bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Anthropometric markers of obesity and mortality in white and African American adults: The pennington center longitudinal study
Authors: Katzmarzyk Peter T. , Mire Emily , Bray George A. , Greenway Frank L. , Heymsfield Steven B. , Bouchard Claude
Published: June 2013

Objective:

The purpose of this study was to determine the association between anthropometric measures of obesity and all‐cause mortality in white and African American men and women.

Design and Methods:

The sample included 14,343 adults 18‐89 years of age. Height, weight, and waist and hip circumferences were measured, and the BMI (kg m−2), body adiposity index (BAI = ([hip circumference in centimeters]/[height in meters])1.5 – 18), waist‐to‐height ratio (WHtR) and waist‐to‐hip ratio (WHR) were computed. Vital status of the participants was determined from linkage with the National Death Index through 2009. Cox regression was used to assess the association between anthropometry and all‐cause mortality, adjusting for age, sex, year of baseline examination, study code, smoking status, alcohol consumption and physical activity. Hazard ratios (HR) are expressed per standard deviation of each variable.

Results:

A total of 438 deaths occurred during 120,637 person‐years of follow‐up. All anthropometric markers demonstrated significant associations with all‐cause mortality in white subjects. In multivariable‐adjusted models, BMI (HR 1.34; 95% CI: 1.19‐1.50), waist circumference (1.41; 1.25‐1.60), BAI (1.34; 1.17‐1.53), WHtR (1.46; 1.28‐1.65), and WHR (1.40; 1.23‐1.61) all demonstrated significant relationships with mortality in white participants, but not in African Americans. In categorical analyses, there was a significant association between BMI status and mortality in whites but not African Americans. However, the risk associated with elevated waist circumference was similar in whites (1.49; 1.15‐1.94) and African Americans (1.60; 1.06‐2.40).

Conclusion:

In summary, this study has demonstrated race differences in the association between anthropometry and all‐cause mortality.
Optimizing healthy gestational weight gain in women at high risk of gestational diabetes: A randomized controlled trial
Authors: Harrison Cheryce L. , Lombard Catherine B. , Strauss Boyd J. , Teede Helena J.
Published: June 2013

Objective:

Optimizing gestational weight gain (GWG) in early pregnancy is of clinical and public health importance, especially in higher risk pregnancies.

Design and Methods:

In a robustly designed, randomized controlled trial, 228 pregnant women at risk of developing gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) were allocated to either control (written health information only) or intervention (four‐session lifestyle program). All women received standard maternal care. Measures were completed at 12‐15 and 26‐28 weeks gestation. Measures included anthropometrics (weight and height), physical activity (pedometer and International Physical Activity Questionnaire), questionnaires (risk perception), and GDM screening.

Results:

The mean (SD) age [31.7 (4.5) and 32.4 (4.7) years] and body mass index [BMI; 30.3 (5.9) and 30.4 (5.6) kg/m2] were similar between control and intervention groups, respectively. By 28 weeks, GWG was significantly different between control and intervention groups [6.9 (3.3) vs. 6.0 (2.8) kg, P < 0.05]. When stratified according to baseline BMI, overweight women in the control group gained significantly more weight compared to overweight women in the intervention group [7.8 (3.4) vs. 6.0 (2.2) kg, P < 0.05], yet in obese women, GWG was similar in both groups. Physical activity levels declined by 28 weeks gestation overall (P < 0.01); however, the intervention group retained a 20% higher step count compared to controls [5,203 (3,368) vs. 4,140 (2,420) steps/day, P < 0.05]. Overall, GDM prevalence was 22%, with a trend toward less cases in the intervention group (P = 0.1).

Conclusions:

Results indicate that a low‐intensity lifestyle intervention, integrated with antenatal care, optimizes healthy GWG and attenuates physical activity decline in early pregnancy. Efficacy in limiting weight gain was greatest in overweight women and in high‐risk ethnically diverse women.
Measurements of total and regional body composition in preschool children: A comparison of MRI, DXA, and anthropometric data
Authors: Karlsson Ann‐Katrine , Kullberg Joel , Stokland Eira , Allvin Kerstin , Gronowitz Eva , Svensson Pär‐Arne , Dahlgren Jovanna
Published: June 2013

Objective:

There are clear sex differences in the distribution of visceral adipose tissue (VAT) and subcutaneous adipose tissue (SAT) in adults, with males having more VAT and less SAT than females. This study assessed whether these differences between the sexes were already present in preschool children. It also evaluated which measures of body composition were most appropriate for assessing abdominal obesity in this age group.

Design and Methods:

One‐hundred and five children (57 boys and 48 girls) participated in the study. Body composition was measured using dual‐energy X‐ray absorptiometry (DXA). Weight, height, and waist circumference (WC) were also recorded. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of the entire abdomen using sixteen 10‐mm‐thick T1‐weighted slices was performed in a subgroup of 48 children (30 boys and 18 girls); SAT and VAT volumes were measured using semiautomated segmentation.

Results:

Boys had significantly more VAT than girls (0.17 versus 0.10 l, P < 0.001). Results showed that VAT correlated significantly with all measurements of anthropometry (P < 0.01) after adjusting for SAT and for total fat mass measured with DXA. The mean limits of agreement between DXA and MRI regarding truncal FM were calculated to be −11.4 (range −17.8 to −3.6), using a Bland–Altman plot.

Conclusion:

Sex differences in adipose tissue distribution are apparent at an early age. MRI is the best method with which to study abdominal fat distribution in young children.
Postnatal outcome of congenital anomalies in low resource setting
Authors: Kumar Manisha , Sharma Sumedha , Bhagat Manisha , Gupta Usha , Anand Rama , Puri Archana , Singh Anuradha , Singh Abha
Published: June 2013

Objective

This study aimed to determine the postnatal outcome of congenital malformations in a tertiary care hospital of India.

Material and methods

This was a prospective study of all women with prenatally detected major congenital malformations. Postnatal follow‐up of live born babies was carried out for 1 year.

Results

There were 574 cases with major congenital anomalies, 523 of which were fully followed. Only 69 women (13.6%) had the initial scan before 20 weeks of gestation. Craniospinal defects were the most common (42.7%), followed by genitourinary anomalies (28%). There was no live birth in cases such as anencephaly, iniencephaly, bilateral renal agenesis, gastroschisis, and cystic hygroma. Survival at 1 year was less than 25% in spina bifida, bilateral cystic kidneys, complex cardiac disease, and non‐immune hydrops fetalis. In cases with mild hydrocephalus or unilateral and mild renal disease, the survival was over 75%.

Conclusion

In India, the majority of congenital anomalies present late in gestation. Although fetal outcome is invariably poor for severe defects, existing legislation in the country leaves pregnancy continuation as the only option. © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Fabrication and characterization of biodegradable polymer scaffolds adapting microfibrillar composite concept
Authors: Simeonova S. , Evstatiev M. , Li W. , Burkhart T.
Published: June 2013

In this work, we report on a technique for manufacturing of polymer scaffolds free from contact with toxic solvents. The method is adapted from the modified microfibrillar reinforced composites (MFC) concept. The objects of the investigation were biodegradable poly (l‐lactide) (PLLA) and biocompatible poly (ethylene‐vinyl alcohol copolymer) (EVAL). The polymers were melt blended and thereafter cold drawn, so that both of the components were converted in fibrillar state. After selective dissolving of the EVAL from the drawn bristles with mixture of propanol and water, the individual PLLA fibrils were isolated. By means of freeze‐drying, ultrafine fibrous scaffolds were obtained. All materials under investigation were characterized by X‐ray diffraction, differential scanning calorimeter, Fourier transform infrared spectrometry, scanning electron microscopy, and atomic force microscopy analysis. The experimental results provide evidence for the changes of the supra molecular organization of the blend partners during MFC manufacturing process, for the nanostructure and microstructure of the PLLA fibrils as well as for the three‐dimensional architecture of the scaffolds. The in vitro studies show that the incubated in the presence of PLLA fibrils media does not reduce the cell viability and proliferative activity of the cultured cells. This kind of multiscale scaffolds might emulate the morphology of the natural extracellular matrix and represent an appropriate material for medical application. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Polym. Sci., Part B: Polym. Phys. 2013, 51, 1298–1310
Singular vectors and their nonlinear evolution during the January 2009 stratospheric sudden warming
Authors: Coy Lawrence , Reynolds Carolyn A.
Published: June 2013

The evolution and structure of stratospheric singular vectors (SVs) during the major stratospheric sudden warming (SSW) of January 2009 are investigated. SV analyses, optimized for growth at stratospheric levels over 72 h, were examined for selected dates before and during the SSW. It was found that the initial and final SV fields have larger horizontal structures during the SSW event than before the SSW event. A high‐altitude forecast model was initialized with perturbations taken from the initial time SV structures and integrated for 144 h to study growth and nonlinear changes in a highly disturbed polar vortex. When large‐amplitude initial SV perturbations were forecast during the SSW, large changes occurred in the descent of the SSW event and poleward focusing of the Eliassen–Palm fluxes. Examination of the development of SV analysis suggests that stratospheric SV growth occurs through wave‐action conservation as initial SV perturbations propagate into the polar vortex jet.
A two‐dimensional mixed finite‐element pair on rectangles
Authors: Melvin Thomas , Staniforth Andrew , Cotter Colin
Published: June 2013

Mixed finite‐element discretizations provide a promising method for extending highly desirable C‐grid properties to high order on quasi‐uniform horizontal grids. For the degree 1 Raviart–Thomas–quadrilateral (RT1–Q1) finite‐element discretization of the one‐dimensional linear gravity‐wave equations, it has recently been shown that the group velocity goes to zero for waves with wavelength close to or equal to twice the element width, but that this problem can be addressed by partially lumping mass matrices. As an essential stepping stone to generalization to the two‐dimensional linear shallow‐water equations, recent analysis is extended herein to the one‐dimensional linear shallow‐water equations. It is found that the previous two‐parameter partial mass lumping no longer, in general, addresses the dispersion problem; in particular, and surprisingly, there is an unanticipated spectral gap for the asymptotic limit of pure inertial oscillations. Fortunately, the ensuing dispersion problems can be addressed by deducing an additional constraint on parameter values. This is most easily obtained by ensuring removal of the spectral gap for pure inertial oscillations and leads to the original (generally) asymmetric two‐parameter partial mass lumping reducing to a symmetric single‐parameter one.

The resulting modified RT1–Q1 discretization is then extended to two dimensions by taking a tensor product on rectangles. Using numerical simulations of the linear Rossby adjustment problem, it is confirmed that problematic group velocity modes also exist for the unmodified scheme in two dimensions but that they can again be removed by symmetric single‐parameter partial mass lumping. Crucially, not only does this modification lead to accurate Rossby adjustment but it also preserves the desirable properties of the unmodified RT1–Q1 scheme.
Groundwater Quality of Hard Rock Terrain: A Study From Mamundiyar Basin
Authors: Dar Imran Ahmad , Dar Mithas Ahmad
Published: June 2013

Rock types within a region affect water quality
Heterotic mini-landscape in blow-up
Authors: Bizet Nana Geraldine Cabo , Nilles Hans Peter
Published: June 2013

Abstract

Localization properties of fields in compact extra dimensions are crucial ingredients for string model building, particularly in the framework of orbifold compactifications. Realistic models often require a slight deviation from the orbifold point, that can be analyzed using field theoretic methods considering (singlet) fields with nontrivial vacuum expectation values. Some of these fields correspond to blow-up modes that represent the resolution of orbifold singularities. Improving on previous analyses we give here an explicit example of the blow-up of a model from the heterotic Mini-landscape. An exact identification of the blow-up modes at various fixed points and fixed tori with orbifold twisted fields is given. We match the massless spectra and identify the blow-up modes as non-universal axions of compactified string theory. We stress the important role of the Green-Schwarz anomaly polynomial for the description of the resolution of orbifold singularities.
Identification of Hepatoma‐Derived Growth Factor as a Potential Prognostic and Diagnostic Marker for Extrahepatic Cholangiocarcinoma
Authors: Han Yuxia , Zhang Wenxia , Liu Yanfeng
Published: June 2013

Background

Hepatoma‐derived growth factor (HDGF) has been reported to play a pivotal role in the development and progression of several tumors. The aim of the present study was to analyze whether HDGF is a potential prognostic and diagnostic marker for extrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma (EHCC).

Methods

The immunostaining of HDGF was analyzed by immunohistochemistry for 65 pathologically confirmed EHCC, and its correlation with clinicopathologic factors and prognosis was investigated. Meanwhile, to evaluate the diagnostic value of HDGF, an enzyme‐linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) was performed to measure HDGF levels in the serum samples of 83 EHCC patients and 51 healthy controls.

Results

Positive expression of HDGF was detected in 30 (46.2 %) patients with EHCC and correlated with poor tumor differentiation (P = 0.024). Univariate analysis showed that the positive HDGF expression group had a significantly poorer survival rate than the negative HDGF expression group did (P < 0.001). Multivariate analysis demonstrated that HDGF expression and N stage were independent prognostic factors. The mean serum HDGF level in EHCC patients was 2.39‐fold higher than that in healthy controls (P = 0.002). The optimal cut‐off value for HDGF was 122.15 pg/mL, providing a sensitivity of 66.27 % and a specificity of 88.24 %. The area under the curve (AUC) of HDGF was 0.807 (95 % confidence interval 0.730–0.870), demonstrating that HDGF was a potential biomarker for EHCC.

Conclusions

HDGF was a valuable independent prognostic factor after curative resection in EHCC, and it provided an important basis for screening/treating high‐risk patients. Meanwhile, our study indicated that serum HDGF levels can be used as a noninvasive and potential diagnostic marker for EHCC.
Use of Imatinib in the Prevention of Heterotopic Ossification
Authors: Werner Clément M. L. , Zimmermann Stefan M. , Würgler-Hauri Carola C. , Lane Joseph M. , Wanner Guido A. , Simmen Hans-Peter
Published: June 2013

Background

Heterotopic ossification (HO) is a common complication following orthopedic and trauma surgery, which may have substantial negative effects on the postoperative outcome. Angiogenesis appears to play a critical role in heterotopic ossification. One of the involved signaling molecules is platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF) which may be inhibited by imatinib.

Questions/Purposes

Our goal was to prevent HO by pharmacologically interfering with the molecular signaling pathways involved in the developmental process. We hypothesized that by administering a proven inhibitor of PDGF expression, heterotopic bone formation may be prevented.

Methods

The effect of imatinib on HO formation was studied in a murine model which reliably produces islets of HO within the soft tissue following Achilles tenotomy. The control group underwent Achilles tenotomy only. The imatinib group received imatinib mesylate. After trial completion, the limbs were harvested and scanned by micro-CT. Heterotopic bone volume was then identified and quantified.

Results

The mean volume of heterotopic bone formed in the control group was 0.976mm3 compared to 0.221 mm3 in the imatinib group. The volume of HO in the treatment group was reduced by 85% compared to the control group.

Conclusions

The administration of imatinib was associated with a significantly reduced volume of HO. This may be due to the inhibitory effect of imatinib on the PDGF signaling pathway during development of HO.

Clinical Relevance

The successful reduction of HO formation following imatinib administration has led to further insight concerning the pathogenesis of HO which in the future may lead to new clinical approaches towards the prevention of HO.
Anterior Glenoid Perforation with Suture Anchor Causing Subscapularis Irritation and Pain
Authors: Marx Robert G. , Verkuil Lana , Wilson Sean , Foo Li Foong
Published: June 2013

Background

Suture anchors for labral repair have been associated with complications including suprascapular notch encroachment and osteolysis.

Case Description

We present a case of suture anchor penetration of the anterior glenoid neck leading to pain secondary to subscapularis muscle irritation in a 14-year-old boy. The patient had labral repair and subsequent anterior shoulder pain which resolved after anchor removal.

Literature Review

Chondrolysis of the glenohumeral joint has been described following labral repair with knotless anchors. There have also been cases of injury to the suprascapular nerve following labral repair. However, we are not aware of any reports describing suture anchor penetration of the anterior glenoid neck leading to pain secondary to subscapularis muscle irritation.

Purposes and Clinical Relevance

Labral repair has become a common and routine procedure, but complications can occur. We report a new complication related to osseous penetration of the anterior glenoid neck of the scapula by a suture anchor. We identified the complication using magnetic resonance imaging, an important part in reproducible, noninvasive, and objective assessment of the postoperative shoulder. We also present the technique for anchor removal used to resolve the patient's anterior shoulder pain.
Radiographic Subsidence in Asymptomatic Patients after THR Using the Furlong Active HAP Stem
Authors: Cordero-Ampuero José , Peñalver Pablo , Antón Rodrigo , Galán María , Cordero Enrique
Published: June 2013

Background

The short, tapered, collarless Furlong Active stem has been recently associated in the published literature with significant subsidence using Roentgen stereophotogrammetric analysis.

Questions/Purposes

The purpose of this study was to analyze the short-term radiographic subsidence in Furlong Active HAP stems and correlate the results with the age, gender, bone morphology, and bone quality of the proximal femur, stem diameter, and medullary canal filling.

Methods

Sixty-five consecutive patients (70 hips) receiving the Furlong Active HAP stems were enrolled in this prospective series. The average follow-up was 2.99 ± 1.38 years. All patients were evaluated clinically using the Harris Hip Score (HHS) and radiographically for femoral stem subsidence. In addition, proximal femoral osteopenia, proximal femur morphology, and medullary canal filling were also evaluated.

Results

The average subsidence was 2.4 mm (from 0 to 13 mm) at the end of the follow-up period. The average HHS score at the end of follow-up was 90 (range, 81–98). There was one intraoperative fracture.

Conclusions

Of the Furlong Active stems 61% subsided with initial weight bearing. Subsidence is higher in males, but no correlation has been found with age, stem diameter, morphology, osteopenia, or canal filling.
An exploratory study into the impact and acceptability of formatively used progress
testing in postgraduate obstetrics and gynaecology
Authors: Dijksterhuis Marja G. K. , Schuwirth Lambert W. T. , Braat Didi D. M. , Scheele Fedde
Published: June 2013

Part of recent reforms of postgraduate medical training in the Netherlands is the
introduction of formatively intended knowledge testing or progress testing. We
previously evaluated the construct validity and reliability of postgraduate progress
testing. However, when assessment is intended to be formative, the acceptability of the
test (scores) and the educational impact that is achieved are at least as important in
the utility of this assessment format. We developed a questionnaire targeted at both
educational supervisors and postgraduate trainees, containing questions on general
acceptability, educational impact and acceptability of test content. 90 % of trainees
and 84 % of educational supervisors completed the questionnaire. The general
acceptability of formatively used progress testing is good; however, the self-reported
educational impact is limited. Furthermore, trainees query the validity of test content.
Formatively intended progress testing is well accepted; however the impact is limited.
We discuss the importance of feedback quality and the effect of grading. Furthermore we
start a debate on whether, for a genuine effect on learning, formative assessment should
have consequences, either by entwining the assessment with the training programme or by
linking the assessment to a summative standard.
Non‐invasive prenatal diagnosis from the perspective of a low‐resource country
Authors: Ventura Walter , Nazario‐Redondo Conny , Sekizawa Akihiko
Published: June 2013

Current clinical practice in obstetrics has shifted the paradigm from a conventional prenatal approach based on invasive procedures, risking both fetus and mother, to non‐invasive prenatal testing for some fetal conditions via the analysis of cell‐free fetal DNA in maternal blood. In the past 15 years, much research has been devoted to refining the methodology for measuring cell‐free fetal DNA in maternal circulation and to exploring clinical applications of this technology as a potential tool for prenatal diagnosis. Since the rapid spread around the world of prenatal diagnosis based on cell‐free fetal DNA, it is time to start thinking how this cutting‐edge technology might influence current practice of obstetrics in low‐resource countries.
Class Cohesion and Trade-Union Internationalism: Fred Bramley, the British TUC, and the Anglo-Russian Advisory Council
Authors: Morgan Kevin
Published: June 2013

A prevailing image of the British trade-union movement is that it was insular and slow-moving. The Anglo-Russian Advisory Council of the mid-1920s is an episode apparently difficult to reconcile with this view. In the absence to date of any fully adequate explanation of its gestation, this article approaches the issue biographically, through the TUC's first full-time secretary, Fred Bramley (1874–1925). Themes emerging strongly from Bramley's longer history as a labour activist are, first, a pronouncedly latitudinarian conception of the Labour movement and, second, a forthright labour internationalism deeply rooted in Bramley's trade-union experience. In combining these commitments in the form of an inclusive trade-union internationalism, Bramley in 1924–1925 had the indispensable support of the TUC chairman, A.A. Purcell who, like him, was a former organizer in the small but militantly internationalist Furnishing Trades’ Association. With Bramley's early death and Purcell's marginalization, the Anglo-Russian Committee was to remain a largely anomalous episode in the interwar history of the TUC.
Realising Ainu indigenous rights: a commentary on Hiroshi Maruyama's ‘Japan's post-war Ainu policy. Why the Japanese Government has not recognised Ainu indigenous rights?’
Authors: Nakamura Naohiro
Published: June 2013

This commentary reviews Maruyama's article ‘Japan's post-war Ainu policy: why the Japanese Government has not recognised Ainu indigenous rights?’ (Maruyama 2013a), published in this journal. Maruyama criticises the government for its reluctance to enact a new Ainu law to guarantee indigenous rights, even after Japan's ratification of the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP). However, in actuality, the government is searching for the foundation of new Ainu policies in the existing legal frameworks and trying to guarantee some elements of indigenous rights. Japan's case suggests the possibility of realising indigenous rights without the enactment of a specific law.
Are Chinese Universities Globally Competitive?
Authors: Mohrman Kathryn
Published: June 2013

This article compares five leading Chinese universities with 16 other research-intensive institutions in Asia, Europe and the United States. All the universities demonstrate an increasing commitment to research, although the fastest growth between 2003 and 2007 occurred in Asian institutions. Beijing and Qinghua universities compare favourably in terms of funding, but their research output is not as highly regarded. Despite concerns about academic freedom, the international standing of at least some Chinese universities is likely to rise in the future.
Health and Disability as Determinants for Involuntary Retirement of People with Disabilities
Authors: Denton Margaret , Plenderleith Jennifer , Chowhan James
Published: June 2013

L’association des facteurs de la santé et de l’invalidité sur la perception de la retraite involontaire au Canada a été étudiée en utilisant une analyse de regression logistique multivariée des données de l’Enquête sur la participation et les limitations d’activités de 2006. L’étude a examiné le rôle que le choix ou le contrôle joue dans la décision de prendre sa retraite. Les participants à l’étude étaient des adultes âgés de 45–74, personnes handicapées, qui ont pris leur retraite au cours de la période 2001–2006. L’analyse a révelée que la santé au moment de la retraite n’a pas été significativement associé à la perception de la retraite involontaire, alors que les caractéristiques des personnes handicapées ont été fortement associés au type de la retraite lorsque les caractéristiques de santé et d’autres ont été contrôlés. En outre, les personnes handicapées qui ont dû se retirer définitivement en raison de leur état étaient huit fois plus susceptibles de prendre leur retraite involontairement que ceux dont les conditions n’ont pas forcé la retraite involontaire, ce qui suggère l’importance que le contrôle exerce sur la perception de la retraite involontaire.
Elements for the history of a long quest: search for life in the Universe
Authors: Briot Danielle
Published: June 2013

On the occasion of the 50th anniversary of the Drake formula, it appears timely to briefly review the history of Astrobiology from the origins up to the epoch of the Drake formula. After reminding the main steps of this history during Antiquity, the Middle Ages, and the Renaissance, we point out some little known or unknown studies published during the Modern and Contemporary epochs. Then we review the importance of Astrobiology and the search for life in the Universe in scientific publications during the 20th century.
STRONG COMPLETENESS OF S4 FOR ANY DENSE-IN-ITSELF METRIC SPACE
Authors: KREMER PHILIP
Published: June 2013

In the topological semantics for modal logic, S4 is well-known to be complete for the rational line, for the real line, and for Cantor space: these are special cases of S4’s completeness for any dense-in-itself metric space. The construction used to prove completeness can be slightly amended to show that S4 is not only complete, but also strongly complete, for the rational line. But no similarly easy amendment is available for the real line or for Cantor space and the question of strong completeness for these spaces has remained open, together with the more general question of strong completeness for any dense-in-itself metric space. In this paper, we prove that S4 is strongly complete for any dense-in-itself metric space.
Hydrocarbon-degrading bacteria enriched by the Deepwater Horizon oil spill identified by cultivation and DNA-SIP
Authors: Gutierrez Tony , Singleton David R , Berry David , Yang Tingting , Aitken Michael D , Teske Andreas
Published: June 2013

The massive influx of crude oil into the Gulf of Mexico during the Deepwater Horizon (DWH) disaster triggered dramatic microbial community shifts in surface oil slick and deep plume waters. Previous work had shown several taxa, notably DWH Oceanospirillales, Cycloclasticus and Colwellia, were found to be enriched in these waters based on their dominance in conventional clone and pyrosequencing libraries and were thought to have had a significant role in the degradation of the oil. However, this type of community analysis data failed to provide direct evidence on the functional properties, such as hydrocarbon degradation of organisms. Using DNA-based stable-isotope probing with uniformly 13C-labelled hydrocarbons, we identified several aliphatic (Alcanivorax, Marinobacter)- and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (Alteromonas, Cycloclasticus, Colwellia)-degrading bacteria. We also isolated several strains (Alcanivorax, Alteromonas, Cycloclasticus, Halomonas, Marinobacter and Pseudoalteromonas) with demonstrable hydrocarbon-degrading qualities from surface slick and plume water samples collected during the active phase of the spill. Some of these organisms accounted for the majority of sequence reads representing their respective taxa in a pyrosequencing data set constructed from the same and additional water column samples. Hitherto, Alcanivorax was not identified in any of the previous water column studies analysing the microbial response to the spill and we discuss its failure to respond to the oil. Collectively, our data provide unequivocal evidence on the hydrocarbon-degrading qualities for some of the dominant taxa enriched in surface and plume waters during the DWH oil spill, and a more complete understanding of their role in the fate of the oil.
A Demographic Study of AAC/AT Needs in Hospitalized Patients
Authors: Zubow Lauren , Hurtig Richard
Published: June 2013

In 2012, the Joint Commission issued a mandate that accredited hospitals must take into consideration the needs of patients with complex communication needs. Stemming from this mandate came recommendations for hospitals to collect baseline data of the number of individuals in their care with complex communication needs. This is a demographic study in response to their recommendation. Researchers at the University of Iowa sampled the electronic medical records of patients across 7 days to determine the number of patients who met candidacy requirements for augmentative alternative communication or assistive technology. Our census data indicate there is a significant need for patients in acute care settings to have access to alternative communication and the nurse call systems. The need appears to be greater in the intensive care units, but is not limited to this patient population. Overall, patients had greater AT needs than AAC needs in all locations. We recommend future research to investigate service delivery models to improve communication barriers that may exist between hospital staff and patients.
Analysis of transmittance properties of surface plasmon modes on periodic solid/outline bowtie nanoantenna arrays
Authors: Yang Wayne , Chou Chau Yuan-Fong , Jheng San-Cai
Published: June 2013

We numerically analyze the transmittance properties of the periodic outline bowtie nanoantenna arrays and examine the nanoantenna resonance conditions compared to their solid counterparts by means of finite element method. Simulation results show that the structural parameters may affect the nanoantenna resonance conditions, such as peak resonance wavelengths, propagation properties, and charge densities at spectral points of interest. Besides, the essences of transmittance spectra of the periodic solid/outline bowtie nanoantenna arrays corresponding to their bonding mode and anti-bonding mode are investigated as well.
Common features of simple water models
Authors: Heckmann Lotta , Drossel Barbara
Published: June 2013

We compare three different simple models for water. They all show a phase behavior and anomalies that are characteristic of water. We compare these models and their features and evaluate the phase diagram, the density anomaly, and the liquid-liquid transition line. Additionally, we show that the characteristic behavior present in all three models can be deduced from the fact that all three models include three microscopic states for nearest neighbor configurations. We therefore propose an even simpler three-state model for water that still captures the phase transitions and the density anomaly. Finally, we show that this simple three-state model shows in fact all four possible scenarios discussed in the literature for the phase behavior of liquid water, if the parameters are adjusted accordingly.
Reconstructing the free-energy landscape of Met-enkephalin using dihedral principal component analysis and well-tempered metadynamics
Authors: Sicard François , Senet Patrick
Published: June 2013

Well-Tempered Metadynamics (WTmetaD) is an efficient method to enhance the reconstruction of the free-energy surface of proteins. WTmetaD guarantees a faster convergence in the long time limit in comparison with the standard metadynamics. It still suffers, however, from the same limitation, i.e., the non-trivial choice of pertinent collective variables (CVs). To circumvent this problem, we couple WTmetaD with a set of CVs generated from a dihedral Principal Component Analysis (dPCA) on the Ramachandran dihedral angles describing the backbone structure of the protein. The dPCA provides a generic method to extract relevant CVs built from internal coordinates, and does not depend on the alignment to an arbitrarily chosen reference structure as usual in Cartesian PCA. We illustrate the robustness of this method in the case of a reference model protein, the small and very diffusive Met-enkephalin pentapeptide. We propose a justification a posteriori of the considered number of CVs necessary to bias the metadynamics simulation in terms of the one-dimensional free-energy profiles associated with Ramachandran dihedral angles along the amino-acid sequence.
Experimental verification of the anomalous skin effect in copper using emissivity measurements
Authors: Echániz T. , Setién-Fernández I. , Pérez-Sáez R. B. , Tello M. J.
Published: June 2013

Spectral directional emissivity has been measured in copper between 3 and 24 μm above room temperature. The experimental spectrum shows a weak broad peak between 7 and 14 μm, which is much more acute for higher emission angles. However, the peak width and position are both independent of the emission angle. The experimental results are in very good agreement with the semiclassical theory of the optical properties of metals in the regime of the anomalous skin effect, in particular with the asymptotic approximation. This comparison suggests that this work shows an optical experimental evidence of the anomalous skin effect.
Fabrication and operation of an electrostatic actuator for controlling nanometer-scale gaps in collapsed cantilever heterostructures
Authors: Chan Wing S. , Saarinen Mika J. , Talghader Joseph J.
Published: June 2013

Vertical electrostatic wedge actuators are described that control nanometer-scale gaps between surfaces. Standard parallel-plate electrostatic actuators become difficult to stabilize across extremely small gaps because the nature of the forces and the force laws that describe them often deviate from a Coulomb's law dependence. In this work, a nanometer-scale air gap between a collapsed cantilever structure formed by two facing In0.53Ga0.47As surfaces, with areas of tens of microns, was controlled by a wedge electrostatic actuator. Upon actuation, the gap spacing between the surfaces was tuned over a maximum range of 55 nm with an applied voltage of 60 V.
The Challenges of Policy Convergence: The Europeanization of Biodiversity Governance in an Enlarging Eu
Authors: Kluvánková-Oravská Tatiana , Chobotová Veronika , Smolková Eva
Published: June 2013

With this paper we address the problems of institutional changes in governance and the framing of biodiversity conservation policy at the level of the enlarged European Union (EU). Results are demonstrated from selected examples of institutional adaptation to EU biodiversity policy from five Central and Eastern European countries, characterized by different socialist regimes and different transition processes from hierarchical to democratic and market governance. The theoretical basis of this paper is institutional rebuilding in the context of the emerging multilevel environmental governance of the EU. The paper demonstrates that successful institutional coevolution of EU institutions with preexisting institutions is a precondition for synchronization of biodiversity policies. The emergence of multilevel governance with multiple actors' participation is prone to creating tensions, but evidence from the countries studied indicates that this is not necessarily a disadvantage.
Local Governance on Climate Mitigation: A Comparative Study of China and Japan
Authors: Liu Lingxuan , Matsuno Shotaro , Zhang Bing , Liu Beibei , Young Oran
Published: June 2013

With this paper we provide a comparative study of local climate mitigation from both China and Japan, in the context of pessimistic international regimes to achieve significant results on climate mitigation. We compare the political systems, institutional arrangements, and local actors in local climate mitigation through a policy cycle analysis. We find that climate initiatives in the two countries have inherited the political characteristics of traditional environmental management within a centralized administrative system; moreover, these initiatives also reflect the emergence of local governance. Owing to similar political cultures but differing roles of local governments, both countries are making progress with respect to the agenda-setting and policy formation stages, but are facing greater obstacles regarding implementation and evaluation. The monocentric local governance in China results in an easy but irrational planning process, while the powerless local agents in Japan cannot hardly promote bolder campaigns for energy industries. Current administrative systems created by decades of local environmental problem solving are no longer adaptive enough to facilitate the bottom-up emergence of local mitigating activities. Local governments and administration systems should be adaptive regarding capacity building and institutional innovation to improve local governance on climate mitigation.
Pattern recognition analysis in complex molecule synthesis and the preparation of iso-Diels–Alder motifs
Authors: Peng Feng , Grote Robin E. , Wilson Rebecca M. , Danishefsky Samuel J.
Published: June 2013

The identification of synthesizable substructural domains within more complex structural targets is of significant value in designing a workable plan of synthesis. We term this process “pattern recognition analysis” (PRA). In this paper we continued to build on the theme of PRA as a potential resource in retrosynthetic blueprints to reach highly challenging targets. The paper operates at two levels. First, there is provided a clear sense of definitions of categories by which patterns are related to hypothetical reaction types. Although the required reaction type may for the moment not exist, we believe that this method of analysis is likely to promote innovation that identifies unmet needs and opportunities to advance the cause of complex target synthesis. In addition, we describe reductions to practice in expanding the menu of achievable patterns. It is likely that the future value of PRA will be associated with its utility in leading the way to new and exploitable chemical innovation.
The PI3K/Akt1 pathway enhances steady-state levels of FANCL
Authors: Dao Kim-Hien T. , Rotelli Michael D. , Brown Brieanna R. , Yates Jane E. , Rantala Juha , Tognon Cristina , Tyner Jeffrey W. , Druker Brian J. , Bagby Grover C.
Published: June 2013

Fanconi anemia hematopoietic stem cells display poor self-renewal capacity when subjected to a variety of cellular stress. This phenotype raises the question of whether the Fanconi anemia proteins are stabilized or recruited as part of a stress response and protect against stem cell loss. Here we provide evidence that FANCL, the E3 ubiquitin ligase of the Fanconi anemia pathway, is constitutively targeted for degradation by the proteasome. We confirm biochemically that FANCL is polyubiquitinated with Lys-48–linked chains. Evaluation of a series of N-terminal–deletion mutants showed that FANCL's E2-like fold may direct ubiquitination. In addition, our studies showed that FANCL is stabilized in a complex with axin1 when glycogen synthase kinase-3β is overexpressed. This result leads us to investigate the potential regulation of FANCL by upstream signaling pathways known to regulate glycogen synthase kinase-3β. We report that constitutively active, myristoylated-Akt increases FANCL protein level by reducing polyubiquitination of FANCL. Two-dimensional PAGE analysis shows that acidic forms of FANCL, some of which are phospho-FANCL, are not subject to polyubiquitination. These results indicate that a signal transduction pathway involved in self-renewal and survival of hematopoietic stem cells also functions to stabilize FANCL and suggests that FANCL participates directly in support of stem cell function.
A Sensitive and Accurate protein domain cLassification Tool (SALT) for short reads
Authors: Zhang Yuan , Sun Yanni , Cole James R.
Published: June 2013

Motivation: Protein domain classification is an important step in functional annotation for next-generation sequencing data. For RNA-Seq data of non-model organisms that lack quality or complete reference genomes, existing protein domain analysis pipelines are applied to short reads directly or to contigs that are generated using de novo sequence assembly tools. However, these strategies do not provide satisfactory performance in classifying short reads into their native domain families.

Results: We introduce SALT, a protein domain classification tool based on profile hidden Markov models and graph algorithms. SALT carefully incorporates the characteristics of reads that are sequenced from the domain regions and assembles them into contigs based on a supervised graph construction algorithm. We applied SALT to two RNA-Seq datasets of different read lengths and quantified its performance using the available protein domain annotations and the reference genomes. Compared with existing strategies, SALT showed better sensitivity and accuracy. In the third experiment, we applied SALT to a non-model organism. The experimental results demonstrated that it identified more transcribed protein domain families than other tested classifiers.

Availability: The source code and supplementary data are available at https://sourceforge.net/projects/salt1/

Contact:  yannisun@msu.edu

Supplementary information:  Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online.
4. Negligent harm to the person: special duties
Authors: Hedley Steve , Padfield Nicola
Published: June 2013

Titles in the Core Text series take the reader straight to the heart of the subject, providing focused, concise, and reliable guides for students at all levels. This chapter examines a number of special cases of negligence liability. These include products liability, road accidents, occupiers’ liability, employers’ liability, and medical care. Nearly all of the cases considered are concerned with personal injury, though they may sometimes involve property damage instead of, or in addition to, personal injury.
7. Land use and the environment
Authors: Hedley Steve , Padfield Nicola
Published: June 2013

Titles in the Core Text series take the reader straight to the heart of the subject, providing focused, concise, and reliable guides for students at all levels. This chapter discusses torts that provide protection in respect of land use. These are trespass to land; private nuisance; public nuisance; and strict liabilities for dangerous activities. Liability for animals is also considered.
Downy Mildew from Lake Erie Vineyards is Diverse for the G143A SNP Conferring Resistance to Quinone Outside Inhibitor Fungicides
Authors: Gee Christopher T. , Chestnut Stephanie , Duberow Eilene , Collins Andrea , Shields Michael A.
Published: June 2013

Downy mildew (Plasmopara viticola) is a significant problem in grape vineyards throughout the growing season. Control of downy mildew is carried out with a combination of host tolerance and chemical applications. Even in vineyards planted with very tolerant varieties (e.g., Concord), control is important in years with ideal pathogen conditions. Fungicides with a single mode of action possess a very high potential for the development of resistance. Resistance has been observed often in the Quinone outside inhibitor (QoI) fungicides, such as strobilurins. We ascertained the levels of QoI resistance in downy mildew colonies on diseased leaves using CAPS-PCR to detect the glycine to alanine mutation (G143A) known to confer a qualitative level of resistance in fungal pathogens. Our data uncovered a small percentage of samples that contain G143A, suggesting an overall low level of QoI resistance. The low prevalence of the resistant single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) suggests that QoI fungicides should remain a viable control mechanism in Lake Erie vineyards. Additionally, it appears that a viticultural region where tolerant hosts predominant and QoI use is minimal, resistance buildup in the pathogen population will be minimal.

Accepted for publication 15 January 2013. Published 22 April 2013.
1,4-Bis{[hydroxy(phenyl)phosphoryl]methyl}piperazine-1,4-diium tetrachloridocadmate(II) dihydrate and the cobaltate(II) analogue
Authors: Du Chao-Jun , Wang Li-Sheng
Published: June 2013

The reaction of aminophosphinic acid with CdCl2·2.5H2O or CoCl2·6H2O in concentrated hydrochloric acid yielded the isostructural compounds 1,4-bis{[hydroxy(phenyl)phosphoryl]methyl}piperazine-1,4-diium tetrachloridocadmate(II) dihydrate, (C18H26N2O4P2)[CdCl4]·2H2O, (I), and 1,4-bis{[hydroxy(phenyl)phosphoryl]methyl}piperazine-1,4-diium tetrachloridocobaltate(II) dihydrate, (C18H26N2O4P2)[CoCl4]·2H2O, (II). The asymmetric unit of each contains two half dications, both located on crystallographic centres of inversion, a tetrachloridometallate(II) dianion and two solvent water molecules. The residues are linked into two-dimensional layers in theabplane by O—H...O hydrogen bonds.