bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Temperature and light interactively modulate gene expression in Saccharina latissima (Phaeophyceae)
Authors: Heinrich Sandra , Valentin Klaus , Frickenhaus Stephan , Wiencke Christian
Published: November 2014

Macroalgae of the order Laminariales (kelp) are important components of cold‐temperate coastal ecosystems. Major factors influencing their distribution are light (including UV radiation) and temperature. Therefore, future global environmental changes potentially will impact their zonation, distribution patterns, and primary productivity. Many physiological studies were performed on UV radiation and temperature stress in kelp but combinatory effects have not been analyzed and so far no study is available on the molecular processes involved in acclimation to these stresses. Therefore, sporophytes of Saccharina latissima were exposed for 2 weeks to 12 combinations of photosynthetically active radiation (PAR), UV radiation and temperature. Subsequently, microarray hybridizations were performed to determine changes in gene expression patterns. Several effects on the transcriptome were observed after exposure experiments. The strongest effect of temperature on gene expression was observed at 2°C. Furthermore, UV radiation had stronger effects on gene expression than high PAR, and caused stronger induction genes correlated with categories such as photosynthetic components and vitamin B6 biosynthesis. Higher temperatures ameliorated the negative effects of UV radiation in S. latissima. Regulation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) scavenging seems to work in a compartment specific way. Gene expression profiles of ROS scavengers indicated a high amount of oxidative stress in response to the 2°C condition as well as to excessive light at 12°C. Interestingly, stress levels that did not lead to physiological alterations already caused by a transcriptomic response.
Evaluation of a joint distractor to facilitate arthroscopy of the hip joint in dogs
Authors: Devesa V. , Rovesti G. L. , Urrutia P. G. , San Roman F. , Rodriguez‐Quiros J.
Published: November 2014

OBJECTIVE

To evaluate the technical feasibility and efficacy of a hip joint distraction technique, any potential ligamentous damage linked to the procedure, and the effect of joint venting on the maximum distraction achieved.

METHODS

Twenty hip joints from 11 canine cadavers were evaluated radiographically by standard and stressed projections. Joint distraction was applied with loads from 40 up to 200 N, in 40 N increments, and fluoroscopic images were obtained at each load. At 200 N, a needle was inserted into the joint to achieve a venting effect, and the space was measured again. Standard and stressed radiographs were performed to evaluate potential laxity changes.

RESULTS

Distraction caused a significant increase in joint space at each load of distraction, although there were some variations. Joint venting produced a significant increase in joint space. A statistically significant difference in joint laxity evaluated radiographically before and after the procedure was recorded.

CLINICAL SIGNIFICANCE

Use of the distraction apparatus resulted in an increase in joint space. This could be useful for clinical situations where a larger joint space is required such as for arthroscopic procedures. However, loads in excess of 200 N may induce significant increases in joint laxity.
The use of rigid endoscopy in the management of acute oropharyngeal stick injuries
Authors: Robinson W. , Shales C. , White R. N.
Published: November 2014

OBJECTIVE

To evaluate the use of rigid endoscopy in the management of oropharyngeal stick injuries.

METHODS

Retrospective analysis of case records between 2011 and 2013 from a large referral hospital. Data regarding signalment, clinical presentation, treatment options and final outcomes were recorded.

RESULTS

Nine dogs were identified with acute oropharyngeal stick injuries. There were seven males and two females and the dogs were of various breeds, ages (1 · 5 to 9 years) and weights (11 · 9 to 38 · 4 kg). The time from injury to referral was between 1 and 3 days (median: 2 days). All dogs were anaesthetised and the tracts explored using a 30° forward‐oblique, 2 · 7‐mm‐diameter, 18‐cm‐length rigid endoscope with corresponding 14 · 5 Fr sheath. The endoscopy was performed under saline irrigation. Foreign material (>1 mm in size) was removed using grasping forceps fed through the sheath. Subsequently, the tracts were re‐inspected and flushed with further saline to confirm that all foreign material had been removed. All dogs recovered uneventfully and had excellent outcomes with no cases representing with chronic manifestations of oropharyngeal stick injuries.

CLINICAL SIGNIFICANCE

Rigid endoscopy is an effective method for the diagnosis, assessment and, in certain cases, treatment of acute oropharyngeal stick injuries in dogs.
Primary penile adenocarcinoma with concurrent hypercalcaemia of malignancy in a dog
Authors: Furtado A. R. R. , Parrinello L. , Merlo M. , Di Bella A.
Published: November 2014

A 13‐year‐old male neutered Siberian husky crossbreed dog was presented with a 3‐week history of haematuria and penile swelling. Clinical examination and computed tomography demonstrated a soft‐tissue mass located at the base of the penis without signs of other primary tumours or metastasis. Clinicopathological findings revealed paraneoplastic hypercalcaemia. Fine‐needle aspiration cytology of the mass suggested an epithelial tumour with several criteria of malignancy present.

Following surgical excision of the mass, the hypercalcaemia resolved. Histopathology and immunohistochemistry revealed features consistent with an adenocarcinoma.

Despite thorough examination, no perineal or anal sac tumour was found. To the authors’ knowledge, this is the first reported case of a penile adenocarcinoma with hypercalcaemia of malignancy.
Mineralogy and petrography of C asteroid regolith: The Sutter's Mill CM meteorite
Authors: Zolensky Michael , Mikouchi Takashi , Fries Marc , Bodnar Robert , Jenniskens Peter , Yin Qing‐zhu , Hagiya Kenji , Ohsumi Kazumasa , Komatsu Mutsumi , Colbert Matthew , Hanna Romy , Maisano Jessie , Ketcham Richard , Kebukawa Yoko , Nakamura Tomoki , Matsuoka Moe , Sasaki Sho , Tsuchiyama Akira , Gounelle Matthieu , Le Loan , Martinez James , Ross Kent , Rahman Zia
Published: November 2014

Based upon our characterization of three separate stones by electron and X‐ray beam analyses, computed X‐ray microtomography, Raman microspectrometry, and visible‐IR spectrometry, Sutter's Mill is a unique regolith breccia consisting mainly of various CM lithologies. Most samples resemble existing available CM2 chondrites, consisting of chondrules and calcium‐aluminum‐rich inclusion (CAI) set within phyllosilicate‐dominated matrix (mainly serpentine), pyrrhotite, pentlandite, tochilinite, and variable amounts of Ca‐Mg‐Fe carbonates. Some lithologies have witnessed sufficient thermal metamorphism to transform phyllosilicates into fine‐grained olivine, tochilinite into troilite, and destroy carbonates. One finely comminuted lithology contains xenolithic materials (enstatite, Fe‐Cr phosphides) suggesting impact of a reduced asteroid (E or M class) onto the main Sutter's Mill parent asteroid, which was probably a C class asteroid. One can use Sutter's Mill to help predict what will be found on the surfaces of C class asteroids such as Ceres and the target asteroids of the OSIRIS‐REx and Hayabusa 2 sample return missions (which will visit predominantly primitive asteroids). C class asteroid regolith may well contain a mixture of hydrated and thermally dehydrated indigenous materials as well as a significant admixture of exogenous material would be essential to the successful interpretation of mineralogical and bulk compositional data.
Extensive transcriptional response associated with seasonal plasticity of butterfly wing patterns
Authors: Daniels Emily V. , Murad Rabi , Mortazavi Ali , Reed Robert D.
Published: November 2014

In the eastern United States, the buckeye butterfly, Junonia coenia, shows seasonal wing colour plasticity where adults emerging in the spring are tan, while those emerging in the autumn are dark red. This variation can be artificially induced in laboratory colonies, thus making J. coenia a useful model system to examine the mechanistic basis of plasticity. To better understand the developmental basis of seasonal plasticity, we used RNA‐seq to quantify transcription profiles associated with development of alternative seasonal wing morphs. Depending on the developmental stage, between 547 and 1420 transfrags were significantly differentially expressed between morphs. These extensive differences in gene expression stand in contrast to the much smaller numbers of differentially expressed transcripts identified in previous studies of genetic wing pattern variation in other species and suggest that environmentally induced phenotypic shifts arise from very broad systemic processes. Analyses of candidate endocrine and pigmentation transcripts revealed notable genes upregulated in the red morph, including several ecdysone‐associated genes, and cinnabar, an ommochrome pigmentation gene implicated in colour pattern variation in other butterflies. We also found multiple melanin‐related transcripts strongly upregulated in the red morph, including tan and yellow‐family genes, leading us to speculate that dark red pigmentation in autumn J. coenia may involve nonommochrome pigments. While we identified several endocrine and pigmentation genes as obvious candidates for seasonal colour morph differentiation, we speculate that the majority of observed expression differences were due to thermal stress response. The buckeye transcriptome provides a basis for further developmental studies of phenotypic plasticity.
Divergent transcriptional patterns are related to differences in hypoxia tolerance between the intertidal and the subtidal sculpins
Authors: Mandic Milica , Ramon Marina L. , Gracey Andrew Y. , Richards Jeffrey G.
Published: November 2014

Transcriptionally mediated phenotypic plasticity as a mechanism of modifying traits in response to an environmental challenge remains an important area of study. We compared the transcriptional responses to low oxygen (hypoxia) of the hypoxia‐tolerant intertidal fish, the tidepool sculpin (Oligocottus maculosus) with the closely related hypoxia‐intolerant subtidal fish, the silverspotted sculpin (Blepsias cirrhosus) to determine whether these species use different mechanisms to cope with hypoxia. Individuals from each species were exposed to environmental O2 tensions chosen to yield a similar level of tissue hypoxia, and gene transcription was assessed in the liver over time. There was an effect of time in hypoxia, where the greatest transcriptional change in the silverspotted sculpin occurred between 3 and 24 h in contrast to the tidepool sculpin where the largest transcriptional change occurred between 24 and 72 h of hypoxia. A number of genes showed similar hypoxia‐induced transcription patterns in both species (e.g. genes associated with glycolysis and apoptosis) suggesting they are involved in a conserved hypoxia response. A large set of genes showed divergent transcriptional patterns in the two species, including fatty acid oxidation and oxidative phosphorylation, suggesting that these biological processes may contribute to explaining variation in hypoxia tolerance in these species. When both species were exposed to a single environmental O2 tension, large transcriptional responses were seen in the hypoxia‐intolerant silverspotted sculpin while almost no response was observed in the hypoxia‐tolerant tidepool sculpin. Overall, divergent transcription patterns in response to both magnitude and duration of hypoxia provide insights into the processes that may determine an animal's capacity to tolerate frequent bouts of hypoxia in the wild.
Authorship and Control over Thoughts
Authors: Vosgerau Gottfried , Voss Martin
Published: November 2014

The ‘mineness’ of thoughts has often been accepted as indubitable in philosophy. However, the symptom of thought insertion in schizophrenia seems to be an empirical counterexample to the dictum that every introspected thought is one's own. We present a thorough conceptual analysis of mineness of thought, distinguishing between ownership and authorship (thought agency). We argue that it is indeed a conceptual truth that introspected thoughts are owned by the introspector. However, there are everyday and pathological cases of thoughts, for which we do not ascribe authorship to ourselves. To explain inserted thoughts, however, we need an additional factor which is constituted by the lack of control over inserted thoughts (as with intrusive thoughts in patients suffering from OCD). We present a review of empirical data on thought control and thought insertion in the light of the conceptual analysis. We conclude with a summary of the most important future direction of research.
The Semantic Problem(s) with Research on Animal Mind‐Reading
Authors: Buckner Cameron
Published: November 2014

Philosophers and cognitive scientists have worried that research on animal mind‐reading faces a ‘logical problem’: the difficulty of experimentally determining whether animals represent mental states (e.g. seeing) or merely the observable evidence (e.g. line‐of‐gaze) for those mental states. The most impressive attempt to confront this problem has been mounted recently by Robert Lurz. However, Lurz' approach faces its own logical problem, revealing this challenge to be a special case of the more general problem of distal content. Moreover, participants in this debate do not agree on criteria for representation. As such, future debate should either abandon the representational idiom or confront underlying semantic disagreements.
Making Sense of an Endorsement Model of Thought‐Insertion
Authors: Sollberger Michael
Published: November 2014

Experiences of thought‐insertion are a first‐rank, diagnostically central symptom of schizophrenia. Schizophrenic patients who undergo such delusional mental states report being first‐personally aware of an occurrent conscious thought which is not theirs, but which belongs to an external cognitive agent. Patients seem to be right about what they are thinking but mistaken about who is doing the thinking. It is notoriously difficult to make sense of such delusions. One general approach to explaining the etiology of monothematic delusions has come to be known as the endorsement model. This model claims that the patient holds her delusional belief because she simply trusts her bizarre experience and takes it at face value. The content of the bizarre experience thus plays a central role in the etiology of delusions. Despite being widely discussed with respect to delusions like Capgras and Cotard, an endorsement model of thought‐insertion has not yet been formulated. This article seeks to fill this void by fleshing out and defending the endorsement approach to delusions of inserted thoughts. It aims to show that such an approach can be defended against objections that have been raised in the literature. In particular, it will be argued that there is nothing wrong with the idea of being first‐personally aware of a thought which is presented in consciousness as being someone else's. The upshot is that with respect to delusions of thought‐insertion, the endorsement model turns out to be a viable account of why patients come to believe that someone else is inserting thoughts into their minds.
Clinical features and therapeutic responses of idiopathic orbital myositis
Authors: Ota Makiko , Shimizu Toshio , Yoshida Hiroshi , Kawata Akihiro , Kinoshita Masako , Nakano Satoshi , Isozaki Eiji , Matsubara Shiro
Published: November 2014

Background

Orbital myositis is a rare and relatively rapid‐onset disease, resulting in inflammation mainly of the single or multiple extraocular muscles, for which the optimal treatment has not yet been fully established.

Aim

To evaluate clinical features, therapeutic responses and prognostic factors of idiopathic orbital myositis.

Methods

In five patients diagnosed with idiopathic orbital myositis (age of the disease onset 20–81 years), the clinical features, laboratory and radiographic findings, therapeutic response, and prognosis were analyzed retrospectively.

Results

All patients showed restriction of ocular movements or orbital pain aggravated by the movements, and one of them showed a visual disturbance caused by the optic nerve compression. Their magnetic resonance imaging showed a thickening of the orbital eye muscles. Two patients who started steroid hormone therapy within 1 month from the disease onset (starting dose: more than prednisolone 50 mg/day) showed quick recovery; both of them had a relapse and they improved again by steroid therapy. Another patient who was started with prednisolone 30 mg/day at the 34th day showed slight residual limitation of ocular movement. However, in the other two patients who received steroid therapy later than 6 months (starting dose: methylprednisolone 1000 mg/day or prednisolone 30 mg/day), the symptoms were intractable, and one of them underwent surgical treatment.

Conclusion

Early initiation of appropriate immunotherapy using a sufficient amount of steroid hormone is essential to improve the prognosis of idiopathic orbital myositis.
Pharmacokinetics of levodopa/benserazide versus levodopa/carbidopa in healthy subjects and patients with Parkinson's disease
Authors: Iwaki Hirotaka , Nishikawa Noriko , Nagai Masahiro , Tsujii Tomoaki , Yabe Hayato , Kubo Madoka , Ieiri Ichiro , Nomoto Masahiro
Published: November 2014

Background

There are two formulations of levodopa in Japan and a few other countries, levodopa/benserazide 100/25 mg and levodopa/carbidopa 100/10 mg, which have been generally regarded as interchangeable in Parkinson's disease treatment.

Aim

We investigated the pharmacokinetics of levodopa in the two kinds of levodopa/decarboxylase inhibitor (benserazide or carbidopa) formulations to study their equivalence.

Methods

Population pharmacokinetic analysis was carried out using levodopa data from the healthy subject study and, additionally, for 70 plasma concentration data points from Parkinson's disease patients receiving either levodopa/decarboxylase inhibitor combination in clinical practice.

Results

In healthy subjects, the mean ± standard deviation plasma levodopa maximum observed plasma concentration and area under the plasma concentration time curve from time 0 to 3 h (512 ± 139 vs 392 ± 49 μmol•h/L, P < 0.05) were significantly higher after levodopa/benserazide compared with levodopa/carbidopa. Levodopa time to maximum observed plasma concentration and plasma elimination half‐life were not significantly different when comparing the respective formations. Levodopa pharmacokinetic parameters were the same between the Parkinson's disease patients and healthy subjects, except for levodopa apparent clearance, which was approximately two‐thirds lower in Parkinson's disease patients compared with healthy subjects for both levodopa/decarboxylase inhibitor combinations, which might result in higher levodopa area under the curve in patients with Parkinson's disease than in healthy volunteers.

Conclusion

Levodopa pharmacokinetics differ after administration of levodopa/benserazide and levodopa/carbidopa. This information cold be useful for adjustment of medication in Parkinson's disease patients, especially with motor complications.
Land‐based production of animal protein: impacts, efficiency, and sustainability
Authors: Wu Guoyao , Bazer Fuller W. , Cross H. Russell
Published: November 2014

Land‐based production of high‐quality protein by livestock and poultry plays an important role in improving human nutrition, growth, and health, as well as economical and social developments worldwide. With exponential growth of the global population and marked rises in meat consumption per capita, demands for animal‐source protein are expected to increase by 72% between 2013 and 2050. This raises concerns about the sustainability and environmental impacts of animal agriculture. An attractive solution to meeting the increasing needs for animal products and mitigating undesired effects of agricultural practices is to enhance the efficiency of animal growth, reproduction, and lactation. Breeding techniques may help achieve this goal, but have only met with limited success. A promising, mechanism‐based approach is to optimize the proportion and amounts of amino acids in diets for maximizing whole‐body protein synthesis and feed efficiency. Improvements in farm animal productivity will not only decrease the contamination of soils, groundwater, and air by excessive manure, but will also help sustain animal agriculture to produce high‐quality protein for the expanding population in the face of diminishing resources.
An alternative animal protein source: cultured beef
Authors: Post Mark J.
Published: November 2014

Alternative sources of animal proteins are needed that can be produced efficiently, thereby providing food security with diminished ecological burden. It is feasible to culture beef from bovine skeletal muscle stem cells, but the technology is still under development. The aim is to create a beef mimic with equivalent taste, texture, and appearance and with the same nutritional value as livestock‐produced beef. More specifically, there is a need for optimization of protein content and fat content. In addition, scalability of production requires modification of current small‐scale bioreactors to the largest possible scale. The necessary steps and current progress suggest that this aim is achievable, but formal evidence is still required. Similarly, we can be optimistic about consumer acceptance based on initial data, but detailed studies are needed to gain more insight into potential psychological obstacles that could lead to rejection. These challenges are formidable but likely surmountable. The severity of upcoming food‐security threats warrants serious research and development efforts to address the challenges that come with bringing cultured beef to the market.
Near‐death experience: arising from the borderlands of consciousness in crisis
Authors: Nelson Kevin R.
Published: November 2014

Brain activity explains the essential features of near‐death experience, including the perceptions of envelopment by light, out‐of‐body, and meeting deceased loved ones or spiritual beings. To achieve their fullest expression, such near‐death experiences require a confluence of events and draw upon more than a single physiological or biochemical system, or one anatomical structure. During impaired cerebral blood flow from syncope or cardiac arrest that commonly precedes near‐death, the boundary between consciousness and unconsciousness is often indistinct and a person may enter a borderland and be far more aware than is appreciated by others. Consciousness can also come and go if blood flow rises and falls across a crucial threshold. During crisis the brain's prime biologic purpose to keep itself alive lies at the heart of many spiritual experiences and inextricably binds them to the primal brain. Brain ischemia can disrupt the physiological balance between conscious states by leading the brainstem to blend rapid eye movement (REM) and waking into another borderland of consciousness during near‐death. Evidence converges from many points to support this notion, including the observation that the majority of people with a near‐death experience possess brains predisposed to fusing REM and waking consciousness into an unfamiliar reality, and are as likely to have out‐of‐body experience while blending REM and waking consciousness as they are to have out‐of‐body experience during near‐death.
A combination of gene expression ranking and co‐expression network analysis increases discovery rate in large‐scale mutant screens for novel Arabidopsis thaliana abiotic stress genes
Authors: Ransbotyn Vanessa , Yeger‐Lotem Esti , Basha Omer , Acuna Tania , Verduyn Christoph , Gordon Michal , Chalifa‐Caspi Vered , Hannah Matthew A. , Barak Simon
Published: November 2014

As challenges to food security increase, the demand for lead genes for improving crop production is growing. However, genetic screens of plant mutants typically yield very low frequencies of desired phenotypes. Here, we present a powerful computational approach for selecting candidate genes for screening insertion mutants. We combined ranking of Arabidopsis thaliana regulatory genes according to their expression in response to multiple abiotic stresses (Multiple Stress [MST] score), with stress‐responsive RNA co‐expression network analysis to select candidate multiple stress regulatory (MSTR) genes. Screening of 62 T‐DNA insertion mutants defective in candidate MSTR genes, for abiotic stress germination phenotypes yielded a remarkable hit rate of up to 62%; this gene discovery rate is 48‐fold greater than that of other large‐scale insertional mutant screens. Moreover, the MST score of these genes could be used to prioritize them for screening. To evaluate the contribution of the co‐expression analysis, we screened 64 additional mutant lines of MST‐scored genes that did not appear in the RNA co‐expression network. The screening of these MST‐scored genes yielded a gene discovery rate of 36%, which is much higher than that of classic mutant screens but not as high as when picking candidate genes from the co‐expression network. The MSTR co‐expression network that we created, AraSTressRegNet is publicly available at http://netbio.bgu.ac.il/arnet. This systems biology‐based screening approach combining gene ranking and network analysis could be generally applicable to enhancing identification of genes regulating additional processes in plants and other organisms provided that suitable transcriptome data are available.
Enhancing transparency of the research process to increase accuracy of findings: A guide for relationship researchers
Authors: CAMPBELL LORNE , LOVING TIMOTHY J. , LEBEL ETIENNE P.
Published: November 2014

The purpose of this paper is to extend to the field of relationship science, recent discussions and suggested changes in open research practises. We demonstrate different ways that greater transparency of the research process in our field will accelerate scientific progress by increasing accuracy of reported research findings. Importantly, we make concrete recommendations for how relationship researchers can transition to greater disclosure of research practices in a manner that is sensitive to the unique design features of methodologies employed by relationship scientists. We discuss how to implement these recommendations for four different research designs regularly used in relationship research and practical limitations regarding implementing our recommendations and provide potential solutions to these problems.
A comparison of concurrent and retrospective trajectories of commitment to wed
Authors: OGOLSKY BRIAN G. , SURRA CATHERINE A.
Published: November 2014

How well do dating partners recall the development of commitment to wed and what factors modify recall? Motivations underlying recall suggest retrospections should demonstrate one of two patterns, developmental change or amplification. A random sample of 464 partners in heterosexual relationships graphed changes in commitment to wed monthly for 8 months and then graphed them from memory. Results supported the developmental change hypothesis; retrospective reports of commitment initially were lower than concurrent reports and increased more steeply over time. This effect was moderated by changes in relationship stage, with advancement showing accuracy of recall, maintenance showing developmental change, and regression showing amplification. Accuracy of recall depends upon relationship history, which has implications for relationship outcomes and reliability of retrospective reports.
A prototype analysis of infidelity
Authors: WEISER DANA A. , LALASZ CAMILLE B. , WEIGEL DANIEL J. , EVANS WILLIAM P.
Published: November 2014

The current research tested whether the concept of infidelity is prototypically organized and whether laypeople's conceptualizations of infidelity are consistent with how researchers have operationalized this construct. Across 4 studies, results indicated that infidelity is indeed prototypically organized as individuals are able to list and rate how central certain features are to the infidelity construct. Furthermore, there was evidence that the centrality ratings influenced how individuals processed information in a series of memory tasks and narratives about infidelity experiences. Laypeople are less likely than researchers to consider the presence of particular behaviors (i.e., flirting, kissing, and sexual intercourse) as defining qualities of infidelity. Instead, laypeople focus more on the concealment of behaviors and the resulting emotional fallout from infidelity.
Mervyn Susser and Community Psychiatry
Authors: Susser Ezra
Published: November 2014

Mervyn Susser's contributions to community psychiatry from 1957–1968 comprised a creative and significant phase of his career, though less well known than his other work. This included work in Salford, a town next to Manchester, where he developed a programme to improve community health (including mental health care), as well as a programme of research on mental disorders. The publication of his book, Community Psychiatry: Epidemiologic and Social Themes (1968) attempted to set the stage for the practice of psychiatry in the community and to establish a future direction for development of the field.
Caring for early‐onset dementia with excessive wandering of over 30 kilometres per day: a case report
Authors: Yamakawa Miyae , Yoshida Yukiko , Higami Yoko , Shigenobu Kazue , Makimoto Kiyoko
Published: November 2014

Excessive wandering in people in dementia is associated with a severe care burden. However, the quantification of excessive wandering has not been described, and its cause and treatment have not been evaluated with objective measurements to date. The purpose of this study was to evaluate pharmacological treatments and non‐pharmacological interventions to reduce excessive wandering in an early‐onset Alzheimer disease patient with objective indicators. Wandering was quantified using an integrated circuit monitoring system that measured the distance moved and the location of the patient. Monitoring was conducted in the dementia ward of a general hospital in 2012. Sleep quality was measured by non‐wear actigraphy. The study was approved by the ethics committees of the Osaka University School of Allied Health Science, and of the study hospital. The case involved a 62‐year‐old woman diagnosed with early‐onset Alzheimer disease and hospitalized in 2012 because of irritability and agitation; her Mini‐Mental State Examination score was 5/30 and her Clinical Dementia Rating score was 3. When olanzapine (2.5 mg) was prescribed, she developed insomnia, and her wandering movements increased from 10 to 20 km/day. On some days, it exceeded 30 km/day, and she walked most of the night. She did not experience weight loss or physical exhaustion, but she sustained a minor injury in her left sole. Olanzapine was increased to 7.5 mg, but these problems persisted. Nursing staff discovered triggers for wandering and insomnia, including high sensitivity to odour and noise in the living room or her room. When the environment was changed to meet her needs, the distance moved per day decreased to <15 km and the sleep disturbances disappeared. This case demonstrated the difficulty in assessing the degree of ambulation and sleep disorder. Objective indicators are essential in evaluating the effectiveness of pharmacological and non‐pharmacological interventions.
Determinants of weight loss success utilizing a meal replacement plan and/or exercise, in overweight and obese adults with asthma
Authors: Scott Hayley A. , Gibson Peter G. , Garg Manohar L. , Pretto Jeffrey J. , Morgan Philip J. , Callister Robin , Wood Lisa G.
Published: November 2014

Background and objective

While weight loss has been shown to reduce obesity‐related comorbidity, many weight loss treatments fail. Factors that enhance weight loss success are unknown, particularly in those with asthma. The aim of the study was to identify patient characteristics that predict weight loss success in adults with asthma.

Methods

Baseline and change in asthma characteristics and eating behaviours were investigated for relationships with weight loss and fat loss using multiple linear regression, in 38 overweight and obese adults with asthma randomized to dietary, exercise or combined interventions targeting weight loss for 10 weeks.

Results

Mean ± standard deviation weight loss was 6.6 ± 5.1 kg. Greater %weight loss and %fat loss was achieved in those with poorer asthma‐related quality of life at baseline ((rs = 0.398, P = 0.015) and (rs = 0.455, P = 0.005) respectively), with 1.7% greater absolute weight loss at week 10 corresponding to each one unit reduction in the asthma‐related quality of life score at baseline. Furthermore, a lower baseline forced expiratory volume in 1 s/forced vital capacity correlated with greater weight loss (rs = 0.398, P = 0.015). Male sex was associated with a 3.6 kg greater weight loss (P = 0.087). Reducing emotional eating during the programme was associated with greater weight loss in women (rs = 0.576, P = 0.010).

Conclusions

This study demonstrates that individuals with more severe asthma at baseline are more successful in achieving weight loss, which could be a consequence of greater motivation and could be used as a motivational tool within the clinical setting. Gender tailoring of weight loss programmes may be useful to enhance weight loss success. Future studies are urgently needed to establish predictors of long‐term weight loss maintenance in those with asthma.
Two tests for strict exogeneity in a correlated random effects panel data Tobit model
Authors: Kalwij Adriaan
Published: November 2014

This paper presents two tests for strict exogeneity of the covariates in a correlated random effects panel data Tobit model. The tests are applied in an analysis of hours of work of US women. Estimation procedures when a model does not pass a test for strict exogeneity are discussed.
Different doses of micafungin for prophylaxis of invasive fungal diseases in hemato‐oncological high‐risk patients: a web‐based non‐interventional trial in four large university hospitals in Germany
Authors: Heimann S.M. , Vehreschild M.J.G.T. , Meintker L. , Heinz W. , Schroeder T. , von Bergwelt‐Baildon M. , Cornely O.A. , Vehreschild J.J.
Published: November 2014

Introduction

Treatment indications of new antifungals in clinical practice often deviate from the strict criteria used in controlled clinical trials. Under routine clinical conditions, beneficial and adverse effects, not previously described in clinical trials may be observed. The aim of this study was to describe customary prescription and treatment strategies of micafungin (MCFG).

Methods

A registry was set up on www.ClinicalSurveys.net and physicians were invited to provide retrospective information on cases they had treated with MCFG. Documentation comprised demographic information, underlying disease, effectiveness, safety, and tolerability of MCFG.

Results

A total of 125 episodes of patients hospitalized between September 2009 and February 2012 were documented, of which 7 had to be excluded because of incomplete documentation. The most common risk factors of patients were hematological malignancy (n = 116, 98.3%) and antibiotic treatment >3 days (n = 115, 97.5%). MCFG was administered as prophylaxis in 106 (89.9%) patients. Median duration of MCFG application as prophylaxis was 21 days (range: 3–78); 53 of the patients (50%) received a dose of 50 mg, while the other 53 (50%) received 100 mg/day. For the different doses, prophylactic outcome was rated as success in 42 (79.2%) vs. 52 (98.1%; P = 0.004) patients. Fifty‐five patients (51.9%) were treated with posaconazole before initiation of MCFG. Four patients (7.5%) developed a proven invasive fungal disease (IFD) while being treated with 50 mg MCFG, compared to no patient treated with 100 mg (P = 0.118). At the end of MCFG prophylaxis, 24 (22.6%) patients were switched to fluconazole and 64 (60.3%) patients to posaconazole.

Conclusion

Our study shows clinical effectiveness of MCFG prophylaxis with low rates of breakthrough fungal infections. In most cases, MCFG was part of a multi‐modal antifungal prophylactic strategy. Investigators reported fewer proven IFDs in patients receiving therapeutic doses of MCFG as prophylaxis.
Evaluation of risk of symptomatic cytomegalovirus reactivation in myeloma patients treated with tandem autologous stem cell transplantation and novel agents: a single‐institution study
Authors: Marchesi F. , Pimpinelli F. , Dessanti M.L. , Gumenyuk S. , Palombi F. , Pisani F. , Romano A. , Spadea A. , Maschio M. , Ensoli F. , Mengarelli A.
Published: November 2014

The introduction of proteasome inhibitors and/or immunomodulators in the treatment of myeloma has led to an increase in viral infections, particularly in the Herpesviridae family. Previous studies about the risk of cytomegalovirus (CMV) reactivation after autologous stem cell transplantation (ASCT) have examined the clinical outcome after the first ASCT; however, only 1 study to date has investigated the risk of CMV reactivation after a second transplantation. To address this issue, we performed a retrospective chart review on 78 consecutive myeloma patients (median age 56 years) who underwent a tandem non‐CD34+ selected ASCT after induction treatment with either conventional chemotherapy (n = 42) or with novel agents (n = 36), respectively. All subjects had been mobilized and conditioned with cyclophosphamide plus granulocyte colony‐stimulating factor and melphalan alone, respectively. CMV DNA load in the blood has been determined by polymerase chain reaction in the case of a clinical suspicion of CMV reactivation; therefore, routine monitoring was not performed. Considering the outcome of both the first and the second transplantations, we observed a total of 13 episodes of symptomatic CMV reactivation (13/156, 8%), in 12 subjects (12/78, 15%), all successfully treated. Eight subjects experienced a CMV reactivation after the first ASCT (8/78, 10%); however, only 1 of them (1/8, 12%) experienced a CMV reactivation after the second transplantation. Conversely, 4 CMV reactivations (6%) were observed after the second transplantation in the group of 70 patients who did not experience a CMV reactivation after the first ASCT. No statistically significant difference was observed between first and second ASCT (8/78, 10% vs. 5/78, 6%; P = 0.767). Univariate analysis showed that a pre‐transplant treatment with novel agents was the only baseline factor significantly associated with the occurrence of post‐ASCT CMV symptomatic reactivation after the first transplant (odds ratio [OR]: 9.897; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.154–84.840; P = 0.021) but not after the second transplant (OR: 5.125; 95% CI: 0.546–48.119; P = 0.115). No end‐organ disease or primary infection was documented. Our data suggest that second transplantation does not increase the risk of CMV reactivation in our patient population, when compared with the first one, and confirm the role of a pre‐transplant treatment with novel agents as a risk factor for CMV symptomatic reactivation.
Absolute immature platelet count dynamics in diagnosing and monitoring the clinical course of thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura
Authors: Hong Hong , Xiao Wenbin , Stempak Lisa M. , Sandhaus Linda M. , Maitta Robert W.
Published: November 2014

Background

Thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura (TTP) is a life‐threatening diagnosis requiring prompt initiation of therapeutic plasma exchange (TPE). Measurement of immature platelet (PLT) fraction (%‐IPF) differentiates PLT consumption or destruction from hypoproduction.

Study Design and Method

Our study evaluated %‐IPF changes over the course of TTP treated with TPE and as a measure of treatment efficacy. Eleven idiopathic TTP patients, two human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)‐associated TTP patients, and five non‐TTP patients with thrombocytopenia were enrolled into our study. All patients were treated with TPE and had ADAMTS13 activity measured.

Results

All idiopathic TTP patients had a significantly increased %‐IPF and decreased absolute immature PLT count (A‐IPC) and PLT count at presentation. An A‐IPC value of less than 5 × 109/L at presentation has 84.6% sensitivity, 80% specificity, and 91.7% positive predictive value for diagnosing TTP. A concurrent steady decline in %‐IPF and increased PLT counts toward normal was observed in TTP patients undergoing TPE. The A‐IPC, however, showed an increase and decrease curve that was not seen in the two HIV‐associated TTP patients with no response to TPE and the five non‐TTP patients. More importantly, reaching an A‐IPC ratio of 3 compared to baseline value during TPE can readily differentiate idiopathic TTP from the other two groups and is correlated with good clinical responses to TPE. An abrupt increase of A‐IPC during TPE was also noted in a TTP patient who relapsed 3 days before PLT count decrease. A‐IPC is positively correlated with ADAMTS13 activity at presentation but negatively correlated with ADAMTS13 activity during recovery.

Conclusion

A‐IPC should be routinely analyzed for diagnosing and monitoring TTP patients.
Transfusion‐related adverse reactions reported to the National Healthcare Safety Network Hemovigilance Module, United States, 2010 to 2012
Authors: Harvey Alexis R. , Basavaraju Sridhar V. , Chung Koo‐Whang , Kuehnert Matthew J.
Published: November 2014

Background

In 2010, health care facilities in the United States began voluntary enrollment in the National Healthcare Safety Network (NHSN) Hemovigilance Module. Participants report transfusion practices; red blood cell, platelet (PLT), plasma, and cryoprecipitate units transfused; and transfusion‐related adverse reactions and process errors to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention through a secure, Internet‐accessible surveillance application available to transfusing facilities.

Study Design and Methods

Facilities submitting at least 1 month of transfused components data and adverse reactions from January 1, 2010, to December 31, 2012, were included in this analysis. Adverse reaction rates for transfused components, stratified by component type and collection and modification methods, were calculated.

Results

In 2010 to 2012, a total of 77 facilities reported 5136 adverse reactions among 2,144,723 components transfused (239.5/100,000). Allergic (46.8%) and febrile nonhemolytic (36.1%) reactions were most frequent; 7.2% of all reactions were severe or life‐threatening and 0.1% were fatal. PLT transfusions (421.7/100,000) had the highest adverse reaction rate.

Conclusion

Adverse transfusion reaction rates from the NHSN Hemovigilance Module in the United States are comparable to early hemovigilance reporting from other countries. Although severe reactions are infrequent, the numbers of transfusion reactions in US hospitals suggest that interventions to prevent these reactions are important for patient safety. Further investigation is needed to understand the apparent increased risk of reactions from apheresis‐derived blood components. Comprehensive evaluation, including data validation, is important to continued refinement of the module.
Dynamic Crushing of All-Metallic Corrugated Panels Filled With Close-Celled Aluminum Foams
Authors: Yu B. , Han B. , Ni C. Y. , Zhang Q. C. , Chen C. Q. , Lu T. J.
Published: November 2014

Under quasi-static uniaxial compression, inserting aluminum foams into the interstices of a metallic sandwich panel with corrugated core increased significantly both its peak crushing strength and energy absorption per unit mass. This beneficial effect diminished however if the foam relative density was relatively low or the compression velocity became sufficiently high. To provide insight into the varying role of aluminum foam filler with increasing compression velocity, the crushing response and collapse modes of all metallic corrugate-cored sandwich panels filled with close-celled aluminum foams were studied using the method of finite elements (FEs). The constraint that sandwich panels with and without foam filling had the same total weight was enforced. The effects of plastic hardening and strain rate sensitivity of the strut material as well as foam/strut interfacial debonding were quantified. Three collapse modes (quasi-static, transition, and shock modes) were identified, corresponding to different ranges of compression velocity. Strengthening due to foam insertion and inertial stabilization both acted to provide support for the struts against buckling. At relatively low compression velocities, the struts were mainly strengthened by the surrounding foam; at high compression velocities, inertia stabilization played a more dominant role than foam filling.
Inverse Patch Transfer Functions Method as a Tool for Source Field Identification
Authors: Vigoureux Dorian , Totaro Nicolas , Lagneaux Jonathan , Guyader Jean-Louis
Published: November 2014

Many methods to detect, quantify, or reconstruct acoustic sources exist in the literature and are widely used in industry (near-field acoustic holography, inverse boundary element method, etc.). However, the source identification in a reverberant or nonanechoic environment on an irregularly shaped structure is still an open issue. In this context, the inverse patch transfer functions (iPTF) method first introduced by Aucejo et al. (2010, “Identification of Source Velocities on 3D Structures in Non-Anechoic Environments: Theoretical Background and Experimental Validation of the Inverse Patch Transfer Functions Method,” J. Sound Vib., 329(18), pp. 3691–3708) can be a suitable method. Indeed, the iPTF method has been developed to identify source velocity on complex geometries and in a nonanechoic environment. However, to obtain good results, the application of the method must follow rigorous criteria that were not fully investigated yet. In addition, as it was first defined, the iPTF method only provides source velocity while wall pressure or intensity should also give useful information to engineers. In the present article, a procedure to identify wall pressure and intensity of the source without any additional measurement is proposed. This procedure only needs simple numerical postprocessing. Using this new intensity identification, the influence of background noise, evanescent waves, and mesh discretization are illustrated on numerical examples. Finally, an experiment on a vibrating plate is shown to illustrate the iPTF procedure.
Scale Effect on Tension-Induced Intermodal Coupling in Nanomechanical Resonators
Authors: Hu Kai-Ming , Zhang Wen-Ming , Dong Xing-Jian , Peng Zhi-Ke , Meng Guang
Published: November 2014

Scale effect on the tension-induced intermodal coupling between the flexural modes in nanomechanical resonators is investigated. Based on the nonlocal theory of elasticity, a theoretical model is developed to depict the scale effect on the intermodal coupling in nanomechanical resonators. The experimental and theoretical validations suggest that the results of the present work are in agreement with the experimental data. The tuning effects of mode coupling on the pull-in voltage and resonant frequency of the doubly clamped beam with the scale effect are analyzed in detail. The results show that the coupling between in-plane and out-of-plane modes increases as the scale reduces since the scale effect could make the energy between mechanical modes transfer more easily. The mode coupling with scale effect can increase the tuning range of the pull-in voltages and positions. The contributions of each term included by the scale effect to the coupling strength, pull-in voltages and frequencies of nanoresonators are discussed. Furthermore, approximate critical formulae are obtained to predict the scale effect on the resonant frequency of nanoresonators. The work demonstrates that the scale effect should be taken into account for the further understanding of the coupling mechanism of nanoresonators.