bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Slow and Steady May Win This Race
Authors: Blankenship James C.
Published: August 2017

Key Points

This retrospective cohort study compares two strategies of stent delivery balloon inflation: inflation for 30 sec and longer as needed to stabilize the balloon pressure for 30 sec at the desired pressure, versus conventional fast inflation/fast deflation of the stent balloon

The experimental technique decreased target vessel revascularization by about 50% as assessed by logistic regression and propensity analyses

The investigators’ recommendation to routinely use their prolonged inflation protocol is supported by six other studies over the past decade demonstrating that long stent balloon inflation produces better outcomes than does short inflation
Unnatural milieu: Thrombus after transcatheter mitral valve replacement
Authors: Khan Jaffar M. , Lederman Robert J.
Published: August 2017

Key Points

What the article teaches

Transcatheter heart valve thrombosis in the mitral position causes increased valve gradients, valve dysfunction, and symptoms, and may be associated with lack of therapeutic anticoagulation.

How it will impact practice

Anticoagulation with a vitamin K antagonist should be considered in all patients undergoing transcatheter mitral valve replacement.

What new research/study would help answer the question posed

Efficacy, optimal duration, and safety of anticoagulation therapy, balancing reduced thrombosis against increased bleeding risk, needs to be assessed in larger cohort studies and prospective trials.
Prognostic value of exercise capacity among men undergoing pharmacologic treatment for erectile dysfunction: The FIT Project
Authors: Same Robert V. , Al Rifai Mahmoud , Feldman David I , Billups Kevin L. , Brawner Clinton A. , Dardari Zeina A. , Ehrman Jonathan K. , Keteyian Steven J. , Al‐Mallah Mouaz H. , Blaha Michael J.
Published: August 2017

Background

Vascular erectile dysfunction (ED) has been identified as a potentially useful risk factor for predicting future cardiovascular events, particularly in younger men. Because these men typically score more favorably on traditional cardiovascular disease risk assessment tools, there exists a gap in knowledge for how to most appropriately identify those men who would benefit from more aggressive treatments. To date, no studies have examined the impact of fitness on cardiovascular outcomes in men with ED. This study sought to examine the prognostic impact of maximal exercise capacity on cardiovascular‐related outcomes in men ages 40 to 60 years being treated for ED.

Hypothesis

We hypothesized that there would be an independent association between higher baseline fitness level and lower cardiovascular events.

Methods

We analyzed 1152 men with pharmacy claims file–confirmed active pharmacologic treatment for ED from the Henry Ford Exercise Testing (FIT) Project (1991–2009). All patients were free of coronary heart disease and heart failure, and underwent clinician‐referred exercise stress testing, with fitness measured in metabolic equivalents of task (METs). Multivariable Cox proportional hazard models adjusted for traditional cardiovascular risk factors were used to study the association between fitness and all‐cause mortality, major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE) (defined as myocardial infarction or revascularization), and incident type 2 diabetes mellitus.

Results

The mean age of the population was 53 years, with 39% African Americans. In multivariable analysis, each 1 MET of fitness was associated with a 16% lower risk of death (hazard ratio [HR]: 0.84, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.76‐0.94, P = 0.002), and a nonsignificant reduction in MACE (HR: 0.89, 95% CI: 0.79‐1.003, P = 0.048), and incident diabetes (HR: 0.92, 95% CI: 0.85‐1.01, P = 0.129).

Conclusions

Higher baseline fitness is associated with improved cardiovascular prognosis in a population of middle‐aged men treated for ED.
Study of young patients with myocardial infarction: Design and rationale of the YOUNG‐MI Registry
Authors: Singh Avinainder , Collins Bradley , Qamar Arman , Gupta Ankur , Fatima Amber , Divakaran Sanjay , Klein Josh , Hainer Jon , Jarolim Petr , Shah Ravi V. , Nasir Khurram , Di Carli Marcelo F. , Bhatt Deepak L. , Blankstein Ron
Published: August 2017

The YOUNG‐MI registry is a retrospective study examining a cohort of young adults age ≤ 50 years with a first‐time myocardial infarction. The study will use the robust electronic health records of 2 large academic medical centers, as well as detailed chart review of all patients, to generate high‐quality longitudinal data regarding the clinical characteristics, management, and outcomes of patients who experience a myocardial infarction at a young age. Our findings will provide important insights regarding prevention, risk stratification, treatment, and outcomes of cardiovascular disease in this understudied population, as well as identify disparities which, if addressed, can lead to further improvement in patient outcomes.
Autotuning divide‐and‐conquer stencil computations
Authors: Palamadai Natarajan Ekanathan , Mehri Dehnavi Maryam , Leiserson Charles
Published: August 2017

This paper explores autotuning strategies for serial divide‐and‐conquer stencil computations, comparing the efficacy of traditional “heuristic” autotuning with that of “pruned‐exhaustive” autotuning. We present a pruned‐exhaustive autotuner called Ztune that searches for optimal divide‐and‐conquer trees for stencil computations. Ztune uses three pruning properties—space‐time equivalence, divide subsumption, and favored dimension—that greatly reduce the size of the search domain without significantly sacrificing the quality of the autotuned code. We compared the performance of Ztune with that of a state‐of‐the‐art heuristic autotuner called OpenTuner in tuning the divide‐and‐conquer algorithm used in Pochoir stencil compiler. Over a nightly run on ten application benchmarks across two machines with different hardware configurations, the Ztuned code ran 5% –12% faster on average, and the OpenTuner tuned code ran from 9% slower to 2% faster on average, than Pochoir's default code. In the best case, the Ztuned code ran 40% faster, and the OpenTuner tuned code ran 33% faster than Pochoir's code. Whereas the autotuning time of Ztune for each benchmark could be measured in minutes, to achieve comparable results, the autotuning time of OpenTuner was typically measured in hours or days. Surprisingly, for some benchmarks, Ztune actually autotuned faster than the time it takes to perform the stencil computation once.
Dynamic scheming the duty cycle in the opportunistic routing sensor network
Authors: Niu Bingxin , Qi Heng , Li Keqiu , Liu Xiulong , Xue Weilian
Published: August 2017

In wireless sensor networks, a lot of applications need the sensed information be transmitted to the sink node within a predefined time threshold. So end‐to‐end delay is an important performance metric in wireless sensor networks. Opportunistic routing protocols have been proposed to reduce the waiting delay. In the duty cycle networks, increasing the duty cycle ratio can also reduce the end‐to‐end delay. However, this method will consume more energy. It is obvious that there exists a trade‐off between delay and energy consumption. So adjusting the duty cycle ratio of each node can investigate this trade‐off. To the best of our knowledge, no existing work takes both of end‐to‐end delay and energy efficiency into consideration in the opportunistic routing networks. In this paper, we want to minimize the whole energy consumption while guaranteeing the expected end‐to‐end delay between the source nodes and the sink node is below the given threshold. To deal with this problem, we propose a dynamic duty cycle scheme which can significantly reduce the energy consumption and guarantee the expected end‐to‐end delay demand in the opportunistic routing network. To be specific, firstly, we formulate a new metric with the wake‐up time slots as the variable to measure the end‐to‐end delay. Secondly, for simplifying the complex problem, we decompose it into a set of single‐hop delay guarantee problems. Feedback controller has been used to solve the problem. We also analyze the influence of the multiple receivers in the same forwarding set. Finally, we conduct extensive simulations to evaluate the performance of the proposed algorithm. The experimental results reveal that our scheme can guarantee the delay requirement, meanwhile, significantly reduce the energy consumption compared with prior schemes.
A data‐aware scheduling strategy for workflow execution in clouds
Authors: Marozzo Fabrizio , Rodrigo Duro Francisco , Garcia Blas Javier , Carretero Jesus , Talia Domenico , Trunfio Paolo
Published: August 2017

As data intensive scientific computing systems become more widespread, there is a necessity of simplifying the development, deployment, and execution of complex data analysis applications for scientific discovery. The scientific workflow model is the leading approach for designing and executing data‐intensive applications in high‐performance computing infrastructures. Commonly, scientific workflows are built by a set of connected tasks arranged in a directed acyclic graph style, which communicate through storage abstractions. The Data Mining Cloud Framework (DMCF) is a system allowing users to design and execute data analysis workflows on cloud platforms, relying on cloud storage services for every I/O operation. Hercules is an in‐memory I/O solution that can be used in DMCF as an alternative to cloud storage services, providing additional performance and flexibility features. This work improves the integration between DMCF and Hercules by using a data‐aware scheduling strategy for exploiting data locality in data‐intensive workflows. This paper presents experimental results demonstrating the performance improvements achieved using the proposed data‐aware scheduling strategy in the Microsoft Azure cloud platform. In particular, with our scheduling strategy, the I/O overhead has been reduced by 55% with respect to the Azure storage, leading to a 20% reduction of the total execution time.
Verifiable mobile online social network privacy‐preserving location sharing scheme
Authors: Tang Chunming , Cai Cailing
Published: August 2017

With the dramatic growth of smart phones and social network services, location‐based service has become increasingly popular in our daily life, which also brings great privacy leakage about user's location information. Thus, privacy‐preserving location sharing is still a significant problem. In this paper, two models of our scheme are verifiable, supporting location query on homomorphic encrypted ciphertext with searching index and trapdoor. The characteristics of our scheme are that it (1) allows users to share their current location without leaking any location information to the untrusted server; (2) protects users from the cheating of untrusted server's malicious behavior by verifying query result; (3) supports a novel personalized query according to users' classifications of social network friends; (4) the user does not have to be online to make permissions for accessing his shared location, and (5) model 2 does not rely on any trusted third party server to perform any computation. The security analysis shows that it ensures secure location sharing in social scenarios.
Develop procurement procedures to ensure accessible electronic information technology
Authors: Hope Joan
Published: August 2017

ORLANDO — “Accessibility is the big hot topic in our field. It's tantamount to physical access in the '90s,” said Andrew Cioffi, director of disability services at Suffolk University.
Memory, retention, and retrieval: Using Livescribe smartpen as an accommodation
Authors: Serrantino Jan , Hori Joshua
Published: August 2017

Students facing challenges in clinical settings may benefit from audio recording of the patient interview as an accommodation. For learners whose functional limitations include difficulty with auditory processing, concentration, short‐term memory, and writing, the Livescribe smartpen may remove barriers on the wards and in the clinic.
Polyandry enhances offspring viability with survival costs to mothers only when mating exclusively with virgin males inDrosophila melanogaster
Authors: Castrezana Sergio , Faircloth Brant C. , Bridges William C. , Gowaty Patricia Adair
Published: August 2017

A prominent hypothesis for polyandry says that male–male competitive drivers induce males to coerce already‐mated females to copulate, suggesting that females are more likely to be harassed in the presence of multiple males. This early sociobiological idea of male competitive drive seemed to explain why sperm‐storing females mate multiply. Here, we describe an experiment eliminating all opportunities for male–male behavioral competition, while varying females’ opportunities to mate or not with the same male many times, or with many other males only one time each. We limited each female subject's exposure to no more than one male per day over her entire lifespan starting at the age at which copulations usually commence. We tested a priori predictions about relative lifespan and daily components of RS of femaleDrosophila melanogasterin experimental social situations producing lifelong virgins, once‐mated females, lifelong monogamous, and lifelong polyandrous females, using a matched‐treatments design. Results included that (1) a single copulation enhanced female survival compared to survival of lifelong virgins, (2) multiple copulations enhanced the number of offspring for both monogamous and polyandrous females, (3) compared to females in lifelong monogamy, polyandrous females paired daily with a novel, age‐matched experienced male produced offspring of enhanced viability, and (4) female survival was unchallenged when monogamous and polyandrous females could re‐mate with age‐ and experienced‐matched males. (5) Polyandrous females daily paired with novel virgin males had significantly reduced lifespans compared to polyandrous females with novel, age‐matched, and experienced males. (6) Polyandrous mating enhanced offspring viability and thereby weakened support for the random mating hypothesis for female multiple mating. Analyzes of nonequivalence of variances revealed opportunities for within‐sex selection among females. Results support the idea that females able to avoid constraints on their behavior from simultaneous exposure to multiple males can affect both RS and survival of females and offspring.
Spatiotemporal variability of soil respiration in a seasonal tropical forest
Authors: Rubio Vanessa E. , Detto Matteo
Published: August 2017

We monitored soil CO2 effluxes for over 3 years in a seasonally wet tropical forest in Central Panama using automated and manual measurements from 2013 to 2016. The measurements displayed a high degree of spatial and temporal variability. Temporal variability could be largely explained by surface soil water dynamics over a broad range of temporal scales. Soil moisture was responsible for seasonal cycles, diurnal cycles, intraseasonal variability such as rain‐induced pulses following dry spells, as well as suppression during near saturated conditions, and ultimately, interannual variability. Spatial variability, which remains largely unexplained, revealed an emergent role of forest structure in conjunction with physical drivers such as soil temperature and topography. Mean annual soil CO2 effluxes (±SE) amounted to 1,613 (±59) gC m−2 year−1 with an increasing trend in phase with an El Niño/Southern Oscillation (ENSO) cycle which culminated with the strong 2015–2016 event. We attribute this trend to a relatively mild wet season during which soil saturated conditions were less persistent.
Stress from cold and drought as drivers of functional trait spectra in North American angiosperm tree assemblages
Authors: Šímová Irena , Rueda Marta , Hawkins Bradford A.
Published: August 2017

Understanding how environmental change alters the composition of plant assemblages, and how this in turn affects ecosystem functioning is a major challenge in the face of global climate change. Assuming that values of plant traits express species adaptations to the environment, the trait‐based approach is a promising way to achieve this goal. Nevertheless, how functional traits are related to species’ environmental tolerances and how trait spectra respond to broad‐scale environmental gradients remains largely unexplored. Here, we identify the main trait spectra for US angiosperm trees by testing hypotheses for the relationships between functional traits and species’ environmental tolerances to environmental stresses, as well as quantifying the environmental drivers of assemblage means and variances of these traits. We analyzed >74,000 community assemblages from the US Forest Inventory and Analysis using 12 functional traits, five traits expressing species’ environmental tolerances and 10 environmental variables. Results indicated that leaf traits, dispersal traits, and traits related to stem hydraulics were related to cold or drought tolerance, and their assemblage means were best explained by minimum temperatures. Assemblage means of traits related to shade tolerance (tree growth rate, leaf phosphorus content, and bark thickness) were best explained by aridity index. Surprisingly, aridity index, rather than minimum temperature, was the best predictors of assemblage variances of most traits, although these relationships were variable and weak overall. We conclude that temperature is likely to be the most important driver of functional community structure of North American angiosperm trees by selecting for optimum strategies along the cold and drought stress trade‐off. In turn, water availability primarily affects traits related to shade tolerance through its effect on forest canopy structure and vegetation openness.
A Randomised Controlled Comparison of Second‐Level Treatment Approaches for Treatment‐Resistant Adults with Bulimia Nervosa and Binge Eating Disorder: Assessing the Benefits of Virtual Reality Cue Exposure Therapy
Authors: Ferrer‐García Marta , Gutiérrez‐Maldonado José , Pla‐Sanjuanelo Joana , Vilalta‐Abella Ferran , Riva Giuseppe , Clerici Massimo , Ribas‐Sabaté Joan , Andreu‐Gracia Alexis , Fernandez‐Aranda Fernando , Forcano Laura , Riesco Nadine , Sánchez Isabel , Escandón‐Nagel Neli , Gomez‐Tricio Osane , Tena Virginia , Dakanalis Antonios
Published: August 2017

A question that arises from the literature on therapy is whether second‐level treatment is effective for patients with recurrent binge eating who fail first‐level treatment. It has been shown that subjects who do not stop binge eating after an initial structured cognitive‐behavioural treatment (CBT) programme benefit from additional CBT (A‐CBT) sessions; however, it has been suggested that these resistant patients would benefit even more from cue exposure therapy (CET) targeting features associated with poor response (e.g. urge to binge in response to a cue and anxiety experienced in the presence of binge‐related cues). We assessed the effectiveness of virtual reality‐CET as a second‐level treatment strategy for 64 patients with bulimia nervosa and binge eating disorder who had been treated with limited results after using a structured CBT programme, in comparison with A‐CBT. The significant differences observed between the two groups at post‐treatment in dimensional (behavioural and attitudinal features, anxiety, food craving) and categorical (abstinence rates) outcomes highlighted the superiority of virtual reality‐CET over A‐CBT. Copyright © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd and Eating Disorders Association.
Sustainability of utility‐scale solar energy – critical ecological concepts
Authors: Moore‐O'Leary Kara A , Hernandez Rebecca R , Johnston Dave S , Abella Scott R , Tanner Karen E , Swanson Amanda C , Kreitler Jason , Lovich Jeffrey E
Published: August 2017

Renewable energy development is an arena where ecological, political, and socioeconomic values collide. Advances in renewable energy will incur steep environmental costs to landscapes in which facilities are constructed and operated. Scientists – including those from academia, industry, and government agencies – have only recently begun to quantify trade‐offs in this arena, often using ground‐mounted, utility‐scale solar energy facilities (USSE, ≥1 megawatt) as a model. Here, we discuss five critical ecological concepts applicable to the development of more sustainable USSE with benefits over fossil‐fuel‐generated energy: (1) more sustainable USSE development requires careful evaluation of trade‐offs between land, energy, and ecology; (2) species responses to habitat modification by USSE vary; (3) cumulative and large‐scale ecological impacts are complex and challenging to mitigate; (4) USSE development affects different types of ecosystems and requires customized design and management strategies; and (5) long‐term ecological consequences associated with USSE sites must be carefully considered. These critical concepts provide a framework for reducing adverse environmental impacts, informing policy to establish and address conservation priorities, and improving energy production sustainability.
Curative salvage liver transplantation in patients with cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma: An intention‐to‐treat analysis
Authors: de Haas Robbert J. , Lim Chetana , Bhangui Prashant , Salloum Chady , Compagnon Philippe , Feray Cyrille , Calderaro Julien , Luciani Alain , Azoulay Daniel
Published: August 2017

The salvage liver transplantation (SLT) strategy was conceived for initially resectable and transplantable (R&T) hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) patients, to try to obviate upfront liver transplantation, with the “safety net” of SLT in case of postresection recurrence. The SLT strategy is successful or curative when patients are recurrence free following primary resection alone, or after SLT for recurrence. The aim of the current study was to determine the SLT strategy's potential for cure in R&T HCC patients, and to identify predictors for its success. From 1994 to 2012, all R&T HCC patients with cirrhosis were enrolled in the SLT strategy. An intention‐to‐treat (ITT) analysis was used to determine this strategy's outcomes and predictors of success according to the above definition. In total, 110 patients were enrolled in the SLT strategy. Sixty‐three patients (57%) had tumor recurrence after initial resection, and in 30 patients SLT could be performed (recurrence transplantability rate = 48%). From the time of initial resection, ITT 5‐year overall and disease‐free survival rates were 69% and 60%, respectively. The SLT strategy was successful in 60 patients (56%), either by resection alone (36%), or by SLT for recurrence (19%). Preresection predictors of successful SLT strategy at multivariate analysis included Model for End‐Stage Liver Disease (MELD) score >10, and absence of neoadjuvant transarterial chemoembolization (TACE). Additional postresection predictive factors were absence of postresection morbidity, and T‐stage 1‐2 at the resection specimen. Conclusion: The SLT strategy is curative in only 56% of cases. Higher MELD score at inception of the strategy and no pre‐resection TACE are predictors of successful SLT strategy. (Hepatology 2018;67:204‐215).
Multiobjective thermo‐economic and thermodynamics optimization of a plate–fin heat exchanger
Authors: Raja Bansi D. , Jhala R.L. , Patel Vivek
Published: August 2017

In the present work, a multiobjective heat transfer search (MOHTS) algorithm is proposed and investigated for thermo‐economic and thermodynamic optimization of a plate–fin heat exchanger (PFHX). Heat exchanger effectiveness and total annual cost (TAC) are considered as thermo‐economic objective functions. Similarly, entropy generation rate and heat exchanger effectiveness are considered as thermodynamic objective functions. Six design variables including flow length of cold and hot streams, no flow length, fin height, fin pitch, and fin offset length are considered as decision variables. Effectiveness and accuracy of the proposed algorithm are evaluated by analyzing application examples of a PFHX. The results obtained using the proposed algorithm for thermo‐economic considerations are compared with the available results of NSGA‐II and TLBO in the literature. Results show that 3.56% to 10.29% reductions in TAC with 0.48% to 0.81% higher effectiveness are observed using the proposed approach compared to TLBO and NSGA‐II approaches. Additionally, the distribution of each design variable in its allowable range is also shown for thermo‐economic consideration to identify the level of conflict on objective functions. The sensitivity analyses of design variables on the objective functions value are also performed in detail.
The effect of automobile tail shape on aerodynamic performance
Authors: Xu Xiao‐Ming , Fu Jia‐Qi , Zhang Xue‐Yi , Hu Dong‐Hai , Li Ren‐Zheng , He Ren
Published: August 2017

The aerodynamic performance of an automobile is affected by differing automobile tail shapes. Different simple automobile models were designed and analyzed with the FLUENT software; by using this research method, one can qualitatively analyze the automobile flow field, as well as the lift and drag coefficients in an accurate manner. The results from an analysis of different automobile tails indicate that the most improved automobile model tail shape resulted in a drag coefficient of 4.5% lower than the basic model, and a lift coefficient of 41.6% lower than the basic model. This design had the smallest drag coefficient, the smallest lift coefficient, and the best aerodynamic performance when simulated in the FLUENT Software, allowing the user access to a tangible reference basis for choosing an automobile model.
In vitro evaluation of 3D bioprinted tri‐polymer network scaffolds for bone tissue regeneration
Authors: Bendtsen Stephanie T. , Wei Mei
Published: August 2017

In vitro evaluations provide vital information on the ability of tissue engineered scaffolds to support cell life and promote natural physiological behaviors in culture. Such assessments are necessary to conduct before implementation of the scaffolds for tissue healing in vivo. The scaffold extracellular matrix must provide the biochemical and mechanical cues necessary to promote cellular attachment, migration and proliferation before differentiation and new tissue deposition can occur. In this study, an in vitro evaluation was conducted to assess the ability of scaffolds three‐dimensional (3D) printed with a previously developed alginate‐polyvinyl alcohol‐hydroxyapatite formulation to promote proliferation of encapsulated MC3T3 cells. A systematic investigation was conducted to increase cell proliferation, and it was determined that the concentration and duration of the calcium bath have a less effect on proliferation than the composition of the formulation itself. Collagen gel was incorporated into the formulation to provide cells with adhesion sites necessary to sufficiently attach to the matrix. Enhanced proliferation was achieved within scaffolds of increased collagen content and sufficient crosslinking. This highlighted the importance of the synergistic effect created as a result of sufficient ligand density coupled with appropriate scaffold mechanical rigidity to provide a suitable environment for proliferation. Thus, these 3D printed tri‐polymer scaffolds have the ability to support cell proliferation and have potential to promote cell differentiation and new bone tissue deposition. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Biomed Mater Res Part A: 105A: 3262–3272, 2017.
Neutron‐activatable needles for radionuclide therapy of solid tumors
Authors: Kim Junghyun , Narayan Roger J. , Lu Xiuling , Jay Michael
Published: August 2017

Various approaches have been undertaken to enhance the delivery of therapeutic agents, including tissue‐killing radionuclides, into solid tumors. Here, we describe the preparation of conical needles composed of Ti and Mo coated by pulsed laser deposition or chemical vapor deposition with elements (Ho and Re) that can readily yield radioactive isotopes following irradiation in a neutron flux. The radioactive needles, whose design were based on solid microneedle arrays used in transdermal drug delivery, can be produced with minimal handling of radioactivity and subsequently inserted into tumors as a means of internal radiation therapy. Ho and Re were specifically chosen because of their large neutron capture cross‐sections as well as the desirable radiotherapeutic properties of the resultant radionuclides. Neutron‐absorbing shields were also developed to prevent the production of unwanted radionuclides after neutron irradiation of the needle base materials. Neutron activation calculations showed that therapeutically significant amounts of radionuclides can be produced for treating solid tumors. Stability studies demonstrated that Re did not leach off the Mo needles. These coated neutron‐activatable needles offer a new approach to internal radiation therapy of tumors that allows precise tailoring of the absorbed radiation dose delivered to the tumor by controlling the coating thickness and the irradiation time. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Biomed Mater Res Part A: 105A: 3273–3280, 2017.
3M‐052 as an adjuvant for a PLGA microparticle‐based Leishmania donovani recombinant protein vaccine
Authors: Wang Qian , Barry Meagan A. , Seid Christopher A. , Hudspeth Elissa M. , McAtee C. Patrick , Heffernan Michael J.
Published: August 2017

It is believed that an effective vaccine against leishmaniasis will require a T helper type 1 (TH1) immune response. In this study, we investigated the adjuvanticity of the Toll‐like receptor (TLR) 7/8 agonist 3M‐052 in combination with the Leishmania donovani 36‐kDa nucleoside hydrolase recombinant protein antigen (NH36). NH36 and 3M‐052 were encapsulated in separate batches of poly(lactic‐co‐glycolic acid) (PLGA) microparticles (MPs). The loading efficiency for NH36 was 83% and for 3M‐052 was above 95%. In vitro stimulation of bone marrow‐derived dendritic cells, measured by IL‐12 secretion, demonstrated that 3M‐052 (free or MP‐formulated) had a concentration‐dependent immunostimulatory effect with an optimum concentration of 2 µg/mL. In immunogenicity studies in BALB/c mice, MP‐formulated NH36 and 3M‐052 elicited the highest serum titers of TH1‐associated IgG2a and IgG2b antibodies and the highest frequency of IFNγ‐producing splenocytes. No dose dependency was observed among MP/NH36/3M‐052 groups over a dose range of 4–60 µg 3M‐052 per injection. The ability of MP‐formulated NH36 and 3M‐052 to elicit a TH1‐biased immune response indicates the potential for PLGA MP‐formulated 3M‐052 to be used as an adjuvant for leishmaniasis vaccines. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Biomed Mater Res Part B: Appl Biomater, 106B: 1587–1594, 2018.
Key features of cold‐air pool episodes in the northeast of the Iberian Peninsula (Cerdanya, eastern Pyrenees)
Authors: Miró Josep Ramon , Peña Juan Carlos , Pepin Nick , Sairouni Abdelmalik , Aran Montserrat
Published: August 2017

Located in the northeast of the Iberian Peninsula, Cerdanya experiences intense cold‐air pool (CAP) episodes in which a decoupling between the valley atmosphere and the regional circulation develops, especially in winter. A network of 40 temperature sensors was deployed from 2012 to 2015 along seven elevational transects to collect hourly data of temperature and humidity, enabling the measurement of CAP characteristics and behaviour. Empirical orthogonal functions (EOFs) of minimum temperature anomalies were examined to study the spatial distribution of CAP. Days were classified as CAP or no‐CAP using EOF analysis. The temporal variation of EOF analysis scores for the first component (PC1) indicates days prone to CAP. A synoptic analysis using principal component analysis (factorization), cluster analysis (classification) and a discriminant analysis (reclassification) was performed successively. Results showed CAP days to be associated with high pressure and light winds, while no‐CAP days were associated with surface northerly or north‐easterly flow behind frontal passages.
Breast Tumor Classification Based on a Computerized Breast Imaging Reporting and Data System Feature System
Authors: Qiao Mengyun , Hu Yuzhou , Guo Yi , Wang Yuanyuan , Yu Jinhua
Published: August 2017

Objectives

This work focused on extracting novel and validated digital high‐throughput features to present a detailed and comprehensive description of the American College of Radiology Breast Imaging Reporting and Data System (BI‐RADS) with the goal of improving the accuracy of ultrasound breast cancer diagnosis.

Methods

First, the phase congruency approach was used to segment the tumors automatically. Second, high‐throughput features were designed and extracted on the basis of each BI‐RADS category. Then features were selected based on the basis of a Student t test and genetic algorithm. Finally, the AdaBoost classifier was used to differentiate benign tumors from malignant ones.

Results

Experiments were conducted on a database of 138 pathologically proven breast tumors. The system was compared with 6 state‐of‐art BI‐RADS feature extraction methods. By using leave‐one‐out cross‐validation, our system achieved a highest overall accuracy of 93.48%, a sensitivity of 94.20%, a specificity of 92.75%, and an area under the receiver operating characteristic curve of 95.67%, respectively, which were superior to those of other methods.

Conclusions

The experiments demonstrated that our computerized BI‐RADS feature system was capable of helping radiologists detect breast cancers more accurately and provided more guidance for final decisions.
Extent and Causes of Siltation in a Headwater Stream Bed: Catchment Soil Erosion is Less Important than Internal Stream Processes
Authors: Auerswald Karl , Geist Juergen
Published: August 2017

The stream bed is a key habitat for many species, and its physicochemical properties govern important ecosystem functions. Stream bed colmation resulting from catchment erosion is considered a core problem of stream headwaters in which many species depending on coarse substrates are in decline. Here, we identify the origin of fine sediment and compare the contribution of external (i.e. catchment erosion) versus internal (i.e. in‐stream carbonate precipitation and internal biomass production) sources of siltation using a case study of a pre‐alpine river, the Moosach. The stream bed was dominated (51%) by fine sediment of mainly silt size. The average fine sediment thickness of 58 cm and a net deposition rate of 1.32 kg m−2 yr−1 confirmed siltation problems. Mineral analyses and mass balancing showed that still only less than 1% of the erosion input into the stream was deposited on the stream bed. Internal temperature‐dependent calcite precipitation also removed less than 1% of the calcium from the water column. Thus, by far, most of the fine material from erosion and precipitation was transported and did not contribute to the deposition of fines. Since the colmation problem is governed by the sink, it cannot be solved by exclusively addressing the sources (erosion, precipitation). Despite the well‐founded linkage between terrestrial and aquatic systems, this study suggests that restoration of stream bed quality must also focus on in‐stream processes and flow regime management, while erosion control remains essential in its own right. Copyright © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
A Useful Method for Preparing Mixed Brush Polymer Grafted Nanoparticles by Polymerizing Block Copolymers from Surfaces with Reversed Monomer Addition Sequence
Authors: Zheng Yang , Huang Yucheng , Benicewicz Brian C.
Published: August 2017

The preparation of well‐defined block copolymers using controlled radical polymerization depends on the proper order of monomer addition. The reversed order of monomer addition results in a mixture of block copolymer and homopolymer and thus has typically been avoided. In this paper, the low blocking efficiency of reversed monomer addition order is utilized in combination with surface initiated reversible addition−fragmentation chain‐transfer polymerization to establish a facile procedure toward mixed polymer brush grafted nanoparticles SiO2‐g‐(PS (polystyrene), PS‐b‐PMAA (polymethacrylic acid)). The SiO2‐g‐(PS, PS‐b‐PMAA) nanoparticles are analyzed by gel permeation chromatography deconvolution, and the fraction of each polymer component is calculated. Additionally, the SiO2‐g‐(PS, PS‐b‐PMAA) are amphiphilic in nature and show unique self‐assembly behavior in water.
Copolymerization of Ethylene with 1,9‐Decadiene: Part II—Prediction of Molecular Weight Distributions
Authors: Brandão Amanda L. T. , Alberton André L. , Pinto José Carlos , Soares João B. P.
Published: August 2017

In the present work, adaptive orthogonal collocation and a Monte Carlo method are used to compute the molecular weight distributions (MWD) of ethylene/1,9‐decadiene copolymers produced with a constrained geometry catalyst. Predictions from each model are compared to each other and to the experimental MWDs, allowing for the evaluation of relative strengths and weaknesses of each mathematical modeling method. Comparisons with experimental results indicate that the rate of macromonomer incorporation in the growing polymer chains decays with the macromonomer radius of gyration. In all cases, the proposed models are able to fit appropriately the available experimental MWDs.
Unique genetic background and outcome of non‐Caucasian Japanese probands with arrhythmogenic right ventricular dysplasia/cardiomyopathy
Authors: Wada Yuko , Ohno Seiko , Aiba Takeshi , Horie Minoru
Published: August 2017

Background

Arrhythmogenic right ventricular dysplasia/cardiomyopathy (ARVD/C) is an inherited cardiomyopathy mainly caused by desmosomal gene mutation. More than half of Caucasian probands have desmosomal mutations, which lead to earlier onset of ventricular arrhythmias. Among non‐Caucasians, the genetic background of ARVD/C probands and its prognostic impact remain unclear.

Methods and Results

We genotyped 99 unrelated Japanese ARVD/C probands for plakophilin 2 (PKP2), desmoglein 2 (DSG2), desmoplakin (DSP), and desmocollin 2 (DSC2) between 2005 and 2014. Seventy‐five probands who fulfilled “definite” category according to the 2010 Task Force Criteria (TFC) were enrolled and followed up for 6.4 years. Sixty‐four percent of probands had desmosomal mutations; DSG2 was predominant (48% of mutations) followed by PKP2 (38%). DSG2 mutations were almost missense, whereas over 90% of PKP2 mutations were truncating mutations. Lethal ventricular arrhythmias (VAs, sustained ventricular tachycardia/fibrillation) occurred in 57% of probands as the first manifestation and 71% at the end of follow‐up. Five died during follow‐up. Truncating mutation carriers exhibited earlier lethal VAs onset compared to missense mutation carriers or mutation negatives (age at onset 35 ± 12, 49 ± 16, and 50 ± 19 years, respectively, P < 0.05 in each). Cox proportional hazard analysis revealed for the first time that, compared to mutation negatives, truncating mutation carriers had higher risk for lethal VAs, and especially for onset by their 40s, in an age‐dependent manner (RR = 4.6, P < 0.01 by their 40s; RR = 2.9, P = 0.01 by their 50s).

Conclusion

The genetic background of Japanese ARVD/C probands is distinct from that of Caucasian probands, leading to distinct prognosis. The most affected gene mutations in Japanese probands were missense mutations in DSG2 leading to modest outcome, whereas PKP2 truncating mutations were the second most and might be a strong marker for lethal VAs in non‐Caucasian Japanese ARVD/C probands.
Mehler's formulas for the univariate complex Hermite polynomials and applications
Authors: Ghanmi Allal
Published: August 2017

We give 2 widest Mehler's formulas for the univariate complex Hermite polynomials
, by performing double summations involving the products
and
. They can be seen as the complex analogues of the classical Mehler's formula for the real Hermite polynomials. The proof of the first one is based on a generating function giving rise to the reproducing kernel of the generalized Bargmann space of level m. The second Mehler's formula generalizes the one appearing as a particular case of the so‐called Kibble‐Slepian formula. The proofs we present here are direct and more simpler. Moreover, direct applications are given and remarkable identities are derived.
Compact finite difference scheme for the solution of a time fractional partial integro‐differential equation with a weakly singular kernel
Authors: Mohebbi Akbar
Published: August 2017

In this paper, we develop a high‐order finite difference scheme for the solution of a time fractional partial integro‐differential equation with a weakly singular kernel. The fractional derivative is used in the Riemann‐Liouville sense. We prove the unconditional stability and convergence of scheme using energy method and show that the convergence order is
. We provide some numerical experiments to confirm the efficiency of suggested scheme. The results of numerical experiments are compared with analytical solutions to show the efficiency of proposed scheme. It is illustrated that the numerical results are in good agreement with theoretical ones.
Kisspeptin regulates ovarian steroidogenesis during delayed embryonic development in the fruit bat, Cynopterus sphinx
Authors: Anuradha  , Krishna Amitabh
Published: August 2017

Cynopterus sphinx, a fruit bat, undergoes delayed embryonic development during the winter months, a period that corresponds to low levels of progesterone and estradiol synthesis by the ovary. Kisspeptins (KPs) are a group of neuropeptide hormones that act via G‐protein coupled receptor 54 (GPR54) to stimulate hypothalamic secretion of Gonadotropin‐releasing hormone, thereby regulating ovarian steroidogenesis, folliculogenesis, and ovulation. GPR54 is also expressed in the ovary, suggesting a direct role for KPs in ovarian steroidogenesis. The aim of present study was to determine if a low serum level of KP is responsible for reduced progesterone and estradiol levels during the period of delayed embryonic development in C. sphinx. Indeed, low serum KP abundance corresponded to reduced expression of GPR54 in ovarian luteal cells during the period of delayed development compared to normal development. In vitro and in vivo treatment with KP increased GPR54 abundance, via Extracellular signal regulated kinase and its downstream mediators, leading to increased progesterone synthesis in the ovary during delayed embryonic development. KP treatment also increased cholesterol uptake and elevated expression of Luteinizing hormone receptor and Steroid acute regulatory protein in the ovary, suggesting that elevation in circulating KP during delayed embryonic development may reactivate luteal activity. KPs may also enhance cell survival (BCL‐2, reduced Caspase 3 activity) and angiogenesis (Vascular endothelium growth factor) during this period. The findings of this study thus demonstrate a regulatory role for KPs in the maintenance of luteal steroidogenesis during pregnancy in C. sphinx.
Exploring the Dynamics of Volunteer and Staff Interactions
Authors: Rimes Heather , Nesbit Rebecca , Christensen Robert K. , Brudney Jeffrey L.
Published: August 2017

The quality of the relationships between volunteers and paid staff can have far‐reaching consequences for organizations that utilize volunteer programs to support service delivery. We utilize a mixed methods case study design to explore volunteer and staff perceptions of their mutual interactions within a large library system in the southeastern United States. We consider which areas of these interactions might be vulnerable to conflict. Our findings suggest that conflict is likely to arise due to communication problems, behavioral or attitudinal issues, perceptions of job vulnerability, divergent expectations, lack of trust, and workflow integration hurdles. We argue that to avoid these tensions and promote effective service delivery, staff members must have appropriate training and preparation to interact successfully with volunteers.
Factors associated with acceptance of pandemic flu vaccine by healthcare professionals in Spain, 2009–2010
Authors: Fernández‐Villa Tania , Molina Antonio J. , Torner Nuria , Castilla Jesus , Astray Jenaro , García‐Gutiérrez Susana , Mayoral José María , Tamames Sonia , Domínguez Ángela , Martín Vicente ,   CIBERESP Working Group for the Survey on Influenza Vaccination in Primary Health Care Workers
Published: August 2017

The A(H1N1)pdm09 influenza virus reached pandemic level in Spain in 2009, prompting a national vaccination campaign. To avoid transmission to patients, healthcare professionals’ vaccination against pandemic influenza is crucial. The main objective of this study was to analyze factors associated with the failure by healthcare professionals to accept the pandemic vaccination in 2009. A cross‐sectional survey was conducted of healthcare professionals in seven of Spain's autonomous regions. A questionnaire was used to collect information about personal and professional details, the respondents’ flu vaccination status in the 2008–2009 and 2009–2010 seasons (seasonal and pandemic vaccines), and their knowledge and attitudes. A total of 1,661 professionals completed the survey. In the 2009–2010 season, 38.2% had both the seasonal and the pandemic vaccine, 22.1% had had only the seasonal, and 4.7% only the pandemic vaccine. The strongest predictor of not receiving the pandemic vaccine was not having had seasonal vaccinations in that year or the previous year. Those who had not received the pandemic vaccine were more often female; nurses; under 45; denied contact with at‐risk groups; and had negative beliefs about the vaccine effectiveness and little concern for getting the disease, being infected at work, or passing it on to patients. It would be prudent to direct preventive campaigns not only at individuals at risk of catching flu but also at health professionals with a negative view of flu vaccine, with a particular focus on nurses, who have a key role in recommending flu vaccine.
Stakeholders in the political marketing context
Authors: Ormrod Robert P.
Published: August 2017

Stakeholders influence the ability of organisations to achieve their aims, but little work has been carried out into understanding the stakeholder concept as applied to political actors. This paper first discusses the contextual nature of stakeholders using normative and strategic, and broad and narrow dimensions, integrating these 2 dimensions with power asymmetries and reciprocity. This paper then argues that a broad stakeholder concept for the political marketing context reconciles strategic and normative issues, as whilst successful interactions with specific stakeholders are necessary to achieve completed political exchanges of value, all stakeholders that exist in democratic societies have some form of moral claim to representation. As each political exchange of value consists of 3 consecutive interactions, the direct stakeholders in 1 interaction become indirect stakeholders in subsequent interactions. As each interaction occurs within a “marketplace” context, interactions in previous marketplace(s) together with expectations of the impact on future marketplace(s) influence current decision‐making. Finally, it is proposed that in the political marketing context, the stakeholder concept can be defined as “context‐specific agents that directly or indirectly influence or are influenced by the political actor.”