bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Why are patients with blood cancers more likely to die without hospice?
Authors: Odejide Oreofe O. , Cronin Angel M. , Earle Craig C. , Tulsky James A. , Abel Gregory A.
Published: May 2017

BACKGROUND

Although patients with blood cancers have significantly lower rates of hospice use than those with solid malignancies, data explaining this gap in end‐of‐life care are sparse.

METHODS

In 2015, we conducted a mailed survey of a randomly selected sample of hematologic oncologists in the United States to characterize their perspectives regarding the utility and adequacy of hospice for blood cancer patients, as well as factors that might impact referral patterns. Simultaneous provision of care for patients with solid malignancies was permitted.

RESULTS

We received 349 surveys (response rate, 57.3%). The majority of respondents (68.1%) strongly agreed that hospice care is helpful for patients with hematologic cancers; those with practices including greater numbers of solid tumor patients (at least 25%) were more likely to strongly agree (odds ratio, 2.10; 95% confidence interval, 1.26‐3.52). Despite high levels of support for hospice in general, 46.0% felt that home hospice is inadequate for their patients' needs (as compared to inpatient hospice with round‐the‐clock care). Although more than half of the respondents reported that they would be more likely to refer patients to hospice if red cell and/or platelet transfusions were available, those who considered home hospice inadequate were even more likely to report that they would (67.3% vs 55.3% for red cells [P = .03] and 52.9% vs 39.7% for platelets [P = .02]).

CONCLUSIONS

These data suggest that although hematologic oncologists value hospice, concerns about the adequacy of services for blood cancer patients limit hospice referrals. To increase hospice enrollment for blood cancer patients, interventions tailoring hospice services to their specific needs are warranted. Cancer 2017;123:3377‐84. © 2017 American Cancer Society.
VGLUT1 synapses and P‐boutons on regenerating motoneurons after nerve crush
Authors: Schultz Adam J. , Rotterman Travis M. , Dwarakanath Anirudh , Alvarez Francisco J.
Published: May 2017

Stretch‐sensitive Ia afferent monosynaptic connections with motoneurons form the stretch reflex circuit. After nerve transection, Ia afferent synapses and stretch reflexes are permanently lost, even after regeneration and reinnervation of muscle by motor and sensory afferents is completed in the periphery. This loss greatly affects full recovery of motor function. However, after nerve crush, reflex muscle forces during stretch do recover after muscle reinnervation and reportedly exceed 140% baseline values. This difference might be explained by structural preservation after crush of Ia afferent synapses on regenerating motoneurons and decreased presynaptic inhibitory control. We tested these possibilities in rats after crushing the tibial nerve (TN), and using Vesicular GLUtamate Transporter 1 (VGLUT1) and the 65 kDa isoform of glutamic acid‐decarboxylase (GAD65) as markers of, respectively, Ia afferent synapses and presynaptic inhibition (P‐boutons) on retrogradely labeled motoneurons. We analyzed motoneurons during regeneration (21 days post crush) and after they reinnervate muscle (3 months). The results demonstrate a significant loss of VGLUT1 terminals on dendrites and cell bodies at both 21 days and 3 months post‐crush. However, in both cellular compartments, the reductions were small compared to those observed after TN full transection. In addition, we found a significant decrease in the number of GAD65 P‐boutons per VGLUT1 terminal and their coverage of VGLUT1 boutons. The results support the hypothesis that better preservation of Ia afferent synapses and a change in presynaptic inhibition could contribute to maintain or even increase the stretch reflex after nerve crush and by difference to nerve transection.
A novel approach for early evaluation of orthodontic process by a numerical thermomechanical analysis
Authors: Heidary Z. , Mojra A. , Shirazi M. , Bazargan M.
Published: May 2017

The main objective of this paper is to propose a novel method that provides an opportunity to evaluate an orthodontic process at early phase of the treatment. This was accomplished by finding out a correlation between the applied orthodontic force and thermal variations in the tooth structure. To this end, geometry of the human tooth surrounded by the connective soft tissue called the periodontal ligament and the bone was constructed by employing dental CT scan images of a specific case. The periodontal ligament was modeled by finite strain viscoelastic model through a nonlinear stress‐strain relation (hyperelasticity) and nonlinear stress‐time relation (viscoelasticity). The tooth structure was loaded by a lateral force with 15 different quantities applied to 20 different locations, along the midedge of the tooth crown. The resultant compressive stress in the periodontal ligament was considered as the cause of elevated cell activity that was modeled by a transient heat flux in the thermal analysis. The heat flux value was estimated by conducting an experiment on a pair of rats. The numerical results showed that by applying an orthodontic force to the tooth structure, a significant temperature rise was observed. By measuring the temperature rise, the orthodontic process can be evaluated.
Reactivity of Copper(III)–Oxo Complexes in the Gas Phase
Authors: Yassaghi Ghazaleh , Andris Erik , Roithová Jana
Published: May 2017

An efficient way to generate [(L)CuO]+ complexes with a number of monodentate and bidentate ligands (L) from their [(L)Cu(ClO3)]+ precursors by electrospray ionization was herein explored. Further, we studied [(L)CuO]+ with L=9,10‐phenanthraquinone, 1,10‐phenanthroline, and acetonitrile in detail. The signature of these terminal copper–oxo complexes was found to be elimination of the oxygen atom upon collisional activation. We investigated and compared their reactions with water, ethane, ethylene, and 1,4‐cyclohexadiene. The [(MeCN)CuO]+ complex oxidized water and performed C−H activation and hydroxylation of ethane. The complexes with bidentate ligands did not react with water and oxidized only larger hydrocarbons. All the investigated complexes showed comparable reactivities in the oxygen‐transfer reaction with ethylene.
A Robust, Water‐Based, Functional Binder Framework for High‐Energy Lithium–Sulfur Batteries
Authors: Lacey Matthew J. , Österlund Viking , Bergfelt Andreas , Jeschull Fabian , Bowden Tim , Brandell Daniel
Published: May 2017

We report here a water‐based functional binder framework for the lithium–sulfur battery systems, based on the general combination of a polyether and an amide‐containing polymer. These binders are applied to positive electrodes optimised towards high‐energy electrochemical performance based only on commercially available materials. Electrodes with up to 4 mAh cm−2 capacity and 97–98 % coulombic efficiency are achievable in electrodes with a 65 % total sulfur content and a poly(ethylene oxide):poly(vinylpyrrolidone) (PEO:PVP) binder system. Exchange of either binder component for a different polymer with similar functionality preserves the high capacity and coulombic efficiency. The improvement in coulombic efficiency from the inclusion of the coordinating amide group was also observed in electrodes where pyrrolidone moieties were covalently grafted to the carbon black, indicating the role of this functionality in facilitating polysulfide adsorption to the electrode surface. The mechanical properties of the electrodes appear not to significantly influence sulfur utilisation or coulombic efficiency in the short term but rather determine retention of these properties over extended cycling. These results demonstrate the robustness of this very straightforward approach, as well as the considerable scope for designing binder materials with targeted properties.
SiMA: A simplified migration assay for analyzing neutrophil migration
Authors: Weckmann Markus , Becker Tim , Nissen Gyde , Pech Martin , Kopp Matthias V.
Published: May 2017

In lung inflammation, neutrophils are the first leukocytes migrating to an inflammatory site, eliminating pathogens by multiple mechanisms. The term “migration” describes several stages of neutrophil movement to reach the site of inflammation, of which the passage of the interstitium and basal membrane of the airway are necessary to reach the site of bronchial inflammation. Currently, several methods exist (e.g., Boyden Chamber, under‐agarose assay, or microfluidic systems) to assess neutrophil mobility. However, these methods do not allow for parameterization on single cell level, that is, the individual neutrophil pathway analysis is still considered challenging. This study sought to develop a simplified yet flexible method to monitor and quantify neutrophil chemotaxis by utilizing commercially available tissue culture hardware, simple video microscopic equipment and highly standardized tracking. A chemotaxis 3D µ‐slide (IBIDI) was used with different chemoattractants [interleukin‐8 (IL‐8), fMLP, and Leukotriene B4 (LTB4)] to attract neutrophils in different matrices like Fibronectin (FN) or human placental matrix. Migration was recorded for 60 min using phase contrast microscopy with an EVOS®FL Cell Imaging System. The images were normalized and texture based image segmentation was used to generate neutrophil trajectories. Based on these spatio‐temporal information a comprehensive parameter set is extracted from each time series describing the neutrophils motility, including velocity and directness and neutrophil chemotaxis. To characterize the latter one, a sector analysis was employed enabling the quantification of the neutrophils response to the chemoattractant. Using this hard‐ and software framework we were able to identify typical migration profiles of the chemoattractants IL‐8, fMLP, and LTB4, the effect of the matrices FN versus HEM as well as the response to different medications (Prednisolone). Additionally, a comparison of four asthmatic and three non‐asthmatic patients gives a first hint to the capability of SiMA assay in the context of migration based diagnostics. Using SiMA we were able to identify typical migration profiles of the chemoattractants IL‐8, fMLP, and LTB4, the effect of the matrices FN versus HEM as well as the response to different medications, that is, Prednisolone induced a change of direction of migrating neutrophils in FN but no such effect was observed in human placental matrix. In addition, neutrophils of asthmatic individuals showed an increased proportion of cells migrating toward the vehicle. With the SiMA platform we presented a simplified but yet flexible platform for cost‐effective tracking and quantification of neutrophil migration. The introduced method is based on a simple microscopic video stage, standardized, commercially available, µ‐fluidic migration chambers and automated image analysis, and track validation software. © 2017 International Society for Advancement of Cytometry
Advanced consumable‐free morphological analysis of intact red blood cells by a compact scanning flow cytometer
Authors: Gilev K.V. , Yastrebova E.S. , Strokotov D.I. , Yurkin M.A. , Karmadonova N.A. , Chernyshev A.V. , Lomivorotov V.V. , Maltsev V.P.
Published: May 2017

Whereas modern automated blood cell analyzers measure the volume of individual red blood cells (RBCs), leading to four RBC indices (mean corpuscular volume, MCV; mean corpuscular hemoglobin, MCH; mean corpuscular hemoglobin concentration, MCHC; red cell distribution width, and RDW), the RBC shape has not been assessed by clinical screening tools. We applied the scanning flow cytometer (SFC) for complete characterization of intact RBC morphology in terms of diameter, maximal and minimal thicknesses, volume, surface area, sphericity index, spontaneous curvature, hemoglobin concentration, and content. The above‐mentioned individual RBC characteristics were measured without fluorescent markers and other chemicals by a SFC equipped only with 660 nm laser for RBC illumination and single detector for measurement of angle‐resolved light scattering. The distributions over all RBC characteristics were constructed and processed statistically to form the novel 31 RBC indices for 22 donor samples. Our results confirm the possibility of precise, label‐free, enhanced morphological analysis of individual intact RBCs with compact single‐detector flow cytometer. Detailed characterization of RBCs with high statistics and precision can be used to increase the value of screening examinations and to reveal pathologies accompanied by abnormality of RBC shape. © 2017 International Society for Advancement of Cytometry
Transmit‐sense‐receive–based cognitive antijamming for airborne ad hoc networks
Authors: Li Haitao , Qian Yiming , Liu Changjun
Published: May 2017

In this paper, a transmit‐sense‐receive mode–based simultaneous transmit‐and‐receive cognitive antijamming (SCAJ) strategy is proposed to enhance spectrally efficient of airborne networks in congested electromagnetic spectrum environment. We explore the performance of spectrum sensing based on energy detection in SCAJ system. The tight close form expressions of jamming detection and false‐alarm probability are derived under different channels, the throughput of individual SCAJ system is analyzed, and SCAJ transceiver‐based airborne ad hoc network capacity is presented for air platform equipping with digital beamforming antennas. Simulation results show that proposed SCAJ technology can improve the antijamming capability and airborne ad hoc network capacity compared to the half‐duplex cognitive antijamming scheme. It is an effective approach to solve the problem of designing airborne networks arise from the limited availability of spectrum and the desire to provide much higher data rates.
Join national conversation on education funding model
Authors: Hope Joan
Published: May 2017

Early in her career, Patricia D. White realized she enjoyed both the practical parts of problem‐solving that lawyers do and being a scholar and intellectual. “Administration allows me to combine the two in a way I find fulfilling,” she said. White has been dean and professor of law at the University of Miami School of Law since 2009 and was dean at the Arizona State University Sandra Day O'Connor College of Law before that.
Dual malignancy in a thyroid; papillary thyroid carcinoma and small lymphocytic lymphoma; a report of a case with a cyto‐histologic correlation
Authors: Ahmed Omar I. , Salih Ziyan T.
Published: May 2017

Papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC) is the most common thyroid malignancy. Simultaneous involvement of the thyroid gland by multiple malignancies, is a rare occurrence. Similarly, primary thyroid lymphomas are also rare. We are reporting a rare case of a dual thyroid malignancy; PTC with secondary thyroid involvement by chronic lymphocytic leukemia/small lymphocytic lymphoma (CLL/SLL), diagnosed on cytology and confirmed with flow cytometry, histology and immunohistochemistry. Imaging showed two hypermetabolic nodules, one in left parotid gland, and the other in the thyroid isthmus. Cytology smears showed features of PTC along with an atypical lymphocytic infiltrate, which co‐expressed CD5, CD19, and CD23 on flowcytometry analysis. Subsequent thyroidectomy showed the atypical lymphocytic infiltrate involving the PTC papillae themselves. The diagnosis of dual malignancies on thyroid FNA is extremely rare and often unexpected, but is possible using appropriate ancillary studies.
Endocardial Fibroelastosis is Secondary to Hemodynamic Alterations in the Chick Embryonic Model of Hypoplastic Left Heart Syndrome
Authors: Pesevski Zivorad , Kvasilova Alena , Stopkova Tereza , Nanka Ondrej , Drobna Krejci Eliska , Buffinton Christine , Kockova Radka , Eckhardt Adam , Sedmera David
Published: May 2017

Background: Endocardial fibroelastosis (EFE) is a diffuse thickening of the ventricular endocardium, causing myocardial dysfunction and presenting as unexplained heart failure in infants and children. One of the postulated causes is persistent and increased wall tension in the ventricles. Results: To examine whether reduced ventricular pressure in a chick model of hypoplastic left heart syndrome (HLHS) induced by left atrial ligation (LAL) at embryonic day (ED) 4 is associated with EFE at later stages, myocardial fibrosis was evaluated by histology and immunoconfocal microscopy and mass spectrometry (MS) at ED12. Immunohistochemistry with collagen I antibody clearly showed a significant thickening of the layer of subendocardial fibrous tissue in LAL hearts, and MS proved this significant increase of collagen I. To provide further insight into pathogenesis of this increased fibroproduction, hypoxyprobe staining revealed an increased extent of hypoxic regions, normally limited to the interventricular septum, in the ventricular myocardium of LAL hearts at ED8. Conclusions: Abnormal hemodynamic loading during heart development leads to myocardial hypoxia, stimulating collagen production in the subendocardium. Therefore, EFE in this chick embryonic model of HLHS appears to be a secondary effect of abnormal hemodynamics. Developmental Dynamics 247:509–520, 2018. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Postfire soil water repellency in piñon–juniper woodlands: Extent, severity, and thickness relative to ecological site characteristics and climate
Authors: Zvirzdin Daniel L. , Roundy Bruce A. , Barney Nicholas S. , Petersen Steven L. , Anderson Val J. , Madsen Matthew D.
Published: May 2017

Wildfires can create or intensify water repellency in soil, limiting the soil's capacity to wet and retain water. The objective of this research was to quantify soil water repellency characteristics within burned piñon–juniper woodlands and relate this information to ecological site characteristics. We sampled soil water repellency across forty‐one 1,000 m2study plots within three major wildfires that burned in piñon–juniper woodlands. Water repellency was found to be extensive—present at 37% of the total points sampled—and strongly related to piñon–juniper canopy cover. Models developed for predictingSWRextent and severity hadR2adjvalues of 0.67 and 0.61, respectively; both models included piñon–juniper canopy cover and relative humidity the month before the fire as coefficient terms. These results are important as they suggest that postfire water repellency will increase in the coming years as infilling processes enhance piñon–juniper canopy cover. Furthermore, reductions in relative humidity brought about by a changing climate have the potential to link additively with infilling processes to increase the frequency and intensity of wildfires and produce stronger water repellency over a greater spatial extent. In working through these challenges, land managers can apply the predictive models developed in this study to prioritize fuel control and postfire restoration treatments.
Differential impacts of shared parasites on fitness components among competing hosts
Authors: Friesen Olwyn C. , Poulin Robert , Lagrue Clément
Published: May 2017

Effects of parasites on individual hosts can eventually translate to impacts on host communities. In particular, parasitism can differentially affect host fitness among sympatric and interacting host species. We examined whether the impact of shared parasites varied among host species within the same community. Specifically, we looked at the impacts of the acanthocephalanAcanthocephalus galaxii, the trematodesCoitocaecum parvumandMaritrema poulini, and the nematodeHedruris spinigera, on three host species: the amphipods,Paracalliope fluviatilisandParacorophium excavatum, and the isopod,Austridotea annectens. We assessed parasite infection levels in the three host species and tested for effects on host survival, behavior, probability of pairing, and fecundity.Maritrema pouliniandC. parvumwere most abundant inP. excavatumbut had no effect on its survival, whereas they negatively affected the survival ofP. fluviatilis, the other amphipod. Female amphipods carrying young had higherM. pouliniandC. parvumabundance than those without, yet the number of young carried was not linked to parasite abundance. Behavior of the isopodA. annectenswas affected byM. pouliniinfection; more heavily infected individuals were more active.Paracorophium excavatummoved longer distances when abundance ofC. parvumwas lower, yet no relationship existed with respect to infection by bothM. pouliniandC. parvum. The differential effects of parasites on amphipods and isopods may lead to community‐wide effects. Understanding the consequences of parasitic infection and differences among host species is key to gaining greater insight into the role of parasite mediation in ecosystem dynamics.
Interplay between climate and hydrogeomorphic features and their effect on the seasonal variation of dissolved organic matter in shallow temperate lakes of the Southern Andes (Patagonia, Argentina): a field study based on optical properties
Authors: Soto Cárdenas Carolina , Gerea Marina , Garcia Patricia E. , Pérez Gonzalo L. , Diéguez María C. , Rapacioli Raúl , Reissig Mariana , Queimaliños Claudia
Published: May 2017

This study analyses the effects of the interplay between climate seasonality and hydrogeomorphic (HGM) lake features on dissolved organic matter (DOM) properties in two neighbouring shallow lakes of Andean Patagonia with different connectivities. The survey was conducted over three years at the end of the wet and dry seasons, assessing the seasonal and interannual variation of dissolved organic carbon (DOC) concentration, whole‐lake DOC mass, and DOM quality, through chromophoric and fluorescent DOM (CDOM and FDOM, respectively) properties. During the wet season (fall–winter), precipitation and runoff increased water discharge, water level, and inputs of terrestrial DOM with high aromaticity, humic content, and high molecular weight in both lakes. Contrastingly, during the dry season (spring–summer), in which photodegradation promoted by high irradiance and stagnant conditions drove DOM transformation, nonhumic, low‐molecular‐weight DOM prevailed. Both lakes displayed synchronicity in their DOC mass and CDOM and FDOM properties, indicative of similar responses to climate forcing, although the overall impact was modulated by their HGM features. Conversely, DOC concentration showed asynchronous responses between lakes, due to the higher intensity of the dilution or evapoconcentration processes in the connected lake, highlighting that DOC concentration is not always sensitive to climate‐driven forces. Overall, this study emphasizes the importance of variables other than DOC concentration, like whole‐lake DOC mass, DOM quality, and HGM features, to better understand the effect of climate variability on DOM dynamics. Our results allow inferring the potential impact of an environmental scenario characterized by lower precipitation and sustained warming on DOM dynamics in Northern Andean Patagonia.
Possible mechanisms underlying abundance and diversity responses of nematode communities to plant diversity
Authors: Cortois Roeland , Veen G. F. (Ciska) , Duyts Henk , Abbas Maike , Strecker Tanja , Kostenko Olga , Eisenhauer Nico , Scheu Stefan , Gleixner Gerd , De Deyn Gerlinde B. , van der Putten Wim H.
Published: May 2017

Plant diversity is known to influence the abundance and diversity of belowground biota; however, patterns are not well predictable and there is still much unknown about the driving mechanisms. We analyzed changes in soil nematode community composition as affected by long‐term manipulations of plant species and functional group diversity in a field experiment with plant species diversity controlled by sowing a range of 1–60 species mixtures and controlling non‐sown species by hand weeding. Nematode communities contain a variety of species feeding on bacteria, fungi, plants, invertebrates, while some are omnivorous. We analyzed responses of nematode abundance and diversity to plant species and functional diversity, and used structural equation modeling (SEM) to explore the possible mechanisms underlying the observed patterns. The abundance of individuals of all nematode feeding types, except for predatory nematodes, increased with both plant species and plant functional group diversity. The abundance of microbial‐feeding nematodes was related positively to aboveground plant community biomass, whereas abundance of plant‐feeding nematodes was related positively to shoot C:N ratio. The abundance of predatory nematodes, in turn, was positively related to numbers of plant‐feeding nematodes, but not to the abundance of microbial feeders. Interestingly, the numbers of plant‐feeding nematodes per unit root mass were lowest in the high‐diversity plant communities, pointing at reduced exposure to belowground herbivores when plants grow in species‐diverse communities. Taxon richness of plant‐feeding and microbial‐feeding nematodes increased with plant species and plant functional group diversity. Increasing plant functional group diversity also enhanced taxon richness of predatory nematodes. The SEM suggests that bottom‐up control effects of plant species and plant functional group diversity on abundance of nematodes in the various feeding types predominantly involve mechanistic linkages related to plant quality instead of plant quantity; especially, C:N ratios of the shoot tissues, and/or effects of plants on the soil habitat, rather than shoot quantity explained nematode abundance. Although aboveground plant properties may only partly serve as a proxy for belowground resource quality and quantity, our results encourage further studies on nematode responses to variations in plant species and plant functional diversity in relation to both quantity and quality of the belowground resources.
Climate and extreme weather independently affect population growth, but neither is a consistently good predictor
Authors: Matter Stephen F. , Roland Jens
Published: May 2017

Climate change involves changes in mean temperature and precipitation as well as increases in extreme weather events; thus, determining how species will respond to climate change requires understanding how organisms respond to change in both mean and extreme conditions. Previously, we have shown that the growth of 21 interconnected populations of the alpine butterfly, Parnassius smintheus, is affected by prevailing climatic conditions during its overwintering period. More recently, we have shown that population growth is affected by extreme weather events during early overwintering. Here, we compare the descriptive and predictive abilities of models based on climate, weather, and their combination. We found that both climate‐ and weather‐based models explain significant, but independent, variation in year‐to‐year changes in population abundance; the combination of both was not better than either individual model. None of the models showed consistently good predictive ability. The climate model was accurate in predicting relatively small changes in year‐to‐year abundance, but not large changes. In contrast, the weather model was poor at predicting small changes in abundance, but accurately predicted large changes. Our results indicate that a more mechanistic approach, linking specific conditions to vital rates and population growth, will be needed to predict population responses to changing abiotic conditions.
Ask and you might receive: The actor–partner interdependence model approach to estimating cultural and gender variations in social support
Authors: Zhou Biru , Heather Dara , Cesare Alessia Di , Ryder Andrew G.
Published: May 2017

As an essential part of close relationships, social support is a dynamic interactive process. This paper aims to simultaneously investigate social support‐seeking and provision behaviours using the Actor–Partner Interdependence Model (APIM). Ninety‐two friendship dyads participated in this study. Supportive versus negative friendship qualities were used to predict different support‐seeking and support‐provision behaviours during an experimental task. Cultural and gender variations were also examined. Results showed that self‐reported friendship qualities influence support‐seeking and provision behaviours intrapersonally and interpersonally. Female participants were more likely to provide emotion‐focused support than were male participants. After accounting for friendship qualities in the dyads, there was no evidence of cultural group differences on support‐seeking or provision behaviours among same‐sex friends. These results demonstrate the conceptual and empirical advantages of using APIM to unpack cultural and gender variations in social support processes.
Social psychology circa 2016: A field on steroids
Authors: Kruglanski Arie W. , Chernikova Marina , Jasko Katarzyna
Published: May 2017

This paper considers the current state of the field in social psychology. On the one hand, we have made enormous progress in integrating our research with other disciplines, reaching out to general public and using our knowledge toward addressing major societal ills. On the other hand, social psychology has been recently mired in a crisis of confidence concerning the appropriateness of our methods and the robustness of our findings. We propose that shifting our attention to theory, method, and application, as well as away from a pervasive “outcome focus,” can extricate social psychology from its current doldrums and allow it to realize its potential as an indispensable social science.
Nickel Hydroxide Nanoparticles on Screen‐printed Electrodes as an Impedimetric Non‐enzymatic Glucose Sensor
Authors: Rinaldi Ana Laura , Sobral Santiago , Carballo Romina
Published: May 2017

In this study, the electrodeposition of nickel hydroxide nanoparticles onto a screen‐printed electrode (Ni(OH)2/SPE) is described. Ni(OH)2/SPE is proposed as an alternative non‐enzymatic glucose sensor based on Electrochemical Impedance Spectroscopy (EIS) measurements.The SPEs were modified by the cathodic electrodeposition of nickel, from a solution containing 0.010 M Ni(NO3)2 and 1 M NH4Cl, at −1.3 V for 60 seconds. The SEM images show a uniform distribution of nickel spherical nanoparticles, with 60 nm average particle size. However, such morphology is not observed when the electrodeposition occurs in the absence of NH4Cl. The electrochemical properties of the sensor were carefully evaluated by Cyclic Voltammetry. Ni(OH)2/SPE shows a remarkable electrocatalytic behavior towards the oxidation of glucose in 0.1 M KOH. EIS measurements were carried out for Ni(OH)2/SPE and a single‐frequency impedance method is proposed as transduction principle for glucose determination. The analysis of each parameter of complex impedance was performed. The best linear response was obtained for the module of impedance (|Z|) in the range of 0–2 mM of glucose at 0.1 Hz (R2=0.992) with a slope of 0.137 KΩ−1⋅mM−1 of glucose. Finally, Ni(OH)2/SPE was utilized for quantification of glucose in blood samples.
A review of blood sample handling and pre‐processing for metabolomics studies
Authors: Hernandes Vinicius Veri , Barbas Coral , Dudzik Danuta
Published: May 2017

Metabolomics has been found to be applicable to a wide range of clinical studies, bringing a new era for improving clinical diagnostics, early disease detection, therapy prediction and treatment efficiency monitoring. A major challenge in metabolomics, particularly untargeted studies, is the extremely diverse and complex nature of biological specimens. Despite great advances in the field there still exist fundamental needs for considering pre‐analytical variability that can introduce bias to the subsequent analytical process and decrease the reliability of the results and moreover confound final research outcomes. Many researchers are mainly focused on the instrumental aspects of the biomarker discovery process, and sample related variables sometimes seem to be overlooked. To bridge the gap, critical information and standardized protocols regarding experimental design and sample handling and pre‐processing are highly desired. Characterization of a range variation among sample collection methods is necessary to prevent results misinterpretation and to ensure that observed differences are not due to an experimental bias caused by inconsistencies in sample processing. Herein, a systematic discussion of pre‐analytical variables affecting metabolomics studies based on blood derived samples is performed. Furthermore, we provide a set of recommendations concerning experimental design, collection, pre‐processing procedures and storage conditions as a practical review that can guide and serve for the standardization of protocols and reduction of undesirable variation.
Array Analysis Manager—An automated DNA microarray analysis tool simplifying microarray data filtering, bias recognition, normalization, and expression analysis
Authors: von der Haar Marcel , Lindner Patrick , Scheper Thomas , Stahl Frank
Published: May 2017

Desoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) microarray experiments generate big datasets. To successfully harness the potential information within, multiple filtering, normalization, and analysis methods need to be applied. An in‐depth knowledge of underlying physical, chemical, and statistical processes is crucial to the success of this analysis. However, due to the interdisciplinarity of DNA microarray applications and experimenter backgrounds, the published analyses differ greatly, for example, in methodology. This severely limits the comprehensibility and comparability among studies and research fields. In this work, we present a novel end‐user software, developed to automatically filter, normalize, and analyze two‐channel microarray experiment data. It enables the user to analyze single chip, dye‐swap, and loop experiments with an extended dynamic intensity range using a multiscan approach. Furthermore, to our knowledge, this is the first analysis software solution, that can account for photobleaching, automatically detected by an artificial neural network. The user gets feedback on the effectiveness of each applied normalization regarding bias minimization. Standardized methods for expression analysis are included as well as the possibility to export the results in the Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) format. This software was designed to simplify the microarray analysis process and help the experimenter to make educated decisions about the analysis process to contribute to reproducibility and comparability.
An analysis on the intraday trading activity of VIX derivatives
Authors: Kao Dian‐Xuan , Tsai Wei‐Che , Wang Yaw‐Huei , Yen Kuang‐Chieh
Published: May 2017

We investigate the relation between trading activity in the VIX derivative markets and changes in the VIX index under a high‐frequency framework. We find a significant relation between the signed trading variables of VIX futures and the contemporaneous changes in the VIX index. In addition, the net signed trading variables of VIX futures are significant predictors of future changes in the VIX index. Our results provide support for the informational role of VIX futures and evidence that trading activity in VIX options is likely caused by temporary liquidity shocks rather than the likelihood of informed trading.
Index futures trading and spot volatility in China: A semiparametric approach with range‐based proxies
Authors: Tan Na , Peng Yulei , Liu Yanchu , Pan Zhewen
Published: May 2017

We relax the linear conditional mean assumption in Hsiao et al. (2012). Journal of Applied Econometrics, 27(5), 705–740 and extend it to a single‐index semi‐parametric setting. The asymptotic distribution properties are derived and the semi‐parametric model is applied to study the treatment effect of introducing the stock index futures contracts in China. Our empirical results indicate that the introduction of stock index futures significantly reduced stock market volatility before October 2014, but the long‐run effect is not significant. This temporary stabilization effect is robust to different underlying spot indexes, to various proxies of volatility, and to placebo tests on the introduction date of stock index futures.
Impact of Executive Actions on Energy and Water Lower Than Feared
Authors: DeCotis Paul A.
Published: May 2017

Unlike the rule of law, executive actions signal policy and provide guidance to the executive branch on the administration's priorities.
Are International and Product Diversification Substitutes or Complements? Theoretical and Empirical Perspectives
Authors: Bowen Harry P. , Sleuwaegen Leo
Published: May 2017

Research summary

Extant research offers conflicting evidence on the nature and performance implications of a relationship between a firm's decision to expand (diversify) into new geographic and product markets; this article views that as being due to the lack of a consistent conceptual framework that incorporates and links both types of diversification. Accordingly, this article presents a consistent theoretical framework to identify and characterize alternative relationships between these two types of diversification strategies and what it might mean to characterize a particular relationship as evidencing substitution or complementarity. We show that the interplay between a firm's unique but limited resources and its particular market environment implies alternative and idiosyncratic relationships between these two diversification strategies, and we offer guidance on empirical approaches for investigating the identified relationships.

Managerial summary

This article presents a consistent theoretical framework to identify and characterize alternative relationships between a firm's decision to expand (diversify) into new geographic and product markets and what it might mean to characterize a given relationship as being one of substitutes for complements. Such characterization implies alternative performance outcomes when jointly engaging in these types of diversification strategies. We show that a firm's unique but limited resources and its particular market environment give rise to alternative and idiosyncratic relationships between these two types of diversification strategies, and we provide guidance on empirical approaches for investigating the identified relationships. Copyright © 2017 Strategic Management Society.
International Capacity‐Building Initiatives for National Bioethics Committees
Authors: Gefenas Eugenijus , Lukaseviciene Vilma
Published: May 2017

During the last two decades, national bioethics committees have been established in many countries all over the world. They vary with respect to their structure, composition, and working methods, but the main functions are similar. They are supposed to facilitate public debate on controversial bioethical issues and produce opinions and recommendations that can help inform the public and policy‐makers. The dialogue among national bioethics committees is also increasingly important in the globalized world, where biomedical technologies raise ethical dilemmas that traverse national borders. It is not surprising, therefore, that the committees are established and active in the technologically advanced countries. There have also been a few international capacity‐building initiatives in bioethics that have had a dual task: networking among existing national bioethics committees and helping establish such committees in those countries that still lack them. The problem is that, due to a lack of information, it is not clear what problems and challenges committees face in the transitioning societies often characterized as low‐ and middle‐income countries.
A Broader Bioethics: Topic Selection and the Impact of National Bioethics Commissions
Authors: Schwartz Jason L.
Published: May 2017

Comparative assessments of national bioethics commissions in the United States commonly look at the differences among these groups over their forty‐year history. A particular focus has been differences in the membership, mission, methods, and reports of the President's Council on Bioethics, which was active from 2001 until 2009, compared to those of its predecessors and the recent Presidential Commission for the Study of Bioethical Issues, active from 2009 until 2016. The differences are real, but disproportionate attention to them can obscure the substantial similarities in commissions’ structure and function throughout the history of expert bioethics advice to government. As the Trump administration considers what role, if any, a bioethics commission will play in its work, it would be well served to consider how choices regarding the design of such a group and the topics it examines can best facilitate the unique contributions it can make to the government and to the country.
Reflections on the National Bioethics Advisory Commission and Models of Public Bioethics
Authors: Childress James F.
Published: May 2017

The National Bioethics Advisory Commission, of which I was a member, was established by a 1995 executive order that identified its “first priority” as “the protection of the rights and welfare of human research subjects.” Not surprisingly, then, most of NBAC's work focused on research involving human subjects or participants. A second priority concerned “issues in the management and use of genetics information, including but not limited to, human gene patenting.” NBAC's charter (in contrast to the executive order) listed this charge as “part B” of the “first priority.” Nonetheless, NBAC never fully developed it. In addition to responding to requests and recommendations from the National Science and Technology Council, NBAC could accept suggestions from Congress and the public for bioethical issues it should consider, and it could also identify other issues to consider and set priorities among them. From its first meeting on October 4, 1996, until its charter expired on October 3, 2001, NBAC produced six reports, with 120 recommendations. In this essay, I make a few observations about principles and moral reasoning in NBAC's deliberations and about NBAC's attention to religious beliefs in the context of two bioethical controversies, provide a rough evaluation of NBAC's impact, and consider three possible models for future public bioethics directed at federal public policy.
National Bioethics Commissions as Educators
Authors: Lee Lisa M.
Published: May 2017

As has become tradition, executive directors of United States’ presidential bioethics committees offer reflections about their experience shortly after the orderly shutdown of the commission staff. After the records are filed according to government records regulations; after all the staff members, who are hired into temporary positions that must be renewed every two years, have secured permanent employment; after preparations are made to ensure that the next commission staff (should there be one) has a budget and standard operating procedures in order to begin its work in a timely manner; after the lights are turned out for the last time, the executive director makes the final climb up the stairs into the sunlight and reflects on the whirlwind. There is much about my work with the Presidential Commission for the Study of Bioethical Issues that deserves comment, but one aspect of the commission that has been especially valuable to me is its work to educate the nation on bioethical issues. This is, moreover, a contribution in which the commission staff was central, and it is one that, as an ethics educator myself, I will cherish deeply.
Making the Choices Necessary to Make a Difference: The Responsibility of National Bioethics Commissions
Authors: Grady Christine
Published: May 2017

In this essay, I offer some reflections on how the topics were identified and approached by the Presidential Commission for the Study of Bioethical Issues, on which I had the honor to serve, in the hope that the reflections may be useful to future national bioethics commissions. In the executive order that established the bioethics commission, President Obama explicitly recognized the ethical imperative to responsibly pursue science, innovation, and advances in biomedical research and health care, and the importance of national attention to these issues. The bioethics commission prioritized practicable, actionable, targeted recommendations. Like most earlier U.S. national bioethics commissions, President Obama's commission did not undertake projects on significant and troublesome issues related to health and health care that were not associated with new science or technology. Issues such as health care access, health care delivery, opioid addiction, end‐of‐life care, and physician‐aid‐in‐dying are topical and ethically complex areas of significance to bioethics, and they are also being discussed and debated by the public, the media, and policy‐makers. In my view, there are good reasons to select and prioritize projects as well as a justification for confining commission efforts to issues related to novel science and emerging technologies, when there is only one national‐level bioethics commission that has been established by the Office of the President.
Ethical Principles, Process, and the Work of Bioethics Commissions
Authors: Sulmasy Daniel P.
Published: May 2017

Shortly after the Presidential Commission for the Study of Bioethical Issues was constituted in 2010 and days before the commission members were to join a conference call to discuss possible topics for their deliberation, Craig Venter held a press conference announcing that his lab had created a synthetic chromosome for a species of mycoplasma and had inserted this genetic material into organisms of another species of mycoplasma (the genes of which had been deactivated), transforming the host species into the donor species. While not overtly claiming to have “created life in the test tube,” Venter's publicity seemed cleverly designed to provoke the media into reporting his discovery in just that way. The resulting uproar caused President Obama to give his new bioethics commission the assignment of investigating the ethics of the emerging field of synthetic biology. The commission went right to work. It formed working groups to deliberate about parts of the report, feeding ideas and language to the staff members who would do the actual writing, and then present the working group suggestions to the commission as a whole for public deliberation at open meetings. One of those working groups was charged with coming up with ethical principles that would guide the analysis. Having served as a member of that working group, I report here on the process by which these principles emerged and reflect upon the suitability of that process for the work of public bioethics commissions.
Ripples: What to Expect When You Serve on a Bioethics Commission
Authors: Murray Thomas H.
Published: May 2017

Cloning was the issue that put the National Bioethics Advisory Commission on the map, but the first clue that NBAC would address cloning was a terse fax from the White House to each of us who served on the Commission. The fax noted that with the birth of the sheep named Dolly, mammalian cloning was now a reality, and it tasked NBAC with providing advice on the ethics of human cloning and how the nation should respond to it. We were given ninety days to report our findings. That's a very tight deadline for a report written by a committee, but we met it, and along the way, I learned important lessons. My goal in this essay is to share what I learned at the ramparts of what I will call, with apologies to George Lucas, the Cloning Wars and through NBAC's work on five additional reports.