bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Ultra-Low-Cycle Fatigue Behaviour of Full-Scale Elbows
Authors: Pereira João , Ruano José , Schaffrath Simon , de Jesus Abílio M. P. , Fernandes António A. , Feldmann Markus
Published: November 2015

This paper presents an investigation concerning the ultra-low-cycle fatigue (ULCF) characterization of large-scale elbows produced from line pipes subjected to hot bending process. Two distinct pipes were used in this process: a 16” (w.t. 9.5 mm) X60 and an 8 5/8” (w.t. 5.59 mm) X65 pipes that were bent to 45 and 90° elbows (8 tests). Cyclic external loading was applied to the elbows, combined with internal pressure, until failure was observed. The failure was preceded by a local plastic instability (bucking) and resulted due to intense cyclic plastic deformation. In general, the number of cycles to failure was lower than 100 cycles which typifies this failure mechanism as ultra-low-cycle fatigue. Besides the full-size tests, the plain material was investigated under ULCF conditions using both smooth and notched specimens. The thermal process used in the hot bending manufacturing process was also accounted for in the material testing in order to understand the effect of this process on pipe material. Non-linear finite element models of the elbows were constructed to simulate the cyclic behaviour of the elbows using the actual loading histories applied to the elbows. Damage models (e.g. Coffin-Manson, Xue) identified using material test data are applied to simulate the failure cycles of the tested elbows. Besides the use of damage models available in the literature and identified with generated materials experimental data, current ASME VIII Div.2 procedures are also used to compute the failure cycles of the elbows to allow an assessment of these existing procedures.
Characterization of Composite Thermal Insulation for Marine Riser Structures
Authors: Mertiny Pierre , Therrien David
Published: November 2015

The performance of fiber-reinforced polymer composites as thermal insulation for marine riser structures was investigated. The objective was to insulate steel piping contained in the riser pipe annulus to reduce the heat transfer to adjacent systems within the riser structure. Modeling was conducted to explore the effectiveness of the composite insulation. In addition, a scaled-down experimental setup was developed and used to validate the modeling results. In this contribution the modeling work, the fabrication of the insulation and the experiments are described.
Allowable Stress Criteria Based on the Onset of Third Stage Creep: An Historical Perspective
Authors: Jetter Robert , Nestell J. E. , Sengupta Mainak
Published: November 2015

This paper documents the basis for the current time dependent allowable stress criterion based on onset of third stage creep. The criterion is one of three that are used to develop allowable stresses for elevated temperature, Class 1, nuclear components*. The recommendation to consider third stage creep is part of a 1970 position paper prepared by one of the authors for the Task Force on Material Behavior of the Subgroup on Elevated Temperature Design. The position paper recommended that allowable stress/strain limits be set to preclude operation in third stage creep. This was based on the difficulty (at the time) of predicting the effects of multiaxial stresses on creep behavior and the possibility of through-wall cracks appearing before rupture. The principal references supporting this recommendation reported experimental results in which pressurized tubes failed almost exclusively before the onset of third stage creep. Also included are the reported results from a 1993 long term creep and rupture test of a nozzle-to-sphere model in which failure was also by small pinhole leaks prior to observed onset of third stage creep. In addition to excerpts from the above references, commentary from a current perspective is also provided.
Design of Lateral Tee for Steam Pipe in Power Plants
Authors: Kim Hyeon Su , Jeong Sehwan , Lee Dong Ju , Kim Ha Geun , Shin Sang Beom
Published: November 2015

The purpose of this study is to evaluate the design verification of the welded type 45° lateral tee for the steam pipe in power plants. For it, first, the stress analysis was carried out under design condition in accordance with ASME Sec. VIII Div. 2 in order to evaluate the possible occurrence of plastic collapse and local failure. And next, the creep-fatigue damage analysis was performed under the normal operating condition in accordance with ASME Sec. III Subsection NH considering the service temperature of 566°C. From the results, it was found that the welded type 45° lateral tee satisfies the design criteria corresponding to the plastic collapse and the local failure. However, it has a probability of creep rupture during the design life due to the high stress localized in the crotch region. Therefore, a welded type 90° lateral tee was also evaluated with the same analysis procedures to consider the influence of the geometry at the crotch region. Based on the results, the welded type 90° lateral tee satisfies the design criteria of the plastic collapse, local failure and the creep-fatigue strength. This result indicated that an optimal shape design of the crotch region shall be required in order to secure the creep strength of the welded type 45° lateral tee having high service temperature.
Feasibility of Developing a Risk-Informed Procedure to Define Pressure-Temperature Limits for Fracture Protection of Zr-Nb Pressure Tubes Under Heat-Up and Cool-Down Conditions
Authors: Xu Steven X. , Scarth Douglas A. , Doddihal Preeti , Mosbrucker Paula
Published: November 2015

A fracture mechanics based calculation procedure is provided in the CSA Standard N285.8 to define pressure-temperature limits for fracture protection of CANDU Zr-Nb pressure tubes. The calculated pressure-temperature limits are used to construct a plant-specific operating envelope for pressure tubes under reactor heat-up and cool-down conditions. The current calculation procedure to define pressure-temperature limits for fracture protection is deterministic, and makes use of conservative inputs, including an axial through-wall crack of 20 mm in length, lower-bound fracture toughness, and a safety factor of 1.3 on the calculated critical internal pressure. The deterministic procedure is straightforward to use, and has a long history of successful applications of protecting pressure tubes from rupture. However, the deterministic procedure will potentially impose challenging operational constraints on pressure tubes at late life conditions, due to the predicted low fracture toughness of pressure tubes with high levels of hydrogen equivalent concentration.

As an alternative, the CSA Standard N285.8 also permits probabilistic evaluation of fracture protection, which implies the acceptability of using risk-informed pressure-temperature limits for pressure tubes under reactor heat-up and cool-down conditions. The feasibility of developing a risk-informed procedure to define pressure-temperature limits for fracture protection of pressure tubes under heat-up and cool-down conditions is described in this paper. The intent is to use the risk-informed methodology to develop alternate pressure-temperature limits that allow more operational flexibility and still satisfy safety goals. The proposed risk-informed approach is consistent with risk-informed approaches that have been used in the U.S. nuclear industry.
Integrated Experimental Procedures Assessing Hydrogen Induced Cracking Susceptibility
Authors: Fotouh Ahmed , El-Hebeary R. , El-Shennawy M. , Tulloch David , Davio Jason , Reid Rob
Published: November 2015

This study proposes a complete set of integrated experimental procedures to assess the risk of Hydrogen Induced Cracking (HIC) using implant test. The proposed experimental procedures assess HIC susceptibility in base metals using two measures: the implant static fatigue limit stress (σimp); and Heat Affected Zone (HAZ) maximum hardness (HV10MAX). The base metal susceptibility to HIC was evaluated by examining the effect of three welding factors: the critical cooling time between 800 °C and 500 °C (t800/500); the base metal carbon equivalent (CE); and the diffusible Hydrogen content (H). A 3-D mapping technique was used to demonstrate the interactive integrated relationships among the three examined welding factors (i.e. t800/500, CE and H) and the susceptibility of the base metal to HIC. Using the 2-D projection of the developed 3-D mapping, it was proven that the diffusible hydrogen content (H) had more effect on the HIC susceptibility of High Strength Low Alloy (HSLA) steel compared to the effect of H on the HIC susceptibility of Carbon-Manganese (C-Mn) steel.
Effect of Temperature Variation on the Service Life of a Riveted Joint
Authors: Brar Gurinder Singh , Hari Yogeshwar , Ayri Akhil Deep
Published: November 2015

Rivets are widely used as a means of fastening in airframe construction industry. Among the other types of fasteners riveted joints are preferred in such applications due to their permanence after installation and their economical advantages. In a riveted joint, it is known that residual stresses are present as a result of the installation process. Furthermore, during the flight of an aircraft, the fuselage comes across pressurization and depressurization cycle. During one flight pressurization-depressurization cycle is completed and such cycles are repeated throughout the service life of the aircraft. As a result, the panels and the rivets are subjected to fatigue type loading. The integrity of the joint must be maintained against this combination of service loads and the residual stresses. The present study is aimed to develop and analyze three-dimensional finite element model of riveted lap, and then the numerical analysis (SolidWorks Simulation) are carried out to calculate the residual stress values and fatigue values in the riveted lap joint under the effect of varying temperature. The result shows that the fatigue life varies inversely proportion to residual stresses whereas damage varies directly proportion to residual stresses. The maximum residual stress obtained is 292 MPa at temperature of 150°C and the minimum residual stress obtained is 15 MPa at temperature of −50°C. Maximum damage is 60% at 150°C and minimum is 8% at −50°C. Maximum life is 234346 cycles at −50°C and minimum life is 33111 cycles at 150°C.
Task-Oriented Exercise to Reduce Activities of Daily Living Disability in Vulnerable Older Adults: A Feasibility Study of the 3-Step Workout for Life
Authors: Liu Chiung-ju , Jones Leah Y. , Formyduval Alyssa R. M. , Clark Daniel O.
Published: November 2015

The purpose of this feasibility study was to evaluate the 3-Step Workout for Life program, a 10-week exercise program that included moderate-intensity muscle strength training followed by task-oriented training. Fourteen participants completed the program (mean age = 73 years; SD = 6.83). The Box and Block test (Z = −2.24, p = .03) and the 30-s chair stand test (Z = −2.21, p = .03) indicate improved physical functioning of the upper and lower extremities. More importantly, results of the function component from the Late-Life Function and Disability Instrument (Z = −2.04, p = .04) and motor skills scale from the Assessment of Motor and Process Skills (Z = −2.97, p = .003) indicate subjective and objective improvements on performing activities of daily living. Supplementing moderate-intensity muscle strength exercise with taskoriented training components is feasible. Preliminary data support the effectiveness of 3-Step Workout for Life in reducing late-life disability.
Mapping the birth of the sleep connectome
Authors: Vyazovskiy Vladyslav V.
Published: November 2015

Hindbrain neurons flip the switch between REM sleep, non-REM sleep, and wakefulness

[Also see Report by

Hayashi
et al.

]
The Structure of Human Parechovirus 1 Reveals an Association of the RNA Genome with the Capsid
Authors: Kalynych Sergei , Pálková Lenka , Plevka Pavel
Published: November 2015

Parechoviruses are human pathogens that cause diseases ranging from gastrointestinal disorders to encephalitis. Unlike those of most picornaviruses, parechovirus capsids are composed of only three subunits: VP0, VP1, and VP3. Here, we present the structure of a human parechovirus 1 (HPeV-1) virion determined to a resolution of 3.1 Å. We found that interactions among pentamers in the HPeV-1 capsid are mediated by the N termini of VP0s, which correspond to the capsid protein VP4 and the N-terminal part of the capsid protein VP2 of other picornaviruses. In order to facilitate delivery of the virus genome into the cytoplasm, the N termini of VP0s have to be released from contacts between pentamers and exposed at the particle surface, resulting in capsid disruption. A hydrophobic pocket, which can be targeted by capsid-binding antiviral compounds in many other picornaviruses, is not present in HPeV-1. However, we found that interactions between the HPeV-1 single-stranded RNA genome and subunits VP1 and VP3 in the virion impose a partial icosahedral ordering on the genome. The residues involved in RNA binding are conserved among all parechoviruses, suggesting a putative role of the genome in virion stability or assembly. Therefore, putative small molecules that could disrupt HPeV RNA-capsid protein interactions could be developed into antiviral inhibitors.

IMPORTANCE
Human parechoviruses (HPeVs) are pathogens that cause diseases ranging from respiratory and gastrointestinal disorders to encephalitis. Recently, there have been outbreaks of HPeV infections in Western Europe and North America. We present the first atomic structure of parechovirus HPeV-1 determined by X-ray crystallography. The structure explains why HPeVs cannot be targeted by antiviral compounds that are effective against other picornaviruses. Furthermore, we found that the interactions of the HPeV-1 genome with the capsid resulted in a partial icosahedral ordering of the genome. The residues involved in RNA binding are conserved among all parechoviruses, suggesting an evolutionarily fixed role of the genome in virion assembly. Therefore, putative small molecules disrupting HPeV RNA-capsid protein interactions could be developed into antiviral inhibitors.
Intralobar pulmonary sequestration: diagnostic expertise
Authors: Sotto Mayor Joana , Rocha Diogo , Esperança Sofia , Oliveira e Silva Antonio
Published: November 2015

An obese 22-year-old man with a history of recurrent respiratory infections presented to the emergency room with left pleuritic chest pain, productive cough with mucupurulent sputum and an axillary temperature of 37.7°C. Blood work showed elevated inflammatory parameters and chest X-ray was relevant for heterogeneous infiltration in the left base and opacity of the left costophrenic angle. An angio-CT scan revealed areas of bilateral consolidation with presence of an arterial branch originating from the aorta to the collected area of the left lower lobe, consistent with a respiratory infection grafted on a intralobar pulmonary sequestration of the left lung base. The infectious process was treated and the patient was planned for a lower left lobectomy.
Systematic review of interventions to reduce illicit drug use in female drug-dependent street sex workers
Authors: Jeal Nikki , Macleod John , Turner Katrina , Salisbury Chris
Published: November 2015

Objectives

Most female street-based sex workers (SSWs) are drug users and this group experience particularly poor outcomes in achieving and maintaining abstinence. In 2010 the UK adopted a recovery-orientated Drug Strategy. This strategy did not specifically highlight the complex drug treatment needs of SSWs. Therefore we sought to synthesise and critically appraise existing evidence of interventions to reduce illicit drug use in this group, in order to guide service change toward better provision for the drug treatment needs of SSWs.

Methods

A systematic review of evidence on the effectiveness of interventions to reduce illicit drug use in female SSWs. Following the PRISMA guidelines, a structured search strategy was used. Searches included databases, organisational and government websites to identify published and grey literature, as well as contacting experts in the field, and hand-searching reference lists and journals.

Results

Six studies, one experimental and five observational, were identified which met review inclusion criteria. Intervention approaches evaluated included substitute prescribing, educational sessions and motivational interviewing. All studies reported a positive intervention effect but the five observational studies were all subject to a relatively high risk of bias. By contrast, the experimental study provided little or no evidence of positive effect (OR for reduction of illicit drug in intervention compared to controls 1.17 95%CI 0.84–1.66 at 3 months and 1.14 (95% CI 0.8 to 1.61) at 6 months follow-up). All six studies described challenges and solutions to study recruitment, retention and follow-up, which were influenced by issues affecting SSWs’ health and social stability.

Conclusions

There is currently no strong evidence for effectiveness of interventions to reduce illicit drug use in female SSWs with problematic drug use. Thus, the development and robust evaluation of effective interventions should be a priority if recovery-orientated goals are to become more achievable for this group.
"SHOUT" to improve the quality of care delivered to patients with acute kidney injury at Great Western Hospital
Authors: Brady Paul , Gorham James , Kosti Angeliki , Seligman William , Courtney Alona , Mazan Karolina , Paterson Stuart , Ramcharitar Steve , Chandrasekaran Badri , Juniper Mark , Greamspet Mala , Daniel Jessica , Chalstrey Sue , Ahmed Ijaz , Dasgupta Tanaji
Published: November 2015

Acute kidney injury (AKI) affects up to 20% of all patients admitted to hospital, and is associated with a higher risk of adverse clinical outcomes, increased healthcare costs, as well as long term risks of chronic kidney disease and end stage renal failure. The aim of this project was to improve the quality of care for patients with AKI admitted to the acute medical unit (AMU) at the Great Western Hospital (GWH). We assessed awareness and self reported confidence among physicians in our Trust, in addition to basic aspects of care relevant to AKI on our AMU. A multifaceted quality improvement strategy was developed, which included measures to improve awareness such as a Trust wide AKI awareness day, and reconfiguring the admission proforma on our AMU in order to enhance risk assessment, staging, and early response to AKI. Ancillary measures such as the dissemination of flashcards for lanyards containing core information were also used. Follow up assessments showed that foundation year one (FY1) doctors’ self reported confidence in managing AKI increased from 2.8 to 4.2, as measured on a five point Likert scale (P=0.0003). AKI risk assessment increased from 13% to 57% (P=0.07) following a change in the admission proforma. Documentation of the diagnosis of AKI increased from 66% to 95% (P=0.038) among flagged patients. Documentation of urine dip results increased from 33% to 73% (P=0.01), in addition to a rise in appropriate referral for specialist input, although this was not statistically significant. Our results suggest that using the twin approaches of improving awareness, and small changes to systemic factors such as modification of the admission proforma, can lead to significant enhancements in the quality of care of patients with AKI.
Comparison of clinicians' and advanced cancer patients' estimates of survival
Authors: Gwilliam B , Keeley V , Todd C , Gittens M , Roberts C , Kelly L , Barclay S , Stone P
Published: November 2015

Aims

To determine whether doctors, nurses or the multi-professional team (MPT) are better at prognosticating in advanced cancer. To determine which clinician factors influence prognostic accuracy. To investigate patients' views about receiving prognostic information and to evaluate the accuracy of their own estimates.

Methods

As part of a large prospective multi-centre study to develop a novel prognostic scoring system for patients with advanced cancer, clinicians were asked to estimate whether patients were expected to live for ‘days’, ‘weeks’ or ‘months+’. Patients were asked whether and how they would wish to receive prognostic information and whether they would be willing/able to estimate their own prognosis. Survival was calculated from date of study entry. Prognostic accuracy of different groups was compared using linear weighted κ (LWK).

Results

1018 patients with advanced cancer were studied; 127 doctors, 281 nurses and 290 patients provided 829, 954 and 290 prognostic estimates respectively. MPT estimates were available for 987 patients. LWK varied between 0.14 (patients) and 0.46 (MPT). Patients' estimates were significantly worse than doctors', nurses' or MPT estimates (all p<0.001). Nurses' estimates were significantly worse than the MPT estimate (p=0.007). No clinician factors (age, gender, experience or grade) were consistently associated with better prognostic accuracy. Most patients (61.4%) wanted to know their prognosis of whom 48% wanted to know it ‘approximately’ and 52% wanted to know ‘exactly’.

Conclusion

Most patients wish to know their prognosis. Clinicians' predictions are inaccurate and patients' predictions are significantly worse. MPT estimates are the most accurate.
Enhanced survival of DrosophilaAkt1hypomorphs during amino-acid starvation requiresfoxo
Authors: Slade Jennifer D. , Staveley Brian E.
Published: November 2015

Disordered eating includes any pattern of irregular eating that may lead to either extreme weight loss or obesity. The conserved insulin receptor signalling pathway acts to regulate energy balance and nutrient intake, and its central component Akt1 and endpoint effector foxo are pivotal for survival during nutritional stress. Recently generated Akt1 hypomorphic mutant lines exhibit a moderate decrease in lifespan when aged upon standard media, yet show a considerable increase in survival upon amino-acid starvation media. While the loss of foxo function significantly reduces the survival response to amino-acid starvation, a combination of these Akt1 hypomorphs and a null foxo mutation reveal a synergystic and severe reduction in lifespan upon standard media, and an epistatic relationship when undergoing amino-acid starvation. Evaluation of survivorship upon amino-acid starvation media of these double mutants indicate a phenotype similar to the original foxo mutant demonstrating the role of foxo in this Akt1 phenotype. These results indicate that the subtle manipulation of foxo through Akt1 can enhance survival during adverse nutrient conditions to model the ability of individuals to tolerate nutrient deprivation. Ultimately, we believe that a Drosophila model of disordered eating could generate new avenues to develop potential therapies for related human conditions.
Institutional and Self-Directed Support for Transitioning Faculty
Authors: Gabay Valencia , Roberts Diane
Published: November 2015

This article identifies challenges instructors face transitioning to online teaching from face-to-face learning environments. Research shows many instructors lack administrative support, technical expertise, and peer-to-peer interaction. The authors discuss four strategies to support faculty in overcoming these transitional challenges. These institutional and self-directed supportive measures can lead to effective online instruction and career satisfaction.
Impact of Content Delivery Networks on Service and Content Innovation
Authors: Maillé Patrick , Tuffin Bruno
Published: November 2015

Content Delivery Networks (CDNs) are major actors of the current telecommunication ecosystem. Our goal in this paper is to study their impact on other actors of the supply chain, especially on content innovation which is a key concern in the network neutrality debate where CDNs' role seems forgotten. Our findings indicate that vertically integrating a CDN helps Internet Service Providers (ISPs) collect fees from Content Providers (CPs), hence circumventing the interdiction of side payments coming from netneutrality rules. However, this outcome is socially much better in terms of user quality and innovation fostering than having separate actors providing the access and CDN services: in the latter case double marginalization (both ISP and CDN trying to get some value from the supply chain) leads to suboptimal investments in CDN storage capacities and higher prices for CPs, resulting in reduced innovation.
The Population Dynamics of Websites
Authors: Ahuja Kartik , Zhang Simpson , van der Schaar Mihaela
Published: November 2015

Websites derive revenue by advertising or charging fees for services and so their profit depends on their user base -- the number of users visiting the website. But how should websites control their user base? This paper is the first to address and answer this question. It builds a model in which, starting from an initial user base, the website controls the growth of the population by choosing the intensity of referrals and targeted ads to potential users. A larger population provides more profit to the website, but building a larger population through referrals and targeted ads is costly; the optimal policy must therefore balance the marginal benefit of adding users against the marginal cost of referrals and targeted ads. The nature of the optimal policy depends on a number of factors. Most obvious is the initial user base; websites starting with a small initial population should offer many referrals and targeted ads at the beginning, but then decrease referrals and targeted ads over time. Less obvious factors are the type of website and the typical length of time users remain on the site: the optimal policy for a website that generates most of its revenue from a core group of users who remain on the site for a long time -- e.g., mobile and online gaming sites -- should be more aggressive and protective of its user base than that of a website whose revenue is more uniformly distributed across users who remain on the site only briefly. When arrivals and exits are stochastic, the optimal policy is more aggressive -- offering more referrals and targeted ads.
Fractal regional myocardial blood flows pattern according to metabolism, not vascular anatomy
Authors: Yipintsoi Tada , Kroll Keith , Bassingthwaighte James B.
Published: November 2015

Regional myocardial blood flows are markedly heterogeneous. Fractal analysis shows strong near-neighbor correlation. In experiments to distinguish control by vascular anatomy vs. local vasomotion, coronary flows were increased in open-chest dogs by stimulating myocardial metabolism (catecholamines + atropine) with and without adenosine. During control states mean left ventricular (LV) myocardial blood flows (microspheres) were 0.5–1 ml·g−1·min−1 and increased to 2–3 ml·g−1·min−1 with catecholamine infusion and to ∼4 ml·g−1·min−1 with adenosine (Ado). Flow heterogeneity was similar in all states: relative dispersion (RD = SD/mean) was ∼25%, using LV pieces 0.1–0.2% of total. During catecholamine infusion local flows increased in proportion to the mean flows in 45% of the LV, “tracking” closely (increased proportionately to mean flow), while ∼40% trended toward the mean. Near-neighbor regional flows remained strongly spatially correlated, with fractal dimension D near 1.2 (Hurst coefficient 0.8). The spatial patterns remain similar at varied levels of metabolic stimulation inferring metabolic dominance. In contrast, adenosine vasodilation increased flows eightfold times control while destroying correlation with the control state. The Ado-induced spatial patterns differed from control but were self-consistent, inferring that with full vasodilation the relaxed arterial anatomy dominates the distribution. We conclude that vascular anatomy governs flow distributions during adenosine vasodilation but that metabolic vasoregulation dominates in normal physiological states.
TLR3 activation increases chemokine expression in human fetal airway smooth muscle cells
Authors: Faksh Arij , Britt Rodney D. , Vogel Elizabeth R. , Thompson Michael A. , Pandya Hitesh C. , Martin Richard J. , Pabelick Christina M. , Prakash Y. S.
Published: November 2015

Viral infections, such as respiratory syncytial virus and rhinovirus, adversely affect neonatal and pediatric populations, resulting in significant lung morbidity, including acute asthma exacerbation. Studies in adults have demonstrated that human airway smooth muscle (ASM) cells modulate inflammation through their ability to secrete inflammatory cytokines and chemokines. The role of ASM in the developing airway during infection remains undefined. In our study, we used human fetal ASM cells as an in vitro model to examine the effect of Toll-like receptor (TLR) agonists on chemokine secretion. We found that fetal ASM express multiple TLRs, including TLR3 and TLR4, which are implicated in the pathogenesis of respiratory syncytial virus and rhinovirus infection. Cells were treated with TLR agonists, polyinosinic-polycytidylic acid [poly(I:C)] (TLR3 agonist), lipopolysaccharide (TLR4 agonist), or R848 (TLR7/8 agonist), and IL-8 and chemokine (C-C motif) ligand 5 (CCL5) secretion were evaluated. Interestingly, poly(I:C), but neither lipopolysaccharide nor R848, increased IL-8 and chemokine (C-C motif) ligand 5 secretion. Examination of signaling pathways suggested that the poly(I:C) effects in fetal ASM involve TLR and ERK signaling, in addition to another major inflammatory pathway, NF-κB. Moreover, there are variations between fetal and adult ASM with respect to poly(I:C) effects on signaling pathways. Pharmacological inhibition suggested that ERK pathways mediate poly(I:C) effects. Overall, our data show that poly(I:C) initiates activation of proinflammatory pathways in developing ASM, which may contribute to immune responses to infection and exacerbation of asthma.
Motion of Bishop Frenet Offsets of Ruled Surfaces inE3
Authors: Abd-Ellah H. N.
Published: November 2015

The main goal of this paper is to study the motion of two associated ruled surfaces in Euclidean 3-spaceE3. In particular, the motion of Bishop Frenet offsets of ruled surfaces is investigated. Additionally, the characteristic properties for such ruled surfaces are given. Finally, an application is presented and plotted using computer aided geometric design.
Stereotactic Radiosurgery for Renal Cancer Brain Metastasis: Prognostic Factors and the Role of Whole-Brain Radiation and Surgical Resection
Authors: Ippen Franziska M. , Mahadevan Anand , Wong Eric T. , Uhlmann Erik J. , Sengupta Soma , Kasper Ekkehard M.
Published: November 2015

Background. Renal cell carcinoma is a frequent source of brain metastasis. We present our consecutive series of patients treated with Stereotactic Radiosurgery (SRS) and analyse prognostic factors and the interplay of WBRT and surgical resection.Methods. This is a retrospective study of 66 patients with 207 lesions treated with the Cyberknife radiosurgery system in our institution. The patients were followed up with imaging and clinical examination 1 month and 2-3 months thereafter for the brain metastasis. Patient, treatment, and outcomes characteristics were analysed.Results. 51 male (77.3%) and 15 female (22.7%) patients, with a mean age of 58.9 years (range of 31–85 years) and a median Karnofsky Performance Status (KPS) of 90 (range of 60–100), were included in the study. The overall survival was 13.9 months, 21.9 months, and 5.9 months for the patients treated with SRS only, additional surgery, and WBRT, respectively. The actuarial 1-year Local Control rates were 84%, 94%, and 88% for SRS only, for surgery and SRS, and for WBRT and additional SRS, respectively.Conclusions. Stereotactic radiosurgery is a safe and effective treatment option in patients with brain metastases from RCC. In case of a limited number of brain metastases, surgery and SRS might be appropriate.
Dynamics of the Space Tug System with a Short Tether
Authors: Liu Jiafu , Cui Naigang , Shen Fan , Rong Siyuan
Published: November 2015

The dynamics of the space tug system with a short tether similar to the ROGER system during deorbiting is presented. The kinematical characteristic of this system is significantly different from the traditional tethered system as the tether is tensional and tensionless alternately during the deorbiting process. The dynamics obtained based on the methods for the traditional tethered system is not suitable for the space tug system. Therefore, a novel method for deriving dynamics for the deorbiting system similar to the ROGER system is proposed by adopting the orbital coordinates of the two spacecraft and the Euler angles of ROGER spacecraft as the generalized coordinates instead of in- and out-plane librations and the length of the tether and so forth. Then, the librations of the system are equivalently obtained using the orbital positions of the two spacecraft. At last, the geostationary orbit (GEO) and the orbit whose apogee is 300 km above GEO are chosen as the initial and target orbits, respectively, to perform the numerical simulations. The simulation results indicate that the dynamics can describe the characteristic of the tether-net system conveniently and accurately, and the deorbiting results are deeply affected by the initial conditions and parameters.
Stabbing Yourself in the Heart: A Case of Autoimmunity Gone Awry
Authors: Vigneswaran Hari , Parikh Leslie , Poppas Athena
Published: November 2015

Within internal medicine, cardiac and neurologic pathology comprises a vast majority of patient complaints. Physicians and advanced-care practitioners must be highly educated and comfortable in the evaluation, diagnosis, and management of these entities. Chest pain accounts for millions of annual visits to the emergency room with pericarditis diagnosed in approximately four percent of patients with nonischemic chest pain. Guillain-Barre Syndrome is autoimmune polyneuropathy that often results in transient paralysis. Simultaneous diagnosis of both entities is a rare but described phenomenon. Here, we present a clinical case of GBS associated pericarditis. A fifty-five-year-old man with history of renal transplant presented with lower extremity weakness and urinary incontinence. Physical exam and diagnostic studies confirmed Guillain-Barre Syndrome. Patient subsequently developed stabbing chest pain with clinical presentation and electrocardiogram consistent with pericarditis. The patient was successfully treated for both diseases. This case highlights that although infrequent, internal medicine care providers must be cognizant of this correlation to ensure timely diagnosis and treatment.
Current Trends in Urolithiasis Treatment in Various European Health Systems
Authors: Durner Leopold , Bach Christian , El Howairis Mohamed El Fatih , Hakenberg Oliver W. , Buchholz Noor
Published: November 2015

Objective: In spite of readily available evidence-based guidelines on urolithiasis treatment, practical applications of treatments vary from country to country, or even within countries. The choice of treatment depends not only on the evidence, but often on general non-medical decision factors such as infrastructure, expertise, trends, patient demands, industry drive and reimbursement levels. In turn, many of these factors are interdependent and a result of the individual National Health System. Method: In an attempt to get a crude picture of trends and practices in stone treatment across Europe, a group of well-renowned international experts in the field were asked to reply to a set of standard questions relating to stone treatments, health systems and adherence to guidelines (level of evidence D = expert opinion). Results: The above-mentioned interdependencies showed a varying picture in different countries. Overall, there is a trend away from lithotripsy and toward ureterorenoscopy. However, the choice of treatment is largely dependent on the affordability of infrastructure. Urologists may make choices based on the national reimbursement system, too. Conclusion: Without claiming to represent a scientifically sound study, this survey represents an interesting insight into a representative cross-section of European urological current practices and trends in urolithiasis treatment.
Use of Oral Misoprostol for Cervical Priming before Hysteroscopy: A Randomized Comparison of Two Dosages
Authors: Kesrouani Assaad , Maalouf Samer , Mansour Fersan , Attieh Elie
Published: November 2015

Objective: The study aims to compare the safety and effectiveness of 200 and 400 µg of oral misoprostol for cervical priming before hysteroscopy. Methods: A double-blinded randomized study included 70 patients scheduled for hysteroscopy in a Lebanese University Hospital. Two dosages of oral misoprostol (200 or 400 µg) were randomly distributed to these patients 1 h before surgery under general anesthesia. Subjective assessment of the ease of dilatation, size of the first used Hegar, cervical injuries, bleeding or uterine perforation, duration of the procedure and misoprostol adverse effect were all noted and compared. Results: The difficulty of dilation until a Hegar 10 was similar for both treatment groups. Operative time was not reduced with a higher misoprostol dosage. We found 2 uterine perforations within the 200 µg group (6.7%), and none within the 400 µg group. Cervical lacerations and bleeding were similar (20%) for both treatment groups. A 2-fold increase in side effects (nausea, vomiting and cramps) is reported among the 400 µg group. Conclusions: Increasing the dose of misoprostol from 200 to 400 mg doubled the rate of side effects while no clinical benefit was noted. Larger trials are needed to assess rates of uterine perforation with the 200 µg dosage.
Patterns of Dialysis Initiation Affect Outcomes of Incident Hemodialysis Patients
Authors: Chen Yung-Ming , Wang Yi-Cheng , Hwang Shang-Jyh , Lin Shih-Hwa , Wu Kwan-Dun
Published: November 2015

Aims: There is a trend toward deferring the initiation of chronic dialysis until absolutely indicated. This strategy, however, might lead to increased uncertainties in the timing of dialysis access creation prior to dialysis onset for patients approaching end-stage renal disease (ESRD), and the impact of which on hard end points remains largely unclear. We hereby investigated the effect of varied patterns of dialysis initiation on outcomes of new-onset hemodialysis (HD) patients. Methods: Four hundred sixty-two prospectively recruited patients were stratified into planned elective (n = 117, 25%), planned urgent (n = 65, 14%) or unplanned urgent (n = 280, 61%) starters based on the timing of access creation with respect to dialysis initiation. The outcome measures were all-cause mortality, hospitalization and access reconstruction over 2 years. Results: The mean estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) was higher in the planned elective than in the planned urgent or unplanned urgent starters at access creation (5.3 vs. 4.4 or 4.3 ml/min/1.73 m2), but not at dialysis initiation (4.2 vs. 3.9 or 4.3 ml/min/1.73 m2). During the follow-up, the planned elective population exhibited the lowest rates of overall mortality and hospitalization, but not access reconstruction. Multivariate Cox's regression analysis showed that the planned urgent and the unplanned urgent groups, comparing to the planned elective population, displayed a greater risk of early death (hazards ratio [HR] 3.324, 95% CI 1.409-7.840; HR 2.510, 95% CI 1.177-5.355, respectively) and early hospitalization (sub-hazards ratio [SubHR] 2.238, 95% CI 1.530-3.274; SubHR 1.529, 95% CI 1.096-2.133, respectively). Conclusion: Incident ESRD patients undergoing planned elective start of HD, compared to their planned or unplanned urgent counterparts, showed reduced risk of overall mortality and hospitalization in the first 2 years after commencing long-term dialysis at a mean eGFR <5 ml/min/1.73 m2.
Adolescent Survival Expectations
Authors: Warner Tara D. , Swisher Raymond R.
Published: November 2015

Adolescent survival expectations are linked to a range of problem behaviors, poor health, and later socioeconomic disadvantage, yet scholars have not examined how survival expectations are differentially patterned by race, ethnicity, and/or nativity. This is a critical omission given that many risk factors for low survival expectations are themselves stratified by race and ethnicity. Using the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent to Adult Health, we modeled racial, ethnic, and immigrant group differences in trajectories of adolescent survival expectations and assess whether these differences are accounted for by family, neighborhood, and/or other risk factors (e.g., health care access, substance use, exposure to violence). Findings indicated that most racial, ethnic, and immigrant groups were more pessimistic about their survival than were non-Hispanic whites, with the exception of Cuban youth, who were the most optimistic. Foreign-born Mexican youth had the lowest survival expectations, contrary to expectations from the “healthy-immigrant” hypothesis.
How L2-learners’ brains react to code-switches: An ERP study with Russian learners of German
Authors: Ruigendijk Esther , Hentschel Gerd , Zeller Jan Patrick
Published: November 2015

This Event Related Potentials (ERP) study investigates auditory processing of sentences with so-called code-switches in Russian learners of German. It has often been argued that switching between two languages results in extra processing cost, although it is not completely clear yet what exactly causes these costs. ERP presents a good method to (start to) answer this question, since different ERP effects provide insight in the underlying processes that take place. We presented three groups of speakers (German first-language speakers, Russian speakers with intermediate and Russian speakers with very good knowledge of German as a second language) with German sentences that either ended ‘normally’ i.e. with a word that fitted the meaning of the sentence, or with a semantically unexpected word, or with the Russian translation of the semantically normal German word. Comparing the two groups of Russian speakers allows for examining the influence of proficiency on the processing of code-switches. The results showed that the semantically unexpected word elicited an N400 in both the first language (L1) and the more proficient second language (L2) group, but not in the less proficient L2 group. Code-switches resulted in an N400-like pattern in all three groups, and also in a Late Positive Component (LPC), which was most pronounced in the less proficient L2 group. This positivity is, although somewhat later, quite similar to the well-known P300 effect that is found with stimuli with unexpected external properties.
Family Conflict and Resilience in Parenting Self-Efficacy Among High-Risk Mothers
Authors: Cassé Julie F. H. , Finkenauer Catrin , Oosterman Mirjam , van der Geest Victor R. , Schuengel Carlo
Published: November 2015

Mothers with a history of institutional care in adolescence are often involved in high-conflict partner relationships, which may undermine relationships with children and confidence in oneself as a parent. Not all mothers think of themselves as bad parents under these circumstances. We turned to psychological resources as an explanation, focusing on mothers’ trait self-control. The negative association between family conflict and parenting self-efficacy was tested for moderation by self-control among 104 mothers with a history of institutionalization for behavioral problems and delinquency during adolescence. We found a negative association between current family conflict and parenting self-efficacy among mothers with low self-control, and no significant association among mothers with high self-control. This study draws attention to the needs of high-risk mothers in their parenting role and demonstrates that self-control is a potential resource for mothers to balance the load presented by conflict in their families. The findings suggest new avenues for intervention.
Virtues, Vices, and Political Influence in the U.S. Senate
Authors: ten Brinke Leanne , Liu Christopher C. , Keltner Dacher , Srivastava Sameer B.
Published: November 2015

What qualities make a political leader more influential or less influential? Philosophers, political scientists, and psychologists have puzzled over this question, positing two opposing routes to political power—one driven by human virtues, such as courage and wisdom, and the other driven by vices, such as Machiavellianism and psychopathy. By coding nonverbal behaviors displayed in political speeches, we assessed the virtues and vices of 151 U.S. senators. We found that virtuous senators became more influential after they assumed leadership roles, whereas senators who displayed behaviors consistent with vices—particularly psychopathy—became no more influential or even less influential after they assumed leadership roles. Our results inform a long-standing debate about the role of morality and ethics in leadership and have important implications for electing effective government officials. Citizens would be wise to consider a candidate’s virtue in casting their votes, which might increase the likelihood that elected officials will have genuine concern for their constituents and simultaneously promote cooperation and progress in government.
Gene worlds
Authors: Timmermans Stefan , Shostak Sara
Published: November 2015

Drawing from a critical sociology of knowledge perspective, we situate the production of genetic information within relevant political, financial, and professional contexts. We consider as well the broad range of social conditions that render genetic knowledge salient in clinical settings and for population health. This sociological analysis of genetic knowledge highlights how genetic knowledge flourishes and shapes social environments and how in turn environments select for particular forms of genetic knowledge. We examine the role of the laboratory, regulatory state, and social movements in the production of genetic knowledge and the clinic, family, and population health as critical sites where genetic knowledge becomes actionable.
The hidden role of racial bias in support for policies related to inequality and crime
Authors: Drakulich Kevin M
Published: November 2015

Since the Jim Crow era, overtly racist attitudes toward African-Americans have decreased. During this same period, however, racial inequalities have persisted and the approach to addressing such inequalities has shifted away from social assistance and toward punitive controls. This article poses an explanation for this seeming paradox, drawing on measures of implicit racial affect in a nationally representative survey to reveal a persisting relevance of racial bias in understandings of and support for public policies—even among those explicitly denying such bias. Among non-Hispanic whites, implicit racial bias is significantly associated with opposition to policies designed to ameliorate these inequalities as well as support for punitive crime policies. Racial bias appears to play a less important role in support or opposition to these policies among Hispanic whites and especially among African-Americans. Implications for public policy debates are discussed.