bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Micromechanics Modeling of Bi-Axial Stretching Effects on the Electrical Conductivity of CNT-Polymer Composites
Authors: Feng Chuang , Jiang Liying
Published: December 2014

In this paper, the bi-axial stretching effects on the electrical conductivity of carbon nanotube (CNT)-polymer composites are studied by a mixed micromechanics model with the consideration of the electrical conductive mechanisms. The bi-axial stretching effects are characterized by volume expansion of composite, re-orientation of CNTs and change of conductive networks. Simulation results demonstrate that the bi-axial stretching decreases the electrical conductivity of the composites due to the dominant role of the stretching-induced change in conductive networks, i.e., the increase in the percolation threshold, the separation distance among CNTs and the breakdown of the networks. It is also found that the bi-axial stretching enhances the decreasing rate of the electrical conductivity and increases the distribution randomness of the CNTs in the bi-axial stretching plane, as compared to a uni-axial stretching case. Furthermore, the dependency of the variation of electrical conductivity on the CNT concentration and sizes is also investigated. Possible reasons for the variation trends are interpreted. The study in this paper is expected to provide an increased understanding on the stretching effects upon the electrical conductivity of CNT-polymer composites.
Molecular Dynamics Study of Aggregation in Nanofluid Flow: Effects of Liquid–Nanoparticle Interaction Strength and Particles Volume Fraction
Authors: Aminfar Habib , Razmara Nayyer , Mohammadpourfard Mousa
Published: December 2014

Molecular dynamics simulations (MDSs) are carried on to examine the effects of liquid–nanoparticle (NP) interaction strength, size and number of nanoparticles on the aggregation process in liquid-based nanofluid flowing inside nanochannel. The results show that the increase in liquid–NP interaction strength leads to the reduction of aggregation rate. In addition, the increase in the size and number of NPs leads to more aggregation rate. Predicted results for aggregation trend are in good agreement with experimental data. Likewise, variations of velocity profile and density distribution of liquid particles inside nanochannel are explored.
Calibration of the High Energy Replicated Optics to Explore the Sun (HEROES) Hard X-ray Telescope
Authors: Wilson-Hodge Colleen A. , Gaskin Jessica , Christe Steven , Shih Albert , Tennant Allyn , Swartz Doug , Kilaru Kiranmayee , Elsner Ron , Kolodziejczak Jeff , Ramsey Brian
Published: December 2014

On 2013 September 21–22, the High Energy Replicated Optics to Explore the Sun (HEROES) hard X-ray telescope flew as a balloon payload from Ft. Sumner, NM. HEROES observed the Sun, the black hole binary GRS 1915+105, and the Crab Nebula during its 27 h flight. In this paper, we describe laboratory calibration measurements of the HEROES detectors using line and continuum sources and applications of these measurements to define channel to energy (gain) corrections for observed events and to define detector response matrices. We characterize the HEROES X-ray grazing incidence optics using measurements taken in the Stray Light Facility (SLF) in Huntsville, AL, and using ray traces. We describe the application of our calibration measurements to in-flight observations of the Crab Nebula.
Altering blood flow does not reveal differences between nitrogen and helium kinetics in brain or in skeletal miracle in sheep
Authors: Doolette David J. , Upton Richard N. , Grant Cliff
Published: December 2014

In underwater diving, decompression schedules are based on compartmental models of nitrogen and helium tissue kinetics. However, these models are not based on direct measurements of nitrogen and helium kinetics. In isoflurane-anesthetized sheep, nitrogen and helium kinetics in the hind limb ( n = 5) and brain ( n = 5) were determined during helium-oxygen breathing and after return to nitrogen-oxygen breathing. Nitrogen and helium concentrations in arterial, femoral vein, and sagittal sinus blood samples were determined using headspace gas chromatography, and venous blood flows were monitored continuously using ultrasonic Doppler. The experiment was repeated at different states of hind limb blood flow and cerebral blood flow. Using arterial blood gas concentrations and blood flows as input, parameters and model selection criteria of various compartmental models of hind limb and brain were estimated by fitting to the observed venous gas concentrations. In both the hind limb and brain, nitrogen and helium kinetics were best fit by models with multiexponential kinetics. In the brain, there were no differences in nitrogen and helium kinetics. Hind limb models fit separately to the two gases indicated that nitrogen kinetics were slightly faster than helium, but models with the same kinetics for both gases fit the data well. In the hind limb and brain, the blood:tissue exchange of nitrogen is similar to that of helium. On the basis of these results, it is inappropriate to assign substantially different time constants for nitrogen and helium in all compartments in decompression algorithms.
Pharmacokinetic Comparative Study of Gastrodin and Rhynchophylline after Oral Administration of Different Prescriptions of Yizhi Tablets in Rats by an HPLC‐ESI/MS Method
Authors: Ge Zhaohui , Xie Yuanyuan , Liang Qionglin , Wang Yiming , Luo Guoan
Published: December 2014

Pharmacokinetic characters of rhynchophylline (RIN), gastrodin (GAS), and gastrodigenin (p‐hydroxybenzyl alcohol, HBA) were investigated after oral administration of different prescriptions of Yizhi: Yizhi tablets or effective parts of tianma (total saponins from Gastrodiae, EPT) and gouteng (rhynchophylla alkaloids, EPG). At different predetermined time points after administration, the concentrations of GAS, HBA, and RIN in rat plasma were determined by an HPLC‐ESI/MS method, and the main pharmacokinetic parameters were investigated. The results showed that the pharmacokinetic parameters Cmax and

Cmax⁡ and AUC0–∞ (P < 0.05) were dramatically different after oral administration of different prescriptions of Yizhi. The data indicated that the pharmacokinetic processes of GAS, HBA, and RIN in rats would interact with each other or be affected by other components in Yizhi. The rationality of the compatibility of Uncaria and Gastrodia elata as a classic “herb pair” has been verified from the pharmacokinetic viewpoint.
Mathematical Modeling of Radiofrequency Ablation for Varicose Veins
Authors: Choi Sun Young , Kwak Byung Kook , Seo Taewon
Published: December 2014

We present a three-dimensional mathematical model for the study of radiofrequency ablation (RFA) with blood flow for varicose vein. The model designed to analyze temperature distribution heated by radiofrequency energy and cooled by blood flow includes a cylindrically symmetric blood vessel with a homogeneous vein wall. The simulated blood velocity conditions areU= 0, 1, 2.5, 5, 10, 20, and 40 mm/s. The lower the blood velocity, the higher the temperature in the vein wall and the greater the tissue damage. The region that is influenced by temperature in the case of the stagnant flow occupies approximately 28.5% of the whole geometry, while the region that is influenced by temperature in the case of continuously moving electrode against the flow direction is about 50%. The generated RF energy induces a temperature rise of the blood in the lumen and leads to an occlusion of the blood vessel. The result of the study demonstrated that higher blood velocity led to smaller thermal region and lower ablation efficiency. Since the peak temperature along the venous wall depends on the blood velocity and pullback velocity, the temperature distribution in the model influences ablation efficiency. The vein wall absorbs more energy in the low pullback velocity than in the high one.
Real‐Time Analysis and Forecasting of Multisite River Flow Using a Distributed Hydrological Model
Authors: Sun Mingdong , Kim Gwangseob
Published: December 2014

A spatial distributed hydrological forecasting system was developed to promote the analysis of river flow dynamic state in a large basin. The research presented the real‐time analysis and forecasting of multisite river flow in the Nakdong River Basin using a distributed hydrological model with radar rainfall forecast data. A real‐time calibration algorithm of hydrological distributed model was proposed to investigate the particular relationship between the water storage and basin discharge. Demonstrate the approach of simulating multisite river flow using a distributed hydrological model couple with real‐time calibration and forecasting of multisite river flow with radar rainfall forecasts data. The hydrographs and results exhibit that calibrated flow simulations are very approximate to the flow observation at all sites and the accuracy of forecasting flow is gradually decreased with lead times extending from 1 hr to 3 hrs. The flow forecasts are lower than the flow observation which is likely caused by the low estimation of radar rainfall forecasts. The research has well demonstrated that the distributed hydrological model is readily applicable for multisite real‐time river flow analysis and forecasting in a large basin.
Octreotide for the Management of Gastrointestinal Bleeding in a Patient with a HeartWare Left Ventricular Assist Device
Authors: Dang Geetanjali , Grayburn Ryan , Lamb Geoffrey , Umpierrez De Reguero Adrian , Gaglianello Nunzio
Published: December 2014

HeartWare is a third generation left ventricular assist device (LVAD), widely used for the management of advanced heart failure patients. These devices are frequently associated with a significant risk of gastrointestinal (GI) bleeding. The data for the management of patients with LVAD presenting with GI bleeding is limited. We describe a 56-year-old lady, recipient of a HeartWare device, who experienced recurrent GI bleeding and was successfully managed with subcutaneous (SC) formulations of octreotide.
Cell Hydration as a Biomarker for Estimation of Biological Effects of Nonionizing Radiation on Cells and Organisms
Authors: Ayrapetyan Sinerik , De Jaysankar
Published: December 2014

“Changes in cell hydration” have been hypothesized as an input signal for intracellular metabolic cascade responsible for biological effects of nonionizing radiation (NIR). To test this hypothesis a comparative study on the impacts of different temperature and NIR (infrasound frequency mechanical vibration (MV), static magnetic field (SMF), extremely low frequency electromagnetic field (ELF EMF), and microwave (MW)) pretreated water on the hydration of barley seeds in its dormant and germination periods was performed. In dormant state temperature sensitivity (Q10) of seed hydration in distilled water (DW) was less than 2, and it was nonsensitive to NIR treated DW, whereas during the germination period (48–72 hours) seeds hydration exhibited temperature sensitivityQ10>2and higher sensitivity to NIR treated DW. Obtained data allow us to suggest that the metabolic driving of intracellular water dynamics accompanied by hydrogen bonding and breaking is more sensitive to NIR-induced water structure changes in seed bathing aqua medium than the simple thermodynamic processes such as osmotic gradient driven water absorption by seeds in dormant state. Therefore, cell hydration is suggested to be a universal and extrasensitive biomarker for detection of biological effects of NIR on cells and organisms.
Circulating Tumor Cell Analysis in Metastatic Triple-Negative Breast Cancers
Authors: Magbanua Mark Jesus M. , Carey Lisa A. , DeLuca Amy , Hwang Jimmy , Scott Janet H. , Rimawi Mothaffar F. , Mayer Erica L. , Marcom P. Kelly , Liu Minetta C. , Esteva Francisco J. , Park John W. , Rugo Hope S.
Published: December 2014

Purpose: Recent developments in rare-cell technology have led to improved blood-based assays that allow for the reliable detection, enumeration, and more recently, genomic profiling of circulating tumor cells (CTC). We evaluated two different approaches for enumeration of CTCs in a prospective therapeutic study of patients with metastatic triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC).

Experimental Design: The CellSearch system, a commercially available and U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA)–cleared assay for CTC enumeration, and IE/FC, an alternative method using EPCAM-based immunomagnetic enrichment and flow cytometry that maintains cell viability, were used to enumerate CTCs in the blood of patients with metastatic TNBC. CTC numbers were assessed at baseline and 7 to 14 days after initiation of therapy with cetuximab ± carboplatin in a phase II multicenter clinical trial (TBCRC 001).

Results: CTC numbers from two methods were significantly correlated at baseline (r = 0.62) and at 7 to 14 days (r = 0.53). Baseline CTCs showed no association with time-to-progression (TTP), whereas CTCs at 7 to 14 days were significantly correlated with TTP (CellSearch P = 0.02; IE/FC P = 0.03). CTCs at both time points were significantly associated with overall survival (OS) [CellSearch: baseline (P = 0.0001) and 7 to 14 days (P < 0.0001); IE/FC: baseline (P = 0.0009) and 7 to 14 days (P = 0.0086)].

Conclusions: Our findings demonstrate that CTC enumeration by two different assays was highly concordant. In addition, results of both assays were significantly correlated with TTP and OS in patients with TNBC. The IE/FC method is also easily adapted to isolation of pure populations of CTCs for genomic profiling. Clin Cancer Res; 21(5); 1098–105. ©2014 AACR.
Imaging of the Peritoneum Evaluated by 99mTc-Icodextrin Scintigraphy in Peritoneal Dialysis Patients: Preliminary Data
Authors: Argentino Gennaro , Russo Roberta , Maresca Immacolata Daniela , Strazzullo Tommasina , Memoli Andrea , Sodo Maurizio , Celentano Luigi , Memoli Bruno
Published: December 2014

Aim: In this study, we proposed a peritoneal scintigraphy with a different marker, the 99mTechnetium-Icodextrin, to evaluate the distribution of the dialysate within the peritoneal cavity in peritoneal dialysis (PD) patients. Methods: 99mTc-Icodextrin scintigraphy was performed in 16 PD patients. 0.5 ml of 7.5% Icodextrin solution was labeled with 74 megabecquerel (MBq) of 99mTc and then added to 2,000 ml of dialysate solution (2.5% dextrose). The peritoneum scintigraphy was performed by a SPECT gamma camera with the peritoneal cavity filled and after the complete drainage of the radio compound-dialysate mixture. The images were reviewed for evidence of peritoneal leaks, hernias, loculated fluid collections, and peritoneal membrane adhesions. Results: Abnormal findings were detected by 99mTc-Icodextrin scintigraphy in 4 (25%) out of 16 patients and included retroperitoneal (n = 1), diaphragmatic (n = 1) and inguinal (n = 1) leakages and peritoneal membrane adhesions (n = 1). Conclusions: Peritoneum scintigraphy with 99mTc-Icodextrin is a useful method to detect some complications occurring during peritoneal dialysis; it offers excellent imaging to assess these complications.
What Have We Learnt about the Role of the Environment and Natural Course of IBD in the New Millennium? 20-Year Follow-Up of the IBSEN Cohort
Authors: Moum Bjørn , Hovde Øistein , Høivik Marte Lie
Published: December 2014

The incidence and prevalence of IBD, both Crohn's disease (CD) and ulcerative colitis (UC), have increased in recent years, especially in industrialized countries. Still, the etiology of IBD remains largely unknown. Most research on IBD before the 1990s was conducted on selected patient populations. Selected patient populations are likely to introduce important bias and limit the interpretation and generalizability. The inclusion of both incident and prevalent cases or the inclusion of incident cases over long periods of time (decades) might also introduce bias due to changes in treatment regimens and socioeconomic factors over timer (time-trend bias). Consequently, the choice of a well-characterized population-based inception cohort provides the best opportunity to describe the natural course of a disease. The IBSEN (Inflammatory Bowel Disease in South-Eastern Norway) study followed a large population-based cohort of newly diagnosed IBD patients for 20 years and has contributed significantly to the knowledge of the natural course of IBD.
Continuous Hemodiafiltration with a Cytokine-Adsorbing Hemofilter in Patients with Septic Shock: A Preliminary Report
Authors: Shiga Hidetoshi , Hirasawa Hiroyuki , Nishida Osamu , Oda Shigeto , Nakamura Masataka , Mashiko Kunihiro , Matsuda Kenich , Kitamura Nobuya , Kikuchi Yoshihiko , Fuke Nobuo
Published: December 2014

Background/Aim: We investigated the clinical efficacy of continuous hemodiafiltration (CHDF) with AN69ST hemofilter (AN69ST-CHDF) in patients with septic shock. Materials and Methods: A prospective, multicenter, single-arm study was conducted. Patients with sepsis and shock defined by hyperlactemia were enrolled. The patients were treated with CHDF and in accordance with the Surviving Sepsis Campaign guidelines (SSCG). Results: Thirty-four patients were enrolled. On ICU admission, the mean blood IL-6 level was 44,800 ± 77,700 pg/ml, and the mean blood lactate level was 69.0 ± 49.4 mg/dl. Both the mean blood IL-6 and lactate levels had significantly decreased to normal ranges after 72 h of AN69ST-CHDF. Though the mean APACHE II score was 32.7 ± 9.8, 28-day survival was 73.5%. Conclusion: The current study suggested that adding AN69ST-CHDF to the treatments outlined in the SSCG might lead to good outcomes for patients with septic shock, probably via the removal of cytokines from the bloodstream.
Successful Interventional Treatment for Arterioportal Fistula Caused by Radiofrequency Ablation for Hepatocellular Carcinoma
Authors: Kanogawa Naoya , Chiba Tetsuhiro , Ogasawara Sadahisa , Ooka Yoshihiko , Suzuki Eiichiro , Motoyama Tenyu , Saito Tomoko , Sekimoto Tadashi , Tawada Akinobu , Maruyama Hitoshi , Yoshikawa Masaharu , Yokosuka Osamu
Published: December 2014

Radiofrequency ablation (RFA) is commonly used as a treatment for small hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Although several complications such as intraperitoneal bleeding are often observed after RFA, hepatic arterioportal fistula (APF) is a less frequently occurring complication. In this study, we describe two cases of APF caused by RFA, which was successfully occluded by an interventional approach. Case 1 involved a 68-year-old man with solitary HCC in segment VIII of the liver. Both contrast-enhanced computed tomography and color Doppler sonography indicated an APF between the anterosuperior branch of the right hepatic artery (A8) and the portal branch (P8). Concordant with these findings, digital subtraction angiography (DSA) revealed an APF in segment VIII of the liver. Subsequently, the APF was successfully occluded by transarterial embolization (TAE) using gelatin sponge particles. Case 2 involved a 67-year-old man with solitary HCC in segment VII of the liver. Although he developed obstructive jaundice because of hemobilia after RFA, it was improved by endoscopic nasobiliary drainage and the systemic administration of antibiotics. In addition, color Doppler sonography revealed a disturbed flow of the right branch of the portal vein. Similar to case 1, DSA showed an APF between A8 and P8. The APF was successfully embolized by TAE using microcoils. In conclusion, it appears that the formation of APF should be checked after RFA. It is preferable to treat RFA-induced APF promptly by an interventional approach to avoid secondary complications such as portal hypertension and liver dysfunction.
Development and Reproducibility of a Computed Tomography–Based Measurement for Upper Body Subcutaneous Neck Fat
Authors: Rosenquist Klara J. , Therkelsen Kate E. , Massaro Joseph M. , Hoffmann Udo , Fox Caroline S.
Published: December 2014

Background

Upper body subcutaneous neck fat (
UBSF
) is a unique fat depot anatomically separate from visceral abdominal fat that appears to be associated with cardiometabolic risk above and beyond generalized adiposity. We sought to develop a protocol to quantify
UBSF
using multidetector computed tomography measurements.

Methods and Results

Protocol development was performed in participants from the Framingham Heart Study who had participated in the multidetector computed tomography scanning substudy, consisting of chest scans. Volumetric assessment of
UBSF
was defined by 40 contiguous 0.625‐mm slices superior to the body of the sternum. The reader manually traced the chest to identify total neck fat. Breast tissue exterior to the chest wall was excluded. Subcutaneous and visceral fat volumes were obtained using standard protocols. Age‐ and sex‐adjusted Pearson correlation coefficients were used to assess the association among
UBSF
, traditional adiposity measures, and cardiometabolic risk factors. Inter‐ and intrareader reproducibility was assessed using intraclass correlation coefficients. Volumetric assessments were obtained in 92 participants because 8 scans were not readable (51% women; mean age: 59 years [women], 58 years [men]). The mean volume of
UBSF
was 310 cm
3
for women and 345 cm
3
for men. Intra‐ and interreader class correlation coefficients were 0.99 and 0.99, respectively.
UBSF
was correlated with waist circumference (
r
=0.90), neck circumference (
r
=0.75), body mass index (
r
=0.89), subcutaneous adipose tissue (
r
=0.87), and visceral adipose tissue (
r
=0.86).

Conclusions

UBSF
can be quantified reproducibly using computed tomography in a community‐dwelling sample from the Framingham Heart Study.
Longitudinal and Circumferential Strain of the Proximal Aorta
Authors: Bell Vanessa , Mitchell William A. , Sigurðsson Sigurður , Westenberg Jos J. M. , Gotal John D. , Torjesen Alyssa A. , Aspelund Thor , Launer Lenore J. , de Roos Albert , Gudnason Vilmundur , Harris Tamara B. , Mitchell Gary F.
Published: December 2014

Background

Accurate assessment of mechanical properties of the proximal aorta is a requisite first step for elucidating the pathophysiology of isolated systolic hypertension. During systole, substantial proximal aortic axial displacement produces longitudinal strain, which we hypothesize causes variable underestimation of ascending aortic circumferential strain compared to values in the longitudinally constrained descending aorta.

Methods and Results

To assess effects of longitudinal strain, we performed magnetic resonance imaging in 375 participants (72 to 94 years old, 204 women) in the Age, Gene/Environment Susceptibility‐Reykjavik Study and measured aortic circumferential and longitudinal strain. Circumferential ascending aortic area strain uncorrected for longitudinal strain was comparable in women and men (mean [95% CI], 8.3 [7.8, 8.9] versus 7.9 [7.4, 8.5]%, respectively,
P
=0.3). However, longitudinal strain was greater in women (8.5±2.5 versus 7.0±2.5%,
P
<0.001), resulting in greater longitudinally corrected circumferential ascending aortic strain (14.4 [13.6, 15.2] versus 13.0 [12.4, 13.7]%,
P
=0.010). Observed circumferential descending aortic strain, which did not require correction (women: 14.0 [13.2, 14.8], men: 12.4 [11.6, 13.2]%,
P
=0.005), was larger than uncorrected (
P
<0.001), but comparable to longitudinally corrected (
P
=0.12) circumferential ascending aortic strain. Carotid‐femoral pulse wave velocity did not correlate with uncorrected ascending aortic strain (
R
=−0.04,
P
=0.5), but was inversely related to longitudinally corrected ascending and observed descending aortic strain (
R
=−0.15,
P
=0.004;
R
=−0.36,
P
<0.001, respectively). Longitudinal strain was also inversely related to carotid‐femoral pulse wave velocity and other risk factors for higher aortic stiffness including treated hypertension.

Conclusions

Longitudinal strain creates substantial and variable errors in circumferential ascending aortic area strain measurements, particularly in women, and should be considered to avoid misclassification of ascending aortic stiffness.
The More Divergent, the Better? Lessons on Trilemma Policies and Crises for Asia
Authors: Aizenman Joshua , Ito Hiro
Published: December 2014

This paper investigates the potential impacts of the degree of divergence in open macroeconomic policies in the context of the trilemma hypothesis. Using an index that measures the extent of policy divergence among the three trilemma policy choices—monetary independence, exchange rate stability, and financial openness—we find that emerging market economies have adopted trilemma policy combinations with the smallest degree of policy divergence in the last 15 years. We then investigate whether and to what extent the degree of open macro policy convergence affects the probability of a crisis and find that a developing or emerging market economy with a higher degree of policy divergence is more likely to experience a currency or debt crisis. We also compare the development of trilemma policies around the crisis period for the groups of Latin American crisis countries in the 1980s and the Asian crisis countries in the 1990s. We find that Latin American crisis countries tended to close their capital accounts in the aftermath of a crisis, while that is not the case for the Asian crisis countries. The Asian crisis countries tended to reduce the degree of policy divergence in the aftermath of the crisis, which possibly meant they decided to adopt open macro policies that made their economies less prone to a crisis.
Productivity Spillovers from FDI in the People's Republic of China: A Nuanced View
Authors: Xiaoning Long Cheryl , Hale Galina , Miura Hirotaka
Published: December 2014

Using panel data from the Chinese Industrial Surveys of Medium-sized and Large Firms for 2000–2006, we show that the presence and the magnitude of technological spillovers from FDI in the People's Republic of China are affected by the source of FDI, by the ownership type of a firm in consideration, as well as by industrial and provincial characteristics. Private firms are more likely to benefit from horizontal spillovers than other domestic firms, but are less likely to benefit from vertical ones. Presence of state-owned firms in the industry impedes technological spillovers in a way that is consistent with diversion of linkages from private to state-owned firms. Finally, horizontal spillovers are larger in industries that are more technologically sophisticated.
Relating Hippocampus to Relational Memory Processing across Domains and Delays
Authors: Monti Jim M. , Cooke Gillian E. , Watson Patrick D. , Voss Michelle W. , Kramer Arthur F. , Cohen Neal J.
Published: December 2014

The hippocampus has been implicated in a diverse set of cognitive domains and paradigms, including cognitive mapping, long-term memory, and relational memory, at long or short study–test intervals. Despite the diversity of these areas, their association with the hippocampus may rely on an underlying commonality of relational memory processing shared among them. Most studies assess hippocampal memory within just one of these domains, making it difficult to know whether these paradigms all assess a similar underlying cognitive construct tied to the hippocampus. Here we directly tested the commonality among disparate tasks linked to the hippocampus by using PCA on performance from a battery of 12 cognitive tasks that included two traditional, long-delay neuropsychological tests of memory and two laboratory tests of relational memory (one of spatial and one of visual object associations) that imposed only short delays between study and test. Also included were different tests of memory, executive function, and processing speed. Structural MRI scans from a subset of participants were used to quantify the volume of the hippocampus and other subcortical regions. Results revealed that the 12 tasks clustered into four components; critically, the two neuropsychological tasks of long-term verbal memory and the two laboratory tests of relational memory loaded onto one component. Moreover, bilateral hippocampal volume was strongly tied to performance on this component. Taken together, these data emphasize the important contribution the hippocampus makes to relational memory processing across a broad range of tasks that span multiple domains.
Enchanted Encounter: Gender Politics, Cultural Identity, and Wang Tao’s (1828–97) Fictional Sino-Western Romance
Authors: Zheng Huili
Published: December 2014

Wang Tao (1828–97) was a late Qing translator, political commentator, and fiction writer who spent time in England, France and Scotland, and served as an important literary link between China and the West. In examining Wang’s tales of Sino-Western encounters and drawing from the long literary tradition of depicting foreign “Others,” this paper shows that Wang’s image of the West in his literary tales is ambivalent. Further, it argues that Wang’s gender positioning of the Chinese “Self” and Western “Other” is rather ambiguous. By interpreting his representation of the West against his immediate historical context (e.g., a China facing unprecedented political and cultural challenges), this study investigates Wang’s use of various rhetorical strategies from an existing discourse on foreign “Others” (particularly the theme of “foreign woman marrying Chinese man”) to appropriate, domesticate and even contain the West. It also shows how Wang complicates and even subverts these older rhetorical strategies as a way to cope with the new historical reality.
Queering the New Woman: Ideals of Modern Femininity in The Ladies’ Journal, 1915–1931
Authors: Hubbard Joshua A.
Published: December 2014

This case study of Republican China’s most widely read women’s periodical, The Ladies’ Journal (Funü zazhi), argues that the New Woman remained a highly contested ideal throughout the journal’s publication from 1915 to 1931. Editors and contributors endorsed competing models of modern femininity that shifted over time, shaped by volatile political conditions and social trends. With a focus on sexual morality, this article subjects normative visions of the modern Chinese woman, as depicted in The Ladies’ Journal, to a queer reading. By exploring the tension between widely circulated heteronormative discourses and their inherent slippages that revealed and fostered subversion, this article demonstrates that, rather than advocating for a clearly defined and radically new icon of sexual liberation, The Ladies’ Journal presented a vision of the New Woman that was capricious, contested, and in some ways conservative.
Capacities and the Eternal in Metaphysics Θ.8 and De Caelo
Authors: Frey Christopher
Published: December 2014

The dominant interpretation ofMetaphysicsΘ.8 commits Aristotle to the claim that the heavenly bodies’ eternal movements are not the exercises of capacities. Against this, I argue that these movements are the result of necessarily exercised capacities. I clarify what it is for a heavenly body to possess a nature and argue that a body’s nature cannot be a final cause unless the natural body possesses capacities that are exercised for the sake of its naturequaform. This discussion yields a better understanding of what capacities are, what explanatory work capacities do, and what it is to possess a nature.
Humanism and Colonial Governance in the Venetian Ageaen: The Case of Giovanni Bembo
Authors: Maglaque Erin
Published: December 2014

In this article, I examine the autobiographical writing and reading practices of Giovanni Bembo, a colonial governor posted to Skopelos and Skiathos in the Aegean in 1525. During his term as rettore in the Aegean, Bembo’s scribe had an affair with his daughter and helped her to abort her ensuing pregnancy. Bembo then ordered the scribe to be publicly castrated. In the aftermath of this violent act, Bembo was blacklisted from any further governmental position in Venice. In his autobiographical letter, written ten years after the events on Skiathos, Bembo reflects on his role in the colonial Aegean, using textual practices that he learned in Venetian humanist schools during adolescence. I argue that in Bembo’s autobiographical writing and annotations, we can see the ways in which humanist education shaped the Venetian patrician colonial administrator’s experience and practice of governance in the Aegean.
The EarthCARE Satellite: The Next Step Forward in Global Measurements of Clouds, Aerosols, Precipitation, and Radiation
Authors: Illingworth A. J. , Barker H. W. , Beljaars A. , Ceccaldi M. , Chepfer H. , Clerbaux N. , Cole J. , Delanoë J. , Domenech C. , Donovan D. P. , Fukuda S. , Hirakata M. , Hogan R. J. , Huenerbein A. , Kollias P. , Kubota T. , Nakajima T. , Nakajima T. Y. , Nishizawa T. , Ohno Y. , Okamoto H. , Oki R. , Sato K. , Satoh M. , Shephard M. W. , Velázquez-Blázquez A. , Wandinger U. , Wehr T. , van Zadelhoff G.-J.
Published: December 2014

The collective representation within global models of aerosol, cloud, precipitation, and their radiative properties remains unsatisfactory. They constitute the largest source of uncertainty in predictions of climatic change and hamper the ability of numerical weather prediction models to forecast high-impact weather events. The joint European Space Agency (ESA)–Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) Earth Clouds, Aerosol and Radiation Explorer (EarthCARE) satellite mission, scheduled for launch in 2018, will help to resolve these weaknesses by providing global profiles of cloud, aerosol, precipitation, and associated radiative properties inferred from a combination of measurements made by its collocated active and passive sensors. EarthCARE will improve our understanding of cloud and aerosol processes by extending the invaluable dataset acquired by the A-Train satellites CloudSat, Cloud–Aerosol Lidar and Infrared Pathfinder Satellite Observations (CALIPSO), and Aqua. Specifically, EarthCARE’s cloud profiling radar, with 7 dB more sensitivity than CloudSat, will detect more thin clouds and its Doppler capability will provide novel information on convection, precipitating ice particle, and raindrop fall speeds. EarthCARE’s 355-nm high-spectral-resolution lidar will measure directly and accurately cloud and aerosol extinction and optical depth. Combining this with backscatter and polarization information should lead to an unprecedented ability to identify aerosol type. The multispectral imager will provide a context for, and the ability to construct, the cloud and aerosol distribution in 3D domains around the narrow 2D retrieved cross section. The consistency of the retrievals will be assessed to within a target of ±10 W m–2 on the (10 km)2 scale by comparing the multiview broadband radiometer observations to the top-of-atmosphere fluxes estimated by 3D radiative transfer models acting on retrieved 3D domains.
Cellular Network Infrastructure: The Future of Fog Monitoring?
Authors: David Noam , Sendik Omry , Messer Hagit , Alpert Pinhas
Published: December 2014

Severe visibility limitations resulting from fog may lead to acute transportation accidents and high losses of property and lives. Thus, reliable monitoring facilities are of extreme importance. Nevertheless, current monitoring instruments suffer from low spatial resolution, high costs, or lack of precision at near-surface levels. It has, however, recently been shown that the commercial microwave links that form the infrastructure of cellular communication networks can provide crucial information regarding the appearance of dense fog and its intensity. Typical microwave systems currently in operation make use of frequencies between 6 and 40 GHz and, thus, can only monitor heavy fog. However, there is a growing demand for high data rates and expanded bandwidth in modern mobile radio networks. As a result, higher frequencies (e.g., around 80 GHz) are being implemented in order to fulfill these increased requirements. Notably, the attenuation induced as a result of fog at a given intensity increases as operating frequency rises, allowing, for the first time, the possibility of using this system to monitor typical fog intensities, at high resolution and low cost. Here, a theoretical simulation is presented in which simulated fog patches are introduced into an area where a network of links is deployed. Two-dimensional maps are generated utilizing the simulated microwave network to represent sensitivity thresholds for fog detection at three different frequencies: 20, 38, and 80 GHz. Real-data measurements of fog are also demonstrated using 38-GHz band links. The results indicate the vast future potential of commercial microwave links as an opportunistic system for monitoring fog.
Improvement in Global Cloud-System-Resolving Simulations by Using a Double-Moment Bulk Cloud Microphysics Scheme
Authors: Seiki Tatsuya , Kodama Chihiro , Noda Akira T. , Satoh Masaki
Published: December 2014

This study examines the impact of an alteration of a cloud microphysics scheme on the representation of longwave cloud radiative forcing (LWCRF) and its impact on the atmosphere in global cloud-system-resolving simulations. A new double-moment bulk cloud microphysics scheme is used, and the simulated results are compared with those of a previous study. It is demonstrated that improvements within the new cloud microphysics scheme have the potential to substantially improve climate simulations. The new cloud microphysics scheme represents a realistic spatial distribution of the cloud fraction and LWCRF, particularly near the tropopause. The improvement in the cirrus cloud-top height by the new cloud microphysics scheme substantially reduces the warm bias in atmospheric temperature from the previous simulation via LWCRF by the cirrus clouds. The conversion rate of cloud ice to snow and gravitational sedimentation of cloud ice are the most important parameters for determining the strength of the radiative heating near the tropopause and its impact on atmospheric temperature.
Improving Research in the Emerging Field of Cross-Cultural Sociogenetics
Authors: Minkov Michael , Blagoev Vesselin , Bond Michael Harris
Published: December 2014

We offer a critical overview of studies associating genetic differences in the 5-HTTLPR VNTR in the serotonin-transporter gene with societal differences. We also highlight recent findings from individual-level research on 5-HTTLPR generating new hypotheses concerning the effect of genes on culture. We provide an expanded national index reflecting 5-HTTLPR S-allele prevalence as an improved tool for future research. Our preliminary tests of this tool suggest that national S-allele prevalence is not associated with individualism as has been claimed, but with national neuroticism, IQ and school achievement, Hofstede’s fifth dimension of long-term orientation, and Minkov’s societal hypometropia—a measure of risk acceptance and short-term vision in life history strategy. We encourage detailed research of these associations in future studies.
Entry Timing
Authors: Zachary Miles A. , Gianiodis Peter T. , Payne G. Tyge , Markman Gideon D.
Published: December 2014

Entry decisions—often critical to firm survival and growth, market evolution, and industry profitability—have been the subject of inquiry for decades. In particular, the timing of entry decisions, drawing primarily on the first-mover advantage (FMA) perspective, has emerged as a prominent area of study. While previous research confirms that entry timing is critical, a large number of contingencies create conceptual and methodological complexities that undermine the formation of a rigorous theory of entry timing. In this article, we review and synthesize management and marketing research on entry timing published in top-tier outlets from 1989 through 2013—the 25-year period that followed the publication of Lieberman and Montgomery’s seminal article on FMA. Distilling key lessons from this literature, our review tries to establish a foundational understanding of the conditions, methods, implications, and strategies of entry timing so that research might be reinvigorated in this domain. Our article concludes by offering a conceptual model of entry based on the lessons gleaned from the articles that we reviewed.
Stereotype Threat and the Evaluative Context of Communication
Authors: McGlone Matthew S. , Pfiester R. Abigail
Published: December 2014

We explored the impact of “stereotype threat” —that is, distress associated with the prospect of confirming a negative stereotype—on communication in evaluative contexts. Participants engaged in a conflict resolution simulation framed as diagnostic of their ability either to be a leader or to maintain close personal relationships. Women were less fluent and used more tentative language under leadership than relational maintenance framing, but men were less fluent and more tentative under relational maintenance than leadership framing. The influence of stereotype frame on the rates of disfluencies and tentative language was partially mediated by state anxiety. Our findings demonstrate that the effects of situationally induced stereotype threat on communication behavior are comparable to its effects on intellectual test performance. Consequences of stereotype threat for impression formation and strategies for reducing its impact on social interaction are discussed.
Survival on biventricular mechanical support with the Centrimag® as a bridge to decision: a single-center risk stratification
Authors: Mohamedali B , Bhat G , Yost G , Tatooles A
Published: December 2014

Objective:

Temporary mechanical assist devices are increasingly being used as a lifesaving bridge to decision in patients requiring cardiopulmonary resuscitation. We report our single-center experience with biventricular Centrimag® pumps over a five-year period.

Method:

Data was retrospectively collected in consecutive patients who required biventricular support from 2008 to 2013. Patients who were supported with central cannulation using the Centrimag® system were analyzed. In addition to demographic information, data pertaining to indications, outcomes and mortality were collected.

Results:

The cohort consisted of 48 patients (19 women and 29 men, mean age of 56 years). The median duration of support was 14 days. The median duration to patient expiration while still on the Centrimag® was 12 days. Thirty-day survival was 56% (27/48). Nine patients were explanted to recovery, while fourteen patients were converted to a durable LVAD, two of whom were then transplanted. We stratified patients into two groups. Group I comprised patients who were either explanted to recovery, converted to durable LVAD or transplanted (23/48) and Group II consisted of patients who either died on the Centrimag® or were explanted for withdrawal of care (25/48). Statistical analysis did not reveal any clinically significant differences between the two groups in terms of age, sex, etiology, hemodynamic, co-morbidities or laboratory parameters.

Conclusion:

The biventricular Centrimag® can be used as a bridge to decision in patients with thirty-day survival of >50%. Parameters to predict 30-day survival in this high-risk cohort continue to remain elusive.
Free-Market Mining in Mexico
Authors: Tetreault Darcy
Published: December 2014

This paper examines the impact of neoliberal reforms on Mexico’s mining sector, with a focus on the social and environmental conflicts that have emerged since the 1990s. It distinguishes between two types of conflict: labor conflicts, which stem from intensified labor exploitation in the realm of expanded reproduction; and eco-territorial conflicts around accumulation by dispossession. It argues that free-market mining in Mexico has led to Mexican oligopoly control, Canadian imperialism and narco-mining.
Another change agenda: Reflections on ‘Agenda for Change’
Authors: McCafferty Sara , Hill Harry
Published: December 2014

This article presents research on nurses’ perceptions of the 2005 UK NHS reform ‘Agenda for Change’ (AfC) in order to identify lessons to inform future NHS policy development. Semi-structured interviews ( n = 18) were conducted with NHS nurses who were in post prior to the reform and subsequently subjected to the policy reform. Interviews were undertaken by a single researcher and lasted between 40–60 minutes. Interviews were recorded and transcribed verbatim and thematic analysis was used to identify key concepts and findings. The article finds that each facet of the Agenda for Change was not perceived to have achieved the policy goals it intended to. The article concludes that repeated political re-organisation of the National Health Service (NHS) in England has been demoralising for hospital staff.
Development and characterization of functionalized TiO2-reinforced Schiff base epoxy nanocomposites
Authors: Lakshmikandhan T. , Alagar M.
Published: December 2014

Caprolactam Schiff base epoxy (CSEp) has been synthesized and characterized by Fourier transform infrared and proton nuclear magnetic resonance (1H NMR) spectroscopies. Titanium dioxide (TiO2) has been functionalized with 3-aminopropyltriethoxysilane (F-TiO2), and different weight percentages (1, 3, and 5 wt%) of F-TiO2 were reinforced with CSEp and are cured by caproamine. Thermal properties of CSEp/F-TiO2 composites were characterized using thermogravimetric analysis and differential scanning calorimetry. Data obtained from X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and transmission electron microscopy analyses indicate the homogeneous morphology of composites. The surface morphology of ultraviolet-exposed and -unexposed samples were analyzed using SEM and compared. Results from absorption and transmittance studies infer that the F-TiO2-reinforced hybrid composite materials offer excellent radiation-resistant behavior when compared to that of neat epoxy matrix.
Effectiveness of antidepressants and predictors of treatment response for depressed HIV patients in Uganda
Authors: Ngo Victoria K , Wagner Glenn J , Nakasujja Noeline , Dickens Akena , Aunon Frances , Musisi Seggane
Published: December 2014

Antidepressant medication is well established for the treatment of depression but little is known about its effectiveness for HIV populations in sub-Saharan Africa. This study examined the effectiveness of antidepressant treatment and predictors of treatment response among depressed HIV patients in Uganda. Data were obtained from two open-label trials in which 184 HIV patients were diagnosed with depression and started on antidepressants. Data at treatment baseline and month 6 were compared to assess treatment response, and baseline predictors of response were assessed. A total of 154 completed month 6, of whom 122 (79%) had responded to treatment and were no longer depressed (Patient Health Questionnaire-9, score < 5). Bivariate analysis found that education, CD4 count, general health functioning, physical health, pain, quality of life and social support variables were associated with antidepressant treatment response; however, only secondary education and social support independently predicted treatment response in logistic multiple regression analysis. Baseline depression severity was not associated with treatment response. In conclusion, antidepressants are effective in treating both moderate and more severe depression among persons living with HIV in Uganda, and education [OR (95% CI) = 4.33 (1.33–14.11)] and social support [OR (95% CI) = 1.54 (1.03–2.30)] were most predictive of treatment response.