bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Could ecosystem management provide a new framework for Alzheimer's disease?
Authors: Hubin Ellen , Vanschoenwinkel Bram , Broersen Kerensa , De Deyn Peter P. , Koedam Nico , van Nuland Nico A. , Pauwels Kris 
Published: September 2015

AbstractAlzheimer's disease (AD) is a progressive neurodegenerative brain disorder that involves a plethora of molecular pathways. In the context of therapeutic treatment and biomarker profiling, the amyloid‐beta (Aβ) peptide constitutes an interesting research avenue that involves interactions within a complex mixture of Aβ alloforms and other disease‐modifying factors. Here, we explore the potential of an ecosystem paradigm as a novel way to consider AD and Aβ dynamics in particular. We discuss the example that the complexity of the Aβ network not only exhibits interesting parallels with the functioning of complex systems such as ecosystems but that this analogy can also provide novel insights into the neurobiological phenomena in AD and serve as a communication tool. We propose that combining network medicine with general ecosystem management principles could be a new and holistic approach to understand AD pathology and design novel therapies.
An inverted U‐shaped crude oil price return‐implied volatility relationship
Authors: Agbeyegbe Terence D. 
Published: September 2015

AbstractWe examined the return–volatility relationship for USO ETF oil price return and CBOE Crude Oil ETF Volatility Index, OVX. The data for the USO and OVX covers the period covering May 11, 2007 to February 28, 2013. Our OLS regression results suggest evidence of regular feedback and leverage effects. When we employ linear quantile regression techniques, we find evidence of regular and inverse feedback effects. The inverse feedback effects being noticeable in the upper quantile region of the oil return distribution. There is also support for a regular leverage effect in USO prices. We also examined the return–volatility relationship using quantile regression copula methods for measuring the degree of asymmetry in the relationships between the oil price return and implied volatility. The results of the analysis indicate, first, that there exists a negative relationship between contemporaneous oil VIX and USO ETF oil returns. Second, that the relationship between oil returns and implied volatilities depends on the quartile at which the relationship is being investigated. Third, there exists an inverted U‐shaped dependency relationship between returns and implied volatilities across quantiles. Fourth, though an inverted U‐shape exists, the shape is different from those observed in stock markets.
At the Service of Community Development: The Professionalization of Volunteer Work in Kenya and Tanzania
Authors: Brown Hannah , Green Maia 
Published: September 2015

Abstract:This article explores the changing nature of the “volunteer” as an official role within health and development interventions in East Africa. Contemporary development interventions require the engagement of volunteers to act as links between project and community. This role is increasingly professionalized within development architectures with implications for the kinds of people who can engage in volunteering opportunities. Volunteers in development interventions are likely to be drawn from public sector staff and from educated youth seeking access to positions of paid employment. Volunteering as a formal status within the organization of development programs is recognized as a kind of professional work by those seeking to engage with development organizations. Volunteers perform important work in linking development programs with beneficiaries. At the same time, volunteering provides opportunities for personal transformation.
Seeking Incorporation? Voluntary Labor and the Ambiguities of Work, Identity, and Social Value in Contemporary Kenya
Authors: Prince Ruth J. 
Published: September 2015

Abstract:This article seeks to understand why Kenyans have responded so enthusiastically to the recent push, by the government and NGOs, for voluntary labor within health and development projects and interventions. It argues that voluntary labor gains meaning and value in relation to broader economies of work and unemployment, to anxieties about identity, recognition, and belonging, and to aspirations for personal as well as national development. In the context of precarious economies and the contraction of formal employment opportunities, voluntary labor constitutes valued, if unpaid, work; it offers opportunities for those excluded from formal employment to gain a valued identity and a sense of social worth; and it makes volunteers visible to powerful institutions (state and nonstate) that hold the keys to personal growth, social recognition, and developmental futures. Voluntary labor is a site of struggles about identity, social value, and recognition, which the decline of twentieth-century trajectories of progress has made acute.
From Autochthony to Violence? Discursive and Coercive Social Practices of the Mai-Mai in Fizi, Eastern DR Congo
Authors: Verweijen Judith 
Published: September 2015

Abstract:This article explores the links between autochthony discourses and physical violence through a case study of a Mai-Mai group in the eastern DR Congo. While this group garners support by employing such discourses and related tropes ofautodéfense(self-defense), there are clear limits to the capacity of these narratives to mobilize for and legitimize violent action. Furthermore, much of the violence committed by the Mai-Mai is not informed directly by notions of autochthony, but is rather geared toward the consolidation of power. This observation should act as a caution against the a priori coding of violence according to the ways it is discursively framed by its protagonists.
Impaired decision-making in symptomatic anorexia and bulimia nervosa patients: a meta-analysis
Authors: Guillaume S. , Gorwood P. , Jollant F. , Van den Eynde F. , Courtet P. , Richard-Devantoy S. 
Published: September 2015

Background.Impaired decision-making is a potential neurocognitive phenotype of eating disorders. It is therefore important to disentangle the decision-making deficits associated with the eating disorder subtypes and determine whether this putative impairment is a state or trait marker of the disease or more related to starvation. We systematically reviewed the literature on decision-making in eating disorders and conducted a meta-analysis to explore its role in anorexia nervosa (AN), bulimia nervosa (BN) and binge-eating disorder (BED).Method.A search of the Medline and EMBASE databases and article references was performed. A total of 23 studies (2044 participants) met the selection criteria. When the Iowa gambling task (IGT) was used in at least three of the studies, a meta-analysis was run.Results.IGT performance was significantly worse in patients with an eating disorder diagnosis (AN, BN or BED) compared with healthy controls, indicating that eating disorders have a negative effect on decision-making. Hedges’ g effect sizes were moderate to large (−0.72 in AN, −0.62 in BN, and −1.26 in BED). Recovered AN patients had IGT scores similar to those of healthy controls. Restrictive AN patients had significantly lower IGT net scores than purging AN patients, and both AN subtypes had worse performances than healthy controls. Age and body mass index did not explain results.Conclusions.Decision-making was significantly altered in patients with eating disorders. Poor decision-making was more pronounced during the acute phase than in the recovered state of AN. Nutritional status during the acute phase of the disease did not seem to influence decision-making skills.
Executive functions as predictors of syntactic awareness in English monolingual and English–Spanish bilingual language brokers and nonbrokers
Authors: RAINEY VANESSA R. , DAVIDSON DENISE , LI-GRINING CHRISTINE 
Published: September 2015

ABSTRACTExecutive function (EF) skills (cognitive flexibility, inhibition, and working memory) and syntactic awareness of monolingual (English) and bilingual (English–Spanish) language brokers and nonbrokers were examined. EF skills may be salient for brokers, who must not only inhibit interference from another language but also exhibit EF skills when translating. The brokers displayed better cognitive flexibility when compared to the other groups. For the bilingual groups, cognitive flexibility was also a predictor of English syntactic awareness when accuracy was taken into account. Cognitive flexibility and inhibition were important factors on a Spanish syntactic awareness measure. These results are discussed in terms of how linkages between EF skills and syntactic awareness may be moderated by language group.
An optimal wheel-torque control on a compliant modular robot for wheel-slip minimization
Authors: Siravuru Avinash , Shah Suril V. , Krishna K. Madhava 
Published: September 2015

SUMMARYThis paper discusses the development of an optimal wheel-torque controller for a compliant modular robot. The wheel actuators are the only actively controllable elements in this robot. For this type of robots, wheel-slip could offer a lot of hindrance while traversing on uneven terrains. Therefore, an effective wheel-torque controller is desired that will also improve the wheel-odometry and minimize power consumption. In this work, an optimal wheel-torque controller is proposed that minimizes the traction-to-normal force ratios of all the wheels at every instant of its motion. This ensures that, at every wheel, the least traction force per unit normal force is applied to maintain static stability and desired wheel speed. The lower this is, in comparison to the actual friction coefficient of the wheel-ground interface, the more margin of slip-free motion the robot can have. This formalism best exploits the redundancy offered by a modularly designed robot. This is the key novelty of this work. Extensive numerical and experimental studies were carried out to validate this controller. The robot was tested on four different surfaces and we report an overall average slip reduction of 44% and mean wheel-torque reduction by 16%.
CONSISTENT AND CONSERVATIVE MODEL SELECTION WITH THE ADAPTIVE LASSO IN STATIONARY AND NONSTATIONARY AUTOREGRESSIONS
Authors: Kock Anders Bredahl 
Published: September 2015

We show that the adaptive Lasso is oracle efficient in stationary and nonstationary autoregressions. This means that it estimates parameters consistently, selects the correct sparsity pattern, and estimates the coefficients belonging to the relevant variables at the same asymptotic efficiency as if only these had been included in the model from the outset. In particular, this implies that it is able to discriminate between stationary and nonstationary autoregressions and it thereby constitutes an addition to the set of unit root tests. Next, and important in practice, we show that choosing the tuning parameter by Bayesian Information Criterion (BIC) results in consistent model selection.However, it is also shown that the adaptive Lasso has no power against shrinking alternatives of the formc/Tif it is tuned to perform consistent model selection. We show that if the adaptive Lasso is tuned to perform conservative model selection it has power even against shrinking alternatives of this form and compare it to the plain Lasso.
First Responder Accuracy Using SALT after Brief Initial Training
Authors: Lee Christopher W.C. , McLeod Shelley L. , Peddle Michael B. 
Published: September 2015

AbstractBackgroundMass-casualty incidents (MCIs) present a unique challenge with regards to triage as patient volume often outweighs the number of available Emergency Medical Services (EMS) providers. A possible strategy to optimize existing triage systems includes the use of other first responder groups, namely fire and police, to decrease the triage time during MCIs, allowing for more rapid initiation of life-saving treatment and prioritization of patient transport.HypothesisFirst-year primary care paramedic (PCP), fire, and police trainees can apply with similar accuracy an internationally recognized MCI triage tool, Sort, Assess, Life-saving interventions, Treatment/transport (SALT), immediately following a brief training session, and again three months later.MethodsAll students enrolled in the PCP, fire, and police foundation programs at two community colleges were invited to participate in a 30-minute didactic session on SALT. Immediately following this session, a 17-item, paper-based test was administered to assess the students’ ability to understand and apply SALT. Three months later, the same test was given to assess knowledge retention.ResultsOf the 464 trainees who completed the initial test, 364 (78.4%) completed the three month follow-up test. Initial test scores were higher (P<.05) for PCPs (87.0%) compared to fire (80.2%) and police (68.0%) trainees. The mean test score for all respondents was higher following the initial didactic session compared to the three month follow-up test (75% vs 64.7%; Δ 10.3%; 95% CI, 8.0%-12.6%). Three month test scores for PCPs (75.4%) were similar to fire (71.4%) students (Δ 4.0%; 95% CI, −2.1% to 10.1%). Both PCP and fire trainees significantly outperformed police (57.8%) trainees. Over-triage errors were the most common, followed by under-triage and then critical errors, for both the initial and follow-up tests.ConclusionsAmongst first responder trainees, PCPs were able to apply the SALT triage tool with the most accuracy, followed by fire, then police. Over-triage was the most frequent error, while critical errors were rare.LeeCWC,
McLeodSL,
PeddleMB.
First responder accuracy using SALT after brief initial training. Prehosp Disaster Med. 2015;30(5):447–451.
Prehospital Agitation and Sedation Trial (PhAST): A Randomized Control Trial of Intramuscular Haloperidol versus Intramuscular Midazolam for the Sedation of the Agitated or Violent Patient in the Prehospital Environment
Authors: Isenberg Derek L. , Jacobs Dorian 
Published: September 2015

AbstractIntroductionViolent patients in the prehospital environment pose a threat to health care workers tasked with managing their medical conditions. While research has focused on methods to control the agitated patient in the emergency department (ED), there is a paucity of data looking at the optimal approach to subdue these patients safely in the prehospital setting.HypothesisThis study evaluated the efficacy of two different intramuscular medications, midazolam and haloperidol, to determine their efficacy in sedating agitated patients in the prehospital setting.MethodsThis was a prospective, randomized, observational trial wherein agitated patients were administered intramuscular haloperidol or intramuscular midazolam to control agitation. Agitation was quantified by the Richmond Agitation and Sedation Scale (RASS). Paramedics recorded the RASS and vital signs every five minutes during transport and again upon arrival to the ED. The primary outcome was mean time to achieve a RASS less than +1. Secondary outcomes included mean time for patients to return to baseline mental status and adverse events.ResultsFive patients were enrolled in each study group. In the haloperidol group, the mean time to achieve a RASS score of less than +1 was 24.8 minutes (95% CI, 8-49 minutes), and the mean time for the return of a normal mental status was 84 minutes (95% CI, 0-202 minutes). Two patients required additional prehospital doses for adequate sedation. There were no adverse events recorded in the patients administered haloperidol.In the midazolam group, the mean time to achieve a RASS score of less than +1 was 13.5 minutes (95% CI, 8-19 minutes) and the mean time for the return of normal mental status was 105 minutes (95% CI, 0-178 minutes). One patient required additional sedation in the ED. There were no adverse events recorded among the patients administered midazolam.ConclusionsMidazolam and haloperidol administered intramuscularly appear equally effective for sedating an agitated patient in the prehospital setting. Midazolam appears to have a faster onset of action, as evidenced by the shorter time required to achieve a RASS score of less than +1 in the patients who received midazolam. Haloperidol offers an alternative option for the sedation of an agitated patient. Further studies should focus on continued investigation into appropriate sedation of agitated patients in the prehospital setting.IsenbergDL, JacobsD. Prehospital agitation and sedation trial (PhAST): a randomized control trial of intramuscular haloperidol versus intramuscular midazolam for the sedation of the agitated or violent patient in the prehospital environment. Prehosp Disaster Med. 2015;30(5):491–495.
A metagenomic window into carbon metabolism at 3 km depth in Precambrian continental crust
Authors: Magnabosco Cara , Ryan Kathleen , Lau Maggie C Y , Kuloyo Olukayode , Sherwood Lollar Barbara , Kieft Thomas L , van Heerden Esta , Onstott Tullis C 
Published: September 2015

Abstract
Subsurface microbial communities comprise a significant fraction of the global prokaryotic biomass; however, the carbon metabolisms that support the deep biosphere have been relatively unexplored. In order to determine the predominant carbon metabolisms within a 3-km deep fracture fluid system accessed via the Tau Tona gold mine (Witwatersrand Basin, South Africa), metagenomic and thermodynamic analyses were combined. Within our system of study, the energy-conserving reductive acetyl-CoA (Wood-Ljungdahl) pathway was found to be the most abundant carbon fixation pathway identified in the metagenome. Carbon monoxide dehydrogenase genes that have the potential to participate in (1) both autotrophic and heterotrophic metabolisms through the reversible oxidization of CO and subsequent transfer of electrons for sulfate reduction, (2) direct utilization of H2 and (3) methanogenesis were identified. The most abundant members of the metagenome belonged to Euryarchaeota (22%) and Firmicutes (57%)—by far, the highest relative abundance of Euryarchaeota yet reported from deep fracture fluids in South Africa and one of only five Firmicutes-dominated deep fracture fluids identified in the region. Importantly, by combining the metagenomics data and thermodynamic modeling of this study with previously published isotopic and community composition data from the South African subsurface, we are able to demonstrate that Firmicutes-dominated communities are associated with a particular hydrogeologic environment, specifically the older, more saline and more reducing waters.
High-resolution analysis of the human T-cell receptor repertoire
Authors: Ruggiero Eliana , Nicolay Jan P. , Fronza Raffaele , Arens Anne , Paruzynski Anna , Nowrouzi Ali , Ürenden Gökçe , Lulay Christina , Schneider Sven , Goerdt Sergij , Glimm Hanno , Krammer Peter H. , Schmidt Manfred , von Kalle Christof 
Published: September 2015

AbstractUnbiased dissection of T-cell receptor (TCR) repertoire diversity at the nucleotide level could provide important insights into human immunity. Here we show that TCR ligation-anchored-magnetically captured PCR (TCR-LA-MC PCR) identifies TCR α- and β-chain diversity without sequence-associated or quantitative restrictions in healthy and diseased conditions. TCR-LA-MC PCR identifies convergent recombination events, classifies different stages of cutaneous T-cell lymphoma in vivo and demonstrates TCR reactivation after in vitro cytomegalovirus stimulation. TCR-LA-MC PCR allows ultra-deep data access to both physiological TCR diversity and mechanisms influencing clonality in all clinical settings with restricted or distorted TCR repertoires.
Cas9-Assisted Targeting of CHromosome segments CATCH enables one-step targeted cloning of large gene clusters
Authors: Jiang Wenjun , Zhao Xuejin , Gabrieli Tslil , Lou Chunbo , Ebenstein Yuval , Zhu Ting F. 
Published: September 2015

AbstractThe cloning of long DNA segments, especially those containing large gene clusters, is of particular importance to synthetic and chemical biology efforts for engineering organisms. While cloning has been a defining tool in molecular biology, the cloning of long genome segments has been challenging. Here we describe a technique that allows the targeted cloning of near-arbitrary, long bacterial genomic sequences of up to 100 kb to be accomplished in a single step. The target genome segment is excised from bacterial chromosomes in vitro by the RNA-guided Cas9 nuclease at two designated loci, and ligated to the cloning vector by Gibson assembly. This technique can be an effective molecular tool for the targeted cloning of large gene clusters that are often expensive to synthesize by gene synthesis or difficult to obtain directly by traditional PCR and restriction-enzyme-based methods.
Direct terrestrial test of Lorentz symmetry in electrodynamics to 10−18
Authors: Nagel Moritz , Parker Stephen R. , Kovalchuk Evgeny V. , Stanwix Paul L. , Hartnett John G. , Ivanov Eugene N. , Peters Achim , Tobar Michael E. 
Published: September 2015

AbstractLorentz symmetry is a foundational property of modern physics, underlying the standard model of particles and general relativity. It is anticipated that these two theories are low-energy approximations of a single theory that is unified and consistent at the Planck scale. Many unifying proposals allow Lorentz symmetry to be broken, with observable effects appearing at Planck-suppressed levels; thus, precision tests of Lorentz invariance are needed to assess and guide theoretical efforts. Here we use ultrastable oscillator frequency sources to perform a modern Michelson–Morley experiment and make the most precise direct terrestrial test to date of Lorentz symmetry for the photon, constraining Lorentz violating orientation-dependent relative frequency changes Δν/ν to 9.2±10.7 × 10−19 (95% confidence interval). This order of magnitude improvement over previous Michelson–Morley experiments allows us to set comprehensive simultaneous bounds on nine boost and rotation anisotropies of the speed of light, finding no significant violations of Lorentz symmetry.
Electrocatalytic reduction of carbon dioxide to carbon monoxide and methane at an immobilized cobalt protoporphyrin
Authors: Shen Jing , Kortlever Ruud , Kas Recep , Birdja Yuvraj Y. , Diaz-Morales Oscar , Kwon Youngkook , Ledezma-Yanez Isis , Schouten Klaas Jan P. , Mul Guido , Koper Marc T. M. 
Published: September 2015

AbstractThe electrochemical conversion of carbon dioxide and water into useful products is a major challenge in facilitating a closed carbon cycle. Here we report a cobalt protoporphyrin immobilized on a pyrolytic graphite electrode that reduces carbon dioxide in an aqueous acidic solution at relatively low overpotential (0.5 V), with an efficiency and selectivity comparable to the best porphyrin-based electrocatalyst in the literature. While carbon monoxide is the main reduction product, we also observe methane as by-product. The results of our detailed pH-dependent studies are explained consistently by a mechanism in which carbon dioxide is activated by the cobalt protoporphyrin through the stabilization of a radical intermediate, which acts as Brønsted base. The basic character of this intermediate explains how the carbon dioxide reduction circumvents a concerted proton–electron transfer mechanism, in contrast to hydrogen evolution. Our results and their mechanistic interpretations suggest strategies for designing improved catalysts.