bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Initial Stages of ZrB2–30 vol% SiC Oxidation at 1500°C
Authors: Shugart Kathleen , Jennings Wayne , Opila Elizabeth
Published: January 2014

The initial oxidation behavior of ZrB2–30 vol% SiC was analyzed with the goal of understanding any relationship to the variable oxidation performance observed at longer times. A box furnace was used to oxidize samples for times as short as 10 s and up to 100 min at 1500°C in air. The samples were characterized using mass change, scanning electron microscopy, energy dispersive spectroscopy, X‐ray diffraction, and X‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy to explore the oxidation behavior. The presence of borosilicate glass and ZrO2 was observed on the surface at times as early as 10 s. Bubble formation in the borosilicate glass was observed after 30 s of oxidation and is attributed to uneven distribution of the glass. The impact of surface roughness on oxidation was also explored and found to be negligible for times greater than 30 s.
Assessing entrepreneurial and regional‐economic flood impacts on a globalized production facility
Authors: Pfurtscheller C. , Vetter M.
Published: January 2014

Indirect economic losses and business interruption effects triggered by natural hazards are widely underestimated by corporate managements. They can exceed direct damages in the case of flood events and are difficult to evaluate because of missing data and methods on a micro‐scale. Existing data can be used for meso‐analysis, but are of little relevance for either mitigation policies or cost‐efficient technical mitigation measures for individual flood‐prone premises. The study represents an interdisciplinary collaboration for improving risk management strategies based on a flood scenario for an individual production company in Austria with high regional‐economic impact. Based on flood modelling, using LiDAR data as source, and on expert judgements, we analyse the entrepreneurial and regional‐economic impacts of a specific production site. The flood model used is based on an HQ100 with a climate change variability of 3%, which is mainly triggered by a change in air temperature and successively increasing heavy rainfall events. The main objective for this assessment is to give result‐based recommendations to improve public and private risk management of the affected area and to provide data for cost–benefit frameworks for technical and nontechnical prevention. Overall, we calculated a total decline of revenues of approximately 14.1 to 14.3 million euros, even though the production site experiences only shallow flooding.
Foreign Banks: Trends and Impact
Authors: CLAESSENS STIJN , VAN HOREN NEELTJE
Published: January 2014

Over the past two decades, foreign banks have become much more important in domestic financial intermediation, heightening the need to understand their behavior. We introduce a new, comprehensive database, made publicly available, on bank ownership (including the home country of foreign banks) for 5,324 banks in 137 countries over the period 1995–2009. We document large increases in foreign bank presence in many countries, but with substantial heterogeneity in terms of host and banks’ home countries, bilateral investment patterns, and bank characteristics. In terms of impact, we document that the relation between private credit and foreign bank presence importantly depends on host country and banks’ characteristics. Specifically, foreign banks only seem to have a negative impact on credit in low‐income countries, in countries where they have a limited market share, where enforcing contracts is costly and where credit information is limited available, and when they come from distant home countries. This shows that accounting for heterogeneity, including bilateral ownership, is crucial to better understand the implications of foreign bank ownership.
How does it really feel to be in my shoes? Patients' experiences of compassion within nursing care and their perceptions of developing compassionate nurses
Authors: Bramley Louise , Matiti Milika
Published: January 2014

Aims and objectives

To understand how patients experience compassion within nursing care and explore their perceptions of developing compassionate nurses.

Background

Compassion is a fundamental part of nursing care. Individually, nurses have a duty of care to show compassion; an absence can lead to patients feeling devalued and lacking in emotional support. Despite recent media attention, primary research around patients' experiences and perceptions of compassion in practice and its development in nursing care remains in short supply.

Design

A qualitative exploratory descriptive approach.

Methods

In‐depth, semi‐structured interviews were conducted with a purposive sample of 10 patients in a large teaching hospital in the United Kingdom. Interviews were digitally recorded and transcribed verbatim. Thematic networks were used in analysis.

Results

Three overarching themes emerged from the data: (1) what is compassion: knowing me and giving me your time, (2) understanding the impact of compassion: how it feels in my shoes and (3) being more compassionate: communication and the essence of nursing.

Conclusion

Compassion from nursing staff is broadly aligned with actions of care, which can often take time. However, for some, this element of time needs only be fleeting to establish a compassionate connection. Despite recent calls for the increased focus compassion at all levels in nurse education and training, patient opinion was divided on whether it can be taught or remains a moral virtue. Gaining understanding of the impact of uncompassionate actions presents an opportunity to change both individual and cultural behaviours.

Relevance to clinical practice

It comes as a timely reminder that the smallest of nursing actions can convey compassion. Introducing vignettes of real‐life situations from the lens of the patient to engage practitioners in collaborative learning in the context of compassionate nursing could offer opportunities for valuable and legitimate professional development.
The influence of the initiation of an exercise programme on seroma formation and dehiscence following breast cancer surgery
Authors: Petito Eliana L , Esteves Marcella T , Elias Simone , Facina Gil , Nazário Afonso CP , Gutiérrez Maria GR
Published: January 2014

Aims and objectives

To verify whether early (first post‐operative day) or late initiation (after removal of the continuous suction drain) of a functional rehabilitation exercise programme influences the incidence of seroma formation and dehiscence for women after breast cancer surgery.

Background

Benefits of early implementation of an exercise programme initiated with women in the first days following breast cancer surgery are widely known. However, the safe initiation of the exercises is still a controversial issue and some authors correlate early initiation of the exercises with an increase in seroma formation.

Design

A prospective, randomised, controlled clinical trial.

Methods

Seventy‐seven women were randomly assigned to initiate the programme on post‐operative day 1 (early group = 40) or after removal of the drain (late group = 37) and were monitored until the 45th post‐operative day. Patients in the early group were instructed to perform the exercises daily at home, beginning on post‐operative day 1, while those of the late group began the exercises after the drain was removed. The assessment for seroma formation and dehiscence was performed on post‐operative days 7 and 45.

Results

There was no statistically significant difference regard to seroma formation between early group and late group. Also there was no association between the presence of dehiscence and early exercises.

Conclusion

The early initiation of the exercises for women, following breast cancer surgery, constitutes a safe practice for the rehabilitation. However, these findings need to be further explored and confirmed in a larger sample.

Relevance to clinical practice

Studies showing evidence that early functional rehabilitation process is a safe practice for women having surgery for breast cancer, as well as the present research, are of interest to health professionals who care for these patients and contribute to the wider global clinical community.
Clinical role of the nurse: concept analysis
Authors: Mendes Maria A , da Cruz Diná ALM , Angelo Margareth
Published: January 2014

Aims and objectives

To identify the attributes of the concept ‘clinical role of the nurse’ in the literature.

Background

The concept of nurses' clinical role is frequently mentioned in literature, but hardly explored in conceptual terms. This has implications for nursing practice and education.

Design

Qualitative and descriptive study, which corresponds to the first phase in the concept development of the qualitative concept analysis method – identification of concept attributes.

Methods

The critical literature analysis method was used to identify the antecedents, defining attributes and consequences of the nurse's clinical role. A systematic literature search was undertaken in International Literature in Health Sciences, Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature and Latin American and Caribbean Health Sciences.

Results

The clinical role was shown to be a process of complex interaction between nurse and patient, with critical thinking, informed experience and a sense of clinical autonomy as its antecedents. Consequences of nurses' clinical role include transformations in the organisation and process of nursing practice. A theoretical proposal was elaborated for the concept of the clinical role of the nurse, identifying the defining attributes, antecedents and consequences.

Conclusions

The clinical role of the nurse concept that was developed represents innovative evidence on the theme. Nevertheless, a deeper understanding of nurses' clinical role is needed, as well as refinement of its conceptual components. This study should be integrated into a field research project, designed to illuminate how nurses manifest and articulate the concept in clinical practice.

Relevance to clinical practice

Knowledge of clinical role attributes, associated with nursing competencies, can contribute to reflection on the dimensions involved in nursing practice and inform not only teaching and professional practice, but also health policies.
Dreaming of Flying When Grounded: Occupational Identity and Occupational Fantasies of Furloughed Airline Pilots
Authors: Fraher Amy L. , Gabriel Yiannis
Published: January 2014

This article analyses the effects of job loss on the occupational identities of a group ofUnitedStates pilots, laid off (or ‘furloughed’) twice by their employer in the decade following 9/11. Using a narrative methodology, the paper examines how the childhood dream of flying, referred to as the Phaëthon dream, serves as an identity anchor that sustained their occupational identities. When the circumstances of the aviation industry (restructuring, outsourcing, and downsizing) led to extensive lay‐offs, this identity anchor functioned in two contrasting ways. Some pilots moved on to retrain and start new careers, without abandoning their occupational identities or relinquishing the dream of flying. Another group of pilots, however, were stuck in occupational limbo waiting to be recalled by their employer, unwilling to forsake this dream and refusing to contemplate a move that would decisively take them out of their pilot seats. The paper's contribution lies in theorizing how a dream originating in childhood, linked to a long‐standing archetype of flying and subsequently hardened into a shared occupational fantasy, acts as an identity anchor and how this shapes responses to the trauma of job loss. The paper concludes by linking the Phaëthon dream to its mythological counterpart in order to highlight its enduring, shared, and unconscious character.
Vaginal Microbiota of Spayed Dogs with or without Recurrent Urinary Tract Infections
Authors: Hutchins R.G. , Vaden S.L. , Jacob M.E. , Harris T.L. , Bowles K.D. , Wood M.W. , Bailey C.S.
Published: January 2014

Background

Limited information is available regarding the vaginal microbiota of normal spayed dogs and spayed dogs with recurrentUTIs. Vaginal lactic acid‐producing bacteria (LAB) have been associated with decreased frequency of recurrent urinary tract infection in women and may have a protective role within the urinary tract of female dogs.

Hypothesis/Objectives

Spayed dogs with historical recurrentUTIwill have decreased prevalence ofLABand increased prevalence of uropathogenic bacterial populations in the vaginal microbiota when compared with the vaginal microbiota of healthy, spayed dogs.

Animals

Twenty‐one client‐owned adult spayed female dogs with historical recurrentUTIand 23 healthy, spayed female dogs without a history of recurrentUTI.

Methods

Dogs were placed into a recurrentUTIgroup or control group in this prospective study. Bacterial populations were isolated and characterized from vaginal swabs obtained from each dog.

Results

The most common bacterial isolates obtained from the vaginal tract of all dogs wereEscherichia coli(11/44) andS. pseudintermedius(13/44).E. coliwas isolated from the vaginal tract of 8 of 21 (38%) dogs in therUTIgroup and 3 of 23 (13%) dogs in the control group (P = .08). LAB were isolated from 7 of the 44 dogs. Two of these 7 dogs were in therUTIgroup and 5 of the 7 dogs were in the control group.

Conclusions and Clinical Importance

The vaginal microbiota of spayed female dogs with recurrentUTIwas similar to the control population of normal, spayed female dogs.
Pharmacokinetics of doxycycline in tilapia (Oreochromis aureus × Oreochromis niloticus) after intravenous and oral administration
Authors: Yang F. , Li Z. L. , Shan Q. , Zeng Z. L.
Published: January 2014

The pharmacokinetics of doxycycline was studied in plasma after a single dose (20 mg/kg) of intravenous or oral administration to tilapia (Oreochromis aureus × Oreochromis niloticus) reared in fresh water at 24 °C. Plasma samples were collected from six fish per sampling point. Doxycycline concentrations were determined by high‐performance liquid chromatography with a 0.005 μg/mL limit of detection, then were subjected to noncompartmental analysis. Following oral administration, the double‐peak phenomenon was observed, and the first (Cmax1) and second (Cmax2) peaks were 1.99 ± 0.43 μg/mL at 2.0 h and 2.27 ± 0.38 μg/mL at 24.0 h, respectively. After the intravenous injection, aCmax2(12.12 ± 1.97 μg/mL) was also observed, and initial concentration of 45.76 μg/mL, apparent elimination rate constant (λz) of 0.018 per h, apparent elimination half‐life (t1/2λz) of 39.0 h, systemic total body clearance (Cl) of 41.28 mL/h/kg, volume of distribution (Vz) of 2323.21 mL/kg, and volume of distribution at steady‐state (Vss) of 1356.69 mL/kg were determined, respectively. While after oral administration, theλz,t1/2λz, and bioavailability of doxycycline were 0.009 per h, 77.2 h, and 23.41%, respectively. It was shown that doxycycline was relatively slowly and incompletely absorbed, extensively distributed, and slowly eliminated in tilapia, in addition, doxycycline might undergo enterohepatic recycling in tilapia.
In vitro metabolism of testosterone in the horse liver and involvement of equine CYPs 3A89, 3A94 and 3A95
Authors: Schmitz A. , Zielinski J. , Dick B. , Mevissen M.
Published: January 2014

Testosterone (TES) 6‐β‐hydroxylation is a significant metabolic step in the biotransformation of TES in human liver microsomes and reflects cytochrome P450 (CYP) 3A4/5 specific metabolic activity. Several CYP3A enzymes have been annotated in the horse genome, but functional characterization is missing. This descriptive study investigates TES metabolism in the horse liver in vitro and the qualitative contribution of three CYP3A isoforms of the horse. Metabolism of TES was investigated by using equine hepatocyte primary cultures and liver microsomes. Chemical inhibitors were used to determine the CYPs involved in TES biotransformation in equine microsomes. Single CYPs 3A89, 3A94, and 3A95, recombinantly expressed in V79 hamster lung fibroblasts, were incubated with TES and the fluorescent metabolite 7‐benzyloxy‐4‐trifluoromethylcoumarin (BFC). The effect of ketoconazole and troleandomycin was evaluated on single CYPs. Testosterone metabolites were analyzed by HPLC and confirmed by GC/MS. In hepatocyte primary cultures, the most abundant metabolite was androstenedione (AS), whereas in liver microsomes, 6‐β‐hydroxytestosterone showed the largest peak. Formation of 6‐β‐hydroxytestosterone and 11‐β‐hydroxytestosterone in liver microsomes was inhibited by ketoconazole, troleandomycin, and quercetin. Equine recombinant CYP3A95 catalyzed 11‐β‐hydroxylation of testosterone (TES). Metabolism of BFC was significantly inhibited by ketoconazole in CYP3A95, whereas troleandomycin affected the activities of CYP3A94 and CYP3A95. Both inhibitors had no significant effect on CYP3A89. Metabolic reactions and effects of inhibitors differed between the equine CYP3A isoforms investigated. This has to be considered in future in vitro studies.
Karl Renner and (Intellectual) Property—How Cognitive Theory Can Enrich a Sociolegal Analysis of Contemporary Copyright
Authors: Larsson Stefan
Published: January 2014

This article deals with copyright regulation meeting the quite rapid societal changes associated with digitization, and it does so by reinterpreting Karl Renner's classical texts in the light of contemporary cognitive theory of conceptual metaphors and embodiment. From a cognitive theory perspective, I focus on the notion that the legal norms only appear to be unchanged—the Renner distinction between form and function. This includes social norms, technological development, and changes in social structures in general, which create a social and cognitive reinterpretation of law. This article, therefore, analyzes the contemporary push for copyright as property, which I relate to historical claims for copyright as property as well as de facto legal revisions in intellectual property faced with the challenges of digitization. Of particular relevance here is what Renner described in terms of property as an “institution of domination and control,” and thus the increased measures for control that are added to a digital context in the name of copyright.
ICD Recipients’ Understanding of Ethical Issues, ICD Function, and Practical Consequences of Withdrawing the ICD in the End‐of‐Life
Authors: STRÖMBERG ANNA , FLUUR CHRISTINA , MILLER JENNIFER , CHUNG MISOOK L. , MOSER DEBRA K. , THYLÉN INGELA
Published: January 2014

Background

The current international expert consensus statements recommend that clinicians should discuss elective implantable cardioverter defibrillator (ICD) deactivation before implantation of the device, and then consistently during the illness trajectory. However, no previous studies have investigated predictors of ICD patients’ knowledge about end‐of‐life issues or whether knowledge influences patients’ attitudes about deactivation.

Methods

This nationwide survey study (n = 3,067) had a cross‐sectional correlational design of self‐reported data. Participants were recruited from the Swedish ICD and Pacemaker Registry and asked to complete a questionnaire about knowledge in relation to the ICD and end‐of‐life.

Results

Only 79 respondents (3%) scored correctly on all 11 questions. The mean sample score was 6.6 ± 2.7 out of a maximum score of 11. A total of 835 participants (29%) had an insufficient knowledge when using the 25th percentile as a cutoff. Younger ICD recipients, those cohabiting, male participants, and those who had received shocks, had a generator replacement, or who had discussed illness trajectory with their physician were more likely to have sufficient knowledge on the end‐of‐life issues. Insufficient knowledge was associated with indecisiveness to make decisions about ICD deactivation in the end‐of‐life situations, and with favorable attitudes about replacing the ICD even if seriously ill or have reached an advanced age, and keeping the shock therapy of the ICD even in a terminal phase of life when dying from cancer or other serious chronic illnesses.

Conclusion

Insufficient knowledge is common among ICD recipients and is associated with attitudes and decisions that may result in a stressful and potentially painful end‐of‐life situation.
The evolution of canaliculate rudists in the light of a new canaliculate polyconitid rudist from the Albian of the Central Pacific
Authors: Sano Shin‐Ichi , Iba Yasuhiro , Skelton Peter W. , Masse Jean‐Pierre , Aguilar Yolanda M. , Kase Tomoki
Published: January 2014

A new polyconitid rudist, Magallanesia canaliculata gen. et sp. nov., of probably late Albian age, is described from the Pulangbato area, central Cebu Island, the Philippines in the western Central Pacific and Takuyo‐Daini Seamount, now located in the Northwest Pacific. It is similar to Praecaprotina Yabe and Nagao, 1926, a Japanese–Central Pacific endemic genus of late Aptian – early Albian age, but differs in having canals that developed by partitioning of the large ectomyophoral cavity in the posterior part of the left valve. Its discovery strengthens the evidence for Pacific endemism in Albian times. Several other clades of canaliculate rudists flourished or evolved at the same time in different regions of the Tethyan Realm, suggesting the presence of common global biological and/or environmental factors stimulating the evolution of the canals despite such endemism. Furthermore, the finding of a canaliculate polyconitid provides evidence in favour of the evolutionary hypothesis of a polyconitid origin for the Late Cretaceous canaliculate rudist family Plagioptychidae Douvillé, 1888.
Effects of white light‐emitting diode (LED) light exposure with different Correlated Color Temperatures (CCTs) on human lens epithelial cells in culture
Authors: Xie Chen , Li Xiuyi , Tong Jianping , Gu Yangshun , Shen Ye
Published: January 2014

Cataract is the major cause for legal blindness in the world. Oxidative stress on the lens epithelial cells (hLECs) is the most important factor in cataract formation. Cumulative light‐exposure from widely used light‐emitting diodes (LEDs) may pose a potential oxidative threat to the lens epithelium, due to the high‐energy blue light component in the white‐light emission from diodes. In the interest of perfecting biosafety standards for LED domestic lighting, this study analyzed the photobiological effect of white LED light with different correlated color temperatures (CCTs) on cultured hLECs. The hLECs were cultured and cumulatively exposed to multichromatic white LED light with CCTs of 2954, 5624, and 7378 K. Cell viability of hLECs was measured by Cell Counting Kit‐8 (CCK‐8) assay. DNA damage was determined by alkaline comet assay. Intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation, cell cycle, and apoptosis were quantified by flow cytometry. Compared with 2954 and 5624 K LED light, LED light having a CCT of 7378 K caused overproduction of intracellular ROS and severe DNA damage, which triggered G2/M arrest and apoptosis. These results indicate that white LEDs with a high CCT could cause significant photobiological damage to hLECs.
Exogenous Retinoic Acid and Cytochrome P450 26B1 Inhibitor Modulate Meiosis‐Associated Genes Expression in Canine Testis, an In Vitro Model
Authors: Kasimanickam V , Kasimanickam R
Published: January 2014

Contents

Pharmacological approaches to control spermatogenesis are required to resolve overpopulation in dogs. The objective of the study was to investigate the regulation of meiosis‐associated and male germ cell‐related genes, stimulated by retinoic acid gene 8 (STRA8), synaptonemal complex protein 3 (SYCP3), dosage suppressor of mck1 (DMC1), doublesex and mab‐3 related transcription factor 1 (DMRT1) and deleted in azoospermia‐like (DAZL) following exogenous administration of retinoic acid (RA) and after the modulation of endogenous RA by a cytochrome P450, family 26, subfamily B, polypeptide 1 inhibitor (CYP26B1‐I; R115866) in an in vitro testis model. Testicles of five healthy, medium‐sized and mixed‐breed dogs were used for the organotypic cultures. All‐trans‐RA at 2 μm, CYP26B1‐I at 1 μm and the control dimethyl sulphoxide (DMSO) were administered to the testes cultures, and the cultures were maintained for 24 h. Genes STRA8, DAZL and DMRT1 were significantly up‐regulated as a result of the direct and indirect increase in the RA levels in the testis, subsequent to the exogenous administration of all‐trans‐RA and CYP26B1 inhibitor. Up‐regulation of STRA8 was very prominent compared to DAZL and DMRT, and the drastic up‐regulation of STRA8 was also observed with CY26B1‐I than with all‐trans‐RA. No significant differences were found with the early meiotic markers, SYCP3 and DMC1 with RA, CY26B1‐I and vehicle treatments. Because DAZL encodes a germ cell‐specific RNA‐binding protein, required for the induction of STRA8 and initiation of meiosis, we might see the expression differences temporally with the stage of spermatogenesis. DMRT1 is a unique gonad‐ and stage‐specific transcription factor, directly activates STRA8 and has the temporal influence on its expression. Protein expression of DAZL and STRA8 was greater in RA‐ and CYP26B1‐I‐treated testis culture, whereas DMRT1 showed greater protein expression for RA treatment, but not for CYP26B1‐I treatment compared to control. Relative protein expression of STRA8 was greatest for the CYP26B1‐I treatment compared to DMSO and RA treatments. In conclusion, pharmacological intervention of spermatogenesis pertinent to RA signalling is plausible, and the effect of modulation differs upon the types of molecules and the key stages of signalling being targeted.
Identification of lymphogranuloma venereum‐associated Chlamydia trachomatis serovars by fluorescence in situ hybridisation – a proof‐of‐principle analysis
Authors: Frickmann Hagen , Essig Andreas , Poppert Sven
Published: January 2014

We describe a proof‐of‐principle evaluation of a fluorescence in situ hybridisation (FISH) procedure to identify Chlamydia trachomatis serovars L1–L3, the causative agents of lymphogranuloma venereum, in cell cultures based on newly designed DNA probes. Rapid and easy‐to‐perform FISH could facilitate the diagnosis of lymphogranuloma venereum without nucleic acid amplification or serotyping, but requires broader evaluation studies, for example, in tropical high‐endemicity regions.
Posterior segment eye disease in sub‐Saharan Africa: review of recent population‐based studies
Authors: Bastawrous Andrew , Burgess Philip I. , Mahdi Abdull M. , Kyari Fatima , Burton Matthew J. , Kuper Hannah
Published: January 2014

Objective

To assess the burden of posterior segment eye diseases (PSEDs) in sub‐Saharan Africa (SSA).

Methods

We reviewed published population‐based data from SSA and other relevant populations on the leading PSED, specifically glaucoma, diabetic retinopathy and age‐related macular degeneration, as causes of blindness and visual impairment in adults. Data were extracted from population‐based studies conducted in SSA and elsewhere where relevant.

Results

PSEDs, when grouped or as individual diseases, are a major contributor to blindness and visual impairment in SSA. PSED, grouped together, was usually the second leading cause of blindness after cataract, ranging as a proportion of blindness from 13 to 37%.

Conclusions

PSEDs are likely to grow in importance as causes of visual impairment and blindness in SSA in the coming years as populations grow, age and become more urban in lifestyle. African‐based cohort studies are required to help estimate present and future needs and plan services to prevent avoidable blindness.
Thermal Resistance Analysis of Sn-Bi Solder Paste Used as Thermal Interface Material for Power Electronics Applications
Authors: Zhang Rui , Cai Jian , Wang Qian , Li Jingwei , Hu Yang , Du Hongda , Li Liangliang
Published: January 2014

To promote heat dissipation in power electronics, we investigated the thermal conduction performance of Sn-Bi solder paste between two Cu plates. We measured the thermal resistance of Sn-Bi solder paste used as thermal interface material (TIM) by laser flash technique, and a thermal resistance less than 5 mm2 K/W was achieved for the Sn-Bi TIM. The Sn-Bi solder also showed a good reliability in terms of thermal resistance after thermal cycling, indicating that it can be a promising candidate for the TIM used for power electronics applications. In addition, we estimated the contact thermal resistance at the interface between the Sn-Bi solder and the Cu plate with the assistance of scanning acoustic microscopy. The experimental data showed that Sn-Bi solder paste could be a promising adhesive material used to attach power modules especially with a large size on the heat sink.
Buckling and Vibration of Circular Auxetic Plates
Authors: Lim Teik-Cheng
Published: January 2014

This paper evaluates the elastic stability and vibration characteristics of circular plates made from auxetic materials. By solving the general solutions for buckling and vibration of circular plates under various boundary conditions, the critical buckling load factors and fundamental frequencies of circular plates, within the scope of the first axisymmetric modes, were obtained for the entire range of Poisson's ratio for isotropic solids, i.e., from −1 to 0.5. Results for elastic stability reveal that as the Poisson's ratio of the plate becomes more negative, the critical bucking load gradually reduces. In the case of vibration, the decrease in Poisson's ratio not only decreases the fundamental frequency, but the decrease becomes very rapid as the Poisson's ratio approaches its lower limit. For both buckling and vibration, the plate's Poisson's ratio has no effect if the edge is fully clamped. The results obtained herein suggest that auxetic materials can be employed for attaining static and dynamic properties which are not common in plates made from conventional materials. Based on the exact results, empirical models were generated for design purposes so that both the critical buckling load factors and the frequency parameters can be conveniently obtained without calculating the Bessel functions.
Dose reduction using a dynamic, piecewise‐linear attenuator
Authors: Hsieh Scott S. , Fleischmann Dominik , Pelc Norbert J.
Published: January 2014

Purpose:

The authors recently proposed a dynamic, prepatient x‐ray attenuator capable of producing a piecewise‐linear attenuation profile customized to each patient and viewing angle. This attenuator was intended to reduce scatter‐to‐primary ratio (SPR), dynamic range, and dose by redistributing flux. In this work the authors tested the ability of the attenuator to reduce dose and SPR in simulations.

Methods:

The authors selected four clinical applications, including routine full field‐of‐view scans of the thorax and abdomen, and targeted reconstruction tasks for an abdominal aortic aneurysm and the pancreas. Raw data were estimated by forward projection of the image volume datasets. The dynamic attenuator was controlled to reduce dose while maintaining peak variance by solving a convex optimization problem, assuminga priori knowledge of the patient anatomy. In targeted reconstruction tasks, the noise in specific regions was given increased weighting. A system with a standard attenuator (or “bowtie filter”) was used as a reference, and used either convex optimized tube current modulation (TCM) or a standard TCM heuristic. The noise of the scan was determined analytically while the dose was estimated using Monte Carlo simulations. Scatter was also estimated using Monte Carlo simulations. The sensitivity of the dynamic attenuator to patient centering was also examined by shifting the abdomen in 2 cm intervals.

Results:

Compared to a reference system with optimized TCM, use of the dynamic attenuator reduced dose by about 30% in routine scans and 50% in targeted scans. Compared to the TCM heuristics which are typically used withouta priori knowledge, the dose reduction is about 50% for routine scans. The dynamic attenuator gives the ability to redistribute noise and variance and produces more uniform noise profiles than systems with a conventional bowtie filter. The SPR was also modestly reduced by 10% in the thorax and 24% in the abdomen. Imaging with the dynamic attenuator was relatively insensitive to patient centering, showing a 17% increase in peak variance for a 6 cm shift of the abdomen, instead of an 82% increase in peak variance for a fixed bowtie filter.

Conclusions:

A dynamic prepatient x‐ray attenuator consisting of multiple wedges is capable of achieving substantial dose reductions and modest SPR reductions.
ITAR: A modified TAR method to determine depth dose distribution for an ophthalmic device that performs kilovoltage x‐ray pencil‐beam stereotaxy
Authors: Hanlon Justin , Chell Erik , Firpo Michael , Koruga Igor
Published: January 2014

Purpose:

New technology has been developed to treat age‐related macular degeneration (AMD) using 100 kVp pencil‐beams that enter the patient through the radio‐resistant sclera with a depth of interest between 1.6 and 2.6 cm. Measurement of reference and relative dose in a kilovoltage x‐ray beam with a 0.42 cm diameter field size and a 15 cm source to axis distance (SAD) is a challenge that is not fully addressed in current guidelines to medical physicists. AAPMˈs TG‐61 gives dosimetry recommendations for low and medium energy x‐rays, but not all of them are feasible to follow for this modality.

Methods:

An investigation was conducted to select appropriate equipment for the application. PTWˈs Type 34013 Soft X‐Ray Chamber (Freiburg, Germany) and CIRSˈs Plastic Water LR (Norfolk, VA) were found to be the best available options. Attenuation curves were measured with minimal scatter contribution and thus called Low Scatter Tissue Air Ratio (LSTAR). A scatter conversion coefficient (Cscat) was derived through Monte Carlo radiation transport simulation using MCNPX (LANL, Los Alamos, NM) to quantify the difference between a traditional TAR curve and the LSTAR curve. A material conversion coefficient (Cmat) was determined through experimentation to evaluate the difference in attenuation properties between water and Plastic Water LR. Validity of performing direct dosimetry measurements with a source to detector distance other than the treatment distance, and therefore a different field size due to a fixed collimator, was explored. A method—Integrated Tissue Air Ratio (ITAR)—has been developed that isolates each of the three main radiological effects (distance from source, attenuation, and scatter) during measurement, and integrates them to determine the dose rate to the macula during treatment.

Results:

LSTAR curves were determined to be field size independent within the range explored, indicating that direct dosimetry measurements may be performed with a source to detector distance of 20 cm even though the SAD is 15 cm during treatment. Cscat varied from 1.102 to 1.106 within the range of depths of interest. The experimental variance among repeated measurements of Cmat was larger than depth dependence, so Cmat was estimated as1.019 for all depths of interest.

Conclusions:

Equipment selection, measurement techniques, and formalism for the determination of dose rate to the macula during stereotaxy for AMD have been determined and are strongly recommended by the authors of this paper to be used by clinical medical physicists.
High-Energy Surface X-ray Diffraction for Fast Surface Structure Determination
Authors: Gustafson J. , Shipilin M. , Zhang C. , Stierle A. , Hejral U. , Ruett U. , Gutowski O. , Carlsson P.-A. , Skoglundh M. , Lundgren E.
Published: January 2014

High-energy x-rays incident at grazing angles allow for rapid collection of surface diffraction beams.

[Also see Perspective by
Nicklin
]
Genome Sequence of the Thermophilic Cyanobacterium
Thermosynechococcus
sp. Strain NK55a
Authors: Stolyar Sergey , Liu Zhenfeng , Thiel Vera , Tomsho Lynn P. , Pinel Nicolas , Nelson William C. , Lindemann Stephen R. , Romine Margie F. , Haruta Shin , Schuster Stephan C. , Bryant Donald A. , Fredrickson Jim K.
Published: January 2014

The genome of the unicellular cyanobacterium
Thermosynechococcus
sp. strain NK55a, isolated from the Nakabusa hot spring, Nagano Prefecture, Japan, comprises a single, circular, 2.5-Mb chromosome. The genome is predicted to contain 2,358 protein-encoding genes, including genes for all typical cyanobacterial photosynthetic and metabolic functions. No genes encoding hydrogenases or nitrogenase were identified.
Genome Sequence of a Hepatitis E Virus of Genotype 3e from a Chronically Infected Kidney Transplant Recipient
Authors: Moal Valérie , Ferretti Audrey , Devichi Patricia , Colson Philippe
Published: January 2014

Hepatitis E virus (HEV) is an emerging cause of acute and chronic hepatitis in immunocompromised patients in Europe. We report the genome sequence of a genotype 3e HEV from a chronically infected kidney transplant recipient in southeastern France, the second HEV genome sequence from a transplant recipient and the first of subtype 3e.
Draft Genome Sequence of
Sphingobium
sp. Strain C100, a Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbon-Degrading Bacterium from the Deep-Sea Sediment of the Arctic Ocean
Authors: Dong Chunming , Bai Xiuhua , Lai Qiliang , Xie Yanrong , Chen Xin , Shao Zongze
Published: January 2014

Sphingobium
sp. strain C100 was isolated from a polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH)-degrading consortium from the deep-sea sediment of the Arctic Ocean. It can degrade two- to four-ring PAHs at 25°C. Here we present the draft genome sequence of this strain, which is 4,776,810 bp with a G+C content of 63.9%.
Draft Genome Sequence of Urease-Producing Sporosarcina pasteurii with Potential Application in Biocement Production
Authors: Tiwari Pradeep Kumar , Joshi Kandarp , Rehman Rakhshinda , Bhardwaj Vivek , Shamsudheen K. V. , Sivasubbu Sridhar , Scaria Vinod
Published: January 2014

We describe here the draft genome sequence of
Sporosarcina pasteurii
, a urease-producing bacterium with potential applications in biocement production.
Caecal faecolith, a cause of acute appendicitis
Authors: Rajendran Sabapathi , Natarajan Kulanthai , Mohanty Alok , Smile Robinson
Published: January 2014

A 60-year-old woman presented to the accident and emergency department with a 3-day history of lower abdominal pain, which was sudden in onset, localised to the right iliac fossa, constant and aggravated by movements. On examination, she was febrile (100·F), tachycardic and normotensive. Examination of the abdomen revealed an ill-defined tender mass in the right iliac fossa. A clinical diagnosis of appendicular mass was made and treated conservatively. After a few days the mass became smaller, firmer, mobile and non-tender. Since the mass persisted, the patient was investigated further to rule out carcinoma of the caecum. A contrast-enhanced CT (CECT) of the abdomen showed a mass with air pockets in the caecum, suggestive of caecal faecolith. After 6 weeks, appendicectomy and removal of the faecolith were performed. The postoperative period was uneventful. Histopathology of the appendix showed inflammatory changes confirming appendicitis.
Type I keratoprosthesis for visual rehabilitation of patients with xeroderma pigmentosum
Authors: Ummar Shiji , Bhalekar Swapnil , Sangwan Virender
Published: January 2014

A 6-year-old girl, a case of xeroderma pigmentosum (XP), presented with a visual acuity (VA) of 20/20 and 20/400 in the right and left eye, respectively. For a diagnosis of vascularised corneal scar, penetrating keratoplasty was performed in the left eye twice and ultimately graft failed following multiple episodes of rejection. Type I keratoprosthesis was performed in the left eye. She continues to maintain VA of 20/40 in the left eye for more than a year. Similarly, a 24-year-old man, a case of XP, presented with VA of finger counting at 1 metre in both eyes. Ocular examination showed bilateral vascularised corneal scar and conjunctivalisation. Type I keratoprosthesis was performed as primary procedure in the left eye. He maintains a VA of 20/30 for more than a year. Type I keratoprosthesis could be a primary procedure for visual rehabilitation in patients with XP with severe ocular surface disease.
Building clinical networks: a developmental evaluation framework
Authors: Carswell Peter , Manning Benjamin , Long Janet , Braithwaite Jeffrey
Published: January 2014

Background

Clinical networks have been designed as a cross-organisational mechanism to plan and deliver health services. With recent concerns about the effectiveness of these structures, it is timely to consider an evidence-informed approach for how they can be developed and evaluated.

Objective

To document an evaluation framework for clinical networks by drawing on the network evaluation literature and a 5-year study of clinical networks.

Method

We searched literature in three domains: network evaluation, factors that aid or inhibit network development, and on robust methods to measure network characteristics. This material was used to build a framework required for effective developmental evaluation.

Results

The framework's architecture identifies three stages of clinical network development; partner selection, network design and network management. Within each stage is evidence about factors that act as facilitators and barriers to network growth. These factors can be used to measure progress via appropriate methods and tools. The framework can provide for network growth and support informed decisions about progress.

Conclusions

For the first time in one place a framework incorporating rigorous methods and tools can identify factors known to affect the development of clinical networks. The target user group is internal stakeholders who need to conduct developmental evaluation to inform key decisions along their network's developmental pathway.
Morphological and molecular diversity of the wild carrot Daucus pusillus: implications for classification and ex situ conservation
Authors: Ibañez Maria S. , Camadro Elsa L. , Sala Carlos A. , Masuelli Ricardo W.
Published: January 2014

Daucus pusillus Michx. and Daucus montevidensis Link ex Spreng. are wild carrots from the Americas with unresolved taxonomic status. An investigation was carried out with accessions of D. pusillus and (or) D. montevidensis from Argentina for (i) morphological and molecular (amplified fragments length polymorphism (AFLP) and inter simple sequence repeat (ISSR)) characterization, (ii) analysis of congruence of morphological and molecular variation, and (iii) comparison of diversity for the internal transcribed spacer (ITS) region with that reported for a North American accession of D. pusillus. Twelve accessions of D. pusillus and (or) D. montevidensis — representing their geographical distribution in Argentina — and one accession each of wild Daucus carota L. and Daucus montanus Humb. & Bonpl. ex Schult. — as outgroups — were included. In the multivariate analysis of morphological diversity, two accessions were clearly differentiated; this result is not sustained by multivariate analysis of molecular diversity. Based on multivariate and molecular variance (AMOVA) analyses, D. pusillus and (or) D. montevidensis accessions were separated at the molecular level into two groups, associated with geographical origin. Because this result is not supported by morphology, the segregation into two taxa seems unjustified. In all accessions, ITS and 5.8S rDNA regions had identical sequences, which differ in one nucleotide from the corresponding sequence of the North American accession. According to the combined results, D. pusillus would be a single taxon distributed from North to South America, and D. montevidensis a nomenclatural synonym. Autogamy of D. pusillus and its highly structured genetic diversity (Fst = 0.86) allows the application of a geographically targeted approach for germplasm exploration, conservation and eventual use in pre-breeding.
Catching broken hearts: pre-clinical detection of doxorubicin and trastuzumab mediated cardiac dysfunction in the breast cancer setting
Authors: Saeed Mahwash F. , Premecz Sheena , Goyal Vineet , Singal Pawan K. , Jassal Davinder S.
Published: January 2014

Although breast cancer is one of the leading causes of death in women worldwide, there is an overall improvement in the survival of this patient population. This is likely due to a combination of early detection through screening and awareness, improved targeted biological therapy, and an overall improvement in disease management. Despite the beneficial effects of the 2 anti-cancer drugs doxorubicin (DOX) and trastuzumab (TRZ) in women with breast cancer, development of cardiotoxicity is a major concern. The occurrence of left ventricular systolic dysfunction is unacceptably high in nearly 1 in 4 women treated with DOX+TRZ in the breast cancer setting. In this review, we explore the use of non-invasive cardiac imaging for the early detection of chemotherapy-mediated cardiotoxicity in women with breast cancer, in the hope of preventing end-stage heart disease in this cancer population.
Hyperglycemia enhances function and differentiation of adult rat cardiac fibroblasts
Authors: Shamhart Patricia E. , Luther Daniel J. , Adapala Ravi K. , Bryant Jennifer E. , Petersen Kyle A. , Meszaros J. Gary , Thodeti Charles K
Published: January 2014

Diabetes is an independent risk factor for cardiovascular disease that can eventually cause cardiomyopathy and heart failure. Cardiac fibroblasts (CF) are the critical mediators of physiological and pathological cardiac remodeling; however, the effects of hyperglycemia on cardiac fibroblast function and differentiation is not well known. Here, we performed a comprehensive investigation on the effects of hyperglycemia on cardiac fibroblasts and show that hyperglycemia enhances cardiac fibroblast function and differentiation. We found that high glucose treatment increased collagen I, III, and VI gene expression in rat adult cardiac fibroblasts. Interestingly, hyperglycemia increased CF migration and proliferation that is augmented by collagen I and III. Surprisingly, we found that short term hyperglycemia transiently inhibited ERK1/2 activation but increased AKT phosphorylation. Finally, high glucose treatment increased spontaneous differentiation of cardiac fibroblasts to myofibroblasts with increasing passage compared with low glucose. Taken together, these findings suggest that hyperglycemia induces cardiac fibrosis by modulating collagen expression, migration, proliferation, and differentiation of cardiac fibroblasts.
Evolution of a fault-controlled fissure-ridge type travertine deposit in the western Anatolia extensional province: the Çukurbağ fissure-ridge (Pamukkale, Turkey)
Authors: Brogi Andrea , Capezzuoli Enrico , Alçiçek Mehmet Cihat , Gandin Anna
Published: January 2014

In recent decades various interpretations have been proposed to explain the evolution of fissure-ridge-type travertine deposits. In this paper, we discuss the relationships between fissure-ridges and brittle structures affecting their substratum, through a detailed analysis of an inactive fissure-ridge (near Çukurbağ) located in the Pamukkale geothermal area (western Turkey). The Çukurbağ fissure-ridge can be taken as a model as it offers an opportunity to examine its internal structure on the walls of a Roman quarry; in addition, this ridge has been studied by several researchers who have discussed the processes promoting the fissure-ridge evolution. The Çukurbağ fissure-ridge is composed of irregularly alternating travertine laminated facies (bedded travertine) crosscut into rather large lithons by subvertical crystalline veins (banded travertine). The relationships between bedded and banded travertine indicate that the banded veins are diachronous and migrated through time, suggesting a progressive fault zone enlargement in the footwall. Such a fault zone was characterized by polycyclic activity, with normal to transtensional kinematics, and was active during the latest Quaternary. We demonstrate that formation of banded veins is coeval with bedded travertine deposition and strictly depends on fault activity, therefore highlighting the fundamental role of travertine fissure-ridges in reconstructing palaeotectonic activity in a region.