bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Recent Advances in Nucleic Acid Targeting Probes and Supramolecular Constructs Based on Pyrene-Modified Oligonucleotides
Authors: Krasheninina Olga A. , Novopashina Darya S. , Apartsin Evgeny K. , Venyaminova Alya G.
Published: November 2017

In this review, we summarize the recent advances in the use of pyrene-modified oligonucleotides as a platform for functional nucleic acid-based constructs. Pyrene is of special interest for the development of nucleic acid-based tools due to its unique fluorescent properties (sensitivity of fluorescence to the microenvironment, ability to form excimers and exciplexes, long fluorescence lifetime, high quantum yield), ability to intercalate into the nucleic acid duplex, to act as a π-π-stacking (including anchoring) moiety, and others. These properties of pyrene have been used to construct novel sensitive fluorescent probes for the sequence-specific detection of nucleic acids and the discrimination of single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs), aptamer-based biosensors, agents for binding of double-stranded DNAs, and building blocks for supramolecular complexes. Special attention is paid to the influence of the design of pyrene-modified oligonucleotides on their properties, i.e., the structure-function relationships. The perspectives for the applications of pyrene-modified oligonucleotides in biomolecular studies, diagnostics, and nanotechnology are discussed.
A New Series of Pyrrole-Based Chalcones: Synthesis and Evaluation of Antimicrobial Activity, Cytotoxicity, and Genotoxicity
Authors: Özdemir Ahmet , Altıntop Mehlika Dilek , Sever Belgin , Gençer Hülya Karaca , Kapkaç Handan Açelya , Atlı Özlem , Baysal Merve
Published: November 2017

In an effort to develop new potent antimicrobial and anticancer agents, new pyrrole-based chalcones were designed and synthesized via the base-catalyzed Claisen-Schmidt condensation of 2-acetyl-1-methylpyrrole with 5-(aryl)furfural derivatives. The compounds were evaluated for their in vitro antimicrobial effects on pathogenic bacteria and Candida species using microdilution and ATP luminescence microbial cell viability assays. MTT assay was performed to determine the cytotoxic effects of the compounds on A549 human lung adenocarcinoma, HepG2 human hepatocellular carcinoma, C6 rat glioma, and NIH/3T3 mouse embryonic fibroblast cell lines. 1-(1-Methyl-1H-pyrrol-2-yl)-3-(5-(4-chlorophenyl)furan-2-yl)prop-2-en-1-one (7) and 1-(1-methyl-1H-pyrrol-2-yl)-3-(5-(2,5-dichlorophenyl)furan-2-yl)prop-2-en-1-one (9) were found to be the most potent antifungal agents against Candida krusei and therefore these compounds were chosen for flow cytometry analysis and Ames MPF assay. ATP bioluminescence assay indicated that the antifungal activity of compounds 7 and 9 against C. krusei was significantly higher than that of other compounds and the reference drug (ketoconazole), whereas flow cytometry analysis revealed that the percentage of dead cells treated with compound 7 was more than that treated with compound 9 and ketoconazole. According to Ames MPF assay, compounds 7 and 9 were found to be non-genotoxic against TA98 and TA100 with/without metabolic activation. MTT assay indicated that 1-(1-methyl-1H-pyrrol-2-yl)-3-(5-(2-nitrophenyl)furan-2-yl)prop-2-en-1-one (3) showed more selective anticancer activity than cisplatin against the HepG2 cell line. On the other hand, 1-(1-methyl-1H-pyrrol-2-yl)-3-(5-(4-nitrophenyl)furan-2-yl)prop-2-en-1-one (1) was found to be more effective and selective on the A549 cell line than cisplatin.
Comprehensive Detection of Gas Plumes from Multibeam Water Column Images with Minimisation of Noise Interferences
Authors: Zhao Jianhu , Meng Junxia , Zhang Hongmei , Wang Shiqi
Published: November 2017

Multibeam echosounder systems (MBES) can record backscatter strengths of gas plumes in the water column (WC) images that may be an indicator of possible occurrence of gas at certain depths. Manual or automatic detection is generally adopted in finding gas plumes, but frequently results in low efficiency and high false detection rates because of WC images that are polluted by noise. To improve the efficiency and reliability of the detection, a comprehensive detection method is proposed in this paper. In the proposed method, the characteristics of WC background noise are first analyzed and given. Then, the mean standard deviation threshold segmentations are respectively used for the denoising of time-angle and depth-angle images, an intersection operation is performed for the two segmented images to further weaken noise in the WC data, and the gas plumes in the WC data are detected from the intersection image by the morphological constraint. The proposed method was tested by conducting shallow-water and deepwater experiments. In these experiments, the detections were conducted automatically and higher correct detection rates than the traditional methods were achieved. The performance of the proposed method is analyzed and discussed.
Board Characteristics' Impact on Accounting Conservatism Before and During the Financial Crisis
Authors: Yuner Pan , Georgakopoulos Georgios , Vasileiou Konstantinos Z. , Kafousias Dionysios
Published: November 2017

This article investigates the extent that board characteristics and board strengths influence the accounting conservatism, estimated by market-based and accrual-based measures, before and during the financial crisis. The percentage of inside directors and the additional directorships (board characteristics) were negatively related to market-based conservatism. This relationship is weaker for the period during the financial crisis compared to the period before the crisis. The negative relationship found between CEO and chairman duality and accrual-based conservatism is weaker during the financial crisis than before the crisis, which implies that the financial crisis can be considered as an important element that leads to failures and weaknesses in corporate governance mechanisms. The results hold after controlling for inside directors' ownership, leverage, firm size, sales growth, sales opportunities, profitability and litigation risk, as well as for unobservable firm characteristics that are stable over time by using fixed effects regressions.
High-Growth Entrepreneurship in the MENA Region
Authors: Manzoor Amir
Published: November 2017

The development in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region is experiencing a crucial stage. How the region addresses the employment needs of its rapidly increasing population of young people will determine whether the MENA region will become one characterized by stable, knowledge-based economies that have dynamic working middle class. Entrepreneurship is considered vital to drive this transition of the region. However, not all types of entrepreneurship can contribute equally to increased economic growth and job creation. For these reasons, entrepreneurship literature shows a renewed focus on high-growth entrepreneurship. Increased high-growth entrepreneurship is expected to not only spur job growth but also act as a significant source of innovation and new investments. This article explores the entrepreneurial ecosystem of the MENA region. The chapter discusses various challenges and provides specific recommendations to boost high-growth entrepreneurship in the MENA region.
Multi Language Text from an Image to English Translation
Authors: Shrawankar Urmila , Kaur Achint
Published: November 2017

The article elaborates difficulties faced during text identification from an image. The authors evaluated various algorithms in order to find the solutions. The aim of the research is to increase robustness with respect to different challenges. The system solves the problem of reading multiple texts embedded in an image as well as provides a meaningful translation in English language.
Microstructure and Mechanical Properties of Ultrafine-Grained Mg-Zn-Ca Alloy
Authors: Kulyasova Olya B. , Islamgaliev Rinat K. , Valiev Ruslan Z.
Published: November 2017

This paper studies the structure and mechanical properties of the Mg-1%Zn-xCa system subjected to high-pressure torsion (HPT) treatment. It was found that the chemical composition had a notable effect on the processes of grain refinement in the alloy. As is shown, HPT of Mg-1%Zn-0.005%Ca resulted in the formation of grains with a mean size of 250 nm, while HPT of the alloy with an increased content of Са up to 0.2% led to the formation of a nanostructure with a mean grain size of 90 nm. It is demonstrated that high microhardness is typical of all HPT-processed samples. The formation of fine Mg2Ca particles was established to increase the heat resistance of the alloy.
Mental illness in Bwindi, Uganda: Understanding stakeholder perceptions of benefits and barriers to developing a community-based mental health programme
Authors: Sessions Kristen L. , Wheeler Lydia , Shah Arya , Farrell Deenah , Agaba Edwin , Kuule Yusufu , Merry Stephen P.
Published: November 2017

Background: Mental illness has been increasingly recognised as a source of morbidity in low- and middle-income countries and significant treatment gaps exist worldwide. Studies have demonstrated the effectiveness of task sharing through community-based treatment models for addressing international mental health issues.Aim: This paper aims to evaluate the perceptions of a wide range of mental health stakeholders in a Ugandan community regarding the benefits and barriers to developing a community-based mental health programme.Setting: Bwindi Community Hospital (BCH) in south-west Uganda provides services through a team of community health workers to people in the Kanungu District.Methods: Thematic analysis of 13 semi-structured interviews and 6 focus group discussions involving 54 community members and 13 mental health stakeholders within the BCH catchment area.Results: Stakeholders perceived benefits to a community-based compared to a hospital-based programme, including improved patient care, lower costs to patients and improved community understanding of mental illness. They also cited barriers including cost, insufficient workforce and a lack of community readiness.Conclusions: Stakeholders express interest in developing community-based mental health programmes, as they feel that it will address mental health needs in the community and improve community awareness of mental illness. However, they also report that cost is a significant barrier to programme development that will have to be addressed prior to being able to successfully establish such programming. Additionally, many community members expressed unique sociocultural beliefs regarding the nature of mental illness and those suffering from a psychiatric disease.
Untitled (Architectural Photography)
Authors: Pabst Daniel , Di Cicco Rae
Published: November 2017

Daniel Pabst’s architectural photography often highlights the tension between site-specificity and the legacy of early twentieth-century international style. In photographs of diverse sites across the globe, such as Dallas, Texas, St. Petersburg, Russia, and Vienna, Austria, Pabst draws attention to the formal qualities of such architecture hailed for its ability to communicate internationally but inherently tied to particular locations—as reflected in Pabst’s titular conventions. As such, his photographs of buildings, whose functions range from public offices to private residences, and everything between, reveal moments where placeless meets place.
Advances in Elemental Spectroscopy Logging: A Cased Hole Application Offshore West Africa
Authors: Ayodele Irewole , Cavalleri Chiara , Orimolade Adeleke , Falaye Babafemi
Published: November 2017

Rising costs for exploration and developments and more stringent need to secure any additional drop of oil have put operators’ margins under increasing pressure. Coupled with the recent oil price decline, this call for efficiency and diligence to be the main drivers for any formation evaluation and planning for development and production. The reservoirs in Western offshore Africa are so diverse in the settings that two reservoirs hardly show any correlation. The complexity associated with the Rifting of African plate from South American plate has introduced significant geological challenges, adding to even bigger challenges in Petrophysical analysis. The mineralogy is complex; clay characterization is often unsolved. The formation waters are fresh with variable salinity and there is occurrence of thin shale laminations and grain size variations contributing to low resistivity low contrast pay generation. Advanced and fit-to-purpose logging technologies and computational methods are needed for rock quality and potential. Moreover, in some cases the accessibility of the target reservoir is difficult and risky, so that formation evaluation must be performed behind casing.The high definition spectroscopy tool is the latest development in wireline spectroscopy measurements. Its technological advances revolutionize the neutron-induced gamma ray methodology to support robust lithology and saturation interpretation in formations with complex mineralogy and fluid content. The ability to determine both the matrix mineral composition and total organic carbon (TOC) are instrumental to the geoscientist, the petrophysicist, the reservoir engineer, and the completion engineer. In the region, the use of high definition spectroscopy measurement has been pioneered while pursuing better understanding of rock composition and more accurate reservoir models in complex lithology and fresh formation waters with low resistivity contrast. The results are beneficial at the various stages of a field development and provide critical input to the petrophysical reserves estimate.In the example described in this paper, the new technology has proven to be critical to evaluate a complex reservoir system independent of the water salinity and resistivity offshore Gulf of Guinea, even with logging behind casing. A comprehensive set of quality outputs is made available for accurate reservoir quality; the logs data processing is performed within the critical-hours after logging to enable informed decision making.
EVALUATION OF THE FUNCTIONING OF THE NAŁĘCZÓW SPA
IN THE OPINION OF THE THERAPISTS
Authors: Bieńkowska-Gołasa Wioletta
Published: November 2017

This article presents the results of research aimed at acquiring the opinion of the patients on the
functioning of the Nałęczów Spa. The empirical material for the study was collected using the diagnostic
survey method using the questionnaire technique. Preferred treatments, forms of free time spent by the
patients, as well as elements that require improvement were presented. Although the treatment, recreation,
gastronomy, accommodation offer has been highly assessed by patients, the surveyed people have pointed
out that it is necessary to maintain and improve the quality of services provided, both therapeutic and
recreational.
Solar Wind Plasma Interaction with Asteroid 16 Psyche: Implication for Formation Theories
Authors: Fatemi Shahab , Poppe Andrew R.
Published: November 2017

The asteroid 16 Psyche is a primitive metal‐rich asteroid that has not yet been visited by spacecraft. Based on remote observations, Psyche is most likely composed of iron and nickel metal; however, the history of its formation and solidification is still unknown. If Psyche is a remnant core of a differentiated planetesimal exposed by collisions, it opens a unique window toward understanding the cores of the terrestrial bodies, including the Earth and Mercury. If not, it is perhaps a reaccreted rubble pile that has never melted. In the former case, Psyche may have a remanent, dipolar magnetic field; in the latter case, Psyche may have no intrinsic field, but nevertheless would be a conductive object in the solar wind. We use Advanced Modeling Infrastructure in Space Simulation (AMITIS), a three‐dimensional GPU‐based hybrid model of plasma that self‐consistently couples the interior electromagnetic response of Psyche (i.e., magnetic diffusion) to its ambient plasma environment in order to quantify the different interactions under these two cases. The model results provide estimates for the electromagnetic environment of Psyche, showing that the magnetized case and the conductive case present very different signatures in the solar wind. These results have implications for an accurate interpretation of magnetic field observations by NASA's Discovery mission (Psyche mission) to the asteroid 16 Psyche.
The changing landscape of surgery for Parkinson's Disease
Authors: Lozano Christopher S. , Tam Joseph , Lozano Andres M.
Published: November 2017

Neurosurgical interventions have been used to treat PD for over a century. We examined the changing landscape of surgery for PD to appraise the value of various procedures in the context of advances in our understanding and technology. We assessed the number of articles published on neurosurgical procedures for PD over time as an albeit imprecise surrogate for their usage level. We identified over 8,000 publications associated with PD surgery. Over half the publications were on DBS. The field of DBS for PD showed a rapid rise in articles, but is now in a steady state. Thalamotomy and, to a lesser extent, pallidotomy follow a biphasic publication distribution with peaks approximately 30 years apart. Articles on gene therapy and transplantation experienced initial rapid rises and significant recent declines. Procedures using novel technologies, including gamma knife and focused ultrasound, are emerging, but are yet to have significant impact as measured by publication numbers. Pallidotomy and thalamotomy are prominent examples of procedures that were popular, declined, and re‐emerged and redeclined. Transplantation and gene therapy have never broken into clinical practice. DBS overtook all procedures as the dominant surgical intervention and drove widespread use of surgery for PD. Notwithstanding, the number of DBS articles appears to have plateaued. As advances continue, emerging treatments may compete with DBS in the future. © 2017 International Parkinson and Movement Disorder Society
Cubic interaction vertices for continuous-spin fields and arbitrary spin massive fields
Authors: Metsaev R. R.
Published: November 2017

Abstract

Light-cone gauge formulation of relativistic dynamics of a continuous-spin field propagating in the flat space is developed. Cubic interaction vertices of continuous-spin massless fields and totally symmetric arbitrary spin massive fields are studied. We consider parity invariant cubic vertices that involve one continuous-spin massless field and two arbitrary spin massive fields and parity invariant cubic vertices that involve two continuous-spin massless fields and one arbitrary spin massive field. We construct the complete list of such vertices explicitly. Also we demonstrate that there are no cubic vertices describing consistent interaction of continuous-spin massless fields with arbitrary spin massless fields.
Benefit-Cost Analysis of Public Safety: Facing the Methodological Challenges
Authors: Ponomarenko Maria , Friedman Barry
Published: November 2017

Although more than 100 billion dollars is spent each year on policing, we know very little about what works, and still less about whether the benefits of various policing policies and practices outweigh the costs. In particular, although there has been some important work done to assess the effects of various practices, and even to monetize some of the benefits of reducing crime, there has been virtually no attention paid to the other side of the benefit-cost equation: the social costs that particular policing practices potentially can impose. In February 2017, the Policing Project at NYU School of Law held a conference aimed at jumpstarting the use of benefit-cost analysis to assess policing practices, and to begin to tackle the many methodological challenges to doing so. Here, we provide an overview of the existing literature, identify the serious gaps that remain, and sketch out a research agenda for moving forward.
Intake of dietary fat and fat subtypes and risk of premenstrual syndrome in the Nurses’ Health Study II
Authors: Houghton Serena C. , Manson JoAnn E. , Whitcomb Brian W. , Hankinson Susan E. , Troy Lisa M. , Bigelow Carol , Bertone-Johnson Elizabeth R.
Published: November 2017

Approximately 8–20 % of reproductive-aged women experience premenstrual syndrome (PMS), substantially impacting quality of life. Women with PMS are encouraged to reduce fat intake to alleviate symptoms; however, its role in PMS development is unclear. We evaluated the association between dietary fat intake and PMS development among a subset of the prospective Nurses’ Health Study II cohort. We compared 1257 women reporting clinician-diagnosed PMS, confirmed by premenstrual symptom questionnaire and 2463 matched controls with no or minimal premenstrual symptoms. Intakes of total fat, subtypes and fatty acids were assessed via FFQ. After adjustment for age, BMI, smoking, Ca and other factors, intakes of total fat, MUFA, PUFA and trans-fat measured 2–4 years before were not associated with PMS. High SFA intake was associated with lower PMS risk (relative risk (RR) quintile 5 (median=28·1 g/d) v. quintile 1 (median=15·1 g/d)=0·75; 95 % CI 0·58, 0·98; Ptrend=0·07). This association was largely attributable to stearic acid intake, with women in the highest quintile (median=7·4 g/d) having a RR of 0·75 v. those with the lowest intake (median=3·7 g/d) (95 % CI 0·57, 0·97; Ptrend=0·03). Individual PUFA and MUFA, including n-3 fatty acids, were not associated with risk. Overall, fat intake was not associated with higher PMS risk. High intake of stearic acid may be associated with a lower risk of developing PMS. Additional prospective research is needed to confirm this finding.
Misunderstanding RDoC
Authors: Lake Jessica I. , Yee Cindy M. , Miller Gregory A.
Published: November 2017

Abstract. Mental illness is fundamentally mental, by definition about psychological rather than biological phenomena, but biological phenomena play key roles in understanding, preventing, and treating mental illness. The Research Domain Criteria (RDoC) initiative of the US National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) is an unusually ambitious effort to foster integration of psychological and biological science in the service of psychopathology research. Some key features and common misunderstandings of RDoC are discussed here.
Trait Worry and Neural Correlates of Emotion	Regulation
Authors: Neudert Marie Kristin , Stark Rudolf , Kress Laura , Hermann Andrea
Published: November 2017

Abstract. Pathological worrying is of high transdiagnostic relevance and is related to maladaptive emotion regulation processes. Dysfunctional emotion regulation and its underlying neural mechanisms might contribute to the maintenance of fear over time. Therefore, this functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) study aims at investigating the association of trait worry with neural correlates of emotion regulation. Twenty-six healthy females were instructed to passively look at aversive pictures, to distract themselves with a neutral thought, or to down- and up-regulate negative feelings via cognitive reappraisal in response to repeatedly presented aversive pictures. Trait worry was not related to cognitive reappraisal but to distraction, which leads to a greater reduction of self-reported negative feelings and insula activation in individuals with higher trait worry. The current study indicates that the neural mechanisms underlying distraction seem to be altered in pathological worrying and may prevent adaptive emotional processing of aversive stimuli leading to the maintenance of fear.
The potential therapeutic effect of melatonin on human ovarian cancer by inhibition of invasion and migration of cancer stem cells
Authors: Akbarzadeh Maryam , Movassaghpour Ali Akbar , Ghanbari Hossein , Kheirandish Maryam , Fathi Maroufi Nazila , Rahbarghazi Reza , Nouri Mohammad , Samadi Nasser
Published: November 2017

There is an urgent need to identify targeting molecules to control invasion and metastasis in cancer patients. We first isolated cancer stem cells (CSCs) from SKOV3 ovarian cancer cells and then investigated the role of melatonin in invasiveness and migration of CSCs compared to SKOV3 cells. The proportion of CSCs in SKOV3 cells was as low as 1.28% with overexpression of both CD133 and CD44. The ability of spheroid formation along with SOX2 overexpression revealed a high self-renewal potential in isolated cells. Melatonin (3.4 mM) inhibited proliferation of CSCs by 23% which was confirmed by a marked decrease in protein expression of Ki67, as a proliferation marker. Applying luzindole, a melatonin receptor 1, 2 inhibitor, partially abolished anti-proliferative effect of melatonin. Melatonin also decreased Epithelial mesenchymal transition (EMT) related gene expressions including ZEB1, ZEB2, snail and vimentin with increase in E-cadherin as a negative EMT regulator. Incubation of CSCs with melatonin showed a marked decrease in matrix metalloproteinase 9 (MMP9) expression and activity. Melatonin also inhibited CSCs migration in a partially receptor dependent and PI3k and MAPK independent manner. Melatonin can be considered as an important adjuvant to control invasion and metastasis especially in patients with high melatonin receptor expression.
The nasopharyngeal microbiome
Authors: Cleary David W. , Clarke Stuart C.
Published: November 2017

Human microbiomes have received increasing attention over the last 10 years, leading to a pervasiveness of hypotheses relating dysbiosis to health and disease. The respiratory tract has received much less attention in this respect than that of, for example, the human gut. Nevertheless, progress has been made in elucidating the immunological, ecological and environmental drivers that govern these microbial consortia and the potential consequences of aberrant microbiomes. In this review, we consider the microbiome of the nasopharynx, a specific niche of the upper respiratory tract. The nasopharynx is an important site, anatomically with respect to its gateway position between upper and lower airways, and for pathogenic bacterial colonisation. The dynamics of the latter are important for long-term respiratory morbidity, acute infections of both invasive and non-invasive disease and associations with chronic airway disease exacerbations. Here, we review the development of the nasopharyngeal (NP) microbiome over the life course, examining it from the early establishment of resilient profiles in neonates through to perturbations associated with pneumonia risk in the elderly. We focus specifically on the commensal, opportunistically pathogenic members of the NP microbiome that includes Streptococcus pneumoniae, Staphylococcus aureus, Haemophilus influenzae and Moraxella catarrhalis. In addition, we consider the role of relatively harmless genera such as Dolosigranulum and Corynebacterium. Understanding that the NP microbiome plays such a key, beneficial role in maintaining equilibrium of commensal species, prevention of pathogen outgrowth and host immunity enables future research to be directed appropriately.
Arousal‐valence recognition using CNN with STFT feature‐combined image
Authors: Lee H.‐J. , Lee S.‐G.
Published: November 2017

A novel ocular‐features‐combining method, called short‐time Fourier transform (STFT) feature‐combined image, and a simple convolutional neural networks (CNNs) model are proposed for arousal‐valence recognition. The STFT feature‐combined image aims to represent information on two ocular features (pupil size and eye movements) as a single image. The CNN model consists of two convolutional layers and uses STFT feature‐combined image as an input. The experimental results demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed method, and show that CNN model is not only effective for emotion‐recognition methods based on other modalities, but also effective for ocular‐feature‐based emotion recognition.
Clostridium-difficile-Infektionen: Epidemiologie, Klinik, Therapieoptionen und Prävention
Authors: Kaffarnik Magnus , Isner Caroline , Hamsen Uwe
Published: November 2017

Clostridium-difficile-Infektionen (CDI) gehören zu den häufigsten Ursachen einer Diarrhö bei hospitalisierten internistischen und chirurgischen Patienten. Das klinische Bild reicht von milden Durchfällen bis hin zu einer pseudomembranösen Enterokolitis des Dick- und sehr selten auch des Dünndarms mit Ausbildung eines toxischen Megakolons. Auch rezidivierende Infektionen sind nicht selten. Aufgrund der signifikanten Morbiditäts- und Mortalitätsrate der CDI steht eine frühe Diagnose der Erkrankung im Vordergrund. Es ist wichtig, die Risikofaktoren für eine CDI zu kennen. Um Komplikationen zu vermeiden, muss eine Therapie frühzeitig eingeleitet werden. Die klassische konservative Therapie ist die Gabe von Antibiotika. In Entwicklung befinden sich monoklonale Antikörper und eine Clostridium-difficile-Vakzine. Bei fulminanten, septischen Verläufen ist häufig eine operative Fokussanierung indiziert. Durch minimalinvasive Operationstechniken sollte die Möglichkeit einer frühzeitigen operativen Therapie mittels doppelläufigem Ileostoma und antibiotischen Einläufen erwogen werden. Eine neue Therapiestrategie bei Infektrezidiven ist die Stuhlübertragung. Präventions- und Kontrollmaßnahmen sind wichtig, um eine Verbreitung des Erregers zu vermeiden. Dazu gehören die Isolierung von Clostridium-difficile-Patienten, die Personalisierung von Instrumenten, die Begrenzung von Patiententransporten auf notwendige Fälle, Tragen von Einmalkitteln und -handschuhen, die strenge Einhaltung der Handhygiene und das Antibiotic Stewardship (ABS).
Investigation of spin-dependent transports and microstructure in NiMnSb-based magnetoresistive devices
Authors: Qu Guanxiong , Cheng P.-H. , Du Ye , Sakuraba Yuya , Kasai Shinya , Hono Kazuhiro
Published: November 2017

We have fabricated fully epitaxial current-perpendicular-to-plane giant magnetoresistance (CPP-GMR) devices using C1b-half Heusler compound NiMnSb, the first candidate of the half-metallic material, as the electrode with a Ag spacer. The device shows magnetoresistance ratios of 25% at 4.2 K and 9.6% at 290 K, which are one of the highest values for the CPP-GMR with half-Heusler compounds. However, these values are much lower compared to those reported for CPP-GMR devices with L21-full Heusler compounds. Careful analysis of the microstructure using scanning transmission electron microscopy and energy dispersive spectroscopy through the upper NiMnSb/Ag interface indicates the heterogeneous formation of Ag-rich solid solution or the island growth of Ag on top of NiMnSb, which clarified a difficulty in evaluating an intrinsic spin-polarization in NiMnSb from CPP-GMR devices. Thus, to evaluate a spin-polarization of a NiMnSb thin film, we fabricated non-local spin valve (NLSV) devices using NiMnSb with Cu channel wires, which is free from the diffusion of Cu to NiMnSb because of no annealing proccess after deposition of Cu. Finally, intrinsic spin polarization of the NiMnSb single layer was extrapolated to be around 50% from NLSV, suggesting a difficulty in obtaining half-metallic nature in the NiMnSb epitaxial thin film.
Injector design for liner-on-target gas-puff experiments
Authors: Valenzuela J. C. , Krasheninnikov I. , Conti F. , Wessel F. , Fadeev V. , Narkis J. , Ross M. P. , Rahman H. U. , Ruskov E. , Beg F. N.
Published: November 2017

We present the design of a gas-puff injector for liner-on-target experiments. The injector is composed of an annular high atomic number (e.g., Ar and Kr) gas and an on-axis plasma gun that delivers an ionized deuterium target. The annular supersonic nozzle injector has been studied using Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) simulations to produce a highly collimated (M > 5), ∼1 cm radius gas profile that satisfies the theoretical requirement for best performance on ∼1-MA current generators. The CFD simulations allowed us to study output density profiles as a function of the nozzle shape, gas pressure, and gas composition. We have performed line-integrated density measurements using a continuous wave (CW) He–Ne laser to characterize the liner gas density. The measurements agree well with the CFD values. We have used a simple snowplow model to study the plasma sheath acceleration in a coaxial plasma gun to help us properly design the target injector.
Wurtzite BAlN and BGaN alloys for heterointerface polarization engineering
Authors: Liu Kaikai , Sun Haiding , AlQatari Feras , Guo Wenzhe , Liu Xinwei , Li Jingtao , Torres Castanedo Carlos G , Li Xiaohang
Published: November 2017

The spontaneous polarization (SP) and piezoelectric (PZ) constants of BxAl1-xN and BxGa1-xN (0 ≤ x ≤ 1) ternary alloys were calculated with the hexagonal structure as reference. The SP constants show moderate nonlinearity due to the volume deformation and the dipole moment difference between the hexagonal and wurtzite structures. The PZ constants exhibit significant bowing because of the large lattice difference between binary alloys. Furthermore, the PZ constants of BxAl1-xN and BxGa1-xN become zero at boron compositions of ∼87% and ∼74%, respectively, indicating non-piezoelectricity. The large range of SP and PZ constants of BxAl1-xN (BAlN) and BxGa1-xN (BGaN) can be beneficial for the compound semiconductor device development. For instance, zero heterointerface polarization ΔP can be formed for BAlN and BGaN based heterojunctions with proper B compositions, potentially eliminating the quantum-confined Stark effect for c-plane optical devices and thus removing the need of non-polar layers and substrates. Besides, large heterointerface polarization ΔP is available that is desirable for electronic devices.
Energy loss of α-particle moving in warm dense deuterium plasma: Role of local field corrections
Authors: Fu Zhen-Guo , Wang Zhigang , Zhang Ping
Published: November 2017

We theoretically study the energy loss of α-particles traveling in the warm dense plasma (WDP) of deuterium (D) with temperatures from 10 to 100 eV and electron number densities from 1023 to 1024 cm−3. Beyond the random phase approximation (RPA) model, the extended Mermin dielectric function (MDF) model including the static and dynamic local field corrections (LFC) is employed in the calculations. Compared with the static LFC, the dynamic LFC introduced in the extended MDF model gives rise to a more significant departure from the RPA result. For the plasma conditions focused in this work, the departure induced by dynamic LFC reaches almost ∼30%, which may be detected in the inertial confinement fusion (ICF) related experiment. Moreover, we find that the effect of static e-e collision may be of importance (unimportance) for the WDP of D with a temperature of tens (hundreds) of eV. Our findings may be important for ICF ignition since the uncertainty induced by the correlation effects between plasma component particles is crucial for the prediction of α-particle heating in fusion plasmas.
Plasma optical shutter in ultraintense laser-foil interaction
Authors: Wei W. Q. , Yuan X. H. , Fang Y. , Ge Z. Y. , Ge X. L. , Yang S. , Li Y. F. , Liao G. Q. , Zhang Z. , Liu F. , Chen M. , Zhao L. , Zhuo H. B. , Li Y. T. , Sheng Z. M. , Zhang J.
Published: November 2017

We report on a plasma optical shutter to reduce the intensity level of a nanosecond-duration pedestal of amplified spontaneous emission (ASE) using an ultrathin foil. The foil is ionized by the ASE prepulse and forms an expanding underdense preplasma, which enables the main laser pulse transmission, leading to an enhancement in temporal contrast. When such a plasma shutter is placed in front of a main target of interest, the preplasma profiles observed are similar to that produced from a single-layer reference target irradiated by a high-contrast laser, and can be finely tuned by varying the shutter thickness. Proton beams with significantly reduced divergence and higher flux density were measured experimentally using the double-foil design. The reduction in beam divergence is a characteristic signature of higher contrast laser production as a combined consequence of less target deformation and flatter sheath-acceleration field, as supported by the two-dimensional (2D) hydrodynamic and particle-in-cell simulations. The plasma shutter holds the promise to enhance the laser contrast and manipulate the preplasma conditions for application in high-field-physics experiments.
RBC Transfusions Are Associated With Prolonged Mechanical Ventilation in Pediatric Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome*
Authors: Zubrow Michael E. , Thomas Neal J. , Friedman David F. , Yehya Nadir
Published: November 2017

Objectives:

Blood products are often transfused in critically ill children, although recent studies have recognized their potential for harm. Translatability to pediatric acute respiratory distress syndrome is unknown given that hypoxemia has excluded pediatric acute respiratory distress syndrome patients from clinical trials. We aimed to determine whether an association exists between blood product transfusion and survival or duration of ventilation in pediatric acute respiratory distress syndrome.

Design:

Retrospective analysis of prospectively enrolled cohort.

Setting:

Large, academic PICU.

Patients:

Invasively ventilated children meeting Berlin Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome and Pediatric Acute Lung Injury Consensus Conference Pediatric Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome criteria from 2011 to 2015.

Interventions:

We recorded transfusion of RBC, fresh frozen plasma, and platelets within the first 3 days of pediatric acute respiratory distress syndrome onset. Each product was tested for independent association with survival (Cox) and duration of mechanical ventilation (competing risk regression with extubation as primary outcome and death as competing risk). A sensitivity analysis using 1:1 propensity matching was also performed.

Measurements and Main Results:

Of 357 pediatric acute respiratory distress syndrome patients, 155 (43%) received RBC, 82 (23%) received fresh frozen plasma, and 92 (26%) received platelets. Patients who received RBC, fresh frozen plasma, or platelets had higher severity of illness score, lower Pao
2/Fio
2, and were more often immunocompromised (all p < 0.05). Patients who received RBC, fresh frozen plasma, or platelets had worse survival and longer duration of ventilation by univariate analysis (all p < 0.05). After multivariate adjustment for above confounders, no blood product was associated with survival. After adjustment for the same confounders, RBC were associated with decreased probability of extubation (subdistribution hazard ratio, 0.65; 95% CI, 0.51–0.83). The association between RBC and prolonged ventilation was confirmed in propensity-matched subgroup analysis.

Conclusions:

RBC transfusion was independently associated with longer duration of mechanical ventilation in pediatric acute respiratory distress syndrome. Hemoglobin transfusion thresholds should be tested specifically within pediatric acute respiratory distress syndrome to establish whether a more restrictive transfusion strategy would improve outcomes.
Heat Shock Factor 1 Inhibits the Expression of Suppressor of Cytokine Signaling 3 in Cerulein-Induced Acute Pancreatitis
Authors: Wang Guiliang , Xiao Gui , Liu Hai , Chen Guangwen , Wang Xiaoli , Wen Ping , Li Ting , Wen Jianbo , Xiao Xianzhong
Published: November 2017

Background:

Heat shock factor 1 (HSF1), an important transcriptional molecule in the heat shock process, can regulate the expression of a lot of inflammatory mediators in addition to heat shock proteins. This study evaluated the inhibitive function of HSF1 on the expression of suppressor of cytokine signaling 3 in cerulein-induced acute pancreatitis.

Methods:

After HSF1+/+ mice, HSF1−/− mice, and AR42J cells were treated with cerulein, histopathological score, expression of SOCS3 mRNA, and protein levels were analyzed by using RT-PCR, quantitative real-time RT-PCR, and western blotting, respectively. DNA binding and transcription activity of HSF1 to the SOCS3 promoter were detected by chromatin immunoprecipitation and luciferase reporter assays.

Results:

The histopathological scores of the pancreas decreased significantly in the cerulein-induced HSF1+/+ mice compared with the cerulein-induced HSF1−/− mice. SOCS3 mRNA and protein level decreased in the pancreas of the unstimulated HSF1−/− and HSF1+/+ mice, whereas increased in the pancreas of the cerulein-induced HSF1−/− and HSF1+/+ mice, with higher in the pancreas of cerulein-induced HSF1−/−mice. In the pcDNA3.1-transfected AR42J cells, SOCS3 protein decreased and was upregulated after the cerulein stimulation, whereas HSF1 overexpression inhibited the upregulation. In the scramble-transfected AR42J cells, SOCS3 protein decreased and was upregulated after the cerulein stimulation, whereas HSF1-RNAi further promoted the upregulation. EMSA and chromatin immunoprecipition showed that HSF1 could directly bind to SOCS3 promoter region. Reporter assays showed that HSF1 could inhibit the transcriptional activity on SOCS3 promoter.

Conclusions:

HSF1 can protect AR42J cells from cerulein-induced pancreatitis through inhibiting the expression of SOCS3.
The potential for neighborhood council involvement in american metropolitan governance
Authors: Cooper Terry L. , Musso Juliet A.
Published: November 2017

This paper examines the role that neighborhood associations might play in helping to govern American cities. In contrast to recent arguments that there has been a decline in grass-roots level “social capital,” the empirical evidence suggests that local neighborhood associations are growing in number, and are increasingly active. We discuss the theoretical foundations for involving neighborhoods in governance, and argue that informal associations can mediate between citizens on the one hand, and large-scale bureaucracies and businesses, on the other. In addition, a formal system of associations may encourage discussion among fragmented neighborhoods, which in turn could improve conflict negotiation and develop mutual understanding. We argue that a major impediment to the development of a neighborhood council system in Los Angeles has been a lack of information about existing neighborhood-based associations, and discuss an ongoing initiative to develop a comprehensive base of information regarding neighborhood associations in Los Angeles.
Budgeting theory through “relational learning”
Authors: Forrester John P. , Spindler Charles J.
Published: November 2017

In this paper we develop a framework to assess the implications of information exchange within the complex setting of governmental budgeting. The framework draws on principal-agent relations and organizational learning, a perspective we call relational learning. Matching the agency’s style of learning with predominant patterns of information exchange (i.e., principal-agent relations-organizational networks and relationships), we construct a matrix of definable "relational learning" budget behaviors or models. Each model is associated with a pattern of information exchange recognizable to most budgeters, namely the budget process and budget contract. The models are presented as reasonable theoretical benchmarks for assessing budgeting practice and reforms.
Relationship between high‐risk patients receiving prescription opioids and high‐volume opioid prescribers
Authors: Chang Hsien‐Yen , Murimi Irene B. , Jones Christopher M. , Alexander G. Caleb
Published: November 2017

Aims

(1) To characterize the amount of prescription opioids prescribed for high‐risk patients by low‐volume prescribers; (2) to quantify how high‐ and low‐volume prescribers differ systematically in their prescribing patterns.

Design

Cross‐sectional study using 2015 longitudinal, all‐payer QuintilesIMS pharmacy claims. We conducted an aggregated analysis for the first aim and an individual‐level analysis for the second aim.

Setting

California, Florida, Georgia, Maryland, and Washington, USA.

Participants

Among 4 046 275 patients, we identified 375 848 concomitant users (filling more than 30‐days of concomitant opioids and benzodiazepines), 150 814 chronic users (using 100+ morphine milligram equivalents (MMEs) per day for more than 90 days), and 3190 patients prescribed opioids by > 3 prescribers and filling opioids at > 3 pharmacies during any 90‐day period. Among 192 126 prescribers, we identified 8023 high‐volume prescribers, who comprised the highest fifth percentile of opioid volume during four calendar quarters.

Measurements

(1) MME dose per transaction, (2) days supplied per transaction, (3) total opioid volume per patient and (4) number of prescriptions per patient. We also examined differences in opioid dispensing between high‐ and low‐volume prescribers among patients receiving opioids from both.

Findings

Low‐volume prescribers accounted for 15–29% of opioid volume and 18–56% of opioid prescriptions for high‐risk patients, compared with 28–37% and 53–58% for low‐risk patients. After accounting for state of residence, comorbid burden, prescriber specialty and care sequence, patients were more likely to receive higher doses (60.9 versus 53.2 MMEs per day, P < 0.01), longer supplies (22.1 versus 15.6 days, P < 0.01), more prescriptions (4.0 versus 2.6 prescriptions, P < 0.01) and greater opioid volume (5.6 versus 1.9 g, P < 0.01) from high‐ than low‐volume prescribers.

Conclusions

In the United States, high‐risk patients obtain a substantial proportion of prescription opioids from low‐volume prescribers. The differences in prescribing patterns between high‐ and low‐volume prescribers suggest the importance of interventions targeting prescriber behaviors.
Initiation of dapagliflozin and treatment‐emergent fractures
Authors: Toulis Konstantinos A. , Bilezikian John P. , Thomas G. Neil , Hanif Wasim , Kotsa Kalliopi , Thayakaran Rasiah , Keerthy Deepiksana , Tahrani Abd A , Nirantharakumar Krishnarajah
Published: November 2017

An increase in fracture risk has been reported in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) treated with canagliflozin, possibly mediated by effects induced by all members of the sodium‐glucose co‐transporter‐2 (SGLT2) inhibitor class. It is unclear whether initiation of dapagliflozin is followed by an increase in the risk of fracture; therefore, we performed a population‐based, open cohort study (from January 2013 to January 2016) using The Health Improvement Network (THIN). A total of 22 618 people with T2DM (4548 exposed to dapagliflozin and 18 070 receiving standard antidiabetic treatment, matched for age, sex, body mass index and diabetes duration) with no history of fractures at baseline were included. The primary outcome was the occurrence of any fragility fracture (hip, spine, wrist) during the observation period. Risk of any fracture served as a secondary outcome. Adjusted hazard rate ratios (HRs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were calculated using Cox regression. A total of 289 fractures (132 fragility fractures) were recorded. No difference in the risk of fragility fracture was detected between participants prescribed dapagliflozin and matched control participants (crude HR 0.90, 95% CI 0.59‐1.39, P = .645; adjusted HR 0.87, 95% CI 0.56‐1.35, P = .531). Similarly, no difference in the risk of any fracture was detected (adjusted HR 0.89, 95% CI 0.66‐1.20; P = .427). Sensitivity analyses limited to the subset of the population at high risk of fracture produced similar results; thus, there was no evidence to suggest an increase in the risk of treatment‐emergent fractures in patients with T2DM who initiated treatment with dapagliflozin.