bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Education and support needs in patients with head and neck cancer: A multi‐institutional survey
Authors: Jabbour Joe , Milross Chris , Sundaresan Puma , Ebrahimi Ardalan , Shepherd Heather L. , Dhillon Haryana M. , Morgan Gary , Ashford Bruce , Abdul‐Razak Muzib , Wong Eva , Veness Michael , Palme Carsten E. , Froggatt Cate , Cohen Ruben , Ekmejian Rafael , Tay Jessica , Roshan David , Clark Jonathan R.
Published: January 2017

BACKGROUND

Head and neck cancer (HNC) encompasses a diverse group of tumors, and thus providing appropriate and tailored information to patients before, during, and after treatment is a challenge. The objective of the current study was to characterize the experience and unmet needs of patients with HNC with regard to information and support provision.

METHODS

A 28‐question, cross‐sectional survey was completed by patients treated for HNC at 1 of 4 institutions in New South Wales, Australia (Chris O'Brien Lifehouse and Liverpool, Westmead, and Wollongong hospitals). It consisted of the adapted Kessler Psychological Distress Scale and questions assessing information quality, quantity, and format.

RESULTS

A total of 597 patients responded. The mean age of the patients was 58 years (range, 21‐94 years) with 284 men and 313 women (1:1.1). The majority of patients reported information concerning the disease process (76%), prognosis (67%), and treatment (77%) was sufficient, and approximately 50% reporting having received little or no information regarding coping with stress and anxiety. A substantial percentage of patients reported receiving minimal information concerning psychosexual health (56%) or the availability of patient support groups (56%). The majority of patients preferred access to multiple modes of information delivery (72%), with the preferred modality being one‐on‐one meetings with a health educator (37%) followed by internet‐based written information (19%).

CONCLUSIONS

Patients with HNC are a diverse group, with complex educational and support needs. Patients appear to be given information regarding survivorship topics such as psychological well‐being, patient support groups, and psychosexual health less frequently than information concerning disease and treatment. Verbal communication needs to be reinforced by accessible, well‐constructed, written and multimedia resources appropriate to the patient's educational level. Cancer 2017;123:1949–1957. © 2017 American Cancer Society.
Assessment of Telomere Length, Phenotype, and DNA Content
Authors: Kelesidis Theodoros , Schmid Ingrid
Published: January 2017

Telomere sequences at the end of chromosomes control somatic cell division; therefore, telomere length in a given cell population provides information about its replication potential. This unit describes a method for flow cytometric measurement of telomere length in subpopulations using fluorescence in situ hybridization of fluorescently‐labeled probes (Flow‐FISH) without prior cell separation. After cells are stained for surface immunofluorescence, antigen‐antibody complexes are covalently cross‐linked onto cell membranes before FISH with a telomere‐specific probe. Cells with long telomeres are included as internal standards. Addition of a DNA dye permits exclusion of proliferating cells during data analysis. DNA ploidy measurements of cells of interest and internal standard are performed on separate aliquots in parallel to Flow‐FISH. Telomere fluorescence of G0/1 cells of subpopulations and internal standards obtained from Flow‐FISH are normalized for DNA ploidy, and telomere length in subsets of interest is expressed as a fraction of the internal standard telomere length. © 2017 by John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Detecting APC Gene Mutations in Familial Adenomatous Polyposis (FAP)
Authors: Nallamilli Babi Ramesh Reddy , Hegde Madhuri
Published: January 2017

Hereditary forms of colorectal cancer (CRC) account for up to 5% of total cases. Familial adenomatous polyposis (FAP) is an autosomal dominant condition affecting nearly 1 in 5000 people and accounts for only about 1% of all CRCs. It is characterized by the progressive development of hundreds to thousands of adenomatous colon polyps. The gene associated with FAP (APC) contains 15 coding exons. The mutation spectrum of the APC gene is broad in that 87% of causative mutations are point mutations (including other sequence variants) and around 10% to 15% are intragenic deletions and duplications. The strategy for molecular diagnostic testing for FAP involves initial full sequence analysis of APC for sequence variants followed by screening for deletion/duplications using microarray‐based comparative genomic hybridization (array CGH) or Multiplex Ligation‐dependent Probe Amplification (MLPA). Recently, next generation sequencing (NGS)‐based targeted gene analysis has become clinically available for detection of point mutations and other sequence variants. This unit discusses detailed protocols for an NGS‐based sequencing assay, PCR‐based Sanger sequencing, and array CGH. © 2017 by John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Assay for Transposase‐Accessible Chromatin Using Sequencing (ATAC‐seq) Data Analysis
Authors: Miskimen Kristy L.S. , Chan E. Ricky , Haines Jonathan L.
Published: January 2017

The study of epigenetic properties of the human genome, including structural modifications of DNA and chromatin, has increased tremendously as mounting evidence has demonstrated how much epigenetics affects human gene expression. Buenrostro et al. have developed a rapid method, requiring low numbers of living cells as input, for examining chromatin accessibility across the epigenome, known as the assay for transposase‐accessible chromatin using sequencing (ATAC‐seq). The overall goal of this unit is to provide a thorough ATAC‐seq data analysis plan, as well as describe how primary human blood samples can be processed for use in ATAC‐seq. In addition, a number of quality control parameters are discussed to ensure the integrity and confidence in the ATAC‐seq data. © 2017 by John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Scarless Cas9 Assisted Recombineering (no‐SCAR) in Escherichia coli, an Easy‐to‐Use System for Genome Editing
Authors: Reisch Christopher R. , Prather Kristala L.J.
Published: January 2017

The discovery and development of genome editing systems that leverage the site‐specific DNA endonuclease system CRISPR/Cas9 has fundamentally changed the ease and speed of genome editing in many organisms. In eukaryotes, the CRISPR/Cas9 system utilizes a “guide” RNA to enable the Cas9 nuclease to make a double‐strand break at a particular genome locus, which is repaired by non‐homologous end joining (NHEJ) repair enzymes, often generating random mutations in the process. A specific alteration of the target genome can also be generated by supplying a DNA template in vivo with a desired mutation, which is incorporated by homology‐directed repair. However, E. coli lacks robust systems for double‐strand break repair. Thus, in contrast to eukaryotes, targeting E. coli chromosomal DNA with Cas9 causes cell death. However, Cas9‐mediated killing of bacteria can be exploited to select against cells with a specified genotype within a mixed population. In combination with the well described λ‐Red system for recombination in E. coli, we created a highly efficient system for marker‐free and scarless genome editing. © 2017 by John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Mammalian Cell Tissue Culture Techniques
Authors: Phelan Katy , May Kristin M.
Published: January 2017

Cultured mammalian cells are used extensively in molecular biology studies. A number of special skills are required in order to preserve the structure, function, behavior, and biology of cells in culture. This appendix describes the basic skills required to maintain and preserve cell cultures: maintaining aseptic technique, preparing media with the appropriate characteristics, passaging, freezing and storage, recovering frozen stocks, and counting viable cells. © 2017 by John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Preparation of Cell Cultures and Vaccinia Virus Stocks
Authors: Cotter Catherine A. , Earl Patricia L. , Wyatt Linda S. , Moss Bernard
Published: January 2017

The culturing of cell lines used with vaccinia virus, both as monolayer and in suspension, is described. The preparation of chick embryo fibroblasts (CEF) is presented for use in the production of the highly attenuated and host range‐restricted modified vaccinia virus Ankara (MVA) strain of vaccinia virus. Protocols for the preparation, titration, and trypsinization of vaccinia virus stocks, as well as viral DNA preparation and virus purification methods are also included. © 2017 by John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
The Five‐Choice Continuous Performance Task (5C‐CPT): A Cross‐Species Relevant Paradigm for Assessment of Vigilance and Response Inhibition in Rodents
Authors: Cope Zackary A. , Young Jared W.
Published: January 2017

Deficits in the domains of attention and response inhibition are central to many psychiatric disorders. As such, animal models of disorders purporting to replicate these behavioral deficits first require tests that can accurately assess the behaviors with high fidelity. The gold‐standard clinical test of attention and response inhibition is the continuous performance test (CPT). Although there are a number of CPTs, all share the premise of responding to target stimuli and inhibiting from responding to non‐target stimuli. The recently developed rodent five‐choice CPT (5C‐CPT) requires similar behavioral responses, enabling signal detection parameter calculations. With demonstrable feasibility for rodent testing, the 5C‐CPT permits/facilitates: (1) delineation of neural mechanisms underlying these behaviors; (2) multifactorial analyses of the complex interplay between genetic and environmental manipulations relevant to psychiatric disorders; and hence (3) development of novel targeted treatments. All data to date indicate that the rodent 5C‐CPT described here has direct translatability to clinical CPTs, producing equivalent measures of behavior in experimental animals to those assessed in humans. The 5C‐CPT task provides an important tool toward delineating these mechanisms and developing treatments. However, it is also complex, with long training times and nuances requiring a thorough understanding before utilization. This unit will enable researchers to avoid potential missteps, greatly increasing the likelihood of success. © 2017 by John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Cytologic features of pleomorphic xanthoastrocytoma, WHO grade II. A comparative study with glioblastoma
Authors: Jiménez‐Heffernan José A. , Freih Fraih Alwalid , Álvarez Federico , Bárcena Carmen , Corbacho Cesar
Published: January 2017

Pleomorphic xanthoastrocytoma (PXA) is a WHO grade II astrocytic tumor of children and young adults. It is characterized by pleomorphic, atypical astrocytes. Atypia is so remarkable, that PXA can be easily misdiagnosed as malignant glioma. If confused with a high‐grade glioma the neurosurgeon may not proceed with a complete resection. Therefore, a specific recognition during intraoperative consultation is particularly important. We describe four cases of PXA evaluated during intraoperative procedures. Findings were compared with those of 22 glioblastomas. PXA smears were moderately cellular and showed a variable population of pleomorphic cells and fibrillary fragments with vessels. Tumoral cells were of intermediate size with a less frequent population of large, atypical cells. Some showed bi/trinucleation with bizarre nuclei. In two cases, tumoral cells with microvacuolization resembling xanthic astrocytes were present. No necrosis, mitotic activity, phagocytic macrophages or apoptotic fragments were seen. Smears from glioblastoma were more cellular than those of PXA with numerous neoplastic cells, branching vessels and myxoid substance. Cellular atypia was evident and mitoses were seen in all cases. Most cases showed an abundant population of accompanying macrophages and cellular debris. Differences between PXA and glioblastoma were related to cell turnover rather than cytomorphologic features. Glioblastoma shows features of high cellular replication showing a dirty background with necrosis and phagocytic macrophages as well as mitotic figures and apoptosis. On the other hand, smears from PXA have a clean background with no necrosis, cellular fragments or relevant mitotic activity. Diagn. Cytopathol. 2017;45:339–344. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Sex‐specific responses to territorial intrusions in a communication network: Evidence from radio‐tagged great tits
Authors: Snijders Lysanne , van Oers Kees , Naguib Marc
Published: January 2017

Signals play a key role in the ecology and evolution of animal populations, influencing processes such as sexual selection and conflict resolution. In many species, sexually selected signals have a dual function: attracting mates and repelling rivals. Yet, to what extent males and females under natural conditions differentially respond to such signals remains poorly understood, due to a lack of field studies that simultaneously track both sexes. Using a novel spatial tracking system, we tested whether or not the spatial behavior of male and female great tits (Parus major) changes in relation to the vocal response of a territorial male neighbor to an intruder. We tracked the spatial behavior of male and female great tits (N = 44), 1 hr before and 1 hr after simulating territory intrusions, employing automatized Encounternet radio‐tracking technology. We recorded the spatial and vocal response of the challenged males and quantified attraction and repulsion of neighboring males and females to the intrusion site. We additionally quantified the direct proximity network of the challenged male. The strength of a male's vocal response to an intruder induced sex‐dependent movements in the neighborhood, via female attraction and male repulsion. Stronger vocal responders were older and in better body condition. The proximity networks of the male vocal responders, including the number of sex‐dependent connections and average time spent with connections, however, did not change directly following the intrusion. The effects on neighbor movements suggest that the strength of a male's vocal response can provide relevant social information to both the males and the females in the neighborhood, resulting in both sexes adjusting their spatial behavior in contrasting ways, while the social proximity network remained stable. This study underlines the importance of “silent” eavesdroppers within communication networks for studying the dual functioning and evolution of sexually selected signals.
Geographical differentiation of the Euchiloglanis fish complex (Teleostei: Siluriformes) in the Hengduan Mountain Region, China: Phylogeographic evidence of altered drainage patterns
Authors: Li Yanping , Ludwig Arne , Peng Zuogang
Published: January 2017

The uplift of the Tibetan Plateau caused significant ecogeographical changes that had a major impact on the exchange and isolation of regional fauna and flora. Furthermore, Pleistocene glacial oscillations were linked to temporal large‐scale landmass and drainage system reconfigurations near the Hengduan Mountain Region and might have facilitated speciation and promoted biodiversity in southwestern China. However, strong biotic evidence supporting this role is lacking. Here, we use the Euchiloglanis fish species complex as a model to demonstrate the compound effects of the Tibetan Plateau uplift and Pleistocene glacial oscillations on species formation in this region. The genetic structure and geographical differentiation of the Euchiloglanis complex in four river systems within the Hengduan Mountain Region were deduced using the cytochrome b (cyt b) gene and 10 microsatellite loci from 360 to 192 individuals, respectively. The results indicated that the populations were divided into four independently evolving lineages, in which the populations from the Qingyi River and Jinsha River formed two sub‐lineages. Phylogenetic relationships were structured by geographical isolation, especially near drainage systems. Divergence time estimation analyses showed that the Euchiloglanis complex diverged from its sister clade Pareuchiloglanis sinensis at around 1.3 Million years ago (Ma). Within the Euchiloglanis complex, the divergence time between the Dadu–Yalong and Jinsha–Qingyi River populations occurred at 1.0 Ma. This divergence time was in concordance with recent geological events, including the Kun‐Huang Movement (1.2–0.6 Ma) and the lag time (<2.0 Ma) of river incision in the Hengduan Mountain Region. Population expansion signals were detected from mismatched distribution analyses, and the expansion times were concurrent with Pleistocene glacier fluctuations. Therefore, current phylogeographic patterns of the Euchiloglanis fish complex in the Hengduan Mountain Region were influenced by the uplift event of the Tibetan Plateau and were subsequently altered by paleo‐river transitions during the late Pleistocene glacial oscillations.
A Mood Prediction System for Preventing Diseases Using Biological Information and Weather Information
Authors: KAJIWARA YUSUKE , NAKAMURA MUNEHIRO , KIMURA HARUHIKO , OYABU TAKASHI
Published: January 2017

Preventive medicine has attracted much attention due to increase of medical expenses in Japan. As a preventive measurement against diseases, this paper presents a system for predicting three types of moods namely, good, normal, and bad using biological and weather information. Specifically, we focus on analyzing factors for the predictions. Evaluation experiments demonstrate that the proposed system predicts the tomorrow's mood with 73% accuracy by learning biological information, weather information, and moods in the past with multiple classifiers. Moreover, we found that body fat, maximal pressure, and amount of insolation are important factors for the prediction. The evaluation experiments indicate that the proposed system is useful for the prevention of bipolar disorder and lifestyle diseases.
Development of Mechanical CBM System for Electromagnetically Actuated Vacuum Circuit Breaker
Authors: YANO TOMOTAKA , MATSUNAGA TOSHIHIRO , ARIOKA MASAHIRO , KOYAMA KENICHI , TAKEUCHI TOSHIE
Published: January 2017

A new mechanical CBM (condition‐based maintenance) system for an electromagnetically actuated vacuum circuit breaker (VCB) has been developed. This CBM function has a new monitoring method using analysis of the coil current profile of the actuator operation. The VCB has three sets of vacuum interrupters, insulating rods, contact pressure springs, and electromagnetic actuators. The electromagnetic actuators control each phase independently. We have clarified the variation in the actuator's current profile by the developed analytical method when the valve of friction, contact erosion, and driving capacitance change. We have established a diagnostic method for the mechanical condition using this current profile analysis. With this method, a new remote monitoring system of the mechanical condition using current monitors on the actuator's controller has been developed and mounted on VCB for cubicle‐type gas insulated switchgears rating from 7.2 kV to 84 kV. The maintenance for mechanical parts of VCB changes to the CBM system from the conventional TBM (time‐based maintenance) system using this monitoring system. The developed mechanical CBM system significantly reduces the life cycle cost including the labor cost of maintenance.
Nightjars, rabbits, and foxes interact on unpaved roads: spatial use of a secondary prey in a shared‐predator system
Authors: Camacho Carlos , Sáez‐Gómez Pedro , Potti Jaime , Fedriani José María
Published: January 2017

Linear developments, such as roads and firebreaks, can increase encounter rates between predator and prey, which could affect predator–prey interactions and community dynamics. However, the extent to which prey responses at the interface between natural and anthropogenic habitats may be compared to those at the interface between natural habitats is unclear. Here, we used a shared‐predator system to investigate the spatial response of red‐necked nightjars (Caprimulgus ruficollis) to changing predation risk on roads, measured as the abundance of red foxes (Vulpes vulpes), and their primary prey (rabbits, Oryctolagus cuniculus). Because all three species coexist closely on unpaved roads in Doñana National Park (Spain), we predicted that nightjars would experience increased predation risk during periods of high fox and low rabbit abundances. Birds could then modify their space use at a broad scale by moving away from risky unpaved roads or, at a finer scale, by seeking foraging microsites facilitating escape from attacks. Between 2011 and 2012, mean rabbit abundance on roads increased by 50%, and fox abundance decreased by 80%, indicating a substantial decrease in predation risk for nightjars. Unexpectedly, nightjar occurrence on roads did not increase as a consequence of the decrease in fox predation risk. However, nightjars foraging on roads became less apprehensive in their use of linear strips of roadside cover, which is known to function as a physical barrier against fox attacks. Specifically, under high predation risk, most nightjars perched on the ground nearby (<15 cm) tall (>150 cm) vegetation, whereas when predation risk decreased, they shifted to more exposed microsites near shorter (<1 m) stands, but rarely close to cover (>45 cm). Nightjars' preference for areas of high predator abundance strongly suggests that flexible microhabitat selection allows them to manage the overall predation risk independently of predator abundance. Our results highlight the importance of linear developments in determining risk exposure and prey use of apparently dangerous habitats and thus may contribute to a better understanding of risky behaviors of prey.
Understanding the drivers ofSoutheastAsian biodiversity loss
Authors: Hughes Alice C.
Published: January 2017

Southeast Asia (SE Asia) is a known global hotspot of biodiversity and endemism, yet the region is also one of the most biotically threatened. Ecosystems across the region are threatened by an array of drivers, each of which increases the probability of extinction of species in a variety of ecosystems. These issues are symptomatic of the issues that face the global tropics; however, with around 4 billion people in the wider region and the associated pressures on biodiversity, this region may be under some of the greatest levels of biotic threat. Deforestation rates in SE Asia are some of the highest globally, additionally it has the highest rate of mining in the tropics, around the greatest number of hydropower dams under construction, and a consumption of species for traditional medicines which is a threat to biodiversity globally. In this review, the greatest threats to regional biodiversity in the SE Asian region are discussed. Tree‐plantations and deforestation represent one of the most imminent threats, and some countries have already lost over half their original forest cover (i.e., the Philippines, parts of Indonesia), with projections of as much as 98% loss for some regions in the coming decade. Hunting and trade represent a significant threat as demand stems not only for food, but also for medicine, for ornamentation, and as a status symbol. Mining represents a frequently overlooked threat, as the Asian region is one of the greatest exporters of limestone and various minerals globally, and the cost of this to biodiversity is not only through the direct loss of areas for mines, but also through the development of roads that further fragment the landscape, the leakage of heavy metals, and the destruction of limestone karsts, which represent global endemicity hotspots. Reservoir construction, wetland drainage, fires, pollution, invasive species, disease, and finally climate change are also considered. Once each issue has been discussed, the overall prognosis of regional biodiversity and priority actions to protect SE Asian biodiversity in the future is discussed.
Abiotic limitation and the C3 hypothesis: isotopic evidence from Gunnison's prairie dog during persistent drought
Authors: Hayes Charles L. , Talbot William A. , Wolf Blair O.
Published: January 2017

Gunnison's prairie dog (Cynomys gunnisoni) is an herbivore that ranges from desert grasslands to high‐montane meadows and is limited by disease across much of its range. The importance of abiotic drivers to the population dynamics of the species is poorly known. We employed stable isotope analysis to investigate energy assimilation patterns as indicators of abiotic limitation in arid grassland and montane populations of C. gunnisoni during a multi‐year drought. Standard ellipse areas of plasma and red blood cell carbon (δ13C) and nitrogen (δ15N) isotope values, representing population‐level foraging niche widths, declined during years and seasons of drought stress at both study sites. Prairie dogs at the montane site, but not at the desert grassland site, maintained seasonal shifts in dietary niche width corresponding to periods of favorable growth conditions for the more nutritious C3 plants. Production of offspring was strongly and positively correlated with C3 resource use as indicated by δ13C values in metabolically active tissues (plasma and red blood cells), but not with δ13C values in adipose tissues used for long‐term energy storage, or with foraging niche widths. These findings demonstrate that assimilation of energy from C3 plants is associated with increased reproductive output and that drought conditions importantly constrain the resource base available to C. gunnisoni. The link between plant nutritional quality and demographic parameters highlights the role of abiotic regulation within this reportedly disease‐limited species.
Plant‐mycorrhizal interactions mediate plant community coexistence by altering resource demand
Authors: Jiang Jiang , Moore Jessica A. M. , Priyadarshi Anupam , Classen Aimée T.
Published: January 2017

As the diversity of plants increases in an ecosystem, so does resource competition for soil nutrients, a process that mycorrhizal fungi can mediate. The influence of mycorrhizal fungi on plant biodiversity likely depends on the strength of the symbiosis between the plant and fungi, the differential plant growth responses to mycorrhizal inoculation, and the transfer rate of nutrients from the fungus to plant. However, our current understanding of how nutrient‐plant‐mycorrhizal interactions influence plant coexistence is conceptual and thus lacks a unified quantitative framework. To quantify the conditions of plant coexistence mediated by mycorrhizal fungi, we developed a mechanistic resource competition model that explicitly included plant‐mycorrhizal symbioses. We found that plant‐mycorrhizal interactions shape plant coexistence patterns by creating a tradeoff in resource competition. Especially, a tradeoff in resource competition was caused by differential payback in the carbon resources that plants invested in the fungal symbiosis and/or by the stoichiometric constraints on plants that required additional, less‐beneficial, resources to sustain growth. Our results suggested that resource availability and the variation in plant‐mycorrhizal interactions act in concert to drive plant coexistence patterns. Applying our framework, future empirical studies should investigate plant‐mycorrhizal interactions under multiple levels of resource availability.
The present is the key to the past: linking regime shifts in kelp beds to the distribution of deep‐living sea urchins
Authors: Filbee‐Dexter Karen , Scheibling Robert E.
Published: January 2017

Understanding processes that drive sudden shifts in ecosystem structure and function has become an important research focus for coastal management. In kelp bed ecosystems, regime shifts occur when high densities of sea urchins destructively graze kelp and create coralline algal barrens. While the importance of predation and disease in mediating shifts between kelp beds and barrens on shallow rocky reefs has been well documented, little is known about the role of deep‐living urchins in these alternative stable‐state dynamics. In this study, we test the hypothesis that deep‐living urchins along the central Atlantic coast of Nova Scotia move onshore and trigger shifts from kelp beds to barrens on shallow rocky reefs. We documented urchin distribution and abundance using tow‐camera surveys down to 140 m depth and spanning 140 km of coast and created a predictive species‐distribution model using these observations and spatial data on environmental factors that likely delineate suitable habitat for urchins. We used a random forest model to generate our predictions, which correctly classified 91% of observations into a positive or negative occurrence of urchins. Sea urchins predominantly occurred within 1.5 km of shore, in depressions and flat habitats between 40 and 85 m depth. We found that shallow regions where destructive grazing fronts have been documented over the past four decades were closer to deep‐living sea urchin habitats compared to regions that remained in a kelp bed state during the same period. This supports our prediction that deep‐living urchins play an important role in driving shallow regime shift dynamics, and indicates that their distribution can help identify areas of coast that are most vulnerable to a collapse to barrens.
Propagation Characteristics of kHz Band PLC Signal on MV–LV Distribution System
Authors: SUZUKI TADASHI
Published: January 2017

The kHz band power line communication (PLC) is one of the convincing mediums of the communication system for smart meter reading. Data transmission between medium‐voltage (MV) and low‐voltage (LV) points to pass the transformer by PLC is interested. In this paper, the PLC signal propagation characteristics between points of MV at substation and LV at customer are calculated and analyzed. The results show that direct communication between points on MV distribution line and most LV customers is impossible due to large propagation losses at MV–LV transformer and on LV distribution line.
Development of Solar‐Pumped Lasers and Its Application
Authors: SAIKI TAKU , TANIGUCHI SEIJI , NAKAMURA KAZUHIRO , IIDA YUKIO
Published: January 2017

An energy cycle using solar power and metals has been proposed. High repetitive laser pulses are generated by a solar‐pumped laser or a laser generated using solar power, and the laser pulses are irradiated to metal oxides in liquid. We can obtain reduced metal nanoparticles with this method, and solar power is effectively stored as chemical energy. We fabricated Li air fuel cells using sintered Iron or Aluminum nanopaste plates as negative electrodes. Electricity was successfully produced from these cells. The observed maximum output voltage of the Al paste Li air cell was 2.9 V when they were connected to a low load. The Fe or Al paste Li air cells are expected to become common power supplies with high‐energy density and high output power.
Serum albumin level and hospital mortality in acute non‐ischemic heart failure
Authors: Ancion Arnaud , Allepaerts Sophie , Oury Cécile , Gori Anne‐Stephan , Piérard Luc A. , Lancellotti Patrizio
Published: January 2017

Aims

Hypoalbuminemia is common in heart failure (HF), especially in elderly patients. It is associated with an increased risk of death. The present study sought to examine the prognostic significance of serum albumin level in the prediction of hospital mortality in patients admitted for acute non‐ischemic HF.

Methods and results

We examined the association between albumin and hospital mortality in a cohort of 546 patients admitted for acute non‐ischemic HF. None of the patients had infectious disease, severe arrhythmias (atrial fibrillation, ventricular tachycardia, ventricular fibrillation), required invasive ventilation, or presented with acute coronary syndrome or primary valvular disease. Thirty‐six patients (7%) died during the hospital stay. These patients were significantly older (78 ± 9 vs. 72 ± 12 years; P = 0.006), had higher heart rate (P < 0.0001), increased creatinine level (P = 0.01), lower systolic and diastolic blood pressures (P < 0.05), elevated leucocyte count (P = 0.001), and lower albumin levels (31.3 ± 5.6 g/L vs. 36.9 ± 4.1 g/L; P < 0.001). With multivariable analysis, age (P = 0.01), heart rate (P < 0.0003), diastolic blood pressure (P < 0.01), leukocyte count (P = 0.009), and serum albumin level (P < 0.0001) emerged as independent predictors of hospital mortality. Hypoalbuminemia (<34 g/L) yielded the best sensitivity (78.8%) and specificity (75%) for predicting hospital death.

Conclusions

Serum albumin level measured at admission can serve as a simple prognostic factor in acute non‐ischemic HF. Hypoalbuminemia is associated with increased risk of hospital mortality, especially in elderly patients.
Dioxygenation of Flavonol Catalyzed by Copper(II) Complexes Supported by Carboxylate‐Containing Ligands: Structural and Functional Models of Quercetin 2,4‐Dioxygenase
Authors: Sun Ying‐Ji , Li Pei , Huang Qian‐Qian , Zhang Jian‐Jun , Itoh Shinobu
Published: January 2017

To obtain insights into the role of the carboxylate group of Glu73 in the active site of quercetin 2,4‐dioxygenase (2,4‐QD), the copper(II) complexes [CuIILn(AcO)] [1 (Ln = L1), 2 (Ln = L2), 3 (Ln = L3), and 4 (Ln = L4)] supported by a series of carboxylate‐containing ligands [L1H = 2‐{[bis(pyridin‐2‐ylmethyl)amino]methyl}benzoic acid; L2H = 3‐{[bis(pyridin‐2‐ylmethyl)amino]methyl}benzoic acid,; L3H = 2‐({bis[2‐(pyridin‐2‐yl)ethyl]amino}methyl)benzoic acid; L4H = 3‐({bis[2‐(pyridin‐2‐yl)ethyl]amino}methyl)benzoic acid] as well as the ternary CuII flavonolate (fla–) complexes [CuIILn(fla)] [5 (Ln = L1), 6 (Ln = L2), 7 (Ln = L3), and 8 (Ln = L4)] were synthesized and characterized as structural and functional models for the active site of 2,4‐QD. The ternary complexes [CuIILn(fla)] showed different reactivities in the dioxygenation of bound flavonolate to benzoic acid, salicylic acid, and N,N‐dimethylbenzamide at 75–90 °C (single‐turnover reaction) in the order 5 >> 7 > 8 ≈ 6. A similar reactivity tendency was found in the catalytic dioxygenation of the substrate flavonol (multiturnover reaction) by the binary complexes. The different reactivities of the copper complexes could be attributed to the different Lewis acidities of the copper(II) ions induced by the different coordination environments of the ligands. The results will provide important insights into the pivotal catalytic role of the carboxylate group of Glu73 in 2,4‐QD.
Dichlorosilylene Transfer to a P‐Fluorophosphaalkene: The Route to a C‐Dichlorofluorosilyl‐Functionalized Dialkyldiphosphene
Authors: Mitrofan Cristina , Gust Thorsten , Zanin Andreas , Bîrzoi Roxana M. , Jones Peter G. , du Mont Wolf‐W. , Hayashi Satoko , Nakanishi Waro , Marsmann Heinrich C.
Published: January 2017

Reactions of the (trichlorosilyl)germane Me3GeSiCl3 and of the unsymmetric disilane Me3SiSiCl3 with the P‐fluorophosphaalkene (Me3Si)2C=PF (1) proceed with transfer of SiCl2 (2) leading to the new C‐dichlorofluorosilyl‐functionalized dialkyldiphosphene (Cl2FSi)(Me3Si)2CP=PC(SiCl2F)(SiMe3)2 (6), which was characterized by X‐ray crystallography. The P‐phosphanylphosphaalkene (Me3Si)2C=PP[C(SiCl2F)(SiMe3)2]SiCl2F (8a) was detected in the reaction mixtures by 31P NMR spectroscopy, accompanied by its isomer 8b, presumably (Cl2FSi)(Me3Si)C=PP[C(SiCl2F)(SiMe3)2]SiMe3. The unsymmetric dimers 8a and 8b rearrange by a 1,3‐(P→C) silyl group shift, providing the inversion‐symmetric diphosphene 6. Compound 6 was transformed with selenium into a selenadiphosphirane (9). Quantum chemical calculations were performed on intermediates on the route from 1 and 2 to the metastable unsymmetric dimers 8a and 8b. The addition of SiCl2 to the P=C bond of 1, followed by ring opening of the silaphosphirane 4, provides the phosphinidene (Me3Si)2(Cl2FSi)CP (5), which rearranges further to isomeric P‐silylphosphaalkenes (Me3Si)2C=PSiCl2F (7a) and (Cl2FSi)(Me3Si)C=PSiMe3 (7b). Rapid phosphinidene–phosphaalkene P–P coupling reactions of 5 with 7a and with 7b followed by 1,2‐(P→P) silyl group shift of ylide‐type dimers 11a and 11b explain the formation of the observed species 8a and 8b. The absence of species related to 8b in previous experiments on the reactions of the P‐chlorophosphaalkene (Me3Si)2C=PCl (1′) with Si2Cl6, with Me3GeSiCl3, and with Me3SiSiCl3, allows us to suggest that in the P‐chlorophosphaalkene case nucleophile‐supported SiCl2 insertion into the P–Cl bond or the substitutive Cl–/SiCl3– exchange are the preferred routes to the metastable P‐(trichlorosilyl)phosphaalkene (Me3Si)2C=PSiCl3.
Precursors for p‐Type Nickel Oxide: Atmospheric‐Pressure Metal–Organic Chemical‐Vapour Deposition (MOCVD) of Nickel Oxide Thin Films with High Work Functions
Authors: Cosham Samuel D. , Richards Stephen P. , Manning Troy , Hill Michael S. , Johnson Andrew L. , Molloy Kieran C.
Published: January 2017

A series of unsymmetrical nickel β‐diketonate derivatives have been synthesised and structurally characterised for application as atmospheric‐pressure metal–organic chemical vapour deposition (AP‐MOCVD) precursors for nickel oxide. (TMEDA)Ni[MeC(O)CHC(O)OEt]2 (TMEDA = tetramethylethylenediamine) was selected and used to deposit NiO films of varying thickness onto commercial indium tin oxide (ITO)‐coated glass; the work function of the ITO was raised as a consequence.
Acyl Radical Addition to Activated Olefins: A Stereocontrolled Route to Polysubstituted Tetrahydrofurans and Lactones, and Application to the Total Synthesis of (+)‐No. 2106 A
Authors: Grélaud Simon , Lusseau Jonathan , Landais Yannick
Published: January 2017

The addition of acyl radicals to α,β‐unsaturated esters, followed by acetalization and reduction of the resulting hemiacetal was shown to provide a straightforward access to tetrahydrofurans, and fused tetrahydrofuran–lactones in good yield with high 1,3‐stereocontrol. Similar addition reactions to five‐ and six‐membered‐ring α‐methylenelactones led to trisubstituted lactones with high diastereocontrol, using (Me3Si)3SiH as hydrogen‐atom‐transfer agent. This strategy was applied to the first total synthesis of (+)‐No. 2106 A, a fused THF–lactone produced by an endophytic fungus isolated from the seeds of the mangrove Avicennia marina.
Decisions and Authority
Authors: Kaebnick Gregory E.
Published: January 2017

This issue of the Hastings Center Report (January‐February 2017) features three articles exploring aspects of decision‐making for others. In the first two, the focus is on the limits of surrogate decision‐makers’ authority when the surrogates’ judgments about a patient's treatment conflict with the physicians’. If a physician decides that a patient will not benefit from CPR, for example, but the patient's surrogate insists on it, is the physician obliged to proceed with the procedure? Or can the physician, pointing to a duty to provide good care to the patient and not to cause the patient to suffer, get a do‐not‐resuscitate order for the patient—even in the face of the surrogate's objections? These are the questions that animate the first article, in which a group of authors report on a policy implemented at Massachusetts General Hospital to help doctors who face this dilemma.

The second article, by physician Jeffrey Berger, flips the questions. If a physician decides that a patient's intractable suffering requires palliative sedation, may the surrogate prevent it anyway? Or can the physician, pointing to a duty to alleviate the suffering, administer palliative sedation even in the face of the surrogate's objections? Such circumstances, says Berger, show the need for conceptual work delineating the limits of surrogates’ authority and practical work on mechanisms for doing so—protecting patients and giving physicians a clear route to follow.
Conflating Capacity & Authority:Why We're Asking the Wrong Question in the Adolescent Decision‐Making Debate
Authors: Salter Erica K.
Published: January 2017

Whether adolescents should be allowed to make their own medical decisions has been a topic of discussion in bioethics for at least two decades now. Are adolescents sufficiently capacitated to make their own medical decisions? Is the mature‐minor doctrine, an uncommon legal exception to the rule of parental decision‐making authority, something we should expand or eliminate? Bioethicists have dealt with the curious liminality of adolescents—their being neither children nor adults—in a variety of ways. However, recently there has been a trend to rely heavily, and often exclusively, on emerging neuroscientific and psychological data to answer these questions. Using data from magnetic resonance imaging and functional MRI studies on the adolescent brain, authors have argued both that the adolescent brain isn't sufficiently mature to broadly confer capacity on this population and that the adolescent brain is sufficiently mature to assume adolescent capacity. Scholars then accept these data as sufficient for concluding that adolescents should or should not have decision‐making authority. Two critical mistakes are being made here. The first is the expectation that neuroscience or psychology is or will be able to answer all our questions about capacity. The second, and more concerning, mistake is the conflation of decision‐making capacity with decision‐making authority.
Childbearing Choices: What Helps, What Doesn't, and What You Thought You Knew
Authors: Mercurio Mark R.
Published: January 2017

Childbearing is an increasingly complicated matter, which has evolved significantly over the past several decades. Treatment options for infertility have expanded. Prenatal testing and treatment have led to an evolution in obstetrical decision‐making, wherein the risks and benefits to the fetus and future child are better understood and more strongly considered in medical management of the pregnant woman. Obstetrics appears to be increasingly interventional; one in three babies in the United States is now born by cesarean section. Neonatal intensive care has markedly improved outcomes for premature babies. A pregnant woman may now be presented with many options— obstetrician or midwife, home or hospital delivery, choices among prenatal testing and monitoring, early induction of labor, cesarean delivery. Health care professionals face similar decisions with regard to what they recommend and the boundaries of safe and responsible care they should make available. Preterm Babies, Fetal Patients, and Childbearing Choices, by John D. Lantos and Diane S. Lauderdale, provides an excellent overview of the available information relevant to these questions.
Intra‐ and inter‐network functional alterations in Parkinson's disease with mild cognitive impairment
Authors: Peraza Luis R. , Nesbitt David , Lawson Rachael A. , Duncan Gordon W. , Yarnall Alison J. , Khoo Tien K. , Kaiser Marcus , Firbank Michael J. , O'Brien John T. , Barker Roger A. , Brooks David J. , Burn David J. , Taylor John‐Paul
Published: January 2017

Mild cognitive impairment (MCI) is prevalent in 15%–40% of Parkinson's disease (PD) patients at diagnosis. In this investigation, we study brain intra‐ and inter‐network alterations in resting state functional magnetic resonance imaging (rs‐fMRI) in recently diagnosed PD patients and characterise them as either cognitive normal (PD‐NC) or with MCI (PD‐MCI). Patients were divided into two groups, PD‐NC (N = 62) and PD‐MCI (N = 37) and for comparison, healthy controls (HC, N = 30) were also included. Intra‐ and inter‐network connectivity were investigated from participants’ rs‐fMRIs in 26 resting state networks (RSNs). Intra‐network differences were found between both patient groups and HCs for networks associated with motor control (motor cortex), spatial attention and visual perception. When comparing both PD‐NC and PD‐MCI, intra‐network alterations were found in RSNs related to attention, executive function and motor control (cerebellum). The inter‐network analysis revealed a hyper‐synchronisation between the basal ganglia network and the motor cortex in PD‐NC compared with HCs. When both patient groups were compared, intra‐network alterations in RSNs related to attention, motor control, visual perception and executive function were found. We also detected disease‐driven negative synchronisations and synchronisation shifts from positive to negative and vice versa in both patient groups compared with HCs. The hyper‐synchronisation between basal ganglia and motor cortical RSNs in PD and its synchronisation shift from negative to positive compared with HCs, suggest a compensatory response to basal dysfunction and altered basal‐cortical motor control in the resting state brain of PD patients. Hum Brain Mapp 38:1702–1715, 2017. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Functional activation independently contributes to naming ability and relates to lesion site in post‐stroke aphasia
Authors: Skipper‐Kallal Laura M. , Lacey Elizabeth H. , Xing Shihui , Turkeltaub Peter E.
Published: January 2017

Language network reorganization in aphasia may depend on the degree of damage in critical language areas, making it difficult to determine how reorganization impacts performance. Prior studies on remapping of function in aphasia have not accounted for the location of the lesion relative to critical language areas. They rectified this problem by using a multimodal approach, combining multivariate lesion‐symptom mapping and fMRI in chronic aphasia to understand the independent contributions to naming performance of the lesion and the activity in both hemispheres. Activity was examined during two stages of naming: covert retrieval, and overt articulation. Regions of interest were drawn based on over‐ and under‐activation, and in areas where activity had a bivariate relationship with naming. Regressions then tested whether activation of these regions predicted naming ability, while controlling for lesion size and damage in critical left hemisphere naming areas, as determined by lesion‐symptom mapping. Engagement of the right superior temporal sulcus (STS) and disengagement of the left dorsal pars opercularis (dPOp) during overt naming was associated with better than predicted naming performance. Lesions in the left STS prevented right STS engagement and resulted in persistent left dPOp activation. In summary, changes in activity during overt articulation independently relate to naming outcomes, controlling for stroke severity. Successful remapping relates to network disruptions that depend on the location of the lesion in the left hemisphere. Hum Brain Mapp 38:2051–2066, 2017. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.