bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Joint location and power optimisation of femto base stations to improve indoor coverage: a geometric approach
Authors: Kundu Anindita , Sanyal Salil K. , Misra Iti Saha
Published: November 2016

Femto base station (FBS) deployment with existing Macro Base Stations improves Quality of Service of end users in dead‐zone while simultaneously increasing co‐channel femto–femto interference. This necessitates judicious planning before FBS deployment. In this paper, a novel geometric approach to model any 3‐D deployment region along with two particle swarm optimisation based joint location and power optimisation algorithms: LOA‐POA and LPOA are proposed. The geometric plan of the deployment region (with multiple multistoried buildings) with 3‐D coordinates of serving‐MBS has been generated and provided as input to LOA‐POA and LPOA, to identify positions and transmission powers of the FBSs required to maximise coverage. For a significantly large deployment region of 1600 sq. m., the LPOA identifies locations and transmission powers of four co‐channel FBSs within 140 s while LOA‐POA identifies the same for five FBSs within 40 s. Simulation exhibits requisite coverage after FBS installation. Comparison of these algorithms has been carried out with existing works considering different wall materials. LPOA is observed to provide most economic solution but with higher convergence time than LOA‐POA. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
KRAS driven expression signature has prognostic power superior to mutation status in non‐small cell lung cancer
Authors: Nagy Ádám , Pongor Lőrinc Sándor , Szabó András , Santarpia Mariacarmela , Győrffy Balázs
Published: November 2016

KRAS is the most frequently mutated oncogene in non‐small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). However, the prognostic role of KRAS mutation status in NSCLC still remains controversial. We hypothesize that the expression changes of genes affected by KRAS mutation status will have the most prominent effect and could be used as a prognostic signature in lung cancer.

We divided NSCLC patients with mutation and RNA‐seq data into KRAS mutated and wild type groups. Mann‐Whitney test was used to identify genes showing altered expression between these cohorts. Mean expression of the top five genes was designated as a “transcriptomic fingerprint” of the mutation. We evaluated the effect of this signature on clinical outcome in 2,437 NSCLC patients using univariate and multivariate Cox regression analysis.

Mutation of KRAS was most common in adenocarcinoma. Mutation status and KRAS expression were not correlated to prognosis. The transcriptomic fingerprint of KRAS include FOXRED2, KRAS, TOP1, PEX3 and ABL2. The KRAS signature had a high prognostic power. Similar results were achieved when using the second and third set of strongest genes. Moreover, all cutoff values delivered significant prognostic power (p < 0.01). The KRAS signature also remained significant (p < 0.01) in a multivariate analysis including age, gender, smoking history and tumor stage.

We generated a “surrogate signature” of KRAS mutation status in NSCLC patients by computationally linking genotype and gene expression. We show that secondary effects of a mutation can have a higher prognostic relevance than the primary genetic alteration itself.
Phase II clinical trial using novel peptide cocktail vaccine as a postoperative adjuvant treatment for surgically resected pancreatic cancer patients
Authors: Miyazawa Motoki , Katsuda Masahiro , Maguchi Hiroyuki , Katanuma Akio , Ishii Hiroshi , Ozaka Masato , Yamao Kenji , Imaoka Hiroshi , Kawai Manabu , Hirono Seiko , Okada Ken‐ichi , Yamaue Hiroki
Published: November 2016

We investigated peptide cocktail vaccine OCV‐C01 containing epitope peptides derived from KIF20A, vascular endothelial growth factor receptor (VEGFR)1 and VEGFR2 combined with gemcitabine in the adjuvant treatment for resected pancreatic cancer patients. A single‐arm multicenter phase II study was performed on 30 patients with pancreatic ductal carcinoma who underwent pancreatectomy. At each 28‐day treatment cycle, patients received weekly subcutaneous injection of OCV‐C01 for 48 weeks and gemcitabine was administered intravenously at 1,000 mg/m2 on days 1, 8 and 15 for 24 weeks. Patients were followed for 18 months. The primary endpoint was disease‐free survival (DFS) and secondary endpoints included safety, overall survival (OS) and immunological assays on peptide‐specific cytotoxic T lymphocyte (CTL) activity and KIF20A expression in resected pancreatic cancer. The median DFS was 15.8 months [95% confidence interval (CI), 11.1–20.6] and the DFS rate at 18 months was 34.6% (95% CI, 18.3–51.6). The median OS was not reached and the OS rate at 18 months was 69.0% (95% CI, 48.8–82.5). The administration of OCV‐C01 was well tolerated. In the per protocol set, there were significant differences in DFS between patients with KIF20A‐specific CTL responses and without (p = 0.027), and between patients with KIF20A expression and without (p = 0.014). In addition, all four patients who underwent R0 resection with KIF20A expression had no recurrence of pancreatic cancer with KIF20A‐specific CTL responses. OCV‐C01 combined with gemcitabine was tolerable with a median DFS of 15.8 months, which was favorable compared with previous data for resected pancreatic cancer.
Previtellogenic and vitellogenic oocytes in ovarian follicles of cultured siberian sturgeon Acipenser baerii (Chondrostei, Acipenseriformes)
Authors: Żelazowska Monika , Fopp‐Bayat Dorota
Published: November 2016

Previtellogenic and vitellogenic oocytes in ovarian follicles from cultured Siberian sturgeon Acipenser baerii were examined. In previtellogenic oocytes, granular and homogeneous zones in the cytoplasm (the ooplasm) are distinguished. Material of nuclear origin, rough endoplasmic reticulum, Golgi complexes, complexes of mitochondria with cement and round bodies are numerous in the granular ooplasm. In vitellogenic oocytes, the ooplasm comprises three zones: perinuclear area, endoplasm and periplasm. The endoplasm contains yolk platelets, lipid droplets, and aggregations of mitochondria and granules immersed in amorphous material. In the nucleoplasm, lampbrush chromosomes, nucleoli, and two types of nuclear bodies are present. The first type of nuclear bodies is initially composed of fibrillar threads only. Their ultrastructure subsequently changes and they contain threads and medium electron dense material. The second type of nuclear bodies is only composed of electron dense particles. All nuclear bodies impregnate with silver, stain with propidium iodide, and are DAPI‐negative. Their possible role is discussed. All oocytes are surrounded by follicular cells and a basal lamina which is covered by thecal cells. Egg envelopes are not present in previtellogenic oocytes. In vitellogenic oocytes, the plasma membrane (the oolemma) is covered by three envelopes: vitelline envelope, chorion, and extrachorion. Vitelline envelope comprises four sublayers: filamentous layer, trabecular layer 2 (t2), homogeneous layer, and trabecular layer 1 (t1). In the chorion, porous layer 1 and porous layer 2 are distinguished in most voluminous examined oocytes. Three micropylar cells that are necessary for the formation of micropyles are present between follicular cells at the animal hemisphere. J. Morphol. 278:50–61, 2017. ©© 2016 Wiley Periodicals,Inc.
Leg injuries and wound repair among cosmetid harvestmen (Arachnida, Opiliones, Laniatores)
Authors: Townsend Victor R. , Schaus Maynard H. , Zvonareva Tatyana , Illinik Jeffrey J. , Evans John T.
Published: November 2016

Previous studies of leg injuries in harvestmen have focused on the fitness consequences for individuals that use autospasy (voluntary detachment of the leg) as a secondary defense mechanism. Leg damage among non‐autotomizing species of laniatorean harvestmen has not been investigated. Under laboratory conditions, we damaged femur IV of Cynorta marginalis and observed with scanning electron microscopy (SEM) the changes in these wounds over ten days. We also used SEM to examine leg damage from individuals of three species of cosmetid harvestmen that were collected in the field. On the basis of changes in the external surface of the hemolymph coagulum, we classified these wounds as fresh (coagulum forming), recent (coagulum with smooth surface), older (coagulum is scale‐like with visible cell fragments), and fully healed (scale replaced by new cuticle growth on the terminal stump). Our observations indicate that wound healing in harvestmen occurs in a manner comparable to that of other chelicerates. Leg injuries exhibited interspecific variation with respect to the overall frequency of leg wounds and the specific legs that were most commonly damaged. In addition, we measured walking and climbing speeds of adult C. marginalis and found that individuals with fresh injuries (lab‐induced) to femur IV walked at speeds significantly slower than uninjured adults or individuals collected from the field that had fully healed wounds to a single leg. J. Morphol. 278:73–88, 2017. ©© 2016 Wiley Periodicals,Inc.
Comparative morphology of the reproductive system of seven species of ostariophysan fishes from the upper Das Velhas River, Brazil
Authors: Melo Rafael Magno Costa , Gomes Débora Diniz , Moreira Davidson Peruci , Gomes Maysa Regina , Bazzoli Nilo , Rizzo Elizete
Published: November 2016

The success of fishes in different environments is related with the variation of reproductive strategies developed by the systematic group, which is reflected in the morphology of the reproductive system and can have ecological and evolutionary implications. This study comparatively analyzed the morphological characteristics of the male and female reproductive systems of ostariophysan fish species from the upper Das Velhas River in the São Francisco River basin, Brazil. In order to accomplish this, 393 specimens belonging to seven fish species were sampled between April 2010 and June 2015 for histological, ultrastructural, histochemical, and morphometric analyses. All the species examined have anastomosing tubular testes with unrestricted distribution of spermatogonia. Astyanax bimaculatus, A. fasciatus, A. scabripinnis, and Harttia torrenticola had their spermatozoa embedded in a glycoprotein secretion within the tubule lumen. Most species had type I spermiogenesis, whereas Rhamdia quelen had type III spermiogenesis. While all females examined had asynchronous oocyte development, there were remarkable morphological, histochemical, and morphometric differences in the ovarian follicles and enveloping layers. Hoplias malabaricus and H. torrenticola, which exhibit parental care behaviour, had a significantly larger diameter of vitellogenic oocytes and larger spermatozoa nuclei. Apareiodon ibitiensis, H. torrenticola, and A. scabripinnis, species that have rheophilic preferences, exhibited a thicker zona radiata than the other species examined. The follicular cells of R. quelen and H. torrenticola were columnar and produced a jelly coat and mucosubstances, respectively. The females of the seven fish species studied show a correlation of the reproductive strategies with the reproductive system morphology, while males retained more similar morphological characteristics between species. J. Morphol. 278:170–181, 2017. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals,Inc.
Isolation, purification, and identification of the main phenolic compounds from leaves of celery (Apium graveolens L. var. dulce Mill./Pers.)
Authors: Liu Guoyan , Zhuang Linwu , Song Dandan , Lu Chunliang , Xu Xin
Published: November 2016

We developed a simple and meaningful preparative method for the separation and purification of the main phenolic compounds from the leaves of celery (Apium graveolens L. var. dulce Mill./Pers.) and we established an accurate and specific analytical method for the identification of the main phenolic compounds from celery leaves. The crude extract from celery leaves was prefractioned by polyamide resin to enrich the phenolic compounds. They were then purified further by preparative high‐performance liquid chromatography, and seven main phenolic compounds were obtained: including chlorogenic acid, luteolin 7‐O‐β‐d‐apiofuranosyl(1→2)‐β‐d‐glucopyranoside, luteolin 7‐O‐β‐d‐glucopyranoside, apiin, chrysoeriol 7‐O‐β‐d‐apiofuranosyl(1→2)‐β‐d‐glucopyranoside, luteolin 7‐O‐[β‐d‐apiofuranosyl(1→2)‐(6′′‐O‐malonyl)]‐β‐d‐glucopyranoside, and apigenin 7‐O‐[β‐d‐apiofuranosyl(1→2)‐(6′′‐O‐malonyl)]‐β‐d‐glucopyranoside. Their purities were measured by using high‐performance liquid chromatography, and their chemical structures were confirmed using UV spectrophotometry, ultra high performance liquid chromatography with quadrupole time‐of‐flight tandem mass spectrometry, and NMR spectroscopy. Our studies indicate that preparative high‐performance liquid chromatography combined with polyamide resin is a simple and meaningful preparative method for the separation and purification of phenolic compounds from the leaves of celery or other plants, and the use of UV spectrophotometry, ultra high performance liquid chromatography with quadrupole time‐of‐flight tandem mass spectrometry, and NMR spectroscopy is an accurate and specific analytical method for the identification of phenolic compounds.
Investigation of couple stress effects on poroelastic squeeze film of parallel plates
Authors: Gbehe Ory Serge Tanguy , El Khlifi Mohamed , Nabhani Mohamed , Bou‐Saïd Benyebka
Published: November 2016

The couple stress effects on hydrodynamic performances of poroelastic squeeze film in the case of infinitely long parallel plates are examined in this paper. The lower plate is a poroelastic matrix saturated by a Newtonian fluid. The poroelasticity is taken into account by the means of homogenisation method. The rheological behaviour of the lubricant is described by the Stokes couple stress fluid theory. The modified Reynolds equation accounting for the couple stress, the elasticity of the poroelastic plate and the slip velocity condition at the film–poroelastic plate interface is derived. The governing equations in the fluid film and poroelastic plate are discretised by finite difference method and solved iteratively by using Gauss–Seidel method. The fluid film and poroelastic plate coupling is managed by the iterative fixed point technique. A computer program is developed in this study. The result analysis shows that couple stress effects on poroelastic squeeze film performances are significant. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
DFT calculations as a powerful tool for ESR spin trapping experiments
Authors: Stipa Pierluigi , Cipolletti Roberto
Published: November 2016

A combined electron spin resonance (ESR) and density functional theory study has been carried out to obtain deeper insight in the reaction mechanism of the photorearrangement of 3‐hydroxyindolic nitrones. Also, in this case, the combination of these techniques constitutes a powerful tool when discriminating between different reaction pathways. In particular, density functional theory calculations played an important role for unraveling the overlapping of signals coming from different species in the ESR spin trapping experiments. In the present study, the computed energies and the corresponding ESR parameters of each possible isomer hypothesized have been considered, taking also into account their different possibilities of intramolecular H‐bond formation. However, the results obtained indicate that the possibility of intramolecular H‐bonding did not play a determinant role in this case. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Dual‐volume excitation and parallel reconstruction for J‐difference‐edited MR spectroscopy
Authors: Oeltzschner Georg , Puts Nicolaas A.J. , Chan Kimberly L. , Boer Vincent O. , Barker Peter B. , Edden Richard A.E.
Published: November 2016

Purpose

To develop J‐difference editing with parallel reconstruction in accelerated multivoxel (PRIAM) for simultaneous measurement in two separate brain regions of γ‐aminobutyric acid (GABA) or glutathione.

Methods

PRIAM separates signals from two simultaneously excited voxels using receiver‐coil sensitivity profiles. PRIAM was implemented into Mescher‐Garwood (MEGA) edited experiments at 3 Tesla (T), and validated by acquiring dual‐voxel MEGA‐PRIAM (and compared with conventional single‐voxel MEGA‐PRESS) spectra from a GABA/glutathione phantom, and 11 healthy participants.

Results

MEGA‐PRIAM effectively separated phantom spectra with ∼3–4% between‐voxel contamination. GABA and glutathione measurements agreed well with those obtained using single‐voxel MEGA‐PRESS (mean difference was below 2% in GABA levels, and below 7% in glutathione levels). In vivo, GABA‐ and glutathione‐edited spectra were successfully reconstructed with a mean in vivo g‐factor of 1.025 (typical voxel‐center separation: 7–8 cm). MEGA‐PRIAM experiments showed higher signal‐to‐noise ratio than sequential single‐voxel experiments of the same total duration (mean improvement 1.38 ± 0.24).

Conclusions

Simultaneous acquisition of J‐difference‐edited GABA or glutathione spectra from two voxels is feasible at 3 T. MEGA‐PRIAM increases data acquisition rates compared with MEGA‐PRESS by a factor of 2. Magn Reson Med 77:16–22, 2017. © 2016 International Society for Magnetic Resonance in Medicine
‘The most trustworthy writers on our Blacks’: Edward M. Curr's Critique of Armchair Anthropology
Authors: Furphy Samuel
Published: November 2016

Edward M. Curr was a controversial figure in Australian anthropology during its formative period. In his major work, The Australian Race (1886), he used the techniques of comparative philology to develop a theory of Aboriginal racial origins. The most enduring legacy of Curr's publication is its linguistic data, but at the time of its publication it was just as notable for its predominantly negative assessments of fellow ethnologists. While prominent contemporaries such as A.W. Howitt and Lorimer Fison drew authority from their connections to international scholarly networks, Curr eschewed the theoretical debate that surrounded his endeavour and emphasised that he (and his network of correspondents) had personal knowledge of Aboriginal people ‘in their savage state.’ His work might be viewed as a significant early critique of armchair anthropology and a counterpoint to the then ascendant social evolutionary paradigm; yet, equally, the limitations of his own methodology and the politicised nature of his scholarly intervention are evident. This article argues that Curr was not simply prioritising field research, as he himself knew the value of correspondents; rather, he was privileging the views of the old colonists over more recently arrived supposed experts.
Women's choices for invasive or non‐invasive testing: influence of gestational age and service delivery
Authors: Chen An , Tenhunen Henni , Torkki Paulus , Heinonen Seppo , Lillrank Paul , Stefanovic Vedran
Published: November 2016

Objective

To investigate the factors influencing women's post‐counseling choices between non‐invasive prenatal testing (NIPT) and invasive prenatal diagnosis in pregnancies with elevated a priori risk of fetal chromosomal abnormalities or after the initial screening.

Methods

Data were collected from test choice database at Fetomaternal Medical Center (FMC) at Helsinki University Hospital, Finland. We focused on the women with gestational age less than 15 weeks and who were offered NIPT or invasive procedure (CVS or amniocentesis) after pre‐test counseling. The Chi‐square test, ANOVA test and multinomial logistic regressions were used to explore significant factors affecting women's choice.

Results

In 2015, 333 women in our study group participated in prenatal testing, 260 (78.1%) initially chose NIPT, 62 (18.6%) chose CVS and 11 (3.3%) chose amniocentesis. There was a statistically significant difference among these three test groups with regard to gestational age (p = 0.025), counseling day (p < 0.001), certain medical indications and serum screening risk score (p = 0.028). However, multinomial logistic regressions only confirmed the predictive value of gestational age and counseling day on women's choice.

Conclusions

Maternal age was not a strong factor affecting women's choice for prenatal further tests. Medical indications and risk scores have less influence than previously thought. Gestational age and service availability were strong factors. © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Cultural Adjustment and Social Justice Behaviour: The Role of Individual Differences in Multicultural Personality
Authors: Fietzer Alexander W. , Ponterotto Joseph G. , Jackson Margo A. , Bolgatz Jane
Published: November 2016

The present study examined altruistic behaviour using broad personality traits (the Big Five) and the narrow personality trait of cultural adjustment (multicultural personality) while controlling for social justice attitudes and other demographic variables. Using an analogue version of a modified dictator game, 153 participants were required to divide a variable amount of money between themselves and a hypothetical recipient who was treated unfairly in a prior dictator game (based on results from a separate sample). We varied the race (Black and White) and gender (male and female) of the fictional recipient to present the individual as either advantaged or disadvantaged in society. Participants were randomly assigned to one of three conditions with the recipient presented as (i) a White man, (ii) a White woman, or (iii) a Black man. A separate sample of 71 participants rated recipients as treated unfairly and as representing a marginalized group. Results showed that subscales of the Multicultural Personality Inventory predicted giving behaviour above and beyond the variance accounted for by broad personality traits and attitudes towards social justice. The discussion focuses on implications for research in social justice based on cultural adaptation and personality. Copyright © 2016 European Association of Personality Psychology
Effect of electric fields on plasma catalytic hydrocarbon oxidation from atomistic simulations
Authors: Neyts Erik C. , Bal Kristof M.
Published: November 2016

The catalytic oxidative dehydrogenation of hydrocarbons is an industrially important process, in which selectivity is a key issue. We here investigate the conversion of methanol to formaldehyde on a vanadia surface employing long timescale simulations, reaching a time scale of seconds. In particular, we compare the thermal process to the case where an additional external electric field is applied, as would be the case in a direct plasma‐catalysis setup. We find that the electric field influences the retention time of the molecules at the catalyst surface. These simulations provide an atomic scale insight in the thermal catalytic oxidative dehydrogenation process, and in how an external electric field may affect this process.
Electronic structure calculation of Si1−xSnx compound alloy using interacting quasi‐band theory
Authors: Oda Masato , Kuroda Yukina , Kishi Ayaka , Shinozuka Yuzo
Published: November 2016

We investigate energy band structures of the Si1−xSnx compound alloy in the zincblende structure using interacting quasi‐band (IQB) theory. We first extend the IQB theory for four‐element compounds and subsequently calculate the electronic structures of the virtual Si1−xSnxSi1−ySny alloy where x = y. Diagonalizing a 20 × 20 non‐Hermitian Hamiltonian matrix using sp3s* empirical tight‐binding model with parameters obtained for the Si, Sn, and SiSn (zincblende) crystals, we obtain the electronic energy spectrum of the Si1−xSnx alloy for arbitrary x. Comparing the band structures, we reveal that the indirect–direct gap crossover in Si1−xSnx alloys occurs around x = 0.67 with Eg = 0.87 eV.

Calculated Sn concentration dependence of energy gaps in Si1−xSnx alloy.
Tropical low formation and intensification over land as seen in ECMWF analyses
Authors: Kilroy Gerard , Smith Roger K. , Montgomery Michael T.
Published: November 2016

Case studies of the formation and intensification over land of three tropical lows in northern Australia are described. The case studies are based on European Centre for Medium‐Range Weather Forecasts (ECMWF) analyses. The aim is to investigate the generality of recent results concerning the dynamics and thermodynamics of tropical lows. Consistent with these results, it is found that the processes of low formation and intensification are the same over land as over the ocean. An important element of the intensification process is the need for bursts of deep convection to persist near the circulation centre, which, in turn, requires that convective instability be maintained by surface moisture fluxes. The moist monsoonal environment locally surrounding the storm provides a shield against the adverse effects of dry‐air intrusion from the Australian continent.
Identity‐based schemes for a secured big data and cloud ICT framework in smart grid system
Authors: Ye Feng , Qian Yi , Hu Rose Qingyang
Published: November 2016

Smart grid is an intelligent cyber physical system (CPS). The CPS generates a massive amount of data for efficient grid operation. In this paper, a big data‐driven, cloud‐based information and communication technology (ICT) framework for smart grid CPS is proposed. The proposed ICT framework deploys hybrid cloud servers to enhance scalability and reliability of smart grid communication infrastructure. Because the data in the ICT framework contains much privacy of customers and important data for automated controlling, the security of data transmission must be ensured. In order to secure the communications over the Internet in the system, identity‐based schemes are proposed especially because of their advantage in key management. Specifically, an identity‐based signcryption (IBSC) scheme is proposed to provide confidentiality, non‐repudiation, and data integrity. For practical purposes, an identity‐based signature scheme is relaxed from the proposed IBSC to provide non‐repudiation only. Moreover, identity‐based schemes are also proposed to achieve signature delegation within the ICT framework. Security of the proposed IBSC scheme is rigorously analyzed in this work. Efficiency of the proposed IBSC scheme is demonstrated with an implementation using modified Weil pairing over an elliptic curve. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
The performance implications of resource and pay dispersion: The case of Major League Baseball
Authors: Hill Aaron D. , Aime Federico , Ridge Jason W.
Published: November 2016

Research summary: Building on research in strategic management that has found that high levels of pay dispersion are detrimental to firm performance; we examine the potential dependence of those findings on similar dispersion in the latent potential of those resources to contribute to performance. We find that congruence between resource value dispersion and pay dispersion is positively related to organizational performance. Additionally, we find that this congruence moderates the effects of both organizational resources and organizational pay levels on organizational performance. These findings contribute to a growing line of research that explores the implications of key human resource value and pay combinations for organizational performance.

Managerial summary: While differences in income between key employees (i.e., dispersed pay) can instill feelings of inequity and be detrimental to organizational performance, such differences may also increase the odds of attracting star talent and help performance. In the context of Major League Baseball (MLB), we find that performance improves when dispersions in pay are congruent with the dispersion in the contributions that team members make to their organizations. We also find that the positive effects on performance of higher total pay and of level of organizational talent are enhanced by congruent pay and contribution dispersions. These findings suggest organizations may benefit from consistent dispersions in pay and talent and that important contributions by key organizational members need to be visible when organizations have dispersed pay structures. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Biological and environmental surface interactions of nanomaterials: characterization, modeling, and prediction
Authors: Chen Ran , Riviere Jim E.
Published: November 2016

The understanding of nano‐bio interactions is deemed essential in the design, application, and safe handling of nanomaterials. Proper characterization of the intrinsic physicochemical properties, including their size, surface charge, shape, and functionalization, is needed to consider the fate or impact of nanomaterials in biological and environmental systems. The characterizations of their interactions with surrounding chemical species are often hindered by the complexity of biological or environmental systems, and the drastically different surface physicochemical properties among a large population of nanomaterials. The complexity of these interactions is also due to the diverse ligands of different chemical properties present in most biomacromolecules, and multiple conformations they can assume at different conditions to minimize their conformational free energy. Often these interactions are collectively determined by multiple physical or chemical forces, including electrostatic forces, hydrogen bonding, and hydrophobic forces, and calls for multidimensional characterization strategies, both experimentally and computationally. Through these characterizations, the understanding of the roles surface physicochemical properties of nanomaterials and their surface interactions with biomacromolecules can play in their applications in biomedical and environmental fields can be obtained. To quantitatively decipher these physicochemical surface interactions, computational methods, including physical, statistical, and pharmacokinetic models, can be used for either analyses of large amounts of experimental characterization data, or theoretical prediction of the interactions, and consequent biological behavior in the body after administration. These computational methods include molecular dynamics simulation, structure–activity relationship models such as biological surface adsorption index, and physiologically‐based pharmacokinetic models. WIREs Nanomed Nanobiotechnol 2017, 9:e1440. doi: 10.1002/wnan.1440

This article is categorized under:

Nanotechnology Approaches to Biology > Nanoscale Systems in Biology

Toxicology and Regulatory Issues in Nanomedicine > Toxicology of Nanomaterials
The Health Gain Obtainable from Pancreatic Resection for Adenocarcinoma in the Elderly
Authors: Cucchetti Alessandro , Ercolani Giorgio , Pezzilli Raffaele , Cescon Matteo , Frascaroli Giacomo , Pinna Antonio Daniele
Published: November 2016

Background

In treating pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC), age does not represent a contraindication to surgery, even if aging is known to increase postoperative mortality and morbidity. Furthermore, long‐term outcome remains poor and there is much debate on whether to operate or not in elderly patients. The aim of this study was to provide a general framework to evaluate the health gain obtainable from surgery for PDAC in relationship with age and tumor stage.

Methods

A Monte Carlo simulation model was built taking into consideration pertinent literature from population‐based studies regarding surgical and non‐surgical outcomes for stages I–II PDAC. The health gain obtainable from surgery, in comparison to the choice of not resecting patients, was measured through number needed‐to‐treat (NNT) calculation.

Results

Considering the typical stage I–II PDAC characteristics, the model showed that the mean lifespan after surgery was 28.1 ± 3.9 months and 9.3 ± 1.5 months after non‐surgical therapies. The NNT with surgery in order to prevent one death at 5 years was 6 (95% CI 4–10), indicating an overall high gain obtainable from surgery. Sensitivity analyses on patient age and tumor stage suggested that starting from 76 years onward, the NNT progressively increases, resulting in a low cure rate of surgery in the elderly and becoming potentially harmful for patients aged above 80 years. These figures were more pronounced for tumor stages IIA and IIB.

Conclusions

The present general framework suggests that the lifespan benefit obtainable from pancreatectomy in elderly patients is uncertain especially with the advancing of the tumor stage.
Early Revision Surgery for Tibial Plateau Non-union and Mal-union
Authors: Van Nielen Dominic L. , Smith Christopher S. , Helfet David L. , Kloen Peter
Published: November 2016

Background

Although relatively rare, non-unions and mal-unions of tibial plateau fractures present significant challenges for the orthopedic surgeon. With careful pre-operative planning, tibial plateau mal-union or non-union revision surgery with intra-articular and varus opening osteotomies can provides good functional results when performed early (within 1 year) after primary surgical procedure.

Questions/Purposes

We present our treatment algorithm for approaching and treating non-union or mal-union of tibial plateau fractures. Our aim is to give surgeons treating these difficult injuries an overview of the pertinent literature as well as describe the challenges and pitfalls we have experienced when treating non-union or mal-union of tibial plateau fractures.

Methods

Using two case examples from our institution, one for mal-union and one for mal-reduction, we describe our treatment algorithm and surgical technique for managing these difficult injuries. We also provide a brief literature review outlining relevant studies and summarizing outcomes for similar injuries. A systematic literature review was conducted with the aim of determining the methods and outcomes commonly reported in the literature regarding revision surgery following tibial plateau non-union or mal-union. Due to the nature of revision surgery, there are no long-term randomized trials dealing with outcomes, but rather several smaller case series exist from which larger conclusions have to be drawn.

Results

To date, we have successfully treated approximately 35 patients with this technique, and clinical follow-up continues to show good functional outcomes with reduced pain and little radiographic evidence of arthritic changes. Restoring long leg alignment, anatomic reduction of the articular surface, and achieving stable internal fixation are paramount in achieving the best long-term outcome. Due to the shallow soft tissue envelope around the proximal tibia, and the tendency for these fractures to fall into progressive valgus collapse, these problems can seem intimidating and complex. However, with well-planned surgery and meticulous surgical technique, reliable healing can be achieved.

Conclusion

By outlining our method, we hope to provide other surgeons with an algorithm to guide clinical and operative decision making. These difficult injuries can be daunting to treat, but if performed before the onset of severe degenerative arthritis, early revision surgery, as we describe, can be a viable alternative to total knee arthroplasty, particularly in younger, more active patients.
Current approaches to flexible intramedullary nailing for bone lengthening in children
Authors: Popkov Dmitry , Lascombes Pierre , Journeau Pierre , Popkov Arnold
Published: November 2016

Limb-length discrepancies and extremity deformities are among the most common non-traumatic orthopaedic conditions for which children are hospitalised. There is a need to develop new treatment options for lower-limb length discrepancy in order to ameliorate treatment outcomes, avoid or reduce rates of complication and provide early rehabilitation. The authors report on the basic principles, experimental and clinical data, advantages, problems and complications of a combined technique associating the Ilizarov method and flexible intramedullary nailing (FIN) in limb lengthening and deformity correction in children. They describe features of the use of hydroxyapatite-coated intramedullary nails in patients with certain metabolic bone disorders and in cases where bone consolidation has been compromised. The advantages of bone lengthening using a combined technique (circular fixator plus FIN) are a lower healing index, quicker distraction-consolidation, a reduced rate of septic and bone complications, the ability to correct deformities gradually and the increased stability of bone fragments during the external fixation period and after frame removal.
Bone lengthening: Bridging joints, soft tissue releases, physiotherapy
Authors: Launay Franck , Pesenti Sébastien
Published: November 2016

When we lengthen a bone in a child, the parents and the family circle are often obsessed by the amount a lengthening obtained. However, for the surgeon, lengthen a bone is quite pretty easy, but dealing with the joints above and below the lengthening area can be very challenging. Indeed, during the lengthening process, muscles and tendons will be progressively stretched, leading to potential joint contracture or even dislocation. The objective of the surgeon will be to avoid this situation. The first mean at disposal is the physiotherapy in order to help the joints to be more supple and to maintain their range of motion. The second mean is the soft tissue release before the surgery, during the lengthening process, or after the hardware removal when the capacities of physiotherapy are overdone. As a last resort, it can be helpful to bridge the joint to protect it during the lengthening.
Amputation and rotationplasty in children with limb deficiencies: Current concepts
Authors: Sakkers Ralph , van Wijk Iris
Published: November 2016

Purpose

Amputations and fitting surgery have a long history in children with limb deficiencies. With the current developments in limb reconstruction and new techniques in prosthetics, the indications for amputation and fitting surgery might have shifted, but still have a very important role in creating high functional performance, optimal participation and quality of life. The purpose of this current concepts article is to give an overview of the indications, dilemmas and technical considerations in the decision-making for amputation and fitting surgery. A special part of this overview is dedicated to the indications, variations and outcomes in rotationplasties.

Methods

The article is based on the experience of a multidisciplinary reconstruction team for children with complex limb deficiencies, as well as research of the literature on the various aspects that cover this multidisciplinary topic.

Results

For those children with a more severe limb deficiency, reconstruction is not always feasible for every patient. In those cases, amputation with prosthetic fitting can lead to a good result. Outcomes in quality of life and function do not significantly differ from the children that had reconstruction. For children with a postaxial deficiency with a femur that is too short for lengthening, and with a stable ankle and foot with good function, rotationplasty offers the best functional outcome. However, the decision-making between the different options will depend on different individual factors.

Conclusions

Amputations and rotationplasties combined with optimal prosthesis fitting in children with more severe limb deficiencies may lead to excellent short- and long-term results. An experienced multidisciplinary team for children with complex limb deficiencies should guide the patient and parents in the decision-making between the different options without or with prosthesis.
Updates on preoperative planning, limb deformity analysis and surgical correction for the growing children
Authors: Segev Eitan
Published: November 2016

Successful deformity correction depends on establishing the aetiology of the deformity. Clinical examination, additional laboratory tests and consultation with other experts may be needed to complete the workup. Imaging studies should include full-length standing X-rays in all relevant planes, and additional imaging modalities like computed tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) may add information on bone morphology and growth plates’ anatomy. Based on the data, analysis of the deformity and length differences is performed, followed by prediction of deformities at skeletal maturity. The patients need to be followed up on a regular basis and repeat analysis should be done to improve the accuracy of prediction for final limb length difference. Limb deformity and lengthening correction plans are drawn and updated during follow-up, to achieve straight and equal lower limbs at maturity. Timely surgical procedures are performed using appropriate techniques and the most modern technologies available. These principles are discussed and demonstrated with case examples.
Understanding Kant's Ethics
Authors: Cholbi Michael
Published: November 2016

Kant's ethical thought remains one of the most influential, yet notoriously challenging, systems in the history of philosophy. This volume provides a sympathetic but critical reconstruction of the main strands of Kant's ethics, focusing on the most commonly read of Kant's ethical works, the Groundwork of the Metaphysics of Morals. Part I outlines Kant's arguments in defense of his Categorical Imperative, as well as elaborating Kant's understanding of dignity and human freedom. Part II addresses the most common objections to Kant's ethics, including challenges to the Formula of Universal Law; Kant's controversial ethical stances on suicide, sex and marriage, and non-human animals; and the place of reason, sentiment, and happiness in Kant's ethics. For scholars and specialists alike, the volume offers a clear and accessible account of what Kantian morality both offers us and asks of us.
Hyperspectral Imaging Remote Sensing
Authors: Manolakis Dimitris G. , Lockwood Ronald B. , Cooley Thomas W.
Published: November 2016

A practical and self-contained guide to the principles, techniques, models and tools of imaging spectroscopy. Bringing together material from essential physics and digital signal processing, it covers key topics such as sensor design and calibration, atmospheric inversion and model techniques, and processing and exploitation algorithms. Readers will learn how to apply the main algorithms to practical problems, how to choose the best algorithm for a particular application, and how to process and interpret hyperspectral imaging data. A wealth of additional materials accompany the book online, including example projects and data for students, and problem solutions and viewgraphs for instructors. This is an essential text for senior undergraduate and graduate students looking to learn the fundamentals of imaging spectroscopy, and an invaluable reference for scientists and engineers working in the field.
The Quest for Universal Social Policy in the South
Authors: Martínez Franzoni Juliana , Sánchez-Ancochea Diego
Published: November 2016

Universal social policies have the power to reduce inequality and create more cohesive societies. How can countries in the South deliver universalism? This book answers this question through a comparative analysis of Costa Rica, Mauritius, South Korea, and Uruguay, and a detailed historical account of Costa Rica's successful trajectory. Against the backdrop of democracy and progressive parties, the authors place at center stage the policy architectures defined as the combination of instruments that dictate the benefits available to people. The volume also explores the role of state actors in building pro-universal architectures. This book will interest advanced students and scholars of human development and public and social policies, as well as policymakers eager to promote universal policies across the South.
Legal Reason
Authors: Weinreb Lloyd L.
Published: November 2016

Legal Reason describes and explains analogical reasoning, the distinctive feature of legal argument. It challenges the prevailing view that analogical reasoning is a logically flawed, defective form of deductive reasoning. Drawing on work in epistemology and cognitive psychology, the book shows that analogical reasoning in the law is the same as that used by everyone routinely in ordinary life, and that it is a valid form of reasoning, derived from the innate human capacity to recognize the general in the particular. The use of analogical reasoning in law is dictated by the nature of law, which calls for the application of general rules to particular facts. Critiques of the first edition of the book are addressed directly and objections answered in a new chapter. Written for scholars, students, and persons interested in law, Legal Reason is written in accessible prose, with examples drawn from the law and everyday experience.
Case Studies in Communication Disorders
Authors: Cummings Louise
Published: November 2016

Designed for students of speech-language pathology, audiology and clinical linguistics, this valuable text introduces students to all aspects of the assessment, diagnosis and treatment of clients with developmental and acquired communication disorders through a series of structured case studies. Each case study includes questions which direct readers to important features of the case that will facilitate clinical learning. A selection of further readings encourages students to extend their knowledge of communication disorders. Key features of this book include: • 48 detailed case studies based on actual clients with communication disorders • 25 questions within each case study • Fully-worked answers to every question • 105 suggestions for further reading The text also develops knowledge of the epidemiology, aetiology, and linguistic and cognitive features of communication disorders, highlights salient aspects of client histories, and examines assessments and interventions used in the management of clients.
On reversible maps and symmetric periodic points
Authors: KANG JUNGSOO
Published: November 2016

In reversible dynamical systems, it is of great importance to understand symmetric features. The aim of this paper is to explore symmetric periodic points of reversible maps on planar domains invariant under a reflection. We extend Franks’ theorem on a dichotomy of the number of periodic points of area-preserving maps on the annulus to symmetric periodic points of area-preserving reversible maps. Interestingly, even a non-symmetric periodic point guarantees infinitely many symmetric periodic points. We prove an analogous statement for symmetric odd-periodic points of area-preserving reversible maps isotopic to the identity, which can be applied to dynamical systems with double symmetries. Our approach is simple, elementary, and far from Franks’ proof. We also show that a reversible map has a symmetric fixed point if and only if it is a twist map which generalizes a boundary twist condition on the closed annulus in the sense of Poincaré–Birkhoff. Applications to symmetric periodic orbits in reversible dynamical systems with two degrees of freedom are briefly discussed.
Reading the Signs of the Times through a Hermeneutics of Recognition:Gaudium et Spesand Its Meaning for a Learning Church
Authors: Faggioli Massimo
Published: November 2016

The pastoral constitutionGaudium et Spesof Vatican II represents a significant shift for the church, not only ecclesiologically but also intellectually, with deep consequences for the culture of the church and especially for Catholic institutions of higher education. This change has clear implications for the core curriculum of a learning Catholic Church—and of every learning Catholic. In the “modern cosmopolitan culture” of the church of Vatican II, the liberal arts have a central place. The ability to make a judgment on “the signs of the times” requires a cultural awareness that is the opposite of utilitarianism. Care for the “common good” requires “core knowledge” because the world—as it is presented inGaudium et Spes—is nontransparent, ambiguous, and ever changing. In this sense the pastoral constitution is an antipositivistic manifesto for humanization that needs to be rediscovered.