bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Optimal Use of Transient Elastography and Acoustic Radiation Force Impulse to Stage Liver Fibrosis in HIV/HCV‐Coinfected Patients in Clinical Practice
Authors: López Juan José , Pérez‐Àlvarez Núria , Rodríguez Raul V. , Jou Antoni , Carbonell Pere , Jiménez José A. , Soldevila Laura , Tenesa Montserrat , Tor Jordi , Clotet Bonaventura , Bechini Jordi , Tural Cristina
Published: July 2017

Objectives

Liver fibrosis (LF) is crucial for the individualized management of patients with hepatitis C virus (HCV). We evaluated the concordance between two noninvasive methods for staging LF, transient elastography (TE) and acoustic radiation force impulse (ARFI), in patients coinfected with human immunodeficiency virus and HCV. We propose an algorithm for optimal use of both techniques in routine clinical practice.

Methods

A total of 89 human immunodeficiency virus/HCV‐coinfected patients underwent TE and ARFI on the same day. The kappa index was used to assess concordance between the techniques. An algorithm combining ARFI and TE was proposed based on the independent factors associated with a kappa index greater than or equal to 0.70, obtained from a multiple regression analysis. We performed a cost‐effectiveness analysis. The study was approved by our institutional review board and all patients signed the informed consent.

Results

Concordance between TE and ARFI for F2, F3, and F4 was 0.55, 0.59, and 0.69, respectively. Ultrasound normal spleen size (odds ratio [OR], 0.20; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.05–0.91) and high viral load (OR, 0.36; 95% CI, 0.17–0.77) reduced the probability of agreement between TE and ARFI, whereas ultrasound normal left liver lobe size (OR, 3.32; 95% CI, 1.21–9.10) increased this probability. The algorithm revealed that LF was adequately assessed in 74.16%, with 25.84% of patients misclassified. The incremental cost‐effectiveness ratio of TE compared with ARFI to increase concordance by 1% was €8.86.

Conclusions

Concordance between TE and ARFI was moderate. In the algorithm we proposed, ARFI was cost‐effective as a first technique for the staging of LF in the study population.
Asteroid Hyalosis Masquerading as Vitreous Hemorrhage on Point‐of‐Care Sonography
Authors: Lema Penelope C. , Mantuani Daniel , Nagdev Arun , Adhikari Srikar
Published: July 2017

Point‐of‐care ocular sonography is frequently used in the emergency department to evaluate patients with vision disorders. We describe a case series of 3 patients who ultimately had a diagnosis of asteroid hyalosis, a lesser‐known condition that on point‐of‐care sonography may be mistaken for vitreous hemorrhage. Asteroid hyalosis is considered a benign degenerative condition. In contrast, vitreous hemorrhage may be an ocular emergency that warrants an urgent ophthalmologic consultation if there is an underlying retinal tear or detachment. Although similar in appearance on sonography, recognition of the subtle pathognomonic sonographic features along with their clinical presentations can differentiate these diseases, with vastly different management strategies and dispositions.
Association Between Endometrial/Subendometrial Vasculature and Embryo Transfer Outcome: A Meta‐analysis and Subgroup Analysis
Authors: Wang Jianing , Xia Fei , Zhou Ying , Wei Xuedong , Zhuang Yanyan , Huang Yingxue
Published: July 2017

Objectives

To examine the association between endometrial/subendometrial vasculature and in vitro fertilization‐embryo transfer (IVF‐ET) and frozen embryo transfer (FET) outcomes.

Methods

A meta‐analysis of studies using endometrial/subendometrial 3‐dimensional ultrasound and power Doppler angiography was performed to examine the vascularization index (VI), flow index (FI), and vascularization‐flow index (VFI) in pregnant and nonpregnant women. Ten articles were analyzed, including 895 pregnant women and 882 nonpregnant women.

Results

A subgroup analysis of the measuring time showed that the endometrial VI (standardized mean difference [SMD], 0.57; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.40, 0.74; P < .00001), FI (SMD, 0.56; 95% CI, 0.33, 0.78; P < .00001), and VFI (SMD, 0.45; 95% CI, 0.28, 0.61; P < .00001) measured on the ET day, but not on the human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) trigger day, were significantly higher in pregnant than nonpregnant women. Additionally, the subendometrial FI was significantly increased in pregnant women on the both hCG day (SMD, 0.68; 95% CI, 0.31, 1.06; P = .004) and ET day (SMD, 0.30; 95% CI, 0.08, 0.52; P = .007). A subgroup analysis of cycle type showed that the endometrial VI (SMD, 0.52; 95% CI, 0.30, 0.74; P < .00001), FI (SMD, 0.44; 95% CI, 0.22, 0.66; P = .0001), and VFI (SMD, 0.45; 95% CI, 0.23, 0.67; P = .03) on the ET day were significantly increased in pregnant women in the FET subgroup.

Conclusions

The subendometrial FI on the hCG day and endometrial VI, FI, and VFI on the ET day are potentially associated with pregnancy occurrence during IVF‐ET. The endometrial VI, FI, and VFI could help identify appropriate timing for FET. However, the accuracy of these indices in predicting pregnancy occurrence must be further evaluated in additional large‐scale studies.
Otolaryngology externships and the match: Productive or futile?
Authors: Thomas Carissa M. , Cabrera‐Muffly Cristina
Published: July 2017

Objectives/Hypothesis

The objectives of this study were to summarize externship experiences among recent graduates and current residents in otolaryngology residency programs and determine whether externships affect the match process.

Study Design

Cross‐sectional survey.

Methods

A survey was distributed to otolaryngology residents in allopathic US residency programs and otolaryngology graduates from the past 5 years (2011–2015). There were 2,141 surveys distributed.

Results

There were 654 subjects who responded, for a 30.5% response rate. Most respondents were residents (n = 438, 67%). Of the residents, 85.6% had completed at least one externship compared to 75.9% of graduates (P = .002). The most common reasons for selecting a particular externship were geographic location (74.2%) and program reputation (71.1%), whereas the most common reason for not completing an externship was being advised not to (59.1%). Furthermore, 82.6% of respondents received at least one interview from their externships, 90% went to those interviews, and 89.1% reported that externship experiences affected their rank list. Respondents had a 32.7% match rate to the externship residency program if it was ranked versus a 48.8% match rate if the program was ranked first. Respondents who matched at the externship residency program matched higher on their rank list (P < .001). Of the respondents, 90.7% found externships to be valuable, and 74.5% recommended completing one.

Conclusions

Externships are beneficial because they influence the rank list of applicants and are viewed as valuable experiences. Completing an externship is advisable for the experience, but applicants should weigh the benefits versus the possible risk of being judged more harshly during a month‐long rotation.

Level of Evidence

NA Laryngoscope, 127:2242–2246, 2017
Laryngeal distribution of recurrent respiratory papillomatosis in a previously untreated cohort
Authors: Benedict Peter A. , Ruiz Ryan , Yoo MiJin , Verma Avanti , Ahmed Omar H. , Wang Binhuan , Dion Gregory R. , Voigt Andrew , Merati Albert , Rosen Clark A. , Amin Milan R. , Branski Ryan C.
Published: July 2017

Objectives/Hypothesis

To describe the distribution of recurrent respiratory papillomatosis (RRP) lesions across 21 laryngeal anatomic regions in previously untreated patients at initial presentation to provide insight regarding the natural history of RRP.

Study Design

Multi‐institutional, retrospective case series.

Methods

Initial laryngoscopic examination videos of 83 previously untreated patients with adult‐onset RRP were reviewed. Papilloma locations were recorded using a 21‐region laryngeal schematic. Multivariate analyses by anatomic subsite were conducted for the entire population and for subgroups stratified by sex, age, and proton pump inhibitor (PPI) usage. Heat maps were generated, hierarchically color coding the anatomic distribution of disease.

Results

In this cohort, RRP was most likely to occur on the true vocal folds (TVFs) and anterior commissure (P < .0001, odds ratio [OR]: 7.02); within the TVFs, the membranous vocal folds (MVFs) were most likely to be affected (P < .0001, OR: 3.56). The cohort was predominantly male (80.7%); males had a higher average number of affected sites (P = .005) and were more likely to have lesions in any laryngeal subsite (P < .0001, OR: 2.88,) compared to females. PPI users were more likely than nonusers to have disease in any laryngeal subsite (P = .0037, OR: 1.62), particularly in the posterior and subglottic regions (P = .0061, OR: 2.53). Age was not correlated with lesion prevalence or distribution.

Conclusions

In untreated patients presenting to three laryngology clinics, the MVFs were most likely to be affected by RRP. Males had more anatomic sites affected by papilloma than females. The influence of PPI use on RRP distribution warrants further investigation.

Level of Evidence

4. Laryngoscope, 128:138–143, 2018
Surgical outcome for empty nose syndrome: Impact of implantation site
Authors: Lee Ta‐Jen , Fu Chia‐Hsiang , Wu Ching‐Lung , Lee Yi‐Chan , Huang Chi‐Che , Chang Po‐Hung , Chen Yi‐Wei , Tseng Hsiao‐Jung
Published: July 2017

Objective/Hypothesis

Endonasal submucosal implantation has been confirmed to be beneficial for patients with empty nose syndrome (ENS). However, the optimal implantation site has not been defined. This study aimed to evaluate whether lateral nasal wall implantation is superior to inferior nasal wall implantation in terms of clinical benefits and improvements in quality of life.

Study Design

Retrospective study in a tertiary medical center.

Methods

Consecutive ENS patients between 2010 and 2015 with operative histories of inferior turbinectomies and indicated for surgical implantation were enrolled, with at least 1‐year follow‐up. Patients were divided into lateral and inferior nasal wall groups. SinoNasal Outcome Test (SNOT)‐22, Beck Depression Inventory (BDI)‐II, and Beck Anxiety Inventory (BAI) were applied before and 1 year after implantation.

Results

Of the total 30 ENS patients analyzed, 14 were in the inferior nasal wall group and 16 were in the lateral nasal wall group. There were no significant intergroup differences in demographic data and preoperative SNOT‐22, BDI‐II, and BAI scores. Postoperative assessment revealed that the lateral nasal wall group had significantly better SNOT‐22 score improvements than the inferior nasal wall group, particularly regarding rhinological symptoms and sleep function.

Conclusion

Lateral nasal wall implantation may provide significantly better clinical outcomes than inferior nasal wall implantation, and thus may be the preferred, more optimal site for implant placement in ENS patients.

Level of Evidence

4. Laryngoscope, 128:554–559, 2018
Solid solution treatment on strength and corrosion of biodegradable Mg6Ag wires
Authors: Maier P. , Zimmermann F. , Rinne M. , Szakács G. , Hort N. , Vogt C.
Published: July 2017

A warm‐drawn Mg6Ag wire with a diameter of 1.6 mm is investigated by immersion tests in Ringer solution in two conditions: as‐drawn and solution heat‐treated wire. The initial as‐drawn condition showed higher strength in comparison to the solution heat‐treated one. As‐drawn wire has heavily twinned grains. Heat treatment causes slight grain growth, but less microgalvanic corrosion due to dissolved second phases and a significantly reduction of twin boundaries. The mean corrosion rate decreases by more than half by the heat treatment resulting in higher remaining mechanical properties. The mean corrosion rate also decreases with corrosion time, slightly more for the heat‐treated condition. Pitting corrosion was still present after solution heat treatment, although the pit shape is less harmful. The corroded wires and corrosion products were analysed qualitatively and quantitatively by SEM imaging and ICP‐OES with focus on the exposure time. Mg6Ag wires corrode under forming Mg(OH)2, CaCO3 and AgCl, SEM imaging proves higher corrosion resistance of heat‐treated Mg6Ag. Chemical analysis of wires, corrosion products and corrosion media offer to describe the time‐dependent mechanism.
A1S_2811, a CheA/Y‐like hybrid two‐component regulator from Acinetobacter baumannii ATCC17978, is involved in surface motility and biofilm formation in this bacterium
Authors: Chen Rong , Lv Ruichen , Xiao Lisheng , Wang Min , Du Zongmin , Tan Yafang , Cui Yujun , Yan Yanfeng , Luo Yanping , Yang Ruifu , Song Yajun
Published: July 2017

Two‐component systems in Acinetobacter baumannii are associated with its virulence, drug resistance, motility, biofilm formation, and other characteristics. In this study, we used RecAb, a genetic engineering method, to investigate the function of A1S_2811 in A. baumannii strain ATCC17978. A1S_2811, a hypothetical hybrid sensor histidine kinase/response regulator, has four histidine‐containing phosphotransfer domains, a CheA‐like regulatory domain, and a CheY‐like receiver domain at its C terminus. Compared with the ATCC17978 strain, both surface motility and biofilm formation at the gas–liquid interface decreased significantly in the A1S_2811 knock‐out strain. The number of pilus‐like structures and the amount of extrapolymeric substances on the cell surface also decreased in the A1S_2811 null strain. Transcription of abaI, which encodes an N‐acylhomoserine lactone synthase in A. baumannii , decreased significantly in the A1S_2811 null strain, and supplementation with synthetic N‐(3‐oxodecanoyl) homoserine‐l‐lactone rescued the surface motility and biofilm formation phenotype in the null mutant. We speculate that A1S_2811 regulates surface motility and biofilm formation, not by regulating type IV pili‐associated genes expression, but by regulating the chaperone/usher pili‐associated csuA/ABCDE operon and the AbaI‐dependent quorum‐sensing pathway‐associated A1S_0112‐0119 operon instead.
Variability of 4D flow parameters when subjected to changes in MRI acquisition parameters using a realistic thoracic aortic phantom
Authors: Montalba Cristian , Urbina Jesus , Sotelo Julio , Andia Marcelo E. , Tejos Cristian , Irarrazaval Pablo , Hurtado Daniel E. , Valverde Israel , Uribe Sergio
Published: July 2017

Purpose

To assess the variability of peak flow, mean velocity, stroke volume, and wall shear stress measurements derived from 3D cine phase contrast (4D flow) sequences under different conditions of spatial and temporal resolutions.

Methods

We performed controlled experiments using a thoracic aortic phantom. The phantom was connected to a pulsatile flow pump, which simulated nine physiological conditions. For each condition, 4D flow data were acquired with different spatial and temporal resolutions. The 2D cine phase contrast and 4D flow data with the highest available spatio‐temporal resolution were considered as a reference for comparison purposes.

Results

When comparing 4D flow acquisitions (spatial and temporal resolution of 2.0 × 2.0 × 2.0 mm3 and 40 ms, respectively) with 2D phase‐contrast flow acquisitions, the underestimation of peak flow, mean velocity, and stroke volume were 10.5, 10 and 5%, respectively. However, the calculated wall shear stress showed an underestimation larger than 70% for the former acquisition, with respect to 4D flow, with spatial and temporal resolution of 1.0 × 1.0 × 1.0 mm3 and 20 ms, respectively.

Conclusions

Peak flow, mean velocity, and stroke volume from 4D flow data are more sensitive to changes of temporal than spatial resolution, as opposed to wall shear stress, which is more sensitive to changes in spatial resolution. Magn Reson Med 79:1882–1892, 2018. © 2017 International Society for Magnetic Resonance in Medicine.
Cationic Supramolecular Hydrogels for Overcoming the Skin Barrier in Drug Delivery
Authors: Limón David , Jiménez‐Newman Claire , Rodrigues Mafalda , González‐Campo Arántzazu , Amabilino David B. , Calpena Ana C. , Pérez‐García Lluïsa
Published: July 2017

A cationic bis‐imidazolium‐based amphiphile was used to form thermoreversible nanostructured supramolecular hydrogels incorporating neutral and cationic drugs for the topical treatment of rosacea. The concentration of the gelator and the type and concentration of the drug incorporated were found to be factors that strongly influenced the gelling temperature, gel‐formation period, and overall stability and morphology. The incorporation of brimonidine tartrate resulted in the formation of the most homogeneous material of the three drugs explored, whereas the incorporation of betamethasone resulted in a gel with a completely different morphology comprising linked particles. NMR spectroscopy studies proved that these gels kept the drug not only at the interstitial space but also within the fibers. Due to the design of the gelator, drug release was up to 10 times faster and retention of the drug within the skin was up to 20 times more effective than that observed for commercial products. Experiments in vivo demonstrated the rapid efficacy of these gels in reducing erythema, especially in the case of the gel with brimonidine. The lack of coulombic attraction between the gelator–host and the guest–drug seemed particularly important in highly effective release, and the intermolecular interactions operating between them were found to lie at the root of the excellent properties of the materials for topical delivery and treatment of rosacea.
Highly Atom Economic Synthesis of d‐2‐Aminobutyric Acid through an In Vitro Tri‐enzymatic Catalytic System
Authors: Chen Xi , Cui Yunfeng , Cheng Xinkuan , Feng Jinhui , Wu Qiaqing , Zhu Dunming
Published: July 2017

d‐2‐Aminobutyric acid is an unnatural amino acid serving as an important intermediate in pharmaceutical production. Developing a synthetic method that uses cheaper starting materials and produces less by‐product is a pressing demand. A tri‐enzymatic catalytic system, which is composed of l‐threonine ammonia lyase (l‐TAL), d‐amino acid dehydrogenase (d‐AADH), and formate dehydrogenase (FDH), has thus been developed for the synthesis of d‐2‐aminobutyric acid with high optical purity. In this cascade reaction, the readily available l‐threonine serves as the starting material, carbon dioxide and water are the by‐products. d‐2‐Aminobutyric acid was obtained with >90 % yield and >99 % enantioselective excess, even without adding external ammonia, demonstrating that the ammonia from the first reaction can serve as the amino donor for the reductive amination step. This multi‐enzymatic system provides an attractive method with high atomic economy for the synthesis of d‐α‐amino acids from the corresponding l‐α‐amino acids, which are readily produced by fermentation.
Superior performance of plasma treated water as an anodizing electrolyte for producing nanoporous titanium dioxide nanotubes
Authors: Ambujakshan Arun T. , Pringle Jennifer M. , Corr Cormac S. , Chen Zhiqiang , du Plessis Johan , Hodgson Peter D. , Dai Xiujuan J.
Published: July 2017

An environmentally friendly electrolyte for the synthesis of titanium dioxide nanotubes by anodization is presented. Plasma treatment of de‐ionized water produces some important reactive species such as nitrate and hydrogen peroxide. This plasma‐treated water serves as an efficient electrolyte in the formation of titanium dioxide nanotubes during anodization. In order to further understand the roles of nitrate and hydrogen peroxide, titanium foil was anodized in plasma treated water containing nitrate or/and hydrogen peroxide as well as in its equivalent solution made by adding nitric acid and/or hydrogen peroxide to water. It was found that the plasma treated water containing both nitrate and hydrogen peroxide produced more uniform arrays of highly crystalline titanium dioxide nanotubes than produced in the aqueous solution made with nitric acid and hydrogen peroxide.
Regulation of the activity of the promoter of RNA‐induced silencing, C3PO
Authors: Sahu Shriya , Williams Leo , Perez Alberto , Philip Finly , Caso Giuseppe , Zurawsky Walter , Scarlata Suzanne
Published: July 2017

RNA‐induced silencing is a process which allows cells to regulate the synthesis of specific proteins. RNA silencing is promoted by the protein C3PO (component 3 of RISC). We have previously found that phospholipase Cβ, which increases intracellular calcium levels in response to specific G protein signals, inhibits C3PO activity towards certain genes. Understanding the parameters that control C3PO activity and which genes are impacted by G protein activation would help predict which genes are more vulnerable to downregulation. Here, using a library of 1018 oligonucleotides, we show that C3PO binds oligonucleotides with structural specificity but little sequence specificity. Alternately, C3PO hydrolyzes oligonucleotides with a rate that is sensitive to substrate stability. Importantly, we find that oligonucleotides with higher Tm values are inhibited by bound PLCβ. This finding is supported by microarray analysis in cells over‐expressing PLCβ1. Taken together, this study allows predictions of the genes whose post‐transcriptional regulation is responsive to the G protein/phospholipase Cβ/calcium signaling pathway.
Renal neuroendocrine control of desiccation and cold tolerance byDrosophila suzukii
Authors: Terhzaz Selim , Alford Lucy , Yeoh Joseph GC , Marley Richard , Dornan Anthony J , Dow Julian AT , Davies Shireen A
Published: July 2017

BACKGROUND

Neuropeptides are central to the regulation of physiological and behavioural processes in insects, directly impacting cold and desiccation survival. However, little is known about the control mechanisms governing these responses inDrosophila suzukii. The close phylogenetic relationship ofD. suzukiiwithDrosophila melanogasterallows, through genomic and functional studies, an insight into the mechanisms directing stress tolerance inD. suzukii.

RESULTS

Capability (Capa), leucokinin (LK), diuretic hormone 44 (DH44) and DH31neuropeptides demonstrated a high level of conservation betweenD. suzukiiandD. melanogasterwith respect to peptide sequences, neuronal expression, receptor localisation, and diuretic function in the Malpighian tubules. DespiteD. suzukii's ability to populate cold environments, it proved sensitive to both cold and desiccation. Furthermore, inD. suzukii,Capaacts as a desiccation‐ and cold stress‐responsive gene, whileDH44gene expression is increased only after desiccation exposure, and theLKgene after nonlethal cold stress recovery.

CONCLUSION

This study provides a comparative investigation into stress tolerance mediation by neuroendocrine signalling in twoDrosophilaspecies, providing evidence that similar signalling pathways control fluid secretion in the Malpighian tubules. Identifying processes governing specific environmental stresses affectingD. suzukiicould lead to the development of targeted integrated management strategies to control insect pest populations. © 2017 The Authors.Pest Management Sciencepublished by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of Society of Chemical Industry.
The effect of YSi2 nanoinclusion on the thermoelectric properties of p‐type SiGe alloy
Authors: Wongprakarn Suphagrid , Pinitsoontorn Supree , Tanusilp Sora‐at , Kurosaki Ken
Published: July 2017

In this research, the p‐type Si80Ge20B3 alloys composited with YSi2 nanoinclusions were fabricated by melting spinning and then, spark plasma sintering. The metallic Y was chosen as the source of YSi2 nanoparticles. It was found that the fully dense nanocomposites were formed with the homogeneous distribution of YSi2 nanoinclusions in the SiGe matrix. The thermoelectric measurement showed that YSi2 addition reduces the electrical conductivity but increases the Seebeck coefficient, which was attributed to the decrease in carrier concentration. The thermal conductivity was suppressed for the composite SiGe‐1.4%Y, which made this composition to exhibit the largest thermoelectric figure‐of‐merit (ZT) of 0.52.

Figure‐of‐merit (ZT) and microstructure of the SiGe‐x%Y SiGe‐1.4%Y.
Annealing of the sputtered AlN buffer layer on r‐plane sapphire and its effect on a‐plane GaN crystalline quality
Authors: Jinno Daiki , Otsuki Shunya , Niimi Teruyuki , Sugimori Shogo , Daicho Hisayoshi , Iwaya Motoaki , Takeuchi Tetsuya , Kamiyama Satoshi , Akasaki Isamu
Published: July 2017

We demonstrated how annealing of the sputtered AlN buffer layer (sp‐AlN) on r‐plane sapphire could be used to produce a high‐crystalline‐quality a‐plane GaN (a‐GaN). The sp‐AlN with large grains was confirmed by annealing at 1600 °C in N2 ambient, consequently its crystalline orientation and quality were significantly improved. Moreover, it was found that a‐GaN grown on annealed sp‐AlN showed better crystalline quality, including a reduction of basal stacking fault density, than a‐GaN grown on untreated sp‐AlN (as sputtered). The implication is that the a‐GaN growth method using annealed sp‐AlN is an effective way to obtain high crystalline quality.
Highly‐efficient superstrate Cu2ZnSnS4 solar cell fabricated low‐cost methods
Authors: Berruet M. , Di Iorio Y. , Pereyra C. J. , Marotti R. E. , Vázquez M.
Published: July 2017

A recent accomplishment in the preparation of a highly efficient thin film solar cell is reported. This superstrate cell is composed of FTO/TiO2/In2S3/Cu2ZnSnS4/graphite. A maximum conversion efficiency of 3.5% has been achieved for the first time using this configuration and materials. The device includes low cost methods and non‐toxic components. Details of the experimental procedures are provided and the device characterization data are presented and analyzed.

Left: Current–voltage response of the best cell FTO/TiO2/In2S3/Cu2ZnSnS4/graphite in the dark (dotted line) and under simulated solar irradiation (solid line). Right: Cross‐sectional view of the cell. Inset: Profilometric scan of the device.
Acquisition Motives and the Distribution of Acquisition Performance
Authors: Rabier Maryjane R.
Published: July 2017

Research summary: I examine how acquisition motives relate to the distribution of post‐acquisition performance. I argue that acquisitions motivated by operating synergies have the potential to experience greater gains than acquisitions driven by financial synergies but are harder to value and implement, making them more uncertain. Using SEC filings, conference calls and press releases to capture acquisition motives, I find that acquirers pursuing operating synergies are more likely to experience highly positive and highly negative long‐term returns than acquirers pursuing financial synergies. I also find that acquisition experience and geographic proximity to targets soften acquirers' extreme downside outcomes in operating synergy acquisitions. My theory and results suggest that approaches that emphasize average outcomes for acquirers and use industry classifications to capture acquisition motives may be incomplete.

Managerial summary: Managers engage in acquisitions for various reasons. In this study, I find that reasons related to operating synergies (e.g., revenue growth through new product offerings or cost savings through economies of scale) are more likely to result in extreme high and low performance outcomes for the acquiring firm compared to reasons related to financial synergies (e.g., diversification of cash flow streams). In addition, I find that the acquirer's prior acquisition experience and the geographic proximity between the target and acquirer help soften the extreme low performance outcomes related to operating synergies. Copyright © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Tunable SnSe2/WSe2 Heterostructure Tunneling Field Effect Transistor
Authors: Yan Xiao , Liu Chunsen , Li Chao , Bao Wenzhong , Ding Shijin , Zhang David Wei , Zhou Peng
Published: July 2017

The burgeoning 2D semiconductors can maintain excellent device electrostatics with an ultranarrow channel length and can realize tunneling by electrostatic gating to avoid deprivation of band‐edge sharpness resulting from chemical doping, which make them perfect candidates for tunneling field effect transistors. Here this study presents SnSe2/WSe2 van der Waals heterostructures with SnSe2 as the p‐layer and WSe2 as the n‐layer. The energy band alignment changes from a staggered gap band offset (type‐II) to a broken gap (type‐III) when changing the negative back‐gate voltage to positive, resulting in the device operating as a rectifier diode (rectification ratio ~104) or an n‐type tunneling field effect transistor, respectively. A steep average subthreshold swing of 80 mV dec−1 for exceeding two decades of drain current with a minimum of 37 mV dec−1 at room temperature is observed, and an evident trend toward negative differential resistance is also accomplished for the tunneling field effect transistor due to the high gate efficiency of 0.36 for single gate devices. The ION/IOFF ratio of the transfer characteristics is >106, accompanying a high ON current >10−5 A. This work presents original phenomena of multilayer 2D van der Waals heterostructures which can be applied to low‐power consumption devices.
Automated analysis of fetal cardiac function using color tissue Doppler imaging
Authors: Herling L. , Johnson J. , Ferm‐Widlund K. , Bergholm F. , Lindgren P. , Sonesson S.‐E. , Acharya G. , Westgren M.
Published: July 2017

Objective

To evaluate the feasibility of automated analysis of fetal myocardial velocity recordings obtained by color tissue Doppler imaging (cTDI).

Methods

This was a prospective cross‐sectional observational study of 107 singleton pregnancies ≥ 41 weeks of gestation. Myocardial velocity recordings were obtained by cTDI in a long‐axis four‐chamber view of the fetal heart. Regions of interest were placed in the septum and the right (RV) and left (LV) ventricular walls at the level of the atrioventricular plane. Peak myocardial velocities and mechanical cardiac time intervals were measured both manually and by an automated algorithm and agreement between the two methods was evaluated.

Results

In total, 321 myocardial velocity traces were analyzed using each method. It was possible to analyze all velocity traces obtained from the LV, RV and septal walls with the automated algorithm, and myocardial velocities and cardiac mechanical time intervals could be measured in 96% of all traces. The same results were obtained when the algorithm was run repeatedly. The myocardial velocities measured using the automated method correlated significantly with those measured manually. The agreement between methods was not consistent and some cTDI parameters had considerable bias and poor precision.

Conclusions

Automated analysis of myocardial velocity recordings obtained by cTDI was feasible, suggesting that this technique could simplify and facilitate the use of cTDI in the evaluation of fetal cardiac function, both in research and in clinical practice. Copyright © 2017 ISUOG. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.
Crystal Structures of the High‐Pressure Palladium Dichalcogenides Pd0.94(1)S2 and Pd0.88(1)Se2 Comprising Exceptional PdIV Oxidation States
Authors: Selb Elisabeth , Götsch Thomas , Janka Oliver , Penner Simon , Heymann Gunter
Published: July 2017

Metastable palladium deficient high‐pressure phases with the compositions Pd1–xS2 and Pd1–xSe2 could be obtained via high‐pressure/high‐temperature syntheses at 7.5 GPa (Pd0.88(1)Se2) and 11.5 GPa (Pd0.94(1)S2) at 1523 K. Compared to the normal‐pressure modifications they showed a significant decrease in the c‐lattice parameters of Δc/c = 4.4 % (Pd0.94(1)S2) and Δc/c = 10.8 % (Pd0.88(1)Se2) accompanied by under‐occupied palladium sites. Single‐crystal analyses indicated the space group Pbca with lattice parameters and refinement results of a = 552.02(8), b = 555.11(8), c = 720.20(11) pm, R1 = 0.0562, wR2 = 0.0710 (all data) for Pd0.94(1)S2 and a = 587.93(3), b = 593.16(4), c = 685.99(4) pm, R1 = 0.0139, wR2 = 0.0232 (all data) for Pd0.88(1)Se2. XPS investigations revealed a partial oxidation of Pd2+ to Pd4+, which was observed for the first time in palladium chalcogenide chemistry. Magnetic susceptibility measurements confirmed the expected diamagnetic behavior.
The English Poor Laws 1700-1930
Authors: Brundage Anthony
Published: July 2017

The English Poor Laws examines the nature and operation of the English poor law system from the early eighteenth century to its termination in 1930. The book traces the law's development from a localized measure of poor relief designed primarily for rural communities to an increasingly centralized system attempting to grapple with the urgent crises of urban poverty. The deterrent workhouse, medical care, education, assisted emigration, family maintenance, vagrancy and the relationship of the poor laws to private charity are some of the topics covered. The perspectives and reactions of the poor to the workhouse system, as well as to changing relief policies have also been highlighted. This includes the sometimes spirited opposition of the poor to the oppressive features of the law. The relationship of the poor laws to economic development, in both the agrarian and industrial sectors, is also explored, as are the connections of changing relief policies to wider currents of intellectual and social life.
Association of Elevated Pre‐operative Hemoglobin A1c and Post‐operative Complications in Non‐diabetic Patients: A Systematic Review
Authors: Karimian Negar , Niculiseanu Petru , Amar‐Zifkin Alexandre , Carli Francesco , Feldman Liane S.
Published: July 2017

Importance

Pre‐operative hyperglycemia is associated with post‐operative adverse outcomes in diabetic and non‐diabetic patients. Current pre‐operative screening includes random plasma glucose, yet plasma glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c) is a better measure of long‐term glycemic control. It is not clear whether pre‐operative HbA1c can identify non‐diabetic patients at risk of post‐operative complications.

Objective

The systematic review summarizes the evidence pertaining to the association of suboptimal pre‐operative HbA1c on post‐operative outcomes in adult surgical patients with no history of diabetes mellitus.

Evidence review

A detailed search strategy was developed by a librarian to identify all the relevant studies to date from the major online databases.

Findings

Six observational studies met all the eligibility criteria and were included in the review. Four studies reported a significant association between pre‐operative HbA1c levels and post‐operative complications in non‐diabetic patients. Two studies reported increased post‐operative infection rates, and two reported no difference. Of four studies assessing the length of stay, three did not observe any association with HbA1c level and only one study observed a significant impact. Only one study found higher mortality rates in patients with suboptimal HbA1c.

Conclusions and relevance

Based on the limited available evidence, suboptimal pre‐operative HbA1c levels in patients with no prior history of diabetes predict post‐operative complications and represent a potentially modifiable risk factor.
High Expression of Angiopoietin‐1 is Associated with Lymph Node Metastasis and Invasiveness of Papillary Thyroid Carcinoma
Authors: Kang Yea Eun , Kim Koon Soon , Park Sung Jae , Jung Seung‐Nam , Chang Jae Won , Yi Shinae , Jung Min Gyu , Kim Jin‐man , Koo Bon Seok
Published: July 2017

Background

We investigated the expression of angiopoietins in patients with papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC) and the role of angiopoietins as biomarkers predicting the aggressiveness of PTC.

Methods

Expression of angiopoietins was evaluated by immunohistochemistry of tumor specimens from patients with PTC. We demonstrated potential correlations between expression of angiopoietins and clinicopathologic features.

Results

High expression of Ang‐1 was positively correlated with a tumor size >1 cm, capsular invasion, extrathyroid extension, lymphovascular invasion, lymph node metastasis, and recurrence (P < 0.05). Moreover, multivariate analysis revealed that high expression of Ang‐1 was an independent risk factor for lymph node metastasis (P < 0.001, odds ratio [OR] = 62.113) and lymphovascular invasion (P = 0.027, OR 4.405). However, there was no significant correlation between Ang‐2 and clinicopathologic features.

Conclusions

Our results suggest that Ang‐1 can serve as a valuable prognostic biomarker for lymph node metastasis and invasiveness in patients with PTC.
Elevated Lactate is Independently Associated with Adverse Outcomes Following Hepatectomy
Authors: Lemke Madeline , Karanicolas Paul J. , Habashi Rogeh , Behman Ramy , Coburn Natalie G. , Hanna Sherif S. , Law Calvin H.L. , Hallet Julie
Published: July 2017

Background

Arterial lactate is frequently monitored to indicate tissue hypoxia and direct therapy. We sought to determine whether early post‐hepatectomy lactate (PHL) is associated with adverse outcomes and define factors associated with PHL.

Methods

Hepatectomy patients at a single institution from 2003 to 2012 with PHL available were included. Univariable and multivariable analyses examined factors associated with PHL and the relationship between PHL and 30‐day major morbidity (Clavien grade III–V), 90‐day mortality, and length of stay (LOS).

Results

Of 749 hepatectomies, 490 were included of whom 71.4% had elevated PHL (≥2 mmol/L). Cirrhosis (coefficient 0.31, p = 0.039), Charlson comorbidity index (coefficient 0.05, p < 0.001), major resections (coefficient 0.34, p < 0.001), procedure time (coefficient 0.08, p < 0.001), and blood loss (coefficient 0.11, p < 0.001) were associated with PHL. As lactate increased from <2 to ≥6 mmol/L, morbidity rose from 11.6 to 40.6%, and mortality from 0.7 to 22.7%. PHL was independently associated with 90‐day mortality (OR 1.52 p < 0.001) and 30‐day morbidity (OR 1.19, p = 0.002), but not LOS (rate ratio 1.03, p = 0.071).

Conclusion

Patients with elevated PHL in the initial postoperative period should be carefully monitored due to increased risk of major morbidity and mortality. Further research on the impact of lactate‐directed fluid therapy is warranted.
A Walk in the Woods
Authors: Kirakosian Katie , Bauer-Clapp Heidi
Published: July 2017

Due to various factors, physical archives of archaeological significance are inconsistent in terms of level of organization and ability to access. In addition, while well-versed in archaeological theory and method, archaeologists are seldom trained in archival theory and method. These factors make it challenging for archaeologists to utilize archival records. Given some unique parallels between archival records and the archaeological record, the authors suggest that archaeological field training can, in fact, serve archaeologists quite well when conducting archival research. While this article focuses mainly on primary sources in physical archives, some discussion of digital archives is included here as well.
Southern Urbanism, Legalization, and the Limits of Migration Law
Authors: Landau Loren B.
Published: July 2017

As a relatively well-defined subset of global migration law, refugee law and policy present important sites for contestation, agenda setting, normative pronouncements, and symbolic action. They are also an effective test of whether formal state obligations—in this case those outlined in the 1951 UN Refugee Convention—translate to protection in the weakly legalized environments in which most of the world's refugees reside. This essay asserts that they do not. Building on research and public engagement across African cities, this short contribution makes a three-part argument to that end. First, it considers categories by highlighting the narrow practical and analytical value of focusing on legal reforms and formal “refugee” policy as determinants of protection; given that legal status and documentation have only limited practical protection effects. Moreover, it points to the potential dangers and dysfunctions of a protection regime premised on people “performing” or “representing” refugeeness. Second, in considering areas for intervention in improving the protection of migrants, it calls for rescaling the legal approaches to migrant and refugee protection. Given the micro and translocal (often transnational or diasporic) processes informing refugees’ experiences, approaches need to be both more and less geographically targeted. Lastly, it calls for an intersectional approach to law and advocacy that more holistically and politically situates refugees and migrants within their social and regulatory environments. If nothing else, it asks analysts and advocates to take more seriously subnational political formations—formal and informal—as sites of policy formation and practice. In doing so it suggests that the most effective tools for addressing migrant and refugee vulnerability are often more political than legal. Moreover, within the realm of international and domestic law, jurisprudence in fields other than migration and asylum (e.g. environment, labor, or trade) may offer the most effective inroads into processes producing displacement or imperiling people on the move or on arrival. Given the confines of space, data is sparingly used for illustrative purposes.
Land Rights at the Time of Global Production: Leveraging Multi-Spatiality and ‘Legal Chokeholds’
Authors: FERRANDO Tomaso
Published: July 2017

This article utilizes the struggles for land rights associated to two sugar cane investments in Cambodia to reflect on the interactions between the multi-territoriality of supply chain capitalism and the multiplication of local spaces of legal intervention. With a combination of legal institutionalism, critical geography and value chains analysis, the article engages with value chains as the new space and form of the global system of production and looks at the theoretical and practical implications that derive from delocalization, outsourcing and the establishment of transnational networks that cut across boundaries and jurisdictions. After discussing the human rights impact of large-scale sugar production in the Koh-Kong region, the article introduces a critical legal chain approach to unpack and make visible the material and legal threads that connect Cambodia with multiple geographies around the world. In its last part, it utilizes the multi-territorial character of production to map its complexity and introduce the notion of ‘legal chokeholds’. These are legal structures and spaces of intervention that can be leveraged by human rights scholars, activists and other actors interested in re-defining the way in which rights, bargaining power and value are distributed through the chain of production. The violations and possible defence of the land rights that occurred in Cambodia are thus presented as output of non-linear interactions between legal and non-legal elements that operate at a distance, often unaware of each other.
Age of Secession
Authors: Griffiths Ryan D.
Published: July 2017

What are the factors that determine how central governments respond to demands for independence? Secessionist movements are numerous and quite varied in form, but the chief obstacle to their ambitions is the state itself, which can deny independence demands, deploy force if need be, and request that the international community respect its territorial integrity by not recognizing the breakaway region. Age of Secession focuses on this crucial but neglected moment in the life of a secessionist movement. Griffiths offers a novel theory using original data on secessionist movements between 1816 and 2011. He explains how state response is shaped by international and domestic factors, when conflict is likely, and why states have proliferated since 1945. He mixes quantitative methods with case studies of secessionist movements in the United Kingdom, Russia/Soviet Union, and India. This is an important book for anyone who wants to understand the phenomenon of secession.
Animal Husbandry across the Western Roman Empire: Changes and Continuities
Authors: Valenzuela-Lamas Silvia , Albarella Umberto
Published: July 2017

This special issue of theEuropean Journal of Archaeologydiscusses aspects of animal husbandry in a number of provinces of the Western Roman Empire. In this introduction, we describe the general characteristics of animal husbandry in pre-Roman and Roman times to assess any changes that may have occurred after the Roman conquest. The results suggest that the territoriality typifying the first millenniumbchad a significant impact on production, resulting in a decrease in cattle size and frequencies across Europe. Nevertheless, not all the regions reacted in the same way, and regional communities that focused their animal production on pigs implemented more sustainable husbandry practices over time. By bringing together studies carried out across Europe, this journal issue highlights the existence of cases of both change and continuity across the Empire, and the (uneven) impact of the market economy on animal husbandry and dietary practices in climatically different regions.
International Migration and Military Intervention in Civil War
Authors: Bove Vincenzo , Böhmelt Tobias
Published: July 2017

Which factors make it more likely that states militarily intervene in ongoing intrastate wars? We develop the argument that migrants, i.e., (1) people coming from the civil-war state living in a potential intervener state (immigrants) and (2) those living in the country at war who stem from the third party (emigrants), influence the decision of external states to intervene in civil wars. Our theoretical framework is thus based on a joint focus on domestic-level determinants in a civil-war country and in foreign states. Primarily based on an accountability rationale, we also claim that the third-party’s regime type has an intervening influence. Using quantitative methods, our empirical results generally support the theory, although there is only weak evidence for the intervening influence of a third party’s level of democracy.
Gulliver Untied: Entry Deterrence Under Unipolarity
Authors: Gowa Joanne , Ramsay Kristopher W.
Published: July 2017

That the anarchic system generates incentives for states to balance each other's power is conventional wisdom in international relations. As such, the contemporary unipolar system is an anomaly. Observers explain its existence in several ways, including the benevolence of US hegemony and the constraints international institutions impose on the exercise of US power. None of them, however, explain what is perhaps the most puzzling outcome of the Soviet collapse: the decision of the United States to maintain its level of military spending. To explain its choice, we extend the seminal argument Waltz advanced long ago to a dynamic setting. Using a simple model, we show that the interest of the unipole in deterring a challenge to its power can induce it to continue to invest in guns rather than to shift its resources to the production of butter. This strategy can enable the incumbent unipole to pre-empt the balancing process that has long been thought to be central to state survival under anarchy.
Effectiveness of patching traumatic eardrum perforations with lens cleaning paper via an otoscope
Authors: Yan K , Lv M , Xu E , Fan F , Lei Y , Liu W , Yu X , Li N , Shi L
Published: July 2017

Objective:

To study the clinical effect of lens cleaning paper patching on traumatic eardrum perforations.

Methods:

A total of 122 patients were divided into 2 groups, of which 56 patients were treated with lens cleaning paper patching and 66 acted as controls. The closure rate and healing time were compared between the two groups.

Results:

The healing rate of small perforations was 96.4 per cent (27 out of 28) in the patching group and 90 per cent (27 out of 30) in the control group. The difference was not statistically significant (p > 0.05). The healing rate of large perforations was 89.3 per cent (25 out of 28) and 80.6 per cent (29 out of 36) in the two groups, respectively. The difference was statistically significant (p < 0.05). The healing time of large perforations was shorter in the patching group than in the control group (p < 0.01).

Conclusion:

Patching with lens cleaning paper under an endoscope can accelerate the closure of large traumatic eardrum perforations.