bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Epitope mapping of anti‐myelin oligodendrocyte glycoprotein (MOG) antibodies in a mouse model of multiple sclerosis: microwave‐assisted synthesis of the peptide antigens and ELISA screening
Authors: Pacini Giulia , Ieronymaki Matthaia , Nuti Francesca , Sabatino Giuseppina , Larregola Maud , Aharoni Rina , Papini Anna Maria , Rovero Paolo
Published: December 2015

The role of pathologic auto‐antibodies against myelin oligodendrocyte glycoprotein (MOG) in multiple sclerosis is a highly controversial matter. As the use of animal models may enable to unravel the molecular mechanisms of the human disorder, numerous studies on multiple sclerosis are carried out using experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE). In particular, the most extensively used EAE model is obtained by immunizing C57BL/6 mice with the immunodominant peptide MOG(35–55). In this scenario, we analyzed the anti‐MOG antibody response in this model using the recombinant refolded extracellular domain of the protein, MOG(1–117). To assess the presence of a B‐cell intramolecular epitope spreading mechanism, we tested also five synthetic peptides mapping the 1–117 sequence of MOG, including MOG(35–55). For this purpose, we cloned, expressed in Escherichia coli and on‐column refolded MOG(1–117), and we applied an optimized microwave‐assisted solid‐phase synthetic strategy to obtain the designed peptide sequences. Subsequently, we set up a solid‐phase immunoenzymatic assay testing both naïve and EAE mice sera and using MOG protein and peptides as antigenic probes. The results obtained disclose an intense IgG antibody response against both the recombinant protein and the immunizing peptide, while no response was observed against the other synthetic fragments, thus excluding the presence of an intramolecular epitope spreading mechanism. Furthermore, as the properly refolded recombinant probe is able to bind antibodies with greater efficiency compared with MOG(35–55), we hypothesize the presence of both linear and conformational epitopes on MOG(35–55) sequence. Copyright © 2015 European Peptide Society and John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Social Trust Between Rural Migrants and Urban Locals in China – Exploring the Effects of Residential Diversity and Neighbourhood Deprivation
Authors: Wang Zheng , Zhang Fangzhu , Wu Fulong
Published: December 2015

The social integration of migrants has become a major challenge for Chinese cities as many rural migrants still face discrimination from urban natives. Research suggests that intergroup social trust can improve cohesion and reduce stigmatisation. However, little is known about the trust level between migrants and locals and its underlying dynamics in urban China. Our study explores the trust between native Shanghai residents and rural migrants and how neighbourhood factors including residential diversity and neighbourhood poverty may play a role. We adopt a multilevel model to analyse the 1,420 questionnaire samples collected in 2013 from local and migrant residents in Shanghai. Our results show that people living in areas with more migrant residents also have higher intergroup social trust, which may indicate that exposure to more out‐group neighbours can remove preconceived stigmas and foster tolerance. In contrast, there is less intergroup trust in poor neighbourhoods although migrant residents are exceptions. We speculate that migrants are less affected by local poverty because they are less spatially bound to the locality and are thus less likely to compete with native residents over local resources. Our results differ from findings in multi‐ethnic societies where residential diversity causes distrust, but we believe this is a reasonable outcome considering that locals and migrants in urban China share more in common such as ethnicity, language, and national identity. © 2015 The Authors.Population, Space and Placepublished by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.
Fragmentation study of aminoalcohol‐diterpenoid alkaloids by electrospray ionization time‐of‐flight mass spectrometry
Authors: Liu Xiuxiu , Tang Minghai , Wang Lu , Chao Ruobing
Published: December 2015

Rationale

Aminoalcohol‐diterpenoid alkaloids were found to be a group of cardioactive substances in the lateral roots of Aconitum carmichaeli Debx. Studies on the fragmentation behaviors and features of these alkaloids in mass spectrometry would be important for their structural identification and in vivo metabolic research, which has not received much attention thus far.

Methods

In this study, the fragmentation behaviors of 14 aminoalcohol‐diterpenoid alkaloids were investigated by utilizing high‐resolution time‐of‐flight tandem mass spectrometry. By analysis of the obtained MS2 data, we summarized the fragmentation features of the corresponding alkaloids under different collision energy.

Results

The dissociation of functional groups from the skeleton was observed as the main fragmentation way in electrospray ionization (ESI) mode. The order of fragmentation sites was C1/C3 > C16 > C15 > C6 > N, with loss of one or more CH3OH, H2O, C2H4 (substituent on N atom) or CO (at C15) groups.

Conclusions

The first systematic investigations on the fragmentation of aminoalcohol‐diterpenoid alkaloids are described in this paper, setting the stage for an in‐depth identification and study of the corresponding components in complex systems. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Diet‐tissue stable isotope (Δ13C and Δ15N) discrimination factors for multiple tissues from terrestrial reptiles
Authors: Steinitz Ronnie , Lemm Jeffrey M. , Pasachnik Stesha A. , Kurle Carolyn M.
Published: December 2015

Rationale

Stable isotope analysis is a powerful tool for reconstructing trophic interactions to better understand drivers of community ecology. Taxon‐specific stable isotope discrimination factors contribute to the best use of this tool. We determined the first Δ13C and Δ15N values for Rock Iguanas (Cyclura spp.) to better understand isotopic fractionation and estimate wild reptile foraging ecology.

Methods

The Δ13C and Δ15N values between diet and skin, blood, and scat were determined from juvenile and adult iguanas held for 1 year on a known diet. We measured relationships between iguana discrimination factors and size/age and quantified effects of lipid extraction and acid treatment on stable isotope values from iguana tissues. Isotopic and elemental compositions were determined by Dumas combustion using an elemental analyzer coupled to an isotope ratio mass spectrometer using standards of known composition.

Results

The Δ13C and Δ15N values ranged from –2.5 to +6.5‰ and +2.2 to +7.5‰, respectively, with some differences among tissues and between juveniles and adults. The Δ13C values from blood and skin differed among species, but not the Δ15N values. The Δ13C values from blood and skin and Δ15N values from blood were positively correlated with size/age. The Δ13C values from scat were negatively correlated with size (not age). Treatment with HCl (scat) and lipid extraction (skin) did not affect the isotope values.

Conclusions

These results should aid in the understanding of processes driving stable carbon and nitrogen isotope discrimination factors in reptiles. We provide estimates of Δ13C and Δ15N values and linear relationships between iguana size/age and discrimination factors for the best interpretation of wild reptile foraging ecology. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Electrospray ion mobility mass spectrometry of positively and negatively charged (1R,2S)‐dodecyl(2‐hydroxy‐1‐methyl‐2‐phenylethyl)dimethylammonium bromide aggregates
Authors: Indelicato Serena , Bongiorno David , Ceraulo Leopoldo , Calabrese Valentina , Piazzese Daniela , Napoli Anna , Mazzotti Fabio , Avellone Giuseppe , Di Stefano Vita , Turco Liveri Vincenzo
Published: December 2015

Rationale

Self‐assembling processes of surfactants in the gas phase constitute a developing research field of interest since they allow information to be gained on the peculiar structural organization of these aggregates, on their ability to incorporate from small molecules up to proteins and on their possible use as carriers of drugs in the gas phase or as cleaning agents and exotic reaction media.

Methods

The mass spectra of charged aggregates of the chiral surfactant (1R,2S)‐dodecyl(2‐hydroxy‐1‐methyl‐2‐phenylethyl)dimethylammonium bromide (DMEB) in the gas phase have been recorded using a Synapt G2‐Si mass spectrometer in the positive and negative ion mode. For comparison purposes, the mass spectra of sodium bis(2‐ethylhexyl)sulfosuccinate and sodium octane sulfonate aggregates have also been recorded under the same experimental conditions. The collisional cross sections of positively and negatively charged DMEB aggregates were obtained through an appropriate calibration of the measured drift times.

Results

For all the surfactants investigated, it has been found that there is a lowest and a highest limit of the aggregation number at each charge state: no aggregates are found outside this range. Moreover, the occurrence at each aggregation number and extra charge of a unique value of drift time points toward aggregates whose conformations do not show discernible shape change in the experiment time scale. The analysis of the collisional cross sections emphasizes that the DMEB aggregates are nearly spherical clusters somewhat affected by the charge state and constituted by interlaced polar and apolar domains.

Conclusions

The analysis of all the experimental findings indicates that in the gas phase DMEB forms supramolecular aggregates characterized by an internal organization whose stability is triggered by the charge state. The comparison of the behavior of DMEB aggregates with that of sodium bis(2‐ethylhexyl)sulfosuccinate and sodium octane sulfonate aggregates allows us to highlight the effects on the aggregate organization in gas phase due to nature of the head group and alkyl chain steric hindrance. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Reagent approaches for improved detection of chlorate and perchlorate salts via thermal desorption and ionization
Authors: Kelley Jude A. , Ostrinskaya Alla , Geurtsen Geoff , Kunz Roderick R.
Published: December 2015

Rationale

Techniques for improving the detectability of chlorate and perchlorate salts with thermal desorption based ionizers (i.e. radioactive, corona discharge and photoionization‐based) are desired. This work employs acidic reagents to chemically transform chlorate and perchlorate anions into traces of chloric and perchloric acid. These high vapor pressure acids are easier to detect than the originating salts.

Methods

The efficacy of the reagent chemistry was quantified with a triple‐quadrupole mass spectrometer interfaced with a custom‐built thermal‐desorption atmospheric‐pressure chemical ionization (TD‐APCI) source. Additional experiments were conducted using tandem IMS/MS instrumentation. Reagent pKa and pH values were varied in order to gain a better understanding of how those parameters affect the degree of observed signal enhancement.

Results

Samples of chlorates and perchlorates treated with liquid acidic reagents exhibit signal enhancement of up to six orders of magnitude compared with signals from untreated analytes. Three orders of magnitude of signal enhancement are demonstrated using solid‐state reagents, such as weakly acidic salts and polymeric acids. Data is presented that demonstrates the compatibility of the solid‐state approach with both MS and IMS/MS platforms.

Conclusions

Several methods of acidification were demonstrated for enhanced vaporization and detection of chlorates and perchlorates. For applications where rapid surface collection and analysis for chlorates and perchlorates are desired, the solid‐state approaches offer the simplest means to integrate the reagent chemistry into MS or IMS detection. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
A novel methylation derivatization method for δ18O analysis of individual carbohydrates by gas chromatography/pyrolysis–isotope ratio mass spectrometry
Authors: Lehmann Marco M. , Fischer Maria , Blees Jan , Zech Michael , Siegwolf Rolf T. W. , Saurer Matthias
Published: December 2015

Rationale

The oxygen isotope ratio (δ18O) of carbohydrates derived from animals, plants, sediments, and soils provides important information about biochemical and physiological processes, past environmental conditions, and geographical origins, which are otherwise not available. Nowadays, δ18O analyses are often performed on carbohydrate bulk material, while compound‐specific δ18O analyses remain challenging and methods for a wide range of individual carbohydrates are rare.

Methods

To improve the δ18O analysis of individual carbohydrates by gas chromatography/pyrolysis–isotope ratio mass spectrometry (GC/Pyr‐IRMS) we developed a new methylation derivatization method. Carbohydrates were fully methylated within 24 h in an easy‐to‐handle one‐pot reaction in acetonitrile, using silver oxide as proton acceptor, methyl iodide as methyl group carrier, and dimethyl sulfide as catalyst.

Results

The precision of the method ranged between 0.12 and 1.09‰ for the δ18O values of various individual carbohydrates of different classes (mono‐, di‐, and trisaccharides, alditols), with an accuracy of a similar order of magnitude, despite high variation in peak areas. Based on the δ18O values of the main isomers, important monosaccharides such as glucose and fructose could also be precisely analyzed for the first time. We tested the method on standard mixtures, honey samples, and leaf carbohydrates extracted from Pinus sylvestris, showing that the method is also applicable to different carbohydrate mixtures.

Conclusions

The new methylation method shows unrivalled accuracy and precision for δ18O analysis of various individual carbohydrates; it is fast and easy‐to‐handle, and may therefore find wide‐spread application. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Satellite remote sensing to monitor species diversity: potential and pitfalls
Authors: Rocchini Duccio , Boyd Doreen S. , Féret Jean‐Baptiste , Foody Giles M. , He Kate S. , Lausch Angela , Nagendra Harini , Wegmann Martin , Pettorelli Nathalie
Published: December 2015

Assessing the level of diversity in plant communities from field‐based data is difficult for a number of practical reasons: (1) establishing the number of sampling units to be investigated can be difficult; (2) the choice of sample design can impact on results; and (3) defining the population of concern can be challenging. Satellite remote sensing (SRS) is one of the most cost‐effective approaches to identify biodiversity hotspots and predict changes in species composition. This is because, in contrast to field‐based methods, it allows for complete spatial coverages of the Earth's surface under study over a short period of time. Furthermore, SRS provides repeated measures, thus making it possible to study temporal changes in biodiversity. Here, we provide a concise review of the potential of satellites to help track changes in plant species diversity, and provide, for the first time, an overview of the potential pitfalls associated with the misuse of satellite imagery to predict species diversity. Our work shows that, while the assessment of alpha‐diversity is relatively straightforward, calculation of beta‐diversity (variation in species composition between adjacent locations) is challenging, making it difficult to reliably estimate gamma‐diversity (total diversity at the landscape or regional level). We conclude that an increased collaboration between the remote sensing and biodiversity communities is needed in order to properly address future challenges and developments.
Gleitfeste Verbindungen im Turm‐ und Mastbau
Authors: Stranghöner Natalie , Afzali Nariman , Berg Jörn
Published: December 2015

Schraubenverbindungen im Turm‐ und Mastbau werden immer dann als gleitfest vorgespannte Verbindungen der Kategorien B oder C nach DIN EN 1993‐1‐8 ausgeführt, wenn die Verformungen und der Schlupf in den Verbindungen minimiert werden müssen, wie zum Beispiel bei Funkmasten und Türmen von Windenergieanlagen. Wesentliche Einflussparameter auf die Tragfähigkeit einer gleitfesten Verbindung sind die Höhe der Vorspannkraft in den Schrauben und die Reibeigenschaften der gepaarten Oberflächen – beschrieben durch die Haftreibungszahl. Ein möglichst hoher und über die Lebensdauer der Struktur garantierter Gleitwiderstand ist wünschenswert, um die Anzahl der Schrauben und die Flächen der aufwändig und damit kostenintensiv herzustellenden Verbindungen gering zu halten und der Forderung der Industrie nach wartungsfreien Verbindungen nachzukommen. Aus diesen Gründen erfolgen derzeit umfangreiche Untersuchungen zur Ermittlung der Haftreibungszahl gleitfester Verbindungen auf Basis der DIN EN 1090‐2 im Rahmen des europäischen RFCS‐Forschungsvorhabens SIROCO unter Berücksichtigung unterschiedlicher Vorspannkraftniveaus und Beschichtungsarten, die im vorliegenden Beitrag auszugsweise am Beispiel von Alkali‐Zink‐Silikat beschichteten und spritzverzinkten gleitfesten Oberflächen vorgestellt werden.

Slip‐resistant connection in towers and masts – testing and coating. Bolted connections in towers and masts are executed as slip‐resistant connections of categories B or C according to EN 1993‐1‐8 when deformations and slip have to be minimized, e. g. in radio masts and towers of wind turbines. The load bearing capacity of slip‐resistant connections is mainly influenced by the level of preloading in the bolts and the friction of the faying surfaces – described by the slip factor. The highest possible and over the service life of the structure guaranteed slip resistance is desirable in order to keep the number of bolts and the faying surfaces of the complex and therefore expensive connections low and to meet the demand of the industry for maintenance‐free connections. For these reasons, at present, extensive studies on the determination of the slip factor of slip‐resistant connections on the basis of EN 1090‐2 are carried out as part of the European RFCS research project SIROCO taking into account different preloading levels and coating types. Within the present contribution, first results are presented for alkali zinc silicate coated and zinc spray metallized faying surfaces.
Fachgerechter Korrosionsschutz für Türme und Maste aus Stahl
Authors: Gehrke Jörg , Lebelt Peter
Published: December 2015

Der Einsatz von Korrosionsschutzsystemen, bestehend aus organischen Beschichtungssystemen oder metallischen Überzügen, wird in teils umfangreichen technischen Regelwerken für die Anwendung auf dünnem Blech bis 3 mm Blechdicke bis hin zu massiven Stahlbaukonstruktionen mit Tragsicherheitsnachweis umfassend beschrieben. Nach Bestimmung der vor Ort vorhandenen Korrosivitätskategorie und Festlegung der gewünschten Schutzdauer können geeignete Korrosionsschutzsysteme für ein bestimmtes Objekt aus Tabellen ausgewählt werden. Des Weiteren lassen sich zahlreiche Hinweise zur korrosionsschutzgerechten Konstruktion, zur Oberflächenvorbereitung und ‐vorbehandlung des Substrates und zu den Verarbeitungsbedingungen des Korrosionsschutzsystems in einschlägigen Regelwerken finden. Ein fachgerechter Korrosionsschutz an Stahlkonstruktionen muss durch Umsetzung der in Regelwerken genannten Qualitätssicherungsmaßnahmen sowohl bei der Planung als auch bei der Ausführung der Korrosionsschutzarbeiten erfolgen.

Professional corrosion protection for towers and masts made of steel. The usage of corrosion protection systems, consisting of organic or metallic coatings, are comprehensively described in partly extensive technical rules for the application on thin metal sheets (3 mm sheet thickness maximum) up to massive steel structures with ultimate limit state design. After determining of existing on‐site corrosion category and defining the desired term of protection time, the appropriate corrosion protection systems for a particular object can be selected from tables. Furthermore, numerous comments can be found for corrosion‐resistant construction, for surface preparation and pretreatment of the substrate and the processing conditions of the corrosion protection system in the relevant regulations. A professional corrosion protection for steel structures must be carried out by implementation of technical rules mentioned in quality assurance measures, both in planning and in the execution of corrosion protection work.
DPPA5 Supports Pluripotency and Reprogramming by Regulating NANOG Turnover
Authors: Qian Xu , Kim Jin Koo , Tong Wilbur , Villa-Diaz Luis G. , Krebsbach Paul H.
Published: December 2015

Although a specific group of transcription factors such as OCT4, SOX2, and NANOG are known to play essential roles in pluripotent stem cell (PSC) self-renewal, pluripotency, and reprogramming, other factors and the key signaling pathways regulating these important properties are not completely understood. Here, we demonstrate that the PSC marker Developmental Pluripotency Associated 5 (DPPA5) plays an important role in human PSC (hPSC) self-renewal and cell reprogramming in feeder-free conditions. Compared to hPSCs grown on mouse embryonic fibroblasts, cells cultured on feeder-free substrates, such as Matrigel, Laminin-511, Vitronectin, or the synthetic polymer poly[2-(methacryloyloxy) ethyl dimethyl-(3-sulfopropyl) ammonium hydroxide], had significantly higher DPPA5 gene expression and protein levels. Overexpression of DPPA5 in hPSCs increased NANOG protein levels via a post-transcriptional mechanism. Coimmunoprecipitation, protein stability assays, and quantitative RT-PCR, demonstrated that DPPA5 directly interacted, stabilized, and enhanced the function of NANOG in hPSCs. Additionally, DPPA5 increased the reprogramming efficiency of human somatic cells to induced pluripotent stem cells (hiPSCs). Our study provides new insight into the function of DPPA5 and NANOG regulation in hPSCs.
Cell-Assisted Lipotransfer Improves Volume Retention in Irradiated Recipient Sites and Rescues Radiation-Induced Skin Changes
Authors: Luan Anna , Duscher Dominik , Whittam Alexander J. , Paik Kevin J. , Zielins Elizabeth R. , Brett Elizabeth A. , Atashroo David A. , Hu Michael S. , Lee Gordon K. , Gurtner Geoffrey C. , Longaker Michael T. , Wan Derrick C.
Published: December 2015

Radiation therapy is not only a mainstay in the treatment of many malignancies but also results in collateral obliteration of microvasculature and dermal/subcutaneous fibrosis. Soft tissue reconstruction of hypovascular, irradiated recipient sites through fat grafting remains challenging; however, a coincident improvement in surrounding skin quality has been noted. Cell-assisted lipotransfer (CAL), the enrichment of fat with additional adipose-derived stem cells (ASCs) from the stromal vascular fraction, has been shown to improve fat volume retention, and enhanced outcomes may also be achieved with CAL at irradiated sites. Supplementing fat grafts with additional ASCs may also augment the regenerative effect on radiation-damaged skin. In this study, we demonstrate the ability for CAL to enhance fat graft volume retention when placed beneath the irradiated scalps of immunocompromised mice. Histologic metrics of fat graft survival were also appreciated, with improved structural qualities and vascularity. Finally, rehabilitation of radiation-induced soft tissue changes were also noted, as enhanced amelioration of dermal thickness, collagen content, skin vascularity, and biomechanical measures were all observed with CAL compared to unsupplemented fat grafts. Supplementation of fat grafts with ASCs therefore shows promise for reconstruction of complex soft tissue defects following adjuvant radiotherapy.
LIM Homeobox Domain 2 Is Required for Corneal Epithelial Homeostasis
Authors: Sartaj Rachel , Chee Ru-ik , Yang Jing , Wan Pengxia , Liu Aihong , Guaiquil Victor , Fuchs Elaine , Rosenblatt Mark I.
Published: December 2015

The cornea requires constant epithelial renewal to maintain clarity for appropriate vision. A subset of stem cells residing at the limbus is primarily responsible for maintaining corneal epithelium homeostasis. Trauma and disease may lead to stem cell deficiency and therapeutic targeting to replenish the stemness capacity has been stalled by the lack of reliable corneal epithelial stem cell markers. Here we identified the location of Lhx2 in mice (mLhx2) cornea and conjunctival tissue using an Lhx2eGFP reporter model and in human tissues (hLHX2). Lhx2 localized to the basal cells of central cornea, the conjunctiva and the entire limbal epithelium in humans and mice. To ascribe a functional role we generated Lhx2 conditional knockout (cKO) mice and the phenotypic effects in corneas were analyzed by slit lamp microscopy, in cell-based assays and in a model of corneal epithelium debridement. Immunodetection on corneal sections were used to visualize conjunctivalization, a sign of limbal barrier failure. Lhx2cKO mice produced reduced body hair and spontaneous epithelial defects in the cornea that included neovascularization, perforation with formation of scar tissue and opacification. Cell based assays showed that Lhx2cKO derived corneal epithelial cells have a significantly lower capacity to form colonies over time and delayed wound-healing recovery when compared to wildtype cells. Repeated corneal epithelial wounding resulted in decreased re-epithelialization and multiple cornea lesions in Lhx2cKO mice compared to normal recovery seen in wildtype mice. We conclude that Lhx2 is required for maintenance of the corneal epithelial cell compartment and the limbal barrier.
Brief Report: Common Genetic Variation in Chromosome 10 q22.1 Shows a Strong Sex Bias in Human Embryonic Stem Cell Lines and Directly Controls the Novel Alternative Splicing of Human NODAL which is Associated with XIST Expression in Female Cell Lines
Authors: Findlay Scott D. , Postovit Lynne-Marie
Published: December 2015

The potential use of pluripotent stem cells for personalized regenerative medicine necessitates an improved understanding of how germ-line genetic variation may affect pluripotency. Given previous reports of a female bias in established human embryonic stem cell (hESC) lines, sex-specific differences must also be considered. Herein we describe, for the first time, how genetic polymorphisms may affect the establishment of widely used hESC lines. We demonstrate that the minor allele of the human single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) rs2231947 found within the NODAL gene locus is under-represented in male but not female hESC lines. We also show that this SNP is highly functional in hESC lines. The SNP rs2231947 directly controls the alternative splicing of a novel NODAL transcript isoform. Thus we demonstrate that genetic variation drastically affects the expression of a gene that plays a major role in the regulation of pluripotency and cell fate. Our work helps detail how genetic heterogeneity is manifested in hESC biology and highlights the need to identify how specific genetic variants can explain important differences between pluripotent cell line models both within and between species.
Constructivism and Learning in the Age of Social Media: Changing Minds and Learning Communities
Authors: Schrader Dawn E.
Published: December 2015

Social media provide new means and opportunities for learning that are consistent with major tenets of both social and cognitive constructivism, and extend the process of learning and meaning construction to more diverse communities and universally accessible shared activities that are jointly and concurrently engaged in by both peers and experts.
Implications of Graphic Organizers in an Age of Social Media
Authors: Record Michael
Published: December 2015

The term graphic organizer has become so commonplace in teaching that the meaning of the term, as well as the rationale for why the strategy works, has become lost. Revisiting the general concept of an advance organizer is an opportunity to consider the essential teaching act. There is a difference between “using a graphic organizer” in a particular lesson and “graphically organizing concepts for students” as an epistemological stance. The transformation in practitioners' use of the term from representing a photocopied handout to representing the essential act of making meaning by situating things within the context of a learner's already acquired background knowledge is obviously constructivist, and it has never made more sense than in the current age of social media.
Viral chemistry: the chemical functionalization of viral architectures to create new technology
Authors: Chen Zhuo , Li Na , Li Shaobo , Dharmarwardana Madushani , Schlimme Anna , Gassensmith Jeremiah J
Published: December 2015

The modification of viruses using chemical conjugation techniques has brought the distant worlds of virology right into the center of nanotechnology. Viruses are naturally resilient biomolecules and this makes them exceptional templates for the creation of higher order polymers and as scaffolds for biological imaging and targeted drug delivery. In this review, we highlight progress in utilizing chemical strategies to interface viruses with synthetic polymers, to create bright bionanoparticles using synthetic fluorescent dyes, and how orthogonal chemical transformations allow for targeted drug delivery. WIREs Nanomed Nanobiotechnol 2016, 8:512–534. doi: 10.1002/wnan.1379

This article is categorized under:

Diagnostic Tools > Diagnostic Nanodevices

Diagnostic Tools > In Vivo Nanodiagnostics and Imaging

Implantable Materials and Surgical Technologies > Nanomaterials and Implants

Biology-Inspired Nanomaterials > Protein and Virus-Based Structures
Intraoperative mapping of sentinel lymph node metastases using a clinically translated ultrasmall silica nanoparticle
Authors: Bradbury Michelle S. , Pauliah Mohan , Zanzonico Pat , Wiesner Ulrich , Patel Snehal
Published: December 2015

The management of regional lymph nodes in patients with melanoma has undergone a significant paradigm shift over the past several decades, transitioning from the use of more aggressive surgical approaches, such as lymph node basin dissection, to the application of minimally invasive sentinel lymph node (SLN) biopsy methods to detect the presence of nodal micrometastases. SLN biopsy has enabled reliable, highly accurate, and low‐morbidity staging of regional lymph nodes in early stage melanoma as a means of guiding treatment decisions and improving patient outcomes. The accurate identification and staging of lymph nodes is an important prognostic factor, identifying those patients for whom the expected benefits of nodal resection outweigh attendant surgical risks. However, currently used standard‐of‐care technologies for SLN detection are associated with significant limitations. This has fueled the development of clinically promising platforms that can serve as intraoperative visualization tools to aid accurate and specific determination of tumor‐bearing lymph nodes, map cancer‐promoting biological properties at the cellular/molecular levels, and delineate nodes from adjacent critical structures. Among a number of promising cancer‐imaging probes that might facilitate achievement of these ends is a first‐in‐kind ultrasmall tumor‐targeting inorganic (silica) nanoparticle, designed to overcome translational challenges. The rationale driving these considerations and the application of this platform as an intraoperative treatment tool for guiding resection of cancerous lymph nodes is discussed and presented within the context of alternative imaging technologies. WIREs Nanomed Nanobiotechnol 2016, 8:535–553. doi: 10.1002/wnan.1380

This article is categorized under:

Diagnostic Tools > In Vivo Nanodiagnostics and Imaging
Postoperative Complications, In‐Hospital Mortality and 5‐Year Survival After Surgical Resection for Patients with a Pancreatic Neuroendocrine Tumor: A Systematic Review
Authors: Jilesen Anneke P. J. , van Eijck Casper H. J. , in’t Hof K. H. , van Dieren S. , Gouma Dirk. J. , van Dijkum Els J. M. Nieveen
Published: December 2015

Studies on postoperative complications and survival in patients with pancreatic neuroendocrine tumors (pNET) are sparse and randomized controlled trials are not available. We reviewed all studies on postoperative complications and survival after resection of pNET. A systematic search was performed in the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, MEDLINE and EMBASE from 2000–2013. Inclusion criteria were studies of resected pNET, which described postoperative complications separately for each surgical procedure and/or 5‐year survival after resection. Prospective and retrospective studies were pooled separately and overall pooled if heterogeneity was below 75 %. The random‐effect model was used. Overall, 2643 studies were identified and after full‐text analysis 62 studies were included. Pancreatic fistula (PF) rate of the prospective studies after tumor enucleation was 45 %; PF‐rates after distal pancreatectomy, pancreatoduodenectomy, or central pancreatectomy were, respectively, 14–14–58 %. Delayed gastric emptying rates were, respectively, 5–5–18–16 %. Postoperative hemorrhage rates were, respectively, 6–1–7–4 %. In‐hospital mortality rates were, respectively, 3–4–6–4 %. The 5‐year overall survival (OS) and disease‐specific survival (DSS) of resected pNET without synchronous resected liver metastases were, respectively, 85–93 %. Heterogeneity between included studies on 5‐year OS in patients with synchronous resected liver metastases was too high to pool all studies. The 5‐year DSS in patients with liver metastases was 80 %. Morbidity after pancreatic resection for pNET was mainly caused by PF. Liver resection in patients with liver metastases seems to have a positive effect on DSS. To reduce heterogeneity, ISGPS criteria and uniform patient groups should be used in the analysis of postoperative outcome and survival.
Combined catheter ablation for atrial fibrillation and Watchman® left atrial appendage occlusion procedures: Five‐year experience
Authors: Phillips Karen P. , Walker Daniel T. , Humphries Julie A.
Published: December 2015

Background

Patients with atrial fibrillation (AF) may benefit from undergoing concomitant interventions of left atrial catheter ablation and device occlusion of the left atrial appendage (LAA) as a two‐pronged strategy for rhythm control and stroke prevention. We report on the outcome of combined procedures in a single center case series over a 5‐year timeframe.

Methods

Ninety‐eight patients with non‐valvular AF and a mean CHA2DS2‐VASc score 2.6±1.0 underwent either first time, or redo pulmonary vein isolation (PVI) procedures, followed by successful implant of a Watchman® device.

Results

All procedures were generally uncomplicated with a mean case time of 213±40 min. Complete LAA occlusion was achieved at initial implant in 92 (94%) patients. Satisfactory LAA occlusion was achieved in 100% of patients at 12 months, with a complete LAA occlusion rate of 86%. All patients discontinued oral anticoagulation. Persistent late peri‐device leaks were more frequently associated with device angulation or shoulder protrusion, and were associated with a significantly lower achieved device compression of 12±3% vs. 15±5% (p<0.01) than complete occlusion. One ischemic stroke was recorded over a mean follow‐up time of 802±439 days. Twelve months' freedom from detectable AF was achieved in 77% of patients.

Conclusions

Combined procedures of catheter ablation for AF and Watchman® LAA implant appear to be feasible and safe, with excellent rates of LAA occlusion achieved and an observed stroke rate of 0.5% per year during mid‐term follow‐up. Incomplete occlusion was associated with lower achieved device compression and was more frequently associated with suboptimal device position.
GENERATIONAL ECONOMICS AND THE NATIONAL TRANSFER ACCOUNTS
Authors: D’albis Hippolyte , Moosa Dalal
Published: December 2015

This article provides a comprehensive picture of the National Transfer Accounts (NTA), a project that aims at measuring how people produce, consume, save, and share economic resources at every age. It stands today with a unique dataset that includes 47 countries from around the world, permitting a comparative understanding of economic flows within and between generations and over time.
Rabies archaeologorum
Authors: Olsen Olaf
Published: December 2015

This paper falls a little outside the normal scope of a paper for the Chateau Gaillard conference. It may not even be a paper, but—to use contemporary language—rather an anti-paper. Possibly, it will shock some of the audience. If so, I would like to say that such people need the shock.

The paper will not bring news from excavations, neither any new interpretations nor suggestions for new excavations. On the contrary, it deals with what should be left unexcavated. I intend to advance the opinion that generally too much is too ruthlessly excavated in places where the archaeological remains are not threatened by destruction.

This last phrase is the important one. It is evident that where archaeological sites are going to be removed anyhow due to construction of new roads, building activities or whatever may be the cause, it will always be an act of merit to squeeze every piece of archaeological information out of them by excavation beforehand. Therefore, the points of view advanced in this paper do not comprise rescue operations, but only the excavation of sites protected by the law, or by considerate owners, and consequently not exposed to any immediate danger of removal or other destructive activities.
Egyptian radiocarbon dating: a reply to James Mellaart
Authors: Kemp Barry
Published: December 2015

Mellaart is not the first, even in recent times, to query the Egyptian astronomical data, and in particular the reliability of the source for the Sothic date in Senusret 111’s reign which seems to offer the earliest independently fixed date in the Near East. In 1974, R. D. Long published an attack in the journal Orientalia, xLrIr, 261-74. This provoked a lengthy and careful response from the scholar whose name is most closely associated with the mathematical aspects of Egyptian calendars and chronology, R. A. Parker. This response provides a ready-made answer to Mellaart’s criticisms, and readers are referred to Parker’s paper for more detail (Parker, 1977). Mellaart makes two main points on this issue: the Egyptians may have made a mistake in the observation; the papyrus fragment in question is dated by indirect means and does not bear the name of the king in whose reign scholars have placed it.
Swamps, canals, and the locations of ancient Maya cities
Authors: Adams R. E. W.
Published: December 2015

The recent radar mapping discovery of widely distributed patterns of intensive agriculture in the southern Maya lowlands provides new perspectives on classic Maya civilization. Swamps seem to have been drained, modified, and intensively cultivated in a large number of zones. The largest sites of Maya civilization are located on the edges of swamps. By combining radar data with topographic information, it is possible to suggest the reasons for the choice of urban locations. With the addition of patterns elicited from rank-ordering of Maya cities, it is also possible to suggest more accurate means of defining Classic period Maya polities.
Reconciling tree-ring sampling with conservation
Authors: Morgan R. A. , Hillam J. , Coles J. M. , McGrail S.
Published: December 2015

A recent article (Lawler, 1980) mentioned a common misunderstanding in archaeological circles which this note attempts to correct: ‘The (Runnymede) piles selected will be subjected to destructive testing (i.e. dendrochronology) to gain information concerning growth patterns, habitat and tree-felling patterns…’ In fact, dendrochronology is not a destructive dating method in the sense of radiocarbon analysis, where the wood sample is burnt up and completely lost. Instead, the section removed for tree-ring analysis remains undamaged and can easily be restored to the beam or pile for conservation without any detriment to the timber's display potential.
W. F. Libby and the development of radiocarbon dating
Authors: Burleigh Richard
Published: December 2015

Radiocarbon dating is probably the greatest contribution that has been made to archaeology by the physical sciences, and we owe its existence to the genius of Willard Frank Libby, who died in Los Angeles at the age of 71 years on 8 September 1980. His death is a loss both to archaeology and, because of the breadth of his scientific interests and achievements, to science at large.
The Cerne Abbas Giant: the documentary evidence
Authors: Bettey J. H.
Published: December 2015

In his account of the changes made to the figure of the Cerne Giant by successive cleanings and restorations during the period 1764–1980, Leslie Grinsell refers to the curious lack of documentary references to the Giant before the middle of the eighteenth century, and also makes it clear that, because of the alterations to the figure, dating on stylistic evidence must necessarily be very tentative (Grinsell, 1980). It is the purpose of this article to review some of the major sources of information relating to Cerne Abbas and to consider this remarkable absence of any mention of the Giant. The complete silence of all the documentary sources is of course totally negative evidence and cannot of itself disprove the existence of the Giant; there is no reason why he should have been mentioned in many of the documents since he lay on no boundary and provided no incom e for landowners or their tenants. But the total absence of any reference in all the numerous documents of the sixteenth and early seventeenth centuries must raise a doubt as to whether the figure was there at all; at least it seems likely that the grass had been allowed to grow over him during the later Middle Ages and that he was not re-cut until after the mid-seventeenth century, and a re-cut figure might bear only a vague resemblance to the original, particularly if this had been covered by grass for many years.
A guide to new anticoagulant medications for ENT surgeons
Authors: Bajalan M , Biggs T C , Jayaram S , Mainwaring J , Salib R
Published: December 2015

Objectives:

This study aimed to ascertain otolaryngologists’ current knowledge of new (e.g. apixaban, rivaroxaban) and old (e.g. warfarin) anticoagulant medications, and to provide an educational overview of new anticoagulants for use by surgeons.

Methods:

A questionnaire survey was distributed across the Wessex region, UK, to ascertain the levels of knowledge of and confidence in managing patients taking various anticoagulants. In total, 50 questionnaires were completed (41 by trainees and 9 by consultants). A literature review of new anticoagulant medications was then conducted.

Results:

In general, there was poor clinical and pharmacokinetic knowledge of newly licensed anticoagulant medications. Respondents were more confident in the use of older vs newer forms of anticoagulants. This was true across all grades of doctors, but particularly at the senior level. All respondents stated that they would like to see an educational resource on anticoagulants.

Conclusion:

Knowledge of newly licensed anticoagulation medications is poor. This study has produced an educational resource for the management of anticoagulant agents. A thorough knowledge of these drugs is essential for the acute management of bleeding patients and in peri-operative surgical planning.
Hellenistic & Roman Delos: the city & its emporion
Authors: Zarmakoupi Mantha
Published: December 2015

Much progress has been made in the study of the emporion of the port-city of Delos (Map 9) in recent years, with new excavations and preparations towards their publication, reassessments of previously excavated material as well as analyses of the history, religion, art and architecture of Delos in the Late Hellenistic and Roman periods. Home of the Sanctuary of Apollo since the Archaic period, Delos commanded a huge cult network that intertwined religious with economic and political activities due to its advantageous geographical position at the centre of the Aegean world. The latest research has focused on these religious, political and economic networks (for example Constantakopoulou 2007; Chankowski 2008; Collar 2013; Migeotte 2014; Raptopoulos 2014; Le Quéré 2015), while the important contribution of Véronique Chankowski on the economy of the island in the Hellenistic period awaits publication (see Chankowski 2011). Delos prospered in the Late Hellenistic period, when the Roman authorities granted the port of Delos duty-free status, and when the island reverted to Athenian control in 167 BC, turning it into a commercial base that connected the eastern and western Mediterranean. This report concentrates on recent developments in research on Hellenistic and Roman Delos.
Big Data and International Relations
Authors: Zwitter Andrej
Published: December 2015

From November 26 to 29, 2008, ten heavily armed members of Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), a Kashmiri separatist group, attacked several public sites in Mumbai, India, with automatic weapons and grenades, killing 164 people and wounding three hundred. This was one of the first known instances of terrorists employing powerful search algorithms such as Twitter's or the link analysis used in Google's PageRank system, which allowed LeT members to access information from massive data pools in real-time. During the attacks, an LeT operations center based in Pakistan communicated with the terrorists via sattelite and GSM phones to provide them with open-source intelligence. From the operations center, LeT members data mined the Internet and social media, tapping into the power of Big Data to provide the attackers with an intelligence advantage over Indian law enforcement agencies. The attackers were thereby kept up to date on the status of the Indian government's response and even received personal profiles of the hostages they took in the Taj Mahal Palace hotel.
Change and Continuity in Global Governance
Authors: Weiss Thomas G. , Wilkinson Rorden
Published: December 2015

Why, despite well-established and well-publicized intergovernmental processes that date back to the early 1970s, have we been unable to put in place effective mechanisms to combat climate change? Why, despite the existence of extensive global human rights machinery, do we live in a world where mass kidnapping, rape, torture, and murder continue to blight the lives of so many? Why, despite a great deal of effort on the part of intergovernmental organizations (IGOs) and nonstate actors, have we been unable to make much of a difference to the lives of the ultra-poor and attenuate the very worst aspects of growing global inequalities? Most fundamentally, why have the current international system and the outcomes that it has produced remained so inadequate in the postwar period?
Voluntary Standard Setting: Drivers and Consequences
Authors: Murphy Craig N.
Published: December 2015

This essay is about the drivers and consequences of changes in the voluntary consensus standard-setting (VCSS) system, the part of the contemporary global governance system that most of us encounter the most frequently, but that we rarely even notice. The VCSS system is made up of thousands of “technical committees” in which hundreds of thousands of experts (most of them engineers) create standards that constantly affect our lives—from the unique number that identifies this journal, to the electronic codes that translated my keystrokes into the words you are reading at the moment, to the rules governing the supply chain for the “fair trade” coffee you may have in a mug by your side. Historian Mark Mazower calls the International Organization for Standardization (ISO), the organization that stands at the apex of the largest network of groups that sponsor these technical committees, “perhaps the most influential private organization in the contemporary world, with a vast and largely invisible influence over most aspects of how we live, from the shape of our household appliances to the colors and smells that surround us.”