bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
A molecular perspective on the ageing of marine dissolved organic matter
Authors: Flerus R. , Lechtenfeld O. J. , Koch B. P. , McCallister S. L. , Schmitt-Kopplin P. , Benner R. , Kaiser K. , Kattner G.
Published: June 2012

Abstract. Dissolved organic matter (DOM) was extracted by solid-phase extraction (SPE) from 137 water samples from different climate zones and different depths along an eastern Atlantic Ocean transect. The extracts were analyzed with Fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance mass spectrometry (FT-ICR MS) with electrospray ionization (ESI). Δ14C analyses were performed on subsamples of the SPE-DOM. In addition, the amount of dissolved organic carbon was determined for all water and SPE-DOM samples as well as the yield of amino sugars for selected samples. Linear correlations were observed between the magnitudes of 43 % of the FT-ICR mass peaks and the extract Δ14C values. Decreasing SPE-DOM Δ14C values went along with a shift in the molecular composition to higher average masses (m/z) and lower hydrogen/carbon (H/C) ratios. The correlation was used to model the SPE-DOM Δ14C distribution for all 137 samples. Based on single mass peaks, a degradation index (IDEG) was developed to compare the degradation state of marine SPE-DOM samples analyzed with FT-ICR MS. A correlation between Δ14C, IDEG, DOC values and amino sugar yield supports that SPE-DOM analyzed with FT-ICR MS reflects trends of bulk DOM. DOM weighted normalized mass peak magnitudes were used to compare aged and recent SPE-DOM on a semi-quantitative molecular basis. The magnitude comparison showed a continuum of different degradation rates for the detected compounds. A high proportion of the compounds should persist, possibly modified by partial degradation, in the course of thermohaline circulation. Prokaryotic (bacterial) production, transformation and accumulation of this very stable DOM occur primarily in the upper ocean. This DOM is an important contribution to very old DOM, showing that production and degradation are dynamic processes.
Diversity of cultured photosynthetic flagellates in the North East Pacific and Arctic Oceans in summer
Authors: Balzano S. , Gourvil P. , Siano R. , Chanoine M. , Marie D. , Lessard S. , Sarno D. , Vaulot D.
Published: June 2012

Abstract. During the MALINA cruise (summer 2009) an extensive effort was undertaken to isolate phytoplankton strains from the North East (NE) Pacific Ocean, the Bering Strait, and the Beaufort Sea. Strains were isolated by flow cytometry sorting (FCS) and pipetting before or after phytoplankton enrichment of seawater samples. Strains were isolated both onboard and back in the laboratory and cultured at 4 °C under light/dark conditions. Overall, we isolated and characterised by light microscopy and 18S rRNA gene sequencing 104 strains of photosynthetic flagellates which grouped into 21 genotypes (defined by 99.5% 18S rRNA gene sequence similarity) mainly affiliated to Chlorophyta and Heterokontophyta. The taxon most frequently isolated was an Arctic ecotype of the green algal genus Micromonas (Arctic Micromonas) which was almost the only phytoplankter recovered within picoplankton (≤ 2 μm) size range. Strains of Arctic Micromonas as well as three unidentified strains related to the same genus were identified in further details by sequencing the Internal Transcribed Spacer (ITS) region of the rRNA operon. The MALINA Micromonas strains share identical 18S rRNA and ITS sequences suggesting high genetic homogeneity within Arctic Micromonas. The unidentified strains form a genotype likely belonging to a new genus within the family Mamiellaceae to which Micromonas belongs. Other green algae genotypes from the genera Nephroselmis, Chlamydomonas, Pyramimonas were also isolated whereas Heterokontophyta included Pelagophyceae, Dictyochophyceae and Chrysophyceae. Dictyochophyceae included Pedinellales which could not be identified to the genus level whereas Chrysophyceae comprised Dinobryon faculiferum. Moreover, we isolated Rhodomonas sp. as well as a few Haptophyta and dinoflagellates. We identified the dinoflagellate Woloszynskia cincta by Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) and 28S rRNA gene sequencing. Our morphological analyses show that this species possess the diagnostic features of the genus Biecheleria, and the 28S rRNA gene topology corroborates this affiliation. We thus propose the transfer of W. cincta to the genus Biecheleria and its recombination as Biecheleria cincta.
Historical records of eutrophication in Changjiang (Yangtze) River estuary and its adjacent East China Sea
Authors: Cheng F. , Song X. , Yu Z. , Liu D.
Published: June 2012

Abstract. Two sediment cores from the Changjiang (Yangtze) River estuary and its adjacent East China Sea were collected and studied for eutrophication history using paleoecological records of environmental changes over the last century. A multiproxy approach by using biological and geochemical analyses revealed changes in diatom assemblages, total organic carbon (TOC), total nitrogen (TN) and biogenic silica (BSi) and give an indication of nutrient in status and trends in Changjiang River estuary and its adjacent East China Sea. The diatom assemblages in the two cores generally increased gradually from the 1970s, and accelerated from the 1990s until now, reflecting the increased eutrophication and causing large algae blooms/red tides. The TOC, TN and BSi showing the similar trends, supported the interpretation of the eutrophication process indicated by diatom analyses. The two cores were located in different sea areas of the East China Sea, and we discuss their relative changes based on their environment characteristics. We also discuss the potential effect of anthropogenic influences and ongoing projects on eutrophication in the Changjiang River and its adjacent East China Sea.
Role of CO2 and Southern Ocean winds in glacial abrupt climate change
Authors: Banderas R. , Álvarez-Solas J. , Montoya M.
Published: June 2012

Abstract. The study of Greenland ice cores revealed two decades ago the abrupt character of glacial millennial-scale climate variability. Several triggering mechanisms have been proposed and confronted against growing proxy-data evidence. Although the implication of North Atlantic deep water (NADW) formation reorganisations in glacial abrupt climate change seems robust nowadays, the final cause of these reorganisations remains unclear. Here, the role of CO2 and Southern Ocean winds is investigated using a coupled model of intermediate complexity in an experimental setup designed such that the climate system resides close to a threshold found in previous studies. An initial abrupt surface air temperature (SAT) increase over the North Atlantic by 4 K in less than a decade, followed by a more gradual warming greater than 10 K on centennial timescales, is simulated in response to increasing atmospheric CO2 levels and/or enhancing southern westerlies. The simulated peak warming shows a similar pattern and amplitude over Greenland as registered in ice core records of Dansgaard-Oeschger (D/O) events. This is accompanied by a strong Atlantic meridional overturning circulation (AMOC) intensification. The AMOC strengthening is found to be caused by a northward shift of NADW formation sites into the Nordic Seas as a result of a northward retreat of the sea-ice front in response to higher temperatures. This leads to enhanced heat loss to the atmosphere as well as reduced freshwater fluxes via reduced sea-ice import into the region. In this way, a new mechanism that is consistent with proxy data is identified by which abrupt climate change can be promoted.
Modeling wet deposition of inorganics over Northeast Asia with MRI-PM/c and the effects of super large sea salt droplets at near-the-coast stations
Authors: Kajino M. , Deushi M. , Maki T. , Oshima N. , Inomata Y. , Sato K. , Ohizumi T. , Ueda H.
Published: June 2012

Abstract. We conducted a regional-scale simulation (with grid spacing = 60 km) over Northeast Asia for the entire year of 2006 by using an aerosol chemical transport model, the lateral and upper boundary concentrations of which we predicted with a global stratospheric and tropospheric chemistry-climate model, with a horizontal resolution of T42 (grid spacing ~300 km) and a time resolution of 1 h. The present one-way nested global-through-regional-scale model is called the Meteorological Research Institute – Passive-tracers Model system for atmospheric Chemistry (MRI-PM/c). We evaluated the model performance with respect to the major inorganic components in rain and snow measured by stations of the Acid Deposition Monitoring Network in East Asia (EANET). Through statistical analysis, we show that the model successfully reproduced the regional-scale processes of emission, transport, transformation, and wet deposition of major inorganic species derived from anthropogenic and natural sources, including SO42−, NH4+, NO3−, Na+ and Ca2+. Interestingly, the only exception was Na+ in precipitation at near-coastal stations (where the distance from the coast was from 150 to 700 m), concentrations of which were significantly underestimated by the model, by up to a factor of 30. This result suggested that the contribution of short-lived, super-large sea salt droplets (SLSD; D > 10–100 μm) was substantial in precipitation samples at stations near the coast of Japan; thus samples were horizontally representative only within the traveling distances of SLSD (from 1 to 10 km). Nevertheless, the calculated effect of SLSD on precipitation pH was very low, a change of about +0.014 on average, even if the ratio of SLSD to all sea salt in precipitation was assumed to be 90%.
A conceptual model of the hydrological influence of fissures on landslide activity
Authors: Krzeminska D. M. , Bogaard T. A. , van Asch Th. W. J. , van Beek L. P. H.
Published: June 2012

Abstract. Hydrological processes control the behaviour of many unstable slopes, and their importance for landslide activity is generally accepted. The presence of fissures influences the storage capacity of a soil and affects the infiltration processes of rainfall. The effectiveness of the fissure network depends upon fissure size, their spatial distribution, and connectivity. Moreover, fissure connectivity is a dynamic characteristic, depending on the degree of saturation of the medium. This research aims to investigate the influence of the fissure network on hydrological responses of a landslide. Special attention is given to spatial and temporal variations in fissure connectivity, which makes fissures act both as preferential flow paths for deep infiltration (disconnected fissures) and as lateral groundwater drains (connected fissures). To this end, the hydrological processes that control the exchange of water between the fissure network and the matrix have been included in a spatially distributed hydrological and slope stability model. The ensuing feedbacks in landslide hydrology were explored by running the model with one year of meteorological forcing. The effect of dynamic fissure connectivity was evaluated by comparing simulations with static fissure patterns to simulations in which these patterns change as a function of soil saturation. The results highlight that fissure connectivity and fissure permeability control the water distribution within landslides. Making the fissure connectivity function of soil moisture results in composite behaviour spanning the above end members and introduces stronger seasonality of the hydrological responses.
Data-based discharge extrapolation: estimating annual discharge for a partially gauged large river basin from its small sub-basins
Authors: Gong L.
Published: June 2012

Abstract. Large-scale hydrological models and land surface models are by far the only tools for accessing future water resources in climate change impact studies. Those models estimate discharge with large uncertainties, due to the complex interaction between climate and hydrology, the limited quality and availability of data, as well as model uncertainties. A new purely data-based scale-extrapolation method is proposed, to estimate water resources for a large basin solely from selected small sub-basins, which are typically two-orders-of-magnitude smaller than the large basin. Those small sub-basins contain sufficient information, not only on climate and land surface, but also on hydrological characteristics for the large basin In the Baltic Sea drainage basin, best discharge estimation for the gauged area was achieved with sub-basins that cover 2–4% of the gauged area. There exist multiple sets of sub-basins that resemble the climate and hydrology of the basin equally well. Those multiple sets estimate annual discharge for gauged area consistently well with 5% average error. The scale-extrapolation method is completely data-based; therefore it does not force any modelling error into the prediction. The multiple predictions are expected to bracket the inherent variations and uncertainties of the climate and hydrology of the basin. The method can be applied in both un-gauged basins and un-gauged periods with uncertainty estimation.
Recession, thinning, and slowdown of Greenland's Mittivakkat Gletscher
Authors: Mernild S. H. , Knudsen N. T. , Yde J. C. , Hoffman M. J. , Lipscomb W. H. , Fausto R. S. , Hanna E. , Malmros J. K.
Published: June 2012

Abstract. Glaciers in Southeast Greenland have thinned and receded during the past several decades. Here, we document changes for the Mittivakkat Gletscher, the only glacier in Greenland with long-term mass balance observations and surface velocity measurements (since 1995). Between 1986 and 2011, this glacier shrank by 18 % in surface area, 20 % in mean ice thickness, and 33 % in volume. We attribute these changes to summertime warming and to drier winter conditions. Meanwhile, the annual mean ice surface velocity decreased by 30 %, likely as a dynamic result of thinning. This dynamic thinning is predicted by ice deformation theory but has rarely been observed on decadal time scales. Mittivakkat Gletscher summer surface velocities were on average 50–60 % above winter background values, and up to 160 % higher during peak velocity events. The transition from winter to summer values followed the onset of positive temperatures. Satellite observations show area losses for most other glaciers in the region; these glaciers are likely also to have lost volume (in average around one-third) and slowed down in recent decades.
The Sorin Freedom Stentless Pericardial Valve: Clinical and Echocardiographic Performance at 10 years
Authors: Milano Aldo D. , Dodonov Mikhail , Celiento Michele , Pizzuti Manuela , Golia Giorgio , Faggian Giuseppe , Bortolotti Uberto , Mazzucco Alessandro
Published: June 2012

Objective:

The Sorin Pericarbon Freedom (SPF) is a stentless valve made of pericardium clinically available in 1990. We report the clinical and hemodynamic performance of the SPF at 10 years.

Methods:

From April 2000 to December 2005, 85 patients with a mean age of 75 ± 6 years (range 57–86), underwent aortic valve replacement (AVR) with an SPF. Mean left ventricular ejection fraction was 58 ± 10% (range 29–86%) and mean peak transvalvular gradient (PG) 86 ± 24 mm Hg. Clinical evaluation was performed at 3, 6, 12 months, and yearly thereafter.

Results:

There were 2 operative deaths (2.4%). Follow-up ranged from 2 to 135 months (mean 78 ± 32 months) and was 99% complete. There were 35 late deaths, 7 of which were valve-related, with an actuarial survival of 45 ± 8% at 10 years. Structural SPF deterioration occurred in 2 patients, with an actuarial freedom of 96 ± 3%. A total of 4 patients were re-operated, 2 because of structural deterioration, 1 because of endocarditis, and 1 because of sinotubular junction dilatation; freedom from reoperation was 93 ± 4% at 10 years. At last clinical control, 41 patients (89%) were in NYHA class I or II. Mean SPF effective orifice area varied from 1.55 ± 0.66 cm2 for size 21 mm to 2.33 ± 0.86 cm2 for size 27 mm; PG varied from 19 ± 10 mm Hg for size 21 mm to 11 ± 6 mm Hg for size 27 mm. Left ventricular mass index decreased from 213 ± 51 gm/m2 to 157 ± 436 gm/m2 (p<0.001).

Conclusions:

The SPF has demonstrated overall good results in terms of valve durability and freedom from valve-related complications up to 10 years, with excellent hemodynamic performance.
An Exploratory Study of Sleep Quality, Daytime Function, and Quality of Life in Patients with Mechanical Circulatory Support
Authors: Casida Jesus M. , Brewer Robert J. , Smith Cheryl , Davis Jean E.
Published: June 2012

Purpose:

To identify and describe: (1) characteristics of sleep quality, daytime sleepiness, and quality of life (QOL) pre and post implantation of a left ventricular assist device (LVAD); (2) changes in sleep quality, daytime sleepiness, and QOL at baseline and 6 months post implant; and (3) relationships among the sleep quality, daytime sleepiness, and QOL variables.

Methods:

We employed an exploratory research design. Fifteen patients with continuous/non-pulsatile flow LVAD consented to partake in the study. However, only 12 patients completed the baseline and 6-month post-LVAD implant data. We used the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI), Epworth Sleepiness Scale (ESS), and Minnesota Living with Heart Failure Questionnaire (MLHFQ) to measure study variables. Data were analyzed using IBM SPSS 19.0 software.

Results:

Patients reported worse sleep quality accompanied by daytime sleepiness particularly at baseline, and persisting up to 6 months post LVAD implant. A significant improvement in QOL was observed at 6 months post implant, but remained at poor levels. Correlations among sleep disturbance and daytime dysfunction components of PSQI and global daytime sleepiness (ESS) with QOL were strong (Pearson's correlations r>.60; p values <.05).

Conclusions:

We report the first empirical data describing the characteristics and correlations among sleep quality, daytime sleepiness, and QOL in patients with LVADs. Our findings offer beginning evidence about the sleep-QOL connection in this population which warrants attention in clinical practice and research. Further research is required to clearly elucidate these phenomena in patients with mechanical circulatory support and other implantable artificial organs.
Low-Dose Continuous Renal Replacement Therapy for Acute Kidney Injury
Authors: Fujii Tomoko , Namba Yoshitomo , Fujitani Shigeki , Sasaki Jun , Narihara Kentarou , Shibagaki Yugo , Uchino Shigehiko , Taira Yasuhiko
Published: June 2012

Background:

Continuous renal replacement therapy (CRRT) is used increasingly to treat acute kidney injury (AKI), which is a common condition in the intensive care unit (ICU). However, the optimal CRRT dose for the treatment of AKI is still a matter of controversy This study was conducted to ascertain the minimal dose of CRRT that can be effective on AKI patient outcomes.

Methods:

This was a retrospective observational study in two ICUs of academic medical centers in Japan. Patients aged 15 years or older admitted to the ICUs from January 2007 to July 2010 and treated with CRRT for AKI during their ICU stay were included. Data were retrospectively collected from patient records. Patients were categorized by doses that were above (higher-dose group) or below (lower-dose group) the median. Major outcome measures were hospital mortality, ICU mortality, and renal recovery at hospital discharge.

Results:

131 AKI patients were treated with continuous veno-venous hemodiafiltration (CVVHDF) during the study period. The median dose of CVVHDF was 16 ml/kg per hr (IQR = 14 to 20). Hospital mortality was 44%, which was significantly lower than the predicted mortality (56%, p<0.01). Patients who received lower-dose CRRT tend to have lower mortality rates (36% vs. higher-dose 53%; p = 0.055).

Conclusions:

We found that low-dose CRRT did not increase mortality in critically ill patients with AKI. We also found that AKI patients treated with lower-dose CRRT non-significantly but numerically lower hospital mortality compared to higher-dose CRRT.
GeoSense: A Multimode Information and Communication System
Authors: Sudharsan D. , Adinarayana J. , Tripathy A. K. , Ninomiya S. , Hirafuji M. , Kiura T. , Desai U. B. , Merchant S. N. , Reddy D. Raji , Sreenivas G.
Published: June 2012

Recent technological developments allowed to envision the low-power (solar power) and low-cost (open hardware) sensor devices (Agrisens/FieldServer/Flux Tower/FieldTwitter) with multimode (ZigBee/WiFi/3G/WebGIS) information and communication technologies (ICTs), a model in which is christened as GeoSense. Integrating these multimode and multi-level communication systems with distributed ambient sensory network location-based service (LBS) is a challenging task, which could be a potential technology for monitoring various natural phenomena. This integrated model is introduced to provide and assist the rural stakeholders with real-time decision support system (DSS) with dynamic information and modeling services for precision agriculture through GeoSense cloud service. This GeoSense research has been experimented in semiarid tropics in India under Indo-Japan initiative on multi-disciplinary ICT program.
Explicit Evaluations of Cubic and Quartic Theta-Functions
Authors: Saikia Nipen
Published: June 2012

We find explicit values of cubic and quartic theta-functions and their quotients by parameterizations. In the process, we also find some transformation formulas of these theta-functions.
Be Sure to Read the Fine Print: The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality Comparative Effectiveness Report on Antiepileptic Drugs
Authors: Welty Timothy E. , Faught Edward , Schmidt Dieter , McAuley James W. , Ryan Melody
Published: June 2012

For many questions related to the pharmacotherapy of epilepsy, there are few or no published data. This lack of data presents dilemmas to practitioners who must make informed, rational decisions about therapy on a daily basis and to policymakers dealing with drug formulary management and reimbursement. Reliance on randomized, clinical trial data is inefficient because of the extensive time and expense involved in conducting a study and the inability to answer every question encountered in practice. In addition, results from randomized, clinical studies are not fully applicable in the clinical setting because of short trial duration and the frequent use of surrogate controls that are rarely seen in routine practice.
China's Media Transformation and Audience Research
Authors: Hongmei Li
Published: May 2012

This chapter reviews Chinese audience research in the broader context of social, cultural, and media transformations that have taken place in China in the last three decades. It first describes some of the lasting structural changes that have altered Chinese media industries and Chinese society, such as foreign media influence, commercialization, and China's entry into the World Trade Organization in 2001 – developments that, to a great extent, have shaped the way in which audiences are conceptualized and studied in China. It then analyzes influential audience studies in order to examine key themes and patterns, with a specific focus on the shift in the status of Chinese audience members, from subjects and primarily citizens of the nation to consumers in a capitalist marketplace. The chapter reviews research conducted by scholars interested in cultural studies, ethnography, and new communication technologies, seeking to identify gaps in the knowledge of Chinese audiences. It explains what still needs to be explored in the field of audience studies in China; and it ends by offering an agenda for future research.
The Decline of Modern Journalism in the Neo‐Partisan Era
Authors: Richard Campbell , Cohen Jonathan
Published: May 2012

Today's media market is a fragmented world where more options than ever exist, but where readers of hardcopy newspapers are disappearing, and vast numbers now embrace cable news, social networks, blogs, and Twitter. The former “mass” audience morphs into smaller niche users who chase particular hobbies, entertainment, and politics. Media outlets that hope to survive appeal not to mass audiences any more but to interest groups – from sports fans and history buffs to conservatives or progressives. Mimicking the news business of the eighteenth century, partisanship has returned with a vengeance, more profitable than ever. For the US news media, muting political leanings to reach a mass audience no longer makes sense. Instead, media now make money by targeting and catering to niche interests. In such a marketplace, we see the decline in a form of journalism that promoted fact‐gathering and expertise, and held up “objectivity” as the ideal for professional practice. Rising in its place is a new era of partisan news – a “journalism of assertion” – marked partly by a return to journalism's colonial roots and partly by the deterioration of the “journalism of verification” that once kept watch over society's central institutions. This transition is symbolized by the rise of the news pundit as a kind of “expert” with more standing than verified facts, authentic documents, and actual experts. Today the new partisan fervor found in news outlets online and on cable has been both a product of and a major catalyst for the intense political divisiveness found in the United States. For news to move forward in such an era, we need to reinvigorate the “news of verification,” teaching journalism students to break free from static older formulas and to reimagine the telling of significant stories in compelling ways.
Stature and body mass estimation from skeletal remains in the European Holocene
Authors: Ruff Christopher B. , Holt Brigitte M. , Niskanen Markku , Sladék Vladimir , Berner Margit , Garofalo Evan , Garvin Heather M. , Hora Martin , Maijanen Heli , Niinimäki Sirpa , Salo Kati , Schuplerová Eliŝka , Tompkins Dannielle
Published: May 2012

Techniques that are currently available for estimating stature and body mass from European skeletal remains are all subject to various limitations. Here, we develop new prediction equations based on large skeletal samples representing much of the continent and temporal periods ranging from the Mesolithic to the 20th century. Anatomical reconstruction of stature is carried out for 501 individuals, and body mass is calculated from estimated stature and biiliac breadth in 1,145 individuals. These data are used to derive stature estimation formulae based on long bone lengths and body mass estimation formulae based on femoral head breadth. Prediction accuracy is superior to that of previously available methods. No systematic geographic or temporal variation in prediction errors is apparent, except in tibial estimation of stature, where northern and southern European formulae are necessary because of the presence of relatively longer tibiae in southern samples. Thus, these equations should bebroadly applicable to European Holocene skeletal samples. Am J Phys Anthropol, 2012. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Fossilpapiocranium from !Ncumtsa (Koanaka) Hills, western Ngamiland, Botswana
Authors: Williams Blythe A. , Ross Callum F. , Frost Stephen R. , Waddle Diane M. , Gabadirwe Mohutsiwa , Brook George A.
Published: May 2012

Three fossils, a cranium ofPapio, a cercopithecid frontal bone, and a mandible of juvenilePapio, have been recovered from cave deposits in the !Ncumtsa (Koanaka) Hills of western Ngamiland, Botswana. These specimens are significant because well‐preserved crania ofPapioare extremely rare in the fossil record outside of South Africa and because this is the first report of fossil primate cranial remains from Botswana. Thermoluminescence dating of surrounding cave matrix indicates an age of ≥317 ± 114 ka, within the Middle Pleistocene, although it may be older. Based on univariate and multivariate analyses, the adult !Ncumtsa specimen falls within the range of variation seen in extant forms ofPapio, yet is distinct from any living species/subspecies and represents a new taxon, named here as a new subspecies ofPapio hamadryas—Papio hamadryas botswanae. Am J Phys Anthropol, 2012. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Brief communication: Hand preference for bimanual and unimanual feeding in captive gorillas: Extension in a second colony of apes
Authors: Lambert Megan
Published: May 2012

Right‐hand dominance is widely considered to be a uniquely human trait. Whether nonhuman primates exhibit similar population‐level hand preferences remains a topic of considerable debate. Despite extensive research focusing on laterality in nonhuman primates, our interpretation of these studies is limited due to methodological issues including the lack of a common measure of hand preference and the use of tasks that may not be reliable indicators of handedness. The use of consistent methods between studies is necessary to enable comparisons within and between species and allow for more general conclusions to be drawn from these results. The present study replicates methods used in recent research reporting population‐level right‐handedness in captive gorillas (Meguerditchian et al.,2010). Observational data were collected on hand preference for unimanual and bimanual feeding in 14 captive western lowland gorillas (Gorilla gorilla gorilla). Individual‐level preferences were found, primarily for bimanual feeding; however, the data reveal no group‐level directional bias (contra Meguerditchian et al.). Like the study by Meguerditchian et al. (2010), though, bimanual feeding revealed significantly stronger hand preferences than unimanual reaching, and age, sex, group membership, or rearing history had no effect on hand preference. Finally, variations in diet and corresponding grip type between studies suggest that hand preferences may vary across bimanual tasks depending on grip morphology. This study aims to contribute to our existing knowledge of primate laterality by increasing the number of individuals investigated using methods that allow for comparisons with similar research. Am J Phys Anthropol, 2012. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Diet, residential origin, and pathology at Machu Picchu, Peru
Authors: Turner Bethany L. , Armelagos George J.
Published: May 2012

Pathological conditions in human skeletal remains provide a wealth of information about archaeological populations, but many are limited in their interpretive significance by their nonspecific etiologies. This study analyzes three common pathological conditions known to manifest in infancy and childhood in the skeletal population from Machu Picchu, Peru (N = 74) with published carbon, nitrogen, oxygen, strontium, and lead isotopic data (Turner et al.: J Archaeol Sci 36 (2009) 317–332; Turner et al.: Chungara: Revista de Antropología Chilena 42 (2010) 515–524) to distinguish early‐life diet from residential origins as significantly associated with pathologies among the site's inhabitants. Analyses of variance indicate highly significant variation between enamel δ18O values, which serve as a rough proxy of local environment, and both cribra orbitalia (CO) and porotic hyperostosis (PH), generally understood to be markers of anemia. Results tentatively suggest that individuals manifesting these lesions may have lived closer to the arid coasts; however, no significant variation was found in parameters of diet (enamel δ13Ccarbonate, dentin δ13Ccollagen, dentin δ15N) by either CO or PH, suggesting that the primary factors causing anemia may have been more significantly related to residential origin rather than diet. Linear enamel hypoplasia (LEH) frequency significantly varied by both dietary and residential parameters, supporting models of LEH formation from a synergy of dietary and environmental factors. These results support previous research on the etiology of PH in the Andes; they also represent a useful approach to refining site‐specific interpretations of pathological conditions in archaeological populations, and exploring etiological variation between populations. Am J Phys Anthropol, 2012. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Complex of [BMIm] PF6 with PEG1000: a high efficient and recycle system for palladium‐catalyzed Suzuki cross‐coupling and Heck reaction
Authors: Liu Xiang , Mao Yang , Lu Ming
Published: May 2012

A complex of [BMIm] PF6 (1‐Butyl‐3‐methylimidazolium hexafluorophosphate) with PEG1000 has been successfully applied and found to be efficient for Suzuki cross‐coupling and Heck reaction using Pd(OAc)2 as the catalyst under air atmosphere. Moreover, the isolation of the products is readily performed by the extraction of diethyl ether, and the catalytic system reported here can be recycled and reused several times. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Synthesis, structural characterization and in vitro cytotoxicity of diorganotin complexes with Schiff base ligands derived from 3‐hydroxy‐2‐naphthoylhydrazide
Authors: Mun Lee See , Hapipah Mohd Ali , Shin Sim Kae , Sri Nurestri Abdul Malek , Mun Lo Kong
Published: May 2012

A series of diorganotin complexes with Schiff base ligands, (E)‐N′‐(5‐bromo‐2‐hydroxybenzylidene)‐3‐hydroxy‐2‐naphthohydrazide, H2L1, and (E)‐N′‐(5‐chloro‐2‐hydroxybenzylidene)‐3‐hydroxy‐2‐naphthohydrazide, H2L2, were synthesized and characterized by elemental analysis, IR, 1H, 13C and 119Sn NMR spectroscopy. The molecular structures of the complexes, [(5‐bromo‐2‐oxidobenzylidene)‐3‐hydroxy‐2‐naphthohydrazidato]di(o‐chlorobenzyl)tin(IV) 6 and [(5‐chloro‐2‐oxidobenzylidene)‐3‐hydroxy‐2‐naphthohydrazidato]dibutyltin(IV) 9, were determined through single‐crystal X‐ray diffraction and revealed a distorted trigonal‐bipyramidal configuration. The in vitro cytotoxic activity of the Schiff bases and their diorganotin complexes was also evaluated against several human carcinoma cell lines, namely HT29 (human colon carcinoma cell line), SKOV‐3 (human ovarian cancer cell line), MCF7 (hormone‐dependent breast carcinoma cell line) and MRC5 (non‐cancer human fibroblast cell line). [(5‐Bromo‐2‐oxidobenzylidene)‐3‐hydroxy‐2‐naphthohydrazidato]dibutyltin(IV) 2 and [(5‐bromo‐2‐oxidobenzylidene)‐3‐hydroxy‐2‐naphthohydrazidato]dibenzyltin(IV) 5 were the most active diorganotin complexes of H2L1 ligand. Among the diorganotin complexes of H2L2 ligand, [(5‐chloro‐2‐oxidobenzylidene)‐3‐hydroxy‐2‐naphthohydrazidato]dicyclohexyltin(IV) 11 showed good cytotoxic activity against all the tested cell lines. As such, the above compounds can be considered agents with potential anticancer activities, and can therefore be investigated further in in vitro or in vivo anticancer studies. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Discretised route travel time models based on cumulative flows
Authors: Long Jiancheng , Huang Hai‐Jun , Gao Ziyou
Published: May 2012

The computation of route travel times is a fundamental work in solving dynamic traffic assignment problems, and hence, it is important to develop accurate and efficient methods. In this paper, both the step function (SF) and linear interpolation (LI) are used to approximate cumulative flows over time and develop formulations of route travel time models. We propose two categories of discretised route travel time models: (i) models based on route cumulative flow curves, and (ii) models based on link cumulative flow curves. We prove that all route travel time models proposed in this paper satisfy some desirable properties such as route first‐in‐first‐out and continuity, and all discretised route travel times converge to the continuous‐time route travel times. Finally, numerical methods are developed to evaluate the accuracy and computational efficiency of each type of route travel time models. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Evaluation of long‐term follow‐up with neointimal coverage and stent apposition after sirolimus‐eluting stent implantation by optical coherence tomography
Authors: Li Shan , Gai Luyue , Yang Tingshu , Zhang Li , Xu Xiuli , Bai Qicai , Xu Hang , Wang Yutang
Published: May 2012

Background

Late stent thrombosis related to delayed endothelialization is a major concern after drug‐eluting stent (DES) implantation. The long‐term vascular response towards DES implantation remains unclear. Optical coherence tomography (OCT) is a high‐resolution imaging modality which provides new opportunities for evaluating neointimal coverage and stent strut apposition after stent implantation.

Methods

Fifty two patients who accepted 64 sirolimus‐eluting stents (SESs, Cypher Select) were enrolled in the study. The OCT procedure was performed in 20 patients at 12 months (group 1), 17 patients at 24 months (group 2), and 15 patients at 48 months (group 3) after SESs implantation, respectively. The neointimal hyperplasia (NIH) thickness and stent strut apposition were assessed at 1‐mm interval, and the presence of thrombus was observed in each stent.

Results

The NIH thickness was significantly higher at 48 months than that of 12 months (0.1694 ± 0.1455 mm in G3 vs. 0.1455 ± 0.1373 mm in G1, P < 0.01) and 24 months (0.1514 ± 0.1296 mm in G2, P <0.01) after SESs implantation, but no significant difference existed between that of 12 months and 24 months (P > 0.05). Longer follow‐up time was associated with significant decrease in the prevalence of uncovered struts (17.3% in group 1 vs. 8.8% in group 2 vs. 2.6% in group 3, P < 0.01) and malapposed struts (14.2% in group 1 vs. 10.3% in group 2 vs. 4.7% in group 3, P < 0.01). The incidence of intracoronary thrombus steadily decreased from 3.6% at 12 months to 2.4% at 24 months, and to 0.8% at 48 months (P < 0.01).

Conclusion

Neointimal growth continued for as long as 48 months after SES implantation. NIH thickness increased insignificantly from 12 to 24 months, but markedly increased at 48 months after stent implantation. Late neointimal growth was accompanied by a higher rate of covered struts and lower rate of malapposed stent struts. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
A strategy for atrial septal defect closure in small children that eliminates long‐term wall erosion risk
Authors: Hill Kevin D. , Lodge Andrew J. , Forsha Daniel , Fleming Gregory A. , Green Amanda S. , Rhodes John F.
Published: May 2012

Objectives: To evaluate feasibility, efficacy, and safety of an approach to atrial septal defect (ASD) occlusion in children ≤20 kg that eliminates cardiac wall erosion risk. Background: Cardiac wall erosion is a potentially catastrophic complication of ASD device closure. The HELEX Septal Occluder (HSO) is a compliant device with no reports of erosion. The HSO is technically difficult to deploy in smaller children and cannot be used to close larger defects. To eliminate wall erosion risk, we use the HSO when feasible and surgery for larger defects. Methods: Retrospective review of ASD procedures performed in children ≤20 kg. Results: Between January 2006 and January 2011, 60 children underwent ASD closure. HSO placement was successful in 32 of 34 patients, and surgical closure was successful in all of 28 patients. Surgical patients were younger (35.1 ± 12.6 vs. 47.4 ± 15.3 months, P < 0.01) and smaller (15.3 ± 3.2 vs. 12.6 ± 4.3 kg; P < 0.01) with larger ASDs (15.8 ± 4.5 vs. 9.8 ± 3.0 mm; P < 0.01). No surgical patients demonstrated residual leak. Residual leak was seen in 14 of 32 (44%) HSO patients on postprocedure day #1 and in 1 of 26 (3.8%) with ≥6 months follow‐up. Indications for surgery included: deficient inferior/superior rims (n = 17), provider preference (n = 2), and HSO device not feasible (n = 9). Serious adverse events included device embolization with percutaneous retrieval (n = 1) and postpericardiotomy syndrome without intervention (n = 1). Conclusions: The HSO can be safely used in most children ≤20 kg. Our approach to ASD closure is associated with minimal morbidity and good short‐term results. This approach requires no more than a 15% increase in surgical referrals and eliminates risk of cardiac wall erosion. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Percutaneous left ventricular support in cardiogenic shock and severe aortic regurgitation
Authors: Pham Duc Thinh , Al‐Quthami Adeeb , Kapur Navin K.
Published: May 2012

Severe aortic regurgitation (AR) is a well‐established contraindication to intra‐aortic balloon counterpulsation therapy. We report two cases of medically refractory cardiogenic shock in patients with severe AR who were successfully bridged to surgical left ventricular assist device implantation by percutaneous left atrial to femoral artery mechanical bypass. Further investigation into the clinical utility of percutaneous mechanical support in the setting of AR and shock is required. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Balloon‐assisted tracking of a guide catheter through difficult radial anatomy: A technical report
Authors: Patel Tejas , Shah Sanjay , Pancholy Samir
Published: May 2012

A small caliber or significant tortuosity of radial artery may create difficulty in negotiating a 6F or 7F guide catheter while performing intervention through transradial approach. We describe a technique that helps tracking a guide catheter in such demanding situation for successful completion of procedure without increasing the chance of perforation and dissection. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
First experience with andraStent XL implantation in children and adolescents with congenital heart diseases
Authors: Venczelova Zuzana , Tittel Peter , Masura Jozef
Published: May 2012

Objectives

To present our experience with a new type of extra‐large (dilatable up to 25 mm), balloon‐expandable, nonpremounted, cobalt‐chromium peripheral stent with semiopen designed cells: AndraStent.

Methods

Between December 2008 and August 2011, 21 AndraStents in 21 patients were implanted into vessel stenoses of varied localizations. AndraStents XL of 21, 30, and 39 mm in length were used. The median age and weight of patients at stent implantation were 11.6 years (range 2.1–19.1 years) and 36 kg (range 11–82 kg), respectively. The stent was implanted into the left pulmonary artery stenosis (n = 12), into the aortic isthmus (n = 7), into a stenosed aortopulmonary collateral artery (n = 1) and into a stenosed systemic venous tunnel postSenning operation (n = 1).

Results

All the implantations were successfully performed; there was one major vessel access complication necessitating vascular surgery. The diameter of the vessel stenosis increased significantly (P < 0.05) from a median of 5.7–11 mm. The stent foreshortening was only mild.

Conclusions

Our initial results show that AndraStents are implantable and efficacious in different vascular stenoses and present a valuable alternative to the available large stents. With the application of a modified front‐loading technique, they can also be implanted in smaller children. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Renal denervation in a patient with prior renal artery stenting
Authors: Ziegler Ann‐Kathrin , Franke Jennifer , Bertog Stefan C.
Published: May 2012

This is a case report of a 69‐year‐old female with treatment‐resistant severe arterial hypertension despite prior successful percutaneous intervention to both renal arteries for significant renal artery stenoses (stenting of the right and balloon angioplasty of the left renal artery). The office blood pressure was 221/108 mm Hg at baseline. Secondary hypertension was ruled out and catheter‐based renal denervation performed (distal to the stent in the right renal artery and in the usual fashion in the left renal artery) without complications. The office blood pressure decreased at 1‐ and 3‐month follow‐up to 185/93 mm Hg and 182/95 mm Hg, respectively. This case illustrates the feasibility and potential efficacy of catheter‐based renal denervation in patients with a renal artery stent, an important finding as persistent hypertension is common in patients despite successful renal artery stenting and currently available trials examining renal denervation have excluded patients with prior renal artery stents. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Duplex criteria for in‐stent restenosis in the superficial femoral artery
Authors: Kawarada Osami , Higashimori Akihiro , Noguchi Miyuki , Waratani Naoto , Yoshida Masafumi , Fujihara Masahiko , Yokoi Yoshiaki , Honda Yasuhiro , Fitzgerald Peter J.
Published: May 2012

Objectives: To elucidate the optimal cutoff and accuracy of duplex ultrasonography (DUS) parameters for in‐stent restenosis (ISR) after nitinol stenting in the superficial femoral artery (SFA). Background: Few data are available regarding the performance of DUS for binary ISR based on quantitative vessel analysis (QVA) in the era of SFA nitinol stenting. Methods: This retrospective study included 74 in‐stent stenoses of SFA who underwent DUS before follow‐up angiography. DUS parameters, such as peak systolic velocity (PSV) and the peak systolic velocity ratio (PSVR), were compared with percent diameter stenosis (%DS) from a QVA basis. Results: There was a statistically significant correlation (P < 0.001) between “%DS and PSV” and “%DS and PSVR,” and the correlation with %DS proved to be stronger in PSVR (R = 0.720) than in PSV (R = 0.672). The best performing parameter for ISR (50% or greater stenosis) was revealed PSVR, as the areas under the receiver operator characteristics curves using PSVR and PSV were 0.908 and 0.832, respectively. A PSVR cut off value of 2.85 yielded the best predictive value with sensitivity of 88%, specificity of 84%, and accuracy of 86%. The positive predictive value was 85% and the negative predictive value was 88%. Conclusions: A PSVR of 2.85 is the optimal threshold for ISR after nitinol stenting in the SFA. Further large prospective studies are required for the validation and establishment of uniform criteria for DUS parameters. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
A robust regression approach for spectrophotometric signal analysis
Authors: Douha Leila , Benoudjit Nabil , Melgani Farid
Published: May 2012

The effectiveness of a regression method strongly depends on the characteristics of the considered regression problem. As a consequence, this makes it difficult to choose a priori the most appropriate algorithm for a given dataset. This issue is faced in this work through a novel regression approach based on the fusion of an ensemble of different regressors. In order to implement the proposed robust multiple system (RMS), four different fusion strategies are explored. In this context, we propose a novel fusion strategy named selection‐based strategy (SBS) that provides as output the estimate obtained by the regression algorithm (included in the ensemble) characterized by the highest expected accuracy in the region of the feature space associated with the considered model. The SBS is based not on a direct combination of the estimates yielded by all the regressors but on a selection mechanism that identifies the expected best available estimate. For such purpose, it exploits the accuracies of the regressors included in the ensemble in different portions of the input feature space. The experimental assessment of the RMS was carried out on three different datasets: a wine, an orange juice, and an apple datasets. The obtained experimental results suggest that, in general, the fusion of an ensemble of different regression algorithms leads to a regression process that is more robust and sometimes also more accurate than traditional regression methods. In particular, the proposed SBS method represents an effective solution to carry out the fusion process. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Chitosan‐Based Heterogeneous Catalysts for Enantioselective Michael Reaction
Authors: Qin Yanyan , Zhao Wenshan , Yang Lili , Zhang Xuan , Cui Yuanchen
Published: May 2012

Novel chitosan‐supported cinchona alkaloids have been developed as heterogeneous catalysts for enantioselective Michael reaction. As‐synthesized products as organocatalysts for asymmetric Michael reaction have a high efficiency, providing highly functionalized products (containing adjacent quaternary and tertiary stereocenters) with good stereoselectivity (up to 93% enantiomeric excess) in high yields and recyclability (up to five runs). Chirality 24:640–645, 2012. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.