bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The Significance of Atrial Fibrillation in Patients Aged ≥55 years Undergoing Abdominal Surgery
Authors: Kazaure Hadiza S. , Roman Sanziana A. , Tyler Douglas , Sosa Julie A.
Published: September 2014

Background

The Institute of Medicine has identified atrial fibrillation (AF) among national priorities for research. We examine the incidence of AF and its association with outcomes of patients undergoing abdominal surgery.

Methods

Patients ≥55 years who underwent abdominal surgery captured in a State Inpatient Database, 2008–2010. Three patient groups were created: (1) No diagnosis of AF (No‐AF), (2) Pre‐existing AF (Hx‐AF), and (3) New‐onset AF (New‐AF). Outcomes were analysed using bivariate and multivariate methods.

Results

AF incidence among 116,477 patients was 8.6 %; approximately one in four patients aged ≥85 years had AF. 26.6 % of patients with AF experienced New‐AF; the latter was more likely after pancreas resection (43.0 %) and least common after cholecystectomy (20.2 %). Complications (71.1, 47.3 vs. 26.5 %), mortality (8.0, 5.7 vs. 2.0 %), longer hospital stays (8.8, 5.6 vs. 3.8 days), and higher hospitalization cost ($41,427, $26,312 vs. $18,310) were more likely in patients with AF (New‐AF, Hx‐AF vs. No‐AF respectively) (all p < 0.001). After adjustment, New‐AF was among factors independently associated with mortality (OR 2.0, 95 % CI 1.7–2.4, p < 0.001); each case of New‐AF increased cost of care by $4,482. Factors independently associated with New‐AF included ≥1 complication, electrolyte imbalance, and procedure‐type. Whereas 2.0 % of patients who developed New‐AF were admitted from a long‐term care facility, 23.8 % of patients with New‐AF were discharged to a long‐term care facility.

Conclusions

AF is common among abdominal surgery patients, particularly the elderly; New‐AF is a serious, potentially avoidable adverse event that could serve as an important quality of care indicator for abdominal surgery patients.
Transforming Individual Civic Engagement into Community Collective Efficacy: The Role of Bonding Social Capital
Authors: Collins Charles R. , Neal Jennifer Watling , Neal Zachary P.
Published: September 2014

Collective efficacy is defined as residents’ perceived collective capacity to take coordinated and interdependent action on issues that affect their lives. This study explored factors associated with neighborhood collective efficacy among residents. Utilizing a national sample of 4,120 urban households provided by Annie E. Casey Foundation's Making Connection Initiative, we investigated the mediating role of residents’ perceptions of bonding social capital (i.e. reciprocity, trust, and shared norms) in the association between civic engagement and collective efficacy. Multiple regression analyses revealed that civic engagement and bonding social capital were both directly related to collective efficacy. Additionally, bonding social capital partially mediated the relationship between civic engagement and collective efficacy. Specifically, residents who reported greater levels of civic engagement also reported higher levels of bonding social capital. In turn, residents who reported higher levels of bonding social capital also reported higher levels of neighborhood collective efficacy. We discuss implications of these findings for researchers and practitioners interested in associations of neighborhood collective efficacy.
Mitochondrial disease associated with complex I (NADH‐CoQ oxidoreductase) deficiency
Authors: Scheffler Immo E.
Published: September 2014

Mitochondrial diseases due to a reduced capacity for oxidative phosphorylation were first identified more than 20 years ago, and their incidence is now recognized to be quite significant. In a large proportion of cases the problem can be traced to a complex I (NADH‐CoQ oxidoreductase) deficiency (Phenotype MIM #252010). Because the complex consists of 44 subunits, there are many potential targets for pathogenic mutations, both on the nuclear and mitochondrial genomes. Surprisingly, however, almost half of the complex I deficiencies are due to defects in as yet unidentified genes that encode proteins other than the structural proteins of the complex. This review attempts to summarize what we know about the molecular basis of complex I deficiencies: mutations in the known structural genes, and mutations in an increasing number of genes encoding “assembly factors”, that is, proteins required for the biogenesis of a functional complex I that are not found in the final complex I. More such genes must be identified before definitive genetic counselling can be applied in all cases of affected families.
Biomechanical Evaluation of Metacarpal Fracture Fixation: Application of a 90° Internal Fixation Model
Authors: Watt Andrew J. , Ching Randal P. , Huang Jerry I.
Published: September 2014

Purpose

Complications in metacarpal fracture treatment increase in proportion to the severity of the initial injury and the invasiveness of the surgical fixation technique. This manuscript evaluates the feasibility of minimizing internal fixation construct size and soft tissue dissection, while preserving the advantages of stable internal fixation in a biomechanical model. We hypothesized that comparable construct stability could be achieved with mini-plates in an orthogonal (90/90) configuration compared with a standard dorsal plating technique.

Methods

This hypothesis was evaluated in a transverse metacarpal fracture model. Twelve metacarpals were subject to either placement of a 2.0-mm six-hole dorsal plate or two 1.5-mm four-hole mini-plates in a 90/90 configuration. These constructs were tested to failure in a three-point bending apparatus, attaining failure force, displacement, and stiffness.

Results

Mean failure force was 353.5±121.1 N for the dorsal plating construct and 358.8±77.1 N for the orthogonal construct. Mean failure displacement was 3.3±1.2 mm for the dorsal plating construct and 4.1±0.9 mm for the orthogonal construct. Mean stiffness was 161.3±50.0 N/mm for the dorsal plating construct and 122.1±46.6 N/mm for the orthogonal construct. Mean failure moment was 3.09±1.06 Nm for the dorsal plating construct and 3.14±0.67 Nm for the orthogonal construct. The dorsal plating group failed via screw pullout, whereas the orthogonal failed either by screw pullout or breakage of the plate.

Conclusions

When subject to apex dorsal bending, the orthogonal construct and the standard dorsal plate construct behaved comparably. These data suggest that despite its shorter length, lower profile, and less substantial screws, the orthogonal construct provides sufficient rigidity.

Clinical Relevance

This study represents a “proof of concept” regarding the applicability of orthogonal plating in the metacarpal and provides the foundation for minimizing construct size and profile.
Compositional Effects, Segregation and Test Scores: Evidence from the National Assessment of Educational Progress
Authors: Munk Tom E. , McMillian M. Monique , Lewis Nicole R.
Published: September 2014

A model of the effects of economic level and ethnicity on grade 8 mathematics scores both within and between schools found that both the economic composition and the ethnic composition of a school were directly related to the effectiveness of that school. Projection of the data suggests that if the nation's schools were completely desegregated economically (but not at all ethnically), the test-score gap between free lunch students and students paying full price for lunch would decline by 25 %. Ethnic compositional effects for black, Asian/Pacific Islander (API), and Hispanic students were reversed from their within-school effects, with positive effects for students in schools with larger proportions of black and Hispanic students and a strong negative effect for students in schools with larger proportions of Asian/Pacific Islander students.
Effectiveness of Coping Strategies at Alleviating Cue-Induced Craving: a Pilot Study
Authors: Dicker Michelle , Frandsen Mai , Palmer Matthew A. , Ferguson Stuart G.
Published: September 2014

Introduction:Results from observational studies suggest that smoking-related cues play a role in triggering relapse. Coping strategies are among the most commonly used cessation strategies, but little is known about how they aid quitting.

Aims:The aim of this pilot study was to evaluate the effect of a suite of selected coping techniques on alleviating cue-induced cravings.

Methods:Thirty-seven daily smokers (Intervention: 20; Control: 17) participated in two laboratory cue-reactivity sessions, separated by approximately one week, during which craving was assessed before and after exposure to smoking-related cues. Following the first session, participants in the Intervention Group were taught a suite of coping strategies. During the second session, participants in the Intervention Group were encouraged to use these strategies.

Results:Participants in the Intervention Group reported a slight decrease in craving following the acute exposure manipulation at the second session, compared to an increase in craving among participants in the Control Group. Intervention Group participants also reported a decrease in craving following prolonged exposure to the smoking cues (compared to an increase in craving among Control Group participants). In both cases, the difference between groups was more pronounced among smokers who responded to the cue-reactivity manipulation. The observed differences were not significant.

Conclusions:The results of this pilot study suggest that coping techniques may be beneficial in alleviating both the initial spike in craving observed following acute cue exposure, and aid recovery during prolonged exposure. These findings need to be replicated in a larger study.
Cartel Theory and Cartel Practice: The Case of the International Aluminum Cartels, 1901–1940
Authors: Storli Espen
Published: September 2014

The study of cartels is important to economists as well as business historians, but, on the whole, there has been little cross cultivation between the two academic fields. This article examines cartel theory developed by economists in the context of the historical case of international aluminum cartels in existence before 1940. By analyzing three basic theoretical questions—when cartels appear, when they break down, and when they are successful—in light of the empirical evidence of the aluminum industry, the article argues that economics and history, although they have very different approaches, can profit from using each other's methods when studying cartels.
U–Pb zircon geochronology of volcanic deposits from the Permian basin of the Orobic Alps (Southern Alps, Lombardy): chronostratigraphic and geological implications
Authors: BERRA FABRIZIO , TIEPOLO MASSIMO , CAIRONI VALERIA , SILETTO GIAN BARTOLOMEO
Published: September 2014

U–Pb zircon ages from volcanic rocks of Early Permian age (Southern Alps, Lombardy), associated with fault-controlled transtensional continental basins, were determined with the laser ablation (LA)-ICP-MS technique. Four samples were collected at the base and at the top of the up to 1000 m thick volcaniclastic unit of the Cabianca Volcanite. This unit pre-dates the development of a sedimentary succession that still contains, at different stratigraphic levels, volcanic intercalations. Age results from a tuff in the basal part of the unit constrain the onset of the volcanic activity to 280 ± 2.5 Ma. Ignimbritic samples from the upper part of the unit show a large scatter in the age distribution. This is interpreted as the occurrence of antecrystic and autocrystic zircons. The youngest autocrystic zircons (c. 270 Ma) are thus interpreted as better constraining the eruption age, constraining the duration of the volcanic activity in the Orobic Basin to about 10 Ma. The new geochronological results compared with those of other Early Permian basins of the Southern Alps reveal important differences that may reflect (1) a real time-transgressive beginning and end of the volcanic activity or (2) the complex mixing of antecrystic and autocrystic zircon populations in the analysed samples.
Trade, Foreign Direct Investment, and Immigration Policy Making in the United States
Authors: Peters Margaret E.
Published: September 2014

This article argues that immigration policy formation in the United States after 1950 can only be understood in the context of the increasing integration of world markets. Increasing trade openness has exposed firms that rely on immigrant labor to foreign competition and increased the likelihood that these firms fail. Increasing openness by other states to foreign direct investment (FDI) allowed these same firms to move production overseas. Firms' choices to close their doors or to move overseas decrease their need for labor at home, leading them to spend their political capital on issues other than immigration. Their lack of support for open immigration, in turn, allows policymakers to restrict immigration. An examination of voting behavior on immigration in the US Senate shows that the integration of world capital and goods markets has had an important effect on the politics of immigration in the United States and shows little support for existing theories of immigration policy formation. In addition to increasing one's understanding of immigration policy, this article sheds light on how trade openness and firms' choice of production location can affect their preference for other foreign economic policies as well as domestic policies such as labor, welfare, and environmental policies.
Ascension Island as a mid-Atlantic developmental habitat for juvenile hawksbill turtles
Authors: Weber Sam B. , Weber Nicola , Godley Brendan J. , Pelembe Tara , Stroud Stedson , Williams Natasha , Broderick Annette C.
Published: September 2014

Ascension Island in the South Atlantic Ocean is renowned for its globally-important nesting population of green turtles (Chelonia mydas) that has been the subject of long-term research. By comparison, very little is known about the apparently small population of hawksbill turtles (Eretmochelys imbricata) that have been recorded in its waters, thousands of kilometres from known nesting beaches. Here, we collate 10 years of in-water tagging data, opportunistic public sighting records and underwater observations to provide a baseline for future research, and present preliminary data on habitat use derived from two individuals fitted with GPS transmitters. Although public sightings were inevitably biased towards popular recreation areas, the resulting distribution suggests that hawksbill turtles occur year round in Ascension Island's waters along the entire 65 km of coastline. Hawksbills were observed feeding on benthic algae and encrusting sponges, and were frequently seen scavenging on fish discards around the Island's pier at night aided by anthropogenic lighting. Between 2003 and 2013, 35 turtles were captured, measured, tagged and then released. Curved carapace lengths ranged from 33.5 to 85 cm (mean = 48.8 cm) indicating that most (if not all) individuals encountered around Ascension are post-pelagic juveniles. Four individuals were recaptured at least once giving a mean minimum residence time of 4.2 yr (range: 2.8–7.3 yr) and a mean growth rate of 2.8 cm yr−1. Turtles fitted with Fastloc™ GPS devices remained at Ascension Island for the duration of the study (>90 days) and occupied restricted home ranges with an average area of 2.5 km2 and an average ‘core use area’ (50% utilization distribution) of 0.05 km2. Together, these results suggest that Ascension Island serves as a mid-Atlantic developmental habitat for benthic-feeding, juvenile hawksbill turtles on extended oceanic migrations before recruiting to their adult foraging grounds, likely to be located in Brazil or tropical West Africa.
The microbiome in inflammatory bowel disease and its modulation as a therapeutic manoeuvre
Authors: Hart A. L. , Hendy P.
Published: September 2014

Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is increasing in incidence in both the developed and the developing world. Genetic, immunological and environmental factors are known to be involved. Genome-wide studies have examined the contribution played by host genetics in the development of IBD and have estimated that genetic factors are responsible for about 25 % of the disease risk. Having an IBD-associated genotype does not always lead to development of the disease phenotype, and hence it seems likely that environmental factors are key to triggering development of the disease in genetically susceptible individuals. The gut microbiota contains more cells than its human host, and mounting evidence attests to the importance of the microbiota in the development of several diseases, including IBD, metabolic syndrome and CVD. The present paper reviews the interplay between the microbiota and the mucosal immune system in health and in IBD; and discusses the evidence base for the use of therapeutic modulation of the microbiota to prevent and treat IBD.
Brand Dilution and the Breakdown of Political Parties in Latin America
Authors: Lupu Noam
Published: September 2014

Why would a national political party that has been competitive for decades collapse overnight? In recent years, parties across Latin America went from being major contenders for executive office to electoral irrelevance over the course of a single electoral cycle. The author develops an explanation that highlights the impact of elite actions on voter behavior. During the 1980s and 1990s leaders across the region implemented policies that were inconsistent with their traditional party brand, provoked internal party conflicts, and formed strange-bedfellow alliances with traditional rivals. These actions diluted the brands of their parties, eroding voters' partisan attachments. Without the assured support of partisans, parties become more susceptible to retrospective voting. Voters who now had no party attachments deserted incumbent parties when they performed poorly. The author tests this interactive hypothesis using matched comparisons of six party-election cases from Argentina and Venezuela.
Are Developing Countries Really Defying the Embedded Liberalism Compact?
Authors: Nooruddin Irfan , Rudra Nita
Published: September 2014

This study evaluates the embedded liberalism hypothesis in a broad swath of less developed countries (LDCs). The authors find that LDC governments pursue a distinct welfare state policy that protects citizens from economic insecurities associated with global market expansion. Specifically, governments use public employment—and particularly employment in civil services and administration—to foster domestic stability alongside market expansion. However, such jobs are targeted to politically salient groups, not poorer groups that might also face increased economic uncertainty postopenness. In turn, public employment shores up public support for openness. The authors' findings suggest that free traders have reasons both to celebrate and to bemoan this LDC embedded liberalism compact. On the positive side, LDC governments are working hard to maintain political support for free trade; on the other hand, the compromise of protecting privileged groups at the expense of others in society raises questions about the long-term sustainability of their strategy.
Communism, Federalism, and Ethnic Minorities: Explaining Party Competition Patterns in Eastern Europe
Authors: Rovny Jan
Published: September 2014

Scholarship on East European politics expects that party competition in the region is determined by various communist legacies, juxtaposing state-centric authoritarianism to a liberal market economy. Recent empirical evidence, however, uncovers significant variance of party competition patterns across East European countries. To explain this variance, this article argues that an interaction between communist institutional framework and partisan responses to ethnic minorities determines party competition structure in the region. While experience with communist federalism determines partisan affinities with ethnic minorities, tolerance or support for ethnic minorities leads the political actors associated with those minorities to general socially liberal positions. Consequently—and contrary to received knowledge—ethnic politics influence the ideological content of party competition and structure party systems in Eastern Europe.
SECOND ORDER EXPANSION OF THET-STATISTIC IN AR(1) MODELS
Authors: Mikusheva Anna
Published: September 2014

The purpose of this paper is to differentiate between several asymptotically valid methods for confidence set construction for the autoregressive coefficient in AR(1) models. We show that the nonparametric grid bootstrap procedure suggested by Hansen (1999,Review of Economics and Statistics81, 594–607) achieves a second order refinement in the local-to-unity asymptotic approach when compared with a modified version of Stock’s (1991,Journal of Monetary Economics28, 435–459) and Andrews’ (1993,Econometrica61, 139–165) grid testing procedures. We establish a second order expansion of thet-statistic in an AR(1) model in the local-to-unity asymptotic approach, which differs drastically from the usual Edgeworth-type expansions by approximating the statistic around a nonstandard and nonpivotal limit.
OPTIMAL MAINTENANCE OF SEMI-MARKOV MISSIONS
Authors: Çekyay Bora , Özekici Süleyman
Published: September 2014

We analyze optimal replacement and repair problems of semi-Markov missions that are composed of phases with random sequence and durations. The mission process is the minimal semi-Markov process associated with a Markov renewal process. The system is a complex one consisting of non-identical components whose failure properties depend on the mission process. We prove some monotonicity properties for the optimal replacement policy and analyze the optimal repair problem under different cost structures.
The Role of Partnership Status on Late-Life Physical Function
Authors: Clouston Sean A. P. , Lawlor Andrea , Verdery Ashton M.
Published: September 2014

Cette étude a examiné les voies socio-économiques reliant le statut de partenariat pour le fonctionnement physique en fin de vie, mesuré à l'aide des moyens objectifs, y compris le débit de pointe et la force de préhension. Utilisant la vague 4 de l’enquête SHARE sur la santé, le vieillissement et la retraite en Europe, nous avons couru des modèles multi-niveaux pour examiner la relation entre le statut de partenariat et la fonctionnement physique en fin de vie, en ajustant les caractéristiques des réseaux sociaux, les facteurs socio-économiques et les comportements sanitaires. Nous avons trouvé une relation forte entre le statut de partenariat et le fonctionnement physique. L'incorporation des caractéristiques des réseaux sociaux, des facteurs socio-économiques et des comportements de santé ont montré de relations indépendantes et solides avec le fonctionnement physique. La covariance a atténué l'impact de la cohabitation, la séparation, le veuvage sur la fonction physique; des effets robustes ont été trouvés pour le célibat et le divorce. Analyses séparées par sexe suggèrent que les associations entre la cohabitation, le célibat, le divorce et le veuvage sont plus pour les hommes que pour les femmes. Les résultats indiquent que les liens sociaux sont importants pour l'amélioration du fonctionnement physique.
Control of varicella in the post-vaccination era in Australia: a model-based assessment of catch-up and infant vaccination strategies for the future
Authors: GAO Z. , WOOD J. G. , GIDDING H. F. , NEWALL A. T. , MENZIES R. I. , WANG H. , McINTYRE P. B. , MACINTYRE C. R.
Published: September 2014

In Australia, varicella vaccine was universally funded in late 2005 as a single dose at 18 months. A school-based catch-up programme for children aged 10–13 years without a history of infection or vaccination was funded until 2015, when those eligible for universal infant vaccination would have reached the age of high school entry. This study projects the impact of discontinuing catch-up vaccination on varicella and zoster incidence and morbidity using a transmission dynamic model, in comparison with alternative policy options, including two-dose strategies. At current vaccine coverage (83% at 2 years and 90% at 5 years), ceasing the adolescent catch-up programme in 2015 was projected to increase varicella-associated morbidity between 2035 and 2050 by 39%. Although two-dose infant programmes had the lowest estimated varicella morbidity, the incremental benefit from the second dose fell by 70% if first dose coverage increased from 83% to 95% by age 24 months. Overall zoster morbidity was predicted to rise after vaccination, but differences between strategies were small. Our results suggest that feasibility of one-dose coverage approaching 95% is an important consideration in estimating incremental benefit from a second dose of varicella vaccine.
Aetiologies of diarrhoea in adults from urban and rural treatment facilities in Bangladesh
Authors: FERDOUS F. , AHMED S. , FARZANA F. D. , DAS J. , MALEK M. A. , DAS S. K. , SALAM M. A. , FARUQUE A. S. G.
Published: September 2014

The objective of our analysis was to describe the aetiology, clinical features, and socio-demographic background of adults with diarrhoea attending different urban and rural diarrhoeal disease hospitals in Bangladesh. Between January 2010 and December 2011, a total of 5054 adult diarrhoeal patients aged ⩾20 years were enrolled into the Diarrhoeal Disease Surveillance Systems at four different hospitals (two rural and two urban) of Bangladesh. Middle-aged [adjusted odds ratio (aOR) 0·28, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0·23–0·35,P < 0·001] and elderly (aOR 0·15, 95% CI 0·11–0·20,P < 0·001) patients were more likely to present to rural diarrhoeal disease facilities than urban ones.Vibrio choleraewas the most commonly isolated pathogen (16%) of the four pathogens tested followed by rotavirus (5%), enterotoxigenicEscherichia coli(ETEC) (4%), andShigella(4%). Of these pathogens,V. cholerae(19%vs. 11%,P < 0·001), ETEC (9%vs. 4%,P < 0·001), and rotavirus (5%vs. 3%,P = 0·013) were more commonly detected from patients presenting to urban hospitals than rural hospitals, butShigellawas more frequently isolated from patients presenting to rural hospitals than urban hospitals (7%vs. 2%,P< 0·001). The isolation rate ofShigellawas higher in the elderly than in younger adults (8%vs. 3%,P < 0·001). Some or severe dehydration was higher in urban adults than rural adults (P< 0·001). Our findings indicate that despite economic and other progress made, conditions facilitating transmission ofV. choleraeandShigellaprevail in adults with diarrhoea in Bangladesh and further efforts are needed to control these infections.
Temporal trends in BMI in Argentina by socio-economic position and province-level economic development, 2005–2009
Authors: Christine Paul J , Diez Roux Ana V , Wing Jeffrey J , Alazraqui Marcio , Spinelli Hugo
Published: September 2014

Objective

We investigated temporal trends in BMI, and assessed hypothesized predictors of trends including socio-economic position (SEP) and province-level economic development, in Argentina.

Design

Using multivariable linear regression, we evaluated cross-sectional patterning and temporal trends in BMI and examined heterogeneity in these associations by SEP and province-level economic development with nationally representative samples from Argentina in 2005 and 2009. We calculated mean annual changes in BMI for men and women to assess secular trends.

Results

Women, but not men, exhibited a strong cross-sectional inverse association between SEP and BMI, with the lowest-SEP women having an average BMI 2·55 kg/m2greater than the highest-SEP women. Analysis of trends revealed a mean annual increase in BMI of 0·19 kg/m2and 0·15 kg/m2for women and men, respectively, with slightly greater increases occurring in provinces with greater economic growth. No significant heterogeneity in trends existed by individual SEP.

Conclusions

BMI is increasing rapidly over time in Argentina irrespective of various sociodemographic characteristics. Higher BMI remains more common in women of lower SEP compared with those of higher SEP.
An evaluation of the effectiveness of the flour iron fortification programme in Brazil
Authors: dos Santos Quenia , Nilson Eduardo AF , Verly Junior Eliseu , Sichieri Rosely
Published: September 2014

Objective

The present communication reports a strategy to calculate the intake of Fe based on data available for folic acid and evaluate the programme of flour fortification in Brazil.

Design

Cross-sectional study conducted in Brazil during 2008 and 2009. A 2d dietary record of individuals was used. The usual intake of folic acid by sex and age group was estimated using the National Cancer Institute method. The quantity of folic acid and Fe established by mandatory food fortification in Brazil was used, and based on that quantity we calculated the amount of flour consumed and the intake of Fe from fortification and Fe from food. Then, the absorption of each nutrient was calculated.

Setting

Brazilian households (n 16 764).

Subjects

Individuals (men and women, n 34 003, aged 10 to 60+ years) from a Brazilian nationwide survey.

Results

Mean intake and absorption of Fe from fortification (electrolytic Fe) was low in men and women.

Conclusions

The impact from the consumption of fortified products is small in relation to Fe intake in Brazil. The strategy proposed to estimate Fe intake from the fortification programme indicates that the amount of flour intake observed in Brazil does not justify the current ranges of mandatory flour fortification and the form of Fe that is mainly used (electrolytic Fe).
PHYSIOLOGY IN PLATO'S TIMAEUS: IRRIGATION, DIGESTION AND RESPIRATION
Authors: Pelavski Andrés
Published: September 2014

The third part of the Timaeus, where the account is focused on the cooperation of reason and necessity, has received far less attention than the opening two sections. Particularly, the description of irrigation, digestion and respiration constitutes a challenging passage that has been conspicuously overlooked by scholarly research. Virtually the only modern explanation for the passage was devised by Cornford, and despite several inaccuracies it has been unanimously accepted by all commentators. This paper will challenge Cornford's interpretation, and use some modern biological concepts to provide an alternative approach to the passage more compatible with an actual human body.
Design of wideband orthogonal MIMO antenna with improved correlation using a parasitic element for mobile handsets
Authors: Akdagli Ali , Toktas Abdurrahim
Published: September 2014

In this paper, a novel design of compact wideband multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) antenna operating over a frequency range of 1.8–4.0 GHz at 10 dB is presented for mobile terminals. The MIMO antenna design consists of two symmetrical and orthogonal radiating elements with a small size of 15.5 × 16.5 mm2 printed on the corners of a mobile circuit board. The radiating element is composed of four meandered monopole branches with a strip-line fed by a probe. By triangularly trimming the corners of the common ground plane beneath the radiating elements, not only the mutual coupling is reduced, but also impedance bandwidth is increased. Although, the antenna in this form has sufficient correlation level between the radiating elements for MIMO operation, a novel design of plus-shaped parasitic element is inserted to the ground plane between those radiating elements in order to further enhance the isolation. The performance of the MIMO antenna is investigated in terms of s-parameters, radiation pattern, gain, envelope correlation coefficient (ECC), and total active reflection coefficient (TARC), and is verified through the measurements. The results demonstrate that the proposed MIMO antenna has good characteristics of wideband, isolation, gain, radiation pattern, and is compatible with LTE, WiMAX, and WLAN, besides it is small, compact, and embeddable in mobile terminals.
Prevalence of severe ADHD: an epidemiological study in the Italian regions of Tuscany and Latium
Authors: Donfrancesco R. , Marano A. , Calderoni D. , Mugnaini D. , Thomas F. , Di Trani M. , Innocenzi M. , Vitiello B.
Published: September 2014

Background.

The rate with which attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is diagnosed varies widely across countries, suggesting that cultural factors influence the clinical interpretation of child behaviour. This study estimated the point prevalence of severe ADHD among elementary and middle-school Italian children.

Method.

An epidemiological sample of 2016 children attending 2nd–8th grade in the Italian regions of Tuscany and Latium was selected based on census distribution of the school-age population. Teachers completed the Italian version of the ADHD Rating Scale for Teachers (SDAI). For children with at least six inattention symptoms and/or at least six hyperactivity/impulsivity symptoms rated ‘very often’ by the teachers, the parents completed the Italian ADHD Rating Scale for Parents (SDAG). Children with documented ADHD symptoms at both school and home received a complete psychiatric interview with the Kiddie Schedule for Affective Disorders and Schizophrenia-present and lifetime version (K-SADS-PL).

Results.

Of the 1887 assessed children, 4.45% (95% CI 3.58–5.51) met the ADHD cut-off on teacher ratings, 1.43% (0.96–2.12) had ADHD symptoms endorsed by both teacher and parent, and 1.32% (0.87–1.97) were further confirmed by the psychiatric evaluation. The male:female ratio was 7:1. The inattentive type accounted for about half of the ADHD cases.

Conclusions.

When applying stringent criteria for both severity and pervasiveness of symptoms, it is estimated that about 1.3% of the Italian elementary and middle-school children suffer from severe ADHD.
Size-independent symmetric division in extraordinarily long cells
Authors: Pende Nika , Leisch Nikolaus , Gruber-Vodicka Harald R. , Heindl Niels R. , Ott Jörg , den Blaauwen Tanneke , Bulgheresi Silvia
Published: September 2014

Two long-standing paradigms in biology are that cells belonging to the same population exhibit little deviation from their average size and that symmetric cell division is size limited. Here, ultrastructural, morphometric and immunocytochemical analyses reveal that two Gammaproteobacteria attached to the cuticle of the marine nematodes Eubostrichus fertilis and E. dianeae reproduce by constricting a single FtsZ ring at midcell despite being 45 μm and 120 μm long, respectively. In the crescent-shaped bacteria coating E. fertilis, symmetric FtsZ-based fission occurs in cells with lengths spanning one order of magnitude. In the E. dianeae symbiont, formation of a single functional FtsZ ring makes this the longest unicellular organism in which symmetric division has ever been observed. In conclusion, the reproduction modes of two extraordinarily long bacterial cells indicate that size is not the primary trigger of division and that yet unknown mechanisms time the localization of both DNA and the septum.
Building the graph of medicine from millions of clinical narratives
Authors: Finlayson Samuel G. , LePendu Paea , Shah Nigam H.
Published: September 2014

Electronic health records (EHR) represent a rich and relatively untapped resource for characterizing the true nature of clinical practice and for quantifying the degree of inter-relatedness of medical entities such as drugs, diseases, procedures and devices. We provide a unique set of co-occurrence matrices, quantifying the pairwise mentions of 3 million terms mapped onto 1 million clinical concepts, calculated from the raw text of 20 million clinical notes spanning 19 years of data. Co-frequencies were computed by means of a parallelized annotation, hashing, and counting pipeline that was applied over clinical notes from Stanford Hospitals and Clinics. The co-occurrence matrix quantifies the relatedness among medical concepts which can serve as the basis for many statistical tests, and can be used to directly compute Bayesian conditional probabilities, association rules, as well as a range of test statistics such as relative risks and odds ratios. This dataset can be leveraged to quantitatively assess comorbidity, drug-drug, and drug-disease patterns for a range of clinical, epidemiological, and financial applications.
Development of anion-exchange high-performance liquid chromatography-inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry methods for the speciation analysis of inorganic selenium and iodine in groundwater
Authors: Nie Zhe , Zheng Lingna , Feng Weiyue , Liu Chunli
Published: September 2014

An HPLC-ICP-MS method for simultaneous speciation of selenium and iodine has been developed. Species in groundwater samples from a potential Chinese HLW repository site were determined at ultra-trace level.
A highly Lewis-acidic Pd(iv) surface on Pd@SiO2 nanocatalysts for hydroalkoxylation reactions
Authors: Kim Mijong , Lee Suyeon , Kim Kiseong , Shin Dongwoo , Kim Hyunwoo , Song Hyunjoon
Published: September 2014

The Pd(iv) species, generated on the surface of Pd@SiO2 nanocatalysts via oxidation with iodobenzene dichloride (PhICl2) or N-chlorosuccinimide (NCS), showed high reactivity and superior stability for hydroalkoxylation reactions.
DNA–RNA chimera indicates the flexibility of the backbone influences the encapsulation of fluorescent AgNC emitters
Authors: Shah Pratik , Thulstrup Peter W. , Cho Seok Keun , Bjerrum Morten Jannik , Yang Seong Wook
Published: September 2014

Many DNA scaffolds efficiently encapsulate highly emissive silver nanoclusters (AgNCs).
Discovery of a new crystalline phase: BiGeO2(OH)2(NO3)
Authors: Kobayashi Kiyoshi , Ikeda Takuji , Hiyoshi Norihito , Sakka Yoshio
Published: September 2014

A new crystalline phase, BiGeO2(OH)2(NO3), has been synthesized from a homogeneous aqueous solution. This new phase is found to possess a layered structure consisting of BiO6polyhedra, GeO5trigonal bipyramids and nitrate ions.
Magnetic-field-assisted hydrothermal synthesis of 2 × 2 tunnels of MnO2 nanostructures with enhanced supercapacitor performance
Authors: Shao Jiajia , Li Wenyao , Zhou Xiying , Hu Junqing
Published: September 2014

An electrode of the MnO2 nanostructures with 2 × 2 tunnels prepared via magnetic-field-assisted hydrothermal synthesis exhibited an enhanced specific capacitance (306 F g−1) and excellent cyclic stability.
Morphological and orientational diversity of LiFePO4crystallites: remarkable reaction path dependence in hydrothermal/solvothermal syntheses
Authors: Li Zhaojin , Zhu Kongjun , Li Jialin , Wang Xiaohui
Published: September 2014

Reaction path difference in synthesis conditions has resulted in the morphological and orientational diversity of resultant LiFePO4crystallites.
Active site engineering in UiO-66 type metal–organic frameworks by intentional creation of defects: a theoretical rationalization
Authors: Vandichel Matthias , Hajek Julianna , Vermoortele Frederik , Waroquier Michel , De Vos Dirk E. , Van Speybroeck Veronique
Published: September 2014

The catalytic activity of the Zr-benzenedicarboxylate (Zr-BDC) UiO-66 increases by using synthesis modulators as trifluoroacetate (TFA) or hydrochloric acid (HCl), which can be removed post-synthetically.
Monophasic ligand-free alloy nanoparticle synthesis determinants during pulsed laser ablation of bulk alloy and consolidated microparticles in water
Authors: Neumeister Anne , Jakobi Jurij , Rehbock Christoph , Moysig Janine , Barcikowski Stephan
Published: September 2014

Laser ablation in liquids yields solid solution alloy nanoparticles, where alloy formation is caused by ablation and not by post-irradiation of colloidal nanoparticles.
Water monitoring: automated and real time identification and classification of algae using digital microscopy
Authors: Coltelli Primo , Barsanti Laura , Evangelista Valtere , Frassanito Anna Maria , Gualtieri Paolo
Published: September 2014

This paper presents an innovative system, providing a reliable, real time recognition of multi-algal samples for environmental monitoring purposes.
A comparison on the preparation of hot water extracts from Chlorella pyrenoidosa (CPEs) and radical scavenging and macrophage activation effects of CPEs
Authors: Zhuang Xiuyuan , Zhang Daojing , Qin Wen , Deng Jia , Shan Hui , Tao Liming , Li Yuanguang
Published: September 2014

Hot water extract ofChlorella pyrenoidosa, prepared under high-pressure, was effective atin vitrofree radical scavenging and macrophage growth promotion.
Design, synthesis, and preliminary bioactivity studies of substituted purine hydroxamic acid derivatives as novel histone deacetylase (HDAC) inhibitors
Authors: Wang Junhua , Sun Feng'e , Han Leiqiang , Hou Xuben , Pan Xiaole , Liu Renshuai , Tang Weiping , Fang Hao
Published: September 2014

Histone deacetylase (HDAC) is a clinically validated target for anti-tumor therapy. In order to increase HDAC inhibition and efficiency, we developed a series of novel substituted purine hydroxamic acids as potent HDAC inhibitors.
Optimisation of a triazolopyridine based histone demethylase inhibitor yields a potent and selective KDM2A (FBXL11) inhibitor
Authors: England Katherine S. , Tumber Anthony , Krojer Tobias , Scozzafava Giuseppe , Ng Stanley S. , Daniel Michelle , Szykowska Aleksandra , Che KaHing , von Delft Frank , Burgess-Brown Nicola A. , Kawamura Akane , Schofield Christopher J. , Brennan Paul E.
Published: September 2014

Compound 35 is a potent and selective triazolopyridine inhibitor of the lysine demethylase KDM2A (pIC50 7.2).
Computationally motivated synthesis and enzyme kinetic evaluation of N-(β-d-glucopyranosyl)-1,2,4-triazolecarboxamides as glycogen phosphorylase inhibitors
Authors: Begum Jaida , Varga Gergely , Docsa Tibor , Gergely Pál , Hayes Joseph M. , Juhász László , Somsák László
Published: September 2014

N-(β-d-Glucopyranosyl)-1,2,4-triazolecarboxamides discovered as low μM inhibitors of glycogen phosphorylase b.
Modulation of Zn/Cd P1B2-ATPase activities in Arabidopsis impacts differently on Zn and Cd contents in shoots and seeds
Authors: Cun Pierre , Sarrobert Catherine , Richaud Pierre , Chevalier Anne , Soreau Paul , Auroy Pascaline , Gravot Antoine , Baltz Anthony , Leonhardt Nathalie , Vavasseur Alain
Published: September 2014

Changes in the expression levels of P1B2-ATPases in Arabidopsis impacts Zn and Cd contents in shoots and seeds.
A highly stable double-coordinated 2-hydroxy-tri(tert-butyl)-substituted zinc phthalocyanine dimer: synthesis, spectral study, thermal stability and electrochemical properties
Authors: Tolbin Alexander Yu. , Pushkarev Victor E. , Balashova Irina O. , Dzuban Alexander V. , Tarakanov Pavel A. , Trashin Stanislav A. , Tomilova Larisa G. , Zefirov Nikolay S.
Published: September 2014

Photophysical properties of the thermally and chemically stable J-type phthalocyanine dimer were studied for the first time.
Synthesis of a cone-conformer bimodal calix[4]arene-crown-5 which forms a sensitive cesium ion sensing layer on gold-coated microcantilevers
Authors: Valluru Gopikishore , Rahman Shofiur , Georghiou Paris E. , Dawe Louise N. , Alodhayb Abdullah N. , Beaulieu Luc Y.
Published: September 2014

A “bimodal” or upper- and lower-rim functionalized “calix-crown-5” reported herein was unexpectedly formed preferentially in a cone conformation and forms a SAM on Au.
Rhodium-catalyzed ortho-cyanation of symmetrical azobenzenes with N-cyano-N-phenyl-p-toluenesulfonamide
Authors: Han Jie , Pan Changduo , Jia Xuefeng , Zhu Chengjian
Published: September 2014

A rhodium(iii)-catalyzedortho-cyanation of symmetrical azobenzenes with NCTSviaazo-group-directed C(sp2)–H bond activation is described.
Polyion complex micelles with gradient pH-sensitivity for adjustable intracellular drug delivery
Authors: Chen Jinjin , Ding Jianxun , Zhang Ying , Xiao Chunsheng , Zhuang Xiuli , Chen Xuesi
Published: September 2014

Four polyion complex micelles with gradient pH-sensitivity were prepared through the electrostatic interaction for adjustable “on demand” intracellular targeting chemotherapy.
MnO2-doped, polyaniline-grafted rice husk ash nanocomposites and their electrochemical capacitor applications
Authors: Prabunathan P. , Sethuraman K. , Alagar M.
Published: September 2014

The utilization of renewable rice husk ash (RHA) in an energy storage system without any activation is described.
Divergent reaction: metal & oxidant free direct C–H aryloxylation and hydride free formal reductive N-benzylation of N-heterocycles
Authors: Mahato Sujit , Haque Md Ashraful , Dwari Soumita , Jana Chandan K.
Published: September 2014

Metal, oxidant and other additive-free novel methods for direct C–H aryloxylation of aliphatic amines are developed. Divergent reaction for the synthesis of ring-fused oxazine and arylmethylamine is developed.
Growth of SnO2 nanowire arrays by ultrasonic spray pyrolysis and their gas sensing performance
Authors: Sun Jianbo , Sun Peng , Zhang Dalin , Xu Jing , Liang Xishuang , Liu Fengmin , Lu Geyu
Published: September 2014

The direct synthesis of tin dioxide (SnO2) nanowire arrays on a glass substrate by using an ultrasonic spray pyrolysis method combined with sintering is demonstrated.
Calcite precipitation from by-product red gypsum in aqueous carbonation process
Authors: Rahmani Omeid , Tyrer Mark , Junin Radzuan
Published: September 2014

Red gypsum has not yet been investigated for the carbonation process. Lack of study of this gives novelty to this study.
Theoretical investigation of the chemoselectivity and synchronously pyrazole ring formation mechanism from ethoxymethylenemalononitrile and hydrazine hydrate in the gas and solvent phases: DFT, meta-GGA studies and NBO analysis
Authors: Sabet-Sarvestani H. , Eshghi H. , Bakavoli M. , Izadyar M. , Rahimizadeh M.
Published: September 2014

Chemoselectivity of the nucleophilic attack of nitrogen atom has been changed in the presence of the solvent due to Rds changes.
Improvement of boehmite nanoparticles' aqueous dispersability by controlling their size, shape and crystallinity
Authors: Pardo Pablo , Calatayud José Miguel , Alarcón Javier
Published: September 2014

Control of size, morphology and dispersability in water of the boehmite nanoparticles prepared with additives by a hydrothermal method.
Recent advances in the production of polyols from lignocellulosic biomass and biomass-derived compounds
Authors: Liu Xiaoran , Wang Xicheng , Yao Shengxi , Jiang Yijun , Guan Jing , Mu Xindong
Published: September 2014

This review summarizes the recent advances in biomass upgrading for polyol production with an emphasis on the formation of glycols.
Strain-mediated multilevel ferroelectric random access memory operating through a magnetic field
Authors: Wang Jie , Nagano Koyo , Shimada Takahiro , Kitamura Takayuki
Published: September 2014

Three hysteresis loops between the toroidal moment and vorticity in the ferroelectric memory cell with four stable vortex states.
Upgrading malic acid to bio-based benzoates via a Diels–Alder-initiated sequence with the methyl coumalate platform
Authors: Lee Jennifer J. , Pollock III Gerald R. , Mitchell Donald , Kasuga Lindsay , Kraus George A.
Published: September 2014

Malic acid dimerization was optimized to methyl coumalate from which a Diels–Alder strategy produced a variety of bio-based benzoates.
Synthesis and optimization of CdTe quantum dots with the help of erythorbic acid and ethanol
Authors: Liang Yan , Tan Jiawei , Wang Jiexin , Chen Jianfeng , Sun Baochang , Shao Lei
Published: September 2014

The effects of erythorbic acid (EA) and ethanol on the aqueous formation of cadmium telluride (CdTe) quantum dots (QDs) were explored in this work.
Sorption of Cr(vi) on Mg–Al–Fe layered double hydroxides synthesized by a mechanochemical method
Authors: Zhang Fengrong , Du Na , Li Haiping , Liang Xuefeng , Hou Wanguo
Published: September 2014

Mg–Al–Fe layered double hydroxides (LDHs) were synthesized by a mechanochemical method. Sorption of Cr(vi) on the LDHs in aqueous solution was investigated. With increasing Fe content in the LDHs, sorption capacity for Cr(vi) increased. The mechanochemical method can be used to synthesize LDH sorbents.