bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Light emission from conductive paths in nanocrystalline CdSe embedded Zr-doped HfO2 high-k stack
Authors: Lin Chi-Chou , Kuo Yue
Published: March 2015

Electrical and optical properties of the solid state incandescent light emitting devices made of zirconium doped hafnium oxide high-k films with and without an embedded nanocrystalline CdSe layer on the p-type Si wafer have been studied. The broad band white light was emitted from nano sized conductive paths through the thermal excitation mechanism. Conductive paths formed from the dielectric breakdown have been confirmed from scanning electron microscopic and atomic force microscopic images and the secondary ion mass spectrometric elemental profiles. Si was diffused from the wafer to the device surface through the conductive path during the high temperature light emission process. There are many potential applications of this type of device.
Local spin dynamics at low temperature in the slowly relaxing molecular chain [Dy(hfac)3{NIT(C6H4OPh)}]: A μ+ spin relaxation study
Authors: Arosio Paolo , Corti Maurizio , Mariani Manuel , Orsini Francesco , Bogani Lapo , Caneschi Andrea , Lago Jorge , Lascialfari Alessandro
Published: March 2015

The spin dynamics of the molecular magnetic chain [Dy(hfac)3{NIT(C6H4OPh)}] were investigated by means of the Muon Spin Relaxation (μ+SR) technique. This system consists of a magnetic lattice of alternating Dy(III) ions and radical spins, and exhibits single-chain-magnet behavior. The magnetic properties of [Dy(hfac)3{NIT(C6H4OPh)}] have been studied by measuring the magnetization vs. temperature at different applied magnetic fields (H = 5, 3500, and 16500 Oe) and by performing μ+SR experiments vs. temperature in zero field and in a longitudinal applied magnetic field H = 3500 Oe. The muon asymmetry P(t) was fitted by the sum of three components, two stretched-exponential decays with fast and intermediate relaxation times, and a third slow exponential decay. The temperature dependence of the spin dynamics has been determined by analyzing the muon longitudinal relaxation rate λinterm(T), associated with the intermediate relaxing component. The experimental λinterm(T) data were fitted with a corrected phenomenological Bloembergen-Purcell-Pound law by using a distribution of thermally activated correlation times, which average to τ = τ0 exp(Δ/kBT), corresponding to a distribution of energy barriers Δ. The correlation times can be associated with the spin freezing that occurs when the system condenses in the ground state.
The effect of external magnetic field on the bremsstrahlung nonlinear absorption mechanism in the interaction of high intensity short laser pulse with collisional underdense plasma
Authors: Sedaghat M. , Ettehadi-Abari M. , Shokri B. , Ghorbanalilu M.
Published: March 2015

Laser absorption in the interaction between ultra-intense femtosecond laser and solid density plasma is studied theoretically here in the intensity range Iλ2≃1014−1016Wcm−2μm2. The collisional effect is found to be significant when the incident laser intensity is less than 1016Wcm−2μm2. In the current work, the propagation of a high frequency electromagnetic wave, for underdense collisional plasma in the presence of an external magnetic field is investigated. It is shown that, by considering the effect of the ponderomotive force in collisional magnetized plasmas, the increase of laser pulse intensity leads to steepening of the electron density profile and the electron bunches of plasma makes narrower. Moreover, it is found that the wavelength of electric and magnetic fields oscillations increases by increasing the external magnetic field and the density distribution of electrons also grows in comparison with the unmagnetized collisional plasma. Furthermore, the spatial damping rate of laser energy and the nonlinear bremsstrahlung absorption coefficient are obtained in the collisional regime of magnetized plasma. The other remarkable result is that by increasing the external magnetic field in this case, the absorption coefficient increases strongly.
A numerical study on the dynamics of droplet formation in a microfluidic double T-junction
Authors: Ngo Ich-Long , Dang Trung-Dung , Byon Chan , Joo Sang Woo
Published: March 2015

In this study, droplet formations in microfluidic double T-junctions (MFDTD) are investigated based on a two-dimensional numerical model with volume of fluid method. Parametric ranges for generating alternating droplet formation (ADF) are identified. A physical background responsible for the ADF is suggested by analyzing the dynamical stability of flow system. Since the phase discrepancy between dispersed flows is mainly caused by non-symmetrical breaking of merging droplet, merging regime becomes the alternating regime at appropriate conditions. In addition, the effects of channel geometries on droplet formation are studied in terms of relative channel width. The predicted results show that the ADF region is shifted toward lower capillary numbers when channel width ratio is less than unity. The alternating droplet size increases with the increase of channel width ratio. When this ratio reaches unity, alternating droplets can be formed at very high water fraction (wf = 0.8). The droplet formation in MFDTD depends significantly on the viscosity ratio, and the droplet size in ADF decreases with the increase of the viscosity ratio. The understanding of underlying physics of the ADF phenomenon is useful for many applications, including nanoparticle synthesis with different concentrations, hydrogel bead generation, and cell transplantation in biomedical therapy.
Sustained release of hydrophobic drugs by the microfluidic assembly of multistage microgel/poly (lactic-co-glycolic acid) nanoparticle composites
Authors: Hsu Myat Noe , Luo Rongcong , Kwek Kerwin Zeming , Por Yong Chen , Zhang Yong , Chen Chia-Hung
Published: March 2015

The poor solubility of many newly discovered drugs has resulted in numerous challenges for the time-controlled release of therapeutics. In this study, an advanced drug delivery platform to encapsulate and deliver hydrophobic drugs, consisting of poly (lactic-co-glycolic acid) (PLGA) nanoparticles incorporated within poly (ethylene glycol) (PEG) microgels, was developed. PLGA nanoparticles were used as the hydrophobic drug carrier, while the PEG matrix functioned to slow down the drug release. Encapsulation of the hydrophobic agents was characterized by fluorescence detection of the hydrophobic dye Nile Red within the microgels. In addition, the microcomposites prepared via the droplet-based microfluidic technology showed size tunability and a monodisperse size distribution, along with improved release kinetics of the loaded cargo compared with bare PLGA nanoparticles. This composite system has potential as a universal delivery platform for a variety of hydrophobic molecules.
Simulations for Maxwell fluid flow past a convectively heated exponentially stretching sheet with nanoparticles
Authors: Mustafa M. , Khan Junaid Ahmad , Hayat T. , Alsaedi A.
Published: March 2015

This article addresses steady flow of Maxwell nanofluid induced by an exponentially stretching sheet subject to convective heating. The revised model of passively controlled wall nanoparticle volume fraction is taken into account. Numerical solutions of the arising non-linear boundary value problem (BVP) are obtained by using MATLAB built-in function bvp4c. Simulations are performed for various values of embedded parameters which include local Deborah number, Prandtl number, Biot number, Brownian motion parameter and thermophoresis parameter. The results are consistent with the previous studies in some limiting cases. It is found that velocity decreases and temperature increases when the local Deborah number is increased. Moreover the influence of Brownian diffusion on temperature and heat transfer rate is found to be insignificant.
Factors influencing the importation and establishment in Australia of the European hare (Lepus europaeus)
Authors: Stott Philip
Published: March 2015

Hares were introduced into Australia early in the period of European settlement. This study examined historical issues of newspapers and other historical sources to ascertain the number of importations, the number of hares landed alive, their destinations, relevant habitat characteristics at the sites of the releases, and whether the propagules became established and spread. Forty shipments were identified, and one or more live hares were landed from 27 of those shipments, totalling ~86 live hares, and resulted in the establishment of 10 populations of hares. The climate and the grasses at the known release sites were suitable for Lepus europaeus and predators were rigorously suppressed, which, acting together with the wealth, power, influence, and determination of the proponents of the importations, made establishment of hares in Australia almost certain. However, 11 of the hares landed alive were almost certainly L. nigricollis, and the fates of seven of those hares are not known. There are populations of hares in Australia at sites suited to L. nigricollis but not L. europaeus on the basis of climate and availability of C4 grass types, and the taxonomic status of those hares should be examined.
Family environment and the malleability of cognitive ability: A Swedish national home-reared and adopted-away cosibling control study
Authors: Kendler Kenneth S. , Turkheimer Eric , Ohlsson Henrik , Sundquist Jan , Sundquist Kristina
Published: March 2015

Significance

Individual differences in cognitive ability result from a complex admixture of genetic and environmental influences. Adopted children are one way to estimate the degree of malleability of cognitive ability in response to environmental change in the context of a scientific design that can control for genetic differences among individuals. Sibling pairs in which one member is adopted away and the other reared by biological parents are a particularly powerful research design. In a large population-based sample of separated siblings from Sweden, we demonstrate that adoption into improved socioeconomic circumstances is associated with a significant advantage in IQ at age 18. We replicate the finding in a parallel sample of half-siblings.
Late Pleistocene horse and camel hunting at the southern margin of the ice-free corridor: Reassessing the age of Wally’s Beach, Canada
Authors: Waters Michael R. , Stafford Thomas W. , Kooyman Brian , Hills L. V.
Published: March 2015

Significance

Archaeological discoveries at Wally’s Beach, Canada, provide the only direct evidence of horse and camel hunting in the Americas at the end of the last Ice Age. Here, seven horses and one camel were attacked and butchered near a river crossing by prehistoric hunters. New radiocarbon dates revise the age of these kill and butchering localities to 13,300 y ago. Other North American kill and butchering sites show that prehistoric hunters preyed on 6 of the 36 genera of large mammals, called megafauna, for at least 2,000 y before these animals became extinct, around 12,700 y ago. Accurate dating is necessary to build meaningful chronologies for the Ice Age peopling of the Americas and to understand megafauna extinctions.
Enhanced expression of DNA polymerase eta contributes to cisplatin resistance of ovarian cancer stem cells
Authors: Srivastava Amit Kumar , Han Chunhua , Zhao Ran , Cui Tiantian , Dai Yuntao , Mao Charlene , Zhao Weiqiang , Zhang Xiaoli , Yu Jianhua , Wang Qi-En
Published: March 2015

Significance

Cancer stem cells (CSCs) exhibit enhanced chemo/radiotherapy resistance, and their survival following cancer treatment is believed to be responsible for tumor recurrence and metastasis. Thus, understanding the mechanisms through which CSCs survive conventional chemotherapy is essential for identification of new therapeutic strategies to prevent tumor relapse. Our findings that ovarian CSCs survive cisplatin treatment through elevated expression of polymerase η represent an opportunity to eradicate CSCs and improve the survival of ovarian cancer patients. In addition, identification of miR-93 as the regulator of polymerase η expression provides a target to increase the efficacy of cisplatin treatment.
Motion of proximal histidine and structural allosteric transition in soluble guanylate cyclase
Authors: Yoo Byung-Kuk , Lamarre Isabelle , Martin Jean-Louis , Rappaport Fabrice , Negrerie Michel
Published: March 2015

Significance

Soluble guanylate cyclase is the mammalian endogenous nitric oxide (NO) receptor that controls numerous signaling physiological processes. Time-resolved spectroscopy allowed us to probe the dynamics of the heme coordination after NO release and binding. After photodissociation of NO, all heme transitions are identified within the time range of 1 ps to 0.2 s, notably the bond breaking and reformation between the heme iron and proximal His, which are major events for the activation/deactivation processes. It is thus possible to demonstrate that the structural allosteric transition occurs in the time range 1–50 μs, which remarkably matches the time range observed for hemoglobin, the prototypic protein for allostery. These findings relate not only to NO signaling but also to general allostery in heme proteins.
Jupiter’s decisive role in the inner Solar System’s early evolution
Authors: Batygin Konstantin , Laughlin Greg
Published: March 2015

Significance

The Solar System is an unusual member of the galactic planetary census in that it lacks planets that reside in close proximity to the Sun. In this work, we propose that the primordial nebula-driven process responsible for retention of Jupiter and Saturn at large orbital radii and sculpting Mars’ low mass is also responsible for clearing out the Solar System’s innermost region. Cumulatively, our results place the Solar System and the mechanisms that shaped its unique orbital architecture into a broader, extrasolar context.
Auranofin exerts broad-spectrum bactericidal activities by targeting thiol-redox homeostasis
Authors: Harbut Michael B. , Vilchèze Catherine , Luo Xiaozhou , Hensler Mary E. , Guo Hui , Yang Baiyuan , Chatterjee Arnab K. , Nizet Victor , Jacobs William R. , Schultz Peter G. , Wang Feng
Published: March 2015

Significance

The identification of new antibiotics with novel mechanisms of action has become a pressing need considering the growing threat of drug-resistant infections. We have identified auranofin, an FDA-approved drug, as having potent bactericidal activity against Gram-positive pathogenic bacteria. Auranofin inhibits an enzyme, thioredoxin reductase, not targeted by other antibiotics, and thus retains efficacy against many clinically relevant drug-resistant strains, including in a mouse model of infection. Because auranofin is an approved drug, its route to the clinic may be expedited with reduced cost. Our work suggests that auranofin is a candidate for drug repurposing in antibacterial therapy.
“Peter is a dumb nut”
Authors: Bolander Brook , Locher Miriam A.
Published: March 2015

This paper applies the theoretical concept of ‘acts of positioning’ (Davis & Harré 1990) to a qualitative and quantitative analysis of 474 status updates (SUs) taken from the Facebook Walls of twenty individuals living in Switzerland and the UK. Our aim is to analyze how individuals construct their identities through the use of language. The results show that individuals position themselves in five central ways, i.e., they stress aspects of their personality, pastime endeavors, sense of humor, work and relationship. Through a subsequent analysis of 228 reactions to status updates (RSUs), we also address how these acts are responded to, and thereby demonstrate that individuals predominantly support identity claims made in the SUs. Our paper contributes to existing research on language and identity in social network sites (SNSs), and demonstrates the fruitful application of the concept of ‘acts of positioning’.
The English Vocabulary Profile as a benchmark for assigning levels to learner corpus data
Authors: Leńko-Szymańska Agnieszka
Published: March 2015

This study explores the use of the English Vocabulary Profile (EVP) for the
assignment of relevant proficiency bands to learner production samples. The
vocabulary of 90 essays drawn from the International Corpus of Crosslinguistic
Interlanguage (ICCI) has been tagged with the corresponding Common
European Framework of Reference (CEFR) levels according to the information
available in the EVP database. Cluster analysis was performed in order
to classify the essays into five groups, which were later rank-ordered based on
their length and lexical characteristics. In addition, the same 90 essays were
rated on the CEFR scale by three raters. Finally, the five clusters were correlated
with their rater-assigned levels with the help of a measure of rank correlation
(Goodman and Kruskel’s gamma). The results demonstrate a strong association
between the statistically-established clusters of essays and their CEFR scores.
A multidimensional analysis of learner language during story reconstruction in interviews
Authors: Pérez-Paredes Pascual , Sánchez-Torneland María
Published: March 2015

In this research, we aim at profiling the picture description component of the
Louvain International Database of Spoken English Interlanguage (LINDSEI)
from a variationist perspective by using English as a Foreign Language (EFL)
learner and native speaker data. Our aim is to gain further insight into the
linguistic nature of one of the communicative events that is used to assess
general ‘proficiency’: the interview. Our results show that the EFL learners
represented in the LINDSEI approach the picture description task in ways
that differ from the native speaker (NS) data set. This research discusses the
differences in the frequency of use of several linguistic features and attempts to
account for the impact of this gap between NS and non-native speaker (NNS)
uses. From a language testing and assessment (LTA) perspective, our results and
research methodology can be of use to complement the parameters that raters
and testers usually employ to assess the quality of L2 output.
Tense and aspect errors in spoken learner English
Authors: Götz Sandra
Published: March 2015

Language testing guidelines like the Common European Framework of Reference
for Languages (CEFR) have been very influential for language testing and assessment,
yet the way they define proficiency levels using ‘can-do-statements’ has
often been criticized as being too vague. In the present chapter, I will take a
corpus-based approach towards spoken accuracy in advanced German learner
English and report on the findings of an error analysis of the most error-prone
category in the German component of the Louvain International Database of
Spoken English Interlanguage (LINDSEI). Focusing on verb-tense related errors,
the present study not only reveals what is especially error-prone in the case of
advanced German learners of English in this category (e.g. reported speech,
conditionals), but it also shows that even at an advanced level, learners appear
to form a fairly heterogeneous group with regard to the number of errors.
However, the types of errors committed at this proficiency level are quite systematic,
and this allows for a thorough description of advanced learners’ error
profiles. In the final section of this chapter, I will take these findings to suggest
a text-centred description of different proficiency levels in advanced German
learners’ speech at the university level and sketch out some avenues for future
research.
Using Genetic Markers as Individual Tags: a Case Study of a Mark–Recapture Estimate of Adult Muskellunge Population Size
Authors: Miller Loren M. , Ward Matthew C. , Schultz Douglas W.
Published: March 2015

Tag retention, tag reporting rate, misreading of tags, and other issues are common concerns with traditional tagging methods when marking fish for various stock assessments. These concerns have prompted the development and evaluation of alternative marking techniques by fisheries scientists. Wildlife scientists have overcome these obstacles by using genetic samples in lieu of tagging when studying rare, elusive, and capture-sensitive species. Recent technological advances facilitate similar alternatives for fisheries stock assessment. Muskellunge Esox masquinongy populations exist at low density and are difficult to sample; the Muskellunge is therefore an appropriate species to use in assessing this tool. We used microsatellite DNA analysis of samples from two connected lakes in north-central Minnesota to estimate adult population size using mark–recapture techniques. In total, 178 unique fish were identified during a trap-net marking period; 59 individuals were identified within an electrofishing resampling period, and 28 of those were recaptures, recognized by their matching genotypes. Based on these data, we obtained a population estimate of 369 adults (95% confidence interval = 269–470). The results of this study demonstrate the utility of genetic markers in place of traditional tagging methods for fish.

Received September 24, 2014; accepted December 1, 2014
Can auditory deviant stimuli temporarily suspend cognitive processing? Evidence from patients with anxiety
Authors: Pacheco-Unguetti Antonia P. , Gelabert Joan Miquel , Parmentier Fabrice B. R.
Published: March 2015

While anxiety is typically thought to increase distractibility, this notion mostly derives from studies using emotionally loaded distractors presented in the same modality as the target stimuli and tasks involving crosstalk interference. We examined whether pathological anxiety might also increase distractibility for emotionally neutral irrelevant sounds presented prior to target stimuli in a task where these stimuli do not compete for selection. Patients with anxiety and control participants categorized visual digits preceded by task-irrelevant sounds that changed on rare trials (auditory deviance). Both groups exhibited an equivalent increase in response times following a deviant sound but patients showed a reduction of response accuracy, which was entirely due to an increase in response omissions. We conclude that the involuntary capture of attention by unexpected stimuli may, in patients with anxiety, result in a temporary suspension of cognitive activity.
Modality independence of order coding in working memory: Evidence from cross-modal order interference at recall
Authors: Vandierendonck André
Published: March 2015

Working memory researchers do not agree on whether order in serial recall is encoded by dedicated modality-specific systems or by a more general modality-independent system. Although previous research supports the existence of autonomous modality-specific systems, it has been shown that serial recognition memory is prone to cross-modal order interference by concurrent tasks. The present study used a serial recall task, which was performed in a single-task condition and in a dual-task condition with an embedded memory task in the retention interval. The modality of the serial task was either verbal or visuospatial, and the embedded tasks were in the other modality and required either serial or item recall. Care was taken to avoid modality overlaps during presentation and recall. In Experiment 1, visuospatial but not verbal serial recall was more impaired when the embedded task was an order than when it was an item task. Using a more difficult verbal serial recall task, verbal serial recall was also more impaired by another order recall task in Experiment 2. These findings are consistent with the hypothesis of modality-independent order coding. The implications for views on short-term recall and the multicomponent view of working memory are discussed.
Intramembrane binding of VE-cadherin to VEGFR2 and VEGFR3 assembles the endothelial mechanosensory complex
Authors: Coon Brian G. , Baeyens Nicolas , Han Jinah , Budatha Madhusudhan , Ross Tyler D. , Fang Jennifer S. , Yun Sanguk , Thomas Jeon-Leon , Schwartz Martin A.
Published: March 2015

Endothelial responses to fluid shear stress are essential for vascular development and physiology, and determine the formation of atherosclerotic plaques at regions of disturbed flow. Previous work identified VE-cadherin as an essential component, along with PECAM-1 and VEGFR2, of a complex that mediates flow signaling. However, VE-cadherin’s precise role is poorly understood. We now show that the transmembrane domain of VE-cadherin mediates an essential adapter function by binding directly to the transmembrane domain of VEGFR2, as well as VEGFR3, which we now identify as another component of the junctional mechanosensory complex. VEGFR2 and VEGFR3 signal redundantly downstream of VE-cadherin. Furthermore, VEGFR3 expression is observed in the aortic endothelium, where it contributes to flow responses in vivo. In summary, this study identifies a novel adapter function for VE-cadherin mediated by transmembrane domain association with VEGFRs.
Physical Brownian motion in a magnetic field as a rough path
Authors: Friz Peter , Gassiat Paul , Lyons Terry
Published: March 2015

The indefinite integral of the homogenized Ornstein-Uhlenbeck process is a well-known model for physical Brownian motion, modelling the behaviour of an object subject to random impulses [L. S. Ornstein, G. E. Uhlenbeck: On the theory of Brownian Motion. In: Physical Review. 36, 1930, 823-841]. One can scale these models by changing the mass of the particle, and in the small mass limit one has almost sure uniform convergence in distribution to the standard idealized model of mathematical Brownian motion. This provides one well-known way of realising the Wiener process. However, this result is less robust than it would appear, and important generic functionals of the trajectories of the physical Brownian motion do not necessarily converge to the same functionals of Brownian motion when one takes the small mass limit. In the presence of a magnetic field the area process associated to the physical process converges - but not to Lévy’s stochastic area. As this area is felt generically in settings where the particle interacts through force fields in a non-linear way, the remark is physically significant and indicates that classical Brownian motion, with its usual stochastic calculus, is not an appropriate model for the limiting behaviour.

We compute explicitly the area correction term and establish convergence, in the small mass limit, of the physical Brownian motion in the rough path sense. The small mass limit for the motion of a charged particle in the presence of a magnetic field is, in distribution, an easily calculable, but “non-canonical” rough path lift of Brownian motion. Viewing the trajectory of a charged Brownian particle with small mass as a rough path is informative and allows one to retain information that would be lost if one only considered it as a classical trajectory. We comment on the importance of this point of view.
The Bible in English
Authors: Campbell Gordon
Published: March 2015

This chapter examines the early English translations of the Bible, including those prior to Reformation. English translations since the fourteenth century include those associated with John Wyclif, William Tyndale, and Miles Coverdale. Also discussed are the Matthew Bible, published by John Rogers; the Great Bible, printed by Edward Whitchurch and Richard Grafton; the Geneva Bible; the Bishops' Bible; and the Douai-Reims Bible.
Translators and Translating
Authors: Campbell Gordon
Published: March 2015

This chapter focuses on the translators behind the translation and revision of the King James Version (KJV) of the Bible. Six companies — two in each of Westminster, Oxford, and Cambridge — were chosen to undertake the process of translation and revision: the First Westminster Company, charged with the translation of the Old Testament from Genesis to 2 Kings; the First Cambridge Company, assigned to the central section of the Old Testament, from 1 Chronicles to the Song of Solomon; the First Oxford Company, tasked to translate the final third of the Old Testament, from Isaiah to Malachi; the Second Cambridge Company, in charge of the Apocrypha; the Second Oxford Company, responsible for the bulk of the New Testament, namely, the Gospels, Acts, and Book of Revelation; and the Second Westminster Company, in charge of the New Testament epistles.
The First Edition
Authors: Campbell Gordon
Published: March 2015

This chapter focuses on the first edition of the King James Version (KJV) of the Bible, printed in 1611 by Robert Barker, the king's printer. It first considers the first edition's two folios, the ‘He’ Bible and the ‘She’ Bible, before turning to a discussion of its artwork and the errors committed during its printing.
The Nineteenth Century
Authors: Campbell Gordon
Published: March 2015

This chapter focuses on editions of the King James Version (KJV) of the Bible that were published in the nineteenth century. It first considers the challenge to the monopoly held by the king's printer, Oxford University Press, and Cambridge University Press in publishing the KJV in England. It then examines the complaints lodged by learned dissenting ministers (mostly Congregationalists), led by Thomas Curtis, against Benjamin Blayney's text of 1769. It also looks at the printing of the KJV in America, focusing on the editions of Robert Aitken and the American Bible Society as well as Joseph Smith's Mormon Version, commonly known as the Joseph Smith Translation or the Inspired Version. Finally, the chapter discusses the distribution of the KJV in the nineteenth century and the printing of illustrated Bibles, along with the reception of the KJV during the period.
The Cambridge Paragraph Bibles
Authors: Campbell Gordon
Published: March 2015

This chapter focuses on the Cambridge Paragraph Bible and its successor, the New Cambridge Paragraph Bible, both published by the Cambridge University Press as editions of King James Version (KJV) of the Bible divided into paragraphs. The Cambridge Paragraph Bible was prepared by F. H. A. Scrivener in 1873, whereas its successor was prepared by David Norton in 2005. The chapter considers the spelling, punctuation, paragraphs and poetry, and omitted material of both Bibles.
An Audit-Based, Infectious Disease Specialist-Guided Antimicrobial Stewardship Program Profoundly Reduced Antibiotic Use Without Negatively Affecting Patient Outcomes
Authors: Nilholm Hannah , Holmstrand Linnea , Ahl Jonas , Månsson Fredrik , Odenholt Inga , Tham Johan , Melander Eva , Resman Fredrik
Published: March 2015

Background.  Antimicrobial stewardship programs are increasingly implemented in hospital care. They aim to simultaneously optimize outcomes for individual patients with infections and reduce financial and health-associated costs of overuse of antibiotics. Few studies have examined the effects of antimicrobial stewardship programs in settings with low proportions of antimicrobial resistance, such as in Sweden.

Methods.  An antimicrobial stewardship program was introduced during 5 months of 2013 in a department of internal medicine in southern Sweden. The intervention consisted of audits twice weekly on all patients given antibiotic treatment. The intervention period was compared with a historical control consisting of patients treated with antibiotics in the same wards in 2012. Studied outcome variables included 28-day mortality and readmission, length of hospital stay, and use of antibiotics.

Results.  A reduction of 27% in total antibiotic use (2387 days of any antibiotic) was observed in the intervention period compared with the control period. The reduction was due to fewer patients started on antibiotics as well as to significantly shorter durations of antibiotic courses (P < .001). An earlier switch to oral therapy and a specific reduction in use of third-generation cephalosporins and fluoroquinolones was also evident. Mortality, total readmissions, and lengths of stay in hospital were unchanged compared with the control period, whereas readmissions due to a nonresolved infection were fewer during the intervention of 2013.

Conclusions.  This study demonstrates that an infectious disease specialist-guided antimicrobial stewardship program can profoundly reduce antibiotic use in a low-resistance setting with no negative effect on patient outcome.
Surgery for Chronic Traumatic Atlantoaxial Dislocation Associated With Myelopathy
Authors: Wang Lingjun , Gu Yong , Chen Liang , Yang Huilin
Published: March 2015

Study Design:

A retrospective study.

Objective:

To evaluate the outcomes of myelopathy caused by atlantoaxial dislocation (AAD).

Summary of Background Data:

No reports to date have accurately evaluated the results of surgery for delayed myelopathy for patients with chronic AAD. Thus, the appropriate surgical time and methods of decompression and fusion remain a hot debate.

Materials and Methods:

In our study, 18 patients underwent decompression, fixation, and fusion. Demographic data, operation time, blood loss, and complications were evaluated. The Japanese Orthopedic Association Scale, severity of disability and visual analogue scale were evaluated. The fusion rate, space available for the cord, instability index, cord compression index, and cord decompression rate were also assessed.

Results:

The average time of operation was 248±50 minutes, and blood loss was 350±200 mL. Five patients in grade I maintained their neurological status, and the others had improved neurological status. With average follow-up time of 15.3±9.6 months, the Japanese Orthopedic Association score improved, the visual analogue scale score decreased, the space available for the cord improved, and the instability index and cord compression index decreased. Cord decompression rate was 65.9%. Fusion rate reached 83%.

Conclusions:

There is a high risk of delayed myelopathy for patients with AAD who do not undergo timely surgical treatment. There is no need for complete reduction for treatment of chronic AAD. Whether it can be reduced or not, sufficient decompression and solid fusion for AAD are required. Both C1–C2 fusion for reducible dislocation and occipital-cervical fusion for irreducible dislocation have satisfactory outcomes.
Implantation of the eSVS Mesh: Modification of Recommended Technique
Authors: Emery Robert W. , Solien Eric , Puskas John D.
Published: March 2015

The eSVS Mesh is a knitted wire lattice manufactured in cylindrical sheaths of various diameters, designed to be placed around the outer surface of a saphenous vein graft before use in coronary surgery. The goal is to improve long-term vein graft patency by preventing expansive endothelial injury obviating neointimal hyperplasia and subsequent graft atherosclerosis. Since the First-In-Man feasibility trial of the eSVS Mesh, postmarket studies in Europe and a feasibility trial in the United States are ongoing. Consensus from the principal investigators indicated the trials had confounding variables that may impact results other than evaluation of the eSVS Mesh alone. With input from these investigators, the recommended operative technique has been modified for future trials by removing the mesh from proximal and distal anastomoses and eliminating the use of fibrin sealant. These changes allow for use of an implant technique closer to standard vein bypass grafting and a more focused evaluation of the eSVS Mesh.
Minimally Invasive Septal Myectomy for the Treatment of Hypertrophic Obstructive Cardiomyopathy and Intrinsic Mitral Valve Disease
Authors: Gilmanov Daniyar Sh. , Bevilacqua Stefano , Solinas Marco , Ferrarini Matteo , Kallushi Enkel , Santarelli Philippo , Farneti Pier Andrea , Glauber Mattia
Published: March 2015

Objective

Transaortic left ventricular septal myectomy described by Morrow is a classical procedure for the treatment of systolic anterior motion of the mitral apparatus associated with hypertrophic obstructive cardiomyopathy (HOCM). We aimed to review our results of transmitral septal myectomy and mitral valve repair/replacement in patients with intrinsic mitral valve disease associated with HOCM, operated on through a minimally invasive approach.

Methods

Between 2005 and 2014, 19 patients [7 men (37%); mean (SD) age, 69.4 (14.5) years] were treated with minimally invasive approach for degenerative mitral regurgitation and HOCM. Preoperative peak left ventricular outflow tract (LVOT) gradient was 66 (24) mm Hg. Severe mitral regurgitation was diagnosed in 16 cases (84%). New York Heart Association functional class III to IV heart failure was present in 13 patients (68%).

Results

Fifteen patients (79%) underwent mitral valve replacement, and four patients (21%) underwent mitral valve repair. Left ventricular outflow tract obstruction was corrected directly in all patients via the mitral valve with septal myectomy/myotomy, avoiding aortotomy in majority of the patients. No significant prolongation of extracorporeal circulation/aortic cross-clamping times was observed ( P = 0.41 and P = 0.67, respectively) when compared with a similar population without HOCM. No iatrogenic ventricular septal defect developed in treated patients. No hospital mortality occurred. Resting LVOT gradient reduced at discharge to 13 (22) mm Hg ( P = 0.025).

Conclusions

Transmitral left ventricular septal myectomy in patients with degenerative mitral valve disease is quite a simple, feasible, and effective technique and does not require aortotomy in most cases. It can be performed with low early mortality and satisfactory resolution of LVOT obstruction in a minimally invasive setting.
Long-term Patency of Endoscopically Harvested Radial Arteries: From a Randomized Controlled Trial
Authors: Burns Daniel J.P. , Swinamer Stuart A. , Fox Stephanie A. , Romsa Jonathan , Vezina William , Akincioglu Cigdem , Warrington James , Guo Lin-Rui , Chu Michael W.A. , Quantz Mackenzie A. , Novick Richard J. , Kiaii Bob
Published: March 2015

Objective

From 2005 to 2007, 119 patients were enrolled in a prospective randomized controlled trial comparing open and endoscopically harvested radial arteries for coronary artery bypass grafting. The objective of the current study was to compare graft patency between intervention groups at more than 5 years from the initial trial. We hypothesized that endoscopically harvested radial arteries would show equivalent patency to those conventionally harvested.

Methods

At 5 years or greater from their operation, all consenting patients underwent a single-day anatomic and functional cardiac assessment with coronary computed tomography angiography and sestamibi myocardial perfusion scanning. Medical Outcomes Study 36-Item Short-Form Health Surveys and Seattle Angina Questionnaires were completed to assess the overall quality of life. All patients had received calcium channel blocker therapy for at least 6 months postoperatively.

Results

The mean (SD) duration of follow-up was 79.2 (8.6) months for all patients. One death occurred within 30 days of coronary artery bypass grafting in each treatment group, and eight additional noncardiac deaths occurred during the study time frame. Of 119 patients, 66 consented to follow-up. Thirty-two had open radial artery harvest, and 34 had endoscopic radial artery harvest. At more than 5 years, there were 28 patent conventionally harvested radial arteries (87.5%) and 31 patent endoscopically harvested radial arteries (91.2%) ( P = 0.705). Measured quality of life was comparable between groups.

Conclusions

Endoscopic radial artery harvest is safe and effective when compared with open radial artery harvest, with excellent graft patency demonstrated at more than 5 years. Patency results are noninferior in endoscopic radial artery harvest.
Does Paravertebral Blockade Facilitate Immediate Extubation after Totally Endoscopic Robotic Mitral Valve Repair Surgery?
Authors: Neuburger Peter J. , Chacon M. Megan , Luria Brent J. , Manrique-Espinel Ana Maria , Ngai Jennie Y. , Grossi Eugene A. , Loulmet Didier F.
Published: March 2015

Objective

Immediate extubation of select patients in the operating room after cardiac surgery has been shown to be safe and may result in improved hemodynamics and decreased cost perioperatively. The aim of this study was to evaluate whether the addition of paravertebral blockade (PVB) to general anesthesia facilitates extubation in the operating room in patients undergoing totally endoscopic robotic mitral valve repair (TERMR).

Methods

A review of 65 consecutive patients who underwent TERMR between January 2012 and June 2013 at a single institution was conducted. Patients were divided into two groups, one group that received PVB and general anesthesia and a second group that received general anesthesia alone. The data analyzed included quantities of anesthetic administered during surgery and the location of extubation after surgery.

Results

A total of 34 patients received PVB and general anesthesia, whereas 31 received general anesthesia alone. The two groups had similar demographic and surgical data. Patients in the PVB and general anesthesia group were more likely to be extubated in the operating room (67.6%, n = 23 vs 41.9%, n = 13, P = 0.048) and required less intraoperative fentanyl (3.41 μg/kg vs 4.90 μg/kg, P = 0.006). There were no adverse perioperative events in either group related to PVB or extubation.

Conclusions

The addition of PVB to general anesthesia for perioperative pain control facilitated extubation in the operating room in patients undergoing TERMR. Paravertebral blockade allowed for lower intraoperative fentanyl dosing, which may account for the increased incidence of immediate extubation. A detailed prospective study is warranted.
Impacts of Intraoperative Flow on Graft Patency of Sequential and Individual Saphenous Vein Grafts
Authors: Takazawa Akitoshi , Nakajima Hiroyuki , Iguchi Atsushi , Tabata Mimiko , Morita Kozo , Koike Hiroyuki , Uwabe Kazuhiko , Asakura Toshihisa , Niinami Hiroshi
Published: March 2015

Objective

We sought to delineate the predictor of saphenous vein graft (SVG) failure and to evaluate the impact of sequential grafting of SVG on graft flow as the significant predictor of patency.

Methods

Angiograms and clinical records of 439 patients who underwent coronary artery bypass grafting with aortocoronary SVG were reviewed. Of these, 708 distal anastomoses were created by 480 SVGs. Of 349 patients who underwent isolated coronary artery bypass grafting, operation was performed with an off-pump technique in 347 patients (99%). For 90 patients, a combined procedure on cardiopulmonary bypass was performed. A postoperative angiography was performed in 230 SVGs for clinical reasons. Insufficient flow (IF) was defined as a graft flow of 20 mL/min or less, measured by transit-time Doppler flowmetry during operation.

Results

In 480 SVGs, 44 (9.2%) presented IF, and 24 SVGs presented partial or total occlusion. Six of the nine failed individual SVG had IF, whereas none of the failed sequential SVG was associated with IF. Univariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses demonstrated that IF ( P = 0.002; odds ratio, 6.63) and sequential grafting ( P = 0.004; odds ratio, 2.51) were significantly correlated with a failure of the SVG. The patency rate of sequential SVG to the most distal target was 78/93 (83.9%), which was significantly lower than 9/139 (93.5%) of the individual SVG ( P = 0.02) and 7/113 (93.8%) of the sequential SVG to proximal targets ( P = 0.02).

Conclusions

When both targets seem to have sufficient demand, avoidance of sequential grafting would be reasonable. Moreover, the important target should be grafted by individual grafting or sequential proximal anastomosis.
Exposure to Gastric Acid–Suppression Therapy Is Associated With Health Care– and Community‐Associated Clostridium difficile Infection in Children
Authors: Jimenez Jennifer , Drees Marci , Loveridge‐Lenza Beth , Eppes Stephen , del Rosario Fernando
Published: March 2015

Objective:

The aim of the study was to determine whether gastric acid–suppression therapy is associated with Clostridium difficile infection (CDI) in both inpatient and outpatient pediatric populations.

Methods:

We conducted a retrospective case‐control study at a 200‐bed academic pediatric hospital and associated outpatient clinics during 2005–2010. We defined cases as children 1 to 18 years of age with a first positive test for C difficile toxin A/B, and matched each case to 2 controls without C difficile. We conducted chart review to elicit selected comorbidities and exposure to gastric acid–suppression therapy and antibiotics in the preceding 3 months of the infection or encounter date. We used bivariate and multivariable logistic regression to evaluate the association between antacid use and CDI, controlling for potential confounders.

Results:

We identified 138 children with health care– or community‐associated CDIs and 276 controls. The use of any acid suppression therapy was more common in cases compared with controls (34% vs 20%, P = 0.002). When adjusted for demographic variables and comorbidities, gastric acid–suppression therapy remained significantly associated with CDI (adjusted odds ratio [aOR] 1.8, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.0–3.1). Antibiotic use (aOR 1.7, 95% CI 1.1–2.7) and immunosuppressed state were also associated with CDI in our adjusted model (aOR 2.5, 95% CI 1.2–5.2).

Conclusions:

Gastric acid–suppression therapy was associated with both health care– and community‐associated CDIs in children. Larger pediatric studies are necessary to determine the role of proton pump inhibitors specifically in causing CDI in children.
Medication Administration Errors in an Adult Emergency Department of a Tertiary Health Care Facility in Ghana
Authors: Acheampong Franklin , Tetteh Ashalley Raymond , Anto Berko Panyin
Published: March 2015

Objectives

This study determined the incidence, types, clinical significance, and potential causes of medication administration errors (MAEs) at the emergency department (ED) of a tertiary health care facility in Ghana.

Methods

This study used a cross-sectional nonparticipant observational technique. Study participants (nurses) were observed preparing and administering medication at the ED of a 2000-bed tertiary care hospital in Accra, Ghana. The observations were then compared with patients’ medication charts, and identified errors were clarified with staff for possible causes.

Results

Of the 1332 observations made, involving 338 patients and 49 nurses, 362 had errors, representing 27.2%. However, the error rate excluding “lack of drug availability” fell to 12.8%. Without wrong time error, the error rate was 22.8%. The 2 most frequent error types were omission (n = 281, 77.6%) and wrong time (n = 58, 16%) errors. Omission error was mainly due to unavailability of medicine, 48.9% (n = 177). Although only one of the errors was potentially fatal, 26.7% were definitely clinically severe. The common themes that dominated the probable causes of MAEs were unavailability, staff factors, patient factors, prescription, and communication problems.

Conclusions

This study gives credence to similar studies in different settings that MAEs occur frequently in the ED of hospitals. Most of the errors identified were not potentially fatal; however, preventive strategies need to be used to make life-saving processes such as drug administration in such specialized units error-free.