bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Use of quadrupole time of flight mass spectrometry for the characterization of transformation products of the antibiotic sulfamethazine upon photocatalysis with Pd‐doped ceria‐ZnO nanocomposite
Authors: Rafqah S. , Seddigi Zaki S. , Ahmed Saleh A. , Danish E. , Sarakha M.
Published: February 2015

The photocatalytic degradation of the antibiotic sulfamethazine under excitation at 365 nm of Pd‐doped ceria‐ZnO nanocomposite, titanium dioxide and iron(III) aqua complex was deeply studied from the analytical point of view. It reveals the formation of nine degradation products that were detected in their protonated forms using LC/electrospray ionization quadrupole time‐of‐flight MS in the positive mode. Their formation involves the hydroxyl radical, and their concentrations increased with irradiation time. Collision‐induced dissociation tandem mass spectrometry associated with the accurate mass measurements was efficiently used for the elucidation of their chemical structures. None of these identified degradation products has been already reported in the literature. Three by‐products result from the hydroxylation at the pyrimidine moiety as well as at the aromatic part, two of them arise from the scission of the pyrimidine group, and finally, three of them come from the scission of the sulfamide bridge. This points the evidence of studying the fate of these degradation products if their toxicity is demonstrated because they are clearly the result of the reaction of hydroxyl radical with the antibiotic sulfamethazine. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Collision induced dissociations of non‐derivatized and trimethylsilyl‐derivatized estradiols: similarities in fragmentation patterns
Authors: Jeilani Yassin A. , Li Huayang , Harruna Issifu I. , Alhooshani Khalid R. , Al‐Saadi Abdulaziz A.
Published: February 2015

Fragmentation mechanisms of estradiol and trimethylsilyl (TMS)‐derivatized estradiol were studied by triple quadrupole tandem mass spectrometry (MSMS) and density functional theory (DFT) at B3LYP/6‐311G(d,p) level. Collision induced dissociations (CID) of estradiol give product ions that are associated with the cleavage of B, C and D rings. Characteristic fragments from the cleavage of the aromatic ring A were not identified, and this was confirmed with both labeled estradiol and trimethylsilyl (TMS)‐derivatized estradiol. The mechanisms are based on charge‐site directed, radical‐directed and charge remote fragmentations that are consistent with previous studies of steroids. CID spectra show ion pairs at m/z: 145/146, 157/158, 185/186, 211/213 and 225/226 with significant intensities, suggesting that these pairs are not from isotopic contributions. The mechanisms show similarities with some minor differences in the fragmentation patterns between the non‐derivatized and the TMS‐derivatized estradiol. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Mapping B‐cell epitopes of major and minor peanut allergens and identifying residues contributing to IgE binding
Authors: Mishra Ankita , Jain Anuja , Arora Naveen
Published: February 2015

BACKGROUND

Epitope identification provides valuable information essential for understanding antigen components involved in food allergic reactions. In the present study, an in silico approach is employed to map IgE binding epitopes of major and minor peanut allergens.

RESULTS

B‐cell epitopes were identified for peanut (Arachis hypogaea) allergens, namely Ara h 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10 and 11. A total of 10 web servers were used in the study and 26 linear and 18 conformational epitopes were predicted by a combination of methods. The majority of the predicted B‐cell residues were present in the coil regions and the highest percentage of hydrophilic residues were observed for Ara h 6 (70.49%). The absolute solvent accessibility for all the B‐cell epitopes was >70%, indicating antibody recognition. The property distance index assessed for the predicted epitopes using SDAP showed that six linear epitopes shared similarity with soybean, hazelnut, tomato, maize, apple and banana allergens.

CONCLUSION

These findings suggest that the identified regions may share cross‐reactivity with some of the known food allergens or may act as novel antigenic determinants. Further, B‐cell epitopes of Ara h 1, 2 and 3 identified by in silico methods correlated well with the experimentally identified regions. © 2015 Society of Chemical Industry
Pomegranate oil as a valuable pharmaceutical and nutraceutical
Authors: Khoddami Ali , Roberts Thomas H.
Published: February 2015

Pomegranate oil is the unique edible oil produced from the seed of the pomegranate fruit (Punica granatum L.), which can be extracted by various methods including supercritical CO2, superheated hexane, cold pressing, microwaves and ultrasound. The oil composition of pomegranate seed has received particular attention recently due to its content of antioxidant and anticancer agents, which may be important components for the production of new medicines and cosmetics.
High‐risk liver transplant candidates: An ethical proposal on where to draw the line
Authors: Schiano Thomas D. , Bourgoise Tyler , Rhodes Rosamond
Published: February 2015

In making liver transplantation (LT) listing decisions, transplant programs accept that very large differences in expected 5‐year posttransplant survival should matter and that small differences in expected survival should not matter. To date, the transplant community has not explicitly addressed the difficult question of how to make decisions when the differences are less dramatic. Existing well‐accepted transplant policies neither articulate a criterion for where to draw the line nor provide an ethical justification for distinguishing those who should not be eligible for transplantation from those who should be. Herein we analyze a case from our LT program that raises the issue of how much of a difference should separate the eligible from the ineligible. We explain how our ethical analysis is consistent with the Scientific Registry of Transplant Recipients cumulative sum metric for transplant center performance, the United Network for Organ Sharing standard of capping Model for End‐Stage Liver Disease scores at 40 for listing purposes, and the longstanding tradition of allocating scarce medical resources in accordance with the principle of triage. We also discuss how subjectivity can influence judgments about likely outcomes. We conclude by calling for research to gather data that could make survival predictions objective and by proposing a policy that would make the treatment of all patients fair. Liver Transpl 21:607–611, 2015. © 2015 AASLD.
Characterization of the Chemical Composition Distribution of Ethylene/1‐Alkene Copolymers with HPLC and CRYSTAF—Comparison of Results
Authors: Chitta Rajesh , Macko Tibor , Brüll Robert , Boisson Christophe , Cossoul Emilie , Boyron Olivier
Published: February 2015

A series of copolymers of ethylene with propene, 1‐hexene, 1‐octene, and 1‐octadecene is characterized by size‐exclusion chromatography (SEC), nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy (NMR), crystallization analysis fractionation (CRYSTAF), and high‐temperature interactive liquid chromatography. Four different solvent pairs are used as the mobile phase, while porous graphite is used as the column packing. The elution volumes of the polymer samples do not correlate with their average molar mass (SEC); however, they correlate with the average chemical composition (NMR). High performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) enables separation of the copolymers over the full range of their composition and independent of their crystallinity. Dependence between the elution volume and the average chemical composition distribution (CCD) of the copolymer is linear and it is a function of the length of branches as well as the type of the mobile phase. The CCDs of copolymers derived from HPLC profiles are similar to, yet broader than the CCDs obtained with CRYSTAF.

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Increasing the Tackiness of Statistical Poly(Butyl Acrylate) and Poly(Ethyl Acrylate) Network Materials via RAFT Polymerization
Authors: Henkel Rouven , Vana Philipp
Published: February 2015

The addition of the RAFT agent S‐ethyl‐propane‐2‐ylonate‐S′‐hexyl‐trithiocarbonate (EPHT) to the crosslinking polymerization forming poly(butylacrylate‐co‐1,4‐butanediol‐diacrylate) and poly(ethylacrylate‐co‐1,4‐butanediol‐diacrylate) increased the tackiness of the produced material. This was measured by rolling ball tack tests. The reasons for this effect were found in the reduction of hard nanogel domains on the surface of these networks, which was studied via Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM). In conventional networks which were synthetized in the absence of EPHT these domains act as spacers. The absence of the nanogels allows a close contact between adherent and the network surface, which in addition is covered by non‐crosslinked polymer, which further increases the wetting abilities of the networks made by RAFT polymerization.
The therapeutic potential of cannabinoids for movement disorders
Authors: Kluger Benzi , Triolo Piera , Jones Wallace , Jankovic Joseph
Published: February 2015

There is growing interest in the therapeutic potential of marijuana (cannabis) and cannabinoid‐based chemicals within the medical community and, particularly, for neurological conditions. This interest is driven both by changes in the legal status of cannabis in many areas and increasing research into the roles of endocannabinoids within the central nervous system and their potential as symptomatic and/or neuroprotective therapies. We review basic science as well as preclinical and clinical studies on the therapeutic potential of cannabinoids specifically as it relates to movement disorders. The pharmacology of cannabis is complex, with over 60 neuroactive chemicals identified to date. The endocannabinoid system modulates neurotransmission involved in motor function, particularly within the basal ganglia. Preclinical research in animal models of several movement disorders have shown variable evidence for symptomatic benefits, but more consistently suggest potential neuroprotective effects in several animal models of Parkinson's (PD) and Huntington's disease (HD). Clinical observations and clinical trials of cannabinoid‐based therapies suggests a possible benefit of cannabinoids for tics and probably no benefit for tremor in multiple sclerosis or dyskinesias or motor symptoms in PD. Data are insufficient to draw conclusions regarding HD, dystonia, or ataxia and nonexistent for myoclonus or RLS. Despite the widespread publicity about the medical benefits of cannabinoids, further preclinical and clinical research is needed to better characterize the pharmacological, physiological, and therapeutic effects of this class of drugs in movement disorders. © 2015 International Parkinson and Movement Disorder Society.
Aberrant cortical associative plasticity associated with severe adult Tourette syndrome
Authors: Martín‐Rodríguez Juan Francisco , Ruiz‐Rodríguez María Adilia , Palomar Francisco J. , Cáceres‐Redondo María Teresa , Vargas Laura , Porcacchia Paolo , Gómez‐Crespo Mercedes , Huertas‐Fernández Ismael , Carrillo Fátima , Madruga‐Garrido Marcos , Mir Pablo
Published: February 2015

Background

Recent studies have shown altered cortical plasticity in adult patients with Tourette syndrome. However, the clinical significance of this finding remains elusive.

Methods

Motor cortical plasticity was evaluated in 15 adult patients with severe Tourette syndrome and 16 healthy controls using the paired associative stimulation protocol by transcranial magnetic stimulation. Associations between paired associative stimulation–induced plasticity and relevant clinical variables, including cortical excitability, psychiatric comorbidities, drug treatment and tic severity, were assessed.

Results

Motor cortical plasticity was abnormally increased in patients with Tourette syndrome compared with healthy subjects. This abnormal plasticity was independently associated with tic severity.

Conclusion

Patients with severe Tourette syndrome display abnormally increased cortical associative plasticity. This aberrant cortical plasticity was associated with tic severity, suggesting an underlying mechanism for tic pathophysiology. © 2015 International Parkinson and Movement Disorder Society
Patterns of cortical thickness associated with impulse control disorders in Parkinson's disease
Authors: Biundo Roberta , Weis Luca , Facchini Silvia , Formento‐Dojot Patrizia , Vallelunga Annamaria , Pilleri Manuela , Weintraub Daniel , Antonini Angelo
Published: February 2015

Previous functional neuroimaging studies in Parkinson's disease (PD) patients with impulse control disorders (ICDs) demonstrated dysfunction of the reward network, although the extent of anatomical changes is unclear. The aim of this study was to measure brain cortical thickness and subcortical volumes, and to assess their relationship with presence and severity of symptoms, in PD patients with and without ICDs. We studied 110 PD patients (N = 58 with ICDs) and 33 healthy controls (all negative for ICDs) who underwent an extensive neurological, neuropsychological, and behavioral assessment as well as structural 1.5 Tesla magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Between‐group differences in brain cortical thickness and subcortical volumes, assessed with the FreeSurfer 5.1 tool, were analyzed. In patients with ICDs, we found significant cortical thinning in fronto‐striatal circuitry, specifically in the right superior orbitofrontal, left rostral middle frontal, bilateral caudal middle frontal region, and corpus callosum, as well as volume reduction in the right accumbens and increase in the left amygdala. Finally, we observed a positive association relationship between severity of impulsive symptoms and left rostral middle frontal, inferior parietal, and supramarginal areas. These results support the involvement of both reward and response inhibition networks in PD patients with ICDs. Moreover, their severity is associated with alterations in brain regions linked with reward and top‐down control networks. Increased understanding of the mechanisms underlying impulsive and compulsive behaviors might help improve therapeutic strategies for these important disorders. © 2015 International Parkinson and Movement Disorder Society
Amantadine extended release for levodopa‐induced dyskinesia in Parkinson's disease (EASED Study)
Authors: Pahwa Rajesh , Tanner Caroline M. , Hauser Robert A. , Sethi Kapil , Isaacson Stuart , Truong Daniel , Struck Lynn , Ruby April E. , McClure Natalie L. , Went Gregory T. , Stempien Mary Jean
Published: February 2015

ADS‐5102 is a long‐acting, extended‐release capsule formulation of amantadine HCl administered once daily at bedtime. This study investigated the safety, efficacy, and tolerability of ADS‐5102 in Parkinson's disease (PD) patients with levodopa‐induced dyskinesia. This was a randomized, double‐blind, placebo‐controlled, parallel‐group study of 83 PD patients with troublesome dyskinesia assigned to placebo or one of three doses of ADS‐5102 (260 mg, 340 mg, 420 mg) administered daily at bedtime for 8 weeks. The primary efficacy analysis compared change from baseline to week 8 in Unified Dyskinesia Rating Scale (UDysRS) total score for 340 mg ADS‐5102 versus placebo. Secondary outcome measures included change in UDysRS for 260 mg, 420 mg, Fatigue Severity Scale (FSS), Movement Disorder Society Unified Parkinson's Disease Rating Scale (MDS‐UPDRS), patient diary, Clinician's Global Impression of Change, and Parkinson's Disease Questionnaire (PDQ‐39). ADS‐5102 340 mg significantly reduced dyskinesia versus placebo (27% reduction in UDysRS, P = 0.005). In addition, ADS‐5102 significantly increased ON time without troublesome dyskinesia, as assessed by PD patient diaries, at 260 mg (P = 0.004), 340 mg (P = 0.008) and 420 mg (P = 0.018). Adverse events (AEs) were reported for 82%, 80%, 95%, and 90% of patients in the placebo, 260‐mg, 340‐mg, and 420‐mg groups, respectively. Constipation, hallucinations, dizziness, and dry mouth were the most frequent AEs. Study withdrawal rates were 9%, 15%, 14%, and 40% for the placebo, 260‐mg, 340‐mg, and 420‐mg groups, respectively. All study withdrawals in the active treatment groups were attributable to AEs. ADS‐5102 was generally well tolerated and resulted in significant and dose‐dependent improvements in dyskinesia in PD patients. © 2015 Adamas Pharmaceuticals, Inc. Movement Disorders published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. on behalf of International Parkinson and Movement Disorder Society.
Quality Assessment of Predicted Protein Models Using Energies Calculated by the Fragment Molecular Orbital Method
Authors: Simoncini David , Nakata Hiroya , Ogata Koji , Nakamura Shinichiro , Zhang Kam YJ
Published: February 2015

Protein structure prediction directly from sequences is a very challenging problem in computational biology. One of the most successful approaches employs stochastic conformational sampling to search an empirically derived energy function landscape for the global energy minimum state. Due to the errors in the empirically derived energy function, the lowest energy conformation may not be the best model. We have evaluated the use of energy calculated by the fragment molecular orbital method (FMO energy) to assess the quality of predicted models and its ability to identify the best model among an ensemble of predicted models. The fragment molecular orbital method implemented in GAMESS was used to calculate the FMO energy of predicted models. When tested on eight protein targets, we found that the model ranking based on FMO energies is better than that based on empirically derived energies when there is sufficient diversity among these models. This model diversity can be estimated prior to the FMO energy calculations. Our result demonstrates that the FMO energy calculated by the fragment molecular orbital method is a practical and promising measure for the assessment of protein model quality and the selection of the best protein model among many generated.
Combined gadoxetic acid and gadofosveset enhanced liver MRI: A feasibility and parameter optimization study
Authors: Bannas Peter , Motosugi Utaroh , Hernando Diego , Rahimi Mahdi Salmani , Holmes James H. , Reeder Scott B.
Published: February 2015

Purpose

Demonstration of feasibility and protocol optimization for the combined use of gadofosveset trisodium with gadoxetic acid for delayed T1‐weighted liver MRI.

Methods

Eleven healthy volunteers underwent hepatobiliary phase imaging at 3 Tesla (T) using gadoxetic acid. Multiple breathheld T1‐weighted three‐dimensional spoiled gradient echo sequences were performed at varying flip angles before and after injection of gadofosveset. Signal‐to‐noise ratio (SNR) and contrast‐to‐noise ratio (CNR) were measured to determine optimal T1‐weighting. Examples of three patients with focal liver lesions were acquired.

Results

The addition of gadofosveset to the hepatobiliary phase of gadoxetic acid renders vessels isointense to liver tissue at low flip angles due to increased vessel SNR (P < 0.001). The lowest CNR of liver relative to portal vein (CNR = 15; 95% confidence interval [CI]: ‐14–44) was observed at a 10º flip angle. The highest CNR of liver relative to muscle (CNR = 214; 95% CI: 191–237) was observed at a 20º flip angle. The combined enhancement leads to homogenously enhanced liver tissue and liver vasculature. Cysts were detected in three volunteers and metastases were detected in two patients. In these anecdotal cases the cysts and metastases stood out as conspicuous focal hypointensities on combined gadoxetic acid and gadofosveset enhanced images.

Conclusion

Combined gadoxetic acid and gadofosveset enhanced liver MRI is feasible, with low flip angles minimizing contrast between vessels and liver. Further clinical studies are needed to confirm that low flip angles provide an optimal combination of sensitivity and specificity for lesion detection in patients. Magn Reson Med 75:318–328, 2016. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
POCS‐enhanced inherent correction of motion‐induced phase errors (POCS‐ICE) for high‐resolution multishot diffusion MRI
Authors: Guo Hua , Ma Xiaodong , Zhang Zhe , Zhang Bida , Yuan Chun , Huang Feng
Published: February 2015

Purpose

For multishot diffusion weighted imaging (DWI), one of the challenges is to remove phase variations induced by physiological motion among different shots. In this study, a new method is proposed to iteratively solve the phase errors and DWI images simultaneously, for navigator‐free acquisitions.

Theory and Methods

Instead of solving phase errors and the image sequentially in the two‐step parallel imaging, the proposed method, named POCS‐enhanced Inherent Correction of motion‐induced phase Errors (POCS‐ICE), treats both the phase and DWI image as unknowns and solves them simultaneously. Multishot DWI with constant density spiral trajectory served as a specific example. Simulation and in vivo experiments were performed to evaluate the proposed method.

Results

POCS‐ICE shows improved image quality in terms of higher SNR and fewer artifacts than the compared method, SENSE+CG. The improvement becomes more conspicuous as the number of shots increases. The convergence behavior of POCS‐ICE was also shown to be more stable.

Conclusion

POCS‐ICE can inherently and reliably correct motion‐induced phase errors in navigator‐free multishot DWI, and it is easier to determine the stopping criterion without manual interventions. The improved spatial resolution and image resolvability are beneficial to study of brain microstructures and physiological features for neuroscience. Magn Reson Med 75:169–180, 2016. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Effect of TiO2 nanoparticles on structure and properties of high density polyethylene membranes prepared by thermally induced phase separation method
Authors: Jafarzadeh Y. , Yegani R. , Tantekin‐Ersolmaz S. B.
Published: February 2015

Polyethylene/TiO2 membranes were fabricated via thermally induced phase separation (TIPS) method. A set of characterization tests including FE‐SEM, EDX, XRD, DSC, TGA, DMA, mechanical test and relative pure water flux for characterization of membranes were carried out to investigate the effect of TiO2 nanoparticles on membrane properties. The results of EDX, XRD and TGA analyses confirmed the presence of TiO2 nanoparticles in the polymer matrix. The results of DSC analysis revealed that the melting point as well as the crystallinity of the membranes increased slightly with increasing TiO2 content. However, the glass transition temperature of the membranes was not affected by the presence of particles. Addition of nanoparticles also increased storage modulus, loss modulus and tensile strength at break of the membranes due to the stiffness improvement effect of inorganic TiO2. Finally, it was observed that incorporation of the nanoparticles improved pure water flux of the membranes. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Treatment with rivastigmine or galantamine and risk of urinary incontinence: results from a Dutch database study
Authors: Kröger Edeltraut , Van Marum Rob , Souverein Patrick , Carmichael Pierre‐Hugues , Egberts Toine
Published: February 2015

Background

Treatment of Alzheimer disease (AD) with cholinesterase inhibitors (ChEIs) may increase the risk of urinary incontinence (UI).

Objective

To assess whether ChEI use was associated with the risk of UI among older patients with AD.

Methods

A crossover cohort study using the PHARMO Record Linkage System included 10 years of data on drug dispensing histories for over two million Dutch residents. Included patients were aged 50 +, free of UI for the last 6 months, received a first ChEI prescription during the study period, had at least 12 months prior drug exposure history and one subsequent prescription of any drug. UI was defined as a first dispensing of a urinary spasmolytic or of incontinence products for at least 30 days. Cox regression with time‐varying covariates and multivariate adjustment allowed assessing whether UI incidence was associated with ChEI exposure.

Results

Among 3154 patients there were 657 UI cases during a mean follow‐up of 5.1 years before a first ChEI dispensing, and 499 cases after ChEI initiation, during a mean follow‐up of 2.0 years. Among the 2700 participants free of UI one year before ChEI initiation, the adjusted hazard ratio (HR) for UI was 1.13 (95% CI: 0.97–1.32) when periods with ChEI use were compared to periods without ChEI use. Sensitivity analyses may suggest an increased risk in the 1st month after ChEI initiation (HR: 1.72, p = 0.09)

Conclusion

Worsening AD may increase incidence of UI, but no firm association between ChEI treatment and risk of UI could be shown from these data. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Products containing microorganisms as a tool in integrated pest management and the rules of their market placement in the European Union
Authors: Matyjaszczyk Ewa
Published: February 2015

Products containing microorganisms (bacteria, fungi and viruses) can be used in plant production as an intervention as well as a prevention method for pest control. Their utilisation is strictly in line with the principles of integrated pest management, provided that they are effective and safe. The rules of registration of microorganisms for crop production in the European Union differ, depending on whether they are placed on the market as plant protection products or not. For over 20 years, uniform rules for registration of plant protection products have been in force. Currently, 36 microorganisms marked up to the strain are approved for use in pest control in the Community. The decision concerning market placement of plant protection products containing approved microorganisms is issued for each member state separately. The approaches to market placement of other products with microorganisms differ within theEU, ranging from a complete lack of requirements to long and costly registration procedures. © 2015 Society of Chemical Industry
Leader–follower flocking based on distributed event‐triggered hybrid control
Authors: Yu Pian , Ding Li , Liu Zhi‐Wei , Guan Zhi‐Hong
Published: February 2015

In this paper, we proposed a new hybrid control algorithm to achieve leader–follower flocking in multi‐agent systems. In the algorithm, the position is transmitted continuously, whereas the velocity is utilized discretely, which is governed by a distributed event‐triggered mechanism, and the neighbors' velocity is not required to detect the event‐triggered condition for each agent. It is shown that stable flocking is achieved asymptotically while the connectivity of networks is preserved. A numerical example is provided to illustrate the theoretical results. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Adaptive fault tolerant control for a class of input and state constrained MIMO nonlinear systems
Authors: Jin Xu
Published: February 2015

In this work, we present a novel adaptive fault tolerant control (FTC) scheme for a class of control input and system state constrained multi‐input multi‐output (MIMO) nonlinear systems with both multiplicative and additive actuator faults. The input constraints can be asymmetric, and the state constraints can be time‐varying. A novel tan‐type time‐varying Barrier Lyapunov Function (BLF) is proposed to deal with the state constraints, and an auxiliary system is designed to analyze the effect of the input constraints. We show that under the proposed adaptive FTC scheme, exponential convergence of the output tracking error into a small neighbourhood of zero is guaranteed, while the constraints on the system state will not be violated during operation. Estimation errors for actuator faults are bounded in the closed loop. An illustrative example on a two degree‐of‐freedom robotic manipulator is presented to demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed FTC scheme. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Automated Construction System of Robot Locomotion and Operation Platform for Hazardous Environments— Basic System Design and Feasibility Study of Module Transferring and Connecting Motions
Authors: Fukui Rui , Kato Yuta , Takahashi Ryo , Wan Weiwei , Nakao Masayuki
Published: February 2015

Unmanned robot operation is highly anticipated for use in hazardous environments such as a nuclear accident and mine accident sites. We propose an automated construction system for robot locomotion and operation platform in a severely disturbed environment. In such an environment, the sensors and actuators that can be used are restricted. The platform is intended to enable specialized working robots to have access to any cube‐diced operation point, and to build a rail both for the platform itself and for specialized working robots. The entire platform structure is modularized, which means that the structure comprises multiple modules. They are assembled and constructed through cooperation of a transfer robot and a constructor robot. This paper describes the development of prototypes and explains experiments conducted to verify our fundamental concept. In particular, the feasibility of module‐transfer and connection motions in three prioritized positions is verified using the developed prototypes. The system design and experiments reveal that the most important technique to realize the proposed system is how to use guide structures to reduce the effects of mechanical error and misalignment among robots.
Maritime bewegliche Brücken
Authors: Trantow Dirk , Bernhardt Frank
Published: February 2015

Bewegliche Fähranleger haben eine Schlüsselfunktion innerhalb des zunehmenden Roll‐on‐Roll‐off‐Verkehrs im Seehandel. Die besonderen Anforderungen an die Planung und die Ausführung – auch im Hinblick sehr kurzer Planungsprozesse von nur einem Jahr vom Planungsbeginn bis zur Vergabe – zeigen, dass große gewerkübergreifende Projekte auch in Deutschland bewältigt werden können. Die interdisziplinäre Zusammenarbeit von Ingenieurbau, Wasserbau, Elektro‐ und Hydraulikplanung ist die Grundlage einer schnellen Realisierbarkeit solcher Bauvorhaben. Die besonderen technischen Anforderungen und Lösungen, insbesondere für den Stahlbrückenbau, sollen beispielhaft an den Doppeldeckfähranlegern in Rostock und Lübeck aufgezeigt werden. Dabei stellen die kinematischen Randbedingungen, die besonderen Lastsituationen und die hafentypischen Lastmodelle in Verbindung mit der gewichtsoptimierten Bauweise das Hauptaugenmerk dar. Die Frage, ob Fähranleger komplexe Brückenbauwerke oder Maschinenkonstruktionen sind, wird nachfolgend beantwortet.

Maritime moveable bridges – Steel linkspans for Rostock Port and Lübeck Port Authority. Linkspans play a key role within the increasing RoRo traffic in sea trade. The particular requirements related to design and execution, also with regard to very short planning processes of only one year from the start of planning until contract awarding, indicate that large multi‐disciplinary projects can also be accomplished in Germany. The interdisciplinary cooperation in civil engineering, hydraulic engineering, electric and hydraulic planning forms the basis for a fast realization of such construction projects. The specific technical requirements and solutions, in particular for steel bridge construction, are demonstrated using the double‐deck linkspans in Rostock and Lübeck as examples. The main focus of this essay based on the kinematic boundary conditions, the specific load situations as well as on the typical harbor load models in connection with the weight‐optimizing construction method. The question will be answered whether linkspans are counted among complex bridge structures or machine constructions.
Friedensbrücke für Lyon
Authors: Keil Andreas , Zimmermann Michael , Deillon Arnaud
Published: February 2015

Die 220 m lange Fußgängerbrücke in Lyon überspannt die rund 160 m breite Rhône in einem Bogen mit flachem Stich. Dickwandige Stahlrohre bilden einen Dreigurt, der an den Ufern eingespannt ist. Die Stahlkonstruktion ist mit einem leichten Holzbelag versehen. Durch die Minimierung der Elemente wird eine maximale Transparenz erreicht. Die Treppen, die entlang der Bögen nach unten geführt werden, erschließen die Uferbereiche und bilden eine spannende Wegeführung vom Ufer der Rhône zum zentralen Platz. Zusammen mit dem Architekturbüro DFA Dietmar Feichtinger Architectes, Paris, und der Unterstützung des Bauherrn GRAND LYON, konnte dieser gestalterisch und technisch anspruchsvolle Brückenentwurf realisiert und auf die örtlichen Bedingungen maßgeschneidert werden. Im Folgenden werden Entwurfsidee, Konstruktion und Berechnung dargestellt sowie ein Überblick über Fertigung und Montage der Brücke vermittelt.

Peace bridge for Lyon. The 220 m long pedestrian bridge in Lyon spans in a smooth way over the 160 m wide river Rhône. The elements of the three‐chord truss alter their position along the bridge and create a flat, wide V in the middle of the bridge. The steel structure is covered with light wooden planks. Through minimization of the elements maximum transparency is achieved. Between the direct connection straight to both city parts stairs are leading to the path along the shore, attached to each side of the bridge along the side of the three‐chord truss. Together with the architects DFA Dietmar Feichtinger Architectes, Paris, and the support of the client GRAND LYON, this technically challenging bridge design could be realized and adapted to local conditions. The following text provides details about the design idea, design and structural analysis, as well as an overview of assembly and erection of the bridge.
An analytical expression to determine “realistic” shear buckling stress in cold‐formed lipped channels
Authors: Bedair Osama
Published: February 2015

Current North American and European design provisions ignore the rotational restraint when evaluating local web shear buckling stresses in cold‐formed steel channels. This paper offers a new analytical expression for computing local buckling shear stresses in cold‐formed channel members taking into account the rotational restraints imposed by the flanges and the lips. The expression derived is suitable for hand calculations and can replace current code expressions in order to achieve economical steel designs. Comparisons with existing design formulas currently used in practice for the limiting conditions show a difference within 5 %.
Tensile load‐carrying behaviour of elastomeric bearings
Authors: Mano Toshihisa , Mangerig Ingbert
Published: February 2015

Elastomeric bearings for seismic isolation applications can be subjected to tensile loads depending on the geometrical configuration, high vertical seismic motion or excessive horizontal deformation due to the elongated‐period horizontal motion. It is a known fact that cavities develop within elastomeric material when it undergoes a certain amount of tensile force in a very constrained condition since a high hydrostatic tensile stress builds up. Once these cavities have developed, the tensile stiffness of the bearing drops dramatically. This paper contributes to understanding this phenomenon itself and its influence on the basic properties of elastomeric bearings. For this purpose, two types of elastomeric bearing were tested and the cavitation phenomenon observed. Moreover, those test results are compared with the FE simulation results from the modified hyperelastic material model with the cavity damage criterion. The two‐phase softening model presented here can simulate the real softening behaviour of elastomeric bearings well, and it may even help us grasp a better insight into the cavitation phenomenon.
Traffic‐induced vibration analysis of a steel girder bridge compared with a concrete bridge
Authors: Tsubomoto Masahiko , Kawatani Mitsuo , Mori Kengo
Published: February 2015

At the preliminary design stage for a highway bridge 81 m long, a three‐span continuous girder, including a span of about 30 m, is preferable from the point of construction cost. Generally, the concern is that girder bridges with spans of 30 m, which have a fundamental natural frequency of about 3 Hz, have large traffic‐induced vibrations due to the coupling dynamic response with heavy vehicles having a bouncing natural frequency of about 3 Hz. Furthermore, large traffic‐induced vibration in girder bridges causes low‐frequency sound (LFS) as one of the environmental vibration problems. Two kinds of girder bridge with a length of 81 m – a concrete hollow slab bridge and an eight‐girder steel bridge with the same spans – are proposed. For assessing the low‐frequency sound radiated from bridges, firstly, the traffic‐induced vibrations of two kinds of girder bridge are compared with each other by analysing the coupling dynamic response of bridges due to moving heavy vehicles in a dynamic system.
Serum placental growth factor in the three trimesters of pregnancy: effects of maternal characteristics and medical history
Authors: Tsiakkas A. , Duvdevani N. , Wright A. , Wright D. , Nicolaides K. H.
Published: February 2015

Objective

To define the contribution of maternal variables which influence the measured level of maternal serum placental growth factor (PlGF) in screening for pregnancy complications.

Methods

Maternal characteristics and medical history were recorded and serum levels of PlGF were measured in women with a singleton pregnancy attending for three routine hospital visits at 11 + 0 to 13 + 6, 19 + 0 to 24 + 6 and 30 + 0 to 34 + 6 or 35 + 0 to 37 + 6 weeks' gestation. For women delivering phenotypically normal live births or stillbirths ≥ 24 weeks' gestation, variables from maternal demographic characteristics and medical history important in the prediction of PlGF were determined from a linear mixed‐effects multiple regression.

Results

Serum levels of PlGF were measured in 38 002 cases in the first trimester, 10 281 in the second trimester and 12 392 in the third trimester. Significant independent contributions to serum PlGF were provided by gestational age, maternal age, weight and racial origin, cigarette smoking, diabetes mellitus, and gestational age at delivery and birth‐weight Z‐score of the neonate in the previous pregnancy. The machine used to measure serum PlGF was also found to have a significant effect. Allowing for other factors, the effect of maternal age on PlGF changed over the three trimesters, whereas other variables had constant effects over the three trimesters. Random‐effects multiple regression analysis was used to define the contribution of maternal variables that influence the measured serum PlGF and express the values as multiples of the median (MoMs). The model was shown to provide an adequate fit of MoM values for all covariates, both in pregnancies that developed pre‐eclampsia and in those without this complication.

Conclusions

A model was fitted to express the measured level of maternal serum PlGF across the three trimesters of pregnancy as MoMs, after adjusting for variables of maternal characteristics and medical history that affect this measurement. Copyright © 2015 ISUOG. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.
Salvage Completion Pancreatectomies as Damage Control for Post‐pancreatic Surgery Complications: A Single‐Center Retrospective Analysis
Authors: Nentwich Michael F. , El Gammal Alexander T. , Lemcke Torben , Ghadban Tarik , Bellon Eugen , Melling Nathaniel , Bachmann Kai , Reeh Matthias , Uzunoglu Faik G. , Izbicki Jakob R. , Bockhorn Maximilian
Published: February 2015

Background

Post‐pancreatic surgical morbidity is frequent but often manageable by less invasive means than re‐operation. Yet, some complications can become hazardous and life threatening. Herein, the results of a completion pancreatectomy (CP) to cope with severe post‐operative pancreatic fistulas (POPF) and bleeding complications after major pancreatic resections for suspected pancreatic malignancy are presented.

Methods

CPs to treat severe post‐pancreatic index‐surgery complications between January 2002 and January 2012 were selected out of a prospective database. Indications for CP as well as perioperative data were prospectively collected and retrospectively assessed.

Results

In 20 of 521 Kausch–Whipple Resections (3.8 %), a CP was necessary to treat post‐index surgery morbidity. Indications included insufficiency of the pancreaticojejunal anastomosis with resulting POPF in 14 (70.0 %) patients, severe bleeding complications in 6 (30.0 %) patients, and a severe portal vein thrombosis in 1 (5.0 %) patient. In 7 (35.0 %) of the 20 patients, the course was complicated by remnant pancreatitis. Eleven (55.0 %) of the 20 patients died during the hospital stay. Median time to re‐operation did not significantly differ between survivors and in‐hospital deaths (10.0 vs. 8.0 days; p = 0.732). Median hospital stay of the surviving patients was 31.0 (range 10–113) days. Re‐operations following CPs were necessary in 5 (55.6 %) of the 9 patients who survived and in 9 (81.8 %) out of 11 patients who died.

Conclusions

Post‐pancreatic resection complications can become hazardous and result in severely ill patients requiring maximum therapy. CP in these cases has a high mortality but serves as an ultima ratio to cope with deleterious complications.
Aerosolized Intraperitoneal Local Anesthetic for Laparoscopic Surgery: A Randomized, Double‐Blinded, Placebo‐Controlled Trial
Authors: McDermott Ailbhe M. , Chang Kah Hoong , Mieske Kelly , McAnena Peter F. , Kinirons Brian , Abeidi Abdelaly , Harte Brian H. , Kerin Michael J. , McAnena Oliver J.
Published: February 2015

Background

Postoperative pain remains a significant challenge following laparoscopy. Aerosolized intraperitoneal local anesthetic (AILA) is a novel method to deliver local anesthetic. The aim was to evaluate aerosolized ropivacaine in pain management following laparoscopic Nissen fundoplication (LNF) and cholecystectomy (LC).

Methods

This prospective randomized double‐blinded placebo‐controlled trial enrolled consecutive patients undergoing LNF and LC. The treatment group (TG) received intraperitoneal ropivacaine (5 mL 1 %Naropin®) at CO2 insufflation via the AeroSurge® aerosolizer device through the camera port. The control group (CG) received 5 mL of saline in the same manner. Postoperative shoulder tip pain at rest 6 h postoperatively was the primary study endpoint, with secondary endpoints of shoulder and abdominal pain within the first 24 h, recovery room stay, hospital stay, and postoperative analgesia use. Pain scores were collected using the Verbal Rating Score.

Results

Eighty‐seven patients were included in the final analysis (TG n = 40, CG n = 47). There was no significant difference between CG and TG at the primary endpoint. In the LC group, AILA significantly reduced shoulder tip pain at rest at 10 (p = 0.030) and 30 min (p = 0.040) and shoulder tip pain on movement at 10 (p = 0.030) and 30 min (p = 0.037). In the LNF group, AILA significantly reduced postoperative abdominal pain at rest at 6 h (p = 0.009). AILA reduced overall incidence of shoulder tip pain in the LC group (11.8 vs. 57.9 %, p = 0.004).

Conclusion

This study did not demonstrate a significant difference between TG and CG in the primary endpoint, pain at 6 h postoperatively.
Macrometastasis, Micrometastasis, and Isolated Tumor Cells in Sentinel Lymph Nodes of Early Breast Cancers: A 10‐Year Histopathological and Survival Analysis of 537 Asian Patients
Authors: Co Michael , Kwong Ava
Published: February 2015

Background

In patients with negative sentinel lymph node biopsy (SLNB), axillary dissection (AD) can be avoided to reduce morbidities. However, there is only limited data on the rate of positive non‐SLN (NSLN) in those who have micrometastasis and isolated tumor cells (ITC) in the literature.

Methods

We did a retrospective review of all clinically node‐negative breast cancer patients with SLNB done at our unit from January 2001 to June 2011. Multivariate analysis was adopted to evaluate the risk factors for NSLN metastasis. Difference in 5‐year disease‐free survival (DFS) was evaluated with log‐rank test.

Results

Five‐hundred and thirty‐seven patients underwent SLNB; 161 (30 %) had positive SLN on frozen section (FS), 50 of these patients (31 %) had NSLN metastasis, 25 patients had negative SLN on FS but were found to have micrometastasis on histopathology, and only 1 (4 %) of them had NSLN metastasis, while 14 patients were found to have ITC in SLN; none of them had NSLN metastasis. Multivariate analysis found that the number of SLN harboring micrometastasis is the only independent risk factor for NSLN metastasis in patients with micrometastasis (p value = 0.008). On the contrary; tumor size, grade, and biology were not associated with NSLN metastasis. 5‐year DFS in patients with macrometastasis in SLN was 94.2 %, while that in patients with micrometastasis and ITC was 100 % (p value <0.001).

Conclusion

NSLN metastasis in those who only have micrometastasis and ITC is rare, and 5‐year DFS is significantly better in this group of patients as well. It is therefore a routine practice in our unit to omit AD in patients with micrometastasis and ITC on SLN.
The syntax of anaphoric possessives in Hungarian
Authors: Dékány Éva
Published: February 2015

Starting with the seminal work of Szabolcsi, morphologically unmarked and Dative-marked possessors in Hungarian have been the subject of rich investigation. Anaphoric possessive constructions, however, have remained poorly researched. In these possessives the possessor bears the mysterious-ésuffix and the covert possessum is interpreted under identity with an antecedent. This paper presents new evidence in favour of Bartos’ (2001) analysis of anaphoric possessives, which holds that-éis the Genitive case. I further argue that anaphoric possessives in Hungarian involve a pro-form rather than deletion of a lexical noun, and this accounts for the restricted modification of the possessum.
The Interactions of CSR, Self-Congruity and Purchase Intention among Chinese Consumers
Authors: Lee Jihyun , Lee Yuri
Published: February 2015

This research aimed to identify the influence of Chinese consumers’ beliefs about dimensions of corporate social responsibility (CSR) on self-congruity and their purchase intentions in the fashion industry. We examined the relationship between four dimensions of CSR (i.e., economic, legal, ethical, philanthropic) and purchase intention and hypothesised that basic responsibilities such as economic and legal responsibility affected purchase intention directly, while high-level responsibilities such as ethical and philanthropic responsibility affected purchase intention through the mediation of self-congruity. The results of our online survey supported our hypotheses. This finding implies that consumers’ self-concept is closely related to the higher-level CSR dimensions and less related to the basic duties of companies such as their economic and legal responsibility. We confirmed that fashion companies’ ethical responsibility and philanthropic responsibility could be more influential when it was self-congruous. We found that ethical responsibility is a relatively weak dimension in influencing purchase intention compared with other CSR dimensions. Based on this result, we suggest several implications for companies interested in the Chinese market.