bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Transoral sonographic diagnosis of submandibular duct calculi
Authors: Cho Woojin , Lim Dohyoung , Park Hachoon
Published: June 2013

We present a case of submandibular duct calculi diagnosed using transoral sonography. Sonography is the first‐line imaging modality of salivary gland calculi. However, it is performed via a transcutaneous approach, which is limited in identifying small salivary duct calculi. Using an intraoral transducer, transoral sonography can visualize the submandibular duct and detect the presence of small calculi, thus overcoming the limitations of transcutaneous sonography. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Clin Ultrasound 42:125–128, 2014
Sugarcane cell wall structure and lignin distribution investigated by confocal and electron microscopy
Authors: Sant'Anna Celso , Costa Lilian T. , Abud Yuri , Biancatto Lucas , Miguens Flávio Costa , de Souza Wanderley
Published: June 2013

Lignocellulosic plant cell wall is considered a potential source for second generation biofuels. The plant cell wall is a highly complex structure mainly composed of cellulose, hemicelluloses, and lignin that form a network of crosslinked fibers. The structural organization of the sugarcane cell wall has not been previously analyzed in detail, and this analysis is a prerequisite for further studies on the recalcitrance and deconstruction of its biomass. In this work, cellulose and lignin localization were investigated by confocal laser scanning microscopy. In addition, the internode sugarcane cell wall structural organization was analyzed by electron microscopy. Internode stem anatomy showed a typical monocot structure consisting of epidermis, hypoderm, and vascular bundles scattered throughout ground parenchyma tissue and surrounded by sclerenchyma fibers. Confocal images of safranin labeled sugarcane showed that lignin distribution was predominant in the vessel elements, cell wall corners (CC), and middle lamella (ML), while cellulose‐rich cell walls were randomly distributed in the ML and organized in the other cell wall layers. KMnO4 cytochemistry revealed that lignin was predominantly distributed in secondary cell walls, ML and CC. Cell wall sublayers (S1, S2, and S3) were identified and measured by transmission electron microscopy. Our results provide insights that may help further understanding of sugarcane cell wall organization, which is crucial for the research and technology of plant‐based biofuel production. Microsc. Res. Tech. 76:829–834, 2013. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
MRT letter: Micro‐ to nanoscale sample collection for high throughput microscopy
Authors: Cheong Brandon Huey‐Ping , Liew Oi Wah , Wah NG Tuck
Published: June 2013

In high throughput microscopy, it is often assumed that the objects under investigation are fixed spatially. In addition, it is also presumed that the objects are sufficiently populated, otherwise there will be need to search through vast tracks of field of views before any recording can be done. The ability to collect objects at one location in the hydrated state is thus desirable and this is a challenge when the density of target objects in a sample is very low. In this work, we report that the generation of a squeezing flow from a circular coverslip compressing on suspensions is able to collect particulate (microbeads, fluorescent nanobeads and live algal cells) and non‐particulate (EGFP) objects at the rim region of the coverslip. With a coverslip of 13 mm diameter, volumes between 2 µL and 4 µL were found to completely fill the coverslip without breaching the rims. Sample compression speeds between 100 µm/s and 1000 µm/s did not have any effect on object collection outcomes. In effect, the simple placement of coverslips on top the drop of sample by hand without a motorized translator was found to produce similar collection outcomes. Quantitative measurements confirmed that all the objects investigated were displaced and relocated at the rim regions to a very high degree. Microsc. Res. Tech. 76:767–773, 2013. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
A new automatic contact point detection algorithm for AFM force curves
Authors: BenÍtez Rafael , Moreno‐flores Susana , BolÓs Vicente J. , Toca‐Herrera JosÉ Luis
Published: June 2013

A new method for estimating the contact point in AFM force curves, based on a local regression algorithm, is presented. The main advantage of this method is that can be easily implemented as a computer algorithm and used for a fully automatic detection of the contact points in the approach force curves on living cells. The estimated contact points have been compared to those obtained by other published methods, which were applied either for materials with an elastic response to indentation forces or for experiments at high loading rates. We have found that the differences in the values of the contact points estimated with three different methods were not statistically significant and thus the algorithm is reliable. Also, we test the convenience of the algorithm for batch‐processing by computing the contact points of a force curve map of 625 (25×25) curves. Microsc. Res. Tech. 76:870–876, 2013. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Characterization of purine catabolic pathway genes in coelacanths
Authors: Forconi Mariko , Biscotti Maria Assunta , Barucca Marco , Buonocore Francesco , De moro Gianluca , Fausto Anna Maria , Gerdol Marco , Pallavicini Alberto , Scapigliati Giuseppe , Schartl Manfred , Olmo Ettore , Canapa Adriana
Published: June 2013

Coelacanths are a critically valuable species to explore the gene changes that took place in the transition from aquatic to terrestrial life. One interesting and biologically relevant feature of the genus Latimeria is ureotelism. However not all urea is excreted from the body; in fact high concentrations are retained in plasma and seem to be involved in osmoregulation. The purine catabolic pathway, which leads to urea production in Latimeria, has progressively lost some steps, reflecting an enzyme loss during diversification of terrestrial species. We report the results of analyses of the liver and testis transcriptomes of the Indonesian coelacanth Latimeria menadoensis and of the genome of Latimeria chalumnae, which has recently been fully sequenced in the framework of the coelacanth genome project. We describe five genes, uricase, 5‐hydroxyisourate hydrolase, parahox neighbor B, allantoinase, and allantoicase, each coding for one of the five enzymes involved in urate degradation to urea, and report the identification of a putative second form of 5‐hydroxyisourate hydrolase that is characteristic of the genus Latimeria. The present data also highlight the activity of the complete purine pathway in the coelacanth liver and suggest its involvement in the maintenance of high plasma urea concentrations. J. Exp. Zool. (Mol. Dev. Evol.) 322B: 334–341, 2014. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Turbulent heating and acceleration of He++ ions by spectra of Alfvén‐cyclotron waves in the expanding solar wind: 1.5‐D hybrid simulations
Authors: Maneva Y. G. , Viñas A. F. , Ofman L.
Published: June 2013

Both remote sensing and in situ measurements show that the fast solar wind plasma significantly deviates from thermal equilibrium and is strongly permeated by turbulent electromagnetic waves, which regulate the ion temperature anisotropies and relative drifts. Thus, the ion kinetics is governed by heating and cooling related to absorption and emission of ion‐acoustic and ion‐cyclotron waves, as well as nonresonant pitch angle scattering and diffusion in phase space. Additionally, the solar wind properties are affected by its nonadiabatic expansion as the wind travels away from the Sun. In this study we present results from 1.5‐D hybrid simulations to investigate the effects of a nonlinear turbulent spectrum of Alfvén‐cyclotron waves and the solar wind expansion on the anisotropic heating and differential acceleration of protons and He++ ions. We compare the different heating and acceleration by turbulent Alfvén‐cyclotron wave spectra and by pure monochromatic waves. For the waves and the wave spectra used in our model, we find that the He++ ions are preferentially heated and by the end of the simulations acquire much more than mass‐proportional temperature ratios, Tα/Tp>mα/mp. The differential acceleration between the two species strongly depends on the initial wave amplitude and the related spectral index and is often suppressed by the solar wind expansion. We also find that the expansion leads to perpendicular cooling for both species, and depending on the initial wave spectra, it can either heat or cool the ions in parallel direction. Despite the cooling effect of the expansion in perpendicular direction, the wave‐particle interactions provide an additional heating source, and the perpendicular temperature components remain higher than the adiabatic predictions.
Neuropeptide Y modulates fracture healing through Y1 receptor signaling
Authors: Sousa Daniela M. , McDonald Michelle M. , Mikulec Kathy , Peacock Lauren , Herzog Herbert , Lamghari Meriem , Little David G. , Baldock Paul A.
Published: June 2013

Neuropeptide Y acting via it's Y1 receptor represents a powerful pathway in the control of bone mass. The global or osteoblast‐specific Y1 receptor deletion induces pronounced bone anabolic effects in mice. However, the contribution of Y1 receptor deletion in bone repair/healing remained to be clarified. Therefore, in this study we characterized the role of Y1 receptor deletion in fracture healing. Closed tibial fractures were generated in germline (Y1−/−) and osteoblastic‐specific Y1 receptor knockout mice. The progression of tibial repair monitored from 1‐ until 6‐weeks post‐fracture demonstrated that in Y1−/− mice there is a delay in fracture repair, as seen by a decrease in bone callus volume and callus strength. Moreover, the histological features included elevated avascular and cartilage area and consequently delayed cartilage removal, and hence impaired union. Interestingly, this delay in bone repair was not related directly to Y1 receptors expressed by mature osteoblasts. These findings suggest that the global absence of the Y1 receptor delays fracture healing, through impairing the early phases of fracture repair to achieve bony union. The data acquired on the role of Y1 receptor signaling disruption in bone regeneration is critical for the design of future therapeutic strategies. © 2013 Orthopaedic Research Society. Published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Orthop Res 31:1570–1578, 2013
Surface‐enhanced Raman evidence for Rhodamine 6 G and its derivative with different adsorption geometry to colloidal silver nanoparticle
Authors: Li Pan , Zhou Xia , Liu Honglin , Yang Liangbao , Liu Jinhuai
Published: June 2013

Some high‐affinity functional groups or resonant molecules were often used as probe molecules adsorbed on silver nanoparticles for Surface‐enhanced Raman scattering (SERS). However, it is still unclear how the attached molecules interact with the silver nanoparticles' surface, and how the anchoring groups affect the optical and electronic properties of molecules. Here, we report that surface‐enhanced Raman studies of two organic compounds; rhodamine 6G (R6G) and its aminated derivative (R‐NH2) have very different functional groups for surface binding but nearly identical SERS spectroscopic properties at pH = 7 and UV–vis at pH = 3, respectively. A surprise was found that under the same experimental conditions, the SERS signal intensity for R6G is nearly 50‐fold higher than that of R‐NH2. Furthermore, the pH‐dependent study reveals that the structure of R6G is irreversibly stabilized or ‘locked’ in its form and no longer responsive to pH changes. In contrast, R‐NH2 is still sensitive to pH, and can be switched between its open‐ring and closed‐ring structures. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Simultaneous determination of nine anticoagulant rodenticides in soil and water by LC–ESI‐MS
Authors: Hernández Alma M. , Bernal José , Bernal José L. , Martín María T. , Caminero Constantino , Nozal María J.
Published: June 2013

A new and sensitive analytical method is presented to determine nine anticoagulant rodenticide (chlorophacinone, bromadiolone, pindone, diphacinone, warfarin, coumatetralyl, brodifacoum, floucomafen, and difenacoum) residues in water and soil samples by LC–ESI‐MS. Rodenticides were extracted from soil using a methanol and ammonium formate 30 mM mixture, while ethyl acetate was employed in the water samples. A Gemini 5 μm C18 column was employed, and a mobile phase comprising a mixture of ammonium formate 30 mM and di‐n‐butylamine 30 mM in water (pH 3.5), ammonium formate 30 mM and di‐n‐butylamine 20 mM in water (pH 4.4), ammonium formate 30 mM in water (pH 6.5), and methanol in a gradient elution mode was selected. The method was fully validated and it was found to be selective and precise in terms of linearity and accuracy. Extraction recoveries ranged from 90 to 104% for the compounds studied, while the detection and quantification limits were between 0.09 and 2.2 μg/kg in soil or 0.08 and 1.7 μg/L in water. The method was applied to simultaneously measure these compounds in water and soil samples.
New zwitterionic polymethacrylate monolithic columns for one‐ and two‐dimensional microliquid chromatography
Authors: Jandera Pavel , Staňková Magda , Hájek Tomáš
Published: June 2013

We prepared 0.53 and 0.32 mm id monolithic microcolumns by in situ copolymerization of a zwitterionic sulfobetaine functional monomer with bisphenol A glycerolate dimethacrylate (BIGDMA) and dioxyethylene dimetacrylate crosslinkers. The columns show a dual retention mechanism (hydrophilic‐interaction mode) in acetonitrile‐rich mobile phases and RP in highly aqueous mobile phases. The new 0.53 mm id columns provided excellent reproducibility, retention, and separation selectivity for phenolic acids and flavonoids. The new zwitterionic monolithic columns are highly orthogonal, with respect to alkyl silica stationary phases, not only in the hydrophilic‐interaction mode but also in the RP mode. The optimized monolithic zwitterionic microcolumn of 0.53 mm id was employed in the first dimension, either in the aqueous normal‐phase or in the RP mode, coupled with a short nonpolar core‐shell column in the second dimension, for comprehensive 2D LC separations of phenolic and flavonoid compounds. When the 2D setup with the sulfobetaine–BIGDMA column was used for repeated sample analysis, with alternating gradients of decreasing (hydrophilic‐interaction mode), and increasing (RP mode) concentration of acetonitrile on the sulfobetaine–BIGDMA column in the first dimension, useful complementary information on the sample could be obtained.
HPLC with quadrupole TOF‐MS and chemometrics analysis for the characterization of Folium Turpiniae from different regions
Authors: Li Lin , Zhao Yanyang , Liu Wenyuan , Feng Feng , Xie Ning
Published: June 2013

Folium Turpiniae has been used as a traditional Chinese medicine for the treatment of abscesses, fevers, gastric ulcers, and inflammations. This paper describes a strategy of combining HPLC with photodiode array detection and quadrupole TOF‐MS, as well as phytochemical and chemometrics analysis for the characterization, isolation, and simultaneous quantification of the chemical constituents of Folium Turpiniae. 19 constituents were identified, namely, 11 flavonoids, seven gallic acid derivates, and quinic acid. Among them, 15 compounds were identified in this herbal medicine for the first time; compound 10 appears to be novel and was isolated and confirmed as ellagic acid‐3‐O‐α‐l‐rhamnopyranoside by NMR spectroscopy and MS. In addition, nine marker compounds, namely gallic acid (2), ellagic acid‐3‐O‐α‐l‐rhamnopyranoside (10), apigenin‐7‐O‐(2′′‐rhamnosyl)gentiobioside (11), ellagic acid (12), luteolin‐7‐O‐β‐d‐neohesperidoside (13), ligustroflavone (14), 4′‐O‐methylellagic acid‐3‐O‐α‐l‐rhamnopyranoside (16), rhoifolin (17), and neobudofficide (18), were quantified simultaneously in ten batches of Folium Turpiniae collected from different regions. Moreover, hierarchical clustering analysis and principal component analysis indicated that both samples from Hubei (S1) and Guangxi (S3) provinces showed apparent differences from the others. Samples from Jiangxi province (S2, S4, and S7–10) possessed similar properties and therefore belong to the same group.
Is systematic identification of all four parathyroid glands necessary during total thyroidectomy?: A prospective study
Authors: Sheahan Patrick , Mehanna Rania , Basheeth Naveed , Murphy Matthew S.
Published: June 2013

Objectives/Hypothesis

Routine identification of all four parathyroid glands has been advocated as a means of reducing rates of postoperative hypocalcemia and inadvertent parathyroidectomy. The object of the present study was to investigate whether identification of more parathyroid glands during thyroidectomy performed by capsular dissection technique had any impact on incidence of postoperative hypocalcemia and unintentional parathyroid resection.

Study Design

Prospective cohort study of consecutive patients undergoing total thyroidectomy by capsular dissection technique over a 3‐year period. Exclusion criteria included performance of concomitant central neck dissection, hyperparathyroidism, revision surgery, and invasive cancer.

Methods

The number of parathyroid glands identified intraoperatively was recorded. No effort was made to find glands that were not obviously apparent during the course of dissection. Patients were not placed on routine calcium supplementation.

Results

The final study population consisted of 126 patients. The mean number of parathyroid glands identified was 2.3. The incidence of biochemical (any postoperative calcium <2 mmol/L) and clinical hypocalcemia was 22.2% and 10.3%, respectively. Patients in group A (0–2 parathyroids identified) had a significantly lower incidence of clinical hypocalcemia than patients in group B (3–4 parathyroids identified) (3.2% vs. 17.1%, P = .02). The differences in biochemical hypocalcemia were not significant (16.1% vs. 28.1%, P = .13). The incidence of inadvertent parathyroidectomy was 9.5%. There was no difference between the groups in incidence of inadvertent parathyroidectomy (9.7% vs. 9.4%, P = 1.0).

Conclusions

Routine identification of all four parathyroid glands is not necessary in thyroidectomy performed using capsular dissection technique.

Level of Evidence

4. Laryngoscope, 123:2324–2328, 2013
On the coincidence of certain approaches to smoothness spaces related to Morrey spaces
Authors: Yuan Wen , Sickel Winfried , Yang Dachun
Published: June 2013

In this paper, we compare the recent approach of Hans Triebel to introduce smoothness spaces related to Morrey‐Campanato spaces with Besov type and Triebel‐Lizorkin type spaces. These two scales have been introduced some years ago and represent a further variant to measure smoothness by using Morrey spaces.
Ambit‐Tautomer: An Open Source Tool for Tautomer Generation
Authors: Kochev Nikolay T. , Paskaleva Vesselina H. , Jeliazkova Nina
Published: June 2013

We present a new open source tool for automatic generation of all tautomeric forms of a given organic compound. Ambit‐Tautomer is a part of the open source software package Ambit2. It implements three tautomer generation algorithms: combinatorial method, improved combinatorial method and incremental depth‐first search algorithm. All algorithms utilize a set of fully customizable rules for tautomeric transformations. The predefined knowledge base covers 1–3, 1–5 and 1–7 proton tautomeric shifts. Some typical supported tautomerism rules are keto‐enol, imin‐amin, nitroso‐oxime, azo‐hydrazone, thioketo‐thioenol, thionitroso‐thiooxime, amidine‐imidine, diazoamino‐diazoamino, thioamide‐iminothiol and nitrosamine‐diazohydroxide. Ambit‐Tautomer uses a simple energy based system for tautomer ranking implemented by a set of empirically derived rules. A fine‐grained output control is achieved by a set of post‐generation filters. We performed an exhaustive comparison of the Ambit‐Tautomer Incremental algorithm against several other software packages which offer tautomer generation: ChemAxon Marvin, Molecular Networks MN.TAUTOMER, ACDLabs, CACTVS and the CDK implementation of the algorithm, based on the mobile H atoms listed in the InChI. According to the presented test results, Ambit‐Tautomer’s performance is either comparable to or better than the competing algorithms. Ambit‐Tautomer module is available for download as a Java library, a command line application, a demo web page or OpenTox API compatible Web service.
A Large‐Scale Empirical Evaluation of Cross‐Validation and External Test Set Validation in (Q)SAR
Authors: Gütlein Martin , Helma Christoph , Karwath Andreas , Kramer Stefan
Published: June 2013

(Q)SAR model validation is essential to ensure the quality of inferred models and to indicate future model predictivity on unseen compounds. Proper validation is also one of the requirements of regulatory authorities in order to accept the (Q)SAR model, and to approve its use in real world scenarios as alternative testing method. However, at the same time, the question of how to validate a (Q)SAR model, in particular whether to employ variants of cross‐validation or external test set validation, is still under discussion. In this paper, we empirically compare a k‐fold cross‐validation with external test set validation. To this end we introduce a workflow allowing to realistically simulate the common problem setting of building predictive models for relatively small datasets. The workflow allows to apply the built and validated models on large amounts of unseen data, and to compare the performance of the different validation approaches. The experimental results indicate that cross‐validation produces higher performant (Q)SAR models than external test set validation, reduces the variance of the results, while at the same time underestimates the performance on unseen compounds. The experimental results reported in this paper suggest that, contrary to current conception in the community, cross‐validation may play a significant role in evaluating the predictivity of (Q)SAR models.
Distribution of grape seed flavanols and their metabolites in pregnant rats and their fetuses
Authors: Arola‐Arnal Anna , Oms‐Oliu Gemma , Crescenti Anna , del Bas Josep Maria , Ras Maria Rosa , Arola Lluís , Caimari Antoni
Published: June 2013

Scope

Polyphenols have been demonstrated to provide health benefits affecting cellular and physiological processes. This study aims to evaluate the bioavailability and distribution of grape seed flavanol compounds during pregnancy and whether fetuses could be exposed to these compounds.

Methods and results

The distribution of flavanols and their metabolites in rat plasma, liver, white adipose tissue, brain, amniotic fluid, placenta, and fetuses after 1 and 2 h of an acute intake of a grape seed proanthocyanidin extract was examined by LC‐ESI‐TOF/MS. Flavanols and their metabolites were widely distributed in both pregnant and nonpregnant rat plasma and tissues. In liver, the conjugated forms of flavanols were less available in pregnant than nonpregnant rats. Flavanol metabolites were abundant in maternal placenta but detected at low levels in fetuses and amniotic fluid.

Conclusion

Flavanol metabolization appears to be less active in the liver during pregnancy. Moreover, data indicated that transport across the placenta is not efficient and for flavanols and their metabolites, the placenta seems to act as a barrier. However, these compounds target the fetus and are excreted in the amniotic fluid.
Post‐Polymerization Modification of Materials using Diaryldiazomethanes: Changes to Surface Macroscopic Properties
Authors: Bagwell Claire L. , Leonard David M. L. , Griffiths Jon‐Paul , Moloney Mark G. , Stratton Nick J. , Travers Daniel P.
Published: June 2013

Diarylcarbenes have been shown to be suitable for the surface modification of a diverse range of polymers, including low surface energy materials, and this allows the modification of surface macroscopic effects, exemplified by changes in wetting behaviour, pH sensing, and bactericidal activity.
New developments in arterial spin labeling pulse sequences
Authors: Wong Eric C.
Published: June 2013

Since it was introduced over 20 years ago, arterial spin labeling and related methods have steadily evolved over the years, and the field has seen not only improvements in technical specifications, such as signal‐to‐noise ratio and accuracy, but also the introduction of methods that allow for the collection of new information, such as maps of vascular territories and measurement of venous oxygenation. Some of these recent advances are reviewed here. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
High‐order plate bending analysis based on the scaled boundary finite element method
Authors: Man H. , Song C. , Xiang T. , Gao W. , Tin‐Loi F.
Published: June 2013

This paper presents a technique for plate bending analysis based on the scaled boundary FEM. The proposed technique is formulated directly from the three‐dimensional governing equations. The in‐plane dimensions of the plate are modelled by two‐dimensional finite elements. The solution along the thickness is expressed analytically as a Padé expansion by using the scaled boundary FEM. A simple and highly efficient procedure to construct the stiffness matrix of a thin to moderately thick plate element is devised. Furthermore, the use of high‐order spectral elements allows the proposed technique to accurately handle plates with curved boundaries and leads to high accuracy and convergence rate. Five plate bending problems are presented with results showing high computational efficiency. No numerical locking arises. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Benchmark Study of the Performance of Density Functional Theory for Bond Activations with (Ni,Pd)‐Based Transition‐Metal Catalysts
Authors: Steinmetz Marc , Grimme Stefan
Published: June 2013

The performance of 23 density functionals, including one LDA, four GGAs, three meta‐GGAs, three hybrid GGAs, eight hybrid meta‐GGAs, and ten double‐hybrid functionals, was investigated for the computation of activation energies of various covalent main‐group single bonds by four catalysts: Pd, PdCl−, PdCl2, and Ni (all in the singlet state). A reactant complex, the barrier, and reaction energy were considered, leading to 164 energy data points for statistical analysis. Extended Gaussian AO basis sets were used in all calculations. The best functional for the complete benchmark set relative to estimated CCSD(T)/CBS reference data is PBE0‐D3, with an MAD value of 1.1 kcal mol−1 followed by PW6B95‐D3, the double hybrid PWPB95‐D3, and B3LYP‐D3 (1.9 kcal mol−1 each). The other tested hybrid meta‐GGAs perform less well (M06‐HF: 7.0 kcal mol−1; M06‐2X: 6.3 kcal mol−1; M06: 4.9 kcal mol−1) for the investigated reactions. In the Ni case, some double hybrids show larger errors due to partial breakdown of the perturbative treatment for the correlation energy in cases with difficult electronic structures (partial multi‐reference character). Only double hybrids either with very low amounts of perturbative correlation (e.g., PBE0‐DH) or that use the opposite‐spin correlation component only (e.g., PWPB95) seem to be more robust. We also investigated the effect of the D3 dispersion correction. While the barriers are not affected by this correction, significant and mostly positive results were observed for reaction energies. Furthermore, six very recently proposed double‐hybrid functionals were analyzed regarding the influence of the amount of Fock exchange as well as the type of perturbative correlation treatment. According to these results, double hybrids with <50–60 % of exact exchange and ∼30 % perturbative correlation perform best.
Alcohol brands on Facebook: the challenges of regulating brands on social media
Authors: Brodmerkel Sven , Carah Nicholas
Published: June 2013

In September 2012, the Australian Advertising Standards Bureau (ASB) made ‘landmark decisions’ relating to the use of Facebook by vodka brand Smirnoff and beer brand Victoria Bitter. The ASB determined that (i) a brand's Facebook page is a marketing communication tool, and (ii) all contents on the page fall under the industry's self‐regulatory code of ethics, including consumer‐created content such as user‐generated comments and photos. The decisions come in response to a submission that the authors made regarding the Facebook pages of the two brands. These submissions were based on a research project that had monitored the use of Facebook by several Australian alcohol brands since the late 2010 to identify how these brands use social media as experiential social spaces to engage consumers in the co‐creation of content. This article reviews the ruling by analysing the advertisers' response to the complaint, the regulators' justifications for the decisions, and the possibilities and limitations of regulating social media in general. It argues that although the ASB has acknowledged that brands are responsible for all contents on their Facebook pages, the regulators' approach is of limited effectiveness given the way Facebook allows brands to embed themselves in the mediation of everyday life. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Testicular sex cord stromal tumors: Analysis of patients from the MAKEI study
Authors: Hofmann M. , Schlegel P.G. , Hippert F. , Schmidt P. , von‐Schweinitz D. , Leuschner I. , Göbel U. , Calaminus G. , Schneider D.T. ,   for the MAKEI study group
Published: June 2013

Background

In children and adolescents, testicular sex cord stromal tumors (TSCSTs) are rare. There is only limited information available regarding their clinical presentation, biology, and prognosis.

Methods

Between 1993 and 2009, 42 patients were prospectively reported to the cooperative MAHO and MAKEI studies on childhood germ cell tumors. Based on standardized documentation, data on epidemiology, clinical presentation, diagnostic features, histopathological differentiation, therapy, and follow‐up were evaluated.

Results

During the study period, a gradual increase of the documentation of these rare tumors was observed. Palpable, indolent testicular swelling was the most common clinical finding. In three patients, retention of the testis was observed. Two patients showed sexual precocity, and one patient showed a 45X/46XY mosaic. Juvenile granulosa cell tumors (n = 16) and Sertoli cell tumor (n = 15) were the leading histopathological subtypes. The first were commonly diagnosed during the first weeks of life (median age: 6(0–162) days, the latter during infancy (median 7(0–14) months, P < 0.05). Other histological diagnoses included Leydig cell and Large Cell Calcifying Sertoli cell tumors (both n = 3) and not‐otherwise‐specified TSCSTs (n = 5), which were diagnosed during childhood and adolescence. All tumors were limited to the testis; there were no metastases. Treatment was surgical, only. After a median follow‐up of 3.8 years, no relapse was observed.

Conclusions

Diagnosis and therapy of testicular tumors should be planned in accordance with the recommendations of the respective childhood germ cell tumor protocols. High inguinal orchiectomy is safe and constitutes definitive therapy. Diagnostic work‐up and follow‐up should also consider potentially associated tumor predisposition syndromes. Pediatr Blood Cancer 2013;60:1651–1655. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Neurocognitive and behavioral outcomes in Latino childhood cancer survivors
Authors: Patel Sunita K. , Lo Tracy T.Y. , Dennis Jessica M. , Bhatia Smita ,   In collaboration with PADRES Contra El Cáncer
Published: June 2013

Background

Children with brain tumors and leukemia are at risk for neurocognitive and behavioral late effects due to central nervous system‐directed therapies. Few studies have examined these outcomes in ethnic minority samples, despite speculation that socio‐demographic factors may increase vulnerability for adverse neurobehavioral outcomes. We evaluated the neurocognitive and behavioral outcomes and their impact on the health‐related quality of life in survivors of childhood cancer drawn from Latino families in the Los Angeles region.

Procedure

Using culturally‐relevant recruitment strategies, 73 predominantly Spanish‐speaking parents of pediatric brain tumor or leukemia survivors completed standardized questionnaires, including the Conners parent‐report and the Bidimensional Acculturation Scales. Clinical and socio‐demographic factors influencing the development of neurocognitive and behavioral dysfunction were examined.

Results

Approximately 50% of the children placed at or above the “elevated” level for difficulties with attention, school‐based learning, and peer relations. Younger age at diagnosis significantly predicted dysfunction in inattention, learning problems, and hyperactivity/impulsivity. Children whose parents were less adherent to the non‐Hispanic white culture were more likely to have problems with peer relations and executive functioning. HRQL was significantly lower in survivors with neurocognitive and behavioral dysfunction relative to those with normal range scores on the Conners scale.

Conclusions

In addition to the child's age at diagnosis, acculturation appears to predict select neurocognitive and behavioral outcomes in this socio‐demographically homogeneous sample of Latino families. Further research is needed to understand the interaction of ethnic and cultural factors with therapeutic exposures in determining the adverse neurobehavioral outcomes, so as to optimally design interventions. Pediatr Blood Cancer 2013;60:1696–1702. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Use of selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors in pregnancy and cardiac malformations: a propensity‐score matched cohort in CPRD
Authors: Margulis Andrea V. , Abou‐Ali Adel , Strazzeri Marian M. , Ding Yulan , Kuyateh Fatmatta , Frimpong Eric Y. , Levenson Mark S. , Hammad Tarek A.
Published: June 2013

Purpose

Research on the association of maternal selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI) use and cardiac malformations in the offspring has yielded conflicting findings. We therefore sought to further investigate the association using data from a large population‐based cohort in the UK.

Methods

The study population consisted of 149 464 pregnancies ending in a live birth between January/1996 and November/2010 from the Clinical Practice Research Datalink's Mother Baby Link. We created propensity‐score matched cohorts of first‐trimester SSRI users who did not use other antidepressants in the same gestational period (‘SSRI users’, n=3046) and non‐antidepressant users (no use from the 3 months before pregnancy through the second trimester of pregnancy, ‘non‐users’; n=8991). Weighted logistic regression was used to estimate the odds ratio (OR) and 95% confidence interval (CI) of cardiac malformations overall and septal defects diagnosed in the first year of life, or in the first 6 years of life.

Results

Sixteen infants with cardiac malformations were identified among SSRI users; 10 of them were septal defects. Among non‐users, there were 48 infants with cardiac malformations, 26 of whom had septal defects. The OR (95% CI) for cardiac malformations was 1.00 (0.50; 2.00), and for septal defects was 1.15 (0.46; 2.87). Results were similar for cardiac malformations diagnosed in the first 6 years of life, and in several sensitivity analyses that were also implemented.

Conclusions

The results of this study are most compatible with no association between maternal use of SSRIs in early pregnancy and cardiac malformations or septal defects in the offspring. Published 2013. This article is a U.S. Government work and is in the public domain in the USA.
Nanoparticles Engineering for Lithium‐Ion Batteries
Authors: Yin Ya‐Xia , Xin Sen , Guo Yu‐Guo
Published: June 2013

Lithium‐ion batteries (LIBs) have been extensively investigated due to the ever‐increasing demand for new electrode materials for electric vehicles (EVs) and clean energy storage. A wide variety of nano/microstructured LIBs electrode materials are hitherto created via self‐assembly, ranging from 0D nanospheres; 1D nanorods, nanowires, or nanobelts; and 2D nanofilms to 3D nanorod array films. Nanoparticles can be utilized to build up integrated architectures. Understanding of nanoparticles’ self‐assembly may provide information about their organization into large aggregates through low‐cost, high‐efficiency, and large‐scale synthesis. Here, the focus is on the recent advances in preparing hierarchically nano/microstructured electrode materials via self‐assembly. The hierarchical electrode materials are assembled from single component, binary to multicomponent building blocks via different driving forces including diverse chemical bonds and non‐covalent interactions. It is expected that nanoparticle engineering by high‐efficient self‐assembly process will impact the development of high‐performance electrode materials and high‐performance LIBs or other rechargeable batteries.
Benefits and Challenges of International Clinical Education from a US‐based Physiotherapist Faculty Perspective
Authors: Pechak Celia , Black Jill D.
Published: June 2013

Introduction

The influence of internationalization on physiotherapist education in at least North American‐based programmes has become more apparent. Faculty and students have been involved in various international activities. One category of activities includes international clinical education (ICE), where students earn clinical education credit for their learning activities at international sites. Although this educational strategy appears to be increasingly used in at least the United States and Canada, the related literature is limited in scope. The purpose of this portion of the present study was to investigate the benefits and challenges of ICE for US‐based students, US‐based physiotherapy programmes and international partners from the perspective of US‐based faculty sending students for clinical education internationally.

Methods

Content analysis was used for this qualitative study. Fifteen US‐based faculty members who had experience in sending physiotherapist students for ICE were recruited. The primary researcher conducted semi‐structured phone interviews, averaging approximately 60 minutes in length. The primary and secondary researchers completed data analysis using NVivo 8 software (QSR International Inc., Cambridge, MA).

Results

Benefits of ICE to the students included exposure to alternate health systems, broadening of student perspectives and clinical competence. Challenges consisted of funding and possible language barrier. Increased visibility, expanded global perspective and faculty collaborations were benefits to the programme. Ensuring a quality learning experience was the greatest programme challenge. Benefits to the international site included education and faculty collaborations/exchanges; challenges were language, student clinical preparation and unfamiliarity with the student evaluation tool. Because the sample was limited to 15 US‐based faculty members, the results may not be relevant to all programmes inside or outside of the United States. Additionally, the study lacked perspectives from the students or international sites.

Implication for Physiotherapy Practice

The present study is an early step in the important examination of the impact of this emerging educational trend on physiotherapy education and practice. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Reducing Depopulation in Rural Spain: The Impact of Immigration
Authors: Collantes Fernando , Pinilla Vicente , Sáez Luis Antonio , Silvestre Javier
Published: June 2013

The attraction of foreign‐born immigrants to rural areas in developed countries has aroused growing interest in recent years. The central issue in this study is the demographic impact of immigration in rural Spain, focusing on depopulated areas. The economic and demographic consequences of depopulation have become major concerns, and the arrival of international migrants has come to be seen as a possible solution. The aim of this study is to add to a literature in which qualitative research and local or regional perspectives predominate. The present research draws on quantitative findings for a significant part of Spain. The evidence in this study is principally based on population figures for the last years of the 20th century, a period of low immigration to Spain, and the early years of the 21st century, when the inflow of foreign migrants gathered intensity. We also explore the early consequences of the present economic crisis, which began in 2008. The analysis is based on estimates of native and foreign‐born population growth for a range of territorial aggregations. Counterfactual techniques are also used. The results show that the arrival of immigrants has so far contributed substantially to reducing and even halting or reversing depopulation. A further series of analyses concentrates on the potential of rural areas to retain immigrants in the long run. The study also recommends a comprehensive policy approach in this regard. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Hydrostatic pressure effect on Tc of new BiS2‐based Bi4O4S3 and NdO0.5F0.5BiS2 layered superconductors
Authors: Kalai Selvan G. , Kanagaraj M. , Esakki Muthu S. , Jha Rajveer , Awana V. P. S. , Arumugam S.
Published: June 2013

We investigate the external hydrostatic pressure effect on the superconducting transition temperature (Tc) of new layered superconductors Bi4O4S3 and NdO0.5F0.5BiS2. Though the Tc is found to have a moderate decrease from 4.8 K to 4.3 K (dTconset/dP = –0.28 K/GPa) for Bi4O4S3 superconductor, the same increases from 4.6 K to 5 K (dTconset/dP = 0.44 K/GPa) up to 1.31 GPa followed by a sudden decrease from 5 K to 4.7 K up to 1.75 GPa for NdO0.5F0.5BiS2 superconductor. The variation of Tc in these systems may be correlated to an increase or decrease of the charge carriers in the density of states under externally applied pressure. (© 2013 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)
Entrepreneurs’ Improvisational Behavior and Firm Performance: A Study of Dispositional and Environmental Moderators
Authors: Hmieleski Keith M. , Corbett Andrew C. , Baron Robert A.
Published: June 2013

Previous research indicates that improvisation—the deliberate extemporaneous composition and execution of novel action—is a key form of entrepreneurial behavior. It has been argued, however, that entrepreneurs’ improvisational behavior does not necessarily result in performance gains for their firms. Instead, a contingency perspective suggests that the effectiveness of entrepreneurs’ improvisational behavior depends on key moderating variables. Drawing on this framework, the current study uses a national (U.S.) random sample of new ventures to examine the interactive effects on firm performance of entrepreneurs’ improvisational behavior with key dispositional and environmental variables. Consistent with predictions, findings indicated that within the context of dynamic environments, the relationship between improvisational behavior and firm performance was significantly more negative for entrepreneurs who were high in optimism than it was for those who were moderate in optimism. In contrast, within the context of stable environments, results demonstrated marginally significant evidence that entrepreneurs’ improvisational behavior was more positively associated with firm performance for entrepreneurs who were high in optimism than it was for those who were moderate in optimism. Overall, results suggest that improvisational behavior can be an effective form of entrepreneurial action within rapidly and unpredictably shifting environments, but only when coupled with realistic levels of optimism. Copyright © 2012 Strategic Management Society.
Concordance measures in shared frailty models: application to clustered data in cancer prognosis
Authors: Mauguen Audrey , Collette Sandra , Pignon Jean‐Pierre , Rondeau Virginie
Published: June 2013

Frailty models are gaining interest in prognostic studies, especially because of the spread of multicenter studies. However, little research has been performed to extend prognostic tools to frailty models, including discrimination measures. As previously performed for the Harrell's c‐index, we extended two different discrimination measures (the model‐based concordance probability estimation of Gönen and Heller and the nonparametric Uno's c‐index) to take into account cluster membership. We calculate measures at three levels: between‐group, where only patients with different frailties are compared, within‐group, where only patients sharing the same frailty are compared, and overall. We performed simulations to study the impact of group size and the number of groups on these measures. Results showed that the two measures can be extended to frailty models while remaining independent from censoring distribution, provided that the group size is sufficient. We apply the extended measures to two real datasets, a meta‐analysis and a large multicenter trial. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Adaptive fuzzy controller for active tuned mass damper of a benchmark tall building subjected to seismic and wind loads
Authors: Soleymani Mehdi , Khodadadi Masoud
Published: June 2013

Active tuned mass dampers (ATMDs) are one of the most effective solutions for mitigation of destructive effects of earthquakes and strong winds in tall buildings. In order to achieve optimal performance, these systems are designed and tuned to mitigate effect of either wind or earthquake excitation. However, due to different frequency contents and intensities of wind and earthquake excitations, which will cause contrasting structural modes stimulation, the ATMD designed for one of these disturbances may not work optimally for the other one. This paper addresses a methodological simulation approach for adaptive control design of ATMDs in tall buildings located in regions with high level of seismic activity and recurrent strong winds. For this purpose, a multi‐objective adaptive genetic‐fuzzy controller is proposed for the control of an ATMD of a benchmark 76‐story building subjected to wind load and earthquake disturbances. Simulation results reveal that the optimal ATMD designed for earthquake disturbance does not work adequately for wind load disturbance and vice versa. Furthermore, the proposed adaptive controller has superior performance in suppressing base shear and inter‐story drifts induced by wind load and earthquake excitations. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Theoretical performance analysis of radio frequency fingerprinting under receiver distortions
Authors: Huang Yuanling , Zheng Hui
Published: June 2013

Radio frequency fingerprinting (RFF) is used to uniquely identify individual emitters by exploiting the radio frequency characteristics, which are originated from transmitter imperfections. The theoretical performance is analyzed to evaluate the feasibility of RFF with channel noise and receiver imperfections. The distortions from oscillators and analog‐to‐digital converter (ADC) are considered, and a RFF signal model describing the discrepancies of transmitter imperfections, channel noise, and receiver distortions are constructed. A likelihood ratio test algorithm for RFF is proposed to analyze the theoretical performance. The upper and lower bound of theoretic performance is derived through the analysis of the likelihood ratio test statistic, which enlightens how to design a “just enough” receiver to meet the demands of RFF. The simulation results are in agreement with the theoretical evaluation. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.