bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Remembering antibodies coming of age
Authors: Melchers Fritz
Published: November 2015

Fifty years ago, Norbert Hilschmann discovered that antibodies have variable immunoglobulin domains to bind antigens, and constant domains to carry out effector functions in the immune system. Just as this happened, the author of this perspective entered the field of immunology. Ten years later, the genetic basis of antibody variability was discovered by Susumu Tonegawa and his colleagues at the Basel Institute for Immunology, where the author had become a scientific member. At the same time, Georges Köhler, a former graduate student of the author's at the Basel Institute, invented with Cesar Milstein at the Laboratory of Molecular Biology in Cambridge, England, the method to produce monoclonal antibodies. The author describes here his memories connected to these three monumental, paradigm‐changing discoveries, which he observed in close proximity.
Highly Sensitive Differential Pulse and Square Wave Voltammetric Methods for Determination of Strontium Ranelate in Bulk and Pharmaceutical Dosage Form
Authors: Rizk Mohamed , Abou El‐Alamin Maha M. , Hendawy Hassan A. M. , Moawad Mervat I.
Published: November 2015

The voltammetric behavior of Strontium Ranelate (SR) was studied using Cyclic (CV), differential pulse (DPV) and square wave (SWV) voltammetry. CV showed two well‐defined, irreversible, diffusion‐controlled anodic peaks using Britton‐Robinson buffer, pH 2.0 at Pencil graphite (PGE), Carbon paste (CPE) and glassy carbon (GCE) electrodes. The peak current‐concentration relationship was rectilinear over the range 1.0–10.0, 1.0–11.25 and 2.5–24.0 µg/mL at PGE, CPE and GCE respectively, with a minimum detectability of 0.17, 0.24 and 0.39 µg/mL for peak 1 and 0.19, 0.27 and 0.51 µg/mL for peak 2. Recoveries showed the high accuracy of the method; 99.8 %, 99.5 % and 99.7 % at PGE, CPE and GCE respectively for peak 1 and 100.1 %, 99.9 % and 99.7 % at PGE, CPE and GCE respectively for peak 2. Hence DPV and SWV were conducted for the quantitative determination of SR in its pure and pharmaceutical dosage form. the method was validated and the results were in good agreement with those obtained from the reported method.
Li/air Flow Battery Employing Ionic Liquid Electrolytes
Authors: Grande Lorenzo , Ochel Anders , Monaco Simone , Mastragostino Marina , Tonti Dino , Palomino Pablo , Paillard Elie , Passerini Stefano
Published: November 2015

Despite the considerable initial optimism behind its development and prospective commercialization, the Li/air battery chemistry has now reached a mature stage of development, which has served to highlight the main underlying technological limitations, as well as what can realistically be expected from it. One of the main challenges is the control of the discharge product morphology, that is, Li2O2, onto the positive electrode. In this article, we show how the three‐phase configuration required to ensure cell operation can be induced in a two‐phase system made of mesoporous carbon and an ionic liquid electrolyte [N‐butyl‐N‐methylpyrrolidinium bis(trifluoromethane sulfonyl)imide, Pyr14TFSI] by means of an oxygen‐bubbling device (OBD) and a peristaltic pump. The use of a non‐flammable, non‐volatile electrolyte ensures long‐term, extensive discharging (up to 4.78 mAh cm−2), as well as operation at temperatures higher than room temperature.
Network coding schemes for D2D communications based relaying for cellular coverage extension
Authors: Abrardo Andrea , Fodor Gabor , Tola Besmir
Published: November 2015

Although network‐assisted device‐to‐device (D2D) communications are known to improve the spectral and energy efficiency of proximal communications, the performance of cooperative D2D schemes in licenced spectrum is less understood when employed to extend the coverage of cellular networks. In this paper, we study the performance of D2D‐based range extension in terms of sum rate and power efficiency when a relaying user equipment (UE) helps to improve the coverage for cell edge UEs. In our design, the relaying UE may have own traffic to transmit and receive to/from the cellular base station (BS) and can operate either in amplify‐and‐forward (AF) or decode‐and‐forward (DF) modes and can make use of either digital or analogue physical (PHY) layer network coding. In this rather general setting, we propose mode selection, resource allocation and power control schemes and study their performance by means of system simulations. We find that the performance of the DF scheme with network coding is superior both to the traditional cellular and the AF‐based relaying schemes, including AF with two‐slot or three‐slot PHY layer network coding. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
CFD modeling approach of smoke toxicity and opacity for flaming and non‐flaming combustion processes
Authors: Löhnert Andrea , Monreal Nils , Knaust Christian , Hofmann Anja , Krause Ulrich
Published: November 2015

Current engineer's methods of fire safety design include various approaches to calculate the fire propagation and smoke spread in buildings by means of computational fluid dynamics (CFD). Because of the increased computational capacity, CFD is commonly used for prediction of time‐dependent safety parameters such as critical temperature, smoke layer height, rescue times, distributions of chemical products, and smoke toxicity and visibility. The analysis of smoke components with CFD is particularly complex, because the composition of the fire gases and also the smoke quantities depends on material properties and also on ambient and burning conditions. Oxygen concentrations and the temperature distribution in the compartment affect smoke production and smoke gas toxicity qualitatively and quantitatively. For safety designs, it can be necessary to take these influences into account. Current smoke models in CFD often use a constant smoke yield that does not vary with different fire conditions. If smoke gas toxicity is considered, a simple approach with the focus on carbon monoxide is often used. On the basis of a large set of experimental data, a numerical smoke model has been developed. The developed numerical smoke model includes optical properties, production, and toxic potential of smoke under different conditions. For the setup of the numerical model, experimental data were used for calculation of chemical components and evaluation of smoke toxicity under different combustion conditions. Therefore, averaged reaction equations were developed from experimental measurements and implemented in ANSYS CFX 14.0. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Human papillomavirus infection and lymphoma incidence using cervical conization as a surrogate marker: a Danish nationwide cohort study
Authors: Intaraphet Suthida , Farkas Dóra Körmendiné , Johannesdottir Schmidt Sigrun Alba , Cronin‐Fenton Deirdre , Søgaard Mette
Published: November 2015

Persistent human papillomavirus (HPV) infection may promote carcinogenesis by hyperactivation of the immune system. We, therefore, explored the associations between HPV infection and risk of Hodgkin and non‐Hodgkin lymphoma in a nationwide cohort study using conization as a surrogate marker. We identified all Danish women who underwent conization between 1978 and 2011. We computed standardized incidence ratios and 95% confidence intervals for Hodgkin and non‐Hodgkin lymphoma based on national cancer incidence rates. Among 87 435 women who underwent conization, we noted an increased incidence of Hodgkin (standardized incidence ratio 1.48, 95% confidence interval 1.05–2.02) but only a slight increase for non‐Hodgkin lymphoma (standardized incidence ratio 1.10, 95% confidence interval 0.97–1.25). As measured by conization, HPV infection is associated with an increased risk of lymphoma. This association may be attributable to a chronic immune activation induced by persistent HPV infection and/or failure of the immune system both to clear HPV infection and to control lymphoma development. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Numerical Investigation of Forced Convection Conjugate Heat Transfer from Offset Square Cylinders Placed in a Confined Channel Covered by Solid Wall
Authors: Parthasarathy Rajesh Kanna , Mahadevan Sivasubramanian , Marimuthu Uthayakumar
Published: November 2015

Flow over two isothermal offset square cylinders in a confined channel is simulated for different Reynolds numbers to disclose the forced convection heat transfer from the heated square cylinders to the ambient fluid. The spacing between the cylinder in the normal direction and the blockage ratio are fixed. The channel walls are covered by solid walls of thickness equal to the size of the cylinder and conjugate heat transfer is considered by including these walls. Heat transfer from the cylinders to the ambient fluid as well as that conducted within the solid wall through the conjugate interface boundary are investigated in connection with Reynolds number and are reported for both steady and periodic flows. Simulation is carried out for Reynolds number varying from 10 to 100 with air as the fluid. The onset of the vortex begins when the Reynolds number equals 48. The conjugate interface temperature declines when the Reynolds number grows. The isotherms in the solid wall show two dimensionality near the cylinder region.
Research on a 3D Temperature Field Model of a Slab with Oxide Layer Growth
Authors: Dong Xiao‐xu , He An‐rui , Sun Wen‐quan , Liu Zhu‐bing , Hong Bo
Published: November 2015

Slab heating plays an important role in the production of iron and steel materials. However, it is a very complex process involving physical and chemical change. In this study, we built a numerical heat transfer model to predict the three‐dimensional transient temperature field of a slab based on the implicit finite difference method. The model takes the growth of the oxide layer into account, as well as the impact on heat transfer. Slab temperature and oxide layer thickness were calculated in each step. The model considers three kinds of boundary conditions. It displays the temperature variation of each part of the slab in the furnace at all time, the heating curve, and the growth in the thickness curve of the oxide layer. This model can be used to control heating time, optimize the heating curve, and improve production efficiency, thereby reducing cost. The model is also useful for calculation of rolling force, as well as the control of carbon isolation and product microstructure.
Alkyl hydroperoxide reductase from Bacillus aquimaris MKSC 6.2 protects Esherichia coli from oxidative stress
Authors: Natalia Dessy , Jumadila Ozi , Anggraini Irika Devi , Meutia Febrina , Puspasari Fernita , Hasan Khomaini
Published: November 2015

Alkyl hydroperoxide reductase genes (ahpCF) from the soft coral associated Bacillus aquimaris MKSC6.2 have been isolated. The cloned 546 bp ahpC gene encodes a 181 amino acid residues polypeptide. The AhpC belongs to typical 2‐Cys peroxiredoxin (Prx) containing conserved peroxidatic cysteine residue (C46) required for hydroperoxide reduction and conserved resolving cysteine (C166). The isolated 1530 bp ahpF gene encodes a polypeptide of 509 amino acid residues with two conserved C128HNC131 and C337PHC340 catalytic residues required for reduction of oxidized‐AhpC during catalytic turnover. A survival study with Escherichia coli showed that overexpression of AhpC and AhpF resulted in a total protection against 0.16 mM t‐butyl hydroperoxide.
Corrosion behavior of bulk amorphous and crystalline Zr‐based alloys in simulated body fluid with and without additions of protein
Authors: Tabeshian A. , Persson D. , Arnberg L. , Aune R. E.
Published: November 2015

The main aim of the present study has been to investigate the electrochemical behavior of, and oxide film formation on, the bulk amorphous Zr55Cu30Ni5Al10 alloy and the crystalline counterpart in simulated body fluid. Different analytical methods, e.g., polarization and electrochemical impedance measurements, were used to compare the results of the samples when exposed to, phosphate buffered saline (PBS), with or without the addition of protein (albumin). Moreover, the influence of pH on the corrosion behavior of the materials was also investigated. Pitting corrosion was observed to exist on both amorphous and crystalline samples after exposure to the PBS solution, but the passivity region was much smaller for the crystalline material. The addition of protein to the PBS solution improved passive behavior and led to higher pitting potential in the case of the crystalline samples, while the pitting corrosion potential decreased slightly in the case of the amorphous samples. Furthermore, a decrease in the pH level accelerates the dissolution rate of both materials when exposed to the PBS environment, however, in the presence of albumin the pitting corrosion potential increased in the case of both materials.
Water‐Soluble Blue Fluorescence‐Emitting Hyperbranched Polysiloxanes Simultaneously Containing Hydroxyl and Primary Amine Groups
Authors: Niu Song , Yan Hongxia , Chen Zhengyan , Yuan Lingxia , Liu Tianye , Liu Chao
Published: November 2015

In this Communication, novel water‐soluble hyperbranched polysiloxanes (WHPSs) simultaneously containing hydroxyl and primary amine groups are developed. The polymers are constructed via melt polycondensation, that is, transesterification reaction between ethoxyl groups of (3‐aminopropyl)triethoxysilane and hydroxyl groups of dihydric alcohols, using a one‐step process under catalyst‐free conditions. Surprisingly, the resultant WHPSs can emit bright blue fluorescence in the 100% solid state under the irradiation of UV light, and their photoluminescence intensities in aqueous solutions continuously go up along with increasing concentrations. Interestingly, their hydrolyzates display more intense luminescence compared to the unhydrolyzed. The efficient and easily controllable preparation strategy provides a remarkable and versatile platform for the fabrication of neoteric fluorescent materials for various potential applications.

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Detecting persistence of meteorological drought via the Hurst exponent
Authors: Tatli Hasan
Published: November 2015

This study proposes the Hurst exponent (H) to detect persistence in the Palmer Drought Severity Index (PDSI) over Turkey. Since a fractal structure admits the behaviour of global determinism and local randomness, the H exponent values could be used to detect self‐similar statistical structure of the time series. Additionally, the H value >0.5 and near 1 shows the intensity level of persistence. The term persistence may be assessed as a criterion to be used as a measure of predictability. Moreover, the predictability index, fractal dimension and autocorrelation function of the PDSI values can also be obtained from the H values. Nevertheless, it is not easy to find a spatial meaning of information content of the results obtained by the methods used in the present study. For that reason, the Mann‐Kendall (MK) trend test was also used, and the results showed that significant negative trends are widespread throughout the country. As expected, the H values were close to 1 in places where statistically significant trends exist. The high values of the H exponent in all the regions can be explained by the droughts observed there that might be caused due to the possible associations with the large‐scale atmospheric circulations. In this context, it is suggested that the droughts can be predictable by constructing the appropriate general climate circulation models.
Stable axisymmetric SPH formulation with no axis singularity
Authors: Wang Jian , Chan Dave , Zhang Jiahe
Published: November 2015

The axisymmetric formulation of the governing equations for geomechanics in the framework of smoothed particle hydrodynamics (SPH) is presented in this study. Two forms of SPH discretization for the motion equations, which are labeled as form I and form II, are proposed, and the methods to compute the hoop stress and strain terms including hoop strain rate and the acceleration introduced by the hoop stress are compared. To avoid possible singularity problem near the axis of symmetry, a perfectly smooth contact along with ghost particles are applied to prevent the real particles from overly approaching the axis of symmetry to remove this potential singularity. In addition, the Mohr–Coulomb constitutive model is implemented into the SPH formulation in describing soil behavior. Four numerical tests are carried out to validate and compare the accuracy and stability of the proposed algorithms, and their results are compared with analytical solutions and results from FEM analysis. The performance in these comparisons suggests that SPH II with hoop terms computed through direct hoop method is more stable than the others, and the adoption of contact for the symmetric axis is efficient in eliminating the singularity problem. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Fast tensor method for summation of long‐range potentials on 3D lattices with defects
Authors: Khoromskaia Venera , Khoromskij Boris N.
Published: November 2015

In this paper, we present a method for fast summation of long‐range potentials on 3D lattices with multiple defects and having non‐rectangular geometries, based on rank‐structured tensor representations. This is a significant generalization of our recent technique for the grid‐based summation of electrostatic potentials on the rectangular L × L × L lattices by using the canonical tensor decompositions and yielding the O(L) computational complexity instead of O(L3) by traditional approaches. The resulting lattice sum is calculated as a Tucker or canonical representation whose directional vectors are assembled by the 1D summation of the generating vectors for the shifted reference tensor, once precomputed on large N × N × N representation grid in a 3D bounding box. The tensor numerical treatment of defects is performed in an algebraic way by simple summation of tensors in the canonical or Tucker formats. To diminish the considerable increase in the tensor rank of the resulting potential sum, the ϵ‐rank reduction procedure is applied based on the generalized reduced higher‐order SVD scheme. For the reduced higher‐order SVD approximation to a sum of canonical/Tucker tensors, we prove the stable error bounds in the relative norm in terms of discarded singular values of the side matrices. The required storage scales linearly in the 1D grid‐size, O(N), while the numerical cost is estimated by O(NL). The approach applies to a general class of kernel functions including those for the Newton, Slater, Yukawa, Lennard‐Jones, and dipole‐dipole interactions. Numerical tests confirm the efficiency of the presented tensor summation method; we demonstrate that a sum of millions of Newton kernels on a 3D lattice with defects/impurities can be computed in seconds in Matlab implementation. The tensor approach is advantageous in further functional calculus with the lattice potential sums represented on a 3D grid, like integration or differentiation, using tensor arithmetics of 1D complexity. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Vapochromic behavior of polycarbonate films doped with a luminescent molecular rotor
Authors: Minei Pierpaolo , Ahmad Muzaffer , Barone Vincenzo , Brancato Giuseppe , Passaglia Elisa , Bottari Giovanni , Pucci Andrea
Published: November 2015

We report on vapochromic films suitable for detecting volatile organic compounds (VOCs), based on polycarbonate (PC) doped with 4‐(triphenylamino)phthalonitrile (TPAP), a fluorescent molecular rotor sensitive to solvent polarity and viscosity. PC films of variable thickness (from 20 up to 80 µm) and containing small amounts of TPAP (0.05 wt%) were prepared and exposed to a saturated atmosphere of different VOCs. TPAP/PC films showed a gradual decrease and red‐shift of the emission during the exposure to solvents with high polarity index and favorable interaction with the polymer matrix such as THF, CHCl3, and acetonitrile. In the case of the most interacting solvents (THF and CHCl3), TPAP/PC films also showed a fluorescence increase at longer exposure times, as a consequence of an irreversible, solvent‐induced crystallization process of the polymeric matrix. The vapochromism of TPAP/PC films is rationalized on the basis of alterations of the rotor intramolecular motion upon solvent uptake by PC and polarity effects of the microenvironment. Interestingly, the fluorescence response of the TPAP/PC films shows a non‐trivial, tuneable dependence on film thickness during the second solvent‐exposure stage. The latter effect is attributed to a variable extent of the crystallization process occurring in the PC films. This observation promptly suggests, in turn, an effective procedure to modulate the spectroscopic response in such functionalized polymeric materials through the precise control of the film thickness. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Synthesis and characterization of controlled drug release carriers based on functionalized amphiphilic block copolymers and super‐paramagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles
Authors: Hemmati Khadijeh , Alizadeh Raouf , Ghaemy Mousa
Published: November 2015

In this study, synthesis and characterization of magnetic nanocarriers are reported for drug delivery based on the amphiphilic di‐block and tri‐block copolymers of poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) and poly(ε‐caprolactone) (PCL) with surface modified super‐paramagnetite Fe3O4 nanoparticles (magnetic nanoparticles (MNPs)). The synthesized block copolymers (methoxy poly(ethylene glycol) (mPEG)–PCL and PCL–PEG–PCL) were characterized by Fourier transform infrared (FT‐IR), 1H nuclear magnetic resonance (1H NMR), gel permeation chromatography (GPC), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), and their properties such as critical micelle concentration, hydrophilicity to lipophilicity balance, and hydrolytic degradation were investigated. The block copolymers were functionalized with terminal azide groups (mPEG–PCL(N3) and (N3)PCL–PEG–PCL(N3)), and magnetic Fe3O4 nanoparticles were surface modified with poly(acrylic acid) (PAA) and propargyl alcohol (MNP–PAA–C≡CH). Magnetic nanocarriers were synthesized by click reaction between azide‐terminated block copolymers and MNP–PAA–C≡CH and characterized by FT‐IR, thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), dynamic light scattering (DLS), vibrating sample magnetometer (VSM), and transmission electron microscopy (TEM), and cytotoxicity was investigated by methyl thiazolyl tetrazolium assay. In vitro drug loading and release and release kinetics were investigated. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Literature review of visual representation of the results of benefit–risk assessments of medicinal products
Authors: Hallgreen Christine E. , Mt‐Isa Shahrul , Lieftucht Alfons , Phillips Lawrence D. , Hughes Diana , Talbot Susan , Asiimwe Alex , Downey Gerald , Genov Georgy , Hermann Richard , Noel Rebecca , Peters Ruth , Micaleff Alain , Tzoulaki Ioanna , Ashby Deborah ,   On behalf of PROTECT Benefit–Risk group
Published: November 2015

Background

The PROTECT Benefit–Risk group is dedicated to research in methods for continuous benefit–risk monitoring of medicines, including the presentation of the results, with a particular emphasis on graphical methods.

Methods

A comprehensive review was performed to identify visuals used for medical risk and benefit–risk communication. The identified visual displays were grouped into visual types, and each visual type was appraised based on five criteria: intended audience, intended message, knowledge required to understand the visual, unintentional messages that may be derived from the visual and missing information that may be needed to understand the visual.

Results

Sixty‐six examples of visual formats were identified from the literature and classified into 14 visual types. We found that there is not one single visual format that is consistently superior to others for the communication of benefit–risk information. In addition, we found that most of the drawbacks found in the visual formats could be considered general to visual communication, although some appear more relevant to specific formats and should be considered when creating visuals for different audiences depending on the exact message to be communicated.

Conclusion

We have arrived at recommendations for the use of visual displays for benefit–risk communication. The recommendation refers to the creation of visuals. We outline four criteria to determine audience–visual compatibility and consider these to be a key task in creating any visual. Next we propose specific visual formats of interest, to be explored further for their ability to address nine different types of benefit–risk analysis information. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Implementation and Clinical Outcomes of an Employer‐Sponsored, Pharmacist‐Provided Medication Therapy Management Program
Authors: Theising Katie M. , Fritschle Traci L. , Scholfield Angelina M. , Hicks Emily L. , Schymik Michelle L.
Published: November 2015

Our objective was to describe the implementation and clinical outcomes of an employer‐sponsored, pharmacist‐provided medication therapy management (MTM) program for health plan beneficiaries with diabetes mellitus and/or hypertension. We conducted a single‐center retrospective medical record review. The setting was a Pharmacy MTM Clinic at a self‐insured health system consisting of six hospitals and several ancillary facilities. A total of 161 health plan beneficiaries with diabetes identified during annual wellness screenings for the health plan in 2012 and 225 health plan beneficiaries with diabetes and/or hypertension identified during annual wellness screenings for the health plan in 2013 were referred to the MTM clinic based on specific criteria. In 2012 the health system expanded its existing wellness program by implementing a voluntary diabetes care program for health plan beneficiaries with uncontrolled diabetes (hemoglobin A1c [A1C] 7% or higher); a similar program was added for hypertension for the 2013 plan year. All participants' A1C and blood pressure results were tracked from the date of their wellness screening through the end of the plan year. The pharmacists involved had the capability to directly implement drug regimen changes according to hospital protocol or provide recommendations to the physician, as specified by the referring physician. For the 2012–2013 plan year, the mean difference in A1C from baseline to program completion was −0.38% (95% confidence interval [CI] −0.58 to −0.18%, p<0.05). For beneficiaries with a baseline A1C of 7% or higher, the mean difference was −0.69% (95% CI −0.99 to −0.39%, p<0.05). For the 2013–2014 plan year, the mean difference in A1C from baseline to program completion was −0.62% (95% CI −0.81 to −0.44%, p<0.05). In that year, the mean difference in A1C for beneficiaries with A1C 7% or higher was −0.97% (95% CI −1.23 to −0.72%, p<0.05). For those referred for hypertension, a mean difference of −13 mm Hg (95% CI −18.59 to −7.73, p<0.05) from baseline to program completion was seen in systolic blood pressure, and the mean difference in diastolic blood pressure was −7 mm Hg (95% CI −9.92 to −4.04, p<0.05). This study demonstrated that health plan beneficiaries who participated in the employer‐sponsored, pharmacist‐provided MTM program had significant decreases in A1C and blood pressure.
Effect of Statins on the Incidence of Postoperative Atrial Fibrillation after Cardiac Valve Surgery
Authors: Bolesta Scott , Kong Fanhui
Published: November 2015

Study Objective

To evaluate the effect of preoperative statin use on the incidence of postoperative atrial fibrillation (POAF) in patients undergoing isolated cardiac valve surgery.

Design

Single‐center retrospective cohort study.

Setting

Mixed medical‐surgical intensive care unit in a community hospital.

Patients

A total of 244 adults who underwent isolated cardiac valve surgery between April 2007 and July 2012; of these patients, 102 received preoperative statins (defined as receiving at least one dose of a statin within 24 hours prior to surgery), and 142 did not receive preoperative statins (control group).

Measurements and Main Results

The primary outcome was the occurrence of POAF. Logistic regression was used to determine the association between preoperative statin use and occurrence of POAF. A propensity score–matched (PSM) analysis was also performed. Patients in the statin group were older, had a higher body mass index, frequency of diabetes mellitus, hypertension, cerebrovascular disease, peripheral artery disease, myocardial infarction, and preoperative β‐blocker use. POAF occurred in 35 patients (34.3%) in the statin group and 39 patients (27.5%) in the control group. Univariate analysis demonstrated no association between statin use and the occurrence of POAF (odds ratio [OR] 1.38, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.796–2.39). Multivariable analysis also showed no association between POAF and preoperative statin use (OR 1.09, 95% CI 0.566–2.09). Repeating the analysis in 128 PSM patients demonstrated no association (OR 1.08, 95% CI 0.507–2.29).

Conclusion

Preoperative statin use was not associated with a decreased incidence of POAF in patients undergoing isolated cardiac valve surgery. Additional studies are needed to further elucidate the pharmacodynamics of statins in patients undergoing cardiac surgery because statins have demonstrated a decrease in the risk of POAF in other cardiac surgery populations.
Wie viel Experiment braucht die Physik?
Authors: Beisbart Claus
Published: November 2015

In der Physik gilt das Experiment als Prüfstein, an dem sich Hypothesen bewähren müssen. Doch wo Experimente technisch unmöglich sind oder zu aufwendig werden, sind Alternativen gefragt. Gedankenexperimente und Computersimulationen versprechen einen Ersatz. Aber was ist unter diesen beiden Methoden zu verstehen und welchen Realitätsbezug haben sie? Eine wissenschaftsphilosophische Klärung zeigt, dass Gedankenexperimente und Computersimulationen eng verwandt sind. Beide imitieren echte Experimente; dabei stellen sich ihre Resultate aber bloß aufgrund theoretischer Annahmen oder Einsichten ein. Daher stellen Computersimulationen keinen eigenständigen dritten Zweig der Physik dar, sondern gehören wie Gedankenexperimente zu den Methoden der Theorie.
Endspiel für den lokalen Realismus
Authors: Kofler Johannes
Published: November 2015

Im Weltbild der Physik vor Entdeckung der Quantenmechanik sind die Eigenschaften physikalischer Objekte stets wohlbestimmt und existieren unabhängig von ihrer Messung. Dies wird als Realismus bezeichnet. Zudem können aufgrund des Prinzips der Lokalität physikalische Einflüsse höchstens mit Lichtgeschwindigkeit übertragen werden. Dieser lokale Realismus steht jedoch im Widerspruch zu den Vorhersagen der Quantenphysik. Dies zeigt sich durch die experimentelle Verletzung der Bellschen Ungleichung durch quantenmechanisch verschränkte Zustände. Neueste Experimente stehen direkt vor der Realisierung eines definitiven Bell‐Tests, der alle wichtigen Schlupflöcher gleichzeitig schließt.
Was ist ein Photon?
Authors: Rempe Gerhard
Published: November 2015

Klassische Detektoren für Photonen basieren auf Energieaustausch. Sie absorbieren das einfallende Licht. Neue quantenmechanische Detektoren beruhen auf Informationsaustausch. Sie vernichten keine Photonen. Mit dem zerstörungsfreien Photonennachweis werfen sie ein neues Licht auf die alte Frage nach dem Wesen des Photons. Solch ein quantenmechanischer Detektor besteht in seiner einfachsten Form aus einem Atom zwischen zwei perfekten Spiegeln, die das Photon hin und her reflektieren können. Mit dieser Anordnung lassen sich Quantengatter, Quantenspeicher und Quantenrepeater für ein zukünftiges Quanteninternet realisieren.
Rhapsody in Blue
Authors: Mathelitsch Leopold , Verovnik Ivo
Published: November 2015

Physikalisch gesehen sind Klarinetten einseitig geschlossene Pfeifen, da der Spalt im Mundstück sehr schmal ist. Daher entspricht die Wellenlänge des Grundtons der vierfachen Pfeifenlänge. Die Frequenz des ersten Obertons ist dagegen um den Faktor drei höher als der Grundton. Damit erreicht die Klarinette einen Tonumfang von vier Oktaven und schlägt Saxophone und Flöten um etwa eine Oktave.
Visualisierung der Polarität chemischer Bindungen
Authors: Repp Jascha , Albrecht Florian , Fleischmann Martin , Scheer Manfred
Published: November 2015

Die Verteilung von Ladungen innerhalb eines Moleküls ist für dessen Eigenschaften wie den Bindungscharakter (von rein kovalent bis polar) maßgeblich. Auch zum Verständnis der fundamentalen Vorgänge in der organischen Elektronik und in organischen Solarzellen ist die Kenntnis der Verteilung der freien Ladungen im Molekül sehr wichtig. Kürzlich ist es uns mit rasterkraftmikroskopischen Messungen gelungen, Ladungsunterschiede zwischen benachbarten Atomen in einzelnen Molekülen aufzulösen.
Elektrisch betriebene Nano‐Antenne erzeugt Licht
Authors: Kullock René , Hecht Bert , Kern Johannes
Published: November 2015

Kleine, elektrisch betriebene Lichtemitter spielen eine wichtige Rolle in der Datenkommunikation, wo über Lichtwellenleiter große Datenmengen sehr schnell mit Hilfe von elektrisch erzeugten Lichtpulsen übertragen werden. Es ist nun gelungen, mit Hilfe von Nano‐Antennen eine der kleinsten elektrisch betriebenen Lichtquellen herzustellen. Solche Lichtquellen eröffnen neue Möglichkeiten zur Miniaturisierung elektrooptischer Systeme.
Graphen auf dem Weg zur Anwendung
Authors: Banszerus Luca , Schmitz Hans Michael , Beschoten Bernd , Stampfer Christoph
Published: November 2015

Graphen zeichnet sich durch eine Vielzahl von einzigartigen elektronischen, optischen und mechanischen Eigenschaften aus und wird daher zum Beispiel Magnetfeld‐Hall‐Sensoren oder Anwendungen in der Hochfrequenztechnik und Optoelektronik deutlich verbessern. Unsere Kollaboration des Forschungszentrums Jülich und der RWTH Aachen hat ein neues Verfahren entwickelt, um synthetisch gewachsenes, hochqualitatives Graphen herzustellen. Dies ist ein wichtiger Schritt, um graphenbasierte Anwendungen zur Marktreife zu bringen.
Röntgenstrahlen für die Strukturanalyse von Kristallen
Authors: Jacobi Manfred
Published: November 2015

Der Physik‐Nobelpreis für das Jahr 1915 ging zu gleichen Teilen an Sir William Henry Bragg und dessen Sohn William Lawrence Bragg für “ihre Verdienste in der Analyse der Kristallstruktur mittels Röntgenstrahlen”. William Lawrence Bragg war mit 25 Jahren der jüngste Physik‐Nobelpreisträger der Geschichte.
Neutrinos sind gewichtig
Authors: Zuber Kai
Published: November 2015

Takaaki Kajita und Arthur B. McDonald erhalten den diesjährigen Nobelpreis für die Entdeckung der Neutrino‐Oszillationen und damit für den Beweis einer von Null verschiedenen Ruhemasse der Neutrinos.
Krach‐bumm‐peng – Böller und Tischfeuerwerke
Authors: Vollmer Michael , Möllmann Klaus‐Peter
Published: November 2015

Zu Silvester wird es wieder krachen und knallen, draußen oder drinnen. Hochgeschwindigkeits‐Videos von Chinakrachern offenbaren deren dynamische Explosionsphase. Auch die weniger spektakulären Tischfeuerwerke zeigen noch so manches interessante Detail.
Viral infection causes a shift in the self peptide repertoire presented by human MHC class I molecules
Authors: Spencer Charles T. , Bezbradica Jelena S. , Ramos Mireya G. , Arico Chenoa D. , Conant Stephanie B. , Gilchuk Pavlo , Gray Jennifer J. , Zheng Mu , Niu Xinnan , Hildebrand William , Link Andrew J. , Joyce Sebastian
Published: November 2015

Purpose

MHC class I presentation of peptides allows T cells to survey the cytoplasmic protein milieu of host cells. During infection, presentation of self peptides is, in part, replaced by presentation of microbial peptides. However, little is known about the self peptides presented during infection, despite the fact that microbial infections alter host cell gene expression patterns and protein metabolism.

Experimental design

The self peptide repertoire presented by HLA‐A*01;01, HLA‐A*02;01, HLA‐B*07;02, HLA‐B*35;01, and HLA‐B*45;01 (where HLA is human leukocyte antigen) was determined by tandem MS before and after vaccinia virus infection.

Results

We observed a profound alteration in the self peptide repertoire with hundreds of self peptides uniquely presented after infection for which we have coined the term “self peptidome shift.” The fraction of novel self peptides presented following infection varied for different HLA class I molecules. A large part (approximately 40%) of the self peptidome shift arose from peptides derived from type I interferon‐inducible genes, consistent with cellular responses to viral infection. Interestingly, approximately 12% of self peptides presented after infection showed allelic variation when searched against approximately 300 human genomes.

Conclusion and clinical relevance

Self peptidome shift in a clinical transplant setting could result in alloreactivity by presenting new self peptides in the context of infection‐induced inflammation.
Gravity theory on Poisson manifold with R‐flux
Authors: Asakawa Tsuguhiko , Muraki Hisayoshi , Watamura Satoshi
Published: November 2015

A novel gravity theory based on Poisson Generalized Geometry is investigated. A gravity theory on a Poisson manifold equipped with a Riemannian metric is constructed from a contravariant version of the Levi‐Civita connection, which is based on the Lie algebroid of a Poisson manifold. Then, we show that in Poisson Generalized Geometry the R‐fluxes are consistently coupled with such a gravity. An R‐flux appears as a torsion of the corresponding connection in a similar way as an H‐flux which appears as a torsion of the connection formulated in the standard Generalized Geometry. We give an analogue of the Einstein‐Hilbert action coupled with an R‐flux, and show that it is invariant under both β‐diffeomorphisms and β‐gauge transformations.
Splitting spacetime and cloning qubits: linking no‐go theorems across the ER=EPR duality
Authors: Bao Ning , Pollack Jason , Remmen Grant N.
Published: November 2015

We analyze the no‐cloning theorem in quantum mechanics through the lens of the proposed ER=EPR (Einstein‐Rosen = Einstein‐Podolsky‐Rosen) duality between entanglement and wormholes. In particular, we find that the no‐cloning theorem is dual on the gravity side to the no‐go theorem for topology change, violating the axioms of which allows for wormhole stabilization and causality violation. Such a duality between important no‐go theorems elucidates the proposed connection between spacetime geometry and quantum entanglement.
Defining “Normophilic” and “Paraphilic” Sexual Fantasies in a Population-Based Sample: On the Importance of Considering Subgroups
Authors: Joyal Christian C.
Published: November 2015

Introduction

According to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 5th Edition (DSM-5), a sexual fantasy (SF) is paraphilic if it concerns activities outside the realm of “genital stimulation or preparatory fondling with phenotypically normal, physically mature, consenting human partners” (normophilic). Intensity of the paraphilic SF is also “greater than or equal to normophilic interests.” Surprisingly, however, very few data are available to corroborate that definition of a paraphilic SF. Although the relatively high prevalence of paraphilic SF in the general population is well known, the magnitude of difference between intensity of “normophilic” and “paraphilic” SF remains to be assessed.

Aim

The main goal of this study was to analyze the SF of adults recruited in the general population to obtain person profiles based on the nature and intensity of their SF.

Methods

Multiple correspondence analysis (MCA) were used with data collected from 1,501 adults recruited in the general population to generate subgroups of participants based on the nature and intensity of their SF.

Main outcome measures

The main outcome measures used was a revised version of the Wilson Sex Fantasy Questionnaire.

Results

When all participants are considered as a unique group, the mean intensity of the most intense “normophilic” SF (oral sex) is significantly higher than the mean intensity of the most intense “paraphilic” SF (being sexually dominated for women and watching two women having sex for men), as expected from the DSM-5. When clusters of participants are considered separately, however, conclusions are nuanced. Four significant clusters of participants (two predominantly female and two predominantly male) reported at least one paraphilic SF with intensity as high as that of their most intense “normophilic” SF. In fact, 57% of this sample met the criteria of paraphilia.

Conclusion

These results suggest that the current criteria for paraphilia are too inclusive. Suggestions are given to improve the definition of pathological sexual interests, and the crucial difference between SF and sexual interest is underlined.
Corporate governance antecedents to shareholder activism: A zero‐inflated process
Authors: Goranova Maria , Abouk Rahi , Nystrom Paul C. , Soofi Ehsan S.
Published: November 2015

Research summary: Shareholder activism has become more widespread, yet the role of corporate governance as antecedent to shareholder activism remains equivocal. We propose a new conceptual model that characterizes the stochastic of observable shareholder activism as a compound product of two latent components representing (1) shareholder activists' propensity to target a company and (2) executives' propensity to settle activists' demands privately. Our model explicitly decouples corporate governance expectations for the two latent components embedded in activism process, and thus allows us to relax assumptions of homogenous shareholder interests and constrained managerial discretion where corporate managers are expected to negotiate privately and settle only value‐creating activist demands. Bayesian analysis of zero‐inflated Poisson regression reveals that corporate governance relationships with activism vary across shareholder demands and private settlements.

Managerial summary: Increasing shareholder activism has generated debates as to whether activism promotes managerial accountability and responsibility or instead encourages managerial short‐termism. Our research model allows for heterogeneous interests among a company's shareholders. We theorize and empirically investigate a broader role of corporate governance: governance mechanisms need to ensure that executives are not (1) ignoring activists' value‐increasing demands or (2) accommodating activists' value‐decreasing demands in a private, opaque manner that disenfranchises other shareholders. Our results indicate that corporate governance implications differ for visible shareholder demands in contrast with private activism. A plausible application of our model is that it provides estimates of the probability of the numbers of shareholder demands to be received by a firm and the probability of privately settling a demand. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Alleviating managerial dilemmas in human‐capital‐intensive firms through incentives: Evidence from M&A legal advisors
Authors: Chatain Olivier , Meyer‐Doyle Philipp
Published: November 2015

Research summary: We examine how human‐capital‐intensive firms deploy their human assets and how firm‐specific human capital interacts with incentives to influence this deployment. Our empirical context is the UK M&A legal market, where micro‐data enable us to observe the allocation of lawyers to M&A mandates under different incentive regimes. We find that law firms actively equalize the workload among their lawyers to seek efficiency gains, while “stretching” lawyers with high firm‐specific capital to a greater extent. However, lawyers with high firm‐specific capital also appear to influence the staffing process in their favor, leading to unbalanced allocations and less sharing of projects and clients. Paradoxically, law firms may adopt a seniority‐based rent‐sharing system that weakens individual incentives to mitigate the impact of incentive conflicts on resource deployment.

Managerial summary: The study highlights the dilemmas when professional service firms allocate their key individuals to incoming projects, and the role that monetary incentives play in aggravating or alleviating these dilemmas. In the context of UK M&A law firms, we find that partners have a tendency to be attached to too many projects and not to share enough work, which is exacerbated when individual monetary incentives are stronger. Firms adopting a seniority based incentive system (lockstep system) are able to alleviate this effect. This implies that there is a trade‐off between rewarding personal performance versus balancing workloads and fostering collaboration among professionals. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Integrating Cell Phone Imaging with Magnetic Levitation (i‐LEV) for Label‐Free Blood Analysis at the Point‐of‐Living
Authors: Baday Murat , Calamak Semih , Durmus Naside Gozde , Davis Ronald W. , Steinmetz Lars M. , Demirci Utkan
Published: November 2015

There is an emerging need for portable, robust, inexpensive, and easy‐to‐use disease diagnosis and prognosis monitoring platforms to share health information at the point‐of‐living, including clinical and home settings. Recent advances in digital health technologies have improved early diagnosis, drug treatment, and personalized medicine. Smartphones with high‐resolution cameras and high data processing power enable intriguing biomedical applications when integrated with diagnostic devices. Further, these devices have immense potential to contribute to public health in resource‐limited settings where there is a particular need for portable, rapid, label‐free, easy‐to‐use, and affordable biomedical devices to diagnose and continuously monitor patients for precision medicine, especially those suffering from rare diseases, such as sickle cell anemia, thalassemia, and chronic fatigue syndrome. Here, a magnetic levitation‐based diagnosis system is presented in which different cell types (i.e., white and red blood cells) are levitated in a magnetic gradient and separated due to their unique densities. Moreover, an easy‐to‐use, smartphone incorporated levitation system for cell analysis is introduced. Using our portable imaging magnetic levitation (i‐LEV) system, it is shown that white and red blood cells can be identified and cell numbers can be quantified without using any labels. In addition, cells levitated in i‐LEV can be distinguished at single‐cell resolution, potentially enabling diagnosis and monitoring, as well as clinical and research applications.
Surface‐Supported Robust 2D Lanthanide‐Carboxylate Coordination Networks
Authors: Urgel José I. , Cirera Borja , Wang Yang , Auwärter Willi , Otero Roberto , Gallego José M. , Alcamí Manuel , Klyatskaya Svetlana , Ruben Mario , Martín Fernando , Miranda Rodolfo , Ecija David , Barth Johannes V.
Published: November 2015

Lanthanide‐based metal–organic compounds and architectures are promising systems for sensing, heterogeneous catalysis, photoluminescence, and magnetism. Herein, the fabrication of interfacial 2D lanthanide‐carboxylate networks is introduced. This study combines low‐ and variable‐temperature scanning tunneling microscopy (STM) and X‐ray photoemission spectroscopy (XPS) experiments, and density functional theory (DFT) calculations addressing their design and electronic properties. The bonding of ditopic linear linkers to Gd centers on a Cu(111) surface gives rise to extended nanoporous grids, comprising mononuclear nodes featuring eightfold lateral coordination. XPS and DFT elucidate the nature of the bond, indicating ionic characteristics, which is also manifest in appreciable thermal stability. This study introduces a new generation of robust low‐dimensional metallosupramolecular systems incorporating the functionalities of the f‐block elements.