bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Validation of the PTSD screening cartoon test “Darryl” in a Danish clinical sample of children and adolescents
Authors: Schandorph Løkkegaard Sille , Rønholt Stine , Karsberg Sidsel , Elklit Ask
Published: June 2016

The current study examined the reliability and validity of a Danish adaptation of “Darryl”, a cartoon‐based measure of DSM‐IV symptoms of post‐traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in a sample of Danish children and adolescents. Exposure to potentially traumatizing events, PTSD symptoms and diagnostic status were assessed in 65 children between the ages of 7 and 17 years old. Participants were recruited from a crisis centre for battered women and a school for children with emotional and behavioural problems. The study revealed that Darryl has good internal consistency for the overall scale and adequate reliability for each DSM‐IV symptom cluster. Scores from Darryl were significantly correlated with the Clinician Administered PTSD Scale for Children and Adolescents (CAPS‐CA) scores and receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis showed that it could significantly predict the presence of a PTSD diagnosis according to the CAPS‐CA. In comparison to the CAPS‐CA, Darryl has comparable psychometric properties and assesses PTSD symptoms in a developmentally appropriate manner. Furthermore, Darryl is quick to administer and was easier for the children in this sample to comprehend than the more traditional measure of PTSD. Overall, Darryl is an effective instrument for screening children at risk of a PTSD diagnosis. The relatively high specificity suggests that screening positive for PTSD using Darryl merits further diagnostic assessment. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Angiotensin II increases sperm phagocytosis by neutrophils in vitro: A possible physiological role in the bovine oviduct
Authors: Marey Mohamed Ali , Yousef Mohamed Samy , Liu Jinghui , Morita Kazuhiro , Sasaki Motoki , Hayakawa Hiroyuki , Shimizu Takashi , Miyamoto Akio
Published: June 2016

This study aimed to investigate the possible effects of the vasoactive peptide angiotensin II (ANG II), secreted by bovine oviduct epithelial cells, on the in vitro phagocytic activity of polymorphonuclear leukocytes, specifically neutrophils, towards sperm. The measured concentrations of ANG II in oviduct flushes and conditioned medium from primary bovine oviduct epithelial culture ranged from 10−10 to 10−11 M. In our experiments, neutrophils were incubated for 2 hr with ANG II (0, 10−11, 10−10, 10−9, and 10−8 M). Phagocytosis and superoxide production were then assessed by co‐incubation of these neutrophils with sperm pretreated to induce capacitation, revealing a dose‐dependent increase in both metrics by ANG II. This stimulatory effect of ANG II was eliminated by losartan, an angiotensin receptor type 1 (AGTR1) antagonist. ANG II also suppressed neutrophil transcription of angiotensin converting enzyme‐1 (ACE) and AGTR1, but not AGTR2, suggesting the involvement of the AGTR1 receptor‐mediated pathway in the response to sperm. Scanning electron microscopy further revealed that incubation of neutrophils with ANG II stimulated the formation of DNA‐based extracellular traps for sperm entanglement. The addition of prostaglandin E2 at concentrations found in the oviduct suppressed the ANG II‐stimulated phagocytic activity of neutrophils towards sperm. Thus the physiological levels of ANG II stimulate neutrophil phagocytosis of sperm in vitro, and suggest that an angiotensin/prostaglandin E2 system may fine‐tune the local immune response that fosters sperm survival in the bovine oviduct. Mol. Reprod. Dev. 83: 630–639, 2016. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
The Clock mutant mouse is a novel experimental model for nocturia and nocturnal polyuria
Authors: Ihara Tatsuya , Mitsui Takahiko , Nakamura Yuki , Kira Satoru , Miyamoto Tatsuya , Nakagomi Hiroshi , Sawada Norifumi , Hirayama Yuri , Shibata Keisuke , Shigetomi Eiji , Shinozaki Yoichi , Yoshiyama Mitsuharu , Andersson Karl‐Erik , Nakao Atsuhito , Takeda Masayuki , Koizumi Schuichi
Published: June 2016

Aims

The pathophysiologies of nocturia (NOC) and nocturnal polyuria (NP) are multifactorial and their etiologies remain unclear in a large number of patients. Clock genes exist in most cells and organs, and the products of Clock regulate circadian rhythms as representative clock genes. Clock genes regulate lower urinary tract function, and a newly suggested concept is that abnormalities in clock genes cause lower urinary tract symptoms. In the present study, we investigated the voiding behavior of Clock mutant (ClockΔ19/Δ19) mice in order to determine the effects of clock genes on NOC/NP.

Methods

Male C57BL/6 mice aged 8–12 weeks (WT) and male C57BL/6 ClockΔ19/Δ19 mice aged 8 weeks were used. They were bred under 12 hr light/dark conditions for 2 weeks and voiding behavior was investigated by measuring water intake volume, urine volume, urine volume/void, and voiding frequency in metabolic cages in the dark and light periods.

Results

No significant differences were observed in behavior patterns between ClockΔ19/Δ19 and WT mice. ClockΔ19/Δ19 mice showed greater voiding frequencies and urine volumes during the sleep phase than WT mice. The diurnal change in urine volume/void between the dark and light periods in WT mice was absent in ClockΔ19/Δ19 mice. Additionally, functional bladder capacity was significantly lower in ClockΔ19/Δ19 mice than in WT mice.

Conclusions

We demonstrated that ClockΔ19/Δ19 mice showed the phenotype of NOC/NP. The ClockΔ19/Δ19 mouse may be used as an animal model of NOC and NP. Neurourol. Urodynam. 36:1034–1038, 2017. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Linear smoothed polygonal and polyhedral finite elements
Authors: Francis Amrita , Ortiz‐Bernardin Alejandro , Bordas Stéphane PA , Natarajan Sundararajan
Published: June 2016

The strain smoothing technique over higher order elements and arbitrary polytopes yields less accurate solutions than other techniques such as the conventional polygonal finite element method. In this work, we propose a linear strain smoothing scheme that improves the accuracy of linear and quadratic approximations over convex polytopes. The main idea is to subdivide the polytope into simplicial subcells and use a linear smoothing function in each subcell to compute the strain. This new strain is then used in the computation of the stiffness matrix. The convergence properties and accuracy of the proposed scheme are discussed by solving a few benchmark problems. Numerical results show that the proposed linear strain smoothing scheme makes the approximation based on polytopes able to deliver the same optimal convergence rate as traditional quadrilateral and hexahedral approximations. The accuracy is also improved, and all the methods tested pass the patch test to machine precision. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Does Organizational Justice Modify the Association Between Job Involvement and Retirement Intentions of Nurses in Finland?
Authors: Sulander Juhani , Sinervo Timo , Elovainio Marko , Heponiemi Tarja , Helkama Klaus , Aalto Anna‐Mari
Published: June 2016

Given the growing aging population in Finland, retaining health staff to care for them is important. In an exploration of predictors of quitting before the typical retirement age, which ranges from 63 to 68 years in Finland, we examined whether organizational justice moderated the association between job involvement and retirement intentions among nurses 50 years and over. The sample was 446 nurses (70% practical nurses) working in 134 assisted living facilities providing 24‐hour care for older residents in Finland. Job involvement was measured with the Job Involvement Questionnaire, and organizational justice with a scale that tapped its three dimensions: distributive justice, procedural justice, and interactional justice. In covariance analyses, low organizational justice and low job involvement were associated with a higher likelihood of retirement intention. Both interactional justice and procedural justice moderated the association of job involvement with retirement intentions. Among nurses with low job involvement, those who experienced unjust treatment, that is, low interactional justice, and evaluated organizational procedures as unjust had significantly stronger retirement intentions than nurses with high levels of interactional and procedural justice. Distributive justice was associated with retirement intentions in both high and low job‐involved respondents. Organizational justice may act as a buffer against retirement intention as one consequence of nurses’ low job involvement. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Why Don't Housing Choice Voucher Recipients Live Near Better Schools? Insights from Big Data
Authors: Ellen Ingrid Gould , Horn Keren Mertens , Schwartz Amy Ellen
Published: June 2016

Housing choice vouchers provide low‐income households with additional income to spend on rental housing in the private market. The assistance vouchers provide is substantial, offering the potential to dramatically expand the neighborhoods—and associated public schools—that low‐income households can reach. However, existing research on the program suggests that housing choice voucher holders live in neighborhoods with schools that are no better than those accessible to other households with similar incomes. Households, in other words, do not seem to spend the additional income provided by the voucher to access better schools. In this analysis we rely on a large‐scale administrative data set to explore why voucher households typically do not live near to better schools, as measured by school‐level proficiency rates. We combine confidential administrative data from the Department of Housing and Urban Development on 1.4 million housing choice voucher holders in 15 states, with school‐level data from 5,841 different school districts, to examine why the average housing voucher holder does not live near to higher‐performing schools than otherwise similar households without vouchers. Specifically, we use the large‐scale administrative data set to test whether voucher holders living in areas with good schools nearby and slack housing markets move toward better schools when schools become salient for them—that is, when their oldest child becomes school eligible. We take advantage of the thick sample of households with young children provided through our administrative data to implement both a household fixed effects and a regression discontinuity design. Together these analyses shed light on whether voucher households are more likely to move toward better schools when schools are most relevant, and how market conditions shape that response. We find that families with vouchers are more likely to move toward a better school in the year before their oldest child meets the eligibility cutoff for kindergarten, suggesting salience matters. Further, the magnitude of the effect is larger in metropolitan areas with a relatively high share of affordable rental units located near high‐performing schools and in neighborhoods in close proximity to higher‐performing schools. Results suggest that, if given the appropriate information and opportunities, more voucher families would move to better schools when their children reach school age.
Connections Matter: How Interactive Peers Affect Students in Online College Courses
Authors: Bettinger Eric , Liu Jing , Loeb Susanna
Published: June 2016

Peers affect individual's productivity in the workforce, in education, and in other team‐based tasks. Using large‐scale language data from an online college course, we measure the impacts of peer interactions on student learning outcomes and persistence. In our setting, students are quasi‐randomly assigned to peers, and as such, we are able to overcome selection biases stemming from endogenous peer grouping. We also mitigate reflection bias by utilizing rich student interaction data. We find that females and older students are more likely to engage in student interactions. Students are also more likely to interact with peers of the same gender and with peers from roughly the same geographic region. For students who are relatively less likely to be engaged in online discussion, exposure to more interactive peers increases their probabilities of passing the course, improves their grade in the course, and increases their likelihood of enrolling in the following academic term. This study demonstrates how the use of large‐scale, text‐based data can provide insights into students’ learning processes.
Contributing factors and outcomes of treatment refusal in pediatric oncology in Germany
Authors: Zuzak Tycho Jan , Kameda Genn , Schütze Tim , Kaatsch Peter , Seifert Georg , Bailey Rebekka , Längler Alfred
Published: June 2016

Background

In Germany, about 1,800 new cases of pediatric cancer under 15 years of age are diagnosed each year and survival rates approach 80%. Although treatment is covered by health insurance and is thus available for all patients at no cost, treatment refusal and treatment discontinuation have been observed. However, no data providing numbers and outcomes for developed countries have been published thus far.

Procedure

A questionnaire‐based survey was performed among German pediatric oncology centers to ascertain the number of treatment refusals among pediatric patients who were diagnosed between January 2008 and December 2009 in Germany.

Results

Questionnaires from 70 of 73 centers were available, and of these 13 centers reported a total of 15 cases of treatment refusal or discontinuation within this 2‐year period. Five of the 15 patients died, 7 of 15 were still alive, and the current status of 3 of 15 patients was unknown. Diseases were heterogeneous. Six of the 15 parents refused treatment for their children initially, 8 of 15 discontinued during the course of treatment. Five patients were treated after parental custody had been withdrawn due to the lack of compliance. All these five patients survived. Parents’ reasons given for refusal or discontinuation of treatment were related to personal health beliefs and coping strategies.

Conclusions

Although treatment refusal or discontinuation is rare, it is accompanied by a high mortality rate. Parents’ personal health beliefs play a primary role in treatment refusal or discontinuation in Germany. This emphasizes the importance of sustaining a functioning and mutually communicative physician–parent–patient relationship.
Treatment of emulsified oil using biopolymer assisted materials
Authors: Elanchezhiyan S. SD. , Muthu Prabhu Subbaiah , Meenakshi Sankaran
Published: June 2016

The objective of this work is to exploit the hybrid composite materials viz., chitosan/aluminum‐zirconium mixed oxide (CS/AZMO) and chitosan/lanthanum‐zirconium mixed oxide (CS/LZMO) and to evaluate the equilibrium adsorption capacity for the removal of oil from oil‐in‐water emulsion batch equilibrium method. The adsorption on hybrid sorbents were characterized using FTIR, SEM with EDAX, TGA, DSC, and XRD analysis. Oil treated sorbents indicated the significant change owing to oil adsorption by both the sorbents. The experimental results showed that the sorption capacity significantly altered by pH as it plays a vital role in oil sorption process. At equilibrium, the maximum oil removal of 92% and 74% were achieved for 4% initial oil concentration using CS/LZMO and CS/AZMO, respectively. The regression coefficient values of Langmuir isotherm clearly indicate that it is best fit for oil sorption. Nature of oil sorption was found to be endothermic and spontaneous, confirmed by thermodynamic studies at different temperature. POLYM. COMPOS., 39:E261–E270, 2018. © 2016 Society of Plastics Engineers
Chemical coating polysaccharide on gigaporous polystyrene microspheres as a high‐speed protein chromatography matrix
Authors: Qu Jian‐Bo , Xu Yu‐Liang , Liu Jun‐Yi , Li Shi‐Hai , Zhou Wei‐Qing , Liu Jian‐Guo
Published: June 2016

Permanent polysaccharide coating on gigaporous polystyrene (PS) microspheres was achieved through direct chemical grafting of dextran via a facile method, minimizing nonspecific adsorption of proteins and providing easily derivatizable groups on microspheres. Chloroacetylated PS microspheres (PS‐Cl) were first developed through acetylation, and hydrophilic dextran was directly grafted to hydrophobic PS‐Cl via a Williamson reaction (PS‐Dex). The homogeneous side‐bound dextran coating has the advantage of masking the hydrophobic surface of the PS microspheres, while maintains their original gigaporous structure. After grafting, the hydrophobic surface of the PS microspheres was effectively masked, and nonspecific protein adsorption was greatly reduced. Moreover, the hydroxyl‐rich coating can be easily derivatized through classical chemical methods. A column packed with PS‐Dex presented both good permeability and mechanical strength at high flow velocities of up to 3612 cm/h. These results implied that PS‐Dex should be an ideal matrix for high‐speed protein chromatography. POLYM. ENG. SCI., 56:1407–1414, 2016. © 2016 Society of Plastics Engineers
FF12MC: A revised AMBER forcefield and new protein simulation protocol
Authors: Pang Yuan‐Ping
Published: June 2016

Specialized to simulate proteins in molecular dynamics (MD) simulations with explicit solvation, FF12MC is a combination of a new protein simulation protocol employing uniformly reduced atomic masses by tenfold and a revised AMBER forcefield FF99 with (i) shortenedCHbonds, (ii) removal of torsions involving a nonperipheralsp3atom, and (iii) reduced 1–4 interaction scaling factors of torsionsϕandψ. This article reports that in multiple, distinct, independent, unrestricted, unbiased, isobaric–isothermal, and classical MD simulations FF12MC can (i) simulate the experimentally observed flipping between left‐ and right‐handed configurations for C14–C38 of BPTI in solution, (ii) autonomously fold chignolin, CLN025, and Trp‐cage with folding times that agree with the experimental values, (iii) simulate subsequent unfolding and refolding of these miniproteins, and (iv) achieve a robustZscore of 1.33 for refining protein models TMR01, TMR04, and TMR07. By comparison, the latest general‐purpose AMBER forcefield FF14SB locks the C14–C38 bond to the right‐handed configuration in solution under the same protein simulation conditions. Statistical survival analysis shows that FF12MC folds chignolin and CLN025 in isobaric–isothermal MD simulations 2–4 times faster than FF14SB under the same protein simulation conditions. These results suggest that FF12MC may be used for protein simulations to study kinetics and thermodynamics of miniprotein folding as well as protein structure and dynamics. Proteins 2016; 84:1490–1516. © 2016 The Authors Proteins: Structure, Function, and Bioinformatics Published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Wave propagation in acoustic metamaterial double‐barrier structures
Authors: Terao Takamichi
Published: June 2016

The vibrational waves in a one‐dimensional composite system containing a series of mass‐in‐mass resonators that act as acoustic metamaterials were studied. Using a lattice model, the transmission of sound waves in single‐ and double‐barrier systems was numerically clarified. In the double‐barrier system, characteristic frequencies were found to exist in a band‐gap range in which sharp peaks appeared in the transmission coefficient. The frequency dependence of wave transmission upon the thickness of the resonant block and the separation distance between the two resonant blocks was clarified.
Gross moist stability and the Madden–Julian Oscillation in reanalysis data
Authors: Sakaeda Naoko , Roundy Paul E.
Published: June 2016

This study uses the ERA‐Interim and Climate Forecast System reanalysis datasets to examine the relationship between the convective activity of the Madden–Julian Oscillation (MJO) and the normalized gross moist stability (NGMS) on various time‐scales. Previous studies based on proposed theories for the MJO and the assessments of general circulation models suggest that MJO convection tends to be more active where the NGMS is smaller or effectively negative. This relationship only appears using reanalysis data on some time‐scales and limited geographical regions. On seasonal time‐scales, MJO convective activity shifts with the regions of positive NGMS and net moisture import, indicating positive correlation between MJO convective activity and the NGMS. On interannual to decadal time‐scales, stronger MJO convective events tend to occur with a background state of smaller NGMS exclusively over the central Pacific basin, indicating negative correlation. When the environment switches between net moisture export to import, MJO convective activity tends to follow the region of net moisture import, leading to its positive correlation with NGMS. However, when the environment already has net moisture import and positive NGMS, MJO convective activity is negatively correlated with the NGMS and stronger MJO convective events tend to occur with smaller positive NGMS. Therefore, the background NGMS is not a globally applicable metric for MJO convective activity and it needs to be used with caution over such environments where the NGMS can oscillate around zero. On intraseasonal time‐scales, as shown by previous modelling and observational studies, the NGMS becomes anomalously negative prior to the onset of MJO enhanced convection and becomes positive as the convection peaks over the Indo‐Pacific basin. The results of this study demonstrate that the relationship between MJO convective activity and the NGMS in reanalysis data largely depends on time‐scales and geographical region.
Boundary β‐plumes and their vorticity budgets
Authors: Haine T. W. N. , Fuller A.
Published: June 2016

Analytic solutions for the β‐plume near a solid boundary with Rayleigh drag are presented and their vorticity budgets calculated. It is shown that, when the boundary tilts into the westward plume of streamlines, the β‐plume decays exponentially with a characteristic e‐folding length‐scale that depends inversely as the cosine of the angle of the boundary. Most of the vorticity is extracted from the flow in a short range along the wall. By contrast, when the boundary tilts away from the westward plume of streamlines, the vorticity extraction is reduced by a factor that depends exponentially on the distance to the wall and the sine of the wall angle. Numerical solutions for horizontal viscous dissipation are also presented, and it is shown that they resemble the β‐plume with Rayleigh drag. However, the plume tail decays as an exponential modulated by a harmonic oscillation. The characteristic e‐folding decay scale is shorter than with Rayleigh drag by one to five times, depending on wall angle; the oscillation wavelength is about 3.4 times the e‐folding scale. These results suggest the relevant parameters and scalings controlling bathymetric interactions in more complex situations, such as the real ocean.
TheGSIcapability to assimilateTRMMandGPMhydrometeor retrievals inHWRF
Authors: Wu Ting‐Chi , Zupanski Milija , Grasso Lewis D. , Brown Paula J. , Kummerow Christian D. , Knaff John A.
Published: June 2016

Hurricane forecasting skills may be improved by utilizing increased precipitation observations available from the Global Precipitation Measurement mission (GPM). This study adds to the Gridpoint Statistical Interpolation (GSI)capability to assimilate satellite‐retrieved hydrometeor profile data in the operational Hurricane Weather Research and Forecasting (HWRF)system. The newly developed Hurricane Goddard Profiling (GPROF)algorithm produces Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission (TRMM)/GPMhydrometeor retrievals specifically for hurricanes. Two new observation operators are developed and implemented inGSIto assimilate HurricaneGPROFretrieved hydrometeors inHWRF. They are based on the assumption that all water vapour in excess of saturation with respect to ice or liquid is immediately condensed out. Two sets of single observation experiments that include assimilation of solid or liquid hydrometeor from HurricaneGPROFare performed. Results suggest that assimilating single retrieved solid or liquid hydrometeor information impacts the current set of control variables ofGSIby adjusting the environment that includes temperature, pressure and moisture fields toward saturation with respect to ice or liquid. These results are explained in a physically consistent manner, implying satisfactory observation operators and meaningful structure of background error covariance employed byGSI. Applied to two real hurricane cases,Leslie(2012) andGonzalo(2014), the assimilation of the HurricaneGPROFdata in the innermost domain ofHWRFshows a physically reasonable adjustment and an improvement of the analysis compared to observations. However, the impact of assimilating the HurricaneGPROFretrieved hydrometeors on the subsequentHWRFforecasts, measured by hurricane tracks, intensities, sizes, satellite‐retrieved rain rates, and corresponding infrared images, is inconclusive. Possible causes are discussed.
A refined filter for UHAD to improve anomaly detection
Authors: Hajamydeen Asif Iqbal , Udzir Nur Izura
Published: June 2016

Filtering is used in intrusion detection to remove the insignificant events from a log to facilitate the analysis method to focus on the significant events and to minimize processing overhead. Generally, filtering is performed using filtering rules, which are framed using a set of data (training data), or the known facts on anomalous events. This knowledge‐dependent nature confines the filterer to filter‐in only the recognized anomalies in the logs, making the rest unavailable for further scrutiny. This problem has been addressed earlier by designing a filterer that manipulates the tested log data based on the patterns and volume of events to calculate the filtering threshold. Even though this filtering threshold was able to retain the anomalous events in most heterogeneous logs, it failed when such events were of high volume and also due to the inaccuracies in cluster formation. Therefore, this paper proposes a refined filterer for unsupervised heterogeneous anomaly detection that retains most anomalous events irrespective of its volume in the logs and also discusses the impact of the refined filterer in supporting the detection. The experiment conducted reveals that the refined filterer retained almost all the abnormal events thereby enabling the detection of maximum anomalies. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Novel Fluorescence Signal Magnified Chemosensors for Detection of Fe3+ and Hg2+ Ions
Authors: Jia Yiru , Cheng Xinjian
Published: June 2016

Two novel chemosensors were designed and synthesized, which could detect Fe3+ and Hg2+ with high sensitivity. By controlling the molecular ratio of hydrazine hydrate to BODIPY derivatives (OB2), these two different sensors were obtained. The one contains two BODIPY units in each molecule (OS21), the other contains one BODIPY unit in each molecule (OS11). The structures of OS21 and OS11 were studied by 1H‐NMR, Fourier transform infrared spectra (FTIR), and mass spectrometry (MS). The measurements show that OS11 was stable in pH range of 3.65‐11.09, while OS21 was stable in pH range of 3.16‐11.88. Upon the addition of Fe3+ and Hg2+ ions, fluorescence of OS11 and OS21 was quenched notably. Besides, OS21 was more sensitive to both Fe3+ and Hg2+ than OS11. And the color of OS11 and OS21 were also changed dramatically with the contacting of Fe3+ and Hg2+. Job's plot indicated that the molar binding ratio of OS11 to Fe3+ was 1:2, to Hg2+ was 1:1. The molar binding ratio of OS21 to Fe3+ was 1:3, to Hg2+ was 1:1. Also, it is found that the sensor could detect Fe3+ and Hg2+ in 0.5 μM concentration. Furthermore, the OS21 shows a fluorescence signal magnification effect as expected comparing with OS11. Moreover, the binding sites in the sensors for Fe3+ and Hg2+ ions were investigated as well.
Functionalized TiO2 Nanoparticles as Labels for Immunoassay
Authors: Sarro Marco , Baggiani Claudio , Giovannoli Cristina , Cerruti Marta , Calza Paola , Anfossi Laura
Published: June 2016

We designed a versatile inorganic probe based on functionalized TiO2 nanoparticles for labeling immunoreagents and developing immunological tests. Similarly to enzymatic probes traditionally used in immunoassay, the TiO2 probe could be covalently linked to antigens or antibodies and exploited as the signal reporter in immunoassays. The TiO2 probe allowed revealing the rate of antigen‐antibody complex formation by promoting the oxidation of a suitable chromogenic substrate with absorption in the visible. We demonstrated the suitability of the TiO2 probe as a label for immunoassay by coupling it to human serum albumin and developing a direct competitive assay to measure micro‐ and macro‐albuminuria for diabetes diagnosis. The developed TiO2‐based assay showed high sensitivity (detection limit 1.4 mg l−1), wide dynamic range (6‐1270 mg l−1) and acceptable precision (within‐ and between‐assay coefficient of variation %<20 %) and accuracy (75‐95 %) for measuring albumin in human urine. The method is fully compatible with materials and equipment of standard enzyme immunoassay (except for the need of UV irradiation), while the inorganic probe is more robust towards chemical and physical conditions and shows better long term stability compared to enzymes.
Selective Synthesis of Vinyl‐ or Alkynyl Chalcogenides from Glycerol and their Water‐Soluble Derivatives
Authors: Soares Liane K. , Silva Rafaela B. , Peglow Thiago J. , Silva Márcio S. , Jacob Raquel G. , Alves Diego , Perin Gelson
Published: June 2016

We describe here a convenient procedure to synthesize new vinyl chalcogenides in the reaction of dichalcogenides derived from glycerol with terminal alkynes and NaBH4, where polyethylene glycol‐400 (PEG‐400) is the solvent at 30 °C in a N2 atmosphere. In addition, we report an interesting result for the synthesis of alkynyl chalcogenides using the same substrates with EtOH as the solvent. In both protocols, the corresponding products were obtained in good yields with high selectivity and tolerated a range of terminal alkynes. The treatment of these compounds with acidic cation exchange resin Dowex‐(H+) produced new water‐soluble organochalcogen compounds.
Facile and Green Chemistry Access to 5‐aryl‐1,2,4‐Triazolidine‐3‐thiones in Aqueous Medium
Authors: Ramesh Rathinam , Lalitha Appaswami
Published: June 2016

A clean, cost‐effective and very practical approach has been disclosed for the one‐pot, cyclo condensation of aromatic aldehydes with different thiosemicarbazides in aqueous ethanol leading to pharmaceutically diverse 5‐aryl‐1,2,4‐triazolidine‐3‐thiones in good yields under neutral reaction conditions. Simple operational procedure, high product yield, rapid and use of green solvent system make this protocol economical as well as environmentally benevolent.
Iron(III) Versatile Catalysts for Cycloaddition of CO2 to Epoxides and Epoxidation of Alkenes
Authors: Cuesta‐Aluja Laia , Masdeu‐Bultó Anna M.
Published: June 2016

Fe(III) complexes with tridentate pyridine‐imine‐phenolato ligands differing in the chain length between the imine and pyridine groups (2‐methylpyridine L1 and 2‐ethylpyridine L2) have been synthesized. New complex [Fe(L2)2]ClO4 (2) was characterized by X‐ray diffraction and spectroscopic techniques. [Fe(L1)2]ClO4 (1) and 2 form active catalysts for the cycloaddition of CO2 to epoxides and for the epoxidation of alkenes. Catalytic systems with the more flexible skeleton (2) in combination with tetrabutylammonium bromide (TBAB) were more active than 1/TBAB in the cycloaddition of CO2 to epoxides. TOFs up to 900 h−1 for the selective synthesis of styrene carbonate and 3640 h−1 for the synthesis of glycidol carbonate were obtained using 2/TBAB at low catalyst loadings (0.025 mol %). Additionally, 2 was also active in the epoxidation of styrene derivatives such as trans‐stilbene (conversion 88 %) and trans‐β‐methylstyrene (conversion 100 %) using tert‐butylhydroperoxide as oxidant at 60 ºC in acetonitrile. Epoxidation of styrene and cyclohexene proceed at low conversions.
Endothelialization of Rationally Microtextured Surfaces with Minimal Cell Seeding Under Flow
Authors: Stefopoulos Georgios , Robotti Francesco , Falk Volkmar , Poulikakos Dimos , Ferrari Aldo
Published: June 2016

The generation of a confluent and functional endothelium at the luminal surface of cardiovascular devices represents the ideal solution to avoid contact between blood and synthetic materials thus allowing the long‐term body integration of the implants. Due to the foreseen paucity of source cells in cardiovascular patients, surface engineering strategies to achieve full endothelialization, while minimizing the amount of endothelial cells required to seed the surface leading to prompt and full coverage with an endothelium are necessary. A stable endothelialization is the result of the interplay between endothelial cells, the flow‐generated walls shear stress and the substrate topography. Here a novel strategy is designed and validated based on the use of engineered surface textures combined with confined islands of seeded endothelial cells. Upon release of the confinement, the cell island populations are able to migrate on the texture and merge under physiological flow conditions to promptly generate a fully connected endothelium. The interaction between endothelial cells and surface textures supports the process of endothelialization through the stabilization of cell‐to‐substrate adhesions and cell‐to‐cell junctions. It is shown that with this approach, when ≈50% of a textured surface is initially covered with cell seeding, the time to full endothelialization compared to an untextured surface is almost halved, underpinning the viability and effectiveness of the method for the quick and stable coverage of cardiovascular implants.
CuO Quantum Dots Embedded in Carbon Nanofibers as Binder‐Free Anode for Sodium Ion Batteries with Enhanced Properties
Authors: Wang Xiaojun , Liu Yongchang , Wang Yijing , Jiao Lifang
Published: June 2016

The design of sodium ion batteries is proposed based on the use of flexible membrane composed of ultrasmall transition metal oxides. In this paper, the preparation of CuO quantum dots (≈2 nm) delicately embedded in carbon nanofibers (denoted as 2‐CuO@C) with a thin film via a feasible electrospinning method is reported. The CuO content can be controlled by altering the synthetic conditions and is optimized to 54 wt%. As binder‐free anode for sodium ion batteries, 2‐CuO@C delivers an initial reversible capacity of 528 mA h g−1 at the current density of 100 mA g−1, an exceptional rate capability of 250 mA h g−1 at 5000 mA g−1, and an ultra‐stable capacity of 401 mA h g−1 after 500 cycles at 500 mA g−1. The enhancement of electrochemical performance is attributed to the unique structure of 2‐CuO@C, which offers a variety of advantages: highly conductive carbon matrix suppressing agglomeration of CuO grains, interconnected nanofibers ensuring short transport length for electrons, well‐dispersed CuO quantum dots leading to highly utilization rate, and good mechanical properties resulting in strong electrode integrity.
Brain big data processing with massively parallel computing technology: challenges and opportunities
Authors: Chen Dan , Hu Yangyang , Cai Chang , Zeng Ke , Li Xiaoli
Published: June 2016

Brain data processing has been embracing the big data era driven by the rapid advances of neuroscience as well as the experimental techniques for recording neuronal activities. Processing of massive brain data has become a constant in neuroscience research and practice, which is vital in revealing the hidden information to better understand the brain functions and malfunctions. Brain data are routinely non‐linear and non‐stationary in nature, and existing algorithms and approaches to neural data processing are generally complicated in order to characterize the non‐linearity and non‐stationarity. Brain big data processing has pressing needs for appropriate computing technologies to address three grand challenges: (1) efficiency, (2) scalability and (3) reliability. Recent advances of computing technologies are making non‐linear methods viable in sophisticated applications of massive brain data processing. General‐purpose Computing on the Graphics Processing Unit (GPGPU) technology fosters an ideal environment for this purpose, which benefits from the tremendous computing power of modern graphics processing units in massively parallel architecture that is frequently an order of magnitude larger than the modern multi‐core CPUs. This article first recaps significant speed‐ups of existing algorithms aided by GPGPU in neuroimaging and processing electroencephalogram (EEG), functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI), magnetoencephalography (MEG) and etc. The article then demonstrates a series of successful approaches to processing EEG data in various dimensions and scales in a massively parallel manner: (1) decomposition: a massively parallel Ensemble Local Mean Decomposition (ELMD) algorithm aided by GPGPU can decompose EEG series, which forms the basis of further time‐frequency transformation, in real‐time without sacrificing the precision of processing; (2) synchronization measurement: a parallelized Nonlinear Interdependence (NLI) method for global synchronization measurement of multivariate EEG with speed‐up of more than 1000 times, and it was successful in localization of epileptic focus; and (3) dimensionality reduction: a large‐scale Parallel Factor Analysis which excels in run‐time performance and scales far better by hundreds of times than conventional approach does, and it supports fast factorization of EEG with more than 1000 channels. Through these practices, the massively parallel computing technology manifests great potentials in addressing the grand challenges of brain big data processing. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
UCov: a user‐defined coverage criterion for test case intent verification
Authors: Assi Rawad Abou , Masri Wes , Zaraket Fadi
Published: June 2016

The goal of regression testing is to ensure that the behaviour of existing code, believed correct by previous testing, is not altered by new program changes. This paper argues that the primary focus of regression testing should be on code associated with (1) earlier bug fixes and (2) particular application scenarios considered to be important by the developer or tester. Existing coverage criteria do not enable such focus, for example, 100% branch coverage does not guarantee that a given bug fix is exercised or a given application scenario is tested. Therefore, there is a need for a new and complementary coverage criterion in which the user can definea test requirement characterizing a given behaviour to be covered as opposed to choosing from a pool of pre‐defined and generic program elements. This paper proposes this new methodology and calls it UCov, a user‐defined coverage criterion wherein a test requirement is an execution pattern of program elements, and possibly predicates, that a test case must satisfy. The proposed criterion is not meant to replace existing criteria, but to complement them as it focuses the testing on important code patterns that could go untested otherwise. UCov supports test case intent verification. For example, following a bug fix, the testing team may augment the regression suite with the test case that revealed the bug. However, this test case might become obsolete due to code modifications not related to the bug. But if a test requirement characterizing the bug was defined by the user, UCov would determine that test case intent verification failed. The UCov methodology was implemented for the Java platform, was successfully applied onto 10 real‐life case studies and was shown to have advantages over JUnit. The implementation comprises the following tools: (1) TRSpec: allows the user to easily specify complex test requirements; (2) TRCheck: checks whether user‐defined test requirements were satisfied, that is, supports test case intent verification; and (3) TRMigrate: migrates user‐defined test requirements to subsequent versions of a given program. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
A balanced approach for stable hips in children with cerebral palsy: A combination of moderate VDRO and pelvic osteotomy
Authors: Reidy Kerstin , Heidt Christoph , Dierauer Stefan , Huber Hanspeter
Published: June 2016

Background

Hip reconstructive surgery in cerebral palsy (CP) patients necessitates either femoral varus derotational osteotomy (VDRO) or pelvic osteotomy, or both. The purpose of this study is to review the results of a moderate varisation [planned neck shaft angle (NSA) of 130°] in combination with pelvic osteotomy for a consecutive series of patients.

Methods

Patients with CP who had been treated at our institution for hip dysplasia, subluxation or dislocation with VDRO in combination with pelvic osteotomy between 2005 and 2010 were reviewed.

Results

Forty patients with a mean follow-up of 5.4 years were included. The mean age at the time of operation was 8.9 years. The majority were non-ambulant children [GMFCS I–III: n = 11 (27.5 %); GMFCS IV–V: n = 29 (72.5 %)]. In total, 57 hips were treated with both femoral and pelvic osteotomy. The mean pre-operative NSA angle of 152.3° was reduced to 132.6° post-operatively. Additional adductor tenotomy was performed in nine hips (16 %) at initial operation. Reimers’ migration percentage (MP) was improved from 63.6 % pre-operatively to 2.7 % post-operatively and showed a mean of 9.7 % at the final review. The results were good in 96.5 % ( n = 55) with centred, stable hips (MP <33 %), fair in one with a subluxated hip (MP 42 %) and poor in one requiring revision pelvic osteotomy for ventral instability.

Conclusions

This approach maintains good hip abduction and reduces soft-tissue surgery. Moderate varisation in VDRO in combination with pelvic osteotomy leads to good mid-term results with stable, pain-free hips, even in patients with severe spastic quadriplegia.
Reducing the Risk of Breast Cancer Recurrence: an Evaluation of the Effects and Mechanisms of Diet and Exercise
Authors: Dieli-Conwright Christina M. , Lee Kyuwan , Kiwata Jacqueline L.
Published: June 2016

With recent medical advances in diagnosis and treatment, the increasing numbers of long-term survivors of breast cancer is considerable and has resulted in the expansion of scientific research to include examination of lifestyle modifications as means of prevention of recurrence, new breast cancer events, and mortality. The objective of this report is to review randomized controlled trials (RCTs) including diet and/or exercise interventions on breast cancer recurrence in women with a history of breast cancer as well as pertinent recent epidemiologic evidence. Implicated biologic mechanisms are discussed to elucidate the impact of diet and exercise on disease recurrence.
Intravenous and Oral Contrast vs Intravenous Contrast Alone Computed Tomography for the Visualization of Appendix and Diagnosis of Appendicitis in Adult Emergency Department Patients
Authors: Wadhwani Aman , Guo Lancia , Saude Erik , Els Hein , Lang Eddie , McRae Andrew , Bhayana Deepak
Published: June 2016

Purpose

The study sought to compare radiologist's ability to 1) visualize the appendix; 2) diagnose acute appendicitis; and 3) diagnose alternative pathologies responsible for acute abdominal pain among adult patients undergoing computed tomography (CT) scan with 3 different protocols: 1) intravenous (IV) contrast only; 2) IV and oral contrast with 1-hour transit time; and 3) IV and oral contrast with 3-hour transit time.

Methods

We collected data of 225 patients; 75 consecutive patients with a clinical suspicion of appendicitis received oral contrast for 3 hours and IV contrast, 75 received oral contrast for 1 hour and IV contrast, and 75 trauma patients received IV contrast only. Three independent reviewers, blinded to final pathology, retrospectively analysed the cases and documented visualization of the appendix, periappendiceal structures, and their confidence in diagnosing appendicitis. Clinical diagnoses were derived from a combination of clinical, surgical, pathologic, or radiologic follow-up.

Results

Frequency of visualizing the appendix within IV group alone was 87.3%, IV with oral for 1 hour was 94.1%, and IV with oral for 3 hours was 93.8%. Both oral contrast groups had 100% sensitivity and negative predictive value in diagnosis of acute appendicitis. Specificity for the 1- and 3-hour oral contrast groups was 94.1% and 96.1%, respectively and positive predictive value for both groups was 92%.

Conclusions

Our findings suggest that reader confidence in visualizing the appendix improved with addition of oral contrast as compared to IV contrast alone. One- and 3-hour oral regimens have a similar diagnostic performance in diagnosing appendicitis.
MCP‐1 and eotaxin‐1 selectively and negatively associate with memory in MCI and Alzheimer's disease dementia phenotypes
Authors: Bettcher Brianne M. , Fitch Ryan , Wynn Matthew J. , Lalli Matthew A. , Elofson Jonathan , Jastrzab Laura , Mitic Laura , Miller Zachary A. , Rabinovici Gil D. , Miller Bruce L. , Kao Aimee W. , Kosik Kenneth S. , Kramer Joel H.
Published: June 2016

Introduction

MCP‐1 and eotaxin‐1 are encoded on chromosome 17 and have been shown to reduce hippocampal neurogenesis in mice. We investigated whether these chemokines selectively associate with memory in individuals with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and Alzheimer's disease (AD) dementia.

Methods

MCP‐1 and eotaxin‐1 were assayed in controls, MCI, and AD dementia patients with varying phenotypes (n = 171). A subset of 55 individuals had magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans available. Composite scores for cognitive variables were created, and medial temporal lobe volumes were obtained.

Results

An interaction was noted between MCP‐1 and eotaxin‐1, such that deleterious associations with memory were seen when both chemokines were elevated. These associations remained significant after adding APOE genotype and comparison (non‐chromosome 17) chemokines into the model. These chemokines predicted left medial temporal lobe volume and were not related to other cognitive domains.

Discussion

These results suggest a potentially selective role for MCP‐1 and eotaxin‐1 in memory dysfunction in the context of varied MCI and AD dementia phenotypes.
Does the Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation Self‐Assessment Examination for Residents Predict the Chances of Passing the Part 1 Board Certification Examination?
Authors: Massagli Teresa L. , Gittler Michelle S. , Raddatz Mikaela M. , Robinson Lawrence R.
Published: June 2016

Background

Each year, residents in accredited United States Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation (PMR) residency programs can take the American Academy of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation (AAPM&R) Self‐Assessment Examination for Residents (SAE‐R). This 150‐question, multiple‐choice examination is intended for self‐assessment of physiatric knowledge, but its predictive value for performance on the part 1 American Board of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation Certification Examination (ABPMR‐CE) is unknown.

Objective

To investigate the predictive value of the SAE‐R in relation to the part 1 ABPMR‐CE.

Design

Retrospective study.

Methods

Data were analyzed from first time takers of the part 1 ABPMR‐CE during a 5‐year period from 2010 through 2014 who took at least 1 SAE‐R in the third or fourth postgraduate year (PGY) of residency.

Main Outcome Measurements

Raw scores from the SAE‐R were compared with scaled scores on the part 1 examination. Regression models analyzed the predictive value of the SAE‐R total score for each PGY level.

Results

SAE‐R raw scores increased an average of 5.5 points between the PGY 3 and PGY 4 year. PGY3 SAE‐R raw scores accounted for 24.8% and PGY4 SAE‐R scores for 27.1% of the variance in part 1 ABPMR‐CE scores (P < .0001). Residents who obtained a raw score greater than 80 (53% correct) on the SAE‐R had an 80% or greater chance of passing the ABPMR‐CE. Scores greater than 90 (60% correct) on the SAE‐R were associated with a 95% chance of passing the ABPMR‐CE.

Conclusion

The SAE‐R scores provide some information regarding the likelihood of passing the part 1 certification examination. This study supports the SAE‐R as a means of providing PMR residents with feedback regarding their level of knowledge.