bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Comparison of Dexamethasone with Ondansetron or Haloperidol for Prevention of Patient‐Controlled Analgesia‐Related Postoperative Nausea and Vomiting: A Randomized Clinical Trial
Authors: Wang Po‐Kai , Tsay Pei‐Jiuan , Huang Chia‐Chun , Lai Hsien‐Yong , Lin Pei‐Chin , Huang Shen‐Jer , Lee Yi
Published: February 2012

Background

Patient‐controlled analgesia (PCA) with parenteral opioids is associated with a high incidence of postoperative nausea and vomiting (PONV). The aim of the present study was to compare the efficacy of dexamethasone plus haloperidol with dexamethasone plus ondansetron for the prevention of PCA‐related PONV. Patients who received dexamethasone alone were used as controls.

Methods

A total of 135 female patients (n = 45 in each of three groups) were eligible to participate in this randomized trial. A total of 135 female patients (n = 45 in each of three groups) were eligible to participate in this randomized trial. Dexamethasone 5 mg IV was administered after the induction of anesthesia in dexamethasone group (group D) patients. Patients in the dexamethasone plus haloperidol group (group DH) and in the dexamethasone plus ondansetron (group DO) further received haloperidol 2 mg IM or ondansetron 4 mg IV, respectively, 30 min before the end of surgery. The complete response rates, incidence of PONV, need for rescue medication, average pain and sedation scores, recovery times, and adverse events were observed postoperatively.

Results

The incidences of total PONV in the first 24 h in groups DH (35%) and DO (30%) were significantly lower than those of group D (57%) (p < 0.05 for each comparison). The differences between groups DH and DO were insignificant. The incidence of PONV was significantly smaller in the DH and DO groups than predicted by the patients’ underlying risks. Pain scores, sedation scores, and recovery times were similar among the three study groups, and no clinically relevant prolongation of the electrocardiographic QTc interval was observed in any patient.

Conclusions

Dexamethasone 5 mg with either haloperidol 2 mg or ondansetron 4 mg provides a better antiemetic effect than dexamethasone 5 mg alone in patients receiving postoperative morphine PCA.
A Mathematical Model for Predicting Malignancy of Solitary Pulmonary Nodules
Authors: Li Yun , Wang Jun
Published: February 2012

Background

The goal of the present study was to differentiate between benign and malignant solitary pulmonary nodules (SPN) by developing a mathematical prediction model.

Methods

Records from 371 patients (197 male, 174 female) with SPN between January 2000 and September 2009 were reviewed (group A). Clinical data were collected to estimate the independent predictors of malignancy of SPN with multivariate logistic regression analysis. A clinical prediction model was subsequently developed. Between October 2009 and May 2011, data from an additional 145 patients with SPN were used to validate this new clinical prediction model (group B). The same data were also estimated with two previously published models for comparison with our new model.

Results

The median patient age was 57.1 years in group A; 54% of the nodules were malignant and 46% were benign. Logistic regression analysis identified six clinical characteristics (age, diameter, border, calcification, spiculation, and family history of tumor) as independent predictors of malignancy in patients with SPN. The area under the receiver operator characteristic (ROC) curve for our model (0.874 ± 0.028) was higher than those generated using the other two reported models. In our model, sensitivity = 94.5%, specificity = 70.0%, positive predictive value = 87.8%, and negative predictive value = 84.8%).

Conclusions

Age, diameter, border, calcification, spiculation, and family history of tumor were independent predictors of malignancy in patients with SPN. Our prediction model was sufficient to estimate malignancy in patients with SPN and proved to be more accurate than the two existing models.
Visualization versus Neuromonitoring of Recurrent Laryngeal Nerves during Thyroidectomy: What About the Costs?
Authors: Dionigi Gianlorenzo , Bacuzzi Alessandro , Boni Luigi , Rausei Stefano , Rovera Francesca , Dionigi Renzo
Published: February 2012

Background

The objective of the present study was to evaluate costs for thyroidectomy performed with the aid of intraoperative neural monitoring (IONM), which has gained widespread acceptance during thyroid surgery as an adjunct to the gold standard of visual nerve identification.

Methods

Through a micro‐costing approach, the thyroidectomy patient‐care process (with and without IONM) was analyzed by considering direct costs (staff time, consumables, equipment, drugs, operating room, and general expenses). Unit costs were collected from hospital accounting and standard tariff lists. To assess the impact of the IONM technology on hospital management, three macro‐scenarios were considered: (1) traditional thyroidectomy; (2) thyroidectomy with IONM in a high‐volume setting (5 procedures per week); and (3) thyroidectomy with IONM in a low‐volume setting (1 procedure per week). Energy‐based devices (EBD) for hemostasis and dissection in thyroidectomy were also evaluated, as well as the reimbursement made by the Italian Healthcare System on the basis of diagnosis related groups (DRGs), about €2,600.

Results

Comparison between costs and the DRG fee shows an underfunding of total hospitalization costs for all thyroidectomies, regardless of IONM use (scenario 1: €3,471). The main cost drivers are consumables and technologies (25%), operating room (16%), and staff (14%). Hospitalization costs for a thyroidectomy with IONM range from €3,713 to €3,770 (scenarios 2 and 3), 5–7% higher than those for traditional thyroidectomy. Major economic differences emerge when an EBD is used (€3,969).

Conclusions

The regional DRG tariff for thyroid surgery is barely sufficient to cover conventional surgery costs. Intraoperative neural monitoring accounts for 5–7% of the hospitalization costs for a thyroidectomy.
Genetic Counseling for Prenatal Testing: Where is the Discussion About Disability?
Authors: Farrelly Ellyn , Cho Mildred K. , Erby Lori , Roter Debra , Stenzel Anabel , Ormond Kelly
Published: February 2012

There are little data revealing how genetic counselors talk about disability in the prenatal setting. We performed a qualitative analysis of 93 existing transcripts from simulated patient (SP) genetic counseling sessions conducted in 2003–4 through the Genetic Counseling Video Project. We found that most genetic counselors (95%) focused on the physical aspects of disability while fewer (27%) discussed the social aspects. In addition, few genetic counselors (38%) asked patients about personal experiences with disability. When discussing options available if a pregnancy were diagnosed with a disability, most genetic counselors mentioned termination (86%) while fewer mentioned the continuation of the pregnancy (37%) or adoption (13%). Only half of the genetic counselors asked the SP if she had thought about how she might use the results of prenatal screening. To better facilitate informed decision‐making that is consistent with patient values, we recommend genetic counselors engage prenatal patients in a deeper discussion about their ability and willingness to parent a child with a disability.
Rising to Stardom: An Empirical Investigation of the Diffusion of User-generated Content
Authors: Liu-Thompkins Yuping , Rogerson Michelle
Published: February 2012

With the explosive growth of online user-generated content and the desire by marketers to better utilize this space, it is beneficial to understand the viral diffusion of such content and to identify messages that are most likely to achieve popularity. In this paper, we combine network analysis and the diffusion literature to study the spreading of user-generated videos online. We identify three groups of factors that affect diffusion outcomes: network structure, content characteristics, and author characteristics. Using a proportional rates model, we analyze the diffusion of a sample of videos on YouTube. Our results show that it is preferable to have many subscribers who each has a few friends than to have a few subscribers with many connections. Furthermore, a curvilinear relationship exists between subscriber network connectivity and diffusion rate such that diffusion is at its highest under moderate connectivity. Examining content characteristics, we show that entertainment and educational values affect diffusion but production quality does not matter. Moreover, we find that quality as manifested by user ratings influences diffusion more than innate content quality. Not surprisingly, an author's past success carries over to the current content, and content from younger authors is more popular.
Heterogeneity among RIP‐Tag2 insulinomas allows vascular endothelial growth factor‐A independent tumor expansion as revealed by studies in Shb mutant mice: Implications for tumor angiogenesis
Authors: Åkerblom Björn , Zang Guangxiang , Zhuang Zhen W. , Calounova Gabriela , Simons Michael , Welsh Michael
Published: February 2012

The Shb adapter protein is a signaling intermediate that operates downstream of vascular endothelial growth factor receptor‐2 (VEGFR‐2) in endothelial cells. The Shb knockout mouse displays a dysfunctional microvasculature and impaired growth of subcutaneously implanted tumor cells. We decided to investigate tumor growth and angiogenesis in the absence of Shb in an inheritable tumor model, the RIP‐Tag2 mouse, which produces insulinomas in a manner highly dependent on de novo angiogenesis. We observed a reduced tumor incidence and burden in both RIP‐Tag2 Shb−/− and RIP‐Tag2 Shb+/− mice. This correlated with a reduced microvascular density, measured as a percentage of insulinoma area positive for CD31 staining, and altered vascular morphology. However, treatment with a VEGF‐A blocking antibody was without effect on the Shb mutant tumor volume whereas it significantly inhibited tumor volume in the wild‐type mice, suggesting that in mice with reduced Shb expression tumor angiogenesis was primarily sustained by VEGF‐A independent pathway(s). This notion was further substantiated by gene expression analysis of angiogenic markers showing reduced VEGF‐A expression in Shb‐deficient tumors. Considerable heterogeneity with respect to the gene expression profiles of other angiogenic markers and the signal‐transduction characteristics was observed between different tumors, suggesting that multiple “rescue” pathways could be operating. The numbers of invasive tumors or metastases were unchanged in the Shb mutant.

It is concluded that the Shb mutant background reduces tumor frequency by chronically suppressing VEGF‐A dependent angiogenesis. However, VEGF‐A independent angiogenesis supports a significant degree of tumor expansion in Shb‐deficient mice, indicating heterogeneity in the mechanisms by which tumor expansion is promoted. Interference with Shb signaling may provide novel means for future cancer therapy.
Psyche
Authors: Rohde Erwin
Published: February 2012

In this work, first published in two volumes in 1890 and 1894, Erwin Rohde (1845–1898), the German classical scholar and friend of Nietzsche, describes the ancient Greek cult of souls and establishes the sources of the belief in the immortality of the soul, exploring its relation to life both before and after death. This belief in the survival of the soul already existed in the earliest Greek writings, but when and from where did it originate? Volume 2 examines the question in the context of the worship of Dionysos, arguing that there were originally many sides to the cult of the wine-god, and that one of these may have been the source of this belief. Psyche, reissued here in the 1898 edition, remains a standard reference work on this topic.
Latin America through Soviet Eyes
Authors: Prizel Ilya
Published: February 2012

Latin America through Soviet Eyes provides an original and comprehensive assessment of changing Soviet perceptions of politics in Latin America during the Brezhnev years. Dr Prizel surveys the views of Soviet academics and journalists as well as of politicians on three main areas. He explores the changing Soviet perceptions of Latin America's domestic politics including the Church, the military and national liberation movements; he examines the role of Latin America in global politics and the way in which the USA has influenced regional events, and he discusses the emerging Soviet-Latin American relationship. Case studies of Mexico, Chile, Brazil and Argentina provide a framework for understanding changing Soviet perceptions in the context of the domestic dynamics of specific individual countries. This book is based on a wealth of Russian, Spanish and English language sources. Soviet academic journals, newspapers, communist party journals and the numerous books published by the Institute of Latin America of the Academy of Sciences in the USSR provide the Soviet view of Latin America and this is examined against a background of regional perceptions expressed in Spanish-American material.
Experimental reduction of food quality is not compensated with increased food intake in high-arctic muskoxen (Ovibos moschatus)
Authors: Blix Arnoldus Schytte , Ness John , Lian Hans , Callaghan Terry V.
Published: February 2012

A total of four barren adult female muskoxen (Ovibos moschatus) were used over a period of 2 years for the purpose of the present study. During the first year, the natural changes in appetite (ad libitum intake of standard pelleted reindeer feed) and body mass were determined in two of the animals. During the second year, the effect of reduced food quality on ad libitum food intake was tested in all four animals in July when the appetite had been found to be at a high. We found that the experimentally reduced food quality was not compensated with increased food intake in these large high-Arctic herbivores.
All the young dudes: educational capital, masculinity and the uses of popular music
Authors: Branch Andrew
Published: February 2012

Since its emergence in the early 1970s, glam rock has been theoretically categorised as a moment in British popular culture in which essentialist ideas about male gendered identity were rendered problematic for a popular music audience. Drawing on a Bourdieusian theoretical framework, the article argues that while this reading of glam is valid, insufficient attention has been given to an examination of the relevance of educational capitalvis-à-visthe construction of self-identity in relation to glam. It is therefore concerned with raising questions about social class in addition to interrogating questions of gender. The article draws on the ethno-biographies of a sample of glam's original working class male fans: original interviews with musicians and writers associated with glam, as well as published biographical accounts. In doing so it contends that glam's political significance is better understood as a moment in popular culture in which an educationally aspirant section of the male working-class sought to express its difference by identifying with the self-conscious performance of a more feminised masculinity it located in glam.
MacIntyre, Bourdieu and the practice of jazz
Authors: Banks Mark
Published: February 2012

This article offers a sociological account of the labour of jazz musicians. The first part is concerned with elaborating a theory of jazz work based on Alasdair MacIntyre's notion of social practices. Applying this theory to recent empirical work with British jazz musicians, the article reveals how the virtuous pursuit of specific ‘internal goods’ is judged to be particularly prominent in jazz, suggesting that it might constitute an ethical practice in MacIntyrean terms. While MacIntyre's theory is argued to offer a congenial framework for an analysis of jazz, it is then compared and contrasted with more established readings of jazz practice – based on the work of Pierre Bourdieu – which suggest more objective and instrumental motivations for working in jazz. The article concludes by evaluating the relative merits of each approach.
More than just music: the seven dimensions of the Eurovision Song Contest
Authors: Wolther Irving
Published: February 2012

The Eurovision Song Contest (ESC) is one of the most-watched entertainment programmes in Europe. Apparent national differences in using the show as an instrument for national-cultural representation can be explained by reducing its complexity to seven essential and interconnected ‘dimensions of meaning’.
What's New in Our Current ‘International Secularism’?
Authors: MONOD JEAN-CLAUDE
Published: February 2012

Nathaniel Berman's paper offers us a rich study of the interwar reflections about the intertwining between religion and nationalism, seen as ‘forces’ both dangerous and necessary, which should be ‘freed’ or ‘tamed’ in order to create a new political order. This theme is approached through its theorization by the French Collège de Sociologie and its non-academic philosophy of the sacred (mainly Bataille's transformation of the Durkheimian idea of a ‘left sacred’ and a ‘right sacred’), but also through the discourses and the practices of international law, by prominent lawyers, or through the way European nations dealt with the status of ‘minorities’ or with colonized people living under status of Protectorate. I much appreciate Berman's evocation of these various reflections and the way they ‘complicate’ (both as analysis and as symptoms) the problem of secularization as well as the question of legal internationalism. Let me develop these two points, before coming to some aspects of Berman's reflection that seem to me less convincing or more questionable.
Arbitrariness, the Fair and Equitable Treatment Standard, and the International Law of Investment
Authors: STONE JACOB
Published: February 2012

One of the most common features of international investment treaties is the obligation of a state to grant ‘fair and equitable treatment’ to investors and investments. Treatment giving rise to allegations of breaches of this obligation has taken many forms, namely bad faith, discrimination, denial of justice, frustration of legitimate expectations, lack of transparency, coercion and harassment, and arbitrariness or arbitrary conduct. This latter form of treatment – arbitrariness – has rarely been the focus of scholarly works and, thus, its scope and meaning are difficult to ascertain. When examined in the context of international investment disputes, however, one may conclude that, while its scope and meaning may vary, arbitrariness is indeed a legitimate basis for claim under the fair and equitable treatment standard. The thresholds for demonstrating arbitrariness, however, are decidedly and consistently high.
The Impact of theNicaraguaCase on the Court and Its Role: Harmful, Helpful, or In Between?
Authors: DAMROSCH LORI FISLER
Published: February 2012

At the time the United States withdrew from participation in theNicaraguacase at the International Court of Justice, the US government expressed concern that ‘the course on which the Court may now be embarked could do enormous harm to it as an institution and to the cause of international law’. This essay examines whether or to what extent the anticipated negative effects came to pass. It concludes that dire predictions of harm to the Court were overstated. Twenty-five years later, the rate at which states accept the Court's jurisdiction has held steady. Only a few states have added jurisdictional reservations concerning military activities. The mix of cases being brought to the Court has shifted towards a more representative distribution. States are generally complying with the Court's decisions, though some compliance problems remain. The most serious negative impact has been on the willingness of the United States (still the Court's most active litigant) to participate fully in international dispute settlement.
Fuel choice, indoor air pollution and children's health
Authors: Edwards John H. Y. , Langpap Christian
Published: February 2012

Much of the population in developing countries uses firewood for cooking. The resulting indoor air pollution has severe health consequences for children who are close to the fire while their mothers cook. We use survey data from Guatemala to examine the effects of firewood consumption on the health of children up to five years of age. We also investigate the impact of cooking inside the home, the importance of a mother cooking while caring for her children and the role played by the smoke permeability of housing construction materials. We find that children living in households that use more wood, and where exposure to indoor air pollution is higher because the mother cooks while caring for children or because cooking takes place inside, are more likely to have symptoms of respiratory infection. Simulations indicate that policies that target cooking habits in order to directly reduce exposure, particularly by reducing the number of women who simultaneously cook and care for children, may be more effective for improving young children's health than policies to accelerate the adoption of gas stoves.
THE ESCAPE-INFRINGEMENT EFFECT OF BLOCKING PATENTS ON INNOVATION AND ECONOMIC GROWTH
Authors: Chu Angus C. , Pan Shiyuan
Published: February 2012

This study develops a Schumpeterian growth model to analyze the effects of different patent instruments on innovation. We first analyze patent breadth, which captures the traditionalpositiveeffect of patent rights on innovation. Then, we consider a profit-division rule between entrants and incumbents. Given the division of profit, increasing the share of profit assigned to incumbents reduces entrants' incentives for innovation. This aspect of blocking patents captures the recently proposednegativeeffect of patent rights on innovation. Finally, blocking patents generate anonmonotoniceffect on innovation when the step size of innovation is endogenous because of a novel escape-infringement effect. Calibrating the model to aggregate data, we find that a marginal increase in the blocking effect of patent protection is likely to enhance economic growth.
Explosion swarms at Stromboli volcano: A proxy for nonequilibrium conditions in the shallow plumbing system
Authors: De Martino S. , Errico A. , Palo M. , Cimini G. B.
Published: February 2012

In this paper we look at changes of the statistics of the stationary explosive process at a basaltic volcano as a proxy for departures from thermodynamic equilibrium conditions in the shallow plumbing system. Specifically, we investigate the explosion process of Stromboli volcano that occurred during 2002–2003, 2006–2007 and 2010–2011. The first two periods were characterized by eruptions with significant lava effusion and strong paroxysmal events, while the last one shows persistent explosive activity accompanied by minor episodes of lava flow. We use three‐component seismic data recorded by broadband stations operating on the volcano and, for 2007 and 2010–2011 cases, strainmeter data from a Sacks‐Evertson borehole dilatometer. For each time interval we study the explosive process by looking at the inter‐occurrence times and at the amplitude distribution. Moreover, we analyze its waveforms, spectral content and polarization properties. In all three cases we find sharp increases of the explosion rate associated with swarms. Swarms are characterized by quasi‐monochromatic seismic events with frequency peak close to about 3 Hz, higher amplitude than the usual explosions and variability coefficient of the inter‐occurrence times close to 0.5. In correspondence to the swarms, we also observe negative variations in the strain signals, which indicate a depressurization in the shallow plumbing system. This depressurization emerges clearly from the data collected during 2010–2011, whereas it is less sharp for the 2007 episode, and has been estimated in about 105 Pa. From the polarization analysis we infer that this depressurization affects the upper 0.3–0.8 km of the plumbing system.
Pressure effect on low‐temperature remanence of multidomain magnetite: Change in demagnetization temperature
Authors: Sato Masahiko , Yamamoto Yuhji , Nishioka Takashi , Kodama Kazuto , Mochizuki Nobutatsu , Tsunakawa Hideo
Published: February 2012

We have conducted the first in‐situthermal demagnetization experiments on low‐temperature remanences of magnetite under high pressure up to 0.7 GPa, to investigate the pressure dependence of the demagnetization temperature (Td) defined as rapid decreases in the remanences. A sample of multidomain magnetite particles was set up in the piston‐cylinder‐type high‐pressure cell specially designed for an MPMS. We conducted zero‐field warming (ZFW) on (1) saturation isothermal remanent magnetizations imparted at 20 K and (2) remanences given by field cooling from 300 to 20 K. Our measurements show a clear decrease inTdwith pressure at a rate of −2.9 K/GPa, although a positive rate was inferred by the previous study. Combining with other transition data of physical properties, sharp declines in low‐temperature remanences around 120 K during ZFW are considered as one of the physical property changes associated with the Verwey transition.
Hydroclimate of the northeastern United States is highly sensitive to solar forcing
Authors: Nichols Jonathan E. , Huang Yongsong
Published: February 2012

Dramatic hydrological fluctuations strongly impact human society, but the driving mechanisms for these changes are unclear. One suggested driver is solar variability, but supporting paleoclimate evidence is lacking. Therefore, long, continuous, high‐resolution records from strategic locations are crucial for resolving the scientific debate regarding sensitivity of climate to solar forcing. We present a 6800–year, decadally‐resolved biomarker and multidecadally‐resolved hydrogen isotope record of hydroclimate from a coastal Maine peatland, The Great Heath (TGH). Regional moisture balance responds strongly and consistently to solar forcing at centennial to millennial timescales, with solar minima concurrent with wet conditions. We propose that the Arctic/North Atlantic Oscillation (AO/NAO) can amplify small solar fluctuations, producing the reconstructed hydrological variations. The Sun may be entering a weak phase, analogous to the Maunder minimum, which could lead to more frequent flooding in the northeastern US at this multidecadal timescale.
Governing the lithosphere: Insights from Eyjafjallajökull concerning the role of scientists in supporting decision‐making on active volcanoes
Authors: Donovan Amy , Oppenheimer Clive
Published: February 2012

The 2010 eruption of Eyjafjallajökull volcano, and the social consequences across the world, demonstrated some key issues in volcanological science and its application. Scientists in several nations were called upon to advise governments, to justify models and to give guidance about likely future activity. This is symptomatic of many other fields: scientists increasingly have a role in governance, and their work may be driven by questions that arise as a result. This article considers the role of scientists in different national contexts and the challenges faced in formulating scientific advice for policymakers. It concludes by assessing future challenges, and the key role that social scientific research can play. While this is a research paper and presents new data, it takes a commentary approach to elucidate some of the challenges involved in governing volcanic hazards.
Large wood export regulated by the pattern and intensity of precipitation along a latitudinal gradient in the Japanese archipelago
Authors: Seo Jung Il , Nakamura Futoshi , Akasaka Takumi , Ichiyanagi Hidetaka , Chun Kun Woo
Published: February 2012

We examined the relationships between large wood (LW) export and precipitation patterns and intensity by analyzing the data on the annual volume of LW removed from 42 reservoirs and the daily precipitation at or near the reservoir sites. We also calculated the effective precipitation by considering the antecedent precipitation. Both daily and effective precipitation data were used as explanatory variables to explain LW export. The model selection revealed that the precipitation pattern and intensity controlling LW export varied with latitude in the Japanese archipelago. In small watersheds with narrow channel widths and low discharges, mass movements, such as landslides and debris flows, are major factors in the production and transport of LW. In this case, the effective precipitation required to initiate mass movements regulated the LW export and did not vary with the latitude. In intermediate and large watersheds with wide channel widths and high stream discharges, heavy rainfall and subsequent floods regulated buoyant depth, influencing the initiation of LW movement. In southern and central Japan, intense rainfall accompanied by typhoons or localized torrential downpours causes geomorphic disturbances, which introduce abundant pieces of LW into the channels. However, these pieces continue to be removed by repeated rainfall events. Therefore, LW export is supply‐limited and potentially produces less LW accumulation. Conversely, in northern Japan, where typhoons and torrential downpours are rare, LW export is transport‐limited because LW pieces recruited by bank erosion, tree mortality, and windthrow accumulate and persist on valley floors. These pieces may be easily exported by infrequent flooding.
Evaluation of Combination Therapy in Animal Models of Cerebral Ischemia
Authors: O'Collins Victoria E , Macleod Malcolm R , Donnan Geoffrey A , Howells David W
Published: February 2012

Combination therapy has been identified as a promising strategy to improve stroke management. We conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis of evidence from animal models of ischemic stroke to determine whether combining treatments improved efficacy. Multiple databases were searched and data were extracted from focal ischemia experiments comparing control groups, single treatments, and combination treatments. Of 11,430 papers identified, 142 met the inclusion criteria; these tested 126 treatments in 373 experiments using 8,037 animals ( I2 = 85 to 96%). Taken together, single treatments reduced infarct size by 20% and improved neurological score by 12% compared with control; a second therapy improved efficacy by an additional 18% and 25%, respectively. Publication bias may affect combination efficacy for infarct size but not neurological score. Combining thrombolysis with other therapies may extend the time window from 4.4 to 8 hours in animal models, although testing beyond 6 hours is required to confirm this. Benefits of additional therapy decreased as the efficacy of the primary treatment increased, with combination efficacy reaching a ceiling at 60% to 80% protection. Combining treatments may bring benefits and extend the time window for treatment. More evidence is needed due to potential publication bias and heterogeneity.
Cellular Prion Protein Participates in Amyloid-β Transcytosis across the Blood—Brain Barrier
Authors: Pflanzner Thorsten , Petsch Benjamin , André-Dohmen Bettina , Müller-Schiffmann Andreas , Tschickardt Sabrina , Weggen Sascha , Stitz Lothar , Korth Carsten , Pietrzik Claus U
Published: February 2012

The blood—brain barrier (BBB) facilitates amyloid-β (Aβ) exchange between the blood and the brain. Here, we found that the cellular prion protein (PrPc), a putative receptor implicated in mediating Aβ neurotoxicity in Alzheimer's disease (AD), participates in Aβ transcytosis across the BBB. Using an in vitro BBB model, [125I]-Aβ1–40 transcytosis was reduced by genetic knockout of PrPc or after addition of a competing PrPc-specific antibody. Furthermore, we provide evidence that PrPc is expressed in endothelial cells and, that monomeric Aβ1–40 binds to PrPc. These observations provide new mechanistic insights into the role of PrPc in AD.
The novel function of HINFP as a co-activator in sterol-regulated transcription of PCSK9 in HepG2 cells
Authors: Li Hai , Liu Jingwen
Published: February 2012

PCSK9 (proprotein convertase subtilisin/kexin type 9) plays an important role in control of plasma LDL (low-density lipoprotein) cholesterol metabolism by modulating the degradation of hepatic LDL receptor. Previous studies demonstrated that PCSK9 is a target gene of the SREBP2 [SRE (sterol-regulatory element)-binding protein 2] that activates PCSK9 gene transcription through an SRE motif of the promoter. In addition to SREBP2, HNF1α (hepatic nuclear factor 1α) positively regulates PCSK9 gene transcription in hepatic cells through a binding site located 28 bp upstream from SRE. In the present study, we have identified a novel HINFP (histone nuclear factor P) recognition motif residing between the HNF1 motif and SRE that is essential for basal and sterol-regulated transcriptions of the PCSK9 promoter. Mutation of this motif lowers the basal promoter activity and abolishes the sterol-mediated repression as well as the SREBP2-induced activation of the PCSK9 promoter. We show further that the activity of SREBP2 in stimulating PCSK9 promoter activity is greatly enhanced by HINFP. Additional experiments suggest that HINFP and its cofactor NPAT (nuclear protein of the ataxia telangectasia mutated locus) form a functional complex, and NPAT may subsequently recruit the HAT (histone acetyltransferase) cofactor TRRAP (transformation/transactivation domain-associated protein) to facilitate the histone H4 acetylation of the PCSK9 promoter. Knockdown of HINFP, NPAT or TRRAP each markedly reduces the amount of acetylated histone H4 on the PCSK9 promoter region and lowers PCSK9 protein levels. Importantly, by utilizing co-immunoprecipitation assays, we have demonstrated a direct interaction between SREBP2 and HINFP and its cofactors NPAT/TRRAP. Taken together, these new findings identify HINFP as a co-activator in SREBP-mediated transactivation of PCSK9 gene expression.
A new structure of superconducting magnetic system for 50 GHz operations (invited)
Authors: Xie D. Z.
Published: February 2012

High field and high frequency have been leading the development of electron cyclotron resonance ion sources (ECRISs) in the past decade as demonstrated by the achieved great performance. The present superconducting magnet structures built with NbTi wires have reached an axial field of 3.5–4.0 T and a radial field of 2.0 T for operating frequency up to 28 GHz. Further increase of the magnetic field strength will require higher current superconductor, i.e., Nb3Sn wires. This paper will present the features of a new superconducting magnet structure and review of the existing structures. Using NbTi wires, the new magnet structure could be able to produce maximum fields of 7.0 T on axis and radial field of 3.7 T at a hexagonal plasma chamber wall for ECRIS operations up to 50 GHz. If this new magnet can be built with Nb3Sn wires, much higher fields can be expected.
Effect of fast positive ions incident on caesiated plasma grid of negative ion source
Authors: Bacal M.
Published: February 2012

This paper describes the effect on negative ion formation on a caesiated surface of the backscattering of positive ions approaching it with energy of a few tens of eV. For a positive ion energy of 45 eV, the surface produced negative ion current density due to these fast positive ions is 12 times larger than that due to thermal atoms, thus dominating the negative ion surface production instead of the thermal atoms, as considered until now.
Charge breeding simulations for radioactive ion beam production
Authors: Variale V. , Rainò A. C. , Clauser T.
Published: February 2012

The charge breeding technique is used for radioactive ion beam (RIB) production in order of optimizing the re-acceleration of the radioactive element ions produced by a primary beam in a thick target. Charge breeding is achieved by means of a device capable of increasing the ion charge state from 1+ to a desired value n+. In order to get high intensity RIB, experiments with charge breeding of very high efficiency could be required. To reach this goal, the charge breeding simulation could help to optimize the high charge state production efficiency by finding more proper parameters for the radioactive 1+ ions. In this paper a device based on an electron beam ion source (EBIS) is considered. In order to study that problem, a code already developed for studying the ion selective containment in an EBIS with RF quadrupoles, BRICTEST, has been modified to simulate the ion charge state breeding rate for different 1+ ion injection conditions. Particularly, the charge breeding simulations for an EBIS with a hollow electron beam have been studied.
Status of the laser ion source at IMP
Authors: Sha S. , Zhao H. W. , Guo X. H. , Zhang Z. L. , Fang X. , Guo J. W. , Zhang W. H. , Lu W. , Cao Y. , Ma H. Y. , Lin S. H. , Li X. X. , Ma B. H. , Yang Y. , Wang H. , Wu Q. , Li J. Y. , Feng Y. C. , Zhao H. Y. , Zhu Y. H. , Sun L. T. , Zhang X. Z. , Chen X. M. , Xie D. Z.
Published: February 2012

A laser (Nd:YAG laser, 3 J, 1064 nm, 8–10 ns) ion source has been built and under development at IMP to provide pulsed high-charge-state heavy ion beams to a radio frequency quadrupole (RFQ) for upgrading the IMP accelerators with a new low-energy beam injector. The laser ion source currently operates in a direct plasma injection scheme to inject the high charge state ions produced from a solid target into the RFQ. The maximum power density on the target was about 8.4 × 1012 W/cm2. The preliminary experimental results will be presented and discussed in this paper.
Optimizing a microwave gas ion source for continuous-flow accelerator mass spectrometry
Authors: von Reden K. F. , Roberts M. L. , Burton J. R. , Beaupré S. R.
Published: February 2012

A 2.45 GHz microwave ion source coupled with a magnesium charge exchange canal (C × C) has been successfully adapted to a large acceptance radiocarbon accelerator mass spectrometry system at the National Ocean Sciences Accelerator Mass Spectrometry (AMS) Facility, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution. CO2 samples from various preparation sources are injected into the source through a glass capillary at 370 μl/min. Routine system parameters are about 120–140 μA of negative 12C current after the C × C, leading to about 400 14C counts per second for a modern sample and implying a system efficiency of 0.2%. While these parameters already allow us to perform high-quality AMS analyses on large samples, we are working on ways to improve the output of the ion source regarding emittance and efficiency. Modeling calculations suggest modifications in the extraction triode geometry, shape, and size of the plasma chamber could improve emittance and, hence, ion transport efficiency. Results of experimental tests of these modifications are presented.
Design and application of a new series of gallbladder endoscopes that facilitate gallstone removal without gallbladder excision
Authors: Qiao Tie , Huang Wan-Chao , Luo Xiao-Bing , Zhang Yang-De
Published: February 2012

In recent years, some Chinese doctors have proposed a new concept, gallstone removal without gallbladder excision, along with transition of the medical model. As there is no specialized endoscope for gallstone removal without gallbladder excision, we designed and produced a new series of gallbladder endoscopes and accessories that have already been given a Chinese invention patent (No. ZL200810199041.2). The design of these gallbladder endoscopes was based on the anatomy and physiology of the gallbladder, characteristics of gallbladder disease, ergonomics, and industrial design. This series of gallbladder endoscopes underwent clinical trials in two hospitals appointed by the State Administration of Traditional Chinese Medicine. The clinical trials showed that surgeries of gallstones, gallbladder polyps, and cystic duct calculus could be smoothly performed with these products. In summary, this series of gallbladder endoscopes is safe, reliable, and effective for gallstone removal without gallbladder excision. This note comprehensively introduces the research and design of this series of gallbladder endoscopes.
Interaction-induced dipoles of hydrogen molecules colliding with helium atoms: A new ab initio dipole surface for high-temperature applications
Authors: Li Xiaoping , Mandal Anirban , Miliordos Evangelos , Hunt Katharine L. C.
Published: February 2012

We report new ab initio results for the interaction-induced dipole moments Δμ of hydrogen molecules colliding with helium atoms. These results are needed in order to calculate collision-induced absorption spectra at high temperatures; applications include modeling the radiative profiles of very cool white dwarf stars, with temperatures from 3500 K to 9000 K. We have evaluated the dipoles based on finite-field calculations, with coupled cluster methods in MOLPRO 2006 and aug-cc-pV5Z (spdfg) basis sets for both the H and He centers. We have obtained values of Δμ for eight H2 bond lengths ranging from 0.942 a.u. to 2.801 a.u., for 15 intermolecular separations R ranging from 2.0 a.u. to 10.0 a.u., and for 19 different relative orientations. In general, our values agree well with earlier ab initio results, for the geometrical configurations that are treated in common, but we have determined more points on the collision-induced dipole surface by an order of magnitude. These results make it possible to calculate transition probabilities for molecules in excited vibrational states, overtones, and rotational transitions with ΔJ > 4. We have cast our results in the symmetry-adapted form needed for absorption line shape calculations, by expressing Δμ as a series in the spherical harmonics of the orientation angles of the intermolecular vector and of a unit vector along the H2 bond axis. The expansion coefficients depend on the H2 bond length and the intermolecular distance R. For large separations R, we show that the ab initio values of the leading coefficients converge to the predictions from perturbation theory, including both classical multipole polarization and dispersion effects.
Analytical solution for the photocurrent of solar cells with internal reflection
Authors: Wen Zhenli , Wang Wenjing , Zhou Chunlan , Zhang Jun
Published: February 2012

A 1 D analytical photocurrent expression of the base of a crystal silicon solar cell is derived for both the planar and the textured surfaces, with consideration of internal reflection. This expression separates the internal reflection effect from other effects in the photocurrent expression. The influences on the photocurrent by different light flux passes reflected in the wafer are also distinguished. With this analytical expression, an abnormal internal quantum efficiency (IQE) drop in the textured surface scheme as compared to the planar surface scheme from 0.4 μm to 0.6 μm is observed and explained. The numerical IQE result obtained by PC1 D is also used to confirm the correctness of this analytical solution. Finally, optimization of the local back surface field (LBSF) is performed using this analytical solution, without the help of any numerical software.
Modeling the transport properties of epitaxially grown thermoelectric oxide thin films using spectroscopic ellipsometry
Authors: Sarath Kumar S. R. , Abutaha Anas I. , Hedhili M. N. , Alshareef H. N.
Published: February 2012

The influence of oxygen vacancies on the transport properties of epitaxial thermoelectric (Sr,La)TiO3 thin films is determined using electrical and spectroscopic ellipsometry (SE) measurements. Oxygen vacancy concentration was varied by ex-situ annealing in Ar and Ar/H2. All films exhibited degenerate semiconducting behavior, and electrical conductivity decreased (258–133 S cm−1) with increasing oxygen content. Similar decrease in the Seebeck coefficient is observed and attributed to a decrease in effective mass (7.8–3.2 me), as determined by SE. Excellent agreement between transport properties deduced from SE and direct electrical measurements suggests that SE is an effective tool for studying oxide thin film thermoelectrics.
Wall-modeling in large eddy simulation: Length scales, grid resolution, and accuracy
Authors: Kawai Soshi , Larsson Johan
Published: February 2012

This paper addresses one of the most persistent errors in wall-modeled large eddy simulation: the inevitable presence of numerical and subgrid modeling errors in the first few grid points off the wall, which leads to the so-called “log-layer mismatch” with its associated 10-15% error in the predicted skin friction. By considering the behavior of turbulence length scales near a wall, the source of these errors is analyzed, and a method that allows for the log-layer mismatch to be removed, thereby yielding accurately predicted skin friction, is proposed.
A fully resolved numerical simulation of turbulent flow past one or several spherical particles
Authors: Botto L. , Prosperetti A.
Published: February 2012

The flow past one or nine spheres arranged in a plane lattice held fixed in a stream of decaying homogeneous isotropic turbulence is studied by means of fully resolved Navier-Stokes simulations. The particle radius is 3–5 times the Kolmogorov length and about 1/3 of the integral length scale. The mean particle Reynolds number is 80 and the turbulence intensity 17% and 33%. Several features of the flow are described: the mean and fluctuating dissipation and its spatial distribution, the mean and fluctuating hydrodynamic forces on the spheres, stimulated vortex shedding, and others. A special attention is paid to the relation between the work done on the fluid by the particles (in the reference frame of the former) and the total dissipation. It is shown that these quantities, which are assumed to balance in many point-particle models, can actually be very different when inertial effects are important.
Quantum locality and equilibrium properties in low-temperature parahydrogen: A multiscale simulation study
Authors: Potestio R. , Delle Site L.
Published: February 2012

Parahydrogen is the spin-zero singlet state of molecular hydrogen, which at low temperature (between 14 and 25 K) is in a fluid state. A classical treatment of the system leads to unphysical freezing, and the inclusion of quantum delocalization of the molecule is then required to obtain a realistic description of its equilibrium properties. In the present work, we employ the classical-quantum adaptive resolution method AdResS to investigate the spatial extension of quantum delocalization effects in the bulk fluid at low temperature. Specifically, we simulate a small, spherical region of the system in full quantum detail: this region is coupled to a bulk of coarse-grained particles with classical, quantum-derived effective interactions obtained from quantum simulations. The two regions are interfaced through open boundaries and in conditions of thermodynamic equilibrium. Structural properties of the fluid, namely, pair distribution functions, are measured for different sizes of the quantum region. The results of this work show that, for the thermodynamic conditions corresponding to the range of temperature between 14 and 25 K, the bead-based, quantum structural properties of low-temperature parahydrogen are deemed local and do not require the support of an explicit quantum bulk.