bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Targeted dose enhancement in radiotherapy for breast cancer using gold nanoparticles, part 2: A treatment planning study
Authors: Strigari Lidia , Ferrero Veronica , Visonà Giovanni , Dalmasso Federico , Gobbato Andrea , Cerello Piergiorgio , Visentin Sonja , Attili Andrea
Published: February 2017

Purpose

In recent years, there has been growing interest in the use of gold nanoparticles (GNPs) combined with radiotherapy to improve tumor control. However, the complex interplay between GNP uptake and dose distribution in realistic clinical treatment are still somewhat unknown.

Methods

The effects of different concentrations of 2 nm diameter GNP, ranging from 0 to nanoparticles per tumoral cell, were theoretically investigated. A parametrization of the GNP distribution outside the target was carried out using a Gaussian standard deviation σ, from a zero value, relative to a selective concentration of GNPs inside the tumor volume alone, to 50mm, when GNPs are spatially distributed also in the healthy tissues surrounding the tumor. Treatment simulations of five patients with breast cancer were performed with 6 and 15 MV photons assuming a partial breast irradiation. A closed analytical reformulation of the Local Effect Model coupled with the estimation of local dose deposited around a GNP was validated using an in vitro study for MDA‐MB‐231 tumoral cells. The expected treatment outcome was quantified in terms of tumor control probability (TCP) and normal tissue complication probability (NTCP) as a function of the spatially varying gold uptake.

Results

Breast cancer treatment planning simulations show improved treatment outcomes when GNPs are selectively concentrated in the tumor volume (i.e., σ = 0 mm). In particular, the TCP increases up to 18% for nanoparticles per cell in the tumor region depending on the treatment schedules, whereas an improvement of the therapeutic index is observed only for concentrations of about GNPs per tumoral cell and limited spatial distribution in the normal tissue.

Conclusions

The model provides a useful framework to estimate the nanoparticle‐driven radiosensitivity in breast cancer treatment irradiation, accounting for the complex interplay between dose and GNP uptake distributions.
On the relative performance of edge illumination x‐ray phase‐contrast CT and conventional, attenuation‐based CT
Authors: Hagen Charlotte Klara , Diemoz Paul Claude , Olivo Alessandro
Published: February 2017

Purpose

This article is aimed at comparing edge illumination (EI) x‐ray phase contrast computed tomography (PCT) and conventional (attenuation‐based) computed tomography (CT), based on their respective contrast and noise transfer.

Methods

The noise in raw projections obtained with EI PCT is propagated through every step of the data processing, including phase retrieval and tomographic reconstruction, leading to a description of the noise in the reconstructed phase tomograms. This is compared to the noise in corresponding attenuation tomograms obtained with CT. Specifically, a formula is derived that allows evaluating the relative performance of both modalities on the basis of their contrast‐to‐noise ratio (CNR), for a variety of experimental parameters.

Results

The noise power spectra of phase tomograms are shifted towards lower spatial frequencies, leading to a fundamentally different noise texture. The relative performance of EI PCT and CT, in terms of their CNR, is linked to spatial resolution: the CNR in phase tomograms is generally superior to that in attenuation tomograms for higher spatial resolutions (tens to hundreds of μm), but inferior for lower spatial resolutions (hundreds of μm to mm).

Conclusion

These results imply that EI PCT could outperform CT in applications for which high spatial resolutions are key, e.g., small animal or specimen imaging.
Targeted dose enhancement in radiotherapy for breast cancer using gold nanoparticles, part 1: A radiobiological model study
Authors: Ferrero Veronica , Visonà Giovanni , Dalmasso Federico , Gobbato Andrea , Cerello Piergiorgio , Strigari Lidia , Visentin Sonja , Attili Andrea
Published: February 2017

Purpose

Gold nanoparticles (GNPs) are being proposed in combination with radiotherapy to improve tumor control. However, the exact mechanisms underlying GNP radiosensitization are yet to be understood, thus, we present a new approach to estimate the nanoparticle‐driven increase in radiosensitivity.

Methods

A stochastic radiobiological model, derived from the Local Effect Model (LEM), was coupled with Monte Carlo simulations to estimate the increase in radiosensitivity produced by the interactions between photons and GNPs at nanometric scale. The model was validated using in vitro survival data of MDA‐MB‐231 breast cancer cells containing different concentrations of 2 nm diameter GNPs receiving different doses using 160 kVp, 6 MV, and 15 MV photons. A closed analytical formulation of the model was also derived and a study of RBE and TCP behavior was conducted.

Results

Results support the increased radiosensitivity due to GNP‐driven dose inhomogeneities on a nanometric scale. The model is in good agreement with experimental clonogenic survival assays for 160 kVp, 6 MV, and 15 MV photons. The model suggests a RBE and TCP enhancement when lower energies and lower doses per fraction are used in the presence of GNPs.

Conclusions

The evolution of the local effect model was implemented to assess cellular radiosensitization in the presence of GNPs and then validated with in vitro data. The model provides a useful framework to estimate the nanoparticle‐driven radiosensitivity in treatment irradiations and could be applied to real clinical treatment predictions (described in a second part of this paper)
A decomposition technique of generalized degrees of freedom for mixedmode crack problems
Authors: Fan Huo , Zheng Hong , Li Chunguang , He Siming
Published: February 2017

The numerical manifold method (NMM) builds up a unified framework that is used to describe continuous and discontinuous problems; it is an attractive method for simulating a cracking phenomenon. Taking into account the differences between the generalized degrees of freedom of the physical patch and nodal displacement of the element in the NMM, a decomposition technique of generalized degrees of freedom is deduced for mixed mode crack problems. An analytic expression of the energy release rate, which is caused by a virtual crack extension technique, is proposed. The necessity of using a symmetric mesh is demonstrated in detail by analysing an additional error that had previously been overlooked. Because of this necessity, the local mathematical cover refinement is further applied. Finally, four comparison tests are given to illustrate the validity and practicality of the proposed method. The aforementioned aspects are all implemented in the high‐order NMM, so this study can be regarded as the development of the virtual crack extension technique and can also be seen as a prelude to an h‐version high‐order NMM. Copyright © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
A scaled boundary radial point interpolation method for 2‐D elasticity problems
Authors: Hajiazizi Mohammad , Graili Adel
Published: February 2017

The scaled boundary radial point interpolation method (SBRPIM), a new semi‐analytical technique, is introduced and applied to the analysis of the stress–strain problems. The proposed method combines the advantages of the scaled boundary finite element method and the boundary radial point interpolation method. In this method, no mesh is required, nodes are scattered only on the boundary of the domain, no fundamental solution is required, and as the shape functions constructed based on the radial point interpolation method possess the Kronecker delta function property, the boundary conditions of problems can be imposed accurately without additional efforts. The main ideas of the SBRPIM are introducing a new method based on boundary scattered nodes without the need to element connectivity information, satisfying Kronecker delta function property, and being capable to handle singular problems. The equations of the SBRPIM in stress–strain fields are outlined in this paper. Several benchmark examples of 2‐D elastostatic are analyzed to validate the accuracy and efficiency of the proposed method. It is found that the SBRPIM is very easy to implement and the obtained results of the proposed method show a very good agreement with the analytical solution. Copyright © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
A multilevel projection‐based model order reduction framework for nonlinear dynamic multiscale problems in structural and solid mechanics
Authors: Zahr Matthew J. , Avery Philip , Farhat Charbel
Published: February 2017

A reduction/hyper reduction framework is presented for dramatically accelerating the solution of nonlinear dynamic multiscale problems in structural and solid mechanics. At each scale, the dimensionality of the governing equations is reduced using the method of snapshots for proper orthogonal decomposition, and computational efficiency is achieved for the evaluation of the nonlinear reduced‐order terms using a carefully designed configuration of the energy conserving sampling and weighting method. Periodic boundary conditions at the microscales are treated as linear multipoint constraints and reduced via projection onto the span of a basis formed from the singular value decomposition of Lagrange multiplier snapshots. Most importantly, information is efficiently transmitted between the scales without incurring high‐dimensional operations. In this proposed proper orthogonal decomposition–energy conserving sampling and weighting nonlinear model reduction framework, training is performed in two steps. First, a microscale hyper reduced‐order model is constructed in situ, or using a mesh coarsening strategy, in order to achieve significant speedups even in non‐parametric settings. Next, a classical offline–online training approach is performed to build a parametric hyper reduced‐order macroscale model, which completes the construction of a fully hyper reduced‐order parametric multiscale model capable of fast and accurate multiscale simulations. A notable feature of this computational framework is the minimization, at the macroscale level, of the cost of the offline training using the in situ or coarsely trained hyper reduced‐order microscale model to accelerate snapshot acquisition. The effectiveness of the proposed hyper reduction framework at accelerating the solution of nonlinear dynamic multiscale problems is demonstrated for two problems in structural and solid mechanics. Speedup factors as high as five orders of magnitude are shown to be achievable. Copyright © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
A hierarchical sequential ALE poromechanics model for tire‐soil‐water interaction on fluid‐infiltrated roads
Authors: Wollny Ines , Sun WaiChing , Kaliske Michael
Published: February 2017

This paper introduces a hierarchical sequential arbitrary Lagrangian‐Eulerian (ALE) model for predicting the tire‐soil‐water interaction at finite deformations. Using the ALE framework, the interaction between a rolling pneumatic tire and the fluid‐infiltrated soil underneath will be captured numerically. The road is assumed to be a fully saturated two‐phase porous medium. The constitutive response of the tire and the solid skeleton of the porous medium is idealized as hyperelastic. Meanwhile, the interaction between tire, soil, and water will be simulated via a hierarchical operator‐split algorithm. A salient feature of the proposed framework is the steady state rolling framework. While the finite element mesh of the soil is fixed to a reference frame and moves with the tire, the solid and fluid constituents of the soil are flowing through the mesh in the ALE model according to the rolling speed of the tire. This treatment leads to an elegant and computationally efficient formulation to investigate the tire‐soil‐water interaction both close to the contact and in the far field. The presented ALE model for tire‐soil‐water interaction provides the essential basis for future applications, for example, to a path‐dependent frictional‐cohesive response of the consolidating soil and unsaturated soil, respectively. Copyright © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Finite volume methods for elasticity with weak symmetry
Authors: Keilegavlen Eirik , Nordbotten Jan Martin
Published: February 2017

We introduce a new cell‐centered finite volume discretization for elasticity with weakly enforced symmetry of the stress tensor. The method is motivated by the need for robust discretization methods for deformation and flow in porous media and falls in the category of multi‐point stress approximations (MPSAs). By enforcing symmetry weakly, the resulting method has flexibility beyond previous MPSA methods. This allows for a construction of a method that is applicable to simplexes, quadrilaterals, and most planar‐faced polyhedral grids in both 2D and 3D, and in particular, the method amends a convergence failure in previous MPSA methods for certain simplex grids. We prove convergence of the new method for a wide range of problems, with conditions that can be verified at the time of discretization. We present the first set of comprehensive numerical tests for the MPSA methods in three dimensions, covering Cartesian and simplex grids, with both heterogeneous and nearly incompressible media. The tests show that the new method consistently is second order convergent in displacement, despite being the lowest order, with a rate that mostly is between 1 and 2 for stresses. The results further show that the new method is more robust and computationally cheaper than previous MPSA methods. Copyright © 2017 The Authors. International Journal for Numerical Methods in Engineering Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.
Regulators of mitochondrial quality control differ in subcutaneous fat of metabolically healthy and unhealthy obese monkeys
Authors: Kavanagh Kylie , Davis Ashley T. , Peters Diane E. , LeGrand Andre C. , Bharadwaj Manish S. , Molina Anthony J.A.
Published: February 2017

Objective

Obesity exists with and without accompanying cardiometabolic disease, termed metabolically unhealthy obesity (MUO) and healthy obesity (MHO), respectively. Underlying differences in the ability of subcutaneous (SQ) fat to respond to nutrient excess are emerging as a key pathway. This study aimed to document the first spontaneous animal model of MHO and MUO and differences in SQ adipose tissue.

Methods

Vervet monkeys (Chlorocebus aethiops; N = 171) were screened for metabolic syndrome. A subset of MHO and MUO monkeys (n = 6/group) had SQ fat biopsies collected for histological evaluations and examination of key mitochondrial proteins.

Results

Obesity was seen in 20% of monkeys, and within this population, 31% were healthy, which mirrors human prevalence estimates. MUO monkeys had more than 60% lower adiponectin concentrations despite similar fat cell size, uncoupling protein 3, and activated macrophage abundance. However, alternatively activated/anti‐inflammatory macrophages were 70% lower. Deficiencies of 50% or more in mitochondrial quality control regulators and selected mitochondrial fission and fusion markers were observed in the SQ fat of MUO monkeys despite comparable mitochondrial content.

Conclusions

A novel and translatable spontaneously obese animal model of MHO and MUO, occurring independently of dietary factors, was characterized. Differences in mitochondrial quality and inflammatory cell populations of subcutaneous fat may underpin divergent metabolic health.
Preparation and characterization of bionanocomposites based on soluble starch/nano CaCO3
Authors: Swain Sarat K. , Pradhan Gopal C. , Dash Satyabrata , Mohanty Fanismita , Behera Lingaraj
Published: February 2017

Starch is natural biopolymers with diversified applications as a biodegradable material which is a suitable alternative of non‐biodegradable and non‐renewable materials. The use of nanofiller as reinforcement results in considerable improvement in various properties of starch. Herein, nano calcium carbonate (CaCO3) designed starch bionanocomposites are prepared by solution technique. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and X‐ray diffraction are used for study of structural interaction of nano calcium carbonate with starch. The morphology of starch/CaCO3 bionanocomposites is investigated by high resolution transmission electron microscope. The thermal stability of starch is increased substantially due to incorporation of stable calcium carbonate nano powder. It is found that the 40% of residual mass was left at 800°C with a loading of 8 wt% of CaCO3. The oxygen permeability of starch/CaCO3 bionanocomposites is decreased by three times as compared to the virgin starch. Their biodegradability and chemical resistance properties are investigated. The tensile strength of starch/CaCO3 bionanocomposites is also improved with incorporation of nano CaCO3. The prepared bionanocomposites with substantial reduction in oxygen barrier properties in combination with increased thermal stability, tensile strength, and chemical resistance properties can be suitable materials for packaging applications. POLYM. COMPOS., 39:E82–E89, 2018. © 2017 Society of Plastics Engineers
Structure and evolution of subtropical cyclone Anita as evaluated by heat and vorticity budgets
Authors: Dutra Lívia Márcia Mosso , da Rocha Rosmeri Porfírio , Lee Robert William , Peres Jean Rafael Romão , de Camargo Ricardo
Published: February 2017

This article explores the evolution of subtropical cyclone Anita, which occurred near the east coast of Brazil (∼19°S–37°W) in March 2010. Thermodynamic and dynamic processes during Anita's life cycle are investigated using the heat and vorticity budget equations. The cyclone developed with hybrid characteristics and moved anomalously to the southwest, where it coupled with an upper‐level cut‐off low during the mature phase. This coupling was the main dynamical mechanism for further cyclone deepening. Anita then remained quasi‐stationary at about 30°S–47°W for 2 days, due to an upper‐level dipole pattern, which prevented earlier displacement of the upper‐level low counterpart. When the dipole pattern dissipated, the cyclone moved southeast and underwent extratropical transition whilst merging with a midlatitude frontal cyclone. Diabatic heating and horizontal temperature advection are found to be essential for subtropical development. During extratropical transition, instead it is diabatic cooling together with adiabatic cooling and warm‐air advection that act as the main mechanisms to influence the local temperature tendencies at low levels. Low‐level cyclonic tendencies were mostly due to convergent flow and the residual vorticity partially destroyed the vorticity tendencies produced by the divergence term. Moreover, in regions and levels where convection could explain some of the vorticity tendencies, it is found that apparent sinks of cyclonic vorticity were related to negative vorticity due to divergence (i.e. convergent flow), whilst apparent sources were related to positive vorticity due to divergence (i.e. divergent flow).
Comparison of density functionals for the study of the high spin low spin gap in Fe(III) spin crossover complexes
Authors: Sirirak Jitnapa , Sertphon Darunee , Phonsri Wasinee , Harding Phimphaka , Harding David J.
Published: February 2017

A detailed investigation of the accuracy of different quantum mechanical methods for the study of iron(III) spin crossover complexes is presented. The energy spin state gap between the high and low spin states; ΔE(HS‐LS) of nine iron(III) quinolylsalicylaldiminate complexes were calculated with nine different DFT functionals, then compared. DFT functionals: B3LYP, B3LYP‐D3, B3LYP*, BH&HLYP, BP86, OLYP, OPBE, M06L, and TPSSh were tested with six basis sets: 3‐21G*, dgdzvp, 6‐31G**, cc‐pVDZ, Def2TZVP, and cc‐pVTZ. The cations from the X‐ray crystal structures of [Fe(qsal‐OMe)2]Cl·MeCN·H2O, [Fe(qsal‐OMe)2]Cl·2MeOH·0.5H2O, [Fe(qsal‐OMe)2]BF4·MeOH, [Fe(qsal‐OMe)2]NCS·CH2Cl2, [Fe(qsal‐F)2]NCS, [Fe(qsal‐Cl)2]NCS·MeOH, [Fe(qsal‐Br)2]NCS·MeOH, [Fe(qsal‐I)2]OTf·MeOH, and [Fe(qsal)2]NCS⋅CH2Cl2 were used as starting structures. The results show that B3LYP, B3LYP‐D3, OLYP, and OPBE with a 6‐31G**, Def2TZVP, and cc‐pVTZ basis set give reasonable results of ΔE(HS‐LS) compared with the experimental data. The enthalpy of [Fe(qsal‐I)2]+ calculated with an OLYP functional and cc‐pVTZ basis set (1.48 kcal/mol) most closely matches the experimental data (1.34 kcal/mol). B3LYP* yields an enthalpy of 5.92 kcal/mol suggesting it may be unsuitable for these Fe(III) complexes, mirroring recent results by Kepp (Inorg. Chem., 2016, 55, 2717–2727).
Design of donor–acceptor–donor (D–A–D) type small molecule donor materials with efficient photovoltaic parameters
Authors: Irfan Muhammad , Iqbal Javed , Sadaf Sana , Eliasson Bertil , Rana Usman Ali , Ud‐din Khan Salah , Ayub Khurshid
Published: February 2017

Four Donor–Acceptor–Donor (D–A–D) type of donor molecules (M1‐M4) with triphenylamine (TPA) as donor moiety, thiophene as bridge, and thiazolothiazole as acceptor unit were designed and its photovoltaic parameters were equated with reference molecule “R.” DFT functional CAM‐B3LYP/6‐31G (d,p) was found best for geometry optimization and TD‐CAM‐B3LYP/6‐31G (d,p) was found suitable for excited state calculations. Among designed donor molecules, M4 manifests suitable lowest band gap of 4.73 eV, frontier molecular orbital energy levels as well as distinctive broad absorption of 455.3 nm due to the stronger electron withdrawing group. The electron‐withdrawing substituents contribute to red shifts of absorption spectra and better stabilities for designed molecules. The theoretically determined reorganization energies of designed donor molecules suggested excellent charge mobility property. The lower λe values in comparison with λh illustrated that these four donor materials would be ideal for electron transfer and M4 would be best amongst the investigated molecules with lowest λe of 0.0177. Furthermore, the calculated Voc of M4 is 2.04 V with respect to PC60BM (phenyl‐C61‐butyric acid methyl ester). This study revealed that the designed donor materials are suitable and recommended for high performance organic solar cell devices.
Effect of hachimijiogan on memory impairment induced by beta‐amyloid combined with cerebral ischemia in rats
Authors: Moriyama Hiroshi , Mishima Takayasu , Kainuma Mosaburo , Watanabe Takuya , Nagao Masaki , Takasaki Kotaro , Kubota Kaori , Katsurabayashi Shutaro , Tsuboi Yoshio , Iwasaki Katsunori
Published: February 2017

Aim

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a chronic neurodegenerative condition most often found in older people. Cerebrovascular disease is commonly found in patients with AD. Hachimijiogan (HJG) is a herbal medicine commonly used to treat age‐related disease. The aim of this study was therefore to investigate whether HJG could improve memory impairment in rats treated with amyloid‐β protein (Aβ) and cerebral ischemia (Aβ + CI).

Methods

Rats were prepared by a combination of intracerebroventricular Aβ injection and transient cerebral ischemia. Spatial memory was evaluated on water maze and eight‐arm radial maze tasks. HJG (1000 mg/kg/day) or donepezil (DPZ; 10 mg/kg/day) was given orally once per day for 7 days before behavioral task assessment.

Results

HJG reduced the increased time to reach the platform position in Aβ + CI rats in the water maze task as well as DPZ did. Additionally, HJG reduced the increase in errors in Aβ + CI rats in the eight‐arm radial maze task as well as DPZ did.

Conclusion

HJG ameliorated memory impairment in Aβ + CI rats, indicating that it may be useful for treating AD.
Clomiphene citrate and letrozole to reduce follicle‐stimulating hormone consumption during ovarian stimulation: systematic review and meta‐analysis
Authors: Bechtejew T. N. , Nadai M. N. , Nastri C. O. , Martins W. P.
Published: February 2017

Objective

To assess the available evidence comparing effectiveness of ovarian stimulation (OS) using clomiphene citrate (CC) and/or letrozole (LTZ) to reduce follicle‐stimulating hormone (FSH) consumption compared with standard OS.

Methods

We performed a systematic review and meta‐analysis of randomized controlled trials that compared reproductive outcomes following in‐vitro fertilization. We searched 11 electronic databases and hand‐searched the reference lists of included studies and related reviews. We stratified the results, separating studies according to the oral agent used (CC or LTZ) and the characteristics of the included women (expected poor ovarian response or other women). When combining the results of the included studies, we assessed the relative risk (RR) for live birth, clinical pregnancy, miscarriage and cycle cancelation, the Peto odds ratio (OR) for ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome (OHSS) and mean difference (MD) for the number of oocytes retrieved and FSH consumption.

Results

A total of 22 studies were included in the review. Considering women with expected poor ovarian response, the available evidence suggested that using CC to reduce FSH consumption during OS provided similar rates of live birth (RR, 0.9 (95% CI, 0.6–1.2), moderate‐quality evidence) and clinical pregnancy (RR, 1.0 (95% CI, 0.8–1.4), moderate‐quality evidence); the use of LTZ did not cause a relevant change in the number of oocytes retrieved (MD, −0.4 (95% CI, −0.9 to 0.1), high‐quality evidence). Considering the studies evaluating other women, the available evidence suggested that using CC to reduce FSH consumption during OS reduced the number of oocytes retrieved (MD, −4.6 (95% CI, −6.1 to −3.0), high‐quality evidence) and risk of OHSS (Peto OR, 0.2 (95% CI, 0.1–0.3), moderate‐quality evidence), while results were similar for rates of live birth (RR, 0.9 (95% CI, 0.7–1.1), moderate‐quality evidence) and clinical pregnancy (RR, 1.0 (95% CI, 0.8–1.1), high‐quality evidence). The quality of the evidence was low or very low for other outcomes.

Conclusion

The use of CC to reduce FSH consumption in women with expected poor ovarian response has the advantage of providing similar reproductive outcomes with reduced costs. For the other women, the use of CC for reducing FSH consumption has the additional advantage of reducing OHSS, but also reduces the total number of oocytes retrieved. More studies are needed to evaluate the effect of LTZ for the same purpose. Future studies should focus on cumulative pregnancy per oocyte retrieval, patient dissatisfaction and agreement to repeat the cycle if not pregnant, which are important outcomes for clinical decisions. Copyright © 2017 ISUOG. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.
Longitudinal pelvic floor biometry: which factors affect it?
Authors: Chan S. S. C. , Cheung R. Y. K. , Lee L. L. , Chung T. K. H.
Published: February 2017

Objectives

To evaluate pelvic floor biometry of women 3–5 years after their first delivery. The effect of a subsequent delivery and the mode of delivery on pelvic floor biometry were also studied.

Methods

Three‐hundred and twenty‐eight women who had been examined by translabial ultrasound during their first singleton pregnancy and at 8 weeks and 1 year postpartum, were invited for a follow‐up 3–5 years later. The positions of the bladder neck, cervix, anorectal junction and hiatal area (HA) were evaluated using translabial ultrasound. The effects of parity, mode of delivery and levator ani muscle avulsion were studied.

Results

A total of 240 women completed the study. Of these, 179 had one or more vaginal deliveries (VD) (VD‐only group), 52 had one or more Cesarean sections (CS) (CS‐only group) and nine had both VD and CS at follow‐up. The mean interval between the first delivery and follow‐up was 3.8 years. A significantly lower bladder neck and anorectal junction on Valsalva, a lower cervix at rest, on Valsalva and pelvic floor muscle contraction, and a greater HA were observed in the VD‐only group at follow‐up, compared with findings at 1 year of follow‐up or in the first pregnancy. The findings were similar in the CS‐only group, except without a lower anorectal junction on Valsalva. Compared with the primiparous VD‐only group, a greater HA at rest was observed in the multiparous VD‐only group (P = 0.027). The VD‐only group had a greater HA than the CS‐only group.

Conclusions

At 3–5 years after first delivery, a lower bladder neck, cervix and anorectal junction, and a greater HA were observed compared with findings in the first trimester and at 1 year of follow‐up, regardless of parity or mode of delivery. Women with two or more VDs had a greater HA compared with those who had only one VD, and women with at least one VD had a greater HA compared with those who delivered by CS only. Copyright © 2017 ISUOG. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.
Effects of density, season, and food intake on sika deer nutrition on Yakushima Island, Japan
Authors: Kuroiwa Arika , Kuroe Misako , Yahara Tetsukazu
Published: February 2017

Sika deer (Cervus nippon) suffer severe winter food limitation in northern Japan; however, plant food resources are available during winter in southern Japan and, consequently, deer nutritional status may not decrease there. To test this hypothesis, we measured seasonal changes in Riney's kidney fat index (RKFI) and stomach intake in 74 culled deer individuals from five areas with different deer densities on Yakushima Island, Japan. The average RKFI differed significantly among populations and ranged from 22.91 ± 11.91 to 76.23 ± 15.99. There was no significant correlation between RKFI and deer density. The total fresh weight of rumen contents also differed significantly among populations, ranging from 0.51 to 3.51 kg. Food intake and RKFI exhibited an L‐shaped distribution in the vicinity of a town ranch. However, we found that food intake had a significantly positive effect in populations at the other four locations, suggesting that changes in nutritional status were related to the quantity of deer rumen contents. Neither deer density nor season were significantly correlated with RKFI values. The average RKFI values exceeded 20 in all five locations. These findings indicate that the deer were not in a poor nutritional condition even in high density areas of >70 head/km2, which supports the above hypothesis. Notably, food intake varied among individuals in the same area, but was independent of body weight and age, which suggests that food selectivity differs between deer individuals.
Fatty Acid Methyl Esters with Two Vicinal Alkylthio Side Chains and Their NMR Characterization
Authors: Knothe Gerhard , Steidley Kevin R.
Published: February 2017

The addition reaction of dimethyl disulfide (DMDS) to double bonds in alkenes and monounsaturated fatty acid esters in the presence of iodine or other catalysts to give bis(methylthio) derivatives has largely served analytical purposes in mass spectrometry with scattered reports on the addition of other disulfides to alkenes also existing. In this work, this iodine‐catalyzed reaction was expanded to include the addition of other dialkyl disulfides (RSSR; R=ethyl, propyl, butyl, iso‐propyl) besides DMDS to the double bonds in monounsaturated fatty acid methyl esters with 16, 18, 20, and 22 carbon atoms in the fatty acid chain to give the corresponding methyl 1,2‐bis(alkylthio)alkanoates. The products are obtained in high to moderate yield after a facile purification procedure and are analytically characterized not only by mass spectrometry but also 1H and 13C NMR. The threo and erythro diastereomers obtained from (Z) and (E) fatty acid methyl esters, respectively, can be easily distinguished by the NMR shifts of the protons and carbons in and close to the 1,2‐bis(alkylthio) moiety. Various other effects in the NMR spectra are discussed. The 1,2‐bis(alkylthio) derivatives of a symmetrical alkene, 7(E)‐tetradecene, serve to confirm the NMR assignments besides NMR techniques such as 2D correlations and DEPT. The compounds may show properties of interest for various applications.
Using Mettler Dropping Point Data from Dilute Soybean Oil‐Triglyceride Mixtures to Estimate Thermodynamic Properties for Corresponding Pure Triglyceride
Authors: Moorthy A. S. , List G. R. , Adlof R. O. , Steidley K. R. , Marangoni A. G.
Published: February 2017

The enthalpy of fusion and melting temperature for ten symmetrical and seven asymmetrical triglycerides (TAGs) was estimated using mettler dropping points (MDP) of five concentrations of TAGs dissolved in a complex mixed solvent (soybean oil) and a modified Clapeyron equation, an approach we refer to as LIST estimation. The ten estimates generated using the LIST method were compared for accuracy to values measured using differential scanning calorimetry and MDP of pure TAG samples and to estimates calculated using effective carbon number and the Triglyceride Property Calculator. We find that LIST estimates for stearic acid and palmitic acid‐based monoacid and symmetrical TAGs agree well with measured and calculated values using alternative methods. Conversely, LIST estimates for stearic acid and palmitic acid based asymmetrical TAGs diverge substantially from alternative estimates, suggesting that the LIST approach is inadequate in describing asymmetric TAGs using the assessed concentrations of TAG in soybean oil. Elaidic acid containing TAGs behaved uniquely, with LIST estimates for trielaidin not agreeing with alternative estimates yet LIST estimates for distearic–monoelaidic in both symmetric and asymmetric configurations agreeing well with alternative estimates. We conclude that the LIST approach of using MDP of a high melting pure TAGs dissolved in soybean oil can be, at minimum, a viable approach in estimating melting behavior properties of symmetric stearic and palmitic acid containing TAGs. Further investigation for the behavior of asymmetric stearic and palmitic acid containing TAGs in soybean oil is required. As such, using known enthalpies of symmetric stearic and palmitic acid containing TAGs, we should be able to estimate the solubility of a high melting pure TAG in soybean oil using MDP and Clapeyron's equation.
Evaluation of changes in magnetic resonance diffusion tensor imaging of the bilateral optic tract in monocular blind rats
Authors: Wang Rong , Zhong Yufeng , Tang Weijun , Tang Zuohua , Sun Xinghuai , Feng Xiaoyuan , Fan Jiawen , Wu Lingjie , Wang Jie , Xiao Zebin , Jin Lixin
Published: February 2017

Some studies have used diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) to investigate white matter development of the visual pathway in humans and animals after visual deprivation. However, the alterations in the bilateral optic tract after the transection of unilateral optic nerve have not been well explored. In this study, we attempted to investigate the structural integrity of and pathological changes to the bilateral optic tract after transection of the unilateral optic nerve in rats using DTI. Eight healthy male Sprague‐Dawley (SD) rats were randomly divided into 2 groups, with 4 in each group. Group A served as a control group. Transection of the unilateral (right) optic nerve was performed in the four rats in group B at seven days after birth to establish the early monocular blind model. Four months after the operation, MnCl2 was injected into the left eyes of all rats, and MRI examinations were performed 24 h after injection. We detect the fractional anisotropy (FA), mean diffusivity (MD), axial diffusivity (AD), and radial diffusivity (RD) values of the bilateral optic tract in all rats. In a comparison of the ipsilateral optic tract of group B with group A, a significant decrease in FA (P < 0.001) and an increase in RD (P < 0.01) of the left optic tract were found in group B, while no significant difference was found in the right optic tract. In group B, the FA and RD values of the left optic tract were significantly lower (P < 0.01) and significantly higher (P < 0.05), respectively, than those of the right optic tract. Consequently, transection of the right optic nerve can lead to structural integrity damage of and pathological changes to the left optic tract in rats. Some DTI‐derived parameters (such as FA and RD) may serve as biomarkers of optic tract degeneration.
Systems biology approach to late‐onset Alzheimer's disease genome‐wide association study identifies novel candidate genes validated using brain expression data and Caenorhabditis elegans experiments
Authors: Mukherjee Shubhabrata , Russell Joshua C. , Carr Daniel T. , Burgess Jeremy D. , Allen Mariet , Serie Daniel J. , Boehme Kevin L. , Kauwe John S.K. , Naj Adam C. , Fardo David W. , Dickson Dennis W. , Montine Thomas J. , Ertekin‐Taner Nilufer , Kaeberlein Matt R. , Crane Paul K.
Published: February 2017

Introduction

We sought to determine whether a systems biology approach may identify novel late‐onset Alzheimer's disease (LOAD) loci.

Methods

We performed gene‐wide association analyses and integrated results with human protein‐protein interaction data using network analyses. We performed functional validation on novel genes using a transgenic Caenorhabditis elegans Aβ proteotoxicity model and evaluated novel genes using brain expression data from people with LOAD and other neurodegenerative conditions.

Results

We identified 13 novel candidate LOAD genes outside chromosome 19. Of those, RNA interference knockdowns of the C. elegans orthologs of UBC, NDUFS3, EGR1, and ATP5H were associated with Aβ toxicity, and NDUFS3, SLC25A11, ATP5H, and APP were differentially expressed in the temporal cortex.

Discussion

Network analyses identified novel LOAD candidate genes. We demonstrated a functional role for four of these in a C. elegans model and found enrichment of differentially expressed genes in the temporal cortex.
The Alu neurodegeneration hypothesis: A primate‐specific mechanism for neuronal transcription noise, mitochondrial dysfunction, and manifestation of neurodegenerative disease
Authors: Larsen Peter A. , Lutz Michael W. , Hunnicutt Kelsie E. , Mihovilovic Mirta , Saunders Ann M. , Yoder Anne D. , Roses Allen D.
Published: February 2017

It is hypothesized that retrotransposons have played a fundamental role in primate evolution and that enhanced neurologic retrotransposon activity in humans may underlie the origin of higher cognitive function. As a potential consequence of this enhanced activity, it is likely that neurons are susceptible to deleterious retrotransposon pathways that can disrupt mitochondrial function. An example is observed in the TOMM40 gene, encoding a β‐barrel protein critical for mitochondrial preprotein transport. Primate‐specific Alu retrotransposons have repeatedly inserted into TOMM40 introns, and at least one variant associated with late‐onset Alzheimer's disease originated from an Alu insertion event. We provide evidence of enriched Alu content in mitochondrial genes and postulate that Alus can disrupt mitochondrial populations in neurons, thereby setting the stage for progressive neurologic dysfunction. This Alu neurodegeneration hypothesis is compatible with decades of research and offers a plausible mechanism for the disruption of neuronal mitochondrial homeostasis, ultimately cascading into neurodegenerative disease.
Role of interleukin‐6 and pentraxin 3 as an early marker in Peyronie's disease
Authors: Atar Arda , Kural Alev , Yenice Gurkan , Comez Ilker , Tugcu Volkan
Published: March 2017

Inflammation is mechanistically involved in the development of Peyronie's disease (PD). The aim of this study is to assess the relevance of serum pentraxin 3 (PTX3) and interleukin‐6 (IL‐6) concentrations in PD. The study enrolled 40 patients with PD in the acute phase and 40 healthy controls. Plasma PTX3 and IL‐6 concentrations were evaluated in 40 patients in the acute phase of PD and 40 healthy controls by enzyme‐linked immunosorbent assay. Serum concentrations of both PTX3 and IL‐6 were significantly higher in the PD patients than in the control group (p = 0.001 and p = 0.001, respectively). There was a significant correlation between concentration of PTX3 and painful erections. IL‐6 concentrations were significantly higher in patients with erectile dysfunction. IL‐6 and PTX3 levels showed no correlation with age, serum C‐reactive protein, degree of curvature, and disease duration. IL‐6 trans‐signaling and PTX3 amplification at the site of inflammation could have a role in pathophysiological mechanisms of PD. Biological drugs may be used for treatment during the acute phase of the disease based on this mechanism.
Envisioning the Arab Future
Authors: Citino Nathan J.
Published: March 2017

Decades before 9/11 and the 'Arab Spring', US and Arab elites contended over the future of the Middle East. Through unprecedented research in Arabic and English, Envisioning the Arab Future details how Americans and Arabs - nationalists, Islamists, and communists - disputed the meaning of modernization within a shared set of Cold War-era concepts. Faith in linear progress, the idea that society functioned as a 'system', and a fascination with speed united officials and intellectuals who were otherwise divided by language and politics. This book assesses the regional implications of US power while examining a range of topics that transcends the Arab-Israeli conflict, including travel, communities, gender, oil, agriculture, Iraqi nationalism, Nasser's Arab Socialism, and hijackings in both the United States and the Middle East. By uncovering a shared history of modernization between Arabs and Americans, Envisioning the Arab Future challenges assumptions about a 'clash of civilizations' and profoundly reinterprets the antecedents of today's crises.
RELATIVE HILBERT CO-EFFICIENTS
Authors: MAFI AMIR , PUTHENPURAKAL TONY J. , REDDY RAKESH B. T. , SAREMI HERO
Published: March 2017

Let (A,${\mathfrak{m}$) be a Cohen–Macaulay local ring of dimensiondand letI⊆Jbe two${\mathfrak{m}$-primary ideals withIa reduction ofJ. Fori= 0,. . .,d, leteiJ(A) (eiI(A)) be theith Hilbert coefficient ofJ(I), respectively. We call the numberci(I,J) =eiJ(A) −eiI(A) theith relative Hilbert coefficient ofJwith respect toI. IfGI(A) is Cohen–Macaulay, thenci(I,J) satisfy various constraints. We also show that vanishing of someci(I,J) has strong implications on depthGJn(A) forn≫ 0.
Participative Case Planning: A model for empowering practice in statutory child welfare
Authors: McCallum Sharon
Published: February 2017

This paper describes the technique of participative case planning, a tool developed and used by the author for working with families who have had their children removed because of abuse and/or neglect. This technique seeks to assist families and practitioners to work together in an empowering way to return children home quickly and safely. The particular model draws on theoretical principles and perspectives of empowerment, case management, case planning, crisis intervention, task centred therapy and contracting.

The paper outlines the steps involved in participative case planning pom preparation for the meeting to its end. It also addresses a number of issues, including the role of the chairperson, involvement of children and non-return of children.
Available, Accessible, High Quality Child Care in Australia: Why we haven’t moved very far.
Authors: Hayden Jacqueline
Published: February 2017

In a recent article in Children Australia (16:2, 1991) Moore points out how our system of social services and community work reinforces traditional concepts of family (especially mother) responsibility for the care of children with disabilities. This same attitude reflects a fundamental ambivalence in our society towards the provision of state assisted child care. Like care for the disabled, out-of-home care for young children is assumed to rest within the private sphere, so that state assistance in any form becomes gratefully accepted as a generous gift.

Child care in Australia moved into the political realm with the enactment of the Child Care Act in 1972. This legislation described the conditions under which the Commonwealth Government would distribute funds for capital expenses, and provide some wage supplements to non-profit groups delivering child care services in formal centre settings. Since that time, promises of increased Commonwealth funding to meet increasing demand have become more and more ambitious – 20,000 spaces were promised in 1984; 30,000 in 1988; and by 1990, the promise had expanded to 78,000 new child care spaces to be funded by the Labor Party. As it turned out, many of the 78,000 spaces promised during the 1990 election campaign were not ‘new’ at all, but represented already existing private spaces, now made eligible for funding by a change in policy. The bulk of the spaces meanwhile were targeted for after-school care (much less expensive to fund), when research clearly indicated the dearth of spaces and critical need for infant care (very expensive to fund).
The Tracing Problem: An aspect of outcome studies in Child Welfare
Authors: Rogers Agatha
Published: February 2017

Between the years 1960 and 1972, well over one thousand children in all spent a period of residence in the St. Vincent de Paul’s Children’s Homes situated at South Melbourne and Black Rock in Victoria. One wonders about the circumstances which bought these children into care and one also wonders where they are now, 20 or 30 years after leaving St. Vincent’s. How have they coped with the stresses of life during those years? Questions such as this led the author to embark on a research project. Few reports of research of this nature are to be found. The following description of one aspect of that project, the task of tracing the subjects, may go some way toward explaining the scarcity. It shows though, that tenacity can have some rewards.
Attachment Disorders: Implications for Child Welfare Practice
Authors: Russell Sonia
Published: February 2017

This paper addresses a number of issues relating to welfare planning for children with serious disorders of attachment, including problems in relation to natural families, implications for caregivers of behavioural aspects of attachment disorders, and difficulties in implementing ‘permanency planning’ principles. Historical trends and cycles in policy formulation are referred to, and some suggestions are made with regard to directions for treatment and future planning of services.
The ‘Ritual’ and ‘Satanic’ Abuse of Children: Crop circles and the organised abuse of children require a careful and considered approach
Authors: Goddard Chris
Published: February 2017

If you go down to the woods today…

Matthew Arnold (1822–1888), the nineteenth-century English poet, wrote about the live murmur of a summer’s day’, presumably referring to bees, birds and other bugs humming around the countryside. A twentieth-century American (whom I believe to be a poet though not all would agree) wrote that The Times They Are A-Changin’ (1963). Nowhere have they changed more than in the English countryside. In 1991, it was the ‘live murmur’ of the summer’s night that was more likely to be heard. Out in fertile rural England the English people have discovered crop circles in their cornfields.

It is good to be in England in (the admittedly all-too-brief) summer, but quiet evenings in cornfields sleeping off the effects of English ales are a thing of the past. These days, find a cornfield and you will find half the media and a sizeable chunk of the English population. In some country areas, they say, it is quieter sitting in the middle of the road because you avoid the crowds. Crop circles in cornfields have seized the imagination of the public.
Students Share Their Research at Virtual Poster Showcases
Authors: Asher Pranoti , Conley Tyjen
Published: February 2017

Students around the world presented their research to peers and scientific experts around the world during three 2016 Virtual Poster Showcases.