bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Mean steady‐state plasma concentrations of labetalol in patients undergoing antihypertensive therapy.
Authors: Sanders GL , Routledge PA , Ward A , Davies DM , Rawlins MD
Published: December 2015

1 Mean steady‐state plasma concentrations of labetalol (labetalol Css) in 17 hypertensive patients undergoing chronic treatment with this drug, have been examined in relation to dose, fall in BP, and beta‐ blockade. 2 A significant relationship (rs = 0.81, P less than 0.001) was observed between labetalol Css and daily dose. 3 No correlation was found between labetalol Css and antihypertensive response. 4 In thirteen patients, there seemed to be significant relationship between labetalol Css and beta‐blockade (rs = 0.72, P less than 0.005). In three patients, the degree of beta‐blockade was disproportionate to the drug concentration.
A double‐blind crossover comparison of pindolol, metoprolol, atenolol and labetalol in mild to moderate hypertension.
Authors: McNeil JJ , Louis WJ
Published: December 2015

1 This study was designed to compare in a double‐blind randomized crossover trial, atenolol, labetalol, metoprolol and pindolol. Considerable differences in dose (atenolol 138 +/‐ 13 mg daily; labetalol 308 +/‐ 34 mg daily; metoprolol 234 +/‐ 22 mg daily; and pindolol 24 +/‐2 mg daily were required to produce similar antihypertensive effects. 3 The overall incidence of side‐effects was similar with atenolol, metoprolol and pindolol but was slightly less with labetalol. Sleep disturbances and abnormal dreaming patterns were most frequent with pindolol. 4 There was a significantly greater fall in pulse rate during atenolol and metoprolol treatment periods.
Use of labetalol during hypotensive anaesthesia and in the management of phaeochromocytoma.
Authors: Kaufman L
Published: December 2015

1 The circulatory effects of labetalol have been studied in 88 patients undergoing plastic surgery, 8 patients with carcinoma of the breast, 10 with carcinoma in the head and neck, and in 2 patients with phaeochromocytoma, each anaesthetized twice. 2 The use of labetalol intravenously produced hypotension and a bloodless operating field in patients undergoing plastic surgery and in those undergoing radical surgery for the removal of carcinoma. 3 Two patients with phaeochromocytoma pre‐treated with oral labetalol before anaesthesia, had well controlled BPs and heart rates during surgery, although in one instance additional intravenous labetalol was required. 4 Pre‐operative preparation of patients with phaeochromocytoma with labetalol seems to be simpler and safer than previous techniques involving drugs with separate alpha‐ and beta‐adrenoceptor‐blocking effects.
New Determinations of Iridium and Tantalum in Meteoritic Materials (An Interim Report)
Authors: EHMANN WILLIAM D.
Published: December 2015

Neutron activation analysis has proven to be an extremely valuable tool in meteoritics. Its major advantages are its extremely high sensitivity for many elements and its freedom from reagent and laboratory contamination. Data have been obtained by this technique on the abundances of iridium and tantalum in meteorites, meteoritic phases and related materials. Chondritic abundances of 0.46 ppm iridium and 0.23 ppm tantalum have been determined, based on 20 and 9 analyses, respectively. Some observations relating to theories of meteorite formation are made, based on the data obtained to date. Additional analyses for these elements are currently under way.
Disc‐, Plate‐, and Bowl ‐ Shaped Australites
Authors: BAKER GEORGE
Published: December 2015

The disc‐, plate‐, and bowl‐shaped australites are unique among the tektites and rare in the well‐preserved, well‐developed state. Those from the Port Campbell district of the south coast of western Victoria are the best‐preserved and more numerous of the less than 50 known from the Australian tektite‐strewn field. They are very thin, complete forms in which the central core portion is much reduced in volume relative to the secondarily developed circumferential flange, and in which there are some with virtually no central core, so that the form is essentially a “flying flange.” These forms are no doubt the thin remnants resulting from ablation by aerodynamical frictional heating of the smaller primary australite forms that traversed the earth's atmosphere with stable aerodynamic orientation at ultrasupersonic velocities.
Kirkland ‐ A Questioned Fall*
Authors: READ WILLIAM F.
Published: December 2015

Two small iron meteorites are reported to have fallen through the dome of an amateur astronomer's observatory near Kirkland, Washington, on January 17, 1955. One is a medium octahedrite. The other lacks Widmanstaetten structure. Both contain abundant schreibersite. In the octrahedral specimen, this occurs as an axial replacement of kamacite bands. The validity of the fall has been challenged: a fire was started and the angle of impact was less than 30° from the horizontal. The writer supports the view that the fall actually occurred as reported.
The Takysie Lake, B.C., Stones: Meteorites or Moon Rock?
Authors: NININGER H. H. , HUSS GLENN I.
Published: December 2015

Abstract. The first of the fusion crusted Takysie Lake, British Columbia, stones were found by Nininger in June, 1965. A field trip to determine the number and distribution of the unusual stones got underway in July, 1966. An intensive search of all accessible areas resulted in collection of 55 specimens with a total weight of 127.6 pounds. The apparent southern, western, and northern limits of the strewn field were established. The eastern limits could not be learned because of the heavily forested terrain. The unique structure and compositional characteristics of the stones indicate either a new variety of meteorite or a secondary meteorite of lunar origin. Suggestions are made for further investigation.
Surviving Metal in Meteoritic Iron Oxide from The Wolf Creek, Western Australia, Meteorite Crater
Authors: KNOX REED
Published: December 2015

Abstract. Some very small particles of metal, revealed by polishing a chunk of Wolf Creek meteoritic iron oxide, appear to consist entirely of moderately shocked kamacite. The apparent lack of surviving taenite tentatively suggests that the Wolf Creek crater was formed by a hexahedrite, although medium octahedrites have recently been found within 4000 meters of the crater. Macrosegregation of nickel within the Wolf Creek meteoroid could account for the discrepancy. Further research on surviving metal is indicated.
Identification of Meteorites, or What on Earth is a Meteorite?
Authors: NININGER H. H.
Published: December 2015

Abstract. Examples of the problems encountered in the tracing, recovery and identification of meteorites from witnessed fireballs, indicate the failure of museum collections to be truly representative of the known increment from space and of our lack of knowledge of the varieties of material coming to earth from space. The history of the development of criteria for the recognition of meteorites is traced and some of the witnessed but rejected falls of history are listed. Objection is raised to the almost total dependence upon chemistry—particularly upon the presence of nickel—in meteoritic identification. Stress is laid upon the importance of fusion crust as an identifying characteristic of meteorites.
THE SEONI CHONDRITE
Authors: Bunch T. E. , Mall A. P. , Lewis C. F.
Published: December 2015

The Seoni (India) chondrite is an H6 group ordinary chondrite that contains olivine (Fa, 19.7 mole%), orthopyroxene (Fs, 15.9 mole%), clinopyroxene, plagioclase (An, 10.3; Or, 5.6 mole%), together with chromite, troilite, kamacite, taenite, chlorapatite, and whitlockite. Recrystallization has been quite extensive as indicated by the presence of few remnant chondrules, low abundance of clinopyroxene and relatively high abundance of well formed plagioclase. Treatment of Fe2+ and Mg partitioning between clinopyroxene and orthopyroxene and between olivine and chromite indicates equilibration temperatures of between 875–920 °C.
SAVONOSKI CRATER, ALASKA: A POSSIBLE METEORITE IMPACT STRUCTURE
Authors: French Bevan M. , Muller Ernest H. , Ward Peter L.
Published: December 2015

Savonoski Crater, a small basin about 1700 feet in diameter, is located on a ridge of gently‐dipping Jurassic sandstone in Katmai National Monument, southwestern Alaska. Reconnaisance geological, geophysical, and petrographic studies suggest that it was formed either by volcanic processes or meteorite impact prior to the end of the latest glaciation in the region. Surface ejecta, if originally present, apparently have been removed by glaciation. No distinctive shock‐metamorphic effects were observed in the few rock specimens collected. Final determination of the crater's origin will require more extensive field studies or drilling in the center of the crater.
ON INVESTIGATING THE SHOCK HISTORY OF ATAXITES
Authors: Knox Reed
Published: December 2015

It is suggested that transmission electron microscopy studies of ataxites and shock‐loaded artificial nickel‐iron alloys could develop criteria whereby the shock history of this class of meteorites might be established.
THE CHEMICAL COMPOSITION OF KAINSAZ AND EFREMOVKA
Authors: Ahrens L. H. , Willis J. P. , Erlank A. J.
Published: December 2015

The type III carbonaceous chondrites Kainsaz and Efremovka have been analysed for eighteen major, minor and trace elements by X‐ray fluorescence spectrometry. A comparison of the data on Kainsaz with four other Ornans sub‐type carbonaceous chondrites reveals a remarkable degree of constancy of composition. Efremovka, together with Leoville and Coolidge, may be distinguished from the other Vigarano sub‐type carbonaceous chondrites by their lower Na and K contents, variable Na/K ratios and relatively low Ca/Al ratios. Some observations are made on the ratio Na/K in various types of stony meteorite; the magnitude of the ratio in the basaltic achondrites appears to be more similar to that in the carbonaceous chondrites than in the ordinary chondrites.
THE MARILIA METEORITE SHOWER — A PRELIMINARY REPORT
Authors: Avanzo P. E. , Levi‐Donati G. R. , Sighinolfi G. P.
Published: December 2015

The fall of a meteorite shower in Marilia, Sao Paulo State, Brasil, is announced. An individual specimen is macroscopically described in some detail. The X‐ray diffraction analysis shows it to be an olivine‐bronzite chondrite or group H4 classification.
THE MILLS, NEW MEXICO, CHONDRITE — A NEW FIND
Authors: Levi‐Donati G. R. , Jarosewich Eugene
Published: December 2015

A mineralogical and chemical analysis has been performed on a slice of the Mills, New Mexico, chondrite, which was found in August 1970. The mineralogical composition is olivine Fa19.5, bronzite, Fs17.4, plagioclase, nickel‐iron, troilite and ilmenite. The chemical analysis confirms that Mills is a typical bronzite, H5 chondrite, with considerable degree of weathering, as indicated by the presence of large amounts of Fe2O3. A comparison with other stones found in the same New Mexico region by Nininger may show a possible relation between Mills and previous finds.
COSMIC FLAKES IN MANGANESE NODULES
Authors: Jedwab Jacques
Published: December 2015

In addition to the well known cosmic spheres, micron‐size metallic flakes have been extracted magnetically from Pacific Ocean manganese nodules. The flakes were individually studied by several techniques (LM, SEM, EMP and XRD) and were found to be composed of iron, iron‐nickel and nickel‐iron. In general, the flakes are agglomerates of micron to sub‐micron flat particles loosely held together. The cosmic origin of these flakes is discussed with regard to chemical composition, crystallinity, agglomeration and comparable terrestrial minerals. This finding makes available an inexhaustible and readily accessible source of cosmic minerals. At the same time, it gives a direct clue to the mineralogical and chemical differences between meteorites and micrometeorites.
AN L6 CHONDRITE FOUND NEAR PARACHILNA, SOUTH AUSTRALIA*
Authors: Reed S.J.B. , McColl D.H.
Published: December 2015

An 8.82 kg stony meteorite found on Motpena Station, 31°6' S, 138° 16' E, near Parachilna, South Australia, is shown to be a somewhat weathered L6 (olivine‐hypersthene) chondrite. This is listed in The Meteoritical Bulletin, No. 53, June 1975 as MOTPENA, Synonym, Parachilna.
A METHOD OF EXTRACTION AND ANALYSIS OF POSSIBLE COSMIC PARTICLES FROM MANGANESE NODULES
Authors: Jedwab Jacques
Published: December 2015

A method is described for extracting magnetic micron‐size particles from manganese nodules, and for studying the selected particles by light microscopy, scanning electron microscopy, electron microprobe and X‐ray diffraction.
FACTOR ANALYSIS OF ELEMENTAL ABUNDANCES IN CHONDRITIC AND ACHONDRITIC METEORITES
Authors: Shaw Dennis M. , Harmon Russell S.
Published: December 2015

Another explorative study of the use of factor analysis in meteorite geochemistry has been made. Forty‐two major and trace elements were sought from analyses of 80 stony meteorites in recent articles. Incomplete data reduced the matrix to 30 elements in 55 stones. Missing data were substituted by mean values in the groups CC, (E+H+L+LL) and ACH (13, 28, 14 individuals, respectively): the effect of these substitutions was tested empirically. R‐mode analysis with varimax rotation was carried out on these three sub‐sets and on the whole set: interpretation focused on factor loadings and scores.

Results on the three sub‐sets gave little information of geochemical value, although the largest achondrite factor (lithophile elements) permits discrimination of eucrites, aubrites, diogenites and howardites.

Analysis of all 55 meteorites showed the variance to be dominated by 1, a refractory‐lithophile(Al, Mg, Ca, Zr, Sc, U, Th, La, Eu, Yb) factor, and 2, a volatile‐chalcophile (Zn, Te, Cd, Bi, Tl) factor. Factor (1) scores will discriminate chondrites from achondrites: factor (2) scores delineate the compositional trend CC1, CC2, CC3, (E+H+L+LL) except for enstatite chondrites Indarch, Abee which fall with CC1.

Further progress would need metal, sulphide and other mineral percentages for each meteorite.
COMPARING INVESTIGATIONS ON THE SURFACE STRUCTURES OF IRGHIZITES AND PYROCLASTICS BY SEM
Authors: Heide K. , Völksch G. , Florenski P.W.
Published: December 2015

The surface structures of irghizites from the Zhamanshin crater in Kazachstan, USSR, play an important role in the discussion of their genesis. These surface structures were compared with those of typical tektites (australites) and pyroclastics (obsidians, lapilli) based on investigation by electron microscope. The results of these investigations indicate that there are no unambiguous genetical relationships between the morphology of irghizites and the surface features of tektites and pyroclastics. The surface shapes of irghizites result from several simultaneous or successive processes, in the course of which globules of different size melted, stuck together and were eaten into by corrosive gases after their solidification. The assumption that the verrucose swellings were caused by expanding gas bubbles immediately below the surface of the glass bulk can be excluded. The verrucose glass globules are identical in chemical composition to the glass bulk of the irghizites.
TIBOOBURRA, A NEW AUSTRALIAN METEORITE FIND, AND OTHER CARBONACEOUS CHONDRITES OF HIGH PETROLOGIC GRADE
Authors: Fitzgerald M.J. , Jaques A.L.
Published: December 2015

Tibooburra, a new meteorite find from western New South Wales, belongs to the Vigarano subgroup of the carbonaceous chondrites and, on the basis of its opaque mineralogy, appears to be oxidised. Petrological evidence suggests that, like the Allende meteorite, Tibooburra is a CV3 chondrite which has experienced greater metamorphic effects than other CV3 meteorites. Tibooburra has a bulk composition intermediate between the CO and less altered CV chondrites. This transitional nature is exhibited by several elements and is convincingly displayed by the multivariate techniques of cluster analysis and principal component analysis. Tibooburra thus resembles several other CV chondrites, such as Coolidge and Karoonda, which have been strongly metamorphosed. This group of meteorites is believed to have accreted early in the history of the Vigarano parent body and, as a result, contain greater quantities of high temperature Ca‐Al‐rich inclusions but less low temperature matrix and volatile phases than other CV chondrites. Furthermore, in these meteorites both the matrix and magnesium silicate phases appear to be more iron rich than those in later accreted meteorites. Subsequently, these deeper seated meteorites have undergone more pronounced thermal metamorphism than those located in shallower portions of the parent body.
PROCESSES AND SUBDIVISIONS IN DIOGENITES, A MULTIVARIATE STATISTICAL ANALYSIS
Authors: Harriott Theresa A. , Hewins Roger H.
Published: December 2015

Multivariate statistical techniques used on diogenite orthopyroxene analyses show the relationships that occur within diogenites and the two orthopyroxenite components (class I and II) in the polymict diogenite Garland. Cluster analysis shows that only Peckelsheim is similar to Garland class I (Fe‐rich) and the other diogenites resemble Garland class II. The unique diogenite Y 75032 may be related to type I by fractionation. Factor analysis confirms the subdivision and shows that Fe does not correlate with the weakly incompatible elements across the entire pyroxene composition range, indicating that igneous fractionation is not the process controlling total diogenite composition variation. The occurrence of two groups of diogenites is interpreted as the result of sampling or mixing of two main sequences of orthopyroxene cumulates with slightly different compositions.
NAZARETH METEORITES: CLASSIFICATION AND NOMENCLATURE
Authors: Scott Edward R.D. , Wlotzka Frank
Published: December 2015

Six meteorites have been found in Castro County, Texas and named after the town of Nazareth, but each of the four classified specimens has been given two different full names. To clarify this, we have classified the other two specimens and helped to establish approved names for all six specimens. The classes and names of the six specimens, which probably come from six separate falls, are as follows: Nazareth (a), L6; Nazareth (b), L6; Nazareth (c), H5; Nazareth (d), H5; Nazareth (e), H6; Nazareth (iron), IIIA.
Interstellar Grains in Primitive Meteorites: Diamond, Silicon Carbide, and Graphite
Authors: Anders Edward , Zinner Ernst
Published: December 2015

Abstract— Primitive meteorites contain a few parts per million (ppm) of pristine interstellar grains that provide information on nuclear and chemical processes in stars. Their interstellar origin is proven by highly anomalous isotopic ratios, varying more than 1000‐fold for elements such as C and N. Most grains isolated thus far are stable only under highly reducing conditions (C/O > 1), and apparently are “stardust” formed in stellar atmospheres. Microdiamonds, of median size ∼ 10 Å, are most abundant (∼ 400–1800 ppm) but least understood. They contain anomalous noble gases including Xe‐HL, which shows the signature of the r‐ and p‐processes and thus apparently is derived from supernovae. Silicon carbide, of grain size 0.2–10 μm and abundance ∼ 6 ppm, shows the signature of the s‐process and apparently comes mainly from red giant carbon (AGB) stars of 1–3 solar masses. Some grains appear to be ≥109 a older than the Solar System. Graphite spherules, of grain size 0.8–7 μm and abundance <2 ppm, contain highly anomalous C and noble gases, as well as large amounts of fossil 26Mg from the decay of extinct 26Al. They seem to come from at least three sources, probably AGB stars, novae, and Wolf‐Rayet stars.
Evidence for a late thermal event of unequilibrated enstatite chondrites: A Rb‐Sr study of Qingzhen and Yamato 6901 (EH3) and Khairpur (EL6)
Authors: Torigoye Noriko , Shima Masako
Published: December 2015

Abstract— The Rb‐Sr whole rock and internal systematics of two EH3 chondrites, Qingzhen and Yamato 6901, and of one EL6 chondrite, Khairpur, were determined. Sulfides were separated using a stepwise dissolution technique. The mineral species in each fraction were estimated based on the chemical analyses of 12 major elements. The internal Rb‐Sr systematics of the EH3 chondrites are highly disturbed. Fractions corresponding to sulfide phases show excess 87Sr, while other fractions corresponding to silicate phases produce a linear trend on a Rb‐Sr evolution diagram. If these linear relations are interpreted as isochrons, the ages of the silicate phases are 2.12 ± 0.23 Ga and 2.05 ± 0.33 Ga with the initial Sr isotopic ratios of 0.7112 ± 0.0018 and 0.7089 ± 0.0032, for Qingzhen and Yamato 6901, respectively. The process of the isotopic disturbance probably involved the breakdown of the major K‐bearing sulfide (djerfisherite), and a lack of isotopic exchange between sulfide and silicate phases indicates moderate temperatures of reheating. Although a complete Sr isotopic re‐homogenization among silicate phases was not attained, we interpret the Rb‐Sr results as indicative of a late thermal event about 2 Ga ago on the parent bodies of these EH3 chondrites. These ages agree well with previously published K‐Ar ages. An older isochron age of 4.481 ± 0.036 Ga with a low initial Sr isotopic ratio of 0.69866 ± 0.00038 was obtained for the data from silicate fractions of Khairpur, indicating early petrological equilibration on the parent body of EL6 chondrites.
New occurrences of Australasian microtektites in the Central Indian Basin
Authors: Prasad M. Shyam
Published: December 2015

Abstract— Thirty‐three microtektites have been recovered from four different sites in the Central Indian Basin. Based on their physical properties, geographical occurrence and chemical composition, they are identified as belonging to the Australasian tektite strewn field. Microtektites from three of the sites under study are from surficial samples implying bioturbation and/or erosion or non‐deposition.
Occurrence and implications of silicon nitride in enstatite chondrites
Authors: Alexander C. M. O'D. , Swan P. , Prombo C. A.
Published: December 2015

Abstract— Silicon nitride, Si3N4, has previously been observed to be a common constituent of acid residues of Qingzhen (EH3) and Indarch (EH4). Ion probe analysis of the Si, N and C isotopic compositions of individual Si3N4 grains from Qingzhen and Indarch acid residues suggest most, if not all, grains are Solar System in origin. A few grains have isotopically anomalous C but this is probably due to small presolar SiC grains adhering to them. In situ observations of the Si3N4 in Qingzhen show that it is only present within, and probably exsolved from, host phases which contain elemental Si in solid solution. Thermodynamic calculations suggest that the Si3N4 probably formed during metamorphism and not in the nebula. Thermodynamic calculations also show that sinoite (Si2N2O) and not Si3N4 should be the stable phase during metamorphism. It appears that kinetic factors must have inhibited the formation of sinoite in Qingzhen and Indarch.
Metallic copper in ordinary chondrites
Authors: Rubin Alan E.
Published: December 2015

Abstract— Metallic Cu of moderately high purity (∼985 mg/g Cu, ∼15 mg/g Ni) occurs in at least 66% of ordinary chondrites (OC) as heterogeneously distributed, small (typically ≤20 μm) rounded to irregular grains. The mean modal abundance of metallic Cu in H, L and LL chondrites is low: 1.0 to 1.4 × 10−4 vol%, corresponding to only 4–5% of the total Cu in OC whole rocks. In more than 75% of the metallic‐Cu‐bearing OC, at least some metallic Cu occurs at metallic‐Fe‐Ni‐troilite grain boundaries. In some cases it also occurs within troilite, within metallic Fe‐Ni, or at the boundaries these phases form with silicates or chromite.

Ordinary chondrites that contain a relatively large number of occurrences of metallic Cu/mm2 have a tendency to have experienced moderately high degrees of shock. Shock processes can cause local melting and transportation of metallic Fe‐Ni and troilite; because metallic Cu is mainly associated with these phases, it also gets redistributed during shock events. In the most common petrographic assemblage containing metallic Cu, the Cu is adjacent to small irregular troilite grains surrounded by taenite plus tetrataenite; this assemblage resembles fizzed troilite and may have formed by localized shock melting or remelting of a metal‐troilite assemblage.
The Meteoritical Bulletin, No. 76, 1994 January: The U.S. Antarctic Meteorite Collection*
Authors: Grossman Jeffrey N.
Published: December 2015

Abstract— The Meteoritical Bulletin number 76 contains a list of all classified meteorites collected by the United States' Antarctic meteorite program as of the summer of 1993. The compilation includes available information on classification, mass, weathering, olivine and pyroxene composition, 26Al activities, natural thermoluminescence levels, pairing, collection location and references to published descriptions for 5537 meteorite specimens. A list of the properties of metallic meteorites and a list of the most significant meteorites by class are also included.
Safety and efficacy of antibiotic prophylaxis in patients undergoing elective laparoscopic cholecystectomy: A systematic review and meta‐analysis
Authors: Liang Bo , Dai Min , Zou Zhenhong
Published: December 2015

Background and Aim:

Owing to persistent controversy regarding the use of routine antibiotic prophylaxis in patients undergoing elective laparoscopic cholecystectomy and the availability of several new randomized controlled trials (RCTs), we conducted an up‐to‐date meta‐analysis to provide the best current evidence. The aim of the article is to evaluate the safety and efficacy of routine antibiotic prophylaxis in low‐risk patients undergoing elective laparoscopic cholecystectomy.

Methods:

We conducted a comprehensive literature review of the PubMed, Embase, and Cochrane Library databases for RCTs that compared antibiotic prophylaxis versus placebo or no antibiotics in low‐risk patients undergoing elective laparoscopic cholecystectomy.

Results:

The meta‐analysis included 21 RCTs (5207 patients). Antibiotic prophylaxis reduced the incidence of surgical site infections (risk ratio [RR] 0.61, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.45 to 0.82, P = 0.001) and global infections (RR 0.55, 95% CI 0.38 to 0.79, P = 0.001) during hospitalization or after discharge, and postoperative length of hospital stay (weighted mean difference −0.16, 95% CI −0.28 to −0.04, P = 0.008). No adverse events were reported. Subgroup analyses demonstrated that two doses of antibiotic and 3–10 doses of antibiotic significantly reduced the incidence of surgical site infections compared with placebo or no antibiotics (two doses: RR 0.16, 95% CI 0.06–0.47; 3–10 doses: RR 0.46, 95% CI 0.27–0.80), while a single dose of antibiotic administration did not.

Conclusion:

Antibiotic prophylaxis is safe and effective in reducing surgical site infections and global infections during hospitalization or after discharge, and postoperative length of hospital stay in low‐risk patients undergoing elective laparoscopic cholecystectomy.
Exposure to second hand tobacco smoke at home and child smoking at age 11 among British children with and without intellectual disability
Authors: Emerson E. , Hatton C. , Robertson J. , Baines S.
Published: December 2015

Background

The exposure of children to second hand tobacco smoke (SHS) is a well‐established risk factor for a range of adverse health conditions in childhood and later life. Little is known about the extent to which children with intellectual disability (ID) may be exposed to SHS. Our aim in this study was to estimate the risk of childhood exposure to SHS and early experience of smoking among children with and without ID in a nationally representative cohort of British children.

Method

Secondary analysis of data extracted from the UK's Millennium Cohort Study, a nationally representative sample of over 18 000 UK children born 2000–2002.

Results

Children with ID are significantly more likely than their peers to be exposed to SHS and to have themselves experimented with smoking by age 11. Controlling for between‐group differences in socio‐economic position eliminated the increased risk of exposure to SHS and significantly attenuated, but did not eliminate, increased risk of experimenting with smoking by age 11.

Conclusions

Levels of exposure to SHS among children with ID are typical of those of families of children without ID living in similar socio‐economic circumstances. The results lend no support to the hypothesis that increased rates of parental smoking may be associated with any additional ‘burden of care’ experienced by parents of children with ID. Nevertheless, it will be important to ensure that evidence‐based interventions to reduce exposure to SHS are tailored to the specific needs of families supporting children with ID (e.g. through the provision of disability‐friendly child care arrangements).
Column Generation‐Based Approach for Solving Large‐Scale Ready Mixed Concrete Delivery Dispatching Problems
Authors: Maghrebi Mojtaba , Periaraj Vivek , Waller S. Travis , Sammut Claude
Published: December 2015

Ready mix concrete (RMC) dispatching forms a critical component of the construction supply chain. However, optimization approaches within the RMC dispatching continue to evolve due to the specific size, constraints, and objectives required of the application domain. In this article, we develop a column generation algorithm for vehicle routing problems (VRPs) with time window constraints as applied to RMC dispatching problems and examine the performance of the approach for this specific application domain. The objective of the problem is to find the minimum cost routes for a fleet of capacitated vehicles serving concrete to customers with known demand from depots within the allowable time window. The VRP is specified to cover the concrete delivery problem by adding additional constraints that reflect real situations. The introduced model is amenable to the Dantzig–Wolfe reformulation for solving pricing problems using a two‐staged methodology as proposed in this article. Further, under the mild assumption of homogeneity of the vehicles, the pricing sub‐problem can be viewed as a minimum‐cost multi‐commodity flow problem and solved in polynomial time using efficient network simplex method implementations. A large‐scale field collect data set is used for evaluating the model and the proposed solution method, with and without time window constraints. In addition, the method is compared with the exact solution found via enumeration. The results show that on average the proposed methodology attains near optimal solutions for many of the large sized models but is 10 times faster than branch‐and‐cut.
Familial idiopathic basal ganglia calcification: Histopathologic features of an autopsied patient with an SLC20A2 mutation
Authors: Kimura Tadashi , Miura Takeshi , Aoki Kenju , Saito Shoji , Hondo Hiroaki , Konno Takuya , Uchiyama Akio , Ikeuchi Takeshi , Takahashi Hitoshi , Kakita Akiyoshi
Published: December 2015

Idiopathic basal ganglia calcification (IBGC), or Fahr's disease, is a neurological disorder characterized by widespread calcification in the brain. Recently, several causative genes have been identified, but the histopathologic features of the brain lesions and expression of the gene products remain unclear. Here, we report the clinical and autopsy features of a 62‐year‐old Japanese man with familial IBGC, in whom an SLC20A2 mutation was identified. The patient developed mild cognitive impairment and parkinsonism. A brain CT scan demonstrated abnormal calcification in the bilateral basal ganglia, thalami and cerebellum. An MRI study at this point revealed glioblastoma, and the patient died 6 months later. At autopsy, symmetric calcification in the basal ganglia, thalami, cerebellar white matter and deeper layers of the cerebral cortex was evident. The calcification was observed in the tunica media of small arteries, arterioles and capillaries, but not in veins. Immunohistochemistry using an antibody against type III sodium‐dependent phosphate transporter 2 (PiT‐2), the SLC20A2 product, demonstrated that astrocytic processes were labeled in several regions in control brains, whereas in the patient, reactivity in astrocytes was apparently weak. Immunoblotting demonstrated a marked decrease of PiT‐2 in the patient. There are few autopsy reports of IBGC patients with confirmation of the genetic background. The autopsy features seem informative for better understanding the histogenesis of IBGC lesions.
Practical Imagination: A Possible Future for Federal Budgeting
Authors: Redburn F. Stevens
Published: December 2015

To develop a federal budget process that delivers better fiscal outcomes for the nation consistently over an extended period would require new information and analysis, applying these to decisions through properly designed procedures, and strengthening the institutions that support wise fiscal choices. Changes in each of these process components intended to contribute to good fiscal outcomes are described, and obstacles to their adoption and use are noted. Such reforms could yield budgets that deploy public resources today to carry out strategies promising to increase the nation's ability to survive inevitable social and fiscal shocks and to take advantage of expected and unexpected opportunities for its citizens to thrive, grow, and fulfill their dreams.
Observations of two marine members of the genus Cymbellonitzschia (Bacillariophyta) from Tokyo Bay, Japan, with the description of the new species Cymbellonitzschia banzuensis
Authors: Stepanek Joshua G. , Hamsher Sarah E. , Mayama Shigeki , Jewson David H. , Kociolek J. Patrick
Published: December 2015

Cymbellonitzschia is a small genus of canal raphid diatoms within the Bacillariales reported from both freshwater and coastal marine environments. The genus is characterized by its distinct dorsiventral or ‘cymbelloid’ valve outline with the canal raphe either on the dorsal or, more commonly, along the ventral margin. Of the six currently described species only two freshwater representatives, the type of the name of the genus C. minima and the widely reported C. diluviana, have received detailed morphological treatments. This lack of understanding of the morphological diversity within the group hampers any efforts at understanding the relationships between species in this small but ecologically diverse genus. Presented here are observations and descriptions of two marine representatives from the genus Cymbellonitzschia, C. szulczewskii and the new species C. banzuensis sp. nov., based on light and scanning electron microscopy and a preliminary investigation of the phylogenetic position of marine Cymbellonitzschia within the Bacillariales. These species were collected co‐occurring in low tide sand samples from the Banzu Flats, Tokyo Bay, Japan. The morphology of these marine species will be compared to the documented freshwater species to better understand the morphological diversity and relationships within the genus.
Accounting for microsaccadic artifacts in the EEG using independent component analysis and beamforming
Authors: Craddock Matt , Martinovic Jasna , Müller Matthias M.
Published: December 2015

Neuronal activity in the gamma‐band range was long considered a marker of object representation. However, scalp‐recorded EEG activity in this range is contaminated by a miniature saccade‐related muscle artifact. Independent component analysis (ICA) has been proposed as a method of removal of such artifacts. Alternatively, beamforming, a source analysis method in which potential sources of activity across the whole brain are scanned independently through the use of adaptive spatial filters, offers a promising method of accounting for the artifact without relying on its explicit removal. We present here the application of ICA‐based correction to a previously published dataset. Then, using beamforming, we examine the effect of ICA correction on the scalp‐recorded EEG signal and the extent to which genuine activity is recoverable before and after ICA correction. We find that beamforming attributes much of the scalp‐recorded gamma‐band signal before correction to deep frontal sources, likely the eye muscles, which generate the artifact related to each miniature saccade. Beamforming confirms that what is removed by ICA is predominantly this artifactual signal, and that what remains after correction plausibly originates in the visual cortex. Thus, beamforming allows researchers to confirm whether their removal procedures successfully removed the artifact. Our results demonstrate that ICA‐based correction brings about general improvements in signal‐to‐noise ratio suggesting it should be used along with, rather than be replaced by, beamforming.
Androgen receptor gene polymorphism influence fat accumulation: A longitudinal study from adolescence to adult age
Authors: Ponce‐González J. G. , Rodríguez‐Garcia L. , Losa‐Reyna J. , Guadalupe‐Grau A. , Rodriguez‐Gonzalez F. G. , Díaz‐Chico B. N. , Dorado C. , Serrano‐Sanchez J. A. , Calbet J. A. L.
Published: December 2015

To determine the influence of androgen receptor CAG and GGN repeat polymorphisms on fat mass and maximal fat oxidation (MFO), CAG and GGN repeat lengths were measured in 128 young boys, from which longitudinal data were obtained in 45 of them [mean ± SD: 12.8 ± 3.6 years old at recruitment, and 27.0 ± 4.8 years old at adult age]. Subjects were grouped as CAG short (CAGS) if harboring repeat lengths ≤  21, the rest as CAG long (CAGL); and GGN short (GGNS) if GGN repeat lengths ≤  23, or long if >  23 (GGNL). CAGS and GGNS were associated with lower adiposity than CAGL or GGNL (P < 0.05). There was an association between the logarithm of CAG repeats polymorphism and the changes of body mass (r = 0.34, P = 0.03). At adult age, CAGS men showed lower accumulation of total body and trunk fat mass, and lower resting metabolic rate (RMR) and MFO per kg of total lean mass compared with CAGL (P < 0.05). GGNS men also showed lower percentage of body fat (P < 0.05). In summary, androgen receptor CAG and GGN repeat polymorphisms are associated with RMR, MFO, fat mass, and its regional distribution in healthy male adolescents, influencing fat accumulation from adolescence to adult age.
Modulatory and plastic effects of kinins on spinal cord networks
Authors: Mandadi S. , Leduc‐Pessah H. , Hong P. , Ejdrygiewicz J. , Sharples S. A. , Trang T. , Whelan P. J.
Published: December 2015

Key points

Inflammatory kinins are released following spinal cord injury or neurotrauma.

The effects of these kinins on ongoing locomotor activity of central pattern generator networks are unknown.

In the present study, kinins were shown to have short‐ and long‐term effects on motor networks.

The short‐term effects included direct depolarization of interneurons and motoneurons in the ventral horn accompanied by modulation of transient receptor potential vanilloid 1‐sensitive nociceptors in the dorsal horn.

Over the long‐term, we observed a bradykinin‐mediated effect on promoting plasticity in the spinal cord.

In a model of spinal cord injury, we observed an increase in microglia numbers in both the dorsal and ventral horn and, in a microglia cell culture model, we observed bradykinin‐induced expression of glial‐derived neurotrophic factor.

The expression and function of inflammatory mediators in the developing spinal cord remain poorly characterized. We discovered novel, short and long‐term roles for the inflammatory nonapeptide bradykinin (BK) and its receptor bradykinin receptor B2 (B2R) in the neuromodulation of developing sensorimotor networks following a spinal cord injury (SCI), suggesting that BK participates in an excitotoxic cascade. Functional expression of B2R was confirmed by a transient disruptive action of BK on fictive locomotion generated by a combination of NMDA, 5‐HT and dopamine. The role of BK in the dorsal horn nociceptive afferents was tested using spinal cord attached to one‐hind‐limb (HL) preparations. In the HL preparations, BK at a subthreshold concentration induced transient disruption of fictive locomotion only in the presence of: (1) noxious heat applied to the hind paw and (2) the heat sensing ion channel transient receptor potential vanilloid 1 (TRPV1), known to be restricted to nociceptors in the superficial dorsal horn. BK directly depolarized motoneurons and ascending interneurons in the ventrolateral funiculus. We found a key mechanism for BK in promoting long‐term plasticity within the spinal cord. Using a model of neonatal SCI and a microglial cell culture model, we examined the role of BK in inducing activation of microglia and expression of glial‐derived neurotrophic factor (GDNF). In the neonatal SCI model, we observed an increase in microglia numbers and increased GDNF expression restricted to microglia. In the microglia cell culture model, we observed a BK‐induced increased expression of GDNF via B2R, suggesting a novel mechanism for BK spinal‐mediated plasticity.
Neuromodulation of fast‐spiking and non‐fast‐spiking hippocampal CA1 interneurons by human cerebrospinal fluid
Authors: Bjorefeldt Andreas , Wasling Pontus , Zetterberg Henrik , Hanse Eric
Published: December 2015

Key points

How the brain extracellular fluid influences the activity of GABAergic interneurons in vivo is not known.

This issue is examined in the hippocampal brain slice by comparing GABAergic interneuron activity in human versus artificial cerebrospinal fluid.

Human cerebrospinal fluid (hCSF) substantially increases the excitability of fast‐spiking and non‐fast‐spiking CA1 interneurons.

CA1 pyramidal cells are even more strongly excited by hCSF.

The tonic excitation of pyramidal cells, in combination with an increased responsiveness of interneurons to excitatory input, is likely to promote the generation of synchronized network activity in the hippocampus.

GABAergic interneurons intricately regulate the activity of hippocampal and neocortical networks. Their function in vivo is likely to be tuned by neuromodulatory substances in the brain extracellular fluid. However, in vitro investigations of GABAergic interneuron function do not account for such effects, as neurons are kept in artificial extracellular fluid. To examine the neuromodulatory influence of brain extracellular fluid on GABAergic activity, we recorded from fast‐spiking and non‐fast‐spiking CA1 interneurons, as well as from pyramidal cells, in the presence of human cerebrospinal fluid (hCSF), using a matched artificial cerebrospinal fluid (aCSF) as control. We found that hCSF increased the frequency of spontaneous firing more than twofold in the two groups of interneurons, and more than fourfold in CA1 pyramidal cells. hCSF did not affect the resting membrane potential of CA1 interneurons but caused depolarization in pyramidal cells. The increased excitability of interneurons and pyramidal cells was accompanied by reductions in after‐hyperpolarization amplitudes and a left‐shift in the frequency–current relationships. Our results suggest that ambient concentrations of neuromodulators in the brain extracellular fluid powerfully influence the excitability of neuronal networks.
The passive electrical properties of the membrane of a molluscan neurone
Authors: Gorman A. L. F. , Mirolli Maurizio
Published: December 2015

1. The passive electrical properties of the membrane of the gastrooesophageal giant neurone (G cell) of the marine mollusc, Anisodoris nobilis were studied with small current steps.

2. The membrane transient response can be fitted with a theoretical curve assuming as a model for the cell a sphere (soma) connected to a cable (axon). The axo‐somatic conductance ratio (ρ), determined by applying this model, is large (approximately 5) and the membrane time constant (τ) is long (approximately 1 sec).

3. When the actual surface area of the cell, corrected for surface infoldings, and the spread of current along its axon is taken into account, the electrical measurements imply a specific resistance of the membrane of approximately 1·0 MΩ.cm2.

4. Estimates of specific membrane capacity, either from measurements of the initial portion of the membrane transient or from the ratio of the time constant to the specific membrane resistance are close to the value of 1 μF/cm2 expected for biological membranes.

5. Thus, our measurements of specific capacitance, time constant, length constant and axo‐somatic conductance ratio all indicate that the value found for the specific membrane resistance of the G cell, while unexpectedly large, is valid.

6. The magnitude of this value suggests that the conductance (permeability) of its membrane to ions is much smaller than that previously assumed for nerve membranes; this small conductance may be related to the larger surface‐to‐volume ratio of the G cell.
Demonstration of choline acetyltransferase activity in the carotid body of the cat
Authors: Ballard Kathleen J. , Jones J. V.
Published: December 2015

1. The distribution of choline acetyltransferase in the carotid body of the cat has been investigated with the electron microscope to determine sites of enzymic activity. This is of relevance to the possible role of acetylcholine as a transmitter in the carotid body.

2. Tissues were fixed for short periods and incubated by the method of Kasa, Mann & Hebb, for the fine structural localization of choline acetyltransferase.

3. The enzyme was found in the cytoplasm of the type I cells and seemed to be associated with vesicles. No enzyme was found in the large nerve endings synapsing with the type I cell.

4. Whole carotid bodies were assayed for their choline acetyltransferase activity and significant amounts were found.

5. It is concluded that acetylcholine may be a transmitter in the carotid body and that it is synthesized in type I cells. A possible mode of initiation of chemoreceptor afferent impulses is suggested.