bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Effects of Vegetation Stems on Hydraulics of Overland Flow Under Varying Water Discharges
Authors: Zhao Chunhong , Gao Jian'en , Huang Yuefei , Wang Guangqian , Zhang Mengjie
Published: August 2015

Vegetation plays an important role in soil erosion control, but few studies have been performed to quantify the effects of vegetation stems on hydraulics of overland flow. Laboratory flume experiments were conducted to investigate the potential effects of vegetation stems on Reynolds number, Froude number, flow velocity and hydraulic resistance of silt‐laden overland flow. Cylinders with diameter D of 2·0, 3·2 and 4·0 × 10−2 m were glued onto the flume bed to simulate the vegetation stems, and a bare slope was used as control. The flow discharge varied from 0·5 to 1·5 × 10−3 m3 s−1 and slope gradient was 9°. Results showed that Reynolds number on vegetated slope was significantly higher than that on bare slope because of the effect of vegetation stems on effective flow width. All the flows were supercritical flow, but Froude number decreased as D increased, implying a decrease in runoff ability to carry sediment. The mean flow velocity also decreased with D, while the velocity profile became steeper, and no significant differences were found in surface flow velocities among longitudinal sections on all slopes. Darcy–Weisbach friction coefficient increased with D, implying that the energy consumption of overland flow on hydraulic resistance increased. Reynolds number was not a unique predictor of hydraulic roughness on vegetated slopes. The total resistance on vegetated slopes was partitioned into grain resistance and vegetation resistance, and vegetation resistance accounted for almost 80% of the total resistance and was the dominant roughness element. Further studies are needed to extend and apply the insights obtained under controlled conditions to actual overland flow conditions. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
NMR spectroscopy for assessing lipid oxidation
Authors: Hwang Hong‐Sik
Published: August 2015

Although lipid oxidation involves a variety of chemical reactions to produce numerous substances, most traditional methods assessing lipid oxidation measure only one kind of oxidation product. For this reason, in general, one indicator of oxidation is insufficient to accurately describe the oxidation status of lipids, and two or more methods should be used for the accurate assessment of lipid oxidation. An 1H NMR method that can quantitatively track the disappearance of triacylglycerol starting materials during the oxidation process has been found to very a reliable method, which gives a satisfactory description of lipid oxidation status throughout the entire course of oxidation, regardless of the kinds of oxidation products produced. It was found that the NMR method not only correlates well with traditional methods, but also it offers additional advantages such as higher accuracy, non‐destructiveness, and a faster and more convenient procedure.
Rapid, high‐fluence multi‐pass q‐switched laser treatment of tattoos with a transparent perfluorodecalin‐infused patch: A pilot study
Authors: Biesman Brian S. , O'Neil Michael P. , Costner Cara
Published: August 2015

Background and Objectives

Perfluorodecalin (PFD) has previously been shown to rapidly dissipate the opaque, white micro‐bubble layer formed after exposure of tattoos to Q‐switched lasers [1]. The current pilot study was conducted to qualitatively determine if the use of a transparent PFD‐infused silicone patch would result in more rapid clearance of tattoos than conventional through‐air techniques.

Materials and Methods

Black or dark blue tattoos were divided into two halves in a single‐site IRB‐approved study with 17 subjects with Fitzpatrick skin types I–III. One half of each tattoo served as its own control and was treated with one pass of a standard Q‐switched Alexandrite laser (755 nm). The other half of the tattoo was treated directly through a transparent perfluorodecalin (PFD) infused patch (ON Light Sciences, Dublin, CA). The rapid whitening reduction effect of the Patch routinely allowed three to four laser passes in a total of approximately 5 minutes. Both sides were treated at highest tolerated fluence, but the optical clearing, index‐matching, and epidermal protection properties of the PFD Patch allowed significantly higher fluence compared to the control side. Standard photographs were taken at baseline, immediately prior to treatment with the PFD Patch in place, and finally before and after each treatment session. Treatments were administered at 4‐ to 6‐week intervals.

Results

In a majority of subjects (11 of 17), tattoos treated through a transparent PFD‐infused patch showed more rapid tattoo clearance with higher patient and clinician satisfaction than conventional treatment. In no case did the control side fade faster than the PFD Patch side. No unanticipated adverse events were observed.

Conclusions

Rapid multi‐pass treatment of tattoos with highest tolerated fluence facilitated by a transparent PFD‐infused patch clears tattoos more rapidly than conventional methods. Lasers Surg. Med. 47:613–618, 2015. © 2015 The Authors. Lasers in Surgery and Medicine published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Evidence for fumonisin inhibition of ceramide synthase in humans consuming maize‐based foods and living in high exposure communities in Guatemala
Authors: Riley Ronald T. , Torres Olga , Matute Jorge , Gregory Simon G. , Ashley‐Koch Allison E. , Showker Jency L. , Mitchell Trevor , Voss Kenneth A. , Maddox Joyce R. , Gelineau‐van Waes Janee B.
Published: August 2015

Scope

Fumonisin (FB) occurs in maize and is an inhibitor of ceramide synthase (CerS). We determined the urinary FB1 (UFB1) and sphingoid base 1‐phosphate levels in blood from women consuming maize in high and low FB exposure communities in Guatemala.

Methods and results

FB1 intake was estimated using the UFB1. Sphinganine 1‐phosphate (Sa 1‐P), sphingosine 1‐phosphate (So 1‐P), and the Sa 1‐P/So 1‐P ratio were determined in blood spots collected on absorbent paper at the same time as urine collection. In the first study, blood spots and urine were collected every 3 months (March 2011 to February 2012) from women living in low (Chimaltenango and Escuintla) and high (Jutiapa) FB exposure communities (1240 total recruits). The UFB1, Sa 1‐P/So 1‐P ratio, and Sa 1‐P/mL in blood spots were significantly higher in the high FB1 intake community compared to the low FB1 intake communities. The results were confirmed in a follow‐up study (February 2013) involving 299 women living in low (Sacatepéquez) and high (Santa Rosa and Chiquimula) FB exposure communities.

Conclusions

High levels of FB1 intake are correlated with changes in Sa 1‐P and the Sa 1‐P/So 1‐P ratio in human blood in a manner consistent with FB1 inhibition of CerS.
Magnetic field dependence of spatial frequency encoding NMR as probed on an oligosaccharide
Authors: Pitoux D. , Hu Z. , Plainchont B. , Merlet D. , Farjon J. , Bonnaffé D. , Giraud N.
Published: August 2015

The magnetic field dependence of spatial frequency encoding NMR techniques is addressed through a detailed analysis of 1H NMR spectra acquired under spatial frequency encoding on an oligomeric saccharide sample. In particular, the influence of the strength of the static magnetic field on spectral and spatial resolutions that are key features of this method is investigated. For this purpose, we report the acquisition of correlation experiments implementing broadband homodecoupling or J‐edited spin evolutions, and we discuss the resolution enhancements that are provided by these techniques at two different magnetic fields. We show that performing these experiments at higher field improves the performance of high resolution NMR techniques based on a spatial frequency encoding. The significant resolution enhancements observed on the correlation spectra acquired at very high field make them valuable analytical tools that are suitable for the assignment of 1H chemical shifts and scalar couplings in molecules with highly crowded spectrum such as carbohydrates. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Non‐invasive prenatal testing for aneuploidy: a systematic review of Internet advertising to potential users by commercial companies and private health providers
Authors: Skirton Heather , Goldsmith Lesley , Jackson Leigh , Lewis Celine , Chitty Lyn S.
Published: August 2015

Background

The development of non‐invasive prenatal testing has increased accessibility of fetal testing. Companies are now advertising prenatal testing for aneuploidy via the Internet.

Objectives

The aim of this systematic review of websites advertising non‐invasive prenatal testing for aneuploidy was to explore the nature of the information being provided to potential users.

Methods

We systematically searched two Internet search engines for relevant websites using the following terms: ‘prenatal test’, ‘antenatal test’, ‘non‐invasive test’, ‘noninvasive test’, ‘cell‐free fetal DNA’, ‘cffDNA’, ‘Down syndrome test’ or ‘trisomy test’. We examined the first 200 websites identified through each search. Relevant web‐based text was examined, and key topics were identified, tabulated and counted. To analyse the text further, we used thematic analysis.

Main results

Forty websites were identified. Whilst a number of sites provided balanced, accurate information, in the majority supporting evidence was not provided to underpin the information and there was inadequate information on the need for an invasive test to definitely diagnose aneuploidy.

Conclusions

The information provided on many websites does not comply with professional recommendations. Guidelines are needed to ensure that companies offering prenatal testing via the Internet provide accurate and comprehensible information. © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
In situ fabrication of paclitaxel‐loaded core‐crosslinked micelles via thiol‐ene “click” chemistry for reduction‐responsive drug release
Authors: Huang Ying , Sun Rui , Luo Qiaojie , Wang Ying , Zhang Kai , Deng Xuliang , Zhu Weipu , Li Xiaodong , Shen Zhiquan
Published: August 2015

In this study, a facile method to fabricate reduction‐responsive core‐crosslinked micelles via in situ thiol‐ene “click” reaction was reported. A series of biodegradable poly(ether‐ester)s with multiple pendent mercapto groups were first synthesized by melt polycondensation of diol poly(ethylene glycol), 1,4‐butanediol, and mercaptosuccinic acid using scandium trifluoromethanesulfonate [Sc(OTf)3] as the catalyst. Then paclitaxel (PTX)‐loaded core‐crosslinked (CCL) micelles were successfully prepared by in situ crosslinking hydrophobic polyester blocks in aqueous media via thiol‐ene “click” chemistry using 2,2′‐dithiodiethanol diacrylate as the crosslinker. These PTX‐loaded CCL micelles with disulfide bonds exhibited reduction‐responsive behaviors in the presence of dithiothreitol (DTT). The drug release profile of the PTX‐loaded CCL micelles revealed that only a small amount of loaded PTX was released slowly in phosphate buffer solution (PBS) without DTT, while quick release was observed in the presence of 10.0 mM DTT. Cell count kit (CCK‐8) assays revealed that the reduction‐sensitive PTX‐loaded CCL micelles showed high antitumor activity toward HeLa cells, which was significantly higher than that of reduction‐insensitive counterparts and free PTX. This kind of biodegradable and biocompatible CCL micelles could serve as a bioreducible nanocarrier for the controlled antitumor drug release. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Polym. Sci., Part A: Polym. Chem. 2016, 54, 99–107
Synthesis and FET characterization of novel ambipolar and low‐bandgap naphthalene‐diimide‐based semiconducting polymers
Authors: Fukuta Seijiro , Wu Hung‐Chin , Koganezawa Tomoyuki , Isshiki Yukou , Ueda Mitsuru , Chen Wen‐Chang , Higashihara Tomoya
Published: August 2015

A novel series of naphthalene‐diimide‐based semiconducting polymers (P1–P4) containing benzodithiophene or dithienopyrrole were successfully synthesized for ambipolar semiconducting materials showing near infrared absorptions. The incorporation of a 3‐hexylthiophene (3HT) spacer extended the intramolecular charge‐transfer (ICT) peak from λonset = 739 nm (P1) to 785 nm (P3). Moreover, about 250 nm red‐shift of the ICT peaks was observed in P2 and P4 compared to P1 and P3 due to the increased high‐lying HOMO energy levels. The grazing incidence X‐ray scattering of the P3 and P4 films proved the slightly improved crystalline order in the π−π stacking direction, indicating that the planar backbone is probably due to the introduced 3HT. The P1–P4‐based field‐effect transistor showed n‐type dominant ambipolar characteristics. The P2 and P4 showed higher electron mobilities up to 1.5 × 10−2 cm2 V−1 s−1 than P1 and P3, which might be influenced by the orientation of the polymer backbone and the intermolecular orbital overlap. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Polym. Sci., Part A: Polym. Chem. 2016, 54, 359–367
Improved diamond‐like carbon coating deposition uniformity on cylindrical sample by its suspension in RF PECVD chamber
Authors: Śmietana Mateusz , Koba Marcin , Mikulic Predrag , Bogdanowicz Robert , Bock Wojtek J.
Published: August 2015

The paper discusses the uniformity of diamond‐like carbon (DLC) thin overlays deposited with radio frequency plasma‐enhanced chemical vapor deposition (RF PECVD) method on optical fibers with induced long‐period gratings (LPGs). When refractive index around the LPG increases, a spectral response of the LPG strongly depends on properties of the overlay. Using LPG suspended in the RF PECVD chamber, we have found that DLC thickness distribution around the fiber highly depend on a distance between the LPG and the electrode. More asymmetrical deposition, which takes place when the LPG is located closer to the electrode, induces appearance of a series of additional resonances in LPG transmission spectrum. It has been found that for the fiber suspended 7.2 mm over the electrode the coating has the highest uniformity. Higher uniformity obtained by fiber suspension in the chamber has been compared with the effect resulting from fiber rotation between two consecutive processes. It is shown that more symmetrical deposition is obtained for the suspended samples than for the rotated ones.
Managerial compensation and corporate spinoffs
Authors: Feldman Emilie R.
Published: August 2015

Research summary: This article investigates how corporate spinoffs affect managerial compensation. These deals are found to improve the alignment of spinoff firm managers' incentive compensation with stock market performance, especially among spinoff firm managers that used to be divisional managers of the spun‐off subsidiary, and particularly when the spun‐off subsidiary performs better than or is unrelated to its parent firm's remaining businesses. By contrast, incentive alignment does not improve for the parent firm managers running the divesting companies. This finding appears to be driven by a significant post‐spinoff increase in these managers' incentive compensation, the magnitude of which is inversely related to governance quality in their firms. Together, these results elucidate how spinoffs influence managerial compensation in diversified firms and the companies they divest.

Managerial summary: This article explores how spinoffs affect incentive alignment: the correlation between incentive compensation and stock market performance. The incentive alignment of spinoff firm managers improves following these deals. These gains are the largest when spinoff firm managers used to be divisional managers of the spun‐off subsidiary and when the spun‐off subsidiary performs better than or is unrelated to the other businesses in the parent firm. By contrast, incentive alignment does not improve for parent firm managers. Instead, the level of these managers' incentive compensation rises significantly post‐spinoff, and the magnitude of this increase is inversely related to governance quality in these firms. Together, these results shed light on the ways in which spinoffs influence managerial compensation in diversified firms and in the companies they divest. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Time-Resolved Magnetic Resonance Angiography in the Evaluation of Intracranial Vascular Lesions and Tumors: A Pictorial Essay of Our Experience
Authors: Liu Ming-Cheng , Chen Hung-Chieh , Wu Chen-Hao , Chen Wen-Hsien , Tsuei Yuang-Seng , Chen Clayton Chi-Chang
Published: August 2015

Time-resolved magnetic resonance angiography (TR MRA) is a promising less invasive technique for the diagnosis of intracranial vascular lesions and hypervascular tumors. Similar to 4-dimensional computed tomographic angiography obtaining high frame rate images, TR MRA utilizes acceleration techniques to acquire sequential arterial and venous phase images for identifying, localizing, and classifying vascular lesions. Because of the good agreement with digital subtraction angiography for grading brain arteriovenous malformations with the Spetzler–Martin classification and the good sensitivity for visualizing arteriovenous fistulas, studies have suggested that TR MRA could serve as a screening or routine follow-up tool for diagnosing intracranial vascular disorders. In this pictorial essay, we report on the use of TR MRA at 3.0 T to diagnose intracranial vascular lesions and hypervascular tumors, employing DSA as the reference technique.
Activation of Notch3 promotes pulmonary arterial smooth muscle cells proliferation via Hes1/p27Kip1 signaling pathway
Authors: Song Yang , Zhang Yonghong , Jiang Haoxiang , Zhu Yanting , Liu Lu , Feng Wei , Yang Lan , Wang Yibin , Li Manxiang
Published: August 2015

Activation of the Notch3 cascade is involved in the development of pulmonary arterial hypertension by stimulating the proliferation of vascular smooth muscle cells. However, the detailed molecular mechanisms underlying this effect are still unclear. The present study aims to address this issue. We demonstrated that over‐expression of intracellular domain of the Notch3 receptor (NICD3) by adenovirus transfection dramatically induced proliferation of primary cultured pulmonary artery smooth muscle cells. This was accompanied with up‐regulation of Hes1 protein and down‐regulation of p27Kip1 protein. More importantly, we observed that prior silencing of Hes1 with siRNA blocked NICD3 over‐expression‐induced p27Kip1 reduction and cell proliferation. The present study suggests that Hes1 lies downstream of NICD3 and particularly mediates Notch3 signaling‐induced proliferation of pulmonary arterial smooth muscle cells by down‐regulation of p27Kip1 expression.
Change and Recovery: Culturally Appropriate Early Childhood Programmes with Refugee Families and Communities
Authors: Signorelli R. G. , Coello M. , Momartin S.
Published: August 2015

The STARTTerS Early Childhood Programme at the NSW Service for the Treatment and Rehabilitation of Torture and Trauma Survivors (STARTTS) has been developed in response to the complex refugee experiences of very young children, their families and communities. This biopsychosocial and systemic model is informed by neuroscience, attachment theory and current knowledge of the nature and impact of refugee-specific trauma on very young children and their families. It addresses the complex interactions between, social, cultural and political factors within the trauma and recovery environments, as they influence the clients’ presentations and the choice of interventions with families in cultural transition (FICT).

This paper provides a background to the STARTTerS programme, and reports on the results of a Community Based Participatory Research (CBPR) project with the Karen and Mandaean refugee communities. It explores perceptions and cultural views of signs and symptoms related to early childhood trauma. It also explores help seeking preferences in relation to the recovery, settlement and health needs of families with young children. This research has led to ongoing collaborative and consultative processes with those communities, resulting in the development of services and referral systems, which will build a comprehensive and culturally appropriate early childhood programme.
Alternative approaches for studying humanitarian interventions: propensity score methods to evaluate reintegration packages impact on depression, PTSD, and function impairment among child soldiers in Nepal
Authors: Kohrt B. A. , Burkey M. , Stuart E. A. , Koirala S.
Published: August 2015

Background.

Ethical, logistical, and funding approaches preclude conducting randomized control trials (RCTs) in some humanitarian crises. A lack of RCTs and other intervention research has contributed to a limited evidence-base for mental health and psychosocial support (MHPS) programs after disasters, war, and disease outbreaks. Propensity score methods (PSMs) are an alternative analysis technique with potential application for evaluating MHPS programs in humanitarian emergencies.

Methods.

PSMs were used to evaluate impacts of education reintegration packages (ERPs) and other (vocational or economic) reintegration packages (ORPs)v.no reintegration programs on mental health of child soldiers. Propensity scores were used to determine weighting of child soldiers in each of the three treatment arms. Multiple linear regression was used to estimate adjusted changes in symptom score severity on culturally validated measures of depression, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and functional impairment from baseline to 1-year follow-up.

Results.

Among 258 Nepali child soldiers participating in reintegration programs, 54.7% completed ERP and 22.9% completed ORP. There was a non-significant reduction in depression by 0.59 (95% CI −1.97 to 0.70) for ERP and by 0.60 (95% CI −2.16 to 0.96) for ORP compared with no treatment. There were non-significant increases in PTSD (1.15, 95% CI −1.55 to 3.86) and functional impairment (0.91, 95% CI −0.31 to 2.14) associated with ERP and similar findings for ORP (PTSD: 0.66, 95% CI −2.24 to 3.57; functional impairment (1.05, 95% CI −0.71 to 2.80).

Conclusion.

In a humanitarian crisis in which a non-randomized intervention assignment protocol was employed, the statistical technique of PSMs addressed differences in covariate distribution between child soldiers who received different integration packages. Our analysis did not demonstrate significant changes in psychosocial outcomes for ERPs and ORPs. We suggest the use of PSMs in evaluating non-randomized interventions in humanitarian crises when non-randomized conditions are not utilized.
Serum ferritin levels are associated with carotid atherosclerosis in Chinese postmenopausal women: the Shanghai Changfeng Study
Authors: Ma Hui , Lin Huandong , Hu Yu , Li Xiaoming , He Wanyuan , Jin Xuejuan , Gao Jian , Zhao Naiqing , Song Binbin , Pan Boshen , Gao Xin
Published: August 2015

Postmenopausal women are at increased risk of CVD: the increased serum ferritin level may be involved in the pathogenesis. The aim of the present study is to investigate the relationship of ferritin and carotid atherosclerosis in postmenopausal women. A total of 1178 postmenopausal women (mean age, 60·8 years) were enrolled from the Changfeng Study. A standard interview, anthropometric measurements and laboratory analyses were performed for each participant. Bilateral CIMT (carotid intima–media thickness) were measured using ultrasonography, and the presence of carotid plaques was assessed. Serum ferritin was measured using electrochemiluminescence immunoassay. The results showed that serum ferritin was 181·9 (sd 65·8) ng/ml in the postmenopausal women. Multivariate, linear, stepwise regression analysis demonstrated that age (standardised β = 0·233, P< 0·001), alanine transaminase (standardised β = 0·194, P< 0·001), log homeostasis model assessment index for insulin resistance (standardised β = 0·181, P< 0·001), TAG (standardised β = 0·083, P= 0·003), Hb (standardised β = 0·080, P= 0·004) and PPG (2-h glucose levels following a 75-g oral glucose challenge) (standardised β = 0·079, P= 0·004) were independently associated with serum ferritin. Compared with the ferritin level of subjects in the first quartile, that in the fourth quartile had greater CIMT, and higher prevalence of carotid plaque. After adjusting for conventional CVD risk factors, Hb, leucocytes, log urine albumin:creatinine ratio and liver function, the ferritin level of postmenopausal women in the fourth quartile had a 1·587-fold increased risk of carotid plaques relative to those in the lowest quartile. In conclusion, these results suggest that serum ferritin is independently and positively associated with carotid atherosclerosis in postmenopausal women and that ferritin may be implicated in atherosclerosis.
Impact of cultivation year, nitrogen fertilization rate and irrigation water quality on soil salinity and soil nitrogen in saline-sodic paddy fields in Northeast China
Authors: HUANG L. H. , LIANG Z. W. , SUAREZ D. L. , WANG Z.C. , WANG M. M. , YANG H. Y. , LIU M.
Published: August 2015

Saline-sodic soils are widely distributed in the western Songnen Plain of Northeast China and planting rice has been found to be an effective and feasible approach for improving saline-sodic soil and increasing food production. Assessment of the effectiveness and sustainability of this method requires monitoring of the changes in soil salinity and nutrient content. The objective of the current study was to investigate the changes of soil salinity and nitrogen (N) contents over 1, 3, 6 and 9 years of cultivation, four application rates of N (N0: no N, N1: 100 kg N/ha, N2: 200 kg N/ha and N3: 300 kg N/ha) and two irrigation water types: ground water irrigation (GWI) and river water irrigation (RWI). Salinity and N contents of soil and water samples were analysed before planting and after harvest throughout the experiments. Soil pH and electrical conductivity (EC), especially in the surface layer of 0–40 cm depth, decreased with years of cultivation with both GWI and RWI, while soil inorganic N and total N contents increased. Moreover, with increasing N application rates, soil inorganic N and total N contents increased significantly in the 0–20 cm soil layer. Increasing N application had little effect on soil pH and EC. Reclaiming and planting rice promoted desalination of the surface and formation of a fertile tillage layer in saline-sodic paddy fields. In terms of irrigation and drainage in saline-sodic paddy fields, both soil salinity and N contents increased. Soil total salinity increased annually by 34 and 12·8 kg/ha, and inorganic N contents increased annually by 9 and 13·5 kg/ha with GWI and RWI, respectively. Therefore, comprehensive agricultural practices should be adopted for improving and cropping rice in saline-sodic paddy fields.
Trust, Investment, and Business Contracting
Authors: Ang James S. , Cheng Yingmei , Wu Chaopeng
Published: August 2015

How does trust affect business contracting at the firm level? We analyze the case of foreign high-tech companies investing in China, where the risk of expropriation of their intellectual property is high. We find that firms mitigate this type of risk by taking local trustworthiness into account when making investment decisions. Firms prefer to invest in regions where local partners and employees are considered more trustworthy; they are also more likely to establish joint ventures and to make greater research and development investments. We employ instrumental variable regressions and dynamic panel generalized method of moments estimators to alleviate endogeneity concerns and control for time-invariant heterogeneity.
Giants at the Gate: Investment Returns and Diseconomies of Scale in Private Equity
Authors: Lopez-de-Silanes Florencio , Phalippou Ludovic , Gottschalg Oliver
Published: August 2015

We document the wide dispersion of private equity investment returns and examine performance determinants using a newly constructed database of 7,500 investments worldwide. One in 10 investments does not return any money, whereas 1 in 4 has an internal rate of return (IRR) above 50%. Quick flips are associated with the highest returns. Performance does not appear scalable: Investments held by private equity firms in periods with a high number of simultaneous investments underperform substantially. Results are consistent with the theoretical literature on organizational diseconomies linked to firm structure. Private equity firms’ actions do not appear to be mechanical or easily scalable.
The Post-Acquisition Returns of Stock Deals: Evidence of the Pervasiveness of the Asset Growth Effect
Authors: Mortal Sandra , Schill Michael J.
Published: August 2015

A growing literature finds that firm asset growth rates are negatively correlated with subsequent stock returns. We show that the poor post-deal returns that have been documented for stock acquisitions are more precisely explained by the return effects associated with systematically larger asset growth rates for stock deals. We find a similar result for other cross-sectional and time-series acquisition effects, including poor returns for glamour deals, weakly monitored deals, and deals done during high-valuation periods. We suggest that the distinguishing characteristic associated with poor performing acquisitions is simply their tendency to grow assets.
Improving maternal nutrition for better pregnancy outcomes
Authors: Nnam N. M.
Published: August 2015

Much has been learned during the past several decades about the role of maternal nutrition in the outcome of pregnancy. While the bulk of the data is derived from animal models, human observations are gradually accumulating. There is need to improve maternal nutrition because of the high neonatal mortality rate especially in developing countries. The author used a conceptual framework which took both primary and secondary factors into account when interpreting study findings. Nutrition plays a vital role in reducing some of the health risks associated with pregnancy such as risk of fetal and infant mortality, intra-uterine growth retardation, low birth weight and premature births, decreased birth defects, cretinism, poor brain development and risk of infection. Adequate nutrition is essential for a woman throughout her life cycle to ensure proper development and prepare the reproductive life of the woman. Pregnant women require varied diets and increased nutrient intake to cope with the extra needs during pregnancy. Use of dietary supplements and fortified foods should be encouraged for pregnant women to ensure adequate supply of nutrients for both mother and foetus. The author concludes that nutrition education should be a core component of Mother and Child Health Clinics and every opportunity should be utilised to give nutrition education on appropriate diets for pregnant women.
‘Terrible’ divine commands revisited: a response to Davis and Franks
Authors: MORRISTON WES
Published: August 2015

If God commanded something that would ordinarily be classified as a terrible evil, would we have a moral obligation to obey? In two previous articles in this journal, I examined and evaluated several different ways in which a divine command theorist might answer this question. Richard Brian Davis and W. Paul Franks have now provided a vigorous rebuttal, in which they argue that my way of handling the relevant counterpossible conditionals is flawed, and that a divine command theorist who avails herself of the metaphysical platform of theistic activism can consistently say that if (per impossibile) God were to command some terrible evil, it would not be the case that we have a moral obligation to do it. In the present article, I clarify my own view and defend it against Davis and Franks's objections. I also argue that the core claim of theistic activism – that there would be nothing at all if there were no God – does not have all the dramatic implications that Davis and Franks claim for it.
The attitude of Slavic speakers toward English(es)
Authors: Salakhyan Elena
Published: August 2015

The attitudes of Slavic speakers towards English accents have been under-researched. The only language and accent attitude research in the Slavic context with the involvement of Polish speakers was conducted by Jenkins in her questionnaire study (Jenkins, 2007). The study, whose interest lay in assessing native and non-native English accents, showed a strong attachment of non-native speakers toward native varieties and accents of English, although non-native speakers mostly used English for communication with other non-native speakers of English.
An Empirically-Calibrated Ship Domain as a Safety Criterion for Navigation in Confined Waters
Authors: Wang Yueying , Chin Hoong-Chor
Published: August 2015

There are limited studies on the use of ship domain as the safety criterion for ship navigation within confined waters. In this paper, a free-form ship domain has been developed empirically for navigation in confined waters. Two individual domains of an asymmetrical polygonal shape have been assumed around the own ship and target ship, and the size of the ship domains is assumed to be dynamically enlarged with increased ship speeds. The required safe distance modelled using the proposed ship domain takes into account dynamic changes in relative bearing and heading. The model is calibrated using the data of vessel movements in Singapore Strait and Singapore Port. An innovative process has been adopted that iteratively adjusts the parameters in the basic ship domain of a stationary ship; a speed function as well as a weight function to maximise the usage of the dataset. The resulting ship domain model compares well with existing ship domains for typical encounters, such as those of Fujii and Coldwell but represents non-typical encounters more effectively than existing models.
Crystal structure of tramadol hydrochloride, C16H26NO2Cl
Authors: Kaduk James A. , Zhong Kai , Gindhart Amy M. , Blanton Thomas N.
Published: August 2015

The crystal structure of tramadol hydrochloride has been solved and refined using synchrotron X-ray powder diffraction data, and optimized using density functional techniques. Tramadol hydrochloride crystallizes in space groupCc(#9) witha= 9.680 72(2),b= 19.191 27(4),c= 9.285 94(1) Å,β= 100.5923(1)°,V= 1695.795(5) Å3, andZ= 4. The solid-state conformation of the cation differs from the minimum-energy conformation of the tramadol cation in water, and from the conformation observed in the benzoic acid adduct of tramadol hydrochloride. N–H···Cl and O–H···Cl hydrogen bonds form a zigzag chain with graph setC1,2(8) along thec-axis. C–H···O hydrogen bonds also contribute to the crystal energy. The powder pattern has been submitted to ICDD for inclusion in the Powder Diffraction File™.
Crystal structure of raltegravir potassium, C20H20FKN6O5
Authors: Kaduk James A. , Zhong Kai , Gindhart Amy M. , Blanton Thomas N.
Published: August 2015

The crystal structure of the potassium salt of raltegravir has been solved and refined using synchrotron X-ray powder diffraction data, and optimized using density functional techniques. Raltegravir potassium crystallizes in space groupP21/c(#14) witha= 15.610 59(9),b= 8.148 19(3),c= 16.125 97(6) Å,β= 94.1848(5)°,V= 2045.72(1) Å3, andZ= 4. The most prominent feature of the crystal structure is the chains of edge-sharing 7-coordinate KO5N2parallel to theb-axis. The crystal structure can be described as having K-containing layers in thebc-plane, with double layers of CH4F halfway between them. The raltegravir anion is not in the minimum-energy conformation, suggesting that coordination to the K and hydrogen bonds play a significant role in the solid-state structure. The powder pattern is included in the Powder Diffraction File™ as entry 00-064-1499.
Comparison of Computerized Patients versus Live Moulaged Actors for a Mass-casualty Drill
Authors: Claudius Ilene , Kaji Amy , Santillanes Genevieve , Cicero Mark , Donofrio J. Joelle , Gausche-Hill Marianne , Srinivasan Saranya , Chang Todd P.
Published: August 2015

Introduction

Multiple modalities for simulating mass-casualty scenarios exist; however, the ideal modality for education and drilling of mass-casualty incident (MCI) triage is not established.

Hypothesis/Problem

Medical student triage accuracy and time to triage for computer-based simulated victims and live moulaged actors using the pediatric version of the Simple Triage and Rapid Treatment (JumpSTART) mass-casualty triage tool were compared, anticipating that student performance and experience would be equivalent.

Methods

The victim scenarios were created from actual trauma records from pediatric high-mechanism trauma presenting to a participating Level 1 trauma center. The student-reported fidelity of the two modalities was also measured. Comparisons were done using nonparametric statistics and regression analysis using generalized estimating equations.

Results

Thirty-three students triaged four live patients and seven computerized patients representing a spectrum of minor, immediate, delayed, and expectant victims. Of the live simulated patients, 92.4% were given accurate triage designations versus 81.8% for the computerized scenarios (P=.005). The median time to triage of live actors was 57 seconds (IQR=45-66) versus 80 seconds (IQR=58-106) for the computerized patients (P<.0001). The moulaged actors were felt to offer a more realistic encounter by 88% of the participants, with a higher associated stress level.

Conclusion

While potentially easier and more convenient to accomplish, computerized scenarios offered less fidelity than live moulaged actors for the purposes of MCI drilling. Medical students triaged live actors more accurately and more quickly than victims shown in a computerized simulation.

ClaudiusI, KajiA, SantillanesG, CiceroM, DonofrioJJ, Gausche-HillM, SrinivasanS, ChangTP.
Comparison of computerized patients versus live moulaged actors for a mass-casualty drill. Prehosp Disaster Med.2015; 30(5): 438–442.
Conversion of rural abattoir wastes to an organic fertilizer and its application in the field cultivation of tomato in India
Authors: Roy Malancha , Das Rimi , Debsarcar Anupam , Kumar Sen Pradip , Mukherjee Joydeep
Published: August 2015

Sophisticated capital intensive waste-recycling technologies are unviable in small rural abattoirs in India due to low volume of wastes (principally blood and rumen digesta) generated and lack of infrastructural facilities. We report recycling of slaughterhouse wastes as an organic fertilizer, ‘bovine-blood-rumen-digesta-mixture’ (BBRDM). Bovine blood and rumen digesta were mixed in 3:1 ratio in a metallic container, boiled and stirred continuously till the mixture was largely free of water. The mass was sun-dried for 3 days to obtain the final product. BBRDM was applied for field cultivation of tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum L., local variety ‘Patharkuchi’) in West Bengal state (India) during 2012–13 and 2013–14. We compared tomato yields obtained with BBRDM (N:P2O5:K2O 30.36:1:5.75) and conventional inorganic fertilizers [diammonium phosphate (DAP), N:P2O5:K2O 18:46:0 + potash, N:P2O5:K2O 0:0:44]. BBRDM was applied at a higher rate compared with DAP + potash to meet the farmers’ desire for enhanced yields. 75 kg ha−1 was applied at the 2nd week while 150 kg ha−1 was applied at the 8th week after transplantation. Yields (total fruit weight) obtained from BBRDM-treated plants were higher in comparison with DAP + potash-fertilized plants by 46–48% as the former supplied 2.5 times more nitrogen (N) than the latter. The partial factor productivity of DAP + potash was 73–76% higher than BBRDM. Conversely, as BBRDM was produced through local entrepreneurship from slaughterhouse wastes, the cost of this organic product would be expected to be much lower than the commercial inorganic fertilizer. Furthermore, application of BBRDM negates the environmental cost of treating slaughterhouse effluent. Considering the same cost of applying 225 kg fertilizer ha−1, higher yield with BBRDM should result in greater potential revenue for the farmer compared with yields with DAP + potash. The C/N ratio of BBRDM is 4.8, having relatively high N content. Accordingly, rapid release of plant-available N was observed in BBRDM-fertilized soils. The temporal increase in soil NH4+may be attributed to lack of soil N immobilization. Local farmers are willing to accept the new fertilizer as a substitute for currently used chemical fertilizers.
MRI detection of breast cancer micrometastases with a fibronectin-targeting contrast agent
Authors: Zhou Zhuxian , Qutaish Mohammed , Han Zheng , Schur Rebecca M. , Liu Yiqiao , Wilson David L. , Lu Zheng-Rong
Published: August 2015

Metastasis is the primary cause of death in breast cancer patients. Early detection of high-risk breast cancer, including micrometastasis, is critical in tailoring appropriate and effective interventional therapies. Increased fibronectin expression, a hallmark of epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition, is associated with high-risk breast cancer and metastasis. We have previously developed a penta-peptide CREKA (Cys-Arg-Glu-Lys-Ala)-targeted gadolinium-based magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) contrast agent, CREKA-Tris(Gd-DOTA)3 (Gd-DOTA (4,7,10-tris(carboxymethyl)-1,4,7,10-tetraazacyclododecyl gadolinium), which binds to fibrin–fibronectin complexes that are abundant in the tumour microenvironment of fast-growing breast cancer. Here we assess the capability of CREKA-Tris(Gd-DOTA)3 to detect micrometastasis with MRI in co-registration with high-resolution fluorescence cryo-imaging in female mice bearing metastatic 4T1 breast tumours. We find that CREKA-Tris(Gd-DOTA)3 provides robust contrast enhancement in the metastatic tumours and enables the detection of micrometastases of size <0.5 mm, extending the detection limit of the current clinical imaging modalities. These results demonstrate that molecular MRI with CREKA-Tris(Gd-DOTA)3 may facilitate early detection of high-risk breast cancer and micrometastasis in the clinic.
Ionization-induced annealing of pre-existing defects in silicon carbide
Authors: Zhang Yanwen , Sachan Ritesh , Pakarinen Olli H. , Chisholm Matthew F. , Liu Peng , Xue Haizhou , Weber William J.
Published: August 2015

A long-standing objective in materials research is to effectively heal fabrication defects or to remove pre-existing or environmentally induced damage in materials. Silicon carbide (SiC) is a fascinating wide-band gap semiconductor for high-temperature, high-power and high-frequency applications. Its high corrosion and radiation resistance makes it a key refractory/structural material with great potential for extremely harsh radiation environments. Here we show that the energy transferred to the electron system of SiC by energetic ions via inelastic ionization can effectively anneal pre-existing defects and restore the structural order. The threshold determined for this recovery process reveals that it can be activated by 750 and 850 keV Si and C self-ions, respectively. The results conveyed here can contribute to SiC-based device fabrication by providing a room-temperature approach to repair atomic lattice structures, and to SiC performance prediction as either a functional material for device applications or a structural material for high-radiation environments.
Flexibility and extracellular opening determine the interaction between ligands and insect sulfakinin receptors
Authors: Yu Na , Zotti Moises João , Scheys Freja , Braz Antônio S. K. , Penna Pedro H. C. , Nachman Ronald J. , Smagghe Guy
Published: August 2015

Despite their fundamental importance for growth, the mechanisms that regulate food intake are poorly understood. Our previous work demonstrated that insect sulfakinin (SK) signaling is involved in inhibiting feeding in an important model and pest insect, the red flour beetleTribolium castaneum. Because the interaction of SK peptide and SK receptors (SKR) initiates the SK signaling, we have special interest on the structural factors that influence the SK-SKR interaction. First, the three-dimensional structures of the twoT. castaneumSKRs (TcSKR1 and TcSKR2) were generated from molecular modeling and they displayed significance in terms of the outer opening of the cavity and protein flexibility. TcSKR1 contained a larger outer opening of the cavity than that in TcSKR2, which allows ligands a deep access into the cavity through cell membrane. Second, normal mode analysis revealed that TcSKR1 was more flexible than TcSKR2 during receptor-ligand interaction. Third, the sulfated SK (sSK) and sSK-related peptides were more potent than the nonsulfated SK, suggesting the importance of the sulfate moiety.
Silver Nanorods Wrapped with Ultrathin Al2O3 Layers Exhibiting Excellent SERS Sensitivity and Outstanding SERS Stability
Authors: Ma Lingwei , Huang Yu , Hou Mengjing , Xie Zheng , Zhang Zhengjun
Published: August 2015

Silver nanostructures have been considered as promising substrates for surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) with extremely high sensitivity. The applications, however, are hindered by the facts that their morphology can be easily destroyed due to the low melting points (~100 °C) and their surfaces are readily oxidized/sulfured in air, thus losing the SERS activity. It was found that wrapping Ag nanorods with an ultrathin (~1.5 nm) but dense and amorphous Al2O3 layer by low-temperature atomic layer deposition (ALD) could make the nanorods robust in morphology up to 400 °C and passivate completely their surfaces to stabilize the SERS activity in air, without decreasing much the SERS sensitivity. This simple strategy holds great potentials to generate highly robust and stable SERS substrates for real applications.
Progeny Clustering: A Method to Identify Biological Phenotypes
Authors: Hu Chenyue W. , Kornblau Steven M. , Slater John H. , Qutub Amina A.
Published: August 2015

Estimating the optimal number of clusters is a major challenge in applying cluster analysis to any type of dataset, especially to biomedical datasets, which are high-dimensional and complex. Here, we introduce an improved method, Progeny Clustering, which is stability-based and exceptionally efficient in computing, to find the ideal number of clusters. The algorithm employs a novel Progeny Sampling method to reconstruct cluster identity, a co-occurrence probability matrix to assess the clustering stability and a set of reference datasets to overcome inherent biases in the algorithm and data space. Our method was shown successful and robust when applied to two synthetic datasets (datasets of two-dimensions and ten-dimensions containing eight dimensions of pure noise), two standard biological datasets (the Iris dataset and Rat CNS dataset) and two biological datasets (a cell phenotype dataset and an acute myeloid leukemia (AML) reverse phase protein array (RPPA) dataset). Progeny Clustering outperformed some popular clustering evaluation methods in the ten-dimensional synthetic dataset as well as in the cell phenotype dataset and it was the only method that successfully discovered clinically meaningful patient groupings in the AML RPPA dataset.