bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Outcome of horizontal strabismus surgery and parents’ satisfaction
Authors: Sharma Ananda K , Thapa Madhu , Shrestha Gulshan B , Sitaula Sanjeeta , Shrestha Gauri S
Published: December 2014

Introduction: A clinical audit of strabismus surgery in children in terms of functional and cosmetic outcomes helps improve the quality of services in pediatric ophthalmology.  Objective: To evaluate the outcome of strabismus surgery and assess the satisfaction of the patients’ parents with respect to the surgery outcome.Subjects and methods: A study of an interventional series of cases that included 60 strabismic subjects was carried out. The bilateral strabismus surgery under general anesthesia was performed on all subjects using the fornix approach. The parents’ understanding about strabismus and the cosmetic outcome was assessed through a set of interview questionnaires. The main outcome measures were the amount of deviation, the parents’ knowledge about strabismus and their satisfaction after the intervention. Results: Of the 60 subjects, 32 (53.3%) were esotropic and 28 (46.7%) exotropic. The male to female ratio was 1:1. The mean age with standard deviation was 16.6±8.5years,with a range of 3 to 35 years. The pre- operative mean esotropia with standard deviation was 48.2±14.8 pd, with a range of 22 to 114 pd). The pre-operative mean exotropia was 57.8±14.2 pd, with a range of 25 to 90 pd). In 93.47% of the subjects, the ocular deviation after surgery reduced significantly (p=<0.00). After the strabismus surgery, orthophoria was achieved in 15 (25%) subjects, and with excellent cosmetics. After surgery, gross binocular single vision was attained in 39.3% of the exotropes and in 17.9% of the esotropes. Only 30 % of the parents were aware about the strabismus and the treatment modalities. Nearly 90% of the parents were satisfied with the cosmetic outcome. Conclusion: Horizontal and bilateral strabismus has good surgical outcome with improved cosmetic acceptance.DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.3126/nepjoph.v6i2.11704Nepal J Ophthalmol 2014; 6(12): 162-169
A novel nucleus extraction technique using a vectis in sutureless, manual, small-incision cataract surgery
Authors: Zeng Yuan , Deng Jiang-wen , Gao Jian-hua
Published: December 2014

Introduction: In manual, tunnel-incision cataract surgery, nucleus extraction has remained a crucial issue and a challenge. It is also the period when serious complications easily occur, especially for beginners and when the nucleus is large and dense.  Objectives: To report a modified vectis technique for nucleus extraction in sutureless, manual, small-incision cataract surgery (MSICS) to improve the safety and ease of performance.Materials and methods: A novel nucleus extraction technique using a vectis in MSICS is presented. After capsulorhexis and hydrodissection, the nucleus is moved into the anterior chamber and extracted by pulling with a Sinskey hook and pressuring on the scleral bed near the posterior wound margin with an irrigating vectis. Main outcome measures: The operating time for the whole surgery and nucleus extraction, best corrected visual acuity postoperatively and complications during and after operation were recorded. Results: In a series of 1,180 eyes, the operating time for the whole surgery and nucleus extraction were 8±3.4 minutes and 5.1±4.6 seconds respectively. Among all the eyes, 88.98 % achieved a best-corrected visual acuity of 5/10 or better two months postoperatively. The complications were posterior capsule rupture (4 eyes, 0.34 %) and transient corneal edema (12 eyes, 1.02 %). Neither vitreous loss nor dislocation of the nucleus into the vitreous was noted in the whole series of the surgery. Conclusions: We found that the “scleral bed” vectis technique for nucleus extraction improved the ease of performance, safety of MSICS, and did not require expensive instrumentation.DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.3126/nepjoph.v6i2.11708Nepal J Ophthalmol 2014; 6 (12): 140-144
Risk factors for pterygium in the high-altitude communities
Authors: Tin Sim Sai , Wiwanitkti Viroj
Published: December 2014

No AbstractDOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.3126/nepjoph.v6i2.11717Nepal J Ophthalmol 2014; 6(12): 244
Ocular cysticercosis: diagnosis and treatment
Authors: Sharma Ananda K
Published: December 2014

No AbstractDOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.3126/nepjoph.v6i2.11719Nepal J Ophthalmol 2014; 6(12): 240-241
Anti-torque systems of electromechanical cable-suspended drills and test results
Authors: Talalay Pavel , Fan Xiaopeng , Zheng Zhichuan , Xue Jun , Cao Pinlu , Zhang Nan , Wang Rusheng , Yu Dahui , Yu Chengfeng , Zhang Yunlong , Zhang Qi , Su Kai , Yang Dongdong , Zhan Jiewei
Published: December 2014

To prevent spinning of the upper non-rotated part of the electromechanical drill, an ‘anti-torque system’ has to be included in the downhole unit. At the same time, the anti-torque must allow the drill to move up and down the borehole during drilling and tripping operations. Usually the anti-torque system has a blade form of various designs that engages with the borehole wall and counteracts the torque from the stator of the driving motor. This paper presents a review of the different anti-torque systems and test results with selected designs (leaf spring, skate and U-shaped anti-torque systems). Experiments showed that the skate anti-torque system can provide the maximal holding torque between 67 and 267 Nm−1 depending on the skates’ outer diameter and ice temperature, while the leaf spring anti-torque system can provide only 2.5–40 N m−1 (in case of straight contact between the ice and the leaf springs). The total resistance force to axial movement of the skate anti-torque system lies in the range 209–454N if the system is vibrating. For the leaf spring anti-torque system, the total axial resistance force is far less (19–243 N).
Automatic Sleep Stages Classification Using EEG Entropy Features and Unsupervised Pattern Analysis Techniques
Authors: Rodríguez-Sotelo Jose , Osorio-Forero Alejandro , Jiménez-Rodríguez Alejandro , Cuesta-Frau David , Cirugeda-Roldán Eva , Peluffo Diego
Published: December 2014

Sleep is a growing area of research interest in medicine and neuroscience. Actually, one major concern is to find a correlation between several physiologic variables and sleep stages. There is a scientific agreement on the characteristics of the five stages of human sleep, based on EEG analysis. Nevertheless, manual stage classification is still the most widely used approach. This work proposes a new automatic sleep classification method based on unsupervised feature classification algorithms recently developed, and on EEG entropy measures. This scheme extracts entropy metrics from EEG records to obtain a feature vector. Then, these features are optimized in terms of relevance using the Q-α algorithm. Finally, the resulting set of features is entered into a clustering procedure to obtain a final segmentation of the sleep stages. The proposed method reached up to an average of 80% correctly classified stages for each patient separately while keeping the computational cost low.
Recent Developments in β-Cell Differentiation of Pluripotent Stem Cells Induced by Small and Large Molecules
Authors: Kumar S. , Alarfaj Abdullah , Munusamy Murugan , Singh A. , Peng I-Chia , Priya Sivan , Hamat Rukman , Higuchi Akon
Published: December 2014

Human pluripotent stem cells, including human embryonic stem cells (hESCs) and human induced pluripotent stem cells (hiPSCs), hold promise as novel therapeutic tools for diabetes treatment because of their self-renewal capacity and ability to differentiate into beta (β)-cells. Small and large molecules play important roles in each stage of β-cell differentiation from both hESCs and hiPSCs. The small and large molecules that are described in this review have significantly advanced efforts to cure diabetic disease. Lately, effective protocols have been implemented to induce hESCs and human mesenchymal stem cells (hMSCs) to differentiate into functional β-cells. Several small molecules, proteins, and growth factors promote pancreatic differentiation from hESCs and hMSCs. These small molecules (e.g., cyclopamine, wortmannin, retinoic acid, and sodium butyrate) and large molecules (e.g. activin A, betacellulin, bone morphogentic protein (BMP4), epidermal growth factor (EGF), fibroblast growth factor (FGF), keratinocyte growth factor (KGF), hepatocyte growth factor (HGF), noggin, transforming growth factor (TGF-α), and WNT3A) are thought to contribute from the initial stages of definitive endoderm formation to the final stages of maturation of functional endocrine cells. We discuss the importance of such small and large molecules in uniquely optimized protocols of β-cell differentiation from stem cells. A global understanding of various small and large molecules and their functions will help to establish an efficient protocol for β-cell differentiation.
TXNDC5, a Newly Discovered Disulfide Isomerase with a Key Role in Cell Physiology and Pathology
Authors: Horna-Terrón Elena , Pradilla-Dieste Alberto , Sánchez-de-Diego Cristina , Osada Jesús
Published: December 2014

Thioredoxin domain-containing 5 (TXNDC5) is a member of the protein disulfide isomerase family, acting as a chaperone of endoplasmic reticulum under not fully characterized conditions As a result, TXNDC5 interacts with many cell proteins, contributing to their proper folding and correct formation of disulfide bonds through its thioredoxin domains. Moreover, it can also work as an electron transfer reaction, recovering the functional isoform of other protein disulfide isomerases, replacing reduced glutathione in its role. Finally, it also acts as a cellular adapter, interacting with the N-terminal domain of adiponectin receptor. As can be inferred from all these functions, TXNDC5 plays an important role in cell physiology; therefore, dysregulation of its expression is associated with oxidative stress, cell ageing and a large range of pathologies such as arthritis, cancer, diabetes, neurodegenerative diseases, vitiligo and virus infections. Its implication in all these important diseases has made TXNDC5 a susceptible biomarker or even a potential pharmacological target.
Territrem and Butyrolactone Derivatives from a Marine-Derived Fungus Aspergillus Terreus
Authors: Nong Xu-Hua , Wang Yi-Fei , Zhang Xiao-Yong , Zhou Mu-Ping , Xu Xin-Ya , Qi Shu-Hua
Published: December 2014

Seventeen lactones including eight territrem derivatives (1–8) and nine butyrolactone derivatives (9–17) were isolated from a marine-derived fungus Aspergillus terreus SCSGAF0162 under solid-state fermentation of rice. Compounds 1–3 and 9–10 were new, and their structures were elucidated by spectroscopic analysis. The acetylcholinesterase inhibitory activity and antiviral activity of compounds 1–17 were evaluated. Among them, compounds 1 and 2 showed strong inhibitory activity against acetylcholinesterase with IC50 values of 4.2 ± 0.6, 4.5 ± 0.6 nM, respectively. This is the first time it has been reported that 3, 6, 10, 12 had evident antiviral activity towards HSV-1 with IC50 values of 16.4 ± 0.6, 6.34 ± 0.4, 21.8 ± 0.8 and 28.9 ± 0.8 μg·mL−1, respectively. Antifouling bioassay tests showed that compounds 1, 11, 12, 15 had potent antifouling activity with EC50 values of 12.9 ± 0.5, 22.1 ± 0.8, 7.4 ± 0.6, 16.1 ± 0.6 μg·mL−1 toward barnacle Balanus amphitrite larvae, respectively.
Transfer of Ochratoxin A into Tea and Coffee Beverages
Authors: Malir Frantisek , Ostry Vladimir , Pfohl-Leszkowicz Annie , Toman Jakub , Bazin Ingrid , Roubal Tomas
Published: December 2014

Ochratoxin A (OTA) is nephrotoxic, hepatotoxic, immunotoxic, neurotoxic, reprotoxic, teratogenic, and carcinogenic (group 2B), being characterized by species and sex differences in sensitivity. Despite the fact that OTA is in some aspects a controversial topic, OTA is the most powerful renal carcinogen. The aim of this study was to make a small survey concerning OTA content in black tea, fruit tea, and ground roasted coffee, and to assess OTA transfer into beverages. OTA content was measured using a validated and accredited HPLC-FLD method with a limit of quantification (LOQ) of 0.35 ng/g. The OTA amount ranged from LOQ up to 250 ng/g in black tea and up to 104 ng/g in fruit tea. Black tea and fruit tea, naturally contaminated, were used to prepare tea infusions. The transfer from black tea to the infusion was 34.8% ± 1.3% and from fruit tea 4.1% ± 0.2%. Ground roasted coffee naturally contaminated at 0.92 ng/g was used to prepare seven kinds of coffee beverages. Depending on the type of process used, OTA transfer into coffee ranged from 22.3% to 66.1%. OTA intakes from fruit and black tea or coffee represent a non-negligible human source.
The Role of the Clinical Nurse Specialist in Promoting Evidence-Based Practice and Effecting Positive Patient Outcomes
Authors: LaSala Cynthia Ann , Connors Patricia M. , Pedro Jill Taylor , Phipps Marion
Published: December 2014

Clinical nurse specialists (CNSs) are vital members of the healthcare delivery leadership team. The knowledge and expertise of the CNS is germane to the quality of care a patient receives. More than 50 CNSs practice at Massachusetts General Hospital (the state’s first Magnet hospital), where they share their clinical skills, mentor staff through difficult situations, identify learning needs, and implement innovative approaches to patient care. This article presents a brief history of the CNS role and describes how the CNS role is operationalized at Massachusetts General Hospital and its impact on unit-based and organizational outcomes. In addition, several programs and interventions identified by the CNSs in response to results of the Staff Perception of the Professional Practice Environment Survey are discussed. How the CNS influences the professional development of staff and potential implications for the future role of the CNS are described. An exemplar is included depicting a typical work day of a CNS on an acute adult medical unit.
Approaches to Gathering Evidence for Educational Practices in Nursing
Authors: Oermann Marilyn H.
Published: December 2014

There are many initiatives under way to teach nursing staff about evidence-based practice, but how many educators seek evidence as a basis for their teaching? Nursing education needs more higher quality research, teachers willing to question their current practices, and nurse educators who ask whether there is a better way of promoting learning and performance. This article provides a perspective of how nurse educators can develop an evidence-based approach to their teaching using the research that is available in nursing education.
Optimizing Bundling Policy of Single-Period Products
Authors: Gurevich Gregory , Cohen Yuval , Keren Baruch
Published: December 2014

Combining different product types into standard discount bundles is a common strategy used by producers and wholesalers to increase overall sales profitability. While markets consist of many producers and retailers, a deal is typically made between a single producer and a single retailer. This paper deals with a producer who sells items separately, and considers setting and selling standard discount bundles. The purchased wholesale bundles are unpacked by the retailer and the items are sold to the end-users one by one. Thus, the end-user demand distribution is unchanged, but the retailer's order quantity grows with the magnitude of the discount. The paper explores the effect of bundle price and content on the profits of both the producer/wholesaler and the retailer, and derives a general objective function composed of a linear combination of these profits. Moreover, the paper establishes the conditions for bundling profitability and presents a way to optimize the profit of each party (producer, or retailer) without reducing the other party's profit. A real-world case study and sensitivity analysis demonstrate the solution's applicability. The results indicate that bundling can be a coordination tool for increasing expected profit for both the producer and the retailer.
Joint Shared Frailty Survival Modeling Approach to Reliability Analysis of Rolls Used in Rolling Mills
Authors: Das Sumana , Majumdar Sujit Kumar
Published: December 2014

Reliability of repairable rolls used in Rolling Mills was modeled taking to survival modeling route to address the presence of recurrent failure events, censoring event and terminal event processes observed longitudinally in rolls. All the event processes were influenced by measured and unmeasured covariates. Prior to fitting appropriate model, Archimedean Gumbel and Clayton Copula analyses confirmed that the measured covariates had no significant dependence structure. Since the censoring events were “informative terminations”, joint shared frailty multivariate survival models involving Log-Normal, Gamma and Log Gamma frailty distributions were fitted to recurrent and terminal events data where, the ‘frailty' parameter represented the effect of unmeasured covariates related to condition of rolling operation. Gaussian quadrature method helped in estimating the model parameters. Statistical significance of the frailty parameter and its variance in all the models confirmed existence of heterogeneity across the recurrent failure events within and between rolls on account of unmeasured covariates. The statistically significant positive association between hazard functions of both the recurrent failure events and the terminal events justified joint modeling approach to the recurrent events and the terminal events processes observed in rolls. The joint lognormal shared frailty multivariate survival models were considered appropriate for analyzing the reliability of rolls.
Evolutionary dynamics of mammalian karyotypes
Authors: Redi Carlo Alberto
Published: December 2014

This special volume of Cytogenetic and Genome Research (edited by Roscoe Stanyon, University of Florence and Alexander Graphodatsky, Siberian division of the Russian Academy of Sciences) is dedicated to the fascinating long search of the forces behind the evolutionary dynamics of mammalian karyotypes, revealed after the hypotonic miracle of the 1950s....
Vertebrate embryogenesis - Embryological, cellular and genetic methods
Authors: Redi Carlo Alberto
Published: December 2014

It is likely that more than half of the current bio-medical researches are dealing with developmental biology topics (generally speaking): I tried several PubMed searches (changing the queries in other metricâ€™s providers do not change the overall features I got) and what I figured out is the impressive datum that in between 50 â€“ 60% of the results can be fully categorized under the umbrella term of developmental biology....
Different immunohistochemical levels of Hsp60 and Hsp70 in a subset of brain tumors and putative role of Hsp60 in neuroepithelial tumorigenesis
Authors: Rappa F. , Unti E. , Baiamonte P. , Cappello F. , Scibetta N.
Published: December 2014

In this work we analysed, by immunohistochemistry, a series of brain tumors to detect the levels and cellular distribution of Hsp60 and Hsp70. We found that Hsp60 levels were significantly higher than those of Hsp70 in neuroepithelial tumors, while levels of both molecules were not significantly different from each other in meningeal neoplasms. In particular, Hsp60 immunopositivity was present mainly at the cytoplasmic level, while Hsp70 immunopositivity was found both in the cytoplasm and in the nucleus of tumor cells. The levels of these molecules in healthy control cells were always very low. Finally, Hsp60 and Hsp70 levels did not correlate with the different types (WHO grade) of neoplasm. Our results are partially in agreement with previous studies and suggest that Hsp60 is not increased by a passive phenomenon (e.g., due to the stress caused by the peritumor environment on cancer cells) but may be actively implicated in tumor progression, e.g. inhibiting tumor cell death or antitumor immune system response, as already postulated in vitro. We also briefly discuss the most recent publications on the extramitochondrial localization of Hsp60 in tumor cells and its role in tumor progression.
Case Report: Patient Portal versus Telephone Recruitment for a Surgical Research Study
Authors: Ousley J. , Poulose B.K. , Rosenbloom S.T. , Jackson G. P. , Baucom R.B.
Published: December 2014

Background: Patient portal adoption has rapidly increased over the last decade. Most patient portal research has been done in primary care or medical specialties, and few studies have examined their use in surgical patients or for recruiting research subjects. No known studies have compared portal messaging with other approaches of recruitment.

Objectives: This case report describes our experience with patient portal versus telephone recruitment for a study involving long-term follow up of surgical patients.

Methods: Participants were recruited for a study of recurrence after ventral hernia repair through telephone calls and patient portal messaging based on registration status with the portal. Potential subjects who did not have a portal account or whose portal messages were returned after 5 days were called. The proportion of participants enrolled with each method was determined and demographics of eligible patients, portal users, and participants were compared.

Results: 1359 patients were eligible for the hernia study, and enrollment was 35% (n=465). Most participants were recruited by telephone (84%, n=391); 16% (n=74) were recruited through portal messaging. Forty-four percent of eligible participants had a registered portal account, and 14% of users responded to the recruitment message. Portal users were younger than non-users (55 vs. 58 years, p<0.001); participants recruited through the portal versus telephone were also younger (54 vs. 59 years, p=0.001). Differences in the sex and racial distributions between users and non-users and between portal and telephone recruits were not significant.

Conclusions: Portal versus telephone recruitment for a surgical research study demonstrated modest portal recruitment rates and similar demographics between recruitment methods. Published studies of portal-only recruitment in primary care or medical-specialty patient populations have demonstrated higher enrollment rates, but this case study demonstrates that portal recruitment for research studies in the surgical population is feasible, and it offers convenience to patients and researchers.

Citation: Baucom RB, Ousley J, Poulose BK, Rosenbloom ST, Jackson GP. Case report: Patient portal versus telephone recruitment for a surgical research study. Appl Clin Inf 2014; 5: 1005–1014

http://dx.doi.org/10.4338/ACI-2014-07-CR-0059
Design Challenges for Electronic Medication Administration Record Systems in Residential Aged Care Facilities
Authors: Lehnbom E. , Oliver K. , Georgiou A. , Rowe C. , Osmond T. , Westbrook J. , Tariq A.
Published: December 2014

Introduction: Electronic medication administration record (eMAR) systems are promoted as a potential intervention to enhance medication safety in residential aged care facilities (RACFs). The purpose of this study was to conduct an in-practice evaluation of an eMAR being piloted in one Australian RACF before its roll out, and to provide recommendations for system improvements.

Methods: A multidisciplinary team conducted direct observations of workflow (n=34 hours) in the RACF site and the community pharmacy. Semi-structured interviews (n=5) with RACF staff and the community pharmacist were conducted to investigate their views of the eMAR system. Data were analysed using a grounded theory approach to identify challenges associated with the design of the eMAR system.

Results: The current eMAR system does not offer an end-to-end solution for medication management. Many steps, including prescribing by doctors and communication with the community pharmacist, are still performed manually using paper charts and fax machines. Five major challenges associated with the design of eMAR system were identified: limited interactivity; inadequate flexibility; problems related to information layout and semantics; the lack of relevant decision support; and system maintenance issues.We suggest recommendations to improve the design of the eMAR system and to optimize existing workflows.

Discussion: Immediate value can be achieved by improving the system interactivity, reducing inconsistencies in data entry design and offering dedicated organisational support to minimise connectivity issues. Longer-term benefits can be achieved by adding decision support features and establishing system interoperability requirements with stakeholder groups (e.g. community pharmacies) prior to system roll out. In-practice evaluations of technologies like eMAR system have great value in identifying design weaknesses which inhibit optimal system use.

Citation: Tariq A, Lehnbom E, Oliver K, Georgiou A, Rowe C, Osmond T, Westbrook J. Design challenges for electronic medication administration record systems in residential aged care facilities: a formative evaluation. Appl Clin Inf 2014; 5: 971–987

http://dx.doi.org/10.4338/ACI-2014-08-RA-0062
Identifying vital effects in Halimeda algae with Ca isotopes
Authors: Blättler C. L. , Stanley S. M. , Henderson G. M. , Jenkyns H. C.
Published: December 2014

Abstract. Geochemical records of biogenic carbonates provide some of the most valuable records of the geological past, but are often difficult to interpret without a mechanistic understanding of growth processes. In this experimental study, Halimeda algae are used as a test organism to untangle some of the specific factors that influence their skeletal composition, in particular their Ca-isotope composition. Algae were stimulated to precipitate both calcite and aragonite by growth in artificial Cretaceous seawater, resulting in experimental samples with somewhat malformed skeletons. The Ca-isotope fractionation of the algal calcite (−0.6‰) appears to be much smaller than that for the algal aragonite (−1.4‰), similar to the behaviour observed in inorganic precipitates. However, the carbonate from Halimeda has higher Ca-isotope ratios than inorganic forms by approximately 0.25‰, likely because of Rayleigh distillation within the algal intercellular space. In identifying specific vital effects and the magnitude of their influence on Ca-isotope ratios, this study suggests that mineralogy has a first-order control on the marine Ca-isotope cycle.
Emissions of C6–C8 aromatic compounds in the United States: Constraints from tall tower and aircraft measurements
Authors: Hu Lu , Millet Dylan B. , Baasandorj Munkhbayar , Griffis Timothy J. , Travis Katherine R. , Tessum Christopher W. , Marshall Julian D. , Reinhart Wesley F. , Mikoviny Tomas , Müller Markus , Wisthaler Armin , Graus Martin , Warneke Carsten , de Gouw Joost
Published: December 2014

We present two full years of continuous C6–C8 aromatic compound measurements by PTR‐MS at the KCMP tall tower (Minnesota, US) and employ GEOS‐Chem nested grid simulations in a Bayesian inversion to interpret the data in terms of new constraints on US aromatic emissions. Based on the tall tower data, we find that the RETRO inventory (year‐2000) overestimates US C6–C8 aromatic emissions by factors of 2.0–4.5 during 2010–2011, likely due in part to post‐2000 reductions. Likewise, our implementation of the US EPA's NEI08 overestimates the toluene flux by threefold, reflecting an inventory bias in non‐road emissions plus uncertainties associated with species lumping. Our annual top‐down emission estimates for benzene and C8 aromatics agree with the NEI08 bottom‐up values, as does the inferred contribution from non‐road sources. However, the NEI08 appears to underestimate on‐road emissions of these compounds by twofold during the warm season. The implied aromatic sources upwind of North America are more than double the prior estimates, suggesting a substantial underestimate of East Asian emissions, or large increases there since 2000. Long‐range transport exerts an important influence on ambient benzene over the US: on average 43% of its wintertime abundance in the US Upper Midwest is due to sources outside North America. Independent aircraft measurements show that the inventory biases found here for C6–C8 aromatics also apply to other parts of the US, with notable exceptions for toluene in California and Houston, Texas. Our best estimates of year‐2011 contiguous US emissions are 206 (benzene), 408 (toluene), and 822 (C8 aromatics) GgC.
Assessing predictive ability of three auroral precipitation models using DMSP energy flux
Authors: Lane Cory , Acebal Ariel , Zheng Yihua
Published: December 2014

Our study statistically compares the total energy flux outputs of Newell et al.'s () oval variation, assessment, tracking, intensity, and online nowcasting (OVATION) Prime model, Hardy et al.'s () Kp‐based model, and a coupled Space Weather Modeling Framework ring current model to energy flux data obtained from 2198 Defense Meteorological Satellite Program (DMSP) satellite passes in the Northern Hemisphere. Our DMSP data set includes 28 days grouped into continuous 3 and 4 day periods between 2000 and 2008 and encompasses magnetic local times (MLTs) between 04:00 and 21:00. We obtain the most equatorward magnetic latitude coordinate, where a DMSP satellite energy flux measurement exceeds 0.4 erg/cm2/s, and use this point as a proxy for the equatorward boundary of the auroral oval in a particular MLT sector. We then calculate a prediction efficiency (PE) score by comparing the DMSP boundary coordinates to each model, using the same energy flux threshold to obtain a model's boundary location. We find that the PE for the OVATION Prime model is 0.55, and the PE for the Hardy Kp model is 0.51. When we accomplish the same analysis using a higher energy flux threshold equal to 0.6 erg/cm2/s, the OVATION Prime model's PE increases to 0.58, while the Hardy Kp model's score drops to 0.41. Our results indicate that more complex modeling techniques, like those used in OVATION Prime, can more accurately model the auroral oval's equatorward boundary. However, Hardy's discretized Kp model, despite its relative simplicity, is still a competitive and viable modeling option.
Integrated One‐Flow Synthesis of Heterocyclic Thioquinazolinones through Serial Microreactions with Two Organolithium Intermediates
Authors: Kim Heejin , Lee Hyune‐Jea , Kim Dong‐Pyo
Published: December 2014

The synthesis of pharmaceutical compounds via short‐lived intermediates in a microreactor is attractive, because of the fast flow and high throughput. Additionally, intermediates can be utilized sequentially to efficiently build up a library in a short time. Here we present an integrated microfluidic synthesis of biologically active thioquinazolinone libraries. Generation of o‐lithiophenyl isothiocyanate and subsequent reaction with aryl isocyanate is optimized by controlling the residence time in the microreactor to 16 ms at room temperature. Various S‐benzylic thioquinazolinone derivatives are synthesized within 10 s in high yields (75–98 %) at room temperature. These three‐step reactions involve two organolithium intermediates, an isothiocyanate‐functionalized aryllithium intermediate, and a subsequent lithium thiolate intermediate. We also demonstrate the gram‐scale synthesis of a multifunctionalized thioquinazolinone in the microfluidic device with a high yield (91 %) and productivity (1.25 g in 5 min).
Cyclic Alkyl Amino Carbene (CAAC) Ruthenium Complexes as Remarkably Active Catalysts for Ethenolysis
Authors: Marx Vanessa M. , Sullivan Alexandra H. , Melaimi Mohand , Virgil Scott C. , Keitz Benjamin K. , Weinberger David S. , Bertrand Guy , Grubbs Robert H.
Published: December 2014

An expanded family of ruthenium‐based metathesis catalysts bearing cyclic alkyl amino carbene (CAAC) ligands was prepared. These catalysts exhibited exceptional activity in the ethenolysis of the seed‐oil derivative methyl oleate. In many cases, catalyst turnover numbers (TONs) of more than 100 000 were achieved, at a catalyst loading of only 3 ppm. Remarkably, the most active catalyst system was able to achieve a TON of 340 000, at a catalyst loading of only 1 ppm. This is the first time a series of metathesis catalysts has exhibited such high performance in cross‐metathesis reactions employing ethylene gas, with activities sufficient to render ethenolysis applicable to the industrial‐scale production of linear α‐olefins (LAOs) and other terminal‐olefin products.
Comprehensive experiment—clinical biochemistry: Determination of blood glucose and triglycerides in normal and diabetic rats
Authors: Jiao Li , Xiujuan Shi , Juan Wang , Song Jia , Lei Xu , Guotong Xu , Lixia Lu
Published: December 2014

For second year medical students, we redesigned an original laboratory experiment and developed a combined research‐teaching clinical biochemistry experiment. Using an established diabetic rat model to detect blood glucose and triglycerides, the students participate in the entire experimental process, which is not normally experienced during a standard clinical biochemistry exercise. The students are not only exposed to techniques and equipment but are also inspired to think more about the biochemical mechanisms of diseases. When linked with lecture topics about the metabolism of carbohydrates and lipids, the students obtain a better understanding of the relevance of abnormal metabolism in relation to diseases. Such understanding provides a solid foundation for the medical students' future research and for other clinical applications. © 2014 The Authors Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Education published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. on behalf of International Union of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, 43(1):47–51, 2015.
Verification and classification bias interactions in diagnostic test accuracy studies for fine‐needle aspiration biopsy
Authors: Schmidt Robert L. , Walker Brandon S. , Cohen Michael B.
Published: December 2014

BACKGROUND

Reliable estimates of accuracy are important for any diagnostic test. Diagnostic accuracy studies are subject to unique sources of bias. Verification bias and classification bias are 2 sources of bias that commonly occur in diagnostic accuracy studies. Statistical methods are available to estimate the impact of these sources of bias when they occur alone. The impact of interactions when these types of bias occur together has not been investigated.

METHODS

We developed mathematical relationships to show the combined effect of verification bias and classification bias. A wide range of case scenarios were generated to assess the impact of bias components and interactions on total bias.

RESULTS

Interactions between verification bias and classification bias caused overestimation of sensitivity and underestimation of specificity. Interactions had more effect on sensitivity than specificity. Sensitivity was overestimated by at least 7% in approximately 6% of the tested scenarios. Specificity was underestimated by at least 7% in less than 0.1% of the scenarios.

CONCLUSIONS

Interactions between verification bias and classification bias create distortions in accuracy estimates that are greater than would be predicted from each source of bias acting independently.Cancer (Cancer Cytopathol)2014. ©2014 American Cancer Society.Cancer (Cancer Cytopathol)2015;123:193–201.©2014 American Cancer Society.
Single‐Molecule Methods to Study Membrane Receptor Oligomerization
Authors: Fricke Franziska , Dietz Marina S. , Heilemann Mike
Published: December 2014

Membrane receptors control fundamental cellular processes. Binding of a specific ligand to a receptor initiates communication through the membrane and activation of signaling cascades. This activation process often leads to a spatial rearrangement of receptors in the membrane at the molecular level. Single‐molecule techniques contributed significantly to the understanding of receptor organization and rearrangement in membranes. Here, we review four prominent single‐molecule techniques that have been applied to membrane receptors, namely, stepwise photobleaching, Förster resonance energy transfer, sub‐diffraction localization microscopy and co‐tracking. We discuss the requirements, benefits and limitations of each technique, discuss target labeling, present a selection of applications and results and compare the different methodologies.
Colorectal Cancer Screening and State Health Insurance Mandates
Authors: Hamman Mary K. , Kapinos Kandice A.
Published: December 2014

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is the third most deadly cancer in the USA. CRC screening is the most effective way to prevent CRC death, but compliance with recommended screenings is very low. In this study, we investigate whether CRC screening behavior changed under state mandated private insurance coverage of CRC screening in a sample of insured adults from the 1997 to 2008 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance Survey (BRFSS). We present difference‐in‐difference‐in‐differences (DDD) estimates that compare insured individuals age 51 to 64 to Medicare age‐eligible individuals (ages 66 to 75) in mandate and non‐mandate states over time. Our DDD estimates suggest endoscopic screening among men increased by 2 to 3 percentage points under mandated coverage among 51 to 64 year olds relative to their Medicare age‐eligible counterparts. We find no clear evidence of changes in screening behavior among women. DD estimates suggest no evidence of a mandate effect on either type of CRC screening for men or women. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Hydride generation atomic absorption spectrometric determination of bismuth after separation and preconcentration with modified alumina
Authors: Shakerian Farid , Haji Shabani Ali Mohammad , Dadfarnia Shayessteh , Kazemi Avanji Mahboubeh
Published: December 2014

A simple and sensitive method has been developed for the trace determination of bismuth in aqueous samples by a combination of solid‐phase extraction and hydride generation atomic absorption spectrometry. The method is based on the use of a column packed with 2‐mercaptobenzothiazole immobilized on sodium dodecyl sulfate coated alumina. Different parameters influencing the separation and preconcentration of bismuth such as pH, sample volume, type, and concentration of eluent, and the flow rate of sample and eluent were studied. A sample volume of 500.0 mL resulted in a preconcentration factor of 100. The precision (relative standard deviation, N = 10) at the 300 ng/L level and the limit of detection (3s) were found to be 2.3% and 12 ng/L, respectively. The developed method was successfully applied to the determination of bismuth in natural water samples and two certified reference materials.
Quality evaluation of Hypericum ascyron extract by two‐dimensional high‐performance liquid chromatography coupled with the colorimetric 3‐(4,5‐dimethylthiazol‐2‐yl)‐2,5‐diphenyltetrazolium bromide method
Authors: Li Xiu‐Mei , Luo Xue‐Gang , Zhang Chao‐Zheng , Wang Nan , Zhang Tong‐Cun
Published: December 2014

In this paper, a heart‐cutting two‐dimensional high‐performance liquid chromatography coupled with the 3‐(4,5‐dimethylthiazol‐2‐yl)‐2,5‐diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT) method was established for controlling the quality of different batches of Hypericum ascyron extract for the first time. In comparison with the common one‐dimensional fingerprint, the second‐dimensional fingerprint compiled additional spectral data and was hence more informative. The quality of H. ascyron extract was further evaluated by similarity measures and the same results were achieved, the correlation coefficients of the similarity of ten batches of H. ascyron extract were ＞0.99. Furthermore, we also evaluated the quality of the ten batches of H. ascyron extract by antibacterial activity. The result demonstrated that the quality of the ten batches of H. ascyron extract was not significantly different by MTT. Finally, we demonstrated that the second‐dimensional fingerprint coupled with the MTT method was a more powerful tool to characterize the quality of samples of batch to batch. Therefore the proposed method could be used to comprehensively conduct the quality control of traditional Chinese medicines.
Block Copolypeptide Nanoparticles for the Delivery of Ocular Therapeutics
Authors: Stukenkemper Timo , Dose Anica , Caballo Gonzalez Maria , Groenen Alexander J.J. , Hehir Sarah , Andrés‐Guerrero Vanessa , Herrero Vanrell Rocio , Cameron Neil R.
Published: December 2014

Self‐assembling block copolypeptides were prepared by sequential ring‐opening polymerization of N‐carboxyanhydride (NCA) derivatives of γ‐benzyl‐L‐glutamic acid and ε‐carbobenzyloxy‐L‐lysine, followed by selective deprotection of the benzyl glutamate block. The synthesized polymers had number average molecular weights close to theoretical values, and had low dispersities (ĐM = 1.15–1.28). Self‐assembly of the amphiphilic block copolymers into nanoparticles was achieved using the “solvent‐switch” method, whereby the polymer was dissolved in THF and water and the organic solvent removed by rotary evaporation. The type of nanostructures formed varied from spherical micelles to a mixture of spherical and worm‐like micelles, depending on copolymer composition. The spherical micelles had an average diameter of 43 nm by dynamic light scattering, while the apparent diameter of the mixed phase system was around 200nm. Reproducibility of nanoparticle preparation was demonstrated to be excellent; almost identical DLS traces were obtained over three repeats. Following qualitative dye‐solubilization experiments, the nanoparticles were loaded with the ocular anti‐inflammatory drug dexamethasone. Loading efficiency of the nanoparticles was 90% and the cumulative drug release was 94% over 16 d, with a 20% burst release in the first 24 h.
Crystallization and Phase Segregation of Multifunctional Multiblock Copolymers in Spin Coated Thin Films Altered by Diurethane Junction Units
Authors: Fang Liang , Yan Wan , Zierke Michael , Richau Klaus , Behl Marc , Kratz Karl , Lendlein Andreas
Published: December 2014

A multiblock copolymer named PDC is composed of crystallizable oligo(p‐dioxanone) (OPDO) and oligo(ε‐caprolactone) (OCL) as hard and switching segments. PDC has been synthesized via connecting two oligomeric macrodiols using a diisocyanate linker such as 2,2(4), 4‐trimethyl‐hexamethylene diisocyanate (TMDI) or 1,6‐hexamethylene diisocyanate (HDI). In this work, the surface morphologies of spin coated thin films from two PDCs (PDC‐HDI and PDC‐TMDI) were investigated via in‐situ atomic force microscopy (AFM) to examine how the diisocyanate linkers affect the balance between crystallization and phase segregation behavior. The results demonstrated that in PDC‐HDI, the crystallization of poly(ε‐caprolactone) (PCL) crystals provoked a “break out” from the phase segregated morphology. On contrary, the crystallization of PCL crystals in PDC‐TMDI was strictly confined in the phase segregated morphology.
The Aeromonas caviae AHA0618 gene modulates cell length and influences swimming and swarming motility
Authors: Lowry Rebecca C. , Parker Jennifer L. , Kumbhar Ramhari , Mesnage Stephane , Shaw Jonathan G. , Stafford Graham P.
Published: December 2014

Aeromonas caviae is motile via a polar flagellum in liquid culture, with a lateral flagella system used for swarming on solid surfaces. The polar flagellum also has a role in cellular adherence and biofilm formation. The two subunits of the polar flagellum, FlaA and FlaB, are posttranslationally modified by O‐linked glycosylation with pseudaminic acid on 6–8 serine and threonine residues within the central region of these proteins. This modification is essential for the formation of the flagellum. Aeromonas caviae possesses the simplest set of genes required for bacterial glycosylation currently known, with the putative glycosyltransferase, Maf1, being described recently. Here, we investigated the role of the AHA0618 gene, which shares homology (37% at the amino acid level) with the central region of a putative deglycosylation enzyme (HP0518) from the human pathogen Helicobacter pylori, which also glycosylates its flagellin and is proposed to be part of a flagellin deglycosylation pathway. Phenotypic analysis of an AHA0618 A. caviae mutant revealed increased swimming and swarming motility compared to the wild‐type strain but without any detectable effects on the glycosylation status of the polar flagellins when analyzed by western blot analysis or mass spectroscopy. Bioinformatic analysis of the protein AHA0618, demonstrated homology to a family of l,d‐transpeptidases involved in cell wall biology and peptidoglycan cross‐linking (YkuD‐like). Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and fluorescence microscopy analysis of the wild‐type and AHA0618‐mutant A. caviae strains revealed the mutant to be subtly but significantly shorter than wild‐type cells; a phenomenon that could be recovered when either AHA0618 or H. pylori HP0518 were introduced. We can therefore conclude that AHA0618 does not affect A. caviae behavior by altering polar flagellin glycosylation levels but is likely to have a role in peptidoglycan processing at the bacterial cell wall, consequently altering cell length and hence influencing motility.
Improved Optical Sintering Efficiency at the Contacts of Silver Nanowires Encapsulated by a Graphene Layer
Authors: Yang Seung‐Bok , Choi HongKyw , Lee Da Som , Choi Choon‐Gi , Choi Sung‐Yool , Kim Il‐Doo
Published: December 2014

Graphene/silver nanowire (AgNWs) stacked electrodes, i.e., graphene/AgNWs, are fabricated on a glass substrate by air‐spray coating of AgNWs followed by subsequent encapsulation via a wet transfer of single‐layer graphene (SLG) and multilayer graphene (MLG, reference specimen) sheets. Here, graphene is introduced to improve the optical sintering efficiency of a xenon flash lamp by controlling optical transparency and light absorbing yield in stacked graphene/AgNW electrodes, facilitating the fusion at contacts of AgNWs. Intense pulsed light (IPL) sintering induced ultrafast (<20 ms) welding of AgNW junctions encapsulated by graphene, resulting in approximately a four‐fold reduction in the sheet resistance of IPL‐treated graphene/AgNWs compared to that of IPL‐treated AgNWs. The role of graphene in IPL‐treated graphene/AgNWs is further investigated as a passivation layer against thermal oxidation and sulfurization. This work demonstrates that optical sintering is an efficient way to provide fast welding of Ag wire‐to‐wire junctions in stacked electrodes of graphene/AgNWs, leading to enhanced conductivity as well as superior long‐term stability under oxygen and sulfur atmospheres.
Clinical and histopathologic predictors of reoperation due to recurrence of leiomyoma after laparotomic myomectomy
Authors: Şükür Yavuz E. , Kankaya Duygu , Ateş Can , Sertçelik Ayşe , Cengiz Sevim D. , Aytaç Ruşen
Published: December 2014

Objective

To assess clinical and histopathologic risk factors for reoperation after laparotomic myomectomy due to leiomyoma recurrence.

Methods

A case–control study was conducted of patients who underwent their first myomectomy for leiomyoma without receiving gonadotropin‐releasing hormone analogues at Ankara University School of Medicine, Ankara, Turkey, between January 2000 and December 2004. Medical records and histopathologic samples were reviewed, and participants completed a telephone interview. Patients in the case group had undergone reoperation within 5 years; those in the control group had not required further surgery.

Results

There were 51 patients in the case group and 61 controls. The number of women who had given birth after the index surgery was lower among cases than controls (4 [7.8%] vs 13 [21.3%]; P = 0.048), as was the median size of the largest leiomyoma removed (4 cm [range 3–10] vs 5 cm [range 3–25]; P = 0.009). Reoperation was more likely among patients aged at least 40 years at index surgery (OR 1.10; 95% CI 1.18–7.78; P = 0.021) and those with myxoid change (OR 2.04; 95% CI 1.07–55.41; P = 0.043). The number of leiomyomas removed was negatively associated with reoperation (OR 0.30; 95% CI 0.58–0.93; P = 0.012).

Conclusion

Young age, removal of many or large leiomyomas, and pregnancy after myomectomy decreased reoperation risk, whereas myxoid change increased risk.