bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Assessment of the Authenticity of Herbal Dietary Supplements: Comparison of Chemical and DNA Barcoding Methods
Authors: Pawar Rahul , Handy Sara , Cheng Raymond , Shyong Nicole , Grundel Erich
Published: April 2017

About 7 % of the U. S. population reports using botanical dietary supplements. Increased use of such supplements has led to discussions related to their authenticity and quality. Reports of adulteration with substandard materials or pharmaceuticals are of concern because such substitutions, whether inadvertent or deliberate, may reduce the efficacy of specific botanicals or lead to adverse events. Methods for verifying the identity of botanicals include macroscopic and microscopic examinations, chemical analysis, and DNA-based methods including DNA barcoding. Macroscopic and microscopic examinations may fail when a supplement consists of botanicals that have been processed beyond the ability to provide morphological characterizations. Chemical analysis of specific marker compounds encounters problems when these compounds are not distinct to a given species or when purified reference standards are not available. Recent investigations describing DNA barcoding analysis of botanical dietary supplements have raised concerns about the authenticity of the supplements themselves as well as the appropriateness of using DNA barcoding techniques with finished botanical products. We collected 112 market samples of frequently consumed botanical dietary supplements of ginkgo, soy, valerian, yohimbe, and St. Johnʼs wort and analyzed each for specific chemical markers (i.e., flavonol glycosides, total isoflavones, total valerenic acids, yohimbine, and hypericins, respectively). We used traditional DNA barcoding techniques targeting the nuclear ITS2 gene and the chloroplast gene psbA-trnH on the same samples to determine the presence of DNA of the labelled ingredient. We compared the results obtained by both methods to assess the contribution of each in determining the identity of the samples.
An Essay on Financial Information in the Era of Computerization
Authors: Schinckus Christophe
Published: April 2017

This article deals with the increasing computerization of the financial markets and the consequences of such process on our ability to collect information about financial prices. The concept of information is at the heart of financial economics simply because this notion is a precondition for all investments. Since financial prices characterize an agreement on a transaction between two counterparties, they understandably became a key informational indicator for decision. This article will analyse the increasing computerization of financial sphere by discussing the recent emergence of what is called a “flash crash” and its impact on the traditional ways of collecting information in finance (technical analysis, fundamental analysis and statistical approach). I argue that the growing computerization of financial markets generated a “hyper-reality” in which financial prices do not refer to “something” anymore implying a revision of our usual way of defining/using the notion of information.
Investigation of the resonance frequency and performance of a partially plasma filled reconfigurable cylindrical TE111 mode cavity
Authors: Hadaegh Mostafa , Mohajeri Farzad
Published: April 2017

A partially plasma filled reconfigurable cylindrical cavity is proposed. Plasma offers an encouraging alternative to metal for a wide variety of microwave engineering applications. Implementation of a low-cost plasma element permits the resonant frequency to be changed electrically. The level of the resonant frequency shifts toward the empty-cavity resonant frequency and depends on certain parameters, such as the plasma diameter, relative permittivity and thickness of the plasma tube. In this article, we first introduce the partially plasma filled reconfigurable cylindrical cavity; then, the resonant frequency equation of the cavity is obtained by variational methods. Finally, we plot the resonant frequency versus different parameters of the cavity, which we compare with the results of the CST software. We show that the two results are compatible with each other.
Polymer and spherical nanoparticle diffusion in nanocomposites
Authors: Karatrantos Argyrios , Composto Russell J. , Winey Karen I. , Clarke Nigel
Published: April 2017

Nanoparticle and polymer dynamics in nanocomposites containing spherical nanoparticles were investigated by means of molecular dynamics simulations. We show that the polymer diffusivity decreases with nanoparticle loading due to an increase of the interfacial area created by nanoparticles, in the polymer matrix. We show that small sized nanoparticles can diffuse much faster than that predicted from the Stokes-Einstein relation in the dilute regime. We show that the nanoparticle diffusivity decreases at higher nanoparticle loading due to nanoparticle–polymer interface. Increase of the nanoparticle radius slows the nanoparticle diffusion.
Graphene-Al2O3-silicon heterojunction solar cells on flexible silicon substrates
Authors: Ahn Jaehyun , Chou Harry , Banerjee Sanjay K.
Published: April 2017

The quest of obtaining sustainable, clean energy is an ongoing challenge. While silicon-based solar cells have widespread acceptance in practical commercialization, continuous research is important to expand applicability beyond fixed-point generation to other environments while also improving power conversion efficiency (PCE), stability, and cost. In this work, graphene-on-silicon Schottky junction and graphene-insulator-silicon (GIS) solar cells are demonstrated on flexible, thin foils, which utilize the electrical conductivity and optical transparency of graphene as the top transparent contact. Multi-layer graphene was grown by chemical vapor deposition on Cu-Ni foils, followed by p-type doping with Au nanoparticles and encapsulated in poly(methyl methacrylate), which showed high stability with minimal performance degradation over more than one month under ambient conditions. Bendable silicon film substrates were fabricated by a kerf-less exfoliation process based on spalling, where the silicon film thickness could be controlled from 8 to 35 μm based on the process recipe. This method allows for re-exfoliation from the parent Si wafer and incorporates the process for forming the backside metal contact of the solar cell. GIS cells were made with a thin insulating Al2O3 atomic layer deposited film, where the thin Al2O3 film acts as a tunneling barrier for holes, while simultaneously passivating the silicon surface, increasing the minority carrier lifetime from 2 to 27 μs. By controlling the Al2O3 thickness, an optimized cell with 7.4% power conversion efficiency (PCE) on a 35 μm thick silicon absorber was fabricated.
Magnetic properties of nanolaminated (Mo0.5Mn0.5)2GaC MAX phase
Authors: Salikhov R. , Meshkian R. , Weller D. , Zingsem B. , Spoddig D. , Lu J. , Ingason A. S. , Zhang H. , Rosen J. , Wiedwald U. , Farle M.
Published: April 2017

The magnetic properties of hexagonal (Mo0.5Mn0.5)2GaC MAX phase synthesized as epitaxial films on MgO (111) substrates with the c-axis perpendicular to the film plane are presented. The analysis of temperature-dependent ferromagnetic resonance (FMR) and magnetometry data reveals a ferro- to paramagnetic phase transition at 220 K. The electrical transport measurements at 5 K show a negative magnetoresistance of 6% in a magnetic field of 9 T. Further analysis confirms the spin-dependent scattering of charge carriers in this layered material. A small perpendicular (c-axis) magnetocrystalline anisotropy energy density (MAE) of 4.5 kJ/m3 at 100 K was found using FMR. Accordingly, (Mo0.5Mn0.5)2GaC behaves similar to the (Cr0.5Mn0.5)2GaC MAX phase as a soft magnetic material. The density functional theory calculations reveal that the sign and the amplitude of the MAE can be very sensitive to (Mo0.5Mn0.5)2GaC lattice parameters, which may explain the measured soft magnetic properties.
Preface for Special Topic: Ionotronics
Authors: Fong Dillon D. , Ramanathan Shriram
Published: April 2017

Ionotronics is an emerging technology that exploits the coupled ionic and electronic character of materials, including the profound modifications of structure, composition, and properties achievable through external fields. While the geometry of the device and the medium of the electric field can vary, a key commonality is the importance of interfaces and the ability of ions to move along and across them. As the electronic conductivity of many metal oxides can change significantly with the oxygen vacancy concentration, understanding defect formation and migration in such materials has been the focus of many recent studies, particularly for correlated electron systems. However, the incorporation of small ions such as hydrogen or lithium can be equally or more effective depending on the material and its interface: the key is whether or not the process can be fully reversed over many cycles without interfacial degradation (much like for energy storage systems). For most device applications, the switching process should require low power and take place at high speeds, even at room temperature.
Detection of incoherent terahertz light using antenna-coupled high-electron-mobility field-effect transistors
Authors: Qin Hua , Li Xiang , Sun Jiandong , Zhang Zhipeng , Sun Yunfei , Yu Yao , Li Xingxin , Luo Muchang
Published: April 2017

The sensitivity of direct terahertz detectors based on self-mixing of terahertz electromagnetic waves in field-effect transistors is being improved with noise-equivalent power close to that of Schottky-barrier-diode detectors. Here, we report that such detectors based on AlGaN/GaN two-dimensional electron gas at 77 K are able to sense incoherent terahertz radiation. The measured photocurrent as a function of the gate voltage agrees well with the self-mixing model and the spectral response is mainly determined by the antenna. A Fourier-transform spectrometer equipped with detectors designed for 340, 650, and 900 GHz bands allows for terahertz spectroscopy in a frequency range from 0.1 to 2.0 THz. The 900 GHz detector at 77 K offers an optical sensitivity about 1 pW/Hz being comparable to a commercial silicon bolometer at 4.2 K. By further improving the sensitivity, room-temperature detectors would find applications in active/passive terahertz imaging and terahertz spectroscopy.
X-ray absorption investigation of local structural disorder in Ni1-xFex (x = 0.10, 0.20, 0.35, and 0.50) alloys
Authors: Zhang F. X. , Jin K. , Zhao Shijun , Mu S. , Bei Hongbin , Liu J. C. , Xue H. Z. , Popov D. , Park Changyong , Stocks G. M. , Weber William J. , Zhang Yanwen
Published: April 2017

Defect energetics in structural materials has long been recognized to be affected by specific alloy compositions. Local structural distortion greatly affects the physical properties and performance of alloys. To reveal the atomic-level lattice distortion, the local structures of Ni and Fe in Ni1-xFex (x = 0.10, 0.20, 0.35 and 0.50) solid solution alloys were measured with extended X-ray absorption fine structure (EXAFS) technique. The EXAFS measurements have revealed that the bond length of Fe with surrounding atoms is 0.01–0.02 Å larger than that of Ni with its neighbors in the alloys. Both the lattice constant and the interatomic distance of the nearest neighbors increase with the addition of Fe content in the solid solutions. The local bonding environments in Ni1-xFex alloys were also calculated from ab initio and compared with the experimental results.
Intrinsic left-handed electromagnetic properties in anisotropic superconductors
Authors: Lin Shi-Zeng , Chen Hou-Tong
Published: April 2017

Left-handed materials usually are realized in artificial subwavelength structures. Here, we show that some anisotropic superconductors such as Bi2Sr2CaCu2O8+δ, YBa2CuxOy, and La2−xSrxCuO4, are intrinsic left-handed materials. The condition is that the plasma frequency in the c axis, ωc, and in the ab plane, ωab, and the operating angular frequency, ω, satisfy ωc<ω<ωab. In addition, ω should be smaller than the superconducting energy gap to sustain superconductivity. We study the reflection and transmission of electromagnetic waves and reveal negative refraction and the backward wave with the phase velocity opposite to the direction of energy flux propagation. We also discuss possible approaches for improvement, making these properties feasible for experimental validation. Being intrinsic left-hand materials, the anisotropic superconductors are promising for applications in functional electromagnetic devices in the terahertz frequency band.
Early immune responses are independent of RGC dysfunction in glaucoma with complement component C3 being protective
Authors: Harder Jeffrey M. , Braine Catherine E. , Williams Pete A. , Zhu Xianjun , MacNicoll Katharine H. , Sousa Gregory L. , Buchanan Rebecca A. , Smith Richard S. , Libby Richard T. , Howell Gareth R. , John Simon W. M.
Published: April 2017

Significance

Exactly how high intraocular pressure (IOP) initiates glaucoma is unknown. Immune responses occur early in glaucoma, but whether they are induced by high IOP or occur secondarily to retinal ganglion cell (RGC) dysfunction and molecular changes in neurons and glia remains unknown. This paper addresses these relationships and provides a deeper understanding of this very common neurodegeneration. Overall, our data suggest that early immune responses are independent of RGC dysfunction and thus are triggered as a more direct result of high IOP. Furthermore, early immune responses by astrocytes that involve complement C3 and EGFR signaling are beneficial.
Proliferation of PD-1+ CD8 T cells in peripheral blood after PD-1–targeted therapy in lung cancer patients
Authors: Kamphorst Alice O. , Pillai Rathi N. , Yang Shu , Nasti Tahseen H. , Akondy Rama S. , Wieland Andreas , Sica Gabriel L. , Yu Ke , Koenig Lydia , Patel Nikita T. , Behera Madhusmita , Wu Hong , McCausland Megan , Chen Zhengjia , Zhang Chao , Khuri Fadlo R. , Owonikoko Taofeek K. , Ahmed Rafi , Ramalingam Suresh S.
Published: April 2017

Significance

Therapies that harness the immune system have recently been approved for cancer treatment. Identification of biomarkers to monitor or predict patients’ responses to immunotherapies would help guide treatment decisions. Herein we analyzed changes in peripheral blood T cells from lung cancer patients receiving immunotherapy blocking the PD-1 inhibitory pathway. We detected CD8 T-cell responses following treatment in most patients. In addition, our data suggest that an increase in proliferation of PD-1+ CD8 T cells in the blood within 4 wk of treatment initiation may be associated with positive clinical outcome. Our analysis provides valuable insights into cancer patients’ responses to PD-1–targeted therapies and warrant further studies on peripheral blood biomarkers.
The “Establishment”, the “Élites”, and the “People”
Authors: Wodak Ruth
Published: April 2017

In this paper, I discuss the attempt by all right-wing populist parties to create, on the one hand, the ‘real’ and ‘true’ people; and on the other, the ‘élites’ or ‘the establishment’ who are excluded from the truedemos. Such divisions, as will be elaborated in detail, have emerged in many societies over centuries and decades. A brief example of the arbitrary construction of opposing groups illustrates the intricacies of such populist reasoning. Furthermore, I pose the question why such divisions resonate so well in many countries? I argue that – apart from apolitics of fear(Wodak 2015) – muchresentmentis evoked which could be viewed as both accompanying as well as a reaction to the disenchantment with politics and the growing inequalities in globalized capitalist societies.
The role of carotenoid intake in food allergy prevention.
Authors: Akiyama H.
Published: April 2017

Carotenoids are reported to play an important role in various physiological processes. Carotenoids quench reactive oxygen species and play a role in the prevention of development of chronic diseases and certain types of allergic diseases. The intake of β-carotene, which is one of the carotenoids, can improve allergic symptoms through inhibition of antigen-specific IgE antibody production, degranulation and the release of chemical mediators from mast cells or basophils. The retinoic acid derived from β-carotene is known to play an important role in inducing oral tolerance in gut-associated lymphoid tissue. The intake of β-carotene inhibits oral sensitization and the onset of IgE-dependent immediate type allergy. The intake of carotenoids has been reported to be important in the prevention of allergic symptoms, including allergic sensitization, asthma and eczema.
Chemical, morphological and structural characterisation of electroless duplex NiP/NiB coatings on steel
Authors: Vitry Véronique , Bonin Luiza , Malet Loïc
Published: April 2017

Duplex electroless nickel coatings constituted of one layer of nickel-phosphorous and one of nickel-boron are a promising solution to provide combined wear and corrosion resistance to parts. Duplex systems were compared to systems of similar thickness constituted of only one material, in one or two layers. Duplex coatings present intermediate surface texture, but each layer keeps its typical cross-section morphology and structural features, even after heat treatment. The interfaces between the separate layers are sharp in the as-deposited state but not as much after heat treatment. When nickel-boron is deposited first, it influences slightly the grain growth of the subsequent nickel-phosphorous layer, but no influence can be observed when nickel-phosphorous is deposited first.
Disrupting the Fantasy
Authors: Leeb Claudia
Published: April 2017

“Disrupting the Fantasy: Adorno and the Working-Class Woman” exposes Adorno’s identity thinking in his figurations of the “working-class woman.” The forms in which she appears in Adorno’s texts (the phallic, castrating, and castrated woman) correspond to the three dimensions (the imaginary, the symbolic, and the real) through which Lacan mapped his thought. In all of these forms she advances to object petit a (Lacan)—the unconscious fantasy object that promises to cover up the fears and desires that non-wholeness incites. That the thinker of non-identity reinforces identity thinking exposes some of the challenges to realizing the idea of a (feminist) political subject-in-outline. For such a subject to be able to transform the status quo and remain inclusive, it must deal with the (unconscious) desires and fears the remaining-with-holes incites.
‘et que faut-il penser | De ces pommes jaunes?’: An Ecocritical Reading of Yves Bonnefoy’s Punctual Colour Work
Authors: McLaughlin Emily
Published: April 2017

This article investigates how Yves Bonnefoy uses the white canvas of snow to experiment with punctual dashes of colour in the collection
Début et fin de la neige
(1991). Reading these poems alongside two of the poet’s essays on painting, I consider how Bonnefoy’s critical and poetic writings question the power that colour has to excite but also to resist the linguistic imagination. Colour asserts its dynamic and processual nature in these essays and poems, making the poet sense the kinetic nature of material existence and the contingency of human perception. I probe how this experience throws the poet’s conception of subjectivity into crisis, undermining his notion of the distinct value of human life. I explore how this crisis also galvanizes new conceptions of identity, however, as colour elicits a ‘world-centred’ rather than a ‘self-centred approach to viewing’ (Michael Taussig). I investigate how this immersive gaze re-awakens the poet’s sense of wonder at the material world, alerting him to the porous or ‘ambient’ nature of his own subjectivity, making him feel the diverse ways in which he is enmeshed in a dynamic material world and intimately exposed to its unpredictable currents of agency and affect.
Evidence-based medicine
Authors: Wiffen Philip , Mitchell Marc , Snelling Melanie , Stoner Nicola
Published: April 2017

This chapter provides a brief overview to the concept of evidence-based medicine (EBM) starting with a well-accepted definition. The importance of clinical significance over statistical significance is discussed. A number of useful tools are presented and described to enable the practitioner to become competent in recognizing high-quality evidence and to have the skills to critically appraise evidence that is potentially important to their practice. There is a brief description of some of the statistical tools commonly used in EBM including binary data tools such as odds ratios, number needed to treat, and relative risks.
Muscle metabolism during exercise
Authors: Armstrong Neil , Barker Alan R , McManus Alison M
Published: April 2017

Ethical considerations and the lack, until recently, of accessible non-invasive techniques of interrogating exercising muscles have limited research into developmental muscle metabolism during exercise. Current evidence supports an anaerobic/aerobic energy metabolism interplay in exercise in which children present a relatively higher oxidative capacity than adolescents or adults. There is a progressive increase in anaerobic glycolytic flux with age at least into adolescence and, possibly into young adulthood. Independent effects of biological maturation on muscle metabolism during exercise remain to be empirically proven. An amalgam of findings from muscle fibre profiles, muscle enzymes activity, muscle energy stores, substrate utilization, phosphocreatine re-synthesis, and pulmonary oxygen uptake contribute to a plausible model of an age- and sex-specific developing metabolic profile but the precise mechanisms require further clarification. There is a persuasive argument that muscle fibre recruitment patterns are a fundamental component of age- (and perhaps sex-) related differences.
Pulmonary function
Authors: McManus Alison M , Armstrong Neil
Published: April 2017

The principles of pulmonary ventilation are the same for children and adults. Ventilation adjusts to alterations in metabolic demand in the child; but for a given exercise intensity there is a greater ventilation when expressed relative to body mass and a higher energetic cost of breathing in the child compared to the adult. Limited evidence suggests child-adult differences may be a result of immature chemoreception, a greater drive to breathe, differences in airway dimensions, and the mechanical work of breathing. There are few studies investigating the dynamic ventilatory response to moderate intensity exercise and none to heavy or very heavy intensity exercise in the child. Little attention has been devoted to the developmental pattern of ventilatory control, although there is evidence of altered chemoreceptive modulation of breathing in the child. Considerable research will be necessary before we have a full appreciation of pulmonary function during exercise in the child.
Cardiovascular function
Authors: Rowland Thomas W
Published: April 2017

The circulatory response to increased metabolic demands of endurance exercise is best explained by a model in which volume of circulatory flow is governed by alterations in peripheral vascular resistance. These dynamics of the cardiovascular response to an acute bout of progressive endurance exercise are similar in children and adults, and, when adjusted for body size, true cardiovascular fitness (ability to generate cardiac output) is no different in healthy, untrained pre- and postpubertal individuals. As in adults, the capacity to eject stroke volume at maximal exercise differentiates levels of physiological fitness (maximal oxygen uptake) between individual children. Stroke volume at exhaustive exercise, in turn, appears to be governed by factors which influence left ventricular diastolic size rather than those which dictate myocardial systolic and diastolic function.
Pulmonary oxygen uptake kinetics
Authors: Barker Alan R , Armstrong Neil
Published: April 2017

The pulmonary oxygen uptake (pV̇O2) kinetic response to exercise provides valuable non-invasive insight into the control of oxidative phosphorylation and determinants of exercise tolerance in children and adolescents. Few methodologically robust studies have investigated pV̇O2 kinetics in children and adolescents, but age- and sex-related differences have been identified. There is a clear age-related slowing of phase II pV̇O2 kinetics during heavy and very heavy exercise, with a trend showing during moderate intensity exercise. During heavy and very heavy exercise the oxygen cost is higher for phase II and the pV̇O2 component is truncated in children. Sex-related differences occur during heavy, but not moderate, intensity exercise, with boys having faster phase II pV̇O2 kinetics and a smaller pV̇O2 slow component compared to girls. The mechanisms underlying these differences are likely related to changes in phosphate feedback controllers of oxidative phosphorylation, muscle oxygen delivery, and/or muscle fibre recruitment strategies.
Physical activity, physical fitness, and health
Authors: Sherar Lauren B , Cumming Sean P
Published: April 2017

While physical activity is considered essential for the positive physical and psychosocial development of children, our understanding of the types and amounts of physical activity which are necessary to positively impact current and future (i.e. adult) health status remains unclear. Emerging evidence and advances in scientific assessment and analysis have shed new light on the activity thresholds that might be required to promote positive health in children, the extent to which children are achieving these thresholds, and the various factors, processes, and mechanisms that explain individual differences in activity and sedentary behaviour. It is equally evident, however, that much future work is required if we are to gain a more comprehensive understanding of physical activity and health in children, and to encourage children to adopt and maintain a more active, less sedentary lifestyle.
Hormones and training
Authors: Jürimäe Jaak
Published: April 2017

Physical exercise regulates energy balance and is important to growth and maturation. These processes are regulated by the endocrine system. Endocrine mechanisms in the response to sport training include growth hormone-insulin-like growth factor-1 (GH-IGF-1), hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal and hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axes, and peripheral markers of energy homeostasis. Physical performance is associated with anabolic adaptations of the GH-IGF-1 system in child athletes alongside spontaneous growth, while heavy training does not affect basal testosterone levels. In female adolescent athletes, the major factor altering reproductive hormone secretion is energy deficiency, rather than exercise stress or increase in exercise energy expenditure. Ghrelin is another indicator of energy imbalance across the menstrual cycle. Pubertal onset decreases ghrelin, and leptin levels are reduced and may remain unchanged between prepuberty and maturation in athletes. To better understand the influence of high training load on hormonal markers responsible for overall growth and energy homeostasis, growing athletes should be monitored often.
Lower limb injuries
Authors: Longo Umile Giuseppe , Maffulli Nicola
Published: April 2017

Physical activity plays a significant role in the well-being of a child. Long-term health benefits depend on continuation of physical activity, which enhances well-being and favours balanced development. Injuries can counter the beneficial effects of sports participation, especially if a child is unable to continue participating because of any residual effects of injury. Prevention of sports injuries has been largely implemented in the last few years. This chapter reviews common lower limb injuries in children with an emphasis on injury management. Sports-related injuries of the lower limb in children mostly cover ligament injuries, fractures, epiphyseal injuries, and apophysitis. It also cover the most frequent approaches for the management of these injuries, including conservative management for undisplaced fractures or partial ligamentous ruptures. Surgery is recommended for displaced fractures or complete ligamentous injuries.
Injuries to the head and cervical spine
Authors: Cantu Robert V , Cantu Robert C
Published: April 2017

Traumatic brain and cervical spine injuries in young athletes encompass a wide spectrum, with some injuries occurring in otherwise ‘safe’ sports, and others in high-risk sports where head and cervical spine injuries are the norm. Athletic brain injuries include concussion, intracranial haemorrhage, malignant brain oedema syndrome, and axonal shear. In the cervical spine, injuries include muscle strains, contusions, fractures, or ligamentous disruptions with nerve root or spinal cord injury. Knowledge of these injuries and their signs and symptoms is important for the physician covering a sporting contest or practice. Additionally, preparedness for potential head or cervical spine injury must be addressed by health professionals providing sporting event coverage. This chapter reviews how traumatic brain and cervical spine injuries typically occur in young athletes. It also discusses what the initial treatment of these injuries should entail, along with a discussion of return to play considerations.
Virus infections causing diarrhoea and vomiting
Authors: Dormitzer Philip , Desselberger Ulrich
Published: April 2017

Acute gastroenteritis is frequently caused by rotaviruses, human caliciviruses (noroviruses, sapoviruses), astroviruses and enteric adenoviruses (group F): these cause much disease worldwide and considerable mortality, mainly in developing countries. Other viruses found in the human gastrointestinal tract are not regularly associated with diarrhoeal disease, except in patients who are immunosuppressed and in whom herpes simplex virus, cytomegalovirus, and picobirnaviruses can cause diarrhoea, as can HIV itself....
Giardiasis, balantidiasis, isosporiasis, and microsporidiosis
Authors: Heyworth Martin F.
Published: April 2017

Infection with Giardia intestinalis, a flagellate protozoan that colonizes the lumen of the small intestine, is acquired by ingesting environmentally resistant cysts of the parasite, typically in water or food. Strains of the parasite that can potentially infect humans are harboured by various mammals, including dogs and cattle....
Disorders of galactose, pentose, and pyruvate metabolism
Authors: Cox T.M.
Published: April 2017

Galactose is principally found as free lactose in dairy products; the sugar moiety also occurs as a dietary component in glycoproteins and complex lipids. Three inborn errors of galactose metabolism are recognized:

Galactokinase deficiency (‘galactose diabetes’)—a very rare condition which impairs the assimilation of dietary galactose that is normally initiated by phosphorylation, principally in the liver; the free sugar and its metabolites, galactonic acid and galactitol, appear in plasma and the urine. Conversion of galactose to osmotically active galactitol in tissues causes premature cataracts and occasionally pseudotumor cerebri in infants. The abnormalities may be ameliorated by early institution of a galactose- and lactose-free diet....
Primary biliary cirrhosis
Authors: Bassendine M.F. , Jones D.E.J.
Published: April 2017

Case History—A 60 yr old woman presenting with abnormal liver blood tests.

Primary biliary cirrhosis is a chronic, cholestatic liver disease in which the biliary epithelial cells lining the small intrahepatic bile ducts are the target for immune-mediated damage leading to progressive ductopenia. The cause is unknown, but presumed to be autoimmune....
Chest pain, breathlessness, and fatigue
Authors: Dwight J.
Published: April 2017

Chest pain, breathlessness, and fatigue are common diagnostic challenges. They have a broad differential diagnosis that includes a number of life-threatening pathologies.

The most reliable discriminating feature for angina, as opposed to other causes of chest pain, is its constricting nature, a fixed and predictable relationship to exertion, and that is relieved, within a few minutes, by rest or glyceryl trinitrate....
Cardiac transplantation and mechanical circulatory support
Authors: Parameshwar Jayan , Tsui Steven
Published: April 2017

Cardiac transplantation is the treatment of choice for selected patients with advanced heart failure: median survival exceeds 10 years and recipients enjoy an excellent quality of life, but availability is severely limited by shortage of donor organs. The need for lifelong immunosuppression is associated with side effects, including an increased incidence of malignancy. Newer immunosuppressive agents offer promise in reducing nephrotoxicity of conventional regimens and in delaying the onset of (currently inevitable) cardiac allograft vasculopathy....
Biology and pathology of atherosclerosis
Authors: Choudhury Robin P. , Fisher Edward A.
Published: April 2017

Formation of an atheromatous plaque—this is an inflammatory process that involves the contribution of endothelial cells, monocytes, and smooth muscle cells in conjunction with the deposition of atherogenic lipoproteins in the intimal layer of the vascular wall. The initial stage involves activation of the endothelium at regions of nonlaminar flow in vessels resulting in increased permeability to Apo B-containing lipoproteins (LDL). Inflammatory cells, in particular monocytes, are recruited into the intimal layer of the vessel wall via the action of chemokines and adhesion molecules mobilized by activated endothelium....
Influences acting in utero and in early childhood
Authors: Barker D.J.P.
Published: April 2017

The search for the environmental causes of ischaemic heart disease is generally guided by a ‘destructive’ model, where the causes to be identified are thought to act in adult life and accelerate destructive processes such as the formation of atheroma, rise in blood pressure, and loss of glucose tolerance. By contrast, a ‘developmental’ model for the disease focuses on causes acting on the baby and argues that in responding to undernutrition and other adverse influences, the baby ensures its continued survival and growth at the cost of premature death from ischaemic heart disease and other chronic disorders....
Hypertensive urgencies and emergencies
Authors: Lip Gregory Y.H. , Beevers D. Gareth
Published: April 2017

Hypertensive urgencies and emergencies occur most commonly in patients with previous hypertension, especially if inadequately managed. About 40% of cases have an underlying cause, most commonly renovascular disease, primary renal diseases, phaeochromocytoma, and connective tissue disorders. Hypertensive emergencies occur when severely elevated or sudden marked increase in blood pressure is associated with acute end-organ damage....
Clinical investigation of renal disease
Authors: Davenport A.
Published: April 2017

An accurate history and careful examination will determine the sequence and spectrum of clinical investigations required to make a diagnosis or decide on prognosis or treatment.

Midstream urine (MSU) sample—this standard investigation requires consideration of: (1) macroscopic appearance—this may be suggestive of a diagnosis, e.g. frothy urine suggests heavy proteinuria; (2) stick testing—including for pH (<5.3 in an early-morning specimen makes a renal acidification defect unlikely), glycosuria, specific gravity (should be >1.024 in an early-morning or concentrated sample), nitrite (>90% of common urinary pathogens produce nitrite) and leucocyte esterase; and (3) microscopy—for cellular elements (in particular red cells, with the presence of dysmorphic red cells detected by experienced observers indicative of glomerular bleeding), casts (cellular casts indicate renal inflammation), and crystals....
Dermatitis/eczema
Authors: Friedmann Peter S. , Arden-Jones Michael J.
Published: April 2017

Eczema is a characteristic pattern of skin inflammation that has many subtypes, with some induced by external factors such as irritants or skin sensitizers. Atopic eczema is due partly to a genetic susceptibility, which programmes altered immune responses and skin physiology, together with reactions to exogenous allergens and microbes, but a number of eczema patterns do not appear to have external causes....
Disorders of pigmentation
Authors: Healy Eugene
Published: April 2017

Normal human skin colour results from the reflection of light from haemoglobin in blood, and carotenoids and melanin pigmentation in skin. The melanin pigmentation is the major component determining differences in skin colour between races.

Increases and decreases in skin pigmentation (hyperpigmentation and hypopigmentation, respectively) may be localized or generalized, can result from a wide variety of physiological or pathological processes, including both genetic and acquired factors, and may reflect underlying systemic disease....
Three-dimensional artificial transpiration for efficient solar waste-water treatment
Authors: Li Xiuqiang , Lin Renxing , Ni George , Xu Ning , Hu Xiaozhen , Zhu Bin , Lv Guangxin , Li Jinlei , Zhu Shining , Zhu Jia
Published: April 2017

Solar steam generation is emerging as promising solar-energy conversion technology for potential applications in desalination, sterilization and chemical purification. Despite the recent use of photon management and thermal insulation, achieving optimum solar steam efficiency requires simultaneous minimization of radiation, convection and conduction losses without compromising light absorption. Inspired by the natural transpiration process in plants, here we report a 3D artificial transpiration device with all three components of heat loss and angular dependence of light absorption minimized, which enables over 85% solar steam efficiency under one sun without external optical or thermal management. It is also demonstrated that this artificial transpiration device can provide a complementary path for waste-water treatment with a minimal carbon footprint, recycling valuable heavy metals and producing purified water directly from waste water contaminated with heavy metal ions.
Audience Studies
Authors: Napoli Philip , Voorhees Steve
Published: April 2017

Audience studies is a broad and multifaceted area of communication research. It encompasses a wide range of theoretical perspectives, as well as a diversity of methodological approaches, that all share a concern with understanding how and why audiences engage with media, and the broader political, cultural, and economic implications of the media––audience relationship. These areas of focus distinguish audience studies from the related area of media effects, which is more explicitly focused on the impact that media content has on audiences. The theoretical and methodological diversity of audience studies has been a source of contention within the field, as debates have persisted over the extent of audiences’ abilities to engage in alternative or oppositional interpretations of media texts; as well as over the relative merits of qualitative versus quantitative approaches to audience research.
Organizational Communication
Authors: Putnam Linda , Woo DaJung , Banghart Scott
Published: April 2017

Organizational communication as a field of study focuses on the role of messages, media, meaning, and symbolic activity in constituting and shaping organizational processes. Researchers also study communication ties or connections between organizational members and the nature and patterns of information flow. More recently, scholars have centered on discourse, interactions, conversations, and texts as they constitute and alter organizational processes. These constructs, however, embody ways of thinking about the very nature of organizing and how communication permeates and shapes organizational processes and structures. They guide the field’s pursuit of several key problematics grounded in the nature of organizations, namely, the integration of internal and external communication in organizing, tensions between the individual and the organization, the interdependence of action and structure, and the role of multiple voices in the organizing process. Several principles also guide the research in organizational communication. The field is pluralistic in topics, methods, and underlying perspectives; that is, scholars have an allegiance to both social sciences and humanistic methods. The bibliography that follows exemplifies the history and development of this rapidly changing field by focusing on overviews, theories, key constructs, and selected research topics.
Epidermolysis Bullosa Acquisita (Brunsting-Perry Pemphigoid Variant) Localized to the Face and Diagnosed With Antigen Identification Using Skin Deficient in Type VII Collagen
Authors: Asfour Leila , Chong Heung , Mee John , Groves Richard , Singh Manuraj
Published: April 2017

Brunsting-Perry pemphigoid is defined as an autoimmune vesiculobullous eruption typically localized on the head and neck region with minimal or no mucosal involvement. The disease tends to run a chronic and recurrent course with residual scarring. Histological features are characterized by subepidermal bullae and linear IgG deposits at the dermo-epidermal junction. We report a case of a 46-year-old lady who presented with typical features of Brunsting-Perry pemphigoid. Autoantibodies to type VII collagen were identified by using recessive dystrophic epidermolysis bullosa skin which lacks type VII collagen in an indirect immunofluorescence assay. As a result, we diagnosed our patient as having the Brunsting-Perry pemphigoid variant of epidermolysis bullosa acquisita (EBA). This finding led us to review the literature on target antigens in Brunsting-Perry pemphigoid. Only 11 out of the 58 cases reported to date had target antigens identified. Interestingly, type VII collagen was the second most common target antigen/autoantibody (4 cases) detected after BP180 (5 cases). However, 2 further cases of EBA localized to the face with typical features of Brunsting-Perry pemphigoid were found in the literature. Although the target antigens are heterogeneous in Brunsting-Perry pemphigoid, a significant number of cases represent a clinical presentation of localized EBA.
The Effects of Prenatal Maternal Stress on Early Temperament: The 2011 Queensland Flood Study
Authors: Simcock Gabrielle , Elgbeili Guillaume , Laplante David P. , Kildea Sue , Cobham Vanessa , Stapleton Helen , Austin Marie-Paule , Brunet Alain , King Suzanne
Published: April 2017

Objective:

This study examined the effects of disaster-related prenatal maternal stress on infant temperament and whether the sex of the infant or the timing of the stressor in pregnancy would moderate the effects.

Methods:

Mothers' objective experiences of a sudden-onset flood in Queensland, Australia, their subjective emotional reactions, and cognitive appraisal of the event were assessed. At 6 months postpartum, 121 mothers reported their infant's temperament on the 5 dimensions of the Short Temperament Scale for Infants.

Results:

When controlling for postnatal maternal factors, subjective prenatal maternal stress and cognitive appraisal of the disaster were associated with easier aspects of infant temperament. However, several interesting interactions emerged showing negative effects of the flood. With higher levels of objective hardship in pregnancy, boys (but not girls) received more irritable temperament ratings. When the flood occurred early in pregnancy, higher levels of objective hardship predicted more arrhythmic infant temperament. Finally, mothers whose emotional response to the flood exceeded the hardship they endured reported significantly more active-reactive infants.

Conclusion:

Prenatal maternal stress from a natural disaster predicted more difficult temperament ratings that were moderated by infant sex, timing of the flood in gestation, and mother's emotional response to the disaster.
Effect of an Outpatient Pulmonary Rehabilitation Program on Exercise Tolerance and Asthma Control in Obese Asthma Patients
Authors: Türk Yasemin , van Huisstede Astrid , Franssen Frits M. E. , Hiemstra Pieter S. , Rudolphus Arjan , Taube Cristian , Braunstahl Gert-Jan
Published: April 2017

PURPOSE:

To compare the effects of an outpatient pulmonary rehabilitation (PR) program on exercise tolerance and asthma control in obese and nonobese patients with asthma.

METHODS:

Nonobese (body mass index [BMI] <30 kg/m2) and obese (BMI ≥ 30 kg/m2) patients with asthma who participated in a local multidisciplinary 12-week PR program were analyzed retrospectively. Effects of PR were assessed by changes in 6-minute walking distance (6MWD) and Asthma Control Questionnaire (ACQ).

RESULTS:

A total of 138 asthma patients were included: 53 (38.4%) obese and 85 (61.6%) nonobese. At baseline, obese patients with asthma had a lower level of exercise tolerance reflected by a lower 6MWD (525 m vs 621 m;P< .001). After PR, the 6MWD improved significantly in both groups (≥50 m in nonobese vs ≥45 m in obese;P< .001 in both groups). The improvement in 6MWD was clinically relevant in 71% of the nonobese and 60% of the obese patients. These patients had lower 6MWD (P= .024), higher usage of long-acting β-agonist (P= .034) and oral corticosteroids (P= .033). Asthma control also improved in both groups (ΔACQ −0.3 in nonobese vs ΔACQ −0.4 in obese;P= .021 andP= .019, respectively). Clinically relevant improvement was achieved by 46.5% of nonobese and 51.9% of obese patients with asthma. The improvements between the groups were not statistically different.

CONCLUSIONS:

A standardized PR program is feasible in obese patients with asthma and they benefit as much as nonobese patients with asthma. However, there are still a large number of patients who show no clinically significant improvement. Patients with more severe asthma seem to benefit the most from PR.
When and How Far to Move the Tibial Tuberosity in Patients With Patellar Instability
Authors: D’Amore Taylor , Tanaka Miho J. , Cosgarea Andrew J.
Published: April 2017

The many factors contributing to patellar instability have led to various surgical techniques that are used commonly today. When surgery is deemed necessary, the operation should be tailored to the patient’s specific pathoanatomy. Patients with malalignment can often be stabilized by moving the tibial tuberosity to a more medial, anteromedial, or distal position. Subsequent changes in the forces acting on the patellofemoral joint will depend on the direction and distance of the tuberosity repositioning. When planning tuberosity osteotomies, it is crucial to understand how to use clinical and imaging modalities to measure and quantify tuberosity position accurately to achieve the desired degree of realignment.