the AB2 monomer, 3,5‐bis[(pentafluorobenzyl)oxy]benzyl alcohol with a variety of fluoroaryl and alkyl bromide AB comonomers. The structures and comonomer distribution of the resulting polymers were characterized in detail. 1H NMR data from kinetic trials illustrated that perfluoroaryl AB comonomer distribution correlated to AB comonomer sterics. 19F NMR data revealed that fluorinated AB monomers and 3‐bromo‐1‐propanol AB monomers were distributed within the AB2 polymer backbone, while longer alkyl bromide AB monomers, 6‐bromo‐1‐hexanol, were mostly distributed along hyperbranched polymer chain ends. In general, as AB comonomer incorporation increased for nonsterically hindered copolymers, thermal decomposition onset increased and glass transition temperatures decreased. The combined data demonstrated the effect of comonomer distribution and sterics on physical properties of AB2‐based polymer systems. The resulting materials were used to cast thin polymer films for measurement of contact angle, which were shown to be directly related to comonomer content. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Polym. Sci., Part A: Polym. Chem. 2015, 53, 1880–1894
Polyaniline copolymers with solvent‐mimic side chains
Authors: Lee Seung‐Chul , Jung Chan‐Keun , Jung Hoon‐Joo , Lee Suck‐Hyun , Kwon O.‐P.
Published: April 2015

We investigated new polyaniline copolymers with solvent‐mimic side chains for enhanced processability in various solvents. The solvent‐mimic side chains, benzyloxypropoxy (BOP), phenoxybutoxy (POB), and dihydroxypropoxy (DHP), were introduced into copolymers and used with nonpolar aromatic and polar alcoholic solvents, respectively. Compared to a polyaniline homopolymer, polyaniline copolymers with a small amount of side chains (<4 mol %) exhibit different physical properties, including film‐forming ability. This can be attributed to the solvent‐mimic side chains strongly interacting with the solvent and/or the polyaniline backbone. Especially, in nonpolar aromatic solvents, polyaniline copolymers with nonpolar aromatic BOP and POB side chains exhibit good film‐forming ability leading to high electrical conductivity, while the polyaniline homopolymer did not form a film. Therefore, introducing solvent‐mimic side chains in conducting polymers is a very attractive method of enhancing their processability and physical properties. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Polym. Sci., Part A: Polym. Chem. 2015, 53, 1986–1995
Ion–dipole interactions and their functions in proteins
Authors: Sippel Katherine H. , Quiocho Florante A.
Published: April 2015

Ion–dipole interactions in biological macromolecules are formed between atomic or molecular ions and neutral protein dipolar groups through either hydrogen bond or coordination. Since their discovery 30 years ago, these interactions have proven to be a frequent occurrence in protein structures, appearing in everything from transporters and ion channels to enzyme active sites to protein–protein interfaces. However, their significance and roles in protein functions are largely underappreciated. We performed PDB data mining to identify a sampling of proteins that possess these interactions. In this review, we will define the ion–dipole interaction and discuss several prominent examples of their functional roles in nature.
A predictive framework for modeling healthcare data with evolving clinical interventions
Authors: Rana Santu , Gupta Sunil , Phung Dinh , Venkatesh Svetha
Published: April 2015

Medical interventions critically determine clinical outcomes. But prediction models either ignore interventions or dilute impact by building a single prediction rule by amalgamating interventions with other features. One rule across all interventions may not capture differential effects. Also, interventions change with time as innovations are made, requiring prediction models to evolve over time. To address these gaps, we propose a prediction framework that explicitly models interventions by extracting a set of latent intervention groups through a Hierarchical Dirichlet Process (HDP) mixture. Data are split in temporal windows and for each window, a separate distribution over the intervention groups is learnt. This ensures that the model evolves with changing interventions. The outcome is modeled as conditional, on both the latent grouping and the patients' condition, through a Bayesian logistic regression. Learning distributions for each time‐window result in an over‐complex model when interventions do not change in every time‐window. We show that by replacing HDP with a dynamic HDP prior, a more compact set of distributions can be learnt. Experiments performed on two hospital datasets demonstrate the superiority of our framework over many existing clinical and traditional prediction frameworks.
The role of multifunctional drug therapy as an antidote to combat experimental subacute neurotoxicity induced by organophosphate pesticides
Authors: Singh Satinderpal , Prakash Atish , Kaur Shamsherjit , Ming Long Chiau , Mani Vasudevan , Majeed Abu Bakar Abdul
Published: April 2015

Organophosphate pesticides are used in agriculture where they are associated with numerous cases of intentional and accidental misuse. These toxicants are potent inhibitors of cholinesterases leading to a massive build‐up of acetylcholine which induces an array of deleterious effects, including convulsions, oxidative damage and neurobehavioral deficits. Antidotal therapies with atropine and oxime yield a remarkable survival rate, but fail to prevent neuronal damage and behavioral problems. It has been indicated that multifunction drug therapy with potassium channel openers, calcium channel antagonists and antioxidants (either single‐agent therapy or combination therapy) may have the potential to prevent cell death and/or slow down the processes of secondary neuronal damage. The aim of the present study, therefore, was to make a relative assessment of the potential effects of nicorandil (2 mg/kg), clinidipine (10 mg/kg), and grape seed proanthocyanidin (GSPE) extract (200 mg/kg) individually against subacute chlorpyrifos induced toxicity. The test drugs were administered to Wistar rats 2 h after exposure to Chlorpyrifos (CPF). Different behavioral studies and biochemical estimation has been carried in the study. The results showed that chronic administration of CPF significantly impaired learning and memory, along with motor coordination, and produced a marked increase in oxidative stress along with significantly reduced acetylcholine esterase (AChE) activity. Treatment with nicorandil, clinidipine and GSPE was shown to significantly improve memory performance, attenuate oxidative damage and enhance AChE activity in rats. The present study also suggests that a combination of nicorandil, clinidipine, and GSPE has a better neuroprotective effect against subacute CPF induced neurotoxicity than if applied individually. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Environ Toxicol 31: 1017–1026, 2016.
Association between ultrasonographic parameters of Cesarean scar defect and outcome of early termination of pregnancy
Authors: Au H.‐K. , Liu C.‐F. , Tzeng C.‐R. , Chien L.‐W.
Published: April 2015

Objective

To determine whether Cesarean scar defect (CSD) parameters assessed by transvaginal sonography (TVS) might affect the outcome of early termination of pregnancy (TOP) with mifepristone–misoprostol.

Methods

This was a retrospective review of 183 women with previous Cesarean delivery who received oral mifepristone and misoprostol for TOP. A successful TOP was defined by the absence of an intrauterine gestational sac, with no need for surgical intervention. CSD was diagnosed by TVS in the presence of a hypoechogenic indentation within the myometrium of the lower uterine segment at the site of a previous Cesarean incision. Women were analyzed in three subgroups according to size of defect (ratio of residual myometrial thickness over the defect to adjacent myometrial thickness < 30%, 30%–70% and > 70%).

Results

Of the 183 women, 43 (23.5%) had failure of TOP. Fifty‐nine (32.2%) had CSD detectable at TVS, and these women had a higher failure rate of TOP than did those without CSD (38.9% vs 16.1%; P = 0.001). CSD was associated significantly with failure of TOP (odds ratio, 3.32 (95% CI, 1.64–6.75)). The TOP failure rates in relation to defect size in the myometrial thickness ratio < 30%, 30%–70% and > 70% subgroups were 57.1%, 25.0% and 18.2%, respectively. There was a linear trend in failure rate across these ratios (Cochran–Armitage trend test; P = 0.015).

Conclusions

Women with CSD are at increased risk of failed TOP. Women with a defect in which the residual myometrial thickness was < 30% of the adjacent myometrial thickness tended to have a greater chance of failed TOP. CSD detected at TVS is of clinical relevance in counseling women with a history of Cesarean delivery who are considering TOP. Copyright © 2015 ISUOG. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.
Computer aided modeling for a miniature silicon-on-insulator MEMS piezoresistive pressure sensor
Authors: Suja K. J. , Komaragiri Rama
Published: April 2015

The silicon-on-insulator diaphragm structure is a combined structure of the silicon dioxide and silicon layer. This work presents a new method to estimate the deflection response of silicon with that of a silicon-on-insulator (SOI) diaphragm structure, based on the burst pressure design approach. It also evaluates the output voltage of the diaphragm under two different conditions, flipped and un-flipped. The new modified analytical model developed and presented in this paper for describing the load deflection of SOI diaphragm is able to predict the deflection accurately when compared with the results obtained by finite element analysis CoventorWare®.
Impact of anti-TNF agents in postoperative complications in Crohn's disease: a review
Authors: Saab Mansur , Saab Bárbara , Olandoski Márcia , Coy Cláudio Saddy Rodrigues , Kotze Paulo Gustavo
Published: April 2015

The real impact of biological therapy (anti-TNF agents) in abdominal operations secondary to Crohn's disease is a matter of debate in the international literature. Several studies demonstrated that there can be an increase in postoperative complications in patients previously treated with these agents. On the other hand, the majority of studies published over the last years question this effect, and did not demonstrate any relationship between biologics and outcomes related to surgical postoperative complications. Some meta-analyses were published, with different outcomes and different conclusions. Experimental studies in animals were also recently published, with opposite results, despite similar methodology. In this review, the authors resume all the relevant papers in the international literature with respect to the theme, and demonstrate the heterogeneity of the studies, as well as the disparity of their results and outcomes. The real impact of anti-TNF agents on postoperative complications in Crohn's disease is still controversial, and needs to be better elucidated. Controlled trials must be performed to better address this issue.
miRNA‐221 and miRNA‐222 induce apoptosis via the KIT/AKT signalling pathway in gastrointestinal stromal tumours
Authors: Ihle Michaela Angelika , Trautmann Marcel , Kuenstlinger Helen , Huss Sebastian , Heydt Carina , Fassunke Jana , Wardelmann Eva , Bauer Sebastian , Schildhaus Hans-Ulrich , Buettner Reinhard , Merkelbach-Bruse Sabine
Published: April 2015

Aberrantly expressed microRNAs (miRNAs) are involved in many diseases including cancer. In gastrointestinal stromal tumours (GISTs) expression of miR‐221 and miR‐222 is reduced compared to control tissue and other sarcomas but the functional effects of this downregulation are not fully understood. This study aimed at evaluating the miR‐221 and miR‐222 expression profiles in different GIST subtypes and the functional role of these miRNAs. Expression of miR‐221 and miR‐222 was analysed in six KIT exon 9 and three KIT exon 11 mutated and nine wildtype GISTs by qPCR. Viability and apoptosis were examined in three different, KIT positive GIST cell lines (GIST882, GIST‐T1 and GIST48) after overexpression of these miRNAs. The modulation of KIT and the PI3K/AKT pathways was determined by Western blot. Wildtype and KIT mutated GISTs revealed reduced miRNA expression compared to adequate control tissue. miRNA expression was lower for wildtype compared to mutated GISTs. Transient transfection of miR‐221 and miR‐222 reduced viability and induced apoptosis by inhibition of KIT expression and its phosphorylation and activation of caspases 3 and 7 in all three GIST cell lines. p‐AKT, AKT and BCL2 expression was reduced after miRNA transfection whereas only slight influence on p‐MTOR, MTOR and BCL2L11 (BIM) was detected. Our results demonstrate that miR‐221 and miR‐222 which are downregulated in wildtype and mutated GISTs, induce apoptosis in vitro by a signalling cascade involving KIT, AKT and BCL2. Therefore, overexpression of these miRNAs seems to functionally counteract oncogenic signalling pathways in GIST.
Parliament and the Church
Authors: Baldry Tony
Published: April 2015

The House of Commons starts each day with Prayers given by the Speaker's Chaplain, beginning with Psalm 67:

God be Merciful unto us and Bless us; and cause his face to shine upon us. That thy way may be known up on earth, thy saving health among all nations. Let the people praise thee, O God; let all the people praise thee.