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Although the room-temperature rechargeable sodium-ion battery has emerged as an attractive alternative energy storage solution for large-scale deployment, major challenges toward practical sodium-ion battery technology remain including identification and engineering of anode materials that are both technologically feasible and economical. Herein, an antimony-based anode is developed by incorporating antimony into graphitic carbon matrices using low-cost materials and scalable processes. The composite anode exhibits excellent overall performance in terms of packing density, fast charge/discharge capability and cyclability, which is enabled by the conductive and compact graphitic network. A full cell design featuring this composite anode with a hexacyanometallate cathode achieves superior power output and low polarization, which offers the potential for realizing a high-performance, cost-effective sodium-ion battery.

Background: Circulation in the limbs can be augmented using transcutaneous electrical stimulation devices. The optimum muscle stimulation sites for enhancement of vascular hemodynamic parameters have not been identified., Methods: Seven suitable anatomic sites were identified within the right leg. Twelve healthy participants were recruited (mean age, 23.1 ± 3 years; body mass index, 23.1 ± 3 kg/m(2)). Muscles were stimulated by transcutaneous bipolar electrodes at a current twice their motor threshold, at 1 Hz, for 5 minutes. Hemodynamic ultrasound measurements were taken from the right femoral vein. Laser Doppler measurements from the feet of the stimulated and nonstimulated sides were obtained. Baseline measurements were compared with readings after 5 minutes of stimulation, with device active. Discomfort experienced for stimulation of each muscle was rated out of 100., Results: Hemodynamic changes displayed large intersubject variation, with no muscle statistically superior to the others. All muscles increased peak velocity; contraction of medial gastrocnemius increased time-averaged maximum velocity and volume flow. All muscles increased foot fluximetry (P < .05). Discomfort correlated weakly with current applied. Tibialis anterior and vastus lateralis were most tenable., Conclusions: Transcutaneous stimulation increases hemodynamic parameters significantly, locally and systemically. No optimum stimulation site has been identified, and it is limited by comfort and variability in the subject's response. Gastrocnemius, tibialis anterior, and vastus lateralis all provoke large changes in hemodynamic parameters, but clinical efficacy in disease prevention and management has not been explored., (Copyright © 2016. Published by Elsevier Inc.)

A liquid crystal light valve (LCLV) is an optically controlled spatial light modulator that allows recording of dynamic holograms. Almost all known LCLVs operate in the visible range of the spectrum. In the present work we demonstrate a LCLV operating in the infrared. The interaction of signal and pump waves is studied for different applied voltages, grating spacings, and intensities of the recording beams. A fourfold amplification of the weak signal beam is achieved. The amplitude of the refractive index modulation Δn=0.007 and nonlinear coupling constant n₂=-1  cm²/W are estimated from the experimental results. External phase modulation of one of the recording beams is used for a further transient increase of the signal beam gain.

Financing has been hypothesized to be an important driver of the implementation of evidence-based practices (EBPs), yet there has been little systematic investigation of financing as a factor in EBP implementation. This column presents findings from a qualitative study of the effects of financial factors on the implementation of EBPs in a large urban publicly funded mental health system. Interviews with 33 agency leaders and 16 policy makers identified financial distress in community mental health agencies, leading to concerns about complex and expensive implementation of EBPs. Stakeholders agreed that the cost of EBP implementation should be shared between the agencies and the system; however, the stakeholders did not agree on how EBPs should be financed.

We have studied, using Monte Carlo computer simulations, the effects that nanoparticles of similar size and three different shapes (spherical, elongated and discotic) dispersed at different concentrations in a liquid crystal (LC), have on the transition temperature, order parameter and mobility of the suspension. We have modelled the nanoparticles as berry-like clusters of spherical Lennard-Jones sites and the NP with a Gay-Berne model. We find that the overall phase behaviour is not affected by the addition of small amounts (xN = 0.1-0.5%) of nanoparticles, with the lowest perturbation obtained with disc-like nanoparticles at the lowest concentration. We observe a general decrease of the clearing temperature and a reduction in the orientational order with a change in its temperature variation, particularly in the case of the xN = 0.5% dispersions and with a more pronounced effect when the nanoparticles are spherical.

We model electromagnetic cloaking of a spherical or cylindrical nanoparticle enclosed by an optically anisotropic and optically inhomogeneous symmetric shell, by examining its electric response in a quasi-static uniform electric field. When the components of the shell permittivity are radially anisotropic and power-law dependent (ε~r(m)) whereris distance to the shell center, and m a positive or negative exponent which can be varied), the problem is analytically tractable. Formulas are calculated for the degree of cloaking in the general case, allowing the determination of a dielectric condition for the shells to be used as an invisibility cloak. Ideal cloaking is known to require that homogeneous shells exhibit an infinite ratio of tangential and radial components of the shell permittivity, but for radially inhomogeneous shells ideal cloaking can occur even for finite values of this ratio.

PEDOT-Tos is one of the conducting polymers that displays the most promising thermoelectric properties. Until now, it has been utterly difficult to control all the synthesis parameters and the morphology governing the thermoelectric properties. To improve our understanding of this material, we study the variation in the thermoelectric properties by a simple acido-basic treatment. The emphasis of this study is to elucidate the chemical changes induced by acid (HCl) or base (NaOH) treatment in PEDOT-Tos thin films using various spectroscopic and structural techniques. We could identify changes in the nanoscale morphology due to anion exchange between tosylate and Cl - or OH - . But, we identified that changing the pH leads to a tuning of the oxidation level of the polymer, which can explain the changes in thermoelectric properties. Hence, a simple acid-base treatment allows finding the optimum for the power factor in PEDOT-Tos thin films.

Background and Objectives: Forms of repetitive thought (RT) such as worry are clearly related to states such as anxiety and depression. However, the presence of other forms such as reminiscing suggests that RT could also relate to eudaimonic well-being (EWB). Furthermore, a largely overlooked characteristic, total tendency to engage in RT, may associate with a particular kind of EWB, namely, perceived growth (PG)., Design: Older adults (N=150) were interviewed semi-annually for up to 10 waves., Methods: Participants completed a battery of RT measures at baseline and annual assessments of psychological well-being (PWB) and PG. Multilevel models tested the prospective, between-person relationships between baseline RT and future PWB and PG., Results: RT qualities prospectively predicted both PWB and PG: more positive valence best predicted PWB whereas more negative valence and more total RT best predicted PG. Furthermore, RT qualities largely accounted for a negative between-person relationship between PWB and PG., Conclusions: Different qualities of RT promoted different kinds of EWB, and a negative association between different kinds of EWB could be attributed to their different RT antecedents.

Background/study Context: Physical activity is beneficial for the executive functioning (EF) of older adults, but may be particularly protective of EF when they are cognitively vulnerable, such as during depressive episodes. Intervention studies support more potent effects of physical activity on EF among clinically depressed older adults, although these results may have limited generalizability to the daily mood and physical activity of healthy, community-dwelling older adults., Methods: The current study aimed to test whether physical activity among older adults was more protective of EF during periods of cognitive vulnerability due to mildly elevated depressive symptoms. Longitudinal data from 150 generally healthy, community-dwelling older adults were collected semiannually and analyzed with multilevel modeling., Results: Physical activity was more protective of EF within individuals during periods of relatively elevated depressive symptoms., Conclusions: The power of physical activity to protect EF during periods of cognitive vulnerability may extend to community-dwelling older adults with nonclinical levels of depressive symptoms.

Because of the severe morbidity and mortality associated with diabetes, diabetic foot care is an essential component of a peripheral vascular service. The goal of this article is to describe the vascular diabetic foot care pathway and how the coordinated foot care service for diabetic patients is delivered at King's College Hospital, London.

Aim: To compare the diagnostic accuracy of the digital breast tomosynthesis (DBT) with coned compression magnification mammography (CCMM)., Materials and Methods: The study design included two reading sessions completed by seven experienced radiologists. In the first session, all readers read bilateral standard two-view mammograms and a CCMM view of the lesion before giving a combined score for assessment. In the second session, readers read bilateral standard two-view mammograms plus one-view DBT. The two reading sessions of the experiment were separated by at least 2 weeks to reduce the chance of reader memory of the images read in the previous session from influencing the performance in the subsequent session., Results: Three hundred and fifty-four lesions were assessed and receiver-operative characteristic (ROC) analysis was used to evaluate the difference between the two modes. For standard two-view mammography plus CCMM, the area under the curve (AUC) was 0.87 [95% confidence interval (CI): 0.83-0.91] and for standard two-view mammography plus DBT the AUC was 0.93 (95% CI: 0.91-0.95). The difference between the AUCs was 0.06 with p-value of 0.0014., Conclusion: Two-view mammography with one-view DBT showed significantly improved accuracy compared to two-view mammography and CCMM in the assessment of mammographic abnormalities. These results show that DBT can be used effectively in the further evaluation of mammographic abnormalities found at screening and in symptomatic diagnostic practice., (Copyright © 2014 The Royal College of Radiologists. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

The purpose of this paper is to find the polarizations and spatial orientations of the two interacting counterpropagating coherent light waves which ensure the largest beam coupling in monoclinic photorefractive crystal. The results of calculations are presented that are verified experimentally with Sn₂P₂S₆.

As nanoscale and molecular devices become reality, the ability to probe materials on these scales is increasing in importance. To address this, we have developed a dynamic force microscopy technique where the flexure of the microcantilever is excited using an intensity modulated laser beam to achieve modulation on the picoscale. The flexure arises from thermally induced bending through differential expansion and the conservation of momentum when the photons are reflected and absorbed by the cantilever. In this study, we investigated the photothermal and photon pressure responses of monolithic and layered cantilevers using a modulated laser in air and immersed in water. The developed photon actuation technique is applied to the stretching of single polymer chains.

Research into the structure, properties and applications of graphene has moved at a tremendous pace over the past few years. This review describes one aspect of this research, that of the incorporation of graphene particles with a range of polymers to create novel hybrid materials with increased functionality such as improved conductance, increased strength and introduced biocompatibility or cytotoxicity. This review focuses on dispersing graphene in polymer matrices, both insulating and conducting. Additionally, a brief discussion of carbon based platelet production methods is given in order to provide context on the subsequent use of this family of materials such as graphene, graphene oxide (GO) and reduced graphene oxide (rGO) incorporated into polymeric thin films., (Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Polymers are lightweight, flexible, solution-processable materials that are promising for low-cost printed electronics as well as for mass-produced and large-area applications. Previous studies demonstrated that they can possess insulating, semiconducting or metallic properties; here we report that polymers can also be semi-metallic. Semi-metals, exemplified by bismuth, graphite and telluride alloys, have no energy bandgap and a very low density of states at the Fermi level. Furthermore, they typically have a higher Seebeck coefficient and lower thermal conductivities compared with metals, thus being suitable for thermoelectric applications. We measure the thermoelectric properties of various poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene) samples, and observe a marked increase in the Seebeck coefficient when the electrical conductivity is enhanced through molecular organization. This initiates the transition from a Fermi glass to a semi-metal. The high Seebeck value, the metallic conductivity at room temperature and the absence of unpaired electron spins makes polymer semi-metals attractive for thermoelectrics and spintronics.

Training in mindfulness is a well-supported therapeutic strategy for pain conditions, though short-term mindfulness training for acute pain is not always effective. To explore the possibility that initial attempts at mindfulness in people without previous training may drain self-regulatory resources, the current study used a student sample (N=63) to test the hypothesis that brief instruction in mindfulness would lead to reduced pain tolerance on a cold pressor task (CPT), compared to more familiar strategies for coping with acute pain. We also investigated whether high heart rate variability (HRV), a physiological indicator of self-regulatory capacity, would predict pain tolerance. Higher HRV predicted greater pain tolerance only in the control group, suggesting that applying unfamiliar mindfulness strategies while attempting to tolerate pain more rapidly sapped self-regulatory strength.

Aspartate transcarbamoylase and dihydroorotase, enzymes that catalyze the second and third step in de novo pyrimidine biosynthesis, are associated in dodecameric complexes in Aquifex aeolicus and many other organisms. The architecture of the dodecamer is ideally suited to channel the intermediate, carbamoyl aspartate from its site of synthesis on the ATC subunit to the active site of DHO, which catalyzes the next step in the pathway, because both reactions occur within a large, internal solvent-filled cavity. Channeling usually requires that the reactions of the enzymes are coordinated so that the rate of synthesis of the intermediate matches its rate of utilization. The linkage between the ATC and DHO subunits was demonstrated by showing that the binding of the bisubstrate analog, N-phosphonacetyl-L-aspartate to the ATC subunit inhibits the activity of the distal DHO subunit. Structural studies identified a DHO loop, loop A, interdigitating between the ATC domains that would be expected to interfere with domain closure essential for ATC catalysis. Mutation of the DHO residues in loop A that penetrate deeply between the two ATC domains inhibits the ATC activity by interfering with the normal reciprocal linkage between the two enzymes. Moreover, a synthetic peptide that mimics that part of the DHO loop that binds between the two ATC domains was found to be an allosteric or noncompletive ATC inhibitor (K(i) = 22 μM). A model is proposed suggesting that loop A is an important component of the functional linkage between the enzymes., (© 2013 The Protein Society.)

Photorefractive polymers have been extensively studied for over two decades and have found applications in holographic displays and optical image processing. The complexity of these materials arises from multiple charge contributions, for example, leading to the formation of competing photorefractive gratings. It has been recently shown that in a photorefractive polymer at relatively moderate applied electric fields the primary charge carriers (holes) establish an initial grating, followed by a subsequent competing grating (electrons) resulting in a decreased two-beam coupling and diffraction efficiencies. In this paper, it is shown that with relatively large sustainable bias fields, the two-beam coupling efficiency is enhanced owing to a decreased electron contribution. These results also explain the cause of dielectric breakdown experienced under large bias fields. Our conclusions are supported by self-pumped transient two-beam coupling and photocurrent measurements as a function of applied bias fields at different wavelengths.

Background: Dihydroorotase (DHO) is a zinc metalloenzyme, although the number of active site zinc ions has been controversial. E. coli DHO was initially thought to have a mononuclear metal center, but the subsequent X-ray structure clearly showed two zinc ions, α and β, at the catalytic site. Aquifex aeolicus DHO, is a dodecamer comprised of six DHO and six aspartate transcarbamoylase (ATC) subunits. The isolated DHO monomer, which lacks catalytic activity, has an intact α-site and conserved β-site ligands, but the geometry of the second metal binding site is completely disrupted. However, the putative β-site is restored when the complex with ATC is formed and DHO activity is regained. Nevertheless, the X-ray structure of the complex revealed a single zinc ion at the active site. The structure of DHO from the pathogenic organism, S. aureus showed that it also has a single active site metal ion., Results: Zinc analysis showed that the enzyme has one zinc/DHO subunit and the addition of excess metal ion did not stimulate catalytic activity, nor alter the kinetic parameters. The metal free apoenzyme was inactive, but the full activity was restored upon the addition of one equivalent of Zn2+ or Co2+. Moreover, deletion of the β-site by replacing the His180 and His232 with alanine had no effect on catalysis in the presence or absence of excess zinc. The 2.2 Å structure of the double mutant confirmed that the β-site was eliminated but that the active site remained otherwise intact., Conclusions: Thus, kinetically competent A. aeolicus DHO has a mononuclear metal center. In contrast, elimination of the putative second metal binding site in amidohydrolyases with a binuclear metal center, resulted in the abolition of catalytic activity. The number of active site metal ions may be a consideration in the design of inhibitors that selectively target either the mononuclear or binuclear enzymes.

Structures of the mesophases of five members of the 4-n-alkyl-4'-cyanobiphenyl homologous series (4-n-butyl-4'-cyanobiphenyl to 4-n-octyl-4'-cyanobiphenyl) doped with milled BaTiO&#95;{3} nanoparticles were investigated by x-ray scattering. Clear solutions of each of the 4-n-alkyl-4'-cyanobiphenyls were first prepared in n-heptane and then doped with an n-heptane/nanoparticle dispersion, which led to gelation. The nanogels were found to be one-dimensional, multilayered, smectic nanostructures in each case. Surprisingly, a characteristic layer spacing of 4.5 nm was observed in all five homologues. Synchrotron x-ray scattering study of the multilayer structures of doped 4-n-pentyl-4'-cyanobiphenyl and 4-n-octyl-4'-cyanobiphenyl revealed nine orders of the primary Bragg reflection which were used to calculate the electron density profiles of the multilayers by Fourier analysis. The multilayers were found to consist of molecular bilayers wherein the mesogens were arranged in a head-to-head assembly of the polar head groups. The alkyl tails of the mesogenic molecules were freely movable and the tail-to-tail assembly was stabilized by heptane. The dissolved nanoparticles clearly induced a new self-assembled nanostructure in which the rigid aromatic part, and not the overall length, of the molecules defined the layer spacing.

Objective: A growing body of evidence suggests that chronic pain patients suffer from chronic self-regulatory fatigue: difficulty controlling thoughts, emotions, and behavior. Pain acceptance, which involves responding to pain and related experiences without attempts to control or avoid them (pain willingness), and pursuit of valued life activities regardless of pain (activity engagement) has been associated with various favorable outcomes in chronic pain patients, including better psychological functioning. The study presented here tested the hypotheses that pain acceptance is associated with less psychological distress, higher psychological well-being, and reduced self-regulatory fatigue in temporomandibular disorder (TMD) patients, particularly for those with longer pain duration., Methods: Cross-sectional data were provided by 135 TMD patients during an initial evaluation at a university-based tertiary orofacial pain clinic., Results: Results of hierarchical linear regression models indicated that, controlling for pain severity, pain willingness is associated with less psychological distress and lower self-regulatory fatigue, and activity engagement is associated with greater psychological well-being. Furthermore, the effect of pain willingness on psychological distress was moderated by pain duration such that pain willingness was more strongly associated with less psychological distress in patients with longer pain duration; this moderating effect was fully mediated by self-regulatory fatigue., Conclusion: These findings suggest pain willingness may buffer against self-regulatory fatigue in those with longer pain duration, and such conservation of self-regulatory resources may protect against psychological symptoms.

The influence of the size of harvested barium titanate nanoparticles on the properties of ferroelectric liquid crystal (FLC) nanocolloids was investigated by electro-optical and dielectric methods. The spontaneous polarization and the switching time are decreased for the liquid crystalline nanocolloids compared to nondoped FLC mixtures of different dipole strengths; this dependence is stronger for small size particles (9 nm) and weaker for larger size particles (26 nm) by the same concentration in weight. The decrease of the Goldstone mode (GM) relaxation frequency and the decrease of the dielectric GM absorption strength of the nanocomposites compared to the nondoped FLC mixture go stepwise with the increase of the nanoparticles diameter. Results have been interpreted via strong interaction between the FLC dipoles and the dipoles of the highly polar barium titanate nanoparticles.

This novel joint feature issue on "Hybrid organic-inorganic materials for photonic applications" in Applied Optics and Optics Materials Express comprises 14 papers on liquid crystals, polymers, photoconductive materials, and gratings and filters. It is hoped that this feature issue encourages and stimulates further research into hybrid materials with enhanced linear and nonlinear optical properties, their mechanisms of operation, and their applications.

A nematic liquid crystal (LC) mixture was doped with harvested ferroelectric BaTiO3 nanoparticles and investigated with wide- and small-angle x-ray scattering upon heating from the nematic to the isotropic phase. At moderate temperatures, colloidal crystallites were observed. LC test cells with homeotropic anchoring were placed in the x-ray beam and the realignment of the LC director was investigated upon applying an electric field.

Unique holelike small polarons are produced at divalent cation sites by optical excitation at low temperature in single crystals of Sn2P2S6, a monoclinic ferroelectric and photorefractive material. Electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) is used to observe these self-trapped holes. During an illumination near 25 K with either 442 or 633 nm laser light, photoexcited holes become localized at Sn(2+) (5s(2)) ions and form paramagnetic Sn(3+) (5s(1)) ions. The Sn(3+) ions are thermally stable below 50 K. The principal values of the g matrix are 2.0031, 2.0176, and 2.0273 and the principal values of the (119)Sn hyperfine matrix are 12.828, 12.886, and 13.060 GHz. The large interaction with the (119)Sn (and (117)Sn) nucleus results in a highly asymmetric hyperfine pattern in the EPR spectrum. Weaker hyperfine interactions with two neighboring Sn ions are also observed.

Objective: This study evaluated the effect of pedal arch quality on the amputation-free survival and patency rates of distal bypass grafts and its direct impact on the rate of healing and time to healing of tissue loss after direct angiosome revascularization in patients with critical limb ischemia (CLI)., Methods: Between 2004 and 2011, patients undergoing distal bypass for CLI (Rutherford 4-6) were divided in groups taking into consideration the state of the pedal arch and direct angiosome revascularization (DAR) and non-DAR. Angiography was used to divide the pedal arch into three groups: complete pedal arch (CPA), incomplete pedal arch (IPA), and no pedal arch (NPA). The primary end points were patency rates at 12 months, amputation-free survival at 48 months, and the rate of healing and time to healing of foot tissue loss., Results: A total of 154 patients (75% men) with CLI underwent 167 infrapopliteal bypasses. Patients were a median age of 75 years (range, 46-96 years). Diabetic mellitus was present in 76%, chronic renal failure in 28%, and ischemic heart disease in 44%. The primary patency rates at 1 year in the CPA, IPA, and NPA groups were 58.4%, 54.6%, and 63.8%, respectively (P = .5168), the secondary patency rates were 86.0%, 84.7%, and 88.8%, respectively (P = .8940), and the amputation-free survival at 48 months was 67.2%, 69.7%, and 45.9%, respectively (P = .3883). Tissue loss was present in 141 of the 167 bypasses. In the CPA group, 83% of tissue loss with DAR healed compared with 92% in the non-DAR (median time to healing, 66 vs 74 days). Similarly in the IPA group, 90% with DAR healed compared with 81% in the non-DAR (median time to healing, 96 vs 86 days). In the NPA group, only 75% with DAR healed compared with 73% in the non-DAR (median time to healing, 90 vs 135 days). There was a significant difference in healing and time to healing between the CPA/IPA and NPA groups (P = .0264)., Conclusions: The quality of the pedal arch did not influence the patency or the amputation-free survival rates. However, the rates for healing and time to healing were directly influenced by the quality of the pedal arch rather than the angiosome revascularized., (Copyright © 2013 Society for Vascular Surgery. Published by Mosby, Inc. All rights reserved.)

A mixture of two smectic liquid crystals was doped with harvested ferroelectric barium titanate nanoparticles and investigated with wide- and small-angle X-ray scattering during cooling from the isotropic phase. A decrease in the isotropic to nematic and in the nematic to partially bilayer smectic-A(d) (SmA(d)) phase transition temperatures was observed accompanied by an increase of the layer spacing in the SmA(d) phase.

The relationship between behavior (eg, diet, exercise, substance use) and the functioning of chronic-pain patients, including orofacial-pain patients, is poorly understood. This preliminary study examined cigarette smoking and both pain-related and psychological functioning in female orofacial-pain patients. Correlates of intentions to quit smoking were also explored. There were 48 participants in this cross-sectional study. Smokers reported significantly less self-control over pain (d = .66), lower general activity levels (d = .52), more fatigue (d = .80), and poorer sleep quality (d = .53) than non-smokers. The mean effect size for all dependent variables was .49 (range, .33-.80) with the smallest and largest effect found for negative mood and fatigue, respectively. More positive attitudes toward smoking cessation independently predicted stronger intentions to quit (β = .52, p = .03). Findings suggest smoking is significantly associated with pain-related and psychological functioning in female orofacial-pain patients. Smoking-cessation treatment for these patients should include motivational interviewing techniques directed toward attitudinal change.

The simple nematic mesogen 5CB was doped with milled BaTiO3 nanoparticles and was investigated with x-ray scattering. Doping with BaTiO3 nanoparticles of 9 nm in diameter led to the formation of crystallites. These crystallites precipitated and formed a waxlike nanodispersion of 5CB and nanoparticles, which led to intense x-ray scattering signals characteristic of a multilayer structure. Surprisingly, the multilayers possess unusual interlayer spacing, which cannot be explained by simple smectic order of the calamitic molecules.

Aim: To measure the change in diagnostic accuracy of conventional film-screen mammography and full-field digital mammography (FFDM) with the addition of digital breast tomosynthesis (DBT) in women recalled for assessment following routine screening., Materials and Methods: Ethics approval for the study was granted. Women recalled for assessment following routine screening with screen-film mammography were invited to participate. Participants underwent bilateral, two-view FFDM and two-view DBT. Readers scored each lesion separately for probability of malignancy on screen-film mammography, FFDM, and then DBT. The scores were compared with the presence or absence of malignancy based on the final histopathology outcome., Results: Seven hundred and thirty-eight women participated (93.2% recruitment rate). Following assessment 204 (26.8%) were diagnosed as malignant (147 invasive and 57 in-situ tumours), 286 (37.68%) as benign, and 269 (35.4%) as normal. The diagnostic accuracy was evaluated by using receiving operating characteristic (ROC) and measurement of area under the curve (AUC). The AUC values demonstrated a significant (p = 0.0001) improvement in the diagnostic accuracy with the addition of DBT combined with FFDM and film-screen mammography (AUC = 0.9671) when compared to FFDM plus film-screen mammography (AUC = 0.8949) and film-screen mammography alone (AUC = 0.7882). The effect was significantly greater for soft-tissue lesions [AUC was 0.9905 with the addition of DBT and AUC was 0.9201 for FFDM with film-screen mammography combined (p = 0.0001)] compared to microcalcification [with the addition of DBT (AUC = 0.7920) and for FFDM with film-screen mammography combined (AUC = 0.7843; p = 0.3182)]., Conclusion: The addition of DBT increases the accuracy of mammography compared to FFDM and film-screen mammography combined and film-screen mammography alone in the assessment of screen-detected soft-tissue mammographic abnormalities., (Copyright © 2012 The Royal College of Radiologists. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Psychological distress and biobehavioral vulnerability (e.g., arising from being older or sedentary) have independently predicted immune responses to influenza vaccination in older adults. Recent research examining basal inflammatory markers suggests that, rather than having additive effects, distress and vulnerability interact with each other. The present study tested the interactions between distress and age, sex, education, BMI, sleep quality, and physical activity over up to 8 years in older adults (N=134; M age=74 years) who received annual influenza vaccinations. Measured vaccination responses were changes from baseline in antibody to the three vaccine components, interleukin (IL)-6, and β2-microglobulin. As predicted, the most robust effects were interactions between distress and vulnerability. BMI interacted with stable individual differences in distress to predict antibody response (t(132)=3.09, p<0.003), such that only the combination of low BMI and low distress was associated with a more robust antibody response. Likewise, changes in physical activity over time interacted with changes in distress (t(156)=2.96, p<0.004), such that only the combination of increased physical activity and decreased distress was associated with a more robust antibody response. Finally, there was a smaller tendency for age to interact with stable individual differences in distress (t(130)=2.46, p<0.015), such that distress was more strongly associated with post-vaccination IL-6 at older ages. The synergistic effects of distress and other forms of vulnerability are an important direction for future research and a target for interventions to improve immunological health in older adults., (Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

A real-time, label free assay was developed for microbial detection, utilizing double-stranded DNA targets and employing the next generation of an impedimetric sensor array platform designed by Sharp Laboratories of America (SLA). Real-time curves of the impedimetric signal response were obtained at fixed frequency and voltage for target binding to oligonucleotide probes attached to the sensor array surface. Kinetic parameters of these curves were analyzed by the integrated data analysis package for signal quantification. Non-specific binding presented a major challenge for assay development, and required assay optimization. For this, differences were maximized between binding curve kinetic parameters for probes binding to complementary targets versus non-target controls. Variables manipulated for assay optimization included target concentration, hybridization temperature, buffer concentration, and the use of surfactants. Our results showed that (i) different target-probe combinations required optimization of specific sets of variables; (ii) for each assay condition, the optimum range was relatively narrow, and had to be determined empirically; and (iii) outside of the optimum range, the assay could not distinguish between specific and non-specific binding. For each target-probe combination evaluated, conditions resulting in good separation between specific and non-specific binding signals were established, generating high confidence in the SLA impedimetric dsDNA assay results., (Copyright © 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

By dynamic light scattering we studied the temperature dependence of scattered intensities and relaxation rates for pure twist and pure bend modes in a colloidal system of BaTiO(3) single domain nanoparticles and liquid crystal octylcyanobiphenyl (8CB) close to the nematic to smectic-A phase transition. From the experiments we obtained the critical exponents for the smectic correlation lengths, which in suspensions differ from the values for pure 8CB. The phase transition temperatures from isotropic to nematic phase (T(NI)) and from nematic to smectic-A phase (T(NA)) are both affected by the presence of the particles in two ways. The electric field around the ferroelectric particles increases the transition temperatures, whereas the disorder and probably also the excess of the surfactant cause a decrease of the transition temperatures compared to pure 8CB. The net effect is lower T(NI) and almost unchanged T(NA) in suspensions. After prolonged exposure to the external field the ferroelectric particles irreversibly aggregate, which results in the decrease of the internal electric field and, consequently, in the decrease of both transition temperatures., (© 2012 American Physical Society)

The genome of the major intestinal archaeon Methanobrevibacter smithii contains a complex gene system coding for carbamoyl phosphate synthetase (CPSase) composed of both full-length and reduced-size synthetase subunits. These ammonia-metabolizing enzymes could play a key role in controlling ammonia assimilation in M. smithii, affecting the metabolism of gut bacterial microbiota, with an impact on host obesity. In this study, we isolated and characterized the small (41 kDa) CPSase homolog from M. smithii. The gene was cloned and overexpressed in Escherichia coli, and the recombinant enzyme was purified in one step. Chemical cross-linking and size exclusion chromatography indicated a homodimeric/tetrameric structure, in accordance with a dimer-based CPSase activity and reaction mechanism. This small enzyme, MS-s, synthesized carbamoyl phosphate from ATP, bicarbonate, and ammonia and catalyzed the same ATP-dependent partial reactions observed for full-length CPSases. Steady-state kinetics revealed a high apparent affinity for ATP and ammonia. Sequence comparisons, molecular modeling, and kinetic studies suggest that this enzyme corresponds to one of the two synthetase domains of the full-length CPSase that catalyze the ATP-dependent phosphorylations involved in the three-step synthesis of carbamoyl phosphate. This protein represents the smallest naturally occurring active CPSase characterized thus far. The small M. smithii CPSase appears to be specialized for carbamoyl phosphate metabolism in methanogens., (Copyright © 2012 S. Karger AG, Basel.)

In recent years, the use of intrinsic markers such as stable isotopes to link breeding and foraging grounds of migratory species has increased. Nevertheless, several assumptions still must be tested to interpret isotopic patterns found in the marine realm. We used a combination of satellite telemetry and stable isotope analysis to (i) identify key foraging grounds used by female loggerheads nesting in Florida and (ii) examine the relationship between stable isotope ratios and post-nesting migration destinations. We collected tissue samples for stable isotope analysis from 14 females equipped with satellite tags and an additional 57 untracked nesting females. Telemetry identified three post-nesting migratory pathways and associated non-breeding foraging grounds: (1) a seasonal continental shelf-constrained migratory pattern along the northeast U.S. coastline, (2) a non-breeding residency in southern foraging areas and (3) a residency in the waters adjacent to the breeding area. Isotopic variability in both δ(13)C and δ(15)N among individuals allowed identification of three distinct foraging aggregations. We used discriminant function analysis to examine how well δ(13)C and δ(15)N predict female post-nesting migration destination. The discriminant analysis classified correctly the foraging ground used for all but one individual and was used to predict putative feeding areas of untracked turtles. We provide the first documentation that the continental shelf of the Mid- and South Atlantic Bights are prime foraging areas for a large number (61%) of adult female loggerheads from the largest loggerhead nesting population in the western hemisphere and the second largest in the world. Our findings offer insights for future management efforts and suggest that this technique can be used to infer foraging strategies and residence areas in lieu of more expensive satellite telemetry, enabling sample sizes that are more representative at the population level.

FLASH (FLICE-associated huge protein or CASP8AP2) is a large multifunctional protein that is involved in many cellular processes associated with cell death and survival. It has been reported to promote apoptosis, but we show here that depletion of FLASH in HT1080 cells by siRNA interference can also accelerate the process. As shown previously, depletion of FLASH halts growth by down-regulating histone biosynthesis and arrests the cell cycle in S-phase. FLASH knockdown followed by stimulating the cells with Fas ligand or anti-Fas antibodies was found to be associated with a more rapid cleavage of PARP, accelerated activation of caspase-8 and the executioner caspase-3 and rapid progression to cellular disintegration. As is the case for most anti-apoptotic proteins, FLASH was degraded soon after the onset of apoptosis. Depletion of FLASH also resulted in the reduced intracellular levels of the anti-apoptotic proteins, MCL-1 and the short isoform of cFLIP. FLASH knockdown in HT1080 mutant cells defective in p53 did not significantly accelerate Fas mediated apoptosis indicating that the effect was dependent on functional p53. Collectively, these results suggest that under some circumstances, FLASH suppresses apoptosis.

We have employed first-principles density-functional calculations to study the electronic characteristics of covalently functionalized graphene by metal-bis-arene chemistry. It is shown that functionalization with M-bis-arene (M = Ti, V, Cr, Mn, Fe) molecules leads to an opening in the bandgap of graphene (up to 0.81 eV for the Cr derivative), and as a result, transforms it from a semimetal to a semiconductor. The bandgap induced by attachment of a metal atom topped by a benzene ring is attributed to modification of π-conjugation and depends on the concentration of functionalizing molecules. This approach offers a means of tailoring the band structure of graphene and potentially its applications for future electronic devices., (© 2011 American Institute of Physics)

A recent proteomics study identified FAM129B or MINERVA as a target of the MAP kinase (Erk1/2) signaling cascade in human melanoma cells. Phosphorylation of the protein was found to promote cell invasion and the dissociation of the protein from the cell-cell junctions. Suppression of apoptosis during metastasis is a prerequisite for the survival and spread of cancer cells. During apoptosis, the adherens junctions are disassembled as the dying cell retracts, and new contacts are formed between normal neighboring cells. In this study, we show that FAM129B was cytosolic in exponentially growing HeLa cells but was translocated to the adherens junctions where it colocalized with β-catenin whenever contact between two or more cells was established. Silencing the FAM129B gene expression by specific siRNAs did not induce apoptosis or inhibit the growth of HeLa cells. However, when apoptosis was induced by exposure to TNFα/cycloheximide or other apoptotic signaling molecules, the onset of apoptosis was accelerated 3-4-fold when FAM129B was depleted. Annexin V binding, the inactivation of the DNA repair enzyme, poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase, and the activation of the caspases occurred more rapidly in the cells lacking FAM129B. The rapid induction of apoptosis in FAM129B knockdown cells was reversed by co-transfection with recombinant FAM129B, indicating that its effect on apoptosis was specific. As apoptosis proceeded, FAM129B was degraded and disappeared from the plasma membrane. Thus, one crucial facet of the mechanism by which FAM129B promotes cancer cell invasion is likely to be the suppression of apoptosis.

Aim: To examine differences between idiopathic continuous orofacial neuropathic pain (ICONP) patients and chronic masticatory muscle pain (MMP) patients for psychosocial functioning and sleep quality., Methods: Archival data were used to compare 81 ICONP patients to 81 age- and sex-matched chronic MMP patients on pain severity, life interference, life control, and affective distress measures from the Multidimensional Pain Inventory (MPI), a global severity index of psychological symptoms from the Symptom Checklist-90-R (SCL-90-R), Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Checklist-Civilian (PCL-C), and overall sleep quality from the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI). MANOVA, MANCOVA, and chi-square analysis were used to investigate differences between the two groups in the psychosocial and sleep variables., Results: The ICONP group reported greater pain severity (P = .013) and more life interference (P = .032) than the MMP group, while the MMP group reported higher levels of global psychological symptoms (P = .005) than the ICONP group. After controlling for pain severity, however, the MMP group demonstrated greater affective distress (P = .014) than the ICONP group, and life interference was no longer significantly different between the groups. ICONP patients were more likely to report a traumatic life event (P = .007)., Conclusion: Although ICONP patients are likely to present more intense pain and report that their pain causes more interference in their lives, MMP patients are more likely to present with higher levels of overall psychological symptoms. The greater levels of pain severity reported by ICONP patients appear to be partially responsible for their higher levels of reported life interference.

Secondary photorefractive centers in Sb-doped Sn2P2S6 have a lifetime comparable to the formation time of the space-charge grating. This considerably affects the dynamics of two-beam coupling and results in a new type of transient gain enhancement for preilluminated samples.

Repetitive thought (RT) involves frequent or prolonged thoughts about oneself and one's world, encompassing discrete forms such as trait worry, rumination, processing, and reminiscing. These forms of RT can be described using 3 basic, underlying qualities: total propensity for RT of all types, valence (positive vs. negative content), and purpose (searching or uncertainty vs. solving or certainty). The adaptiveness of discrete forms with regard to health is likely to be related to these qualities, particularly valence and total propensity. The present study confirmed the model and identified the relationship of these qualities of RT to subjective psychological, physical, and cognitive health in older adults aged 60-94 (N = 179). As predicted, more negatively valenced trait RT was associated with worse psychological, physical, and cognitive health. More total propensity for RT was associated only with worse psychological health. Searching purpose was associated only with worse cognitive health. In turn, negatively valenced RT was predicted by poorer executive functions, suggesting that such functions may be important for directing this quality of RT. The valence of older adults' RT is important insofar as it may contribute to their sense of good or ill health. However, the propensity for all kinds of RT to associate with poorer psychological health may reflect the co-occurrence of negative and positive RT, such as rumination and emotional processing. Although RT has not been extensively investigated in older adults, it appears to play an important role in their subjective health., ((c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved.)

Protein trisulfide linkages are generated by the post-translational insertion of a sulfur atom into a disulfide bond. Molecular heterogeneity was detected in a recombinant IgG(1) monoclonal antibody (mAb) and attributed to the presence of a protein trisulfide moiety. The predominant site of trisulfide modification was the bond between the heavy and light chains. The trisulfide was eliminated during purification of the IgG(1) mAb via a cysteine wash step incorporated into Protein A affinity column chromatography. Analysis of the cysteine-treated mAb by electrophoresis and peptide mapping indicated that the trisulfide linkages were efficiently converted to intact disulfide bonds (13% trisulfide decreased consistently to 1% or less) without disulfide scrambling or an increase in free sulfhydryls. The on-column trisulfide conversion caused no change in protein folding detectable by hydrogen/deuterium exchange or differential scanning calorimetry. Consistent with this, binding of the mAb to its antigen in vitro was insensitive to the presence of the trisulfide modification and to its removal by the on-column cysteine treatment. Similar, high efficiency trisulfide conversion was achieved for a second IgG(1) mAb using the column wash strategy (at least 7% trisulfide decreased to 1% or less). Therefore, trisulfide/disulfide heterogeneity can be eliminated from IgG(1) molecules via a convenient and inexpensive procedure compatible with routine Protein A affinity capture., (Copyright 2010 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

The electrical Freedericksz transition characteristics of planar aligned liquid crystal cells doped with harvested single ferroelectric domain 9 nm nanoparticles of BaTiO(3) have been measured. We demonstrate for the first time that the electrical pre-history of the cells imparts significant polarity sensitivity to the Freedericksz characteristics. The presence of harvested single domain ferroelectric nanoparticles enables cells to be programmably semi-permanently polarized. This reduces or increases the Freedericksz transition threshold by 0.8 V, depending on the polarity of the applied voltage, giving a net 1.6 V Freedericksz threshold asymmetry for 8 mum thick cells filled with TL205 liquid crystal.

We develop a semiquantitative theory to describe the experimentally observed energy gain when two light beams intersect in hybrid organic-inorganic photorefractives. These systems consist of a nematic liquid-crystal (LC) layer placed between two photorefractive windows. A periodic space-charge field is induced by the interfering light beams in the photorefractive windows. The field penetrates into the LC, interacting with the nematic director and giving rise to a diffraction grating. LC flexoelectricity is the principal physical mechanism driving the grating structure. Each light beam diffracts from the induced grating, leading to an apparent energy gain and loss within each beam. The LC optics is described in the Bragg regime. In the theory the exponential gain coefficient is a product of a beam interference term, a flexoelectricity term and a space-charge term. The theory has been compared with results of an experimental study on hybrid cells filled with the LC mixture TL 205. Experimentally the energy gain is maximal at much lower grating wave numbers than is predicted by naïve theory. However, if the director reorientation is cubic rather than linear in the space-charge field term, then good agreement between theory and experiment can be achieved using only a single fitting parameter. We provide a semiquantitative argument to justify this nonlinearity in terms of electric-field-induced local phase separation between different components of the liquid crystal.

Background: Medical comorbidities are common among patients with temporomandibular disorders (TMDs). The authors examined the relationship between the medical comorbidities in patients with TMDs and their psychological functioning., Methods: The sample consisted of 1,060 adults with TMDs, of whom 85 percent (n = 901) were female. At the time patients were evaluated at a university orofacial pain center, from 1997 through 2007, they completed medical history and psychological questionnaires. On the basis of retrospective chart reviews, the authors assessed the relationship between medical comorbidities and psychological functioning, controlling for pain severity, by using multivariate analyses of covariance., Results: The mean total number of medical comorbidities was 3.49 (standard deviation [SD] = 2.87; range, 0-16). The authors found a linear relationship between number of medical comorbidities and overall psychological distress (t[1, 959] = 16.79, P < .001) and interference owing to pain (t[1, 1,028] = 18.03, P < .001)., Conclusions: Patients with TMDs who have medical comorbidities may be at increased risk of experiencing poor psychological functioning. Further study is needed to investigate whether the observed relationship changes across time., Clinical Implications: The physical and psychological health of patients with TMDs may influence the course of their pain condition. When treating these patients, dentists routinely should assess not only the symptoms of their TMDs but also their general health status.

Two-beam coupling gain enhancement is demonstrated for a nontraditional orientation of counterpropagating waves in the monoclinic crystal Sn2P2S6.

The q-parameter of a Gaussian beam is a convenient way to determine its paraxial propagation in a medium as well as in an optical system under external or induced lensing. The assumption is that the Gaussian beam either is scalar or has a linear polarization. It is shown that propagation of radially polarized Gaussian beams in a medium and/or under lensing can be readily analyzed rather simply by knowing the q-transformation of the underlying scalar Gaussian beam. The exact profiles of the longitudinal and transverse components of initially radially polarized lowest-order Laguerre-Gaussian beams are derived and compared with those of the linearly polarized Gaussian beam. It can be readily shown that the longitudinal component of the polarization does not contribute to real power flow at the focal plane. The focal shift and the Guoy phase during lensing are calculated, again based on the underlying q-parameter. The methodology for extension to higher-order Laguerre-Gaussians is also developed. Finally, waveguiding of radially polarized beams in a graded index square law medium is analyzed, and conditions for the existence of radially or longitudinally polarized modes are derived.

In prokaryotes, the first three enzymes in pyrimidine biosynthesis, carbamoyl phosphate synthetase (CPS), aspartate transcarbamoylase (ATC), and dihydroorotase (DHO), are commonly expressed separately and either function independently (Escherichia coli) or associate into multifunctional complexes (Aquifex aeolicus). In mammals the enzymes are expressed as a single polypeptide chain (CAD) in the order CPS-DHO-ATC and associate into a hexamer. This study presents the three-dimensional structure of the noncovalent hexamer of DHO and ATC from the hyperthermophile A. aeolicus at 2.3 A resolution. It is the first structure of any multienzyme complex in pyrimidine biosynthesis and is a possible model for the core of mammalian CAD. The structure has citrate, a near isosteric analogue of carbamoyl aspartate, bound to the active sites of both enzymes. Three active site loops that are intrinsically disordered in the free, inactive DHO are ordered in the complex. The reorganization also changes the peptide bond between Asp153, a ligand of the single zinc atom in DHO, and Gly154, to the rare cis conformation. In the crystal structure, six DHO and six ATC chains form a hollow dodecamer, in which the 12 active sites face an internal reaction chamber that is approximately 60 A in diameter and connected to the cytosol by narrow tunnels. The entrances and the interior of the chamber are both electropositive, which suggests that the architecture of this nanoreactor modifies the kinetics of the bisynthase, not only by steric channeling but also by preferential escape of the product, dihydroorotase, which is less negatively charged than its precursors, carbamoyl phosphate, aspartate, or carbamoyl aspartate.

The effect of the pump waves misalignment on the oscillation spectra and oscillation intensity of a semilinear photorefractive oscillator is studied numerically and compared with the results of the experiment performed with a KNbO3:Fe,Ag crystal.