bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Development and implementation of a radiation therapy incident learning system compatible with local workflow and a national taxonomy
Authors: Montgomery Logan , Fava Palma , Freeman Carolyn R. , Hijal Tarek , Maietta Ciro , Parker William , Kildea John
Published: November 2017

Purpose

Collaborative incident learning initiatives in radiation therapy promise to improve and standardize the quality of care provided by participating institutions. However, the software interfaces provided with such initiatives must accommodate all participants and thus are not optimized for the workflows of individual radiation therapy centers. This article describes the development and implementation of a radiation therapy incident learning system that is optimized for a clinical workflow and uses the taxonomy of the Canadian National System for Incident Reporting – Radiation Treatment (NSIR‐RT).

Methods

The described incident learning system is a novel version of an open‐source software called the Safety and Incident Learning System (SaILS). A needs assessment was conducted prior to development to ensure SaILS (a) was intuitive and efficient (b) met changing staff needs and (c) accommodated revisions to NSIR‐RT. The core functionality of SaILS includes incident reporting, investigations, tracking, and data visualization. Postlaunch modifications of SaILS were informed by discussion and a survey of radiation therapy staff.

Results

There were 240 incidents detected and reported using SaILS in 2016 and the number of incidents per month tended to increase throughout the year. An increase in incident reporting occurred after switching to fully online incident reporting from an initial hybrid paper‐electronic system. Incident templating functionality and a connection with our center's oncology information system were incorporated into the investigation interface to minimize repetitive data entry. A taskable actions feature was also incorporated to document outcomes of incident reports and has since been utilized for 36% of reported incidents.

Conclusions

Use of SaILS and the NSIR‐RT taxonomy has improved the structure of, and staff engagement with, incident learning in our center. Software and workflow modifications informed by staff feedback improved the utility of SaILS and yielded an efficient and transparent solution to categorize incidents with the NSIR‐RT taxonomy.
COMP report: CPQR technical quality control guidelines for kilovoltage X ray radiotherapy machines
Authors: Furstoss Christophe
Published: November 2017

The Canadian Organization of Medical Physicists (COMP) in close partnership with the Canadian Partnership for Quality Radiotherapy (CPQR) has developed a series of Technical Quality Control (TQC) guidelines for radiation treatment equipment. These guidelines outline the performance objectives that equipment should meet in order to ensure an acceptable level of radiation treatment quality. The TQC guidelines have been rigorously reviewed and field tested at various Canadian radiation treatment facilities. The development process enables rapid review and update to keep the guidelines current with changes in technology (the most updated version of this guideline can be found on the CPQR website). This particular TQC details recommended quality control for kilovoltage X Ray radiotherapy machines.
A Cocatalytic Electron‐Transfer Cascade Site‐Selectively Placed on TiO2 Nanotubes Yields Enhanced Photocatalytic H2 Evolution
Authors: Altomare Marco , Nguyen Nhat Truong , Hejazi Seyedsina , Schmuki Patrik
Published: November 2017

Separation and transfer of photogenerated charge carriers are key elements in designing photocatalysts. TiO2 in numerous geometries has been for many years the most studied photocatalyst. To overcome kinetic limitations and achieve swift charge transfer, TiO2 has been widely investigated with cocatalysts that are commonly randomly placed nanoparticles on a TiO2 surface. The poor control over cocatalyst placement in powder technology approaches can drastically hamper the photocatalytic efficiencies. Here in contrast it is shown that the site‐selective placement of suitable charge‐separation and charge‐transfer cocatalysts on a defined TiO2 nanotube morphology can provide an enhancement of the photocatalytic reactivity. A TiO2–WO3–Au electron‐transfer cascade photocatalyst is designed with nanoscale precision for H2 production on TiO2 nanotube arrays. Key aspects in the construction are the placement of the WO3/Au element at the nanotube top by site‐selective deposition and self‐ordered thermal dewetting of Au. In the ideal configuration, WO3 acts as a buffer layer for TiO2 conduction band electrons, allowing for their efficient transfer to the Au nanoparticles and then to a suitable environment for H2 generation, while TiO2 holes due to intrinsic upward band bending in the nanotube walls and short diffusion length undergo a facilitated transfer to the electrolyte where oxidation of hole‐scavenger molecules takes place. These photocatalytic structures can achieve H2 generation rates significantly higher than any individual cocatalyst–TiO2 combination, including a classic noble metal–TiO2 configuration.
Katalytische Drei‐Komponenten‐Maschinen: Steuerung der katalytischen Aktivität mittels Maschinengeschwindigkeit
Authors: Paul Indrajit , Goswami Abir , Mittal Nikita , Schmittel Michael
Published: November 2017

Drei supramolekulare Gleitsysteme DS1–DS3 wurden als Zwei‐Komponenten‐Aggregate aus den Gleitern S1–S3 und der Plattform D mit ihren drei Zinkporphyrin(ZnPor)‐Bindungsstellen erzeugt. Die Anbindung des zweifüßigen Gleiters an die Plattform variiert mit der Donorqualität und sterischen Hinderung an den Pyridin/Pyrimidin(pyr)‐Gleitfüßen und wird durch zwei Npyr→ZnPor‐Wechselwirkungen bewirkt. Entsprechend bewegen sich die Gleiter mit unterschiedlichen Geschwindigkeiten über die drei Zinkporphyrine der Plattform: bei Raumtemperatur mit 32.2, 220 und 440 kHz. Die Zugabe von N‐Methylpyrrolidin als Organokatalysator zu DS1–DS3 erzeugt katalytische Drei‐Komponenten‐Maschinen. Für eine konjugierte Addition als Testreaktion kann man eine Korrelation zwischen der Maschinengeschwindigkeit des Gleitsystems und den Ausbeuten der katalytischen Reaktion feststellen. Mit abnehmender thermodynamischer Bindung des Gleiters nimmt sowohl die Frequenz der Gleitbewegung als auch die Ausbeute der katalytischen Reaktion zu.
Mimicking Class I b Mn2‐Ribonucleotide Reductase: A MnII2 Complex and Its Reaction with Superoxide
Authors: Magherusan Adriana M. , Zhou Ang , Farquhar Erik R. , García‐Melchor Max , Twamley Brendan , Que Lawrence , McDonald Aidan R.
Published: November 2017

A fascinating discovery in the chemistry of ribonucleotide reductases (RNRs) has been the identification of a dimanganese (Mn2) active site in class I b RNRs that requires superoxide anion (O2.−), rather than dioxygen (O2), to access a high‐valent Mn2 oxidant. Complex 1 ([Mn2(O2CCH3)(N‐Et‐HPTB)](ClO4)2, N‐Et‐HPTB=N,N,N′,N′‐tetrakis(2‐(1‐ethylbenzimidazolyl))‐2‐hydroxy‐1,3‐diaminopropane) was synthesised in high yield (90 %). 1 was reacted with O2.− at −40 °C resulting in the formation of a metastable species (2). 2 displayed electronic absorption features (λmax=460, 610 nm) typical of a Mn‐peroxide species and a 29‐line EPR signal typical of a MnIIMnIII entity. Mn K‐edge X‐ray absorption near‐edge spectroscopy (XANES) suggested a formal oxidation state change of MnII2 in 1 to MnIIMnIII for 2. Electrospray ionisation mass spectrometry (ESI‐MS) suggested 2 to be a MnIIMnIII‐peroxide complex. 2 was capable of oxidizing ferrocene and weak O−H bonds upon activation with proton donors. Our findings provide support for the postulated mechanism of O2.− activation at class I b Mn2 RNRs.
Very Green Photosynthesis of Gold Nanoparticles by a Living Aquatic Plant: Photoreduction of AuIII by the Seaweed Ulva armoricana
Authors: Mukhoro Ofhani C. , Roos Wiets D. , Jaffer Mohammed , Bolton John J. , Stillman Martin J. , Beukes Denzil R. , Antunes Edith
Published: November 2017

Light‐assisted in vivo synthesis of gold nanoparticles (NPs) from aqueous solutions of dilute AuIII salts by a living green marine seaweed (Ulva armoricana) is reported for the first time. NPs synthesised using typical procedures have many associated environmental hazards. The reported methods involve green, nontoxic, eco‐friendly synthetic procedures. The formation of AuNPs was extremely rapid (≈15 min) following illumination of the living U. armoricana, while the rate of NP formation in the dark was very slow (over 2 weeks). The properties of the AuNPs formed were confirmed using a battery of spectroscopic techniques. U. armoricana were found to be very efficient in Au0 uptake, and this, together with the rapid formation of AuNPs under illumination, indicated that the seaweed remained living during NP formation. The TEM images supported this, revealing that the thylakoid membranes and cell structure remained intact. The AuNPs formed on the surface of U. armoricana thallus, along the cell walls and in the chloroplasts. Without further workup, the dried, U. armoricana‐supported AuNPs were efficient in the catalytic reduction of 4‐nitrophenol, demonstrating the completely green cycle of AuNP formation and catalytic activity. The results mean that an aquatic plant growing in water rich in gold salts could bio‐accumulate AuNPs from its aquatic environment, simply with the activation of sunlight.
Influence of Levulinic Acid Hydrogenation on Aluminum Coordination in Zeolite‐Supported Ruthenium Catalysts: A 27Al 3QMAS Nuclear Magnetic Resonance Study
Authors: Luo Wenhao , van Eck Ernst R. H. , Bruijnincx Pieter C. A. , Weckhuysen Bert M.
Published: November 2017

The influence of a highly oxygenated, polar protic reaction medium, that is, levulinic acid in 2‐ethylhexanoic acid, on the dealumination of two zeolite‐supported ruthenium catalysts, namely Ru/H‐β and Ru/H‐ZSM‐5, has been investigated by 27Al triple‐quantum magic‐angle spinning nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy (3QMAS NMR). Upon use of these catalysts in the hydrogenation of levulinic acid, the heterogeneity in aluminum speciation is found to increase for both Ru/H‐ZSM‐5 and Ru/H‐β. For Ru/H‐ZSM‐5, the symmetric, tetrahedral framework aluminum species (FAL) were found to be mainly converted into distorted tetrahedral FAL species, with limited loss of aluminum to the solution by leaching. A severe loss of both FAL and extra‐framework aluminum (EFAL) species into the liquid phase was observed for Ru/H‐β instead. The large decrease in tetrahedral FAL species, in particular, results in a significant decrease in strong acid sites, as corroborated by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT‐IR). This decrease in acidity, evidence of the inferior stability of the strongly acidic sites in Ru/H‐β relative to Ru/H‐ZSM‐5 under the applied conditions, is considered as the main reason for differences seen in catalyst performance.
Remarkable Differences in Spin Couplings for Various Self‐Paired Dimers of Ring‐Expansion‐Radicalized Uracil: A Basis for the Design of Magnetically Anisotropic Assemblies
Authors: Zhao Peiwen , Bu Yuxiang
Published: November 2017

The spin‐coupling properties of a series of radicalized uracil (rU) dimer diradicals with different H‐bonding modes is examined. Each rU has four double H‐bonding sites [the amide units: two at the Watson–Crick face (upper site WC1 and lower site WC2), a Hoogsteen site (HO), and a minor‐groove site (MI)], and ten homogeneous dimers (rU‐rU) can self‐pair with well‐defined diradical characters and comparable stability to the native U dimers. More interestingly, all these dimers exhibit distinctly different spin‐coupling characters (ferromagnetic (FM) versus antiferromagnetic (AFM) and large‐ versus small‐magnitude spin couplings), indicative of remarkable magnetic‐coupling anisotropy of rU. This observation originates from the fusion of a cyclopentadienyl radical to U, which leads to uneven spin‐density distribution. In rU, the fused five‐membered radical ring can spin‐polarize to the edge in the minor groove, and thus dimerization of rU leads to different H‐bonded structures with remarkably different magnetic couplings. The calculated larger magnetic coupling constants J are 1003.7 and 540.2 cm−1 for the WC2‐HO and MI‐HO H‐bonding modes between rU, which exhibit considerably large FM couplings, the MI‐MI, WC1‐WC2 and WC2‐WC2 modes show moderate FM couplings (J=0.4–77 cm−1), and the other modes exhibit moderate or weak AFM couplings. These observations indicate that the HO and MI sites are favorable spin‐coupling sites. In addition, the H‐bond lengths and electronic structures of the H‐bonding sites, proton transfer, and extra H‐bonding interaction with the surroundings can also affect the magnetic couplings of the base pairs. Clearly, the unique magnetic coupling anisotropy of rU provides a promising application basis for the design and assembly of bio‐inspired anisotropically magnetic membranes and even magnetism‐tunable building blocks for novel magnetic nanoscale devices.
Laser Plasma Soft X‐Ray Source in the Water Window Based on Cryogenic Targets
Authors: AMANO SHO
Published: November 2017

To generate continuously repetitive soft X‐ray pulses in the water window from laser‐produced plasmas, a one‐dimensionally translating substrate system with a closed He gas cryostat that can continuously supply various cryogenic targets has been developed. The system was successfully operated at a lowest temperature of 15 K and at a maximum up‐down speed of 12 mm/s. Solid Ar and N2 layers were formed, and the water‐window spectra from them were studied. The emission intensity from Ar was found to be about eight times stronger than that from N2. Developed laser‐plasma source demonstrated high average power of 140 mW in the water‐window soft X‐ray, when a commercial Nd:YAG Q‐switched laser was used to irradiate a solid Ar target with energy of 1 J at a repetition rate of 1 Hz. It can be used for various applications, including soft X‐ray microscopy, in place of synchrotron facilities.
B‐factor profile prediction for RNA flexibility using support vector machines
Authors: Guruge Ivantha , Taherzadeh Ghazaleh , Zhan Jian , Zhou Yaoqi , Yang Yuedong
Published: November 2017

Determining the flexibility of structured biomolecules is important for understanding their biological functions. One quantitative measurement of flexibility is the atomic Debye‐Waller factor or temperature B‐factor. Most existing studies are limited to temperature B‐factors of proteins and their prediction. Only one method attempted to predict temperature B‐factors of ribosomal RNA. Here, we developed and compared machine‐learning techniques in prediction of temperature B‐factors of RNAs. The best model based on Support Vector Machines yields Pearson's correction coefficient at 0.51 for fivefold cross validation and 0.50 for the independent test. Analysis of the performance indicates that the model has the best performance on rRNAs, tRNAs, and protein‐bound RNAs, for long chains in particular. The server is available at http://sparks-lab.org/server/RNAflex. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Development of a precolumn derivatization HPLC method with diode‐array detection for the determination of amino sugars in peat and soil humic acids
Authors: Beňo Erik , Góra Róbert , Hutta Milan
Published: November 2017

The work is focused on the development of a high‐performance liquid chromatography method with diode‐array detection for the separation and quantitation of the three most abundant amino sugars; d‐glucosamine, d‐galactosamine, and d‐mannosamine. The high‐performance liquid chromatography separation was carried out by reversed‐phase chromatography on Chromolith Performance RP‐18e monolithic column after acid hydrolysis (5 M HCl) and precolumn derivatization of samples using diethyl ethoxymethylenemalonate. Gradient elution and a mobile phase composed of ammonium formate buffer solution (10 mmol/L, pH 3.60) and methanol with flow rate of 1.0 mL/min were used. The monitoring wavelength was set at 280 nm. The limits of detection and quantitation for analytes ranged from 0.017 to 0.122 mg/L and from 0.057 to 0.407 mg/L, respectively. The proposed method was successfully applied for the determination of amino sugars in samples of humic acids isolated from different soils and peat.
Solution for a plane strain rough‐walled hydraulic fracture driven by turbulent fluid through impermeable rock
Authors: Zolfaghari N. , Dontsov E. , Bunger A. P.
Published: November 2017

The impact of turbulent flow on plane strain fluid‐driven crack propagation is an important but still poorly understood consideration in hydraulic fracture modeling. The changes that hydraulic fracturing has experienced over the past decade, especially in the area of fracturing fluids, have played a major role in the transition of the typical fluid regime from laminar to turbulent flow. Motivated by the increasing preponderance of high‐rate, water‐driven hydraulic fractures with high Reynolds number, we present a semianalytical solution for the propagation of a plane strain hydraulic fracture driven by a turbulent fluid in an impermeable formation. The formulation uses a power law relationship between the Darcy‐Weisbach friction factor and the scale of the fracture roughness, where one specific manifestation of this generalized friction factor is the classical Gauckler‐Manning‐Strickler approximation for turbulent flow in a rough‐walled channel. Conservation of mass, elasticity, and crack propagation are also solved simultaneously. We obtain a semianalytical solution using an orthogonal polynomial series. An approximate closed‐form solution is enabled by a choice of orthogonal polynomials embedding the near‐tip asymptotic behavior and thus giving very rapid convergence; a precise solution is obtained with 2 terms of the series. By comparison with numerical simulations, we show that the transition region between the laminar and turbulent regimes can be relatively small so that full solutions can often be well approximated by either a fully laminar or fully turbulent solution.
Capillarisin blocks prostate‐specific antigen expression on activation of androgen receptor in prostate carcinoma cells
Authors: Tsui Ke‐Hung , Chang Ying‐Ling , Feng Tsui‐Hsia , Hou Chen‐Pang , Lin Yu‐Hsiang , Yang Pei‐Shan , Lee Bing‐Wei , Juang Horng‐Heng
Published: November 2017

Background

Capillarisin (Cap), an active ingredient of Artemisia capillaris extracts, has known for its anti‐inflammatory, antioxidant, and anticancer properties. Functions of Cap in prostate cancer are not clear. We investigate effects of Cap on downregulation of prostate specific antigen (PSA) via modulation of androgen receptor (AR) in prostate carcinoma cells.

Methods

Cell proliferation was measured by water‐soluble tetrazolium‐1 (WST‐1) cell proliferation assays. The PSA and AR expressions were assessed by immunoblotting and RT‐qPCR assays. Effects of Cap on PSA expressions were determined by ELISA, immunoblotting, and reporter assays. Co‐immunoprecipitation and immunoblotting assays were used to define the effects of Cap on dissociation of AR‐heat shock protein 90 (Hsp90) interaction.

Results

Cap inhibited LNCaP cell growth in a dose‐ and/or time‐dependent way without inducing poly ADP‐Ribose Polymerase (PARP) cleavage. Cap not only effectively suppressed AR and PSA protein expressions, but also attenuated activations of synthetic androgen (R1881) on PSA promoter activity dose‐ and time‐dependently. The Cap pretreatment abrogated effects of R1881 on AR activity by reducing AR translocation to the nucleus. Immunoblotting assays indicated that Cap promoted a degradation of AR proteins dose‐dependently in either cycloheximide pretreated‐LNCaP cells or AR‐ectopic expressed PC‐3 cells. Pretreatment of MG132, a proteasome inhibitor, attenuated effect of Cap on AR degradation. Cap lessened AR stability by dissociation of AR‐Hsp90 interaction.

Conclusions

Our results indicated that Cap inhibited growth of LNCaP cells. Cap effectively suppressed androgen activation on AR‐mediated transactivation, which is AR‐dependent through AR degradation and dissociation of AR‐Hsp90 in prostate carcinoma cells.
Enhanced Crystallinity of h‐BN Films Induced by Substrate Bias During Magnetron Sputtering
Authors: Stewart David M. , Lad Robert J.
Published: November 2017

The synthesis of uniform, highly crystalline thin films of hexagonal boron nitride (h‐BN) is an important step for its applications in multilayered devices with other emerging 2D materials. We report on the growth of high purity h‐BN by reactive magnetron sputtering from a pure B target in an Ar/N2 plasma. Enhanced h‐BN crystallinity on Ni substrates was achieved using a negative DC substrate bias during deposition, which served to increase the energy of incident ions, causing higher adatom mobility and re‐sputtering of weakly bound species on the growth surface. Growth rates between 0.002 to 1.1 Å s−1 were observed as the power was varied from 10 to 200 W and the growth temperature was either room temperature or 850 °C. BN films grown on a r‐sapphire substrate or a silicon (100) wafer with native oxide were smooth but amorphous under all conditions. Crystalline growth was observed on unbiased Ni foil substrates heated to 850 °C provided the growth rate was below 0.01 Å s−1, but the films were a non‐uniform mixture of h‐BN crystals and a disordered phase. Using a −50 V substrate bias, a high degree of h‐BN crystallinity and film homogeneity over large areas on the Ni substrate was achieved.
A new adaptive tracking control scheme of wheeled mobile robot without longitudinal velocity measurement
Authors: Shu Panfeng , Oya Masahiro , Zhao Junjie
Published: November 2017

This paper proposes a new adaptive trajectory tracking control scheme of the wheeled mobile robot without longitudinal velocity measurement. First, based on a kinematic controller, we obtain a new tracking error equation, which is suitable to develop an adaptive controller. Then, we develop a new adaptive trajectory tracking controller, which does not need any accurate values of the wheeled mobile robot parameters, including the driving motor parameters. Moreover, as the longitudinal velocity measurement is still difficult, this controller is developed without longitudinal velocity measurement. In addition, this new adaptive controller introduces a method to improve the control performance. The stability of the closed‐loop system is presented using the direct Lyapunov method. Finally, numerous simulations verify the effectiveness of the new controller.
Facile In Situ Growth of Nanostructured Copper Sulfide Films Directly on FTO Coated Glass Substrates as Efficient Counter Electrodes for Quantum Dot Sensitized Solar Cells
Authors: Bhat Sarpangala Venkataprasad , Dhanasekar Moorthy , Rickey Kelly M. , Ruan Xiulin
Published: November 2017

We report a facile chemical solution deposition method for fabricating nanostructured copper sulfide film directly on fluorine doped tin oxide (FTO) coated glass substrates and demonstrate its use as efficient counter electrodes in quantum dot based solar cells. A typical quantum dot sensitized solar cell with CdS sensitized photo‐anode using this counter electrode shows ∼25% improvement in the power conversion efficiency when compared to the reference device assembled with conventional thermally evaporated gold/FTO counter electrode. The superior electrocatalytic activity of the copper sulfide electrode is also substantiated by potentiostatic I−V curves and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy.
Reconstruction of an AdS radiation/boson star bulk geometry using light-cone cuts
Authors: Treviño Gabriel
Published: November 2017

Abstract

Light-cone cuts have recently been proposed as a method to reconstruct the conformal metric of a holographic spacetime. We explore how additional information about the bulk geometry gets encoded in the structure of these light-cone cuts. In particular, we study how the hyperbolic angle related to a cusp in the light-cone cut encodes information about the matter content of the spacetime. Combining this information with the mass obtained from an integral at the boundary, we provide an explicit numerical example reconstructing the metric for a 4-dimensional static and spherically symmetric spacetime composed by the superposition of a boson star and a gas of radiation in AdS.
Impact of Receiving Secondary Results from Genomic Research: A 12‐Month Longitudinal Study
Authors: Wynn Julia , Martinez Josue , Bulafka Jessica , Duong Jimmy , Zhang Yuan , Chiuzan Codruta , Preti Jain , Cremona Maria L. , Jobanputra Vaidehi , Fyer Abby J. , Klitzman Robert L. , Appelbaum Paul S. , Chung Wendy K.
Published: November 2017

The impact of returning secondary results from exome sequencing (ES) on patients/participants is important to understand as ES is increasingly utilized in clinical care and research. Participants were recruited from studies using ES and were separated into two arms: 107 who had ES and were offered the choice to learn secondary results (ES group) and 85 who had not yet had ES (No ES group). Questionnaires were administered at baseline and 1 and 12 months, following results disclosure (ES group) or enrollment (No ES group). While the majority (65%) elected to learn all results following pre‐test counseling, it was reduced from the 76% who indicated a desire for all results at baseline. Thirty‐seven percent received results associated with an increased personal disease risk. There were no differences in changes in any of the psychological and social measures from baseline to post‐results disclosure between the ES and No ES groups. Receiving a wide range of secondary findings appeared to have little measurable impact on most participants. The experience of learning secondary results may be related to participants’ previous experiences with genetics, as well as the genetic counseling provided. Future research with a more diverse, genetically naïve group, as well as scalable methods of delivery, is needed.
Immediate results from biofeedback and anorectal electrostimulation in the treatment of paradoxical puborectal muscle contraction in women with obstructed defecation
Authors: Magalhães Germana Mesquita , Vasconcelos Thiago Brasileiro de , Regadas Sthela Maria Murad , Bastos Vasco Pinheiro Diógenes , Almeida Paulo César de , Veras Lusmar Rodrigues
Published: November 2017

Objective This study was conducted to evaluate the effects of “biofeedback” (BF), electrostimulation (ES), and of the high-fiber diet associated with behavioral therapy in women with obstructed evacuation and paradoxical puborectalis contraction and to compare the results among these three modalities.

Method Thirty-one women were evaluated who fulfilled the Rome III Criteria, and with an electromanometric test positive for the presence of contraction in the evacuation maneuver. These patients were randomized into three groups: group I – conventional treatment of constipation, group II – conventional treatment of constipation associated with biofeedback and group III – conventional treatment of constipation associated with electrostimulation. At the beginning of this study and after six weeks, subjective and objective parameters of the anorectal function were evaluated using the Wexner constipation scoring system, the Bristol scale, an visual analogical scale, and anorectal electromanometry.

Results All patients demonstrated improvement in bowel satisfaction, stool frequency, effort and feeling of incomplete evacuation, stool-type modifications, and improvement in the quality of life. On examination, there was increased mean pressure of voluntary contraction in group III (p = 0.043), decreased sensitivity threshold in group II (p = 0.025) and III (p = 0.012) and decreased maximum rectal capacity in group II (p = 0.005). Only 19.4% (n = 6) had their dynamic defecation normalized, and 80.6% (n = 25) expressed clinical, non-instrumental, improvement.

Conclusion The conventional treatment of constipation, biofeedback and electrostimulation show a significant subjective improvement in symptoms of obstructed evacuation and in quality of life, regardless of the reversal of the paradoxical puborectalis contraction.
The ASIBS Short Course: A unique strategy for increasing statistical competency of junior investigators in academic medicine
Authors: Benn Emma K. T. , Tu Chengcheng , Palermo Ann-Gel S. , Borrell Luisa N. , Kiernan Michaela , Sandre Mary , Bagiella Emilia
Published: November 2017

As clinical researchers at academic medical institutions across the United States increasingly manage complex clinical databases and registries, they often lack the statistical expertise to utilize the data for research purposes. This statistical inadequacy prevents junior investigators from disseminating clinical findings in peer-reviewed journals and from obtaining research funding, thereby hindering their potential for promotion. Underrepresented minorities, in particular, confront unique challenges as clinical investigators stemming from a lack of methodologically rigorous research training in their graduate medical education. This creates a ripple effect for them with respect to acquiring full-time appointments, obtaining federal research grants, and promotion to leadership positions in academic medicine. To fill this major gap in the statistical training of junior faculty and fellows, the authors developed the Applied Statistical Independence in Biological Systems (ASIBS) Short Course. The overall goal of ASIBS is to provide formal applied statistical training, via a hybrid distance and in-person learning format, to junior faculty and fellows actively involved in research at US academic medical institutions, with a special emphasis on underrepresented minorities. The authors present an overview of the design and implementation of ASIBS, along with a short-term evaluation of its impact for the first cohort of ASIBS participants.
The Eternal Criterion Problem in the Context of Impact
Authors: Levine Edward L.
Published: November 2017

The focal article by Aguinis et al. (2017) offers a rich brew of data and explication regarding the devilishly complicated concept of impact of sources (both science-based and practice-based), of industrial and organizational (I-O) psychology articles, and of authors of articles in the discipline of I-O psychology. The criteria developed to assess the impact of these are simple frequency counts indexing the number of times items within each domain are cited by leading introductory I-O psychology textbooks, which in turn leads to ranked lists. These are then used as a basis for answering numerous highly significant questions about the discipline of I-O psychology, including its scholarly and practice-based underpinnings, and the future prospects of the field.
The Wicked Problem of Scholarly Impact
Authors: Behrend Tara , Landers Richard
Published: November 2017

Academics sometimes forget that the purpose of a university is to educate: our students, our local communities, each other, and the world. Although each university is unique in its constituency, all share the charge to generate knowledge for the protection and benefit of the public good. The goal of an academic should be to beneficially impact society, broadly defined, with scholarly activity. As editor and columnist for The Industrial-Organizational Psychologist, one publication highlighted by the focal article, we applaud the efforts of Aguinis et al. (2017) to put forth alternative approaches to defining impact. Like them, we are concerned that many of the measures of “impact” we currently use do not capture this charge.
Where Has All the Psychology Gone? (Twenty Years Later)
Authors: Zickar Michael J. , Highhouse Scott
Published: November 2017

Aguinis et al. (2017) contribute interesting analyses of cited sources in contemporary undergraduate industrial-organizational (I-O) psychology textbooks and continue their ongoing investigation into the long-term viability of I-O psychology as a unique discipline (see Aguinis, Bradley, & Brodersen, 2014). These analyses, conducted by authors who are members of business schools, attempt to answer questions related to the nature of work conducted by I-O psychologists, comparing the quality and importance of work conducted by faculty in business schools with that conducted by faculty in psychology departments. One of their general themes is that members of business schools are conducting important research that is influencing the future of I-O psychology by overtaking undergraduate textbooks. As such, the article has the feel of a conquering hero taunting its vanquished foe.
From Analysis to Evaluation: Brand Management and the Future of I-O Psychology
Authors: Nolan Kevin P.
Published: November 2017

Aguinis et al. (2017) address an issue of upmost importance for the field of industrial-organizational (I-O) psychology: recruitment. The ability to attract and retain talented individuals is a principle determinant of success in a knowledge-driven economy (Yu & Cable, 2012). The focal article notes that future practitioners and researchers are commonly exposed to the field of I-O psychology for the first time via introductory courses taken during their undergraduate education. A study by Rose et al. (2014) likewise suggests that introductory courses are among the most popular channels through which business and human resource professionals learn about I-O psychology. Consequently, the information communicated in these courses not only shapes the beliefs and behaviors of those who might one day produce/provide the goods/services of I-O psychology, but also those who might consume them. Introductory courses are, therefore, both an important recruitment source as well as an important marketing channel. Aguinis et al. provide a much-needed content analysis of the information communicated to students through introductory textbooks and offer insight into the ways in which this information may affect the future of I-O psychology. Building from their analysis of content, this commentary offers an approach to program evaluation that utilizes the principles of brand management to better understand how the messages communicated to students impact their beliefs about the field. Moving from analysis to evaluation is a logical next step inmakinga desired future for I-O psychology.
Shaping long-term primate development: Telomere length trajectory as an indicator of early maternal maltreatment and predictor of future physiologic regulation
Authors: Drury Stacy S. , Howell Brittany R. , Jones Christopher , Esteves Kyle , Morin Elyse , Schlesinger Reid , Meyer Jerrold S. , Baker Kate , Sanchez Mar M.
Published: November 2017

The molecular, neurobiological, and physical health impacts of child maltreatment are well established, yet mechanistic pathways remain inadequately defined. Telomere length (TL) decline is an emerging molecular indicator of stress exposure with definitive links to negative health outcomes in maltreated individuals. The multiple confounders endemic to human maltreatment research impede the identification of causal pathways. This study leverages a unique randomized, cross-foster, study design in a naturalistic translational nonhuman primate model of infant maltreatment. At birth, newborn macaques were randomly assigned to either a maltreating or a competent control mother, balancing for sex, biological mother parenting history, and social rank. Offspring TL was measured longitudinally across the first 6 months of life (infancy) from peripheral blood. Hair cortisol accumulation was also determined at 6, 12, and 18 months of age. TL decline was greater in animals randomized to maltreatment, but also interacted with biological mother group. Shorter TL at 6 months was associated with higher mean cortisol levels through 18 months (juvenile period) when controlling for relevant covariates. These results suggest that even under the equivalent social, nutritional, and environmental conditions feasible in naturalistic translational nonhuman primate models, early adverse caregiving results in lasting molecular scars that foreshadow elevated health risk and physiologic dysregulation.
Using an adoption–biological family design to examine associations between maternal trauma, maternal depressive symptoms, and child internalizing and externalizing behaviors
Authors: Grabow Aleksandria Perez , Khurana Atika , Natsuaki Misaki N. , Neiderhiser Jenae M. , Harold Gordon T. , Shaw Daniel S. , Ganiban Jody M. , Reiss David , Leve Leslie D.
Published: November 2017

Maternal trauma is a complex risk factor that has been linked to adverse child outcomes, yet the mechanisms underlying this association are not well understood. This study, which included adoptive and biological families, examined the heritable and environmental mechanisms by which maternal trauma and associated depressive symptoms are linked to child internalizing and externalizing behaviors. Path analyses were used to analyze data from 541 adoptive mother–adopted child (AM–AC) dyads and 126 biological mother–biological child (BM–BC) dyads; the two family types were linked through the same biological mother. Rearing mother's trauma was associated with child internalizing and externalizing behaviors in AM–AC and BM–BC dyads, and this association was mediated by rearing mothers’ depressive symptoms, with the exception of biological child externalizing behavior, for which biological mother trauma had a direct influence only. Significant associations between maternal trauma and child behavior in dyads that share only environment (i.e., AM–AC dyads) suggest an environmental mechanism of influence for maternal trauma. Significant associations were also observed between maternal depressive symptoms and child internalizing and externalizing behavior in dyads that were only genetically related, with no shared environment (i.e., BM–AC dyads), suggesting a heritable pathway of influence via maternal depressive symptoms.
Childhood maltreatment moderates the effect of combat exposure on cingulum structural integrity
Authors: Banihashemi Layla , Wallace Meredith L. , Sheu Lei K. , Lee Michael C. , Gianaros Peter J. , Mackenzie Robert P. , Insana Salvatore P. , Germain Anne , Herringa Ryan J.
Published: November 2017

Limbic white matter pathways link emotion, cognition, and behavior and are potentially malleable to the influences of traumatic events throughout development. However, the impact of interactions between childhood and later life trauma on limbic white matter pathways has yet to be examined. Here, we examined whether childhood maltreatment moderated the effect of combat exposure on diffusion tensor imaging measures within a sample of military veterans (N = 28). We examined five limbic tracts of interest: two components of the cingulum (cingulum, cingulate gyrus, and cingulum hippocampus [CGH]), the uncinate fasciculus, the fornix/stria terminalis, and the anterior limb of the internal capsule. Using effect sizes, clinically meaningful moderator effects were found only within the CGH. Greater combat exposure was associated with decreased CGH fractional anisotropy (overall structural integrity) and increased CGH radial diffusivity (perpendicular water diffusivity) among individuals with more severe childhood maltreatment. Our findings provide preliminary evidence of the moderating effect of childhood maltreatment on the relationship between combat exposure and CGH structural integrity. These differences in CGH structural integrity could have maladaptive implications for emotion and memory, as well as provide a potential mechanism by which childhood maltreatment induces vulnerability to later life trauma exposure.
Effects of early institutionalization on emotion processing in 12-year-old youth
Authors: Bick Johanna , Luyster Rhiannon , Fox Nathan A. , Zeanah Charles H. , Nelson Charles A.
Published: November 2017

We examined facial emotion recognition in 12-year-olds in a longitudinally followed sample of children with and without exposure to early life psychosocial deprivation (institutional care). Half of the institutionally reared children were randomized into foster care homes during the first years of life. Facial emotion recognition was examined in a behavioral task using morphed images. This same task had been administered when children were 8 years old. Neutral facial expressions were morphed with happy, sad, angry, and fearful emotional facial expressions, and children were asked to identify the emotion of each face, which varied in intensity. Consistent with our previous report, we show that some areas of emotion processing, involving the recognition of happy and fearful faces, are affected by early deprivation, whereas other areas, involving the recognition of sad and angry faces, appear to be unaffected. We also show that early intervention can have a lasting positive impact, normalizing developmental trajectories of processing negative emotions (fear) into the late childhood/preadolescent period.
External-environmental and internal-health early life predictors of adolescent development
Authors: Hartman Sarah , Li Zhi , Nettle Daniel , Belsky Jay
Published: November 2017

A wealth of evidence documents associations between various aspects of the rearing environment and later development. Two evolutionary-inspired models advance explanations for why and how such early experiences shape later functioning: (a) the external-prediction model, which highlights the role of the early environment (e.g., parenting) in regulating children's development, and (b) the internal-prediction model, which emphasizes internal state (i.e., health) as the critical regulator. Thus, by using data from the NICHD Study of Early Child Care and Youth Development, the current project draws from both models by investigating whether the effect of the early environment on later adolescent functioning is subject to an indirect effect by internal-health variables. Results showed a significant indirect effect of internal health on the relation between the early environment and adolescent behavior. Specifically, early environmental adversity during the first 5 years of life predicted lower quality health during childhood, which then led to problematic adolescent functioning and earlier age of menarche for girls. In addition, for girls, early adversity predicted lower quality health that forecasted earlier age of menarche leading to increased adolescent risk taking. The discussion highlights the importance of integrating both internal and external models to further understand the developmental processes that effect adolescent behavior.
Assessing the interplay between multigenic and environmental influences on adolescent to adult pathways of antisocial behaviors
Authors: Li James J.
Published: November 2017

The current investigation utilized a developmental psychopathology approach to test the hypothesis that multigenic (i.e., dopaminergic and serotonergic genes) and multienvironmental factors interactively contribute to developmental pathways of antisocial behavior (ASB). A sample of 8,834 Caucasian individuals from the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent to Adult Health (Add Health) were used to (a) examine the developmental pathways of ASB from age 13 to 32 using growth mixture modeling, (b) compute weighted multigenic risk scores (Add Health MRS) for ASB from six well-characterized polymorphisms in dopamine and serotonin genes, and (c) test the interaction between the Add Health MRS and a measures of support (incorporating indicators of both positive and negative support from parents and schools). Four pathways of adolescent to adult ASB emerged from the growth mixture models: low, adolescence-peaked, high decline, and persistent. Add Health MRS predicted the persistent ASB pathway, but not other ASB pathways. Males with high Add Health MRS, but not low MRS, had significantly greater odds of being in the adolescence-peaked pathway relative to the low pathway at low levels of school connectedness. Nonfamilial environmental influences during adolescence may have a cumulative impact on the development of ASB, particularly among males with greater underlying genetic risks.
AGU’s Developer Contest Unlocks Scientific Research
Authors: McEntee Chris
Published: November 2017

Announcing its Open API Challenge winners, the American Geophysical Union explores what open data mean for science.
Dysregulation of the miR-146a-Smad4 axis impairs osteogenesis of bone mesenchymal stem cells under inflammation
Authors: Kuang Wei , Zheng Liwei , Xu Xin , Lin Yao , Lin Jiong , Wu Jiahua , Tan Jiali
Published: November 2017

Osteoporosis is a common disease that affects patient quality of life, especially among the elderly population. Although inflammation contributes significantly to osteoporosis, the underlying mechanism is unclear. In this study, we found that tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α, an inflammatory environment mimic, inhibits osteogenesis of bone mesenchymal stem cells (BMSCs), induces miR-146a and decreases Smad4. Moreover, overexpression of miR-146a inhibited the osteogenic ability of BMSCs, whereas blocking miR-146a partially rescued the osteogenesis deficiency under TNF-α treatment. Molecularly, miR-146a decreased Smad4 expression at the protein level by binding to an element located in the Smad4 3′-untranslated region, and restoration of Smad4 reversed the inhibitory effects of miR-146a on osteogenesis. Together, our results showed that the inflammatory environment mimic TNF-α inhibits osteogenesis via upregulation of miR-146a and subsequent downregulation of Smad4, thus suggesting that therapeutic manipulation of miR-146a maybe a potential strategy to improve osteogenesis in the context of osteoporosis.
Meta-analysis of the interaction between serotonin transporter promoter variant, stress, and posttraumatic stress disorder
Authors: Zhao Mingzhe , Yang Jiarun , Wang Wenbo , Ma Jingsong , Zhang Jian , Zhao Xueyan , Qiu Xiaohui , Yang Xiuxian , Qiao Zhengxue , Song Xuejia , Wang Lin , Jiang Shixiang , Zhao Erying , Yang Yanjie
Published: November 2017

Exposure to stress predicts the occurrence of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in individuals harboring the serotonin transporter promoter variant 5-HTTLPR. We carried out a meta-analysis of studies investigating the interaction between 5-HTTLPR, stress, and PTSD to clarify the interrelatedness of these factors. We reviewed all relevant studies published in English before May 2016. The Lipták–Stouffer z-score method for meta-analysis was applied to combined data. The z score was separately calculated for the stressful life events, childhood adversity, bi- and triallelic loci, and cross-sectional and longitudinal studies subgroups. A total of 14 studies with 15,883 subjects met our inclusion criteria. We found strong evidence that the presence of 5-HTTLPR influenced the relationship between stress and PTSD (P = 0.00003), with the strongest effects observed in the cross-sectional and longitudinal groups (P = 0.01 and 2.0 × 10−6, respectively). Stressful life events and childhood adversity separately interacted with 5-HTTLPR in PTSD (P = 2.0 × 10−8 and 0.003, respectively). When the studies were stratified by locus classification, the evidence was stronger for the triallelic (P = 4.0 × 10−8) than for the biallelic (P = 0.054) locus subgroup. There was strong evidence that 5-HTTLPR influences the relationship between stress and PTSD.