bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Outage performance of a network coding aided multi‐user cooperative secondary network
Authors: Mafra S. B. , Souza R. D. , Rebelatto J. L. , Brante G. , Rayel O. K.
Published: May 2015

We evaluate the performance of a network‐coded cooperative secondary network in a cognitive radio system under spectrum sharing constraints. The secondary network is composed of multiple sources that cooperate to transmit their own information to a common secondary destination. The outage probability is analysed under a given maximum interference constraint set by the primary network as well as to the maximum transmit power limit of the secondary sources. Moreover, we also obtain a closed‐form equation for the ϵ‐outage capacity, that is, the maximum information rate achieved by the secondary sources given a target outage probability. Also, we resort to the Dinkelbach algorithm in order to find the optimum number of parity packets that maximises the ϵ‐outage capacity. The influence of the number of source nodes and another system parameters in the secondary's performance is also evaluated, and we show through theoretical and numerical results that cooperative communication with network coding can provide significant gains in terms of outage probability and diversity order when compared with non‐cooperative or traditional cooperative. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Thermal modelling of gypsum plasterboard assemblies exposed to standard fire tests
Authors: Lázaro David , Puente Eduardo , Lázaro Mariano , Lázaro Pedro G. , Peña Jorge
Published: May 2015

Gypsum plasterboards are widely used for compartmentation and for retarding the spread of fire in buildings. Although numerous heat transfer studies have been conducted, literature indicates there are extensive differences in the thermal properties used in these studies. Comprehensive experimental and numerical analyses have been conducted to elucidate the leading factor in the ablation of a gypsum board system when it is exposed to the standard fire resistance test. A methodology based on both simultaneous thermal analysis and computational modelling is proposed to understand the behaviour of a gypsum plasterboard when the boundary temperature increases quickly as one side of the wall is subjected to the standard ISO 834. Finally, four different wall assemblies made of a commercial fireproof plasterboard system are exposed to the standard test. The temperature on the unexposed face is examined to validate the computational model of the plasterboard. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Numerical simulations of fluid–structure interaction based on Cartesian grids with two boundary velocities
Authors: Huang Ching‐Jer , Lin Chun‐Yuan , Chen Chih‐Hsin
Published: May 2015

This work proposes an innovative numerical method for simulating the interaction of fluid with irregularly shaped stationary structures based on Cartesian grids. Instead of prescribing an artificial force to enforce the no‐slip boundary condition at the solid–fluid interface, this work imposes two boundary velocities, referred to as the solid and mass‐conserving boundary velocities, to satisfy the no‐slip boundary condition and mass conservation in the ghost cells around the immersed solid boundary. Both the traditional level set method [41] and the hybrid particle level set method [45] were used to represent the solid boundary and the complex free‐surface evolution, respectively. Consequently, the boundary velocities close to the immersed solid boundary can be determined in terms of the level set function and the neighboring fluid velocity. The projection method is further modified to incorporate the solid and mass‐conserving boundary velocities into the solution algorithm. A series of numerical experiments were conducted to demonstrate the feasibility of the proposed method. They involved uniform flow past a stationary circular cylinder and the propagation of water waves over a submerged trapezoidal breakwater. Comparisons between the numerical results and experimental data showed very good agreement in all cases of interest. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
A method to enhance the CO2 storage capacity of pyroxenitic rocks
Authors: Rigopoulos Ioannis , Vasiliades Michalis A. , Petallidou Klito C. , Ioannou Ioannis , Efstathiou Angelos M. , Kyratsi Theodora
Published: May 2015

Investigation of new efficient pathways for CO2 sequestration is of great significance for the mitigation of climate change. Ultramafic rocks are considered among the most promising lithotypes for the safe storage of CO2 via mineral carbonation. This paper investigates a powerful method for the optimization of the ex situ carbonation of pyroxenitic rocks, which comprise part of ultramafic lithologies occurring in ophiolite complexes. The ball milling process was applied to a sample of pyroxenite from the Troodos ophiolite (Cyprus) for the first time, in order to create novel nanomaterials with enhanced CO2 storage capacity. The goal was to accelerate the kinetics of rock‐fluid reactions during the carbonation process. The starting rock material and the ball‐milled samples were characterized using a variety of methodologies. The experimental results imply that only a few hours of wet ball milling with ethanol as process control agent can substantially increase the CO2 storage capacity of pyroxenites. Through temperature‐programmed desorption of CO2 (CO2‐TPD) experiments, we show that the optimum milling conditions are 4 h of ball milling with 50 wt% ethanol, leading to an increase of the CO2 uptake of the studied rock material by 41 times. This notable increase designates that pyroxenites are very promising lithologies for CO2 storage via ex situ carbonation, and that ball milling can be an effective preparation technique for this process, providing an efficient and secure carbon storage solution.© 2015 Society of Chemical Industry and John Wiley & Sons, Ltd
Potent and long‐term antiangiogenic efficacy mediated by FP3‐expressing oncolytic adenovirus
Authors: Choi Il‐Kyu , Shin Hyewon , Oh Eonju , Yoo Ji Young , Hwang June Kyu , Shin Kyungsub , Yu De‐Chao , Yun Chae‐Ok
Published: May 2015

Various ways to inhibit vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), a key facilitator in tumor angiogenesis, are being developed to treat cancer. The soluble VEGF decoy receptor (FP3), due to its high affinity to VEGF, is a highly effective and promising strategy to disrupt VEGF signaling pathway. Despite potential advantage and potent therapeutic efficacy, its employment has been limited by very poor in vivo pharmacokinetic properties. To address this challenge, we designed a novel oncolytic adenovirus (Ad) expressing FP3 (RdB/FP3). To demonstrate the VEGF‐specific nature of RdB/FP3, replication‐incompetent Ad expressing FP3 (dE1/FP3) was also generated. dE1/FP3 was highly effective in reducing VEGF expression and functionally elicited an antiangiogeneic effect. Furthermore, RdB/FP3 exhibited a potent antitumor effect compared with RdB or recombinant FP3. Consistent with these data, RdB/FP3 was shown to greatly decrease VEGF expression level and vessel density and increase apoptosis in both tumor endothelial and tumor cells, verifying potent suppressive effects of RdB/FP3 on VEGF‐mediated tumor angiogenesis in vivo. Importantly, the therapeutic mechanism of antitumor effect mediated by RdB/FP3 is associated with prolonged VEGF silencing efficacy and enhanced oncolysis via cancer cell‐specific replication of oncolytic Ad. Taken together, RdB/FP3 provides a new promising therapeutic approach in the treatment of cancer and angiogenesis‐related diseases.
Comparing sensitivity and specificity of screening mammography in the United States and Denmark
Authors: Kemp Jacobsen Katja , O'Meara Ellen S. , Key Dustin , S.M. Buist Diana , Kerlikowske Karla , Vejborg Ilse , Sprague Brian L. , Lynge Elsebeth , von Euler‐Chelpin My
Published: May 2015

Delivery of screening mammography differs substantially between the United States (US) and Denmark. We evaluated whether there are differences in screening sensitivity and specificity. We included screens from women screened at age 50–69 years during 1996–2008/2009 in the US Breast Cancer Surveillance Consortium (BCSC) (n = 2,872,791), and from two population‐based mammography screening programs in Denmark (Copenhagen, n = 148,156 and Funen, n = 275,553). Women were followed‐up for 1 year. For initial screens, recall rate was significantly higher in BCSC (17.6%) than in Copenhagen (4.3%) and Funen (3.1%). Sensitivity was fairly similar in BCSC (91.8%) and Copenhagen (90.5%) and Funen (92.5%). At subsequent screens, recall rates were 8.8%, 1.8% and 1.4% in BCSC, Copenhagen and Funen, respectively. The BCSC sensitivity (82.3%) was lower compared with that in Copenhagen (88.9%) and Funen (86.9%), but when stratified by time since last screen, the sensitivity was similar. For both initial and subsequent screenings, the specificity of screening in BCSC (83.2% and 91.6%) was significantly lower than that in Copenhagen (96.6% and 98.8%) and Funen (97.9% and 99.2%). By taking time since last screen into account, it was found that American and Danish women had the same probability of having their asymptomatic cancers detected at screening. However, the majority of women free of asymptomatic cancers experienced more harms in terms of false‐positive findings in the US than in Denmark.
Calculating Sunshine Hours and Reference Evapotranspiration in Arid Regions When Solar Radiation Data are Limited
Authors: Abd el‐wahed Mohamed H. , Snyder Richard L.
Published: May 2015

The Penman–Monteith equation is often recommended as the standard for both computing the reference evapotranspiration (ET0) and evaluating other ET0 equations. The main shortcoming of this equation is it requires weather data, e.g. solar radiation or sunshine hours (n), that are not always available. Since neither solar radiation nor n data are available in Libya, the main objective of the present study was to develop a reliable equation for estimating the sunshine hours (ne) to estimate monthly ET0 in arid regions. In this study, three equations were developed for predicting ne based on mean monthly temperature, relative humidity and wind speed. The derived equations were used for calculating the monthly ET0 based on the Penman–Monteith equation. The ET0 estimates were compared with ET0 calculated using observed n. The results indicate that the ET0 calculated using ne matched well with the ET0 calculated by n.

The ET0 calculated by the three equations were tested against ET0 calculated by both the California Irrigation Management Information System (CIMIS) and Hargreaves–Samani equation.

The ET0 based on estimated sunshine was closest to ET0 obtained from CIMIS compared to the Hargreaves–Samani equation. In conclusion, the equation to estimate sunshine hours should provide good estimates of the ET0 for similar desert locations that lack sunshine hours or solar radiation data. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Large‐scale multiplex polymerase chain reaction assay for diagnosis of viral reactivations after allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation
Authors: Inazawa Natsuko , Hori Tsukasa , Hatakeyama Naoki , Yamamoto Masaki , Yoto Yuko , Nojima Masanori , Suzuki Nobuhiro , Shimizu Norio , Tsutsumi Hiroyuki
Published: May 2015

Viral reactivations following hematopoietic stem cell transplantation are thought to result from the breakdown of both cell‐mediated and humoral immunity. As a result, many viruses could be reactivated individually or simultaneously. Using a multiplex polymerase chain reaction (PCR), we prospectively examined many kinds of viral DNAs at a time in 105 patients who underwent allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation. In total, 591 whole blood samples were collected weekly from pre‐ to 42 days post‐transplantation and the following 13 viruses were tested; herpes simplex virus 1 (HSV‐1), HSV‐2, varicella‐zoster virus (VZV), Epstein–Barr virus (EBV), cytomegalovirus (CMV), human herpes virus 6 (HHV‐6), HHV‐7, HHV‐8, adenovirus, BK virus (BKV), JC virus (JCV), parvovirus B19, and hepatitis B virus (HBV). Several viral DNAs were detected in 12 patients before hematopoietic stem cell transplantation. The detection rate gradually increased after transplantation and peaked at 21 days. The most frequently detected virus was HHV‐6 (n = 63; 60.0%), followed by EBV (n = 11; 10.5%), CMV (n = 11; 10.5%), and HHV‐7 (n = 9; 8.6%). Adenovirus and HBV were each detected in one patient (1.0%). Detection of HHV‐6 DNA was significantly more common among patients undergoing cord blood transplantation or with steroid treatment. EBV DNA tended to be more common in patients treated with anti‐thymocyte globulin. Multiplex PCR was useful for detecting many viral reactivations after hematopoietic stem cell transplantation, simultaneously. Cord blood transplantation, steroid treatment, or anti‐thymocyte globulin use was confirmed to be risk factors after transplantation. J. Med. Virol. 87:1427–1435, 2015. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Effect of microgravity on glial cell line‐derived neurotrophic factor and cerebral dopamine neurotrophic factor gene expression in the mouse brain
Authors: Tsybko A.S. , Ilchibaeva T.V. , Kulikov A.V. , Kulikova E.A. , Krasnov I.B. , Sychev V.N. , Shenkman B.S. , Popova N.K. , Naumenko V.S.
Published: May 2015

Mice were exposed to 1 month of space flight on the Russian biosatellite BION‐M1 to determine its effect on the expression of genes involved in the maintenance of the mouse brain dopamine system. The current article focuses on the genes encoding glial cell line‐derived neurotrophic factor (GDNF) and cerebral dopamine neurotrophic factor (CDNF). Space flight reduced expression of the GDNF gene in the striatum and hypothalamus but increased it in the frontal cortex and raphe nuclei area. At the same time, actual space flight reduced expression of the gene encoding CDNF in the substantia nigra but increased it in the raphe nuclei area. To separate the effects of space flight from environmental stress contribution, we analyzed expression of the investigated genes in mice housed for 1 month on Earth in the same shuttle cabins that were used for space flight and in mice of the vivarium control group. Shuttle cabin housing failed to alter the expression of the GDNF and CDNF genes in the brain structures investigated. Thus, actual long‐term space flight produced dysregulation in genetic control of GDNF and CDNF genes. These changes may be related to downregulation of the dopamine system after space flight, which we have shown earlier. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Significance: Our results provide the first evidence of microgravity effects on expression of the GDNF and CDNF neurotrophic factor genes. A considerable decrease in mRNA level of GDNF and CDNF in the nigrostriatal dopamine system was found. Because both GDNF and CDNF play a significant role in maintenance and survival of brain dopaminergic neurons, we can assume that this dysregulation in genetic control of GDNF and CDNF genes in substantia nigra could be among the reasons for the deleterious effects of space flight on the dopamine system.
Achieving standard wide color gamut by tuning LED backlight and color filter spectrum in LCD
Authors: Zhan Hongming , Xu Zheng , Tian Chao , Wang Yupeng , Chen Ming , Kim Woong , Bu Zhanchang , Shao Xibin , Lee Seongkyu
Published: May 2015

In order to achieve the standard red, green, and blue (sRGB) standard color gamut in color liquid crystal display and improve the image quality, the impact of the backlight and color filter spectrum on module's chroma was simulated and analyzed. The color gamut was enhanced by adjusting and optimizing the two parts of spectrums of LED backlight and color filter and by using red and green phosphor LED backlight to match the new color filter with an appropriate thickness. Experimental results show that: When the thickness of color filter is 2.2 µm, National Television System Committee color gamut increases from 65.3% to 74.9%, and sRGB matching rate enhances from 83.2% to 100%, achieving a full coverage of the sRGB standard color gamut, the transmittance of white light reaches 28.1%. Also, it is verified that shifting the peak position of the backlight and color filter spectrum to purification direction, as well as narrowing its half‐width can upgrade the color gamut. Meanwhile, the thicker the thickness of color filter is, the wider color gamut it has, based on the same pigment material.
Sequential bilateral cochlear implantation in the adolescent population
Authors: Friedmann David R. , Green Janet , Fang Yixin , Ensor Kelsey , Roland J. Thomas , Waltzman Susan B.
Published: May 2015

Objectives

To examine the variables affecting outcomes for sequential bilateral cochlear implantation patients in the adolescent population.

Study Design

Retrospective chart review at tertiary care center.

Methods

Main outcome measures were open set speech recognition tests at the word (Consonant‐Nucleus‐Consonant/Phonetically Balanced Kindergarten List Test [CNC/PBK]) and sentence levels in noise (Hearing in Noise Test‐Noise [HINT‐N]) in different test conditions with respect to the age at first and sequential implantation, as well as the interval between implants.

Results

Despite a mean age at sequential implantation of 13.5 years, sequential bilateral implanted adolescents revealed significant improvement in the sequential cochlear implant (CI2) ear. The mean time interval between implants was 8.2 years. A wide range of performance was noted, and age at implantation and interval between first cochlear implant (CI1) and CI2 did not predict outcome. Mean CNC/PBK score with CI1 alone was 83.0%, with the CI2 alone was 56.5%, and with bilateral implants was 86.8%. Sentence scores (HINT‐N) were 89.5% for CI1, 74.2% for CI2, and 94.4% for bilateral CI condition. The clinical relevance of these enhanced perception abilities requires attention to individual device use, performance with the first implant, and subjective benefits reported by patients.

Conclusions

Bilateral sequential cochlear implantation leads to improved speech perception in the adolescent population and should be considered in this population, even after a long period of deafness and despite a prolonged interval between implants. Numerous factors affect the ability to predict performance, but age at implantation and interimplant interval were not correlated with performance measures. Extensive preoperative counseling and individualized evaluation are critical to ensure that patients and families understand the range of possible outcomes.

Level of Evidence

4 Laryngoscope, 125:1952–1958, 2015
Effect of comorbid diabetes and hypercholesterolemia on the prognosis of idiopathic sudden sensorineural hearing loss
Authors: Lin Chang‐Fu , Lee Kuan‐Ji , Yu Shiou‐Shyan , Lin Yung‐Song
Published: May 2015

Objectives

We tested the hypothesis that comorbid diseases significantly affect the prognosis of sudden sensorineural hearing loss (ISSNHL).

Study Design

A retrospective cohort study.

Methods

The records of patients newly diagnosed with ISSNHL and treated with steroid prednisolone in a tertiary referral center between January 2003 and December 2013 were retrospectively reviewed. Pretreatment and posttreatment hearing levels were evaluated using pure‐tone average (PTA) and word recognition score (WRS). The comorbidities of diabetes, hypertension, coronary artery disease, hypercholesterolemia, cerebrovascular disease, chronic kidney disease, and anemia were identified. We examined the effects of these comorbid diseases on the prognosis of ISSNHL 2 months posttreatment.

Results

Regression analyses adjusted for gender, age, pretreatment hearing, treatment delay time, and all the comorbidities showed that the probability of major improvement in the PTA was significantly higher in patients without diabetes compared to those with diabetes (univariate odds ratio [OR], 1.90; 95% confidence interval (CI), 1.25–2.90; multivariate OR, 1.69; 95% CI, 1.03–2.77). Major (≥90%) and moderate (50%–89% improvement of the PTA, but with a remaining hearing loss of >10 dB) improvement in the PTA was significantly higher in patients without hypercholesterolemia compared to those with hypercholesterolemia (univariate OR, 1.78; 95% CI, 1.13–2.80; multivariate OR, 1.70; 95% CI, 1.02–2.84). There was, however, no significant difference in the distribution of major (≥90%), moderate (50%–89%), and minor (<50%) improvement in the posttreatment WRS for these comorbid diseases.

Conclusions

Comorbid diabetes or hypercholesterolemia may indicate a smaller probability of major or moderate PTA improvement for patients with ISSNHL.

Level of Evidence

4. Laryngoscope, 126:142–149, 2016
A comparative investigation of bone surface after cutting with mechanical tools and Er:YAG laser
Authors: Baek Kyung‐won , Deibel Waldemar , Marinov Dilyan , Griessen Mathias , Dard Michel , Bruno Alfredo , Zeilhofer Hans‐Florian , Cattin Philippe , Juergens Philipp
Published: May 2015

Background and Objectives

Despite of the long history of medical application, laser ablation of bone tissue became successful only recently. Laser bone cutting is proven to have higher accuracy and to increase bone healing compared to conventional mechanical bone cutting. But the reason of subsequent better healing is not biologically explained yet. In this study we present our experience with an integrated miniaturized laser system mounted on a surgical lightweight robotic arm.

Study Design/Materials and Methods

An Erbium‐doped Yttrium Aluminium Garnet (Er:YAG) laser and a piezoelectric (PZE) osteotome were used for comparison. In six grown up female Göttingen minipigs, comparative surgical interventions were done on the edentulous mandibular ridge. Our laser system was used to create different shapes of bone defects on the left side of the mandible. On the contralateral side, similar bone defects were created by PZE osteotome. Small bone samples were harvested to compare the immediate post‐operative cut surface.

Results

The analysis of the cut surface of the laser osteotomy and conventional mechanical osteotomy revealed an essential difference. The scanning electron microscopy (SEM) analysis showed biologically open cut surfaces from the laser osteotomy. The samples from PZE osteotomy showed a flattened tissue structure over the cut surface, resembling the “smear layer” from tooth preparation.

Conclusions

We concluded that our new finding with the mechanical osteotomy suggests a biological explanation to the expected difference in subsequent bone healing. Our hypothesis is that the difference of surface characteristic yields to different bleeding pattern and subsequently results in different bone healing. The analyses of bone healing will support our hypothesis. Lasers Surg. Med. 47:426–432, 2015. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Effects of Glycine‐Based Ionic Liquid on Spherulite Morphology of Poly(l‐Lactide)
Authors: Ni'mah Hikmatun , Woo Eamor M.
Published: May 2015

Crystalline morphology, lamellar assembly, spherulitic growth rate, and physical properties of poly(l‐lactide acid) (PLLA) modified by a room‐temperature ionic liquid (IL), N‐alkyl‐substituted‐glycine ester [N,N‐dimethyl‐N‐propyl glycine ethyl ester (DMPGlyET)+] bis(fluoromethanesufonyl)imide [TFSI−], are investigated by using polarized optical microscopy, optical microscopy, differential scanning calorimetric, and atomic‐force microscopy. Thermal analyses and in situ microscopy characterization reveal the PLLA/IL mixture with upper‐critical‐solution‐temperature behavior. Crystalline morphology of PLLA is significantly changed by the addition of IL to display massive diversification of spherulites morphology which has never been reported before in neat PLLA or PLLA blends with polymers. The morphological change and diversifications in PLLA/IL mixture are associated with strong interactions between PLLA and IL, which impede the melt crystallization of PLLA and tend to form PLLA nuclei of various geometry shapes. In addition, neat PLLA is generally brittle with extensive crack formation during postcrystallization cooling process; however, with the addition of IL, cracks are reduced or diminished entirely, potentially to enhance the performance and properties of PLLA.

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Boundary systems and (skew‐)self‐adjoint operators on infinite metric graphs
Authors: Schubert Carsten , Seifert Christian , Voigt Jürgen , Waurick Marcus
Published: May 2015

We generalize the notion of Lagrangian subspaces to self‐orthogonal subspaces with respect to a (skew‐) symmetric form, thus characterizing (skew‐)self‐adjoint and unitary operators by means of self‐orthogonal subspaces. By orthogonality preserving mappings, these characterizations can be transferred to abstract boundary value spaces of (skew‐)symmetric operators. Introducing the notion of boundary systems we then present a unified treatment of different versions of boundary triples and related concepts treated in the literature. The application of the abstract results yields a description of all (skew‐)self‐adjoint realizations of Laplace and first derivative operators on graphs.
Safe Administration of Botulinum Toxin Type A Injections During Pregnancy: A Report of Two Cases
Authors: Krug Henriette , Krause Patricia , Kupsch Andreas , Kühn Andrea A.
Published: May 2015

Local injections of botulinum toxin type A (BoNT/A) are safe and efficacious to treat focal and segmental dystonia. However, there are no adequate studies in humans regarding the safety of BoNT/A during pregnancy. Despite the fact that 25 case reports have been published on patients who received BoNT/A injections during a total of 31 pregnancies, in only 3 patients were the injections continued beyond the first trimester. We report on 2 females with cervical and segmental dystonia who received BoNT/A injections during pregnancy beyond the first trimester and gave birth to 2 healthy children.
1H MR spectroscopic imaging of the prostate at 7T using spectral‐spatial pulses
Authors: Lagemaat Miriam W. , Breukels Vincent , Vos Eline K. , Kerr Adam B. , van Uden Mark J. , Orzada Stephan , Bitz Andreas K. , Maas Marnix C. , Scheenen Tom W.J.
Published: May 2015

Purpose

To assess the feasibility of prostate 1H MR spectroscopic imaging (MRSI) using low‐power spectral‐spatial (SPSP) pulses at 7T, exploiting accurate spectral selection and spatial selectivity simultaneously.

Methods

A double spin‐echo sequence was equipped with SPSP refocusing pulses with a spectral selectivity of 1 ppm. Three‐dimensional prostate 1H‐MRSI at 7T was performed with the SPSP‐MRSI sequence using an 8‐channel transmit array coil and an endorectal receive coil in three patients with prostate cancer and in one healthy subject. No additional water or lipid suppression pulses were used.

Results

Prostate 1H‐MRSI could be obtained well within specific absorption rate (SAR) limits in a clinically feasible time (10 min). Next to the common citrate signals, the prostate spectra exhibited high spermine signals concealing creatine and sometimes also choline. Residual lipid signals were observed at the edges of the prostate because of limitations in spectral and spatial selectivity.

Conclusion

It is possible to perform prostate 1H‐MRSI at 7T with a SPSP‐MRSI sequence while using separate transmit and receive coils. This low‐SAR MRSI concept provides the opportunity to increase spatial resolution of MRSI within reasonable scan times. Magn Reson Med 75:933–945, 2016. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Sensitivity of quantitative myocardial dynamic contrast‐enhanced MRI to saturation pulse efficiency, noise and t1 measurement error: Comparison of nonlinearity correction methods
Authors: Broadbent David A. , Biglands John D. , Ripley David P. , Higgins David M. , Greenwood John P. , Plein Sven , Buckley David L.
Published: May 2015

Purpose

To compare methods designed to minimize or correct signal nonlinearity in quantitative myocardial dynamic contrast‐enhanced (DCE) MRI.

Methods

DCE‐MRI studies were simulated and data acquired in eight volunteers. Signal nonlinearity was corrected using either a dual‐bolus approach or model‐based correction using proton‐density weighted imaging (conventional or dual‐sequence acquisition) or T1 data (native or bookend). Scanning of healthy and infarcted myocardium at 3 T was simulated, including noise, saturation imperfection and T1 measurement error. Data were analyzed using model‐based deconvolution with a one‐compartment (mono‐exponential) model.

Results

Substantial variation between methods was demonstrated in volunteers. In simulations the dual‐bolus method proved stable for realistic levels of saturation efficiency but demonstrated bias due to residual nonlinearity. Model‐based methods performed ideally in the absence of confounding error sources and were generally robust to noise or saturation imperfection, except for native T1 based correction which was highly sensitive to the latter. All methods demonstrated large variation in accuracy above an over‐saturation level where baseline signal was nulled. For the dual‐sequence approach this caused substantial bias at the saturation efficiencies observed in volunteers.

Conclusion

The choice of nonlinearity correction method in myocardial DCE‐MRI impacts on accuracy and precision of estimated parameters, particularly in the presence of nonideal saturation. Magn Reson Med 75:1290–1300, 2016. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Non‐Cartesian balanced steady‐state free precession pulse sequences for real‐time cardiac MRI
Authors: Feng Xue , Salerno Michael , Kramer Christopher M. , Meyer Craig H.
Published: May 2015

Purpose

To develop a new spiral‐in/out balanced steady‐state free precession (bSSFP) pulse sequence for real‐time cardiac MRI and compare it with radial and spiral‐out techniques.

Methods

Non‐Cartesian sampling strategies are efficient and robust to motion and thus have important advantages for real‐time bSSFP cine imaging. This study describes a new symmetric spiral‐in/out sequence with intrinsic gradient moment compensation and SSFP refocusing at TE = TR/2. In vivo real‐time cardiac imaging studies were performed to compare radial, spiral‐out, and spiral‐in/out bSSFP pulse sequences. Furthermore, phase‐based fat/water separation taking advantage of the refocusing mechanism of the spiral‐in/out bSSFP sequence was also studied.

Results

The image quality of the spiral‐out and spiral‐in/out bSSFP sequences was improved with off‐resonance and k‐space trajectory correction. The spiral‐in/out bSSFP sequence had the highest signal‐to‐noise ratio (SNR), contrast‐to‐noise ratio, and image quality ratings, with spiral‐out bSSFP sequence second in each category and the radial bSSFP sequence third. The spiral‐in/out bSSFP sequence provides separated fat and water images with no additional scan time.

Conclusions

In this study, a new spiral‐in/out bSSFP sequence was developed and tested. The superiority of spiral bSSFP sequences over the radial bSSFP sequence in terms of SNR and reduced artifacts was demonstrated in real‐time MRI of cardiac function without image acceleration. Magn Reson Med 75:1546–1555, 2016. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Affect, Behaviour, Cognition and Desire in the Big Five: An Analysis of Item Content and Structure
Authors: Wilt Joshua , Revelle William
Published: May 2015

Personality psychology is concerned with affect (A), behaviour (B), cognition (C) and desire (D), and personality traits have been defined conceptually as abstractions used to either explain or summarise coherent ABC (and sometimes D) patterns over time and space. However, this conceptual definition of traits has not been reflected in their operationalisation, possibly resulting in theoretical and practical limitations to current trait inventories. Thus, the goal of this project was to determine the affective, behavioural, cognitive and desire (ABCD) components of Big–Five personality traits. The first study assessed the ABCD content of items measuring Big–Five traits in order to determine the ABCD composition of traits and identify items measuring relatively high amounts of only one ABCD content. The second study examined the correlational structure of scales constructed from items assessing ABCD content via a large, web–based study. An assessment of Big–Five traits that delineates ABCD components of each trait is presented, and the discussion focuses on how this assessment builds upon current approaches of assessing personality. Copyright © 2015 European Association of Personality Psychology
IPeak: An open source tool to combine results from multiple MS/MS search engines
Authors: Wen Bo , Du Chaoqin , Li Guilin , Ghali Fawaz , Jones Andrew R. , Käll Lukas , Xu Shaohang , Zhou Ruo , Ren Zhe , Feng Qiang , Xu Xun , Wang Jun
Published: May 2015

Liquid chromatography coupled tandem mass spectrometry (LC‐MS/MS) is an important technique for detecting peptides in proteomics studies. Here, we present an open source software tool, termed IPeak, a peptide identification pipeline that is designed to combine the Percolator post‐processing algorithm and multi‐search strategy to enhance the sensitivity of peptide identifications without compromising accuracy. IPeak provides a graphical user interface (GUI) as well as a command‐line interface, which is implemented in JAVA and can work on all three major operating system platforms: Windows, Linux/Unix and OS X. IPeak has been designed to work with the mzIdentML standard from the Proteomics Standards Initiative (PSI) as an input and output, and also been fully integrated into the associated mzidLibrary project, providing access to the overall pipeline, as well as modules for calling Percolator on individual search engine result files. The integration thus enables IPeak (and Percolator) to be used in conjunction with any software packages implementing the mzIdentML data standard. IPeak is freely available and can be downloaded under an Apache 2.0 license at https://code.google.com/p/mzidentml‐lib/.
Proteomic analysis of secreted proteins by human bronchial epithelial cells in response to cadmium toxicity
Authors: Chen De‐Ju , Xu Yan‐Ming , Zheng Wei , Huang Dong‐Yang , Wong Wing‐Yan , Tai William Chi‐Shing , Cho Yong‐Yeon , Lau Andy T. Y.
Published: May 2015

For years, many studies have been conducted to investigate the intracellular response of cells challenged with toxic metal(s), yet, the corresponding secretome responses, especially in human lung cells, are largely unexplored. Here, we provide a secretome analysis of human bronchial epithelial cells (BEAS‐2B) treated with cadmium chloride (CdCl2), with the aim of identifying secreted proteins in response to Cd toxicity. Proteins from control and spent media were separated by two‐dimensional electrophoresis and visualized by silver staining. Differentially‐secreted proteins were identified by MALDI‐TOF‐MS analysis and database searching. We characterized, for the first time, the extracellular proteome changes of BEAS‐2B dosed with Cd. Our results unveiled that Cd treatment led to the marked upregulation of molecular chaperones, antioxidant enzymes, enzymes associated with glutathione metabolic process, proteins involved in cellular energy metabolism, as well as tumor‐suppressors. Pretreatment of cells with the thiol antioxidant glutathione before Cd treatment effectively abrogated the secretion of these proteins and prevented cell death. Taken together, our results demonstrate that Cd causes oxidative stress‐induced cytotoxicity; and the differentially‐secreted protein signatures could be considered as targets for potential use as extracellular biomarkers upon Cd exposure.
N‐terminome analysis of the human mitochondrial proteome
Authors: Vaca Jacome Alvaro Sebastian , Rabilloud Thierry , Schaeffer‐Reiss Christine , Rompais Magali , Ayoub Daniel , Lane Lydie , Bairoch Amos , Van Dorsselaer Alain , Carapito Christine
Published: May 2015

The high throughput characterization of protein N‐termini is becoming an emerging challenge in the proteomics and proteogenomics fields. The present study describes the free N‐terminome analysis of human mitochondria‐enriched samples using trimethoxyphenyl phosphonium (TMPP) labelling approaches. Owing to the extent of protein import and cleavage for mitochondrial proteins, determining the new N‐termini generated after translocation/processing events for mitochondrial proteins is crucial to understand the transformation of precursors to mature proteins. The doublet N‐terminal oriented proteomics (dN‐TOP) strategy based on a double light/heavy TMPP labelling has been optimized in order to improve and automate the workflow for efficient, fast and reliable high throughput N‐terminome analysis. A total of 2714 proteins were identified and 897 N‐terminal peptides were characterized (424 N‐α‐acetylated and 473 TMPP‐labelled peptides). These results allowed the precise identification of the N‐terminus of 693 unique proteins corresponding to 26% of all identified proteins. Overall, 120 already annotated processing cleavage sites were confirmed while 302 new cleavage sites were characterized. The accumulation of experimental evidence of mature N‐termini should allow increasing the knowledge of processing mechanisms and consequently also enhance cleavage sites prediction algorithms. Complete datasets have been deposited to the ProteomeXchange Consortium with identifiers PXD001521, PXD001522 and PXD001523 (http://proteomecentral.proteomexchange.org/dataset/PXD001521, http://proteomecentral.proteomexchange.org/dataset/PXD0001522 and http://proteomecentral.proteomexchange.org/dataset/PXD001523, respectively).
Molecular identification and functional characterization of the first Nα‐acetyltransferase in plastids by global acetylome profiling
Authors: Dinh Trinh V. , Bienvenut Willy V. , Linster Eric , Feldman‐Salit Anna , Jung Vincent A. , Meinnel Thierry , Hell Rüdiger , Giglione Carmela , Wirtz Markus
Published: May 2015

Protein Nα‐terminal acetylation represents one of the most abundant protein modifications of higher eukaryotes. In humans, six Nα‐acetyltransferases (Nats) are responsible for the acetylation of approximately 80% of the cytosolic proteins. N‐terminal protein acetylation has not been evidenced in organelles of metazoans, but in higher plants is a widespread modification not only in the cytosol but also in the chloroplast. In this study, we identify and characterize the first organellar‐localized Nat in eukaryotes. A primary sequence‐based search in Arabidopsis thaliana revealed seven putatively plastid‐localized Nats of which AT2G39000 (AtNAA70) showed the highest conservation of the acetyl‐CoA binding pocket. The chloroplastic localization of AtNAA70 was demonstrated by transient expression of AtNAA70:YFP in Arabidopsis mesophyll protoplasts. Homology modeling uncovered a significant conservation of tertiary structural elements between human HsNAA50 and AtNAA70. The in vivo acetylation activity of AtNAA70 was demonstrated on a number of distinct protein Nα‐termini with a newly established global acetylome profiling test after expression of AtNAA70 in E. coli. AtNAA70 predominately acetylated proteins starting with M, A, S and T, providing an explanation for most protein N‐termini acetylation events found in chloroplasts. Like HsNAA50, AtNAA70 displays Nε‐acetyltransferase activity on three internal lysine residues. All MS data have been deposited in the ProteomeXchange with identifier PXD001947 (http://proteomecentral.proteomexchange.org/dataset/PXD001947).
The mediating effect of self‐efficacy in the relationship between social support and post‐traumatic stress disorder symptoms among patients with central system tumors in China: a cross‐sectional study
Authors: Wang Yang , Bao Yijun , Liu Li , Ramos Aaron , Wang Yunjie , Wang Lie
Published: May 2015

Background

Post‐traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a disorder that can affect people following the experience of a traumatic event. Few studies have researched on PTSD symptoms of patients with central nervous system tumors. In this study, we aim to examine the association between social support and PTSD symptoms and to explore the mediating effect of self‐efficacy in this relationship among patients with central nervous system tumors in China.

Methods

Questionnaires consisting of the Post‐traumatic Stress Checklist‐ Civilian Version, the Duke‐UNC Functional Social Support Questionnaire, the General Self‐Efficacy Scale, as well as demographic and clinical factors were used to collect information of patients with central nervous system tumors in Liaoning Province, China. A total of 222 patients (effective response rate of 66.1%) became our subjects. Hierarchical linear regression analyses were performed to explore the association between social support and PTSD symptoms and the mediating effect of self‐efficacy.

Results

After adjusting for demographic characteristics and tumor type, social support was negatively associated with the total score of PTSD symptoms (β = −0.342, P < 0.01). Social support explained 8.8% of the variance in PTSD symptoms. Self‐efficacy was found to partially mediate the relationship between social support and PTSD symptoms.

Conclusions

Self‐efficacy partially mediated the relationship between social support and PTSD symptoms. Interventions focusing on both social support and self‐efficacy might be more useful than interventions only targeting either of them. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Active Antenna Tracking System with Directional Antennas for Enhancing Wireless Communication Capabilities of a Networked Robotic System
Authors: Min Byung‐Cheol , Matson Eric T. , Jung Jin‐Woo
Published: May 2015

This paper presents a networked robotic system design capable of enhancing wireless communication capabilities (communication range and bandwidth). The core of the system is active antenna tracking with directional antennas. The proposed system is decentralized and consists mainly of a mobile robot system and a command center system. Each system is equipped with off‐the‐shelf network devices such as antennas, access points (AP), and network switches. For directional antennas to be beneficial to our system, we propose a weighted centroid algorithm (WCA) to provide active antenna tracking and direction‐of‐arrival (DOA) estimation. This system can be used in GPS‐denied environments as our system does not require the aid of additional sensors to provide location information. Through extensive field experiments in different environments, including a fire training center and with various antenna selections, such as omni‐to‐omni, omni‐to‐directional, and directional‐to‐directional antennas, we demonstrate the effectiveness of our proposed system. We expect that our system can be applied in a variety of rescue, surveillance, and emergency scenarios where high bandwidth and long‐distance communications are needed.
The Nrf2‐ARE pathway is associated with Schisandrin b attenuating benzo(a)pyrene‐Induced HTR cells damages in vitro
Authors: Dong Qulong , Hou Haiyan , Wu Jun , Chen Yaqiong
Published: May 2015

As is ubiquitous in the environmental sources, benzo(a)pyrene (BaP) has been reported to induce reprotoxicity in previous studies. Toxicity to trophoblast cells may be one key factor, but evidences were absent. We speculated that BaP can induce cytotoxicity in human trophoblast HTR‐8/SVneo (HTR) cells, and Schisandrin B (Sch B) as a potential protector can inhibit the cytotoxicity. MTS assay identified that BaP induced HTR cells death while Sch B played a cytoprotective role. And after Nrf2 interference, the ability of Sch B‐induced cytoprotection was declined. Furthermore, PCR, western blot, ELISA, and SOD assays were found that Sch B significantly increased the mRNA and protein expression of Nrf2, HO1, NQO1, and SOD in the Nrf2‐ARE pathway, and the extents of increase were declined after Nrf2 interference. These results demonstrated that the Nrf2‐ARE pathway plays an important role in Sch B attenuating BaP‐induced HTR cells damages in vitro. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Environ Toxicol 31: 1439–1449, 2016.
Visible‐Light‐Driven Photocatalysts of Two Copper(II) Coordination Polymers with Rare Sulfonate and Imidazole Co‐Ligand System
Authors: Hou Xiang Yang , Wang Xiao , Wang Hao , Cao Jia , Fu Feng , Wang Ji Jiang , Gao Lou Jun
Published: May 2015

Two copper coordination polymers (CPs) [Cu(1,2‐BIYB)2(AQ‐2,6‐DA)]n·nH2O (1) and [Cu(1,4‐BIYB)2(AQ‐2,7‐DA)]n·3nH2O (2) were obtained by reactions of pentahydrate copper sulfate with corresponding sulfonate and imidazole ligand under hydrothermal conditions, respectively [Na2AQ‐2,7‐DA = anthraquinone‐2,7‐disulfonic acid disodium salt, Na2AQ‐2,6‐DA = anthraquinone‐2,6‐disulfonic acid disodium salt, 1,4‐BIYB = 1,4‐bis(imidazol‐1‐ylmethyl)benzene, 1,2‐BIYB = 1,2‐bis(imidazol‐1‐ylmethyl)benzene]. CPs 1 and 2 show different structures: CP 1 has a 2D architecture, which is further extended into a 3D supramolecular structure through hydrogen bonding interactions, whereas CP 2 has a 1D architecture, which generates a 3D supramolecular structure via hydrogen bonding and strong π···π interaction. Notably, CPs 1 and 2 feature rare examples of CPs based visible‐light‐driven photocatalysts and reveal good stability toward photocatalysis.
Subject pool recruitment procedures: organizing experiments with ORSEE
Authors: Greiner Ben
Published: May 2015

This paper discusses aspects of recruiting subjects for economic laboratory experiments, and shows how the Online Recruitment System for Economic Experiments can help. The software package provides experimenters with a free, convenient, and very powerful tool to organize their experiments and sessions.
Do public health services in Egypt help young married women exercise their reproductive rights?
Authors: Abdel‐Tawab Nahla , Rabie Tamer , Boehmova Zuzana , Hawkins Loraine , Saher Sally , El Shitany Atef
Published: May 2015

Objective

To assess supply and demand of family planning services from a reproductive rights perspective among young married women (YMW) in Egypt.

Methods

Data sources related to family planning included structured interviews with service providers (n = 216); an inventory of equipment and supplies (n = 40); exit interviews with YMW (n = 147); and focus group discussions (n = 12) with YMW, husbands, and mothers and/or mothers in law. YMW, husbands and mothers in law were not necessarily related.

Results

Although family planning services were readily available and affordable, YMW had limited access to information and services. Shortfalls were noted regarding respect for privacy, choice of family planning method, access to fertility services, and premarital counseling. Few YMW had sufficient autonomy to make informed reproductive decisions. Effective accountability mechanisms and processes for redress were also lacking.

Conclusion

Implementation of a rights‐based approach and structural changes to family planning service delivery are recommended to empower YMW in Egypt to demand and exercise their reproductive rights.
Cross agency priority goals in the U.S. government: Can directed collaboration be a stepping stone toward politic-centered performance?
Authors: Putansu Steven R
Published: May 2015

The typical problems associated with performance management are particularly evident as the complexity of policy issues increases. “Wicked” policy areas with cross-cutting responsibilities, uncertain solutions, and constantly evolving problems are strongly subject to the pathology of the rational-scientific approach. One effort the U.S. government is making to mitigate these limitations is the designation of some of these areas as cross-agency priority goals. In theory, directed collaboration among the multiple agencies responsible will bring different perspectives, definitions, and potential solutions to the surface, and will allow for a critical and iterative approach toward measurement of performance toward the policy goal. However, history has shown that performance efforts have a tendency to return to the pathologies of the rational-scientific chain. This article examines three of these goals: climate change, cybersecurity, and Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) education, and considers the extent to which requiring collaboration in performance management results in increased adoption of the political-realistic chain of performance management.