bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Was a decision made? An assessment of patient–clinician discordance in medical oncology encounters
Authors: Leppin Aaron L. , Humeniuk Katherine M. , Fernandez Cara , Montori Victor M. , Yost Kathleen , Kumbamu Ashok , Geller Gail , Tilburt Jon C.
Published: January 2015

Background

Shared decision making is promoted to improve cancer care quality. Patients and clinicians may have different ideas about what constitutes a cancer care decision, which may limit the validity of self‐reported measures of shared decision making. We sought to estimate the extent to which patients and clinicians agree on whether a cancer care decision was made during an outpatient encounter.

Methods

We surveyed patients and clinicians immediately after an oncology encounter at a large, tertiary medical centre and calculated agreement in response to the single‐item question, ‘Was a specific decision about cancer care made during the appointment today?’ Answer options were ‘yes’ and ‘no’. Participants were 315 oncology patients, with any solid tumour malignancy and at any stage of management, and their clinicians (22 staff oncologists, nine senior fellows and five nurse practitioners).

Results

Patients and clinicians reported having made a cancer care decision in 184 (58%) and 174 (55%) of encounters, respectively. They agreed on whether a cancer care decision was made in 213 (68%) of encounters (chance‐adjusted agreement was 0.34); in 56 of the 102 discordant encounters, the patient reported making a decision while the clinician did not. We found no significant correlates with discordance.

Conclusions

Patients and clinicians do not always agree on whether a cancer care decision was made. As such, measures that ask patients and/or clinicians to evaluate a decision‐making process or outcome may be methodologically insufficient when they do not explicitly orient respondents towards the thing they are being asked to assess.
Combined verbal and numerical expressions increase perceived risk of medicine side‐effects: a randomized controlled trial of EMA recommendations
Authors: Knapp Peter , Gardner Peter H , Woolf Elizabeth
Published: January 2015

Background

The study evaluated European Medicines Agency (EMA) recommendations on communicating frequency information on side‐effect risk.

Methods

The study used a 2 × 2 factorial trial, with random allocation of information about 10 side‐effects of paclitaxel (Taxol) expressed using one of four formats. Recruitment was via the CancerHelpUK website. Information was conveyed using numerical frequency bands (e.g. ‘may affect up to 1 in 10 people’) or combined verbal terms and numerical bands (e.g. ‘common: may affect up to 1 in 10 people’); in addition, the risk qualifier verb was manipulated, with risks expressed either as ‘will affect…’ or ‘may affect…’. Participants then made six side‐effect frequency estimates indicated their satisfaction with the information and evaluated the side‐effects: how bad; how likely; how risky to health; and their influence on taking paclitaxel.

Results

The sample comprised 339 people, of whom 37.5% had cancer. The combined verbal and numerical risk expressions resulted in higher estimates of side‐effects, four of which reached statistical significance (P < 0.05), and participants also said that side‐effects would be more likely. Use of ‘may affect’ or ‘will affect’ did not result in differences in any estimates.

Conclusions

This is the first evaluation of the full range of combined verbal and numerical risk expressions recommended in EMA guidance; it demonstrates that they can lead to significant risk overestimations when compared to numerical frequency bands alone. The EMA should consider revising its guidance. Government agencies and professional bodies should be cautious about recommendations for risk communication in the absence of empirical evidence.
Self‐management support from the perspective of patients with a chronic condition: a thematic synthesis of qualitative studies
Authors: Dwarswaard Jolanda , Bakker Ellen J.M. , van Staa AnneLoes , Boeije Hennie R.
Published: January 2015

Background

Receiving adequate support seems to be crucial to the success of self‐management. Although different empirical studies separately examined patients' preferences for self‐management support (SMS), an overview is lacking.

Objective

The aim of this qualitative review was to identify patients' needs with respect to SMS and to explore by whom this support is preferably provided.

Search strategy

Qualitative studies were identified from Embase, MEDLINE OvidSP, Web of science, PubMed publisher, Cochrane central, the Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature (CINAHL) and PsycINFO.

Inclusion criteria

Articles needed to meet all of the following criteria: (i) focuses on self‐management, (ii) concerns adult patients with rheumatic diseases (rheumatoid arthritis and fibromyalgia), a variant of cancer or chronic kidney disease, (iii) explores support needs from the patients' perspective, (iv) uses qualitative methods and (v) published in English.

Data extraction and synthesis

A thematic synthesis, developed by Thomas and Harden, was conducted of the 37 included studies.

Main results

Chronic patients need instrumental support, psychosocial support and relational support from health‐care professionals, family/friends and fellow patients to manage the chronic condition. Relational support is at the centre of the support needs and fuels all other types of support.

Discussion and conclusions

Patients do not self‐manage on their own. Patients expect health‐care professionals to fulfil a comprehensive role. Support needs can be knitted together only when patients and professionals work together on the basis of collaborative partnership. Dynamics in support needs make it important to regularly assess patient needs.
Bilirubin provides perforator flap protection from ischaemia‐reperfusion injury in a rat model: a preliminary result
Authors: Kim Sung Young , Rah Dong Kyun , Chong Yosep , Lee Song Hyun , Park Tae Hwan
Published: January 2015

The use of bilirubin, a well‐known and powerful antioxidant, has gained popularity in recent years because of its role in the prevention of ischaemic heart disease in patients with Gilbert's syndrome. We investigate the effects of bilirubin on ischaemia‐reperfusion (I/R) injury using a rat perforator flap model.

Forty‐eight rats were randomly divided into two groups: experimental (bilirubin) group (n = 24) and control group (n = 24). In each group, elevated bilateral deep inferior epigastric perforator (DIEP) flaps were created. The right (no ischaemia side) and left (ischaemia side) DIEP flaps were separated according to the presence of ischaemia induction. Ischaemia was induced in anaesthetised rats by perforator clamping for 15 or 30 minutes. After surgery, the flap survival was assessed daily on postoperative days 0 to 5, and overall histological changes of DIEP flaps above the perforator were analysed at postoperative day 5.

The flap survival rate in the bilirubin group was significantly higher than that in the control group at the ischaemia side following perforator clamping for 15 or 30 minutes (93·42 ± 4·48% versus 89·63 ± 3·98%, P = 0·002; and 83·96 ± 4·23% versus 36·46 ± 6·38%, P < 0·001, respectively). The difference in flap survival between the two groups was the most prominent on the ischaemic side following 30 minutes of perforator clamping.

From a morphologic perspective, pre‐treatment with bilirubin was found to alleviate perforator flap necrosis caused by I/R injury in this experimental rat model.
Prevalence of methylchloroisothiazolinone and methylisothiazolinone contact allergy in facial dermatitis: a single centre Irish study
Authors: Murad A. , Marren P.
Published: January 2015

Background

There has been an increase in methylchloroisothiazolinone (MCI) and especially methylisothiazolinone (MI) contact allergy in recent years.

Objectives

We examined the prevalence and demography of MCI/MI and MI contact allergy in patients presenting with facial dermatitis.

Methods

Eighty patients with facial dermatitis were patch tested to the British Society for Cutaneous Allergy standard series, preservatives and own products between January 2012 and March 2014.

Results

A total of 14 (17.5%) patients had positive reactions to this preservative. Five (6.3%) patients tested positive to MCI/MI (0.02%), four (5%) patients tested positive to MI (0.2%) and five (6.3%) patients tested positive to both preparations. Six (7.5%) of these patients were atopic. All patients were female and the mean age was 53.8 years. Sources of allergen were in cosmetics and skin care products.

Conclusions

Contact allergies to MCI/MI and MI are commoner than what was reported before and is an emerging cause of facial dermatitis. The detection rate of this allergen was increased by 5% in our cohort since the inclusion of MI (0.2%) in the standard series.
Identification of macrolide‐resistant Mycoplasma genitalium using real‐time PCR
Authors: Wold C. , Sorthe J. , Hartgill U. , Olsen A.O. , Moghaddam A. , Reinton N.
Published: January 2015

Objectives

Mycoplasma genitalium is a common cause of non‐gonococcal urethritis (NGU) in Western Europe, but is not routinely tested for in all clinics. A high prevalence of macrolide‐resistant M. genitalium has been reported. An easy to use test that can predict likely macrolide treatment failure is potentially very valuable. We report the development of a rapid and reliable real‐time PCR‐assay which detects all relevant resistance loci in the M. genitalium 23S rRNA gene.

Methods

Mycoplasma genitalium‐positive clinical samples were collected between December 2012 and May 2013, from samples sent routinely to the laboratory for diagnostic testing for M. genitalium. The real‐time PCR assay was designed using forward amplification primers complementary to all relevant commonly identified 23s rRNA gene mutations, a common reverse amplification primer and a common TaqMan Probe.

Result

We report a Taqman assay for detection of common 23S rRNA genotypes at position 2058 and 2059 (Escherichia coli numbering) associated with macrolide resistance, directly from clinical samples. We validated the assay by comparison with DNA sequence determination.

Conclusion

Our TaqMan assay detects common genotypes associated with macrolide‐resistant M. genitalium, namely, A2058G, A2059G and A2058C. We show association between the presence of resistant M. genitalium and treatment failure, thereby confirming the validity of testing for these mutants to prevent further spread of antimicrobial resistance and to allow informed choice of antibiotics for treatment.
Dusky damselfish Stegastes fuscus relational learning: evidences from associative and spatial tasks
Authors: Silveira M. M. , Oliveira J. J. , Luchiari A. C.
Published: January 2015

This study investigated the ability of the dusky damselfish Stegastes fuscus to associate conditioned and unconditioned stimuli (single CS–US) and to find a specific place in a clueless ambiece (spatial learning). After tested for colour preference and showing no specific colour attractively, the fish were trained to associate a colour cue with a stimulus fish (conspecific). Fish were then challenged to locate the exact place where the stimulus fish was presented. Stegastes fuscus spent most time close to the zone where stimulus was presented, even without obvious marks for orientation. The results confirm that S. fuscus show single CS–US learning and suggest the fish ability for spatial orientation. Stegastes fuscus appears to use multiple senses (sight and lateral line) for cues association and recall, and appear to perform relational learning similar to mammals. These data suggest the importance of cognitive skill for reef fishes that may have contributed to their establishment and evolutionary success in such complex environment.
Opposite selection on behavioural types by active and passive fishing gears in a simulated guppy Poecilia reticulata fishery
Authors: Diaz Pauli B. , Wiech M. , Heino M. , Utne‐Palm A. C.
Published: January 2015

This study assessed whether fishing gear was selective on behavioural traits, such as boldness and activity, and how this was related with a productivity trait, growth. Female guppies Poecilia reticulata were screened for their behaviour on the shy–bold axis and activity, and then tested whether they were captured differently by passive and active fishing gear, here represented by a trap and a trawl. Both gears were selective on boldness; bold individuals were caught faster by the trap, but escaped the trawl more often. Boldness and gear vulnerability showed weak correlations with activity and growth. The results draw attention to the importance of the behavioural dimension of fishing: selective fishing on behavioural traits will change the trait composition of the population, and might eventually affect resilience and fishery productivity.
Developing 3D SEM in a broad biological context
Authors: KREMER A. , LIPPENS S. , BARTUNKOVA S. , ASSELBERGH B. , BLANPAIN C. , FENDRYCH M. , GOOSSENS A. , HOLT M. , JANSSENS S. , KROLS M. , LARSIMONT J.‐C. , Mc GUIRE C. , NOWACK M.K. , SAELENS X. , SCHERTEL A. , SCHEPENS B. , SLEZAK M. , TIMMERMAN V. , THEUNIS C. , VAN BREMPT R. , VISSER Y. , GUÉRIN C.J.
Published: January 2015

When electron microscopy (EM) was introduced in the 1930s it gave scientists their first look into the nanoworld of cells. Over the last 80 years EM has vastly increased our understanding of the complex cellular structures that underlie the diverse functions that cells need to maintain life. One drawback that has been difficult to overcome was the inherent lack of volume information, mainly due to the limit on the thickness of sections that could be viewed in a transmission electron microscope (TEM). For many years scientists struggled to achieve three‐dimensional (3D) EM using serial section reconstructions, TEM tomography, and scanning EM (SEM) techniques such as freeze‐fracture. Although each technique yielded some special information, they required a significant amount of time and specialist expertise to obtain even a very small 3D EM dataset. Almost 20 years ago scientists began to exploit SEMs to image blocks of embedded tissues and perform serial sectioning of these tissues inside the SEM chamber. Using first focused ion beams (FIB) and subsequently robotic ultramicrotomes (serial block‐face, SBF‐SEM) microscopists were able to collect large volumes of 3D EM information at resolutions that could address many important biological questions, and do so in an efficient manner. We present here some examples of 3D EM taken from the many diverse specimens that have been imaged in our core facility. We propose that the next major step forward will be to efficiently correlate functional information obtained using light microscopy (LM) with 3D EM datasets to more completely investigate the important links between cell structures and their functions.
Toward structural/chemical cotailoring of phase‐change Ge–Sb–Te in a transmission electron microscope
Authors: ZHANG W , KIM J.‐G. , ZHENG W.T. , CUI X.Q. , KIM Y.‐J. , SONG S.A.
Published: January 2015

Ge2Sb2Te5, as the prototype material for phase‐change memory, can be transformed from amorphous phase into nanoscale rocksalt‐type GeTe provided with an electron irradiation assisted by heating to 520°C in a 1250 kV transmission electron microscope. This sheds a new light into structural and chemical cotailoring of materials through coupling of thermal and electrical fields.
Clonal expansion of hepatocytes with a selective advantage occurs during all stages of chronic hepatitis B virus infection
Authors: Tu T. , Mason W. S. , Clouston A. D. , Shackel N. A. , McCaughan G. W. , Yeh M. M. , Schiff E. R. , Ruszkiewicz A. R. , Chen J. W. , Harley H. A. J. , Stroeher U. H. , Jilbert A. R.
Published: January 2015

Hepatocyte clone size was measured in liver samples of 21 patients in various stages of chronic hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection and from 21 to 76 years of age. Hepatocyte clones containing unique virus–cell DNA junctions formed by the integration of HBV DNA were detected using inverse nested PCR. The maximum hepatocyte clone size tended to increase with age, although there was considerable patient‐to‐patient variation in each age group. There was an upward trend in maximum clone size with increasing fibrosis, inflammatory activity and with seroconversion from HBV e‐antigen (HBeAg)‐positive to HBeAg‐negative, but these differences did not reach statistical significance. Maximum hepatocyte clone size did not differ between patients with and without a coexisting hepatocellular carcinoma. Thus, large hepatocyte clones containing integrated HBV DNA were detected during all stages of chronic HBV infection. Using laser microdissection, no significant difference in clone size was observed between foci of HBV surface antigen (HBsAg)‐positive and HBsAg‐negative hepatocytes, suggesting that expression of HBsAg is not a significant factor in clonal expansion. Laser microdissection also revealed that hepatocytes with normal‐appearing histology make up a major fraction of the cells undergoing clonal expansion. Thus, preneoplasia does not appear to be a factor in the clonal expansion detected in our assays. Computer simulations suggest that the large hepatocyte clones are not produced by random hepatocyte turnover but have an as‐yet‐unknown selective advantage that drives increased clonal expansion in the HBV‐infected liver.
Single‐molecule tracking and super‐resolution imaging shed light on cholera toxin transcription activation
Authors: Landes Christy F.
Published: January 2015

Because of their small size, bacterial cells have long kept details about their inner workings a secret. We are starting to decipher their mechanistic secrets, in no small part due to the development of single‐molecule and super‐resolution fluorescence imaging, the subject of the 2014 Nobel Prize in Chemistry. These new methods have yielded a surge of discoveries about the subcellular organization and dynamics inside microbes. One example is an increased understanding of the virulence pathway within the cholera‐causing microbe, Vibrio cholerae. Here, expression of the cholera toxin is regulated by an unusual step: transcription is activated by two inner‐membrane proteins. Relating potential cooperative mechanisms between these two membrane‐bound proteins and transcription activation is difficult using ensemble methods, which could obfuscate any underlying heterogeneity. Recent efforts using single‐molecule tracking and super‐resolution imaging have begun to unravel the heterogeneity. The results support a mechanism in which one membrane protein recruits the other in order to activate transcription. The study helps to explain the relationship between the two proteins in cholera replication and also sheds light on the broader process of membrane‐bound transcription activation which, although uncommon, has been observed in other organisms.
Conservation of fungal and animal nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate oxidase complexes
Authors: Scott Barry
Published: January 2015

Nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate (NADPH) oxidases (Nox) are a group of eukaryotic flavoenzymes that catalyse the reduction of dioxygen to the superoxide anion using electrons provided by NADPH. An integral membrane flavocytochrome b558 heterodimer, composed of the catalytic subunit gp91phox and the adaptor protein p22phox, is essential for catalytic activity of the mammalian Nox2 complex. Two homologues of the mammalian gp91phox, NoxA and NoxB, have been identified in fungi and shown to be crucial for distinct fungal cell differentiation and developmental processes, but to date, no homologue of the p22phox adaptor protein has been identified. Isolation of a mutant from Podospora anserina with a phenotype identical to a previously characterised PaNox1 mutant, combined with phylogenetic analysis, identified a fungal homologue of p22phox called PaNoxD. The same adaptor protein was shown to be a component of the Botrytis cinerea NoxA complex as supported by the identical phenotypes of the bcnoxA and bcnoxD mutants and direct physical interaction between BcNoxA and BcNoxD. These results suggest that NoxA/NoxD is the fungal equivalent of the mammalian gp91phox/p22phox flavocytochrome complex. Tetraspanin (Pls1) mutants of P. anserina and B. cinerea have identical phenotypes to noxB mutants, suggesting that Pls1 is the corresponding integral membrane adaptor for assembly of the NoxB complex.
Ratio of urine and blood urea nitrogen concentration predicts the response of tolvaptan in congestive heart failure
Authors: Shimizu Keisuke , Doi Kent , Imamura Teruhiko , Noiri Eisei , Yahagi Naoki , Nangaku Masaomi , Kinugawa Koichiro
Published: January 2015

Aim

This study was conducted to evaluate the performance of the ratio of urine and blood urea nitrogen concentration (UUN/BUN) as a new predictive factor for the response of an arginine vasopressin receptor 2 antagonist tolvaptan (TLV) in decompensated heart failure patients.

Methods

This study enrolled 70 decompensated heart failure patients who were administered TLV at University of Tokyo Hospital. We collected the data of clinical parameters including UUN/BUN before administering TLV. Two different outcomes were defined as follows: having over 300 mL increase in urine volume on the first day (immediate urine output response) and having any decrease in body weight within one week after starting TLV treatment (subsequent clinical response).

Results

Among the 70 enrolled patients, 37 patients (52.9%) showed immediate urine output response; 51 patients (72.9%) showed a subsequent clinical response of body weight decrease. Receiver operating characteristics (ROC) analysis showed good prediction by UUN/BUN for the immediate response (AUC‐ROC 0.86 [0.75–0.93]) and a significantly better prediction by UUN/BUN for the subsequent clinical response compared with urinary osmolality (AUC‐ROC 0.78 [0.63–0.88] vs. 0.68 [0.52–0.80], P < 0.05).

Conclusions

We demonstrated that a clinical parameter of UUN/BUN can predict the response of TLV even when measured before TLV administration. UUN/BUN might enable identification of good responders for this new drug.
Towards a quantitative model of kidney morphogenesis
Authors: Combes Alexander N
Published: January 2015

Kidney growth is dependent on functional interactions between mesenchymal nephron progenitors, the ureteric epithelium and surrounding stroma, which together make up the nephrogenic niche. Signalling between these populations regulates nephron progenitor maintenance, branching morphogenesis and nephron induction. Nephron endowment is sensitive to changes in the size of the nephron progenitor pool and to decreases in factors that promote branching morphogenesis. However, determining the morphogenic consequences of these disruptions in vivo has been challenging as quantitating kidney morphogenesis is hampered by the size, opacity and three‐dimensional complexity of the tissue. The recent application of whole mount immunofluorescence and tissue clearing, coupled with multiscale imaging and quantitative analysis, has begun to give insights into the dynamics of kidney formation. This review focuses on how the quantitative nature of this approach has enabled mathematical modelling of cell cycle lengths, growth rates, cell number and branching rates and is advancing our understanding of kidney organogenesis.
Extending the generality of leaf economic design principles in the cycads, an ancient lineage
Authors: Zhang Yong‐Jiang , Cao Kun‐Fang , Sack Lawren , Li Nan , Wei Xue‐Mei , Goldstein Guillermo
Published: January 2015

Cycads are the most ancient lineage of living seed plants, but the design of their leaves has received little study. We tested whether cycad leaves are governed by the same fundamental design principles previously established for ferns, conifers and angiosperms, and characterized the uniqueness of this relict lineage in foliar trait relationships.

Leaf structure, photosynthesis, hydraulics and nutrient composition were studied in 33 cycad species from nine genera and three families growing in two botanical gardens.

Cycads varied greatly in leaf structure and physiology. Similarly to other lineages, light‐saturated photosynthetic rate per mass (Am) was related negatively to leaf mass per area and positively to foliar concentrations of chlorophyll, nitrogen (N), phosphorus and iron, but unlike angiosperms, leaf photosynthetic rate was not associated with leaf hydraulic conductance. Cycads had lower photosynthetic N use efficiency and higher photosynthetic performance relative to hydraulic capacity compared with other lineages.

These findings extend the relationships shown for foliar traits in angiosperms to the cycads. This functional convergence supports the modern synthetic understanding of leaf design, with common constraints operating across lineages, even as they highlight exceptional aspects of the biology of this key relict lineage.
Host–microbe and microbe–microbe interactions in the evolution of obligate plant parasitism
Authors: Kemen Ariane C. , Agler Matthew T. , Kemen Eric
Published: January 2015

Research on obligate biotrophic plant parasites, which reproduce only on living hosts, has revealed a broad diversity of filamentous microbes that have independently acquired complex morphological structures, such as haustoria. Genome studies have also demonstrated a concerted loss of genes for metabolism and lytic enzymes, and gain of diversity of genes coding for effectors involved in host defense suppression. So far, these traits converge in all known obligate biotrophic parasites, but unexpected genome plasticity remains. This plasticity is manifested as transposable element (TE)‐driven increases in genome size, observed to be associated with the diversification of virulence genes under selection pressure. Genome expansion could result from the governing of the pathogen response to ecological selection pressures, such as host or nutrient availability, or to microbial interactions, such as competition, hyperparasitism and beneficial cooperations. Expansion is balanced by alternating sexual and asexual cycles, as well as selfing and outcrossing, which operate to control transposon activity in populations. In turn, the prevalence of these balancing mechanisms seems to be correlated with external biotic factors, suggesting a complex, interconnected evolutionary network in host–pathogen–microbe interactions. Therefore, the next phase of obligate biotrophic pathogen research will need to uncover how this network, including multitrophic interactions, shapes the evolution and diversity of pathogens.

Contents

Summary
1207

I.
Introduction
1208

II.
Mechanisms of convergent evolution in obligate plant parasitism
1209

III.
Obligate biotrophy does not constrain genome size
1211

IV.
Sexual and asexual cycles balance genome size variation
1217

V.
Haploid or diploid: which phase dominates?
1218

VI.
Comparative genomics and effector evolution: what have we learned?
1219

VII.
Obligate biotrophy and the microbiome
1221

VIII.
Conclusions and research needs: biotrophic pathogens are a dynamic threat to food security and unpredictable without the understanding of their evolutionary and ecological networks
1224

Acknowledgements
1224

References
1224
Ectomycorrhizal fungal maladaptation and growth reductions associated with assisted migration ofDouglas‐fir
Authors: Kranabetter J. Marty , Stoehr Michael , O'Neill Greg A.
Published: January 2015

Climatic adaptations are the foundation of conifer genecology, but populations also display variation in traits for nitrogen (N) utilization, along with some heritable specificity for ectomycorrhizal fungi (EMF). We examined soil andEMFinfluences on assisted migration of Douglas‐fir (Pseudotsuga menziesiivar.menziesii) by comparing two contrasting maritime populations planted up to 400 km northward in southwestern British Columbia.

Soil N availability and host N status (via δ15N) were assessed across 12 maritime test sites, whereasEMFon local and introduced hosts were quantified by morphotyping with molecular analysis.

Climatic transfer effects were only significant with soil N concentrations of test sites as a covariate, and illustrated how height growth was compromised for populations originating from relatively dry or cool maritime environments. We also found evidence forEMFmaladaptation, where height declined by up to 15% with the extent of dissimilarity inEMFcommunities of southern populations relative to local hosts.

The results demonstrate how geographic structure in belowground environments can contribute to conifer genecology. Differences in the inherent growth potential of conifers may be partly related to nutritional adaptations arising under native soil fertility, and optimization of this growth potential likely requires close affiliation with localEMFcommunities.
Fragile X–associated tremor/ataxia syndrome
Authors: Hagerman Paul J. , Hagerman Randi J.
Published: January 2015

Fragile X–associated tremor/ataxia syndrome (FXTAS) is a late‐onset neurodegenerative disorder that affects some but not all carriers of small, noncoding CGG‐repeat expansions (55–200 repeats; premutation) within the fragile X gene (FMR1). Principal features of FXTAS include intention tremor, cerebellar ataxia, Parkinsonism, memory and executive function deficits, autonomic dysfunction, brain atrophy with white matter disease, and cognitive decline. Although FXTAS was originally considered to be confined to the premutation range, rare individuals with a gray zone (45–54 repeats) or an unmethylated full mutation (>200 repeats) allele have now been described, the constant feature of the disorder remaining the requirement for FMR1 expression, in contradistinction to the gene silencing mechanism of fragile X syndrome. Although transcriptional activity is required for FXTAS pathogenesis, the specific trigger(s) for FXTAS pathogenesis remains elusive, highlighting the need for more research in this area. This need is underscored by recent neuroimaging findings of changes in the central nervous system that consistently appear well before the onset of clinical symptoms, thus creating an opportunity to delay or prevent the appearance of FXTAS.
Aging in Medieval Japanese Buddhism
Authors: Drott Edward R.
Published: January 2015

In medieval Japan (ca. 1185–1603), Buddhist practices and concepts contributed substantively to the ways in which old age was defined and understood. The widespread custom of lay ordination at the onset of old age rendered a large proportion of the elderly population Buddhist home‐leavers (shukke). Many medieval literati adopted the persona of the aged Buddhist recluse when composing poetry or essays that touched on Buddhist themes. On the other hand, didactic texts and illustrations used the miseries incumbent on the aged body as a means of leading auditors and readers to an appreciation of Buddhist truth. Buddhist legends utilized the figure of the mysterious, enigmatic old man (okina) as a stand‐in for local gods or as avatars of buddhas or bodhisattvas. The aged female body, however, was most often employed to represent demonic beings.
Different temporal bases for body and arm movements in volleyball serve reception
Authors: Benerink N. H. , Bootsma R. J. , Zaal F. T. J. M.
Published: January 2015

In many sports, successfully intercepting a ball requires players to move both their body and their arms. Yet, studies of interception typically focus on one or the other. We performed an analysis of the moments of first foot and arm movements of elite‐level volleyball players during serve reception. Video footage of five international matches of the Netherlands men's national volleyball team allowed the systematic coding and analysis of 347 different serve reception events. For each event, we identified the time of serve (TS) and time of contact (TC). Ball flight time (from TS to TC) varied between and within types of serve (power jump serves, n = 193, and jumping float serves, n = 154). Correlation analyses revealed that foot movement was initiated with respect to time from TS, while arm movement was initiated with respect to time until TC. These results suggest that whole‐body and arm movements rely on different control processes.
Coronary CT angiography in asymptomatic middle‐aged athletes with ST segment anomalies during maximal exercise test
Authors: Ermolao A. , Roman F. , Gasperetti A. , Varnier M. , Bergamin M. , Zaccaria M.
Published: January 2015

The clinical significance of ST segment anomalies occurring during exercise test in asymptomatic subjects is still debated. We designed a cross‐sectional study to evaluate if the presence of these exercise test abnormalities were related with coronary CT angiography findings. Nine hundred forty athletes (range 30 to 60 years old), performed a maximal exercise test for sport eligibility. Forty‐six subjects (4.9%) showing ST abnormalities during exercise and/or the recovery phase were referred to a 64‐slice coronary computed tomography (CT) angiography. Among 44 subjects who underwent coronary CT angiography, 23 had an equivocal while 21 had a positive exercise test. Coronary CT angiography found, six and eight subjects with significant and not significant coronary artery disease, respectively. Further, seven patients demonstrated origin and course coronary anomalies. The positive predictive value for significant coronary artery disease of the exercise test was 13.6%. Our data suggest the referral to coronary CT angiography even of patients with equivocal repolarization anomalies during exercise and its recovery phase. Although the positive predictive value of a maximal exercise test in asymptomatic athletes appears lower than what observed in patients at high risk for coronary artery disease, about half of athletes with equivocal or positive exercise test demonstrated some coronary abnormalities.
SCAD‐penalized quantile regression for high‐dimensional data analysis and variable selection
Authors: Amin Muhammad , Song Lixin , Thorlie Milton Abdul , Wang Xiaoguang
Published: January 2015

The present penalized quantile variable selection methods are only applicable to finite number of predictors or do not have oracle property associated with estimator. This technique is considered as an alternative to ordinary least squares regression in case of the outliers and the heavy‐tailed errors existing in linear models. The variable selection through quantile regression with diverging number of parameters is investigated in this paper. The convergence rate of estimator with smoothly clipped absolute deviation penalty function is also studied. Moreover, the oracle property with proper selection of tuning parameter for quantile regression under certain regularity conditions is also established. In addition, the rank correlation screening method is used to accommodate ultra‐high dimensional data settings. Monte Carlo simulations demonstrate finite performance of the proposed estimator. The results of real data reveal that this approach provides substantially more information as compared with ordinary least squares, conventional quantile regression, and quantile lasso.
Exploring soil databases: a self‐organizing map approach
Authors: Rivera D. , Sandoval M. , Godoy A.
Published: January 2015

A soil quality database (SQDB) is a collection of soil samples described by a given set of parameters, allowing farmers, scientists and other stakeholders to make informed decisions about practices, processes and policies for soil use and management. If each parameter is considered as a dimension of the space spanned by the SQDB, extracting information becomes a difficult task when the number of parameters is >3. A widely used approach to explore multidimensional data sets is the self‐organizing map (SOM) method, which is suitable for clustering, visualization and extraction of information from multidimensional data. We applied the SOM method as an exploratory technique to an unlabelled SQDB to extract knowledge – data patterns and data associations – from the data set (the time and location of each sample were unknown). The SQDB used in this study is a set of 1240 unlabelled samples within the Central Valley of Chile, covering ca 7500 km2. The predominant soils are Andisols with a large organic matter content (7–12%), small bulk densities (0.6–1.0 g/cm3) and large water‐holding capacity. We identified three patterns: (i) isolated region within the map with close neurons (smooth transitions), (ii) two or more regions with predominantly large or small values and (iii) homogeneous map with small values with an isolated region of large values. These patterns show that the data set represented more than two groups that were not necessarily related. For pH, no important associations with other investigated parameters were observed. Previous studies carried out by the local agricultural research station showed that pH values below 5.5 constrain nutrient uptake. Thus, locations presenting pH<5,5 should be subject to seasonal monitoring to assess management practices that mitigate soil acidity. The component plane for organic matter indicates that ca. 50% of the soil samples had contents <8% related to soil series characteristics and management practices. As the k‐means is initialized by random partitions, the two‐step approach (clustering the map representing the input data) is less sensitive to variations in the input data (subsamples) than is the direct application of k‐means to the input data, but it also reduces the computational cost. The ability of SOMs to visualize multidimensional data sets helps gain an understanding of the data in the exploratory phase, such as the association and integration of physical, chemical and biological parameters.
Comparison of doxorubicin–cyclophosphamide with doxorubicin–dacarbazine for the adjuvant treatment of canine hemangiosarcoma
Authors: Finotello R. , Stefanello D. , Zini E. , Marconato L.
Published: January 2015

Canine hemangiosarcoma (HSA) is a neoplasm of vascular endothelial origin that has an aggressive biological behaviour, with less than 10% of dogs alive at 12‐months postdiagnosis. Treatment of choice consists of surgery followed by adjuvant doxorubicin‐based chemotherapy. We prospectively compared adjuvant doxorubicin and dacarbazine (ADTIC) to a traditional doxorubicin and cyclophosphamide (AC) treatment, aiming at determining safety and assessing whether this regimen prolongs survival and time to metastasis (TTM). Twenty‐seven dogs were enrolled; following staging work‐up, 18 were treated with AC and 9 with ADTIC. Median TTM and survival time were longer for dogs treated with ADTIC compared with those receiving AC (>550 versus 112 days, P = 0.021 and >550 versus 142 days, P = 0.011, respectively). Both protocols were well tolerated, without need for dose reduction or increased interval between treatments. A protocol consisting of combined doxorubicin and dacarbazine is safe in dogs with HSA and prolongs TTM and survival time.
Carriage Drift in Linear-Guideway Type Roller Bearings
Authors: Ohta Hiroyuki , Kato Taiki , Kato Soichiro , Tajimi Hideyuki
Published: January 2015

This study deals with carriage drift (which is the differences of the carriage displacements or angular displacements at a certain position on a rail during a forward and return process) in linear-guideway type roller bearings. First, the displacements and angular displacements of the carriage of the “nonrecirculating” linear roller and ball bearings under a reciprocating operation were measured. The experimental results showed that carriage drift (in the horizontal, vertical, yaw, and pitch directions) occurred in the roller bearing and not in the ball bearing. Next, in relationship to roller skew, the generating mechanism of carriage drift in roller bearings was examined by a multibody analysis (MBA), then the generating mechanism of carriage drift was explained. Finally, to reduce carriage drift by restricting the roller skew, an antiskewing brace (ASB) was developed.
Numerical Simulation Method of Rough Surfaces Based on Random Switching System
Authors: Wang Tingjian , Wang Liqin , Zheng Dezhi , Zhao Xiaoli , Gu Le
Published: January 2015

In this paper, a numerical simulation method for generating rough surfaces with desired autocorrelation function (ACF) and statistical parameters, including root mean square (rms), skewness (Ssk), and kurtosis (Ku), is developed by combining the polar method, Johnson translation system, and random switching system. This method can be used to generate Gaussian, non-Gaussian, isotropic, and nonisotropic rough surfaces. The simulation results show the excellent performance of present method for producing surface with various desired statistical parameters and ACF. The advantage of present method is that the deviation of statistical parameters and ACF from the desired ones can be as small as required since it is controlled by iterative algorithms.
The Pluviophone: Measuring Rainfall by Its Sound
Authors: Gaucherel Cédric , Grimaldi Victor
Published: January 2015

Rainfall, one of the most important resources for all life and for the environment, is also the most difficult meteorological parameter to measure, mainly due to its nonstationnarity in space and time. Several powerful instruments exist today to measure rainfall, but they often suffer from some strong disadvantages, ranging from high costs and variable space and time coverage to low accuracy. In this study, we explain how a measure the sound of the falling rain could provide a reliable metric of the rainfall. We demonstrate its reliability in a specific case study, for a long rainy tropical event of the Indian monsoon and in noisy conditions. The final determination coefficient computed in cross validation reaches R2 = 0.9, without any treatment of the signals other than a simple smoothing window. If confirmed through more intensive research, our findings could help in the design of a highly useful acoustic rain gauge, of great value to developing countries that experience intense but poorly studied rainy seasons.
Investigation on V-Bending and Springback of Laminated Steel Sheets
Authors: Peng Qiongyao , Peng Xiongqi , Wang Yinjun , Wang Tao
Published: January 2015

Laminated steel sheet (LSS) is a novel functional material consisting of two steel sheets sandwiched by an adhesive layer. It has good vibration damping and noise absorption attributed by the middle polymer layer, and structural function owed to the two face steel sheets. Springback is an omnipresent negative phenomenon in metal sheet bending. Experiments and simulations were conducted to analyze the effects of processing and material parameters on springback of a specified LSS for the purpose of process optimization. Various tests including lap-shear, normal tensile, and viscosity analysis were carried out to obtain the mechanical behavior of the polymer layer. A neo-Hookean hyperelastic model was accordingly developed. Tensile tests of the two skin sheets were also implemented for material model. Ninety degree V-bending experiments were fulfilled as a validation on the feasibility and efficiency of finite element method and material models. A following parametric study on 88 deg V-bending of the LSS was then implemented to provide a processing optimization for industry practice.
Analytical Modeling of Heat Transfer in Polycrystalline Diamond Compact Cutters in Rock Turning Processes
Authors: Che Demeng , Ehmann Kornel , Cao Jian
Published: January 2015

Heat transfer phenomena at the rock–cutter interface are extremely significant since they affect the polycrystalline diamond compact (PDC) cutter's performance in rock cutting/drilling processes. The understanding of how temperature and heat flux responses in the cutter influence the intrinsic mechanisms of the rock–cutter interactions is an essential prerequisite for providing insights to enhance the performance of PDC cutters and to optimize rock cutting/drilling processes. In this paper, a mixed boundary value heat transfer problem was formulated to analytically describe the heat transfer phenomena in the PDC cutters during two-dimensional (2D) orthogonal rock cutting under steady state conditions. An analytical solution in the form of an infinite series was derived based on the method of separation of variables, the use of appropriate simplifications in the formulated problem and the separation of the thermal from the mechanical phenomena. A series of experimental tests were conducted on a newly developed rock cutting testbed to calibrate the process parameters in the analytical solution and then to confirm the validity of the assumed boundary conditions. The comparison between the newly derived analytical solution and the experimental data shows a good match in terms of temperature responses during rock cutting performed by PDC cutters.
Proton‐induced x‐ray fluorescence CT imaging
Authors: Bazalova‐Carter Magdalena , Ahmad Moiz , Matsuura Taeko , Takao Seishin , Matsuo Yuto , Fahrig Rebecca , Shirato Hiroki , Umegaki Kikuo , Xing Lei
Published: January 2015

Purpose:

To demonstrate the feasibility of proton‐induced x‐ray fluorescence CT (pXFCT) imaging of gold in a small animal sized object by means of experiments and Monte Carlo (MC) simulations.

Methods:

First, proton‐induced gold x‐ray fluorescence (pXRF) was measured as a function of gold concentration. Vials of 2.2 cm in diameter filled with 0%–5% Au solutions were irradiated with a 220 MeV proton beam and x‐ray fluorescence induced by the interaction of protons, and Au was detected with a 3 × 3 mm2 CdTe detector placed at 90° with respect to the incident proton beam at a distance of 45 cm from the vials. Second, a 7‐cm diameter water phantom containing three 2.2‐diameter vials with 3%–5% Au solutions was imaged with a 7‐mm FWHM 220 MeV proton beam in a first generation CT scanning geometry. X‐rays scattered perpendicular to the incident proton beam were acquired with the CdTe detector placed at 45 cm from the phantom positioned on a translation/rotation stage. Twenty one translational steps spaced by 3 mm at each of 36 projection angles spaced by 10° were acquired, and pXFCT images of the phantom were reconstructed with filtered back projection. A simplified geometry of the experimental data acquisition setup was modeled with the MC TOPAS code, and simulation results were compared to the experimental data.

Results:

A linear relationship between gold pXRF and gold concentration was observed in both experimental and MC simulation data (R2 > 0.99). All Au vials were apparent in the experimental and simulated pXFCT images. Specifically, the 3% Au vial was detectable in the experimental [contrast‐to‐noise ratio (CNR) = 5.8] and simulated (CNR = 11.5) pXFCT image. Due to fluorescence x‐ray attenuation in the higher concentration vials, the 4% and 5% Au contrast were underestimated by 10% and 15%, respectively, in both the experimental and simulated pXFCT images.

Conclusions:

Proton‐induced x‐ray fluorescence CT imaging of 3%–5% gold solutions in a small animal sized water phantom has been demonstrated for the first time by means of experiments and MC simulations.