bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Impact of uniaxial strain and doping on oxygen diffusion in CeO2
Authors: Rushton M. J. D. , Chroneos A. 
Published: August 2014

AbstractDoped ceria is an important electrolyte for solid oxide fuel cell applications. Molecular dynamics simulations have been used to investigate the impact of uniaxial strain along the <100> directions and rare-earth doping (Yb, Er, Ho, Dy, Gd, Sm, Nd and La) on oxygen diffusion. We introduce a new potential model that is able to describe the thermal expansion and elastic properties of ceria to give excellent agreement with experimental data. We calculate the activation energy of oxygen migration in the temperature range 900–1900 K for both unstrained and rare-earth doped ceria systems under tensile strain. Uniaxial strain has a considerable effect in lowering the activation energies of oxygen migration. A more pronounced increase in oxygen diffusivities is predicted at the lower end of the temperature range for all the dopants considered.
A sequence-specific transcription activator motif and powerful synthetic variants that bind Mediator using a fuzzy protein interface
Authors: Warfield Linda , Tuttle Lisa M. , Pacheco Derek , Klevit Rachel E. , Hahn Steven 
Published: August 2014

Significance
How transcription activators recognize their coactivator targets is a longstanding question and is important for understanding activator specificity and synergy. Most activators are not obviously related in sequence, but they recognize a common set of coactivators, raising the question of whether these interactions are sequence-specific. We show that the yeast transcription factor Gcn4 central activation domain works via a short sequence-specific motif that can be optimized to generate powerful synthetic activators. Like many natural activators, the synthetic derivatives have redundant sequence and bind the Mediator subunit Gal11 with high affinity using a “fuzzy” protein interface. Our results suggest a mechanism to explain how a subset of natural activators use redundant sequence motifs and great flexibility in the binding interface to target unrelated coactivators.
The empire strikes back: War without war and occupation without occupation in the Russian sphere of influence
Authors: DUNN ELIZABETH CULLEN , BOBICK MICHAEL S. 
Published: August 2014

ABSTRACTRussia's recent actions in Ukraine constitute a new form of warfare distinctly suited for a 21st‐century battlefield. Through a comparative analysis of the political technologies it has deployed there and in two other conflict zones, Georgia and Moldova, we maintain that Russia is implementing a new political strategy that utilizes fear and intimidation to thwart a further eastward expansion of the European Union and NATO. By masking Russian “occupation without occupation” as humanitarian and as fulfilling a “responsibility to protect,” Vladimir Putin satirizes the moral and legal arguments used by Western states to justify their own international intervention. Ultimately, we argue that the pervasive fear created by Eurasia's frozen conflicts constitutes a new form of post‐Soviet liminality that challenges the norms of the international system.
Of power and laughter: Carnivalesque politics and moral citizenship in Lithuania
Authors: KLUMBYTĖ NERINGA 
Published: August 2014

ABSTRACTDuring Lithuania's 2008 parliamentary elections, National Resurrection Party members dressed up as vampires, insane people, criminals, and prostitutes to gain people's votes. They mocked the state and laughed at political elites and electoral politics. I argue that the 2008 electoral carnivalesque was a politics of becoming, a fluid and open‐ended process that engaged communities of despair and promoted moral citizenship through laughter. It was a form of political opposition, grounded in future‐oriented moral and affective reassemblages of social and political fields. This politics of becoming attracted new people to politics, reframed political debates, and challenged state policies, practices, and ideologies.
Follicular lymphoma of the ocular adnexal region: A nation‐based study
Authors: Rasmussen Peter K. , Ralfkiaer Elisabeth , Prause Jan U. , Sjö Lene D. , Specht Lena , Rossing Henrik H. , Siersma Volkert D. , Heegaard Steffen 
Published: August 2014

AbstractPurposeTo characterize the clinicopathological features of follicular lymphoma of the ocular adnexal region.MethodsRetrospective nation‐based study of Danish patients with ocular adnexal follicular lymphoma from January 1st 1980 through December 31st 2009.ResultsTwenty‐four patients with ocular adnexal follicular lymphoma were identified. Fourteen (58%) of the patients were females. The median age was 63 years (range: 42–96 years). Eleven (46%) of the patients had primary ocular adnexal lymphoma, seven (29%) had an ocular adnexal lesion in conjunction with a concurrent systemic lymphoma and six patients (25%) presented with an ocular adnexal relapse. The most frequently affected sites were the lacrimal gland (38%) and the orbit (33%). Thirteen patients (54%) presented with Ann Arbor stage IE lymphoma, four (17%) had stage IIE, two patients (8%) stage IIIE, and five patients (21%) had stage IV lymphoma. Radiotherapy was primarily used in patients with primary lymphoma and those with a stage IE/IIE relapse (82%), while stage IIIE/IV lymphomas most frequently received alkylating chemotherapy (67%). Complete remission was observed in 19 of the patients (79%), but of these 11(58%) had a relapse. The 10‐year overall survival for the entire cohort was 59%. The translocation t(14;18) was detected in 16 patients (16/24, 76%). Recurrence was only observed in patients with the t(14;18) (p = 0.05, log‐rank).ConclusionsOcular adnexal follicular lymphoma is more commonly found in elderly female patients. The lacrimal gland is relatively frequently involved. Radiotherapy is the treatment of choice for localized ocular adnexal follicular lymphoma providing a favourable prognosis for majority of patients.
The use of endoscopic cyclophotocoagulation for moderate to advanced glaucoma
Authors: Kaplowitz Kevin , Kuei Andrew , Klenofsky Britany , Abazari Azin , Honkanen Robert 
Published: August 2014

AbstractEndoscopic Cyclophotocoagulation (ECP) is a glaucoma surgery designed to reduce the intraocular pressure (IOP) by partially ablating the ciliary processes to decrease aqueous humour production and secretion. The aim of this paper is to review the literature regarding the background, indications and results of the surgery. Although there are case reports of visually devastating complications, including persistent hypotony and phthisis, the use of ECP is often reported in eyes with advanced diseases. When compared with both trabeculectomy and aqueous shunt implantation, the visual outcomes were better with ECP while the IOP outcomes were very similar. The evidence supports ECP as a very effective surgical option in recalcitrant glaucoma while some evidence supports its safety for use as a primary procedure.
Online assessment of learning and engagement in university laboratory practicals
Authors: Whitworth David E. , Wright Kate 
Published: August 2014

AbstractIn science education, laboratory practicals are frequently assessed through submission of a report. A large increase in student numbers necessitated us adapting a traditional practical report into an online test with automated marking. The assessment was designed to retain positive features of the traditional laboratory report but with added pedagogic and administrative benefits made possible through the online medium.After performing their experiments, students were given idealised data, enabling immediate comparison with their own results, and asked to perform a series of calculations based on that ideal data. The two‐part test asked questions about the students' calculations. Part I was formative, ensuring that the students had mastered basic concepts before advanced concepts were tested in Part II. The test rewarded correct methodology and understanding as well as the right answers and gave absolute consistency to the marking scheme. Students could submit at their convenience and received instant feedback. The assessment was met with emphatically positive feedback from students.In addition, it was possible to track submissions by students, providing insights into their behaviour. Students appeared to group into three submission styles—early submitters, considered submitters and last minute submitters—information which can be useful to guide pedagogic practice. In the latest iteration, analysis of submission behaviour gave us confidence to reduce the time before the submission deadline, which resulted in a substantial increase in student attainment.
Multiple Environmental Controls on Cockroach Assemblage Structure in a Tropical Rain Forest
Authors: Tarli Vitor D. , Pequeno Pedro A. C. L. , Franklin Elizabeth , de Morais José W. , Souza Jorge L. P. , Oliveira Adriano H. C. , Guilherme Diego R. 
Published: August 2014

AbstractArthropod abundance and diversity are remarkable in tropical forests, but are also spatially patchy. This has been attributed either to resources, predators, abiotic conditions or disturbances, but whether such factors may simultaneously shape arthropod assemblage structure is little known. We used cockroaches to test for multiple environmental controls on assemblage structure in 25 km2 of Amazonian forest. We performed nocturnal, direct searches for cockroaches in 30 plots (250 m × 2 m) during two seasons, and gathered data on biotic and abiotic factors from previous studies. Cockroach abundance increased with dry litter mass, a measure of resource amount, while species richness increased with litter phosphorus content, a measure of resource availability. Cockroach abundance and species richness decreased with ant relative abundance. Cockroach species composition changed along the gradient of: (1) soil clay content, which correlates with a broad differentiation between flood‐prone and non‐flooded forest; (2) soil relative moisture, consistent with known interspecific variation in desiccation tolerance; and (3) according to the abundance of ants, a potential predator. Turnover in species composition was correlated with abiotic conditions—sorting species according to physiological requirements and to disturbance‐related life history traits—and to ants' selective pressure. Cockroach abundance, diversity, and composition seem to be controlled by distinct sets of environmental factors, but predators which were represented by ants, emerged as a common factor underlying cockroach distribution. Such patterns of community structure may have been previously overlooked by undue focus on single or a few factors, and may be common to tropical forest arthropods.
Genetic Divergence During Long‐term Isolation in Highly Diverse Populations of Tropical Trees Across the Eastern Arc Mountains of Tanzania
Authors: Jump Alistair S. , Carr Martin , Ahrends Antje , Marchant Rob 
Published: August 2014

AbstractThe Eastern Arc Mountains are believed to support some of the oldest tropical forest in the world. The current distribution of this forest is highly fragmented due to a combination of long‐term effects of past changes in global climate and more recent deforestation. We sought to explore the hypothesized antiquity and long‐term isolation of the Eastern Arc montane forests based on an assessment of the geographical distribution and interspecies similarity of chloroplast DNA sequence variation in five forest trees. Data were used to investigate regional patterns of diversity and population structure based on intraspecific phylogenies, and results were interpreted against hypotheses on ecosystem age and connectivity. Regional diversity was high, with up to 22 chloroplast DNA haplotypes being recorded within a species across the sampled populations. Geographical concordance of genetic and geographic structure was weak to absent in all species and there was little similarity of genetic structure between species. Haplotype sharing between mountain blocks was extremely limited. The generally weak phylogeographical structure, in conjunction with high regional diversity and genetic uniqueness of individual mountain forests does not support the assumption of widespread genetic connectivity of the mountain forests, indicating instead a pattern of past isolation and ongoing diversification. Our findings substantially add to understanding patterns of diversity in this region and lend weight to calls to use more sophisticated biodiversity assessments when setting regional conservation and research funding priorities.
Cytological follow‐up after hysterectomy: is vaginal vault cytology sampling a clinical governance problem? The University Hospital of North Staffordshire approach
Authors: Parry‐Smith W. , Thorpe D. , Ogboro‐Okor L. , Underwood M. , Ismaili E. , Kodampur M. , Todd R. , Douce G. , Redman C. W. E. 
Published: August 2014

ObjectivesVaginal vault cytology sampling following hysterectomy is recommended for specific indications in national guidelines. However, clinical governance issues surround compliance with guidance. Our first study objective was to quantify how many patients undergoing hysterectomy at the University Hospital of North Staffordshire (UHNS) had vault cytology advice in their histology report and, if indicated, whether it was arranged. The second was to devise a vault cytology protocol based on local experience and national guidance.MethodsThe local cancer registry was searched. Clinical, clerical and histological data for all patients undergoing hysterectomy were collected.ResultsIn total, 271 patients were identified from both the gynae‐oncology and benign gynaecology teams. Of these, 24% (65/271) were gynae‐oncology patients with a mean age of 69 years. The benign gynaecology team had 76% (206/271) of patients with a mean age of 55 years. Subsequently, 94% (256/271) had cytology follow‐up advice in their histopathology report. Ultimately, from both cohorts, 39% (18/46) had follow‐up cytology performed when indicated.ConclusionA high proportion of cases complied with national guidance. However, a disappointingly high number did not have vault cytology sampling when this was indicated. This is probably a result of the complex guidance that is misunderstood in both primary and secondary care. Vault follow‐up of patients after hysterectomy rests with the team performing the surgery. Vault cytology, if indicated, should be performed in secondary care and follow‐up should be planned. The protocol set out in this article should be followed to avoid unnecessary clinical governance failings.
Daily peer review of abnormal cervical smears in the assessment of individual practice as an additional method of internal quality control
Authors: Confortini M. , Di Stefano C. , Biggeri A. , Bulgaresi P. , Di Claudio G. , Grisotto L. , Maddau C. , Matucci M. , Petreschi C. , Troni G. M. , Turco P. , Foxi P. 
Published: August 2014

ObjectiveAn important internal quality control system used in the Cancer Prevention and Research Institute cytopathology laboratory in Florence is the peer review procedure, based on the review of all abnormal cytological smears which routinely emerge. Peer review is an important training opportunity for all cytologists, especially for those with less experience. This article shows the results of the peer review procedure.MethodsOf the 63 754 Papanicolaou (Pap) smears screened in 2011, 1086 were considered to be abnormal [at least atypical squamous cells of undetermined significance (ASC‐US+)] on primary screening (selected by a single cytologist) and were subjected to the peer review procedure. The overall performance of the laboratory's cytologists was evaluated using a multiple rater analysis and the comparison of each cytologist with the final diagnosis. Further, the agreement was assessed by means of Cohen's kappa and weighted kappa statistics.ResultsIn general, a moderate/substantial level of agreement between the ten cytologists and the final diagnoses was evident. Kappa values for each reader compared with the final diagnosis ranged from 0.54 to 0.69. The overall kappa value was 0.62 [95% confidence interval (CI), 0.58–0.66] and overall weighted kappa value was 0.76 (95% CI, 0.74–0.79). The category‐specific agreement showed the lowest values for atypical squamous cells, cannot exclude high‐grade squamous intraepithelial lesion (ASC‐H).ConclusionIn summary, peer review represents an important internal quality control in the evaluation and improvement of inter‐observer agreement and of the functioning of the laboratory as a whole. Multi‐head microscope sessions may improve particularly the reproducibility of borderline diagnoses and, above all, can be an important training contribution for cytologists.
Artificial light as a disturbance to light‐naïve streams
Authors: Perkin Elizabeth K. , Hölker Franz , Tockner Klement , Richardson John S. 
Published: August 2014

Summary

Artificial light at night is prevalent in human‐dominated landscapes, and streams in these landscapes can be expected to be affected by artificial lights. We hypothesised that artificial light at night would reduce the activity of aquatic insects, resulting in reduced drift rates, lower fish growth rates and lower leaf litter decomposition rates.

We tested these hypotheses by installing street lights to reaches in four forested, natural streams of coastal British Columbia each paired with a control reach. Cutthroat trout (Oncorhynchus clarkii) are the top predators in these streams and feed mostly on terrestrial and drifting aquatic invertebrates.

We found that the night‐time drift of aquatic invertebrates in lit reaches was ˜50% of the drift in dark reaches. However, the density of emerging aquatic insects, the density of insects falling into reaches, leaf litter decomposition rate and the number and growth rate of trout caught were not significantly different between the dark and experimentally lit reaches.

We conclude that, while short‐term exposure to artificial light during the summer changes invertebrate behaviour, it does not significantly alter other trophic levels in forested headwater streams. Our results suggest that low levels of artificial light do not strongly influence stream ecosystems, but future research should determine whether this is true for all seasons and longer‐term exposure to light.
Isolated hepatic tuberculosis mimicking liver tumors in a dialysis patient
Authors: Hung Yao‐Min , Huang Neng‐Chyan , Wang Jyh‐Seng , Wann Shue‐Ren 
Published: August 2014

AbstractCases of isolated hepatic tuberculosis (TB) are rare. The diagnosis is often delayed or missed because of nonspecific symptoms and laboratory findings. Besides, the disease is extremely rare even in a country where TB is an alarming public health problem. This report demonstrates the difficulty in correctly diagnosing local hepatic TB. We report the case of a 62‐year‐old male patient with end‐stage renal disease treated with hemodialysis, who developed 2 months of abdominal distension and general anorexia, with hyperechoic hepatic lesions on ultrasound. Computed tomography suspected multiple liver tumors. The liver biopsy finally led to the diagnosis of TB of the liver without other involvements. We conclude that isolated hepatic TB is one of the rare forms of extrapulmonary TB in dialysis patients. A greater awareness of this rare clinical entity may prevent needless surgical interventions.
The role of chromatin dynamics in immune cell development
Authors: Winter Deborah R. , Amit Ido 
Published: August 2014

SummaryIn immune cells, as in all mammalian cells, nuclear DNA is wrapped around histones to form nucleosomes. The positioning and modifications of nucleosomes throughout the genome defines the chromatin state of the cell and has a large impact on gene regulation. Chromatin state is dynamic throughout immune cell development and activation. High‐throughput open chromatin assays, such as DNase‐seq, can be used to find regulatory element across the genome and, when combined with histone modifications, can specify their function. During hematopoiesis, distal regulatory elements, known as enhancers, are established by pioneer factors that alter chromatin state. Some of these enhancers are lost, some are gained, and some are maintained as a memory of the cell's developmental origin. The enhancer landscape is unique to the cell lineage—with different enhancers regulating the same promoter—and determines the mechanism of cell type‐specific activation after exposure to stimuli. Histone modification and promoter architecture govern the diverse responses to stimulation. Furthermore, chromatin dynamics may explain the high plasticity of certain tissue‐resident immune cell types. Future epigenomic research will depend on the development of more efficient experiments and better methods to associate enhancers with genes. The ultimate goal of mapping genome‐wide chromatin state throughout the hematopoietic tree will help illuminate the mechanisms behind immune cell development and function.
Scratch wound closure of myoblasts and myotubes is reduced by inflammatory mediators
Authors: Ko Miau‐Hwa , Li Chia‐Yang , Lee Chun‐Feng , Chang Chen‐Kang , Fang Shih‐Hua 
Published: August 2014

AbstractComplex interactions exist between muscle repair processes and acute inflammatory responses that are initiated by exercise‐induced muscle damage. The purpose of this study was to examine whether inflammatory mediators secreted by activated macrophages affect the migration of myogenic cells to the injury site. Migration was measured using a scratch wound closure assay in C2C12‐derived myogenic cells incubated in activated macrophage‐conditioned medium. Both myoblast and myotube migrations were significantly reduced in activated macrophage‐conditioned medium compared with control medium. Furthermore, we demonstrated that the inhibitory effect on myoblast and myotube migrations was mediated, at least in part, by the two major cytokines secreted by activated macrophages, tumour necrosis factor (TNF)‐α and interleukin (IL)‐6. These findings suggest that the migration rate of myogenic cells may be reduced by inflammatory mediators. It may provide useful insights for future researches on the role of macrophages in the process of muscle repair and regeneration.
Pain and inflammation in hidradenitis suppurativa correspond to morphological changes identified by high‐frequency ultrasound
Authors: Zarchi K. , Yazdanyar N. , Yazdanyar S. , Wortsman X. , Jemec G.B.E. 
Published: August 2014

AbstractBackgroundHidradenitis suppurativa (HS) is an inflammatory skin disease with a chronic intermittent course. The current classification systems used to categorize disease severity provide limited insight into the degree of inflammation and pain, which are key symptoms of the disease.ObjectiveWe sought to investigate the correlation and validity of simple patient‐ and investigator‐assessed items related to inflammation with morphological changes identified by high‐frequency ultrasound in HS.MethodsTwenty patients with the clinical diagnosis of HS were enrolled in this study. All patients underwent clinical examinations during which one representative inflammatory nodule was selected in each patient based on the anamnestic information, patient experience and clinical presentation. Tenderness and flare activity of the representative nodule were graded by the patients and erythema by the investigator. Subsequently, all patients underwent high‐resolution ultrasound scanning of their representative nodule.ResultsWe found significant associations between the size of the representative nodule (the diameter in the transverse plane) and patient assessments of flare activity and tenderness. Moreover, we found a marked association between the size of the nodules and investigator assessment of erythema.ConclusionPatient assessments of flare activity and pain, and investigator assessment of erythema are strongly associated with morphological changes identified using ultrasound, suggesting that these patient‐ and investigator‐assessed items might be strong indicators of the degree of present inflammation in HS.