bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Influenza em crianças: o que há de novo?
Authors: Bricks Lucia Ferro , Domingues Carla Magda Allan Santos , Carvalhanas Tema Regina Marques Pinto , Pereira Sirlene , De Moraes Jose Cassio
Published: September 2014

ResumoA influenza afeta pessoas de todas as idades, causando substancial impacto em saúde pública.  No Brasil, em 2014, a vacinação de crianças foi ampliada, abrangendo todas as crianças de 6 a 60 meses de idade. O objetivo desta revisão é analisar as informações da literatura que justificam a ampliação da vacinação na faixa etária pediátrica.Métodos: Foram identificados e analisados os artigos publicados no PUBMED e SCIELO, assim como as informações disponíveis nos sites oficiais da OMS, OPAS, CDC, ECDC e do Ministério da Saúde do Brasil, utilizando as palavras-chave influenza, vacinas, crianças, no período de 01/01/2003 a 30/04/2014 e consultadas fontes relevantes mencionadas nos artigos.Resultados: Crianças menores de cinco anos apresentam as mais elevadas taxas de infecção por influenza e são as principais transmissoras do vírus para seus contatos na família e na escola. Nessa faixa etária, são comuns as complicações da influenza, como otite média aguda, crises de broncoespasmo e pneumonia. O número de consultas ambulatoriais e em serviços de emergência, assim como as hospitalizações são substanciais, assim como o absenteísmo dos pais ao trabalho para cuidar de crianças doentes, acarretando enormes perdas econômicas. Existem evidências de que a vacinação além de proteger as crianças vacinadas (proteção direta), reduz a carga da doença entre seus contatos (proteção indireta).Conclusões: A ampliação da vacinação de crianças  pode reduzir substancialmente a morbidade e mortalidade em toda a população e gerar economia para a família e a sociedade.
Facilitação Neuromuscular Proprioceptiva e o Alongamento Muscular como Modalidades Terapêuticas na Disfunção Temporomandibular
Authors: Melo Luana Torres Monteiro , Moreira Glaucus Moura , Vasconcelos Renata Santos , Gomes Regina Coeli Vieira , Abdon Ana Paula Vasconcellos
Published: September 2014

Introdução: O fisioterapeuta, integrante da equipe multidisciplinar, utiliza ampla variedade de aparelhos e recursos manuais no tratamento da disfunção temporomandibular (DTM), buscando recuperar a função do sistema estomatognático. A facilitação neuromuscular proprioceptiva (FNP) promove o movimento funcional por meio da facilitação, inibição e relaxamento da musculatura. O alongamento muscular reduz as tensões musculares e libera os movimentos bloqueados. Objetivo: Comparar os benefícios das duas técnicas na melhoria funcional de pacientes portadores de DTM.  Métodos: Realizou-se estudo intervencionista, comparativo e cego, com 12 pacientes atendidas no Núcleo de Atenção Médica Integrada (NAMI), Fortaleza-Ceará, do sexo feminino, adultas e com diagnóstico de DTM, divididas aleatoriamente em dois grupos. O grupo A foi tratado com FNP (técnica de manter-relaxar e estabilização rítmica) e o grupo B com alongamento muscular passivo. O tratamento foi realizado 2 vezes na semana, durante 5 semanas, totalizando 10 atendimentos com duração de 45 minutos. Resultados: Foi verificado que as pacientes de ambos os grupos tiveram melhora do quadro clínico, com redução significativa da dor em ambos os grupos (p < 0,05) e diminuição da dor à palpação muscular no grupo B (p < 0,05). Ao final do tratamento, não houve diferença na sintomatologia, amplitude de movimento e dor à palpação muscular entre os grupos. Conclusão: Os resultados mostraram que tanto a FNP como o alongamento muscular promoveram melhora do quadro álgico das pacientes, concluindo-se que ambas as técnicas podem ser acrescentadas aos tratamentos existentes para essa disfunção.
Importância do Contato Precoce Mãe-Filho e sua Contribuição para o Sucesso do Aleitamento Materno
Authors: Feitosa Aline , Pereira Márcio , Campos Jocileide
Published: September 2014

INTRODUÇÃO: O contato precoce com o bebê, na sala de parto, tem sido recomendado pelo Ministério da Saúde como forma de fortalecer o vínculo afetivo entre mãe e filho e incentivar o aleitamento materno. OBJETIVOS: Conhecer os sentimentos maternos diante do contato precoce com o bebê e a importância deste contato para o sucesso do aleitamento materno. MÉTODOS: Foram realizadas entrevistas individuais com 12 mulheres que tiveram filhos de parto normal e mantiveram contato precoce com o bebê na sala de parto. As entrevistas foram gravadas para a realização da análise de conteúdo, com definição de duas categorias dessa análise: Sentimentos da mãe no momento do primeiro contato com o bebê e orientação do profissional de saúde sobre o aleitamento materno após o parto. RESULTADOS: A idade média das pessoas entrevistadas foi de 22 anos, e a renda média foi menor que um salário mínimo. Pôde-se perceber que todas as mães relataram momentos de prazer e satisfação ao vivenciar o contato com o bebê ainda na sala de parto, sugerindo que todas as mulheres deveriam passar por essa experiência. Observou-se que poucos profissionais as orientaram sobre amamentação ainda na sala de parto, algo que ocorre com maior freqüência no alojamento conjunto. CONCLUSÕES: Percebe-se que o contato precoce é considerado como uma experiência positiva a todas as mulheres. Suporte e apoio para a amamentação deve ser uma rotina a ser realizada por todos os profissionais de saúde na sala de parto, desde o pré-natal até as consultas de puericultura.
Fatores de risco para leptospirose, relacionados à atividade laboral em agricultores de arroz em uma cidade do nordeste do Brasil, 2008.
Authors: Oliveira Patricia Pereira Vasconcelos de , Ohara Patrícia Miyuki , Hoffmann Juliano Leonidas , Silva Fernando Wilson Fernandes , De Lima Antônia Máximo de Lima , Patrício Maria Iracema Aguiar , Barreto Maria de Lourdes Coelho Alencar , Avelar Kátia Eliane Santos , De Carvalho Jonas Lotufo Brant , Araujo Wildo Navegantes
Published: September 2014

Em 07/2008 o município de Várzea Alegre/CE notificou 350 casos suspeitos de leptospirose em agricultores de arroz e uma investigação foi realizada para identificar os fatores de risco. Um estudo de caso controle (1:2) de base populacional foi conduzido de janeiro a julho de 2008. O caso foi o individuo que apresentou titulo de anticorpos para leptospirose maior ou igual a 1:100 pelo método da soroaglutinação microscópica e o controle foi o individuo saudável que não apresentou títulos de anticorpos para leptospirose selecionado aleatoriamente. Entre os 85 casos identificados, 73(86%) eram do sexo masculino; a mediana de idade foi de 19 anos (10-74) e mais de 60% dos casos referiram febre, mialgia, cefaleia e calafrios. No primeiro modelo teórico, ser do sexo masculino (OR:4;IC95%:2.3-9.4) e trabalhar na lavoura de arroz (OR:2.9;IC95%:2.1-6.8) foram associados a doença. No segundo modelo, usar roupas curtas (OR:5.3;IC95%:1.6-17.5) e mais de 8 horas trabalhados na lavoura (OR:3.9;IC95%:1.1-14.6) foram associados. Os principais fatores de risco identificados foram relacionados à atividade ocupacional e ao não uso de roupas de proteção individual e exposição prolongada ao ambiente de trabalho. Recomendamos o fortalecimento das políticas de saúde do trabalhador rural, aprimoramento do acesso desses agricultores às informações sobre os riscos e incentivá-los ao uso de equipamentos de proteção individual nas atividades de campo.
Sustaining the Effective Use of Health Care Data: A Message from the
Editors
Authors: Wilcox Adam , Holve Erin
Published: September 2014

Introduction: Over the past decade, several initiatives have funded large projects
to develop clinical research data infrastructures totaling several hundred million
dollars. While most of this funding has ended or is expected to end soon, the projects
themselves must struggle to continue operations beyond the initial funding. Examples of
sustained research-data infrastructures are lacking, and recommended approaches to
improve sustainability of developing infrastructures are even rarer. Early on, the
Electronic Data Methods (EDM) Forum—and the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality
(AHRQ) as its sponsor—recognized the need to study strategies for sustainability.Themes:
Three prominent themes relating to sustainability arise among the articles in this
special issue: the importance of project maturity, commercialization activities, and
stakeholder support. Maturity was relevant to all the papers since a project’s maturity
directly influences the opportunities that are available, while commercialization and
stakeholder support emerged from comparisons among subsets of articles.Next Steps: The
papers in this issue create a useful initial set of case studies to help in
understanding sustainability issues for data infrastructures needed for research and QI.
Each paper includes important lessons learned from the authors’ experience with the
different projects that should resonate with the broader fields of clinical research and
clinical research informatics. There is an ongoing need for greater understanding of
sustainability beyond what this issue provides. As more case studies of sustainability
are accumulated, it is expected even more important themes will emerge from qualitative
reviews that can eventually be demonstrated quantitatively.
Amantadine: Multiple Sclerosis–Related Fatigue
Authors: Generali Joyce A. , Cada Dennis J.
Published: September 2014

This Hospital Pharmacy feature is extracted from Off-Label Drug Facts, a publication available from Wolters Kluwer Health. Off-Label Drug Facts is a practitioner-oriented resource for information about specific drug uses that are unapproved by the US Food and Drug Administration. This new guide to the literature enables the health care professional or clinician to quickly identify published studies on off-label uses and determine if a specific use is rational in a patient care scenario. References direct the reader to the full literature for more comprehensive information before patient care decisions are made. Direct questions or comments regarding Off-Label Drug Uses to jgeneral@ku.edu .
Appropriate Enoxaparin Dose for Venous Thromboembolism Prophylaxis in Patients with Extreme Obesity
Authors: Shelkrot Max , Miraka Jonida , Perez Mirza E.
Published: September 2014

Objective

To evaluate the appropriate dose of enoxaparin for venous thromboembolism (VTE) prophylaxis in patients with extreme obesity.

Methods

A literature search was performed using MEDLINE (1950-April 2013) to analyze all English-language articles that evaluated incidence of VTE and/or anti-Xa levels with enoxaparin for thromboprophylaxis in patients with extreme obesity.

Results

Eight studies were included in the analysis. Six of the studies were done in patients undergoing bariatric surgery. Mean body mass index ranged from 44.9 to 63.4 kg/m2 within studies. Studies done with bariatric surgery patients utilized doses of enoxaparin that ranged from the standard dose of 30 mg subcutaneous (SQ) every 12 hours to 60 mg SQ every 12 hours. Other studies evaluated doses ranging from 40 mg SQ every 24 hours to 0.5 mg/kg/day. Only 3 studies evaluated the incidence of VTE as the primary endpoint; the other studies evaluated anti-Xa levels. The studies showed that appropriate anti-Xa levels were achieved more often with higher than standard doses of enoxaparin. One study showed that enoxaparin 40 mg SQ every 12 hours decreased the incidence of VTE in patients undergoing bariatric surgery compared to standard doses. Overall risk of bleeding was similar between study groups.

Conclusions

Higher than standard doses of enoxaparin may be needed for patients with extreme obesity. Patients undergoing bariatric surgery may benefit from enoxaparin 40 mg SQ every 12 hours. Additional large randomized, controlled trials are needed to determine the efficacy and safety of higher than standard doses of enoxaparin for VTE prophylaxis in patients with extreme obesity.
Apremilast
Authors: Cada Dennis J. , Ingram Kyle , Baker Danial E.
Published: September 2014

Each month, subscribers to The Formulary Monograph Service receive 5 to 6 well-documented monographs on drugs that are newly released or are in late phase 3 trials. The monographs are targeted to Pharmacy & Therapeutics Committees. Subscribers also receive monthly 1-page summary monographs on agents that are useful for agendas and pharmacy/nursing in-services. A comprehensive target drug utilization evaluation/medication use evaluation (DUE/MUE) is also provided each month. With a subscription, the monographs are sent in print and are also available on-line. Monographs can be customized to meet the needs of a facility. A drug class review is now published monthly with The Formulary Monograph Service. Through the cooperation of The Formulary, Hospital Pharmacy publishes selected reviews in this column. For more information about The Formulary Monograph Service, call The Formulary at 800-322-4349. The September 2014 monograph topics are tedizolid phosphate, ceritinib, omega-3-carboxylic acids, umeclidinium bromide inhalation powder, and siltuximab. The DUE/MUE is on avoidance of insulin use errors.
What to Look for in Your First Job
Authors: Ree Eun Jin , Weber Robert J.
Published: September 2014

The first job is very important in setting a trajectory for career development and progress. Although new pharmacy graduates will generally enjoy excellent job opportunities, they need to consider specific factors in choosing their first job. In addition, the increased number of pharmacy schools has produced more pharmacy graduates, leading to more competition for jobs. This tight job market may cause students or residents to make a hasty decision about their first job. The goal of this Director's Forum is to provide guidance to young pharmacists as they choose their first job after schooling or training. This article specifically addresses the importance of the first job on career and personal development, lists the specific considerations in finding and deciding on the first job, and presents some experiences from others that may highlight possible pitfalls in choosing the first job. We hope the information in this article will provide some guidance to young pharmacists in choosing a job that meets the goals of their life plan while helping them to develop a career focused on providing patient-centered pharmacy services.
Identifying and Addressing Technology Challenges among Older Adults
Authors: Fox Brent I. , Felkey Bill G.
Published: September 2014

It is sometimes surprising to learn about the challenges patients face in maintaining health and wellness. Many of their challenges are things we may not commonly consider. Additionally, our preconceived ideas of what a patient experiences can often be off the mark. This month, we explore the segment of the population that is most commonly encountered in US hospitals.
The Innovation of Community Policing and the COPS Office: Does Diffusion of Innovation Theory Hold in a Manipulated Environment?
Authors: Gayadeen S. Marlon , Phillips Scott W.
Published: September 2014

Diffusion of Innovation (DOI) theory provides prescribed stages for an innovation to traverse, in order to obtain field adoption. This study utilised DOI theory to demonstrate the impact a manipulated environment may have on diffusing public policy. Data were provided by the Office of Community Oriented Policing Services (the COPS Office). Analysis found that DOI theory does not hold in a manipulated environment. This research provides two considerations for adjusting DOI theory: financial incentives and politics. First, organisations with few resources may have equal access to innovations via government grants. Second, political agendas can be integral to diffusing an innovation.
Inter-Communicative Decentralized Multi-Scale Control (ICD-MSC) Scheme: A New Approach to Overcome MIMO Process Interactions
Authors: Nandong Jobrun , Zang Zhuquan
Published: September 2014

Decentralized PID control has been extensively used in process industry due to its functional simplicity. But designing an effective decentralized PID control system is very challenging because of process interactions and dead times, which often impose limitations on control performance. In practice, to alleviate the detrimental effect of process interactions on control performance, decoupling controllers are often incorporated into a decentralized control scheme. In many cases, these conventional decoupling controllers are not physically realizable or too complex for practical implementation. In this paper, we propose an alternative scheme to overcome the performance limitation imposed by process interactions. This new control scheme is extended from the SISO multi-scale control scheme previously developed for nonminimum-phase processes. The salient feature of the new control scheme lies in its communicative structure enabling collaborative communication among all the sub-controllers in the system. This communicative structure serves the purpose of reducing the detrimental effect of process interactions leading to improved control performance and performance robustness. Extensive numerical study shows that the new control scheme is able to outperform some existing decentralized control schemes augmented with traditional decoupling controllers.
Organic materials in black liquors of soda-AQ pulping of hot-water-extracted birch (Betula pendula) sawdust
Authors: Lehto Joni , Alén Raimo
Published: September 2014

The chemical composition of black liquors obtained from the soda-AQ pulping of birch (Betula pendula) sawdust was studied as a function of cooking time, effective alkali content, and hot-water pretreatment of the sawdust prior to delignification. Special attention was paid on the formation of lignin-derived materials and low-molecular-mass carbohydrate-derived degradation products containing aliphatic carboxylic acids. In the case of the hot-water-pretreated feedstock, less acetic acid and formic acid and more nonvolatile hydroxy acids (especially monocarboxylic acids) were obtained. The observations can be interpreted as a result of the extensive removal of hemicelluloses during the hot-water pretreatment.
Microstructure and Mechanical Properties of Ti(C,N)-based Functional Gradient Cermets Nitriding by Microwave Heating
Authors: Tang Siwen , Liu Deshun , Li Pengnan , Chen Yuqiang , Xiao Xiong
Published: September 2014

The interaction between nitrogen and titanium carbonitride (Ti(C,N))-based cermets by microwave heating was applied to develop functional gradient cermets. Ti(C,N)-based cermets was densification and nitrided simultaneously above the eutectic temperature, which greatly shortens the sintering time. Experimental results show that a face centered cubic (fcc) rich surface layer was formed at the surface of the cermets. Meanwhile, a new three layers core/rim structure was found in the cermets and its formation mechanism was proposed in this study. The functional gradient material exhibits excellent comprehensive properties.
An Investigation of Energy Consumption, Solar Fraction and Hybrid Photovoltaic–Thermal Solar Dryer Parameters in Drying of Chamomile Flower
Authors: Minaei Saeid , Motevali Ali , Ghobadian Barat , Banakar Ahmad , Samadi Seyed Hashem
Published: September 2014

In this research, drying of a medicinal plant (chamomile) in a hybrid photovoltaic–thermal solar dryer with and without heat pump was investigated. The experiments were performed at three air speeds (0.5, 1, and 1.5 m/s), three levels of air temperature (40, 50, and 60°C), with and without using a heat pump. Results of analysis indicated that adding a heat pump to the photovoltaic solar dryer decreases drying time, energy consumption, and required specific energy. Solar energy fraction increased with decreasing air temperature and velocity. Analysis of the dryer-related parameters showed that the maximum and minimum thermal efficiencies were 33.8 and 16.4%, respectively, both in the no-heat-pump mode while with the heat pump, its maximum and minimum values were 38.4 and 19.7%, respectively. Moreover, the highest and lowest electrical efficiencies for the no-heat-pump mode were 13.4 and 9.1%, respectively; while using the heat pump, its maximum and minimum values were 14.1 and 10.4%, respectively. Results of analyzing the dryer’s coefficient of performance for drying chamomile showed that the highest and lowest coefficients of performance were 3.41 and 1.82, respectively. Eleven mathematical models were tested, and Page’s model was selected as the best for describing the drying behavior of chamomile flower.
Reliability of Lead-free Solder Joints in WLCSP Device with Finite Element Simulation and Taguchi Method
Authors: Zhang Liang , Sun Lei , Han Ji-guang , Guo Yong-huan
Published: September 2014

In this paper, we research the thermo-mechanical reliability of lead-free solder joints in WLCSP assembly subjected to an accelerated thermal cyclic loading based on finite element simulation and Taguchi method. Effects of different control factors, including solder materials, height of solder ball, chip thickness and substrates thickness on the reliability of the lead-free solder joints were examined and calculated. The corner solder joint is the most critical solder joints in the assembly, the top surface of the solder joint is the crack propagated location. The optimal design in the WLCSP assembly has the combination of the SnAgCuAl, height of solder ball at 0.25 mm, chip thickness at 0.6 mm, substrate thickness at 1.0 mm. Moreover, the solder materials is the most important factor among the control factors in the WLCSP assembly.
A statistical study of precursor activity in rain-induced landslides
Authors: Avlonitis Markos , Efremidis George , Konstantinidis Avraam
Published: September 2014

Spring-block models were introduced several years ago to model avalanche-like dynamics for catastrophic landslides. This article aims to address precursor phenomena in rain-induced landslides through the enrichment of a two-dimensional spring-block model with displacement gradients and stochasticity. This approach is along the lines of Aifantis and coworkers, who introduced deterministic gradients to stabilize material behavior in the softening regime and later expanded on it by introducing stochastic terms to model the competition between deterministic gradients and random effects. To this end, an appropriate stochastic constitutive relation, introducing an effective dissipation parameter (which is related to structural heterogeneity and deformation processes at the failure plane) is used. It is shown that there is definite precursor activity before rain-induced landslides that can be modeled by a process of material yielding at the failure plane (a “weak” plane at a certain depth, parallel to the surface of the soil or rock mass, over which landslide takes place). This activity is related to the exponent b of the power-law distribution of the slip events within the failure plane. Cellular automaton simulations were used to verify the analytical predictions, which can be useful to geoscientists and engineers, as an early prediction of the initiation of a landslide can minimize its catastrophic results through proper safety and precautionary measures.
Old dog, new tricks: Arf1 required for mitochondria homeostasis
Authors: Rabouille Catherine
Published: September 2014

The small GTPase Arf1 that is classically required for the budding of COPI‐coated vesicles from the Golgi membrane is now proposed to have novel and conserved roles in the morphological and functional maintenance of mitochondria: It functionally localizes to ER/mitochondria contact sites; it allows for the recruitment of a degradation machinery to mitochondria to remove toxic mitofusin/Fzo1 clusters; and it allows the extension of autophagy sequestration membranes needed for mitophagy to clear damaged mitochondria.
TLR8 signaling enhances tumor immunity by preventing tumor‐induced T‐cell senescence
Authors: Ye Jian , Ma Chunling , Hsueh Eddy C , Dou Jie , Mo Wei , Liu Shuai , Han Bing , Huang Yi , Zhang Yanping , Varvares Mark A , Hoft Daniel F , Peng Guangyong
Published: September 2014

Accumulating evidence suggests the immunosuppressive microenvironments created by malignant tumors represent a major obstacle for effective anti‐tumor immunity. A better understanding of the suppressive mechanisms mediated by tumor microenvironments and the development of strategies to reverse the immune suppression are major challenges for the success of tumor immunotherapy. Here, we report that human tumor cells can induce senescence in naïve/effector T cells, exhibiting potent suppressive function in vitro and in vivo. We further show that tumor‐derived endogenous cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP) is responsible for the induction of T‐cell senescence. Importantly, activation of TLR8 signaling in tumor cells can block the induction and reverse the suppression of senescent naïve and tumor‐specific T cells in vitro and in vivo, resulting in enhanced anti‐tumor immunity. These studies identify a novel mechanism of human tumor‐mediated immune suppression and provide a new strategy to reverse tumor immunosuppressive effects for tumor immunotherapy.
20 YEARS OF LEPTIN: Connecting leptin signaling to biological function
Authors: Allison Margaret B , Myers Martin G
Published: September 2014

Hypothalamic leptin action promotes negative energy balance and modulates glucose homeostasis, as well as serving as a permissive signal to the neuroendocrine axes that control growth and reproduction. Since the initial discovery of leptin 20 years ago, we have learned a great deal about the molecular mechanisms of leptin action. An important aspect of this has been the dissection of the cellular mechanisms of leptin signaling, and how specific leptin signals influence physiology. Leptin acts via the long form of the leptin receptor LepRb. LepRb activation and subsequent tyrosine phosphorylation recruits and activates multiple signaling pathways, including STAT transcription factors, SHP2 and ERK signaling, the IRS-protein/PI3Kinase pathway, and SH2B1. Each of these pathways controls specific aspects of leptin action and physiology. Important inhibitory pathways mediated by suppressor of cytokine signaling proteins and protein tyrosine phosphatases also limit physiologic leptin action. This review summarizes the signaling pathways engaged by LepRb and their effects on energy balance, glucose homeostasis, and reproduction. Particular emphasis is given to the multiple mouse models that have been used to elucidate these functions in vivo.
The Genetic Architecture of Maize (Zea mays L.) Kernel Weight Determination
Authors: Alvarez Prado Santiago , López César G , Senior M Lynn , Borrás Lucas
Published: September 2014

Individual kernel weight is an important trait for maize yield determination. We have identified genomic regions controlling this trait by using the B73xMo17 population; however, the effect of genetic background on control of this complex trait and its physiological components is not yet known. The objective of this study was to understand how genetic background affected our previous results. Two nested stable recombinant inbred line populations (N209xMo17 and R18xMo17) were designed for this purpose. A total of 408 recombinant inbred lines were genotyped and phenotyped at two environments for kernel weight and five other traits related to kernel growth and development. All traits showed very high and significant (P < 0.001) phenotypic variability and medium-to-high heritability (0.60−0.90). When N209xMo17 and R18xMo17 were analyzed separately, a total of 23 environmentally stable quantitative trait loci (QTL) and five epistatic interactions were detected for N209xMo17. For R18xMo17, 59 environmentally stable QTL and 17 epistatic interactions were detected. A joint analysis detected 14 stable QTL regardless of the genetic background. Between 57 and 83% of detected QTL were population specific, denoting medium-to-high genetic background effects. This percentage was dependent on the trait. A meta-analysis including our previous B73xMo17 results identified five relevant genomic regions deserving further characterization. In summary, our grain filling traits were dominated by small additive QTL with several epistatic and few environmental interactions and medium-to-high genetic background effects. This study demonstrates that the number of detected QTL and additive effects for different physiologically related grain filling traits need to be understood relative to the specific germplasm.
Quantitative Trait Locus Mapping Methods for Diversity Outbred Mice
Authors: Gatti Daniel M , Svenson Karen L , Shabalin Andrey , Wu Long-Yang , Valdar William , Simecek Petr , Goodwin Neal , Cheng Riyan , Pomp Daniel , Palmer Abraham , Chesler Elissa J , Broman Karl W , Churchill Gary A
Published: September 2014

Genetic mapping studies in the mouse and other model organisms are used to search for genes underlying complex phenotypes. Traditional genetic mapping studies that employ single-generation crosses have poor mapping resolution and limit discovery to loci that are polymorphic between the two parental strains. Multiparent outbreeding populations address these shortcomings by increasing the density of recombination events and introducing allelic variants from multiple founder strains. However, multiparent crosses present new analytical challenges and require specialized software to take full advantage of these benefits. Each animal in an outbreeding population is genetically unique and must be genotyped using a high-density marker set; regression models for mapping must accommodate multiple founder alleles, and complex breeding designs give rise to polygenic covariance among related animals that must be accounted for in mapping analysis. The Diversity Outbred (DO) mice combine the genetic diversity of eight founder strains in a multigenerational breeding design that has been maintained for >16 generations. The large population size and randomized mating ensure the long-term genetic stability of this population. We present a complete analytical pipeline for genetic mapping in DO mice, including algorithms for probabilistic reconstruction of founder haplotypes from genotyping array intensity data, and mapping methods that accommodate multiple founder haplotypes and account for relatedness among animals. Power analysis suggests that studies with as few as 200 DO mice can detect loci with large effects, but loci that account for <5% of trait variance may require a sample size of up to 1000 animals. The methods described here are implemented in the freely available R package DOQTL.
Fine-Mapping Nicotine Resistance Loci inDrosophilaUsing a Multiparent Advanced Generation Inter-Cross Population
Authors: Marriage Tara N , King Elizabeth G , Long Anthony D , Macdonald Stuart J
Published: September 2014

Animals in nature are frequently challenged by toxic compounds, from those that occur naturally in plants as a defense against herbivory, to pesticides used to protect crops. On exposure to such xenobiotic substances, animals mount a transcriptional response, generating detoxification enzymes and transporters that metabolize and remove the toxin. Genetic variation in this response can lead to variation in the susceptibility of different genotypes to the toxic effects of a given xenobiotic. Here we use Drosophila melanogaster to dissect the genetic basis of larval resistance to nicotine, a common plant defense chemical and widely used addictive drug in humans. We identified quantitative trait loci (QTL) for the trait using the DSPR (Drosophila Synthetic Population Resource), a panel of multiparental advanced intercross lines. Mapped QTL collectively explain 68.4% of the broad-sense heritability for nicotine resistance. The two largest-effect loci—contributing 50.3 and 8.5% to the genetic variation—map to short regions encompassing members of classic detoxification gene families. The largest QTL resides over a cluster of ten UDP-glucuronosyltransferase (UGT) genes, while the next largest QTL harbors a pair of cytochrome P450 genes. Using RNA-seq we measured gene expression in a pair of DSPR founders predicted to harbor different alleles at both QTL and showed that Ugt86Dd, Cyp28d1, and Cyp28d2 had significantly higher expression in the founder carrying the allele conferring greater resistance. These genes are very strong candidates to harbor causative, regulatory polymorphisms that explain a large fraction of the genetic variation in larval nicotine resistance in the DSPR.
A General Modeling Framework for Genome Ancestral Origins in Multiparental Populations
Authors: Zheng Chaozhi , P. Boer Martin , van Eeuwijk Fred A
Published: September 2014

The next generation of QTL (quantitative trait loci) mapping populations have been designed with multiple founders, where one to a number of generations of intercrossing are introduced prior to the inbreeding phase to increase accumulated recombinations and thus mapping resolution. Examples of such populations are Collaborative Cross (CC) in mice and Multiparent Advanced Generation Inter-Cross (MAGIC) lines in Arabidopsis. The genomes of the produced inbred lines are fine-grained random mosaics of the founder genomes. In this article, we present a novel framework for modeling ancestral origin processes along two homologous autosomal chromosomes from mapping populations, which is a major component in the reconstruction of the ancestral origins of each line for QTL mapping. We construct a general continuous time Markov model for ancestral origin processes, where the rate matrix is deduced from the expected densities of various types of junctions (recombination breakpoints). The model can be applied to monoecious populations with or without self-fertilizations and to dioecious populations with two separate sexes. The analytic expressions for map expansions and expected junction densities are obtained for mapping populations that have stage-wise constant mating schemes, such as CC and MAGIC. Our studies on the breeding design of MAGIC populations show that the intercross mating schemes do not matter much for large population size and that the overall expected junction density, and thus map resolution, are approximately proportional to the inverse of the number of founders.
Multiple Quantitative Trait Analysis Using Bayesian Networks
Authors: Scutari Marco , Howell Phil , Balding David J , Mackay Ian
Published: September 2014

Models for genome-wide prediction and association studies usually target a single phenotypic trait. However, in animal and plant genetics it is common to record information on multiple phenotypes for each individual that will be genotyped. Modeling traits individually disregards the fact that they are most likely associated due to pleiotropy and shared biological basis, thus providing only a partial, confounded view of genetic effects and phenotypic interactions. In this article we use data from a Multiparent Advanced Generation Inter-Cross (MAGIC) winter wheat population to explore Bayesian networks as a convenient and interpretable framework for the simultaneous modeling of multiple quantitative traits. We show that they are equivalent to multivariate genetic best linear unbiased prediction (GBLUP) and that they are competitive with single-trait elastic net and single-trait GBLUP in predictive performance. Finally, we discuss their relationship with other additive-effects models and their advantages in inference and interpretation. MAGIC populations provide an ideal setting for this kind of investigation because the very low population structure and large sample size result in predictive models with good power and limited confounding due to relatedness.
Novel Distal eQTL Analysis Demonstrates Effect of Population Genetic Architecture on Detecting and Interpreting Associations
Authors: Weiser Matthew , Mukherjee Sayan , Furey Terrence S
Published: September 2014

Mapping expression quantitative trait loci (eQTL) has identified genetic variants associated with transcription rates and has provided insight into genotype–phenotype associations obtained from genome-wide association studies (GWAS). Traditional eQTL mapping methods present significant challenges for the multiple-testing burden, resulting in a limited ability to detect eQTL that reside distal to the affected gene. To overcome this, we developed a novel eQTL testing approach, “network-based, large-scale identification of distal eQTL” (NetLIFT), which performs eQTL testing based on the pairwise conditional dependencies between genes’ expression levels. When applied to existing data from yeast segregants, NetLIFT replicated most previously identified distal eQTL and identified 46% more genes with distal effects compared to local effects. In liver data from mouse lines derived through the Collaborative Cross project, NetLIFT detected 5744 genes with local eQTL while 3322 genes had distal eQTL. This analysis revealed founder-of-origin effects for a subset of local eQTL that may contribute to previously described phenotypic differences in metabolic traits. In human lymphoblastoid cell lines, NetLIFT was able to detect 1274 transcripts with distal eQTL that had not been reported in previous studies, while 2483 transcripts with local eQTL were identified. In all species, we found no enrichment for transcription factors facilitating eQTL associations; instead, we found that most trans-acting factors were annotated for metabolic function, suggesting that genetic variation may indirectly regulate multigene pathways by targeting key components of feedback processes within regulatory networks. Furthermore, the unique genetic history of each population appears to influence the detection of genes with local and distal eQTL.
Nondestructive Evaluation on Hydrided LWR Fuel Cladding by Small Angle Incoherent Neutron Scattering of Hydrogen
Authors: Yan Y. , Qian S. , Littrell K. , Parish C. M. , Bell G. L. , Plummer L. K.
Published: September 2014

A non-destructive neutron scattering method was developed to precisely measure the uptake of total hydrogen in nuclear grade Zircaloy-4 cladding. The hydriding apparatus consists of a closed stainless steel vessel that contains Zircaloy-4 specimens and hydrogen gas. By controlling the initial hydrogen gas pressure in the vessel and the temperature profile, target hydrogen concentrations from tens of ppm to a few thousands of ppm have been successfully achieved. Following hydrogen charging, the hydrogen content of the hydrided specimens was measured using the vacuum hot extraction method (VHE), by which the samples with desired hydrogen concentration were selected for the neutron study. Small angle incoherent neutron scattering (SAINS) were performed in the High Flux Isotope Reactor (HFIR) at Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL). Our study indicates that a very small amount (≈ 20 ppm) hydrogen in commercial Zircaloy-4 cladding can be measured very accurately in minutes for a wide range of hydrogen concentration by a nondestructive method. The hydrogen distribution in a tube sample was obtained by scaling the neutron scattering rate with a factor, which is determined by calibration process with direct chemical analysis method on the specimen. This scale factor can be used for future test with unknown hydrogen concentration, thus provide a nondestructive method for absolute hydrogen concentration determination.
Temperature Dependent Electrical and Dielectrics Properties of Metal-Insulator-Metal Capacitors with Alumina-Silicone Nanolaminate Films
Authors: Sahoo Santosh K. , Patel Rakhi P. , Wolden Colin A.
Published: September 2014

Alumina-silicone hybrid nanolaminate films were synthesized by plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PECVD) process. PECVD allows digital control over nanolaminate construction, and may be performed at low temperature for compatibility with flexible substrates. These materials are being considered as dielectrics for application such as capacitors in thin film transistors and memory devices. Temperature dependent electrical and dielectric properties of the nanolaminate dielectric films in metal-insulator-metal structures are taken in the range of 200- 340 K to better asses their potential applications for different devices. It is observed that the frequency dependent dielectric constant (εr) and ac conductivity (σac) increase with the temperature. Both quadratic (α) and linear (β) voltage coefficient of capacitance (VCC) increases as the temperature increases. The temperature co-efficient of capacitance (TCC) decreases from 894 to 374 ppm/K as the Al2O3 composition increases in the alumina/silicone nanolaminates. Activation energy (Ea) for hopping conduction mechanism varies from 0.011 eV to 0.008 eV as the alumina composition increases from 50 to 83.3%.
Post Deposition Annealing Temperature Effect on White-light Emitting of Sputter Deposited Zr-doped HfO2 Thin Film
Authors: Lin Chi-Chou , Kuo Yue
Published: September 2014

The warm white light emission from the MOS capacitor containing the Zr-doped HfO2 high-k thin film on a p-type Si wafer under various post deposition annealing temperatures has been investigated. The light intensity is affected by the annealing temperature and the magnitude of the stress voltage. The annealing temperature changes the defect density and the physical thickness of the high-k stack. The high stress voltage induces the strong light emission because of the passage of a large current through the conductive path. The broad band emission spectrum covers the visible and near IR wavelength range with a large color rendering index. This new light emission device has a very long lifetime of > 1,000 hours at the atmosphere without a protection layer. The device is made of the IC compatible material and fabrication process, which favors the application over a wide range of products.
EFFECTS OF VITAMIN D3 LEVELS ON GROWTH AND SURVIVAL RATE OF SNUBNOSE POMPANO JUVENILE (Trachinotus blochii Lacepède, 1801)
Authors: Hung Lai Van , Thu Huynh Thu , Dung Tran Van , Trang Tran Thi Le , Khanh Pham Thi
Published: September 2014

Vitamin is one of the most important nutrient components having strong effects on growth, survival rate and food conversion ratio in marine finfish in general and in snubnose pompano in particular. In this study, 3 levels of vitamin D3 (100, 115 and 130mg/kg dry feed) and a control treatment (0mg/kg dry feed) were tested in order to evaluate the effects of this component in diets on growth, survival rate and food conversion ratio in rearing the snubnose pompano juveline. Results showed that the level of 130mg/kg dry feed gave higher specific growth rate of body weight and final weight gain (0.89%/day; 11.29%/day; 11.18g/ind.) compared to the rest vitamin D3 levels (p < 0.05). Apart from the specific growth rate of total length, the fish were fed on diets contained vitamin D3 100 and 115mg/kg dry feed obtained higher specific growth rate of body weight and final weight gain compared to those of the control treatment (9.74%/day; 9.36g/ind. and 10.53%/day; 10.09g/ind. as opposed as 6.43%/day; 7.28g/ind.; p < 0.05). There were no significant differences about these parameters between the treatments of 100 and 115mg/kg dry feed. However, the supplement of vitamin D3 in diets had no significant effects on food conversion ration (1.17 - 1.41) and survival rate (91.95 - 96.67%). From the results of this study, it can be suggested that the appopriate level of vitamin D3 supplement should be 130mg/kg dry feed to optimize the growth of the pompano juveline.
Retrospective Analysis of Implant Overdenture Treatment in the Advanced Prosthodontic Clinic at the University of Illinois at Chicago
Authors: Marinis Aristotelis , Afshari Fatemeh S. , Yuan Judy Chia-Chun , Lee Damian J. , Syros George , Knoernschild Kent L. , Campbell Stephen D. , Sukotjo Cortino
Published: September 2014

The aim of the present retrospective study was to evaluate the clinical outcomes of implant-supported overdenture treatment provided by prosthodontic specialty residents. Twenty-three patients with 25 implant-supported overdentures (IODs) participated in the study. Seventy-four implants were placed by periodontic, prosthodontics, or oral and maxillofacial surgery students. All prostheses were fabricated in the advanced prosthodontics clinic at University of Illinois at Chicago. The condition of the peri-implant soft tissue, implants, and prostheses were evaluated. Complications and any maintenance were documented. Patients completed an oral health impact profile-14 and semantic differential scale questionnaires. Statistical analyses were performed using SPSS statistical software. Twenty mandibular and 5 maxillary IODs were evaluated. Ninety-seven percent of the attachments were locators (Zest Anchors) and 3% ball attachments. None of the implants had lost osseointegration, but 14 implants (19%) had developed marginal bone loss in one-third of the implant length or more. Fourteen (19%) implants had developed dehiscence, which ranged from 1 to 4 mm. A variation in the width of the keratinized tissue, gingival, plaque, and calculus index was observed. There was a statistically significant relationship between the presence of plaque and the bleeding on probing on the buccal aspect of implants (P = .012). The incidence of dehiscence was significantly higher on the midfacial when the keratinized tissue was less than 2 mm (P < .0001). The majority of the complications were prosthetic in nature, such as broken denture teeth (74%) and worn or loose matrices (35%). Debris was observed in 19% of the locator abutments, and 36% of the overdentures were not stable in application of anterior force. Patients were compliant with oral hygiene protocols and their chewing ability was high (mean = 8.0). The overall experience was pleasant (mean = 7.5); the treatment provided good esthetics (mean = 8.3) and great satisfaction (mean = 8.5). From an educational and clinical perspective, IOD therapy has been documented to be a predictable and successful treatment option. Patients should be informed of the required maintenance and the possible complications related to IOD therapy.
Bone-Targeting Radiopharmaceuticals for the Treatment of Bone-Metastatic Castration-Resistant Prostate Cancer: Exploring the Implications of New Data
Authors: Ryan Charles J. , Saylor Philip J. , Everly Jason J. , Sartor Oliver
Published: September 2014

Background.

Clinical features of patients with castration-resistant prostate cancer (CRPC) are characterized by a high incidence of bone metastases, which are associated with impairment of quality of life, pain, skeletal-related events (SREs), and a negative impact on prognosis. Advances in the understanding of cancer cell-bone stroma interactions and molecular mechanisms have recently permitted the development of new agents.

Purpose.

We review the merits, applications, and limitations of emerging data sets on bone-metastatic CRPC with a focus on radium-223, an α-emitting radiopharmaceutical, and its use in therapy for this disease.

Methods.

References for this review were identified through searches of PubMed and Medline databases, and only papers published in English were considered. Related links in the databases were reviewed, along with relevant published guidelines, recently published abstracts from major medical meetings, and transcripts from a recent round table of clinical investigators.

Results.

Prior to radium-223, available bone-targeted therapies demonstrated the ability to delay SREs and palliate bone pain in patients with metastatic CRPC but without evidence of improvement in overall survival (OS). In a randomized controlled phase III trial, radium-223 demonstrated the ability to improve OS and delay SREs in docetaxel-pretreated or docetaxel-unfit men with symptomatic bone-metastatic CRPC and was not associated with significantly more grade 3 or 4 adverse events than placebo.

Conclusion.

Radium-223 has a targeted effect on bone metastases in CRPC and has an important role in docetaxel-pretreated or docetaxel-unfit men with symptomatic bone-metastatic CRPC.