bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Seismic Shifts in the American Film Industry
Authors: Schatz Thomas
Published: November 2011

The commonplace assumption that the American film industry entered a new era in the mid‐1970s, a period generally referred to as the New Hollywood, has given way more recently to the view that the industry entered yet another phase in the 1990s and 2000s — variously termed Conglomerate Hollywood, Convergent Hollywood, and Global Hollywood, epithets that well indicate the dominant forces at work in contemporary cinema. These views are quite compatible and in fact are crucially interrelated, in that the trends toward conglomeration, convergence, and globalization — and other key trends as well — took root in the burgeoning New Hollywood, as the industry reversed three decades of deep decline and entered a period of sustained growth, economic resurgence, and structural transformation that continues to this day. This recovery has involved an array of social, economic, technological, and aesthetic forces that have evolved and interacted in different ways over time, resulting in three distinct phases of industry development since the late 1970s — phases that are implicit in the organization of this volume, with separate sections focusing on the late 1970s and 1980s, the 1990s, and the 2000s.
Black Crossover Cinema
Authors: Harris Keith
Published: November 2011

The mid‐1980s witnessed the emergence of what scholars have come to call the New Black Cinema. This broad category encompasses a range of trends and subcycles, including black noirs, the gangsta film, the ghetto action film, ghetto centric noirs, the black gangster film, new jack cinema, and films that are sometimes grouped under the category rapsloitation. With such obvious overlap it is difficult to insist upon hard and fast distinctions. Despite the interchangeability of categories, a number of films have distinguished themselves with mainstream audiences and earned sufficient critical recognition to now be thought of as “black crossover cinema.” For the purpose of this essay, I have chosen to isolate an exploitative cycle and an essential strain of Black Crossover Cinema — the popular hood film.
1
Mainstream Documentary since 1999
Authors: Aufderheide Patricia
Published: November 2011

From the 1930s to the 1990s, documentary was a rather dowdy cinematic category; to many, it even represented a subordinate cinematic form. “Is it a movie or a documentary?” was an entirely expectable question. That all changed by the end of the 1990s. The first decade of the twenty‐first century was one of unprecedented burgeoning of documentary production and consumption that entailed a great increase in output and some qualitative advances. While televisual documentary came to be associated with certain factory values that reflected the TV industry's vast need for programming, theatrical documentary came in this period to be seen as a much more individually crafted, courageous, human‐scale response against social injustice and the abuse of power. Hence, the era also raised questions about the social role of documentary, including the responsibility of filmmakers to serve the public's informational needs and to honor traditional journalistic goals, such as accuracy.
“
A
sia” as Global Hollywood Commodity
Authors: Chan Kenneth
Published: November 2011

Beginning in the mid‐1990s and gathering particular force in the first decade of the new millennium, an “Asian Invasion” — as some critics have described it — emerged in Hollywood.
1
The fact that this multivolume history of American cinema devotes an entire chapter to the subject of Hollywood's relationship to Asia specifically within the context of American film's contemporary history (1999 to the present) testifies to the significance of this cross‐cultural phenomenon. But this temporal historicist bracketing of Hollywood and Asia as a recent cultural occurrence offers a convenient disjunctive moment to reflect on the discursive and material continuities
and
discontinuities that have characterized this fraught relationship. I speak of continuity in a sense that, materially, American film has always had an intimate connection to Asia in terms of both film production and market distribution since the very beginning of cinema's technological emergence,
2
a point that reinforces the notion of film as a transnational capitalist commodity, with global Hollywood as a prime instance (Miller et al. 2001). The developed film industries of China, India, Japan, and Hong Kong, for instance, have often confronted Hollywood competition reactively, thereby inflecting the aesthetic and technological development of these national cinemas, while innovations emerging from Asia, in turn, have helped reconfigure and challenge cinematic culture in Hollywood.
3
Or, as Bliss Cua Lim more effectively puts it, “Hollywood … pillages from its rivals, a conspicuous instance of national‐regional counterflows, in which the centre imitates its cinematic elsewheres, lest we forget that film is truly global” (2007, 124). On the discursive front, Hollywood has also deployed, throughout its history, “Asia” as a representational category of cultural otherness invoking, for example, fears of the “yellow peril” which, according to Gina Marchetti, “combines racist terror of alien cultures, sexual anxieties, and the belief that the West will be overpowered and enveloped by the irresistible, dark, occult forces of the East” (1993, 2). Historically, these fears were visually embodied in the Orientalist stereotypes of the evil Fu Manchu, Flash Gordon's arch nemesis Ming the Merciless, and the voluptuous prostitute Suzie Wong. While these figurations have now deservedly been relegated to Hollywood's overtly racist historical past (and a relatively recent past at that), their discursive underpinnings persist today, often in a liberal multiculturalist guise. In briefly registering these continuities, I am not only making the obvious but necessary contextual point that the contemporary Asian invasion, as we are witnessing it so far, does not occur in a historical and discursive vacuum, but also bringing in the notion that these continuities suffer elision — a convenient historical amnesia — in Hollywood's current politically correct propensity to embrace exotic ethnic cultures, now in the spirit of liberal multiculturalism, in order to sustain its global hegemony.
American Film After 9/11
Authors: Prince Stephen
Published: November 2011

The airplane attacks on 9/11 were among the most photographed events in history. Bin Laden and al‐Qaeda had counted on this. They wanted and needed a media event to increase their reputation and following, and the September 2001 attacks gave it to them. While there were three principal locations involved — the Pentagon, struck by American Airlines Flight 77; the field in Pennsylvania where United Airlines Flight 93 crashed after an onboard struggle between the hijackers and passengers; and the north and south towers of the World Trade Center, struck by American 11 and by United 175 — it was the Trade Center that furnished the most iconic imagery and was the most photographed. The long interval — 102 minutes — between the strike on the north tower and its collapse (the south tower fell first) provided opportunity for onlookers to make an extensive photographic and video record. Images of fireballs exploding out of the tower, of massive belching clouds of smoke, of the jumpers, the collapse, and the monstrous cloud of ash, dust, and vaporized body parts descending on Manhattan seared the national consciousness. These images provide an enduring record of what happened, and they were candid, spontaneous pictures of tragedy and death unfolding before hundreds of cameras.
Formation of Embryoid Bodies with Controlled Sizes and Maintained Pluripotency in Three‐Dimensional Inverse Opal Scaffolds
Authors: Zhang Yu , Xia Younan
Published: November 2011

Embryoid bodies (EBs) are aggregates of cells derived from embryonic stem (ES) cells, which can serve as a good model system to investigate molecular and cellular interactions in the earliest stages of embryo development. Current methods for producing EBs mainly rely on the use of hanging drops or suspensions in non‐tissue culture treated plates, microwells, and spinner flasks. The capability of these methods is limited in terms of size uniformity and distribution as well as scalability. Here, a new platform based on three‐dimensional alginate inverse opal scaffolds with uniform pores is presented, where uniform EBs with controllable sizes could be produced in the pores and then recovered after disintegration of the scaffolds. The size of the EBs could be readily controlled by varying the culture time and/or by using scaffolds with different pore sizes. The EBs maintained their viability and undifferentiated state, and they were able to differentiate into specific lineages upon stimulation.
Composition and Bandgap‐Graded Semiconductor Alloy Nanowires
Authors: Zhuang Xiujuan , Ning C. Z. , Pan Anlian
Published: November 2011

Semiconductor alloy nanowires with spatially graded compositions (and bandgaps) provide a new material platform for many new multifunctional optoelectronic devices, such as broadly tunable lasers, multispectral photodetectors, broad‐band light emitting diodes (LEDs) and high‐efficiency solar cells. In this review, we will summarize the recent progress on composition graded semiconductor alloy nanowires with bandgaps graded in a wide range. Depending on different growth methods and material systems, two typical nanowire composition grading approaches will be presented in detail, including composition graded alloy nanowires along a single substrate and those along single nanowires. Furthermore, selected examples of applications of these composition graded semiconductor nanowires will be presented and discussed, including tunable nanolasers, multi‐terminal on‐nanowire photodetectors, full‐spectrum solar cells, and white‐light LEDs. Finally, we will make some concluding remarks with future perspectives including opportunities and challenges in this research area.
Influence of the filler material on the thermal stability of one‐component moisture‐curing polyurethane adhesives
Authors: Clauß Sebastian , Dijkstra Dirk J. , Gabriel Joseph , Karbach Alexander , Matner Mathias , Meckel Walter , Niemz Peter
Published: November 2011

Filler materials are part and parcel for the adjustment of adhesives, in particular, their rheological and mechanical properties. Furthermore, the thermal stability of adhesives can be positively influenced by the addition of an expedient filler, with inorganic types common practice in most cases. In this study, one‐component moisture‐curing polyurethane adhesives for engineered wood products based on isocyanate prepolymers with different polymer‐filled polyether polyols were investigated with regard to the filler's potential to increase the thermal stability of bonded wood joints. The property changes due to the addition of fillers were determined by means of mechanical tests on bonded wood joints and on pure adhesive films at different temperatures up to 200°C. Additional analyses by atomic force and environmental scanning electron microscopy advanced the understanding of the effects of the filler. The tested organic fillers, styrene acrylonitrile, a polyurea dispersion, and polyamide, caused increases in the cohesive strength and stiffness over the whole temperature range. However, the selected filler type was hardly important with regard to the tensile shear strength of the bonded wood joints at high temperatures, although the tensile strength and Young's modulus of the adhesive films differed over a wide range. Prepolymers with a lower initial strength and stiffness resulted in worse cohesion, in particular, at high temperatures. This disadvantage, however, could be compensated by means of the filler material. Ultimately, the addition of filler material resulted in optimized adhesive properties only in a well‐balanced combination with the prepolymer used. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2012
Synthesis and Antimicrobial Evaluation of New Pyrano[4,3‐b]pyran and Pyrano[3,2‐c]chromene Derivatives Bearing a 2‐Thiophenoxyquinoline Nucleus
Authors: Makawana Jigar A. , Patel Manish P. , Patel Ranjan G.
Published: November 2011

A new series of pyrano[4,3‐b]pyran 4a–i and pyrano[3,2‐c]chromene 6a–r derivatives bearing a 2‐thiophenoxyquinoline nucleus were synthesized by reaction of 2‐(4‐(un)‐substituted thiophenoxy)quinoline‐3‐carbaldehydes 2a–i with 6‐methyl‐4‐hydroxypyran‐2‐one 3 and 4‐hydroxy‐6‐(un)‐substituted‐2H‐chromen‐2‐one 5a–b respectively and malononitrile at room temperature in the presence of KOH as a basic catalyst. All the compounds were screened against three Gram‐positive bacteria (Streptococcus pneumoniae, Bacillus subtilis, Clostridium tetani), three Gram‐negative bacteria (Salmonella typhi, Escherichia coli, Vibrio cholerae) and two fungi (Candida albicans, Aspergillus fumigatus) using the broth microdilution MIC (minimum inhibitory concentration) method. Upon antimicrobial screening, it was observed that the majority of the compounds were found to be active against Bacillus subtilis, Clostridium tetani and Candida albicans as compared to standard drugs.
Amplification of the response to Toll‐like receptor ligands by prolonged exposure to interleukin‐6 in mice: Implication for the pathogenesis of macrophage activation syndrome
Authors: Strippoli Raffaele , Carvello Francesco , Scianaro Roberta , De Pasquale Loredana , Vivarelli Marina , Petrini Stefania , Bracci‐Laudiero Luisa , De Benedetti Fabrizio
Published: November 2011

Objective

To investigate whether prolonged exposure to interleukin‐6 (IL‐6) affects the inflammatory response induced by Toll‐like receptor (TLR) ligands.

Methods

IL‐6–transgenic mice and wild‐type mice were stimulated with different TLR ligands; survival rates, blood cell counts, and biochemical parameters were analyzed. Murine splenic mononuclear cells and peritoneal macrophages were stimulated with lipopolysaccharide (LPS), lipoteichoic acid, poly(I‐C), or CpG. Human macrophages were cultured for 4 days in the presence of IL‐6 and then stimulated with LPS. Inflammatory cytokine expression was measured by enzyme‐linked immunosorbent assay or reverse transcription–polymerase chain reaction. Activation of STAT‐3, ERK‐1/2 (MAPK), and p65 NF‐κB was evaluated by Western blotting or confocal analysis.

Results

Treatment of IL‐6–transgenic mice with TLR ligands led to an increased fatality rate and elevated levels of IL‐1β, tumor necrosis factor α (TNFα), IL‐6, and IL‐18. Macrophages from IL‐6–transgenic mice produced increased levels of inflammatory cytokines, which were associated with increased phosphorylation of STAT‐3 and ERK‐1/2 and with increased NF‐κB nuclear translocation. Human macrophages treated with IL‐6 and then stimulated with LPS showed elevated levels of cytokines and similarly elevated signaling pathway activation. After LPS administration, IL‐6–transgenic mice showed an increase in ferritin and soluble CD25 levels, as well as a decrease in platelet and neutrophil counts and in hemoglobin levels compared to wild‐type mice.

Conclusion

Our findings indicate that prolonged exposure to IL‐6 in vivo and in vitro leads to an exaggerated inflammatory response to TLR ligands. Hematologic and biochemical abnormalities in IL‐6–transgenic mice treated with LPS show striking similarities to macrophage activation syndrome.
Cancer: A de‐repression of a default survival program common to all cells?
Authors: Vincent Mark
Published: November 2011

Cancer viewed as a programmed, evolutionarily conserved life‐form, rather than just a random series of disease‐causing mutations, answers the rarely asked question of what the cancer cell is for, provides meaning for its otherwise mysterious suite of attributes, and encourages a different type of thinking about treatment. The broad but consistent spectrum of traits, well‐recognized in all aggressive cancers, group naturally into three categories: taxonomy (“phylogenation”), atavism (“re‐primitivization”) and robustness (“adaptive resilience”). The parsimonious explanation is not convergent evolution, but the release of an highly conserved survival program, honed by the exigencies of the Pre‐Cambrian, to which the cancer cell seems better adapted; and which is recreated within, and at great cost to, its host. Central to this program is the Warburg Effect, whose malign influence permeates well beyond aerobic glycolysis to include biomass interconversion and genomic heuristics. Warburg‐type metabolism and genomic instability are targets whose therapeutic disablement is a major priority.
Intervenous tubercle of lower: True tubercle or normal interatrial fold?
Authors: Loukas Marios , El‐Zammar Diala , Tubbs R. Shane , Birungi Judith , Jacob Jasmine , Shoja Mohammadali M. , Anderson Robert H.
Published: November 2011

Richard Lower, in 1669, first described the tubercle that now bears his name, calling it the intervenous tubercle located between the fossa ovalis and the superior vena cava. The aim of the study was to confirm the existence of the tubercle as described initially by Lower, adding details of its location, dimensions, and prevalence. We examined 100 formalin‐fixed human hearts. In no heart did we find any discrete tubercle or elevation of the right atrial wall superior to the superior limbus (rim) of the fossa ovalis. In addition, we could find no morphometric differences in the thickness of the area superior to the superior limbus of the fossa. Dissections revealed that very little of the extensive musculature can be removed without opening the right atrial wall and arriving outside the heart. This is the essential criterion in distinguishing folds from “true” septal structures. When viewed in this light, it is only the flap valve of the fossa ovalis, and its immediate muscular infero‐anterior rim, the so‐called lower limbus, that can be removed so as to create communications between the cavities of the atrial chambers, and not exiting at the same time from the cavities of the heart. This is because the larger part of the muscular borders of the fossa ovalis is no more than an infolding of the atrial walls, which incorporates extracardiac adipose tissue within the fold. Although this process of folding unequivocally produces an intracardiac buttress, namely, the limbuses (rims) of the fossa, the buttress, being an infolding, does not constitute, according to our definition, a true septum. On this basis, we suggest that it is the superior limbus of the fossa ovalis, or the superior interatrial fold, that previously has been considered to represent the intervenous tubercle of Lower. Clin. Anat. 25:729–736, 2012. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Can clinical examination cause a Stener lesion in patients with skier's thumb?: A cadaveric study
Authors: Adler Tom , Eisenbarth Ingo , Hirschmann Michael Tobias , Müller‐Gerbl Magdalena , Fricker Renato
Published: November 2011

Approximately one‐third of all injuries of the upper limb and 7% of all injuries in skiing affect the ulnar collateral ligaments of the thumb metacarpophalangeal joint (skier's thumb). In some patients the collateral ligaments are displaced proximally over the adductor aponeurosis, resulting in a so‐called Stener lesion. In these cases surgical treatment is indicated. We hypothesized that a Stener lesion could be provoked by clinical stability testing in patients with a skiers thumb and performed a cadaveric study on 10 Thiel fixated cadaver hands. For clinical stability testing, the thumb was manually deviated in radial direction in both 30° flexion and extension of the MP‐joint. It was performed with maximum strength by two hand surgeons after sequential detachment of the ulnar collateral ligaments. After every sequence, it was assessed if the clinical stability testing had caused a Stener lesion. All of the 10 cadavers showed identical results while testing the clinical stability. A decreased stability was only found after cutting both parts of the ulnar collateral ligaments. A Stener lesion could not be provoked in any of the cadavers at any time by clinical stability testing. Summarizing our findings we conclude that a proper performed clinical stability testing of the thumb MP joint is a safe maneuver, which does not lead to a Stener lesion in patients with skier's thumb. Clin. Anat. 25:762–766, 2012. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Novel use of the guideLiner catheter to minimize contrast use during PCI in a patient with chronic kidney disease
Authors: Tunuguntla Anuradha , Daneault Benoit , Kirtane Ajay J.
Published: November 2011

The GuideLiner catheter (Vascular Solutions, Minneapolis, MN) is a rapid‐exchange “mother and child” guide extension that increases support in complex percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). While this device was primarily designed to facilitate balloon and stent delivery, we describe the use of this device to reduce contrast volume through sub‐selective visualization in a patient with chronic kidney disease (CKD) undergoing PCI of the left coronary system. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Prognostic implications of early and long‐term bleeding events in patients on one‐year dual antiplatelet therapy following drug‐eluting stent implantation
Authors: Musumeci Giuseppe , Rossini Roberta , Lettieri Corrado , Capodanno Davide , Romano Michele , Rosiello Renato , Guagliumi Giulio , Valsecchi Orazio , Gavazzi Antonello , Angiolillo Dominick J.
Published: November 2011

Background: Bleeding has emerged as a predictor of early and late mortality after percutaneous coronary interventions. However, the prevalence and predictors of long‐term bleeding events in patients on prolonged dual antiplatelet therapy (DAPT) after drug‐eluting stent (DES) implantation has been poorly explored. Methods: A total of 1,437 patients undergoing DES implantation discharged on DAPT with aspirin and clopidogrel for 1 year were studied. Patients were followed for up to 4 years (34.3 ± 14.4 months) and the prevalence and predictors of in‐hospital and long‐term thrombolysis in myocardial infarction (TIMI) major and minor bleeding events evaluated. The impact of bleeding events on major adverse cardiac events (MACE), overall death, and stent thrombosis (ST) was also assessed. Results: The incidences of 30 days major and minor bleeding were 1.3 and 3.3%, respectively. The incidences of 1‐year major and minor bleeding were 3.0 and 5.6%, respectively. The incidences of major and minor bleeding up to 4‐year follow‐up were 3.6 and 6.9%, respectively. At multivariable analysis, 1‐year major bleeding was positively predicted by use of oral anticoagulants at hospital discharge [odds ratio (OR) = 13.4, 95% confidence interval (CI) 3.0–59.2, P = 0.001], anemia at admission (OR = 6.7, 95% CI = 2.7–16.5, P < 0.001) and use of glycoprotein IIb/IIIa inhibitors (OR = 2.7, 95% CI = 1.1–6.5, P = 0.03) and negatively predicted by male gender (OR = 0.39, 95% CI = 0.16–0.97, P = 0.042). Overall, major bleeding at 1 year and at long‐term follow‐up was associated with an increased risk of MACE, cardiac death and ST. Patients who had any bleeding event were more likely to prematurely discontinue antiplatelet therapy (50% vs. 9.6%, P < 0.001). Conclusions: In DES‐treated patients on prolonged DAPT, major bleeding occurring at 1 year and up to 4 years following DES implantation in patients on prolonged DAPT is associated with poor long‐term prognosis. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Mitral valvuloplasty with the inoue balloon tracked over an arteriovenous wire
Authors: Tandar Anwar , Badger Rodney , Whisenant Brian K.
Published: November 2011

Mitral stenosis is associated with significant morbidity and mortality. Percutaneous balloon mitral valvuloplasty is a standard treatment option for severe mitral stenosis, and in some patients may be the only feasible option. In patients with suitable valve anatomy and morphology, and with requisite physician expertise the procedure has a high success rate and good long‐term outcomes. Nonetheless, even in appropriately selected patients the procedure can pose significant technical challenges. The transeptal antegrade approach using the Inoue Balloon system may be associated with difficulty and rarely with failure to cross the stenotic mitral valve. We report a case of initial Inoue balloon failure to cross followed by successful Inoue mitral valvuloplasty tracked over an arteriovenous wire loop. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Transcatheter closure of perimembranous and intracristal ventricular septal defects with the shsma occluder
Authors: Zhou Daxin , Pan Wenzhi , Guan Lihua , Ge Junbo
Published: November 2011

Objectives: The objective of this study was to evaluate the safety and efficacy of transcatheter closure of perimembranous ventricular septal defect (pmVSD) and intracristal VSD (icVSD) using the Shanghai Shape Memory Alloy (SHSMA) pmVSD occluder. Background: There is still limited experience with transcatheter closure of pmVSD and icVSD. Methods: Between January 2003 and September 2010, 348 patients with pmVSD and 47 patients with icVSD underwent transcatheter closure using a SHSMA pmVSD occluder. Results: The total successful closure rate in pmVSD and icVSD subjects was 97.4 and 78.7%, respectively. During the perioperative period, no death, major bleeding or hemolysis occurred in both groups. In pmVSD group, one case of occluder dislodgement, one case of pericardial tamponade, and two cases of thromboembolism occurred. None in icVSD group had these complications. During a median of 3.2 years of follow‐up, there was no evidence of significant residual shunt and device‐related valve regurgitation. None in icVSD group and 10 patients (2.9%) in pmVSD group had a persistent arrhythmia. Overall, only one patient (0.3%) with pmVSD acquired complete atrioventricular block requiring implantation of a permanent pacemaker. The rim from the tricuspid valve to the defect < 4 mm was the only predictor of arrhythmic complications after procedure (OR = 4.24; P = 0.021). Conclusions: Transcatheter closure of pmVSD in selected patients using the SHSMA occluder is effective and safe. Transcatheter closure of icVSD in experienced hands using this device is also feasible and safe. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Minimally invasive insertion of an equine stented pulmonary valve with a built‐in sinus portion in a sheep model
Authors: Dodge‐Khatami Ali , Hallhagen Stefan , Limacher Kuno , Söderberg Björn , Jenni Rolf
Published: November 2011

Objectives: This study evaluated the feasibility of inserting a new equine stented‐valve with a sinus portion in a lamb survival model, through a minimally invasive thoracotomy with right ventricular access without cardiopulmonary bypass. Background: Extant surgical or percutaneous methods for inserting biological valves in the right outflow tract have drawbacks and limitations. Methods: A decellularized equine valved jugular vein, sutured to a self‐expanding stent with a sinus portion, was placed through a minimal right thoracotomy using a newly developed flexible hydraulic release device in seven lambs. The approach through the right ventricle into the pulmonary valve position is achieved on a beating heart. Results: The stented valves were correctly positioned in the right outflow tract, were competent up to 6 months as confirmed by angiography and echocardiography, and were well‐tolerated by the animals, with endothelialization of the valve demonstrated at 6 months. Conclusions: The newly developed hydraulic release system allowed for safe and reliable insertion of an equine stented‐valve with a sinus portion, through a right transventricular approach on a beating heart, in a sheep survival model. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Real‐world use of the Impella 2.5 circulatory support system in complex high‐risk percutaneous coronary intervention: The USpella Registry
Authors: Maini Brijeshwar , Naidu Srihari S. , Mulukutla Suresh , Kleiman Neal , Schreiber Theodore , Wohns David , Dixon Simon , Rihal Charanjit , Dave Rajesh , O'Neill William
Published: November 2011

Objectives: We report on the real‐world, multicenter experience of the Impella 2.5 circulatory support system during high‐risk PCI, a subset of the larger USpella Registry. Background: Standard of care for most patients with compromised ventricular function with multivessel or high‐risk coronary lesions has been coronary artery bypass grafting. In poor operative candidates, high‐risk PCI is increasingly considered, despite an increased risk for periprocedural hemodynamic compromise. Methods: 175 consecutive patients who underwent high‐risk PCI with prophylactic support of the Impella 2.5 were evaluated. The primary safety endpoint was the incidence of major adverse cardiac events (MACE) at 30 days. Secondary endpoints included safety and efficacy related to the device and patient outcomes, including survival at 12 months. Results: Overall angiographic revascularization was successful in 99% of patients and in 90% of those with multivessel revascularization, resulting in a reduction of the mean SYNTAX score post‐PCI from 36 ± 15 to 18 ± 15 (P < 0.0001) and an improvement of the ejection fraction (from 31 ± 15% to 36 ± 14%, P < 0.0001). In 51% of patients, the functional status improved by one or more NYHA class (P < 0.001). At 30‐day follow‐up, the rate of MACE was 8%, and survival was 96%, 91%, and 88% at 30 days, 6 months, and 12 months, respectively. Conclusions: The use of Impella 2.5 in high‐risk PCI appeared feasible and safe in the real‐world setting. The utilization of the Impella 2.5 was successful, resulting in favorable short‐ and midterm angiographic, procedural and clinical outcomes. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
The fellows stitch: Large caliber venous hemostasis in pediatric practice
Authors: Morgan Gareth J. , Waragai Tadashi , Eastaugh Lucas , Chaturvedi Rajiv C. , Lee Kyong‐Jin , Benson Lee
Published: November 2011

Objective: To analyze safety and efficiency of a subcutaneous figure of eight suture for hemostasis after large caliber venous sheath access in children. Background: Vascular complications remain a significant cause of morbidity after pediatric cardiac catheterization. In an attempt to reduce such complications and yet improve lab efficiency and decrease length of stay, various techniques have been applied to improve time to hemostasis. Methods: Prospectively recorded were vascular complications and hemostasis times in children where hemostasis was attempted using a figure of eight subcutaneous suture following large caliber venous cannulation. These were compared to a matched group achieving hemostasis using standard manual pressure techniques. Vascular ultrasound assessments were performed within 24 hr of hemostasis in both groups. Results: Thirty‐two subcutaneous sutures were placed in 26 children, mean weights 31.9 kg [median (range): 29.4 (8.4 to 96) kg], with a mean sheath French size of 9.2 [8; (6 to 22)], 11 >10 French, compared to 33 sheaths in 30 cases using manual compression, mean sheath French size 9.1 (9; (6 to 13), with 10 cases ≥10 French. The mean and median times to hemostasis were shorter in the suture group: 13.6 min (P < 0.05) and 10 min (P < 0.05), respectively. Vascular complication rate was also lower in the suture group (n = 0) compared with the control group (n = 2) but did not achieve statistical significance. Conclusions: A subcutaneous figure of eight suture hemostasis strategy can provide a safe and efficient method for large caliber venous hemostasis in a pediatric practice with improved hemostasis times and no additional morbidity. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Sheet‐Like Assemblies of Charged Amphiphilic α/β‐Peptides at the Air–Water Interface
Authors: Segman‐Magidovich Shlomit , Lee Myung‐ryul , Vaiser Vladimir , Struth Bernd , Gellman Samuel H. , Rapaport Hanna
Published: November 2011

There is growing interest in the design of molecules that undergo predictable self‐assembly. Bioinspired oligomers with well‐defined conformational propensities are attractive from this perspective, since they can be constructed from diverse building blocks, and self‐assembly can be directed by the identities and sequence of the subunits. Here we describe the structure of monolayers formed at the air–water interface by amphiphilic α/β‐peptides with 1:1 alternation of α‐ and β‐amino acid residues along the backbone. Two of the α/β‐peptides, one a dianion and the other a dication, were used to determine differences between self‐assemblies of the net negatively and positively charged oligomers. Two additional α/β‐peptides, both zwitterionic, were designed to favor assembly in a 1:1 molar ratio mixture with parallel orientation of neighboring strands. Monolayers formed by these α/β‐peptides at the air–water interface were characterized by surface pressure–area isotherms, grazing incidence X‐ray diffraction (GIXD), atomic force microscopy and ATR‐FTIR. GIXD data indicate that the α/β‐peptide assemblies exhibited diffraction features similar to those of β‐sheet‐forming α‐peptides. The diffraction data allowed the construction of a detailed model of an antiparallel α/β‐peptide sheet with a unique pleated structure. One of the α/β‐peptide assemblies displayed high stability, unparalleled among previously studied assemblies of α‐peptides. ATR‐FTIR data suggest that the 1:1 mixture of zwitterionic α/β‐peptides assembled in a parallel arrangement resembling that of a typical parallel β‐sheet secondary structure formed by α‐peptides. This study establishes guidelines for design of amphiphilic α/β‐peptides that assemble in a predictable manner at an air–water interface, with control of interstrand orientation through manipulation of Coulombic interactions along the backbone.
Controllable Growth of Conical and Cylindrical TiO2–Carbon Core–Shell Nanofiber Arrays and Morphologically Dependent Electrochemical Properties
Authors: Chen Rongsheng , Hu Liangsheng , Huo Kaifu , Fu Jijiang , Ni Hongwei , Tang Yan , Chu Paul K.
Published: November 2011

Quasi‐aligned cylindrical and conical core–shell nanofibers consisting of carbon shells and TiO2 nanowire cores are produced in situ on Ti foils without using a foreign metallic catalyst and template. A cylindrical nanofiber has a TiO2 nanowire core 30–50 nm in diameter and a 5–10 nm‐thick cylindrical carbon shell, while in the conical nanostructure the TiO2 nanowire core has a diameter of 20–40 nm and the thickness of the carbon shell varies from about 200 nm at the bottom to about 5 nm at the tip. Electrochemical analysis reveals well‐defined redox peaks of the [Fe(CN)6]3−/4− redox couple and heterogeneous charge‐transfer rate constants of 0.010 and 0.062 cm s−1 for the cylindrical and conical nanofibers, respectively. The coverage of exposed edge planes on the cylindrical and conical carbon shells is estimated to be 2.5 and 15.5 % respectively. The more abundant exposed edge planes on the conical nanofiber decrease the overpotential and increase the voltammetric resolution during electrochemical detection of uric acid and ascorbic acid. Our results suggest that the density of edge‐plane sites estimated from Raman scattering is not necessarily equal to the density of exposed edge‐plane sites, and only carbon electrodes with a large density of exposed edge planes or free graphene sheet ends exhibit better electrochemical performance.
Do Rhodium Bis(σ‐amine‐borane) Complexes Play a Role as Intermediates in Dehydrocoupling Reactions of Amine‐boranes?
Authors: Butera Valeria , Russo Nino , Sicilia Emilia
Published: November 2011

The recently synthesized rhodium complex [Rh{P(C5H9)2(η2‐C5H7)}(Me2HNBH3)2]BArF4 (2), which incorporates two amine‐boranes coordinated to the rhodium center with two different binding modes, namely η1 and η2, has been used to probe whether bis(σ‐amine‐borane) motifs are important in determining the general course of amine‐boranes dehydrocoupling reactions. DFT calculations have been carried out to explore mechanistic alternatives that ultimately lead to the formation of the amine‐borane cyclic dimer [BH2NMe2]2 (A) by hydrogen elimination. Sequential concerted, on‐ or off‐metal, intramolecular dehydrogenations provide two coordinated amine‐borane molecules. Subsequent dimerization is likely to occur off the metal in solution. In spite of the computationally confirmed presence of a BH⋅⋅⋅NH hydrogen bond between amine‐borane ligands, neither a simple intermolecular route for dehydrocoupling of complex 2 is operating, nor seems [Rh{P(C5H9)2(η2‐C5H7)}B]+ to be important for the whole dehydrocoupling process.
Assessing Environmental Impacts of Wastewater Treatment Alternatives for Small‐Scale Communities
Authors: Yıldırım Mustafa , Topkaya Bülent
Published: November 2011

The effluents of wastewater treatment plants in small sized communities of less than 2000 population equivalent (PE), which are discharged into sensitive receiving water environments, must receive “appropriate treatment” according to the EU Urban Wastewater Treatment Directive. Appropriate treatment depends on the quality objectives of the receiving waters as well as the relevant provisions of the member states. In this study, wastewater treatment options, such as vegetated land treatment (VLT), constructed wetlands (CW), and activated sludge treatment (AST), by which effluents are discharged to sensitive and less sensitive areas are evaluated by the life cycle assessment (LCA) approach. For this purpose, data related to energy usage, land requirement, raw material consumption, and released emissions from the life phases were collected with an inventory study and the environmental impacts were assessed by using SimaPro 7.1 LCA software. The results obtained from the assessments were compared with each other, which indicated that for small‐scale communities VLT and CW are the most environmentally friendly wastewater treatment option.
Expansion of Tfh‐like cells during chronic Salmonella exposure mediates the generation of autoimmune hypergammaglobulinemia in MyD88‐deficient mice
Authors: Ko Hyun‐Jeong , Yang Hyungjun , Yang Jin‐Young , Seo Sang‐Uk , Chang Sun‐Young , Seong Je Kyung , Kweon Mi‐Na
Published: November 2011

The role of TLR signaling in linking the innate and adaptive immune systems has been a controversial issue that remains to be solved. Here, we determined whether MyD88‐dependent TLR signals are required for the generation of B‐cell responses during chronic Salmonella infection. Oral administration of recombinant attenuated Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium vaccine (RASV) strain in MyD88−/− mice resulted in chronic infection. Infection was accompanied by enlarged germinal centers and hypergammaglobulinemia with anti‐double‐stranded DNA (dsDNA)‐specific Ab in sera, and the deposition of immune complexes in the kidneys, suggesting onset of autoimmunity. CD4+ T cells expressing PD‐1, CXCR5, ICOS, and IL‐21 were dramatically increased in chronically infected mice, indicating the expansion of follicular helper T (Tfh)‐like cells. Of note, the depletion of CD4+ T cells completely blocked the generation of polyclonal IgG Ab in sera after oral RASV challenge. Inflammatory myeloid cells expressing CD11b and Gr‐1 accumulated in high numbers in the spleen of MyD88−/− mice. Interestingly, the blockade of PD‐1 or ICOS significantly reduced the hypergammaglobulinemia and dsDNA‐specific autoantibody production. Overall, these results suggest that Tfh‐like cells in chronic bacterial infection trigger autoimmune hypergammaglobulinemia in a PD‐1‐ and ICOS‐dependent manner.
Protective immunity afforded by attenuated, PhoP‐deficient Mycobacterium tuberculosis is associated with sustained generation of CD4+ T‐cell memory
Authors: Nambiar Jonathan K. , Pinto Rachel , Aguilo Juan I. , Takatsu Kiyoshi , Martin Carlos , Britton Warwick J. , Triccas James A.
Published: November 2011

Definition of protective immunity induced by effective vaccines is important for the design of new pathogen control strategies. Inactivation of the PhoP response‐regulator in Mycobacterium tuberculosis results in a highly attenuated strain that demonstrates impressive protective efficacy in pre‐clinical models of tuberculosis. In this report we demonstrate that the protection afforded by the M. tuberculosis phoP mutant strain is associated with the long‐term maintenance of CD4+ T‐cell memory. Immunization of mice with SO2 resulted in enhanced expansion of M. tuberculosis‐specific CD4+ T cells compared with vaccination with the BCG vaccine, with an increased frequency of these cells persisting at extended time‐points after vaccination. Strikingly, vaccination with SO2 resulted in sustained generation of CD4+ T cells displaying a central memory phenotype, a property not shared by BCG. Further, SO2 vaccination markedly improved the generation of polyfunctional cytokine‐secreting CD4+ T cells compared with BCG vaccination. The improved generation of functionally competent memory T cells by SO2 correlated with augmented recall responses in SO2‐vaccinated animals after challenge with virulent M. tuberculosis. This study defines a mechanism for the protective effect of the SO2 vaccine and suggests that deletion of defined virulence networks may provide vaccine strains with potent immuno‐stimulatory properties.
A Valence Bond Description of Dizwitterionic Dithiolene Character in an Oxomolybdenum–Bis(dithione) Complex
Authors: Mtei Regina P. , Perera Eranda , Mogesa Benjamin , Stein Benjamin , Basu Partha , Kirk Martin L.
Published: November 2011

Metallodithiolene non‐innocence is explored in an oxomolybdenum–bis(dithione) complex, [Mo4+O(iPr2Pipdt)2Cl][PF6] (where Pipdt is N,N′‐piperazine‐2,3‐dithione), which has a piperazine ring as an integral part of the dithiolene ligand. The title complex displays spectroscopic features that are unusual for a formally reduced MoIV–dithiolene complex, namely a low‐energy metal‐to‐ligand charge‐transfer band with appreciable intensity and C–C and C–S stretching frequencies that are markedly different from those of oxomolybdenum complexes coordinated to dianionic dithiolene ligands. The electronic structure of the ligand has been described in valence bond terms as a resonance hybrid of dithione and dizwitterionic dithiolene structures.
Three‐Component Domino Synthesis of 2‐Arylquinazoline‐4‐amines in One Pot by Activating an sp3 C–H Bond in a Nonmetal Catalytic Oxidation System
Authors: Zeng Li‐Yan , Yi Wen‐Bin , Cai Chun
Published: November 2011

The nonmetal catalytic oxidation system I2/tert‐butyl hydroperoxide (TBHP) has been unprecedentedly applied to a three‐component domino reaction and simultaneously a simple and efficient protocol has been developed to newly synthesize 2‐aryl‐N‐substitutied quinazoline‐4‐amines in one pot from isatoic anhydride, aromatic amine, and another amine containing methylene adjacent to nitrogen. This protocol is new and practical because both the electron‐donating and ‐withdrawing groups substituted on amines 2 or 3 can survive and provide the corresponding products in reasonable yields. Iodine is essential to the three‐component, one‐pot reaction unlike the step‐wise procedure.
High polybrominated diphenyl ether levels in California house cats: House dust a primary source?
Authors: Guo Weihong , Park June-Soo , Wang Yunzhu , Gardner Steve , Baek Christina , Petreas Myrto , Hooper Kim
Published: November 2011

Polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) are brominated flame retardants that act as endocrine disruptors, affecting thyroid hormone homeostasis. As a follow-up to a recent study showing high PBDE levels in household cats and linking PBDE levels with cat hyperthyroidism, we measured PBDEs, polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), and organochlorinated pesticides (OCPs) in serum samples from 26 California household cats (16 hyperthyroid, 10 controls) using liquid–liquid extraction and high-resolution gas chromatography/high-resolution mass spectrometry. In the present pilot study, we found that PBDE levels in California house cats were extremely high (ΣPBDEs median = 2,904 ng/g lipid; range, 631–22,537 ng/g lipid). This is approximately 50 times higher than levels in California residents (ΣPBDEs geomean = 62 ± 8.9 ng/g lipid, National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey), who have among the highest human levels in the world. Polybrominated diphenyl ethers congener patterns (BDE-99 major congener, BDE-209 significant) differed markedly from patterns found in California residents (BDE-47 major) or wildlife but resembled patterns found in house dust. Polychlorinated biphenyls and OCPs in cats were highly correlated, consistent with a shared dietary source or pathway of exposure, but did not correlate with PBDEs. This suggests a different source or pathway of exposure for PBDEs, which was most likely house dust. The authors found no evidence that linked levels of PBDEs, PCBs, or OCPs with hyperthyroidism. This may be because of the small sample size, competing or confounding risk factors, or complicated causal mechanisms. Environ. Toxicol. Chem. 2012;31:301–306. © 2011 SETAC
Predicting effects of cations on copper toxicity to lettuce (Lactuca sativa) by the biotic ligand model
Authors: Le T.T. Yen , Peijnenburg Willie J.G.M. , Hendriks A. Jan , Vijver Martina G.
Published: November 2011

A biotic ligand model (BLM) was developed to estimate Cu toxicity to lettuce (Lactuca sativa) in terms of root elongation after 4 d of exposure. Effects of Na+, K+, Ca2+, and Mg2+ on Cu toxicity were examined. The addition of these cations resulted in a 50-fold difference in the copper median effective activity (). However, these variations could not be interpreted entirely as a function of the concentrations of these cations alone. In particular, only the relationship between and the activity of protons was found to be significant in the whole range of pH examined from 5.0 to 7.0. The addition of K+, Na+, Ca2+, and Mg2+ at concentrations up to 20 mM resulted in a 16-fold difference in values. This difference was significant, as indicated by non-overlapping standard deviations of the negative logarithm of () obtained with (7.37 ± 0.22) and without (6.76 ± 0.22) additions of K+, Na+, Ca2+, and Mg2+. The variations were not statistically significantly related to concentrations of these cations; therefore, only protons can be integrated in the BLM predicting Cu toxicity to lettuce L. sativa with the important parameters: log KHBL = 6.27, log KCuBL = 7.40, and  = 0.36 at pH = 7. The lack of significant relationships between and concentrations of the cations was not in line with the main assumption of the BLM about the competition between cations for binding sites. Environ. Toxicol. Chem. 2012;31:355–359. © 2011 SETAC
A natural neighbour Lagrange–Galerkin method for the simulation of Newtonian and Oldroyd‐B free surface flows
Authors: Galavís A. , González D. , Cueto E.
Published: November 2011

In this work, a method for the numerical simulation of free surface flows of Newtonian and non‐Newtonian flows is developed. The method is based on the employ of three main ingredients. The first is an updated Lagrangian approach for the description of kinematics. This approach is made possible by using natural neighbor Galerkin methods (also known as natural element methods).This allows the use of the method of characteristics to integrate the equations of motion along the nodal path‐lines. The second ingredient relies on the use of a second‐order time method of characteristics, which has proved to be indispensable for an accurate solution of some problems, even very simple ones. Finally, the third ingredient relies on the use of shape constructors (particularly, α‐shapes) to avoid the use of boundary markers or any explicit description of the boundary in general. After the theoretical description of the proposed method, some examples illustrating its performance are given. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.