bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Extensive Adhesions in Living Donor Liver Transplantation: A Retrospective Analysis
Authors: Pahari Hirak , Li Wei‐Feng , Lin Tsan‐Shiun , Wang Chih‐Chi , Yong Chee‐Chien , Lin Ting‐Lung , Lin Chih‐Che , Liu Yueh‐Wei , Lin Yu‐Hung , Concejero Allan M. , Jawan Bruno , Chen Chao‐Long
Published: September 2015

Background

Adhesions are abnormal fibrous bands of scar tissue between internal organs and tissues. With respect to recipient hepatectomy in living donor liver transplantation (LDLT), we defined extensive adhesions as adhesions in at least two separate locations that required more than 5 % of the total surgical time to lyse. We aimed to identify the etiology and consequences of this preventable burden.

Methods

A simple retrospective case–control study of all cases with extensive adhesions from August 2011 to September 2014 matched by age, sex, and diagnosis at surgery.

Results

A total of 380 cases were studied. Thirty‐eight and five patients had extensive adhesions from surgical and non‐surgical causes, respectively. The incidence and complications in pediatric patients were far less than in adults. In the adult group, the mean operative time was increased by 75 min (12.3 %) and blood loss by 2.5 L.The incidence of bowel perforation and biliary infections were increased in adults, while there was no significant difference in the rate of ascitic or wound infections. The 1‐year survival was slightly less (92 %) than the control group (100 %).

Conclusions

The most common cause of extensive adhesions at LDLT was prior liver resection. Extensive adhesions caused increased morbidity by increased blood loss, transfusion requirements, and increased cold ischemia time. There is also a higher risk of bowel perforation during enterolysis. The use of commercially available barrier techniques is advisable in adults at high risk of developing adhesions with a possibility of liver transplantation, such as liver resection for HCC.
A Social Ecological Model of Syndemic Risk affecting Women with and At‐Risk for HIV in Impoverished Urban Communities
Authors: Batchelder A. W. , Gonzalez J. S. , Palma A. , Schoenbaum E. , Lounsbury D. W.
Published: September 2015

Syndemic risk is an ecological construct, defined by co‐occurring interdependent socio‐environmental, interpersonal and intrapersonal determinants. We posited syndemic risk to be a function of violence, substance use, perceived financial hardship, emotional distress and self‐worth among women with and at‐risk for HIV in an impoverished urban community. In order to better understand these interrelationships, we developed and validated a system dynamics (SD) model based upon peer‐reviewed literature; secondary data analyses of a cohort dataset including women living with and at‐risk of HIV in Bronx, NY (N = 620); and input from a Bronx‐based community advisory board. Simulated model output revealed divergent levels and patterns of syndemic risk over time across different sample profiles. Outputs generated new insights about how to effectively explore multicomponent multi‐level programs in order to strategically develop more effective services for this population. Specifically, the model indicated that effective multi‐level interventions might bolster women’s resilience by increasing self‐worth, which may result in decreased perceived financial hardship and risk of violence. Overall, our stakeholder‐informed model depicts how self‐worth may be a major driver of vulnerability and a meaningful addition to syndemic theory affecting this population.
Older Age as a Prognostic Factor of Attenuated Pain Recovery After Shoulder Arthroscopy
Authors: Simon Corey B. , Riley Joseph L. , Coronado Rogelio A. , Valencia Carolina , Wright Thomas W. , Moser Michael W. , Farmer Kevin W. , George Steven Z.
Published: September 2015

Background

Shoulder pain and surgery are common among older adults. However, the extent to which older age affects recovery after shoulder surgery is not well understood.

Objective

To assess influence of older age on postoperative recovery factors 3 and 6 months after shoulder arthroscopy.

Design

Prospective cohort study.

Setting

University‐affiliated outpatient orthopedic surgical center.

Patients

A convenience sample of 139 persons between 20 and 79 years of age who experienced shoulder pain, had musculoskeletal dysfunction based on imaging and physician assessment, and were scheduled for an arthroscopic shoulder procedure.

Main Outcome Measures

Postoperative outcomes were compared among younger, middle‐aged, and older adults before surgery and at 3 and 6 months after surgery using analysis of variance modeling. Movement‐evoked pain and an experimental laboratory correlate of pain processing were assessed at each time point. The influence of older age on 3‐ and 6‐month pain outcomes were determined via multivariate regression analyses after accounting for preoperative, intraoperative, and postoperative prognostic factors.

Results

Older adults had higher movement‐evoked pain intensity (F2,108 = 5.18, P = .007) and experimental pain response (F2,111 = 7.24, P = .001) at 3 months compared with young and middle‐aged adults. After controlling for key prognostic factors, older age remained a positive predictor of 3‐month movement‐evoked pain (R2 = 0.05; standardized [St.] β = 0.263, P = .031) and experimental pain response (R2 = 0.07; St. β = 0.295, P = .014). Further, older age remained a positive predictor of movement‐evoked pain at 6 months (R2 = 0.04; St. β = 0.231, P = .004), despite no age group differences in outcome. Older age was found to be the strongest predictor of 3‐ and 6‐month movement‐evoked pain.

Conclusion

Older adults may experience more pain related to movement, as well as endogenous pain excitation, in the first few months after shoulder arthroscopy. Future age‐related research should consider use of movement‐evoked pain intensity and experimental pain response as pain outcomes, as well as the utility of such measures in clinical care.
Composing Europe’s Fundamental Rights Area: A Case for Discursive Pluralism
Authors: HALLESKOV STORGAARD Louise
Published: September 2015

This article offers a perspective on how the objective of a strong and coherent European protection standard pursued by the fundamental rights amendments of the Lisbon Treaty can be achieved, as it proposes a discursive pluralistic framework to understand and guide the relationship between the EU Court of Justice and the European Court of Human Rights. It is argued that this framework – which is suggested as an alternative to the EU law approach to the Strasbourg system applied by the CJEU inOpinion 2/13and its Charter-based case law – has a firm doctrinal, case law and normative basis. The article ends by addressing three of the most pertinent challenges to European fundamental rights protection through the prism of the proposed framework.
Physicalising the spirit-dimension by song, dance and ‘fakery’ in indigenous mainland Riau, Indonesia
Authors: Porath Nathan
Published: September 2015

The Orang Sakai of Mainland Riau, on the east coast of Sumatra, have an elaborate performing art genre through which they physicalise the unseen spirit-dimension in a shamanic ritual calleddikei. Their shamanic ritual utilises songs, dance as well as comedy. This article elaborates on how songs and dance visualise the unseen beings and provides detailed examples of Sakai performances during which shamans ‘dance with’ or ‘move with’ the spirits. A second theme of the article is the question of the relationship between the meaning of ‘performance’ and fakery, and suggests that there are three types of performed fakery, two of which are accepted as valid and necessary performances which technically contribute to the performance of medicine and the physicalisation of spirit presence.
Becoming professional artists in postwar Singapore and Malaya: Developments in art during a time of political transition
Authors: Low Yvonne
Published: September 2015

This article aims to recover the background to the post-Second World War growth of local art activities, art education and the rise of the professional artist on the island of Singapore and peninsular Malaya. It examines how the transitional period spanning the dissolution of British colonialism and the establishment of two independent nations stimulated unique conditions for the development of local art education and created an amateur–professional artist divide. The promotion and support of fine arts and related activities were in tandem with nation-building strategies that sought to construct a common ‘Malayan’ culture and identity.
The Flaws and Human Harms of Animal Experimentation
Authors: AKHTAR AYSHA
Published: September 2015

Nonhuman animal (“animal”) experimentation is typically defended by arguments that it is reliable, that animals provide sufficiently good models of human biology and diseases to yield relevant information, and that, consequently, its use provides major human health benefits. I demonstrate that a growing body of scientific literature critically assessing the validity of animal experimentation generally (and animal modeling specifically) raises important concerns about its reliability and predictive value for human outcomes and for understanding human physiology. The unreliability of animal experimentation across a wide range of areas undermines scientific arguments in favor of the practice. Additionally, I show how animal experimentation often significantly harms humans through misleading safety studies, potential abandonment of effective therapeutics, and direction of resources away from more effective testing methods. The resulting evidence suggests that the collective harms and costs to humans from animal experimentation outweigh potential benefits and that resources would be better invested in developing human-based testing methods.
Roman wall-painting and social significance
Authors: Tybout Rolf A.
Published: September 2015

During the last two decades a spate of publications forcefully brought to our attention the importance of the Roman house in the socio-political life of the élite in the late Republic and early Imperial period, both in Rome and in “provincial” towns like Pompeii, the metropolitan center of power setting the patterns for the lifestyle of local grandees. The focus is on the rôle of architecture in shaping the spatial, and thereby social, articulation of thedomus. Literary sources concerning Roman domestic life and known for a long time are scrutinized for the light they might shed on the archaeological evidence, especially on the functions of rooms and other parts of the house. Roman wall-painting also attracts fresh attention in this context. The main focus in recent studies is on its synchronic formal variety, allowing painters, or perhaps rather their commissioners, to underline and at the same time refine the hierarchical organisation of space inherent in the architectural design.
The sigillata manufactories of Pergamon and Sagalassos
Authors: Poblome Jeroen , Bounegru Octavian , Degryse Patrick , Viaene Willy , Waelkens Marc , Erdemgil Selahattin
Published: September 2015

The Late Hellenistic period saw the intensification of pottery mass-production processes, of which Eastern Sigillata may be considered the pearl in the crown. Reddish tableware had a long tradition in the Levant and its evolution culminated around 150 B.C., in the region between Tarsos and Laodikeia, with the production of Eastern Sigillata A (ESA). More or less simultaneously, but independently, the manufacturing of Eastern Sigillata C (ESC) was initiated at Pergamon. Within a couple of decades the new range of tableware would establish itself in both regions of production, and other pottery production centres picked up the trend with, for instance, the production of Eastern Sigillata D (ESD) in SW Cyprus and the Late Hellenistic predecessor of Sagalassos red slip ware (SRSW) at Pisidian Sagalassos. No doubt, many more regional centres followed suit.

The new tableware only gradually made its way, starting to replace other common Late Hellenistic types of fine ware. Only by the end of the Hellenistic period did sigillata become common on most Eastern tables. ESA was clearly in a league of its own, predominating through out the E Mediterranean and beyond. ESD was mainly restricted to Cyprus and the Levant, whereas ESC and Late Hellenistic SRSW remained of regional importance. More research is needed to evaluate the supra-regional demand for ESA in a social context, how this demand may have formed part of wider-ranging commercial activities of Levantine merchants in the E Mediterranean, how the geo-political shifts orchestrated by Rome may have influenced the exchange patterns, and how the other types of Eastern Sigillata and Late Hellenistic tablewares fit into this pattern and relate to prototypes in precious metal, For instance, the island emporion of Delos, handed over to Athens in 167 B.C. and especially favoured by the Romans after the destruction of Corinth in 146 B.C., may have been of crucial importance in establishing the distribution pattern of early ESA. Delos catered to the needs of Italy, which had grown powerful and rich in the 2nd c. B.C., by funnelling large numbers of slaves and a wide variety of luxury products, mainly from the Near East, to Rome. Levantine merchants contributed greatly to the success of Delos by controlling the supply mechanisms. As a result, ESA may have grown into a desirable surrogate for Eastern precious metal plate and thus acquired an esteemed position in the tableware market (cf. Cic, ad Att. 115 [VI.1] 13, dated 50 B.C., on vasa Rhosica).
Comparison of cryoablation with 3D mapping versus conventional mapping for the treatment of atrioventricular re-entrant tachycardia and right-sided paraseptal accessory pathways
Authors: Russo Mario S. , Drago Fabrizio , Silvetti Massimo S. , Righi Daniela , Di Mambro Corrado , Placidi Silvia , Prosperi Monica , Ciani Michele , Naso Onofrio Maria T. , Cannatà Vittorio
Published: September 2015

Aim

Transcatheter cryoablation is a well-established technique for the treatment of atrioventricular nodal re-entry tachycardia and atrioventricular re-entry tachycardia in children. Fluoroscopy or three-dimensional mapping systems can be used to perform the ablation procedure. The aim of this study was to compare the success rate of cryoablation procedures for the treatment of right septal accessory pathways and atrioventricular nodal re-entry circuits in children using conventional or three-dimensional mapping and to evaluate whether three-dimensional mapping was associated with reduced patient radiation dose compared with traditional mapping.

Methods

In 2013, 81 children underwent transcatheter cryoablation at our institution, using conventional mapping in 41 children – 32 atrioventricular nodal re-entry tachycardia and nine atrioventricular re-entry tachycardia – and three-dimensional mapping in 40 children – 24 atrioventricular nodal re-entry tachycardia and 16 atrioventricular re-entry tachycardia.

Results

Using conventional mapping, the overall success rate was 78.1 and 66.7% in patients with atrioventricular nodal re-entry tachycardia or atrioventricular re-entry tachycardia, respectively. Using three-dimensional mapping, the overall success rate was 91.6 and 75%, respectively (p=ns). The use of three-dimensional mapping was associated with a reduction in cumulative air kerma and cumulative air kerma–area product of 76.4 and 67.3%, respectively (p<0.05).

Conclusions

The use of three-dimensional mapping compared with the conventional fluoroscopy-guided method for cryoablation of right septal accessory pathways and atrioventricular nodal re-entry circuits in children was associated with a significant reduction in patient radiation dose without an increase in success rate.
Cognitive Emotion Regulation as a Mediator between Posttraumatic Stress Symptoms and Hypomanic Personality within a Non-Clinical Population
Authors: Steel Craig
Published: September 2015

Background: There is a high prevalence of traumatic life events within individuals diagnosed with bipolar disorder. However, currently there is limited theoretical understanding of this relationship. Aims: To explore whether non-clinical symptoms of posttraumatic stress have a direct effect on the non-clinical symptoms of bipolar disorder, or whether this relationship is mediated by cognitive emotion regulation strategies. Method: A cross-sectional design within non-clinical participants completing an online survey including the Impact of Events Scale, Cognitive Emotion Regulation Questionnaire and the Hypomanic Personality Scale. Results: Posttraumatic stress symptoms were associated with hypomanic personality. Intrusive memories contributed a small but significant proportion of the variance between these two measures. Rumination of negative emotions mediated the relationship between posttraumatic stress and hypomanic personality. Conclusions: The relationship between traumatic events and an increased prevalence of bipolar disorder remains poorly understood. Further research should explore rumination as a potential target for treatment within those suffering from both posttraumatic stress and bipolar disorder.
‘LEGITIMATE RAPE’, MORAL COHERENCE, AND DEGREES OF SEXUAL HARM
Authors: Earp Brian D.
Published: September 2015

In 2012, the politician Todd Akin caused a firestorm by suggesting, in the context of an argument about the moral permissibility of abortion, that some forms of rape were ‘legitimate’ (i.e., carried out with great force or violence). This seemed to imply that other forms of rape must not be legitimate (i.e., carried out with less force or violence). In response, several commentators pointed out that rape is a ‘heinous crime’ and that there are ‘no varying degrees of rape’. While the intention of these commentators was clear, I argue that they may – inadvertently – have played into the very stereotype of rape (implicitly) endorsed by Akin. Such a response, I claim, actually obscures a range of sexual harms, including some that may not rise to the level of being a crime. I also offer some thoughts on the moral psychology behind anti-abortion arguments of the kind advanced by Akin.
OPEN-MINDEDNESS IN SCIENCE EDUCATION
Authors: Guzzo Guilherme Brambatti , Garcia Guilherme Duarte
Published: September 2015

Critical thinking is widely regarded as one of the main objectives of education in general terms, and also of science education. The idea of thinking critically, that is, to evaluate adequately and eventually embrace a certain claim only if there are good reasons for it, however, seems to contradict some popular conceptions about other educational ideal: open-mindedness. The purpose of this essay is to discuss how critical thinking and open-mindedness are not exclusionary ideals, and how those ideas are important for science education.
Class Anxiety in Secondary Education: Exploring Structural Relations with Perceived Control, Engagement, Disaffection, and Performance
Authors: González Antonio , Faílde Garrido José María , Rodríguez Castro Yolanda , Carrera Rodríguez María Victoria
Published: September 2015

The aim of this study was to assess the relationships between class-related anxiety with perceived control, teacher-reported behavioral engagement, behavioral disaffection, and academic performance. Participants were 355 compulsory secondary students (9th and 10th grades; Mean age = 15.2 years; SD = 1.8 years). Structural equation models revealed performance was predicted by perceived control, anxiety, disaffection, and engagement. Perceived control predicted anxiety, disaffection, and engagement. Anxiety predicted disaffection and engagement, and partially mediated the effects from control on disaffection (β = –.277, p < .005; CI = –.378, –.197) and engagement (β = .170, p < .002; CI = .103 .258). The negative association between anxiety and performance was mediated by engagement and disaffection (β = –.295, p < .002; CI = –.439, –.182). Anxiety, engagement, and disaffection mediated the effects of control on performance (β = .352, p < .003; CI = .279, .440). The implications of these results are discussed in the light of current theory and educational interventions.
Voyage inside the cell: Microsystems and nanoengineering for intracellular measurement and manipulation
Authors: Liu Jun , Wen Jun , Zhang Zhuoran , Liu Haijiao , Sun Yu
Published: September 2015

Properties of organelles and intracellular structures play important roles in regulating cellular functions, such as gene expression, cell motility and metabolism. The ability to directly interrogate intracellular structures inside a single cell for measurement and manipulation has significant implications in the understanding of subcellular and suborganelle activities, diagnosing diseases, and potentially developing new therapeutic approaches. In the past few decades, a number of technologies have been developed to study single-cell properties. However, methods of measuring intracellular properties and manipulating subcellular structures have been largely underexplored. Due to the even smaller size of intracellular targets and lower signal-to-noise ratio than that in whole-cell studies, the development of tools for intracellular measurement and manipulation is challenging. This paper reviews emerging microsystems and nanoengineered technologies for sensing and quantitative measurement of intracellular properties and for manipulating structures inside a single cell. Recent progress and limitations of these new technologies as well as new discoveries and prospects are discussed.
Resolution of structure of PIP5K1A reveals molecular mechanism for its regulation by dimerization and dishevelled
Authors: Hu Jian , Yuan Qianying , Kang Xue , Qin Yuanbo , Li Lin , Ha Ya , Wu Dianqing
Published: September 2015

Type I phosphatidylinositol phosphate kinase (PIP5K1) phosphorylates the head group of phosphatidylinositol 4-phosphate (PtdIns4P) to generate PtdIns4,5P2, which plays important roles in a wide range of cellular functions including Wnt signalling. However, the lack of its structural information has hindered the understanding of its regulation. Here we report the crystal structure of the catalytic domain of zebrafish PIP5K1A at 3.3 Å resolution. This molecule forms a side-to-side dimer. Mutagenesis study of PIP5K1A reveals two adjacent interfaces for the dimerization and interaction with the DIX domain of the Wnt signalling molecule dishevelled. Although these interfaces are located distally to the catalytic/substrate-binding site, binding to these interfaces either through dimerization or the interaction with DIX stimulates PIP5K1 catalytic activity. DIX binding additionally enhances PIP5K1 substrate binding. Thus, this study elucidates regulatory mechanisms for this lipid kinase and provides a paradigm for the understanding of PIP5K1 regulation by their interacting molecules.
LRRK2 G2019S mutation attenuates microglial motility by inhibiting focal adhesion kinase
Authors: Choi Insup , Kim Beomsue , Byun Ji-Won , Baik Sung Hoon , Huh Yun Hyun , Kim Jong-Hyeon , Mook-Jung Inhee , Song Woo Keun , Shin Joo-Ho , Seo Hyemyung , Suh Young Ho , Jou Ilo , Park Sang Myun , Kang Ho Chul , Joe Eun-Hye
Published: September 2015

In response to brain injury, microglia rapidly extend processes that isolate lesion sites and protect the brain from further injury. Here we report that microglia carrying a pathogenic mutation in the Parkinson’s disease (PD)-associated gene, G2019S-LRRK2 (GS-Tg microglia), show retarded ADP-induced motility and delayed isolation of injury, compared with non-Tg microglia. Conversely, LRRK2 knockdown microglia are highly motile compared with control cells. In our functional assays, LRRK2 binds to focal adhesion kinase (FAK) and phosphorylates its Thr–X–Arg/Lys (TXR/K) motif(s), eventually attenuating FAK activity marked by decreased pY397 phosphorylation (pY397). GS-LRRK2 decreases the levels of pY397 in the brain, microglia and HEK cells. In addition, treatment with an inhibitor of LRRK2 kinase restores pY397 levels, decreased pTXR levels and rescued motility of GS-Tg microglia. These results collectively suggest that G2019S mutation of LRRK2 may contribute to the development of PD by inhibiting microglial response to brain injury.
GITR subverts Foxp3+ Tregs to boost Th9 immunity through regulation of histone acetylation
Authors: Xiao Xiang , Shi Xiaomin , Fan Yihui , Zhang Xiaolong , Wu Minhao , Lan Peixiang , Minze Laurie , Fu Yang-Xin , Ghobrial Rafik M. , Liu Wentao , Li Xian Chang
Published: September 2015

Glucocorticoid-induced TNFR-related protein (GITR) is a costimulatory molecule with diverse effects on effector T cells and regulatory T cells (Tregs), but the underlying mechanism remains poorly defined. Here we demonstrate that GITR ligation subverts the induction of Foxp3+ Tregs and directs the activated CD4+ T cells to Th9 cells. Such GITR-mediated iTreg to Th9 induction enhances anti-tumour immunity in vivo. Mechanistically, GITR upregulates the NF-κB family member p50, which recruits histone deacetylases to the Foxp3 locus to produce a ‘closed’ chromatin structure. Furthermore, GITR ligation also activates STAT6, and STAT6 renders Il9 locus accessible via recruitment of histone acetyltransferase p300, and together with inhibition of Foxp3, GITR induces strong Th9 responses. Thus, Th9 cells and iTregs are developmentally linked and GITR can subvert tolerogenic conditions to boost Th9 immunity.
Enhanced UV Emission From Silver/ZnO And Gold/ZnO Core-Shell Nanoparticles: Photoluminescence, Radioluminescence, And Optically Stimulated Luminescence
Authors: Guidelli E. J. , Baffa O. , Clarke D. R.
Published: September 2015

The optical properties of core-shell nanoparticles consisting of a ZnO shell grown on Ag and Au nanoparticle cores by a solution method have been investigated. Both the ZnO/Ag and ZnO/Au particles exhibit strongly enhanced near-band-edge UV emission from the ZnO when excited at 325 nm. Furthermore, the UV intensity increases with the metal nanoparticle concentration, with 60-fold and 17-fold enhancements for the ZnO/Ag and ZnO/Au, core-shell nanoparticles respectively. Accompanying the increase in UV emission, there is a corresponding decrease in the broad band defect emission with nanoparticle concentration. Nonetheless, the broad band luminescence increases with laser power. The results are consistent with enhanced exciton emission in the ZnO shells due to coupling with surface plasmon resonance of the metal nanoparticles. Luminescence measurements during and after exposure to X-rays also exhibit enhanced UV luminescence. These observations suggest that metal nanoparticles may be suitable for enhancing optical detection of ionizing radiation.
Feasibility of Using Wideband Microwave System for Non-Invasive Detection and Monitoring of Pulmonary Oedema
Authors: Rezaeieh S. Ahdi , Zamani A. , Bialkowski K. S. , Mahmoud A. , Abbosh A. M.
Published: September 2015

Pulmonary oedema is a common manifestation of various fatal diseases that can be caused by cardiac or non-cardiac syndromes. The accumulated fluid has a considerably higher dielectric constant compared to lungs’ tissues and can thus be detected using microwave techniques. Therefore, a non-invasive microwave system for the early detection of pulmonary oedema is presented. It employs a platform in the form of foam-based bed that contains two linear arrays of wideband antennas covering the band 0.7–1 GHz. The platform is designed such that during the tests, the subject lays on the bed with the back of the torso facing the antenna arrays. The antennas are controlled using a switching network that is connected to a compact network analyzer. A novel frequency-based imaging algorithm is used to process the recorded signals and generate an image of the torso showing any accumulated fluids in the lungs. The system is verified on an artificial torso phantom and animal organs. As a feasibility study, preclinical tests are conducted on healthy subjects to determinate the type of obtained images, the statistics and threshold levels of their intensity to differentiate between healthy and unhealthy subjects.
Shape control of mesoporous silica nanomaterials templated with dual cationic surfactants and their antibacterial activities
Authors: Hao Nanjing , Chen Xuan , Jayawardana Kalana W. , Wu Bin , Sundhoro Madanodaya , Yan Mingdi
Published: September 2015

Mesoporous silica nanomaterials of different shapes (film, platelet, sphere, rod) were synthesized by varying the mole ratio of dual surfactants. Their shape-dependent antibacterial activity was observed.
Surface chemistry of copper metal and copper oxide atomic layer deposition from copper(ii) acetylacetonate: a combined first-principles and reactive molecular dynamics study
Authors: Hu Xiao , Schuster Jörg , Schulz Stefan E. , Gessner Thomas
Published: September 2015

Atomistic mechanisms for the atomic layer deposition using the Cu(acac)2 (acac = acetylacetonate) precursor are studied using first-principles calculations and reactive molecular dynamics simulations.
A solution-processed bathocuproine cathode interfacial layer for high-performance bromine–iodine perovskite solar cells
Authors: Yuan Da-Xing , Yuan Xiao-Dong , Xu Qing-Yang , Xu Mei-Feng , Shi Xiao-Bo , Wang Zhao-Kui , Liao Liang-Sheng
Published: September 2015

Solution-processed bathocuproine (BCP) films are prepared as the cathode interfacial layer for improving the performance of perovskite solar cells.
Coordination versatility of phosphine derivatives of fluoroquinolones. New CuIand CuIIcomplexes and their interactions with DNA
Authors: Bykowska A. , Starosta R. , Jezierska J. , Jeżowska-Bojczuk M.
Published: September 2015

This paper describes syntheses and interactions with DNA of copper(i) and copper(ii) complexes with phosphine derivatives of fluoroquinolone antibiotics (ciprofloxacin and norfloxacin).
Covalent conjugation of carbon dots with Rhodamine B and assessment of their photophysical properties
Authors: Diac Andreea , Focsan Monica , Socaci Crina , Gabudean Ana-Maria , Farcau Cosmin , Maniu Dana , Vasile Eugeniu , Terec Anamaria , Veca L. Monica , Astilean Simion
Published: September 2015

Applying the Förster formalism we studied the potential of urethane-like linkage at the surface of CDs to form donor–acceptor FRET pair in CD–Rhodamine conjugates.
Dispersed SnO2nanoparticles on MoS2nanosheets for superior gas-sensing performances to ethanol
Authors: Yan Huihui , Song Peng , Zhang Su , Yang Zhongxi , Wang Qi
Published: September 2015

Novel composites with superior gas-sensing performance were successfully obtained by dispersing SnO2nanoparticles on the surfaces of MoS2nanosheets.
Photoelectrochemically deposited Sb2Se3 thin films: deposition mechanism and characterization
Authors: Yang Jia , Lai Yanqing , Fan Yanyun , Jiang Yan , Tang Ding , Jiang Liangxing , Liu Fangyang , Li Jie
Published: September 2015

Photoelectrochemically deposited (PED) Sb2Se3 thin films present interesting properties and performance. PED can enhance the electroreduction process, which will result in the settlement of the dilemma of compound semiconductor electrodeposition.
Mesoporous carbons: recent advances in synthesis and typical applications
Authors: Xin Wang , Song Yonghui
Published: September 2015

Mesoporous carbon materials have been extensively studied because of their vast potential applications ranging from separation and adsorption, catalysis, and electrochemistry to energy storage.
Recyclable magnetic CoFe2O4/BiOX (X = Cl, Br and I) microflowers for photocatalytic treatment of water contaminated with methyl orange, rhodamine B, methylene blue, and a mixed dye
Authors: Choi Young In , Kim Young-Il , Cho Dae Won , Kang Jung-Soo , Leung K. T. , Sohn Youngku
Published: September 2015

Magnetic CoFe2O4/BiOX (X = Cl, Br and I) microflowers were tested for methyl orange, rhodamine B, methylene blue, and a mixed dyes.
Avalanche-like fluidization of a non-Brownian particle gel
Authors: Kurokawa Aika , Vidal Valérie , Kurita Kei , Divoux Thibaut , Manneville Sébastien
Published: September 2015

We report on the fluidization dynamics of an attractive gel composed of non-Brownian particles. Shear start up experiments evidence a heterogeneous yielding scenario: a shear band grows until complete fluidization of the material through sudden avalanche-like events that are distributed heterogeneously along the vorticity direction and correlated to the slip at the moving wall.
Polydiacetylene liposome-encapsulated alginate hydrogel beads for Pb2+detection with enhanced sensitivity
Authors: Wang Dong-En , Wang Yaolei , Tian Chang , Zhang Longlong , Han Xiang , Tu Qin , Yuan Maosen , Chen Sheng , Wang Jinyi
Published: September 2015

A new polydiacetylene liposome-based sensor was successfully constructed for the colorimetric and fluorometric detection of Pb2+.
Self‐triggering‐based sliding‐mode control for linear systems
Authors: Behera Abhisek K. , Bandyopadhyay Bijnan
Published: September 2015

The authors discuss here the robust stabilisation of a linear time‐invariant system using sliding‐mode control (SMC) with the self‐triggering strategy. In self/event‐triggering, the control is not updated in a periodic manner like in classical sampled‐date system. The SMC with self‐triggering mechanism achieves robust stability with increased control execution time period. In comparison to an event‐triggering, the self‐triggering technique does not require additional dedicated hardware for continuous state measurement to determine the next possible triggering instant. Here, a strategy is developed to find the next possible triggering instant using past sampled state information only and guaranteed that even in the presence of disturbance the closed‐loop system is stable. It has been shown that the system performance is improved in terms of the number of the control updates and hence the control execution requires less resource. The numerical simulation results are provided to validate the theoretical analysis.
Steady‐state model for the three‐leg shunt‐series ac‐link power flow controller
Authors: Barragán‐Villarejo Manuel , Marano‐Marcolini Alejandro , Maza‐Ortega Jose Maria , Gómez‐Expósito Antonio
Published: September 2015

Shunt‐series ac links constitute a class of so‐called vector switching converters, capable of controlling power flows by synthesising an adjustable series voltage. A novel steady‐state model for the recently introduced three‐leg shunt‐series ac link, suitable for power flow studies, is developed in this study. The new model is then applied in two optimal power flow problems arising in distribution systems, namely, power loss reduction and integration of distributed generation, where the performance of the three‐leg topology is compared with that of the conventional four‐leg scheme. The CIGRE Task Force C06.04.02 benchmark network is used as case study.
Vessel target detection based on fusion range‐Doppler image for dual‐frequency high‐frequency surface wave radar
Authors: Ji Yonggang , Zhang Jie , Wang Yiming , Chu Xiaoliang
Published: September 2015

High‐frequency surface wave radars (HFSWRs) have been used to monitor moving vessel targets within large areas of the coastal ocean. Moreover, a dual‐frequency HFSWR can overcome the negative effect of sea clutter on vessel target detection. As only the information of point targets are used in the traditional point association method of dual‐frequency HFSWR, it is difficult to select proper threshold values to obtain correct association and fusion results, which will increase the false alarm or miss rate. In this study, it is found that a moving vessel target is shown as an area target rather than a point target in range‐Doppler (R‐D) image. First, from the characteristic analyses of a vessel target in R‐D fusion image, it is concluded that the two constant false alarm rate points of a single vessel target should locate within the same area target in the fusion image when it is detected by both frequencies. Then a new detection method of dual‐frequency HFSWR was proposed on a fusion R‐D image level. Finally, the proposed method is validated with the measured HFSWR data, and the results show that it can obtain more reliable association results than the traditional point association method.
Spinolaminar Line Test as a Screening Tool for C1 Stenosis
Authors: Oshima Yasushi , Kelly Michael P. , Song Kwang-Sup , Park Moon Soo , Chuntarapas Tapanut , Vo Katie D. , Yeom Jin S. , Takeshita Katsushi , Riew K. Daniel
Published: September 2015

Study Design

Retrospective cohort.

Objective

To clarify the sensitivity of C3–C2 spinolaminar line test as a screening tool for the stenosis of C1 space available for the cord (SAC).

Methods

Spine clinic records from April 2005 to August 2011 were reviewed. The C1 SAC was measured on lateral radiographs, and the relative positions between a C1 posterior arch and the C3–C2 spinolaminar line were examined and considered “positive” when the C1 ring lay ventral to the line. Computed tomography (CT) scans and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) were utilized to measure precise diameters of C1 and C2 SAC and to check the existence of spinal cord compression.

Results

Four hundred eighty-seven patients were included in this study. There were 246 men and 241 women, with an average age of 53 years (range: 18 to 86). The mean SAC at C1 on radiographs was 21.2 mm (range: 13.5 to 28.2). Twenty-one patients (4.3%) were positive for the spinolaminar line test; all of these patients had C1 SAC of 19.4 mm or less. Eight patients (1.6%) had C1 SAC smaller than C2 on CT examination; all of these patients had a positive spinolaminar test, with high sensitivity (100%) and specificity (97%). MRI analysis revealed that two of the eight patients with a smaller C1 SAC had spinal cord compression at the C1 level.

Conclusion

Although spinal cord compression at the level of atlas without instability is a rare condition, the spinolaminar line can be used as a screening of C1 stenosis.
Preface: Special Topic Section on Advanced Electronic Structure Methods for Solids and Surfaces
Authors: Michaelides Angelos , Martinez Todd J. , Alavi Ali , Kresse Georg , Manby Frederick R.
Published: September 2015

This Special Topic section on Advanced Electronic Structure Methods for Solids and Surfaces contains a collection of research papers that showcase recent advances in the high accuracy prediction of materials and surface properties. It provides a timely snapshot of a growing field that is of broad importance to chemistry, physics, and materials science.
Medical innovation laws: an unnecessary innovation
Authors: Richards Bernadette
Published: September 2015

Objective
This paper aims to demonstrate that any suggestion that there is a need for specific innovation laws is flawed. Innovation is central to good medical practice and is adequately supported by current law.

Methods
The paper reviews the nature of medical innovation and outlines recent attempts in the UK to introduce specific laws aimed at ‘encouraging’ and ‘supporting’ innovation. The current legal framework is outlined and the role of the law in relation to medical innovation explored.

Results
The analysis demonstrates the cyclic relationship between medical advancement and the law and concludes that there is no requirement for specific innovation laws.

Conclusions
The law not only supports innovation and development in medical treatment but encourages it as central to a functioning medical system. There is no need to introduce specific laws aimed at medical innovation; to do so represents an unnecessary legal innovation and serves to complicate matters.

What is known about the topic?
Over recent months, there has been a great deal of discussion surrounding the law in the context of medical innovation. This was driven by the attempts in the UK to introduce specific laws in the Medical Innovation Bill. The general subject matter – negligence and the expected standard of care in the provision of treatment – is very well understood, but not in cases where the treatment can be described as innovative. The general rhetoric in both the UK and Australia around the Medical Innovation Bill demonstrates a lack of understanding of the position of the law with regards to innovative treatment.

What does this paper add?
This paper adds clarity to the debate. It presents the law and explains the manner in which the law can operate around innovative treatment. The paper asserts that medical innovation is both supported and encouraged by existing legal principles.

What are the implications for practitioners?
The paper presents an argument that can guide the policy position in this area. It also provides clarity around the legal position and expected standard of care for those who are introducing innovative medical treatment.
Effect of dietary Lippia citriodora extract on reproductive and productive performance and plasma biochemical parameters in rabbit does
Authors: Casamassima D. , Palazzo M. , Vizzarri F. , Ondruska L. , Massanyi P. , Corino C.
Published: September 2015

Two doses of natural extract from Lippia citriodora (titrated in verbascoside) were assessed in New Zealand White rabbit does evaluating selected reproductive, productive and plasma biochemical parameters. After 1 week of adaptation period, the trial on 45 rabbit does for three consecutive reproductive cycles was conducted; does were divided into three groups of 15 animals each, homogenous by age (1 year ± 2 weeks), bodyweight (4.77 ± 0.21 kg) and parity (2 ± 1). A control group (CON) did not receive the dietary supplement in the feed and the other two groups received 1 g of natural extract supplement in the feed (5 mg verbascoside/kg feed; LNE) and 2 g of natural extract (10 mg verbascoside/kg feed; HNE). The use of a dietary NE supplement improved kit bodyweight at weaning (934 vs 1104 g; P < 0.001), and average daily weight gain from birth to weaning (24.7 vs 29.7 g/day; P < 0.001), with no NE dose effect. In the LNE and HNE groups serum triglycerides, total cholesterol, low density lipoprotein cholesterol, bilirubin, and activities of alkaline phosphatase, alanine aminotransferase (P < 0.05) and aspartate aminotransferase (P < 0.01) decreased and high density lipoprotein cholesterol (P < 0.01) increased, according to the cycle effect. The dietary supplement also improved blood oxidative status markers in the experimental groups due to an increase in the concentrations of plasma vitamin A and E (P < 0.01) and a decrease in plasma reactive oxygen metabolites and thiobarbituric acid reactive substances values (P < 0.01). In conclusion, the dietary Lippia NE supplement improved selected productive and reproductive parameters and the animal welfare of does, expressed by a general improvement of blood profile, with no effect of the dose.
Determinants of recent HIV testing among male sex workers and other men who have sex with men in Shenzhen, China: a cross-sectional study
Authors: Cai Rui , Cai Wende , Zhao Jin , Chen Lin , Yang Zhengrong , Tan Wei , Zhang Chenli , Gan Yongxia , Zhang Yan , Tan Jingguang , Richards Jan Hendrik , De Vlas Sake J.
Published: September 2015

We recruited 510 male sex workers (also referred as ‘money boys’ (MBs) and 533 other men who have sex with men (MSM) to investigate determinants of recent (last year) HIV testing in Shenzhen, China. Overall, 43% of MBs and 48% of other MSM reported having been tested for HIV in the last year. The most important determinant of testing among MBs was having multiple anal sex partners; among other MSM, the most important determinants were having a homosexual orientation and having a history of sexually transmissible infection. For MBs, education programs are needed to increase their awareness of actual HIV risk. For other MSM, destigmatising programs are needed.
DIVAS: a centralized genetic variant repository representing 150 000 individuals from multiple disease cohorts
Authors: Cheng Wei-Yi , Hakenberg Jörg , Li Shuyu Dan , Chen Rong
Published: September 2015

Motivation: A plethora of sequenced and genotyped disease cohorts is available to the biomedical research community, spread across many portals and represented in various formats.

Results: We have gathered several large studies, including GERA and GRU, and computed population- and disease-specific genetic variant frequencies. In total, our portal provides fast access to genetic variants observed in 84 928 individuals from 39 disease populations. We also include 66 335 controls, such as the 1000 Genomes and Scripps Wellderly.

Conclusion: Combining multiple studies helps validate disease-associated variants in each underlying data set, detect potential false positives using frequencies of control populations, and identify novel candidate disease-causing alterations in known or suspected genes.

Availability and implementation:  https://rvs.u.hpc.mssm.edu/divas

Contact:  rong.chen@mssm.edu

Supplementary information:  Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online.
markophylo: Markov chain analysis on phylogenetic trees
Authors: Dang Utkarsh J. , Golding G. Brian
Published: September 2015

Summary: Continuous-time Markov chain models with finite state space are routinely used for analysis of discrete character data on phylogenetic trees. Examples of such discrete character data include restriction sites, gene family presence/absence, intron presence/absence and gene family size data. While models with constrained substitution rate matrices have been used to good effect, more biologically realistic models have been increasingly implemented in the recent literature combining, e.g., site rate variation, site partitioning, branch-specific rates, allowing for non-stationary prior root probabilities, correcting for sampling bias, etc. to name a few. Here, a flexible and fast R package is introduced that infers evolutionary rates of discrete characters on a tree within a probabilistic framework. The package, markophylo, fits maximum-likelihood models using Markov chains on phylogenetic trees. The package is efficient, with the workhorse functions written in C++ and the interface in user-friendly R.

Availability and implementation:  markophylo is available as a platform-independent R package from the Comprehensive R Archive Network at https://cran.r-project.org/web/packages/markophylo/. A vignette with numerous examples is also provided with the R package.

Contact:  udang@mcmaster.ca

Supplementary information:  Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online.
Prioritization of sites for plant species restoration in the Chilean Biodiversity Hotspot: A spatial multi-criteria decision analysis approach
Authors: Fernández Ignacio C. , Morales Narkis S.
Published: September 2015

Various initiatives to identify global priority areas for conservation have been developed over the last 20 years (e.g. Biodiversity Hotspots). However, translating this information to actionable local scales has proven to be a major task, highlighting the necessity of efforts to bridge the global-scale priority areas with local-based conservation actions. Furthermore, as these global priority areas are increasingly threatened by climate change and by the loss and alteration of their natural habitats, developing additional efforts to identify priority areas for restoration activities is becoming an urgent task. In this study we used a Spatial Multi-Criteria Decision Analysis (SMCDA) approach to help optimize the selection of sites for restoration initiatives of two endemic threatened flora species of the “Chilean Winter Rainfall-Valdivian Forest” Hotspot. Our approach takes advantage of freely GIS software, niche modeling tools, and available geospatial databases, in an effort to provide an affordable methodology to bridge global-scale priority areas with local actionable restoration scales. We used a set of weighting scenarios to evaluate the potential effects of short-termvslong-term planning perspective in prioritization results. The generated SMCDA was helpful for evaluating, identifying and prioritizing best suitable areas for restoration of the assessed species. The method proved to be simple, transparent, cost effective and flexible enough to be easily replicable on different ecosystems. This approach could be useful for prioritizing regional-scale areas for species restoration in Chile, as well as in other countries with restricted budgets for conservation efforts.