bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Mineral resource assessment of the shallowest bedrock and overburden, Laurentian Channel, Newfoundland: potential marine protected area
Authors: King E L
Published: May 2012

A proposed Marine Protected Area (MPA) has been identified for a large portion of the eastern flank of the Laurentian Channel by the Department of Fisheries and Oceans (DFO) and has been designated as what is referred to as an Area of Interest (AOI) leading to a
minerals assessment by Natural Resources Canada (NRCan). This report will examine the shallowest bedrock and overburden within the AOI. It complements a full assessment of deeper resources, mainly hydrocarbons, which is presented under a separate report. New and previously published maps, cross
sections, and sample analyses showing the distribution of the bedrock subcrop pattern, the locally thick Quaternary overburden, and the surficial geology are presented with the aim to document the geological conditions more completely than previous compilations. However, conclusions regarding
potential resources are derived much more from inferences than from direct sampling. Carboniferous bedrock in the Sydney Basin has been shown to be coal-bearing across a very expansive area. However, given ephemeral economic viability of onshore and offshore coal mining in the Sydney Basin, these
potential resources, despite very poor understanding of amounts, could only be important in a different energy/economic environment than presently foreseen. The Sydney Basin may be a significant producer of gas, given widespread occurrence of gas-formed pockmarks at the seabed and the very expansive
basin (12 000 km2 in the DFO AOI and 60 000 km2 otherwise). Tills are voluminous, 75 m thick on average and locally hundreds of metres thick, with a volume estimate of 1250 km3 of (mainly) till within the Department of Fisheries and Oceans area of interest boundaries. The numerous stacked tills
result from the latest and retreat deposition phases of an ice stream and are broadly distributed in combination with relatively old tills that subcrop beneath surficial mud. Tills have mostly not been sampled and mineral assessment is by inference. Given the dispersive nature of the subglacial
process and the successive erosion of older tills, together with the dominantly mud- rich character, probability of a resource is considered low. Muds overlying the till comprise up to 200 km3 in the AOI, are better sampled but the analyzed suite of minerals suggest there is little that is unique or
of economic value. Aggregate is practically nonexistent in the area as the AOI is consistently below the latest low-stand of sea level where, on the adjacent bank, sea-level rise resulted in large sand-dominated bodies. Geohazards are largely restricted to seismicity, and its sideeffects, and
potential natural gas escape at the seabed, but both processes have been more active in early post-glacial times than at present.
Board competence and the top management team's external ties for performance
Authors: Yoo Jae Wook , Kim Kwangsoo
Published: May 2012

This study explains the inconsistent findings of previous research on board management by examining the direct and interaction effects of board independence and the top management team's external ties on firm performance. The results obtained using a multiyear sample of firms indicate that outsider-rich boards improved firm performance when they worked with top managers imported from outside the focal industry. On the other hand, a high proportion of outsiders on the board and top managers imported from the focal industry were not a desirable combination for firm performance. The findings imply that researchers and practitioners should pay more attention to identifying the conditions under which board competence aligns with top management.
Work-related stress impacts on the commitment of urban transit drivers
Authors: Hung Jia-Yi , Fisher Ron , Gapp Rod , Carter Geoff
Published: May 2012

This study uses structural equation modeling to test a model hypothesizing the impacts of overload and non-participation on job strain, turnover and commitment of urban transit drivers. The study sample comprises 331 responses from transit drivers from bus companies in Australia. The results show that non-participation has a direct and negative impact on organizational commitment while role overload has a direct and positive influence on intent to leave. An unexpected finding is that while overload and non-participation have significant positive impacts on job strain, there is no significant relationship between strain and organizational commitment. The implications are that work-related stressors appear to influence the organizational commitment and intent to leave of transit drivers directly rather than indirectly through job strain. Role overload and non-participation have not often been considered in the context of the commitment and intent to leave in stressful occupations such as urban transit driving.
The relationship between workplace friendship and perceived job significance
Authors: Mao Hsiao-Yen , Hsieh An-Tien , Chen Chien-Yu
Published: May 2012

Existing research suggests that leaders/supervisors are the major persons in work organizations to promote employee perception of job significance, which is an intrinsic motivator for employee productivity. However, the literature remains unclear on the relationship between workplace friendship and perceived job significance. Results from a survey of 290 Taiwanese employees indicated that workplace friendship enhanced perceived job significance, and such enhancement did not vary across organizational levels. Our findings suggest intrinsically motivating employees through workplace friendship, which extends extant literature on work role of leaders/supervisors in employee motivation. Further, although lower organizational levels have a disadvantage of objectively less job significance in work organizations, our findings suggest workplace friendship is an effective factor in promoting employee perception of job significance. Thus, organizations can embed the mechanism of workplace friendship into the factors of job design to promote employees' intrinsic motivation and thus job and organizational productivity.
Evaluation of the Pollution by Toxic Elements around the Small-Scale Mining Area, Boroo, Mongolia
Authors: Oyuntsetseg Bolormaa , Kawasaki Katsunori , Watanabe Makiko , Ochirbat Batkhishig
Published: May 2012

The objective of this study is to investigate the contamination levels of toxic elements (TEs) in the vicinity of the small-scale mining Boroo area, Mongolia. Samples of surface soil, ground water and human hair were collected around the gold washing or milling places, grassland and village areas. After appropriate preparation, all samples were analyzed for major and toxic elements (TEs) by Particle-Induced X-ray Emission Spectrometry (PIXE). Soil texture, conductivity (EC), pH, total organic carbon (TC) and nitrogen (TN) contents were also measured. The enrichment factor (EF) was estimated to assess the level of the contamination and the possible anthropogenic impact in soils from the mining activity. The EFsoil for Cu, As and Pb were in the highest values around gold washing place, indicating that around mining area surface soils were highly enriched by those elements. The Mn, Fe and Ni concentrations of drinking waters exceed the WHO values. The mean concentrations of Ca, Ti, As and Sr were higher in hair of Mongolian miners than in the hair of normal people in Japan, Mongolia and Philippines. These results indicate that the area around gold washing or milling could be the main contamination sources of As and other toxic elements (TEs) in the surface soil samples.
The Retrourethral Transobturator Sling Suspension in the Treatment of Male Urinary Stress Incontinence: Results of a Single Institution Experience
Authors: Mueller Johannes , Schrader Andres Jan , Schnoeller Thomas , Zengerling Friedemann , Damjanoski Ilija , Al Ghazal Andreas , Schrader Mark , Jentzmik Florian
Published: May 2012

Objective. To evaluate functional outcome of the retrourethral transobturator sling suspension (RTS) in the treatment of stress urinary incontinence (SUI) caused by prior prostate surgery. Methods. The RTS (AdVance male sling) was implanted in 32 patients who suffered from mild to severe postsurgical-treatment incontinence at the University Hospital Ulm from September 2010 to September 2011 including 10 patients with prior radiation therapy. Functional data (uroflowmetry, daily pad use, and postvoid residual urine) as well as quality of life with impact of urinary problems (ICIQ-UI SF) were prospectively assessed at baseline and during followup. Results. After a median followup of 9 months (range, 3–14) the incontinence cure rate (no pad usage) was 56.2% and the improvement rate (1-2 pads/day or ≥50% reduction) was 21.9%. No improvement was observed in 21.9%. Daily pad use and ICIQ-UI SF score improved significantly. No major perioperative complications occurred. Postoperatively, 15.6% of the patients exhibited transient acute urinary retention which resolved without further treatment after a maximum of 3 weeks. One patient underwent sling explantation due to dislocation and persistent perineal pain. Conclusions. The implantation of the RTS is a safe and effective procedure in selected patients with SUI resulting from prostate surgery.
Semiautonomous Medical Image Segmentation Using Seeded Cellular Automaton Plus Edge Detector
Authors: Beasley Ryan A.
Published: May 2012

Segmentations of medical images are required in a number of medical applications such as quantitative analyses and patient-specific orthotics, yet accurate segmentation without significant user attention remains a challenge. This work presents a novel segmentation algorithm combining the region-growing Seeded Cellular Automata with a boundary term based on an edge-detected image. Both single processor and parallel processor implementations are developed and the algorithm is shown to be suitable for quick segmentations (2.2 s for voxel brain MRI) and interactive supervision (2–220 Hz). Furthermore, a method is described for generating appropriate edge-detected images without requiring additional user attention. Experiments demonstrate higher segmentation accuracy for the proposed algorithm compared with both Graphcut and Seeded Cellular Automata, particularly when provided minimal user attention.
Method Development and Validation for the Simultaneous Determination of Fexofenadine Hydrochloride and Montelukast Sodium in Drug Formulation Using Normal Phase High-Performance Thin-Layer Chromatography
Authors: Tandulwadkar Suparna S. , More Snehal J. , Rathore Atul S. , Nikam Ajinkya R. , Sathiyanarayanan Lohidasan , Mahadik Kakasaheb R.
Published: May 2012

A simple, precise, specific, and accurate high-performance thin-layer chromatographic method has been developed for the simultaneous determination of fexofenadine hydrochloride (FEX) and montelukast sodium (MTKT) in pharmaceutical dosage form. The separation was carried out on Merck HPTLC aluminum plates of silica gel G60 F254, ( cm) with 250 μm thickness using toluene: ethyl acetate: methanol: ammonia (30%) (0.5: 7: 2: 0.5, v/v/v/v) as mobile phase. HPTLC separation of the two drugs followed by densitometric measurement was carried out in the absorbance mode at 220 nm. The drugs were resolved satisfactorily with values of and for FEX and MTKT, respectively. The linear regression analysis data for the calibration plots showed good linear relationship with and 0.9998 for FEX and MTKT, respectively, in the concentration range of 2400–10800 ng spot−1 for FEX and 200–900 ng spot−1 for MTKT. The method was validated for precision, robustness, specificity, and accuracy. The limits of detection and quantitation were 100 and 300 ng spot−1, respectively, for FEX and 50 and 100 ng spot−1, respectively, for MTKT. The proposed developed HPTLC method can be applied for identification and quantitative determination of FEX and MTKT in bulk drug and drug formulation.
Keloid Scarring: Understanding the Genetic Basis, Advances, and Prospects
Authors: Halim Ahmad Sukari , Emami Azadeh , Salahshourifar Iman , Kannan Thirumulu Ponnuraj
Published: May 2012

Keloid disease is a fibroproliferative dermal tumor with an unknown etiology that occurs after a skin injury in genetically susceptible individuals. Increased familial aggregation, a higher prevalence in certain races, parallelism in identical twins, and alteration in gene expression all favor a remarkable genetic contribution to keloid pathology. It seems that the environment triggers the disease in genetically susceptible individuals. Several genes have been implicated in the etiology of keloid disease, but no single gene mutation has thus far been found to be responsible. Therefore, a combination of methods such as association, gene-gene interaction, epigenetics, linkage, gene expression, and protein analysis should be applied to determine keloid etiology.
Utility of Toe-brachial Index for Diagnosis of Peripheral Artery Disease
Authors: Park Seong Chul , Choi Chang Yong , Ha Young In , Yang Hyung Eun
Published: May 2012

Background The ankle brachial pressure index (ABI) is a simple, useful method for diagnosing peripheral artery disease (PAD). Although the ABI is an objective diagnostic method, it has limited reliability in certain scenarios. The aim of the present study was to determine the accuracy and reliability of the toe brachial index (TBI) as a diagnostic tool for detecting stenosis in PAD, associated with normal or low ABI values.

Methods ABI and TBI values were measured in 15 patients with diabetic gangrene who were suspected of having lower extremity arterial insufficiency. The ABI and TBI values were measured using a device that allowed the simultaneous measurement of systolic blood pressure in the upper and lower extremities. In addition, the ABI and TBI values were compared pre- and post-angiography.

Results Patients with an ABI of 0.9-1.3 showed almost no difference between the 2 measurements. The patients with TBI >0.6 had no arterial insufficiency. The patients with TBI <0.6 required vascular intervention with ballooning. After the angiography, the gangrenous wounds decreased in size more rapidly than they did prior to the intervention.

Conclusions Our findings suggest that TBI is the method of choice for evaluating lower limb perfusion disorders. This result requires further studies of TBI in a larger number of patients. Future long-term studies should therefore evaluate the utility of TBI as a means of screening for PAD and the present findings should be regarded as preliminary outcomes.
Lubrication of poly(vinyl alcohol) chain orientation by carbon nano‐chips in composite tapes
Authors: Song Kenan , Zhang Yiying , Meng Jiangsha , Minus Marilyn L.
Published: May 2012

The extraordinary structural properties of graphene and carbon nanotube materials motivate the development of practical methods for their use in fabricating continuous, strong, and tough composite fibers. Poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA)/carbon nano‐chip fiber (CNCF) composite tapes with 0.5 wt % loading show that Young's modulus, tensile strength, and toughness are increased by 585%, 653%, and 20%, respectively as compared to the control (PVA) tapes. Nano‐chips exfoliated from the CNCF during processing, lubricate polymer chain alignment, and orientation during drawing, where composite tapes could be drawn to higher draw ratios compared with the control tapes. As a result, the Herman's orientation factor (f) increased from 0.5 (control tape) to 0.8 (composite tape). Theoretical analysis shows ∼ 16 vol % of the composite tapes consists of fully oriented PVA chains, which contributes to its exceptional mechanical performance. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci., 2013
Solid‐state recycling of polyimide film waste
Authors: Olifirov L.K. , Kaloshkin S.D. , Ergin K.S. , Tcherdyntsev V.V. , Danilov V.D.
Published: May 2012

Possibility of the polyimide (PI) films waste recycling by solid‐state mechanochemistry was investigated in this study. Obtained PI powder was used for development of thermostable blends and multicomponent tribocompositions, which include additions of carbon black, ultradispersive diamond powder, and quasicrystalls. PI films waste treatment was provided in high‐energy planetary ball mill. Powder compositions were mixed by low‐energy planetary ball mill. Bulk samples were obtained by compression molding. Structural and thermal properties of initial polymers and composite materials were determined from scanning electron microscope, differential scanning calorimetry, thermogravimetric analysis, dynamic mechanical analysis and fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. Tribological tests of composite materials were provided in dry sliding regime on “pin‐on‐disk” tribometer. Finally, optimal regimes of polymer composite materials producing were obtained. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci., 2013
Low energy impact indentation of a modified polyethylene terephtalate by instrumented falling weight
Authors: Martínez A. B. , Arencón D. , Navas J. , Velasco J. I.
Published: May 2012

Investigation of the flexed plate impact of polymers requires the study of the local plate reaction during the contact between the hemispherical tip and the specimen. The current work investigates the low energy impact indentation with a hemispherical indenter applied to a polymer sheet with a ductile behavior. The samples were freely supported on a very rigid steel plate and transversely collided by the instrumented dart. The restitution coefficients are calculated, and a lumped mass‐spring model based on the Hertz law, which agrees with the experimental contact forces, restitution coefficients, indenter depth of penetration and permanent deformations is developed. This is an indirect method to estimate the Young's modulus at these relatively high strain rates. The influence of the geometrical parameters of the test such as target thickness, drop mass, indenter diameter, along with impact velocity are analyzed. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci., 2013
Fetal Gyrification in Cynomolgus Monkeys: A Concept of Developmental Stages of Gyrification
Authors: Sawada Kazuhiko , Fukunishi Katsuhiro , Kashima Masatoshi , Saito Shigeyoshi , Sakata‐Haga Hiromi , Aoki Ichio , Fukui Yoshihiro
Published: May 2012

Our article summarizes a series of studies about fetal gyrification and its relation to cerebral growth in cynomolgus monkeys. Based on the cerebral growth (i.e., brain weight, cerebral volume, and frontooccipital length of the cerebral hemisphere) and the developmental pattern of gyrification in each sulcus of cynomolgus monkeys, we divided the gyrification process into four stages: Stage 1. Demarcation of cerebral lobes and limbic gyri; Stage 2. Demarcation of neocortical gyri; Stage 3. Emergence of secondary and tertiary sulci; and Stage 4. Growth of sulcal length and depth. Each stage of those gyrification processes was influenced by different developmental events, such as the emergence of corticocortical long‐associative fiber tracts, cortical maturations, and subcortical white‐matter development. This is the first report to systematically propose gyrification processes closely related to the order of phyologenetical development of the cerebral cortex in primates. Anat Rec, 2012. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Antigen‐specific transforming growth factor β–induced Treg cells, but not natural Treg cells, ameliorate autoimmune arthritis in mice by shifting the Th17/Treg cell balance from Th17 predominance to Treg cell predominance
Authors: Kong Ning , Lan Qin , Chen Maogen , Wang Julie , Shi Wei , Horwitz David A. , Quesniaux Valerie , Ryffel Bernhard , Liu Zhongmin , Brand David , Zou Hejian , Zheng Song Guo
Published: May 2012

Objective

Transferred CD4+CD25+FoxP3+ Treg cells can prevent autoimmune disease, but generally fail to ameliorate established disease. This study was undertaken to compare the effects of antigen‐specific Treg cells induced with interleukin‐2 (IL‐2) and transforming growth factor β (TGFβ) ex vivo (induced Treg [iTreg] cells) to the effects of equivalent expanded thymus‐derived natural Treg (nTreg) cells on established collagen‐induced arthritis (CIA).

Methods

CIA was induced in DBA/1 mice by immunization with type II collagen (CII), and before or shortly after immunization, mice were treated with iTreg or nTreg cells that were generated or expanded in vitro. Clinical scores were determined. Inflammatory responses were determined by measuring the levels of anti‐CII antibody in the serum and examining the histologic features of the mouse joints. The Th1/Th17‐mediated autoreactive response was evaluated by determining the cytokine profile of the draining lymph node (LN) cells of the mice by flow cytometry.

Results

Following transfer, nTreg cells exhibited decreased FoxP3 and Bcl‐2 expression and decreased suppressive activity, and many converted to Th17 cells. In contrast, transferred iTreg cells were more numerous, retained FoxP3 expression and their suppressive activity in the presence of IL‐6, and were resistant to Th17 conversion. Notably, 10 days after the transfer of donor iTreg cells, predominance was shifted from Th17 cells to Treg cells in the draining LNs of recipient mice.

Conclusion

These findings provide evidence that transferred TGFβ‐induced iTreg cells are more stable and functional than nTreg cells in mice with established autoimmunity. Moreover, iTreg cells can have tolerogenic effects even in the presence of ongoing inflammation. The therapeutic potential of human iTreg cells in subjects with chronic, immune‐mediated inflammatory diseases should be investigated.
Natural killer T cell deficiency in active adult‐onset Still's disease: Correlation of deficiency of natural killer T cells with dysfunction of natural killer cells
Authors: Lee Sung‐Ji , Cho Young‐Nan , Kim Tae‐Jong , Park Seong‐Chang , Park Dong‐Jin , Jin Hye‐Mi , Lee Shin‐Seok , Kee Seung‐Jung , Kim Nacksung , Yoo Dae‐Hyun , Park Yong‐Wook
Published: May 2012

Objective

To examine the levels and functions of natural killer (NK) and natural killer T (NKT) cells, investigate relationships between NK and NKT cells, and determine the clinical relevance of NKT cell levels in patients with adult‐onset Still's disease (AOSD).

Methods

Patients with active untreated AOSD (n = 20) and age‐ and sex‐matched healthy controls (n = 20) were studied. NK and NKT cell levels were measured by flow cytometry. Peripheral blood mononuclear cells were cultured in vitro with α‐galactosylceramide (αGalCer). NK cytotoxicity against K562 cells and proliferation indices of NKT cells were estimated by flow cytometry.

Results

Percentages and absolute numbers of NKT cells were significantly lower in the peripheral blood of AOSD patients than in that of healthy controls. Proliferative responses of NKT cells to αGalCer were also lower in patients, and this was found to be due to proinflammatory cytokines and NKT cell apoptosis. In addition, NK cytotoxicity was found to be significantly lower in patients than in healthy controls, but NK cell levels were comparable in the 2 groups. Notably, this NKT cell deficiency was found to be correlated with NK cell dysfunction and to reflect active disease status. Furthermore, αGalCer‐mediated NK cytotoxicity, showing the interaction between NK and NKT cells, was significantly lower in AOSD patients than in healthy controls.

Conclusion

These findings demonstrate that NK and NKT cell functions are defective in AOSD patients and suggest that these abnormalities contribute to innate immune dysfunction in AOSD.
Effects of equine joint injury on boundary lubrication of articular cartilage by synovial fluid: Role of hyaluronan
Authors: Antonacci Jennifer M. , Schmidt Tannin A. , Serventi Lisa A. , Cai Matthew Z. , Shu YuYu L. , Schumacher Barbara L. , McIlwraith C. Wayne , Sah Robert L.
Published: May 2012

Objective

To compare equine synovial fluid (SF) from injured and control joints for cartilage boundary lubrication function; concentrations of the putative boundary lubricant molecules hyaluronan (HA), proteoglycan 4 (PRG4), and surface‐active phospholipids (SAPLs); relationships between lubrication function and composition; and lubrication restoration by addition of HA.

Methods

Equine SF from normal joints, joints with acute injury, and joints with chronic injury were analyzed for boundary lubrication of normal articular cartilage (kinetic friction coefficient [μkinetic]). Equine SF samples were analyzed for HA, PRG4, and SAPL concentrations and HA molecular weight distribution. The effect of the addition of HA, of different concentrations and molecular weight, on the μkineticof equine SF samples from normal joints and joints with acute injury was determined.

Results

The μkineticof equine SF from joints with acute injury (0.036) was higher (+39%) than that of equine SF from normal joints (0.026). Compared to normal equine SF, SF from joints with acute injury had a lower HA concentration (−30%) of lower molecular weight forms, higher PRG4 concentration (+83%), and higher SAPL concentration (+144%). Equine SF from joints with chronic injury had μkinetic, PRG4, and SAPL characteristics intermediate to those of equine SF from joints with acute injury and normal equine SF. Regression analysis revealed that the μkineticvalue decreased with increasing HA concentration in equine SF. The friction‐reducing properties of HA alone improved with increasing concentration and molecular weight. The addition of high molecular weight HA (4,000 kd) to equine SF from joints with acute injury reduced the μkineticto a value near that of normal equine SF.

Conclusion

In the acute postinjury stage, equine SF exhibits poor boundary lubrication properties, as indicated by a high μkinetic. HA of diminished concentration and molecular weight may be the basis for this, and adding HA to deficient equine SF restored lubrication function.
Sentencing Convicted Juvenile Felony Offenders in the Adult Court: The Direct Effects of Race
Authors: Howell Rebecca J. , Hutto Tonya Spicer
Published: May 2012

While research indicates that Black and Hispanic adults sentenced in the criminal court tend to be rendered more severe punishments than their White counterparts, only one prior study has examined whether this finding holds for juveniles tried in the adult system. The findings from this sole study need replication, however, since the effects posed by trial type were not taken into account and it is likely that the results are confounded by measurement error resulting from overlap in criminal sentencing. The current study addressed these issues by assessing whether race has a direct impact on waived juveniles being criminally sentenced to restitution, probation, or jail. Data were derived from a secondary, cross‐sectional national dataset on felony juvenile offenders convicted in the adult system. Three hypotheses were tested. After controlling for a number of important legal and extra‐legal predictors of sentencing, race differences in sentencing outcomes were observed and the findings yielded partial support for the hypotheses. The implications of the research are noted. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Practical simulation of hierarchical brittle fracture
Authors: Oh Seungtaik , Shin Seunghyup , Jun Hyeryeong
Published: May 2012

A novel practical method for brittle fracture simulation is presented. Our fracture model is represented by a tree structure, and all elementary fracture pieces are hierarchically connected. Each node in a fracture tree has a glue table to define connections and strengths among its child nodes. With our hierarchical fracture method, one can control the whole process of fracture formulation and simulation in a more direct way. Given an input object, a hierarchical fracture pattern is constructed by a series of recursive decompositions where the variation of fragment sizes can be intuitively controlled through a drawing interface. A noise pattern is applied on the interfaces of fragments for adding a natural look. A new simple and practical fracture criterion is also introduced, and we capture the difference of virtual and inherited velocities of fracture nodes to break the connection. Our fracture criterion is fast and robust because it does not involve any matrix solves or finite element analysis that is essential in the prior fracturing algorithms. We implement the proposed method on a fluid solver by extending a rigid body interaction unit, and as a result, we achieve that the fracture objects can interact with fluid and ordinary rigid bodies in a fully two‐way manner. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Major adverse limb events and wound healing following infrapopliteal artery stent implantation in patients with critical limb ischemia: The XCELL trial
Authors: Rocha‐Singh Krishna J. , Jaff Michael , Joye James , Laird John , Ansel Gary , Schneider Peter ,   The VIVA Physicians
Published: May 2012

Background

Percutaneous transluminal angioplasty (PTA) with stent deployment of infrapopliteal arteries is an accepted but unproven therapy for patients with critical limb ischemia (CLI). We evaluated the safety and effectiveness of the Xpert™ self‐expanding nitinol stent (Abbott Vascular, Redwood City, CA) in Rutherford Class 4–6 subjects with infrapopliteal lesions of 4–15 cm in length.

Methods and Results

120 patients (140 limbs, 212 implanted devices) underwent primary infrapopliteal nitinol stent deployment as part of this multicenter registry. The primary endpoint was 12‐month amputation‐free survival (AFS); secondary endpoints included limb salvage, target lesion revascularization (TLR), 6‐ month angiographic patency, and 6‐ and 12‐month outcomes of wound healing and pain relief. Despite a 6‐month binary stent restenosis rate of 68.5%, the 12‐month AFS rate was 78.3%. Stratified according to baseline Rutherford classes 4, 5 and 6, the 12‐month AFS rates were 100%, 77.3%, and 55.2%, respectively, and freedom from major amputation rates were 100%, 90.9%, and 70.1%, respectively. The 12‐month freedom from major amputation rate and clinically driven TLR were 89.6% and 70.1%, respectively. The 6‐ and 12‐month complete wound‐healing rates were 49.0% and 54.4%, respectively. Rutherford class 4 patients had significant pain relief through 12‐months (P<0.05).

Conclusions

Primary infrapopliteal nitinol stenting to treat CLI is safe and effective in improving 6‐and 12‐month clinical outcomes. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Nonparametric hierarchical Bayes analysis of binomial data via Bernstein polynomial priors
Authors: Zhang Tingting , Liu Jun S.
Published: May 2012

For binomial data analysis, many methods based on empirical Bayes interpretations have been developed, in which a variance‐stabilizing transformation and a normality assumption are usually required. To achieve the greatest model flexibility, we conduct nonparametric Bayesian inference for binomial data and employ a special nonparametric Bayesian prior—the Bernstein–Dirichlet process (BDP)—in the hierarchical Bayes model for the data. The BDP is a special Dirichlet process (DP) mixture based on beta distributions, and the posterior distribution resulting from it has a smooth density defined on [0, 1]. We examine two Markov chain Monte Carlo procedures for simulating from the resulting posterior distribution, and compare their convergence rates and computational efficiency. In contrast to existing results for posterior consistency based on direct observations, the posterior consistency of the BDP, given indirect binomial data, is established. We study shrinkage effects and the robustness of the BDP‐based posterior estimators in comparison with several other empirical and hierarchical Bayes estimators, and we illustrate through examples that the BDP‐based nonparametric Bayesian estimate is more robust to the sample variation and tends to have a smaller estimation error than those based on the DP prior. In certain settings, the new estimator can also beat Stein's estimator, Efron and Morris's limited‐translation estimator, and many other existing empirical Bayes estimators.The Canadian Journal of Statistics40: 328–344; 2012 © 2012 Statistical Society of Canada
Doubly robust point and variance estimation in the presence of imputed survey data
Authors: Haziza David , Picard Frédéric
Published: May 2012

Imputation is often used in surveys to treat item nonresponse. It is well known that treating the imputed values as observed values may lead to substantial underestimation of the variance of the point estimators. To overcome the problem, a number of variance estimation methods have been proposed in the literature, including resampling methods such as the jackknife and the bootstrap. In this paper, we consider the problem of doubly robust inference in the presence of imputed survey data. In the doubly robust literature, point estimation has been the main focus. In this paper, using the reverse framework for variance estimation, we derive doubly robust linearization variance estimators in the case of deterministic and random regression imputation within imputation classes. Also, we study the properties of several jackknife variance estimators under both negligible and nonnegligible sampling fractions. A limited simulation study investigates the performance of various variance estimators in terms of relative bias and relative stability. Finally, the asymptotic normality of imputed estimators is established for stratified multistage designs under both deterministic and random regression imputation. The Canadian Journal of Statistics 40: 259–281; 2012 © 2012 Statistical Society of Canada
Structure and activity of full‐length formin mDia1
Authors: Maiti Sankar , Michelot Alphee , Gould Christopher , Blanchoin Laurent , Sokolova Olga , Goode Bruce L.
Published: May 2012

Formins are a conserved family of actin assembly‐promoting factors with essential and diverse biological roles. Most of our biochemical understanding of formin effects on actin dynamics is derived from studies using formin fragments. In addition, all structural information on formins has been limited to fragments. This has left open key questions about the structure, activity and regulation of intact formin proteins. Here, we isolated full‐length mouse mDia1 (mDia1‐FL) and found that it forms tightly autoinhibited dimers that can only be partially activated by RhoA. We solved the structure of autoinhibited mDia1‐FL using electron microscopy and single particle analysis. Docking of crystal structures into the three dimensional reconstruction revealed that the fork‐shaped N‐terminal diaphanous inhibitory domain‐coiled coil domain region hangs over the ring‐shaped formin homology (FH)2 domain, suggesting that autoinhibition results from steric obstruction of actin binding. Deletion of the C‐terminal diaphanous autoregulatory domain extended mDia1 structure and activated it for actin assembly. Using total internal reflection fluorescence microscopy, we observed that RhoA‐activated mDia1‐FL persistently accelerated filament elongation in the presence of profilin similar to mDia1 FH1‐FH2 fragment. These observations validate the known activities of FH1‐FH2 fragments as reflecting those of the intact molecule. Our results further suggest that mDia1‐FL does not readily snap back into the autoinhibited conformation and dissociate from growing filament ends, and thus additional factors may be required to displace formins and restrict filament length. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc
Distribution of the glycine receptor β‐subunit in the mouse CNS as revealed by a novel monoclonal antibody
Authors: Weltzien Felix , Puller Christian , O'Sullivan Gregory A. , Paarmann Ingo , Betz Heinrich
Published: May 2012

Inhibitory glycine receptors (GlyRs) are composed of homologous α‐ (α1–4) and β‐subunits. The β‐subunits (GlyRβ) interact via their large cytosolic loops with the postsynaptic scaffolding protein gephyrin and are therefore considered essential for synaptic localization. In situ hybridization studies indicate a widespread distribution of GlyRβ transcripts throughout the mammalian central nervous system (CNS), whereas GlyRα mRNAs and proteins display more restricted expression patterns. Here we report the generation of a monoclonal antibody that specifically recognizes rodent GlyRβ (mAb‐GlyRβ) and does not exhibit crossreactivity with any of the GlyRα1–4 subunits. Immunostaining with this antibody revealed high densities of punctate GlyRβ immunoreactivity at inhibitory synapses in mouse spinal cord, brainstem, midbrain, and olfactory bulb but not in the neocortex, cerebellum, or hippocampus. This contrasts the abundance of GlyRβ transcripts in all major regions of the rodent brain and suggests that GlyRβ protein levels are regulated posttranscriptionally. When mAb‐GlyRβ was used in double‐labeling experiments with GlyRα1‐, α2‐, α3‐, or α4‐specific antibodies to examine the colocalization of GlyRβ with these GlyR subunits in the mouse retina, >90% of the GlyRα1–3 clusters detected were found to be GlyRβ‐immunoreactive. A subset (about 50%) of the GlyRα4 puncta in the inner plexiform layer, however, was found to lack GlyRβ and gephyrin immunostaining. These GlyRα4‐only clusters were apposed to bassoon immunoreactivity and hence synaptically localized. Their existence points to a gephyrin‐independent synaptic localization mechanism for a minor subset of GlyRs. J. Comp. Neurol. 520:3962–3981, 2012. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Neuroanatomy of melanocortin‐4 receptor pathway in the lateral hypothalamic area
Authors: Cui Huxing , Sohn Jong‐Woo , Gautron Laurent , Funahashi Hisayuki , Williams Kevin W. , Elmquist Joel K. , Lutter Michael
Published: May 2012

The central melanocortin system regulates body energy homeostasis including the melanocortin‐4 receptor (MC4R). The lateral hypothalamic area (LHA) receives dense melanocortinergic inputs from the arcuate nucleus of the hypothalamus and regulates multiple processes including food intake, reward behaviors, and autonomic function. By using a mouse line in which green fluorescent protein (GFP) is expressed under control of the MC4R gene promoter, we systemically investigated MC4R signaling in the LHA by combining double immunohistochemistry, electrophysiology, and retrograde tracing techniques. We found that LHA MC4R‐GFP neurons coexpress neurotensin as well as the leptin receptor but do not coexpress other peptide neurotransmitters found in the LHA including orexin, melanin‐concentrating hormone, and nesfatin‐1. Furthermore, electrophysiological recording demonstrated that leptin, but not the MC4R agonist melanotan II, hyperpolarizes the majority of LHA MC4R‐GFP neurons in an ATP‐ sensitive potassium channel–dependent manner. Retrograde tracing revealed that LHA MC4R‐GFP neurons do not project to the ventral tegmental area, dorsal raphe nucleus, nucleus accumbens, and spinal cord, and only limited number of neurons project to the nucleus of the solitary tract and parabrachial nucleus. Our findings provide new insights into MC4R signaling in the LHA and its potential implications in homeostatic regulation of body energy balance. J. Comp. Neurol. 4168–4183, 2012. © 2012 Wiley Periodcicals, Inc.
Neuromechanic: A computational platform for simulation and analysis of the neural control of movement
Authors: Bunderson Nathan E. , Bingham Jeffrey T. , Hongchul Sohn M. , Ting Lena H. , Burkholder Thomas J.
Published: May 2012

Neuromusculoskeletal models solve the basic problem of determining how the body moves under the influence of external and internal forces. Existing biomechanical modeling programs often emphasize dynamics with the goal of finding a feed‐forward neural program to replicate experimental data or of estimating force contributions or individual muscles. The computation of rigid‐body dynamics, muscle forces, and activation of the muscles are often performed separately. We have developed an intrinsically forward computational platform (Neuromechanic, www.neuromechanic.com) that explicitly represents the interdependencies among rigid body dynamics, frictional contact, muscle mechanics, and neural control modules. This formulation has significant advantages for optimization and forward simulation, particularly with application to neural controllers with feedback or regulatory features. Explicit inclusion of all state dependencies allows calculation of system derivatives with respect to kinematic states and muscle and neural control states, thus affording a wealth of analytical tools, including linearization, stability analyses and calculation of initial conditions for forward simulations. In this review, we describe our algorithm for generating state equations and explain how they may be used in integration, linearization, and stability analysis tools to provide structural insights into the neural control of movement. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Lower compactness estimates for scalar balance laws
Authors: Ancona Fabio , Glass Olivier , Nguyen Khai T.
Published: May 2012

In this paper, we study the compactness in L of the semigroup (St)t≥0 of entropy weak solutions to strictly convex scalar conservation laws in one space dimension. The compactness of St for each t > 0 was established by P. D. Lax. Upper estimates for the Kolmogorov e‐entropy of the image of bounded sets in L1 n L∞ through St were given by C. De Lellis and F. Golse. Here we provide lower estimates on this e‐entropy of the same order as the one established by De Lellis and Golse, thus showing that such an e‐entropy is of size ≈ 1/ε. Moreover, we extend these estimates of compactness to the case of convex balance laws. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Technology classification, industry, and education for Future Internet of Things
Authors: Ning Huansheng , Hu Sha
Published: May 2012

The Internet of Things (IoT) is developing rapidly and becoming a hot topic around the world. On the basis of the reorganized Unit IoT and Ubiquitous IoT, two models for Future IoT are proposed in this paper. A dimension model is established to classify the complicated IoT technologies and a layer model is built for Future IoT system architecture. Then, the IoT vision and its development phases prediction are presented. Furthermore, the thought of regarding IoT as an emerging industry is explained to be inappropriate because IoT is a new stage of intelligentization and informatization development. Meanwhile, the necessity of training qualified personnel in colleges is introduced. Then, the relation between IoT and the science and technology system and IoT relevant subjects is analyzed. At the end, this paper raises the problem of setting IoT as a major in college and proposes some suggestions. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Phylogeography of the prehensile‐tailed skinkCorucia zebrataon the Solomon Archipelago
Authors: Hagen Ingerid J. , Donnellan Stephen C. , Bull C. Michael
Published: May 2012

The biogeography of islands is often strongly influenced by prior geological events.Corucia zebrata(Squamata: Scincidae) is endemic to the geologically complex Solomon Archipelago in Northern Melanesia. We examined the level of divergence for different island populations ofC. zebrataand discussed these patterns in light of Pleistocene land bridges, island isolation, and island age.Corucia zebratawas sampled from 14 locations across the Solomon Archipelago and sequenced at two mitochondrial genes (ND2andND4; 1697 bp in total) and four nuclear loci (rhodopsin,an unknown intron,AKAP9,andPTPN12). Measures of genetic divergence, analyses of genetic variation, and Bayesian phylogenetic inference were used and the data assessed in light of geological information. Populations ofC. zebrataon separate islands were found to be genetically different from each other, with reciprocal monophyly on mitochondrial DNA. Populations on islands previously connected by Pleistocene land bridges were marginally less divergent from each other than from populations on other nearby but isolated islands. There are indications thatC. zebratahas radiated across the eastern islands of the archipelago within the last 1–4 million years. Nuclear loci were not sufficiently informative to yield further information about the phylogeography ofC. zebrataon the Solomon Archipelago. Analyses of the mitochondrial data suggest that dispersal between islands has been very limited and that there are barriers to gene flow within the major islands. Islands that have been isolated during the Pleistocene glacial cycles are somewhat divergent in their mitochondrial genotypes, however, isolation by distance (IBD) and recent colonization of isolated but geologically younger islands appear to have had stronger effects on the phylogeography ofC. zebratathan the Pleistocene glacial cycles. This contrasts with patterns reported for avian taxa, and highlights the fact that biogeographic regions for island species cannot be directly extrapolated among taxa of differing dispersal ability.
Bayesian approach to potency estimation for aquatic toxicology experiments when a toxicant affects both fecundity and survival
Authors: Zhang Jing , Bailer A. John , Oris James T.
Published: May 2012

Chemicals in aquatic systems may impact a variety of endpoints including mortality, growth, or reproduction. Clearly, growth or reproduction will only be observed in organisms that survive. Because it is common to observe mortality in studies focusing on the reproduction of organisms, especially in higher concentration conditions, the resulting observed numbers of young become a mixture of zeroes and positive counts. Zeroes are recorded for organisms that die before having any young and living organisms with no offspring. Positive counts are recorded for living organisms with offspring. Thus, responses reflect both fecundity and mortality of the organisms used in such tests. In the present study, the authors propose the estimation of the concentration associated with a specified level of reproductive inhibition (RIp) using a Bayesian zero-inflated Poisson (ZIP) regression model. This approach allows any prior information and expert knowledge about the model parameters to be incorporated into the regression coefficients or RIp estimation. Simulation studies are conducted to compare the Bayesian ZIP regression model and classical methods. The Bayesian estimator outperforms the frequentist alternative by producing more precise point estimates with smaller mean square differences between RIp estimates and true values, narrower interval estimates with better coverage probabilities. The authors also applied their proposed model to a study of Ceriodaphnia dubia exposed to a test toxicant. Environ. Toxicol. Chem. 2012; 31: 1920–1930. © 2012 SETAC
Harmonic mean rate fairness for cognitive radio networks with heterogeneous traffic
Authors: Dashti Mina , Azmi Paeiz , Navaie Keivan
Published: May 2012

This paper proposes new utility‐based fairness criteria for radio resource allocation in underlay cognitive radio networks based on harmonic mean concept. Then, joint rate and power allocation problem is considered for secondary users subject to the signal‐to‐interference‐noise ratio and interference threshold constraints. It is shown that the proposed approach yields a better balance between throughput and fairness compared with conventional fairness criteria, namely max–min and proportional fairness. Furthermore, in order to address the requirements of future wireless applications a cross‐layer resource‐allocation is proposed for heterogeneous traffic. A combination of streaming (which requires a maximum guaranteed average delay) and elastic traffic (with flexible rate requirements) is considered. The optimization problem allocates the available resources to the streaming users such that the quality‐of‐service constraints of the streaming users are satisfied. Through extensive simulations, the effect of streaming traffic on the total throughput of elastic users is investigated. Simulation results demonstrate the increase in throughput of elastic users achieved by decreasing number of streaming users.Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.