From modular to centralized organization of synchronization in functional areas of the cat cerebral cortex

Recent studies have pointed out the importance of transient synchronization between widely distributed neural assemblies to understand conscious perception. These neural assemblies form intricate networks of neurons and synapses whose detailed map for mammals is still unknown and far from our experimental capabilities. Only in a few cases, for example the C. elegans, we know the complete mapping of the neuronal tissue or its mesoscopic level of description provided by cortical areas. Here we study the process of transient and global synchronization using a simple model of phase-coupled oscillators assigned to cortical areas in the cerebral cat cortex. Our results highlight the impact of the topological connectivity in the developing of synchronization, revealing a transition in the synchronization organization that goes from a modular decentralized coherence to a centralized synchronized regime controlled by a few cortical areas forming a Rich-Club connectivity pattern.Comment: 24 pages, 8 figures. Final version published in PLoS On

Environmental differences between sites control the diet and nutrition of the carnivorous plant Drosera rotundifolia

Background and aims: Carnivorous plants are sensitive to small changes in resource availability, but few previous studies have examined how differences in nutrient and prey availability affect investment in and the benefit of carnivory. We studied the impact of site-level differences in resource availability on ecophysiological traits of carnivory for Drosera rotundifolia L. Methods: We measured prey availability, investment in carnivory (leaf stickiness), prey capture and diet of plants growing in two bogs with differences in N deposition and plant available N: Cors Fochno (0.62 g m−2 yr.−1, 353 μg l−1), Whixall Moss (1.37 g m−2 yr.−1, 1505 μg l−1). The total N amount per plant and the contributions of prey/root N to the plants’ N budget were calculated using a single isotope natural abundance method. Results: Plants at Whixall Moss invested less in carnivory, were less likely to capture prey, and were less reliant on prey-derived N (25.5% compared with 49.4%). Actual prey capture did not differ between sites. Diet composition differed – Cors Fochno plants captured 62% greater proportions of Diptera. Conclusions: Our results show site-level differences in plant diet and nutrition consistent with differences in resource availability. Similarity in actual prey capture may be explained by differences in leaf stickiness and prey abundance

Accuracy of magnetic resonance studies in the detection of chondral and labral lesions in femoroacetabular impingement : systematic review and meta-analysis

Background: Several types of Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) are commonly used in imaging of femoroacetabular impingement (FAI), however till now there are no clear protocols and recommendations for each type. The aim of this meta-analysis is to detect the accuracy of conventional magnetic resonance imaging (cMRI), direct magnetic resonance arthrography (dMRA) and indirect magnetic resonance arthrography (iMRA) in the diagnosis of chondral and labral lesions in femoroacetabular impingement (FAI). Methods: A literature search was finalized on the 17th of May 2016 to collect all studies identifying the accuracy of cMRI, dMRA and iMRA in diagnosing chondral and labral lesions associated with FAI using surgical results (arthroscopic or open) as a reference test. Pooled sensitivity and specificity with 95% confidence intervals using a random-effects meta-analysis for MRI, dMRA and iMRA were calculated also area under receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve (AUC) was retrieved whenever possible where AUC is equivocal to diagnostic accuracy. Results: The search yielded 192 publications which were reviewed according inclusion and exclusion criteria then 21 studies fulfilled the eligibility criteria for the qualitative analysis with a total number of 828 cases, lastly 12 studies were included in the quantitative meta-analysis. Meta-analysis showed that as regard labral lesions the pooled sensitivity, specificity and AUC for cMRI were 0.864, 0.833 and 0.88 and for dMRA were 0.91, 0.58 and 0.92. While in chondral lesions the pooled sensitivity, specificity and AUC for cMRI were 0.76, 0.72 and 0.75 and for dMRA were 0.75, 0.79 and 0.83, while for iMRA were sensitivity of 0.722 and specificity of 0.917. Conclusions: The present meta-analysis showed that the diagnostic test accuracy was superior for dMRA when compared with cMRI for detection of labral and chondral lesions. The diagnostic test accuracy was superior for labral lesions when compared with chondral lesions in both cMRI and dMRA. Promising results are obtained concerning iMRA but further studies still needed to fully assess its diagnostic accuracy

Flavonoid intake is associated with lower mortality in the Danish Diet Cancer and Health Cohort

Flavonoids, plant-derived polyphenolic compounds, have been linked with health benefits. However, evidence from observational studies is incomplete; studies on cancer mortality are scarce and moderating effects of lifestyle risk factors for early mortality are unknown. In this prospective cohort study including 56,048 participants of the Danish Diet, Cancer, and Health cohort crosslinked with Danish nationwide registries and followed for 23 years, there are 14,083 deaths. A moderate habitual intake of flavonoids is inversely associated with all-cause, cardiovascular- and cancer-related mortality. This strong association plateaus at intakes of approximately 500 mg/day. Furthermore, the inverse associations between total flavonoid intake and mortality outcomes are stronger and more linear in smokers than in non-smokers, as well as in heavy (\u3e20 g/d) vs. low-moderate (/d) alcohol consumers. These findings highlight the potential to reduce mortality through recommendations to increase intakes of flavonoid-rich foods, particularly in smokers and high alcohol consumers

Nitrogen fixation in a landrace of maize is supported by a mucilage-associated diazotrophic microbiota

© 2018 Van Deynze et al. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/. Plants are associated with a complex microbiota that contributes to nutrient acquisition, plant growth, and plant defense. Nitrogen-fixing microbial associations are efficient and well characterized in legumes but are limited in cereals, including maize. We studied an indigenous landrace of maize grown in nitrogen-depleted soils in the Sierra Mixe region of Oaxaca, Mexico. This landrace is characterized by the extensive development of aerial roots that secrete a carbohydrate-rich mucilage. Analysis of the mucilage microbiota indicated that it was enriched in taxa for which many known species are diazotrophic, was enriched for homologs of genes encoding nitrogenase subunits, and harbored active nitrogenase activity as assessed by acetylene reduction and 15 N 2 incorporation assays. Field experiments in Sierra Mixe using 15 N natural abundance or 15 N-enrichment assessments over 5 years indicated that atmospheric nitrogen fixation contributed 29%–82% of the nitrogen nutrition of Sierra Mixe maize

Foodways in transition: food plants, diet and local perceptions of change in a Costa Rican Ngäbe community

Background Indigenous populations are undergoing rapid ethnobiological, nutritional and socioeconomic transitions while being increasingly integrated into modernizing societies. To better understand the dynamics of these transitions, this article aims to characterize the cultural domain of food plants and analyze its relation with current day diets, and the local perceptions of changes given amongst the Ngäbe people of Southern Conte-Burica, Costa Rica, as production of food plants by its residents is hypothesized to be drastically in recession with an decreased local production in the area and new conservation and development paradigms being implemented. Methods Extensive freelisting, interviews and workshops were used to collect the data from 72 participants on their knowledge of food plants, their current dietary practices and their perceptions of change in local foodways, while cultural domain analysis, descriptive statistical analyses and development of fundamental explanatory themes were employed to analyze the data. Results Results show a food plants domain composed of 140 species, of which 85 % grow in the area, with a medium level of cultural consensus, and some age-based variation. Although many plants still grow in the area, in many key species a decrease on local production–even abandonment–was found, with much reduced cultivation areas. Yet, the domain appears to be largely theoretical, with little evidence of use; and the diet today is predominantly dependent on foods bought from the store (more than 50 % of basic ingredients), many of which were not salient or not even recognized as ‘food plants’ in freelists exercises. While changes in the importance of food plants were largely deemed a result of changes in cultural preferences for store bought processed food stuffs and changing values associated with farming and being food self-sufficient, Ngäbe were also aware of how changing household livelihood activities, and the subsequent loss of knowledge and use of food plants, were in fact being driven by changes in social and political policies, despite increases in forest cover and biodiversity. Conclusions Ngäbe foodways are changing in different and somewhat disconnected ways: knowledge of food plants is varied, reflecting most relevant changes in dietary practices such as lower cultivation areas and greater dependence on food from stores by all families. We attribute dietary shifts to socioeconomic and political changes in recent decades, in particular to a reduction of local production of food, new economic structures and agents related to the State and globalization

Pull-out and push-in tests of bonded steel strands

Martí Vargas, JR. (2013). Pull-out and push-in tests of bonded steel strands. Magazine of Concrete Research. 65(18):1128-1131. doi:10.1680/macr.13.00061S112811316518Balázs LG .Bond Model with Non-Linear Bond-Slip Law, 1987, Politecnico di Milano, Italy, 395–430, Studi e Ricerche, Post-Graduate Course for Reinforced Concrete Structures, V.8/86.Balazs, G. L. (1992). Transfer Control of Prestressing Strands. PCI Journal, 37(6), 60-71. doi:10.15554/pcij.11011992.60.71Balazs, G. L. (1993). Transfer Length of Prestressing Strand as a Function of Draw-In and Initial Prestress. PCI Journal, 38(2), 86-93. doi:10.15554/pcij.03011993.86.93Balázs, G. L. (2007). Connecting Reinforcement to Concrete by Bond. Beton- und Stahlbetonbau, 102(S1), 46-50. doi:10.1002/best.200710109Carmo RNF .Ancoragem de Armaduras Pré-Esforçadas por Pré-Tensão. MSc thesis, 1999, Faculdade de Ciências e Tecnologia, Universidade de Coimbra, Portugal, (in Portuguese).Faria, D. M. V., Lúcio, V. J. G., & Pinho Ramos, A. (2011). Pull-out and push-in tests of bonded steel strands. Magazine of Concrete Research, 63(9), 689-705. doi:10.1680/macr.2011.63.9.689Faria, D. M. V., Lúcio, V. J. G., & Ramos, A. P. (2011). Strengthening of flat slabs with post-tensioning using anchorages by bonding. Engineering Structures, 33(6), 2025-2043. doi:10.1016/j.engstruct.2011.02.039Faria, D. M. V., Lúcio, V. J. G., & Pinho Ramos, A. (2012). Post-punching behaviour of flat slabs strengthened with a new technique using post-tensioning. Engineering Structures, 40, 383-397. doi:10.1016/j.engstruct.2012.03.014Laldji S .Bond Characteristics of Prestressing Strand in Grout. MPhil thesis, 1987, University of Leicester, UK.Laldji, S., & Young, A. G. (1988). Bond between steel strand and cement grout in ground anchorages. Magazine of Concrete Research, 40(143), 90-98. doi:10.1680/macr.1988.40.143.90Lopes, S. M. R., & do Carmo, R. N. F. (2002). Bond of prestressed strands to concrete: transfer rate and relationship between transmission length and tendon draw-in. Structural Concrete, 3(3), 117-126. doi:10.1680/stco.2002.3.3.117Martí-Vargas, J. R., Serna-Ros, P., Fernández-Prada, M. A., Miguel-Sosa, P. F., & Arbeláez, C. A. (2006). Test method for determination of the transmission and anchorage lengths in prestressed reinforcement. Magazine of Concrete Research, 58(1), 21-29. doi:10.1680/macr.2006.58.1.21Marti-Vargas, J. R., Arbelaez, C. A., Serna-Ros, P., Navarro-Gregori, J., & Pallares-Rubio, L. (2007). Analytical model for transfer length prediction of 13 mm prestressing strand. Structural Engineering and Mechanics, 26(2), 211-229. doi:10.12989/sem.2007.26.2.211Palmer, K. D., & Schultz, A. E. (2011). Experimental investigation of the web-shear strength of deep hollow-core units. PCI Journal, 56(4), 83-104. doi:10.15554/pcij.09012011.83.10

Methodological quality of test accuracy studies included in systematic reviews in obstetrics and gynaecology: sources of bias

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Obstetrics and gynaecology have seen rapid growth in the development of new tests with research on these tests presented as diagnostic accuracy studies. To avoid errors in judgement it is important that the methodology of these studies is such that bias is minimised. Our objective was to determine the methodological quality of test accuracy studies in obstetrics and gynaecology using the Quality Assessment of Diagnostic Accuracy Studies (QUADAS) checklist and to assess sources of bias.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>A prospective protocol was developed to assess the impact of QUADAS on ten systematic reviews performed over the period 2004-2007.We investigated whether there was an improvement in study quality since the introduction of QUADAS, whether a correlation existed between study sample size, country of origin of study and its quality. We also investigated whether there was a correlation between reporting and methodological quality and by the use of meta-regression analyses explored for items of quality that were associated with bias.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>A total of 300 studies were included. The overall quality of included studies was poor (> 50% compliance with 57.1% of quality items). However, the mean compliance with QUADAS showed an improvement post-publication of QUADAS (54.9% versus 61.4% p = 0.002). There was no correlation with study sample size. Gynaecology studies published from the United States of America showed higher quality (USA versus Western Europe p = 0.002; USA versus Asia p = 0.004). Meta-regression analysis showed that no individual quality item had a significant impact on accuracy. There was an association between reporting and methodological quality (r = 0.51 p < 0.0001 for obstetrics and r = 0.56 p < 0.0001 for gynaecology).</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>A combination of poor methodological quality and poor reporting affects the inferences that can be drawn from test accuracy studies. Further compliance with quality checklists is required to ensure that bias is minimised.</p

Chemical tagging with APOGEE: discovery of a large population of N-rich stars in the inner Galaxy

Formation of globular clusters (GCs), the Galactic bulge, or galaxy bulges in general is an important unsolved problem in Galactic astronomy. Homogeneous infrared observations of large samples of stars belonging to GCs and the Galactic bulge field are one of the best ways to study these problems. We report the discovery by APOGEE (Apache Point Observatory Galactic Evolution Experiment) of a population of field stars in the inner Galaxy with abundances of N, C, and Al that are typically found in GC stars. The newly discovered stars have high [N/Fe], which is correlated with [Al/Fe] and anticorrelated with [C/Fe]. They are homogeneously distributed across, and kinematically indistinguishable from, other field stars within the same volume. Their metallicity distribution is seemingly unimodal, peaking at [Fe/H] ∼ −1, thus being in disagreement with that of the Galactic GC system. Our results can be understood in terms of different scenarios. N-rich stars could be former members of dissolved GCs, in which case the mass in destroyed GCs exceeds that of the surviving GC system by a factor of ∼8. In that scenario, the total mass contained in so-called ‘first-generation’ stars cannot be larger than that in ‘second-generation’ stars by more than a factor of ∼9 and was certainly smaller. Conversely, our results may imply the absence of a mandatory genetic link between ‘second-generation’ stars and GCs. Last, but not least, N-rich stars could be the oldest stars in the Galaxy, the by-products of chemical enrichment by the first stellar generations formed in the heart of the Galaxy

The Correlation between Mixing Length and Metallicity on the Giant Branch: Implications for Ages in the Gaia Era

In the updated APOGEE-Kepler catalog, we have asteroseismic and spectroscopic data for over 3000 first ascent red giants. Given the size and accuracy of this sample, these data offer an unprecedented test of the accuracy of stellar models on the post-main-sequence. When we compare these data to theoretical predictions, we find a metallicity dependent temperature offset with a slope of around 100 K per dex in metallicity. We find that this effect is present in all model grids tested, and that theoretical uncertainties in the models, correlated spectroscopic errors, and shifts in the asteroseismic mass scale are insufficient to explain this effect. Stellar models can be brought into agreement with the data if a metallicity-dependent convective mixing length is used, with Delta alpha(ML), YREC similar to 0.2 per dex in metallicity, a trend inconsistent with the predictions of three-dimensional stellar convection simulations. If this effect is not taken into account, isochrone ages for red giants from the Gaia data will be off by as much as a factor of two even at modest deviations from solar metallicity ([Fe/H]- -0.5)