bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Limnoithona sinensis as refuge for bacteria: protection from UV radiation and chlorine disinfection in drinking water treatment
Authors: Lin Tao , Cai Bo , Chen Wei
Published: September 2014

In this study, we tested the potential of Limnoithona sinensis to provide its attached bacteria refuge against disinfection. The experimental results indicated that in water devoid of zooplankton, both UV radiation and chlorine disinfection significantly decreased the viability of free-living bacteria. In the presence of L. sinensis, however, the attached bacteria could survive and rapidly recover from disinfection. This demonstrated that L. sinensis provided protection from external damage to various aquatic bacteria that were attached to its body. The surviving bacteria remained on L. sinensis after disinfection exposure, which enabled a rapid increase in the bacterial population followed by their subsequent release into the surrounding water. Compared with UV radiation, chlorine disinfection was more effective in terms of inactivating attached bacteria. Both UV radiation and chlorine disinfection had little effect in terms of preventing the spread of undesirable bacteria, due to the incomplete inactivation of the bacteria associated with L. sinensis.
NON-RECURSIVE COMPUTATION OF 8 × 8 2D DCT FOR HIGH ACCURACY AND LOW AREA
Authors: SHARMA VIJAY K. , MAHAPATRA K. K. , PATI UMESH C.
Published: September 2014

This paper presents non-recursive computation equation for 8 × 8 two-dimensional (2D) discrete cosine transform (DCT) along with novel VLSI architecture for direct computation of DCT without transposition memory. All intermediate operations are performed in non-fraction format. Being non-recursive and all intermediate calculations free of fractions, the proposed architecture has excellent accuracy in terms of peak signal-to-noise ratio (PSNR). The architecture is implemented in 0.18-μm CMOS standard cell technology library and prototyped in Field programmable gate array (FPGA) technology for the silicon validation. Implementation result shows that it has low power consumption and low area as compared to the available architectures of 2D DCT. To further increase the accuracy of computations, hardware overhead is very less as only one register and a multiplier bit-widths need to be changed.
Design of a New Parity Preserving Reversible Full Adder
Authors: Haghparast Majid , Shoaei Soghra
Published: September 2014

Power dissipation is one of the important issues in VLSI design. Reversible logic has zero power dissipation; therefore, nowadays, researchers attend to it in order to optimize the internal power consumption. On the other hand, fault tolerance is a solution for error detection in digital systems. In many systems, fault tolerance is achieved by parity checking. This article proposes a new parity-preserving reversible full adder circuit. For many years, researchers assumed that the quantum cost (QC) of the parity-preserving reversible full adder is 11. In this article we offered a new parity-preserving reversible full adder circuit with a QC of only 9. In addition, the proposed parity-preserving reversible full adder has optimum number of constant inputs and garbage outputs. A novel parity-preserving reversible 4:2 compressor circuit is also proposed using the proposed parity-preserving reversible full adder. This article would be a great initiation for building more complex parity-preserving reversible circuits. All the scales are in the nanometric area, and their fundamental parts are no bigger than a few nanometers.
Single Event Multiple Upset (SEMU) Tolerant Latch Designs in Presence of Process and Temperature Variations
Authors: Rajaei Ramin , Tabandeh Mahmoud , Fazeli Mahdi
Published: September 2014

In this paper, we propose two novel soft error tolerant latch circuits namely HRPU and HRUT. The proposed latches are both capable of fully tolerating single event upsets (SEUs). Also, they have the ability of enduring single event multiple upsets (SEMUs). Our simulation results show that, both of our HRPU and HRUT latches have higher robustness against SEMUs as compared with other recently proposed radiation hardened latches. We have also explored the effects of process and temperature variations on different design parameters such as delay and power consumption of our proposed latches and other leading SEU tolerant latches. Our simulation results also show that, compared with the reference (unprotected) latch, our HRPU latch has 57% and 34% improvements in propagation delay and power delay product (PDP) respectively. In addition, process and temperature variations have least effects on HRPU in comparison with the other latches. Allowing little more delay, we designed HRUT latch that can filter single event transients (SETs). HRUT has been designed to be immune against SEUs, SEMUs and SETs with an acceptable overhead and sensitivity to process and temperature variations.
Intermolecular π/π and H/π interactions in dimers researched by different computational methods
Authors: Wang Cuihong , Jiang Yue , Zhang Ruiqin , Lin Zijing
Published: September 2014

The analysis of π/π and H /π interactions in complexes are a challenging aspect of theoretical research. Due to the different approximations of different levels of theory, results tend to be inconsistent. We compared the reliabilities of HF, SVWN, M06L, PW91, BLYP, B3LYP, BHandHLYP, B97D, MP2, and DFTB-D approaches in researching π/π and H /π interactions by calculating the binding energies of five benzene-containing dimers. The effects of 6-31+G**, 6-311++G** and 6-311++G(2df,2p) basis sets on the results were analyzed too. We found that the DFTB-D and B97D methods combined with the 6-311++G** basis set perform well for dimers that contain π/π and H /π interactions. With high efficiency and satisfactory precision, DFTB-D is helpful for the calculation of complexes containing π/π and H /π stacking. We further calculated the structures and properties of phenylalanine-containing dimers using the DFTB-D and B97D methods. The properties of low energy conformers such as rotational constants, dipole moments and molecular orbitals were also analyzed. These data should be helpful for research into systems that contain π/π and H /π stacking.
On the intersection graph of gamma sets in the zero-divisor graph
Authors: Tamizh Chelvam T. , Selvakumar K.
Published: September 2014

Let R be a commutative ring. The intersection graph of gamma sets in the zero-divisor graph Γ(R) of R is the graph IΓ(R) with vertex set as the collection of all gamma sets of the zero-divisor graph Γ(R) of R and two distinct vertices A and B are adjacent if and only if A ∩ B ≠ ∅. In this paper, we study about various properties of IΓ(R) and investigate the interplay between the graph theoretic properties of IΓ(R) and the ring theoretic properties of R.
A generalization of commuting graphs
Authors: Afkhami M. , Barati Z. , Hoseini N. , Khashyarmanesh K.
Published: September 2014

Let R be a ring with the identity element 1, α be an endomorphism of R and δ be a left α-derivation. In this paper, we introduce a generalization of a commuting graph, which is denoted by ΓR(α, δ), as a directed graph with vertex set R and, for two distinct vertices x and y, there is an arc from x to y if and only if xy = α(y)x + δ(y). We study some basic properties of ΓR(α, δ). Also, we investigate the planarity and genus of the graph ΓR(α, 0).
Object-Oriented Travel Package Recommendation
Authors: Tan Chang , Liu Qi , Chen Enhong , Xiong Hui , Wu Xiang
Published: September 2014

Providing better travel services for tourists is one of the important applications in urban computing. Though many recommender systems have been developed for enhancing the quality of travel service, most of them lack a systematic and open framework to dynamically incorporate multiple types of additional context information existing in the tourism domain, such as the travel area, season, and price of travel packages. To that end, in this article, we propose an open framework, the
Objected-Oriented Recommender System
(ORS), for the developers performing personalized travel package recommendations to tourists. This framework has the ability to import all the available additional context information to the travel package recommendation process in a cost-effective way. Specifically, the different types of additional information are extracted and uniformly represented as feature--value pairs. Then, we define the Object, which is the collection of the feature--value pairs. We propose two models that can be used in the ORS framework for extracting the implicit relationships among Objects. The
Objected-Oriented Topic Model
(OTM) can extract the topics conditioned on the intrinsic feature--value pairs of the Objects. The
Objected-Oriented Bayesian Network
(OBN) can effectively infer the cotravel probability of two tourists by calculating the co-occurrence time of feature--value pairs belonging to different kinds of Objects. Based on the relationships mined by OTM or OBN, the recommendation list is generated by the collaborative filtering method. Finally, we evaluate these two models and the ORS framework on real-world travel package data, and the experimental results show that the ORS framework is more flexible in terms of incorporating additional context information, and thus leads to better performances for travel package recommendations. Meanwhile, for feature selection in ORS, we define the feature information entropy, and the experimental results demonstrate that using features with lower entropies usually leads to better recommendation results.
Check-ins in “Blau Space”
Authors: Joseph Kenneth , Carley Kathleen M. , Hong Jason I.
Published: September 2014

Peter Blau was one of the first to define a latent social space and utilize it to provide concrete hypotheses. Blau defines social structure via social “parameters” (constraints). Actors that are closer together (more homogenous) in this social parameter space are more likely to interact. One of Blau’s most important hypotheses resulting from this work was that the consolidation of parameters could lead to isolated social groups. For example, the consolidation of race and income might lead to segregation. In the present work, we use Foursquare data from New York City to explore evidence of homogeneity along certain social parameters and consolidation that breeds social isolation in communities of locations checked in to by similar users.

More specifically, we first test the extent to which communities detected via Latent Dirichlet Allocation are homogenous across a set of four social constraints—racial homophily, income homophily, personal interest homophily and physical space. Using a bootstrapping approach, we find that 14 (of 20) communities are statistically, and all but one qualitatively, homogenous along one of these social constraints, showing the relevance of Blau’s latent space model in venue communities determined via user check-in behavior. We then consider the extent to which communities with consolidated parameters, those homogenous on more than one parameter, represent socially isolated populations. We find communities homogenous on multiple parameters, including a homosexual community and a “hipster” community, that show support for Blau’s hypothesis that consolidation breeds social isolation. We consider these results in the context of mediated communication, in particular in the context of self-representation on social media.
GABA in nucleus tractus solitarius participates in electroacupuncture modulation of cardiopulmonary bradycardia reflex
Authors: Tjen-A-Looi Stephanie C. , Guo Zhi-Ling , Longhurst John C.
Published: September 2014

Phenylbiguanide (PBG) stimulates cardiopulmonary receptors and cardiovascular reflex responses, including decreases in blood pressure and heart rate mediated by the brain stem parasympathetic cardiac neurons in the nucleus ambiguus and nucleus tractus solitarius (NTS). Electroacupuncture (EA) at P5–6 stimulates sensory fibers in the median nerve and modulates these reflex responses. Stimulation of median nerves reverses bradycardia through action of γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA) in the nucleus ambiguus, important in the regulation of heart rate. We do not know whether the NTS or the neurotransmitter mechanisms in this nucleus participate in these modulatory actions by acupuncture. We hypothesized that somatic nerve stimulation during EA (P5–6) modulates cardiopulmonary inhibitory responses through a GABAergic mechanism in the NTS. Anesthetized and ventilated cats were examined during either PBG or direct vagal afferent stimulation while 30 min of EA was applied at P5–6. Reflex heart rate and blood pressure responses and NTS-evoked discharge were recorded. EA reduced the PBG-induced depressor and bradycardia reflexes by 67% and 60%, respectively. Blockade of GABAA receptors in the NTS reversed EA modulation of bradycardia but not the depressor response. During EA, gabazine reversed the vagally evoked discharge activity of cardiovascular NTS neurons. EA modulated the vagal-evoked cardiovascular NTS cellular activity for 60 min. Immunohistochemistry using triple labeling showed GABA immunoreactive fibers juxtaposed to glutamatergic nucleus ambiguus-projecting NTS neurons in rats. These glutamatergic neurons expressed GABAA receptors. These findings suggest that EA inhibits PBG-evoked bradycardia and vagally evoked NTS activity through a GABAergic mechanism, likely involving glutamatergic nucleus ambiguus-projecting NTS neurons.
Synchronization patterns suggest different functional organization in parietal reach region and dorsal premotor cortex
Authors: Chakrabarti Shubhodeep , Martinez-Vazquez Pablo , Gail Alexander
Published: September 2014

The parietal reach region (PRR) and dorsal premotor cortex (PMd) form part of the fronto-parietal reach network. While neural selectivity profiles of single-cell activity in these areas can be remarkably similar, other data suggest that both areas serve different computational functions in visually guided reaching. Here we test the hypothesis that different neural functional organizations characterized by different neural synchronization patterns might be underlying the putatively different functional roles. We use cross-correlation analysis on single-unit activity (SUA) and multiunit activity (MUA) to determine the prevalence of synchronized neural ensembles within each area. First, we reliably find synchronization in PRR but not in PMd. Second, we demonstrate that synchronization in PRR is present in different cognitive states, including “idle” states prior to task-relevant instructions and without neural tuning. Third, we show that local field potentials (LFPs) in PRR but not PMd are characterized by an increased power and spike field coherence in the beta frequency range (12–30 Hz), further indicating stronger synchrony in PRR compared with PMd. Finally, we show that neurons with similar tuning properties tend to be correlated in their random spike rate fluctuations in PRR but not in PMd. Our data support the idea that PRR and PMd, despite striking similarity in single-cell tuning properties, are characterized by unequal local functional organization, which likely reflects different network architectures to support different functional roles within the fronto-parietal reach network.
Comparative Diagnostic Accuracy of Ganglion Cell-Inner Plexiform and Retinal Nerve Fiber Layer Thickness Measures by Cirrus and Spectralis Optical Coherence Tomography in Relapsing-Remitting Multiple Sclerosis
Authors: González-López Julio J. , Rebolleda Gema , Leal Marina , Oblanca Noelia , Muñoz-Negrete Francisco J. , Costa-Frossard Lucienne , Álvarez-Cermeño José C.
Published: September 2014

Objective. To estimate sensitivity and specificity of several optical coherence tomography (OCT) measurements for detecting retinal thickness changes in patients with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS), such as macular ganglion cell-inner plexiform layer (GCIPL) thickness measured with Cirrus (OCT) and peripapillary retinal nerve fiber layer (pRNFL) thickness measured with Cirrus and Spectralis OCT.Methods. Seventy patients (140 eyes) with RRMS and seventy matched healthy subjects underwent pRNFL and GCIPL thickness analysis using Cirrus OCT and pRNFL using Spectralis OCT. A prospective, cross-sectional evaluation of sensitivities and specificities was performed using latent class analysis due to the absence of a gold standard.Results. GCIPL measures had higher sensitivity and specificity than temporal pRNFL measures obtained with both OCT devices. Average GCIPL thickness was significantly more sensitive than temporal pRNFL by Cirrus (96.34% versus 58.41%) and minimum GCIPL thickness was significantly more sensitive than temporal pRNFL by Spectralis (96.41% versus 69.69%). Generalised estimating equation analysis revealed that age (P=0.030), optic neuritis antecedent (P=0.001), and disease duration (P=0.002) were significantly associated with abnormal results in average GCIPL thickness.Conclusion. Average and minimum GCIPL measurements had significantly better sensitivity to detect retinal thickness changes in RRMS than temporal pRNFL thickness measured by Cirrus and Spectralis OCT, respectively.
Surface and Wear Analysis of Zinc Phosphate Coated Engine Oil Ring and Cylinder Liner Tested with Commercial Lubricant
Authors: Özkan Doğuş , Kaleli Hakan
Published: September 2014

The objective of this study was to evaluate the tribological performance through investigating protective additive layer and friction coefficient and implementing the quantitative wear measurements on the rubbed surface of the sliding pairs. The specimens of oil ring were rubbed against cast iron engine cylinder liner under boundary lubrication conditions. The ring and liner surfaces were examined by optical, scanning electron microscope and atomic force microscopy. The elemental analysis of surfaces was performed by using energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy. Surface observations showed that coating was removed from the ring surface. Higher levels of Ca, Zn, P, and S elemental ratios (0.93%, 0.45%, 1.55%, and 1.60% as atomic percent) were detected on the cylinder liner surface. Wear width, length, and depth measurements were performed by optical and atomic force microscopies on the ring and cylinder liner surface. The results showed that wear widths for oil ring were 1.59 μm and 1.65 μm; wear widths for cylinder liner were 3.20 μm and 3.18 μm; wear depths for oil ring were 100 nm; and wear depths for cylinder liner were 482 nm. Wear data were taken mostly from the additive layer points detected by SEM and X-ray measurements.
Better Understanding in the Differentiation of Thyroid Follicular Adenoma, Follicular Carcinoma, and Follicular Variant of Papillary Carcinoma: A Retrospective Study
Authors: Yoon Jung Hyun , Kim Eun-Kyung , Youk Ji Hyun , Moon Hee Jung , Kwak Jin Young
Published: September 2014

Background.To evaluate the role of ultrasonography (US), US-guided fine-needle aspiration (USFNA) and intraoperative frozen section (FS) in follicular neoplasm.Methods. US features, USFNA cytology, and FS results were compared based on the pathology results of patients with follicular adenoma (FA), follicular carcinoma (FC), and follicular variant of papillary thyroid carcinoma (FVPTC).Results. FC and FVPTC showed significantly higher rates of suspicious US features (P<0.05) and positive findings on either US or cytology, 80.0% and 90.7%, compared to FA, 64.5% (P=0.001). Intraoperative FS showed higher malignant rates in FVPTC and FC (81.8% and 75.0%, resp.), compared to FA (3.8%,P<0.001).Conclusion. Suspicious US features were more significantly seen in FC and FVPTC compared to FA. Intraoperative FS is useful in the differential diagnosis of these lesions and supplements cytology results of USFNA.
Acute Psychosis Associated with Subcortical Stroke: Comparison between Basal Ganglia and Mid-Brain Lesions
Authors: McMurtray Aaron , Tseng Ben , Diaz Natalie , Chung Julia , Mehta Bijal , Saito Erin
Published: September 2014

Acute onset of psychosis in an older or elderly individual without history of previous psychiatric disorders should prompt a thorough workup for neurologic causes of psychiatric symptoms. This report compares and contrasts clinical features of new onset of psychotic symptoms between two patients, one with an acute basal ganglia hemorrhagic stroke and another with an acute mid-brain ischemic stroke. Delusions and hallucinations due to basal ganglia lesions are theorized to develop as a result of frontal lobe dysfunction causing impairment of reality checking pathways in the brain, while visual hallucinations due to mid-brain lesions are theorized to develop due to dysregulation of inhibitory control of the ponto-geniculate-occipital system. Psychotic symptoms occurring due to stroke demonstrate varied clinical characteristics that depend on the location of the stroke within the brain. Treatment with antipsychotic medications may provide symptomatic relief.
Evaluation of Arctic Land Snow Cover Characteristics, Surface Albedo, and Temperature during the Transition Seasons from Regional Climate Model Simulations and Satellite Data
Authors: Zhou X. , Matthes H. , Rinke A. , Klehmet K. , Heim B. , Dorn W. , Klaus D. , Dethloff K. , Rockel B.
Published: September 2014

This paper evaluates the simulated Arctic land snow cover duration, snow water equivalent, snow cover fraction, surface albedo, and land surface temperature in the regional climate model HIRHAM5 during 2008–2010, compared with various satellite and reanalysis data and one further regional climate model (COSMO-CLM). HIRHAM5 shows a general agreement in the spatial patterns and annual course of these variables, although distinct biases for specific regions and months are obvious. The most prominent biases occur for east Siberian deciduous forest albedo, which is overestimated in the simulation for snow covered conditions in spring. This may be caused by the simplified albedo parameterization (e.g., nonconsideration of different forest types and neglecting the effect of fallen leaves and branches on snow for deciduous tree forest). The land surface temperature biases mirror the albedo biases in their spatial and temporal structures. The snow cover fraction and albedo biases can explain the simulated land surface temperature bias of ca. −3°C over the Siberian forest area in spring.
Antiretroviral Therapy Helps HIV-Positive Women Navigate Social Expectations for and Clinical Recommendations against Childbearing in Uganda
Authors: Kastner Jasmine , Matthews Lynn T. , Flavia Ninsiima , Bajunirwe Francis , Erikson Susan , Berry Nicole S. , Kaida Angela
Published: September 2014

Understanding factors that influence pregnancy decision-making and experiences among HIV-positive women is important for developing integrated reproductive health and HIV services. Few studies have examined HIV-positive women’s navigation through the social and clinical factors that shape experiences of pregnancy in the context of access to antiretroviral therapy (ART). We conducted 25 semistructured interviews with HIV-positive, pregnant women receiving ART in Mbarara, Uganda in 2011 to explore how access to ART shapes pregnancy experiences. Main themes included: (1) clinical counselling about pregnancy is often dissuasive but focuses on the importance of ART adherence once pregnant; (2) accordingly, women demonstrate knowledge about the role of ART adherence in maintaining maternal health and reducing risks of perinatal HIV transmission; (3) this knowledge contributes to personal optimism about pregnancy and childbearing in the context of HIV; and (4) knowledge about and adherence to ART creates opportunities for HIV-positive women to manage normative community and social expectations of childbearing. Access to ART and knowledge of the accompanying lowered risks of mortality, morbidity, and HIV transmission improved experiences of pregnancy and empowered HIV-positive women to discretely manage conflicting social expectations and clinical recommendations regarding childbearing.
Effects of Obesity on Bone Mass and Quality in Ovariectomized Female Zucker Rats
Authors: Feresin Rafaela G. , Johnson Sarah A. , Elam Marcus L. , Jo Edward , Arjmandi Bahram H. , Hakkak Reza
Published: September 2014

Obesity and osteoporosis are two chronic conditions that have been increasing in prevalence. Despite prior data supporting the positive relationship between body weight and bone mineral density (BMD), recent findings show excess body weight to be detrimental to bone mass, strength, and quality. To evaluate whether obesity would further exacerbate the effects of ovariectomy on bone, we examined the tibiae and fourth lumbar (L4) vertebrae from leptin receptor-deficient female (Leprfa/fa) Zucker rats and their heterozygous lean controls (Leprfa/+) that were either sham-operated or ovariectomized (Ovx). BMD of L4 vertebra was measured using dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry, and microcomputed tomography was used to assess the microstructural properties of the tibiae. Ovariectomy significantly (P<0.001) decreased the BMD of L4 vertebrae in lean and obese Zucker rats. Lower trabecular number and greater trabecular separation (P<0.001) were also observed in the tibiae of lean- and obese-Ovx rats when compared to sham rats. However, only the obese-Ovx rats had lower trabecular thickness (Tb.Th) (P<0.005) than the other groups. These findings demonstrated that ovarian hormone deficiency adversely affected bone mass and quality in lean and obese rats while obesity only affected Tb.Th in Ovx-female Zucker rats.
Full Symmetry Groups and Exact Solutions to BKP and GKP Equations
Authors: Ren Bo , Wang Jian-Yong
Published: September 2014

We investigate the (2+1)-dimensional nonlinear BKP and GKP equations with the modified direct CK’s method. Then, we get its Lie point groups and the full symmetry group, and a relationship is constructed between the new solutions and the old one. Based on the relationship, the new solutions can be obtained by using a given solution of the equations.
18FDG, [18F]FLT, [18F]FAZA, and11C-Methionine Are Suitable Tracers for the Diagnosis andIn VivoFollow-Up of the Efficacy of Chemotherapy by miniPET in Both Multidrug Resistant and Sensitive Human Gynecologic Tumor Xenografts
Authors: Trencsényi György , Márián Teréz , Lajtos Imre , Krasznai Zoltán , Balkay László , Emri Miklós , Mikecz Pál , Goda Katalin , Szalóki Gábor , Juhász István , Németh Enikő , Miklovicz Tünde , Szabó Gábor , Krasznai Zoárd T.
Published: September 2014

Expression of multidrug pumps including P-glycoprotein (MDR1, ABCB1) in the plasma membrane of tumor cells often results in decreased intracellular accumulation of anticancer drugs causing serious impediment to successful chemotherapy. It has been shown earlier that combined treatment with UIC2 anti-Pgp monoclonal antibody (mAb) and cyclosporine A (CSA) is an effective way of blocking Pgp function. In the present work we investigated the suitability of four PET tumor diagnostic radiotracers including 2-[18F]fluoro-2-deoxy-D-glucose (18FDG),11C-methionine, 3′-deoxy-3′-[18F]fluorothymidine (18F-FLT), and [18F]fluoroazomycin-arabinofuranoside (18FAZA) forin vivofollow-up of the efficacy of chemotherapy in both Pgp positive (Pgp+) and negative (Pgp−) human tumor xenograft pairs raised in CB-17 SCID mice. Pgp+and Pgp−A2780AD/A2780 human ovarian carcinoma and KB-V1/KB-3-1 human epidermoid adenocarcinoma tumor xenografts were used to study the effect of the treatment with an anticancer drug doxorubicin combined with UIC2 and CSA. The combined treatment resulted in a significant decrease of both the tumor size and the accumulation of the tumor diagnostic tracers in the Pgp+tumors. Our results demonstrate that18FDG,18F-FLT,18FAZA, and11C-methionine are suitable PET tracers for the diagnosis andin vivofollow-up of the efficacy of tumor chemotherapy in both Pgp+and Pgp−human tumor xenografts by miniPET.
Phase II Clinical Trial of Amatuximab, a Chimeric Antimesothelin Antibody with Pemetrexed and Cisplatin in Advanced Unresectable Pleural Mesothelioma
Authors: Hassan Raffit , Kindler Hedy L. , Jahan Thierry , Bazhenova Lyudmila , Reck Martin , Thomas Anish , Pastan Ira , Parno Jeff , O'Shannessy Daniel J. , Fatato Penny , Maltzman Julia D. , Wallin Bruce A.
Published: September 2014

Purpose: Amatuximab is a chimeric monoclonal antibody to mesothelin, a cell surface glycoprotein highly expressed in malignant pleural mesothelioma (MPM). On the basis of its synergy with chemotherapy in preclinical studies, we evaluated the antitumor activity of amatuximab plus pemetrexed and cisplatin in patients with unresectable MPM.

Experimental Design: In a single-arm phase II study, amatuximab (5 mg/kg) was administered on days 1 and 8 with pemetrexed (500 mg/m2) and cisplatin (75 mg/m2) on day 1 of 21-day cycles for up to six cycles. Patients with response or stable disease received amatuximab maintenance until disease progression. Primary endpoint was progression-free survival (PFS) at 6 months. Secondary endpoints were overall survival (OS), response rate, and safety.

Results: Eighty-nine patients were enrolled at 26 centers. Median of five cycles (range, 1–6) of combination treatment was administered, and 56 (63%) patients received amatuximab maintenance. Combination therapy resulted in no overlapping toxicities. Eleven patients (12.4%) had amatuximab-related hypersensitivity reactions. Responses included partial responses in 33 (40%) and stable disease in 42 (51%). Six-month PFS rate was 51% [95% confidence interval (CI), 39.1–62.3)], median PFS was 6.1 months (95% CI, 5.8–6.4), and median OS was 14.8 months (95% CI, 12.4–18.5) with 29 patients alive at data cut-off.

Conclusions: Amatuximab with pemetrexed and cisplatin was well tolerated with objective tumor response or stable disease rate of 90% by independent radiologic review. Although PFS was not significantly different from historical controls, the median OS was 14.8 months with a third of patients alive and 5 continuing to receive amatuximab at the time of analysis. Clin Cancer Res; 20(23); 5927–36. ©2014 AACR.
Hypoxia Promotes Dissemination and Colonization in New Bone Marrow Niches in Waldenström Macroglobulinemia
Authors: Muz Barbara , de la Puente Pilar , Azab Feda , Ghobrial Irene M. , Azab Abdel Kareem
Published: September 2014

Waldenström macroglobulinemia, a rare and indolent type of non–Hodgkin lymphoma, is characterized by widespread lymphoplasmacytic B cells in the bone marrow. Previous studies have shown that hypoxic conditions play a key role in the dissemination of other hematologic malignancies. In this study, the effect of hypoxia was tested on the progression and spread of Waldenström macroglobulinemia. Interestingly, tumor progression correlated with hypoxia levels in Waldenström macroglobulinemia cells and other cells in the bone marrow and correlated with the number of circulating tumor cells in vivo. Mechanistic studies demonstrated that hypoxia decreased cell progression and cell cycle, did not induce apoptosis, and reduced the adhesion between Waldenström macroglobulinemia cells and bone marrow stroma, through downregulation of E-cadherin expression, thus explaining increased egress of Waldenström macroglobulinemia cells to the circulation. Moreover, hypoxia increased the extravasation and homing of Waldenström macroglobulinemia cells to new bone marrow niches in vivo, by increased CXCR4/SDF-1–mediated chemotaxis and maintaining the VLA4-mediated adhesion. Re-oxygenation of hypoxic Waldenström macroglobulinemia cells enhanced the rate of proliferation and cell cycle progression and restored intercellular adhesion between Waldenström macroglobulinemia cells and bone marrow stroma. This study suggests that targeting hypoxic response is a novel strategy to prevent dissemination of Waldenström macroglobulinemia.

Implications: This study provides a better understanding of the biology of dissemination of Waldenström macroglobulinemia and opens new windows for investigation of new therapeutic targets in Waldenström macroglobulinemia based on tumor hypoxia mechanisms. Mol Cancer Res; 13(2); 263–72. ©2014 AACR.
Acne Tarda and Male-Pattern Baldness Unmasking Primary Ovarian Insufficiency: A Case and Review
Authors: Zouboulis Christos C. , Achenbach Alexander , Makrantonaki Eugenia
Published: September 2014

A 30-year-old woman presented with recurrent acne lesions and progressing male-pattern baldness. Furthermore, she reported amenorrhea, weight loss, mucosal xerosis and dyspareunia since discontinuation of hormonal contraception 6 months earlier in order to conceive. Acne tarda and androgenetic alopecia of female pattern were diagnosed. Hormonal and immunologic serological and ultrasound examinations revealed an autoimmune hypergonadotropic primary ovarian insufficiency (POI) with no ovarian cysts but ovarian fibrosis with marked reduced follicle pool. Immediate ovarian stimulation and in vitro fertilization led to pregnancy and the patient gave birth to a healthy child. Though presenting with clinical findings similar to menopause, 50% of patients with POI exhibit varying and unpredictable ovarian function, and only 5-10% are able to accomplish pregnancy. Genetic disorders affect the X chromosome. In 14-30% of cases POI has been associated with autoimmunity. POI may occur after discontinuation of hormonal contraception, like in our case.
Event-Related Potentials in Response to Emotional Words in Patients with Major Depressive Disorder and Healthy Controls
Authors: Liu Hong , Yin Hui-fang , Wu Da-xing , Xu Shu-jing
Published: September 2014

Background: Dysfunctional cognitive processing and abnormal brain activation in response to emotional stimuli have long been recognized as core features of the major depressive disorder (MDD). The aim of this study was to examine how Chinese patients with MDD process Chinese emotional words presented to either the left (LH) or right hemisphere (RH). Methods: Reaction time (RT) and the late positive component of the event-related potential were measured while subjects judged the valence (positive or negative) of emotional words written in Chinese. Results: Compared to healthy controls, patients with MDD exhibited slower RTs in response to negative words. In all subjects, the RTs in response to negative words were significantly faster than RTs in response to positive words presented to the LH, as well as significantly faster than responses to negative words presented to the RH. Compared to healthy controls, MDD patients exhibited reduced activation of the central and left regions of the brain in response to both negative and positive words. In healthy controls, the posterior brain areas were more active than the anterior brain areas when responding to negative words. Conclusion: All individuals showed faster RTs in response to negative words compared to positive words. In addition, MDD patients showed lateralization of brain activity in response to emotional words, whereas healthy individuals did not show this lateralization. Posterior brain areas appear to play an especially important role in discriminating and experiencing negative emotional words. This study provides further evidence in support of the negative bias hypothesis and the emotional processing theory.
Effect of Nonanimal High- and Low-Molecular-Mass Chondroitin Sulfates Produced by a Biotechnological Process in an Animal Model of Polyarthritis
Authors: Bauerova Katarina , Ponist Silvester , Kuncirova Viera , Drafi Frantisek , Mihalova Danica , Paulovicova Ema , Volpi Nicola
Published: September 2014

Background/Aims: We planned to report on the effect of two nonanimal chondroitin sulfates (CSs) with different molecular masses produced using an innovative biotechnological process in an adjuvant arthritis animal model. Methods: The experiments included healthy animals, untreated arthritic animals and arthritic animals having been administered 900 mg/kg of either of the two CS samples daily. Arthritic score, γ-glutamyltransferase (GGT) activity in hind paw joint tissue homogenates, plasmatic C-reactive protein (CRP) and pro-inflammatory cytokines IL-1β and IL-6 were assayed. Results and Conclusions: Low-molecular-mass (LMM) CS significantly reduced the arthritic score by up to about 30% from 14 to 28 days. In contrast, no significant differences were observed for high-molecular-mass (HMM) CS, even if a trend in its capacity to decrease the arthritic score by up to about 11% was observed. Additionally, LMM CS was able to significantly decrease GGT activity by approximately 31% and plasmatic CRP levels by about 9%. Both nonanimal CS samples were effective in reducing plasmatic levels of proinflammatory cytokines. A greater efficacy was also observed for LMM CS compared with a pharmaceutical-grade CS of extractive origin, while the efficacy of the HMM CS sample was found to be rather similar. The greater effect of LMM CS in reducing arthritic parameters may be related to its lower molecular mass with respect to HMM CS and natural CS.
Fibrin Glue Does Not Improve Healing of Gastrointestinal Anastomoses: A Systematic Review
Authors: Nordentoft Tyge , Pommergaard Hans-Christian , Rosenberg Jacob , Achiam Michael Patrick
Published: September 2014

Background/Aim: Anastomotic leakage remains a frequent and serious complication in gastrointestinal surgery. In order to reduce its incidence, several clinical and experimental studies on anastomotic sealing have been performed. In a number of these studies, the sealing material has been fibrin glue (FG), and the results in individual studies have been varying. The positive effect of anastomotic sealing with FG might be due to the mechanical/physical properties, the increased healing of the anastomoses or both. The aim of this systematic review was to evaluate the existing evidence on the healing effects of FG on gastrointestinal anastomoses. Methods: PubMed, EMBASE and the Cochrane databases were searched for studies evaluating the healing process of gastrointestinal anastomoses after any kind of FG application. The search period was from 1953 to December 2013. Results: Twenty-eight studies were included in the qualitative synthesis. These studies were all experimental studies, since no human studies used histological or biochemical evaluation of healing. In 7 of the 28 studies, a positive effect of FG on healing was found, while 8 studies reported a negative effect and 11 studies found no effect. Furthermore, 2 studies reported unclear results. The difference in the study outcome was independent of the study design and the type of FG used. Conclusion: In the available studies, FG did not consistently have a positive influence on the healing of gastrointestinal anastomoses. It is consequently plausible that the positive effect of FG sealing of gastrointestinal anastomoses, if there is any, may be due to a mechanical sealing effect rather than due to improved healing per se.
The Beginning that Was an End: The Founding of the International Association for the Psychology of Religion
Authors: Belzen Jacob A.
Published: September 2014

This article, based on extensive empirical research and occasioned by the centennial of both the present journal Archiv für Religionspsychologie (AfRp, Archive for the Psychology of Religion) and its owner, the International Association for the Psychology of Religion (IAPR), deals extensively with the activities in the psychology of religion of Wilhelm Stählin (1883-1975), the prime force behind the IAPR and founding editor of the AfRp. The article discusses Stählins profound methodological contributions to the literature. It analyses the rather informal “founding” of the IAPR on June 10, 1914 and describes its aims and first activities. Sadly, what had started so promising was destroyed by World War I: the most active members of the board were drafted into the army and had no time left at all for any activities in the field of the psychology of religion. As a consequence of the economic misery in Germany after the war, there was even no paper available to print a next volume of the AfRp (which had been almost ready in summer 1914) until 1921. In the preface to that volume, Stählin articulated his inability to say anything about a possible future of both AfRp and IAPR. Paradoxically, the beginning had become an end, and should only in 1928 be followed by a new start. (For a more extensive abstract, also in English: see at the end of the article.)
Augustine and Spiritual Autobiography, Part 2
Authors: Hollingworth Miles
Published: September 2014

‘Are Augustine’s Confessions altogether real?’ Here I explore the extent to which this question is a backhanded way of asking: ‘Are we altogether real?’ Working in reverse order through these contentions, I respond with an argument for the soul’s indignation, and draw it directly from the Confessions.
The merchant gurus: Sikhism and the development of the medieval Khatri merchant family
Authors: Syan Hardip Singh
Published: September 2014

In the history of Sikhism it has been firmly established that the Khatri caste played a significant role in the development of the medieval Sikh community. Moreover, the Khatris in the Mughal period grew into a prominent commercial and scribal caste. However it has never been considered why Sikhism, in the context of the Khatri’s medieval commercial expansion, attracted a large Khatri following. In this article I endeavour to explore the appeal of Sikhism to the medieval Khatri community by examining early Sikh thought on trade and commerce. In addition, I attempt to embed the influence of Sikhism within the development of the medieval Khatri merchant family. And consider how the growth of the Khatri merchant network resulted in the spread of Sikhism across Mughal north India.
The Voice of the Dead
Authors: Fernández Cuesta Julia
Published: September 2014

This article comprises a sociolinguistic analysis of the distribution of northern features in two sixteenth-century collections of wills of urban and rural provenance ( York Clergy Wills and Swaledale Wills and Inventories, respectively). It is suggested that there is a correlation between dialect features such as the Northern Subject Rule, the uninflected genitive, and the third person plural pronouns and the urban or rural provenance of the wills as well as, to some extent, the social rank of the testators. This sheds light on how social factors might condition the resilience of dialect features in sixteenth-century northern English.
Assessing Racial Microaggression Distress in a Diverse Sample
Authors: Torres-Harding Susan , Turner Tasha
Published: September 2014

Racial microaggressions are everyday subtle or ambiguous racially related insults, slights, mistreatment, or invalidations. Racial microaggressions are a type of perceived racism that may negatively impact the health and well-being of people of color in the United States. This study examined the reliability and validity of the Racial Microaggression Scale distress subscales, which measure the perceived stressfulness of six types of microaggression experiences in a racially and ethnically diverse sample. These subscales exhibited acceptable to good internal consistency. The distress subscales also evidenced good convergent validity; the distress subscales were positively correlated with additional measures of stressfulness due to experiencing microaggressions or everyday discrimination. When controlling for the frequency of one’s exposure to microaggression incidents, some racial/ethnic group differences were found. Asian Americans reported comparatively lower distress and Latinos reporting comparatively higher distress in response to Foreigner, Low-Achieving, Invisibility, and Environmental microaggressions. African Americans reported higher distress than the other groups in response to Environmental microaggressions. Results suggest that the Racial Microaggressions Scale distress subscales may aid health professionals in assessing the distress elicited by different types of microaggressions. In turn, this may facilitate diagnosis and treatment planning in order to provide multiculturally competent care for African American, Latino, and Asian American clients.
Questions of Digital Power and the Re-animation of Critical Theory: An Interview with David Berry
Authors: Beer David
Published: September 2014

Questions of power can sometimes be sidelined in contemporary work on new media forms. David Berry’s book Critical Theory and the Digital, which tackles such questions as power and capitalism, has recently been published by Bloomsbury. The following interview uses the book as a starting point for exploring questions of power in the context of digital media. It explores the potential role of critical theory for understanding contemporary media developments. The exchange explores some of the key themes and ideas from Berry’s book whilst also focusing on how this project might develop in the future. As such, this is an interview that is concerned with questions of digital power and the possibility of re-animating critical theory.
Skyscrapers: The City and the Megacity
Authors: Parker Martin
Published: September 2014

This short note considers the migration of the skyscraper from New York and Chicago to Asia and its absence in the emerging megacities of the Global South. Following 9/11, many commentators assumed that the skyscraper was finished, but this was clearly not the case, with super-tall construction now accelerating. However, the distributions of contemporary skyscrapers show us that there are shifts in global power and also in urban form.
Services for young people with attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder transitioning from child to adult mental health services: A national survey of mental health trusts in England
Authors: Hall Charlotte L , Newell Karen , Taylor John , Sayal Kapil , Hollis Chris
Published: September 2014

Transition from child to adult mental health services is considered to be a difficult process, particularly for individuals with neurodevelopmental disorders such as attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). This article presents results from a national survey of 36 mental health National Health Service (NHS) trusts across England, the findings indicate a lack of accurate data on the number of young people with ADHD transitioning to, and being seen by, adult services. Less than half of the trusts had a specialist adult ADHD service and in only a third of the trusts were there specific commissioning arrangements for adult ADHD. Half of the trusts reported that young people with ADHD were prematurely discharged from child and adolescent mental health services (CAMHS) because there were no suitable adult services. There was also a lack of written transition protocols, care pathways, commissioned services for adults with ADHD and inadequate information sharing between services. The findings advocate the need to provide a better transition service underpinned by clear, structured guidelines and protocols, routine data collection and information sharing across child and adult services. An increase in the commission of specialist adult ADHD clinics is needed to ensure individuals have access to appropriate support and care.