bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Entropy Generation and Thermo‐Economic Analysis of Constructal Heat Exchanger
Authors: Manjunath K. , Kaushik S.C.
Published: May 2013

Comparison of a constructal heat exchanger (CHE) and normal heat exchanger (NHE) is analyzed by using second law analysis. Analysis is carried out by considering the three irreversibilities due to heat transfer, pressure drop, and production of the materials and the construction of the heat exchanger. The entropy generation minimization method is used to formulate the entropy generation number expressions of all three irreversibilities for both CHE and NHE to study the differences. Also to realize the advantages of the CHE over the NHE, ratios of each of the entropy generation numbers are considered. Additionally, the thermo‐economic aspect of the heat exchanger is considered to further analyze the economic differences between the CHE and NHE. Graphical results are presented to investigate the influence of different parameters such as the number of pairing levels and initial length‐to‐diameter ratio on the behavior of the three entropy generation numbers along with effectiveness and NTU. From the overall results, we can find that there is an increase in the performance and a cost reduction in the CHE when compared to the NHE. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Heat Trans Asian Res, 43(1): 39–60, 2014; Published online in Wiley Online Library (wileyonlinelibrary.com/journal/htj). DOI 10.1002/htj.21062
The prevalence of widespread central hypersensitivity in chronic pain patients
Authors: Schliessbach J. , Siegenthaler A. , Streitberger K. , Eichenberger U. , Nüesch E. , Jüni P. , Arendt‐Nielsen L. , Curatolo M.
Published: May 2013

Background

Chronic pain is associated with generalized hypersensitivity and impaired endogenous pain modulation (conditioned pain modulation; CPM). Despite extensive research, their prevalence in chronic pain patients is unknown. This study investigated the prevalence and potential determinants of widespread central hypersensitivity and described the distribution of CPM in chronic pain patients.

Methods

We examined 464 consecutive chronic pain patients for generalized hypersensitivity and CPM using pressure algometry at the second toe and cold pressor test. Potential determinants of generalized central hypersensitivity were studied using uni‐ and multivariate regression analyses. Prevalence of generalized central hypersensitivity was calculated for the 5th, 10th and 25th percentile of normative values for pressure algometry obtained by a previous large study on healthy volunteers. CPM was addressed on a descriptive basis, since normative values are not available.

Results

Depending on the percentile of normative values considered, generalized central hypersensitivity affected 17.5–35.3% of patients. 23.7% of patients showed no increase in pressure pain threshold after cold pressor test. Generalized central hypersensitivity was more frequent and CPM less effective in women than in men. Unclearly classifiable pain syndromes showed higher frequencies of generalized central hypersensitivity than other pain syndromes.

Conclusions

Although prevalent in chronic pain, generalized central hypersensitivity is not present in every patient. An individual assessment is therefore required in order to detect altered pain processing. The broad basic knowledge about central hypersensitivity now needs to be translated into concrete clinical consequences, so that patients can be offered an individually tailored mechanism‐based treatment.
FAM20C Functions Intracellularly Within Both Ameloblasts and Odontoblasts In Vivo
Authors: Wang Shih-Kai , Samann Andrew C , Hu Jan C-C , Simmer James P
Published: May 2013

FAM20C, also known as Golgi casein kinase (G-CK), is proposed to be the archetype for a family of secreted kinases that phosphorylate target proteins in the Golgi and in extracellular matrices, but FAM20C serving an extracellular function is controversial. FAM20C phosphorylates secretory calcium-binding phosphoproteins (SCPPs), which are associated with the evolution of biomineralization in vertebrates. Current models of biomineralization assume SCPP proteins are secreted as phosphoproteins and their phosphates are essential for protein conformation and function. It would be a radical departure from current theories if proteins in mineralizing matrices were dephosphorylated as part of the mineralization mechanism and rephosphorylated in the extracellular milieu by FAM20C using ATP. To see if such mechanisms are possible in the formation of dental enamel, we tested the hypothesis that FAM20C is secreted by ameloblasts and accumulates in the enamel extracellular matrix during tooth development. FAM20C localization was determined by immunohistochemistry in day 5 mouse incisors and molars and by Western blot analyses of proteins extracted from pig enamel organ epithelia (EOE) and enamel shavings. FAM20C localized intracellularly within ameloblasts and odontoblasts in a pattern consistent with Golgi localization. Western blots detected FAM20C in the EOE extracts but not in the enamel matrix. We conclude that FAM20C is not a constituent of the enamel extracellular matrix and functions intracellularly within ameloblasts. © 2013 American Society for Bone and Mineral Research.
Improved Fracture Risk Assessment Based on Nonlinear Micro-Finite Element Simulations From HRpQCT Images at the Distal Radius
Authors: Christen David , Melton L Joseph , Zwahlen Alexander , Amin Shreyasee , Khosla Sundeep , Müller Ralph
Published: May 2013

More accurate techniques to estimate fracture risk could help reduce the burden of fractures in postmenopausal women. Although micro-finite element (µFE) simulations allow a direct assessment of bone mechanical performance, in this first clinical study we investigated whether the additional information obtained using geometrically and materially nonlinear µFE simulations allows a better discrimination between fracture cases and controls. We used patient data and high-resolution peripheral quantitative computed tomography (HRpQCT) measurements from our previous clinical study on fracture risk, which compared 100 postmenopausal women with a distal forearm fracture to 105 controls. Analyzing these data with the nonlinear µFE simulations, the odds ratio (OR) for the factor-of-risk (yield load divided by the expected fall load) was marginally higher (1.99; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.41–2.77) than for the factor-of-risk computed from linear µFE (1.89; 95% CI, 1.37–2.69). The yield load and the energy absorbed up to the yield point as computed from nonlinear µFE were highly correlated with the initial stiffness (R2 = 0.97 and 0.94, respectively) and could therefore be derived from linear simulations with little loss in precision. However, yield deformation was not related to any other measurement performed and was itself a good predictor of fracture risk (OR, 1.89; 95% CI, 1.39–2.63). Moreover, a combined risk score integrating information on relative bone strength (yield load-based factor-of-risk), bone ductility (yield deformation), and the structural integrity of the bone under critical loads (cortical plastic volume) improved the separation of cases and controls by one-third (OR, 2.66; 95% CI, 1.84–4.02). We therefore conclude that nonlinear µFE simulations provide important additional information on the risk of distal forearm fractures not accessible from linear µFE nor from other techniques assessing bone microstructure, density, or mass. © 2013 American Society for Bone and Mineral Research.
SWI/SNF chromatin remodeling enzymes are associated with cardiac hypertrophy in a genetic rat model of hypertension
Authors: Mehrotra Aanchal , Joe Bina , de la Serna Ivana L.
Published: May 2013

Pathological cardiac hypertrophy is characterized by a sustained increase in cardiomyocyte size and re‐activation of the fetal cardiac gene program. Previous studies implicated SWI/SNF chromatin remodeling enzymes as regulators of the fetal cardiac gene program in surgical models of cardiac hypertrophy. Although hypertension is a common risk factor for developing cardiac hypertrophy, there has not yet been any investigation into the role of SWI/SNF enzymes in cardiac hypertrophy using genetic models of hypertension. In this study, we tested the hypothesis that components of the SWI/SNF complex are activated and recruited to promoters that regulate the fetal cardiac gene program in hearts that become hypertrophic as a result of salt induced hypertension. Utilizing the Dahl salt‐sensitive (S) rat model, we found that the protein levels of several SWI/SNF subunits required for heart development, Brg1, Baf180, and Baf60c, are elevated in hypertrophic hearts from S rats fed a high salt diet compared with normotensive hearts from Dahl salt‐resistant (R) rats fed the same diet. Furthermore, we detected significantly higher levels of SWI/SNF subunit enrichment as well as evidence of more accessible chromatin structure on two fetal cardiac gene promoters in hearts from S rats compared with R rats. Our data implicate SWI/SNF chromatin remodeling enzymes as regulators of gene expression in cardiac hypertrophy resulting from salt induced hypertension. Thus we provide novel insights into the epigenetic mechanisms by which salt induced hypertension leads to cardiac hypertrophy. J. Cell. Physiol. 228: 2337–2342, 2013. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Gene methylation in rectal cancer: Predictive marker of response to chemoradiotherapy?
Authors: Molinari Chiara , Casadio Valentina , Foca Flavia , Zingaretti Chiara , Giannini Massimo , Avanzolini Andrea , Lucci Enrico , Saragoni Luca , Passardi Alessandro , Amadori Dino , Calistri Daniele , Zoli Wainer
Published: May 2013

Although numerous studies have focused on the link between CpG island methylator phenotypes and the development of colorectal cancer, few studies have dealt specifically with methylation profiling in rectal cancer and its role in predicting response to neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy (NCRT). We characterized methylation profiles in normal and neoplastic tissue samples from patients with rectal cancer and assessed the role of this molecular profile in predicting chemoradioactivity. We evaluated 74 pretreatment tumor samples and 16 apparently normal tissue biopsies from rectal cancer patients submitted to NCRT. The methylation profile of 24 different tumor suppressor genes was analyzed from FFPE samples by methylation‐specific multiplex ligation‐dependent probe amplification (MS‐MLPA). Methylation status was studied in relation to tissue type and clinical pathological parameters, in particular, pathological response evaluated by tumor regression grade (TRG). ESR1, CDH13, RARB, IGSF4, and APC genes showed high methylation levels in tumor samples (range 18.92–49.77) with respect to normal tissue. Methylation levels of the remaining genes were low and similar in both normal (range 1.91–14.56) and tumor tissue (range 1.84–11). Analysis of the association between methylation and response to therapy in tumor samples showed that only TIMP3 methylation status differed significantly within the four TRG classes (ANOVA, P < 0.05). Results from the present explorative study suggest that quantitative epigenetic classification of rectal cancer by MS‐MLPA clearly distinguishes tumor tissue from apparently normal mucosa. Conversely, with the exception of TIMP3 gene, the methylation of selected genes does not seem to correlate with response to NCRT. J. Cell. Physiol. 228: 2343–2349, 2013. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Bone Modifications in an Early Holocene Cremation Burial from Palawan, Philippines
Authors: Lara M. , Paz V. , Lewis H. , Solheim W.
Published: May 2013

Fragments of a single human skeleton recovered from a discrete archaeological context and dating to the Early Holocene from Ille Site, Palawan, Philippines, provided a unique opportunity to utilise anthropogenic bone modifications to reconstruct the postmortem history of a body prior to its deposition. Aside from being burnt, the remains were found to exhibit a combination of cutmarks, scrape marks, and impact scars indicative of disarticulation, defleshing, and hammerstone percussion. The results clearly demonstrate a complex ritualistic treatment of the body prior to interment that, so far, has not been recorded in Southeast Asia. This thus adds to the growing data of varying burial traditions during the early Holocene across the region. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Lack of institutional pathways for referral: results of a survey among pediatric surgeons on prenatal consultation for congenital anomalies
Authors: Aite Lucia , Zaccara Antonio , Cuttini Marina , Mirante Nadia , Nahom Antonella , Bagolan Pietro
Published: May 2013

Objective

This paper aimed to assess pathways through which pediatric surgeons receive couples for prenatal consultation after prenatal diagnosis.

Method

A questionnaire was mailed to pediatric surgical centers to assess the following: (1) surgical caseload per year; (2) number of centers in which prenatal consultation is offered; (3) presence of a ‘structured’ prenatal consultation clinic; (4) number of consultations per year; (5) pathways for referral to the pediatric surgeon; and (6) the availability of psychological counseling.

Results

Response rate was 81%, (42/52 centers). Thirty‐eight centers (93%) offered prenatal consultation. Seven centers (18%) reported to have a ‘structured’ clinic in terms of time and location. In 13 centers (34%), 1–9 consultations were carried out, from 10 to 19 in18 centers (47%), from 20 to over 50 in 7 centers (18%). In 34 centers, internal referrals from the obstetric departments were counseled, and in 28 centers, there were also external referrals. Eleven centers reported that couples were self‐referred. Information regarding prenatal counseling was available on the institutional website in 10/38 (26%) centers. Psychological counseling was available in 36 centers.

Conclusion

Despite the fact that the majority of pediatric surgical centers provides prenatal consultation, caseloads are very variable as are referral modalities. © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Kinetic analysis of cytokine‐mediated receptor assembly using engineered FC heterodimers
Authors: Deshpande Ashlesha , Putcha Balananda‐Dhurjati Kumar , Kuruganti Srilalitha , Walter Mark R.
Published: May 2013

A method for analyzing ligand–receptor binding kinetics is described, which is based on an engineered FC domain (FChk) that forms a covalent heterodimer. To validate the system, the type I IFN receptors (IFNAR1 and IFNAR2) were expressed as IFNAR1‐FChk, IFNAR2‐FCkh, and IFNAR1/IFNAR2‐FChk fusion proteins. Surface plasmon resonance (SPR) analysis of binary IFNα2a/IFNAR interactions confirmed prior affinity measurements, while the affinity of the IFNα2a/IFNAR1/IFNAR2‐FChk interaction reproduced the affinity of IFNα2a binding to living cells. In cellular assays, IFNAR1/IFNAR2‐FChk potently neutralized IFNα2a bioactivity with an inhibitory concentration equivalent to the KD measured by SPR. These studies suggest that FChk provides a simple reagent to evaluate the binding kinetics of multiple ligand–receptor signaling systems that control cell growth, development, and immunity.
Modeling considerations for using expression data from multiple species
Authors: Siewert Elizabeth , Kechris Katerina J.
Published: May 2013

Although genome‐wide expression data sets from multiple species are now more commonly generated, there have been few studies on how to best integrate this type of correlated data into models. Starting with a single‐species, linear regression model that predicts transcription factor binding sites as a case study, we investigated how best to take into account the correlated expression data when extending this model to multiple species. Using a multivariate regression model, we accounted for the phylogenetic relationships among the species in two ways: (i) a repeated‐measures model, where the error term is constrained; and (ii) a Bayesian hierarchical model, where the prior distributions of the regression coefficients are constrained. We show that both multiple‐species models improve predictive performance over the single‐species model. When compared with each other, the repeated‐measures model outperformed the Bayesian model. We suggest a possible explanation for the better performance of the model with the constrained error term. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Choosing the Appropriate Integration App roach in Systems Projects
Authors: Frank Moti , Harel Amir , Orion Uzi
Published: May 2013

This paper deals with the integration process in technological systems projects. The paper reviews the objectives of the integration process, planning and managing principles, as well as the pitfalls and difficulties associated with this process. The following integration approaches are described and analyzed: hardware‐assisted versus software only, bottom‐up versus top‐down, and hierarchial versus functional approaches. Then, a case study that focuses on the third group—the hierarchial and functional approaches—is presented. Four projects that were conducted at the same firm have been examined. The case study attempts to determine whether there is a relation between these two integration approaches and project success. The findings of the case study show that—particularly when customer satisfaction is determined as a major goal—the hierarchial integration approach is preferable to the functional approach, with respect to project success.
Role of the androgen receptor in prostate cancer
Authors: Lamb Alastair D. , Neal David E.
Published: May 2013

Inhibition of the androgen receptor leads to regression of normal and malignant prostate tissue. The authors discuss therapeutic strategies for directly targeting the androgen receptor to help address the problem of castrate‐resistant prostate cancer. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons
Applicability of portable XRF systems for screening waste loads on hazardous substances as incoming inspection at waste handling plants
Authors: Vanhoof C. , Holschbach‐Bussian K. A. , Bussian B. M. , Cleven R. , Furtmann K.
Published: May 2013

In consequence of several European Union Directives, there is an increasing need for rapid and easy‐to‐handle screening tools to identify hazardous substances or to verify the absence of those substances. A field trial was executed to evaluate the capability of portable/handheld X‐ray fluorescence (XRF) systems for screening waste loads on hazardous substances as incoming inspection at waste handling plants to characterise the waste material or to classify it by its key variables (critical parameters). For the field trial, six different waste materials were prepared: construction waste, shredder material, contaminated soil, waste wood, Pb granulate and slag from a municipal incineration waste. In total, eight different XRF instruments were evaluated. The results indicate that for screening analysis, the pretreatment of the sample is of minor relevance. Additionally, the results prove that the degree of homogeneity/heterogeneity of the material strongly influences the dispersion of the results of repeated measurements. The obtained results proved that for specific samples (e.g. organic matrices, elevated contaminant concentrations and high water content), an appropriate adjustment of the matrix effects and spectral overlap corrections are required to improve the quality of the XRF results. In the overall assessment, this analytical method can be recommended as a screening method for the analysis of waste, as more than 80% of the obtained results were situated within a predefined range of accuracy. Handheld XRF analysers are the detection method of choice for the initial analysis of elements in waste, as this method is fast, reliable, handy and cost‐effective and allows easy checking of sample heterogeneity. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Population dynamics of a threatened cactus species: general assessment and effects of matrix dimensionality
Authors: Rojas‐Sandoval Julissa , Meléndez‐Ackerman Elvia
Published: May 2013

Harrisia portoricensis is an endemic Caribbean cactus currently under threatened status. In this study we used population projection matrices to evaluate the conservation status of this species and we performed a systematic analysis of the effects of matrix dimensionality on the inferred demographic parameters. Results revealed that population growth rates (λ) were 0.946 and 0.961 for the 2007–2008 and 2008–2009 periods respectively, suggesting a declining population with limited persistence ability. Even when the highest elasticity values corresponded to the survival of adults, numerical simulations suggested that increases in either seedling establishment or fecundity could render λ > 1. Our empirical‐based analysis using raw demographic data revealed a clear trend for λ values to decrease with increasing matrix dimension. Stasis and fecundity elasticities were also found to decrease whereas retrogression and growth elasticitites increased with increasing matrix dimension. These results are roughly insensitive to the method used to create matrices of different dimensions. For H. portoricensis, large matrices with narrow classifications were required to minimize variations in λ, highlighting the need for large data sets to assess the convergence of results with matrix dimensionality. Our combined results emphasize that under current scenarios the ability of H. portoricensis for population growth is severely limited. Any management strategy designed for the conservation of this species should consider long‐term monitoring of populations as well as programs that enhance seedling establishment and adult survival.
Interrelationships Between Childbearing and Housing Transitions in the Family Life Course
Authors: Kulu Hill , Steele Fiona
Published: May 2013

Research has examined the effect of family changes on housing transitions and childbearing patterns within various housing types. Although most research has investigated how an event in one domain of family life depends on the current state in another domain, the interplay between them has been little studied. This study examines the interrelationships between childbearing decisions and housing transitions. We use rich longitudinal register data from Finland and apply multilevel event history analysis to allow for multiple births and housing changes over the life course. We investigate the timing of fertility decisions and housing choices with respect to each other. We model childbearing and housing transitions jointly to control for time-invariant unobserved characteristics of women, which may simultaneously influence their fertility behavior and housing choices, and we show how joint modeling leads to a deeper understanding of the interplay between the two domains of family life.
Redundancy and divergence in the amyloid precursor protein family
Authors: Shariati S. Ali M. , De Strooper Bart
Published: May 2013

Gene duplication provides genetic material required for functional diversification. An interesting example is the amyloid precursor protein (APP) protein family. The APP gene family has experienced both expansion and contraction during evolution. The three mammalian members have been studied quite extensively in combined knock out models. The underlying assumption is that APP, amyloid precursor like protein 1 and 2 (APLP1, APLP2) are functionally redundant. This assumption is primarily supported by the similarities in biochemical processing of APP and APLPs and on the fact that the different APP genes appear to genetically interact at the level of the phenotype in combined knockout mice. However, unique features in each member of the APP family possibly contribute to specification of their function. In the current review, we discuss the evolution and the biology of the APP protein family with special attention to the distinct properties of each homologue. We propose that the functions of APP, APLP1 and APLP2 have diverged after duplication to contribute distinctly to different neuronal events. Our analysis reveals that APLP2 is significantly diverged from APP and APLP1.
ST‐segment elevation and ventricular fibrillation shortly after transseptal puncture for left atrial catheter ablation
Authors: Ishigaki Daisuke , Arimoto Takanori , Iwayama Tadateru , Daisuke Kutsuzawa , Yoshinori Yashiro , Joji Nitobe , Hiroshi Aoyama , Tetsu Watanabe , Isao Kubota
Published: May 2013

A 47‐year‐old man with drug‐resistant paroxysmal atrial fibrillation underwent left atrial (LA) catheter ablation. After sheaths were inserted into the LA using the Brockenbrough method, he complained of angina and developed ST‐segment elevation in the II, III, aVF, V5, and V6 leads. Ventricular fibrillation (VF) occurred followed by ventricular tachycardia. The VF was successfully treated with direct current shock. Coronary angiography with isosorbide dinitrate showed neither spasm nor embolism in the coronary artery. The chest pain disappeared after 6 min with resolution of the ST‐segment elevation. A summarized review of ST‐segment elevation associated with transseptal puncture disclosed that ST‐segment elevation is often found in inferior leads (87.5%), while concomitant bradyarrhythmia has been reported in 43.8% of patients. Our patient is the first recorded case with potentially lethal tachyarrhythmia. Although ST‐segment elevation and VF is a rare complication associated with transseptal puncture, awareness of this complication is important.
Impacts of the Emergency Mass Evacuation of the Elderly From Residential Care Facilities After the 2011 Christchurch Earthquake
Authors: Heppenstall Claire P. , Wilkinson Tim J. , Hanger H. Carl , Dhanak Michelle R. , Keeling Sally
Published: May 2013

Objective

The 2011 earthquake that devastated Christchurch, New Zealand, led to the closure and evacuation of 7 residential care facilities and the partial evacuation of 2 more. Altogether, 516 elderly persons were evacuated. The emergent nature of the disaster was unexpected and largely unplanned for. This study explored the evacuees’ experiences and identified lessons learned for future disaster planning.

Methods

This qualitative study used a general inductive method. Semistructured interviews with evacuees were held in 4 centers throughout New Zealand. Their informal caregivers were also identified and interviewed. Answers were coded and grouped for key themes to provide lessons learned for future disaster planning.

Results

We conducted 50 interviews with older people and 34 with informal caregivers. Key themes that emerged were resilience and factors that promoted resilience, including personal attitudes, life experiences, enhanced family support, and social supports. Areas of concern were (1) the mental health of evacuees: 36% reported some symptoms of anxiety, while 32.4% of caregivers reported some cognitive decline; and (2) communication difficulties during the evacuations.

Conclusions

Older people were remarkably resilient to the difficult events, and resilience was promoted by family and community support. Anxiety was reported by older people, while informal caregivers reported cognitive issues. Communication difficulties were a major concern.
K-cycles for twisted K-homology
Authors: Baum Paul , Carey Alan , Wang Bai-Ling
Published: May 2013

We summarise the construction of geometric cycles and their use in describing the KasparovK-homology of a CW-complexX. When KasparovK-homology is twisted by a degree three element of the Čech cohomology ofXthen there is a corresponding construction of twisted geometric cycles for the case whereXis a smooth manifold however the method that was employed does not apply in the case of CW-complexes. In this article we propose a new approach to the construction of twisted geometric cycles for CW-complexes motivated by the study ofD-branes in string theory.
Higher sika deer density is associated with higher local abundance ofHaemaphysalis longicornisnymphs and adults but not larvae in central Japan
Authors: Tsukada Hideharu , Nakamura Yoshio , Kamio Tsugihiko , Inokuma Hisashi , Hanafusa Yasuko , Matsuda Naoko , Maruyama Tetsuya , Ohba Takahiro , Nagata Koji
Published: May 2013

Haemaphysalis longicornis(Acari: Ixodidae) is one of the most common and important arthropod disease vectors in Japan, carrying Japanese spotted fever and bovine theileriosis. The recent expansion of sika deer (Cervus nippon, Artiodactyla: Cervidae) populations, the most common wild host ofH. longicornis, has also caused concern about increasing the risk of vector-borne diseases in Japan. We used generalized linear mixed model analysis to determine the relative contribution of deer density and other biological and abiotic factors on the abundance ofH. longicornisticks questing at each developmental stage. A total of 6223H. longicornisadults, nymphs, and larvae were collected from 70 sites in three regions of central Japan. The abundance of questing adult and nymphal ticks was associated with deer density and other biotic and abiotic factors. However, the abundance of questing larvae showed no association with deer density but did show an association with other biotic and abiotic factors. These findings show that a high density of deer along with other biotic and abiotic factors is associated with increased risk of vector-borne diseases through amplified local abundance of questing nymphal and adultH. longicornis. Further, questing larvae abundance is likely regulated by environmental conditions and is likely correlated with survival potential or the distribution of other host species.
Reasons and the First-Person: Explanatory Exclusion and Explanatory Pluralism
Authors: CAMPBELL NEIL
Published: May 2013

In two recent papers, Jaegwon Kim offers an account of action explanation that is agent-centered and reasons-based. I argue that, despite his claims to the contrary, Kim’s proposal points the way to a pluralist view of explanation that might resolve the problem of explanatory exclusion and provide a way for nonreductive physicalists to escape the supervenience/exclusion argument.
On the Use of Geographic Information Systems in Economic History: The American Transportation Revolution Revisited
Authors: Atack Jeremy
Published: May 2013

Transportation improvements in the nineteenth century loom large in the historiography of the profession during the twentieth century. This article describes the ongoing construction of a historical geographic information systems (GIS) transportation database designed to provide new insights into the impact of the transportation and communications revolution in the continental United States by providing evidence on the spatial dimensions of those changes over time. It also reviews some preliminary findings and reinterpretations based upon these data.
A Spatial Analysis of Delegate Voting at the Constitutional Convention
Authors: Heckelman Jac C. , Dougherty Keith L.
Published: May 2013

Previous studies of the U.S. Constitutional Convention have relied on votes recorded for the state blocs or a relatively small number of delegate votes. We construct a new data set covering delegate votes on over 600 substantive roll calls, and use the data in several ways. First, we estimate a single dimensional position for the delegates which reflects their overall voting patterns. Next, we explain these positions using a variety of delegate and constituent variables. Finally, we suggest a method for identifying state and floor medians, which can be used to predict equilibrium outcomes at the Convention.
Competing Bimetallic Ratios: Amsterdam, London, and Bullion Arbitrage in Mid-Eighteenth Century
Authors: Nogues-Marco Pilar
Published: May 2013

This article analyzes the stability of bimetallism for countries operating in integrated bullion markets that enact different legal ratios. I articulate a new theoretical framework to demonstrate that two countries can both be bimetallic only if they coordinate their legal ratios. The theoretical framework is applied to the mid-eighteenth century when London's legal ratio was 3.8 percent higher than that of Amsterdam. I find that Amsterdam was effectively on the bimetallic standard, whereas London was on a de facto gold standard.
A randomized controlled comparison of integrative cognitive-affective therapy (ICAT) and enhanced cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT-E) for bulimia nervosa
Authors: Wonderlich S. A. , Peterson C. B. , Crosby R. D. , Smith T. L. , Klein M. H. , Mitchell J. E. , Crow S. J.
Published: May 2013

Background

The purpose of this investigation was to compare a new psychotherapy for bulimia nervosa (BN), integrative cognitive-affective therapy (ICAT), with an established treatment, ‘enhanced’ cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT-E).

Method

Eighty adults with symptoms of BN were randomized to ICAT or CBT-E for 21 sessions over 19 weeks. Bulimic symptoms, measured by the Eating Disorder Examination (EDE), were assessed at baseline, at the end of treatment (EOT) and at the 4-month follow-up. Treatment outcome, measured by binge eating frequency, purging frequency, global eating disorder severity, emotion regulation, self-oriented cognition, depression, anxiety and self-esteem, was determined using generalized estimating equations (GEEs), logistic regression and a general linear model (intent-to-treat).

Results

Both treatments were associated with significant improvement in bulimic symptoms and in all measures of outcome, and no statistically significant differences were observed between the two conditions at EOT or follow-up. Intent-to-treat abstinence rates for ICAT (37.5% at EOT, 32.5% at follow-up) and CBT-E (22.5% at both EOT and follow-up) were not significantly different.

Conclusions

ICAT was associated with significant improvements in bulimic and associated symptoms that did not differ from those obtained with CBT-E. This initial randomized controlled trial of a new individual psychotherapy for BN suggests that targeting emotion and self-oriented cognition in the context of nutritional rehabilitation may be efficacious and worthy of further study.
Changing patterns of fruit and vegetable intake in countries of the former Soviet Union
Authors: Abe Sarah Krull , Stickley Andrew , Roberts Bayard , Richardson Erica , Abbott Pamela , Rotman David , McKee Martin
Published: May 2013

Objective

To assess how the frequency of low fruit and vegetable consumption has changed in countries of the former Soviet Union (FSU) between 2001 and 2010 and to identify factors associated with low consumption.

Design

Cross-sectional surveys. A standard questionnaire was administered at both time points to examine fruit and vegetable consumption frequency. Logistic regression analysis was used to examine the relationship between demographic, socio-economic and health behavioural variables and low fruit and vegetable consumption in 2010.

Setting

Nationally representative population samples from Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Moldova, Russia and Ukraine.

Subjects

Adults aged 18 years and older.

Results

Between 2001 and 2010 notable changes occurred in fruit and vegetable consumption in many countries resulting in a slight overall deterioration in diet. By 2010 in six countries about 40 % of the population was eating fruit once weekly or less often, while for vegetables the corresponding figure was in excess of 20 % in every country except Azerbaijan. A worse socio-economic situation, negative health behaviours (smoking and alcohol consumption) and rural residence were all associated with low levels of fruit and vegetable consumption.

Conclusions

International dietary guidelines emphasise the importance of fruit and vegetable consumption. The scale of inadequate consumption of these food groups among much of the population in many FSU countries and its link to socio-economic disadvantage are deeply worrying. This highlights the urgent need for a greater focus to be placed on population nutrition policies to avoid nutrition-related diseases in the FSU countries.
Endoscopic Fluorescence Lifetime Imaging for In Vivo Intraoperative Diagnosis of Oral Carcinoma
Authors: Sun Yinghua , Phipps Jennifer E. , Meier Jeremy , Hatami Nisa , Poirier Brian , Elson Daniel S. , Farwell D. Gregory , Marcu Laura
Published: May 2013

A clinically compatible fluorescence lifetime imaging microscopy (FLIM) system was developed. The system was applied to intraoperative in vivo imaging of head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC). The endoscopic FLIM prototype integrates a gated (down to 0.2 ns) intensifier imaging system and a fiber-bundle endoscope (0.5-mm-diameter, 10,000 fibers with a gradient index lens objective 0.5 NA, 4-mm field of view), which provides intraoperative access to the surgical field. Tissue autofluorescence was induced by a pulsed laser (337 nm, 700 ps pulse width) and collected in the 460 ± 25 nm spectral band. FLIM experiments were conducted at 26 anatomic sites in ten patients during head and neck cancer surgery. HNSCC exhibited a weaker florescence intensity (~50% less) when compared with healthy tissue and a shorter average lifetime (τHNSCC = 1.21 ± 0.04 ns) than the surrounding normal tissue (τN = 1.49 ± 0.06 ns). This work demonstrates the potential of FLIM for label-free head and neck tumor demarcation during intraoperative surgical procedures.
Alternatives to antibiotics: a symposium on the challenges and solutions for animal production
Authors: Seal Bruce S. , Lillehoj Hyun S. , Donovan David M. , Gay Cyril G.
Published: May 2013

Antibiotics are one of the most important medical discoveries of the 20th century and will remain an essential tool for treating animal and human diseases in the 21st century. However, antibiotic resistance among bacterial pathogens and concerns over their extensive use in food animals has garnered global interest in limiting antibiotic use in animal agriculture. Yet, limiting the availability of medical interventions to prevent and control animal diseases on the farm will directly impact global food security and safety as well as animal and human health. Insufficient attention has been given to the scientific breakthroughs and novel technologies that provide alternatives to antibiotics. The objectives of the symposium ‘Alternatives to Antibiotics’ were to highlight promising research results and novel technologies that could potentially lead to alternatives to conventional antibiotics, and assess challenges associated with their commercialization, and provide actionable strategies to support development of alternative antimicrobials. The symposium focused on the latest scientific breakthroughs and technologies that could provide new options and alternative strategies for preventing and treating diseases of animals. Some of these new technologies have direct applications as medical interventions for human health, but the focus of the symposium was animal production, animal health and food safety during food-animal production. Five subject areas were explored in detail through scientific presentations and expert panel discussions, including: (1) alternatives to antibiotics, lessons from nature; (2) immune modulation approaches to enhance disease resistance and to treat animal diseases; (3) gut microbiome and immune development, health and diseases; (4) alternatives to antibiotics for animal production; and (5) regulatory pathways to enable the licensure of alternatives to antibiotics.
A Qualitative Exploration of the Spatial Needs of Homeless Drug Users Living in Hostels and Night Shelters
Authors: Neale Joanne , Stevenson Caral
Published: May 2013

Qualitative data were deployed to explore the spatial needs of homeless drug users staying in hostels and night shelters. Findings indicated that Fitzpatrick and LaGory's four categories of spatial need (‘privacy’, ‘personal space’, ‘social interaction’, ‘safe and defensible spaces’) all had good analytical purchase. However, three further need categories (‘institutional support’, ‘amenities and standards’, ‘spatiotemporal structures and boundaries’) were identified. While hostels and night shelters met the spatial needs of some homeless drug users, there was considerable scope for improvement; indeed, failure to meet spatial needs could result in increased drug use, risky injecting practices, worsening health and a return to the streets. Our seven-fold categorisation of spatial needs requires further empirical study but could potentially inform other place-based approaches to health.
The Precise Timing of Embryo Splitting for Monozygotic Dichorionic Diamniotic Twins: When Does Embryo Splitting for Monozygotic Dichorionic Diamniotic Twins Occur? Evidence for Splitting at the Morula/Blastocyst Stage From Studies of In Vitro Fertilization
Authors: Kyono Koichi
Published: May 2013

There is a long-held credo, as illustrated inLangman's Medical Embryology(11th ed., Sadler, 2010), that dichorionic diamniotic (DD) twins develop after embryo splitting in the early stages of embryonic development. However, from our clinical experiences of the examination of data from single-embryo transfers in 16 fertility clinics in Japan and from various reports, the majority of occurrences of DD twins have been found in the blastocyst stages.
Could lncRNAs contribute to β-cell identity and its loss in Type 2 diabetes?
Authors: Pullen Timothy J. , Rutter Guy A.
Published: May 2013

The progression of Type 2 diabetes is accompanied by diminishing islet β-cell mass and function. It has been proposed that β-cells are lost not only through apoptosis, but also by dedifferentiating into progenitor-like cells. There is therefore much interest in the mechanisms which define and maintain β-cell identity. The advent of genome-wide analyses of chromatin modifications has highlighted the role of epigenetic factors in determining cell identity. There is also evidence from both human populations and animal models for an epigenetic component in susceptibility to Type 2 diabetes. The mechanisms responsible for defining the epigenetic landscape in individual cell types are poorly understood, but there is growing evidence of a role for lncRNAs (long non-coding RNAs) in this process. In the present paper, we discuss some of the mechanisms through which lncRNAs may contribute to β-cell identity and Type 2 diabetes risk.
Resolving the functions of peptidylprolyl isomerases: insights from the mutagenesis of the nuclear FKBP25 enzyme
Authors: Gudavicius Geoff , Soufari Heddy , Upadhyay Santosh , Mackereth Cameron D. , Nelson Christopher J.
Published: May 2013

Peptidylprolyl isomerases have been implicated in chromatin regulation through their association with histones, chromatin-modifying enzymes and DNA-binding transcription factors. As with other post-translational modifications to proteins, a mechanistic understanding of the regulation of biological processes is fostered by loss-of-function studies both in vitro and in vivo. For peptidylprolyl isomerases, this can be accomplished with small-molecule inhibitors with high affinity for the isomerase active site or by mutation of amino acid residues that contribute to catalysis. In the present article, we review caveats to each of these approaches, and place emphasis on the thorough characterization of loss-of-function mutations in FKBPs (FK506-binding proteins). Using a case study of mutagenesis of the nuclear FKBP25 peptidylprolyl isomerase enzyme, we demonstrate that certain mutations generate a loss-of-function phenotype because they induce a complete loss of the FKBP domain fold, whereas other mutations are ‘surgical’ in that they ablate catalytic isomerase activity, while maintaining domain structure. Peptidylprolyl isomerases are thought to have both catalytic and non-catalytic functions, but differentiating between these mechanisms has proved to be challenging. The domain-destabilizing and surgical mutants described will facilitate the characterization of these two reported functions of peptidylprolyl isomerases.
Determining Optimal C2 Pedicle Screw Placement and Length in Patients with Axis Traumatic Spondylolisthesis: A Case Series
Authors: El Hawary Magdy Assaad
Published: May 2013

We sought to determine the optimal placement and screw length for C2 pedicle screw fixation to compare with recommendations in literature. Nine patients were included in this study and underwent C2 pedicle instrumentation either for a hangman's fracture as part of C2 pedicle–C3 lateral mass fixation or for C2–C3 subluxation. All nine patients had good postoperative improvement with satisfactory fracture consolidation. Mediolateral and rostrocaudal angulations of the inserted screws were not consistent with the traditional angulations of 20 degrees in each plane due to the fracture lines and the anatomical variations. Because the frequent observation of the bony anatomical variations and the lines of fractures brought about by trauma, a shift from the classic 20 degrees of angulation in both trajectories has been concluded. But still fixed angles of angulations cannot be generalized. As a consequence, accurate preoperative planning can be obtained by computed tomography with three-dimensional images so that it gives the surgeon a good prediction of the best length of utilized screws in the procedure and the best angulations for safety of the neighboring neurovascular structures.
Fast neutron production from lithium converters and laser driven protons
Authors: Storm M. , Jiang S. , Wertepny D. , Orban C. , Morrison J. , Willis C. , McCary E. , Belancourt P. , Snyder J. , Chowdhury E. , Bang W. , Gaul E. , Dyer G. , Ditmire T. , Freeman R. R. , Akli K.
Published: May 2013

Experiments to generate neutrons from the 7Li(p,n)7Be reaction with 60 J, 180 fs laser pulses have been performed at the Texas Petawatt Laser Facility at the University of Texas at Austin. The protons were accelerated from the rear surface of a thin target membrane using the target-normal-sheath-acceleration mechanism. The neutrons were generated in nuclear reactions caused by the subsequent proton bombardment of a pure lithium foil of natural isotopic abundance. The neutron energy ranged up to 2.9 MeV. The total yield was estimated to be 1.6 × 107 neutrons per steradian. An extreme ultra-violet light camera, used to image the target rear surface, correlated variations in the proton yield and peak energy to target rear surface ablation. Calculations using the hydrodynamics code FLASH indicated that the ablation resulted from a laser pre-pulse of prolonged intensity. The ablation severely limited the proton acceleration and neutron yield.
On the feedback mechanism in supersonic cavity flows
Authors: Li Weipeng , Nonomura Taku , Fujii Kozo
Published: May 2013

Self-sustained oscillations in supersonic cavity flows are investigated by implicit large-eddy simulations of a supersonic flow (M∞ = 2.0, ReD = 105) past a three-dimensional rectangular cavity with length-to-depth ratio of 2. Both turbulent and laminar inflows are considered, and a variation of boundary-layer thickness in the turbulent inflow case is conducted. An additional simulation of turbulent free shear layer is also performed to illustrate the relationship between shedding vortices and acoustic excitations. Feedback mechanism is identified as the dominant mechanism driving the self-sustained oscillations in supersonic open cavity flows, regardless of the upstream turbulent state and the boundary-layer thickness. The generation of discrete vortices in the cavity shear layer is shown to be highly associated with acoustic excitations rather than natural instabilities of the cavity shear layer. Simulation results support that the primary noise source arises from the successive passage of large-scale vortices over the cavity trailing edge. The effects of upstream boundary layer on the shear-layer characteristics and acoustic fields will also be discussed.