bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
A comprehensive DNA barcode database for Central European beetles with a focus on Germany: adding more than 3500 identified species to BOLD
Authors: Hendrich Lars , Morinière Jérôme , Haszprunar Gerhard , Hebert Paul D. N. , Hausmann Axel , Köhler Frank , Balke Michael
Published: December 2014

Beetles are the most diverse group of animals and are crucial for ecosystem functioning. In many countries, they are well established for environmental impact assessment, but even in the well‐studied Central European fauna, species identification can be very difficult. A comprehensive and taxonomically well‐curated DNA barcode library could remedy this deficit and could also link hundreds of years of traditional knowledge with next generation sequencing technology. However, such a beetle library is missing to date. This study provides the globally largest DNA barcode reference library for Coleoptera for 15 948 individuals belonging to 3514 well‐identified species (53% of the German fauna) with representatives from 97 of 103 families (94%). This study is the first comprehensive regional test of the efficiency of DNA barcoding for beetles with a focus on Germany. Sequences ≥500 bp were recovered from 63% of the specimens analysed (15 948 of 25 294) with short sequences from another 997 specimens. Whereas most specimens (92.2%) could be unambiguously assigned to a single known species by sequence diversity at CO1, 1089 specimens (6.8%) were assigned to more than one Barcode Index Number (BIN), creating 395 BINs which need further study to ascertain if they represent cryptic species, mitochondrial introgression, or simply regional variation in widespread species. We found 409 specimens (2.6%) that shared a BIN assignment with another species, most involving a pair of closely allied species as 43 BINs were involved. Most of these taxa were separated by barcodes although sequence divergences were low. Only 155 specimens (0.97%) show identical or overlapping clusters.
Serum procalcitonin as a diagnostic aid in patients with acute bacterial septic arthritis
Authors: Paosong Suangkanok , Narongroeknawin Pongthorn , Pakchotanon Rattapol , Asavatanabodee Paijit , Chaiamnuay Sumapa
Published: December 2014

Introduction

Septic arthritis is a common and serious problem. Early detection and prompt treatment improve outcomes.

Objective

To evaluate serum procalcitonin for diagnosis of acute bacterial septic arthritis and to compare its diagnostic utility with synovial white blood cells (WBC), erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) and high‐sensitivity C‐reactive protein (hs‐CRP).

Method

A prospective cross‐sectional study was performed in 78 Thai patients with acute arthritis. Patients with concomitant infections were excluded. Twenty‐eight patients were diagnosed with acute bacterial septic arthritis and 50 patients were diagnosed with acute inflammatory arthritis. Blood samples were collected for complete blood count, ESR, hs‐CRP, procalcitonin and hemoculture. Synovial fluid was sent for cell count, Gram stain, crystals identification and culture. The diagnostic accuracy by area under receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve was calculated.

Result

Patients with acute bacterial septic arthritis had higher procalcitonin levels than in acute inflammatory arthritis (mean ± SD = 1.48 ± 2.30 vs. 0.44 ± 0.92 ng/mL, P = 0.032). The cut‐off level of procalcitonin was 0.5 ng/mL for which sensitivity, specificity and accuracy for diagnosis of bacterial septic arthritis were 59.3%, 86% and 75.3%, respectively. The ROC curve analysis showed that procalcitonin had a good diagnostic performance (area under the curve = 0.78, 95% CI 0.69–0.89). The area under the curve of hs‐CRP and synovial fluid WBC were 0.67 (95% CI 0.55–0.79) and 0.821 (95% CI 0.720–0.923), respectively. Combining procalcitonin with other markers did not provide better sensitivity or specificity than procalcitonin alone.

Conclusion

Serum procalcitonin has a potential role in diagnosing acute bacterial septic arthritis, especially if arthrocenthesis cannot be performed.
Monopoly versus Competition in Setting Accounting Standards
Authors: Jamal Karim , Sunder Shyam
Published: December 2014

Financial accounting standards are set by organizations granted a significant degree of monopoly power by various governments. While there has been considerable debate on the merits of national (e.g.,USFinancial Accounting Standards Board (FASB)) versus international (International Accounting Standards Board (IASB)) monopolies, little attention has been paid to the merits of using competing standard‐setting organizations (SSOs) for setting accounting standards. We compare the standard‐setting processes of theFASB/IASBto the processes of four technology‐orientedSSOsto assess the role of competition. We also provide a case study of monopoly and competitive standards in telephony. Both telephony and accounting yield some gains from coordination, and similar arguments are used (under the labels of comparability and consistency of accounting) in debates about granting a monopoly to their respectiveSSOs. Our results show that a group of volunteers competing with the government‐sanctioned monopoly of International Telecommunications Union transformed the telephone industry. Thanks to this standards competition, we enjoy free video internet calling and massive cost savings. Implications for accounting standard setting are discussed.
Survival outcomes of Chinese metastatic prostate cancer patients following primary androgen deprivation therapy in relation to prostate‐specific antigen nadir level
Authors: Teoh Jeremy Yuen Chun , Tsu James Hok Leung , Yuen Steffi Kar Kei , Chan Samson Yun Sang , Chiu Peter Ka Fung , Wong Ka‐Wing , Ho Kwan‐Lun , Hou Simon See Ming , Ng Chi‐Fai , Yiu Ming Kwong
Published: December 2014

Aim

To evaluate the progression‐free survival (PFS), cancer‐specific survival (CSS) and overall survival (OS) of Chinese metastatic prostate cancer patients following primary androgen deprivation therapy (ADT) in relation to prostate‐specific antigen (PSA) nadir level.

Methods

All Chinese prostate cancer patients with bone metastases who were treated with primary ADT from 2000 to 2009 were included. Patients' and disease characteristics were recorded. Patients were categorized into two PSA nadir groups (≤1.0 and >1.0 ng/mL). Associations of PSA nadir with PFS, CSS and OS were analyzed with Kaplan–Meier and Cox regression analyses. The survival outcomes of the two PSA nadir groups were presented.

Results

Four hundred nineteen patients were included in the study. PSA nadir appeared to be a good predictor for PFS (hazard ratio [HR] 1.86, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.35–2.56, P < 0.001), CSS (HR 1.60, 95% CI 0.98–2.64, P = 0.063) and OS (HR 1.77, 95% CI 1.20–2.41, P < 0.001) upon multivariate Cox regression analyses. In the PSA nadir groups of ≤1.0 and >1.0 ng/mL, the median PFS were 15 and 10 months, and the 1‐year PFS rates were 64% and 40%, respectively; the median CSS were 42 and 27 months, and the 5‐year OS rates were 53% and 28%, respectively; and the median OS were 41 and 24 months, and the 5‐year OS rates were 45% and 19%, respectively.

Conclusions

Higher PSA nadir was associated with shorter PFS, CSS and OS in Chinese metastatic prostate cancer patients following primary ADT. The survival outcomes may serve as references in deciding the best treatment strategy in Chinese prostate cancer patients.
Holocene colluvial chronology in a sub‐arctic esker landscape atKuttanen,FinnishLapland: kettleholes as geo‐ecological archives of interactions amongst fire, vegetation, soil, climate and geomorphological instability
Authors: Matthews John A. , Seppälä Matti
Published: December 2014

Excavations were made in the colluvial deposits of seven kettleholes in a sandy esker atKuttanen, northwesternFinnishLapland. TheHolocene history of forest fires and the associated colluvial activity initiated on the slopes of the kettleholes were reconstructed based on 131 radiocarbon dates from charcoal layers. These dates were supplemented by luminescence dating of colluvial sand layers. The first forest fires occurred ∼9000 years ago following the immigration ofPinus sylvestrisabout 1000 years after deglaciation. Evidence of forest fires and colluvial activity increased with the density of the pine forest, reaching a maximum during the Holocene Thermal Maximum between ∼8000 and 4000 cal. aBP, declining thereafter to a minimum in the last ∼500 years. This multimillennial‐scale pattern corresponds with forest fires being triggered by lightning strikes during the warmest summer weather of theHolocene, which also produced heavy rain and slope wash from convective storms. The 50 forest fires identified over theHolocene indicate a long cycle in fire frequency of 1 in ∼200 years, which appears to reflect the average successional recovery time of the forest. Complex interactions amongst vegetation, fire and climate may account for little or no association between 23 centennial‐ to millennial‐scale clusters of forest fires/colluvial events andHolocene temperature or precipitation anomalies. Buried podzols indicate five phases of soil formation and hence low levels of landscape disturbance. The kettleholes and their colluvial deposits therefore provide a unique geo‐ecological archive that has led to new insights into the geo‐ecological interactions that affect environmental change in the sub‐arctic landscape.
Applying Dynamic Training‐Subset Selection Methods Using Genetic Programming for Forecasting Implied Volatility
Authors: Hamida Sana Ben , Abdelmalek Wafa , Abid Fathi
Published: December 2014

Volatility is a key variable in option pricing, trading, and hedging strategies. The purpose of this article is to improve the accuracy of forecasting implied volatility using an extension of genetic programming (GP) by means of dynamic training‐subset selection methods. These methods manipulate the training data in order to improve the out‐of‐sample patterns fitting. When applied with the static subset selection method using a single training data sample, GP could generate forecasting models, which are not adapted to some out‐of‐sample fitness cases. In order to improve the predictive accuracy of generated GP patterns, dynamic subset selection methods are introduced to the GP algorithm allowing a regular change of the training sample during evolution. Four dynamic training‐subset selection methods are proposed based on random, sequential, or adaptive subset selection. The latest approach uses an adaptive subset weight measuring the sample difficulty according to the fitness cases' errors. Using real data from S&P500 index options, these techniques are compared with the static subset selection method. Based on mean squared error total and percentage of non‐fitted observations, results show that the dynamic approach improves the forecasting performance of the generated GP models, especially those obtained from the adaptive‐random training‐subset selection method applied to the whole set of training samples.
A Case of Isolated Cardiac Hydatid Cyst that Mimics Lymphoproliferative Malignancy
Authors: Yildiz Cenk Eray , Sinan Ümit Yaşar , Yildiz Ahmet , Çetin Gürkan , Küçükoğlu Serdar
Published: December 2014

Cardiac cystic echinococcosis is a rare parasitic infestation caused by Echinococcus granulosus larvae and it composes 0.5–2% of all human cystic echinococcosis cases. The left ventricle is the most common affected area followed by right ventricle, interventricular septum, left atrium, right atrium, and interatrial septum. The diagnosis is difficult because of nonspecific clinical and radiographic findings. We present a case of isolated apical cardiac cystic echinococcosis mimicking lymphoproliferative disease.
Developmental patterns of postictal refractoriness and potentiation akin to cortical stimulation
Authors: Mareš Pavel , Kubová Hana
Published: December 2014

Postictal refractoriness checked by paired stimulations of the limbic structures was demonstrated to fail in rats <2 weeks old. Cortical epileptic afterdischarges were used in our study to examine if this phenomenon is restricted to old cortical structures or if it is a general one. Rats 12, 15, 18, 25, and 90 days old with implanted electrodes formed the experimental groups. Stimulation was performed by 15‐s series of 1‐msec pulses with suprathreshold intensity and frequency of 8 Hz. Paired stimulation of the cerebral cortex in 12‐day‐old rats elicited the second afterdischarge, even if the 30‐s interval was used. Refractoriness started to appear in the third postnatal week and developed progressively so that 25‐day‐old rats did not differ from adult animals, that is, an interval longer than 1 min was necessary for elicitation of the second seizure.
Characterization of an apparently synonymous F5 mutation causing aberrant splicing and factor V deficiency
Authors: Nuzzo F. , Bulato C. , Nielsen B. I. , Lee K. , Wielders S. J. , Simioni P. , Key N. S. , Castoldi E.
Published: December 2014

Coagulation factor V (FV) deficiency is a rare autosomal recessive bleeding disorder. We investigated a patient with severe FV deficiency (FV:C < 3%) and moderate bleeding symptoms. Thrombin generation experiments showed residual FV expression in the patient's plasma, which was quantified as 0.7 ± 0.3% by a sensitive prothrombinase‐based assay. F5 gene sequencing identified a novel missense mutation in exon 4 (c.578G>C, p.Cys193Ser), predicting the abolition of a conserved disulphide bridge, and an apparently synonymous variant in exon 8 (c.1281C>G). The observation that half of the patient's F5 mRNA lacked the last 18 nucleotides of exon 8 prompted us to re‐evaluate the c.1281C>G variant for its possible effects on splicing. Bioinformatics sequence analysis predicted that this transversion would activate a cryptic donor splice site and abolish an exonic splicing enhancer. Characterization in a F5 minigene model confirmed that the c.1281C>G variant was responsible for the patient's splicing defect, which could be partially corrected by a mutation‐specific morpholino antisense oligonucleotide. The aberrantly spliced F5 mRNA, whose stability was similar to that of the normal mRNA, encoded a putative FV mutant lacking amino acids 427–432. Expression in COS‐1 cells indicated that the mutant protein is poorly secreted and not functional. In conclusion, the c.1281C>G mutation, which was predicted to be translationally silent and hence neutral, causes FV deficiency by impairing pre‐mRNA splicing. This finding underscores the importance of cDNA analysis for the correct assessment of exonic mutations.
Spotlight on the human factor: building a foundation for the future of haemophilia A management
Authors: Kessler C. , Oldenburg J. , Ettingshausen C. Escuriola , Tiede A. , Khair K. , Négrier C. , Klamroth R.
Published: December 2014

Inhibitor development is the most serious and challenging complication in the treatment of severe haemophilia A. Up to 38% of such patients develop inhibitors with current recombinant factor VIII (rFVIII) products produced in hamster cell lines. Human‐cl rhFVIII is a new generation fully sulfated B‐domain‐deleted FVIII coagulant glycoprotein, which is generated from a human cell line. Thus, there are no non‐human epitopes which would be potentially immunogenic. This molecule has significantly higher VWF‐binding affinity compared with existing full‐length rFVIII produced in hamster cell lines. The development aim of Human‐cl rhFVIII is to address the challenges of FVIII inhibitors and frequent infusions during prophylaxis. Human‐cl rhFVIII's mean half‐life is very comparable to some of the newer products which involve modification of the FVIII molecule to extend the circulating half‐life. There are promising data concerning the use of a personalized prophylaxis regimen with Human‐cl rhFVIII. Preliminary data indicate a median dosing interval of 3.5 days with 66.7% of the patients on a twice per week or fewer infusions schedule combined with a low bleeding rate and no increased FVIII consumption when compared to standard prophylaxis. No product‐specific laboratory assay is required to monitor the coagulation activity for Human‐cl rhFVIII. The results of registration clinical trials with Human‐cl rhFVIII as well as the ongoing studies in previously untreated patients (NuProtect) and personalized prophylaxis study in previously treated patients (NuPreviq), will be discussed. The manufacturer has received marketing authorization for Human‐cl rhFVIII in Europe and Canada under the name Nuwiq® and plans to launch it in the USA and globally in 2015.
Patterns and correlates of songbird movements at an ecological barrier during autumn migration assessed using landscape‐ and regional‐scale automated radiotelemetry
Authors: Woodworth Bradley K. , Mitchell Greg W. , Norris D. Ryan , Francis Charles M. , Taylor Philip D.
Published: December 2014

Departure decisions of songbirds at ecological barriers they encounter en route can strongly influence time, energy and survival costs of migration. To date, most field studies of departure decisions and their correlates have used indirect methods and followed migrants at a single stopover site, with limited information on what happens to individuals after they depart from the site. We used an automated radiotelemetry array extending 350 km from southwest Nova Scotia to southern Maine to study the migratory and stopover movements of Northern WaterthrushesParkesia noveboracensis, Red‐eyed VireosVireo olivaceusand Yellow‐rumped WarblersSetophaga coronatain relation to fuel load and weather at the northeastern edge of the Gulf of Maine. From the 105 radio‐transmitters we deployed in southwest Nova Scotia, we recorded 42 landscape‐scale stopover flights and 47 migratory flights by 75 individuals. Of the migratory flights, 57% were orientated southwest, a trajectory that, if held, would require individuals to complete a 350–440 km overwater flight. The remaining 43% of migratory flights were orientated northwest, away from the Gulf of Maine, and 15 individuals were confirmed to have detoured around all or a portion of the barrier, as evidenced by their being re‐detected over the Bay of Fundy and/or along the coast of Maine between 4 h and 15 days later. Across all individuals, initial fat score had a positive effect on departure probability, especially for individuals that made stopover flights. Among weather variables, tailwind assistance was the best predictor of migratory departures but did not appear to be the main factor determining whether individuals orientated towards or away from the Gulf of Maine. Weather had little effect on departure decisions of individuals that made stopover flights. These differences in the correlates of migratory departures and stopover flights would probably not have been distinguishable had our study been restricted to a local scale. Therefore, our findings highlight the importance of expanding the scale at which departure decisions and the ecology of stopover in general are studied.
Age‐ratio bias among hunter‐based surveys of Eurasian Wigeon Anas penelope based on wing vs. field samples
Authors: Fox Anthony D. , Clausen Kevin Kuhlmann , Dalby Lars , Christensen Thomas Kjær , Sunde Peter
Published: December 2014

We compared age and sex ratios among Eurasian Wigeon Anas penelope derived from Danish field observations and hunter‐based shot samples throughout an entire winter. Sex ratios did not differ significantly between the two samples. Overall, first‐year males were more than three times more likely to be represented than adult males in the hunter sample compared with field samples and were 7–20 times overrepresented in the hunting sample at the beginning of the season. These results confirm the need to account for such bias and its temporal variation when using the results of hunting surveys to model population parameters. Hunter‐shot age ratios may provide a long‐term measure of reproductive success of dabbling duck flyway populations given an understanding of such bias.
Fantasy, Writing and Relationship in the Texts of Valentine Ackland and Sylvia Townsend Warner
Authors: Granne Ailsa
Published: December 2014

On 4th July 1949, Valentine Ackland completed her autobiographyFor Sylvia: An Honest Accountand gave it to Sylvia Townsend Warner to whom it was dedicated. Warner took the manuscript with her during her stay in Yeovil in September 1949 where she had gone in order to allow Ackland to live with her new lover Elizabeth Wade White. In her diary of 28th of September, Warner wrote: ‘I have done very little, and writing does not come back to me, alas! Now I will re‐read my love's autobiography if I dare’.

This article will examine the dialogue between Warner and Ackland aboutFor Sylvia: An Honest Accountas represented in a selection of their texts including their letters and diaries. In it, I explore some of the reasons why Ackland might have given this particular story of her life to Warner at this point in their relationship and seek to understand the nature of Warner's uneasy response to it. In so doing, I will postulate an alternative reading ofFor Sylvia: An Honest Accountto the guilt ridden, self‐absorbed narrative of Ackland's life which it appears to be. In the course of my analysis, I argue that both writers used their texts not only to maintain their intimacy but also to negotiate and re‐assess their relationship. I will go on to examine the nature of the textual space constructed by their correspondence and consider the role Warner's letters played in 1949 in holding Ackland to her, arguing for the construction of ‘another’ Valentine of such potency that at times the imaginary space afforded by their letters became more important to Ackland than the real world.
Four sequence positions of the movement protein of Cucumber mosaic virus determine the virulence against cmv1‐mediated resistance in melon
Authors: Guiu‐Aragonés Cèlia , Díaz‐Pendón Juan Antonio , Martín‐Hernández Ana Montserrat
Published: December 2014

The resistance to a set of strains of Cucumber mosaic virus (CMV) in the melon accession PI 161375, cultivar ‘Songwhan Charmi’, is dependent on one recessive gene, cmv1, which confers total resistance, whereas a second set of strains is able to overcome it. We tested 11 strains of CMV subgroups I and II in the melon line SC12‐1‐99, which carries the gene cmv1, and showed that this gene confers resistance to strains of subgroup II only and that restriction is not related to either viral replication or cell‐to‐cell movement. This is the first time that a resistant trait has been correlated with CMV subgroups. Using infectious clones of the CMV strains LS (subgroup II) and FNY (subgroup I), we generated rearrangements and viral chimaeras between both strains and established that the determinant of virulence against the gene cmv1 resides in the first 209 amino acids of the movement protein, as this region from FNY is sufficient to confer virulence to the LS clone in the line SC12‐1‐99. A comparison of the sequences of the strains of both subgroups in this region shows that there are five main positions shared by all strains of subgroup II, which are different from those of subgroup I. Site‐directed mutagenesis of the CMV‐LS clone to substitute these residues for those of CMV‐FNY revealed that a combination of four of these changes [the group 64–68 (SNNLL to HGRIA), and the point mutations R81C, G171T and A195I] was required for a complete gain of function of the LS MP in the resistant melon plant.
Relatives' perceptions of residents' life in a municipal care facility for older people with a focus on quality of life and care environment
Authors: Ericson‐Lidman Eva , Renström Anna‐Stina , Åhlin Johan , Strandberg Gunilla
Published: December 2014

Background

Relatives' perceptions of their older loved one's living conditions at residential care facilities are poorly described in interviews. Older persons often find it difficult to make their voices heard and an alternative is to ask a relative who knows the person well to express their views.

Aim

This study aimed to describe relatives' perceptions of residents' life in a municipal care facility for older people with a focus on quality of life and care environment.

Design

A qualitative study design was used. Data were collected through nine interviews with six relatives of older people living in a residential care facility.

Methods

The interviews were recorded, transcribed and analysed using content analysis.

Results

The analysis resulted in three main themes and eight subthemes. The main themes were: Residents' life/quality of life is perceived to be in the hands of the care providers, Residents' disabilities and lack of stimulation are perceived to threaten their quality of life, and The secure climate in the residence is perceived to be coloured by Death's waiting room.

Conclusions

The study emphasizes the importance of cocreating a constructive dependency and to take on the challenge of creating a feeling of at‐homeness for each resident. It is important to be aware that what relatives perceive as monotony and passivity may be a problem for some residents, but not for all.

Implications for practice

This study highlights the need to create a powerful partnership between relatives, care providers and residents to enhance the quality of life for residents. Every single meeting is important and makes a difference for the resident. Care providers might need to support relatives to understand that the last phase of life might be about focusing inwardly and reflecting on one's whole life as a way to end it.
Mobility Limitations and Fall‐Related Factors Contribute to the Reduced Health‐Related Quality of Life in Older Adults With Chronic Musculoskeletal Pain
Authors: Stubbs Brendon , Schofield Pat , Patchay Sandhi
Published: December 2014

Purpose

To investigate (1) the prevalence of chronic musculoskeletal pain (CMP) among a sample of community‐dwelling older adults and (2) health‐related quality of life (HRQOL) in people with CMP, particularly the association with mobility limitations and falls‐related factors.

Method

Overall, 295 (response rate 73.5%) community‐dwelling older adults were recruited across 10 sites. CMP was assessed using recognized criteria. In the sample of people with CMP, a hierarchical multiple regression analysis was conducted with HRQOL as the dependent variable and a number of independent variables were then inserted into the model. After controlling for demographic and medical variables, mobility (timed up and go (TUG), walking aid use, sedentary behavior) and fall‐related factors (falls history, balance confidence, concerns about consequences of falling) were inserted into the model at the second step and changes in adjusted R2 noted.

Results

Within our sample of older adults, 52% had CMP (154/295). Compared to the group without CMP of similar age (n = 141), those with CMP had reduced HRQOL and profound mobility limitations and more falls risk factors (P < 0.001). The mobility and falls explanatory variables increased the variance explained within HRQOL from 14% to 36% (adjusted R2 change 20%) in those with CMP. Sedentary behavior, pain interference, concerns about the consequences of falling, falls history, TUG scores, and balance confidence all remained significant predictors of HRQOL in the fully adjusted model in the CMP sample.

Conclusion

Older adults with CMP have pronounced mobility limitations and increased falls risk factors, and these are associated with a marked reduction in HRQOL. Future prospective research is required to build on this cross‐sectional study.
Intradermal Injection with Nerve Growth Factor: A Reproducible Model to Induce Experimental Allodynia and Hyperalgesia
Authors: Andresen Trine , Nilsson Matias , Nielsen Anders Klitgaard , Lassen Dorte , Arendt‐Nielsen Lars , Drewes Asbjørn Mohr
Published: December 2014

Background

Nerve growth factor (NGF) plays a pivotal role in survival, growth, and differentiation of the nervous system. Increased levels of NGF have been reported in human pain disorders. Experimental injection of NGF in humans is known to evoke long‐lasting mechanical sensitization and subsequent allodynia and hyperalgesia.

Methods

Reproducibility of intradermal injection of NGF was investigated. Twenty healthy male volunteers were included (mean age 24 years, range 19 to 31). The experiment consisted of 3 identical treatment periods with period 1 stimulating the right arm, period 2 the left arm, and period 3 stimulating the right arm again (period one and three were separated by at least 21 days). Pain intensity was assessed in response to several phasic stimuli in 3 adjacent sites of the volar forearm: pressure; pinprick; brush; and heat before and after NGF injection. Additionally, areas of allodynia and secondary hyperalgesia were assessed. Rekindling with pressure was performed 1 hour and 24 hours after injection. Reproducibility was assessed with intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC 3,1).

Results

ICC values > 0.6 for all phasic stimuli and for the area of hyperalgesia. After NGF injection, pressure pain (P < 0.001) and heat pain (P < 0.01) sensitivity increased significantly. After rekindling, the area of hyperalgesia (von Frey 26 g) was significantly increased (P = 0.03) and sensitivity to pinprick was increased (P < 0.02).

Conclusion

Intradermal NGF injection is capable of inducing reproducible allodynia and hyperalgesia, and the model is recommended for future experimental and pharmacological pain studies.
Human plasma‐derived immunoglobulin G fractionated by an aqueous two‐phase system, caprylic acid precipitation, and membrane chromatography has a high purity level and is free of detectable in vitro thrombogenic activity
Authors: Vargas M. , Segura Á. , Wu Y.‐W. , Herrera M. , Chou M.‐L. , Villalta M. , León G. , Burnouf T.
Published: December 2014

Background and Objectives

Instituto Clodomiro Picado has developed an immunoglobulin G (IgG) plasma fractionation process combining a polyethylene glycol/phosphate aqueous two‐phase system (ATPS), caprylic acid precipitation and anion‐exchange membrane chromatography. We evaluated the purity and in vitro thrombogenicity of such IgG, in line with current international requirements.

Materials and Methods

Contributions of the different production steps to reduce thrombogenicity were assessed at 0·2 l‐scale, and then the methodology was scaled‐up to a 10 l‐scale and final products (n = 3) were analysed. Purity, immunoglobulin composition, and subclass distribution were determined by electrophoretic and immunochemical methods. The in vitro thrombogenic potential was determined by a thrombin generation assay (TGA) using a Technothrombin fluorogenic substrate. Prekallikrein activator (PKA), plasmin, factor Xa, thrombin and thrombin‐like activities were assessed using S‐2302, S‐2251, S‐2222, S‐2238 and S‐2288 chromogenic substrates, respectively, and FXI by an ELISA.

Results

The thrombogenicity markers were reduced mostly during the ATPS step and were found to segregate mostly into the discarded liquid upper phase. The caprylic acid precipitation eliminated the residual procoagulant activity. The IgG preparations made from the 10 l‐batches contained 100% gamma proteins, low residual IgA and undetectable IgM. The IgG subclass distribution was not substantially affected by the process. TGA and amidolytic activities revealed an undetectable in vitro thrombogenic risk and the absence of proteolytic enzymes in the final product.

Conclusions

Fractionating human plasma by an ATPS combined with caprylic acid and membrane chromatography resulted in an IgG preparation of high purity and free of a detectable in vitro thrombogenic risk.
Structural Life Expectancy of Marine Vessels: Ultimate Strength, Corrosion, Fatigue, Fracture, and Systems
Authors: Ayyub Bilal M. , Stambaugh Karl A. , McAllister Timothy A. , de Souza Gilberto F. , Webb David
Published: December 2014

This paper provides a methodology for the structural reliability analysis of marine vessels based on failure modes of their hull girders, stiffened panels including buckling, fatigue, and fracture and corresponding life predictions at the component and system levels. Factors affecting structural integrity such as operational environment and structural response entail uncertainties requiring the use of probabilistic methods to estimate reliabilities associated with various alternatives being considered for design, maintenance, and repair. Variability of corrosion experienced on marine vessels is a specific example of factors affecting structural integrity requiring probabilistic methods. The Structural Life Assessment of Ship Hulls (SLASH) methodology developed in this paper produces time-dependent reliability functions for hull girders, stiffened panels, fatigue details, and fracture at the component and system levels. The methodology was implemented as a web-enabled, cloud-computing-based tool with a database for managing vessels analyzed with associated stations, components, details, and results, and users. Innovative numerical and simulation methods were developed for reliability predictions with the use of conditional expectation. Examples are provided to illustrate the computations.
Evaluation of the Norwegian Major Hazard Risk Management Approach for Offshore Installations in the Concept Selection Phase
Authors: Vinnem J. E.
Published: December 2014

The current risk management regulatory approach for the Norwegian offshore petroleum industry came into effect in 2001, but relatively few new installations were decided after 2001 for development until quite recently. Since 2012, there have been several new installations that are being planned or have reached front-end engineering design (FEED) or engineering phases. This paper considers the risk management approach in the pre-FEED phase and builds on some case studies selected from the most recent cases. The main principles for major hazard risk management in this phase are summarized, and the experience from the case studies is discussed with respect to establishing how well they have functioned. It is demonstrated that the risk reduction approach is not as effective as it could have been. The paper proposes some improvements to the regulatory approach to risk reduction in the pre-FEED phase in order to make improvements to the management of major hazard risk and to achieve installation concepts that are more robust in relation to changes and additional requirements during the field lifetime.
Effects of Different Cavity Geometries on Machining Performance in
Micro-Electrical Discharge Milling
Authors: Vidya Shrikant , Vijay  , Barman Swapan , Chebolu Aneissha , Nagahanumaiah  , Das Alok Kr.
Published: December 2014

Low energy-short pulsed electric discharge coupled with precise movement of circular electrode in micro-electrical discharge-milling (μ-EDM-milling) enables generation of three-dimensional (3D) cavities in the order of few tens of microns. Use of unshaped rotating electrode alters the spark discharge pattern that is primarily driven by the shape and size of the cavities being machined. In this paper, effects of five different cavities: circular, triangular, square, channel, and cross channel (square pillars) on the machining performance have been studied. These cavities having a nominal dimension of 1000 μm were machined on steel sample using 200 μm tungsten carbide electrode. The machining performance has been evaluated by analyzing dimensional accuracy, surface integrity, profile error, and formation of recast layers. The results highlight significant shape effect on machining performance in μ-EDM-milling. Circular holes machined by die sinking (tool advancement in Z-axis) are found to be more accurate, and square shaped pillars machined in two settings by generating cross channels at 90 deg have poor dimensional control. On the other hand, triangular cavities have the highest surface finish and profile uniformity compared to other shapes. The microscopic study in scanning electron microscopy (SEM) reveals significant variations in globule formation, recast layer deposition, flow of eroded molten metal, and final shape of cavities, which are found to be dependent of tool rotation.
Second Spine: Upper Body Assistive Device for Human Load Carriage
Authors: Park Joon-Hyuk , Jin Xin , Agrawal Sunil K.
Published: December 2014

This study presents the development of second spine, an upper body assistive device for human load carriage. The motivation comes from reducing musculoskeletal injuries caused by carrying a heavy load on the upper body. Our aim was to design a wearable upper body device that can prevent musculoskeletal injuries during human load carriage by providing a secondary load pathway—second spine—to transfer the loads from shoulders to pelvis while also allowing a good range of torso motion to the wearer. Static analysis of the backpack and the second spine was first performed to investigate the feasibility of our concept design. The development of second spine had two considerations: load distribution between shoulders and pelvis, and preserving the range of torso motion. The design was realized using load bearing columns between the shoulder support and hip belt, comprising multiple segments interconnected by cone-shaped joints. The performance of second spine was evaluated through experimental study, and its biomechanical effects on human loaded walking were also assessed. Based on the findings from second spine evaluation, we proposed the design of a motorized second spine which aims to compensate the inertia force of a backpack induced by human walking through active load modulation. This was achieved by real-time sensing of human motion and actuating the motors in a way that the backpack motion is kept nearly inertially fixed. Simulation study was carried out to determine the proper actuation of motors in response to the human walking kinematics. The performance of motorized second spine was evaluated through an instrumented test-bed using Instron machine. Results showed a good agreement with simulation. It was shown that the backpack motion can be made nearly stationary with respect to the ground which can further enhance the effectiveness of the device in assisting human load carriage.
Unidirectional Cell Crawling Model Guided by Extracellular Cues
Authors: Wang Zhanjiang , Geng Yuxu
Published: December 2014

Cell migration is a highly regulated and complex cellular process to maintain proper homeostasis for various biological processes. Extracellular environment was identified as the main affecting factors determining the direction of cell crawling. It was observed experimentally that the cell prefers migrating to the area with denser or stiffer array of microposts. In this article, an integrated unidirectional cell crawling model was developed to investigate the spatiotemporal dynamics of unidirectional cell migration, which incorporates the dominating intracellular biochemical processes, biomechanical processes and the properties of extracellular micropost arrays. The interpost spacing and the stiffness of microposts are taken into account, respectively, to study the mechanism of unidirectional cell locomotion and the guidance of extracellular influence cues on the direction of unidirectional cell crawling. The model can explain adequately the unidirectional crawling phenomena observed in experiments such as “spatiotaxis” and “durotaxis,” which allows us to obtain further insights into cell migration.
Cervine Tibia Morphology and Mechanical Strength: A Suitable Tibia Model?
Authors: Throop Alexander D. W. , Landauer Alexander K. , Clark Alexander Martin , Kuxhaus Laurel
Published: December 2014

Animal models for orthopaedic implant testing are well-established but morphologically dissimilar to human tibiae; notably, most are shorter. The purpose of this study was to quantitatively evaluate the morphology and mechanical properties of the cervine tibia, particularly with regard to its suitability for testing orthopaedic implants. Two endosteal and eleven periosteal measurements were made on 15 cervine tibiae. The mechanical strength in axial compression and torsion was measured using 11 tibiae. The cervine tibia is morphologically similar to the human tibia and more closely matches the length of the human tibia than current tibia models (ovine, porcine, and caprine). The distal epiphysis dimensions are notably different, but no more so than the current tibia models. The torsional stiffness of the cervine tibia is within the range of previously reported values for human tibiae. Furthermore, in many regions, cervine tibiae are abundant and locally available at a low cost. Given these mechanical and morphological data, coupled with potential cost savings if regionally available, the cervine tibia may be an appropriate model for orthopaedic implant testing.
On the design and implementation of linear differential microphone arrays
Authors: Chen Jingdong , Benesty Jacob , Pan Chao
Published: December 2014

Differential microphone array (DMA), a particular kind of sensor array that is responsive to the differential sound pressure field, has a broad range of applications in sound recording, noise reduction, signal separation, dereverberation, etc. Traditionally, an Nth-order DMA is formed by combining, in a linear manner, the outputs of a number of DMAs up to (including) the order of N − 1. This method, though simple and easy to implement, suffers from a number of drawbacks and practical limitations. This paper presents an approach to the design of linear DMAs. The proposed technique first transforms the microphone array signals into the short-time Fourier transform (STFT) domain and then converts the DMA beamforming design to simple linear systems to solve. It is shown that this approach is much more flexible as compared to the traditional methods in the design of different directivity patterns. Methods are also presented to deal with the white noise amplification problem that is considered to be the biggest hurdle for DMAs, particularly higher-order implementations.
Laboratory P- and S-wave measurements of a reconstituted muddy sediment with comparison to card-house theory
Authors: Ballard Megan S. , Lee Kevin M. , Muir Thomas G.
Published: December 2014

Laboratory measurements of acoustic wave propagation in a reconstituted kaolinite-based mud were performed. Pairs of ultrasonic transducers and bender elements were immersed in the sediment to transmit and receive compressional and shear waves, respectively. Estimates of wave speeds and attenuations were acquired by analyzing waveforms recorded at several transmitter/receiver separation distances. Measured wave speeds were in good agreement with predicted values from the Mallock-Wood equation for compressional wave speed and card-house theory for shear wave speed. To the knowledge of the authors, no comparison exists between shear wave speeds measured in a controlled laboratory setting and the card-house theory. Power law fits were obtained from the attenuation data to determine the frequency dependence, with f0.73 for compressional waves in the 60 to 110 kHz range and f1.46 for shear waves in the 100 to 400 Hz range.
Phonological processing in Mandarin speakers with congenital amusia
Authors: Wang Xiao , Peng Gang
Published: December 2014

Although there is an emerging consensus that both musical and linguistic pitch processing can be problematic for individuals with a developmental disorder termed congenital amusia, the nature of such a pitch-processing deficit, especially that demonstrated in a speech setting, remains unclear. Therefore, this study tested the performance of native Mandarin speakers, both with and without amusia, on discrimination and imitation tasks for Cantonese level tones, aiming to shed light on this issue. Results suggest that the impact of the phonological deficit, coupled with that of the domain-general pitch deficit, could provide a more comprehensive interpretation of Mandarin amusics' speech impairment. Specifically, when there was a high demand for pitch sensitivity, as in fine-grained pitch discriminations, the operation of the pitch-processing deficit played the more predominant role in modulating amusics' speech performance. But when the demand was low, as in discriminating naturally produced Cantonese level tones, the impact of the phonological deficit was more pronounced compared to that of the pitch-processing deficit. However, despite their perceptual deficits, Mandarin amusics' imitation abilities were comparable to controls'. Such selective impairment in tonal perception suggests that the phonological deficit more severely implicates amusics' input pathways.
Benchmarks for time-domain simulation of sound propagation in soft-walled airways: Steady configurations
Authors: Titze Ingo R. , Palaparthi Anil , Smith Simeon L.
Published: December 2014

Time-domain computer simulation of sound production in airways is a widely used tool, both for research and synthetic speech production technology. Speed of computation is generally the rationale for one-dimensional approaches to sound propagation and radiation. Transmission line and wave-reflection (scattering) algorithms are used to produce formant frequencies and bandwidths for arbitrarily shaped airways. Some benchmark graphs and tables are provided for formant frequencies and bandwidth calculations based on specific mathematical terms in the one-dimensional Navier–Stokes equation. Some rules are provided here for temporal and spatial discretization in terms of desired accuracy and stability of the solution. Kinetic losses, which have been difficult to quantify in frequency-domain simulations, are quantified here on the basis of the measurements of Scherer, Torkaman, Kucinschi, and Afjeh [(2010). J. Acoust. Soc. Am. 128(2), 828–838].
The role of initial flow conditions for sibilant fricative production
Authors: Van Hirtum Annemie , Fujiso Yo , Nozaki Kazunori
Published: December 2014

Sibilant fricative sound production depends on the geometric and flow properties of the production system. Nevertheless, few studies deal with the potential impact of flow properties other than the inlet volume flow rate on the noise produced. In this work, an experimental study is presented using a replica based on a reconstructed oral cavity for the phoneme /s/. Initial flow conditions upstream from the sibilant groove are altered by varying the method of air supply. Statistical moments of the initial velocity distribution are characterized using hot-film anemometry and related to spectral features of the radiated acoustic pressure. Discrepancies in the dynamic amplitude (≤25%) and negative spectral slope (≤35%) observed at a constant Reynolds number but different initial upstream flow conditions are of the same order of magnitude as those previously reported in humans. This suggests that consideration of the upstream flow conditions is important in the study of sibilant fricative sound production.
Effects of spontaneous otoacoustic emissions on pure-tone frequency difference limens
Authors: Hansen Rói , Santurette Sébastien , Verhulst Sarah
Published: December 2014

Pure-tone frequency difference limens (FDLs) have been shown to vary in the vicinity of spontaneous otoacoustic emissions (SOAEs). As lower FDLs have been observed near SOAEs when measured ipsi- and contralaterally to the emission ear, it has been proposed that prolonged ongoing stimulation of nerve cells tuned to the SOAE frequency could lead to a central oversensitivity to that frequency, hence a better frequency-discrimination ability. However, it is also known that tones close in frequency to an SOAE can “entrain” the emission to oscillate at their own frequency. This may instead explain the variations in FDL near SOAE frequencies as arising from peripheral interactions between SOAEs and external tones in the cochlea. To test these two hypotheses, SOAE entrainment patterns and FDLs were recorded in seven subjects with an ipsilateral SOAE and no neighboring contralateral SOAE. Ipsilateral FDLs were lowest in the SOAE entrainment region and worsened significantly when beating between the external tone and SOAE occurred. FDLs remained unaffected in the non-emission ear and did not alter with continuous ipsilateral or contralateral presentation of a pure tone aimed at emulating an SOAE. These findings suggest a mechanical rather than neural origin for the variations in FDL near SOAE frequencies.