bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Changing tides: Adaptive monitoring, assessment, and management of pharmaceutical hazards in the environment through time
Authors: Gaw Sally , Brooks Bryan W.
Published: September 2015

Pharmaceuticals are ubiquitous contaminants in aquatic ecosystems. Adaptive monitoring, assessment, and management programs will be required to reduce the environmental hazards of pharmaceuticals of concern. Potentially underappreciated factors that drive the environmental dose of pharmaceuticals include regulatory approvals, marketing campaigns, pharmaceutical subsidies and reimbursement schemes, and societal acceptance. Sales data for 5 common antidepressants (duloxetine [Cymbalta], escitalopram [Lexapro], venlafaxine [Effexor], bupropion [Wellbutrin], and sertraline [Zoloft]) in the United States from 2004 to 2008 were modeled to explore how environmental hazards in aquatic ecosystems changed after patents were obtained or expired. Therapeutic hazard ratios for Effexor and Lexapro did not exceed 1; however, the therapeutic hazard ratio for Zoloft declined whereas the therapeutic hazard ratio for Cymbalta increased as a function of patent protection and sale patterns. These changes in therapeutic hazard ratios highlight the importance of considering current and future drivers of pharmaceutical use when prioritizing pharmaceuticals for water quality monitoring programs. When urban systems receiving discharges of environmental contaminants are examined, water quality efforts should identify, prioritize, and select target analytes presently in commerce for effluent monitoring and surveillance. Environ Toxicol Chem 2016;35:1037–1042. © 2015 SETAC
Normalizing Aid‐in‐Dying within the Practice of Medicine
Authors: Tucker Kathryn L.
Published: September 2015

A commentary on “‘Aid in Dying’ in the Courts,” by Stephen R. Latham, in the May‐June 2015 issue.
Giving Up My Naiveté
Authors: Farrell Colleen M.
Published: September 2015

As the patient drew her last breaths, with her daughter at her bedside, and the curtain closed across the room, my resident, whom I will call Emma, talked me through what was happening. She explained that the patient's only hope for survival had been surgery, yet surgery would surely have killed her. Emma talked about the different ways different families approach withdrawing the level of care provided in the intensive care unit (ICU), allowing a loved one's death. She talked about how hard it is to leave behind everything that happens in this job when she goes home.

An intern arrived to make the declaration of death, and Emma encouraged me to go back into the patient's room for this. I placed my stethoscope on the patient's still chest, confirming what we already knew to be true. Death was palpable in that room, and my response was visceral. I did my best to leave the ICU calmly and then ran down five flights of stairs to the hospital chapel and sobbed. When I returned, Emma could see that I was shaken. “It's human,” she told me.

In the afternoon, I felt the deep tiredness that I always feel after really crying. In that haze of emotion, I wasn't sure quite how to respond when Emma's next activity for us was to find a patient who needed an arterial blood gas.
Warm and Dead?
Authors: Miles J. K. , Conboy Jeri A. , Hope Aluko A. , Powell Tia
Published: September 2015

Robert F. is an eighty‐five‐year‐old who suffered a heart attack at home in a rural location some thirty minutes from any major hospital. By the time the paramedics arrived, he was unconscious and nonresponsive. After spontaneous return of circulation, they began their standard procedure of therapeutic hypothermia. Robert's core temperature was lowered using ice packs, and cold intravenous fluids were initiated. Soon afterward, Robert started to shiver when his body temperature reached 35.6° Celsius. He was then given a bolus of vecuronium as a neuromuscular blockade, sedated, and intubated. He was also given a low‐dose vasopressin for blood‐pressure control. Shortly after Robert arrived in the emergency room, his daughter, his medical decision‐maker, produced an advance directive documenting that her father has a do‐not‐resuscitate (DNR) order, and she demanded that the breathing tube and any other life‐sustaining treatments be withdrawn immediately.

The medical staff is very reluctant to comply with this demand for immediate action. Until the neuromuscular blockade wears off, removing the ventilator will prevent Robert from breathing. Furthermore, it may take some time to reverse the therapeutic hypothermia procedure to the point that the patient is at normal temperature. In addition, therapeutic hypothermia itself often causes arrest, so the patient may need to be resuscitated again.

Should the staff wait until the patient is warm or honor the decision of his daughter, who holds his medical power of attorney?
Limits of Responsibility: Genome Editing, Asilomar, and the Politics of Deliberation
Authors: Hurlbut J. Benjamin
Published: September 2015

On April 3, 2015, a group of prominent biologists and ethicists called for a worldwide moratorium on human genetic engineering in which the genetic modifications would be passed on to future generations. Describing themselves as “interested stakeholders,” the group held a retreat in Napa, California, in January to “initiate an informed discussion” of CRISPR/Cas9 genome engineering technology, which could enable high‐precision insertion, deletion, and recoding of genes in human eggs, sperm, and embryos. The group declared that the advent of a technology that makes human germ‐line genetic engineering plausible makes a corollary discussion of its ethical implications urgent. Echoing this sentiment, the National Academy of Sciences and the National Academy of Medicine have announced plans to convene an international summit in fall 2015 to assess the implications of CRISPR/Cas9.

Yet the notion that the advent of this particular technology is the warrant for initiating a public discussion is remarkable, and so too is the idea that the experts who have brought it into being and are putting it to use are best positioned to define the terms of the debate. The relevant ethical questions are by no means specific, let alone subsidiary, to the CRISPR/Cas9 technology. They are longstanding questions about what features of human life ought not be taken as objects of manipulation and control. They are questions about our responsibilities to our children and our children's children, where the mark of our actions will be inscribed upon their bodies and their lives.
Teaching Bioethics at the Secondary School Level
Authors: Bishop Laura J. , Szobota Lola
Published: September 2015

Recognition that it is both possible and important to teach secondary school students about bioethics issues and theory has grown slowly within the field of bioethics. In the late 1970s and 1980s, a few first‐generation pioneers recognized the teaching and learning opportunities inherent in bioethics and obtained pilot grants to educate high school teachers about bioethics issues. In the 1990s and 2000s, second‐generation efforts explored the possibilities of bioethics in secondary schools using a range of approaches, models, and funding sources. A third generation of programs that are now emerging benefits from more stable funding and offers materials that may be accessed by teachers across a country or around the world; a number of these programs are endorsed by national entities. An historical overview of these efforts to teach bioethics in high schools highlights some essential steps that must be taken to meet the challenge of teaching bioethics in pre‐college settings.
Why Is Studying the Genetics of Intelligence So Controversial?
Authors: Tabery James
Published: September 2015

From the very beginning, studies of the nature and nurture of intelligence have been closely associated with an interest in intervening, and those interventions have been surrounded by controversy. The nature of those controversies has not always been the same, however. Since the mid‐nineteenth century, when Francis Galton imagined a science that would assess the extent to which a trait like “genius” was due to nature or due to nurture, science and technology have changed dramatically, and so have the interventions that have been envisioned in light of those developments. A scientist today can search for particular stretches of DNA and assess whether differences in those stretches are associated with differences in a human trait of interest; a genetic counselor today can genetically test an individual (be it an embryo, fetus, newborn, child, or adult) and provide information about what that genetic result means, allowing for interventions that can range from terminating a pregnancy to prescribing chemotherapy. So when one asks a question like, “Why is studying the genetics of intelligence controversial?,” it is important to realize up front that the answer will be, “It can be controversial for a variety of different reasons, and those reasons have evolved over time.” The purpose of this essay is to provide a survey of the controversies that surround genetic studies of intelligence. With the survey in place, I will then draw out several lessons both for scientists who study the genetics of intelligence as well as for science studies scholars (bioethicists, philosophers, historians, sociologists) who reflect and comment on the controversies surrounding that research.
The Trustworthiness Deficit in Postgenomic Research on Human Intelligence
Authors: Richardson Sarah S.
Published: September 2015

In the past, work on racial and ethnic variation in brain and behavior was marginalized within genetics. Against the backdrop of genetics’ eugenic legacy, wide consensus held such research to be both ethically problematic and methodologically controversial. But today it is finding new opportunistic venues in a global, transdisciplinary, data‐rich postgenomic research environment in which such a consensus is increasingly strained. The postgenomic sciences display worrisome deficits in their ability to govern and negotiate standards for making postgenomic claims in the transdisciplinary space between human population variation research, studies of intelligence, neuroscience, and evolutionary biology.

Today some researchers are pursuing the genomics of intelligence on a newly grand scale. They are sequencing large numbers of whole genomes of people considered highly intelligent (by varying empirical and social measures) in the hope of finding gene variants predictive of intelligence. Troubling and at times outlandish futurist claims accompany this research. Scientists involved in this research have openly discussed the possibility of marketing prenatal tests for intelligence, of genetic engineering or selective embryo implantation to increase the likelihood of a high‐IQ child, and of genotyping children to guide their education. In this permissive and contested environment, what would trustworthy research on the genomics of high intelligence look like?
General Intelligence (g): Overview of a Complex Construct and Its Implications for Genetics Research
Authors: Plucker Jonathan A. , Shelton Amy L.
Published: September 2015

Current technology has dramatically increased the prevalence of studies to establish the genetic correlates of a wide variety of human characteristics, including not only the physical attributes that determine what we look like and the risk of physiological disease but also the psychological and cognitive characteristics that often define who we are as individuals. Perhaps one of the most deeply personal and often controversial characteristics is the concept of general intelligence, known in the psychological literature as “g.” As with the genetic study of any complex trait, the first step in studying the genetics of g is to carefully define the characteristic of interest. For g, this entails establishing what intelligence means and providing a clear operational definition for how it will be measured. In this paper, we provide a brief historical and theoretical overview of the construct of general intelligence, describe its relationship to the contemporary measurement of intelligence, and discuss these concepts in light of the challenges associated with defining g as a characteristic in the study of genetics.
Can Research on the Genetics of Intelligence Be “Socially Neutral”?
Authors: Roberts Dorothy
Published: September 2015

The history of research on the genetics of intelligence is fraught with social bias. During the eugenics era, the hereditary theory of intelligence justified policies that encouraged the proliferation of favored races and coercively stemmed procreation by disfavored ones. In the 1970s, Berkeley psychologist Arthur Jensen argued that black students’ innate cognitive inferiority limited the efficacy of federal education programs. The 1994 controversial bestseller The Bell Curve, by Richard J. Herrnstein and Charles Murray, rehashed the claim that race and class disparities stem from immutable differences in inherited intelligence, which could not be eliminated through social interventions. Today most scientists studying the genetics of intelligence distance themselves from this history of social bias by arguing that their research need not investigate intellectual differences between social groups. Rather, they argue, examining the heritability of intelligence can be socially neutral and may even help to reduce social inequities. I argue, however, that research on the genetics of intelligence cannot be socially neutral. Even if we divorce the heritability of intelligence from a eugenicist mission, measuring intelligence remains useful only as a gage of individuals’ appropriate positions in society. Research into the genetics of intelligence ultimately helps to determine individuals’ inherited capacity for particular social positions, even when researchers aim to modify the effects of inheritance.
Taking a Stand: The Genetics Community's Responsibility for Intelligence Research
Authors: Callier Shawneequa L. , Bonham Vence L.
Published: September 2015

There is a longstanding debate about genetics research into intelligence. Some scholars question the value of focusing on genetic contributions to intelligence in a society where social and environmental determinants powerfully influence cognitive ability and educational outcomes. Others warn that censoring certain research questions, such as inquiries about genetic differences in intellectual potential, compromises academic freedom. Still others view interest in this subject as a corollary to a long and troublesome history of eugenics research. The dawn of a new era in genome sequencing as a commodity will sustain scientific interest in the genetics of intelligence for the foreseeable future, but deep‐rooted challenges threaten the scientific merit of the research. The use of imprecise definitions of study populations, the difficult nature of studying the environment, and the potential of researcher bias are inextricably linked with concerns about the trustworthiness and utility of research in this area. Leadership by the genetics community is essential to ensure the value and trustworthiness of these studies.
Polymorphisms in genes in the androgen pathway and risk of Barrett's esophagus and esophageal adenocarcinoma
Authors: Ek Weronica E. , Lagergren Katarina , Cook Michael , Wu Anna H. , Abnet Christian C. , Levine David , Chow Wong‐Ho , Bernstein Leslie , Risch Harvey A. , Shaheen Nicholas J. , Bird Nigel C. , Corley Douglas A. , Hardie Laura J. , Fitzgerald Rebecca C. , Gammon Marilie D. , Romero Yvonne , Liu Geoffrey , Ye Weimin , Vaughan Thomas L. , MacGregor Stuart , Whiteman David C. , Westberg Lars , Lagergren Jesper
Published: September 2015

The strong male predominance in Barrett's esophagus (BE) and esophageal adenocarcinoma (EAC) remains inadequately explained, but sex hormones might be involved. We hypothesized that single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in the androgen pathway influence risk of developing BE and EAC. This genetic‐epidemiological analysis included 14 studies from Australia, Europe and North America. Polymorphisms in 16 genes coding for the androgen pathway were analyzed using a gene‐based approach: versatile gene‐based test association study. This method evaluates associations between a trait and all SNPs within a specific gene rather than each SNP marker individually as in a conventional GWAS. The data were stratified for sex, body‐mass index, waist‐to‐hip ratio, tobacco smoking and gastroesophageal reflux status. Included were data from 1,508 EAC patients, 2,383 BE patients and 2,170 control participants. SNPs within the gene CYP17A1 were associated with risk of BE in the sexes combined (p = 0.002) and in males (p = 0.003), but not in females separately (p = 0.3). This association was found in tobacco smokers (p = 0.003) and in BE patients without reflux (p = 0.004), but not in nonsmokers (p = 0.2) or those with reflux (p = 0.036). SNPs within JMJD1C were associated with risk of EAC in females (p = 0.001). However, none of these associations replicated in a subsequent sample. Fourteen other genes studied did not reach statistically significant levels of association with BE, EAC or the combination of BE and EAC, after correcting for the number of genes included in the analysis. In conclusion, genetic variants in the androgen‐related genes CYP17A1 and JMJD1C might be associated with risk of BE and EAC, respectively, but replication data with larger sample sizes are needed.
Traffic‐related air pollution and risk for leukaemia of an adult population
Authors: Raaschou‐Nielsen Ole , Ketzel Matthias , Harbo Poulsen Aslak , Sørensen Mette
Published: September 2015

Air pollution causes lung cancer, but associations with other cancers have not been established. We investigated whether long‐term exposure to traffic‐related air pollution is associated with the risk of the general population for leukaemia. We identified 1,967 people in whom leukaemia was diagnosed in 1992–2010 from a nation‐wide cancer registry and selected 3,381 control people at random, matched on sex and year of birth, from the entire Danish population. Residential addresses since 1971 were traced in a population registry, and outdoor concentrations of NOx and NO2, as indicators of traffic‐related air pollution, were calculated at each address in a dispersion model. We used conditional logistic regression to estimate the risk for leukaemia after adjustment for income, educational level, cohabitation status and co‐morbidity. In linear analyses, we found odds ratios for acute myeloid leukaemia of 1.20 (95% confidence interval: 1.04–1.38) per 20 µg/m3 increase in NOx and 1.31 (1.02–1.68) per 10 µg/m3 increase in NO2, calculated as time‐weighted average exposure at all addresses since 1971. We found no association with chronic myeloid or lymphocytic leukaemia. This study indicates an association between long‐term exposure to traffic‐related air pollution and acute myeloid leukaemia in the general population, but not for other subtypes of leukaemia.
Chronic inflammation and risk of colorectal and other obesity‐related cancers: The health, aging and body composition study
Authors: Izano Monika , Wei Esther K. , Tai Caroline , Swede Helen , Gregorich Steven , Harris Tamara B. , Klepin Heidi , Satterfield Suzanne , Murphy Rachel , Newman Anne B. , Rubin Susan M. , Braithwaite Dejana ,   for the Health ABC study
Published: September 2015

Evidence of the association between chronic inflammation and the risk of colorectal cancer (CRC) and other obesity‐related cancers (OBRC) remains inconsistent, possibly due to a paucity of studies examining repeated measures of inflammation. In the Health ABC prospective study of 2,490 adults aged 70–79 years at baseline, we assessed whether circulating levels of three markers of systemic inflammation, IL‐6, CRP and TNF‐α, were associated with the risk of CRC and OBRC, a cluster including cancers of pancreas, prostate, breast and endometrium. Inflammatory markers were measured in stored fasting blood samples. While only baseline measures of TNF‐α were available, IL‐6 and CRP were additionally measured at Years 2, 4, 6 and 8. Multivariable Cox models were fit to determine whether tertiles and log‐transformed baseline, updated and averaged measures of CRP and IL‐6 and baseline measures of TNF‐α were associated with the risk of incident cancer(s). During a median follow‐up of 11.9 years, we observed 55 and 172 cases of CRC and OBRC, respectively. The hazard of CRC in the highest tertile of updated CRP was more than double that in the lowest tertile (HR = 2.29; 95% CI: 1.08–4.86). No significant associations were seen between colorectal cancer and IL‐6 or TNF‐α. Additionally, no significant associations were found between obesity‐related cancers and the three inflammatory markers overall, but we observed a suggestion of effect modification by BMI and NSAID use. In summary, in this population, higher CRP levels were associated with increased risk of CRC, but not of OBRC. The findings provide new evidence that chronically elevated levels of CRP, as reflected by repeated measures of this marker, may play a role in colorectal carcinogenesis in older adults.
Prognostic value of pretherapy platelet elevation in oropharyngeal cancer patients treated with chemoradiation
Authors: Shoultz‐Henley Sara , Garden Adam S. , Mohamed Abdallah S.R. , Sheu Tommy , Kroll Michael H. , Rosenthal David I. , Gunn G. Brandon , Hayes Amos J. , French Chloe , Eichelberger Hillary , Kalpathy‐Cramer Jayashree , Smith Blaine D. , Phan Jack , Ayoub Zeina , Lai Stephen Y. , Pham Brian , Kies Merrill , Gold Kathryn A. , Sturgis Erich , Fuller Clifton D.
Published: September 2015

The purpose of this study is to evaluate potential associations between increased platelets and oncologic outcomes in oropharyngeal cancer patients receiving concurrent chemoradiation. A total of 433 oropharyngeal cancer patients (OPC) treated with intensity‐modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) with concurrent chemotherapy between 2002 and 2012 were included under an approved IRB protocol. Complete blood count (CBC) data were extracted. Platelet and hemoglobin from the last phlebotomy (PLTpre‐chemoRT, Hgbpre‐chemoRT) before start of treatment were identified. Patients were risk‐stratified using Dahlstrom–Sturgis criteria and were tested for association with survival and disease‐control outcomes. Locoregional control (LRC), freedom from distant metastasis (FDM) and overall survival (OS) were decreased (p < 0.03, p < 0.04 and p < 0.0001, respectively) for patients with PLTpre‐chemoRT value of ≥350 × 109/L. Actuarial 5‐year locoregional control (LRC) and FDM were 83 and 85% for non‐thrombocythemic patients while patient with high platelets had 5‐year LRC and FDM of 73 and 74%, respectively. Likewise, 5‐year OS was better for patients with normal platelet counts by comparison (76 vs. 57%; p < 0.0001). Comparison of univariate parametric models demonstrated that PLTpre‐chemoRT was better among tested models. Multivariate assessment demonstrated improved performance of models which included pretherapy platelet indices. On Bayesian information criteria analysis, the optimal prognostic model was then used to develop nomograms predicting 3‐, 5‐ and 10‐year OS. In conclusion, pretreatment platelet elevation is a promising predictor of prognosis, and further work should be done to elucidate the utility of antiplatelets in modifying risk in OPC patients.
Relations between rate of negative reinforcement and the persistence of task completion
Authors: Romani Patrick W. , Ringdahl Joel E. , Wacker David P. , Lustig Nicole H. , Vinquist Kelly M. , Northup John , Kane Alexandra M. , Carrion Deva P.
Published: September 2015

Research has shown that differential reinforcement of alternative behavior (DRA) can be an effective intervention to address problem behavior maintained by negative reinforcement emitted by young children. However, few studies have evaluated the variables that are related to long‐term maintenance (i.e., persistence) of treatment effects. Research on behavioral persistence predicts that the rate of reinforcement provided for a target behavior is correlated with its persistence when challenged. There were 2 purposes of the current investigation. First, we evaluated the effects of the rate of negative reinforcement on the persistence of task completion. Second, we applied the findings regarding rate of reinforcement to a treatment context for 3 participants who engaged in destructive behavior that was reinforced by escape from demands. Results were evaluated within a multielement design and indicated that the rate of negative reinforcement had a moderate influence on the persistence of task completion. These results contribute to the existing literature by extending analyses of persistence to treatment contexts.
A survey of functional behavior assessment methods used by behavior analysts in practice
Authors: Oliver Anthony C. , Pratt Leigh A. , Normand Matthew P.
Published: September 2015

To gather information about the functional behavior assessment (FBA) methods behavior analysts use in practice, we sent a web‐based survey to 12,431 behavior analysts certified by the Behavior Analyst Certification Board. Ultimately, 724 surveys were returned, with the results suggesting that most respondents regularly use FBA methods, especially descriptive assessments. Moreover, the data suggest that the majority of students are being formally taught about the various FBA methods and that educators are emphasizing the range of FBA methods in their teaching. However, less than half of the respondents reported using functional analyses in practice, although many considered descriptive assessments and functional analyses to be the most useful FBA methods. Most respondents reported using informant and descriptive assessments more frequently than functional analyses, and a majority of respondents indicated that they “never” or “almost never” used functional analyses to identify the function of behavior.
The efficiency and efficacy of equivalence‐based learning: A randomized controlled trial
Authors: Zinn Tracy E. , Newland M. Christopher , Ritchie Katie E.
Published: September 2015

Because it employs an emergent‐learning framework, equivalence‐based instruction (EBI) is said to be highly efficient, but its presumed benefits must be compared quantitatively with alternative techniques. In a randomized controlled trial, 61 college students attempted to learn 32 pairs of proprietary and generic drug names using computer‐based match‐to‐sample presentations of auditory and written drug names. Students who received EBI experienced pairings based on stimulus equivalence theory, and they mastered the material quickly. Control‐group students practiced relations drawn at random from those that the EBI group learned via training or emergence. Students in the criterion‐control group required many more trials to achieve the same accuracy as the EBI group. By way of a yoking procedure, students in the trial‐control group received the same number of trials as the EBI students but achieved poorer accuracy and little mastery. Thus, EBI was more efficient and effective than unstructured presentation.
A statewide survey assessing practitioners' use and perceived utility of functional assessment
Authors: Roscoe Eileen M. , Phillips Katurri M. , Kelly Maureen A. , Farber Rachel , Dube William V.
Published: September 2015

The field of applied behavior analysis emphasizes the importance of conducting functional assessment before treatment development for problem behavior. There is, however, little information regarding the extent to which practitioners are using functional assessment in applied settings for individuals with developmental disabilities (DD). The purpose of the current study was to conduct a survey to assess the degree to which various types of functional assessment are implemented in agencies that serve individuals with DD in Massachusetts. Practitioners were asked to indicate their perception about and use of the various categories of functional assessment (e.g., indirect assessment, descriptive assessment, and functional analysis). From the 205 respondents who completed the survey, the most frequently used functional assessment was descriptive assessment. Results indicated that although the majority (67.8%) of practitioners believe functional analysis to be the most informative assessment tool for selecting behavioral treatment, only 34.6% of respondents indicated that they typically use functional analysis to inform the development of a behavior plan.
Deep sequencing analysis of HIV‐1 reverse transcriptase at baseline and time of failure in patients receiving rilpivirine in the phase III studies ECHO and THRIVE
Authors: Van Eygen Veerle , Thys Kim , Van Hove Carl , Rimsky Laurence T. , De Meyer Sandra , Aerssens Jeroen , Picchio Gaston , Vingerhoets Johan
Published: September 2015

Minority variants (1.0–25.0%) were evaluated by deep sequencing (DS) at baseline and virological failure (VF) in a selection of antiretroviral treatment‐naïve, HIV‐1‐infected patients from the rilpivirine ECHO/THRIVE phase III studies. Linkage between frequently emerging resistance‐associated mutations (RAMs) was determined. DS (llIumina®) and population sequencing (PS) results were available at baseline for 47 VFs and time of failure for 48 VFs; and at baseline for 49 responders matched for baseline characteristics. Minority mutations were accurately detected at frequencies down to 1.2% of the HIV‐1 quasispecies. No baseline minority rilpivirine RAMs were detected in VFs; one responder carried 1.9% F227C. Baseline minority mutations associated with resistance to other non‐nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors (NNRTIs) were detected in 8/47 VFs (17.0%) and 7/49 responders (14.3%). Baseline minority nucleoside/nucleotide reverse transcriptase inhibitor (NRTI) RAMs M184V and L210W were each detected in one VF (none in responders). At failure, two patients without NNRTI RAMs by PS carried minority rilpivirine RAMs K101E and/or E138K; and five additional patients carried other minority NNRTI RAMs V90I, V106I, V179I, V189I, and Y188H. Overall at failure, minority NNRTI RAMs and NRTI RAMs were found in 29/48 (60.4%) and 16/48 VFs (33.3%), respectively. Linkage analysis showed that E138K and K101E were usually not observed on the same viral genome. In conclusion, baseline minority rilpivirine RAMs and other NNRTI/NRTI RAMs were uncommon in the rilpivirine arm of the ECHO and THRIVE studies. DS at failure showed emerging NNRTI resistant minority variants in seven rilpivirine VFs who had no detectable NNRTI RAMs by PS. J. Med. Virol. 88:798–806, 2016. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Enhancement of tolerance of Ganoderma lucidum to cadmium by nitric oxide
Authors: Guo Shanshan , Yao Yuan , Zuo Lei , Shi Wenjin , Gao Ni , Xu Heng
Published: September 2015

Nitric oxide (NO) is considered as a signaling molecule involved in regulation of diverse physiological processes and stress responses in animals and plants. However, whether NO regulates fungal, particularly edible fungi, response to heavy metal stresses, is unknown. This study investigated the effect of nitric oxide on biological responses of mycelia of Ganoderma lucidum to cadmium (Cd) toxicity. Exposure of Ganoderma lucidum to Cd (400 µM) triggered production of H2O2 and O2− in the mycelia and further induced lipid peroxidation as well as sharply decrease of fresh biomass. However, such an effect can be reversed by exogenous supply of NO. Mycelia treated with 100 µM SNP accumulated less H2O2, O2–, thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS), and fresh biomass of this treatment was improved. Treatment with SNP significantly increased activities of antioxidant enzyme (peroxidase and catalase) to resist Cd stress. Meanwhile, NO‐mediated alleviation of Cd toxicity was closely related to the accumulated proline as well as reduced Cd accumulation. These results suggested that NO plays a crucial role in preventing the mycelia of Ganoderma lucidum from Cd toxicity.
Waterfowl production from winter wheat fields in North and South Dakota
Authors: Skone Brandi R. , Rotella Jay J. , Walker Johann
Published: September 2015

The Prairie Pothole Region (PPR) of North America produces more than 50% of North America's upland‐nesting ducks. With the recent increase in economic value of some cash‐crops and the potential to lose productive nesting habitat enrolled in the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP), there has been interest in evaluating the efficacy of alternative farming practices to provide additional breeding habitat for waterfowl. We evaluated and compared daily survival rates (DSR) of duck nests (Anasspp.) in winter wheat with those in perennial cover. We also examined the number of hatched nests/ha in each habitat and compared them to estimates in spring wheat to put habitat‐specific estimates of nest survival in perspective. We monitored 1,195 nests in winter wheat and 3,147 in perennial cover in North and South Dakota on 13–19, 10.36‐km2sites each year from 2010 to 2012. In 2010, we also monitored 75 nests in spring wheat. We used an information‐theoretic approach to develop and evaluate a set of competing models based on plausible and previously established covariates affecting nest survival. Across all species, nest survival was at least as high in winter wheat as in perennial cover, and for northern pintails and mallards, estimated nest survival rates were greater in winter wheat. Nest survival also varied by year and study area, was positively related to nest age, and was negatively related to the number of wetland basins, the proportion of cropland in the landscape, and vegetation density. Density of hatched nests in perennial cover (0.14/ha) was on average twice as high as nests in winter wheat fields (0.07/ha), which was in turn 4 times higher than estimates for spring wheat fields (0.02/ha). Our results provide evidence that winter wheat could be a useful tool for wildlife managers seeking to add productive nesting habitat in landscapes under intensive crop production. © 2015 The Wildlife Society.
Microneedle fractional radiofrequency increases epidermal hyaluronan and reverses age‐related epidermal dysfunction
Authors: Lee Hee Jung , Seo Seong Rak , Yoon Moon Soo , Song Ji‐Ye , Lee Eun Young , Lee Sang Eun
Published: September 2015

Background and Objective

Skin aging results in physiological alterations in keratinocyte activities and epidermal function, as well as dermal changes. Yet, the cellular and molecular mechanisms that cause epidermal dysfunction during skin aging are not well understood. Recently, the role of epidermal hyaluronan (HA) as an active regulator of dynamic cellular processes is getting attention and alterations in HA metabolism are thought to be important in age‐related epidermal dysfunction. Microneedle fractional radiofrequency (RF) has shown effects for improving cutaneous aging. However, little is known about the effects of fractional RF on the epidermal HA and epidermal function. We investigated the effect of microneedle fractional RF on the expression of epidermal HA in young and aged mice epidermis.

Materials and Methods

We performed fractional RF on the dorsal skin of 30 8‐week‐old (young) hairless mice and 15 47‐week‐old (aged) C57BL/6J mice. Skin samples were collected on day 1, 3, and 7. HA content was measured by ELISA. Gene expressions of CD 44, HABP4, and HAS3 were measured using real time RT‐PCR. Immunohistochemistry for detection of HA, CD44, PCNA, and filaggrin were performed.

Results

HA content and the mRNA levels of HABP4, CD44, and HAS3 were upregulated in the epidermis of both young and aged mice after microneedle fractional RF treatment. The expression was increased from day 1 after treatment and increased expression persisted on day 7. Fractional RF treatment significantly increased PCNA and filaggrin expression only in the aged mice skin.

Conclusion

Microneedle fractional RF increased epidermal HA and CD44 expression in both young and aged mice and reversed age‐related epidermal dysfunction especially in aged mice, suggesting a new mechanism involved in the skin rejuvenation effect of microneedle fractional RF. Lasers Surg. Med. 48:140–149, 2016. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Treatment of pleural malignancies by photo‐induction combined to systemic chemotherapy: Proof of concept on rodent lung tumors and feasibility study on porcine chest cavities
Authors: Wang Xingyu , Gronchi Fabrizio , Bensimon Michael , Mercier Thomas , Decosterd Laurent Arthur , Wagnières Georges , Debefve Elodie , Ris Hans‐Beat , Letovanec Igor , Peters Solange , Perentes Jean Yannis
Published: September 2015

Background

Low‐dose, Visudyne®‐mediated photodynamic therapy (photo‐induction) was shown to selectively enhance tumor vessel transport causing increased uptake of systemically administered chemotherapy in various tumor types grown on rodent lungs. The present experiments explore the efficacy of photo‐induced vessel modulation combined to intravenous (IV) liposomal cisplatin (Lipoplatin®) on rodent lung tumors and the feasibility/toxicity of this approach in porcine chest cavities.

Material and Methods

Three groups of Fischer rats underwent orthotopic sarcoma (n = 14), mesothelioma (n = 14), or adenocarcinoma (n = 12) implantation on the left lung. Half of the animals of each group had photo‐induction (0.0625 mg/kg Visudyne®, 10 J/cm2) followed by IV administration of Lipoplatin® (5 mg/kg) and the other half received Lipoplatin® without photo‐induction. Then, two groups of minipigs underwent intrapleural thoracoscopic (VATS) photo‐induction (0.0625 mg/kg Visudyne®; 30 J/cm2 hilum; 10 J/cm2 apex/diaphragm) with in situ light dosimetry in combination with IV Lipoplatin® administration (5 mg/kg). Protocol I (n = 6) received Lipoplatin® immediately after light delivery and Protocol II (n = 9) 90 minutes before light delivery. Three additional animals received Lipoplatin® and VATS pleural biopsies but no photo‐induction (controls). Lipoplatin® concentrations were analyzed in blood and tissues before and at regular intervals after photo‐induction using inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry.

Results

Photo‐induction selectively increased Lipoplatin® uptake in all orthotopic tumors. It significantly increased the ratio of tumor to lung Lipoplatin® concentration in sarcoma (P = 0.0008) and adenocarcinoma (P = 0.01) but not in mesothelioma, compared to IV drug application alone. In minipigs, intrapleural photo‐induction combined to systemic Lipoplatin® was well tolerated with no toxicity at 7 days for both treatment protocols. The pleural Lipoplatin® concentrations were not significantly different at 10 and 30 J/cm2 locations but they were significantly higher in protocol I compared to II (2.37 ± 0.7 vs. 1.37 ± 0.7 ng/mg, P  < 0.001).

Conclusion

Visudyne®‐mediated photo‐induction selectively enhances the uptake of IV administered Lipoplatin® in rodent lung tumors. Intrapleural VATS photo‐induction with identical treatment conditions combined to IV Lipoplatin chemotherapy is feasible and well tolerated in a porcine model. Lasers Surg. Med. 47:807–816, 2015. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Prevention of abdominal adhesions and healing skin after peritoniectomy using low level laser
Authors: Teixeira Mara L.C.D. , Vasconcellos Leonardo S. , Oliveira Tharcisio G. , Petroianu Andy , Alberti Luiz R.
Published: September 2015

Background

Adhesions commonly occur after abdominal surgery and can cause bowel obstruction, chronic abdominal pain, and infertility. Their prevention remains a challenge.

Objectives

To evaluate the effects of the application of low‐level lasers on the prevention of adhesions and scarring of the skin after peritoniectomia.

Method

Twenty‐four New Zealand breed male rabbits, approximately 2 months of age, were randomly divided into 3 groups (n = 8): GC—control group not subjected to laser, GL1—group with laser application at a dose of 0.2 J, and GL2—group with laser application at a dose of 3.6 J. All animals received a longitudinal midline incision and a bilateral resection of the peritoneal fragment, measuring 3 × 1 cm2. The animals received a laser treatment of one application every 24 hours, beginning at the time of surgery and lasting for a period of 4 days. After 14 days post‐surgery, the animals were killed and adhesion formation was evaluated qualitatively and quantitatively by means of a laparotomy shaped inverted “U”, which allowed for the verification of the broad wall of the abdominal cavity and organs. Differences were considered significant at P < 0.05.

Results

The adhesion formation was observed in 100% of the rabbits from groups GC and GL1, as compared to 37.5% of the rabbits from group GL2 (P < 0.01). The evaluation of the vascularization and tenacity of adhesions among the groups showed no significant difference. In groups CG and GL1, 72% and 83% of adhesions were verified between visceras, respectively whereas in GL2 occurred among abdominal wall. The tensile strength of the skin between the groups was not significant (P = 0.3106). The resistance of abdominal wall segments without skin he resistance of skin segments between groups GL2 and GC were higher than in GL1 (P = 0.01).

Conclusion

Low‐level LASER is effective in preventing intra‐abdominal adhesions in rabbits without compromising strength and healing of the abdominal wall. Lasers Surg. Med. 47:817–823, 2015. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Surface preparation of historic wrought iron: Evidencing the requirement for standardisation
Authors: Emmerson N. J. , Watkinson D. E.
Published: September 2015

The conservation of heritage wrought iron mostly relies on corrosion prevention by preparation of surfaces and application of protective coatings. In contrast to industrial and engineering treatment of modern steel, conservation practice is not regulated by accepted national and international standards or underpinned by empirical evidence. This paper presents the results of oxygen consumption rate testing (as proxy corrosion rate) of historic wrought iron samples prepared by five commonly applied surface preparation methods and subjected to high humidity environments, with outcomes assessed by use of international standards employed in industrial contexts. Results indicate that choice of surface preparation method has a direct influence on corrosion rate of the uncoated wrought iron, which impacts on performance of the protective coatings that may ultimately determine survival or loss of our rich wrought iron heritage. By implication, more extensive empirical evidence is required to underpin and develop heritage standards for treatment of wrought iron which encompass specifics of the historic material, heritage context and the ethics of conservation practice. The introduction of such standards is called for in order to bring treatment of historic ironwork in line with highly regulated engineering and industrial practices.
Corrosion behavior of nickel and cobalt coatings obtained by high‐velocity oxy‐fuel (HVOF) thermal spraying on API 5CT P110 steel
Authors: Brandolt C. S. , Ortega Vega M. R. , Menezes T. L. , Schroeder R. M. , Malfatti C. F.
Published: September 2015

The API 5CT P110 steel is employed in oil and gas industry due to its excellent mechanical properties. However, its poor corrosion resistance makes necessary the employment of a protection. Although nickel‐based and cobalt‐based coatings obtained by HVOF have been widely studied regarding corrosion resistance, they are normally associated with other elements. Pure nickel and/or pure cobalt HVOF‐obtained coatings have not yet been studied. Therefore, in this work, the corrosion resistance of nickel and cobalt coatings obtained by high‐velocity oxy‐fuel thermal spraying on API 5CT P110 steel was evaluated. The coatings were characterized regarding morphology and structure by SEM, EDS, XRD, roughness, and Vickers microhardness. The corrosion resistance was evaluated by OCP monitoring and potentiodynamic polarization in a 3.5 wt% sodium chloride solution. The results showed that both coatings acted as a barrier and avoided the contact between the steel substrate and the electrolyte due to the low melting point of the metals employed, which resulted in effective fusion of the particles. Besides, the nickel coating, promoted a better corrosion resistance compared to cobalt coating.
Corrosion behavior of Al‐brass alloy during erosion–corrosion process: Effects of jet velocity and sand concentration
Authors: Abedini M. , Ghasemi H. M.
Published: September 2015

Polarization and electrochemical impedance spectrometry measurements were performed on Al‐brass alloy during the erosion–corrosion process. The erosion–corrosion tests were conducted at various SiO2 particle concentrations between 0–90 g/L and three jet velocities of 3, 6, and 9 m/s under an impingement angle of 90°. At a jet velocity of 3 m/s, the results showed a decrease in the corrosion rate at sand concentrations higher than 20 g/L, which was attributed to the particle rebounding effect. At higher jet velocities of 6 and 9 m/s, a continuous increase in the corrosion rate was observed with sand concentration. The results also showed a higher effect of jet velocity on the corrosion rate as compared with the sand concentration. This was related to the increase in the frequency and energy of the impacts by increase in jet velocity, whereas sand concentration could only affect the impact frequency. The role of impact energy on the corrosion rate was determined by calculation of normalized erosion‐enhanced corrosion rate. At high sand concentrations, the normalized erosion‐enhanced corrosion rate of the alloy was a function of second power of jet velocity as was expected by an equation drove from the energy and frequency of impacts.
Waterborne Polymer/Silica Hybrid Nanoparticles and Their Structure in Coatings
Authors: Schoth Alexander , Adurahim Emad S. , Bahattab Mohammed A. , Landfester Katharina , Muñoz‐Espí Rafael
Published: September 2015

The structure control during the formation of films from nanoparticles is investigated. The particles are synthesized by miniemulsion polymerization with different ratios of methyl methacrylate and butyl methacrylate in the presence of silica nanoparticles. The structure of the hybrid particles is controlled by changing the surface properties of the silica through functionalization with 3‐methacryloxypropyltrimethoxysilane (MPS) and octadecyltrimethoxysilane (ODTMS). Fixation of the MPS‐silica due to polymerizable groups leads to a homogeneous distribution inside the polymer, while the inert alkyl chains of ODTMS result in segregation of the silica and the polymer. This difference in the structure is preserved during film formation and aggregation in films can be prevented effectively.