bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Latitudinal gradients in tree ring stable carbon and oxygen isotopes reveal differential climate influences of the North American Monsoon System
Authors: Szejner Paul , Wright William E. , Babst Flurin , Belmecheri Soumaya , Trouet Valerie , Leavitt Steven W. , Ehleringer James R. , Monson Russell K. 
Published: July 2016

AbstractThe arrival of the North American Monsoon System (NAMS) terminates a presummer hyperarid period in the southwestern United States (U.S.), providing summer moisture that is favorable for forest growth. Montane forests in this region rely on winter snowpack to drive much of their growth; the extent to which they use NAMS moisture is uncertain. We addressed this by studying stable carbon and oxygen isotopes in earlywood and latewood from 11 sites along a latitudinal gradient extending from Arizona and New Mexico to Utah. This study provides the first regional perspective on the relative roles of winter versus summer precipitation as an ecophysiological resource. Here we present evidence that Ponderosa pine uses NAMS moisture differentially across this gradient. 13C/12C ratios suggest that photosynthetic water use efficiency during latewood formation is more sensitive to summer precipitation at the northern than at the southern sites. This is likely due to the fact that NAMS moisture provides sufficiently favorable conditions for tree photosynthesis and growth during most years in the southern sites, whereas the northern sites experience larger summer moisture variability, which in some years is limiting growth. Cellulose δ18O and δ13C values revealed that photoassimilates in the southern sites were produced under higher vapor pressure deficit conditions during spring compared to summer, demonstrating a previously underappreciated effect of seasonal differences in atmospheric humidity on tree ring isotope ratios. Our findings suggest that future changes in NAMS will potentially alter productivity and photosynthetic water use dynamics differentially along latitudinal gradients in southwestern U.S. montane forests.
Multiport power router and its impact on future smart grids
Authors: Kado Yuichi , Shichijo Daiki , Wada Keiji , Iwatsuki Katsumi 
Published: July 2016

AbstractWe propose a Y configuration power router as a unit cell to easily construct a power delivery system that can meet many types of user requirements. The Y configuration power router controls the direction and magnitude of power flows between three ports regardless of DC or AC. We constructed a prototype three‐way isolated DC/DC converter that is the core unit of the Y configuration power router. The electrical insulation between three ports assures safety and reliability for power network systems. We then tested the operation of power flow control. The experimental results revealed that our methodology based on a governing equation was appropriate to control the power flow of the three‐way DC/DC converter. In addition, a distribution network composed of power routers had the ability to easily enable interchanges of electrical power between autonomous microgrid cells. We also explored the requirements for communication between energy routers to achieve dynamic adjustments of energy flows in a coordinated manner and their impact on resilient power grid systems.
Autonomy Architectures
Authors: Viguria Antidio 
Published: July 2016

AbstractThe use of UAS that require a high level of autonomy is acquiring importance, especially in civil applications in complex and dangerous environments. In order to develop an autonomous UAS that implements complex behaviors, the use of a proper architecture to organize and manage all the different functionalities takes a relevant role.There are an important number of types of architectures for autonomous systems. However, the three‐layer architecture has been the most implemented and tested during the last 20 years. On the other hand, UAS present a number of particularities that should be considered when designing an autonomous UAS. These particularities require a decomposition of the autonomy architecture into two major levels. Therefore, these two levels are commented in detail explaining the different functionalities that could be implemented in each of them.Finally, an example of an autonomy architecture, implemented on a highly autonomous UAS and developed within the ARCAS project, is presented as a case study.
Pragmatic Treatment of Patients With Systemic Lupus Erythematosus With Rituximab: Long‐Term Effects on Serum Immunoglobulins
Authors: Reddy Venkat , Martinez Lina , Isenberg David A. , Leandro Maria J. , Cambridge Geraldine 
Published: July 2016

ObjectiveB cell–depletion therapy based on rituximab is a therapeutic option for refractory disease in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). The aim of this observational study was to document long‐term effects on B cell function by following serum immunoglobulin levels in patients with SLE treated with rituximab in routine clinical practice.MethodsWe included 57 consecutive patients with SLE treated with rituximab and concomitant/sequential immunosuppressants and measured serum total IgG, IgM, and IgA and IgG anti‐dsDNA antibodies, over a median of 48 months most recent followup. Flow cytometry was used prospectively to assess B cell phenotypes in 17 of 57 patients.ResultsTwelve patients (21%) had persistent IgM hypogammaglobulinemia (<0.4 gm/liter), and 4 of 57 (5%) had low IgG (<7 gm/liter) at the most recent followup (range 12–144 months). This was not associated with serious adverse events or high anti–double‐stranded DNA (anti‐dsDNA) antibodies (>1,000 IU/ml; normal <50 IU/ml). Factors predictive of low serum IgM included baseline serum IgM ≤0.8 gm/liter (receiver operator curve analysis) and subsequent therapy with mycophenolate mofetil (MMF; odds ratio 6.8, compared with other immunosuppressants). In patients maintaining normal IgM levels (9 of 17), the frequency of circulating IgD+CD27+ B cells was significantly higher (P = 0.05). At 12 months after rituximab, 7 of 30 SLE patients with baseline anti‐dsDNA ≤1,000 IU/ml had lost seropositivity.ConclusionLower baseline serum IgM levels and sequential therapy with MMF were predictive of IgM hypogammaglobulinemia after rituximab in SLE, but this was not associated with higher levels of anti‐dsDNA antibodies or an increased risk of infections. This provides useful directions for clinicians regarding rituximab and sequential immunosuppressive treatment for patients with SLE.
Association of Serum Calprotectin (S100A8/A9) Level With Disease Relapse in Proteinase 3–Antineutrophil Cytoplasmic Antibody–Associated Vasculitis
Authors: Pepper Ruth J. , Draibe Juliana B. , Caplin Ben , Fervenza Fernando C. , Hoffman Gary S. , Kallenberg Cees G. M. , Langford Carol A. , Monach Paul A. , Seo Philip , Spiera Robert , William St.Clair E. , Tchao Nadia K. , Stone John H. , Specks Ulrich , Merkel Peter A. , Salama Alan D. ,   the RAVE–Immune Tolerance Network Research Group
Published: July 2016

ObjectiveS100A8/A9 (calprotectin) has shown promise as a biomarker for predicting relapse in antineutrophil cytoplasmic antibody (ANCA)–associated vasculitis (AAV). This study was undertaken to investigate serum S100A8/A9 level as a biomarker for predicting future relapse in a large cohort of patients with severe AAV.MethodsSerum levels of S100A8/A9 were measured at baseline and months 1, 2, and 6 following treatment initiation in 144 patients in the Rituximab in ANCA‐Associated Vasculitis trial (cyclophosphamide/azathioprine versus rituximab [RTX] for induction of remission) in whom complete remission was attained.ResultsPatients were divided into 4 groups: proteinase 3 (PR3)–ANCA with relapse (n = 37), PR3‐ANCA without relapse (n = 56), myeloperoxidase (MPO)–ANCA with relapse (n = 6), and MPO‐ANCA without relapse (n = 45). Serum S100A8/A9 level decreased in all groups during the first 6 months of treatment. The percentage reduction from baseline to month 2 was significantly different between patients who experienced a relapse and those who did not in the PR3‐ANCA group (P = 0.046). A significantly higher risk of relapse was associated with an increase in S100A8/A9 level between baseline and month 2 (P = 0.0043) and baseline and month 6 (P = 0.0029). Subgroup analysis demonstrated that patients treated with RTX who had increased levels of S100A8/A9 were at greatest risk of future relapse (P = 0.028).ConclusionAn increase in serum S100A8/A9 level by month 2 or 6 compared to baseline identifies a subgroup of PR3‐ANCA patients treated with RTX who are at higher risk of relapse by 18 months. Since RTX is increasingly used for remission induction in PR3‐ANCA–positive patients experiencing a relapse, S100A8/A9 level may assist in identifying those patients requiring more intensive or prolonged treatment.
Development of anti‐HIV peptides based on a viral capsid protein
Authors: Mizuguchi Takaaki , Ohashi Nami , Matsumoto Daichi , Hashimoto Chie , Nomura Wataru , Yamamoto Naoki , Murakami Tsutomu , Tamamura Hirokazu 
Published: July 2016

AbstractPeptide inhibitors with cell permeability targeting an HIV‐1 capsid (CA) protein might make therapeutic by regulating HIV‐1 replication. Overlapping fragment peptide libraries covering the whole sequence of an HIV‐1 CA protein have been synthesized with the addition of an octa‐arginyl moiety to increase their cell permeability. Amongst these peptides, several compounds which inhibit the HIV‐1 replication cycle have been found. Conjugation of cell‐penetrating functions such as an octa‐arginyl group to individual peptides in combination with the addition of chloroquine in cell‐based anti‐HIV assays was previously proven to be a useful assay method with which to search for active peptides. Anti‐HIV assays have been performed in the presence or absence of chloroquine and found that most of compounds have higher anti‐HIV activity in the presence, rather than in the absence of chloroquine. Some potent seeds as anti‐HIV agents might naturally lie hidden in CA proteins, and could become useful leads to HIV inhibitors.
A global country-level comparison of the financial burden of surgery
Authors: Shrime M G , Dare A , Alkire B C , Meara J G 
Published: July 2016

Abstract

Background
Approximately 30 per cent of the global burden of disease is surgical, and nearly one-quarter of individuals who undergo surgery each year face financial hardship because of its cost. The Lancet Commission on Global Surgery has proposed the elimination of impoverishment due to surgery by 2030, but no country-level estimates exist of the financial burden of surgical access.

Methods
Using publicly available data, the incidence and risk of financial hardship owing to surgery was estimated for each country. Four measures of financial catastrophe were examined: catastrophic expenditure, and impoverishment at the national poverty line, at 2 international dollars (I$) per day and at I$1·25 per day. Stochastic models of income and surgical costs were built for each country. Results were validated against available primary data.

Results
Direct medical costs of surgery put 43·9 (95 per cent posterior credible interval 2·2 to 87·1) per cent of the examined population at risk of catastrophic expenditure, and 57·0 (21·8 to 85·1) per cent at risk of being pushed below I$2 per day. The risk of financial hardship from surgery was highest in sub-Saharan Africa. Correlations were found between the risk of financial catastrophe and external financing of healthcare (positive correlation), national measures of well-being (negative correlation) and the percentage of a country's gross domestic product spent on healthcare (negative correlation). The model performed well against primary data on the costs of surgery.

Conclusion
Country-specific estimates of financial catastrophe owing to surgical care are presented. The economic benefits projected to occur with the scale-up of surgery are placed at risk if the financial burden of accessing surgery is not addressed in national policies.
An LC–MS/MS assay for the quantitative determination of 2‐pyridyl acetic acid, a major metabolite and key surrogate for betahistine, using low‐volume human K2EDTA plasma
Authors: Soni Krunal , Bhatt Chandrakant , Singh Kanchan , Bhuvaneshwari P.C. , Jha Anil , Patel Palak , Patel Harilal , Srinivas Nuggehally R. 
Published: July 2016

AbstractBetahistine is widely used for the treatment of vertigo. Owing to first‐pass metabolism, 2‐pyridyl acetic acid (2PAA, major metabolite of betahistine) was considered as surrogate for quantitation. A specific and sensitive LC–MS/MS method was developed and validated for quantitation of 2PAA using turbo‐ion spray in a positive ion mode. A solid‐phase extraction was employed for the extraction of 2PAA and 2PAA d6 (IS) from human plasma. Chromatographic separation of analytes was achieved using an ACE CN, 5 μm (50 × 4.6 mm) column with a gradient mobile phase comprising acetonitrile–methanol (90:10% v/v) and 0.7% v/v formic acid in 0.5 mm ammonium trifluoroacetate in purified water (100% v/v). The retention times of 1.15 and 1.17 min for 2PAA and internal standard, respectively, were achieved. Quantitation of 2PAA and internal standard was achieved by monitoring multiple reaction monitoring transition pairs (m/z 138.1 to m/z 92.0 and m/z 142.1 to m/z 96.1, respectively). The developed method was validated for various parameters. The calibration curves of 2PAA showed linearity from 5.0 to 1500 ng/mL, with a lower limit of quantitation of 5.0 ng/mL. The bias and precision for inter‐ and intra‐batch assays were <10%. The developed method was used to support clinical sample analysis.
The Contribution of Therapist Effects to Patient Dropout and Deterioration in the Psychological Therapies
Authors: Saxon David , Barkham Michael , Foster Alexis , Parry Glenys 
Published: July 2016

BackgroundIn the psychological therapies, patient outcomes are not always positive. Some patients leave therapy prematurely (dropout), while others experience deterioration in their psychological well‐being.MethodsThe sample for dropout comprised patients (n = 10 521) seen by 85 therapists, who attended at least the initial session of one‐to‐one therapy and completed a Clinical Outcomes in Routine Evaluation‐Outcome Measure (CORE‐OM) at pre‐treatment. The subsample for patient deterioration comprised patients (n = 6405) seen by the same 85 therapists but who attended two or more sessions, completed therapy and returned a CORE‐OM at pre‐treatment and post‐treatment. Multilevel modelling was used to estimate the extent of therapist effects for both outcomes after controlling for patient characteristics.ResultsTherapist effects accounted for 12.6% of dropout variance and 10.1% of deterioration variance. Dropout rates for therapists ranged from 1.2% to 73.2%, while rates of deterioration ranged from 0% to 15.4%. There was no significant correlation between therapist dropout rate and deterioration rate (Spearman's rho = 0.07, p = 0.52).ConclusionsThe methods provide a reliable means for identifying therapists who return consistently poorer rates of patient dropout and deterioration compared with their peers. The variability between therapists and the identification of patient risk factors as significant predictors has implications for the delivery of safe psychological therapy services. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.Key Practitioner Message

Therapists play an important role in contributing to patient dropout and deterioration, irrespective of case mix.
Therapist effects on patient dropout and deterioration appear to act independently.
Being unemployed as a patient was the strongest predictor of both dropout and deterioration.
Patient risk to self or others was also an important predictor.
Quasi‐V2 hysteretic control boost DC–DC regulator with synthetic current ripple technique
Authors: Tsai Chien‐Hung , Huang Chi‐Yuan , Guo Jhih‐Sian , Wang Chen‐Yu 
Published: July 2016

SummaryConventionally, a high accuracy operational amplifier (OPA)‐based current sensor is used for sensing current message under a full load range, which increases the cost characteristic. Instead of a high accuracy OPA‐based current sensor, this paper describes using a switching inductor quasi‐V2 hysteretic control boost dc–dc regulator with a proposed current‐sensing technique named emulated‐ramp feedback (ERF), which can improve transfer efficiency under a full load range. Two control systems are presented in this paper. The first system, a hysteretic voltage control switching boost converter with ERF, achieves the hysteretic voltage control in a boost regulator and lowers the cost characteristic without using compensator. The second system, a quasi‐V2 hysteretic voltage control switching boost converter with ERF, demonstrates the compatibility of ERF technique in rippled‐based control boost converters. The regulator was implemented with TSMC 0.25‐µm HV CMOS process. Experimental results show the second system can work under the specification of 5–12 V with a 0 to 300‐mA load range. Additionally, this system attained a recovery time is 27/95 µs for step‐up/step‐down in a 100 to 300‐mA continuous conduction mode load current, and a peak efficiency of 92.1% with a chip area of only 1.014 mm2. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Using spatiotemporal correlative niche models for evaluating the effects of climate change on mountain pine beetle
Authors: Sidder Aaron M. , Kumar Sunil , Laituri Melinda , Sibold Jason S. 
Published: July 2016

AbstractOver the last decade, western North America has experienced the largest mountain pine beetle (Dendroctonus ponderosaeHopkins) outbreak in recorded history, and Rocky Mountain forests have been severely impacted. Although bark beetles are indigenous to North American forests, climate change has facilitated the beetle's expansion into previously unsuitable habitats. We used three correlative niche models (maximum entropy [MaxEnt], boosted regression trees, and generalized linear models) to estimate (1) the current potential distribution of the beetle in the U.S. Rocky Mountain region, (2) how this distribution has changed since historical outbreaks in the 1960s and 1970s, and (3) how the distribution may be expected to change under future climate scenarios. Additionally, we evaluated the temporal transferability of the niche models by forecasting historical models and testing the model predictions using temporally independent outbreak data from the current outbreak. Our results indicated that there has been a significant expansion of climatically suitable habitat over the past 50 yr and that much of this expansion corresponds with an upward shift in elevation across the study area. Furthermore, our models indicated that drought was a more prominent driver of current outbreak than temperature, which suggests a change in the climatic signature between historical and current outbreaks. Projections under future conditions suggest that there will be a large reduction in climatically suitable habitat for the beetle and that high‐elevation forests will continue to become more susceptible to outbreak. While all three models generated reasonable predictions, the generalized linear model correctly predicted a higher percentage of current outbreak localities when trained on historical data. Our findings suggest that researchers aiming to reduce omission error in estimates of future species responses may have greater predictive success with simpler, generalized models.
Fast Electromagnetic Transient Simulations of Power Systems Utilizing Single‐Phase Phasor‐Based Modeling of Remote Systems
Authors: NODA TAKU , SAKAMOTO ORIE , YONEZAWA RIKIDO 
Published: July 2016

SUMMARYElectromagnetic transient (EMT) simulations of relatively large power systems have become quite common, for instance, in the case where simulations of HVDC converters are carried out with large ac power systems connected to the converters. Thus, the increase in computation time is a serious concern. To reduce computation time, this paper proposes a method to reduce computational demand of a remote power system which is located far from the source of a transient event to be simulated. In the proposed method, the remote power system, which is supposed to be represented by a three‐phase EMT‐based model, is reduced to a single‐phase phasor‐based model, and the size of the circuit to be simulated is thus reduced and the dynamics calculations of inductors and capacitors included in the remote power system are neglected. The calculation algorithm of generator models included in the remote power system is also simplified. The proposed method has been applied to EMT simulations of the WEST 10 benchmark power system prepared by the IEEJ, and it has been shown that the computation time is remarkably reduced without significant loss of accuracy if the portion assumed to be the remote power system is sufficiently far from the source of a transient event.
Plasma Behavior in a High‐Temperature Noble Gas Plasma Disk‐Shaped MHD Power Generator
Authors: TANAKA MANABU , OKUNO YOSHIHIRO 
Published: July 2016

SUMMARYR‐θ two‐dimensional numerical simulations have been carried out to clarify the plasma behavior in a high‐temperature noble gas plasma disk‐shaped magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) generator. At low inlet total temperature and high load resistance, the plasma has spiral structure which is similar to the nonuniform structure under the weak noble gas ionization condition in a seed‐plasma MHD generator. As seen in a linear‐shaped Faraday‐type MHD generator, the plasma becomes stable with increase in the inlet total temperature because the coulomb collision of electrons becomes dominant. Even at low inlet total temperature, the ionization instability can be suppressed for low load resistance, because the relatively low electron temperature due to less Joule heating makes the ionization relaxation time longer than plasma residential time.
Municipal Governance and Sustainability: The Role of Local Governments in Promoting Transitions
Authors: Smedby Nora , Quitzau Maj‐Britt 
Published: July 2016

AbstractThis research addresses local governance for building energy efficiency. In order to turn an increasingly proactive environmental policy agenda at subnational levels into practice, local governments experiment with new forms of governance. One important policy area in this regard is building energy use, often addressed through urban development projects. Such initiatives provide important insight into the role that local governments may play in terms of pushing developers from mainstream building practices towards the uptake of more radical energy efficient solutions by enabling socio‐technical translation. The analysis is based on two case studies from Sweden and Denmark, where the local governments have actively sought to challenge mainstream building practices through a combination of different modes of governing. It is shown how this combination of different modes of governing at the local level provides several translation entries for local governments seeking to foster sustainability transitions. The article concludes that more attention should be directed towards translation as part of the practical environmental governing at the local level. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd and ERP Environment