bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Cationic, luminescent cyclometalated iridium(iii) complexes based on substituted 2-phenylthiazole ligands
Authors: Stokes Emily C. , Langdon-Jones Emily E. , Groves Lara M. , Platts James A. , Horton Peter N. , Fallis Ian A. , Coles Simon J. , Pope Simon J. A.
Published: December 2014

Ten cationic heteroleptic iridium(iii) complexes involving substituted phenylthiazole ligands reveal phosphorescence emission in solution.
La2O3-encapsulated SnO2 nanocrystallite-based photoanodes for enhanced DSSCs performance
Authors: Shaikh Shoyebmohamad F. , Mane Rajaram S. , Joo Oh-Shim
Published: December 2014

A SnO2 nanocrystallite-based photoanode was prepared using tin(iv) chloride and fructose via a one-pot hydrothermal method, and its structural and morphological properties were studied.
A stable zinc-4-carboxypyrazole framework with high uptake and selectivity of light hydrocarbons
Authors: Fu Hong-Ru , Wang Fei , Zhang Jian
Published: December 2014

A metal–organic framework based on 4-carboxypyrazole ligands has been synthesized, and it shows unusual chemical stability and high storage capacity for C2 light hydrocarbons.
Effects of ellagic acid-rich extract of pomegranates peel on regulation of cholesterol metabolism and its molecular mechanism in hamsters
Authors: Liu Run , Li Jianke , Cheng Yujiang , Huo Tianbo , Xue Jiayi , Liu Yingli , Liu Jianshu , Chen Xiping
Published: December 2014

PEA promoted cholesterol removal by enhancement of fecal bile acid and up-regulation of the two pathways, LXR/PPAR-ABCA1.
In vitro assessment of the prebiotic potential of Aloe vera mucilage and its impact on the human microbiota
Authors: Gullón Beatriz , Gullón Patricia , Tavaria Freni , Alonso José Luis , Pintado Manuela
Published: December 2014

Aloe veramucilage is reported to be rich in acemannan that is a polysaccharide with a backbone of β-(1→4)-d-mannose residues acetylated at the C-2 and C-3 positions and contains some side chains of galactose and arabinose attached to the C-6 carbon.
Field emission properties of spinel ZnCo2O4microflowers
Authors: Ratha Satyajit , Khare Ruchita T. , More Mahendra A. , Thapa Ranjit , Late Dattatray J. , Rout Chandra Sekhar
Published: December 2014

Spinel ZnCo2O4microflowers were synthesized by a facile route and their field emission properties were studied in detail. They showed intriguing Field emission performance in terms of good field-enhancement factor and stability.
Facile synthesis of hollow In2O3 microspheres and their gas sensing performances
Authors: Hu Xiaolong , Zhou Xin , Wang Biao , Sun Peng , Li Xiaowei , Wang Chen , Liu Jiangyang , Lu Geyu
Published: December 2014

Hollow In2O3 microspheres were synthesized by a facile solvothermal method, and exhibited excellent sensing properties at low operating temperatures.
Multi-functional DNA-based synthesis of SWNTs@(TiO2/Ag/Au) nanocomposites for enhanced light-harvesting and charge collection in DSSCs
Authors: Yu Mei , Zhang Jindan , Li Songmei , Meng Yanbing , Liu Jianhua
Published: December 2014

Based on multi-functional DNA templates, SWNTs@(TiO2/Ag/Au) nanocomposites were synthesized to enhance the light-harvesting and charge collection efficiency of DSSCs.
HEPES-involved hydrothermal synthesis of Fe3O4nanoparticles and their biological application
Authors: Li Hui , Lu Zhong , Cheng Gang , Rong Kaifeng , Chen Fengxi , Chen Rong
Published: December 2014

Magnetic Fe3O4-based nanoparticles with good biocompatibility and excellent antibacterial properties againstS. aureuswere successfully synthesized by a HEPES-involved method.
Saline-enabled self-healing of polyelectrolyte multilayer films
Authors: Hu Xiaoxia , Xu Shimei , Feng Shun , Wang Jide , Xu Jie
Published: December 2014

After introducing a third polyelectrolyte, the healing ability of polyelectrolyte multilayer film fabricated by LbL technique is largely enhanced, and can undergo rapid healing of several tens of micrometer-sized cuts when exposed to normal saline.
Introducing a protective interlayer of TiO2 in Cu2O–CuO heterojunction thin film as a highly stable visible light photocathode
Authors: Wang Peng , Wen Xiaoming , Amal Rose , Ng Yun Hau
Published: December 2014

Photoactivity and stability of Cu2O–CuO heterojunction thin films are enhanced by incorporating an interlayer of TiO2. The thin TiO2 layer minimises the redox reactions at Cu2O–electrolyte interface and facilitates charge transfer from Cu2O to CuO.
A novel sensitive fluorescent turn-on probe for rapid detection of Al3+ and bioimaging
Authors: Xia Shuai , Xiao Si-Yu , Hong Qing-Qing , Zou Jing-Rong , Yang Sen , Zhang Mu-Xue , Zuo Hua
Published: December 2014

The first simply-structured rhodamine based probe L for the detection of Al3+ applied in water solution and live-cell imaging of HeLa cells without toxicity.
Chemical composition and potential bioactivity of strawberry pomace
Authors: Tumbas Šaponjac Vesna , Gironés-Vilaplana Amadeo , Djilas Sonja , Mena Pedro , Ćetković Gordana , Moreno Diego A. , Čanadanović-Brunet Jasna , Vulić Jelena , Stajčić Slađana , Vinčić Milica
Published: December 2014

Strawberry pomace constitutes a promissing source of polyphenolic compounds and possesses notable antioxidant capacity, reducing power and α-glucosidase inhibition potential.
Local structure of low-temperature γ-Al2O3 phases as determined by the luminescence of Cr3+ and Fe3+
Authors: Rastorguev Alexander , Baronskiy Mark , Zhuzhgov Aleksey , Kostyukov Anton , Krivoruchko Oleg , Snytnikov Valeriy
Published: December 2014

The differences between single-phase γ-Al2O3 powders synthesized from crystalline boehmite and pseudoboehmite (without the 020 reflection) are shown by PL method with the use of Cr3+ and Fe3+ luminescent probes present of the concomitant impurity.
Highly sensitive and multiplexed analysis of CpG methylation at single-base resolution with ligation-based exponential amplification
Authors: Su Fengxia , Wang Limei , Sun Yueying , Liu Chenghui , Duan Xinrui , Li Zhengping
Published: December 2014

Multiple CpG methylation can be accurately detected in one-tube ligase chain reaction (LCR) amplification with high sensitivity and specificity.
Pöschl-Teller Hamiltonian: Gazeau-Klauder type coherent states, related statistics, and geometry
Authors: Hounkonnou Mahouton Norbert , Arjika Sama , Baloïtcha Ezinvi
Published: December 2014

This work mainly addresses a construction of Gazeau-Klauder type coherent states (CSs) for a Pöschl-Teller model. Relevant characteristics are investigated. Induced geometry and statistics are studied. Then, the Berezin-Klauder-Toeplitz quantization of the classical phase space observables is presented.
DX-like centers in NaI:Tl upon aliovalent codoping
Authors: Adhikari Rajendra , Li Qi , Williams Richard T. , Burger Arnold , Biswas Koushik
Published: December 2014

Aliovalent doping has been recently shown to remarkably improve energy resolution in some halide scintillators. Based on first-principles calculations we report on the formation of DX-like centers in a well-known scintillator material, Tl-doped NaI (NaI:Tl), when codoped with Ca or Ba. Our calculations indicate a net binding energy favoring formation of the defect complex (TlNa−+CaNa+) involving a new cation-cation bond, instead of the isolated substitutional defects. The pair has properties of a deep DX-like acceptor complex. Doping with the aliovalent anion impurity Te is also found to induce deep centers, which can act as effective electron or hole traps. The hole trapped as TeI0 involves large lattice relaxation of the Te and an adjacent iodine, consistent with extrinsic self-trapping of the hole. Thus, in contrast to the positive effect achieved by aliovalent co-doping of the rare-earth tri-halides LaBr3:Ce and CeBr3:Ca as reported recently, co-doping with donor-like cations Ca, Ba, or the acceptor-like anion Te in monovalent NaI:Tl is found to inhibit scintillation response.
Effect of the helicity injection rate and the Lundquist number on spheromak sustainment
Authors: García-Martínez Pablo Luis , Lampugnani Leandro Gabriel , Farengo Ricardo
Published: December 2014

The dynamics of the magnetic relaxation process during the sustainment of spheromak configurations at different helicity injection rates is studied. The three-dimensional activity is recovered using time-dependent resistive magnetohydrodynamic simulations. A cylindrical flux conserver with concentric electrodes is used to model configurations driven by a magnetized coaxial gun. Magnetic helicity is injected by tangential boundary flows. Different regimes of sustainment are identified and characterized in terms of the safety factor profile. The spatial and temporal behavior of fluctuations is described. The dynamo action is shown to be in close agreement with existing experimental data. These results are relevant to the design and operation of helicity injected devices, as well as to basic understanding of the plasma relaxation mechanism in quasi-steady state.
Surface plasmon resonances behavior in visible light of non-metal perovskite oxides AgNbO3
Authors: Zhou Fei , Zhu Jingchuan , Lai Zhonghong , Liu Yong , Zhao Xiaoliang
Published: December 2014

We investigate the surface plasmon resonances (SPRs) behavior of silver niobate (AgNbO3) experimentally and theoretically. Result shows that the localized SPRs (LSPRs) of AgNbO3 combining with its interband transitions enlarge the absorption band across the whole ultraviolet-visible range. The LSPRs behavior in visible-light is mainly ascribed to the metal-like state of silver ion and self-assembled microstructures of AgNbO3 microcrystal. The ab initio density functional theory calculations are carried out to obtain the further insight of the SPRs behaviors. Theoretical study indicates that the Ag atoms are weakly bound in the perovskite structure, leading to a metal-like state, which was the key factor to SPRs behavior of AgNbO3.
Scotch tape induced strains for enhancing superconductivity of FeSe0.5Te0.5 single crystals
Authors: Wang Weike , Li Jun , Yang Jiyong , Gu Chuanchuan , Chen Xuliang , Zhang Zhitao , Zhu Xuebin , Lu Wenjian , Wang Hua-Bing , Wu Pei-Heng , Yang Zhaorong , Tian Mingliang , Zhang Yuheng , Moshchalkov Victor V.
Published: December 2014

We investigated the superconducting transition temperature Tc of FeSe0.5Te0.5 single crystals, which can be enhanced up to 14% by attaching onto a commercial Scotch tape. The Scotch tape exhibits a large cooling shrinkage at low temperatures, which is considerably more pronounced than that of the metallic FeSe0.5Te0.5 single crystal, thus providing a compressive strain of 2.4 × 10−3 at 15 K. For such strain, we calculated that the lattice parameter of c/a can be increased to ∼0.31%, which corresponds to the enhancement of the superconductivity. The present finding provides a rapid and simple method to examine the microstructure sensitive physical properties of the layered-structure materials by using the Scotch tape as strain generator.
Exciton quenching at PEDOT:PSS anode in polymer blue-light-emitting diodes
Authors: Abbaszadeh D. , Wetzelaer G. A. H. , Nicolai H. T. , Blom P. W. M.
Published: December 2014

The quenching of excitons at the poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene):poly(styrenesulfonic acid) (PEDOT:PSS) anode in blue polyalkoxyspirobifluorene-arylamine polymer light-emitting diodes is investigated. Due to the combination of a higher electron mobility and the presence of electron traps, the recombination zone shifts from the cathode to the anode with increasing voltage. The exciton quenching at the anode at higher voltages leads to an efficiency roll-off. The voltage dependence of the luminous efficiency is reproduced by a drift-diffusion model under the condition that quenching of excitons at the PEDOT:PSS anode and metallic cathode is of equal strength. Experimentally, the efficiency roll-off at high voltages due to anode quenching is eliminated by the use of an electron-blocking layer between the anode and the light-emitting polymer.
Omnidirectional refractive devices for flexural waves based on graded phononic crystals
Authors: Torrent Daniel , Pennec Yan , Djafari-Rouhani Bahram
Published: December 2014

Different omnidirectional refractive devices for flexural waves in thin plates are proposed and numerically analyzed. Their realization is explained by means phononic crystal plates, where a previously developed homogenization theory is employed for the design of graded index refractive devices. These devices consist of a circular cluster of inclusions with a properly designed gradient in their radius. With this approach, the Luneburg and Maxwell lenses and a family of beam splitters for flexural waves are proposed and analyzed. Results show that these devices work properly in a broadband frequency region, being therefore an efficient approach for the design of refractive devices specially interesting for nano-scale applications.
Glass transition in a marginal glass-forming alloy studied by dynamic mechanical analysis
Authors: Meng F. Q. , Geng J. , Besser M. F. , Kramer M. J. , Ott R. T.
Published: December 2014

For marginal amorphous-forming alloys, the glass transition is difficult to detect using conventional differential scanning calorimetry. Since the mechanical response is more sensitive than the thermal signal when the amorphous solid transforms to the supercooled liquid, dynamic mechanical analysis (DMA) can be used to detect the glass transition temperature in marginal amorphous-forming alloys. In the present study, DMA was successfully used to measure the glass transition in Al90Tb10 metallic glass. A glass transition temperature of 443 K was estimated from the crossover region of the storage modulus, where the crossover region corresponds to the transition from an amorphous solid to a supercooled liquid. The activation energies of 63 and 221 kJ/mol for the low temperature relaxation and viscous flow were calculated using the time-temperature superposition principle.
Capillarity-induced mechanical behaviors of a polymer microtube surrounded by a droplet
Authors: Mei Yue , Liu Jianlin , Wu Runni , Xia Re
Published: December 2014

The capillary force of a liquid drop has a great impact on the mechanical behaviors of a polymer microtube. To further explore this capillary effect, we examine the buckling condition and finite deformation of a hollow microfiber surrounded by a droplet. The Eulerian rod model and thin-walled shell model are both adopted to predict the critical value of the capillary force acting on the microfiber. According to the Mooney-Rivlin model, we calculate the true axial stress of the microtube under the combined action of surface tension and Laplace pressure. The numerical results show that the value of the true axial stress is closely related to the Young’s contact angle, droplet volume and characteristic sizes of the microtube. Our findings address that proper control over surface wettability may improve the performance optimization of micro-devices, and these analyses may produce ideas in the areas of nanofabrication, electrospinning and tissue engineering.
The variability in the xylem architecture of grapevine petiole and its contribution to hydraulic differences
Authors: Hochberg Uri , Degu Asfaw , Gendler Tanya , Fait Aaron , Rachmilevitch Shimon
Published: December 2014

Grapevine cultivars possess large variability in their response to water availability, and are therefore considered as a good model to study plant hydraulic adjustments. The current research compared the petiole anatomy of two grapevine (Vitis vinifera L.) cultivars, Shiraz and Cabernet Sauvignon, in respect to hydraulic properties. Hydraulic differences between the cultivar petioles were tested over 3 years (2011–2013). Anatomical differences, hydraulic conductivity and embolism were tested under terminal drought conditions. Additionally, xylem differentiation under well watered (WW) and water deficit (WD) conditions was compared. Shiraz was shown to possess larger xylem vessels that resulted in a significantly higher theoretical specific hydraulic conductivity (Kts), leaf hydraulic conductivity (Kleaf) and maximal petiole hydraulic conductivity (Kpetiole). Under WD, smaller vessels were developed, more noticeably in Shiraz. Results confirmed a link between petiole hydraulic architecture and hydraulic behaviour, providing a simple mechanistic explanation for the higher transpiration rates commonly measured in Shiraz. Smaller xylem vessels in Cabernet Sauvignon could imply on its adaptation to WD, and explains its better performances under such conditions.
On Schupbach and Sprenger’s Measures of Explanatory Power
Authors: Cohen Michael P.
Published: December 2014

Jonah N. Schupbach and Jan Sprenger have proposed conditions of adequacy for measures of explanatory power. They derive and defend a measure of explanatory power satisfying their conditions of adequacy. This article furthers the development of their measure. The requirement that the measure be multidimensional analytic (in the sense of the mathematics of several complex variables) is avoided. Several proofs are simplified, and gaps in proofs are filled.
Kinesin-13 regulates the quantity and quality of tubulin inside cilia
Authors: Vasudevan Krishna Kumar , Jiang Yu-Yang , Lechtreck Karl F. , Kushida Yasuharu , Alford Lea M. , Sale Winfield S. , Hennessey Todd , Gaertig Jacek
Published: December 2014

Kinesin-13, an end depolymerizer of cytoplasmic and spindle microtubules, also affects the length of cilia. However, in different models, depletion of kinesin-13 either lengthens or shortens cilia, and therefore the exact function of kinesin-13 in cilia remains unclear. We generated null mutations of all kinesin-13 paralogues in the ciliate Tetrahymena. One of the paralogues, Kin13Ap, localizes to the nuclei and is essential for nuclear divisions. The remaining two paralogues, Kin13Bp and Kin13Cp, localize to the cell body and inside assembling cilia. Loss of both Kin13Bp and Kin13Cp resulted in slow cell multiplication and motility, overgrowth of cell body microtubules, shortening of cilia, and synthetic lethality with either paclitaxel or a deletion of MEC-17/ATAT1, the α-tubulin acetyltransferase. The mutant cilia assembled slowly and contained abnormal tubulin, characterized by altered posttranslational modifications and hypersensitivity to paclitaxel. The mutant cilia beat slowly and axonemes showed reduced velocity of microtubule sliding. Thus kinesin-13 positively regulates the axoneme length, influences the properties of ciliary tubulin, and likely indirectly, through its effects on the axonemal microtubules, affects the ciliary dynein-dependent motility.
Calorie Elasticities with Income Dynamics: Evidence from the Literature
Authors: Zhou De , Yu Xiaohua
Published: December 2014

This paper proposes a finite mixture model to identify the behavioral transition of calorie consumption with an assumption that nutrition consumption is a mixture of behaviors in two different stages: a poor stage and an affluent stage. Based on a meta‐analysis of 387 calorie‐income elasticities collected from 90 primary studies, it is found that the threshold income for calorie demand transition is $460 in 2012 prices. This implies that the transitional threshold for calorie consumption is $1.26/day, which is slightly lower than the World Bank's poverty line ($1.25/day in 2005 purchasing power parity prices) after deflation. This study provides a new empirical approach to evaluate the transition of calorie consumption and poverty line.
Experimental study of pharmacokinetics of external, whole‐body bathing application of ivermectin
Authors: Miyajima Atsushi , Komoda Masayo , Akagi Keita , Yuzawa Kaoru , Yoshimasu Takashi , Yamamoto Yosuke , Hirota Takashi
Published: December 2014

As a novel method improving the safety of conventional oral ivermectin (IVM) for scabies treatment, we conceived an idea called the “whole‐body bathing method”. In this method, the patients would bathe themselves in a bathing fluid containing IVM at an effective concentration. To evaluate the feasibility of the method, we investigated the IVM concentration in the skin and plasma after bathing rats in a fluid containing 100 ng/mL of IVM. After the bathing, the concentration of IVM in the skin was more than 400 ng/g wet weight and was maintained until 8 h after the bathing. The concentration was clearly higher than that in patients taking IVM p.o. as previously reported; IVM was not detected in plasma in the present study. Thus, the method would be a preferable drug delivery system for the skin application of IVM compared with p.o. administration.
Counter Cultures, Group Dynamics and Religious Terrorism
Authors: Perliger Arie , Pedahzur Ami
Published: December 2014

Totalistic ideologies are breeding grounds for radicalization. Communities that adhere to such ideologies tend to rally when they feel threatened by powerful outsiders. Under such circumstances, community leaders become central. If they frame the situation as an existential threat to the community itself or to its most sacred values, they will accelerate the radicalization process and subsequently increase the prospects of violent actions by group members. The shift to violence takes place in the framework of close-knit social networks within the broader radicalized community. These networks consist of individuals who usually live in the same area and engage in continuous interaction among themselves. Such interactions bolster their communal commitment and develop a collective mindset that facilitates the slide of some of the individuals into violence. Those who eventually descend into terrorism usually exhibit strong identification with the community’s values and extreme alienation towards the outside world. They also enjoy high levels of biographical availability. These hypotheses are tested using the case study of Jewish terrorism in Israel between 1948 and 2006.
Community treatment orders: clinical and social outcomes, and a subgroup analysis from the OCTET RCT
Authors: Rugkåsa J. , Molodynski A. , Yeeles K. , Vazquez Montes M. , Visser C. , Burns T. ,   the OCTET Group
Published: December 2014

Objective

Despite widespread use internationally, there is no convincing evidence that community treatment orders (CTO) (legal regimes making out‐patient treatment compulsory), reduce readmission rates or have wider patient benefit. The primary and secondary outcomes of the Oxford Community Treatment Order Evaluation Trial (OCTET) (hospitalisation) showed no benefit. This article will, first, test the effect of community compulsion on wider clinical and social outcomes and on patients' experiences of services and the use of treatment pressure and second, explore differential effects in different groups of patients.

Method

OCTET is a RCT of CTO effectiveness. Three hundred and thirty‐six patients were randomised and data for the 333 eligible patients were collected from interviews and medical records at baseline, 6 and 12 months.

Results

There was no significant difference at 12 months between the two arms in any of the reported outcomes, except a small difference in patients' view of the effectiveness of treatment pressure, which is unlikely to be clinically meaningful. Two statistically significant interactions were found in the subgroup analysis: symptoms interacted with age and with education, but no pattern was demonstrated.

Conclusion

CTOs do not have benefit on any of the tested outcomes, or for any subgroup of patients. Their continued use should be carefully reconsidered.
Regional use of the Australian Chronic Disease Dental Scheme
Authors: Kraatz Jennifer , Qin Daiyo , Hoang Ha , Godwin Diana , Crocombe Leonard A
Published: December 2014

Objective

To determine whether a different number and type of services were provided in Australian regional areas under the Australian Government‐funded Chronic Disease Dental Scheme (CDDS).

Design

Retrospective analysis of administrative payments data.

Setting

Australia.

Participants

Patients receiving dental services under the Medicare CDDS.

Interventions

The CDDS.

Main outcome measures

Number and type of services.

Method

CDDS service categories Australian Statistical Geography Standard (ASGS) regions were collected by the Australian Department of Human Services between 2008 and 2013 and compared by Australian Bureau of Statistics ASGS estimated resident regional 2011 population, and by employed number of dentists, dental specialists and dental prosthetists from the 2011 National Health Workforce Dataset.

Results

Number of services provided was greatest in major cities (79.0%), followed by inner regional (15.4%), outer regional (5.2%) and remote/very remote Australia (0.4%). Number of services per head of population decreased from 1.088 in major cities to 0.16 in remote/very remote areas. Number of services provided per dental practitioner showed minimal variation between major city (1672), inner (1777) and outer regional (1627) areas, but was lower in remote/very remote areas (641). Crown and bridge, periodontic, endodontic and removable prostheses per dental practitioner were most frequently supplied in the major cities, but restorative care and oral surgery were more frequently supplied in inner and outer regional areas.

Conclusion

The number of CDDS services provided declined with regional remoteness. There was a marked difference in the utilisation of the scheme between major cities and remote/very remote areas in both number and type of service levels.
Are we living in a post‐Basel world?
Authors: Lepawsky Josh
Published: December 2014

The Basel Convention (the Convention) is a key piece of law governing the international waste trade. The spirit of the Convention is to prohibit the dumping of hazardous waste from ‘developed’ countries to ‘developing’ countries. Yet, a careful consideration of the Convention suggests a problematic geographical imaginary at work in it. It imagines a bi‐modal world comprised of what it calls Annex VII countries (Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), the European Community (EC) and Lichtenstein) and non‐Annex VII countries (all other signatories) and seeks to prohibit the shipment of hazardous waste from the former to the latter. In effect, what this geographical imaginary attempts to institute is a world of trade in which all non‐Annex VII territories are equally vulnerable to hazardous waste dumping from Annex VII territories, but not vulnerable to such dumping amongst themselves. Yet, the non‐Annex VII grouping contains a hugely diverse set of countries, including the two largest non‐Annex VII economies, China and India. Drawing on textual analysis of Convention documents and trade data available for China and India, the paper engages with recent research into the growing role of ‘South–South’ trade to critically engage with the geographical imaginary of the Basel Convention. It suggests that as the global patterns of hazardous waste trade shift, the relevance of the Basel Convention's geographical imaginary declines.
Development of an in vitro model for the analysis of bovine endometrium using simple techniques
Authors: Yamauchi Keisuke , Yamauchi Nobuhiko , Yamagami Kazuki , Nakamura Nobuhisa , Yamashita Seiya , Islam Md. Rashedul , Tabata Shoji , Yahiro Kanji , Tamura Tomoko , Hashizume Kazuyoshi , Hattori Masa‐aki
Published: December 2014

This study aimed to develop an in vitro model for the analysis of the bovine endometrium. Immunofluorescent staining revealed that the hetero‐spheroids and the cultured explants showed almost similar structure in the localization of bovine endometrial epithelial cells and endometrial stromal cells, except the glandular‐like structure of the epithelial cells inside the explants. Gelatin zymography revealed that the hetero‐spheroids did not express matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) after 4 days of culture, but strong MMP expressions were observed in the cultured explants until 7 days of culture. Additionally, expression of progesterone receptor (PR), estrogen receptor alpha (ERα), type I interferon receptor 1 (IFNAR1) and 2 (IFNAR2) messenger RNA was observed both in the homo‐ and hetero‐spheroids. The expression of oxytocin receptor (OTR) mRNA in E2 and E2+P4 (1,3,5(10)‐Estratrien‐3, 17β‐diol + 4‐Pregnen‐3, 20‐dinone) treated groups were significantly (P < 0.05) higher than that of the control group of spheroids. In case of cultured explants, the expression of PR and OTR mRNA were significantly (P < 0.05) higher in E2 treated groups compared to the control groups. Hepatocyte growth factor (HGF) mRNA expression was also higher in P4 treated groups at 10 days in culture (P < 0.05). In a nutshell, the in vitro model developed in this study for the analysis of the endometrium may provide a new platform for extensive research on bovine endometrial function.
Physiometabolic responses to road transport in weaned piglets for a short period and the effects of straw bedding
Authors: Roldan‐Santiago Patricia , Trujillo‐Ortega María , Borderas‐Tordesillas Fernando , Martínez‐Rodríguez Roberto , Mora‐Medina Patricia , Flores‐Peinado Salvador , Sánchez‐Hernández Mónica , García‐Herrera Ricardo , González‐Lozano Miguel , Mota‐Rojas Daniel
Published: December 2014

The aim of the study was to evaluate the physiometabolic responses to stress in hybrid suckling piglets that were weaned and transported at different ages on a paved road under two vehicle conditions: with and without a layer of straw bedding. The piglets were weaned and transported at the following ages: 8, 15 and 22 days. The duration of each trip was 1 h. The piglets in each group were further divided into two sub‐groups for two distinct experimental transport conditions: (1) over the road with straw bedding; and (2) over the same road but without straw bedding. A total of three repetitions were performed for each experimental condition. In order to assess their responses to weaning‐ and transport‐induced stress, the study evaluated a thorough physiometabolic blood profile. The 8‐ and 15‐day‐old piglets transported without straw bedding showed increases in their pCO2, blood glucose, blood lactate levels and the percentage of hematocrit, but a decrease of pO2 upon arrival (P < 0.05). In contrast, the 22‐day‐old piglets transported on the same road with straw bedding were able to re‐establish their blood concentrations of lactate, pCO2, pO2, Na+, K+, Ca2+ and pH during the trip (P < 0.05).
Anatomical study of blood supply to the cervical spinal cord in the guinea pig
Authors: Mazensky David , Danko Jan , Petrovova Eva , Flesarova Slavka , Supuka Peter , Supukova Anna , Luptakova Lenka , Purzyc Halina
Published: December 2014

The aim of this study was to describe the arterial arrangement of the cervical spinal cord in the guinea pig. The study was carried out on 20 adult English self guinea pigs using corrosion and dissection technique. Batson's corrosion casting kit no. 17© was used as a casting medium. The origin of the ventral spinal artery from the left vertebral artery was found on average in 35% of the cases and from the right vertebral artery on average in 40% of the cases. The ventral spinal artery with origin from the anastomosis of two medial branches was found on average in 25% of the cases. The presence of ventral radicular branches of rami spinales entering the ventral spinal artery in the cervical region was observed in 42% of the cases on the right side and in 58% of the cases on the left side. The presence of dorsal radicular branches of rami spinales that reached the spinal cord was observed in 63% of the cases on the left side and in 37% of the cases on the right side. The number of radicular branches supplying the spinal cord is greater in guinea pig than in humans.
Public health evolutionary biology of antimicrobial resistance: priorities for intervention
Authors: Baquero Fernando , Lanza Val F. , Cantón Rafael , Coque Teresa M.
Published: December 2014

The three main processes shaping the evolutionary ecology of antibiotic resistance (AbR) involve the emergence, invasion and occupation by antibiotic‐resistant genes of significant environments for human health. The process of emergence in complex bacterial populations is a high‐frequency, continuous swarming of ephemeral combinatory genetic and epigenetic explorations inside cells and among cells, populations and communities, expanding in different environments (migration), creating the stochastic variation required for evolutionary progress. Invasion refers to the process by which AbR significantly increases in frequency in a given (invaded) environment, led by external invaders local multiplication and spread, or by endogenous conversion. Conversion occurs because of the spread of AbR genes from an exogenous resistant clone into an established (endogenous) bacterial clone(s) colonizing the environment; and/or because of dissemination of particular resistant genetic variants that emerged within an endogenous clonal population. Occupation of a given environment by a resistant variant means a permanent establishment of this organism in this environment, even in the absence of antibiotic selection. Specific interventions on emergence influence invasion, those acting on invasion also influence occupation and interventions on occupation determine emergence. Such interventions should be simultaneously applied, as they are not simple solutions to the complex problem of AbR.
The Demands of Holocaust Representation: Formal Considerations in Margarethe von Trotta's Rosenstraße
Authors: Cormican Muriel
Published: December 2014

In this essay, I elucidate formal aspects of Rosenstraße (framing, mise‐en‐scène, cinematography, and narrative conceits), arguing that von Trotta invites viewers to, among other things, reflect critically upon cinematic representations of the Holocaust. With her formal decisions, she comments on Hannah's normalization narrative and invites viewers to question normalization narratives in general. Von Trotta encourages a distanced stance toward the multi‐faceted construction of the story through the way Ruth refuses to narrate, and Hannah insists on seeking her mother's story from another source. A self‐reflexive product, Rosenstraße is not just about two generations of Jewish and German mothers and daughters and their relationships to the Holocaust, Germany, and their German heritage. It is about the normalization discourse itself, the representational process by which atrocities of the past are rationalized, universalized, and de‐emphasized in and for the present. Ultimately, von Trotta reveals and probes both the attractions and omissions any such process would entail.
Muscle function in aged women in response to a water‐based exercises program and progressive resistance training
Authors: Bento Paulo Cesar Barauce , Rodacki André Luiz Felix
Published: December 2014

Aim

The purpose of the present study was to determine the effects of a water‐based exercise program on muscle function compared with regular high‐intensity resistance training.

Methods

Older women (n = 87) were recruited from the local community. The inclusion criteria were, to be aged 60 years or older, able to walk and able to carry out daily living activities independently. Participants were randomly assigned to one of the following groups: water‐based exercises (WBG), resistance training (RTG) or control (CG). The experimental groups carried out 12 weeks of an excise program performed on water or on land. The dynamic strength, the isometric peak, and rate of torque development for the lower limbs were assessed before and after interventions.

Results

The water‐based program provided a similar improvement in dynamic strength in comparison with resistance training. The isometric peak torque increased around the hip and ankle joints in the water‐based group, and around the knee joint in the resistance‐training group (P < 0.05). The rate of torque development increased only in the water‐based group around the hip extensors muscles (P < 0.05).

Conclusions

Water‐based programs constitute an attractive alternative to promote relevant strength gains using moderate loads and fast speed movements, which were also effective to improve the capacity to generate fast torques. Geriatr Gerontol Int 2015; 15: 1193–1200
Association between frequency of oral and denture cleaning and personality in edentulous older adults
Authors: Ryu Masahiro , Izumi Sachi , Ueda Takayuki , Oda Seiko , Sakurai Kaoru
Published: December 2014

Aim

The purpose of the present study was to clarify the relationship between the frequency of oral and denture cleaning and personality in edentulous older adults.

Methods

Participants were 54 edentulous older adults using maxillary and mandibular complete dentures without any problems. A questionnaire was used to establish the frequency of mechanical oral cleaning and mechanical denture cleaning using a denture brush. A personality survey was carried out using a questionnaire based on Eysenck's questionnaire on factors of introversion/extroversion and emotional stability/instability. Stepwise logistic regression analyses were used to identify which characteristic factors were significantly associated with frequency of mechanical denture or oral cleaning after all participants were categorized into two groups by frequency of cleaning, in accordance with the criterion of the median.

Results

The mean frequencies of mechanical oral and denture cleaning were 0.93 ± 1.18 times per day and 1.83 ± 1.19 times per day, respectively. Activity/inactivity, which was a factor relating to introversion/extroversion, was associated with frequency of oral cleaning (odds ratio 2.473, P = 0.001). Activity/inactivity, which was a factor relating to introversion/extroversion, and anaclisis/autonomy, which was a factor relating to emotional stability/instability, were associated with frequency of denture cleaning (odds ratio 1.310, P = 0.001; odds ratio 1.392, P = 0.011, respectively).

Conclusions

The present study showed that personality including activity/inactivity and anaclisis/autonomy influence the frequency of oral and denture cleaning. These findings suggest the necessity of providing an effective method of oral health care based on each person's personality. Geriatr Gerontol Int 2015; 15: 1258–1263.
Association between human cytomegalovirus antibody levels, and essential hypertension and functional status in elderly Koreans
Authors: Jeong Su Jin , Han Sang Hoon , Kim Chang Oh , Choi Jun Yong , Song Young Goo , Kim June Myung
Published: December 2014

Aim

To evaluate the relationship between human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) antibody status, and hypertension and functional status among elderly Koreans.

Methods

Patients aged ≥65 years were prospectively enrolled from March 2011 to February 2012 at a 2000‐bed university hospital. We collected data including CD4+ and CD8+ T‐lymphocyte count, and functional status by measuring basic activities of daily living and instrumental activities of daily living for all patients. In addition, HCMV immunoglobulin G levels were analyzed using enzyme‐linked fluorescent assay.

Results

During the study period, 103 patients (51 men), who were admitted for treatment of infections or other diseases, were enrolled. Multivariate analysis showed that body mass index and HCMV immunoglobulin G antibody titers were independent factors associated with hypertension in elderly patients (OR 1.347, 95% CI 1.113–1.630, P = 0.002; OR 1.023, 95% CI 1.001–1.047, P = 0.042, respectively). In univariate linear correlations, HCMV antibody levels were positively correlated with systolic blood pressure levels (r = 0.303, P = 0.002), CD8+ T‐lymphocyte count (r = 0.313, P = 0.001) and instrumental activities of daily living scores (r = 0.217, P = 0.028). In addition, HCMV immunoglobulin G titers were inversely associated with estimated glomerular filtration rate (r = −0.268, P = 0.006). These four variables remained independently significant in multivariate correlation analysis.

Conclusion

These findings could provide insight into the important role of HCMV in the pathogenesis of essential hypertension and decreased functional status in the elderly. Geriatr Gerontol Int 2016; 16: 21–27.
Inappropriate use of urinary catheters among hospitalized elderly patients: Clinician awareness is key
Authors: Hu Fang‐Wen , Yang Deng‐Chi , Huang Chi‐Chang , Chen Ching‐Huey , Chang Chia‐Ming
Published: December 2014

Aim

To investigate incidence, reasons, risk factors and outcomes for inappropriate use of urinary catheters in hospitalized elderly patients.

Methods

The prospective study enrolled 321 patients aged 65 years and older with a urinary catheter placed within 24 h of hospitalization. Collected data included characteristics of patients and catheter use, reasons for urinary catheter use, mortality, length of hospital stay, time to first removal of catheter, catheter remaining in place at discharge, catheter‐associated urinary tract infections and complications, change of activities of daily living, and new admission to nursing home after discharge.

Results

The use of 418 urinary catheters was observed. Among these patients with a total of 1958 urinary catheter‐days, 1035 (52.8%) urinary catheter‐days were inappropriate in hospitalized elderly patients. Inappropriate catheter use occurred mostly in women and surgical patients, and was associated with initially inappropriate catheter use and lack of medical documentation. “Convenience of care” was the most common reason for inappropriate catheter use. Inappropriate use was a significant predictor for longer hospital stay, delayed timing of first removal of catheter, increased rate of catheterization in place at discharge, increased incidence of catheter‐associated urinary tract infections and catheter‐related complications, and decline in activities of daily living.

Conclusions

The study highlights a considerable percentage of inappropriate use of urinary catheters and its association with adverse outcomes in hospitalized elderly patients. Efforts to improve quality of documentation by clinicians and to emphasize catheterization education for patients and caregivers are necessary to reduce the incidence of inappropriate urinary catheter use. Geriatr Gerontol Int 2015; 15: 1235–1241.
Is some better than none: are TEG and TGA profiles different in severe FVIII‐deficient patients with inhibitors?
Authors: Salinas V. , Carmona R. , Mohammed B. M. , Martin E. J. , Brophy D. F. , Young G.
Published: December 2014

Severe factor VIII (FVIII)‐deficient patients with and without FVIII inhibitors cannot be distinguished using FVIII levels. The FVIII assay is sensitive to detect factor levels below 1%. While severe FVIII‐deficient, non‐inhibitor patients have FVIII < 1%, they may retain unmeasurable residual factor activity. In contrast, inhibitor patients have a FVIII antibody that presumably fully eliminates FVIII activity. It is unknown whether thromboelastography (TEG) and thrombin generation assay (TGA) can differentiate between patients with FVIII < 1% with and without the presence of FVIII inhibitors. The primary objective was to discern whether TEG and TGA could differentiate between severe FVIII‐deficient patients with and without the presence of FVIII inhibitors. A secondary objective was to correlate TEG and TGA to annualized bleeding rates. This observational study performed TEG and TGA in healthy volunteers (N = 15), severe FVIII‐deficient (N = 15) and severe FVIII‐deficient patients with inhibitors (N = 15). Kaolin‐activated TEG was better at differentiating reaction time (31.3 vs. 120 min respectively, P = 0.004) and kinetics time (6.1 vs. 23.1 min respectively, P = 0.028) between the non‐inhibitor and inhibitor patients. TEG activated by tissue factor in plasma‐containing corn trypsin inhibitor failed to differentiate groups. The TGA failed to differentiate peak thrombin, endogenous thrombin potential and lag time between groups. There was no correlation between TEG and TGA with annualized bleeding rates. Kaolin‐activated TEG, but not TGA, differentiated between severe FVIII‐deficient patients with and without inhibitors. These assays did not find a correlation to annualized bleeding rate.
A TREASURE TROVE OF CHRONOLOGICAL LEARNING
Authors: Choptiany Michał
Published: December 2014

The recent facsimile edition of Henricus Glareanus's Chronology of Livy, prepared by Anthony T. Grafton and Urs B. Leu, provides access to a primary source that is unique from the point of view of the history of science and scholarship and of the book and reading. The basis of the edition, a copy of Chronologia annotated by Glareanus's disciple Gabriel Hummelberg II, now preserved at the Princeton University Library, serves scholars both as a point of departure for outlining hypotheses on the teaching methods of early modern humanists as well as the role of chronology in the humanist curriculum. My reading of their edition is based on three points. First, I put the primary source of their choice in a context that includes provincial early modern educational centers as I believe that their enterprise could clear the way for future narratives on forgotten scholars who dealt with the issues of technical chronology. Second, I show the importance of Grafton and Leu's thesis on the procedures of transmission of teachers’ commentary, which, according to them, is documented by the Princeton copy of Chronologia. Third, I argue that the seemingly conservative decision to publish a paper edition of an annotated volume at the moment when state‐of‐the‐art digital tools for such editions are being tailored through the alliance of scholars and IT specialists should open a discussion among historians of the book and reading, science, and education that would lead to the determination of standards for scholarly editions of libri annotati.
Switching from zidovudine/lamivudine to tenofovir/emtricitabine improves fat distribution as measured by fat mass ratio
Authors: Martínez E , Ribera E , Clotet B , Estrada V , Sanz J , Berenguer J , Rubio R , Pulido F , Larrousse M , Curran A , Negredo E , Arterburn S , Ferrer P , Álvarez ML
Published: December 2014

Objectives

Fat mass ratio (FMR) has been suggested as an objective indicator of abnormal body fat distribution in HIV infection. Although it could provide more comprehensive information on body fat changes than limb fat mass, FMR has scarcely been used in clinical trials examining body fat distribution in HIV‐infected patients.

Methods

A subanalysis of a controlled, randomized clinical trial in virologically suppressed HIV‐1‐infected men switching from zidovudine (ZDV)/lamivudine (3TC) to emtricitabine (FTC)/tenofovir (TDF) versus continuing on ZDV/3TC was carried out. FMR was assessed by dual X‐ray absorptiometry (DEXA) for a period of 72 weeks. Lipoatrophy was defined as FMR ≥ 1.5. Multivariate linear regression models for the change in FMR from baseline were fitted.

Results

Sixty‐five men were randomized and treated (28 in the FTC/TDF arm and 37 in the ZDV/3TC arm), and 57 completed the study (25 and 32 in each arm, respectively). In the FTC/TDF arm, adjusted mean FMR decreased by 0.52 at week 72 (P = 0.014), and in the ZDV/3TC arm it increased by 0.13 (P = 0.491; P between arms = 0.023). Among subjects with lipoatrophy (baseline FMR ≥ 1.5), adjusted FMR decreased by 0.76 (P = 0.003) in the FTC/TDF arm and increased by 0.21 (P = 0.411; P between arms = 0.009) in the ZDV/3TC arm. Baseline FMR and treatment group were significant predictors (P < 0.05) of post‐baseline changes in FMR.

Conclusions

Switching from ZDV/3TC to FTC/TDF led to an improvement in FMR, compared with progressive worsening of FMR in subjects receiving ZDV/3TC, showing that fat mass not only increased but was also distributed in a healthier way after the switch.