bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Variability in Depressive Symptoms of Cognitive Deficit and Cognitive Bias During the First 2 Years After Diagnosis in Australian Men With Prostate Cancer
Authors: Sharpley Christopher F. , Bitsika Vicki , Christie David R. H.
Published: October 2014

The incidence and contribution to total depression of the depressive symptoms of cognitive deficit and cognitive bias in prostate cancer (PCa) patients were compared from cohorts sampled during the first 2 years after diagnosis. Survey data were collected from 394 patients with PCa, including background information, treatments, and disease status, plus total scores of depression and scores for subscales of the depressive symptoms of cognitive bias and cognitive deficit via the Zung Self-Rating Depression Scale. The sample was divided into eight 3-monthly time-since-diagnosis cohorts and according to depression severity. Mean scores for the depressive symptoms of cognitive deficit were significantly higher than those for cognitive bias for the whole sample, but the contribution of cognitive bias to total depression was stronger than that for cognitive deficit. When divided according to overall depression severity, patients with clinically significant depression showed reversed patterns of association between the two subsets of cognitive symptoms of depression and total depression compared with those patients who reported less severe depression. Differences in the incidence and contribution of these two different aspects of the cognitive symptoms of depression for patients with more severe depression argue for consideration of them when assessing and diagnosing depression in patients with PCa. Treatment requirements are also different between the two types of cognitive symptoms of depression, and several suggestions for matching treatment to illness via a personalized medicine approach are discussed.
Dietary Acculturation in Latinos/Hispanics in the United States
Authors: Cuy Castellanos Diana
Published: October 2014

As a person acculturates into a new culture, dietary changes may occur. This is termed dietary acculturation and is a complex process that has been observed in the Hispanic population in the United States. As acculturation occurs, traditional dietary behaviors are shed, and behaviors representative of the US diet are adopted. Many diet-related psychological and environmental factors may influence this diet change in the Hispanic population. It is important for health professionals to identify factors that may be causing unhealthy dietary behaviors and determine the most appropriate forms to address them. By identifying and addressing negative dietary change and behaviors, certain diet-related health issues commonly seen in this population, such as obesity and diabetes, may be prevented or managed.
Positive group psychotherapy modified for adults with intellectual disabilities
Authors: Tomasulo Daniel J
Published: October 2014

Mental health disorders are considerably more prevalent among people with intellectual disabilities than in the general population, yet research on psychotherapy for people with dual diagnosis is scarce. However, there is mounting evidence to show that adults with a dual diagnosis can find help through group therapy and have more productive and meaningful lives with improved relationships. This article focuses on a review of evidence for interactive behavioral therapy, a widely used model of group psychotherapy for these conditions, and reviews the modifications drawn from the field of positive psychology and positive psychotherapy being incorporated into the model. A sample of a modified positive intervention, the virtual gratitude visit, is explained and suggestions for future research are given.
Treatments for multiple sclerosis
Authors: Bertram-Ralph Elliott
Published: October 2014

Central nervous system demyelinating autoimmune diseases are characterised by inflammatory changes of the white matter, and include optic neuritis, transverse myelitis, acute disseminated encephalomyelitis and multiple sclerosis. Multiple sclerosis is the most common neurodegenerative condition affecting young people. There is no cure and only theories as to the cause. This article looks at multiple sclerosis and the treatments available. The aims of the treatments are to modify the disease’s course by slowing progression, preventing future relapses and reducing disability. Each of the main treatments used are looked at, and advice for clinicians regarding managing common issues are presented.
Colorectal cancer screening
Authors: Simon Chantal
Published: October 2014

Colorectal cancer is common. It affects 1 in 14 men and 1 in 19 women in the UK, and is responsible for 1 in 10 deaths. Cancers detected at an early stage can be treated effectively resulting in over 90% 5-year survival rates, but overall 5-year survival is 55% because many cancers are detected at much later stages when survival rates are greatly reduced. A national screening programme using faecal occult blood testing to detect pre-cancerous polyps and early stage colorectal cancers was started in the UK in 2006 and rolled out across the country in 2009. This article overviews the UK National Bowel Cancer Screening Programme and also highlights patient groups at high risk of colorectal cancer who should be referred for colonoscopic screening outside the current national screening programme.
Data for action: the use of formative research to design a school-based intervention programme to increase physical activity in adolescents
Authors: Murillo Pardo Berta , Camacho-Miñano Maria José , Generelo Lanaspa Eduardo , Julián Clemente José Antonio , Novais Carina , Maia Santos Maria Paula
Published: October 2014

Formative research is a critical step for the development of interventions aimed at changing behaviours, as is the case of physical activity. This process permits obtaining detailed information about the programme application context. ‘Follow the Footstep’ is a quasi-experimental and longitudinal study in secondary schools, the aim of which is to increase levels of physical activity among adolescents. To inform the design of the intervention programme, formative research has been carried out to analyse the perceptions of parents, teachers and students, through six focus groups.

The social–ecological model was used both to carry out the formative research and then to design the programme, including five levels of influence on behaviour (individual, interpersonal, organizational, community and political), which are important when it comes to adopting a comprehensive intervention approach. The authors describe how the results of formative research were transferred to guide the design and development of the intervention. As results indicate, parents, teachers and students agreed on a need to intervene by engaging adolescents and their close social environment. The school centre is the key organizational structure to implement this intervention, supported by professionals and the community.
Colorectal cancer in Jordan: prevention and care
Authors: Ahmad Muayyad M. , Dardas Latefa , Dardas Lubna , Ahmad Huthaifa
Published: October 2014

The aim of this study was to describe the knowledge, attitudes, and practices toward colorectal cancer prevention and care in Jordan. A survey was designed to produce reliable estimates for the population’s knowledge, attitudes, and practices in all 12 governorates of Jordan by using stratified random sampling. A representative sample of the adult population in Jordan completed a comprehensive tool which explored participants’ knowledge about the risk factors associated with colorectal cancer, cancer prevention through lifestyle changes, and early cancer diagnosis and screening. According to the participants ( n = 3196), colorectal cancer had the second highest percentage of screening recommendation (12.6%) after breast cancer (57.3%). Only 340 individuals (11%) reported ever screening for cancer. About 20% of the participants had heard of one of the screening tests for colorectal cancer. In fact, only 290 (9.1%) participants had performed the colorectal cancer screening tests. This study provides data that will help colorectal cancer prevention and treatment programs and may enhance the efficiency of colorectal cancer-controlling programs. The findings confirm the necessity of starting colorectal screening intervention that targets the most vulnerable individuals.
Efficacy and tolerability of GLP-1 agonists in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus: an Indian perspective
Authors: Dharmalingam Mala
Published: October 2014

Glucagon like peptide-1 (GLP-1) agonists have been able to address the unmet needs of type 2 diabetes patients across the world. Indian patients with type 2 diabetes have also been able to benefit from effects of GLP-1 analogues to a more or less similar extent compared with patients from other parts of the world. As there is no nationwide data on use of GLP-1 agonists in India, we used the clinical data from different studies and compared them with the global data on GLP-1 analogues. The review is limited to only two approved GLP-1 analogues in India: exenatide and liraglutide. The efficacy of GLP-1 analogues, in terms of glycated haemoglobin (HbA1c), fasting plasma glucose (FPG) and postprandial glucose (PPG), is found to be similar in Indian patients compared with the global data. The other beneficial effects such as weight loss, incidence of hypoglycaemia were found to be on similar lines in the Indian setting. In a single-centre study, liraglutide reduced the dose of antihypertensive medications due to its effect on blood pressure. The gastrointestinal adverse effects such as nausea and vomiting were major adverse events, but these were transient and varied from one particular agent to another. Liraglutide is found to be superior in terms of compliance compared with exenatide in the Indian setting. Overall, the GLP-1 analogues have presented a treatment option that gives patient a benefit of glycaemic control, weight loss and very low incidence of hypoglycaemia, but the cost of the therapy presents a major barrier.
Quantifying the risk of malignancy in patients with visible haematuria presenting to the emergency department
Authors: Gan JH , Harris AC , Green JSA
Published: October 2014

Introduction:

Visible haematuria (VH) is a very common presentation to the emergency department (ED). In an outpatient setting, 18%−24% of such patients have been shown to have an underlying malignancy. The aim of this study is to determine the malignancy rates of patients presenting acutely to ED and whether the degree of bleeding or presence of clots is a higher risk factor for cancer.

Method:

We retrospectively collected data from adult patients (>18 years) presenting to ED with VH for a six-month period. Diagnostic outcomes after one year were assessed.

Results:

Our study population has 96 patients (male = 77, female = 19) with a mean age of 68 years (SD = 20.2). Twenty-eight patients (29%) had haematuria with clots. Twenty-five patients (26%) had a new diagnosis of malignancy, and 10 had a known diagnosis of malignant disease. Bladder cancer was the most commonly found malignancy, in 17 patients (15 new diagnoses), while prostate cancer was second with 14 cases (six new). Renal cancer two, testicular one and colorectal one accounted for the other new malignancies diagnosed following presentation. All but one patient with cancer were male. Although most malignancies were found in patients over 70 years old, the two youngest patients were in their 30s. The incidence of malignancy appears to increase in patients who have urinary blood clots (58%), p = 0.08.

Conclusion:

A third of patients presenting to ED with VH will have a urological cancer. Patients with VH and clots have a significantly higher incidence of malignancy. We recommend expedited referral of all such patients to a urologist.
Modeling buyer-based brand equity in industrial settings
Authors: Dampérat Maud , Lewicki Alexandra , Jolibert Alain
Published: October 2014

This article proposes and empirically tests a model of buyer-based brand equity in industrial settings. We conceptualize industrial buyer-based brand equity as a second-order construct. We examine the mediating role of buyer-based brand equity and the determinant role of corporate reputation.
The Importance of Identity Development, Principled Moral Reasoning, and Empathy as Predictors of Openness to Diversity in Emerging Adults
Authors: Gerson Marylie W. , Neilson Leanne
Published: October 2014

Programs that attempt to increase tolerance and openness to diverse cultures, religions, and ethnicities through education and exposure are popular and often successful in higher education, but at times backfire, leading instead to an increase in prejudice. The present study considered several intrapersonal and developmental factors that may be important to consider. Identity development (Measures of Psychosocial Development, based on Erikson’s theory of psychosocial development), moral reasoning (Defining Issues Test, based on Kohlberg’s theory of moral development), and empathy (a subscale of the California Personality Inventory) were tested as predictors of openness to diversity (Miville-Guzman Universality-Diversity Scale) with entering first-year university students ( n = 282) at a small, private comprehensive university. As hypothesized, identity development, principled moral reasoning, and empathy each significantly and positively predicted openness to diversity, and the combination of predictors accounted for a moderately large portion of the criterion’s variance. Implications are discussed for developing effective programs to facilitate openness to diversity in emerging adulthood.
Talking Circles for Adolescent Girls in an Urban High School
Authors: Schumacher Ann
Published: October 2014

Restorative Practices (RP) in schools is a new and emerging field. Meeting in Circles to build friendships, develop emotional literacy skills, resolve conflict, or learn interactively are some of the core components of these programs. This article describes a 2-year study of 12 weekly Talking Circles organized under the auspices of a RP program in an urban high school with 60 adolescent girls. Primary data sources included 257 hr of participant observations in Talking Circles and individual, semi-structured interviews with 31 students. The Relational Cultural model, rooted in the work of Jean Baker Miller, served as the conceptual framework for understanding teens’ interactions within the Circle’s unique set of social conditions in a school environment. Findings demonstrated that Talking Circles provided a safe space for peers helping peers, and that the girls improved their listening, anger management, and empathic skills, which led to greater self-efficacy. It appears that Talking Circles could provide another venue for developing social-emotional literacy skills and growth-fostering relationships in schools.
The Use of Computer-Assisted Instruction as an Instructional Tool to Teach Social Stories to Individuals Who Have Been Diagnosed on the Autism Spectrum
Authors: Edeiken-Cooperman Nanette
Published: October 2014

This article discusses the use of computer-assisted instruction (CAI) to teach Social Stories as a method of positively affecting the social understanding and behaviors of learners who have been diagnosed on the autism spectrum. As the diagnosis rate for those with ASD continues to rise along with the practice of including these learners in the general education environment, there is an increasing need to identify evidence-based practices that focus on the acquisition and remediation of social-communication skills, social skills, and social competence. A variety of strategies have been developed and implemented to remediate deficits in these areas. The use of CAI is an approach that has been proven to accommodate both the needs and the visual learning styles of these learners.
Antiretroviral Therapy in Zambia
Authors: Jones Deborah , Cook Ryan , Spence Andrew , Weiss Stephen M. , Chitalu Ndashi
Published: October 2014

Background:

Adherence to antiretroviral therapy (ART) is essential to optimize HIV treatment outcomes. Among individuals on ART, targeted peer support has been found to support adherence. This study of Zambian heterosexual couples living with HIV examined whether partners would exert a positive influence on each other's adherence, and compared adherence between couples in which either one or both members were on ART.

Methods:

Couples (n = 446 participants), in which either or both member were on ART were assessed at baseline, 6 and 12 months.

Results:

Most participants (64%, n = 263) were on ART; overall, uptake of ART increased to 74% at 12 months. At baseline, 76% reported near perfect adherence; at 6 and 12 months, 66% and 70% were adherent, respectively. A regression analysis indicated that the decline in adherence did not differ between those couples in which one or both partners were on ART [F (2, 624) = 0.37, p = .692]. Pairwise comparison indicated that adherence primarily decreased between baseline and 6 months (t = 2.72, p = .007), and was stable 6 to 12 months.

Conclusions:

This study of couples in Zambia found adherence was not enhanced by having a partner on ART, and that adherence declined over time. Partners on ART may not necessarily provide support for adherence to each other. Partners may represent an untapped resource for optimizing adherence; results highlight the need for provider guidance and structured adherence interventions targeting partner adherence support.
Gender Differences in Risk Factors for Delayed Diagnosis of HIV/AIDS in a Midsized City of Brazil
Authors: Ferreira Rosangela Franco Guedes , Neto Severino Correia do Prado , Santana Natalia Colares , Guimarães Denise Alves , Oliveira Claudia Di Lorenzo
Published: October 2014

Patients treated in the specialized service at a midsized city in Brazil participated in a cross-sectional study that aimed to identify the risk factors for delayed diagnosis of HIV/AIDS. Through interviews and review of medical records, information was collected on sociodemographic and clinical characteristics and diagnoses. The study included 403 patients, of whom 216 (53.6%) were male and 311 (77.1%) had ≤8 years of education. According to the criteria adopted in this study, 162 (40.2%) of the participants had a late diagnosis of AIDS. Only 19 (4.7%) were diagnosed by routine examinations and 45 (11.2%) presented with AIDS-defining disease at the time of diagnosis. After adjustments, the results showed that having more education was protective against a late diagnosis for women. With the advance of the AIDS epidemic to small town and rural Brazil, vulnerable populations now include low-income and less educated women, most of whom have had monogamous relationships throughout their lives.
Teaching Students with Disabilities
Authors: Jones Sara K.
Published: October 2014

This article explores trends in research since the 1975 passage of the Education for All Handicapped Children Act (now known as the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act), notes gaps in the literature, and offers suggestions for future directions music education researchers could take in exploring the needs and experiences of music teachers and their students with disabilities. A majority of existing literature examines teacher perceptions and attitudes toward students with special needs and preservice music teacher preparation. As the number of students served under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act continues to grow, and policy changes create more complex expectations of teachers, music education researchers need to continue to study these topics and broaden research to include outside perspectives, assessment and evaluation, and more research on classroom practices and voices of students with disabilities in order to better serve music teachers and their students.
Music Education Preservice Teachers’ Confidence in Resolving Behavior Problems
Authors: Hedden Debra G.
Published: October 2014

The purpose of this study was to investigate whether there would be a change in preservice teachers’ (a) confidence concerning the resolution of behavior problems, (b) tactics for resolving them, (c) anticipation of problems, (d) fears about management issues, and (e) confidence in methodology and pedagogy over the time period of a one-semester general music methods course. The course contained a unit on classroom management comprised of direct instruction, assigned readings, and practical application. The study included music education majors ( N = 61) at a large Midwestern university where data were gathered from pretests and posttests over the course of four spring semesters. During each semester, each participant assumed the position of teacher while instructing peers, and had to resolve a behavior problem that was preplanned to occur during the lesson. The observed pretest–posttest differences for confidence concerning classroom management and confidence concerning methodology and pedagogy suggest that confidence in resolving behavior problems is learned. Furthermore, integrating methodology and pedagogy in classroom management into the curriculum for teacher preparation programs might better prepare preservice teachers for success in the classroom.
Study on fibre laser spot welding of TRIP980 steel
Authors: Wei S. T. , Liu R. D. , Lv D. , Xu R. J. , Lin L. , Guo J. Y. , Lu X. F.
Published: October 2014

A 980 MPa transformation induced plasticity (TRIP) steel was fibre laser spot welded by different Argon (Ar) shielding conditions, laser power (1000 up to 2500 W) and defocusing distances (−8 up to +8 mm). The surface appearance, cross-section macrostructure, microstructure, hardness, tensile shear properties and fatigue properties of laser spot welds were evaluated. The results showed that the welds with Ar shielding had larger weld appearance and bonding sizes, better tensile shear properties compared with the welds without Ar shielding. With the increase in laser power, the laser welding mode changed from conduction to keyhole, which improved the bonding size and mechanical properties. The bonding size and mechanical properties increased in the order of defocusing distances of +8, −8, +4, −4 and 0 mm. During the fatigue tests of laser spot weld, the fusion zone pullout and sheet transverse fracture failure modes were observed.
Studies of electroslag cladding Inconel 52M multilayer
Authors: Li G. , Zhang M. L. , Huang J. , Sun Z. Y. , Wu Y. X.
Published: October 2014

The current study investigates Inconel 52M multilayer by electroslag cladding. The four-layer multilayer with good formation is obtained. The experimental results indicate that the microstructure of the multilayer consists of numerous coarse columnar dendrites in the same growth direction. Nb rich carbides, the mixture of Al rich oxides and Nb rich carbides and long chains of eutectic phases are precipitated in the interdendritic regions. The significant composition changes merely occur in the limited interface regions between the substrate and the first layer, while the smooth composition changes occur in the 1st layer. Moreover, the microhardness in single layer decreases from the root to the top. The microhardness decrease in the first layer is more significant than that in the other single layer as a result of the composition transitions by the effect of dilution.
Formation of self-organized Zircaloy-4 oxide nanotubes in organic viscous electrolyte via anodization
Authors: Ali Ghafar , Park Yang Jeong , Kim Hyun Jin , Cho Sung Oh
Published: October 2014

This work reports the formation of self-organized Zircaloy-4 (Zr-4) oxide nanotubes in viscous organic ethylene glycol (EG) electrolyte containing a small amount of fluoride salt and deionized (DI) water via an electrochemical anodization. The structure, morphology, and composition of the Zr-4 oxide nanotubes were studied using X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscope (SEM), transmission electron microscope (TEM), EDX, and XPS. SEM results showed that the length of the nanotubes is approximately 13 μm, and TEM results showed that the inner diameter of the Zr-4 oxide nanotubes is approximately 20 nm with average wall thickness of approximately 7 nm. XRD and selected area electron diffraction pattern (SAED) results confirmed that the as-anodized Zr-4 oxide nanotubes have cubic crystalline structure. Both cubic and monoclinic phases were found after annealing of Zr-4 oxide nanotubes. The tubular structure morphology of Zr-4 oxide nanotubes did not remain intact after annealing which is attributed to the elimination of F species from the annealed nanotubes.
Canonical polyadic decomposition of third-order semi-nonnegative semi-symmetric tensors using LU and QR matrix factorizations
Authors: Wang Lu , Albera Laurent , Kachenoura Amar , Shu Huazhong , Senhadji Lotfi
Published: October 2014

Semi-symmetric three-way arrays are essential tools in blind source separation (BSS) particularly in independent component analysis (ICA). These arrays can be built by resorting to higher order statistics of the data. The canonical polyadic (CP) decomposition of such semi-symmetric three-way arrays allows us to identify the so-called mixing matrix, which contains the information about the intensities of some latent source signals present in the observation channels. In addition, in many applications, such as the magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS), the columns of the mixing matrix are viewed as relative concentrations of the spectra of the chemical components. Therefore, the two loading matrices of the three-way array, which are equal to the mixing matrix, are nonnegative. Most existing CP algorithms handle the symmetry and the nonnegativity separately. Up to now, very few of them consider both the semi-nonnegativity and the semi-symmetry structure of the three-way array. Nevertheless, like all the methods based on line search, trust region strategies, and alternating optimization, they appear to be dependent on initialization, requiring in practice a multi-initialization procedure. In order to overcome this drawback, we propose two new methods, called

JD

LU

+

and

JD

QR

+

, to solve the problem of CP decomposition of semi-nonnegative semi-symmetric three-way arrays. Firstly, we rewrite the constrained optimization problem as an unconstrained one. In fact, the nonnegativity constraint of the two symmetric modes is ensured by means of a square change of variable. Secondly, a Jacobi-like optimization procedure is adopted because of its good convergence property. More precisely, the two new methods use LU and QR matrix factorizations, respectively, which consist in formulating high-dimensional optimization problems into several sequential polynomial and rational subproblems. By using both LU and QR matrix factorizations, we aim at studying the influence of the used matrix factorization. Numerical experiments on simulated arrays emphasize the advantages of the proposed methods especially the one based on LU factorization, in the presence of high-variance model error and of degeneracies such as bottlenecks. A BSS application on MRS data confirms the validity and improvement of the proposed methods.
Safety and tolerability of DIM-based therapy designed as personalized approach to reverse prostatic intraepithelial neoplasia (PIN)
Authors: Paltsev Mikhail , Kiselev Vsevolod , Muyzhnek Ekaterina , Drukh Vadim , Kuznetsov Igor , Pchelintseva Olga
Published: October 2014

Background

It has been shown previously that novel formulation of 3,3'-diindolylmethane (DIM) substance with high bioavailability (Infemin) inhibits tumor development due to the tumor growth rate reduction in the xenograft model of prostate cancer. Prostatic intraepithelial neoplasia (PIN) is considered to be promising as a personalized and preventive treatment strategy of prostate cancer (PC). We assessed the safety of Infemin in men with PIN and discussed the interim results.

Materials and methods

A total of 14 patients with PIN were enrolled. They were randomized to 900 mg DIM or placebo daily for 3 months. Safety was evaluated by adverse events (AEs), laboratory tests and physical examinations.

Results and conclusion

The trial revealed that Infemin treatment is associated with minimal toxicity and no serious adverse events when administered orally for 3 months. We noted three adverse events including nausea and diarrhea in two patients (14%). Combined 95% confidence interval (CI) was 1.8%–42.8%. Therapy was continued in all cases of adverse events.

Good tolerability of DIM-based formulation allows us to recommend it for further clinical trials among men diagnosed with PIN for its efficacy and long-term safety parameters.
Dissimilar occupations and marital stability
Authors: Van Kammen Ben , Adams Scott J
Published: October 2014

We show that information revealed by the occupation choices of spouses predicts marital dissolution. Using a novel measure of occupational distance constructed from the O*Net Content Model, we find that spouses more closely matched in terms of their occupations' requisite knowledge are more likely to divorce. This supports the hypothesis that gains from division of labor within a household can render a marriage more durable. On the other hand, spouses that are dissimilar in terms of their occupations' activities are more likely to divorce. This suggests that each spouse brings an inclination toward certain activities to the marriage that reflects compatible preferences for joint consumption of household public goods.

JEL codes

D13; J12; J24
Intensifying the use of benefit sanctions: an effective tool to increase employment?
Authors: Boockmann Bernhard , L. Thomsen Stephan , Walter Thomas
Published: October 2014

In Germany, imposition of benefit cuts for non-compliant welfare recipients depends on the policy of the local welfare agencies resulting in considerable regional variation, expressed in milder and stricter sanction regimes. Findings from international studies show, that benefit sanctions can substantially increase individual employment uptake. This raises the question, whether a stricter use of sanctions will be effective in Germany. We analyze this question by exploiting the variation of regional sanction regimes as instrumental variables to estimate the LATE of sanctions on the individual employment probability. A tighter sanction policy can be quite effective for non-compliant welfare recipients.

JEL codes

I38; J64; C31
Biomimetic Total Synthesis of (−)-Neroplofurol and (+)-Ekeberin D4 Triggered by Hydrolysis of Terminal Epoxides
Authors: Kodama Takeshi , Aoki Shingo , Matsuo Tomoki , Tachi Yoshimitsu , Nishikawa Keisuke , Morimoto Yoshiki
Published: October 2014

To accumulate the chemical basis of epoxide-opening cascade biogenesis, chemical syntheses of sesqui- and triterpenoids were performed. The biomimetic total syntheses of (−)-neroplofurol (1) and (+)-ekeberin D4 (2) were accomplished by protic acid-catalyzed hydrolysis of the terminal epoxide from nerolidol diepoxide 3 and squalene tetraepoxide 4 through single and double 5-exo cyclizations in intermediates 5 and 6, respectively. This chemical reaction mimics the direct hydrolysis mechanism of epoxide hydrolases, enzymes that catalyze an epoxide-opening reaction to finally produce vicinal diols.
Molecular Crowding Facilitates Double-duplex Invasion of Pseudo-complementary Peptide Nucleic Acid in High-salt Medium
Authors: Sumaoka Jun , Komiyama Makoto
Published: October 2014

It has been shown that molecular crowding conditions greatly promote the invasion of a pair of pseudo-complementary peptide nucleic acid (pcPNA) to double-stranded DNA. Under molecular crowding conditions, double-duplex invasion complexes are spontaneously formed at 37 °C even in high-salt media, where the invasion otherwise never occurs. Strong potential of the pcPNA invasion for various intracellular applications is indicated.
Two-coordinate Dialkylsilylene–Coinage Metal Complexes
Authors: Inagawa Yuichiro , Ishida Shintaro , Iwamoto Takeaki
Published: October 2014

Two-coordinate dialkylsilylene–coinage metal complexes 3+·TPFPB− (Cu) and 4+·TPFPB− (Ag) were synthesized as the first dialkylsilylene–copper complex and the first silylene–silver complex, respectively, by the reaction of dialkylsilylene 1 with the corresponding metal borate. X-ray analysis showed that both the complexes adopted a linear structure with two perpendicular dialkylsilylene units. Theoretical study indicated that weak π back-donation of the copper and silver complexes compared to that of the corresponding isoelectronic neutral palladium complex would be due to low-lying d orbitals of Cu+ and Ag+ centers and responsible for the linear structures.
Carbon Dioxide Separation Using a High-toughness Ion Gel with a Tetra-armed Polymer Network
Authors: Fujii Kenta , Makino Takashi , Hashimoto Kei , Sakai Takamasa , Kanakubo Mitsuhiro , Shibayama Mitsuhiro
Published: October 2014

A high-performance CO2 separation membrane consisting of an ion gel has been prepared. The tetra-armed poly(ethylene glycol) ion gel contains a large fraction of ionic liquid (94 wt %) and shows excellent CO2 permselectivity over a wide temperature range, up to 100 °C. We also demonstrate that the ion gel can absorb CO2 without solvent seeping at a high pressure of 3 MPa.
Fiscal Policy and MPC Heterogeneity
Authors: Jappelli Tullio , Pistaferri Luigi
Published: October 2014

We use responses to survey questions in the 2010 Italian Survey of Household Income and Wealth that ask consumers how much of an unexpected transitory income change they would consume. The marginal propensity to consume (MPC) is 48 percent on average. We also find substantial heterogeneity in the distribution, as households with low cash-on-hand exhibit a much higher MPC than affluent households, which is in agreement with models with precautionary savings, where income risk plays an important role. The results have important implications for predicting household responses to tax reforms and redistributive policies. (JEL D12, D14, E21, E62, H23, H24)
Consumption, Income Changes, and Heterogeneity: Evidence from Two Fiscal Stimulus Programs
Authors: Misra Kanishka , Surico Paolo
Published: October 2014

Almost half of American families did not adjust their consumption following receipt of the 2001 or 2008 tax rebates. Another 20 percent, with low income and more likely to rent, spent a small but significant amount. Households with large spending propensity held high levels of mortgage debt. The heterogeneity is concentrated in a few nondurable categories and a handful of “new vehicle” purchases. The cumulated predictions of the heterogeneous response model tend to be smaller and more accurate than their homogeneous response model counterparts, offering new insights on the evaluation of the two fiscal stimulus programs. (JEL D12, D91, E21, E32, E62)
Nonlinear Response of Structures Subjected to Stochastic Excitations via Probability Density Evolution Method
Authors: Peng Yongbo , Chen Jianbing , Li Jie
Published: October 2014

Stochastic response analysis plays an increasingly important role in assessing the performance and reliability of engineering structures subjected to disastrous dynamic loads such as earthquakes and strong winds. In the past decade, a family of probability density evolution method (PDEM) has been developed where a completely decoupled generalized density evolution equation (GDEE) is proposed. The dimension of GDEE could be arbitrary and in most cases a reduced one-dimensional equation is adequate. This provides an efficient solution for stochastic response of complex engineering structures. In the present paper, PDEM is incorporated with the efficient representation of stochastic processes to implement stochastic dynamic response analysis of multi-degree-of-freedom (MDOF) systems subjected to stochastic excitations. Stochastic dynamic responses of linear and nonlinear base-excited systems are investigated by PDEM, the pseudo-excitation method and the Monte Carlo simulations. The Sobol' sequence is employed to generate representative white noise process, and a high-performance stochastic harmonic function representation with fewer random variables is employed to generate representative time histories of a stochastic process with specified power spectral density model. The involved seismic excitations are modeled by banded white noise, Kanai-Tajimi filtered stationary process, Clough-Penzien filtered stationary process and Clough-Penzien filtered process with non-stationary modulation, respectively. Numerical results reveal that PDEM is feasible for stochastic response analysis of MDOF nonlinear systems subjected to stochastic excitations with fair accuracy and efficiency.
Experimental Investigation on the Dynamic Properties of RC Structures Affected by the Reinforcement Corrosion
Authors: Zou D.J. , Liu T.J. , Qiao G.F.
Published: October 2014

Reinforcement concrete (RC) structures in service are suffered from environmental attacks, especially the rebar corrosion, which may lead to the deterioration of mechanical characteristics of steel bars, surrounding concrete and bond strength, and therefore jeopardize their performance in earthquake events. In this paper, an electro-chemical accelerated corrosion process was introduced to RC frames and columns, and then the half-cell method, linear polarization method and constant potential step method were performed to monitor the corrosion status. Furthermore, for studying the dynamic properties of RC structures affected by reinforcement corrosion, the dynamic tests were carried out to study the fundamental frequency and damping ratio of control frame and frames which designed steel losses were 10% and 30%, respectively. The experimental results show that the influence of corrosion damage on fundamental frequency and damping ratio is significant. Substantial increases were observed in fundamental frequency and damping ratio after the accelerated corrosion occurred. It indicates that the decreased bond strength or ultimate bearing capacity cannot ensure that the stiffness of healthy member is always greater than that of damaged member. Moreover, the variations of frequency and damping ratio, induced by steel corrosion, are not inconsistent. This investigation provides further insight into the use of fundamental frequency and damping ratio to detect damage of RC structures.
COPD in the community: working beyond boundaries
Authors: Mendes Aysha
Published: October 2014

In the second monthly column examining long-term conditions, Aysha Mendes discusses the impact of COPD and argues that, wherever it is delivered, treatment must be carried out holistically in order to remain effective
Moral challenges
Authors: While Alison
Published: October 2014

‘Eat less and move more’ strategies alone will not solve the UK obesity epidemic…we need to consider ways of reducing the downstream costs of untreated obesity
Antimicrobials and Non-Healing Wounds. Evidence, controversies and suggestions—key messages
Authors: Gottrup Finn , Apelqvist Jan , Bjarnsholt Thomas , Cooper Rose , Moore Zena , Peters Edgar J. G. , Probst Sebastian
Published: October 2014

This article constitutes an extraction of key messages originally presented in the Document: Antimicrobials and Non-Healing Wounds. Evidence, controversies and suggestions written by the European Wound Management Association (EWMA), and originally published by the Journal of Wound Care in 2013. All sections are shortened and some not included. For further details please refer to in the original document which can be downloaded via www.ewma.org .
Scleroderma and evidence based non-pharmaceutical treatment modalities for digital ulcers: a systematic review
Authors: Moran M.E.
Published: October 2014

Objective:

Digital ulcers are difficult to heal, increasing the chance of infection, gangrene, amputation and limited functional use of hands. They are a complication in scleroderma or systematic sclerosis (SSc) and occur in approximately 50% of patients. This is a systematic review of the evidence supporting the use of non-pharmaceutical therapeutic modalities and their effectiveness to facilitate the healing of chronic digital ulcers in patients with scleroderma.

Method:

A comprehensive review of computerised databases from 2000–2013: PubMed/MEDLINE, CINAHL, Pedro, OT Seeker, OT Search, OVID, and Proquest as well as manual review of other resources was completed using the following search terms scleroderma or systemic sclerosis and/or digital ulcers, specific modalities (low level laser therapy, electrical stimulation, intermittent compression, ultrasound, vitamin E, myofascial release, wound dressings, iontophoresis, negative pressure therapy, and exercise), chronic wounds, and wound care. English language studies, from 2000 to January 2013, which used therapeutic modalities to facilitate healing of digital ulcers and use healing of the digital ulcer as an outcome measure were reviewed.

Results:

Of the 403 identified articles, only 11 studies addressed non-pharmaceutical treatment modalities to facilitate healing for digital ulcers. Exercise had no direct effect on healing ulcers. The following studies were positive but have limitations in design and sample size:: hyperbaric oxygen therapy (n=2), negative pressure therapy (n=1), intermittent compression (n=27) and acoustic pressure wound healing (n=1). Vitamin E gel showed a significant difference compared to a control group (n=27). Iontophoresis studies have shown that the modality increases blood flow but the results in five different studies are mixed and the application and intensity were inconsistent.

Conclusion:

No one modality was proven to be the most effective. Larger efficacy studies on treating digital ulcers are needed in order to develop appropriate care guidelines to improve outcomes, promote function and lower health-care costs.

Declaration of interest:

There were no external sources of funding for this study. The author has no conflicts of interests to declare
Extended applications of gauze-based negative pressure wound therapy in hand surgery: A review of five cases
Authors: Chipp E. , Sheena Y. , Titley O.G.
Published: October 2014

Negative pressure wound therapy (NPWT) is an established treatment for a wide variety of acute and chronic wounds. Although the exact mechanism of action is still undefined, the proposed benefits of NPWT have been well described in the literature and include improved wound perfusion, granulation and reduction of oedema and bacteria. Here we describe a series of five challenging cases where NPWT dressings were applied for both elective and traumatic wounds of the upper limb. We describe the application of the dressing and the benefits seen in our patients. We believe the patients would have had inferior outcomes if managed by the best alternative conventional dressings.

• Declaration of interest: All named authors hereby declare that they have no conflicts of interest to disclose.
Modified NPWT using round channel drain for pacemaker pocket non-healing complex wound: a case report
Authors: Petit-Clair N. , Smith M. , Chernev I.
Published: October 2014

Infection of cardiovascular implantable electronic devices poses a serious medical problem. Management of infected pocket wounds may be challenging for the physician and cause prolonged morbidity for the patient. The mainstay of treatment for infected cardiovascular implantable electronic devices is complete removal of the infected device and appropriate antibiotic therapy. In contrast, removal is not required for superficial or incisional infection at the pocket site if there is no involvement of the device. Here, we describe a modified negative pressure wound therapy (NPWT) technique using a round channel drain for pacemaker pocket non-healing complex wound, which started as a superficial incisional wound infection.
A comparison of 2-octyl cyanoacrylate with nylon for wound closure of knee arthroscopy portals
Authors: Imbuldeniya A.M , Rashid A , Murphy J.P
Published: October 2014

• Objective: To compare the cosmetic results, complications and patient satisfaction of 2-octyl cyanoacrylate (Dermabond, Ethicon Inc. Somerville, NJ, USA), a liquid bonding agent, with 3-0 nylon sutures (Ethilon, Ethicon Inc) skin closure in two groups of patients undergoing elective knee arthroscopy at 6 weeks.

• Method: The retrospective clinical audit recruited patients undergoing knee surgery for the first time between October 2010 and August 2011. The patients were either treated with the liquid bonding agent or nylon sutures. The patients in the bonding agent group were allowed to shower as normal on postoperative day one, while patients in the suture group kept their wounds dry for 2 weeks.

• Results: Between the two groups (40 patients per group) there was no difference in the cosmetic outcome (p=0.285), patient satisfaction (p=0.29), pain scores (p=0.44) or wound complication rate (p<0.05). Patient satisfaction was high in both groups. Furthermore, 83.75% of all patients indicated they would prefer the liquid bonding closure over nylon sutures if undergoing the same procedure in the future as they could shower the next day and avoid suture removal.

• Conclusion: 2-octyl cyanoacrylate is safe to use in the short term in knee arthroscopy providing comparable results to nylon suture closure. Allowing patients to shower the next day appears to cause no adverse effects.

• Declaration of interest: The authors would like to state that they do not have any economic or social interest in any of the products used or mentioned. No grant or finance was received for this study, nor any input from other sources.
Trends in poverty and disadvantage among households with disabled people from 1999–2012: from exclusion to inclusion?
Authors: Heslop Pauline , Gordon Dave
Published: October 2014

This paper compares and contrasts the experiences of deprivation and disadvantage of households with a disabled person from 1999 to 2012. Data is drawn from two comparable datasets: the 1999 and 2012 Poverty and Social Exclusion Surveys of Britain. The trend at each survey period is consistent for most of the indicators. The experience of deprivation and disadvantage for households with disabled people has considerably worsened over the past 13 years, and at the most disadvantaged remain those households with a combination of disabled adult(s) and child(ren). Disabled people are now firmly established as being among the ‘poorest of the poor’.
Neuroscience, epigenetics and the intergenerational transmission of social life: exploring expectations and engagements
Authors: Pickersgill Martyn
Published: October 2014

Research in neuroscience and epigenetics is prominent in biomedicine and beyond. Some policy makers, health professionals and other citizens have intuited particular implications from these ‘social biologies’, leveraging them to support policies that many find problematic (e.g., around the early years). This enjoins scholarly attention to the uses to which science is put, but also to how and why biomedical knowledge comes to be imbued with certain kinds of salience (both by ‘advocates’ and by ‘critics’).
Interpopulation Genetic Differentiation Orobanche cumana Wallr. from Russia, Kazakhstan and Romania Using Molecular Genetic Markers
Authors: Guchetl Saida , Antonova Tatiana S. , Tchelustnikova Tatiana
Published: October 2014

Broomrape (