bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Kanamycin Resistance Cassette for Genetic Manipulation of Treponema denticola
Authors: Li Yuebin , Ruby John , Wu Hui
Published: April 2015

Treponema denticola
has been recognized as an important oral pathogen of the “red complex” bacterial consortium that is associated with the pathogenesis of endodontal and periodontal diseases. However, little is known about the virulence of
T. denticola
due to its recalcitrant genetic system. The difficulty in genetically manipulating oral spirochetes is partially due to the lack of antibiotic resistance cassettes that are useful for gene complementation following allelic replacement mutagenesis. In this study, a kanamycin resistance cassette was identified and developed for the genetic manipulation of
T. denticola
ATCC 35405. Compared to the widely used
ermF-ermAM
cassette, the kanamycin cassette used in the transformation experiments gave rise to additional antibiotic-resistant
T. denticola
colonies. The kanamycin cassette is effective for allelic replacement mutagenesis as demonstrated by inactivation of two open reading frames of
T. denticola
, TDE1430 and TDE0911. In addition, the cassette is also functional in
trans
-chromosomal complementation. This was determined by functional rescue of a periplasmic flagellum (PF)-deficient mutant that had the
flgE
gene coding for PF hook protein inactivated. The integration of the full-length
flgE
gene into the genome of the
flgE
mutant rescued all of the defects associated with the
flgE
mutant that included the lack of PF filament and spirochetal motility. Taken together, we demonstrate that the kanamycin resistance gene is a suitable cassette for the genetic manipulation of
T. denticola
that will facilitate the characterization of virulence factors attributed to this important oral pathogen.
Locus coeruleus syndrome as a complication of tectal surgery
Authors: Kronenburg Annick , Spliet Wim G , Broekman Marike , Robe Pierre
Published: April 2015

We describe a case of a 48-year-old woman who underwent a resection of a tectal pilocytic astrocytoma complicated by a sequence of fluctuating consciousness, psychosis with complex hallucinations and lasting sleeping disturbances in which she vividly acts out her dreams. Based on the clinical and anatomical evidence of this case, we propose the term locus coeruleus syndrome to describe this association of iatrogenic symptoms. Along with those of the locus coeruleus, lesions of the dorsal raphe nucleus, ventral tegmentum, substantia nigra pars compacta, the superior colliculus and other peduncular lesions (such as peduncular hallucinosis) are involved in the regulation of sleep-wake/arousal, behaviour, sleeping disorders and rapid eye movement atonia. However, iatrogenic lesion of the locus coeruleus could explain the complications on all levels in our patient.
Access to essential paediatric eye surgery in the developing world: a case of congenital cataracts left untreated
Authors: Vinluan Marilyn L , Olveda Remigio M , Olveda David U , Chy Delia , Ross Allen G
Published: April 2015

Childhood cataracts are a major cause of treatable blindness. Early recognition, surgical intervention and appropriate follow-up after surgery can result in good visual outcomes. However, several factors may impact on the availability of such services, including lack of an available, affordable and accessible comprehensive eye care centre, financial limitations affecting coverage by the national healthcare provider, and household socioeconomic status. We report a case of congenital cataracts in a 12-year-old male adolescent from Northern Samar, the Philippines, who was left blind since birth. This case highlights the disparities in essential health services in the developing world and the challenges patients face in getting the care they need.
Breast lumps: a rare site for rheumatoid nodules
Authors: Iqbal Fahad Mujtaba , Ali Hiam , Vidya Raghavan
Published: April 2015

Granulomatous mastitis (GM) of the breast is a rare benign inflammatory disease and its presentation closely mimics breast cancer. Its diagnosis is mainly based on histology and there is no consensus agreement regarding its management. We report a case of a 60-year-old woman presenting with a right breast lump associated with a history of rheumatoid arthritis and raised rheumatoid factor. Following triple assessment (history and examination, imaging and biopsy), GM was diagnosed and she was treated conservatively.
Metastatic extramammary Paget's disease responding to weekly paclitaxel
Authors: Phuoc Vania , Grothey Axel
Published: April 2015

Metastatic extramammary Paget's disease (EMPD) is a rare cancer with no validated systemic treatment. Regimens including FECOM 5-fluorouracil (5-FU, epirubicin, carboplatin, vincristine and mitomycin C), 5-FU/cisplatin and single agent docetaxel exhibited varying levels of efficacy in case reports. A 58-year-old man with EMPD diffusely metastatic to bone presented with worsening shortness of breath, significant pancytopenia and disseminated intravascular coagulation (DIC). He was started on low-dose heparin for the DIC and weekly paclitaxel. Initially requiring almost daily transfusions, his shortness of breath improved after two doses of paclitaxel, and he became transfusion-independent after only three doses. Correlating with his disease course, the patient's prepaclitaxel carcinoembryonic antigen level of 62.1 ng/mL decreased to 7.4 ng/mL on 3-month follow-up, and he showed no progression of disease on imaging. With no validated chemotherapy regimen currently, this case can help guide consideration of paclitaxel in future treatment of metastatic EMPD.
Bisphosphonate and risk of cancer recurrence: protocol for a systematic review, meta-analysis and trial sequential analysis of randomised controlled trials
Authors: Liu Yupeng , Du Chen , Zhang Yuxue , Zhao Shu , Zhao Lina , Li Pengfei , Hu Fulan , Zhu Lin , Liu Yanlong , Pang Da , Zhao Yashuang
Published: April 2015

Introduction

No consensus exists on the associations between adjuvant treatment with bisphosphonates and cancer recurrence risk among patients with primary early-stage cancers. We plan to perform a comprehensive systematic review, study-level meta-analysis and trial sequential analysis of randomised controlled trials to comprehensively summarise evidence of the bisphosphonate treatment for difference cancers.

Methods and analyses

We will report our results according to the PRISMA guideline. The primary outcomes include any cancer recurrence and bone metastasis and secondary outcomes include events of local recurrence, regional recurrence or non-skeletal distant metastasis, disease-free survival and overall survival. We will perform systematic electronic searches and other manual searches. To be conservative, all statistical analyses will be conducted with random-effects models. Cumulative meta-analyses and trial sequential analyses will be performed to assess whether and when firm evidence is reached. Various sensitivity analyses and rigid publication bias analyses will be performed to challenge the consistency and robustness of results. We will also grade the quality of evidence with the GRADE system.

Ethics and dissemination

Ethical approval is not required in this study. The findings will be submitted for publication in a peer-reviewed journal and also presented at relevant national and international conferences.

Trial registration number

PROSPERO CRD42014014699.
Barriers to primary care clinician adherence to clinical guidelines for the management of low back pain: protocol of a systematic review and meta-synthesis of qualitative studies
Authors: Slade Susan C , Kent Peter , Bucknall Tracey , Molloy Elizabeth , Patel Shilpa , Buchbinder Rachelle
Published: April 2015

Introduction

Low back pain is the highest ranked condition contributing to years lived with disability, and is a significant economic and societal burden. Evidence-based clinical practice guidelines are designed to improve quality of care and reduce practice variation by providing graded recommendations based on the best available evidence. Studies of low back pain guideline implementation have shown no or modest effects at changing clinical practice.

Objectives

To identify enablers and barriers to adherence to clinical practice guidelines for the management of low back pain.

Methods and analysis

A systematic review and meta-synthesis of qualitative studies that will be conducted and reported using the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) Statement guidelines. Eight databases will be searched using a priori inclusion/exclusion criteria. Two independent reviewers will conduct a structured review and meta-synthesis, and a third reviewer will arbitrate where there is disagreement. This protocol has been registered on PROSPERO 2014.

Ethics and dissemination

Ethical approval is not required. The systematic review will be published in a peer-reviewed journal. The review will also be disseminated electronically, in print and at conferences. Updates of the review will be conducted to inform and guide healthcare translation into practice.

Trial registration number

PROSPERO 2014:CRD42014012961. Available fromhttp://www.crd.york.ac.uk/PROSPERO/display_record.asp?ID=CRD42014012961
The peer review process: a primer forJNISreaders
Authors: Hirsch Joshua A , Manchikanti Laxmaiah , Albuquerque Felipe C , Leslie-Mazwi Thabele M , Lev Michael H , Linfante Italo , Mocco J , Rai Ansaar T , Schaefer Pamela W , Tarr Robert W
Published: April 2015

Peer review of scientific articles submitted for publication has been such an integral component of innovation in science and medicine that participants (be they readers, reviewers, or editors) seldom consider its complexity. Not surprisingly, much has been written about scientific peer review. The aim of this report is to share some of the elements of that discourse with readers of theJournal of NeuroInterventional Surgery(JNIS).
High field properties of electron transport in bulk zincblende In0.53Ga0.47As and In0.53Ga0.47Sb
Authors: Tochaei Amir Akbari
Published: April 2015

In this paper, electron transport properties in bulk zincblende In 0.53 Ga 0.47 As and In 0.53 Ga 0.47 Sb in high electric field are presented by using an ensemble Monte Carlo method. The steady state electron transport and transient situation in these two ternary semiconductors are reviewed and compared together by the three-valley model of conduction band. The results show that In 0.53 Ga 0.47 Sb has lower threshold field and higher drift velocity peak in comparison with In 0.53 Ga 0.47 As . Moreover, In 0.53 Ga 0.47 Sb has higher overshoot velocity and shorter time response in high electric field in comparison with In 0.53 Ga 0.47 As . However, overshoot relaxation time is equal for them in two applied electric fields.
Linked Open Data for Context-aware Services: Analysis, Classification and Context Data Discovery
Authors: von Hoffen Moritz , Uzun Abdulbaki
Published: April 2015

The amount of data within the Linking Open Data (LOD) Cloud is steadily increasing and resembles a rich source of information. Since Context-aware Services (CAS) are based on the correlation of heterogeneous data sources for deriving the contextual situation of a target, it makes sense to leverage that enormous amount of data already present in the LOD Cloud to enhance the quality of these services. Within this work, the applicability of the LOD Cloud as a context provider for enriching CAS is investigated. For this purpose, a deep analysis according to the discoverability and availability of datasets is performed. Furthermore, in order to ease the process of finding a dataset that matches the information needs of a CAS developer, techniques for retrieving contents of LOD datasets are discussed and different approaches to condense the dataset to its most important concepts are shown. Finally, a Context Data Lookup Service is introduced that enables context data discovery within the LOD Cloud and its applicability is highlighted based on an example.
Semantic Matchmaking for Kinect-Based Posture and Gesture Recognition
Authors: Ruta Michele , Scioscia Floriano , Di Summa Maria , Ieva Saverio , Di Sciascio Eugenio , Sacco Marco
Published: April 2015

Innovative analysis methods applied to data extracted by off-the-shelf peripherals can provide useful results in activity recognition without requiring large computational resources. In this paper a framework is proposed for automated posture and gesture recognition, exploiting depth data provided by a commercial tracking device. The detection problem is handled as a semantic-based resource discovery. A general data model and the corresponding ontology provide the formal underpinning for posture and gesture annotation via standard Semantic Web languages. Hence, a logic-based matchmaking, exploiting non-standard inference services, allows to: (i) detect postures via on-the-fly comparison of the annotations with standard posture descriptions stored as instances of a proper Knowledge Base; (ii) compare subsequent postures in order to recognize gestures. The framework has been implemented in a prototypical tool and experimental tests have been carried out on a reference dataset. Preliminary results indicate the feasibility of the proposed approach.
Location Specific Styles and US Venture Capital Contracting
Authors: Bengtsson Ola , Ravid S. Abraham
Published: April 2015

This paper shows that several contractual equilibria coexist in the US venture capital (VC) contracts. Our database is larger than that of previous studies and includes 1,804 contracts. Our main finding is that California-based entrepreneurs receive less harsh contract terms. In particular, investors subject to California-based or California style contracts have less downside protection. This “California effect” remains large and significant even after we include all the previously discovered controls which determine contract design. We find a similar effect if the VC is located in California, or if a non-California VC had a large exposure to the California market. We do not find evidence that VCs are substituting cash flow contingencies for control rights or for performance-based CEO compensation contracts. We also document several other new contractual features of VC contracts. In particular, we find that better companies and more experienced VCs receive better contract terms, whereas older companies receive harsher contracts. We also confirm the role of concentration and proximity in financial contracts.
Institutional Investors and Foreign Exchange Risk
Authors: Korkeamaki Timo , Xu Danielle
Published: April 2015

We study institutional appetite for stocks with FX exposure, and find variation among institution types. Institutions that are by their nature more likely to engage in active management of foreign exchange risk in their portfolio, namely mutual funds and hedge funds seek stocks with foreign exchange exposure. Institutions that are constrained by regulation tend to avoid foreign exchange exposure.
Who Will Retweet This? Detecting Strangers from Twitter to Retweet Information
Authors: Lee Kyumin , Mahmud Jalal , Chen Jilin , Zhou Michelle , Nichols Jeffrey
Published: April 2015

There has been much effort on studying how social media sites, such as Twitter, help propagate information in different situations, including spreading alerts and SOS messages in an emergency. However, existing work has not addressed how to actively identify and engage the right strangers at the right time on social media to help effectively propagate intended information within a desired time frame. To address this problem, we have developed three models: (1) a feature-based model that leverages people's exhibited social behavior, including the content of their tweets and social interactions, to characterize their willingness and readiness to propagate information on Twitter via the act of retweeting; (2) a wait-time model based on a user's previous retweeting wait times to predict his or her next retweeting time when asked; and (3) a subset selection model that automatically selects a subset of people from a set of available people using probabilities predicted by the feature-based model and maximizes retweeting rate. Based on these three models, we build a recommender system that predicts the likelihood of a stranger to retweet information when asked, within a specific time window, and recommends the top-N qualified strangers to engage with. Our experiments, including live studies in the real world, demonstrate the effectiveness of our work.
On the Power of Substitution in the Calculus of Structures
Authors: Novaković Novak , Straßburger Lutz
Published: April 2015

There are two contributions in this article. First, we give a direct proof of the known fact that Frege systems with substitution can be p-simulated by the calculus of structures (CoS) extended with the substitution rule. This is done without referring to the p-equivalence of extended Frege systems and Frege systems with substitution. Second, we then show that the cut-free CoS with substitution is p-equivalent to the cut-free CoS with extension.
Improving the Effectiveness of Time-Based Display Advertising
Authors: Goldstein Daniel G. , McAfee R. Preston , Suri Siddharth
Published: April 2015

Display advertisements are typically sold by the impression, where one impression is simply one download of an ad. Previous work has shown that the longer an ad is in view, the more likely a user is to remember it and that there are diminishing returns to increased exposure time [Goldstein et al. 2011]. Since a pricing scheme that is at least partially based on time is more exact than one based solely on impressions, time-based advertising may become an industry standard. We answer an open question concerning time-based pricing schemes: how should time slots for advertisements be divided? We provide evidence that ads can be scheduled in a way that leads to greater total recollection, which advertisers value, and increased revenue, which publishers value. We document two main findings. First, we show that displaying two shorter ads results in more total recollection than displaying one longer ad of twice the duration. Second, we show that this effect disappears as the duration of these ads increases. We conclude with a theoretical prediction regarding the circumstances under which the display advertising industry would benefit if it moved to a partially or fully time-based standard.
Global and Partitioned Multiprocessor Fixed Priority Scheduling with Deferred Preemption
Authors: Davis Robert I. , Burns Alan , Marinho Jose , Nelis Vincent , Petters Stefan M. , Bertogna Marko
Published: April 2015

This article introduces schedulability analysis for Global Fixed Priority Scheduling with Deferred Preemption (gFPDS) for homogeneous multiprocessor systems. gFPDS is a superset of Global Fixed Priority Preemptive Scheduling (gFPPS) and Global Fixed Priority Nonpreemptive Scheduling (gFPNS). We show how schedulability can be improved using gFPDS via appropriate choice of priority assignment and final nonpreemptive region lengths, and provide algorithms that optimize schedulability in this way. Via an experimental evaluation we compare the performance of multiprocessor scheduling using global approaches: gFPDS, gFPPS, and gFPNS, and also partitioned approaches employing FPDS, FPPS, and FPNS on each processor.
To Match or Not to Match
Authors: Ghosh Arpita , Mahdian Mohammad , McAfee R. Preston , Vassilvitskii Sergei
Published: April 2015

Modern online advertising increasingly relies on the ability to follow the same user across the Internet using technology called
cookie
matching
to increase efficiency in ad allocation. Web publishers today use this technology to share information about the websites a user has visited, making it possible to target advertisements to users based on their prior history. This begs the question: do publishers (who are competitors for advertising money) always have the incentive to share online information? Intuitive arguments as well as anecdotal evidence suggest that sometimes a premium publisher might suffer information sharing through an effect called
information
leakage
: by sharing user information with the advertiser, the advertiser will be able to target the same user elsewhere on cheaper publishers, leading to a dilution of the value of the supply on the premium publishers.

The goal of this article is to explore this aspect of online information sharing. We show that, when advertisers are homogeneous in the sense that their relative valuations of users are consistent, publishers always agree about the benefits of cookie matching
in
equilibrium
: either all publishers’ revenues benefit, or all suffer, from cookie matching. We also show using a simple model that, when advertisers are not homogeneous, the information leakage indeed can occur, with cookie matching helping one publisher’s revenues while harming the other.
PC-PLC/sphingomyelin synthase activity plays a central role in the development of myogenic tone in murine resistance arteries
Authors: Mauban Joseph R. H. , Zacharia Joseph , Fairfax Seth , Wier Withrow Gil
Published: April 2015

Myogenic tone is an intrinsic property of the vasculature that contributes to blood pressure control and tissue perfusion. Earlier investigations assigned a key role in myogenic tone to phospholipase C (PLC) and its products, inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate (IP3) and diacylglycerol (DAG). Here, we used the PLC inhibitor, U-73122, and two other, specific inhibitors of PLC subtypes (PI-PLC and PC-PLC) to delineate the role of PLC in myogenic tone of pressurized murine mesenteric arteries. U-73122 inhibited depolarization-induced contractions (high external K+ concentration), thus confirming reports of nonspecific actions of U-73122 and its limited utility for studies of myogenic tone. Edelfosine, a specific inhibitor of PI-PLC, did not affect depolarization-induced contractions but modulated myogenic tone. Because PI-PLC produces IP3, we investigated the effect of blocking IP3 receptor-mediated Ca2+ release on myogenic tone. Incubation of arteries with xestospongin C did not affect tone, consistent with the virtual absence of Ca2+ waves in arteries with myogenic tone. D-609, an inhibitor of PC-PLC and sphingomyelin synthase, strongly inhibited myogenic tone and had no effect on depolarization-induced contraction. D-609 appeared to act by lowering cytoplasmic Ca2+ concentration to levels below those that activate contraction. Importantly, incubation of pressurized arteries with a membrane-permeable analog of DAG induced vasoconstriction. The results therefore mandate a reexamination of the signaling pathways activated by the Bayliss mechanism. Our results suggest that PI-PLC and IP3 are not required in maintaining myogenic tone, but DAG, produced by PC-PLC and/or SM synthase, is likely through multiple mechanisms to increase Ca2+ entry and promote vasoconstriction.
Respiratory protease/antiprotease balance determines susceptibility to viral infection and can be modified by nutritional antioxidants
Authors: Meyer Megan , Jaspers Ilona
Published: April 2015

The respiratory epithelium functions as a central orchestrator to initiate and organize responses to inhaled stimuli. Proteases and antiproteases are secreted from the respiratory epithelium and are involved in respiratory homeostasis. Modifications to the protease/antiprotease balance can lead to the development of lung diseases such as emphysema or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Furthermore, altered protease/antiprotease balance, in favor for increased protease activity, is associated with increased susceptibility to respiratory viral infections such as influenza virus. However, nutritional antioxidants induce antiprotease expression/secretion and decrease protease expression/activity, to protect against viral infection. As such, this review will elucidate the impact of this balance in the context of respiratory viral infection and lung disease, to further highlight the role epithelial cell-derived proteases and antiproteases contribute to respiratory immune function. Furthermore, this review will offer the use of nutritional antioxidants as possible therapeutics to boost respiratory mucosal responses and/or protect against infection.
Motor control hierarchy in joint action that involves bimanual force production
Authors: Masumoto Junya , Inui Nobuyuki
Published: April 2015

The concept of hierarchical motor control has been viewed as a means of progressively decreasing the number of variables manipulated by each higher control level. We tested the hypothesis that turning an individual bimanual force-production task into a joint (two-participant) force-production task would lead to positive correlation between forces produced by the two hands of the individual participant (symmetric strategy) to enable negative correlation between forces produced by two participants (complementary strategy). The present study consisted of individual and joint tasks that involved both unimanual and bimanual conditions. In the joint task, 10 pairs of participants produced periodic isometric forces, such that the sum of forces that they produced matched a target force cycling between 5% and 10% of maximum voluntary contraction at 1 Hz. In the individual task, individuals attempted to match the same target force. In the joint bimanual condition, the two hands of each participant adopted a symmetric strategy of force, whereas the two participants adopted a complementary strategy of force, highlighting that the bimanual action behaved as a low level of a hierarchy, whereas the joint action behaved as an upper level. The complementary force production was greater interpersonally than intrapersonally. However, whereas the coherence was highest at 1 Hz in all conditions, the frequency synchrony was stronger intrapersonally than interpersonally. Moreover, whereas the bimanual action exhibited a smaller error and variability of force than the unimanual action, the joint action exhibited a less-variable interval and force than the individual action.
Correlation between B-Type Natriuretic Peptide and Functional/Cognitive Parameters in Discharged Congestive Heart Failure Patients
Authors: Leto Laura , Testa Marzia , Feola Mauro
Published: April 2015

The determination of B-type natriuretic peptides (BNP) may have a role in the diagnosis of heart failure (HF) or guiding HF therapy. This study investigated the role of BNP determination in a cohort of elderly patients admitted to hospital with acute decompensated HF and its correlation with main demographic, clinical, and instrumental data and evaluated possible association with major outcome such as mortality or readmission after a 6-month period of follow-up.Methods. From October 2011 to May 2014 consecutive patients admitted to our unit with symptoms of acute HF or worsening of chronic HF entered the study collecting functional, echocardiographic, and hydration parameters. Correlation between BNP and main parameters was analysed, as well as the mortality/6-month readmission rate.Results. In 951 patients (mean age 71 ys; 37% females) a positive correlation was obtained between BNP and age, creatinine levels, NYHA class at admission and discharge, and levels of hydration; an inverse, negative correlation between BNP and sodium levels, LVEF, distance performed at 6MWT at admission and at discharge, and scores at MMSE at admission and discharge emerged. BNP levels at admission and at discharge were furthermore clearly associated with mortality at 6 months (Chi-square 704.38,p=0.03) and hospital readmission (Chi-square 741.57,p<0.01).Conclusion. In an elderly HF population, BNP is related not only with clinical, laboratory, and instrumental data but also with multidimensional scales evaluating global status; higher BNP levels are linked with a worse prognosis in terms of mortality and 6-month readmission.
Ca2+Signaling in Cytoskeletal Reorganization, Cell Migration, and Cancer Metastasis
Authors: Tsai Feng-Chiao , Kuo Guan-Hung , Chang Shu-Wei , Tsai Pei-Ju
Published: April 2015

Proper control of Ca2+signaling is mandatory for effective cell migration, which is critical for embryonic development, wound healing, and cancer metastasis. However, how Ca2+coordinates structural components and signaling molecules for proper cell motility had remained elusive. With the advance of fluorescent live-cell Ca2+imaging in recent years, we gradually understand how Ca2+is regulated spatially and temporally in migrating cells, driving polarization, protrusion, retraction, and adhesion at the right place and right time. Here we give an overview about how cells create local Ca2+pulses near the leading edge, maintain cytosolic Ca2+gradient from back to front, and restore Ca2+depletion for persistent cell motility. Differential roles of Ca2+in regulating various effectors and the interaction of roles of Ca2+signaling with other pathways during migration are also discussed. Such information might suggest a new direction to control cancer metastasis by manipulating Ca2+and its associating signaling molecules in a judicious manner.
An Integrated Modeling and Experimental Approach to Study the Influence of Environmental Nutrients on Biofilm Formation ofPseudomonas aeruginosa
Authors: Xu Zhaobin , Islam Sabina , Wood Thomas K. , Huang Zuyi
Published: April 2015

The availability of nutrient components in the environment was identified as a critical regulator of virulence and biofilm formation inPseudomonas aeruginosa. This work proposes the first systems-biology approach to quantify microbial biofilm formation upon the change of nutrient availability in the environment. Specifically, the change of fluxes of metabolic reactions that were positively associated withP. aeruginosabiofilm formation was used to monitor the trend forP. aeruginosato form a biofilm. The uptake rates of nutrient components were changed according to the change of the nutrient availability. We found that adding each of the eleven amino acids (Arg, Tyr, Phe, His, Iso, Orn, Pro, Glu, Leu, Val, and Asp) to minimal medium promotedP. aeruginosabiofilm formation. Both modeling and experimental approaches were further developed to quantifyP. aeruginosabiofilm formation for four different availability levels for each of the three ions that include ferrous ions, sulfate, and phosphate. The developed modeling approach correctly predicted the amount of biofilm formation. By comparing reaction flux change upon the change of nutrient concentrations, metabolic reactions used byP. aeruginosato regulate its biofilm formation are mainly involved in arginine metabolism, glutamate production, magnesium transport, acetate metabolism, and the TCA cycle.
Catalytic Synthesis of Glycerol tert-Butyl Ethers as Fuel Additives from the Biodiesel By-Product Glycerol
Authors: Huang Rui , Kim Eui Yong
Published: April 2015

Glycerol is a major by-product in the biodiesel production process. Every 100 kg of biodiesel produced generates approximately 10 kg of crude glycerol. As the biodiesel industry has expanded rapidly in recent years, finding new uses of the excess crude glycerol is important. Many studies have examined alternative uses of crude glycerol. One of them is the use of glycerol derivatives, such as glycerol tert-butyl ethers as fuel additives. In this paper, the etherification kinetics of glycerol with tert-butyl alcohol to glycerol tert-butyl ethers was studied using an Amberlyst catalyst. The influences of the catalyst type and loading, reaction time, molar ratio, and temperature were investigated in detail.
Polymorphous Low-Grade Adenocarcinoma of the Tongue Base Treated by Transoral Robotic Surgery
Authors: Kim Jeong Hong , Hyun Chang Lim , Lim Gil Chai
Published: April 2015

Polymorphous low-grade adenocarcinoma is a rare malignancy arising from the minor salivary glands in the aerodigestive system, most frequently the hard palate. The treatment of choice is wide surgical resection, and the efficacy of radiotherapy has not been confirmed. A 54-year-old male presenting with a mass at the base of the tongue performed transoral laser microsurgery. The pathologic diagnosis was polymorphous low-grade adenocarcinoma. Complete surgical excision was performed via transoral robotic surgery without a flap reconstruction of the surgical defect. Without complications of bleeding or injury to the hypoglossal nerve, proper surgical margins were obtained, and no recurrence was found after 6 months after surgery. The patient did not complain of dysphagia or aspiration. We conclude that, in surgery for tongue base tumors with unknown malignant potential, transoral robotic surgery can be considered for achieving a definite resection avoiding a mandibulotomy without complications of dysphagia or aspiration after confirmation of malignancy with a frozen biopsy.
Recombinant Human Growth Hormone Therapy in Children with Chromosome 15q26 Deletion
Authors: Ho Sheau Chui , Clayton Peter , Vasudevan Pradeep , Greening James , Wardhaugh Barbara , Shaw Nick , Kelnar Christopher , Kirk Jeremy , Högler Wolfgang
Published: April 2015

Background: The insulin-like growth factor 1 receptor (IGF IR) gene is located on chromosome 15q26.3. Heterozygous 15q26 deletions involving the IGFIR gene are rare, resulting in intrauterine and postnatal growth retardation, developmental delay and microcephaly. Limited evidence exists on the effect of growth hormone (GH) therapy in these cases. Methods: We report a series of cases with 15q26 deletions, including response to GH treatment. Results: Seven children (2 males) presented with short stature [median height standard deviation score (SDS) of -4.8 (range -3.0 to -5.6)]. GH was started at a median age of 5 years (range 1.8 to 12.4) for a median duration of 5.8 years (range 1.0 to 12.4). Median height SDS increased by +0.6 (range 0.1 to 1.0), +1.3 (range 0.1 to 2.4) and +1.4 (range 0.8 to 3.3) after 1 (n = 7), 5 (n = 4) and 10 years (n = 3) of GH treatment, respectively. Four patients reached final height after 5.8 to 12.4 years of GH with a median change in height SDS of +1.1 (range 0 to 3.3). Conclusion: This study demonstrates a moderate, though variable, response to GH therapy, suggesting that GH resistance caused by heterozygous IGFIR deletions can be partially overcome by GH therapy. The first-year response was moderate, and whilst long-term treatment improved height SDS, the final adult height remained reduced. Therefore, an individual trial of GH therapy may be appropriate in these patients.
A Multidrug, Antiproteinuric Approach to Alport Syndrome: A Ten-Year Cohort Study
Authors: Daina Erica , Cravedi Paolo , Alpa Mirella , Roccatello Dario , Gamba Sara , Perna Annalisa , Gaspari Flavio , Remuzzi Giuseppe , Ruggenenti Piero
Published: April 2015

Background/Aims: Combined ACE inhibitor, angiotensin-receptor-blocker, non-dihydropyridine calcium-channel-blocker, and statin therapy (Remission Clinic) reduced proteinuria and halted progression in non-diabetic nephropathies, but their efficacy in Alport syndrome (AS) nephropathy is unknown. Methods: From February 2004 to September 2007, we included nine albuminuric AS adults with creatinine clearance >20 ml/min/1.73 m2 in a single-center, open-label, prospective, off-on-off academic study. After the 1-month wash-out from RAS inhibition (Run-in), patients entered the 4-month, add-on, treatment period with benazepril (10-20 mg/day), valsartan (80-160 mg/day), diltiazem (60-120 mg/day), and fluvastatin (40-80 mg/day) followed by the 1-month wash-out (Recovery). The primary outcome was albuminuria at month 4. After recovery, patients were kept on the Remission Clinic protocol and followed until July 2014 (Extension). Results: The median (IQR) albuminuria progressively declined from 657.7 (292.7-1,089.6) μg/min at baseline to 71.4 (21.7-504.9) μg/min at treatment end (p = 0.009) and raised to 404.3 (167.9-446.8) μg/min after recovery. Albumin and IgG fractional clearances significantly (p ≤ 0.005) decreased from 66.9 (53.6-80.8) to 9.4 (4.6-26.0) and from 5.1 (3.0-8.4) to 1.1 (0.6-3.2), and then recovered toward baseline. Blood pressure and lipids significantly decreased on treatment, without changes in inulin-measured GFR or para-aminohippuric-measured RPF. After recovery, one patient refused to enter the extension, one with severe renal insufficiency at baseline reached ESRD, and seven retained normal serum creatinine until the end of the study. At the final visit, three were microalbuminuric and one was normoalbuminuric. Treatment was well tolerated. Conclusion: The Remission Clinic approach safely ameliorated albuminuria, blood pressure, lipids, and glomerular selectivity in AS patients and halted long-term progression in those without renal insufficiency to start with.
Evaluation of High-Sensitivity C-Reactive Protein and Serum Lipid Profile in Southeastern Nigerian Women with Pre-Eclampsia
Authors: Onuegbu Anaelechi J. , Olisekodiaka Japhet M. , Udo John U. , Umeononihu Osita , Amah Ubuoh K. , Okwara John E. , Atuegbu Chidiadi
Published: April 2015

Objective: To evaluate the serum C-reactive protein (CRP) and lipid profile in women with pre-eclampsia. Materials and Methods: Thirty-five women with and 35 women without pre-eclampsia, who were in the 3rd trimester of pregnancy, were enrolled in this study. Weight in kilogrammes and height in metres were measured to calculate the mean body mass index (BMI) for each group. The diastolic and systolic blood pressures were measured. Lipid profile tests and serum CRP assay were done for all patients. Total cholesterol, triglycerides (TG) and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) were determined using enzymatic methods, while low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) was calculated using Friedewald's formula. Results: The mean values of the BMI were 29.47 ± 6.90 versus 26.14 ± 2.92, of the diastolic blood pressure 109.14 ± 15.41 versus 72.29 ± 9.42 mm Hg and of the systolic blood pressure 170.57 ± 19.55 versus 120.86 ± 17.72 mm Hg for women with and without pre-eclampsia, respectively, and the differences were statistically significant (p = 0.012, p = 0.001 and p = 0.001, respectively). The biochemical analysis also indicated that the women with pre-eclampsia had a significantly higher mean serum CRP (8.57 ± 2.68 vs. 6.46 ± 2.46 mg/l, p = 0.001), TG (2.84 ± 0.45 vs. 1.87 ± 0.38 mmol/l, p = 0.001) and total cholesterol (5.59 ± 0.92 vs. 4.63 ± 0.78 mmol/l, p = 0.001) level but a lower mean HDL-C (1.10 ± 0.12 vs. 1.26 ± 0.15 mmol/l, p = 0.001) level than the controls. There was no statistical difference in the mean LDL-C values between the 2 groups (1.58 ± 0.8 vs. 1.45 ± 0.78 mmol/l, p > 0.05). Conclusion: Significant changes in CRP as well as TG, total cholesterol and HDL-C were associated with pre-eclampsia in these Southeastern Nigerian women.
Multicenter Evaluation of Dynamic Three-Dimensional Magnetic Resonance Myocardial Perfusion Imaging for the Detection of Coronary Artery Disease Defined by Fractional Flow Reserve
Authors: Manka Robert , Wissmann Lukas , Gebker Rolf , Jogiya Roy , Motwani Manish , Frick Michael , Reinartz Sebastian , Schnackenburg Bernhard , Niemann Markus , Gotschy Alexander , Kuhl Christiane , Nagel Eike , Fleck Eckart , Marx Nikolaus , Luescher Thomas F. , Plein Sven , Kozerke Sebastian
Published: April 2015

Background—

First-pass myocardial perfusion cardiovascular magnetic resonance (CMR) imaging yields high diagnostic accuracy for the detection of coronary artery disease (CAD). However, standard 2D multislice CMR perfusion techniques provide only limited cardiac coverage, and hence considerable assumptions are required to assess myocardial ischemic burden. The aim of this prospective study was to assess the diagnostic performance of 3D myocardial perfusion CMR to detect functionally relevant CAD with fractional flow reserve (FFR) as a reference standard in a multicenter setting.

Methods and Results—

A total of 155 patients with suspected CAD listed for coronary angiography with FFR were prospectively enrolled from 5 European centers. 3D perfusion CMR was acquired on 3T MR systems from a single vendor under adenosine stress and at rest. All CMR perfusion analyses were performed in a central laboratory and blinded to all clinical data. One hundred fifty patients were successfully examined (mean age 62.9±10 years, 45 female). The prevalence of CAD defined by FFR (<0.8) was 56.7% (85 of 150 patients). The sensitivity and specificity of 3D perfusion CMR were 84.7% and 90.8% relative to the FFR reference. Comparison to quantitative coronary angiography (≥50%) yielded a prevalence of 65.3%, sensitivity and specificity of 76.5% and 94.2%, respectively.

Conclusions—

In this multicenter study, 3D myocardial perfusion CMR proved highly diagnostic for the detection of significant CAD as defined by FFR.
Mechanical Thrombectomy in Cerebral Venous Thrombosis
Authors: Siddiqui Fazeel M. , Dandapat Sudeepta , Banerjee Chirantan , Zuurbier Susanna M. , Johnson Mark , Stam Jan , Coutinho Jonathan M.
Published: April 2015

Background and Purpose—

Cerebral venous thrombosis is generally treated with anticoagulation. However, some patients do not respond to medical therapy and these might benefit from mechanical thrombectomy. The aim of this study was to gain a better understanding of the efficacy and safety of mechanical thrombectomy in patients with cerebral venous thrombosis, by performing a systematic review of the literature.

Methods—

We identified studies published between January 1995 and February 2014 from PubMed and Ovid. We included all cases of cerebral venous thrombosis in whom mechanical thrombectomy was performed with or without intrasinus thrombolysis. Good outcome was defined as normal or mild neurological deficits at discharge (modified Rankin Scale, 0–2). Secondary outcome variables included periprocedural complications and recanalization rates.

Results—

Our study included 42 studies (185 patients). Sixty percent of patient had a pretreatment intracerebral hemorrhage and 47% were stuporous or comatose. AngioJet was the most commonly used device (40%). Intrasinus thrombolysis was used in 131 patients (71%). Overall, 156 (84%) patients had a good outcome and 22 (12%) died. Nine (5%) patients had no recanalization, 38 (21%) had partial, and 137 (74%) had near to complete recanalization. The major periprocedural complication was new or increased intracerebral hemorrhage (10%). The use of AngioJet was associated with lower rate of complete recanalization (odds ratio, 0.2; 95% confidence interval, 0.09–0.4) and lower chance of good outcome (odds ratio, 0.5; 95% confidence interval, 0.2–1.0).

Conclusions—

Our systematic review suggests that mechanical thrombectomy is reasonably safe but controlled studies are required to provide a definitive answer on its efficacy and safety in patients with cerebral venous thrombosis.
Ethnic Parties and Public Spending
Authors: Thachil Tariq , Teitelbaum Emmanuel
Published: April 2015

Social scientists largely see ethnic politics as inhibiting public goods provisioning within developing democracies. Such parties are thought to uniformly rely on distributing excludable benefits to co-ethnics, rather than on providing public goods to all. We argue that ethnic parties can vary substantially in how they mobilize support and behave in office. Much of this variation depends on the breadth of the identity they activate. Although “narrow” ethnic parties do indeed entrench patronage politics, the rise of more “encompassing” ethnic parties can actually improve levels of voter autonomy, expand the effective size of winning coalitions, and increase spending on broadly available public goods. We develop and test this argument with evidence from the Indian states, including a nationally representative survey of 20,000 Indian voters and a panel data set of 15 major states over four decades.
Alternative Models for Small Samples in Psychological Research
Authors: Muth Chelsea , Bales Karen L. , Hinde Katie , Maninger Nicole , Mendoza Sally P. , Ferrer Emilio
Published: April 2015

Unavoidable sample size issues beset psychological research that involves scarce populations or costly laboratory procedures. When incorporating longitudinal designs these samples are further reduced by traditional modeling techniques, which perform listwise deletion for any instance of missing data. Moreover, these techniques are limited in their capacity to accommodate alternative correlation structures that are common in repeated measures studies. Researchers require sound quantitative methods to work with limited but valuable measures without degrading their data sets. This article provides a brief tutorial and exploration of two alternative longitudinal modeling techniques, linear mixed effects models and generalized estimating equations, as applied to a repeated measures study ( n = 12) of pairmate attachment and social stress in primates. Both techniques provide comparable results, but each model offers unique information that can be helpful when deciding the right analytic tool.
Analyzing wood bark insulation board structure using X-ray computed tomography and modeling its thermal conductivity by means of finite difference method
Authors: Kain Günther , Charwat-Pessler Johann , Barbu Marius-Catalin , Plank Bernhard , Richter Klaus , Petutschnigg Alexander
Published: April 2015

The continuous trend to energy saving and sustainable constructions in buildings leads to an increasing demand of efficient and sustainable thermal insulation materials. One promising development is the usage of the natural “tree insulation material,” namely bark, for building insulations. Insulation boards out of larch bark were scanned with an industrial computed tomograph in order to study the structure of the boards. The computed tomograph images were segmented using a categorization algorithm based on ANOVA. Apart from gaining knowledge about panel porosity, understanding of the inhomogeneous bark boards was enhanced by finding that two main components are prevalent. That knowledge of the board's microstructure enabled the application of a numerical model for thermal conductivity based on the finite difference method. These findings give the direction for further developments of efficient bark insulation panels with well-defined pore structure.
Pupil function as an indicator of being under the influence of central nervous system-acting substances from a traffic-medicine perspective – Part II
Authors: Monticelli Fabio , Preiss Ulrich , Hitzl Wolfgang , Keller Thomas
Published: April 2015

In order to evaluate driving abilities of each traffic participant, standardised and objective measurement methods are needed. The applicability and value of infrared pupillography as an objective measurement method to indicate possible influence of central nervous acting substances has been demonstrated in former publications. Healthy test subjects (n = 41), as well as persons who were under the influence of drugs and/or medication (n = 105), were exposed to different light stimuli using infrared technology in order to demonstrate the relevance of specific parameters of the pupillary light reflex (PLR) in the field of traffic medicine. Based on former reported results, the statistical examination was extended to further parameters of the PLR, which again confirmed the high value of infrared pupillography as a reliable indicator of previous consumption of drugs and/or medication.
New paradigms for religion, multiple religious belonging, and insider movements
Authors: Richard H. L.
Published: April 2015

The concept of “religion” and the idea of “world religions” are being critically reconsidered in the field of religious studies. Related questioning in the field of missiology has produced the concepts of “multiple religious belonging” and “insider movements.” The crisis in religious studies is outlined and new paradigms are supported. Traditional notions of conversion as change of religion are no longer relevant when traditional conceptions of world religions are no longer in vogue. Multiple religious belonging and insider movements are two possible responses from the missiological world. Legal aspects of religious identity in many countries suggest that attempts at a multiple religious belonging will necessarily result in an insider-movements approach since one identity is often a legal necessity.