bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
After the end of the world
Authors: Cupitt Don , Parsons Susan Frank
Published: June 2014

After the end of metaphysical realism, Cupitt describes a purely immanent, and language-mediated, vision of human life and of the world. True religion in such a world is a solar, or extravertive, commitment to life. Transience is not escaped: it is simply affirmed.
Towards a theology of the death of the Church
Authors: Bradbury John P.
Published: June 2014

The article argues that the decline of main-line churches within the Western context must be understood theologically. It offers a set of theses by which such a theology might be approached. It engages with theological themes such as providence, salvation, the theology of the cross, and ecclesiology. These themes are explored in part through a reading of key passages within the Gospel of John. It proposes that the Church might be called to a ‘good death’ and reflects on what the theology of resurrection has to say about the future of the Church.
Difficult Texts: Mark 3.13–15: The nature of Christian vocation
Authors: Knights Chris
Published: June 2014

This short article argues from the unique text in Mark 3.13–15 that all Christian vocation is about being called by Jesus to ‘be with him’ and to ‘be sent out by him’, so is about who God has called us to be as well as what God has called us to do (or to give up doing). It also draws on the Baptismal Liturgy of the Scottish Episcopal Church and the Methodist Covenant Prayer.
VMI-VI and BG-II KOPPITZ-2 for Youth With HFASDs and Typical Youth
Authors: McDonald Christin A. , Volker Martin A. , Lopata Christopher , Toomey Jennifer A. , Thomeer Marcus L. , Lee Gloria K. , Lipinski Alanna M. , Dua Elissa H. , Schiavo Audrey M. , Bain Fabienne , Nelson Andrew T.
Published: June 2014

The visual-motor skills of 90 youth with high-functioning autism spectrum disorders (HFASDs) and 51 typically developing (TD) youth were assessed using the Beery–Buktenica Developmental Test of Visual-Motor Integration, Sixth Edition (VMI-VI) and Koppitz Developmental Scoring System for the Bender–Gestalt Test–Second Edition (KOPPITZ-2). Within-group comparisons (for both samples) yielded substantive mean differences between the KOPPITZ-2 composite and VMI-VI composite, Visual Perception and Motor Coordination sections of the VMI-VI, and VMI-VI composite and either VMI-VI supplemental tests. Between-group differences were assessed in a matched subsample of 33 participants from each group. The HFASD group scored significantly lower than the TD group on test sections requiring greater motor ability (i.e., VMI-VI composite, VMI-VI Motor Coordination, KOPPITZ-2 composite, and Bender–Gestalt Visual-Motor Test–Second Edition [BG-II]). Correlations between the KOPPITZ-2 composite and VMI-VI composite were .56 for the HFASD and .36 for the TD samples.
The Impact of Computed Tomography of the Chest on the Management of Patients in a Medical Intensive Care Unit
Authors: Awerbuch Elizabeth , Benavides Miguel , Gershengorn Hayley B.
Published: June 2014

Purpose:

To understand whether chest computed tomographies (CTs) have utility in a medical intensive care unit (MICU) population as previously noted in nonmedical critically ill patients.

Patients and Methods:

We conducted a retrospective cohort study of patients receiving chest CTs in the MICU at an urban, academic institution. Indications for, findings on, and care changes made after chest CT were obtained. We identified patient characteristics associated with having a care change clearly related to the CT using multivariate regression.

Results:

We evaluated 134 patients; 64 (47.8%) had a chest CT with intravenous contrast. Common findings included pulmonary consolidation (46.3%), nonconsolidative pulmonary parenchymal disease (29.1%), and pleural effusion (35.1%). Of the chest CTs, 23.9% were followed by changes in management clearly related to the study. Use of intravenous contrast was associated with increased odds of having a care change (adjusted odds ratio [95% confidence interval [CI] versus noncontrast study: 3.14 [1.18-8.37], P = .022) and having the CT performed 1 or 2 days after ICU admission versus on the day of ICU admission was associated with lower odds of a care change (odds ratio [95% CI]: 0.29 [0.09-0.99], P = .048).

Conclusion:

Less than one-quarter of chest CTs in the MICU result in management. Intravenous contrast-enhanced CTs and CTs done on the day of ICU admission have increased odds of utility.
Playable Virus: HIV Molecular Aesthetics in Science and Popular Culture
Authors: Seiber Tim
Published: June 2014

Viral aesthetics have become increasingly present in representations of health and illness. Since electron microscopy was first used to graphically isolate HIV, the ‘viral look’ has influenced academic and popular discussions about life and death. Commonly, the virus is associated with rapid and unseen transmission, hiding and genetic recoding that make identification and elimination difficult, and ‘sleeper cell’ behavior that delays detection and treatment. Visually isolating, eliminating and controlling molecular matter suggests that, in order to preserve life, foreign matter must be visually as well as biologically controlled. Recent attempts at imaging molecular space have shifted the practices of researchers. Using algorithms, models, and graphical interfaces, researchers now gain visual access to molecular space via simulation rather than photography, enrolling the public in the production of scientific research. Games such as Foldit use competitive play as a research method. Overcoming the problem of molecular scale using computer processing, and operationalizing the critique of ‘expert knowledge’ formulated by ACT UP in response to the HIV/AIDS pandemic, some successes have already been reported. This article demonstrates how scalar travels, the practices of visualization that disclose them, and the participatory possibilities of research remind us of the power of cultural practices in creating scientific knowledge.
Remediating Panorama on the Small Screen: Scale, Movement and Spectatorship in Software-Driven Panoramic Photography
Authors: Kim Jihoon
Published: June 2014

Examining what the author calls ‘small-screen panoramas’, a set of software-based digital panorama services that provide the production and navigation of panoramic photographs available for users’ experience on small-screen devices (laptops, mobile phones, tablet PCs), this article argues that the panoramas’ algorithmic view and movement signal an emerging visual regime that remediates the scale and mobility of their pre-digital predecessors. Digital compositing technique reinstates the sensory and epistemological conditions of the panoramic, ‘tourist’ gaze of modernity as it combines discrete pictures of a location into a 360-degree seamless visual field that proffers an immersive form of spectatorship. At the same time, however, the applications undermine the visual field and spectatorship of the traditional panorama as their technological features activate the embodied, material, and contingent aspects of mobile media spectatorship: the portability of laptops and mobile phones and the applications’ algorithmic streamlining of 2D photographs. These examples, the author claims, demonstrate that, despite the applications’ efforts to create seamless virtual 3D images, they lead to the paradoxical coexistence of the animated and the static, of the immersive and the miniaturized, and the embodied and the disembodied.
Tilt-Shift Flânerie: Miniature View, Globalscape
Authors: Barker Jennifer Lynde
Published: June 2014

The recent adaptation of tilt-shift photography by digital technology has produced a fascinating optical illusion that makes film captures of real landscapes appear as if they are fake miniatures – an animated tilt-shift flânerie that encapsulates cities into toy-like visions of themselves, using time-lapse photography to create the effect of stop-motion animation. This sophisticated reimagining of 19th-century postcards utilizes early 20th-century innovations in aerial photography to create a radical shift in scale – both visual and temporal – that results in startling alterations in perception and a new phenomenology of seeing. The confluence of micro and macro perception into one animated image challenges the human perception of time and space in a way that mirrors modernization and globalization. Tilt-shift flânerie also, as this article argues, echoes changes in global perspective that encourage greater cosmopolitan awareness and the reworking of cultural and national boundaries in line with a postmodern erosion of the monocular eye and universal vision. It results in an enhanced spatial perspective that allows us, like Alice in Wonderland, to scale ourselves to an unexpected new relationship with the world, inscribing individuals into a landscape that fits energetically, tilting and shifting, into the eye of the beholder.
The Multilocal Self: Performance Capture, Remote Surgery, and Persistent Materiality
Authors: Ayers Drew
Published: June 2014

Over the last two decades, the technologies of performance capture and robotic surgery have increased in both use and visibility. While these technologies might initially seem quite dissimilar, they each produce a human–machine assemblage that enacts itself across different scales. Each technology ‘captures’ a performance, translates that performance into digital information, and recodes that performance into another body. This article argues that both performance capture and remote surgery penetrate the materiality of the body and reconstitute that materiality elsewhere, as a human’s bodily movements are captured, transmitted, translated, and finally recoded into that of another body, be it an analogue or digital form of embodiment. The shift in scale produced by each technology – in terms of movement, perception, experience, and sensation – demonstrates the extent to which these technologies of telepresence foster a multilocal experience of the body, the dispersion of authorial control across the human–machine assemblage, and a reinforcement of embodied experience despite an embrace of cultural fantasies of the disembodiment of information. This article takes an explicitly phenomenological position, examining the connective tissue that binds actor and avatar, surgeon and robot. The ligaments that connect human and nonhuman both separate and draw the entities close together, and this article explores the resultant shifts in scale, perception, and experience engendered by performance capture and robotic surgery.
Never Quite the Right Size: Scaling the Digital in CG Cinema
Authors: Davis Adam
Published: June 2014

In contemporary digital culture, computers are shrinking in size while computer networks grow increasingly large. At the same time, individuals have an array of technologies at their command, but are also faced with overwhelming options and information, and are subject to extensive and intrusive data collection. This article explores dichotomies between the miniature and vast or gigantic in recent films with narratives of scalar difference, including Jack the Giant Slayer, Pacific Rim, and Wreck-It Ralph. The author suggests that the representations of scale in these films offer implicit commentary on the digital technologies used to produce their scaled effects and images, and further serve as allegories of containment and excess, control and the uncontrollable, as pertaining to digital imagery and technologies.
Multivalvular Replacement and Ventricular Arrhythmias in a Female Child With Congenital Polyvalvular Disease
Authors: Goot Benjamin H. , Jaggers James , Anagnost Miran Rhee , Collins Kathryn K.
Published: June 2014

We report the clinical course of a female child with a normal karyotype and chromosomal microarray who presented as an infant with clinical findings consistent with congenital polyvalvular disease (CPVD). This clinical entity describes patients with multiple congenitally dysplastic valves, often showing nodular or cystic malformation in at least two cardiac valves. This patient then developed medically refractory multifocal ventricular arrhythmia and required radiofrequency ablation at seven months of age. She had good tachycardia control but became symptomatic with right heart failure related to progressive tricuspid, pulmonary, and mitral valve dysfunction necessitating multivalvular replacement at 21 months of age.
The Right Subclavian Artery Arising as the First Branch of a Left-Sided Aortic Arch
Authors: Hernandez Lazaro E. , Shepard Charles W. , Bamforth Simon D. , Anderson Robert H.
Published: June 2014

We describe an unusual pattern of branching of a left-sided aortic arch in which the first branch is the right subclavian artery, followed by the common carotid arteries arising from a common trunk. The patient was born with transposition (concordant atrioventricular and discordant ventriculoarterial connections) and had 18q23 deletion. We discuss the implication of these anatomic findings in the light of inferences currently made by echocardiographers when the first branch of the aortic arch fails to bifurcate. We also relate the findings to the concepts of cardiac development and draw comparisons with previous descriptions, and interpretations of the morphogenesis, of the patterns of branching from the aortic arch.
A Comparative Histopathological Study of Heparin Coated and Uncoated Polytetrafluoroethylene Shunts in Children With Congenital Heart Defect
Authors: Hörer Jürgen , Cleuziou Julie , Kasnar-Samprec Jelena , Schreiber Christian , Balling Gunter , Foth Rudi , Lange Rüdiger , Sigler Matthias
Published: June 2014

Objective:

Recently, heparin coated polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) shunts are available and are believed to improve inherent shunt problems such as thrombosis and excessive and incomplete neointima formation or occlusion. We aimed at comparing the potential histopathological differences in the neointima (in) between uncoated (UCS) PTFE shunts and heparin coated (HCS) PTFE shunts.

Materials and Methods:

Thirteen shunts (six UCS and seven HCS) were analyzed. The specimens were fixed in formalin, embedded in paraffin or in methylmethacrylate, and characterized by standard and immunohistochemical staining. The thickness of pseudointima proliferation was graded as follows: 0 = no cell layers, 1 = few layers <100 µm, 2 = partial layers >100 µm, 3 = complete layers <300 µm, 4 = complete layers >300 µm, and 5 = occlusion.

Results:

Mean shunt size was 3.4 ± 0.2 mm in UCS and 3.1 ± 0.2 mm in HCS ( P = .053). Mean time of implantation was 163 ± 75 days in UCS and 97 ± 52 days in HCS ( P = .091). There were no significant differences in the proportion of patients with functionally single ventricle, body surface area, age at implantation, or implantation type, between both groups. Shunt occlusion did not occur. Unplanned shunt explantation due to cyanosis was performed in one patient in each group. Partial thrombus formation was observed in one UCS ( P = .462). There was complete endothelialization in 50% of UCS and 86% of HCS ( P = .266). The grade of pseudointima proliferation was 1.8 ± 0.4 in UCS and 1.7 ± 0.5 in HCS ( P = .646).

Conclusions:

The histopathological workup of PTFE shunts revealed equally partial endothelialization and discrete pseudointima proliferation in both the groups. The process of endothelialization may be faster in HCS.
An Unusual Case of Severe Stenosis of the Coronary Sinus Ostium in Association With Double Inlet Left Ventricle
Authors: Hidestrand Pip M. , Kirkpatrick Edward C. , Mitchell Michael E.
Published: June 2014

We present a patient with complex single ventricle physiology who was subsequently diagnosed with atresia of the coronary sinus ostium in the setting of myocardial dysfunction following operative palliation. Although a rare cardiac defect, awareness is important as the coronary venous system will often drain to a left superior vena cava (LSVC). If the LSVC is ligated without knowing of this defect, cardiac dysfunction and death can occur.
Cruciate Fenestration in Ventricular Septal Defect Patch for High-Risk Patients With High Pulmonary Vascular Resistance
Authors: Sridhar Anuradha , Sahayaraj Anto , Lakshmi Nithya , Farzana Farida , Subramanyan Raghavan , Pezzella A. Thomas , Cherian Kotturathu Mammen
Published: June 2014

Late presentation of patients with large ventricular septal defect (VSD) and elevated pulmonary vascular resistance (PVR) is not uncommon in developing countries. Surgical VSD closure in these patients carries risks of persistent pulmonary hypertension, right ventricular failure, and mortality. Several techniques for creation of valved patches or fenestrated patches have been developed to address these issues. We have successfully used a simple and easily reproducible technique in which a cruciate fenestration is created in the patch used for VSD closure.
Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation in Single Ventricle Lesions Palliated Via the Hybrid Approach
Authors: Roeleveld Peter P. , Wilde Rob de , Hazekamp Mark , Rycus Peter T. , Thiagarajan Ravi R.
Published: June 2014

Background:

Describing outcomes for children with hypoplastic left heart syndrome (HLHS) undergoing hybrid palliation (pulmonary artery band and stent placement in the patent ductus arteriosus) requiring extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) support for cardiorespiratory failure.

Methods:

We reviewed the Extracorporeal Life Support Organization database for all patients with a diagnosis of an HLHS undergoing hybrid stage 1 palliation supported with ECMO and those patients with hybrid palliation supported with ECMO after comprehensive stage 2 palliation. Patients were identified using a combination of International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision and registry diagnosis and procedure codes. We report survival to hospital discharge and ECMO complications.

Results:

We identified 44 patients with HLHS requiring ECMO following stage 1 hybrid approach. Median age at cannulation was 13.5 days. Only 16% survived to hospital discharge. In all, 20 (50%) patients had a cardiac arrest prior to going onto ECMO and for 3 (19%) patients, ECMO was initiated during cardiopulmonary resuscitation.

Conclusions:

Overall survival for ECMO support in patients with HLHS palliated via the hybrid approach is very poor (16%) and is worse than 31% survival reported for ECMO after conventional stage 1 palliation. The reasons for these poor outcomes require further investigation.
A Rare Case of Pulmonary Artery Sling and Complete Atrioventricular Canal Defect in an Infant With Trisomy 21
Authors: Alsaied Tarek , Sticka Joshua , Unaka Ndidi , Cooper David S. , Manning Peter B.
Published: June 2014

Pulmonary artery sling is a very rare congenital vascular anomaly. Patients usually present in infancy with symptoms of airway compression. Patients with trisomy 21 often have upper airway obstruction, most commonly related to pharyngeal causes or subglottic stenosis. Although the incidence of congenital heart defects in patients with trisomy 21 is very high, a review of the literature showed only one previously reported case of pulmonary artery sling in an infant with trisomy 21. We report a case of pulmonary artery sling and complete atrioventricular canal defect in a one-month-old female with trisomy 21. Echocardiography is an important diagnostic method for pulmonary artery sling, but this anomaly may be easily overlooked in the presence of more commonly anticipated defects in this population.
Impact of Pulsatile Flow Settings on Hemodynamic Energy Levels Using the Novel Diagonal Medos DP3 Pump in a Simulated Pediatric Extracorporeal Life Support System
Authors: Adedayo Pelumi , Wang Shigang , Kunselman Allen R. , Ündar Akif
Published: June 2014

Background:

The objective of this study was to evaluate the pump performance of the novel diagonal Medos Deltastream DP3 diagonal pump (MEDOS Medizintechnik AG, , Stolberg, Germany) under nonpulsatile to pulsatile mode with varying differential speed values in a simulated pediatric extracorporeal life support system.

Methods:

The experimental circuit consisted of a Medos Deltastream DP3 pump head and console, a Medos Hilite 2400 LT hollow fiber membrane oxygenator (MEDOS Medizintechnik AG), a 14F Medtronic DLP arterial cannula (Medtronic Inc, Minnesota), and a 20F Terumo TenderFlow Pediatric venous return cannula (Terumo Corporation, Michigan). Trials were conducted at flow rates ranging from 500 mL/min to 2,000 mL/min (500 mL/min increments) and pulsatile differential speed values ranging from 500 rpm to 2,500 rpm (500 rpm increments) using human blood (hematocrit 35%). The postcannula pressure was maintained constantly at 60 mm Hg. Real-time pressure and flow data were recorded using a custom-made data acquisition system and Labview software.

Results:

Under all experimental conditions, pulsatile flow (P) generated significantly greater energy equivalent pressure (EEP), surplus hemodynamic energy (SHE), and total hemodynamic energy (THE) than those of nonpulsatile flow (NP). Under NP, SHE was zero. Higher differential speed values generated greater EEP, SHE, and THE values. There was little variation in the oxygenator pressure drop and the cannula pressure drop in P, compared to NP.

Conclusions:

The novel Medos Deltastream DP3 diagonal pump is able to generate physiological quality of P, without backflow. With increased differential rpm, the pump generated greater EEP, SHE, and THE. Physiological quality of pulsatility may be associated with better microcirculation because of greater EEP, SHE, and THE.
Model-Based Comparison of the Normal and Fontan Circulatory Systems
Authors: Watrous Raymond L. , Chin Alvin J.
Published: June 2014

Background:

Every year, approximately 1,000 Fontan operations are performed in the United States. Transplant-free, 30-year survival is only 50%. Although some performance characteristics may be universal among Fontan survivors, others may be patient specific and tunable; in either case, a quantitatively rigorous understanding of the Fontan circulatory arrangement would facilitate improvements in patient surveillance and management.

Methods:

To create a computational model of a normal two-year-old and a two-year-old patient with hypoplastic left heart syndrome (HLHS) following staged surgical palliations, we extensively modified the lumped parameter model developed by Clark, a multicompartment model of both pulmonary and systemic circulations.

Results:

With appropriately scaled parameter values, we achieved a maximum relative error (against target values for clinically realistic hemodynamic variables for the normal two-year-old) of 2.8% and an average relative error of 0.9%. Employing the model of a Fontan operation, we achieved a maximum relative error of 2.0% and the average relative error of 0.8%.

Conclusions:

Even with >200 model parameters, once we identified an acceptable set of values for the normal, only 12 required modification in order to attain clinically plausible hemodynamics in the HLHS after Fontan. When placed within the broad context of our extensive model, the impact on cardiac output of the resistance of the total cavopulmonary connection is found to be significantly affected by ventricular elastance and to be much lower in the two-year-old than in patients with markedly lower end-diastolic elastance (higher end-diastolic compliance).
The Impact of Differential Case Ascertainment in Clinical Registry Versus Administrative Data on Assessment of Resource Utilization in Pediatric Heart Surgery
Authors: Jantzen David W. , He Xia , Jacobs Jeffrey P. , Jacobs Marshall L. , Gaies Michael G. , Hall Matt , Mayer John E. , Shah Samir S. , Hirsch-Romano Jennifer , Gaynor J. William , Peterson Eric D. , Pasquali Sara K.
Published: June 2014

Background:

Resource utilization in congenital heart surgery is typically assessed using administrative data sets. Recent analyses have called into question the accuracy of coding of cases in administrative data; however, it is unclear whether miscoding impacts assessment of associated resource use.

Methods:

We merged data coded within both an administrative data set and clinical registry on children undergoing heart surgery (2004-2010) at 33 hospitals. The impact of differences in coding of operations between data sets on reporting of postoperative length of stay (PLOS) and total hospital costs associated with these operations was assessed.

Results:

For each of the eight operations of varying complexity evaluated (total n = 57,797), there were differences in coding between data sets, which translated into differences in the reporting of associated resource utilization for the cases coded in either data set. There were statistically significant differences in PLOS and cost for seven of the eight operations, although most PLOS differences were relatively small with the exception of the Norwood operation and truncus repair (differences of two days, P < .001). For cost, there was a >5% difference for three of the eight operations and >10% difference for truncus repair (US$10,570; P < .01). Grouping of operations into categories of similar risk appeared to mitigate many of these differences.

Conclusion:

Differences in coding of cases in administrative versus clinical registry data can translate into differences in assessment of associated PLOS and cost for certain operations. This may be minimized through evaluating larger groups of operations when using administrative data or using clinical registry data to accurately identify operations of interest.
Approach to disrupting thick intermetallic compound interfacial layer in friction stir brazing (FSB) of Al/Cu plates
Authors: Zhang G. F. , Zhang K. , Zhang L. J. , Zhang J. X.
Published: June 2014

Friction stir brazing (FSB) was developed for dissimilar joining to overcome the problems associated with friction stir lap welding (e.g. pin wear, narrow bonded area, hook defect) by metallurgical reaction instead of plastic flow. To enhance the thermomechanical effect of the rotating shoulder, a pin free tool with a large shoulder of 30 mm diameter was used in FSB of 5 mm thick Al/Cu plates in stepped lap configuration with Zn braze. Compared to the case using common tool of 20 mm diameter, it was found that although the intermetallic compound (IMC) layer grew thickly, it was disrupted into particles, and end crack within thick IMC layer was eliminated. As a result, the joint fractured not along interface and the fracture load increased by as much as 2271 N. This work proposed an approach to disrupting continuous IMC into particles by enhancing the mechanical effect of rotating shoulder.
Characterisation of microstructure and creep predictions of alloy IN740 for ultrasupercritical power plants
Authors: Di Martino S. F. , Faulkner R. G. , Hogg S. C.
Published: June 2014

In the context of ultrasupercritical power plants, Ni base alloys are prime candidate materials for long term, high temperature applications, such as boilers, operating at temperatures and pressures as high as 750°C and 35 MPa. This necessitates the investigation of their microstructural evolution as a function of thermal treatment and simulated service conditions out to longer times at forecasted service temperatures, coupled with modelling activities able to predict the microstructural evolution under these new conditions. The lack of widespread microstructural data for most commercial nickel base alloys in these time–temperature regimes makes this type of investigation even more important. In this study, the microstructural evolution of IN740, a Ni–Cr–Co–Mo–Nb–Ti–Al superalloy, is characterised as a function of aging conditions. A method for phase identification is described that can be confidently used to gather relevant information for modelling activity, such as: phase identity, volume fraction, size distribution and interparticle spacing. The microstructural evolution of IN740 is investigated at temperatures of 700 and 750°C for aging times up to 10 000 h. The data obtained experimentally from the aged specimens as well as from literature are used both as input for and validation of a microstructurally based continuum damage mechanics (CDM) model for forecasting creep properties. Using this predictive model, discussion is made of possible approaches needed to optimize creep performance.
A short note on the equivalence between ‘best proximity’ points and ‘fixed point’ results
Authors: Jleli Mohamed , Karapınar Erdal , Samet Bessem
Published: June 2014

In this short note, we notice that, unexpectedly, some existing fixed point results and recently announced best proximity point results are equivalent.

MSC:41A65, 90C30, 47H10.
Expansion formulas for an extended Hurwitz-Lerch zeta function obtained via fractional calculus
Authors: Srivastava Hari M , Gaboury Sébastien , Bayad Abdelmejid
Published: June 2014

Motivated by the recent investigations of several authors, in this paper, we derive several new expansion formulas involving a generalized Hurwitz-Lerch zeta function introduced and studied recently by Srivastavaet al. (Integral Transforms Spec. Funct. 22:487-506, 2011). These expansions are obtained by using some fractional calculus theorems such as the generalized Leibniz rules for the fractional derivatives and the Taylor-like expansions in terms of different functions. Several (known or new) special cases are also considered.

MSC:11M25, 11M35, 26A33, 33C05, 33C60.
Low levels of cerebrospinal fluid complement 3 and factor H predict faster cognitive decline in mild cognitive impairment
Authors: Toledo Jon B , Korff Ané , Shaw Leslie M , Trojanowski John Q , Zhang Jing ,   the Alzheimer’s Disease Neuroimaging Initiative
Published: June 2014

Introduction

Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is characterized by the deposition of tau and amyloid in the brain. Although the core cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) AD biomarkers amyloid β peptide 1–42 (Aβ1–42), total tau (t-tau) and phosphorylated tau 181 (p-tau181) show good diagnostic sensitivity and specificity, additional biomarkers that can aid in preclinical diagnosis or better track disease progression are needed. Activation of the complement system, a pivotal part of inflammation, occurs at very early stages in the AD brain. Therefore, CSF levels of complement proteins that could be linked to cognitive and structural changes in AD may have diagnostic and prognostic value.

Methods

Using xMAP® technology based assays we measured complement 3 (C3) and factor H (FH) in the CSF of 110 controls (CN), 187 mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and 92 AD subjects of the AD Neuroimaging Initiative (ADNI) at baseline. All ADNI participants underwent clinical follow-up at 12 month intervals and MCI subjects had additional visits at 6 and 18 months. The association between CSF biomarkers and different outcome measures were analyzed using Cox proportional hazard models (conversion from MCI to AD), logistic regression models (classification of clinical groups) and mixed-effects models adjusted for age, gender, education, t-tau/Aβ1–42 and APOE ϵ4 presence (baseline and longitudinal association between biomarkers and cognitive scores).

Results

Although no association was found between the complement proteins and clinical diagnosis or cognitive measures, lower levels of C3 (β = −0.12, p = 0.041) and FH (β = −0.075, p = 0.041) were associated with faster cognitive decline in MCI subjects as measured by the AD Assessment Scale-cognitive subscale (ADAS-Cog) test. Furthermore, lower FH levels were associated with larger lateral ventricular volume (p = 0.024), which is indicative of brain atrophy.

Conclusions

Our study confirms a lack of suitability of CSF C3 and FH as diagnostic biomarkers of AD, but points to their modest potential as prognostic biomarkers and therapeutic targets in cognitively impaired patients.
Beta-lactam dosing in critically ill patients with septic shock and continuous renal replacement therapy
Authors: Ulldemolins Marta , Vaquer Sergi , Llauradó-Serra Mireia , Pontes Caridad , Calvo Gonzalo , Soy Dolors , Martín-Loeches Ignacio
Published: June 2014

Although early and appropriate antibiotic therapy remains the most important intervention for successful treatment of septic shock, data guiding optimization of beta-lactam prescription in critically ill patients prescribed with continuous renal replacement therapy (CRRT) are still limited. Being small hydrophilic molecules, beta-lactams are likely to be cleared by CRRT to a significant extent. As a result, additional variability may be introduced to the per se variable antibiotic concentrations in critically ill patients. This article aims to describe the current clinical scenario for beta-lactam dosing in critically ill patients with septic shock and CRRT, to highlight the sources of variability among the different studies that reduce extrapolation to clinical practice, and to identify the opportunities for future research and improvement in this field. Three frequently prescribed beta-lactams (meropenem, piperacillin and ceftriaxone) were chosen for review. Our findings showed that present dosing recommendations are based on studies with drawbacks limiting their applicability in the clinical setting. In general, current antibiotic dosing regimens for CRRT follow a one-size-fits-all fashion despite emerging clinical data suggesting that drug clearance is partially dependent on CRRT modality and intensity. Moreover, some studies pool data from heterogeneous populations with CRRT that may exhibit different pharmacokinetics (for example, admission diagnoses different to septic shock, such as trauma), which also limit their extrapolation to critically ill patients with septic shock. Finally, there is still no consensus regarding the %T>MIC (percentage of dosing interval when concentration of the antibiotic is above the minimum inhibitory concentration of the pathogen) value that should be chosen as the pharmacodynamic target for antibiotic therapy in patients with septic shock and CRRT. For empirically optimized dosing, during the first day a loading dose is required to compensate the increased volume of distribution, regardless of impaired organ function. An additional loading dose may be required when CRRT is initiated due to steady-state equilibrium breakage driven by clearance variation. From day 2, dosing must be adjusted to CRRT settings and residual renal function. Therapeutic drug monitoring of beta-lactams may be regarded as a useful tool to daily individualize dosing and to ensure optimal antibiotic exposure.
Antibiotic dosing in critically ill patients with septic shock and on continuous renal replacement therapy: can we resolve this problem with pharmacokinetic studies and dosing guidelines?
Authors: Roberts Jason A , Roberts Darren M
Published: June 2014

Dosing antibiotics in critically ill patients to achieve therapeutic concentrations is a significant challenge. The presence of septic shock and prescription of continuous renal replacement therapy introduces further complexities for the clinician. Unfortunately, this is a dilemma encountered daily by intensivists. Although small pharmacokinetic studies are emerging to provide data to help address this problem, the variability in results from these studies is profound. As such, effective antibiotic dosing guidelines for critically ill patients who have septic shock and who receive continuous renal replacement therapy are not available. Dosing flowcharts and therapeutic drug monitoring represent the best available options for clinicians to optimize antibiotic dosing.
SVA retrotransposon insertion-associated deletion represents a novel mutational mechanism underlying large genomic copy number changes with non-recurrent breakpoints
Authors: Vogt Julia , Bengesser Kathrin , Claes Kathleen BM , Wimmer Katharina , Mautner Victor-Felix , van Minkelen Rick , Legius Eric , Brems Hilde , Upadhyaya Meena , Högel Josef , Lazaro Conxi , Rosenbaum Thorsten , Bammert Simone , Messiaen Ludwine , Cooper David N , Kehrer-Sawatzki Hildegard
Published: June 2014

Background

Genomic disorders are caused by copy number changes that may exhibit recurrent breakpoints processed by nonallelic homologous recombination. However, region-specific disease-associated copy number changes have also been observed which exhibit non-recurrent breakpoints. The mechanisms underlying these non-recurrent copy number changes have not yet been fully elucidated.

Results

We analyze large NF1 deletions with non-recurrent breakpoints as a model to investigate the full spectrum of causative mechanisms, and observe that they are mediated by various DNA double strand break repair mechanisms, as well as aberrant replication. Further, two of the 17 NF1 deletions with non-recurrent breakpoints, identified in unrelated patients, occur in association with the concomitant insertion of SINE/variable number of tandem repeats/Alu (SVA) retrotransposons at the deletion breakpoints. The respective breakpoints are refractory to analysis by standard breakpoint-spanning PCRs and are only identified by means of optimized PCR protocols designed to amplify across GC-rich sequences. The SVA elements are integrated within SUZ12P intron 8 in both patients, and were mediated by target-primed reverse transcription of SVA mRNA intermediates derived from retrotranspositionally active source elements. Both SVA insertions occurred during early postzygotic development and are uniquely associated with large deletions of 1 Mb and 867 kb, respectively, at the insertion sites.

Conclusions

Since active SVA elements are abundant in the human genome and the retrotranspositional activity of many SVA source elements is high, SVA insertion-associated large genomic deletions encompassing many hundreds of kilobases could constitute a novel and as yet under-appreciated mechanism underlying large-scale copy number changes in the human genome.
In vitro propagation and analysis of secondary metabolites in Glossogyne tenuifolia (Hsiang-Ju) - a medicinal plant native to Taiwan
Authors: Chen Chia-Chen , Chang Hung-Chi , Kuo Chao-Lin , Agrawal Dinesh Chandra , Wu Chi-Rei , Tsay Hsin-Sheng
Published: June 2014

Background

Glossogyne tenuifolia Cassini (Hsiang-Ju in Chinese) is a perennial herb native to Penghu Islands, Taiwan. The herb is a traditional anti-pyretic and hepatoprotective used in Chinese medicine. Several studies on G. tenuifolia have demonstrated its pharmacological values of antioxidation, anti-inflammation, immunomodulation, and cytotoxicity on several human cancer cell lines. Active compounds, oleanolic acid and luteolin in G. tenuifolia are affected by several factors, including climatic change, pathogens and agricultural practices. Plant population of G. tenuifolia has been severely affected and reduced considerably in natural habitat due to the use of herbicides by farmers. Also, collection of plant material from the natural habitat is restricted to a few months in a year. Therefore, the objective of the present study was to develop an efficient micropropagation protocol for G. tenuifolia. The study also aimed to investigate the influence of in vitro growth environment on the active compounds in in vitro shoots, tissue culture raised greenhouse plants; compare the values with wild plants and commercially available crude drug.

Results

Half-strength MS (Murashige and Skoog) basal medium supplemented with 0.1 mg/L 6-benzyladenine (BA) and 0.1 mg/L α-naphthaleneacetic acid (NAA) induced the maximum average number of shoots (7.3) per shoot tip explant excised from in vitro grown seedlings. Induction of rooting in cent percent in vitro shoots with an average number of 6.6 roots/shoot was achieved on ½ strength MS medium supplemented with 3.0 mg/L indole-3-acetic acid (IAA). The rooted plantlets acclimatized successfully in the greenhouse with a 100% survival rate. HPLC analysis revealed that the quantity of oleanolic acid and luteolin in in vitro shoots, tissue culture plants in the greenhouse, wild type plants and commercial crude drug varied depending upon the source. The oleanolic acid and luteolin contents were found to be significantly higher (16.89 mg/g and 0.84 mg/g, respectively) in 3-month old tissue culture raised plants in greenhouse compared to commercially available crude drug (6.51 mg/g, 0.13 mg/g, respectively).

Conclusions

We have successfully developed an in vitro propagation protocol for G. tenuifolia which can expedite its plant production throughout the year. The contents of oleanolic acid and luteolin in the tissue culture raised plants in the greenhouse were significantly higher than the marketed crude drug demonstrating the practical application of the tissue culture technology. These findings may be very useful in micropropagation, germplasm conservation and commercial cultivation of G. tenuifolia. So far, there is no published report on tissue culture propagation of this important medicinal plant species.
LIM-Homeodomain Transcription Factor Isl-1 Mediates Kisspeptin's Effect on Insulin Secretion in Mice
Authors: Chen Juan , Fu Rui , Cui Yan , Pan Jirong , Li Yushan , Zhang Xiaoxin , Evans Sylvia M. , Cui Sheng , Liu Jiali
Published: June 2014

Kisspeptin and the G protein-coupled receptor 54 (GPR54) are highly abundant in the pancreas. In addition, circulating kisspeptin directly influences insulin secretion through GPR54. However, the mechanisms by which kisspeptin affects insulin release are unclear. The LIM-homeodomain transcription factor, Isl-1, is expressed in all pancreatic islet cells and is involved in regulating both islet development and insulin secretion. We therefore investigated potential interactions between kisspeptin and Isl-1. Our results demonstrate that Isl-1 and GPR54 are coexpressed in mouse pancreatic islet β-cells and NIT cells. Both in vitro and in vivo results demonstrate that kisspeptin-54 (KISS-54) inhibits Isl-1 expression and insulin secretion and both the in vivo and in vitro effects of KISS-54 on insulin gene expression and secretion are abolished when an Isl-1-inducible knockout model is used. Moreover, our results demonstrate that the direct action of KISS-54 on insulin secretion is mediated by Isl-1. Our results further show that KISS-54 influences Isl-1 expression and insulin secretion through the protein kinase C-ERK1/2 pathway. Conversely, insulin has a feedback loop via the Janus kinase-phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase pathway regulating kisspeptin expression and secretion. These findings are important in understanding mechanisms of insulin secretion and metabolism in diabetes.
Graham Priest, “One: Being an Investigation into the Unity of Reality and of its Parts, including the Singular Object which is Nothingness”, Oxford University Press, 2014
Authors: Casati Filippo , Fujikawa Naoya
Published: June 2014

Graham Priest, One: Being an Investigation into the Unity of Reality and of its Parts, including the Singular Object which is Nothingness, Oxford University Press, 2014, 272 pp., ISBN 9780199688258
Partner Selection in Brand Alliances: An Empirical Investigation of the Drivers of Brand Fit
Authors: van der Lans Ralf , Van den Bergh Bram , Dieleman Evelien
Published: June 2014

We investigate whether partners in a brand alliance should be similar or dissimilar in brand image to foster favorable perceptions of brand fit. Using a Bayesian nonlinear structural equation model and evaluations of 1,200 brand alliances, we find that the conceptual coherence in brand personality profiles predicts attitudes towards a brand alliance. More specifically, we find that similarity in Sophistication and Ruggedness and moderate dissimilarity in Sincerity and Competence result in more favorable brand alliance evaluations. Overall, we find that similarity effects are more pronounced than dissimilarity effects. Implications for brand alliance strategies and marketing managers are discussed.
The Fresh Start Effect: Temporal Landmarks Motivate Aspirational Behavior
Authors: Dai Hengchen , Milkman Katherine L. , Riis Jason
Published: June 2014

The popularity of New Year's resolutions suggests that people are more likely to tackle their goals immediately following salient temporal landmarks. If true, this little-researched phenomenon has the potential to help people overcome important willpower problems that often limit goal attainment. Across three archival field studies, we provide evidence of a “fresh start effect.” We show that Google searches for the term “diet” (Study 1), gym visits (Study 2), and commitments to pursue goals (Study 3) all increase following temporal landmarks (e.g., the outset of a new week, month, year, or semester; a birthday; a holiday). We propose that these landmarks demarcate the passage of time, creating many new mental accounting periods each year, which relegate past imperfections to a previous period, induce people to take a big-picture view of their lives, and thus motivate aspirational behaviors.

Data, as supplemental material, are available at http://dx.doi.org/10.1287/mnsc.2014.1901 .

This paper was accepted by Yuval Rottenstreich, judgment and decision making.
Latent Homophily or Social Influence? An Empirical Analysis of Purchase Within a Social Network
Authors: Ma Liye , Krishnan Ramayya , Montgomery Alan L.
Published: June 2014

Consumers who are close to one another in a social network often make similar purchase decisions. This similarity can result from latent homophily or social influence, as well as common exogenous factors. Latent homophily means consumers who are connected to one another are likely to have similar characteristics and product preferences. Social influence refers to the ability of one consumer to directly influence another consumer's decision based upon their communication. We present an empirical study of purchases of caller ring-back tones using data from an Asian mobile network that predicts consumers' purchase timing and choice decisions. We simultaneously measure latent homophily and social influence, while also accounting for exogenous factors. Identification is achieved due to our dynamic, panel data structure and the availability of detailed communication data. We find strong influence effects and latent homophily effects in both the purchase timing and product choice decisions of consumers.

This paper was accepted by Sandra Slaughter, information systems.
On the History of Unified Field Theories. Part II. (ca. 1930–ca. 1965)
Authors: Goenner Hubert F. M.
Published: June 2014

The present review intends to provide an overall picture of the research concerning classical unified field theory, worldwide, in the decades between the mid-1930 and mid-1960. Main themes are the conceptual and methodical development of the field, the interaction among the scientists working in it, their opinions and interpretations. Next to the most prominent players, A. Einstein and E. Schrödinger, V. Hlavatý and the French groups around A. Lichnerowicz, M.-A. Tonnelat, and Y. Thiry are presented. It is shown that they have given contributions of comparable importance. The review also includes a few sections on the fringes of the central topic like Born-Infeld electromagnetic theory or scalar-tensor theory. Some comments on the structure and organization of research-groups are also made.
Diabetic foot ulcer management: the podiatrist's perspective
Authors: Turns Martin
Published: June 2014

Diabetic foot complications result from two broad pathologies—neuropathic and neuro-ischaemic feet. It is important for diabetic patients to have at least a yearly review of foot ulcer risk factors, and they should have a corresponding risk classification agreed based on this assessment. Diabetic foot ulcer assessment should include a wound classification tool, which can give an indication of wounds at greater risk of non-healing or amputation. The treatment of diabetic foot ulcers should be part of a comprehensive care plan that should also include treatment of infection, frequent debridement (if deemed appropriate by a skilled specialist clinician), biomechanical offloading, blood glucose control and treatment of comorbidities. Clinicians should base dressing selection on the wound's location, size and depth, amount of exudate, presence of infection or necrosis and the condition of the surrounding tissue.