bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Tuning the Buffering Capacity of Polyethylenimine with Glycerol Molecules for Efficient Gene Delivery: Staying In or Out of the Endosomes
Authors: Singh Bijay , Maharjan Sushila , Park Tae‐Eun , Jiang Tao , Kang Sang‐Kee , Choi Yun‐Jaie , Cho Chong‐Su
Published: January 2015

Endosomal escape is a major bottleneck for efficient non‐viral gene delivery. This paper presents the development of two novel non‐viral vectors by cross‐linking glycerol molecules with low molecular weight polyethylenimine (PEI). The vectors, namely, HG‐PEI (45 mol% glycerol content) and LG‐PEI (9 mol% glycerol content) have apparently similar DNA binding, DNA unpacking and cellular uptake abilities but differ in buffering capacity. The cellular uptake and subsequent transfection efficiency of LG‐PEI is superior to commercially available PEI 25 k. Interestingly, although the cellular uptake of HG‐PEI is higher than that of PEI 25 k, the transgene expression by HG‐PEI‐mediated transfection is very low. Inhibitor and co‐localization studies demonstrate the mechanism of endocytosis and formation of endosomes prone to lysosomal lysis of HG‐PEI polyplexes as a consequence of its weak buffering capacity. Importantly, when the lysosomal lysis is inhibited, the transgene expression of HG‐PEI‐mediated transfection increases by 9‐fold of its initial capacity which is comparable to the transfection efficiency of PEI 25 k. These results indicated that the buffering capacity of the polymers primarily impacts endosomal escape and subsequent transfection efficiency. Furthermore, this study highlights the significance of cross‐linkers in optimizing the buffering capacity when designing polymers for gene delivery.
Oxidized Sucrose: A Potent and Biocompatible Crosslinker for Three‐Dimensional Fibrous Protein Scaffolds
Authors: Liu Peng , Xu Helan , Mi Xiang , Xu Lan , Yang Yiqi
Published: January 2015

Oxidized sucrose, an un‐traditional biobased crosslinker, was proved as effective as glutaraldehyde in improving water stability of ultrafine fibrous proteins without causing cytotoxicity. Proteins from agricultural byproducts, such as zein, are abundantly available for production of industrial and medical products, but are restricted by their poor water stability and wet properties. An effective and safe crosslinking method became indispensable for protein‐based materials, especially biomaterials. Fibrous basic units with sub‐micron scale were critical for biomaterials to resemble native extracellular matrices (ECMs) structurally. In this research, sucrose was oxidized into polar polyaldehydes to crosslink ultrafine fibrous scaffolds from corn protein. The control groups were crosslinked with glutaraldehyde, a known highly effective crosslinker with considerable toxicity. With similar improvement in water stability, the oxidized sucrose crosslinked scaffolds showed much better cytocompatibility than the glutaraldehyde crosslinked ones via in vitro study with preosteoblast cells.
Supraclavicular osteocutaneous free flap: Clinical application and surgical details for the reconstruction of composite defects of the nose
Authors: Nicoli Fabio , Orfaniotis Georgios , Gesakis Kanellos , Lazzeri Davide , Ciudad Pedro , Chilgar Ram M. , Sapountzis Stamatis , Sönmez Tolga Taha , Maruccia Michele , Constantinides Joannis , Sacak Bulent , Chen Hung Chi
Published: January 2015

The supraclavicular fasciocutaneous flap is a well‐recognized flap in head and neck reconstruction. In this report, we describe for the first time a variation of this flap, the osteocutaneous supraclavicular (SOC) free flap, which was used to reconstruct a composite nasal defect. The defect arose after resection of a recurrent squamous cell carcinoma and involved dorsal nasal skin, cartilage, and the entire nasal bone. A 6 cm × 4 cm size flap including skin, subcutaneous tissue, and a vascularized cortico‐periosteal segment of the clavicle was raised based on the transverse cervical artery. The flap survived with no complications. A satisfactory aesthetic outcome was achieved following two revision procedures. We believe that the incorporation of bone to the supraclavicular flap may expand its applications in reconstruction of composite nasal and facial defects. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Microsurgery 35:328–332, 2015.
A Machine Learning Approach to Explain Drug Selectivity to Soluble and Membrane Protein Targets
Authors: Freyhult Eva , Gustafsson Mats G. , Strömbergsson Helena
Published: January 2015

Improved understanding of the forces that determine drug specificity to their targets is important for drug design and discovery, as well as for gaining knowledge about molecular recognition. Here, we present a machine learning approach that includes all approved drugs with a known protein target. The drugs were characterized using easily interpretable physico‐chemical descriptors. Employing the Random Forest method, we were able to predict whether a drug binds to a soluble or membrane protein with an average accuracy of 84 % and an average area under curve of 0.91. The high average performance suggests that there exist some general physico‐chemical differences between drugs that bind to membrane and soluble protein targets. Variable importance measures in combination with permutation tests were used to find the most influential descriptors. This resulted in six outstanding descriptors, that all involve drug flexibility and lipophilicity, suggesting that drugs binding to membrane protein targets are in general more flexible and lipophilic, and conversely, drugs binding to soluble protein targets are more rigid and hydrophilic. With the notion that ligands in general are blueprints of their protein pockets, we may also draw general conclusions about the protein‐pocket properties which may add to the understanding of molecular recognition.
Transient receptor potential vanilloid type 1 is vital for (−)‐epigallocatechin‐3‐gallate mediated activation of endothelial nitric oxide synthase
Authors: Guo Bei‐Chia , Wei Jeng , Su Kuo‐Hui , Chiang An‐Na , Zhao Jin‐Feng , Chen Hsiang‐Ying , Shyue Song‐Kun , Lee Tzong‐Shyuan
Published: January 2015

Scope

Epigallocatechin‐3‐gallate (EGCG), the most abundant catechin of green tea, has beneficial effects on physiological functions of endothelial cells (ECs), yet the detailed mechanisms are not fully understood. In this study, we investigated the role of transient receptor potential vanilloid type 1 (TRPV1), a ligand‐gated nonselective calcium channel, in EGCG‐mediated endothelial nitric oxide (NO) synthase (eNOS) activation and angiogenesis.

Methods and results

In ECs, treatment with EGCG time‐dependently increased the intracellular level of Ca2+. Removal of extracellular calcium (Ca2+) by EGTA or EDTA or inhibition of TRPV1 by capsazepine or SB366791 abrogated EGCG‐increased intracellular Ca2+ level in ECs or TRPV1‐transfected HEK293 cells. Additionally, EGCG increased the phsophorylation of eNOS at Ser635 and Ser1179, Akt at Ser473, calmodulin‐dependent protein kinase II (CaMKII) at Thr286 and AMP‐activated protein kinase (AMPK) at Thr172, all abolished by the TRPV1 antagonist capsazepine. EGCG‐induced NO production was diminished by pretreatment with LY294002 (an Akt inhibitor), KN62 (a CaMKII inhibitor), and compound C (an AMPK inhibitor). Moreover, blocking TRPV1 activation prevented EGCG‐induced EC proliferation, migration, and tube formation, as well as angiogenesis in Matrigel plugs in mice.

Conclusion

EGCG may trigger activation of TRPV1–Ca2+ signaling, which leads to phosphorylation of Akt, AMPK, and CaMKII; eNOS activation; NO production; and, ultimately, angiogenesis in ECs.
Numerical simulation of percussive drilling
Authors: Depouhon Alexandre , Denoël Vincent , Detournay Emmanuel
Published: January 2015

This paper presents a novel dynamical model to analyze the long‐term response of a percussive drilling system. This departs from existing approaches that usually consider a single activation and bit/rock interaction cycle for the analysis of the process performance. The proposed model integrates the axial dynamics of an elastic piston and an elastic drill bit, a motion‐dependent pressure law to drive the piston, and a generalized bit/rock interaction law representative of the dynamic indentation taking place at the bit/rock interface. It applies to down‐the‐hole percussive drilling as well as top‐hole, with minor modifications. The model does not account for the angular motion or the hole cleaning, however. The model is first formulated mathematically; then, a finite‐dimensional approximation is proposed for computations. Numerical analyses of the model response, for a low‐size down‐the‐hole percussive system, follow. The period‐1 stationary response for the reference configuration is studied in detail, and parametric analyses assessing the influence on the rate of penetration of the bit/rock interaction parameters, the feed force, and the percussive activation parameters are conducted. These analyses reveal that the multiscale nature of the process is well captured by the model and recover expected trends for the influence of the parameters. They also suggest that a significant increase of the penetration rate can be achieved by increasing the percussive frequency. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Peculiar crystallization kinetics of biodegradable poly(lactic acid)/poly(propylene carbonate) blends
Authors: Di Lorenzo Maria Laura , Ovyn Roxanne , Malinconico Mario , Rubino Paolo , Grohens Yves
Published: January 2015

Binary blends of poly(lactic acid) (PLA) and poly(propylene carbonate) (PPC) were found to display a peculiar crystallization kinetics. The two biodegradable polymers were blended by melt mixing, to obtain binary blends at various compositions. Temperature‐modulated calorimetry and dynamic‐mechanical analysis indicated that the blend components are partially miscible, and display two separate glass transitions, at temperatures intermediate to those of the plain polymers. Electron microscopy analysis disclosed the morphology of PLA/PPC blends, made of PPC‐rich particles finely dispersed within the PLA‐rich matrix. The possible establishment of interactions between the functional groups of the two polymers upon melt mixing has been hypothesized as the reason for partial miscibility and compatibility of the two biodegradable polymers. The PLA/PPC blends display good mechanical properties, with enhanced performance at rupture compared with plain PLA. Most importantly, the addition of PPC affects also the crystallization kinetics of PLA, since the more mobile PPC chains favor diffusion of the stiffer PLA chain segments towards the growing crystals, which fastens the spherulite growth rate of PLA. Such positive influence of an amorphous polymer on crystal growth rate has been demonstrated here for the first time in blends that display phase‐separation in the melt. POLYM. ENG. SCI., 55:2698–2705, 2015. © 2015 Society of Plastics Engineers
Designing kinetically stable aryltrifluoroborates as 18F‐capture agents for PET imaging
Authors: Liu Zhibo , Li Ying , Ting Richard , Perrin David M.
Published: January 2015

One‐step 18F‐radiolabeling of peptides and other large biomolecules has been challenged by a critical gap in chemical compatibility between fluoride anion, which is unreactive as a nucleophile in water, and large biomolecules such as peptides that are insoluble in dry solvents. Traditionally, this disparity has been overcome through the preliminary synthesis of an 18F‐labeled radioprosthetic group that is appended to peptides following at least one additional step. Ideally, however, peptides should be labeled in a single aqueous step. Hence, we proposed the use of arylboronic acids as captors of aqueous 18F‐fluoride ion to simplify the radiosynthesis of 18F‐aryltrifluoroborate bioconjugates. Yet, the use of aryltrifluoroborates as radioprosthetic groups can only be considered if kinetically stable ones can be designed. Herein, we discuss the kinetic and thermodynamic parameters review our previous use of a Hammett analysis that can inform the design of kinetically stable 18F‐labeled aryltrifluoroborates for use as novel radioprosthetic groups. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Three‐phase behavior‐based detection and classification of known and unknown malware
Authors: Lin Ying‐Dar , Lai Yuan‐Cheng , Lu Chun‐Nan , Hsu Peng‐Kai , Lee Chia‐Yin
Published: January 2015

To improve both accuracy and efficiency in detecting known and even unknown malware, we propose a three‐phase behavior‐based malware detection and classification approach, with a faster detector in the first phase to filter most samples, a slower detector in the second phase to observe remaining ambiguous samples, and then a classifier in the third phase to recognize their malware type. The faster detector executes programs in a sandbox to extract representative behaviors fed into a trained artificial neural network to evaluate their maliciousness, whereas the slower detector extracts and matches the LCSs of system call sequences fed into a trained Bayesian model to calculate their maliciousness. In the third phase, we define malware behavior vectors and calculate the cosine similarity to classify the malware. The experimental results show that the hybrid two‐phase detection scheme outperforms the one‐phase schemes and achieves 3.6% in false negative and 6.8% in false positive. The third‐phase classifier also distinguishes the known‐type malware with an accuracy of 85.8%. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Outlier robust nonlinear mixed model estimation
Authors: Williams James D. , Birch Jeffrey B. , Abdel‐Salam Abdel‐Salam G.
Published: January 2015

In standard analyses of data well‐modeled by a nonlinear mixed model, an aberrant observation, either within a cluster, or an entire cluster itself, can greatly distort parameter estimates and subsequent standard errors. Consequently, inferences about the parameters are misleading. This paper proposes an outlier robust method based on linearization to estimate fixed effects parameters and variance components in the nonlinear mixed model. An example is given using the four‐parameter logistic model and bioassay data, comparing the robust parameter estimates with the nonrobust estimates given by SAS®. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
When Stories Don't Make Sense
Authors: Kim MinJeong , Covino Katharine
Published: January 2015

Assessing children's narratives through the lens of intertexual process makes visible children's funds of knowledge. The authors describe two interrelated alternative assessments that teachers can use to make sense of young children's narratives in classroom settings. Implications for promoting an intertextually‐rich environment based on such assessments are also discussed.
Review of the correlation between blood flow velocity and polycythemia in the fetus, neonate and adult: appropriate diagnostic levels need to be determined for twin anemia–polycythemia sequence
Authors: Lucewicz A. , Fisher K. , Henry A. , Welsh A. W.
Published: January 2015

Twin anemia–polycythemia sequence (TAPS) is recognized increasingly antenatally by the demonstration of an anemic twin and a polycythemic cotwin using the middle cerebral artery peak systolic velocity (MCA‐PSV). While the MCA‐PSV has been shown to correlate well with anemia in singleton fetuses, the evidence to support its use to diagnose fetal polycythemia appears to be less clear‐cut. We aimed to evaluate fetal, neonatal and adult literature used to support the use of MCA‐PSV for the diagnosis of polycythemia. Comprehensive literature searches were performed for ultrasound evidence of polycythemia in the human fetus, neonate and adult using key search terms. Only manuscripts in the English language with an abstract were considered for the review, performed in June 2014.

Fifteen manuscripts were found for the human fetus, including 38 cases of TAPS. Nine of these defined fetal polycythemia as MCA‐PSV < 0.8 multiples of the median (MoM), five used < 1.0 MoM and one used 0.8–1.0 MoM. Only two studies, involving a total of 15 cases, proposed a diagnostic level, acknowledging false‐positive and ‐negative cases, though neither reported sensitivities or specificities. Six neonatal studies (96 neonates) demonstrated evidence of decreased cerebral velocities in polycythemia and a consequent increase with hemodilution. In the adult, five studies (57 polycythemic adults) demonstrated increased flow or velocity with hemodilution. Neither neonatal nor adult studies conclusively defined levels for screening for polycythemia. Despite widespread adoption of a cut‐off of < 0.8 MoM in the published literature for the polycythemic fetus in TAPS, this is based upon minimal evidence, with unknown sensitivity and specificity. We recommend caution in excluding TAPS based purely upon the absence of a reduced MCA‐PSV. Copyright © 2015 ISUOG. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.
Fertilizing western rangelands for ungulate conservation: An assessment of benefits and risks
Authors: Korfanta Nicole M. , Mobley Megan L. , Burke Ingrid C.
Published: January 2015

Intensive natural gas development causes habitat loss that reduces nutritional carrying capacity for ungulates and other species of conservation concern. To offset habitat loss from energy development, wildlife managers are experimenting with large‐scale sagebrush fertilization on western public rangelands. We synthesize what is known about basic sagebrush ecosystem biogeochemistry and ungulate nutritional ecology to anticipate the benefits and risks of this emerging mitigation tool. Under some environmental conditions, fertilization can temporarily increase sagebrush biomass, and potentially, the nutritional carrying capacity of mule deer limited by digestible energy. However, nitrogen additions are costly and pose environmental risks when applied to arid and semi‐arid systems. Fertilization may promote weed invasions, changes to biogeochemical cycles, and potentially irreversible ecosystem shifts that reduce shrub communities. Fertilization also creates excess nitrogen at 2–8 × natural background levels and increases greenhouse gases, ozone pollution precursors, downwind nitrogen deposition, and freshwater degradation. Considering these risks and recognizing that potential benefits are short‐term, uncertain, and expensive to achieve, the practice of sagebrush fertilization may pose a net conservation cost. © 2015 The Authors. Wildlife Society Bulletin published by The Wildlife Society.
Cobalt(II) and Copper(II) Complexes Constructed from Bis(benzimidazole) and 2,6‐Pyridinedicarboxylate Co‐ligands: Synthesis, Crystal Structures, and Catalytic Properties
Authors: Yang Rui , Li Huan Huan , Van Hecke Kristof , Cui Guang Hua
Published: January 2015

Three metal complexes based on the flexible bis(benzimidazole) derivatives, namely [Co2(L1)4(pydc)2]·2H2O (1), {[Cu(L1)(pydc)]·0.75H2O}n (2), and [Co2(L2)2(pydc)2]·8H2O (3), [L1 = 1,2‐bis(5,6‐dimethylbenzimidazol‐1‐ylmethyl)benzene, H2pydc = 2,6‐pyridinedicarboxylic acid, L2 = 1,4‐bis(5‐methylbenzimidazol‐1‐ylmethyl)benzene] were hydrothermally synthesized and characterized by IR spectra, elemental analysis, UV/Vis diffuse refraction spectroscopy, and X‐ray single‐crystal diffraction. Complexes 1 and 3 exhibit a dinuclear structure composed of two central cobalt atoms bridged by flexible bis(benzimidazole) ligands and 3 finally packed into a two‐dimensional supramolecular network through π···π stacking interaction. Complex 2 shows a one‐dimensional zigzag chains motif, which further extended into a 2D supramolecular layer by face‐to‐face π···π stacking interactions. The luminescence properties of complexes 1–3 in the solid state at room temperature were described. Moreover, complexes 1 and 2 show higher catalytic activity than complex 3 for degradation of congo red azo dye in a Fenton‐like process.
Na2PtF6, its Crystal Structure, Characterization, and Ammonolysis to [Na(NH3)3]2[PtF6]
Authors: Rudel Stefan S. , Müller Thomas G. , Kraus Florian
Published: January 2015

We report on the single crystal structure of Na2PtF6, which was synthesized from (NH4)2PtCl6 and NaCl in a flow of 10 % F2 in argon. The light yellow compound crystallizes in the Na2SiF6 structure type with the trigonal space group P321 and the lattice parameters a = 9.2981(2), c = 5.1147(1) Å, and V = 382.95(1) Å3 at 123 K with Z = 3. Na2PtF6 reacts with liquid ammonia yielding bis triamminesodium hexafluoridoplatinate(IV) [Na(NH3)3]2[PtF6]. It crystallizes in the monoclinic space group C2/c with a = 14.0508(4), b = 8.4894(1), c = 12.8820(4) Å, β = 120.495(4)°, and V = 1324.05(6) Å3 at 123 K with Z = 4. In contrast to the aqueous system, the solvolysis in NH3 does not lead to the cleavage of the Pt–F bonds, at least not at the temperatures employed in this study.
Postoperative Hyperbilirubinemia Suggests the Occurrence of Complications After Esophagectomy for Esophageal Cancer
Authors: Takesue Tomoko , Takeuchi Hiroya , Fukuda Kazumasa , Nakamura Rieko , Takahashi Tsunehiro , Wada Norihito , Kawakubo Hirofumi , Saikawa Yoshiro , Omori Tai , Kitagawa Yuko
Published: January 2015

Background

Serum bilirubin levels frequently increase after esophagectomy for esophageal cancer. Several studies have reported hyperbilirubinemia in patients with postoperative complications. We aimed to perform a detailed large‐scale analysis to clarify this association.

Methods

We compared postoperative serum bilirubin levels of 200 patients with esophageal cancer who underwent esophagectomy, with and without postoperative complications, from January 2008 to July 2013 at Keio University Hospital, Tokyo, Japan. We also analyzed other risk factors for postoperative hyperbilirubinemia by univariate and multivariate analyses in an attempt to determine the mechanism of postoperative hyperbilirubinemia.

Results

Hyperbilirubinemia (total bilirubin >2.0 mg/dL) occurred in 71 patients (35.5 %). The mean total bilirubin peak level was 1.5 mg/dL in patients without complications, 2.0 mg/dL in those with at least one complication, 2.1 mg/dL in those with pneumonia, and 2.3 mg/dL in those with anastomotic leakage. Bilirubin levels were significantly higher in each complication group than in the non‐complication group (p < 0.05 for all). Risk factors of postoperative hyperbilirubinemia by univariate analysis were the preoperative bilirubin level, video‐assisted thoracoscopic surgery, three‐field lymph node dissection, thoracic duct resection, prolonged surgical duration, severe complications (Clavien–Dindo grade ≥3), and severe anastomotic leakage (Clavien–Dindo grade ≥3). In contrast, the pT factor and postoperative enteral nutrition were negatively associated with postoperative hyperbilirubinemia. Risk factors by multivariate analysis were the preoperative bilirubin level, prolonged surgical duration, severe complications, and postoperative enteral nutrition.

Conclusions

Although various factors impact postoperative hyperbilirubinemia, postoperative complications were most significantly associated with postoperative hyperbilirubinemia. Patients with postoperative hyperbilirubinemia after esophagectomy must be managed more carefully because unnoticed complications may be associated with hyperbilirubinemia.
Genetic differences in ksdD influence on the ADD/AD ratio of Mycobacterium neoaurum
Authors: Xie Rili , Shen Yanbing , Qin Ning , Wang Yibo , Su Liqiu , Wang Min
Published: January 2015

Mycobacterium neoaurum TCCC 11028 (MNR) and M. neoaurum TCCC 11028 M3 (MNR M3) significantly differ in the ratio of androst-1,4-diene-3,17-dione (ADD) to androst-4-ene-3,17-dione (AD) produced. The large fluctuations are related to the dehydrogenation activity of 3-ketosteroid-Δ1-dehydrogenase (KsdD). Analysis of the primary structure of KsdD showed that the Ser-138 of KsdD-MNR changed to Leu-138 of KsdD-MNR M3 because of C413T in the ksdD gene. This phenomenon directly affected KsdD activity. The effect of the primary structure of KsdD on dehydrogenation activity was confirmed through exogenous expression. Whole-cell transformation initially revealed that KsdD-MNR showed a higher dehydrogenation activity than KsdD-MNR M3. Then, ksdD gene replacement strain was constructed by homologous recombination. The results of steroid transformation experiments showed that the ability of the MNR M3ΔksdD::ksdD-MNR strain to produce ADD was improved and it returned to the similar level of the MNR strain. This result indicated that the ADD/AD ratio of the two M. neoaurum strains was influenced by the difference in ksdD. The mechanism by which residue mutations alter enzyme activity may be connected with the crystal structure of KsdD from Rhodococcus erythropolis SQ1. As a key amino acid residue in the active center position, Ser-138 played an important role in maintaining the active center in the hydrophobic environment of KsdD. This study may serve as a basis for future studies on the structural analysis and catalytic mechanism of dehydrogenase.
Pregnancy Intentions, Maternal Behaviors, and Infant Health: Investigating Relationships With New Measures and Propensity Score Analysis
Authors: Kost Kathryn , Lindberg Laura
Published: January 2015

The premise that unintended childbearing has significant negative effects on the behavior of mothers and on the health of infants strongly influences public health policy and much of current research on reproductive behaviors. Yet, the evidence base presents mixed findings. Using data from the U.S. National Survey of Family Growth, we employ a measure of pregnancy intentions that incorporates the extent of mistiming, as well as the desire scale developed by Santelli et al. (Studies in Family Planning, 40, 87–100, 2009). Second, we examine variation in the characteristics of mothers within intention status groups. Third, we account for the association of mothers’ background characteristics with their pregnancy intentions and with the outcomes by employing propensity score weighting. We find that weighting eliminated statistical significance of many observed associations of intention status with maternal behaviors and birth outcomes, but not all. Mistimed and unwanted births were still less likely to be recognized early in pregnancy than intended ones. Fewer unwanted births received early prenatal care or were breast-fed, and unwanted births were also more likely than intended births to be of low birth weight. Relative to births at the highest level of the desire scale, all other births were significantly less likely to be recognized early in pregnancy and to receive early prenatal care.
Radiologic and Histopathologic Features of Calcifying Pseudoneoplasm of the Neural Axis
Authors: Kocovski Linda , Parasu Naveen , Provias John P. , Popovic Snezana
Published: January 2015

Aim

To describe the radiologic and corresponding histopathologic features of calcifying pseudoneoplasms of the neural axis.

Methods

Two cases of calcifying pseudoneoplasm of the neural axis were retrospectively reviewed. The first case was documented in a 64-year-old woman, who presented with lower back pain with radiation to her left leg. The second case was documented in a 70-year-old man, who presented with headaches. Medical records, radiologic and histologic findings, and related literature were reviewed.

Results

In the first case, imaging of the lumbar spine revealed a 3.8 × 2.2-cm calcified lesion at the level of vertebrae L5 and S1. A subsequent excision exposed an extradural lesion at L5. Histopathologic examination showed amorphous and granular calcifying material with occasional fibrohistiocytic and giant cell reaction, consistent with calcifying pseudoneoplasm of the neural axis. In the second case, imaging of the head revealed a 2.4 × 2.6-cm well-circumscribed, lobulated, calcified lesion within the basal frontal lobe. Subsequent resection exposed an intradural mass with a nodular arrangement of amorphous and granular calcifying material associated with fibrohistiocytic and giant cell reaction. Both patients had a favorable postoperative course and failed to show any clinical or radiologic sign of recurrence.

Conclusion

Calcifying pseudoneoplasm of the neural axis is an uncommon condition with an excellent prognosis but is often misdiagnosed due to its nonspecific clinical presentation and varied findings on radiology.
Spontaneous T1-Hyperintensity within an Ovarian Lesion: Spectrum of Diagnoses
Authors: Peyrot Hélène , Montoriol Pierre-François , Canis Michel
Published: January 2015

Whenever elevated signal intensity is displayed at magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) within an ovarian lesion on unenhanced T1-weighted sequences, some specific diagnoses should be considered because only 3 main components may be responsible for this T1-hyperintensity at MRI: fat, blood products, and proteinaceous or mucinous material. The associated clinical data and concomitant use of T2-weighted sequences and fat-saturation techniques is mandatory to make this tissue characterization possible. The goal of this pictorial review is to provide a simple radiologic reasoning and the differential diagnoses to consider in the presence of spontaneous elevated signal intensity on T1-weighted sequences within a cystic or solid ovarian tumour.
Conditions for equality between Lyapunov and Morse decompositions
Authors: ALVES LUCIANA A. , SAN MARTIN LUIZ A. B.
Published: January 2015

Let$Q\rightarrow X$be a continuous principal bundle whose group$G$is reductive. A flow${\it\phi}$of automorphisms of$Q$endowed with an ergodic probability measure on the compact base space$X$induces two decompositions of the flag bundles associated to$Q$: a continuous one given by the finest Morse decomposition and a measurable one furnished by the multiplicative ergodic theorem. The second is contained in the first. In this paper we find necessary and sufficient conditions so that they coincide. The equality between the two decompositions implies continuity of the Lyapunov spectra under perturbations leaving unchanged the flow on the base space.
Is Procalcitonin-Guided Antimicrobial Use Cost-Effective in Adult Patients with Suspected Bacterial Infection and Sepsis?
Authors: Harrison Michelle , Collins Curtis D.
Published: January 2015

OBJECTIVE

Procalcitonin has emerged as a promising biomarker of bacterial infection. Published literature demonstrates that use of procalcitonin testing and an associated treatment pathway reduces duration of antibiotic therapy without impacting mortality. The objective of this study was to determine the financial impact of utilizing a procalcitonin-guided treatment algorithm in hospitalized patients with sepsis.

DESIGN

Cost-minimization and cost-utility analysis.

PATIENTS

Hypothetical cohort of adult ICU patients with suspected bacterial infection and sepsis.

METHODS

Utilizing published clinical and economic data, a decision analytic model was developed from the U.S. hospital perspective. Effectiveness and utility measures were defined using cost-per-clinical episode and cost per quality-adjusted life years (QALYs). Upper and lower sensitivity ranges were determined for all inputs. Univariate and probabilistic sensitivity analyses assessed the robustness of our model and variables. Incremental cost-effectiveness ratios (ICERs) were calculated and compared to predetermined willingness-to-pay thresholds.

RESULTS

Base-case results predicted the use of a procalcitonin-guided treatment algorithm dominated standard care with improved quality (0.0002 QALYs) and decreased overall treatment costs ($65). The model was sensitive to a number of key variables that had the potential to impact results, including algorithm adherence (<42.3%), number and cost of procalcitonin tests ordered (≥9 and >$46), days of antimicrobial reduction (<1.6 d), incidence of nephrotoxicity and rate of nephrotoxicity reduction.

CONCLUSION

The combination of procalcitonin testing with an evidence-based treatment algorithm may improve patients’ quality of life while decreasing costs in ICU patients with suspected bacterial infection and sepsis; however, results were highly dependent on a number of variables and assumptions.

Infect Control Hosp Epidemiol 2014;00(0): 1–8
The asymptotics of the moving contact line: cracking an old nut
Authors: Sibley David N. , Nold Andreas , Kalliadasis Serafim
Published: January 2015

For contact line motion where the full Stokes flow equations hold, full matched asymptotic solutions using slip models have been obtained for droplet spreading and more general geometries. These solutions to the singular perturbation problem in the slip length, however, all involve matching through an intermediate region that is taken to be separate from the outer–inner regions. Here, we show that the intermediate region is in fact an overlap region representing extensions of both the outer and the inner region, allowing direct matching to proceed. In particular, we investigate in detail how a previously seen result of the matching of the cubes of the free surface slope is justified in the lubrication setting. We also extend this two-region direct matching to the more general Stokes flow case, offering a new perspective on the asymptotics of the moving contact line problem.
Free radially expanding liquid sheet in air: time- and space-resolved measurement of the thickness field
Authors: Vernay C. , Ramos L. , Ligoure C.
Published: January 2015

The collision of a liquid drop against a small target results in the formation of a thin liquid sheet that extends radially until it reaches a maximum diameter. The subsequent retraction is due to the air–liquid surface tension. We have used a time- and space-resolved technique to measure the thickness field of this class of liquid sheet, based on the grey-level measurement of the image of a dyed liquid sheet recorded using a high-speed camera. This method enables a precise measurement of the thickness in the range $10{-}450~{\rm\mu}\text{m}$, with a temporal resolution equal to that of the camera. We have measured the evolution with time since impact, $t$, and radial position, $r$, of the thickness, $h(r,t)$, for various drop volumes and impact velocities. Two asymptotic regimes for the expansion of the sheet are evidenced. The scalings of the thickness with $t$ and $r$ measured in the two regimes are those that were predicted by Rozhkov et al. (Proc. R. Soc. Lond. A, vol. 460, 2004, pp. 2681–2704) for the short-time regime and Villermaux and Bossa (J. Fluid Mech., vol. 668, 2011, pp. 412–435) for the long-time regime, but never experimentally measured before. Interestingly, our experimental data also provide evidence for the existence of a maximum of the film thickness $h_{max}(r)$ at a radial position $r_{h_{max}}(t)$ corresponding to the cross-over of these two asymptotic regimes. The maximum moves with a constant velocity of the order of the drop impact velocity, as expected theoretically. Thanks to our visualization technique, we also provide evidence of an azimuthal thickness modulation of the liquid sheets.
Caffeine increases sugar-sweetened beverage consumption in a free-living population: a randomised controlled trial
Authors: Keast Russell S. J. , Swinburn Boyd A. , Sayompark Dhoungsiri , Whitelock Susie , Riddell Lynn J.
Published: January 2015

Excessive sugar-sweetened beverage (SSB) consumption has been associated with overweight and obesity. Caffeine is a common additive to SSB, and through dependence effects, it has the potential to promote the consumption of caffeine-containing foods. The objective of the present study was to assess the influence that caffeine has on the consumption of SSB. Participants (n99) were blindly assigned to either a caffeinated SSB (C-SSB) or a non-caffeinated SSB (NC-SSB) group. Following randomisation, all participants completed a 9 d flavour-conditioning paradigm. They then completed a 28 dad libitumintake intervention where they consumed as much or as little of C-SSB or NC-SSB as desired. The amount consumed (ml) was recorded daily, 4 d diet diaries were collected and liking of SSB was assessed at the start and end of the intervention. Participants (n50) consuming the C-SSB had a daily SSB intake of 419 (sd298) ml (785 (sd559) kJ/d) over the 28 d intervention, significantly more than participants (n49) consuming the NC-SSB (273 (sd278) ml/d, 512 (sd521) kJ/d) (P< 0·001). A trained flavour panel (n30) found no difference in flavour between the C-SSB and NC-SSB (P>0·05). However, participants who consumed the C-SSB liked the SSB more than those who consumed the NC-SSB (6·3v.6·0 on a nine-point hedonic scale,P= 0·022). The addition of low concentrations of caffeine to the SSB significantly increases the consumption of the SSB. Regulating caffeine as a food additive may be an effective strategy to decrease the consumption of nutrient-poor high-energy foods and beverages.
The Globalization of Knowledge-Based Services: Engineering Consulting in Spain, 1953–1975
Authors: Álvaro-Moya Adoración
Published: January 2015

This article explores the globalization of knowledge-based services and their impact on host-country firms’ organizational capabilities. Two drivers of such globalization—foreign aid and foreign direct investment coming from the United States—contributed to the development of engineering consulting in Spain in the beginning of the new global economy. The largest Spanish engineering firms have been able to integrate imported knowledge into their own organizational capabilities, enabling them to compete successfully in international markets. This imported knowledge was disseminated in two ways: through private companies, via affiliates and strategic alliances between locals and foreigners; and through the technical and military aid the U.S. government provided during the Cold War.
Britain and the Breakdown of the Colonial Environment: The Struggle over the Tanzam Oil Pipeline in Zambia
Authors: Cohen Andrew
Published: January 2015

This article explores the tendering process for the construction of the Tanzam oil pipeline during the mid-1960s. In addressing aspects of the political response to British investment overseas and the history of the British company Lonrho, it argues that the British government's determination to concentrate financial investments at home affected its ability to project its presence through supporting business overseas. In addition, the article suggests that the Zambian government demonstrated autonomy in awarding the tender.
The Political Economy of Commercial Associations: Building the National Board of Trade, 1840–1868
Authors: Davis Cory
Published: January 2015

This article argues that, in the mid-nineteenth century, the American merchant community created local commercial organizations to propagate a vision of economic development based on republican ideals. As part of a “business revolution,” these organizations attempted to balance competition and cooperation in order to promote and direct the expansion of national markets and commercial activity throughout the country. Faced with the crisis of divergent sectional political economies and committed to the belief that businessmen needed a stronger political voice, merchant groups banded together to form the National Board of Trade, an association devoted to creating a unified commercial interest and shaping national economic policies.
Measuring the economic impact of improved control of sub-clinical mastitis in Irish dairy herds
Authors: DILLON E. J. , HENNESSY T. , CULLINAN J.
Published: January 2015

Improvements in milk quality are important if the Irish dairy industry is to grow sustainably and retain a competitive advantage in a post-quota environment. In this regard, superior animal health has an important role to play. In order to reduce the costs of disease and to improve best practice it is important to demonstrate the economic gains achievable from improved dairy herd health. Elevated levels of somatic cell count (SCC) are an indicator of the prevalence of clinical and sub-clinical mastitis in dairy herds. Nationally representative farm-level data for Ireland (2008–2011) and panel data methods are used here to consider the independent effect of herd-level SCC (an annual weighted average figure based on monthly milk bulk tank readings) on both milk yield and gross margin per cow. Results indicate a 2% reduction in productivity for farms with SCC above 400 (‘000 cells/ml), while a reduction in bulk tank SCC from 400 to 300 (‘000 cells/ml) for the average herd (55 cows) results in an annual increase in gross margin of €1045. The impact of a range of herd management practices on SCC is also considered, with such practices shown to be important in influencing animal health.
Phonation takes precedence over articulation in development as well as evolution of language
Authors: Oller D. Kimbrough
Published: January 2015

Early human vocal development is characterized first by emerging control of phonation and later by prosodic and supraglottal articulation. The target article has missed the opportunity to use these facts in the characterization of evolution in language-specific brain mechanisms. Phonation appears to be the initial human-specific brain change for language, and it was presumably a key target of selection in early hominin evolution.
Collateral benefits from public and private conservation lands: a comparison of ecosystem service capacities
Authors: VILLAMAGNA A. , SCOTT L. , GILLESPIE J.
Published: January 2015

Protected areas remain the most commonly used tool forin situconservation; however growth in the USA's system of public lands has stagnated while private land conservation continues to expand. Easements can provide a range of ecosystem services (ESs), but it is unknown whether conservation easements maintain ES capacities equivalent to public protected areas. Evaluation of the capacity of seven ESs on federal and state protected areas and conservation easements in the USA using spatially-explicit ES models and publicly available data indicated that ES capacities in easements were equal to or greater than capacities within state or federal protected areas for six of seven services and, when bundled together, conservation easements protected greater focal ES capacity than other conservation areas. Economic incentive programmes and regulatory mechanisms may be used to stimulate capacity improvements for surface water regulation, riparian filtration, erosion control, and carbon storage on conservation easements, and landscape-level conservation efforts should (1) continue to protect natural and uninhabited areas that provide ecosystem and biological diversity, (2) expand private conservation efforts close to human population centres, and (3) limit future development to areas with high regulating service capacity that can sustain new population growth.
A hand hygiene intervention to reduce infections in child daycare: a randomized controlled trial
Authors: ZOMER T. P. , ERASMUS V. , LOOMAN C. W. , TJON-A-TSIEN A. , VAN BEECK E. F. , DE GRAAF J. M. , VAN BEECK A. H. E. , RICHARDUS J. H. , VOETEN H. A. C. M.
Published: January 2015

Infections are common in children attending daycare centres (DCCs). We evaluated the effect of a hand hygiene (HH) intervention for caregivers on the incidence of gastrointestinal and respiratory infections in children. The intervention was evaluated in a two-arm cluster randomized controlled trial. Thirty-six DCCs received the intervention including HH products, training sessions, and posters/stickers. Thirty-five control DCCs continued usual practice. Incidence of episodes of diarrhoea and the common cold in children was monitored by parents during 6 months. Using multilevel Poisson regression, incidence rate ratios (IRRs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were obtained. Diarrhoeal incidence was monitored in 545 children for 91 937 days. During follow-up, the incidence was 3·0 episodes per child-year in intervention DCCsvs.3·4 in control DCCs (IRR 0·90, 95% CI 0·73–1·11). Incidence of the common cold was monitored in 541 children for 91 373 days. During follow-up, the incidence was 8·2 episodes per child-year in intervention DCCsvs.7·4 in control DCCs (IRR 1·07, 95% CI 0·97–1·19). In this study, no evidence for an effect of the intervention was demonstrated on the incidence of episodes of diarrhoea and the common cold.
THE CONCEPT OF “EXPERIENCE” AND THE MAKING OF THE ENGLISH WORKING CLASS, 1924–1963
Authors: MIDDLETON STUART
Published: January 2015

Despite intense scholarly interest in the “Anglo-Marxism” that rose to prominence in Britain from the mid-1950s, its intellectual lineaments and lineages have yet to be fully accounted for. This is particularly the case with the concept of “experience,” which was a central category in the work of two of the most influential figures of the early “New Left” in Britain: Raymond Williams and E. P. Thompson. This essay traces a conceptual history of “experience” from its emergence in Cambridge literary criticism during the 1920s and 1930s, and in the quasi-Marxist literary culture of the 1930s, to the confluence of these two currents in the work of Williams and Thompson. Reassessing the nature of each thinker's engagement with Leavisite literary and cultural criticism, and of Thompson's attempted reformulation of Marxism, it argues that recovering their widely differing usages of “experience” illuminates their distinctive conceptions of “culture” as a site of political action.
Culturally adapted cognitive behaviour therapy for Māori with major depression
Authors: Bennett Simon T. , Flett Ross A. , Babbage Duncan R.
Published: January 2015

Māori are the indigenous people of New Zealand and in 2006 comprised approximately 15% of the country's population. Epidemiological data suggests Māori experience rates of depression that are higher than the general population and are less likely to engage in treatment for mental health issues. The main aim of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of an adapted approach to psychotherapy with Māori. The broad goals of which were to provide empirically grounded guidance for therapists aspiring to provide best practice to their Māori clients. This paper documents the evaluation of a cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) treatment protocol specifically designed and adapted for delivery to adult Māori clients with a diagnosis of depression. The treatment protocol was administered to 16 Māori clients with a primary diagnosis of depression. The adapted treatment incorporated Māori processes for engagement, spirituality, family involvement and metaphor. The intervention exhibited considerable promise with large significant reductions in depressive symptomatology in the participant group. Furthermore, significant reductions in negative cognition were observed. This is the first piece of applied clinical research that has examined the effectiveness of an individual psychological therapy exclusively with Māori and the first to examine individual psychotherapy outcomes with an indigenous population using an effectiveness study. The findings have a number of implications for the treatment of Māori clients with depression. This study provides useful guidelines for clinicians providing psychological treatment to Māori and provides strong support for the cultural adaptation of psychological treatment with ethnic minority groups.