bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Biodegradable Polymeric Nanocapsules Prevent Cardiotoxicity of Anti-Trypanosomal Lychnopholide
Authors: Branquinho Renata Tupinambá , Roy Jérôme , Farah Charlotte , Garcia Giani Martins , Aimond Franck , Le Guennec Jean-Yves , Saude-Guimarães Dênia Antunes , Grabe-Guimaraes Andrea , Mosqueira Vanessa Carla Furtado , de Lana Marta , Richard Sylvain
Published: March 2017

Chagas disease is a neglected parasitic disease caused by the protozoan Trypanosoma cruzi. New antitrypanosomal options are desirable to prevent complications, including a high rate of cardiomyopathy. Recently, a natural substance, lychnopholide, has shown therapeutic potential, especially when encapsulated in biodegradable polymeric nanocapsules. However, little is known regarding possible adverse effects of lychnopholide. Here we show that repeated-dose intravenous administration of free lychnopholide (2.0 mg/kg/day) for 20 days caused cardiopathy and mortality in healthy C57BL/6 mice. Echocardiography revealed concentric left ventricular hypertrophy with preserved ejection fraction, diastolic dysfunction and chamber dilatation at end-stage. Single cardiomyocytes presented altered contractility and Ca2+ handling, with spontaneous Ca2+ waves in diastole. Acute in vitro lychnopholide application on cardiomyocytes from healthy mice also induced Ca2+ handling alterations with abnormal RyR2-mediated diastolic Ca2+ release. Strikingly, the encapsulation of lychnopholide prevented the cardiac alterations induced in vivo by the free form repeated doses. Nanocapsules alone had no adverse cardiac effects. Altogether, our data establish lychnopholide presented in nanocapsule form more firmly as a promising new drug candidate to cure Chagas disease with minimal cardiotoxicity. Our study also highlights the potential of nanotechnology not only to improve the efficacy of a drug but also to protect against its adverse effects.
Efficient affinity maturation of antibody variable domains requires co-selection of compensatory mutations to maintain thermodynamic stability
Authors: Julian Mark C. , Li Lijuan , Garde Shekhar , Wilen Rebecca , Tessier Peter M.
Published: March 2017

The ability of antibodies to accumulate affinity-enhancing mutations in their complementarity-determining regions (CDRs) without compromising thermodynamic stability is critical to their natural function. However, it is unclear if affinity mutations in the hypervariable CDRs generally impact antibody stability and to what extent additional compensatory mutations are required to maintain stability during affinity maturation. Here we have experimentally and computationally evaluated the functional contributions of mutations acquired by a human variable (VH) domain that was evolved using strong selections for enhanced stability and affinity for the Alzheimer’s Aβ42 peptide. Interestingly, half of the key affinity mutations in the CDRs were destabilizing. Moreover, the destabilizing effects of these mutations were compensated for by a subset of the affinity mutations that were also stabilizing. Our findings demonstrate that the accumulation of both affinity and stability mutations is necessary to maintain thermodynamic stability during extensive mutagenesis and affinity maturation in vitro, which is similar to findings for natural antibodies that are subjected to somatic hypermutation in vivo. These findings for diverse antibodies and antibody fragments specific for unrelated antigens suggest that the formation of the antigen-binding site is generally a destabilizing process and that co-enrichment for compensatory mutations is critical for maintaining thermodynamic stability.
Phase-transfer induced room temperature ferromagnetic behavior in 1T@2H-MoSe2 nanosheets
Authors: Xia Baorui , Wang Tongtong , Xiao Wen , Zhang Rongfang , Liu Peitao , Ding Jun , Gao Daqiang , Xue Desheng
Published: March 2017

Manipulating electronic and magnetic properties of two-dimensional transitional-metal dichalcogenides has raised a lot of attention recently. Herein we report the synthesis and ferromagnetic properties of phase-transfer induced room temperature ferromagnetic behavior in 1 T@2H-MoSe2 nanosheets. Experimental results indicate the saturated magnetization of the 1 T@2H-MoSe2 compound increases first and then decreases as the increasing of 1 T-MoSe2 phase, where 65.58% 1 T-MoSe2 phase incorporation in 2H-MoSe2 could enhance the saturated magnetization from 0.32 memu/g to 8.36 memu/g. Besides, obvious magnetoresistance behaviors are observed in these samples, revealing their potential applications in future spintronics.
Mechanism of functional interaction between potassium channel Kv1.3 and sodium channel NavBeta1 subunit
Authors: Kubota Tomoya , Correa Ana M. , Bezanilla Francisco
Published: March 2017

The voltage-gated potassium channel subfamily A member 3 (Kv1.3) dominantly expresses on T cells and neurons. Recently, the interaction between Kv1.3 and NavBeta1 subunits has been explored through ionic current measurements, but the molecular mechanism has not been elucidated yet. We explored the functional interaction between Kv1.3 and NavBeta1 through gating current measurements using the Cut-open Oocyte Voltage Clamp (COVC) technique. We showed that the N-terminal 1–52 sequence of hKv1.3 disrupts the channel expression on theXenopusoocyte membrane, suggesting a potential role as regulator of hKv1.3 expression in neurons and lymphocytes. Our gating currents measurements showed that NavBeta1 interacts with the voltage sensing domain (VSD) of Kv1.3 through W172 in the transmembrane segment and modifies the gating operation. The comparison between G-V and Q-V with/without NavBeta1 indicates that NavBeta1 may strengthen the coupling between hKv1.3-VSD movement and pore opening, inducing the modification of kinetics in ionic activation and deactivation.
Strain-specific estimation of epidemic success provides insights into the transmission dynamics of tuberculosis
Authors: Rasigade Jean-Philippe , Barbier Maxime , Dumitrescu Oana , Pichat Catherine , Carret Gérard , Ronnaux-Baron Anne-Sophie , Blasquez Ghislaine , Godin-Benhaim Christine , Boisset Sandrine , Carricajo Anne , Jacomo Véronique , Fredenucci Isabelle , Pérouse de Montclos Michèle , Flandrois Jean-Pierre , Ader Florence , Supply Philip , Lina Gérard , Wirth Thierry
Published: March 2017

The transmission dynamics of tuberculosis involves complex interactions of socio-economic and, possibly, microbiological factors. We describe an analytical framework to infer factors of epidemic success based on the joint analysis of epidemiological, clinical and pathogen genetic data. We derive isolate-specific, genetic distance-based estimates of epidemic success, and we represent success-related time-dependent concepts, namely epidemicity and endemicity, by restricting analysis to specific time scales. The method is applied to analyze a surveillance-based cohort of 1,641 tuberculosis patients with minisatellite-based isolate genotypes. Known predictors of isolate endemicity (older age, native status) and epidemicity (younger age, sputum smear positivity) were identified with high confidence (P < 0.001). Long-term epidemic success also correlated with the ability of Euro-American and Beijing MTBC lineages to cause active pulmonary infection, independent of patient age and country of origin. Our results demonstrate how important insights into the transmission dynamics of tuberculosis can be gained from active surveillance data.
Proteome dynamics during postnatal mouse corpus callosum development
Authors: Son Alexander I. , Fu Xiaoqin , Suto Fumikazu , Liu Judy S. , Hashimoto-Torii Kazue , Torii Masaaki
Published: March 2017

Formation of cortical connections requires the precise coordination of numerous discrete phases. This is particularly significant with regard to the corpus callosum, whose development undergoes several dynamic stages including the crossing of axon projections, elimination of exuberant projections, and myelination of established tracts. To comprehensively characterize the molecular events in this dynamic process, we set to determine the distinct temporal expression of proteins regulating the formation of the corpus callosum and their respective developmental functions. Mass spectrometry-based proteomic profiling was performed on early postnatal mouse corpus callosi, for which limited evidence has been obtained previously, using stable isotope of labeled amino acids in mammals (SILAM). The analyzed corpus callosi had distinct proteomic profiles depending on age, indicating rapid progression of specific molecular events during this period. The proteomic profiles were then segregated into five separate clusters, each with distinct trajectories relevant to their intended developmental functions. Our analysis both confirms many previously-identified proteins in aspects of corpus callosum development, and identifies new candidates in understudied areas of development including callosal axon refinement. We present a valuable resource for identifying new proteins integral to corpus callosum development that will provide new insights into the development and diseases afflicting this structure.
Silver Nanowires Modified with PEDOT: PSS and Graphene for Organic Light-Emitting Diodes Anode
Authors: Xu Yilin , Wei Xiang , Wang Cong , Cao Jin , Chen Yigang , Ma Zhongquan , You Ying , Wan Jixiang , Fang Xiaohong , Chen Xiaoyuan
Published: March 2017

Silver nanowires (AgNWs) networks are promising candidates for the replacement of indium tin oxide (ITO). However, the surface roughness of the AgNWs network is still too high for its application in optoelectronic devices. In this work, we have reduced the surface roughness of the AgNWs networks to 6.4 nm, compared to 33.9 nm of the as-deposited AgNWs network through the hot-pressing process, treatment with poly (3,4ethylenedioxythiophene)–poly (styrenesulfanate), and covered with graphene films. Using this method, we are able to produce AgNWs/PEDOT: PSS/SLG composite films with the transmittance and sheet resistance of 88.29% and 30 Ω/□, respectively. The OLEDs based on the AgNWs/PEDOT: PSS/SLG anodes are comparable to those based on ITO anodes.
Conditional Deletion of the Phd2 Gene in Articular Chondrocytes Accelerates Differentiation and Reduces Articular Cartilage Thickness
Authors: Cheng Shaohong , Pourteymoor Sheila , Alarcon Catrina , Mohan Subburaman
Published: March 2017

Based on our findings that PHD2 is a negative regulator of chondrocyte differentiation and that hypoxia signaling is implicated in the pathogenesis of osteoarthritis, we investigated the consequence of disruption of thePhd2gene in chondrocytes on the articular cartilage phenotype in mice. Immunohistochemistry detected high expression of PHD2 in the superficial zone (SZ), while PHD3 and HIF-1α (target of PHD2) are mainly expressed in the middle-deep zone (MDZ). Conditional deletion of thePhd2gene (cKO) in chondrocytes accelerated the transition of progenitors to hypertrophic (differentiating) chondrocytes as revealed by reduced SZ thickness, and increased MDZ thickness, as well as increased chondrocyte hypertrophy. Immunohistochemistry further revealed decreased levels of progenitor markers but increased levels of hypertrophy markers in the articular cartilage of the cKO mice. Treatment of primary articular chondrocytes,in vitro, with IOX2, a specific inhibitor of PHD2, promoted articular chondrocyte differentiation. Knockdown ofHif-1αexpression in primary articular chondrocytes using lentiviral vectors containingHif-1αshRNA resulted in reduced expression levels ofVegf, Glut1, Pgk1, andCol10compared to control shRNA. We conclude thatPhd2is a key regulator of articular cartilage development that acts by inhibiting the differentiation of articular cartilage progenitors via modulating HIF-1α signaling.
Potential of MALDI-TOF MS as an alternative approach for capsular typing Streptococcus pneumoniae isolates
Authors: Pinto Tatiana C. A. , Costa Natalia S. , Castro Luciana F. S. , Ribeiro Rachel L. , Botelho Ana Caroline N. , Neves Felipe P. G. , Peralta Jose Mauro , Teixeira Lucia M.
Published: March 2017

Streptococcus pneumoniae can be classified in more than 90 capsular types, as traditionally determined by serological methods and more recently by PCR-based techniques. Such methods, however, can be expensive, laborious or unable to accurately discriminate among certain serotypes. Therefore, determination of capsular types, although extremely important for epidemiological purposes and for estimating the impact of pneumococcal conjugate vaccines, is mainly restricted to research laboratories, being rarely performed in the clinical setting. In the present study, MALDI-TOF MS was evaluated as an alternative tool to characterize 416 pneumococcal isolates belonging to serotypes 6A, 6B, 6C, 9N, 9V or 14. For MALDI-TOF MS analysis, each isolate was submitted to an extraction protocol using formic acid and acetonitrile. Measurements were performed with a Bruker Microflex LT mass spectrometer using default parameters and generating spectra in the range of 2,000–20,000 m/z. Spectra were analyzed with the BioNumerics software v7.6. Isolates were mainly distributed according to the capsular type in a Neighbor Joining tree and serotypes investigated were successfully discriminated by the presence/absence of 14 selected biomarkers. The results suggest that MALDI-TOF MS is a promising alternative for typing pneumococcal strains, highlighting its usefulness for rapid and cost-effective routine application in clinical laboratories.
Improving the efficiency of layered perovskite cathodes by microstructural optimization
Authors: Santos-Gómez L. dos , Porras-Vázquez J. M. , Losilla E. R. , Marrero-López D.
Published: March 2017

A PrBaCo2O5+δlayered perovskite cathode prepared by an easy and economic spray-pyrolysis deposition method exhibits high performance and stability for low-temperature SOFCs.
How to design ultraviolet emitting persistent materials for potential multifunctional applications: a living example of a NaLuGeO4:Bi3+,Eu3+ phosphor
Authors: Wang Wenxiang , Sun Zhenyu , He Xiaoyang , Wei Yudong , Zou Zehua , Zhang Jiachi , Wang Zhaofeng , Zhang Zhiya , Wang Yuhua
Published: March 2017

We report on the design of ultraviolet (UV) emitting persistent (PersL) materials.
Surface coupling strength of gold nanoparticles affects cytotoxicity towards neurons
Authors: Tran A. Q. , Kaulen C. , Simon U. , Offenhäusser A. , Mayer D.
Published: March 2017

Weakly bound gold nanoparticles reveal awful toxicity towards neurons.
Phosphonium carbosilane dendrimers for biomedical applications – synthesis, characterization and cytotoxicity evaluation
Authors: Strašák Tomáš , Malý Jan , Wróbel Dominika , Malý Marek , Herma Regina , Čermák Jan , Müllerová Monika , Št′astná Lucie Červenková , Cuřínová Petra
Published: March 2017

Phosphonium carbosilane dendrimers could represent an alternative to ammonium ones in gene therapy applications with high potential of mitochondrial targeting.
Towards enabling stable lead halide perovskite solar cells; interplay between structural, environmental, and thermal stability
Authors: Leijtens Tomas , Bush Kevin , Cheacharoen Rongrong , Beal Rachel , Bowring Andrea , McGehee Michael D.
Published: March 2017

Rational design approaches bring perovskite solar cells closer to meeting industrial stability criteria.
The role of dissolution in the synthesis of high-activity organic nanocatalysts in a wet chemical reaction
Authors: Liu L. J. , Lai Y. D. , Li H. H. , Kang L. T. , Liu J. J. , Cao Z. M. , Yao J. N.
Published: March 2017

By combining nucleation/growth with dissolution of nanocrystals in a simple wet chemical reaction without capping agent under ambient conditions, a high-activity organic nano-photocatalyst (ZnTPP·H2O) was synthesized by simply adjusting the reaction time.
Fabrication of PEDOT films via a facile method and their application in Pt-free dye-sensitized solar cells
Authors: Li Yin-Chang , Jia Song-Ru , Liu Zhi-Yan , Liu Xue-Qin , Wang Yang , Cao Ya , Hu Xiao-Qin , Peng Cheng-Long , Li Zhen
Published: March 2017

PEDOT films with network-like structures aggregated by plenty of nanoparticles demonstrated good photovoltaic properties.
Atomic-scale topochemical preparation of crystalline Fe3+-doped β-Ni(OH)2 for an ultrahigh-rate oxygen evolution reaction
Authors: Zhu Kaiyue , Liu Huanying , Li Mingrun , Li Xuning , Wang Junhu , Zhu Xuefeng , Yang Weishen
Published: March 2017

Fe3+-doped β-Ni(OH)2, prepared via an atomic-scale topochemical transformation route, exhibits much higher oxygen evolution activity than the state-of-the-art IrO2.
A new Na[(FSO2)(n-C4F9SO2)N]-based polymer electrolyte for solid-state sodium batteries
Authors: Ma Qiang , Liu Juanjuan , Qi Xingguo , Rong Xiaohui , Shao Yuanjun , Feng Wenfang , Nie Jin , Hu Yong-Sheng , Li Hong , Huang Xuejie , Chen Liquan , Zhou Zhibin
Published: March 2017

The NaFNFSI-based SPE can deliver the excellent interfacial stability with Na metal and good cycling performances for the Na|SPE|NaCu1/9Ni2/9Fe1/3Mn1/3O2 cell.
Exploring structure based charge transport relationships in phenyl diketopyrrolopyrrole single crystals using a 2D π–π dimer model system
Authors: Calvo-Castro Jesus , McHugh Callum J.
Published: March 2017

Two dimensional π–π model dimer system will enable researchers to predict charge transport properties for phenyl-based diketopyrrolopyrroles using their single crystal π-stacking data.
Structural design principles for low hole effective mass s-orbital-based p-type oxides
Authors: Ha Viet-Anh , Ricci Francesco , Rignanese Gian-Marco , Hautier Geoffroy
Published: March 2017

We demonstrate through first principles computations how the metal–oxygen–metal angle directly drives the hole effective mass (thus the carrier mobility) in p-type s-orbital-based oxides.
Performance analysis of dual‐hop variable‐gain relaying with beamforming over κ–μ fading channels
Authors: Hussain Ayaz , Lee Kyungmin , Kim Sang‐Hyo , Chang Seok‐Ho , Kim Dong In
Published: March 2017

In this study, the performance of a dual‐hop amplify‐and‐forward relaying system with beamforming is analysed, where only the source and destination are equipped with multiple antennas and both hops are subject to κ–μ fading channels. The κ–μ fading model is a general fading model that can accurately model practical small scale fading in line‐of‐sight environments and accommodates Rician, Nakagami‐m, and Rayleigh as special cases. New exact analytical expressions on the outage probability (OP), average symbol error rate (SER), and average capacity are derived. Moreover, asymptotic results for the OP, SER, and average capacity are also derived in simpler forms in terms of basic elementary functions which make it easy to understand the system behaviour and the impact of the channel parameters. These analytical results are general and can emulate different symmetric and asymmetric fading scenarios as special cases such as Rician/Rician, Nakagami‐m/Nakagami‐m, Rayleigh/Rayleigh, and mixed κ–μ, Rician, Nakagami‐m, and Rayleigh fading links.
Restricted isometry constant improvement based on a singular value decomposition‐weighted measurement matrix for compressed sensing
Authors: Wang Qian , Qu Gangrong
Published: March 2017

In compressed sensing, an exact reconstruction depends on the restricted isometry property with a small restricted isometry constant (RIC). Based on singular value decomposition (SVD), the authors improve the RICs of measurement matrices. The proposed weighted measurement matrix method breaks the limit to attain a small RIC and has potential applications in imaging systems. They derive an improvement sufficient condition for the RIC for exact reconstruction using the orthogonal matching pursuit algorithm. The numerical stability of the SVD‐based weighted equation is analysed. Simulation results show that the reconstruction results obtained by the proposed SVD‐based weighted approach are obviously better than those obtained by the direct reconstruction. In the simulation, they also successfully apply the proposed weighted equation for a computed tomography reconstruction.
Method considering the dynamic coupling characteristic in power system for stability assessment
Authors: Hu Zhen , Li Xinran
Published: March 2017

The passive fluctuation of the node voltage (NVPF) and the active fluctuation of node voltage (NVAF) are defined to analyse the dynamic coupling characteristic between the source, the network and the load. The NVPF indicates how the effect of come from by other nodes or regions, and the NVAF indicates the voltage impact on other nodes or region. Their combination can comprehensively reflect the coupling characteristic relationship of each part which is closely related to the power flow and the electrical connection. A method in non‐analytical complex domain is proposed to find this relationship. Finally, the method is validated by the simulations on a three‐bus system, the IEEE39‐bus system and an actual system.
Single‐phase solar grid‐interfaced system with active filtering using adaptive linear combiner filter‐based control scheme
Authors: Singh Yashi , Hussain Ikhlaq , Singh Bhim , Mishra Sukumar
Published: March 2017

This study deals with a control scheme for single‐stage solar photovoltaic (SPV) grid‐interfaced system. The voltage‐source inverter (VSI) is a power electronic interface between SPV array and the grid. The VSI provides power quality features, i.e. harmonics mitigation, power factor correction and perturb and observe maximum power point tracking for single‐stage SPV grid‐interfaced system. The SPV array supplies active power to the non‐linear load and grid through VSI, during daytime only or when SPV generation is more than the load power. To increase the utilisation of VSI, it is used as an active power filter at night, to mitigate harmonics and to provide active power to the load from the utility grid. The proposed adaptive linear combiner filter has the capability to extract harmonics and enhances the power quality in SPV grid‐interfaced system. It has also satisfied an IEEE‐519 standard of harmonics by improving the quality of power of SPV grid‐integrated system. Simulation results of the SPV system are presented, which are simulated using MATLAB and response of system under non‐linear load and varying environmental condition are also studied experimentally on a developed prototype in the laboratory.
Ion-acoustic solitary waves in a positron beam plasma with electron trapping and nonextensivity effects
Authors: Ali Shan S. , -Ur-Rehman Aman , Mushtaq A.
Published: March 2017

Ion-acoustic solitary waves (IASWs) are investigated in a plasma having a cold positron beam fluid, electrons following a vortex-like distribution with entropic index q, and dynamic ions. Using a standard procedure, a pseudo-potential energy equation is derived. The presence of nonextensive q- distributed trapped electrons and cold positron beam has been shown to influence the small amplitude soliton structure quite significantly. From the analysis of our results, it is shown that compressive IASWs are supported in this plasma model. As the real plasma situations are observed with plasma species having a relative flow, our present analysis should be beneficial for comprehending the electrostatic solitary structures observed in fusion plasma devices and positron winds observed in astrophysical plasmas.
Brillouin backward scattering in the nonlinear interaction of a short-pulse laser with an underdense transversely magnetized plasma with nonextensive distribution
Authors: Qiu Hui-Bin , Song Hai-Ying , Liu Shi-Bing
Published: March 2017

Nonlinear Brillouin backward scattering of a linearly polarized short laser pulse propagating through a homogenous nonextensive distributed plasma in the presence of a uniform magnetic field perpendicular to both the direction of propagation and electric vector of the radiation field is investigated theoretically when ponderomotive relativistic and nonlinearity effects up to third order are taken into account. The governing equations for nonlinear wave in the context of nonextensive statistics are given, and the nonextensive coupled equations describing the nonlinear Brillouin backward scattering instability are solved by the Fourier transformation method, and the growth rate of the nonlinear Brillouin backward scattering instability is obtained. The results in the case q→1 are consistent with those in the framework of the Maxwellian distribution. It is found that the instability growth rate increases on increasing plasma density, radiation field amplitude, and nonextensive parameter, while the instability growth rate shows a decrease due to the presence of external magnetic field.
Tempering ventilation air in a swine finishing barn with a low-cost earth-to-water heat exchanger
Authors: Shah Sanjay B. , Lentz Zachary A. , van Heugten Eric , Currin Richard D. , Singletary Isaac
Published: March 2017

An earth-to-water heat exchanger (EWHE) can reduce livestock heat stress and also save electricity and water. A 4-kW EWHE system comprising 154 m of a polyvinyl chloride (PVC) pipe (35 mm ID) buried in 3.2 m of soil was evaluated for its ability to provide cooling to 60 pigs in a finishing barn in Raleigh, NC. A low-cost tube-and-fin heat exchanger was used to exchange energy between water (38 l/min) and air (0.58 to 1.22 m3/s). After 8 h of cooling, at 1.22 m3/s, the temperature change (ΔT), energy produced (qh), and coefficient of performance (COP) were as high as 3 °C, 4.3 kW, and 8.2, respectively. After 12 h of continuous operation for air tempering during winter, |ΔT|, |qh|, and COP were 2.2 °C, 3.4 kW, and 6.7, respectively. While the EWHE pens were slightly warmer than the Control pens cooled with stir fans and sprinklers on very hot days, pig performance in the EWHE pens was unaffected. The EWHE reduced the electricity use by >50% and eliminated the sprinkling water use. Burying plastic pipes in slinky coils instead of using double pass rigid PVC pipes could improve system performance as would wetting the soil around the pipes. In addition to being sustainable, the EWHE could be cost-effective for zone-cooling of high-value pigs as well as greenhouse cooling in many parts of the world.
Final report of APMP.QM-K46 ammonia in nitrogen at 30 μmol/mol level
Authors: Uehara Shinji , Qiao Han , Shimosaka Takuya
Published: March 2017

This report describes the results for a bilateral comparison of ammonia in nitrogen gas mixture. The nominal amount-of-substance fraction was 30 μmol/mol.

Main text

To reach the main text of this paper, click on Final Report. Note that this text is that which appears in Appendix B of the BIPM key comparison database kcdb.bipm.org/.

The final report has been peer-reviewed and approved for publication by the CCQM, according to the provisions of the CIPM Mutual Recognition Arrangement (CIPM MRA).
Association Between Hospital Case Volume of Sepsis, Adherence to Evidence-Based Processes of Care and Patient Outcomes
Authors: Fawzy Ashraf , Walkey Allan J.
Published: March 2017

Objectives:

We sought to explore potential mechanisms underlying hospital sepsis case volume-mortality associations by investigating implementation of evidence-based processes of care.

Design:

Retrospective cohort study. We determined associations of sepsis case volume with three evidence-based processes of care (lactate measurement during first hospital day, norepinephrine as first vasopressor, and avoidance of starch-based colloids) and assessed their role in mediation of case volume-mortality associations.

Setting:

Enhanced administrative data (Premier, Charlotte, NC) from 534 U.S. hospitals.

Subjects:

A total of 287,914 adult patients with sepsis present at admission between July 2010 and December 2012 of whom 58,045 received a vasopressor for septic shock during the first 2 days of hospitalization.

Interventions:

None.

Measurements and Main Results:

Among patients with sepsis, 1.9% received starch, and among patients with septic shock, 68.3% had lactate measured and 64% received norepinephrine as initial vasopressor. Patients at hospitals with the highest case volume were more likely to have lactate measured (adjusted odds ratio quartile 4 vs quartile 1, 2.8; 95% CI, 2.1–3.7) and receive norepinephrine as initial vasopressor (adjusted odds ratio quartile 4 vs quartile 1, 2.1; 95% CI, 1.6–2.7). Case volume was not associated with avoidance of starch products (adjusted odds ratio quartile 4 vs quartile 1, 0.73; 95% CI, 0.45–1.2). Adherence to evidence-based care was associated with lower hospital mortality (adjusted odds ratio, 0.81; 95% CI, 0.70–0.94) but did not strongly mediate case volume-mortality associations (point estimate change ≤ 2%).

Conclusions:

In a large cohort of U.S. patients with sepsis, select evidence-based processes of care were more likely implemented at high-volume hospitals but did not strongly mediate case volume-mortality associations. Considering processes and case volume when regionalizing sepsis care may maximize patient outcomes.
Reasons for Interfacility Emergency Department Transfer and Care at the Receiving Facility
Authors: Li Joyce , Pryor Stephanie , Choi Ben , Rees Chris A. , Senthil Mamata V. , Tsarouhas Nicholas , Myers Sage R. , Monuteaux Michael C. , Bachur Richard G.
Published: March 2017

Objectives

The aims of this study were to (1) assess the reasons for pediatric interfacility transfers as identified by transferring providers and review the emergency medical care delivered at the receiving facilities and (2) investigate the emergency department (ED) care among the subpopulation of patients discharged from the receiving facility.

Methods

We performed a multicenter, cross-sectional survey of ED medical providers transferring patients younger than 18 years to 1 of 4 US tertiary care pediatric hospitals with a subsequent medical record review at the receiving facility. Referring providers completed surveys detailing reasons for transfer.

Results

Eight hundred thirty-nine surveys were completed by 641 providers for 25 months. The median patient age was 5.7 years. Sixty-two percent of the patients required admission. The most common reasons for transfer as cited by referring providers were subspecialist consultation (62%) and admission to a pediatric inpatient (17%) or intensive care (6%) unit. For discharged patients, plain radiography (26%) and ultrasonography (12%) were the most common radiologic studies. Procedural sedation (16%) was the most common ED procedure for discharged patients, and 55% had a subspecialist consult at the receiving facility. Ten percent of interfacility transfers did not require subspecialty consult, ED procedure, radiologic study, or admission.

Conclusions

Approximately 4 of 10 interfacility transfers are discharged by the receiving facility, suggesting an opportunity to provide more comprehensive care at referring facilities. On the basis of the care provided at the receiving facility, potential interventions might include increased subspecialty access and developing both ultrasound and sedation capabilities.
Validity of an Accelerometer Used to Measure Step Count in Children With Idiopathic Toe Walking
Authors: Christensen Catie , Haddad Amanda , Maus Elizabeth
Published: March 2017

Purpose:

To assess the validity of accelerometer use in children with idiopathic toe walking (ITW).

Methods:

Seventy-five children, 2 to 13 years old, with ITW were videotaped ambulating 50 ft wearing a NL-1000 accelerometer. Because of concerns for accelerometer accuracy in young children, 2 groups were created: 5 years or younger (n = 45) and 6 years or older (n = 30). Step counts recorded via accelerometer and video were compared and correlated.

Results:

There was a significant difference in accelerometer and video step counts for 2- to 5-year-olds (W = 72.00, P < .001). No significant difference was found for 6- to 13-year-olds (W = 65.00, P = .24). Spearman ρ values were 0.78 and 0.92 for the 5 years or younger and 6 years or older groups, respectively.

Conclusion:

Accelerometers accurately count steps in 6- to 13-year-olds with ITW but are inaccurate in 2- to 5-year-olds.
Classical Cancer Biology: Misconceptions and Limitations
Authors: Uthamacumaran Abicumaran
Published: March 2017

Cancer is the co-evolution of cancer cells and their turbulent microenvironment, characterized by dynamical hyper-chaotic gene expression profiles. However, cancers should not be viewed as the result of random mutations and malfunctioning information processing systems. Rather, it is the selective advantages conferred by adaptive evolution of cellular biosystems. Although on a systemic scale, cancer is defined as a disease, on a cellular basis they outperform healthy (non-transformed cells) in terms of survival and reproductive success. Their enhanced longevity pathways, metastatic invasion, extended telomeres, dynamical morphogenesis, regenerative stem cell division and environment-specific metabolic cascades indicate they are adaptive evolutionary cell states that have surpassed the boundaries normal cells are confined to. Therefore, the paper presents a brief summary of currently existing classical cancer models in the field of mathematical biology and the misconceptions of cancer epimetabolomes to further advance cancer research beyond its current limits. Through an insight into the mathematical behaviors of cancer cells, a quantum adaptive epigenetic landscape is proposed to explain the selective evolutionary dominance of cancer cells.
Corrosion performance of aluminium in atmospheric, underground and seawater splatter zone in the northeastern coast of Arabian Peninsula
Authors: Ul-Hamid Anwar , Al-Hems Luai M. , Quddus Abdul , Muhammed Abdulrashid I. , Saricimen Huseyin
Published: March 2017

Purpose

The purpose of this study was to determine the atmospheric corrosion behavior of aluminium (Al) exposed to the industrial and coastal environments of northeastern Arabian Peninsula for a period of 15 months.

Design/methodology/approach

The samples were exposed under atmospheric, underground and splatter zone conditions at the coastal region. Soil, groundwater, seawater and air particulate samples obtained from the exposure site were analyzed. Secondary electron microscopy was used to identify and study the microstructural features of the corrosion products formed at the surface of the test coupons. The corrosion rates of the samples were determined by the weight loss method.

Findings

The results showed that Al exhibited a moderate corrosion rate despite high degree of variation in temperature and humidity and large concentrations of chloride and sulfate in this region. Splatter zone environment was the most corrosive because of high chloride concentrations in seawater and the alternating wetting–drying cycles.

Originality/value

In this paper, corrosion of Al was evaluated in atmospheric, soil and splatter zone conditions along the northeastern coast of Arabian Peninsula and was also compared with the results of the test reported for other international locations.
Conjugate rotor-stator interaction procedure for film-cooled turbine sections
Authors: Gottlieb Joshua , Davis Roger , Clark John
Published: March 2017

Purpose

The authors aim to present a procedure for the parallel, steady and unsteady conjugate, Navier–Stokes/heat-conduction rotor-stator interaction analysis of multi-blade-row, film-cooled, turbine airfoil sections. A new grid generation procedure for multiple blade-row configurations, including walls, thermal barrier coatings, plenums, and cooling tubes, is discussed.

Design/methodology/approach

Steady, multi-blade-row interaction effects on the flow and wall thermal fields are predicted using a Reynolds’s-averaged Navier–Stokes (RANS) simulation in conjunction with an inter-blade-row mixing plane. Unsteady, aero-thermal interaction solutions are determined using time-accurate sliding grids between the stator and rotor with an unsteady RANS model. Non-reflecting boundary condition treatments are utilized in both steady and unsteady approaches at all inlet, exit and inter-blade-row boundaries. Parallelization techniques are also discussed.

Findings

The procedures developed in this research are compared against experimental data from the Air Force Research Laboratory’s turbine research facility.

Practical implications

The software presented in this paper is useful as both the design and analysis tool for fluid system and turbomachinery engineers.

Originality/value

This research presents a novel approach for the simultaneous solution of fluid flow and heat transfer in film-cooled rotating turbine sections. The software developed in this research is validated against experimental results for 2D flow, and the methods discussed are extendable to 3D.
Does involvement shapes consumers’ response to product failure?
Authors: Hamzelu Bahman , Gohary Ali , Ghafoori Nia Salar , Heidarzadeh Hanzaee Kambiz
Published: March 2017

Purpose

Customer reaction to failure is of essential importance and varies by level of involvement with products and services. Thus, the purpose of this paper is to use the FCB grid to examine effects of involvement and emotion on failure of products and services. It also explores effects of negative word-of-mouth, consumer advocacy, customer voicing and gender on the so-called silent killers.

Design/methodology/approach

A 2 (male or female)×4 (high and low involvement, feelings, thinking in FCB grid) between-subjects experiment on 311 college students, who have recently experienced product failure, is performed.

Findings

Results reveal that customers with different levels of involvement react differently to product failure. Furthermore, low-involvement products are more likely to develop silent killers. The results also show that silent killer is more common among men.

Originality/value

To the best of the authors’ knowledge, no similar study is performed on the relationship between involvement and failure of products or services. In addition, this attempt is the first quantitative study to examine the phenomenon of silent killers in this field.
Critical crossroads to explain network change: evidence from a goal-directed network
Authors: Agostino Deborah , Arnaboldi Michela , Dal Molin Martina
Published: March 2017

Purpose

Public networks studies have widely diffused in recent years, but scant attention has been devoted to network change. By endorsing the notion of critical crossroads to describe a crucial turning point for the network survival, the purpose of this paper is to investigate how and why a goal-directed network changes, considering both the benefits and the constraints of the change.

Design/methodology/approach

This study adopts a longitudinal case study based upon an interventionist research approach (Jönsson and Lukka, 2006), with the researchers being immersed in the network life of a group of Italian public universities over a period of 17 years.

Findings

This paper proposes an empirical derived framework about network evolution that identifies two different types of crossroads (i.e. resource-driven crossroads and management driven) as drivers for network evolution. The main determinant behind these crisis situation were found in the heterogeneity of the network actors and, while overcoming the crossroads, informal sub-networks were found emerging.

Originality/value

This study enlarges current public network literature by focusing specifically on how and why networks change, an aspect underinvestigated by current literature.
Attractiveness of the United States as a travel destination for the Russian tourist in the era of strained bilateral relations
Authors: Stepchenkova Svetlana , Shichkova Elena
Published: March 2017

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to examine the attractiveness of a global tourism destination when the country of that destination and the country that provides the source market are in a situation of political and economic conflict. In this study, the USA is the vacation destination, and Russia is the tourism generating region.

Design/methodology/approach

In May 2015, 18 Russian tourists from a large regional urban center participated in qualitative semi-structured interviews. The interviews took place in the situational context of strained bilateral relations between the USA and Russia over events in Ukraine, Crimea, and Donbass, as well as economic sanctions that had been in effect for almost a year at the time of the interviews.

Findings

Respondents expressed substantial interest in vacationing in the USA despite their strong disagreement with USA international policies. While domestic tourism offerings were evaluated as inferior to those of other international destinations, patriotic sentiments with respect to domestic tourism were registered.

Practical implications

Brand USA is still very attractive to the potential tourists, especially such components as major cities, entertainment, oceans, beaches and resorts, as well as the vastness of its national parks. The absence of information with respect to travel to USA was noticed by all respondents.

Originality/value

The study is conducted in a situation of ongoing conflict between the two countries and explores how the feelings of animosity toward the USA influence the desire of Russian tourists to vacation in the USA.
Modern pioneers in marketing: autobiographical sketches by leading scholars
Authors: Tadajewski Mark , Jones D.G. Brian
Published: March 2017

Purpose

This paper aims to introduce a special issue of the Journal of Historical Research in Marketing which includes autobiographical sketches by leading scholars in the history of marketing and consumer research.

Design/methodology/approach

A brief review of the (auto)biographical tradition in marketing scholarship leads to a commentary on the four accounts in this issue.

Findings

Highlights of the four portraits are presented and insights into their authors’ lives and careers are offered.

Originality/value

The authors hope this introductory article whets readers’ appetites to learn more about the four contributors whose careers and personal lives are explicated for their consumption.
Ethics in citizen journalism: incident of teenage girl molestation in India
Authors: Pande Somava
Published: March 2017

Purpose

New media is reshaping mediated communication. This paper aims to examine whether the online community is concerned about ethical issues in citizen journalism.

Design/methodology/approach

The study uses critical thematic analyses to examine 1,402 comments posted in response to two YouTube videos of teenage girl molestation in India. This method was appropriate, as it will show how public reacts to information disseminated by common citizens and also show whether ethics are related to citizen journalism.

Findings

Results show that although some viewers questioned the cameraperson’s and the passerby’s morality, several supportive comments praised the cameraperson’s presence of mind and courage. Furthermore, it shows that while some viewers vilified the victim, others advocated a more prudent response. This shows ambiguity regarding ethics in cyberspace. The mixed reactions present strong evidence to challenge the idealistic and exceedingly rational original notion of the public sphere as homogenous or integrated on issues of public concern. Instead, result exhibits an emergence of pluralistic, intersecting and contending publics that are created by new communication technologies like the internet.

Research limitations/implications

The study was specific to a particular context thereby lacking generalizability. However, it implies further investigation of social agency and the underlying politics in the move from local to global.

Originality/value

These findings necessitate a reconceptualization of cyberspace ethics to accommodate the new publics that have materialized from new media technologies.
The behavioral consequences of internal brand management among frontline employees
Authors: Du Preez Rose , Bendixen Michael , Abratt Russell
Published: March 2017

Purpose

The purpose of this study is to develop and test a comprehensive model for the outcomes of internal brand management (IBM), linking it to brand citizenship behavior (BCB) and intention to stay (IS) through job satisfaction (JS) and brand commitment (BC).

Design/methodology/approach

A comprehensive literature review is undertaken to develop the proposed model. The sample consists of three separate cases, a financial services firm, a multinational telecommunications company, both based in South Africa, and a regional grocery chain operating in the USA. Useable samples of 154, 96 and 241 were achieved for the three cases, respectively. In all cases, the majority of the respondents were customer contact employees.

Findings

The structural models showed some surprising results, the major one being that brand proselytization is not a component of BCB. Despite using the same instrument, the levers that drive IBM were different in each of the three cases and different from previous studies.

Research limitations/implications

The results of this research indicate that IBM and BCB are contextual. This implies that a universal instrument to measure these constructs has yet to be developed, representing an interesting avenue for future research.

Practical implications

Regarding employees as internal customers and including them in various marketing initiatives and brand-orientated human resource practices (recruitment, induction and training) are key to a successful IBM program.

Originality/value

A comprehensive model for the outcomes of IBM was developed and tested, linking it to BCB and IS through JS and BC. It is the first time that research has been conducted with customer contact employees only.
Trust strategy simulation of corporation–NPO cross alliance using evolutionary game theory
Authors: Chen Yidan , Sun Lanying
Published: March 2017

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to investigate the dynamics and evolution of trust in organizational cross alliances.

Design/methodology/approach

In alliances between corporations and nonprofit organizations, trust in decision-making is a dynamic process. Using the replicated dynamics model of evolutionary game theory, this paper provides a trust decision model and analyzes four scenarios under different parameters. A numerical simulation is developed to present an intuitive interpretation of the dynamic development of trust decisions and the effects of incentive and punishment mechanisms.

Findings

Under different parameters, bounded rationality and utilities result in different but stable evolutionary strategies; the initial probability of adopting a trust strategy leads directly to whether participants adopt the strategy when the system reaches stability after continued games; and incentive and punishment mechanisms can significantly reduce the initial probability of adopting a trust strategy where the system evolves to meet stable state needs.

Practical implications

The establishment of trust relationships is an important influence on the stable and coordinated development of an alliance. The proposed model can help the alliance build closer trust relationships and provide a theoretical basis for the design of the trust mechanism.

Originality/value

Incentive and punishment bound by some degree of trust are introduced to address the problems of trust decisions and their dynamics; the model created reflects the bounded rationality and utility of each game stage. Useful evolutionary stable strategies using different variables are proposed to address the decision-making problems of trust in cross alliances.