bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The future of health economics: The potential of behavioral and experimental economics
Authors: Hansen Fredrik , Anell Anders , Gerdtham Ulf-G , Lyttkens Carl Hampus
Published: May 2015

Health care systems around the globe are facing great challenges. The demand for health care is increasing due to the continuous development of new medical technologies, changing demographics, increasing income levels, and greater expectations from patients. The possibilities and willingness to expand health care resources, however, are limited. Consequently, health care organizations are increasingly required to take economic restrictions into account, and there is an urgent need for improved efficiency. It is reasonable to ask whether the health economics field of today is prepared and equipped to help us meet these challenges. Our aim with this article is twofold: to introduce the fields of behavioral and experimental economics and to then identify and characterize health economics areas where these two fields have a promising potential. We also discuss the advantages of a pluralistic view in health economics research, and we anticipate a dynamic future for health economics.Published: Online May 2015. In print December 2015.
The impact of hepatitis C virus infection on early post-liver transplantation complications and early graft function in a single low-volume liver transplant center
Authors: Buivydienė Arida , Basytė Viktorija , Mašalaitė Laura , Stanislovaitytė Danguolė , Adomavičiūtė Jurgita , Valantinas Jonas
Published: May 2015

Background. End-stage liver disease associated with hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection has become one of the leading indications for liver transplantation. The effect of HCV infection on patients and long-term graft survival after orthotopic liver transplantation is well known. The aim of this study was to evaluate the impact of HCV infection on early post-liver transplantation complications and early graft function.
Materials and methods. Between July 2005 and February 2015 60 cadaveric orthotopic liver transplantations were performed in 58 adult patients at the Vilnius University Hospital Santariškių Clinics. We retrospectively reviewed our low-volume liver transplant center experience. To evaluate the changes that occurred in HCV-positive and HCV-negative transplant recipients, the study population was divided into two groups according to their HCV status. Statistical analysis was performed using the Microsoft Excel and SPSS 20.0 program. Group differences and data reliability were determined by the Student’s t-test.
Results. For 21 patients (35%) the indication for liver transplantation was end-stage liver disease due to HCV infection and for 39 patients (65%) there was another (non-HCV infection) indication. Overall, 29 patients (48%) have developed early biliary and/or vascular complications after transplantation: vascular complications were observed in 17 patients (28%) and biliary complications were observed in 12 patients (20%). Early graft function was good or fair in 52 patients (87%), primary dysfunction was observed in 8 (13%) patients.
Conclusions. The incidence of early post-transplant complications and early graft dysfunction had no statistically significant difference according to the patient’s HCV status.
Contraction force versus action potential duration of cardiomyocytes: which methodology is more informative for selection of effective 1,4-dihydropyridine compounds in experimental research?
Authors: Barsys Vygantas , Garalienė Vida , Urbonas Gediminas
Published: May 2015

Background. Identification of activity properties of new synthesized compounds is important to help choose the adequate research methodology. The goal of this experimental research was to determine the relationship between the chemical structure of 25 compounds of 1,4-dihydropyridine derivatives and their effects on the contraction force of guinea pig papillary muscles and the action potential (AP) duration.
Methods. AP recordings were obtained with standard microelectrodes that were made from borosilicate glass capillaries, filled with 2.5 M KCl and connected to the high-input impedance amplification system. 1.0 Hz stimulation frequency was used. The contraction of papillary muscles was recorded by using a force transducer. Both signals (inotropic response and AP) were digitised by an A/D converter and registered by a computer specialised program.
Results. The results have shown that most of 1,4-dihydropyridine derivatives possessed the negative inotropic action and had the negligible impact on the AP duration.
It was identified that 1,4-dihydropyridine compound OSI 9719 (2-propoxyethyl-4-difloemethoxyphenyl-2-methyl-5-nitro-1,4-dihydro­pyridine-3carbo­xylate) had a prolonged duration of AP and simultaneously increased the force of contraction (p
Patellofemoral joint biomechanics in the females with anterior knee pain applying full weight bearing kinematic MRI
Authors: Brazaitis Andrius , Tamošiūnas Algirdas , Tutkuvienė Janina
Published: May 2015

Purpose. The aim of the study was to evaluate biomechanics of the patellofemoral joint using full weight bearing kinematic MRI. We postulated that females with unilateral PFP might have greater medial femoral rotation in comparrison to the contralateral knee, also greater lateral patella tilt and displacement.
Methods. Forty four females aged 20–40  years with unilateral PFP were included in the study. The kinematic MRI examination was performed with a 1.5 T MRI unit. Full-weight bearing was used. Sagittal and axial images of the patellofemoral joint were acquired with a transmit-receive surface body coil. The study parameters, i. e. bisect offset, patella tilt angle, medial femoral rotation, patellar rotation at 0, 10, 20, 30, 40, 50° of flexion, were measured for both knees.
Results. Statistically significant changes were confirmed for greater bisect offset at all angles of flexion. The patella tilt angle increased steadily throughout full extension, but there was no significant difference in the tilt angle at 50° flexion. Greater medial femoral rotation was observed at all degrees of flexion, while patellar rotation showed no difference.
Conclusions. Our study has confirmed the growing body of literature, theorizing that the primary cause of PFP pain is altered femur dynamics under relatively stable patella.
Kauṭilyan Market Tax
Authors: Wiese Harald
Published: May 2015

The famous Indian manual on the management of kingdoms (called the Arthaśāstra) suggests an unusual tax that is based on a seller’s assessment of the price of the good to be sold. We show that this tax confronts the seller with an optimization problem. In translations, some interpretational issues have arisen that this paper claims to solve.
Death of a Prophet: The End of Muhammad’s Life and the Beginnings of Islam. By Stephen J. Shoemaker
Authors: Hoyland Robert
Published: May 2015

The Death of a Prophet: The End of Muhammad’s Life and the Beginnings of Islam. By Stephen J. Shoemaker. Divinations: Rereading Late Ancient Religion. Philadelphia: University of Pennsylvania Press, 2012. Pp. vii + 408. $75.
Phonetic Ambiguity in the Chinese Script: A Palaeographical & Phonological Analysis. By Christopher Button
Authors: Branner David Prager
Published: May 2015

Phonetic Ambiguity in the Chinese Script: A Palaeographical & Phonological Analysis. By Christopher Button. Lincom Studies in Chinese Linguistics. Munich: Lincom Europa, 2010. Pp. 103. $54.40.
Indic across the Millennia: From the Rigveda to Modern Indo-Aryan. 14th World Sanskrit Conference, Kyoto, Japan, September 1st–5th, 2009. Proceedings of the Linguistic Section. Edited by Jared S. Klein and Kazuhiko Yoshida
Authors: Lundquist Jesse
Published: May 2015

Indic across the Millennia: From the Rigveda to Modern Indo-Aryan. 14th World Sanskrit Conference, Kyoto, Japan, September 1st–5th, 2009. Proceedings of the Linguistic Section. Edited by Jared S. Klein and Kazuhiko Yoshida. Bremen: Hempen Verlag, 2012. Pp. viii + 249.
Traditional Kerala Manor: Architecture of a South Indian Catuḥśāla House. By Henri Schildt
Authors: McClish Mark
Published: May 2015

The Traditional Kerala Manor: Architecture of a South Indian Catuḥśāla House. By Henri Schildt. Institut français de Pondichéry / École française d’Extrême-Orient, Collection Indologie, no. 117. Pondicherry: Institut français de Pondichéry / École française d’Extrême-Orient, 2012. Pp. xiv + 473, 436 plates. 1400 Rs., €60.
Legal Fictions: Studies of Law and Narrative in the Discursive Worlds of Ancient Jewish Sectarians and Sages. By Steven D. Fraade
Authors: Milgram Jonathan S.
Published: May 2015

Legal Fictions: Studies of Law and Narrative in the Discursive Worlds of Ancient Jewish Sectarians and Sages. By Steven D. Fraade. Supplements to the Journal for the Study of Judaism, vol. 147. Leiden: Brill, 2011. Pp. xix + 627. $251.
Bhaṭṭoji Dīkṣita on the Gajasūtra. By S. L. P. Anjaneya Sarma and François Grimal with the collaboration of Luther Obrock
Authors: Rocher Rosane
Published: May 2015

Bhaṭṭoji Dīkṣita on the Gajasūtra. By S. L. P. Anjaneya Sarma and François Grimal with the collaboration of Luther Obrock. Regards sur l’Asie du Sud / South Asian Perspectives, vol. 1. Vyākhyānamālā, vol. 1. Pondicherry: Institut Français de Pondichéry, 2013. Pp. iii + 136. Rs 450, €21.
Bibliotheca Malabarica: Bartholomäus Ziegenbalg’s Tamil Library. Edited and translated by Will Sweetman with R. Ilakkuvan
Authors: Trautmann Thomas R.
Published: May 2015

Bibliotheca Malabarica: Bartholomäus Ziegenbalg’s Tamil Library. Edited and translated by Will Sweetman with R. Ilakkuvan. École française d’Extrême-Orient, Collection Indologie 119. Pondicherry: Institut FrançaiS de Pondichéry and École Française d’ExtrêmE-Orient, 2012. Pp. 153. €17.
Religious Elite of the Early Islamic Hijaz: Five Prosopographical Case Studies. By Asad Q. Ahmed
Authors: Lecker Michael
Published: May 2015

The Religious Elite of the Early Islamic Hijaz: Five Prosopographical Case Studies. By Asad Q. Ahmed. Prosopographica et Genealogica, vol. 14. Oxford: Linacre College, University of Oxford, 2011. Pp. xi + 339. £50 (paper).
Books Received
Authors: Editors
Published: May 2015

Books received
The Gender of Memory in Postapartheid South Africa: The Women's Jail as Heritage Site
Authors: Coombes Annie E.
Published: May 2015

This chapter takes as its starting point the notion of the South African Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) as an alternative form of historiography, and the commission's final report as an official account of national remembering. Drawing on Fiona Ross's important research, I argue that the lessons provided by women's testimony to the TRC – not just its content but the mode of its delivery – adds a structurally necessary dimension to our understanding of the memories of the lived experience of apartheid, a dimension excluded from the revisionist accounts of the emergence of the new nation in public commemorative culture in South Africa. It seems to me that, unless the lessons gleaned from this testimony are incorporated into commemorative and heritage initiatives, any broader agenda to inspire active participation in an inclusive democracy will fail. Focusing on the Women's Jail in the Old Fort in Johannesburg at the time of its transformation into a heritage site and museum, the chapter explores the extent to which museums and memorials engaging with the apartheid past might satisfactorily embody the critically distinctive characteristics found in the oral and performative expression of women's testimony at the TRC and in their memories of violence, abuse, and resistance. The chapter asks to what extent any museum or heritage site can engage the horror of the nonparticipant viewer without simply indulging in either voyeurism or narcissistic empathy. It asks whether a museum or heritage site can possibly achieve a response which accepts both the inassimilable difference between experience and representation insisted on by Gayatri Spivak and the necessity of protesting action advocated by Susan Sontag.
Can National Museums be Postcolonial?: The Canadian Museum for Human Rights and the Obligation of Redress to First Nations
Authors: Phillips Ruth B.
Published: May 2015

This chapter explores the potential role of a national museum in redressing the human rights abuses suffered by internally colonized Indigenous peoples that is offered by the advent of the Canadian Museum for Human Rights (CMHR), opened in Winnipeg, Manitoba, in 2014. It argues that the mandates and programs of the national museums must be considered relationally, as an institutional set that is designed to ensure the social reproduction of its sponsoring society. The dispositions of space and topics described in the CMHR's planning documents are analyzed in relation to the rapid shrinkage of Indigenous programming in the other national museums during the first decade of the twenty‐first century following the election of three conservative federal governments. The CMHR's commitment to “change the future” suggests its potential to meet Canada's obligation to redress the suppression of traditional culture and other human rights abuses suffered by its Indigenous peoples. Although this obligation was incurred by its official apology for the residential school system and signing of the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, projects initiated by other federal museums and institutions have been radically curtailed by radical budget cuts and restructurings.
Enhanced Charge Injection Through Nanostructured Electrodes for Organic Field Effect Transistors
Authors: Ji Deyang , Wang Yandong , Chi Lifeng , Fuchs Harald
Published: May 2015

Nanosphere lithography is used to process nanopore‐structured electrodes, which are applied into the fabrication of bottom‐gate, bottom‐contact configuration organic field effect transistors (OFETs) to serve as source/drain elecrodes. The introduction of this nanopore‐structure electrode facilitates the forming of nanopore‐structure pentacene layers with small grain boundaries at the electrode interface, and then reduces the contact resistance, contact‐induces the growth of pentacene and accordingly improves the mobility of charge carriers in the OFETs about 20 times as compared with results in literature through enhancing the charge carrier injection. It is believed that this structure of electrode is a valuable approach for improving organic filed effect transistors.
Underlying Mechanism of Inkjet Printing of Uniform Organic Semiconductor Films Through Antisolvent Crystallization
Authors: Noda Yuki , Minemawari Hiromi , Matsui Hiroyuki , Yamada Toshikazu , Arai Shunto , Kajiya Tadashi , Doi Masao , Hasegawa Tatsuo
Published: May 2015

An underlying mechanism is reported for the formation of highly uniform crystalline organic semiconductor films by the double‐shot inkjet printing (IJP) technique utilizing antisolvent crystallization. It is demonstrated that the ability to form uniform films with this technique can be attributed to the unique nature of the initial contact dynamics between the chemically different microdroplets before occurrence of solute crystallization. Experiments are conducted systematically where a single microdroplet is over‐deposited by the IJP technique on a chemically different sessile droplet, for ten kinds of pure and miscible solvent combinations. The subsequent behavior is observed by high speed camera. The initial contact dynamics can be classified into three dramatically different cases that are respectively referred to as wetting, dewetting, and sinking. These phenomena are unique to microdroplets and the conditions for the occurrence of each type of phenomenon can be consistently explained by the fact that the initial contact dynamics are driven by the difference of surface tension of the liquids. Among the three kinds of dynamics, the wetting phenomenon creates a thin solution layer on the antisolvent droplet surface and can be used thus to manufacture uniform semiconductor films, where the coffee ring effect can be eliminated.
Electroconductive Nanopatterned Substrates for Enhanced Myogenic Differentiation and Maturation
Authors: Yang Hee Seok , Lee Bora , Tsui Jonathan H. , Macadangdang Jesse , Jang Seok‐Young , Im Sung Gap , Kim Deok‐Ho
Published: May 2015

Electrically conductive materials provide a suitable platform for the in vitro study of excitable cells, such as skeletal muscle cells, due to their inherent conductivity and electroactivity. Here it is demonstrated that bioinspired electroconductive nanopatterned substrates enhance myogenic differentiation and maturation. The topographical cues from the highly aligned collagen bundles that form the extracellular matrix of skeletal muscle tissue are mimicked using nanopatterns created with capillary force lithography. Electron beam deposition is then utilized to conformally coat nanopatterned substrates with a thin layer of either gold or titanium to create electroconductive substrates with well‐defined, large‐area nanotopographical features. C2C12 cells, a myoblast cell line, are cultured for 7 d on substrates and the effects of topography and electrical conductivity on cellular morphology and myogenic differentiation are assessed. It is found that biomimetic nanotopography enhances the formation of aligned myotubes and the addition of an electroconductive coating promotes myogenic differentiation and maturation, as indicated by the upregulation of myogenic regulatory factors Myf5, MyoD, and myogenin (MyoG). These results suggest the suitability of electroconductive nanopatterned substrates as a biomimetic platform for the in vitro engineering of skeletal muscle tissue.
Partially Digested Adult Cardiac Extracellular Matrix Promotes Cardiomyocyte Proliferation In Vitro
Authors: Williams Corin , Sullivan Kelly , Black Lauren D.
Published: May 2015

Stimulating or maintaining the proliferative capacity of postnatal mammalian cardiomyocytes is a major challenge to cardiac regeneration. Previously, it is found that fetal cardiac extracellular matrix (ECM) can promote neonatal rat cardiomyocyte proliferation in vitro better than neonatal or adult ECM. It is hypothesized that partial digestion of adult ECM (PD‐ECM) would liberate less crosslinked components that promote cardiomyocyte proliferation, similar to fetal ECM. Neonatal rat cardiac cells are seeded onto substrates coated with adult rat cardiac ECM that has been solubilized in pepsin‐HCl for 1, 3, 6, 12, 24, or 48 h. Cardiomyocyte proliferation and fold‐change in numbers from 1 to 5 d are highest on 1 and 3 h PD‐ECM compared to other conditions. Sarcomeres tend to mature on 24 and 48 h PD‐ECM where low proliferation is observed. 3 h PD‐ECM is primarily composed of Fibrillin‐1, Fibrinogen, and Laminins while 48 h PD‐ECM is dominated by Collagen I. Our results suggest that adult ECM retains regenerative cues that may be masked by more abundant, mature ECM components. PD‐ECM provides a simple yet powerful approach to promoting cardiomyocyte proliferation.
Desulfitative palladium‐catalyzed direct C‐3 arylation of indolizines with arylsulfonyl chlorides
Authors: Zhang Wei , Liu Fang , Zhao Baoli
Published: May 2015

An efficient Pd‐catalyzed desulfitative approach to C‐3 arylation of indolizine derivatives has been developed, and the protocol uses readily available arylsulfonyl chlorides as the arylation reagent under nitrogen. This transformation was performed in a mixed solvent of 1‐methyl‐2‐pyrrolidone and dimethoxyethane using simple triphenylphosphine as a ligand, which provides a new method for the C‐3 arylation of indolizines. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Gonadotropins and Growth Hormone Family Characterization in an Endangered Siluriform Species, Steindachneridion parahybae (Pimelodidae): Relationship With Annual Reproductive Cycle and Induced Spawning in Captivity
Authors: Honji Renato Massaaki , Caneppele Danilo , Pandolfi Matias , Lo Nostro Fabiana Laura , Moreira Renata Guimarães
Published: May 2015

The aim of this study was to identify and characterize pituitary cells of Steindachneridion parahybae females in captivity, highlighting the possible relationship with reproductive disorders at this level, since this species shows oocyte final maturation, ovulation and spawning dysfunction in captivity. The localization and distribution of growth hormone (GH), prolactin (PRL), somatolactin (SL), β‐luteinizing hormone (β‐LH), and β‐follicle stimulating hormone (β‐FSH) immunoreactive (‐ir) cells in the adenohypophysis was studied by immunohistochemical and Western blot methods. In addition, cellular morphometric analyses and semi‐quantification of ir‐cells optical density (OD) during the annual reproductive cycle and after artificial induced spawning (AIS) were performed. Results showed that the distribution and general localization of pituitary cell types were similar to that of other teleost species. However, the morphometrical study of adenohypophysial cells showed differences along the reproductive cycle and following AIS. In general, females at the vitellogenic stage presented greater OD values for GH, PRL and SL than at other maturation stages (previtellogenic and regression stages), probably indicating an increased cellular activity during this stage. Conversely, β‐LH OD did not vary during the annual reproductive cycle. After AIS, β‐LH, SL and GH ir‐cells showed an increase in OD values suggesting a possible involvement on oocyte final maturation, ovulation and spawning or a feedback control on the brain‐pituitary‐gonads axis. Reproductive dysfunction in S. parahybae females in captivity may be due to alteration of the synthesis pathways of β‐LH. In addition, GH family of hormones could modulate associated mechanisms that influence the reproductive status in this species. Anat Rec, 298:1644–1658, 2015. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Determinants of Hydroxychloroquine Blood Concentration Variations in Systemic Lupus Erythematosus
Authors: Jallouli M. , Galicier L. , Zahr N. , Aumaître O. , Francès C. , Le Guern V. , Lioté F. , Smail A. , Limal N. , Perard L. , Desmurs‐Clavel H. , Le Thi Huong D. , Asli B. , Kahn J.‐E. , Pourrat J. , Sailler L. , Ackermann F. , Papo T. , Sacré K. , Fain O. , Stirnemann J. , Cacoub P. , Leroux G. , Cohen‐Bittan J. , Sellam J. , Mariette X. , Blanchet B. , Hulot J. S. , Amoura Z. , Piette J. C. , Costedoat‐Chalumeau N. ,   the Plaquenil Lupus Systemic Study Group
Published: May 2015

Objective

Blood concentrations of hydroxychloroquine (HCQ) vary widely among patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). A pharmacokinetic/pharmacodynamic relationship has been found in different situations, and a very low blood concentration of HCQ is a simple marker of nonadherence to treatment. Therefore, interest in blood HCQ concentration measurement has increased, but little is known about factors that influence blood HCQ concentration variability. This study was undertaken to analyze determinants of blood HCQ concentrations.

Methods

We conducted a retrospective analysis of patient data, including data from the Plaquenil Lupus Systemic (PLUS) study, to determine the association of epidemiologic, clinical, and biologic factors with blood HCQ concentrations. Data for nonadherent patients (blood HCQ concentration <200 ng/ml) were excluded.

Results

To examine homogeneous pharmacologic data, we restricted the analyses of the PLUS data to the 509 SLE patients receiving 400 mg/day. We found no association of ethnicity or smoking with blood HCQ concentrations and no pharmacokinetic drug–drug interaction with antacids or with inhibitors or inducers of cytochrome P450 enzymes. On multivariate analysis, high body mass index (P = 0.008), no treatment with corticosteroids (P = 0.04), increased time between the last tablet intake and measurement of blood HCQ concentrations (P = 0.017), low platelet count (P < 0.001), low neutrophil count (P < 0.001), and high estimated creatinine clearance (P < 0.001) were associated with low blood HCQ concentrations. In 22 SLE patients with chronic renal insufficiency (median serum creatinine clearance 52 ml/minute [range 23–58 ml/minute]) who received 400 mg/day HCQ, the median blood HCQ concentration was significantly higher than that in the 509 patients from the PLUS study (1,338 ng/ml [range 504–2,229 ng/ml] versus 917 ng/ml [range 208–3316 ng/ml]) (P < 0.001).

Conclusion

We provide a comprehensive analysis of determinants of blood HCQ concentrations. Because this measurement is increasingly being used, these data might be useful for clinicians.
Prognostic characteristics of duodenal gastrointestinal stromal tumours
Authors: Zhang Q , Shou C-H , Yu J-R , Yang W-L , Liu X-S , Yu H , Gao Y , Shen Q-Y , Zhao Z-C
Published: May 2015

Background

This study evaluated the clinical characteristics, surgical procedures and prognosis of duodenal gastrointestinal stromal tumours (GISTs).

Methods

Patients with a diagnosis of primary duodenal GIST treated between January 2000 and December 2012 were analysed. Patients with gastric and small intestinal GISTs were chosen as control groups according to the following parameters: age, tumour size, mitotic index and adjuvant imatinib therapy. Operative procedures for patients with duodenal GIST included pancreaticoduodenectomy or limited resection. Disease-free survival (DFS) was calculated using Kaplan–Meier analysis.

Results

Some 71 patients with duodenal, 71 with gastric and 70 with small intestinal GISTs were included in the study. DFS of patients with duodenal GIST was shorter than that of patients with gastric GIST (3-year DFS 84 versus 94 per cent; hazard ratio (HR) 3.67, 95 per cent c.i. 1.21 to 11.16; P = 0.014), but was similar to that of patients with small intestinal GIST (3-year DFS 84 versus 81 per cent; HR 0.75, 0.37 to 1.51; P = 0.491). Patients who underwent pancreaticoduodenectomy were older, and had larger tumours and a higher mitotic index than patients who had limited resection. The 3-year DFS was 93 per cent among patients who had limited resection compared with 64 per cent for those who underwent PD (HR 0.18, 0.06 to 0.59; P = 0.001).

Conclusion

The prognosis of duodenal GISTs is similar to that of small intestinal GISTs.
Communicating Corporate Social Responsibility to Internal Stakeholders: Walking the Walk or Just Talking the Talk?
Authors: Brunton Margaret , Eweje Gabriel , Taskin Nazim
Published: May 2015

As organizations recognize the need to engage in CSR and sustainability initiatives, it is integral to success to communicate that they are doing so. However, the research focus is more often on communicating with external stakeholders to draw attention to corporate responsibility initiatives. Internal stakeholders as employees are not researched as often, despite their integral role in communicating the organization's CSR vision and sustainability as they interact with external stakeholders. In order to explore employee perceptions of CSR communication, a two‐phase mixed‐method study was undertaken, including semi‐structured interviews with 20 CSR managers in NZ organizations to provide content to inform an online questionnaire survey to seek feedback from employees in these same organizations. This paper contributes to research on internal stakeholders in revealing the influence of the perceived value congruence between managers and employees in influencing internal stakeholder perceptions of CSR and sustainability initiatives. The findings have implications for public policy, enhancing organizational communication, the need for authenticity and managerial recognition of their role in facilitating employee commitment to CSR initiatives. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd and ERP Environment
Aggregation‐Prone Amyloid‐β⋅CuII Species Formed on the Millisecond Timescale under Mildly Acidic Conditions
Authors: Pedersen Jeppe T. , Borg Christian B. , Michaels Thomas C. T. , Knowles Tuomas P. J. , Faller Peter , Teilum Kaare , Hemmingsen Lars
Published: May 2015

Metal ions and their interaction with the amyloid beta (Aβ) peptide might be key elements in the development of Alzheimer's disease. In this work the effect of CuII on the aggregation of Aβ is explored on a timescale from milliseconds to days, both at physiological pH and under mildly acidic conditions, by using stopped‐flow kinetic measurements (fluorescence and light‐scattering), 1H NMR relaxation and ThT fluorescence. A minimal reaction model that relates the initial CuII binding and Aβ folding with downstream aggregation is presented. We demonstrate that a highly aggregation prone Aβ⋅CuII species is formed on the sub‐second timescale at mildly acidic pH. This observation might be central to the molecular origin of the known detrimental effect of acidosis in Alzheimer's disease.
Adaptive model predictive control of autonomic distributed parallel computations with variable horizons and switching costs
Authors: Mencagli G.
Published: May 2015

Autonomic computing is a paradigm for building systems capable of adapting their operation when external changes occur, such as workload variations, load surges and changes in the resource availability. The optimal configuration in terms of the number of computing resources assigned to each component must be automatically adjusted to the new environmental conditions. To accomplish the execution goals with the desired Quality of Service, decision‐making strategies should be in charge of selecting the best reconfigurations by taking into account metrics like performance, efficiency (avoiding wasting resources), number and frequency of reconfigurations, and their amplitude (performing minimal modifications of the current configuration). This paper presents a decision‐making strategy that merges the potential of Model Predictive Control with a cooperative optimization framework. After a description of our approach, we investigate the effect of different switching costs to model the resource allocation problem. We use a control method in which our proactive decision‐making strategy (designed to use future prediction horizons) is made adaptive itself by dynamically changing the horizon length on the basis of the prediction errors. Simulations have been used to exemplify our approach and to discuss the effectiveness of the variable‐horizon strategy in achieving the best trade‐offs between reconfiguration metrics. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Single‐cell analysis for bioprocessing
Authors: Zhang Hu , Cui Xiaolin , Bi Jingxiu , Dai Sheng , Ye Haitao
Published: May 2015

Cell population heterogeneity has attracted great interest for understanding the individual cellular performances in their response to external stimuli and in the production of targeted products. Physical characterization of single cells and analysis of dynamic gene expression, synthesized proteins, and cellular metabolites from one single cell are reviewed. Advanced techniques have been developed to achieve high‐throughput and ultrahigh resolution or sensitivity. Single cell capture methods are discussed as well. How to make use of cellular heterogeneities for maximizing cellular productivity is still in the infant stage, and control strategies will be formulated after the causes for heterogeneity have been elucidated.
Accumulation of contaminants of emerging concern in food crops—part 1: Edible strawberries and lettuce grown in reclaimed water
Authors: Hyland Katherine C. , Blaine Andrea C. , Dickenson Eric R.V. , Higgins Christopher P.
Published: May 2015

Contaminants of emerging concern present in domestic waste streams include a highly diverse group of potentially biologically active compounds that can be detected at trace levels in wastewater. Concerns about potential uptake into crops arise when reclaimed water is used in food crop production. The present study investigated how 9 contaminants of emerging concern in reclaimed water are taken up into edible portions of two food crops. Two flame retardant chemicals, tris(1-chloro-2-propyl) phosphate (TCPP) and tris(2-chloroethyl) phosphate (TCEP) and several polar pharmaceuticals (carbamazepine, diphenhydramine, sulfamethoxazole, and trimethoprim) accumulated in a linear, concentration-dependent manner in lettuce (Lactuca sativa) irrigated with reclaimed water, suggesting passive uptake of both neutral and ionizable chemical contaminants in lettuce. Furthermore, concentration-dependent accumulation of TCEP and TCPP from reclaimed water was also observed in strawberry fruits (Fragaria ananassa). Collectively, these data suggest that highly polar or charged contaminants can be taken up by crops from water bearing contaminants of emerging concern and can be accumulated in the edible portions. Using these data, however, estimates of human exposure to these contaminants from reclaimed water food crop accumulation suggest that exposure to the contaminants of emerging concern examined in the present study is likely substantially lower than current exposure guidelines. Environ Toxicol Chem 2015;34:2213–2221. © 2015 SETAC
A pressure–velocity coupling approach for high void fraction free surface bubbly flows in overset curvilinear grids
Authors: Li Jiajia , Castro Alejandro M. , Carrica Pablo M.
Published: May 2015

A methodology for improved robustness in the simulation of high void fraction free surface polydisperse bubbly flows in curvilinear overset grids is presented. The method is fully two‐way coupled in the sense that the bubbly field affects the continuous fluid and vice versa. A hybrid projection approach is used in which staggered contravariant velocities at cell faces are computed for transport and pressure–velocity coupling while the momentum equation is solved on a collocated grid arrangement. Conservation of mass is formulated such that a strong coupling between void fraction, pressure, and velocity is achieved within a partitioned approach, solving each field separately. A pressure–velocity projection solver is iterated together with a predictor stage for the void fraction to achieve a robust coupling. The implementation is described for general curvilinear grids detailing particulars in the neighborhood to overset interfaces or a free surface. A balanced forced method to avoid the generation of spurious currents is extended for curvilinear grids. The overall methodology allows simulation of high void fraction flows and is stable even when strong packing forces accounting for bubble collisions are included. Convergence and stability in one‐dimensional (1D) and two‐dimensional (2D) configurations is evaluated. Finally, a full‐scale simulation of the bubbly flow around a flat‐bottom boat is performed demonstrating the applicability of the methodology to complex problems of engineering interest. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Fiber heart valve prosthesis: Early in vitro fatigue results
Authors: Vaesken Antoine , Khoffi Foued , Heim Frederic , Dieval Florence , Chakfe Nabil
Published: May 2015

Transcatheter aortic valve replacement has become today a largely considered alternative technique to surgical valve replacement in patients with high risk for open chest surgery. Biological valve tissue used in the transcatheter devices has shown success over 5 years now, but the procedure remains expensive. Moreover, different studies point out potential degradations that the tissue can undergo when folded to lower diameter and released in calcified environment with irregular geometry, which may jeopardize the durability of the device. The use of synthetic materials, like textile in particular, to replace biological valve leaflets would help reducing the procedure costs, and limit the degradations when the valve is crimped. Textile polyester material has been extensively used in the vascular surgery and is characterized by outstanding folding and strength properties combined with proven biocompatibility. However, the friction effects that occur between filaments and between yarns within a fabric under flexure loading could be critical for the resistance of the material on the long term. The purpose of this study was to assess the early fatigue performances of textile valve prototypes under accelerated cyclic loading up to 200 Mio cycles. Durability tests show that the fibrous material undergoes rearrangements between fibrous elements within the textile construction and the mechanical properties are modified on the long term. But testing is not complete with 200 Mio cycles. The material should be tested up to a higher number of cycles in future work to test the effective long‐term durability. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Biomed Mater Res Part B: Appl Biomater, 104B: 986–992, 2016.
Artificial Zinc Finger DNA Binding Domains: Versatile Tools for Genome Engineering and Modulation of Gene Expression
Authors: Hossain Mir A. , Barrow Joeva J. , Shen Yong , Haq MD Imdadul , Bungert Jörg
Published: May 2015

Genome editing and alteration of gene expression by synthetic DNA binding activities gained a lot of momentum over the last decade. This is due to the development of new DNA binding molecules with enhanced binding specificity. The most commonly used DNA binding modules are zinc fingers (ZFs), TALE‐domains, and the RNA component of the CRISPR/Cas9 system. These binding modules are fused or linked to either nucleases that cut the DNA and induce DNA repair processes, or to protein domains that activate or repress transcription of genes close to the targeted site in the genome. This review focuses on the structure, design, and applications of ZF DNA binding domains (ZFDBDs). ZFDBDs are relatively small and have been shown to penetrate the cell membrane without additional tags suggesting that they could be delivered to cells without a DNA or RNA intermediate. Advanced algorithms that are based on extensive knowledge of the mode of ZF/DNA interactions are used to design the amino acid composition of ZFDBDs so that they bind to unique sites in the genome. Off‐target binding has been a concern for all synthetic DNA binding molecules. Thus, increasing the specificity and affinity of ZFDBDs will have a significant impact on their use in analytical or therapeutic settings. J. Cell. Biochem. 116: 2435–2444, 2015. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
A comparative computationally study about the defined m(II) pincer hydrogenation catalysts (m = fe, ru, os)
Authors: Jiao Haijun , Junge Kathrin , Alberico Elisabetta , Beller Matthias
Published: May 2015

The mechanism of acetonitrile and methyl benzoate catalytic hydrogenation using pincer catalysts M(H)2(CO)[NH(C2H4PiPr2)2] (1M) and M(H)(CO)[N(C2H4PiPr2)2] (2M) (M = Fe, Ru, Os) has been computed at various levels of density functional theory. The computed equilibrium between 1Fe and 2Fe agrees perfectly with the experimental observations. On the basis of the activation barriers and reaction energies, the best catalysts for acetonitrile hydrogenation are 1Fe/2Fe and 1Ru/2Ru, and the best catalysts for methyl benzoate hydrogenation are 1Ru/2Ru. The best catalysts for the dehydrogenation of benzyl alcohol are 1Ru/2Ru. It is to note that the current polarizable continuum model is not sufficient in modeling the solvation effect in the energetic properties of these catalysts as well as their catalytic properties in hydrogenation reaction, as no equilibrium could be established between 1Fe and 2Fe. Comparison with other methods and procedures has been made. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Synthesis and Antioxidant Activity of Amido‐Linked Benzoxazolyl/Benzothiazolyl/Benzimidazolyl‐Pyrazoles and Isoxazoles
Authors: Durgamma Suram , Reddy Putta Ramachandra , Padmavathi Venkatapuram , Padmaja Adivireddy
Published: May 2015

A new class of amido‐linked bis heterocycles‐benzoxazolyl/benzothiazolyl/benzimidazolyl‐pyrazoles and isoxazoles were prepared from benzoxazolyl /benzothiazolyl/benzimidazolyl‐cinnamamides and tested for antioxidant activity.
Ganglioside contained in the neuronal tissue‐enriched acidic protein of 22 kDa (NAP‐22) fraction prepared from the detergent‐resistant membrane microdomain of rat brain inhibits the phosphatase activity of calcineurin
Authors: Kobayashi Yuumi , da Silva Ronan , Kumanogoh Haruko , Miyata Shinji , Sato Chihiro , Kitajima Ken , Nakamura Shun , Morita Mistuhiro , Hayashi Fumio , Maekawa Shohei
Published: May 2015

Neurons have well‐developed membrane microdomains called “rafts” that are recovered as a detergent‐resistant membrane microdomain fraction (DRM). Neuronal tissue‐enriched acidic protein of 22 kDa (NAP‐22) is one of the major protein components of neuronal DRM. To determine the cellular function of NAP‐22, interacting proteins were screened with an immunoprecipitation assay, and calcineurin (CaN) was detected. Further studies with NAP‐22 prepared from DRM and CaN expressed in bacteria showed the binding of these proteins and a dose‐dependent inhibitory effect of the NAP‐22 fraction on the phosphatase activity of CaN. On the other hand, NAP‐22 expressed in bacteria showed low binding to CaN and a weak inhibitory effect on phosphatase activity. To solve this discrepancy, identification of a nonprotein component that modulates CaN activity in the DRM‐derived NAP‐22 fraction was attempted. After lyophilization, a lipid fraction was extracted with chloroform/methanol. The lipid fraction showed an inhibitory effect on CaN without NAP‐22, and further fractionation of the extract with thin‐layer chromatography showed the presence of several lipid bands having an inhibitory effect on CaN. The mobility of these bands coincided with that of authentic ganglioside (GM1a, GD1a, GD1b, and GT1b), and authentic ganglioside showed an inhibitory effect on CaN. Treatment of lipid with endoglycoceramidase, which degrades ganglioside to glycochain and ceramide, caused a diminution of the inhibitory effect. These results show that DRM‐derived NAP‐22 binds several lipids, including ganglioside, and that ganglioside inhibits the phosphatase activity of CaN. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Developing Creative Behavior in Elementary School Students with Robotics
Authors: Nemiro Jill , Larriva Cesar , Jawaharlal Mariappan
Published: May 2015

The School Robotics Initiative (SRI), a problem‐based robotics program for elementary school students, was developed with the objective of reaching students early on to instill an interest in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math disciplines. The purpose of this exploratory, observational study was to examine how the SRI fosters student creative behavior. Weekly observations of 194 students (4th–6th grade) were conducted in three classrooms, over 3 years. Supplemental data were collected from student‐written journals. Data were coded for themes. The findings revealed that the robotics classrooms were characterized by a high degree of energy. The students worked intensely on robotic tasks, engaging in a two‐stage creative process that involved first designing a robot with a preplanned or spontaneous work approach, followed by an iterative period of trial and error creative programming. A variety of creativity techniques were observed being used. The SRI was shown to develop creative behavior in the students through the myriad of creative robot products generated. Based on the findings, the authors propose a componential model for developing creative behavior in the students through robotics, which includes a set of social, psychological, and physical elements necessary for the students to produce creative results in school robotics programs.
In‐vivo three‐dimensional knee kinematics during daily activities in dogs
Authors: Kim Stanley E. , Jones Stephen C. , Lewis Daniel D. , Banks Scott A. , Conrad Bryan P. , Tremolada Giovanni , Abbasi Abdullah Z. , Coggeshall Jason D. , Pozzi Antonio
Published: May 2015

The canine knee is morphologically similar to the human knee and thus dogs have been used in experimental models to study human knee pathology. To date, there is limited data of normal canine 3D knee kinematics during daily activities. The objective of this study was to characterize 3D in‐vivo femorotibial kinematics in normal dogs during commonly performed daily activities. Using single‐plane fluoroscopy, six normal dogs were imaged performing walk, trot, sit, and stair ascent activities. CT‐generated bone models were used for kinematic measurement using a 3D‐to‐2D model registration technique. Increasing knee flexion angle was typically associated with increasing tibial internal rotation, abduction and anterior translation during all four activities. The precise relationship between flexion angle and these movements varied both within and between activities. Significant differences in axial rotation and coronal angulation were found at the same flexion angle during different phases of the walk and trot. This was also found with anterior tibial translation during the trot only. Normal canine knees accommodate motion in all planes; precise kinematics within this envelope of motion are activity dependent. This data establishes the characteristics of normal 3D femorotibial joint kinematics in dogs that can be used as a comparison for future studies. © 2015 Orthopaedic Research Society. Published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Orthop Res 33:1603–1610, 2015.
Comparison of air‐agitated liquid–liquid microextraction and ultrasound‐assisted emulsification microextraction for polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons determination in hookah water
Authors: Rajabi Maryam , Bazregar Mohammad , Daneshfar Ali , Asghari Alireza
Published: May 2015

In this work, two disperser‐free microextraction methods, namely, air‐agitated liquid–liquid microextraction and ultrasound‐assisted emulsification microextraction are compared for the determination of a number of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in aqueous samples, followed by gas chromatography with flame ionization detection. The effects of various experimental parameters upon the extraction efficiencies of both methods are investigated. Under the optimal conditions, the enrichment factors and limits of detection were found to be in the ranges of 327–773 and 0.015–0.05 ng/mL for air‐agitated liquid–liquid microextraction and 406–670 and 0.015–0.05 ng/mL for ultrasound‐assisted emulsification microextraction, respectively. The linear dynamic ranges and extraction recoveries were obtained to be in the range of 0.05–120 ng/mL (R2 ≥ 0.995) and 33–77% for air‐agitated liquid–liquid microextraction and 0.05–110 ng/mL (R2 ≥ 0.994) and 41–67% for ultrasound‐assisted emulsification microextraction, respectively. To investigate this common view among some people that smoking hookah is healthy due to the passage of smoke through the hookah water, samples of both the hookah water and hookah smoke were analyzed.
Capillary electrophoretic methods applied to the investigation of peptide complexes
Authors: Štěpánová Sille , Kašička Václav
Published: May 2015

This article gives an overview of the applications of capillary electrophoretic methods to investigate the non‐covalent interactions of peptides (peptide complexes) with variable middle‐ and high‐molecular‐mass receptors (ligands) as well as with small ions and molecules in the period 2007–2014. Different modes of capillary electrophoretic methods, such as mobility shift (vacancy) affinity capillary electrophoresis, multiple injection affinity capillary electrophoresis, partial filling affinity capillary electrophoresis, Hummel–Dryer method, vacancy peak method and (continuous) frontal analysis capillary electrophoresis, are briefly described and their applicability to determination of binding constants of peptide complexes is discussed. In addition, the detailed experimental conditions of individual applications and the values of binding constants of the particular peptide complexes are presented.