bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Effect of short‐ and long‐term sildenafil treatment on erectile dysfunction in rats with partial bladder outlet obstruction
Authors: Gur Serap , Yurdaarmagan Buket , Bayatli Nur , Sikka Suresh C.
Published: October 2014

Aim

Lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS) and erectile dysfunction (ED) are frequent problems in older men worldwide. We evaluated the effect of short‐ and long‐term sildenafil treatment on erectile function in rats with surgically induced partial bladder outlet obstruction (PBOO).

Methods

A total of 60 male Sprague–Dawley rats were randomized in five groups: (1) control (sham‐operated); (2) PBOO for 3 weeks; (3) PBOO for 6 weeks; (4) sildenafil (1.5 mg/rat/day) treated PBOO for 3 weeks; and (5) sildenafil treated PBOO for 6 weeks. We assessed erectile function by measuring intracavernous pressures (ICP), mean arterial pressure (MAP) and total ICP after cavernous nerve stimulation. Corpus cavernous smooth muscle (CCSM) strips were isolated and evaluated for relaxation responses using organ‐bath preparation. Neuronal nitric oxide synthase (nNOS) expression was determined immunohistochemically.

Results

Experimental PBOO at 3 and 6 weeks showed decreased erectile response based on ICP/MAP ratio, total ICP and decreased expression of nNOS, which returned to normal after prolonged daily treatment with sildenafil. CCSM strips from PBOO rats displayed reduced relaxation responses to both electrical field stimulation (EFS) and acetylcholine (ACh) as well as nNOS enzyme intensity when compared to untreated PBOO group, which was reversed by treatment with sildenafil for 6 weeks.

Conclusions

Daily sildenafil treatment prevents development of ED in PBOO rats in a time dependent manner. Further studies are needed to explore the effectiveness of sildenafil in patients with BPH/LUTS in association with ED. Neurourol. Urodynam. 35:108–114, 2016. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
National study of utilization of male incontinence procedures
Authors: Chughtai Bilal , Sedrakyan Art , Isaacs Abby J. , Mao Jialin , Lee Richard , Te Alexis , Kaplan Steven
Published: October 2014

Aims

We explored re‐interventions and short and long term adverse events associated with procedures for male incontinence among Medicare beneficiaries.

Methods

All inpatient and outpatient claims for a simple random sample of Medicare beneficiaries for 2000–2011 were queried to identify patients of interest. All male patients with an International Classification of Diseases, 9th Edition (ICD‐9) diagnosis code for stress incontinence or mixed incontinence were included. Artificial urinary sphincter recipients, patients who underwent a sling operation and those receiving an injection of a bulking agent were identified with Current Procedure Terminology (CPT‐4) and ICD‐9 Procedure Codes.

Results

The entire cohort of 1,246 patients were operated on between 2001 and 2011. 34.9% of them received an artificial urinary sphincter (AUS), 28.7% with a bulking agent, and 36.4% with a sling. There were no statistically significant differences in demographics or comorbidities between the treatment groups, except that more sling patients were obese (P = 0.006) and fewer bulk patients had diabetes (P = 0.007). There are, however, significant changes in procedures selected over time (P < 0.001).

In the first year and over the entire follow‐up after surgery, patients treated with bulking agents had the most subsequent interventions (40.1% and 52.9%), followed by sling (10.4% and 15.5%), and AUS (2.3% and 20%) (P < 0.001). Post‐operative and 90 day complications were low.

Conclusions

All three treatments seem to be safe among Medicare beneficiaries with multiple comorbidities. The urological, infectious, and neurological complication occurrences were low. Neurourol. Urodynam. 35:74–80, 2016. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Intermittent catheterization difficulty questionnaire (ICDQ): A new tool for the evaluation of patient difficulties with clean intermittent self‐catheterization
Authors: Guinet‐Lacoste Amandine , Jousse Marylène , Tan Eliane , Caillebot Murielle , Le Breton Frédérique , Amarenco Gérard
Published: October 2014

Aims

Once a catheterization technique has been learned and acquired, psychological barriers have been overcome and a specific catheter has been selected, a patient will need to use clean intermittent self‐catheterization (CISC) on a long‐term basis. Over this long period of time, several technical or anatomical difficulties and local complications may be observed. The aim of this study was to construct and validate a specific test, referred to as the ICDQ (intermittent catheterization difficulty questionnaire), in order to evaluate and quantify patients' difficulties during CISC.

Methods

The questionnaire was validated in neurogenic patients. Thirteen items were chosen, concerning ease of catheter insertion and withdrawal, the presence of pain, limb spasticity, urethral sphincter spasms, and local urethral bleeding during catheterization. The frequency and intensity of these difficulties were scored. The comprehension, relevance, psychological and time consumption acceptance and face validity were evaluated. Reliability (internal consistency and test–retest reliability using the Intraclass Correlation Coefficient [ICC]) was carried out.

Results

The ICDQ was validated in 70 neurogenic patients (mean age 51.6 ± 13, 44 females, 26 males). Comprehension and acceptance of the questionnaire were good. Cronbach's alpha was α = 0.88. The ICC demonstrated good test–retest reliability.

Conclusion

The ICDQ is a valid test for the evaluation of catheter use, and of patients' difficulties during CISC. However, in order to facilitate CISC, we propose the interpretation of ICDQ results, drug combinations such as the use of alpha‐blockers or botulinum toxin injections in the external urethral sphincter, or a change of catheter. Neurourol. Urodynam. 35:85–89, 2016. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Impact of tax reduction policies on consumer purchase of new automobiles: An analytical investigation with real data‐based experiments
Authors: Chan Koon Hung , Leng Mingming , Liang Liping
Published: October 2014

We investigate and compare the impact of the tax reduction policies implemented in the United States and China to stimulate consumer purchase of new automobiles and improve manufacturers' profits. The U.S. policy provides each qualifying consumer with a federal income tax deduction on state and local sales and excise taxes paid on the purchase price (up to a cutoff level), whereas the Chinese policy reduces the vehicle sales tax rate for consumers. We observe that these policy designs are consistent with the tax management system and the economic environment in the respective country. We analytically determine the effects of the two tax reduction policies on the automobile sales and the manufacturer's and the retailer's profits. Numerical examples are then used to provide insights on the importance of certain factors that influence the effects of the two policies. Finally, a numerical experiment with sensitivity analysis based on real data is conducted to compare the merits and characteristics of the two policies under comparable conditions. We find that the U.S. policy is better than the Chinese policy in stimulating the sales of high‐end automobiles, whereas the Chinese policy is better than the U.S. policy in improving the sales of low‐end automobiles. The U.S. policy is slightly more effective in increasing the profitability of the automobile supply chain; but, in general, the Chinese policy is more cost effective. The methodology developed herein can be used to evaluate other tax reduction policies such as those related to the purchase of energy‐saving vehicles and to serve as a decision model to guide the choice of alternative tax reduction policies. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Naval Research Logistics, 61: 577–598, 2014
Motivating Mormons
Authors: Curtis Daniel , Cnaan Ram A. , Evans Van
Published: October 2014

Despite numerous studies on motivation for generosity, much remains unknown. Given that the lion's share of giving and volunteering is directed toward religious institutions, we aimed to test the motivation for the generosity of Mormons. Previous research has indicated that Mormons (Latter‐day Saints) volunteer and donate at much higher levels than other groups. This study examined how self‐reported motivations to volunteer explain the annual number of hours volunteered and the likelihood of donating toward various causes. We used thirty qualitative interviews with Latter‐day Saints to create a comprehensive questionnaire measuring the time spent engaged in various volunteer activities and whether or not the respondents donated to various causes. The questionnaire also asked respondents to rank how important twenty‐five different motivations were to their service or volunteering. We used factor analysis of the results on the twenty‐five motivation items to identify underlying variables behind volunteer motivations, and we used the scores on the five resulting factors in multiple regression analyses to predict volunteer hours and logistic regression analyses to predict the likelihood of making donations. Different types of motivations predicted different types of volunteering and charitable giving. Theological motivations had the broadest impact and predicted religious volunteering, social volunteering to benefit church members, social volunteering through the church to benefit the community, religious donations, and donations toward social causes made through the church. After inserting control variables into our models, we found that none of the five types of motivations predicted secular volunteering or secular charitable giving. We conclude with managerial and conceptual implications of these and other results.
Patient and central venous catheter related risk factors for blood stream infections in children receiving chemotherapy
Authors: Yacobovich Joanne , Ben‐Ami Tal , Abdalla Tameemi , Tamary Hannah , Goldstein Gal , Weintraub Michael , Yaniv Isaac , Toren Amos , Kenet Gili , Revel‐Vilk Shoshana
Published: October 2014

Background

The use of central venous catheters (CVCs) has greatly improved the quality of care in children receiving chemotherapy, yet these catheters may cause serious infectious complications. The aim of this prospective registry study was to assess the host and CVC‐related risk factors for blood stream infections (BSIs).

Procedure

Patients undergoing CVC insertion for chemotherapy were followed prospectively for CVC complications. At the time of enrollment demographic‐, clinical‐ and CVC‐related data were collected. Survival and Cox‐regression analysis were performed.

Results

A total of 423 CVCs were inserted into 262 patients for a total of 76,540 catheter‐days. The incidence of BSIs was 1.95 per 1,000 patient‐days (95% CI 1.66–2.29). Myeloid leukemia and younger age were associated with higher risk for BSI. At least one BSI occurred in 187 CVCs with an incidence of 2.84 per 1,000 catheter‐days (95% CI 2.47–3.24). Externalized CVCs, that is, tunneled externalized catheters and peripheral inserted central catheters, were associated with higher risk for BSI in the group of diseases with relatively lower rate of infection. However, in diseases with high rate of infection no such association was found. The type of BSI was associated with the diagnosis and the CVC type. CVC occlusion was associated with higher risk for recurrent BSI and for coagulase negative staph BSI.

Conclusions

Both patient and CVC‐related factors are associated with higher risk of BSI in children receiving chemotherapy. The results of this study could be used in developing studies aiming to reduce the rate of BSIs in children with cancer. Pediatr Blood Cancer 2015;62:471–476. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Elevated fluoride levels and periostitis in pediatric hematopoietic stem cell transplant recipients receiving long‐term voriconazole
Authors: Tarlock Katherine , Johnson Darren , Cornell Cathy , Parnell Shawn , Meshinchi Soheil , Baker K. Scott , Englund Janet A.
Published: October 2014

Azole therapy is widely utilized in hematopoietic stem cell transplant (HCT) recipients for the treatment of aspergillus. Complications of voriconazole treatment related to its elevated fluoride content have been described in adults, including reports of symptomatic skeletal fluorosis. We review fluoride levels, clinical, and laboratory data in five pediatric HCT recipients on long‐term voriconazole therapy, all found to have elevated serum fluoride levels. Two patients had toxic fluoride levels, one infant had symptoms of significant pain with movement and radiographs confirmed skeletal fluorosis. Monitoring fluoride levels in children, especially with skeletal symptoms, should be considered in patients on long‐term voriconazole. Pediatr Blood Cancer 2015;62:918–920. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
The role of programmed cell death‐1 (PD‐1) and its ligands in pediatric cancer
Authors: van Dam Laura S. , de Zwart Verena M. , Meyer‐Wentrup Friederike A.G.
Published: October 2014

Programmed cell death‐1 (PD‐1) and its ligands, PD‐L1 and PD‐L2 maintain self‐tolerance and modulate physiological immune responses. Recently, targeting the PD‐1/PD‐L1 pathway with blocking antibodies has emerged as a potentially promising approach to treat advanced cancers in adult patients. Since tumor PD‐L1 expression is currently considered the most important predictive biomarker for successful checkpoint blockade, we summarize expression data for the most common tumors of childhood. Additionally, we give an introduction into PD‐1 function in the immune system to then focus on PD‐1 mediated tumor immune escape. Pediatr Blood Cancer 2015;62:190–197. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Quantitative proteome profiling of human myoma and myometrium tissue reveals kinase expression signatures with potential for therapeutic intervention
Authors: Lemeer Simone , Gholami Amin Moghaddas , Wu Zhixiang , Kuster Bernhard
Published: October 2014

Uterine leiomyomas are benign tumors affecting a large proportion of the female population. Despite the very high prevalence, the molecular basis for understanding the onset and development of the disease are still poorly understood. In this study, we profiled the proteomes and kinomes of leiomyoma as well as myometrium samples from patients to a depth of >7000 proteins including 200 kinases. Statistical analysis identified a number of molecular signatures distinguishing healthy from diseased tissue. Among these, nine kinases (ADCK4, CDK5, CSNK2B, DDR1, EPHB1, MAP2K2, PRKCB, PRKG1, and RPS6KA5) representing a number of cellular signaling pathways showed particularly strong discrimination potential. Preliminary statistical analysis by receiver operator characteristics plots revealed very good performance for individual kinases (area under the curve, AUC of 0.70–0.94) as well as binary combinations thereof (AUC 0.70–1.00) that might be used to assess the activity of signaling pathways in myomas. Of note, the receptor tyrosine kinase DDR1 holds future potential as a drug target owing to its strong links to collagen signaling and the excessive formation of extracellular matrix typical for leiomyomas in humans.
Tools for monitoring system suitability in LC MS/MS centric proteomic experiments
Authors: Bereman Michael S.
Published: October 2014

With advances in liquid chromatography coupled to tandem mass spectrometry technologies combined with the continued goals of biomarker discovery, clinical applications of established biomarkers, and integrating large multiomic datasets (i.e. “big data”), there remains an urgent need for robust tools to assess instrument performance (i.e. system suitability) in proteomic workflows. To this end, several freely available tools have been introduced that monitor a number of peptide identification (ID) and/or peptide ID free metrics. Peptide ID metrics include numbers of proteins, peptides, or peptide spectral matches identified from a complex mixture. Peptide ID free metrics include retention time reproducibility, full width half maximum, ion injection times, and integrated peptide intensities. The main driving force in the development of these tools is to monitor both intra‐ and interexperiment performance variability and to identify sources of variation. The purpose of this review is to summarize and evaluate these tools based on versatility, automation, vendor neutrality, metrics monitored, and visualization capabilities. In addition, the implementation of a robust system suitability workflow is discussed in terms of metrics, type of standard, and frequency of evaluation along with the obstacles to overcome prior to incorporating a more proactive approach to overall quality control in liquid chromatography coupled to tandem mass spectrometry based proteomic workflows.
Synthesis via ATRP, kinetics study and characterization (molecular‐morphological) of 3‐Arm star diblock copolymers of the (PS‐b‐P2VP)3 type
Authors: Polymeropoulos George , Moschovas Dimitrios , Kati Anastasia , Karanastasis Apostolos , Pelekanou Styliani , Christakopoulos Panagiotis , Sakellariou Georgios , Avgeropoulos Apostolos
Published: October 2014

The synthesis of five homopolymers (PS)3 and the corresponding diblock copolymer 3‐arm stars of the (PS‐b‐P2VP)3 type is reported through atom transfer radical polymerization. Such star homo‐ and copolymers are prepared without any addition of solvent (bulk polymerization). The kinetics study results lead to the ability of predicting the best polymerization time with high values of monomer to polymer conversion, sufficient polydispersity indices and average molecular weights. Molecular characterization through size exclusion chromatography, viscometry, low‐angle laser light scattering, proton and carbon nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy (1H NMR and 13C NMR, respectively) verified the successful synthesis of both homopolymer and copolymer 3‐arm star‐like architectures. Furthermore, the morphological characterization of the final copolymers is reported through transmission electron microscopy studies verifying the self‐assembly without any indication of homopolymer or Cu(I) traces. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Polym. Sci., Part A: Polym. Chem. 2015, 53, 23–32
Continuous Deposition of Organo‐Chlorinated Thin Films by Atmospheric Pressure Dielectric Barrier Discharge in a Wire‐Cylinder Configuration
Authors: Vandenabeele Cédric , Maurau Rémy , Bulou Simon , Siffer Frederic , Gérard Mathieu , Belmonte Thierry , Choquet Patrick
Published: October 2014

On‐line atmospheric pressure plasma treatment of cylindrical substrates is of great interest in tire industry in view of developing a cheaper and cleaner process than electrolytic plating ones that are applied on metallic tire reinforcing materials. Here we assess the feasibility of such a continuous treatment by depositing organo‐chlorinated thin films from dichloromethane on zinc‐plated steel wires crossing a tubular dielectric barrier discharge. We show that working conditions highly influence layers growth and have to be carefully adjusted for obtaining homogeneous and defect‐free coatings. Thin films chemistry is strongly dependent on the energy injected in the discharge. Layers become more inorganic when power increases, resembling carbon black or graphite and no longer hydrocarbon.
Reduced expression of GDF‐15 is associated with atrophic inflammatory lesions of the prostate
Authors: Lambert James R. , Whitson Ramon J. , Iczkowski Kenneth A. , La Rosa Francisco G. , Smith Maxwell L. , Wilson R. Storey , Smith Elizabeth E. , Torkko Kathleen C. , Gari Hamid H. , Lucia M. Scott
Published: October 2014

BACKGROUND

Accumulating evidence suggests that chronic prostatic inflammation may lead to prostate cancer development. Growth differentiation factor‐15 (GDF‐15) is highly expressed in the prostate and has been associated with inflammation and tumorigenesis.

METHODS

To examine the relationship between GDF‐15 and prostatic inflammation, GDF‐15 expression was measured by immunohistochemical (IHC) staining in human prostatectomy specimens containing inflammation. The relationship between GDF‐15 and specific inflammatory cells was determined using non‐biased computer image analysis. To provide insight into a potential suppressive role for GDF‐15 in inflammation, activation of inflammatory mediator nuclear factor of kappa B (NFκB) was measured in PC3 cells.

RESULTS

GDF‐15 expression in luminal epithelial cells was decreased with increasing inflammation severity, suggesting an inverse association between GDF‐15 and inflammation. Quantification of IHC staining by image analysis for GDF‐15 and inflammatory cell markers revealed an inverse correlation between GDF‐15 and CD3+, CD4+, CD8+, CD68+, and inos+ leukocytes. GDF‐15 suppressed NFκB activity in luciferase reporter assays. Expression of the NFκB target, interleukin 8 (IL‐8), was downregulated by GDF‐15.

CONCLUSIONS

The inverse relationship between GDF‐15 and inflammation demonstrates a novel expression pattern for GDF‐15 in the human prostate and suppression of NFκB activity may shed light on a potential mechanism for this inverse correlation. Prostate 75:255–265, 2015. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Interferon inducible antiviral MxA is inversely associated with prostate cancer and regulates cell cycle, invasion and Docetaxel induced apoptosis
Authors: Brown Shanora G. , Knowell Ashley E. , Hunt Aisha , Patel Divya , Bhosle Sushma , Chaudhary Jaideep
Published: October 2014

BACKGROUND

The interferon inducible Myxovirus (influenza virus) resistance A (MxA) is considered as a key mediator of the interferon‐induced antiviral response. Mx proteins contain the typical GTP‐binding motif and show significant homology to dynamin family of GTPases. Strong interaction of MxA with tubulin suggests that Mx proteins could be involved in mitosis. Studies have shown that MxA inhibit tumor motility/metastasis and virus induced apoptosis. However, the clear association between MxA expression and cancer remains unknown. Meta‐analysis suggested that MxA expression was inversely correlated with prostate cancer (PCa). In this study, we demonstrate the expression MxA in PCa and its functional significance on the cancer phenotype.

METHODS

The expression of MxA protein in prostate cancer was examined by immuno‐histochemistry. MxA was knocked down (shMxA) or over‐expressed (pMxA) in DU145 or LNCaP PCa cell lines respectively. These cell lines were used to study proliferation, apoptosis, invasion, migration, and anchorage independent growth. Co‐localization of MxA with tubulin was performed by immuno‐cytochemistry following Docetaxel treatment.

RESULTS

The expression of MxA protein was significantly decreased in PCa as compared to the normal tissues. DU145 cells lacking MxA (DU145 + chMxA) showed significant increase in proliferation, associated with decreased expression of CDKN1A and B. Increased migration, anchorage independent growth in DU145 + shMxA cells was associated with increased MMP13 expression. Tubulin organization was also dependent on MxA expression. Tubulin polymerizing agents such as Docetaxel was less effective in promoting apoptosis in cells lacking MxA due to altered tubulin organization. Gain of MxA expression in LNCaP cells (LNCaP + pMxA) resulted in cell cycle arrest that was associated with increased expression of CDKN1A. MxA expression was also down‐regulated by dihydrotestosterone in LNCaP cells.

CONCLUSIONS

MxA expression is inversely correlated with prostate cancer. Down‐regulation of MxA in LNCaP cells by DHT suggests that MxA could play a significant role in disease progression. Loss of MxA expression results in increased metastasis and decreased sensitivity to Docetaxel suggesting that MxA expression could determine the outcome of chemo‐therapeutic treatment. Additional studies will be required to fully establish the cross‐talk between androgen receptor‐IFN pathway in regulating MxA expression in the normal prostate and prostate cancer. Prostate 75:266–279, 2015. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Raf kinase inhibitor protein (RKIP) deficiency decreases latency of tumorigenesis and increases metastasis in a murine genetic model of prostate cancer
Authors: Escara‐Wilke June , Keller Jill M. , Ignatoski Kathleen M. Woods , Dai Jinlu , Shelley Gregory , Mizokami Atsushi , Zhang Jian , Yeung Miranda L , Yeung Kam C. , Keller Evan T.
Published: October 2014

BACKGROUND

Raf kinase inhibitor protein (RKIP) has been shown to act as a metastasis suppressor gene in multiple models of cancer. Loss of RKIP expression promotes invasion and metastasis in cell transplantation animal models. However, it is unknown if RKIP expression can impact the progression of cancer in an autochthonous model of cancer. The goal of this study was to determine if loss of RKIP expression in a genetic mouse model of prostate cancer (PCa) impacts metastasis.

METHODS

Endogenous RKIP expression was measured in the primary tumors and metastases of transgenic adenocarcinoma of the mouse prostate (TRAMP+) mice. RKIP knockout mice (RKIP−/−) were crossbred with (TRAMP+) mice to create RKIP−/−TRAMP+ mice. Mice were euthanized at 10, 20, and 30 weeks for evaluation of primary and metastatic tumor development. To determine if loss of RKIP alone promotes metastasis, RKIP was knocked down in the low metastatic LNCaP prostate cancer cell line.

RESULTS

Endogenous RKIP expression decreased in TRAMP+ mice as tumors progressed. Primary tumors developed earlier in RKIP−/−TRAMP+ compared to TRAMP+ mice. At 30 weeks of age, distant metastases were identified only the RKIP−/−TRAMP+ mice. While prostate epithelial cell proliferation rates were higher at 10 and 20 weeks in RKIP−/−TRAMP+ compared to TRAMP+ mice, by 30 weeks there was no difference. Apoptosis rates in both groups were similar at all timepoints. Decreased RKIP expression did not impact the metastatic rate of LNCaP in an orthotopic PCa model.

CONCLUSIONS

These results demonstrate that loss of RKIP decreases latency of tumor development and promotes distant metastasis in the TRAMP mouse model in the context of a pro‐metastatic background; but loss of RKIP alone is insufficient to promote metastasis. These findings suggest that in addition to its known metastasis suppressor activity, RKIP may promote tumor progression through enhancing tumor initiation. Prostate 75:292–302, 2015. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Design intent for hazard and operability studies
Authors: Baybutt Paul
Published: October 2014

The Hazard and Operability (HAZOP) Study undoubtedly is the most commonly used process hazard analysis method in the world today. It is based on considering deviations from the design intent for a process to identify hazard and operability scenarios. Often, HAZOP Study practitioners generate deviations using a short checklist of process parameters. This practice likely results in missed scenarios. A full consideration of design intent is needed to ensure that scenarios are identified as completely as possible. This situation probably arises because of a lack of understanding of the HAZOP Study and the scope of design intent. This article describes the meaning and use of design intent to encourage HAZOP Study practitioners to address it fully during studies. © 2015 American Institute of Chemical Engineers Process Saf Prog 35: 36–40, 2016
Self‐consistent total‐energy approximation for electron gas systems
Authors: Räsänen E. , Odriazola A. , Makkonen I. , Harju A.
Published: October 2014

Employing a local formula of Parr [J. Chem. Phys. 93, 3060 (1988)] for the electron–electron interaction energy, we derive a self‐consistent approximation for the total energy of a general N‐electron system. Our scheme works as a local variant of the Thomas–Fermi approximation and yields the total energy and density as a function of the external potential, the number of electrons, and the chemical potential determined upon normalization. Our tests for Hooke's atoms, jellium, and model atoms up to 1500 electrons show that reasonable total energies can be obtained with almost negligible computational cost. Our approximation may serve as a useful tool to provide initial results for more advanced approaches that also include binding.
Foams as 3D perforated systems: An analysis of their Poisson's ratios under compression
Authors: Brincat Jean‐Pierre , Azzopardi Keith M. , Buttigieg Alistair , Scarpa Fabrizio , Grima Joseph N. , Gatt Ruben
Published: October 2014

Using experimental data, it is shown that the Poisson's ratios of standard (untreated) open cell polyurethane foam vary when loading in different loading directions, since foam is inherently asymmetric and anisotropic. The loading direction which is in plane orthogonal to the rise direction of the foam constantly exhibited the most negative Poisson's ratio across foam samples of different types, even at moderate compressive strains. It was also shown that although the foam may become auxetic at very high values of compressive strain, it shows an incremental negative Poisson's ratio at moderate compressive strains. The results obtained are discussed in light of the deformation mechanisms, which have been proposed in literature to explain negative Poisson's ratios in foams. The effects of changing loading direction on the mechanical response of the foam are highlighted.

An image of the symmetrical face of a foam cube, taken using a confocal microscope at 4× magnification.
Investigating the nature of intermolecular and intramolecular bonds in noble gas containing molecules
Authors: Mohajeri Afshan , Bitaab Nafiseh
Published: October 2014

This article presents a theoretical study on a number of selected noble gas containing systems of the general formula FNgR and NgR (Ng = He, Ne, Ar, Kr, Xe and R = CH3, CN, CCH, BO, BNH, H, BeO, and AuF). The principal structures, bond energies, spectroscopic, and electronic properties of 28 noble gas containing molecules were investigated using density functional theory at the BMK level. Quantum theory of atoms in molecules, natural bond orbital, and several other analysis methods have been used to provide more insight into the nature of noble gas bonds. Although both FNg and NgR bonds in the investigated molecules are assigned to have partially covalent and partially electrostatic nature, the covalent character is dominant in NgR bonds. In the second part, the intermolecular interactions between FNgR molecules and hydrogen fluoride are overviewed with emphasis on the hydrogen bonding through the fluorine side of noble gas molecule with hydrogen of HF. The calculated interaction energies were found to decrease in magnitude going down the noble gas series. For all noble gases, the strongest hydrogen bond has been observed in the case R=CH3. On the contrary, using R=CN in the FNgR moiety weakens the interaction strength. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Inner code assisted parallel concatenated single parity check codes
Authors: Mohd Izhar Mohd Azri , Fisal Norsheila
Published: October 2014

This paper proposes a novel coding scheme to improve the performance of multidimensional parallel concatenated single parity check (PCSPC) codes. The high error floor of PCSPC codes prevents clear turbo cliff to be seen in the bit‐error rate (BER) performance. Based on the product accumulate type‐I (PA‐I) coding scheme, which adds serially an accumulator to the existing PCSPC code structure, our coding scheme considers a wide range of rate‐1 recursive systematic convolutional (RSC) codes replacing the accumulator. The convergence behavior of the proposed iterative decoding is monitored and analyzed using an extrinsic information transfer (EXIT) chart. It has been revealed from the EXIT chart analysis that the proposed coding scheme has a lower convergence threshold than the PA‐I coding scheme, especially when using a lower code rate PCSPC code as the outer code. For the 2D PCSPC(3,2) code with the code rate 0.5, the proposed coding scheme has a convergence threshold of 0.47 dB, whereas the convergence threshold of the PA‐I coding scheme is 0.81 dB. The convergence threshold of the proposed coding scheme is closer to theoretical limit (0.28 dB away from the theoretical limit) than that of the PA‐I coding scheme (0.62 dB away). However, for PCSPC codes with a higher code rate, the performance improvement of the proposed coding scheme with respect to the PA‐I coding scheme becomes smaller. A series of simulations is carried out to investigate the performance of the proposed coding scheme, and the simulation results show that better performance is achieved by using the proposed coding scheme compared with the PA‐I coding scheme. The simulation results show good consistency with the convergence threshold obtained from the EXIT chart, as the difference is only within 0.34 dB in all the evaluated cases. © 2014 Institute of Electrical Engineers of Japan. Published by John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Static attitude control for underwater robots using multiple ballast tanks
Authors: Choi Sunghee , Do Jinhyun , Hwang Boyeon , Lee Jangmyung
Published: October 2014

A new dynamic control scheme that uses the center of gravity is proposed to control the attitude of an underwater robot. Instead of using thrusters, ballast tanks are used for the static attitude control to avoid generating disturbances around the robot and to lower the power consumption. Five attitude ballast tanks are used to control the roll and pitch of the robot via the translocation of water. Using the dynamic center of gravity, the attitude can be maintained and controlled at a desired angle. The dynamics of the robot are derived using Lagrangian equations. By using the dynamic equations to find the optimal gains of the Proportional Derivative (PD) controller, this robot has been designed to have a fast attitude control capability with low power consumption. Through real experiments, it is demonstrated that the attitude control is efficient and accurate by adjusting the center of gravity. It is also verified that this system has outstanding efficiency in power consumption compared to conventional propeller systems. © 2014 Institute of Electrical Engineers of Japan. Published by John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Locating multiple partial discharge sources using MAP estimation and ray tracing
Authors: Ishimaru Hirokazu , Kawada Masatake
Published: October 2014

This paper presents a method for locating multiple partial discharge (PD) sources based on maximum a posteriori (MAP) estimation. The sensors placed in the monitoring area, such as a substation, receive PD signals and estimate the direction of the arrival angles by using estimation of signal parameters via rotational invariance techniques. Then the sensors send the measurement data to the processing unit which integrates these and the prior distribution of the PD source to locate the PD sources. The capability of the proposed system is confirmed by numerical simulations using the finite‐difference time‐domain method. The simulation results include the comparison of performance for various number of sensors. © 2014 Institute of Electrical Engineers of Japan. Published by John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Broadband complex dielectric constants of water and sodium chloride aqueous solutions with different DC conductivities
Authors: Midi Nur Shahida , Sasaki Kaito , Ohyama Ryu‐ichiro , Shinyashiki Naoki
Published: October 2014

Broadband dielectric constant measurements in the frequency range between 40 Hz and 50 GHz of pure water, tap water, and sodium chloride aqueous solutions with different DC conductivities up to 5 S/m were conducted. The measurements were done using an impedance analyzer for the frequency range 40 Hz to 110 MHz and a vector network analyzer for 10 MHz to 50 GHz. The results show that the dielectric constant decreases with the increase in DC conductivity and is dependent on the frequency. The dielectric relaxation of water with a constant dielectric loss peak was also observed. The frequency dependence of the conductivity is also large. © 2014 Institute of Electrical Engineers of Japan. Published by John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Relation between plasma plume charge and length in atmospheric pressure plasma
Authors: Yambe Kiyoyuki , Taka Shogo , Ogura Kazuo
Published: October 2014

We present atmospheric pressure plasma generated using a quartz tube, helium gas, and copper foil electrode by applying a radio frequency high voltage. The atmospheric pressure plasma in the form of a bullet is released as a plume into the atmosphere. To study the formation of the plasma plume, the dependences of the plasma plume charge and the plasma plume length on the gas flow rate are examined. In a quartz tube with inner diameter 1.5 mm, which has more helium than air in the cross section of the flow channel, the distributions of the length and charge on the gas flow rate show similar tendencies. Consequently, when more helium gas is present than air, the travel length of the plasma plume correlates with the plasma plume charge. © 2014 Institute of Electrical Engineers of Japan. Published by John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
An optimal allocation of distributed generation and voltage control devices for voltage regulation considering renewable energy uncertainty
Authors: Ausavanop Olarick , Chanhome Anuwat , Chaitusaney Surachai
Published: October 2014

Distributed generation (DG) may result in voltage fluctuation by changing line flow and reactive power injection, especially DG that generates power from renewable energy resources. To cope with this problem, this paper proposes an optimization process to optimally regulate the system voltage profile to lie close to the desired values by using the adaptive Tabu search (ATS) algorithm. The system voltages will be regulated by using dispatchable DG and voltage control devices, i.e. voltage regulator and capacitor. Moreover, probabilistic load flow calculation by using Monte Carlo simulation is chosen to evaluate the uncertainty of DG powered by renewable energy resources. The number of switching operations of the voltage regulator and capacitor are also accounted for in the optimization constraints, as excessive frequent switching operations can damage these devices. The optimal sizes and locations of dispatchable DGs and capacitors are considered as the optimization variables. The proposed method is demonstrated in an IEEE 34‐bus distribution test system and a modified 21‐bus Provincial Electricity Authority (PEA) system (Thailand). © 2014 Institute of Electrical Engineers of Japan. Published by John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
How climate change research undermines trust in everyday life: a review
Authors: Lucas Chloe , Leith Peat , Davison Aidan
Published: October 2014

Empirical and theoretical research on trust has received little attention in climate change literature despite the central role of trust in determining responses to climate science. We reassess the challenge of climate change communication in light of recent research on trust across social, psychological, and neuroscientific disciplines. We argue that networks of explicit and implicit trust in everyday practices are a foundation of stable society. Climate change research demands that we re‐evaluate our trust in many elements of our everyday lives in a way that is profoundly unsettling. The threat posed to networks of trust by climate science has contributed to political polarization of the issue. Such adversarial debate has its source not in competing biophysical claims, but in different networks of trust in existing socio‐technical systems. We argue that a more nuanced understanding of the psychological and social foundations of trust offers opportunities for messengers of climate change to connect with alienated publics. We conclude that the challenge of climate change communication is not primarily to engender trust in scientific claims, but to re‐align the networks of trust that make everyday life possible.WIREs Clim Change2015, 6:79–91. doi: 10.1002/wcc.320

This article is categorized under:

Perceptions, Behavior, and Communication of Climate Change > Communication

Social Status of Climate Change Knowledge > Sociology/Anthropology of Climate Knowledge
Impact of Severe Oesophagogastric Varices on Liver Resection for Hepatocellular Carcinoma in Cirrhotic Patients
Authors: Liu Hsiao‐Tien , Cheng Shao‐Bin , Wu Cheng‐Chung , Yeh Hong‐Zen , Chang Chi‐Sen , Wang John
Published: October 2014

Background

The aim of the present study was to clarify both short‐term and long‐term results of patients with concomitant hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and high‐risk oesophagogastric varices (OGV).

Methods

This retrospective study identified 927 cirrhotic patients who underwent curative resection of HCC between 1995 and 2012 in single institution. Patients were separated into 3 groups (A, B, and C) according to general rules for recording endoscopic findings of oesophagogastric varices proposed in Japan in 1991. Groups A, B, and C consisted of patients without OGV (F0), patients with mild to moderate OGV (F1 to F2), and patients with high‐risk OGV (F3 and/or red color sign), respectively. All patients in group C underwent prophylactic endoscopic variceal ligation/sclerotherapy. Post‐operative complications, mortality, overall survival, and disease‐free survival were compared among 3 groups.

Results

No patient had post‐operative variceal bleeding. Complication rates of Clavien‐Dindo grade II to V in three groups were 13.6, 14.0, and 6.9 %, respectively (P > 0.05). Operative mortality, 5‐year overall survival rate, and disease‐free survival rate among the 3 groups were not significantly different (P > 0.05).

Conclusions

Prophylactic endoscopic variceal ligation/sclerotherapy effectively prevented from post‐operative variceal bleeding in patients with high‐risk OGV. Operative mortality, major morbidity, and survival of patients with high‐risk OGV were similar to those of patients without OGV or those with mild OGV. Liver resection remains a feasible choice for cirrhotic patients with concomitant HCC and high‐risk OGV.
Transvaginal hysterotomy for cesarean scar pregnancy in 40 consecutive cases
Authors: Huanxiao Zhang , Shuqin Chen , Hongye Jiang , Hongzhe Xie , Gang Niu , Chengkang Xu , Xiaoming Guan , Shuzhong Yao
Published: October 2014

To propose a novel procedure as a safe and effective treatment for cesarean scar pregnancy (CSP), a cohort study was initiated in patients diagnosed with CSP and treated with transvaginal hysterotomy from December 2009 to March 2013, either as a primary or secondary therapy. All diagnoses were confirmed by both sonography and pathology, either a gestational sac or residual tissue after termination of pregnancy or miscarriage in the cesarean section scar. Basic clinical characteristics and perioperative data were collected and analyzed. A total of 40 patients were included. The mean age was 32.88 ± 4.55 years. The mean size of gestational sacs of the CSP mass at diagnosis was 33.78 ± 13.14 mm. Mean serum β-hCG level at diagnosis was 47379.73 ± 45285.10 IU/L. Mean operative time was 57.25 ± 24.52 min. Mean postoperative hemoglobin drop was 1.635 ± 0.906 g/dL. Complications were one case of bacteremia and two cases of hematoma. Mean hospital stay after surgery was 4.95 ± 2.62 days. Mean serum β-hCG levels decreased by 88.5, 93.5, and 96.5 % at postoperative day 2, 4, and 6, respectively. All patients’ β-hCG levels returned to normal range within 1 month after surgery. Transvaginal hysterotomy with removal of ectopic pregnancy tissue and repair of cesarean scar defect is a promising approach to manage CSPs, with a short hospital stay, low postoperative pain, blood loss, and cost.
Factors Associated with Non-Attendance at a Hand Surgery Appointment
Authors: Menendez Mariano E. , Ring David
Published: October 2014

Background

Patients who miss scheduled appointments without notifying office staff—“no-shows”—disrupt practice workflow and decrease access for others, resulting in misuse of resources and lost revenue. The primary purpose of this study was to identify factors associated with no-shows in a hospital-based outpatient hand office. Secondarily, we studied factors associated with cancelations.

Methods

Of the 14,793 new adult patient appointments to our outpatient hand surgery office scheduled between January 2011 and December 2013, 880 (5.9 %) were no-shows and 2715 (18 %) were cancelations. Data on patient demographics and timing of the visit were collected to construct a multinomial logistic regression model of determinants of appointment no-shows and cancelations.

Results

Factors independently associated with no-shows included younger age, Hispanic or black race, unmarried status (single or divorced), appointment on a Monday or Tuesday, and residence near the office. Factors associated with cancelations were female sex, unmarried status (widowed or divorced), winter season, and appointment on a weekday other than Friday.

Conclusions

Non-attendees are more likely to be younger, unmarried, non-white, to have their appointments at the start of the week, and to live near the office. Knowledge of these factors might prove useful for implementation of tailored quality improvement initiatives to reduce non-attendance and maximize productivity in the hand surgery office setting. Type of study/level of evidence: Prognostic IV.
Rigidity of pairs of quasiregular mappings whose symmetric part of gradient are close
Authors: Lorent Andrew
Published: October 2014

For

A \in M^{2 \times 2}

let

S(A) = \sqrt{A^{T}A}

, i.e. the symmetric part of the polar decomposition of

A

. We consider the relation between two quasiregular mappings whose symmetric part of gradient are close. Our main result is the following. Suppose

v,u \in W^{1,2}(B_{1}(0):\mathbb{R}^{2})

are

Q

-quasiregular mappings with

\int _{B_{1}(0)}\det (Du)^{−p}dz \leq C_{p}

for some

p \in (0,1)

and

\int _{B_{1}(0)}|Du|^{2}dz \leq \pi

. There exists constant

M > 1

such that if

\int _{B_{1}(0)}|S(Dv)−S(Du)|^{2}dz = \epsilon

then

\int \limits_{B_{\frac{1}{2}}(0)}|Dv−RDu|dz \leq c\,C_{p}^{\frac{2}{p}}\epsilon ^{\frac{p^{2}}{MQ^{5}\log ⁡(10C_{p}Q)}}\quad\text{for some }R \in \mathrm{SO}(2).

Taking

u = \mathrm{Id}

we obtain a special case of the quantitative rigidity result of Friesecke, James and Müller [13]. Our main result can be considered as a first step in a new line of generalization of Theorem 1 of [13] in which

\mathrm{Id}

is replaced by a mapping of non-trivial degree.
Existence and uniqueness of optimal transport maps
Authors: Cavalletti Fabio , Huesmann Martin
Published: October 2014

Let

(X,d,m)

be a proper, non-branching, metric measure space. We show existence and uniqueness of optimal transport maps for cost written as non-decreasing and strictly convex functions of the distance, provided

(X,d,m)

satisfies a new weak property concerning the behavior of

m

under the shrinking of sets to points, see Assumption 1. This in particular covers spaces satisfying the measure contraction property.

We also prove a stability property for Assumption 1: If

(X,d,m)

satisfies Assumption 1 and

\tilde m = g \cdot m

, for some continuous function

g > 0

, then also

(X,d,\tilde m)

verifies Assumption 1. Since these changes in the reference measures do not preserve any Ricci type curvature bounds, this shows that our condition is strictly weaker than measure contraction property.
The vertebrate muscle‐specific RING finger protein family includes MuRF4 – A novel, conserved E3‐ubiquitin ligase
Authors: Macqueen Daniel J. , Fuentes Eduardo N. , Valdés Juan Antonio , Molina Alfredo , Martin Samuel A.M.
Published: October 2014

Muscle‐specific RING finger (MuRF) proteins are E3‐ubiquitin ligases and key regulators of muscle growth and turnover. Here, using a range of phylogenomic approaches, we established the complete‐definitive MuRF family of vertebrates. Adding to recognized MuRF1, 2 and 3, we describe a novel family member, hereafter MuRF4, which was independently lost during placental mammal and bird evolution, but is otherwise conserved. MuRF4 transcripts were expressed in heart and skeletal muscles of zebrafish, but were barely detectable in striated muscles of adult anole lizards. We also demonstrate that MuRF1 underwent retrotransposition in the teleost fish ancestor, before the retrogene fully replaced the original gene and muscle‐specific function.