bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Reproducibility of Acetabular Landmarks and a Standardized Coordinate System Obtained from 3D Hip Ultrasound
Authors: Mabee Myles , Dulai Sukhdeep , Thompson Richard B. , Jaremko Jacob L.
Published: November 2014

Two-dimensional (2D) ultrasound detection of developmental dysplasia of the hip (DDH) is limited by variation in acetabular appearance and alpha angle measurements, which change with position of the ultrasound probe. Three-dimensional (3D) ultrasound captures the entire acetabular shape, and a reproducible “standard central plane” may be generated, from two landmarks located on opposite ends of the acetabulum, for measurement of alpha angle and other indices. Two users identified landmarks on 51 3D ultrasounds, with ranging severity of disease, and inter- and intra-observer reproducibility of landmark and “standard plane” locations was compared; landmarks were chosen within 2 mm, and the “standard plane” rotation was reproducible within 10° between observers. We observed no difference in variability between alpha angles measured on the “standard plane” in comparison with 2D ultrasound. Applications of the standardized 3D ultrasound central plane will be to fuse serial ultrasounds for follow-up and development of new indices of 3D deformity.
An Intervention to Promote Breast Milk Production in Mothers of Preterm Infants
Authors: Héon Marjolaine , Goulet Céline , Garofalo Carole , Nuyt Anne Monique , Levy Emile
Published: November 2014

A pilot study was conducted to estimate the effects of a breast milk expression education and support intervention on breast milk production outcomes in mothers of very and extremely preterm infants. Forty mothers of hospitalized preterm infants (<30 weeks of gestation) were randomized to the experimental intervention or standard care for 6 weeks. Duration and frequency of breast milk expressions and volume of expressed breast milk were measured daily. Samples of breast milk were collected thrice during the study and analyzed for their lipid concentration. Mothers in the experimental group had a statistically significant higher duration of breast milk expression in min/day ( p = .043). Differences observed between the two groups regarding the frequency of breast milk expression, volume of breast milk, and lipid concentration were not statistically significant. Results suggest that the experimental intervention may promote breast milk production in mothers of very and extremely preterm infants.
Quality of teleoperator adaptive control for telerobotic operations
Authors: Jia Yunyi , Xi Ning , Liu Shuang , Wang Yunxia , Li Xin , Bi Sheng
Published: November 2014

Extensive studies have been conducted on telerobotic operations for decades due to their widespread applications in a variety of areas. Most studies have been focused on two major issues: stability and telepresence. Few have studied the influence of the operation status of the teleoperator on the performance of telerobotic operations. As subnormal operation status of the teleoperator may result in insufficient and even incorrect operations, the quality of teleoperator (QoT) is an important impact on the performance of the telerobotic operations in terms of the efficiency and safety even if both the stability and telepresence are guaranteed. Therefore, this paper investigates the online identification of the QoT and its application to telerobotic operations. The QoT is identified based on five QoT indicators which are generated based on the teleoperator’s brain EEG signals. A QoT adaptive control method is designed to adapt the velocity and responsivity of the robotic system to the operation status of the teleoperator such that the teleoperation efficiency and safety can be enhanced. The online QoT identification method was conducted on various teleoperators and the QoT adaptive control method was implemented on a mobile manipulator teleoperation system. The experimental results demonstrated the effectiveness and advantages of the proposed methods.
The Development and Validation of an Actuarial Risk Assessment Tool for the Prediction of First-Time Offending
Authors: Assink Mark , van der Put Claudia E. , Stams Geert Jan J. M.
Published: November 2014

For prevention purposes, it is important that police officers can estimate the risk for delinquency among juveniles who were involved in a criminal offense, but not in the role of a suspect. In the present study, the Youth Actuarial Risk Assessment Tool for First-Time Offending (Y-ARAT-FO) was developed based solely on police records with the aim to enable Dutch police officers to predict the risk for first-time offending. For the construction of this initial screening instrument, an Exhaustive Chi-squared Automatic Interaction Detector (Exhaustive CHAID) analysis was performed on a data set that was retrieved from the Dutch police system. The Y-ARAT-FO was developed on a sample of 1,368 juveniles and validated on a different sample of 886 juveniles showing moderate predictive accuracy in the validation sample (area under the receiver operating characteristic curve [AUC] = .728). The predictive accuracy of the Y-ARAT-FO was considered sufficient to justify its use as an initial screening instrument by the Dutch police.
Performing “East Van”
Authors: Boyd Jade
Published: November 2014

This article draws upon theories of performance and (sub)cultural capital to explore the intersections of class identity and urban spatial practices. Based on interviews and participant observation, this contemporary ethnography explores how some young adults experience the stigmatized neighborhoods of East Vancouver, Canada, imbuing their spatial identifications with subcultural significance and class meaning. Interviewees’ spatial and embodied relationships with East Vancouver reveal a complex articulation of class positioning involving “East Van” pride, class denial, spatial performances and anxieties over class location.
Creating Our Own Lineup
Authors: Bush Lee
Published: November 2014

Women’s participation in surfing has grown significantly in the past decade, yet few surfing studies include women’s perspectives. Using the communication theory of identity (CTI), I examine how surfing women in one community develop, enact, and negotiate their identities in this traditionally male lifestyle sport. Findings show that surfing women bring a more social, complementary style to the surfing lineup, while also identifying as serious surfers who are manifesting their own athletic abilities and relationships with the waves. Through participant observation and interviewing, I discuss how women create spaces in which to enact their gendered identities, how relationships with other surfing women strengthen these identities, and the strategies women enact to reduce discrepancies between erroneous portrayals and their own self-concepts. While CTI has mainly been used to study cross-cultural identities, this study expands its use to a sporting subculture while also adding to a body of surfing research that has largely excluded women.
In two minds: Theory of Mind, intersubjectivity, and autism
Authors: Dant Tim
Published: November 2014

Mind is an inner property of individual being but, paradoxically, to live in the social world requires being able to know what is in other people’s minds. This article explores two approaches to making sense of this paradox; the concept of “theory of mind” and the phenomenological concept of “intersubjectivity.” Theory of mind is discussed in terms of its development as a concept in cognitive psychology to understand autism and intersubjectivity is discussed in relation to five processes—co-presence, apperception, empathy, the look, and communicative interaction—that are described in the work of phenomenologists including Husserl, Merleau-Ponty, Sartre, and Schutz. The paper argues that while “theory of mind” has stimulated research and discussion on autism, the phenomenological understanding of “intersubjectivity” is more appropriate to trying to understand the difficulties faced by people with autism.
Popularizing dissent: A civil society perspective
Authors: Motion Judy , Leitch Shirley , Weaver C. Kay
Published: November 2014

This article theorizes civil society groups’ attempts to popularize opposition to genetic modification in New Zealand as deliberative interventions that seek to open up public participation in science–society governance. In this case, the popularization strategies were designed to intensify concerns about social justice and democratic incursions, mobilize dissent and offer meaningful mechanisms for navigating and participating in public protest. Such civic popularization efforts, we argue, are more likely to succeed when popularity and politicization strategies are judiciously integrated to escalate controversy, re-negotiate power relations and provoke agency and action.
Good Ol’ Boys, Mean Girls, and Tyrants
Authors: Sedivy-Benton Amy , Strohschen Gabriele , Cavazos Nora , Boden-McGill Carrie
Published: November 2014

Bullying in higher education is an increasingly common phenomenon that negatively affects organizational climate, completed work’s quality and quantity, and students’ educational experiences. The purpose of this phenomenological study was to investigate the lived experiences of women adult educators who were targets of bullying. Six themes emerged from the composite participant experiences as well as survival strategies for averting bullying and lessening its impact on personal and institutional well-being and ways to navigate hostile workplace environments.
A fractional-order tempered-stable continuity model to capture surface water runoff
Authors: Zhang Yong , Chen Li , Reeves Donald M , Sun HongGuang
Published: November 2014

The dynamics of surface runoff exhibits scale-dependent anomalous behavior due to heterogeneity present within natural systems, including spatial variations in surface topography and soil hydraulic properties which may not be efficiently captured by traditional modeling approaches. This study proposes a fractional-order continuity equation to quantify the scale-dependent anomalous behavior of overland flow, where the influence of sub-scale heterogeneity on flow dynamics can be characterized using spatiotemporally nonlocal terms built upon fractional derivatives. Both Eulerian and Lagrangian solvers are developed and cross-verified to approximate the proposed physical model. Numerical experiments further show that, on one hand, the space-fractional diffusive term in the flow model does not lead to apparent early arrivals in the steep rising limb of a hydrograph. This is likely caused by the combined effects of uniformly distributed precipitation over the entire hillslope and the immediate arrival of surface runoff at the downslope portion of the hillslope, both of which can overshadow the leading front of superdiffusion. The time-fractional term in the model, on the other hand, can 1) distinguish mobile and immobile water packets, 2) account for the strong time-nonlocal influence of net recharge on the receding limb of a hydrograph, and 3) efficiently characterize a wide range of late-time behavior of flow according to the tempered stable law. The applicability of the physical model is tested using two local-scale surface runoff data sets. The fractional-order tempered-stable flow model therefore may capture the complex hydrological response to precipitation in the real-world land surface.
Finding Medical Care for Colorectal Cancer Symptoms
Authors: Thomson Maria D. , Siminoff Laura A.
Published: November 2014

Financial barriers can substantially delay medical care seeking. Using patient narratives provided by 252 colorectal cancer patients, we explored the experience of financial barriers to care seeking. Of the 252 patients interviewed, 84 identified financial barriers as a significant hurdle to obtaining health care for their colorectal cancer symptoms. Using verbatim transcripts of the narratives collected from patients between 2008 and 2010, three themes were identified: insurance status as a barrier (discussed by n = 84; 100% of subsample), finding medical care (discussed by n = 30; 36% of subsample) and, insurance companies as barriers (discussed by n = 7; 8% of subsample). Our analysis revealed that insurance status is more nuanced than the categories insured/uninsured and differentially affects how patients attempt to secure health care. While barriers to medical care for the uninsured have been well documented, the experiences of those who are underinsured are less well understood. To improve outcomes in these patients it is critical to understand how financial barriers to medical care are manifested. Even with anticipated changes of the Affordable Care Act, it remains important to understand how perceived financial barriers may be influencing patient behaviors, particularly those who have limited health care options due to insufficient health insurance coverage.
Organizational Member Involvement in Physical Activity Coalitions Across the United States
Authors: Bornstein Daniel B. , Pate Russell R. , Beets Michael W. , Saunders Ruth P. , Blair Steven N.
Published: November 2014

Introduction. Coalitions are often composed of member organizations. Member involvement is thought to be associated with coalition success. No instrument currently exists for evaluating organizational member involvement in physical activity coalitions. This study aimed to develop a survey instrument for evaluating organizational member involvement in physical activity coalitions. The study was carried out in three phases: (a) developing a draft survey, (b) assessing the content validity of the draft survey, and (c) assessing the underlying factor structure, reliability, and validity of the survey. Method. A cross-sectional design was employed. In Phase 1, a team of experts in survey development produced a draft survey. In Phase 2, the content validity of the draft survey was evaluated by a panel of individuals with expertise in physical activity coalitions. In Phase 3, the survey was administered to 120 individuals on local-, state-, and national-level physical activity coalitions. Responses were subjected to an exploratory factor analysis in order to determine the survey’s underlying factor structure, reliability, and validity. Results. Phases 1 and 2yielded a survey instrument with demonstrated content validity. Phase 3 yielded a three-factor model with three subscales: Strategic Alignment, Organizational Alignment, and Providing Input. Each subscale demonstrated high internal consistency reliability and construct validity. Discussion. The survey instrument developed here demonstrated sound psychometric properties and provides new insight into organizational member involvement in physical activity coalitions. This instrument may be an important tool in developing a more complete picture of coalition functioning in physical activity coalitions specifically and health-based coalitions overall.
Impact of Sodium Arsenite on Chromosomal Aberrations With Respect to Polymorphisms of Detoxification and DNA Repair Genes
Authors: Azizian-Farsani Fatemeh , Rafiei Gholamreza , Saadat Mostafa
Published: November 2014

Arsenic compounds can increase production of reactive oxygen species. Reactive oxygen species can induce double-strand breaks in DNA, which is a cause of chromosome aberrations (CAs). This study was conducted to determine the association between arsenic exposure and polymorphisms of genes involved in detoxification (glutathione S-transferase T1 [ GSTT1], glutathione S-transferase M1 [ GSTM1], glutathione S-transferase O2 [ GSTO2], catalase [ CAT], and NAD(P)H quinone oxidoreductase1 [ NQO1]) as well as nonhomologous end joining DNA repair genes ( XRCC4, XRCC5, and XRCC6) with induction of chromosomal aberrations. The participants consisted of 123 healthy males who were genotyped using polymerase chain reaction-based methods. Primary cultures of whole blood were treated with sodium arsenite (NaAsO2; iAs(III); at final concentration 1 µmol/L), mitomycin C (at final concentration 60 ηg/mL; as positive control), or untreated. For each culture, mitotic index (MI), chromatid breaks (CBs), CAs, and total percentage of aberrant cells were determined. The levels of CB and percentage of aberrant cells were significantly higher in the TT genotype of CAT (C-262T polymorphism) than the CC genotype. The CB value in samples with GSTM1 active genotype was significantly higher than the null genotype. The MI in samples with TT genotype of NQO1 (C609T polymorphism) was significantly higher than MI in samples having CC and CT genotypes. There was no association between MI, CB, CA, and percentage of aberrant cells and polymorphisms of XRCC4, XRCC5, and XRCC6.
Ambivalent journeys of hope: Embryonic stem cell therapy in a clinic in India
Authors: Prasad Amit
Published: November 2014

Stem cell therapy in non-Western countries such as India has received a lot of attention. Apart from media reports, there are a number of social science analyses of stem cell policy, therapy, and research, their ethical implications, and impact of advertising on patients. Nevertheless, in the media reports as well as in academic studies, experiences of patients, who undertake overseas journeys for stem cell therapy, have largely been either ignored or presented reductively, often as a “false hope.” In this article, I analyze the experiences of patients and their “journeys of hope” to NuTech Mediworld, an embryonic stem cell therapy clinic in New Delhi, India. My analysis, which draws on my observations in the clinic and patients’ experiences, instead of seeking to adjudicate whether embryonic stem cell therapy in clinics such as NuTech is right or wrong, true or false, focuses on how patients navigate and contest these concerns. I utilize Gilles Deleuze and Felix Guattari’s “concepts,” lines of flight and deterritorialization, to highlight how embryonic stem cell therapy’s “political economy of hope” embodies deterritorialization of several “regimes of truth” and how these deterritorializations impact patients’ experiences.
On interpreters’ working memory and executive control
Authors: Hiltunen Sinikka , Pääkkönen Rauni , Vik Gun-Viol , Krause Christina M.
Published: November 2014

Research questions:

The purpose of the study was to reveal new aspects of interpreters’ memory and executive control.

Design:

The memory and executive control of simultaneous and consecutive interpreters were compared to those of foreign language teachers and non-linguistic experts in two experiments: free recall and cocktail-party dichotic listening.

Data:

Volunteers were 94 participants (22 to 26 participants in each group) with a minimum of 10 years of professional experience.

Findings:

Simultaneous interpreters outperformed the non-linguistic experts in free recall. Though most of them detected their name in the cocktail-party test, they made no errors in the first and second word after it. In contrast, consecutive interpreters exceeded the performance of non-linguistic experts in seldom detecting their name in the cocktail-party test, as well as in making just a few errors in the first word after it. The results seem to indicate expertise-dependent differences between the two interpreter groups, as well as between foreign language teachers and non-linguistic experts. For simultaneous interpreters, the findings can be explained by conditions at work which demand the continuous dividing of attention between listening to the source text, formulating and speaking the target text, and even monitoring and comparing the equivalence of the two. With consecutive interpreters, the results could reflect high demands for resisting external distractions at work.

Originality:

The results seem to point to expertise-dependent differences in memory and executive control between different foreign language expert groups achieved as a result of thorough experience in their field of expertise.

Significance:

In addition to the memory processes, executive control seems to play a significant role in explaining the cognitive processes of simultaneous and consecutive interpreting compared to that of other experts, both linguistic and non-linguistic.
Understanding health-care access and utilization disparities among Latino children in the United States
Authors: Langellier Brent A , Chen Jie , Vargas-Bustamante Arturo , Inkelas Moira , Ortega Alexander N
Published: November 2014

It is important to understand the source of health-care disparities between Latinos and other children in the United States. We examine parent-reported health-care access and utilization among Latino, White, and Black children (≤17 years old) in the United States in the 2006–2011 National Health Interview Survey. Using Blinder-Oaxaca decomposition, we portion health-care disparities into two parts (1) those attributable to differences in the levels of sociodemographic characteristics (e.g., income) and (2) those attributable to differences in group-specific regression coefficients that measure the health-care ‘return’ Latino, White, and Black children receive on these characteristics. In the United States, Latino children are less likely than Whites to have a usual source of care, receive at least one preventive care visit, and visit a doctor, and are more likely to have delayed care. The return on sociodemographic characteristics explains 20–30% of the disparity between Latino and White children in the usual source of care, delayed care, and doctor visits and 40–50% of the disparity between Latinos and Blacks in emergency department use and preventive care. Much of the health-care disadvantage experienced by Latino children would persist if Latinos had the sociodemographic characteristics as Whites and Blacks.
Trans-national migration and the issue of ‘ethnic’ solidarity: Finnish Roma elite and Eastern European Roma migrants in Finland
Authors: Roman Raluca B.
Published: November 2014

From 2007 to 2008, the presence of migrant-beggars from Eastern European countries in Finland has brought about much discussion regarding the status of this group in what is perceived as a model welfare state. The beggars, identified mainly Roma from Romanian and Bulgaria, were not easily fitting within the ideals of work culture within a Nordic welfare society. Moreover, no clear demarcation was made between the groups of migrant Roma and the national, Finnish Roma community. This paper focuses on the views of some of the Finnish Roma ‘elite’ regarding the presence of Roma beggars in the Helsinki area, dealing with the interactions between national and migrant Roma in the city of Helsinki as a consequence of Eastern European Roma migration to this area and bringing into question the limitations of an ethnic approach to Roma migration. The focus is on analysing the contradictions and ambiguities in what could easily (yet problematically) be understood as ‘intra-ethnic’ relations.
Making a difference without creating a difference: Super-diversity as a new direction for research on Roma minorities
Authors: Tremlett Annabel
Published: November 2014

Academic and policy discourses recognise the diversity of Roma minorities, frequently using the word ‘Roma’ as an umbrella term that is meant to capture the inherent plurality of such populations. However, ‘heterogeneity’ can still prove to be an inadequate approach to diversity, as it categorises people and still positions them on an essentialising template of what it is to be ‘Roma’, which can discount their linguistic, cultural, socio-economic and identification hybridities, or ‘super-diversity’. ‘Super-diversity’ is a relatively new concept that is seen as a way to better represent the types of diversities that are normal amongst contemporary populations. This article looks at the trajectory of research on Roma minorities and examines the opportunities and challenges for using super-diversity as a way of articulating a new direction.
Ericksonian therapy as a grounding for a theory of persuasive marketing dialogue
Authors: Miles Chris
Published: November 2014

Calls for the abandonment of manipulative and controlling marketing communication practices have become increasingly common in relationship- and service-orientated marketing theories. Scholars supporting such calls agree that the pursuit of communicative control should be replaced by a dialogical, negotiative orientation. However, there has been little thought given to how exactly dialogical marketing communication can practically reconcile itself with the issue of persuasion. In this article, I argue that a critical appraisal of the techniques of the clinical hypnotist and therapist Milton Erickson can provide marketers with a constructive framework with which to refashion their communicative roles and practices around the notion of a therapeutic, rhetorically grounded, marketing dialogue in which marketing stakeholders interweave dynamic narratives of value, which have the power to change other stakeholders and themselves. I also use the comparison with service-orientated marketing literature to point out certain weaknesses in the Ericksonian conception of the therapist/client dyad.
The experience of family carers of people with dementia who are hospitalised
Authors: Bloomer Melissa , Digby Robin , Tan Heather , Crawford Kimberley , Williams Allison
Published: November 2014

Hospital admission of a person with dementia can have a significant impact on the family carer, who temporarily relinquishes caring to health professionals. A descriptive qualitative design using in-depth interviews with a conversational approach was used to elicit data. Adjusting to the change in the carer’s role can be challenging and result in feelings of helplessness, loneliness, loss of control and being undervalued. Family support can assist with the transition but family conflict increases anxiety. Good communication between clinicians and the carer is vital. The carer should be included in decision-making as the ‘expert' in the care of the person with dementia. This article discusses findings of a larger study specifically related to the emotional support required for the carers of people with dementia, who are admitted to hospital. The carer and the patient must be considered as a dyad in relation to discharge planning.
User-driven sampling strategies in image exploitation
Authors: Harvey Neal , Porter Reid
Published: November 2014

Both visual analytics and interactive machine learning try to leverage the complementary strengths of humans and machines to solve complex data exploitation tasks. These fields overlap most significantly when training is involved: the visualization or machine learning tool improves over time by exploiting observations of the human–computer interaction. This article focuses on one aspect of the human–computer interaction that we call user-driven sampling strategies. Unlike relevance feedback and active learning sampling strategies, where the computer selects which data to label at each iteration, we investigate situations where the user selects which data are to be labeled at each iteration. User-driven sampling strategies can emerge in many visual analytics applications, but they have not been fully developed in machine learning. User-driven sampling strategies suggest new theoretical and practical research questions for both visualization science and machine learning. In this article, we identify and quantify the potential benefits of these strategies in a practical image analysis application. We find user-driven sampling strategies can sometimes provide significant performance gains by steering tools toward local minima that have lower error than tools trained with all of the data. In preliminary experiments, we find these performance gains are particularly pronounced when the user is experienced with the tool and application domain.
The need for guidance on integrating structural health monitoring within military aircraft systems
Authors: Buderath Matthias , McFeat Jim , Azzam Hesham
Published: November 2014

Since September 2006, an international Aerospace Industry Steering Committee was assembled at Stanford University. Since February 2009, the committee has been formally working on developing guidelines for validating, qualifying and certifying structural health monitoring systems. Working within the G-11 division of SAE International, the committee has compiled guidelines for civil transport aircraft. Some of these guidelines can be used for military applications. However, military guidelines are needed to address specific military considerations including concept of operations. The military guidelines should also cover the wider spectrum of military aircraft types and should focus on the key elements required for integrating structural health monitoring within military systems. Therefore, a G-11 Aerospace Industry Steering Committee Military Aircraft Working Group was formed to develop such guidelines. This article describes the motivation, rationale, scope, milestones and initial work of the Military Aircraft Working Group. The results of the guidelines will form the future framework for the military community.
Treatment of symptomatic coral reef aorta with an uncovered stent graft
Authors: Bosanquet DC , Wood A , Williams IM
Published: November 2014

Coral reef aorta is a rare condition characterised by extreme calcific growths affecting the juxta and suprarenal aorta. It can cause symptoms due to visceral ischaemia, lower limb hypoperfusion, and distal embolisation. We present a case of a 61-year-old man with unresponsive hypertension, who was found to have an occluded right renal artery, and an extensive coral reef aorta with a marked pressure gradient across the lesion. Renal hypoperfusion secondary to aortic coral reef aorta was thought to be the cause for his hypertension. Endovascular placement of a balloon expandable uncovered stent resolved his hypertension within one month, with no adverse effects noted at subsequent follow-up. Endovascular treatment of coral reef aorta is technically possible and avoids a major vascular procedure.
Framing strategies at different stages of a crisis: Coverage of the ‘July 5th’ Urumqi event by Xinhua, Reuters, and AP
Authors: Zeng Li , Zhou Lijie , Li Xigen
Published: November 2014

Western media organizations have frequently complained about the lack of reporting freedom in China, especially when covering controversial events. During the ‘July 5th’ Urumqi event in 2009, the Chinese government loosened the regulations on reporting freedom for foreign media and tested a new policy in dealing with foreign media reporting social conflicts in China, a sensitive topic that the government had laid firm hands on for decades. This study examined how Xinhua, Reuters, and AP covered the 2009 ‘July 5th’ Urumqi event under the loosened regulations. The findings revealed that during the initial stage, the three news agencies displayed considerable similarities in news frames. When it was time to investigate background and contextual information, media organizations began to reveal the different interest they represent and hence the variance in news frames.
Big Data, data integrity, and the fracturing of the control zone
Authors: Lagoze Carl
Published: November 2014

Despite all the attention to Big Data and the claims that it represents a “paradigm shift” in science, we lack understanding about what are the qualities of Big Data that may contribute to this revolutionary impact. In this paper, we look beyond the quantitative aspects of Big Data (i.e. lots of data) and examine it from a sociotechnical perspective. We argue that a key factor that distinguishes “Big Data” from “lots of data” lies in changes to the traditional, well-established “control zones” that facilitated clear provenance of scientific data, thereby ensuring data integrity and providing the foundation for credible science. The breakdown of these control zones is a consequence of the manner in which our network technology and culture enable and encourage open, anonymous sharing of information, participation regardless of expertise, and collaboration across geographic, disciplinary, and institutional barriers. We are left with the conundrum—how to reap the benefits of Big Data while re-creating a trust fabric and an accountable chain of responsibility that make credible science possible.
Dinaciclib, a novel CDK inhibitor, demonstrates encouraging single-agent activity in patients with relapsed multiple myeloma
Authors: Kumar Shaji K. , LaPlant Betsy , Chng Wee Joo , Zonder Jeffrey , Callander Natalie , Fonseca Rafael , Fruth Briant , Roy Vivek , Erlichman Charles , Stewart A. Keith
Published: November 2014

Key Points

Dinaciclib is a novel cdk inhibitor that demonstrates single agent activity in myeloma. Dinaciclib has a safety profile that is easily manageable.
Availability, price and affordability of anti-tuberculosis drugs in Europe: a TBNET survey
Authors: Günther Gunar , Gomez Gabriela B. , Lange Christoph , Rupert Stephan , van Leth Frank
Published: November 2014

Data on availability and cost of anti-tuberculosis (TB) drugs in relation to affordability at national level are scarce.

We performed a cross-sectional study on availability and cost of anti-TB drugs at major TB-reference centres in 37 European countries. Costs of standardised treatment regimens used for pan-sensitive TB, multidrug-resistant (MDR) TB, pre-extensively drug-resistant (XDR) TB, and XDR-TB were compared using a purchasing power analysis. Affordability was evaluated in relation to monthly national gross domestic products per capita (GDP).

At least one second-line injectable and either moxifloxacin or levofloxacin were available in all countries. Linezolid and clofazimine were available in 79% and 46% of the countries, respectively. Drug cost for XDR-TB was three-times more expensive than those for MDR-TB. The average price of treatment for pan-sensitive TB represented a maximum of 8.5% of the monthly GDP across countries, while for standard MDR-TB treatment this was <30% in only six countries and more than 100% in four countries. Treatment of XDR-TB represented more than 100% of a month's GDP in all countries where the regimen was available.

High cost and limited availability of drugs for treatment of drug-resistant TB, particularly beyond resistance to first-line drugs, are a major impediment to successful TB control in Europe.
Chemokine decoy receptor D6 mimicking trap (D6MT) prevents allosensitization and immune rejection in murine corneal allograft model
Authors: Choi Wungrak , Byun Yu Jeong , Jeong Eunae , Noh Hyemi , Hajrasouliha Amir R , Sadrai Zahra , Chang Eunju , Lee Joon H , Lee Hyung Keun
Published: November 2014

Although corneal allotransplantation is performed in the immune-privileged cornea, many grafts are still rejected after transplantation. This study examined the role of chemokine receptor D6 expression in a corneal allograft rejection, investigated the modulation of D6 expression in cells, and determined the effect of D6 on graft survival. Interestingly, D6 was highly expressed in CD45− cells and the corneal epithelium of accepted corneal allografts. From the mouse corneal allograft model, TGF-β was found to play a key role in D6 up-regulation, leading to reduced CCL2, CCL5, and CCL3. To modulate D6 chemokine binding, a D6MT was developed and showed effective chemokine trapping through SPR and FACS assays. By treating corneal allografts with D6MT, the allograft survival rate was improved, and (lymph) angiogenesis was reduced. Direct allosensitization and DC LN homing was drastically reduced in the mouse corneal allograft model. These findings suggest that TGF-β is a positive regulator of D6 expression, and it is a potential therapeutic target to enhance the survival of corneal allografts.
Genetic interaction implicates iRhom2 in the regulation of EGF receptor signalling in mice
Authors: Siggs Owen M. , Grieve Adam , Xu Hongmei , Bambrough Paul , Christova Yonka , Freeman Matthew
Published: November 2014

iRhoms are closely related to rhomboid intramembrane proteases but lack catalytic activity. In mammals iRhoms are known to regulate the trafficking of TACE, the protease that cleaves the membrane bound inflammatory cytokine TNF. We have mapped a spontaneously occurring mouse mutation with a loss of hair phenotype, curly bare (cub), to the Rhbdf2 locus, which encodes the iRhom2 protein. The cub deletion removes the first 268 amino acids of the iRhom2 protein but is not a loss of function. We have also identified a previously reported suppressor of cub, called Mcub (modifier of curly bare), and find it to be a loss of function allele of the amphiregulin gene (Areg). Amphiregulin is an activating ligand of the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) that, like TNF, is released by TACE. Our results therefore imply a regulatory link between iRhoms and EGFR signalling in mammals. We have tested the model that the cub mutation leads to iRhom2 hyperactivity and consequently excess TACE processing of amphiregulin and elevated EGFR signalling. Our results do not support this hypothesis: we find that, compared to wild-type cells, cub mutant embryonic fibroblasts release less amphiregulin, and that the cub mutant form of iRhom2 is less able than wild type to bind to TACE and promote its maturation.
Wnt/β-catenin signaling integrates patterning and metabolism of the insect growth zone
Authors: Oberhofer Georg , Grossmann Daniela , Siemanowski Janna L. , Beissbarth Tim , Bucher Gregor
Published: November 2014

Wnt/β-catenin and hedgehog (Hh) signaling are essential for transmitting signals across cell membranes in animal embryos. Early patterning of the principal insect model, Drosophila melanogaster, occurs in the syncytial blastoderm, where diffusion of transcription factors obviates the need for signaling pathways. However, in the cellularized growth zone of typical short germ insect embryos, signaling pathways are predicted to play a more fundamental role. Indeed, the Wnt/β-catenin pathway is required for posterior elongation in most arthropods, although which target genes are activated in this context remains elusive. Here, we use the short germ beetle Tribolium castaneum to investigate two Wnt and Hh signaling centers located in the head anlagen and in the growth zone of early embryos. We find that Wnt/β-catenin signaling acts upstream of Hh in the growth zone, whereas the opposite interaction occurs in the head. We determine the target gene sets of the Wnt/β-catenin and Hh pathways and find that the growth zone signaling center activates a much greater number of genes and that the Wnt and Hh target gene sets are essentially non-overlapping. The Wnt pathway activates key genes of all three germ layers, including pair-rule genes, and Tc-caudal and Tc-twist. Furthermore, the Wnt pathway is required for hindgut development and we identify Tc-senseless as a novel hindgut patterning gene required in the early growth zone. At the same time, Wnt acts on growth zone metabolism and cell division, thereby integrating growth with patterning. Posterior Hh signaling activates several genes potentially involved in a proteinase cascade of unknown function.
Tissue-Specific Metabolite Profiling of Turmeric by Using Laser Microdissection, Ultra-High Performance Liquid Chromatography-Quadrupole Time of Fight-Mass Spectrometry and Liquid Chromatography-Tandem Mass Spectrometry
Authors: Jaiswal Yogini , Liang Zhitao , Ho Alan , Chen Hubiao , Zhao Zhongzhen
Published: November 2014

Curcuma longa L. is recognized for its therapeutic and culinary uses both in Ayurveda and traditional Chinese medicine and is considered to be a boon to mankind. It has been extensively studied for its benefits and still continues to be an important drug with continued potential for further exploration and research. We studied the tissue-specific distribution of secondary metabolites to establish the validity of the use of rhizome samples from India and China, as substitutes for each other, based upon their metabolite profiles and curcumin contents. Laser microdissection was used for the isolation of microscopic tissues, such as cork, cortex and leaf-trace vascular bundles from rhizomes. Metabolite profiling was carried out by ultra-high performance liquid chromatography-quadrupole time of fight-mass spectrometry and curcumin content was estimated by a method validated as per the Harmonized Tripartite Guidelines. The cortex and cork revealed the presence of a higher number of secondary metabolites than in the leaf-trace vascular bundles. The curcumin contents in rhizome samples from both the countries, estimated with the help of a precise and accurate validated method, were found to be comparable. Based on the results, we conclude that turmeric rhizomes grown in India and China are qualitatively and quantitatively indistinguishable and therefore can be used as substitutes. The developed method can be widely applied for microscopic identification, authentication and analysis of the distribution of phytoconstituents in other botanical species of interest or of species with a significant commercial and therapeutic value.
A common feature pharmacophore for FDA-approved drugs inhibiting the Ebola virus
Authors: Ekins Sean , Freundlich Joel S. , Coffee Megan
Published: November 2014

We are currently faced with a global infectious disease crisis which has been anticipated for decades. While many promising biotherapeutics are being tested, the search for a small molecule has yet to deliver an approved drug or therapeutic for the Ebola or similar filoviruses that cause haemorrhagic fever. Two recent high throughput screens published in 2013 did however identify several hits that progressed to animal studies that are FDA approved drugs used for other indications. The current computational analysis uses these molecules from two different structural classes to construct a common features pharmacophore. This ligand-based pharmacophore implicates a possible common target or mechanism that could be further explored. A recent structure based design project yielded nine co-crystal structures of pyrrolidinone inhibitors bound to the viral protein 35 (VP35). When receptor-ligand pharmacophores based on the analogs of these molecules and the protein structures were constructed, the molecular features partially overlapped with the common features of solely ligand-based pharmacophore models based on FDA approved drugs. These previously identified FDA approved drugs with activity against Ebola were therefore docked into this protein. The antimalarials chloroquine and amodiaquine docked favorably in VP35. We propose that these drugs identified to date as inhibitors of the Ebola virus may be targeting VP35. These computational models may provide preliminary insights into the molecular features that are responsible for their activity against Ebola virus in vitro and in vivo and we propose that this hypothesis could be readily tested.
Thermodynamic Analysis of V-concentrating Phase Formation in V-bearing Steelmaking Slag Modified by MgO
Authors: Wu Liushun , Gao Wei , Xie Dawei , Li Liaosha , Dong Yuanchi
Published: November 2014

In the study, magnesium oxide acting as modifier was added to V-bearing steelmaking slag to concentrate vanadium, and then the effect of magnesium oxide on the formation of V-concentrating phase during cooling was investigated. Experimental results show that, in the case of the original slag, di-calcium silicate along with most of vanadate and phosphate in the slag forms solid solution, calcium ferrite which contains small part of vanadium in the slag and matrix without vanadium in turn precipitate during slowly cooling; For the sample with 8% MgO addition, two new phases (merwinite and V-concentrating phase) generate during slowly cooling, and the amount of di-calcium silicate decreases. Merwinite phase doesn’t contain vanadium, and V-concentrating phase (Ca
Investigation of Microelectromechanical Switches for Next Generation DC Power Distribution System
Authors: Femi R. , Clement Shibu , Agrawal Anita , Prince A. Amalin
Published: November 2014

This paper investigates the application of microelectromechanical system (MEMS) switches for DC power distribution system. Traditional electromechanical switches, solid state switches and solid state switch array are studied and simulated to understand their characteristics. Performance and characteristics of MEMS switches are reviewed and identified that electrostatically actuated MEMS switches are suitable for DC power applications. Scalable total cross tied (TCT) array configuration using MEMS switches has been proposed. The proposed configuration is suitable for variable voltage/current rating. Arc-less behavior of the switch configuration is analyzed using modified Paschen’s curve. 400 V/6 A system is considered for the simulation and comparative study. The simulated result of the proposed MEMS switch array configuration is compared with the traditional switches. The comparative study shows that the proposed switch array configuration gives better performance in terms of voltage drop, leakage current, power loss, arc and size. This can be used in DC power system protection, circuit breaking, battery protection and smart grid load switching applications.
A study on the key success factors of service quality for international hotels
Authors: Chang Wan-Yu
Published: November 2014

With Taiwan ROC’s economic growth, the importance of service industries has gradually increased. Tourism services, as a comprehensive undertaking with multiple objectives, contribute greatly to the foreign exchange earnings of the country. Specifically, international hotels, which provide accommodation, catering, shopping, socializing, committee rooms and recreation, play a crucial role in the tourism industry. The current study adopted the Delphi method and offered an anonymous channel for conveying opinions. After repetitive consultations, summarizations and revisions, the analytic network process (ANP) principles for the study were finally constructed. The subjects of the study were clients of international tourist hotels in the Taipei area. In total, 250 questionnaires were distributed, and 176 valid questionnaires were collected, at a questionnaire response rate of 70%. As the results demonstrated, the most significant dimension was “Responsiveness” (weight = 0.238): which accounted for 23.8% of the overall weights. Other dimensions were also important: “Assurance” (weight = 0.217), “Reliability” (weight = 0.205), “Empathy” (weight = 0. 183), and “Tangibles” (weight = 0.157). The research results showed that “Responsiveness” was of the greatest importance for service quality in international tourist hotels. The data compiled from the overall weights of evaluation indicators of the service quality for the international hotels showed that, among the 16 evaluation indicators, the top five indexes were ranked, based on importance, as follows: service willingness, expertise, responsiveness, reliability, and cordiality.