bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Unusual open chain quinolinyl peroxol and its alcohol counterpart obtained through a modified Skraup–Doebner–Von Miller quinoline synthesis: theoretical studies and complete 1H‐ and 13C‐NMR assignments
Authors: Fotie Jean , Kemami Wangun Hilaire V. , Dreux Katelyn , Sommerfeld Thomas , Pittman Jacob
Published: February 2012

Because of their extreme instability, it is generally difficult to synthesize and fully characterize open chain peroxides, also known as peroxols. In our attempt to investigate the mechanism of the Skraup–Doebner–Von Miller quinoline synthesis, we were able to obtain an unusual open chain peroxy‐quinoline, namely, 4‐(8‐ethoxy‐2,3‐dihydro‐1H‐cyclopenta[c]quinolin‐4‐yl)butane‐1‐peroxol (1), and its alcohol counterpart, namely 4‐(8‐ethoxy‐2,3‐dihydro‐1H‐cyclopenta[c]quinolin‐4‐yl)butan‐1‐ol (2) obtained as a side product during the same reaction. Although structurally similar, these two compounds appeared to display some very distinct physical and spectroscopic characteristics. This work reports detailed NMR studies and full 1H and 13 C NMR assignments for these two compounds. These assignments are based upon the analysis of the NMR spectra of these compounds including 1H, 13 C, COSY, gHSQC and gHMBC. The effect of the peroxide functional group on the chemical shift of neighboring carbons and protons was also investigated by comparing the NMR data of these two compounds. Furthermore, the effects of potential hydrogen bondings in 1, 2, and possible 1–1 dimer, 2–2 dimer and in prototypical model systems, as well as the stability of these compounds, were investigated computationally. The computed dissociation energies and NMR data support the interpretation of the experimental data. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
New motor outcome function measures in evaluation of Late‐Onset Pompe disease before and after enzyme replacement therapy
Authors: Angelini Corrado , Semplicini Claudio , Ravaglia Sabrina , Moggio Maurizio , Comi Giacomo P. , Musumeci Olimpia , Pegoraro Elena , Tonin Paola , Filosto Massimiliano , Servidei Serenella , Morandi Lucia , Crescimanno Grazia , Marrosu Giovanni , Siciliano Gabriele , Mongini Tiziana , Toscano ANTONIO ,   the Italian Group on GSDII
Published: February 2012

Introduction:

The clinical course of late‐onset Pompe disease is heterogeneous, and new clinical outcome measures are needed to evaluate enzyme replacement therapy (ERT).

Methods:

We correlated the 6‐Minute Walk Test (6MWT), Walton and Gardner‐Medwin (WGM) score, and GSGC (Gait, Stairs, Gower, Chair) scores in 40 patients.

Results:

At baseline, the GSGC score correlated with both WGM (P < 0.001, n = 33) and 6MWT (P < 0.001, n = 26). After 1 year of ERT, we observed a significant change in gait, stairs and chair performance on the GSGC scale. The 6MWT significantly increased from 319 to 371 meters in 32 patients, and the WGM score was reduced.

Conclusions:

GSGC is a group of functional tests that requires only a few minutes to perform, therefore, this score might be a good indicator to be used in future studies. Muscle Nerve 45: 831–834, 2012
Zoster‐associated mononeuropathies (ZAMs): A retrospective series
Authors: Reda Haatem , Watson James C. , Jones Lyell K.
Published: February 2012

Introduction:

Zoster‐associated limb paresis is an uncommon complication of herpes zoster (HZ) and one whose precise pathophysiologic mechanism is poorly understood. Occasionally, the paresis results from a zoster‐associated mononeuropathy (ZAM).

Methods:

Mayo Clinic records between 1996 and 2010 were reviewed for patients with ZAM whose clinical, electrophysiologic, and radiographic features were then abstracted.

Results:

Ulnar (2), median (3), femoral (1), and sciatic (2) mononeuropathies were identified. Most patients had moderate to severe weakness in affected muscles, and most had post‐herpetic neuralgia (88% at 1 month and 71% at 4 months). The minimum duration of weakness was prolonged (mean, 281.9 days; range, 45–1242 days). Nerve magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) was abnormal, demonstrating nerve enlargement (4/4 cases), T2 signal hypertintensity (2/4 cases), or enhancement (1/4 cases).

Conclusions:

While ZAM is an uncommon occurrence following cutaneous HZ, it is associated with significant weakness, high rates of post‐herpetic neuralgia, and prolonged morbidity. Muscle Nerve, 2012
Contrast‐enhanced MRI of murine myocardial infarction – Part II
Authors: Coolen Bram F. , Paulis Leonie E. M. , Geelen Tessa , Nicolay Klaas , Strijkers Gustav J.
Published: February 2012

Mouse models are increasingly used to study the pathophysiology of myocardial infarction in vivo. In this area, MRI has become the gold standard imaging modality, because it combines high spatial and temporal resolution functional imaging with a large variety of methods to generate soft tissue contrast. In addition, (target‐specific) MRI contrast agents can be employed to visualize different processes in the cascade of events following myocardial infarction. Here, the MRI sequence has a decisive role in the detection sensitivity of a contrast agent. However, a straightforward translation of clinically available protocols for human cardiac imaging to mice is not feasible, because of the small size of the mouse heart and its extremely high heart rate. This has stimulated intense research in the development of cardiac MRI protocols specifically tuned to the mouse with regard to timing parameters, acquisition strategies, and ECG‐ and respiratory‐triggering methods to find an optimal trade‐off between sensitivity, scan time, and image quality. In this review, a detailed analysis is given of the pros and cons of different mouse cardiac MR imaging methodologies and their application in contrast‐enhanced MRI of myocardial infarction. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Medicare Part D and Its Effect on the Use of Prescription Drugs and Use of Other Health Care Services of the Elderly
Authors: Kaestner Robert , Nasreen Khan
Published: February 2012

We examine the effect of gaining prescription drug insurance, as a result of Medicare Part D, on use of prescription drugs and other medical services for a nationally representative sample of Medicare beneficiaries. Given the heightened importance of prescription drugs for those with chronic illness, we provide separate estimates for elderly in poorer health. We find that Medicare Part D significantly reduced socioeconomic and geographic disparities in prescription drug insurance among the elderly. Gaining prescription drug insurance through Medicare Part D was associated with a 30 percent increase in the number of annual prescriptions and a 40 percent increase in expenditures on prescription drugs for both the general population of the elderly and the elderly in poorer health. We find little evidence that prescription drug insurance was strongly associated with the use of outpatient and inpatient services, although our investigation of these associations was limited by a lack of statistical power.
Diabetes specialist nurse telemedicine: admissions avoidance, costs and casemix
Authors: Evans Nicholas R , Richardson Liesl S , Dhatariya Ketan K , Sampson Mike J
Published: February 2012

This study aimed to describe a diabetes specialist nurse (DSN) telemedicine advice service in a university hospital diabetes service in terms of the payment by results (PbR) tariff costs, potential admissions avoidance and casemix.

The source, purpose, duration, outcome and patient age were recorded prospectively over 12 months for every patient‐initiated, diabetes‐related telephone consultation.

In all, 5703 patient‐initiated telephone consultations were recorded. Of these, 3459 (60.7%) involved insulin dose management for those receiving insulin therapy for longer than six months. In contrast, 530 (9.3%) consultations covered dose adjustment for individuals started on insulin therapy within the previous six months. A total of 235 (4.1%) consultations involved managing insulin, food and fluid intake during intercurrent illness (‘sick day’ advice) – 103 (1.8%) with ketonuria and 132 (2.3%) without ketonuria. Of these, only 17 required referral to their general practitioner for review for a hospital admission, representing 218 potentially avoided admissions over the study period. Individuals over 60 years of age accounted for 3610 (63.3%) consultations. The PbR tariff for each telephone consultation was £23 ($37.66; €26.10), with an estimated annual cost of £131 169 ($214 781; €148 908). The national average unit costs (for 2008–09) for an emergency long‐stay admission related to dysglycaemia range from £846 ($1384; €961) to £2634 ($4311; €2991), representing potential cost savings of between £179 414 ($293 759; €203 715) and £569 198 ($932 008; €646 400) for these 218 avoided admissions.

In conclusion, DSNs provide hundreds of hours of telephone advice annually that improve ongoing diabetes care and represent a cost‐effective method of reducing the number of acute hospital admissions. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons.
Erectile dysfunction: a weighty issue?
Authors: Rajendran R , Cummings M
Published: February 2012

Erectile dysfunction (ED) is expected to affect 322 million men by 2025. A number of lifestyle factors such as smoking, obesity, alcohol consumption and lack of physical activity are linked with erectile dysfunction. We reviewed the evidence in recent studies examining the impact of weight loss upon erectile function in obese men with and without diabetes.

Esposito et al. showed that weight loss through diet and increased physical activity can improve sexual function in about one‐third of obese non‐diabetic men with ED. Subsequently, Dallal et al. reported that the amount of surgical weight loss after gastric bypass predicted the degree of improvement in sexual function independent of improvement in glycaemic control. Wing et al. reported that weight loss in older obese diabetic subjects in the Look AHEAD trial may help in preventing the worsening of ED over time. Most recently in 2011, Khoo et al. have shown that rapid diet‐induced weight loss improves sexual and endothelial function and systemic inflammation in obese diabetic men.

In conclusion, the majority of recent studies show that weight loss can improve erectile function in obese men, though the beneficial effect is less profound in diabetic men. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons.
District‐level considerations in supporting and sustaining RtI implementation
Authors: O'connor Edward P. , Freeman Elizabeth Witter
Published: February 2012

Although Response to Intervention (RtI) implementation efforts have been occurring in schools across the country for more than a decade, questions and concerns are emerging, as some schools are not observing significantly improved student achievement or behavior outcomes as expected. In the literature on RtI implementation, most authors indicate there are multiple levels of support that are required for effective RtI implementation. These include individual professional development regarding the rationale for RtI and for developing necessary skills; building‐level support encompassing necessary resources, leadership, and structures that promote RtI; and district‐level support to drive the broader system. In this article, we identify district‐level supports that are important for school psychologists to consider as they work to initiate or extend RtI routines. The district‐level factors discussed here are organized into the categories of leadership, assessment and data management, culture and beliefs, professional development, staff recruitment, and resource allocation. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Search engine processor: Filtering and organizing peptide spectrum matches
Authors: Carvalho Paulo C. , Fischer Juliana S. G. , Xu Tao , Cociorva Daniel , Balbuena Tiago S. , Valente Richard H. , Perales Jonas , Yates John R. , Barbosa Valmir C.
Published: February 2012

The search engine processor (SEPro) is a tool for filtering, organizing, sharing, and displaying peptide spectrum matches. It employs a novel three‐tier Bayesian approach that uses layers of spectrum, peptide, and protein logic to lead the data to converge to a single list of reliable protein identifications. SEPro is integrated into the PatternLab for proteomics environment, where an arsenal of tools for analyzing shotgun proteomic data is provided. By using the semi‐labeled decoy approach for benchmarking, we show that SEPro significantly outperforms a commercially available competitor.
Click chemistry‐based synthesis of azo polymers for second‐order nonlinear optics
Authors: Kolli Balakrishna , Mishra Sarada P. , Joshi M. P. , Raj Mohan S. , Dhami T. S. , Samui A. B.
Published: February 2012

Four linear polymers containing pendant azo moiety were synthesized through click chemistry for second‐order nonlinear optical study. The polymers were found soluble in most of the polar organic solvents such as tetrahydrofuran (THF), chloroform, and dimethyl formamide (DMF). The polymers showed thermal stability up to 300 °C and glass transition temperatures (Tg) in the range of 120–140 °C. The molecular weights (Mw) of these polymers (measured by gel permeation chromatography) were in the range 37,900–55,000 g/mol. The polymers were found to form optically transparent films by solution casting from THF solution. Order parameters were calculated from UV–vis absorption spectra. The morphology changes in the films after poling were characterized by atomic force microscopy. The angular dependence, temperature dependence, and time dependence of second harmonic generation (SHG) intensity were obtained by using 1064 nm Nd:YAG laser. The SHG intensity remained unchanged up to 95 °C. At room temperature, it remained stable up to 8 days after initial drop of about 14%. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem, 2012
Improving charge transport in poly(3‐hexylthiophene) transistors via blending with an alkyl‐substituted phenylene–thiophene–thiophene–phenylene molecule
Authors: Liscio Andrea , Bonini Massimo , Treossi Emanuele , Orgiu Emanuele , Kastler Marcel , Dötz Florian , Palermo Vincenzo , Samorì Paolo
Published: February 2012

A prototypical semiconducting bicomponent system consisting of a conjugated polymer, that is, poly(3‐hexylthiophene) (P3HT), blended with a small thiophene containing conjugated molecule, that is, an alkyl‐substituted bisphenyl‐bithiophene [phenylene–thiophene–thiophene–phenylene (PTTP)], has been used as an electroactive active layer in field‐effect transistors (FETs). The self‐assembly of this bicomponent system at surfaces has been studied at different length scales, from the nanoscale to the macroscale, and compared with the behavior of monocomponent films of PTTP and P3HT. The correlation between morphology and electric properties of the semiconducting material is explored by fabricating prototypes of FETs varying the relative concentrations of the two‐component blend. The maximum charge carrier mobility value, achieved with a few percent of PTTP component, is not simply due to a uniform dispersion of the molecules in the polymer matrix, but rather to the generation of very long percolation paths, whose composition and electrical properties can be tuned with the PTTP concentration. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part B: Polym Phys, 2012
Illness perceptions in cancer survivors: what is the role of information provision?
Authors: Husson Olga , Thong Melissa S. Y. , Mols Floortje , Oerlemans Simone , Kaptein Adrian A. , van de Poll‐Franse Lonneke V.
Published: February 2012

Background

The aim of this study was to provide insight into the relationship between information provision and illness perceptions among cancer survivors.

Methods

All individuals diagnosed with lymphoma, multiple myeloma, endometrial or colorectal cancer between 1998 and 2008, as registered in the Eindhoven Cancer Registry, were eligible for participation. In total, 4446 survivors received a questionnaire including the EORTC‐QLQ‐INFO25 and the Brief Illness Perception Questionnaire; 69% responded (n = 3080).

Results

Lymphoma and multiple myeloma patients were most satisfied with the information they received, and they perceived to having received more information about their treatment and other services (after care) compared with colorectal and endometrial cancer survivors (p < 0.05). Multiple myeloma patients reported the highest scores (conceptualized their illness as very serious) on the illness perception scales.

The perceived receipt of more disease‐specific information was associated with more personal and treatment control and a better understanding of the illness, whereas the perceived receipt of more information about other services was associated with more negative consequences of the illness on the patients' life, longer perceived duration of illness, less treatment control, more symptoms attributable to the illness, less understanding of, and stronger emotional reaction to the illness (p < 0.05). Satisfaction with the received information was associated with better illness perception on all subscales, except for personal control (p < 0.05).

Conclusion

Improving the patients' illness perceptions by tailoring the information provision to the needs of patients may help patients to get a more coherent understanding of their illness and will possibly lead to a better health‐related quality of life. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Crystal structure of the TLDc domain of oxidation resistance protein 2 from zebrafish
Authors: Blaise Mickaël , Alsarraf Husam M. A. B. , Wong Jaslyn E. M. M. , Midtgaard Søren Roi , Laroche Fabrice , Schack Lotte , Spaink Herman , Stougaard Jens , Thirup Søren
Published: February 2012

The oxidation resistance proteins (OXR) help to protect eukaryotes from reactive oxygen species. The sole C‐terminal domain of the OXR, named TLDc is sufficient to perform this function. However, the mechanism by which oxidation resistance occurs is poorly understood. We present here the crystal structure of the TLDc domain of the oxidation resistance protein 2 from zebrafish. The structure was determined by X‐ray crystallography to atomic resolution (0.97Å) and adopts an overall globular shape. Two antiparallel β‐sheets form a central β‐sandwich, surrounded by two helices and two one‐turn helices. The fold shares low structural similarity to known structures. Proteins 2012. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Interactions between relay helix and Src homology 1 (SH1) domain helix drive the converter domain rotation during the recovery stroke of myosin II
Authors: Baumketner Andrij
Published: February 2012

Myosin motor protein exists in two alternative conformations, prerecovery state M* and postrecovery state M**, on adenosine triphosphate binding. The details of the M*‐to‐M** transition, known as the recovery stroke to reflect its role as the functional opposite of the force‐generating power stroke, remain elusive. The defining feature of the postrecovery state is a kink in the relay helix, a key part of the protein involved in force generation. In this article, we determine the interactions that are responsible for the appearance of the kink. We design a series of computational models that contain three other segments, relay loop, converter domain, and Src homology 1 (SH1) domain helix, with which relay helix interacts and determine their structure in accurate replica exchange molecular dynamics simulations in explicit solvent. By conducting an exhaustive combinatorial search among different models, we find that: (1) the converter domain must be attached to the relay helix during the transition, so it does not interfere with other parts of the protein and (2) the structure of the relay helix is controlled by SH1 helix. The kink is strongly coupled to the position of SH1 helix. It arises as a result of direct interactions between SH1 and the relay helix and leads to a rotation of the C‐terminal part of the relay helix, which is subsequently transmitted to the converter domain. Proteins 2012. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
The potential utility of the leopard pleco (Glyptoperichthys gibbiceps) as a biological control of the ciliate protozoan Ichthyophthirius multifiliis
Authors: Picón‐Camacho Sara M , Leclercq Eric , Bron James E , Shinn Andrew P
Published: February 2012

BACKGROUND: Infections of the ciliate protozoan Ichthyophthirius multifiliis Fouquet, 1876, can cause heavy mortalities in freshwater aquaculture systems. Following the ban of malachite green on fish for human consumption, currently available chemical therapies are only partially efficacious even when repeatedly applied. There is, therefore, an urgent necessity to identify more efficient and environmentally friendly control strategies. In the present study, the use of a substrate algae feeder leopard pleco, Glyptoperichthys gibbiceps, as a biological agent to control I. multifiliis infections on blue tilapia, Oreochromis aureus, reared in a warm‐water, experimental tank‐based system is explored.

RESULTS: The free‐swimming protomont stage of I. multifiliis demonstrated selective settlement behaviour towards biofilm‐covered substrates. Following a controlled exposure, the number of I. multifiliis trophonts establishing on naive blue tilapia, O. aureus, was 4.9 ± 0.4 when reared with G. gibbiceps, significantly lower than when reared in isolation (13.3 ± 0.9; ANOVA, P < 0.001).

CONCLUSION: This study demonstrates for the first time the potential of G. gibbiceps as a biological control to reduce I. multifiliis on commercially valuable fish stocks in warm‐water systems. This likely originated from the grazing activity of G. gibbiceps on the biofilm layer upon which the multiplicative stage of I. multifiliis was shown preferentially to settle. Therapeutic strategies against pathogenic protozoan species like I. multifiliis could greatly benefit from incorporating, where appropriate, a biological control targeting the external multiplicative life stages of the parasite, potentially reducing the current dependence on chemical interventions. Copyright © 2012 Society of Chemical Industry
Comparing TIGGE multimodel forecasts with reforecast‐calibrated ECMWF ensemble forecasts
Authors: Hagedorn Renate , Buizza Roberto , Hamill Thomas M. , Leutbecher Martin , Palmer T. N.
Published: February 2012

Forecasts provided by the THORPEX Interactive Grand Global Ensemble (TIGGE) project were compared with reforecast‐calibrated ensemble predictions from the European Centre for Medium‐Range Weather Forecasts (ECMWF) in extratropical regions. Considering the statistical performance of global probabilistic forecasts of 850 hPa and 2 m temperatures, a multimodel ensemble containing nine ensemble prediction systems (EPS) from the TIGGE archive did not improve on the performance of the best single‐model, the ECMWF EPS. However, a reduced multimodel system, consisting of only the four best ensemble systems, provided by Canada, the USA, the United Kingdom and ECMWF, showed an improved performance. The multimodel ensemble provides a benchmark for the single‐model systems contributing to the multimodel. However, reforecast‐calibrated ECMWF EPS forecasts were of comparable or superior quality to the multimodel predictions, when verified against two different reanalyses or observations. This improved performance was achieved by using the ECMWF reforecast dataset to correct for systematic errors and spread deficiencies. The ECMWF EPS was the main contributor for the improved performance of the multimodel ensemble; that is, if the multimodel system did not include the ECMWF contribution, it was not able to improve on the performance of the ECMWF EPS alone. These results were shown to be only marginally sensitive to the choice of verification dataset. Copyright © 2012 Royal Meteorological Society
The structure and evolution of lower stratospheric frontal zones. Part 1: Examples in northwesterly and southwesterly flow
Authors: Lang Andrea A. , Martin Jonathan E.
Published: February 2012

The structure, evolution and dynamics of two lower stratospheric frontal zones are examined from a basic state variables perspective. The case studies highlight the asynchronous evolution of the lower stratospheric and upper tropospheric frontal portions of upper level jet‐front (ULJF) systems, as well as some substantial differences in lower stratospheric frontal development that occur in southwesterly and northwesterly flow. The evolution of the ULJF in northwesterly flow was characterized by an initially intense but weakening lower stratospheric front along with an initially weak but intensifying upper tropospheric front. Throughout the evolution, geostrophic cold air advection in cyclonic shear characterized a substantial portion of the lower stratospheric front. This circumstance supported subsidence through the local jet core within the cold upper troposphere, weakening the lower stratospheric front via tilting. This subsidence extended downward below the jet core where it is suggested to have played a role in the early stages of upper tropospheric frontogenesis. In the southwesterly flow case, the evolution of the ULJF was characterized by a strengthening lower stratospheric front and a weakening upper tropospheric front. A deep column of upward vertical motion resulted from the superposition of lower tropospheric ascent associated with convection along a surface cold front and upper tropospheric‐lower stratospheric (UTLS) ascent through the jet core coincident with geostrophic warm air advection in cyclonic shear along large sections of the lower stratospheric front. The UTLS ascent, located on the cold edge of the lower stratospheric baroclinicity, served to intensify the lower stratospheric frontal zone via tilting. The implications of these lower stratospheric frontal processes on the topography of the tropopause and downstream sensible weather are discussed. Copyright © 2012 Royal Meteorological Society
Chosen‐ciphertext attack secure public key encryption with auxiliary inputs
Authors: Zhang Zongyang , Cao Zhenfu , Qian Haifeng
Published: February 2012

We consider public key encryption (PKE) schemes with auxiliary input, that is, the adversary is given any computationally uninvertible function of the secret key. Previous result only achieves security under chosen‐plaintext attacks (CPA). In this paper, we construct public key encryption schemes that are secure under chosen‐ciphertext attacks even when the adversary is given any computationally uninvertible function of the secret key as an auxiliary input. We follow the Naor–Yung ‘double encryption’ paradigm and generally transform any chosen‐plaintext attack secure public key encryption into a chosen‐ciphertext attack secure one in the auxiliary input model. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Implementation and performance evaluation of a distributed conjugate gradient method in a cloud computing environment
Authors: Ismail Leila , Barua Rajeev
Published: February 2012

Cloud computing is an emerging technology where information technology resources are provisioned to users in a set of a unified computing resources on a pay per use basis. The resources are dynamically chosen to satisfy a user service level agreement and a required level of performance. A cloud is seen as a computing platform for heavy load applications. Conjugate gradient (CG) method is an iterative linear solver that is used by many scientific and engineering applications to solve a linear system of algebraic equations. CG generates a heavy load of computation, and therefore, it slows the performance of the applications using it. Distributing CG is considered as a way to increase its performance. However, running a distributed CG, based on a standard API, such as Message Passing Interface, in a cloud face many challenges, such as the cloud processing and networking capabilities. In this work, we present an in‐depth analysis of the CG algorithm and its complexity to develop adequate distributed algorithms. The implementation of these algorithms and their evaluation in our cloud environment reveal the gains and losses achieved by distributing the CG. The performance results show that despite the complexity of the CG processing and communication, a speedup gain of at least 1157.7 is obtained using 128 cores compared with National Aeronautics and Space Administration Advanced Supercomputing sequential execution. Given the emergence of clouds, the results in this paper analyzes performance issues when a generic public cloud, along with a standard development library, such as Message Passing Interface, is used for high‐performance applications, without the need of some specialized hardware and software. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Estimating distances via connectivity in wireless sensor networks
Authors: Huang Baoqi , Yu Changbin , Anderson Brian D.O. , Mao Guoqiang
Published: February 2012

Distance estimation is vital for localization and many other applications in wireless sensor networks. In this paper, we develop a method that employs a maximum‐likelihood estimator to estimate distances between a pair of neighboring nodes in a static wireless sensor network using their local connectivity information, namely the numbers of their common and non‐common one‐hop neighbors. We present the distance estimation method under a generic channel model, including the unit disk (communication) model and the more realistic log‐normal (shadowing) model as special cases. Under the log‐normal model, we investigate the impact of the log‐normal model uncertainty; we numerically evaluate the bias and standard deviation associated with our method, which show that for long distances our method outperforms the method based on received signal strength; and we provide a Cramér–Rao lower bound analysis for the problem of estimating distances via connectivity and derive helpful guidelines for implementing our method. Finally, on implementing the proposed method on the basis of measurement data from a realistic environment and applying it in connectivity‐based sensor localization, the advantages of the proposed method are confirmed. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Pilot Testing of a Population‐based Surgical Survey Tool in Sierra Leone
Authors: Groen Reinou S. , Samai Mohamed , Petroze Robin T. , Kamara Thaim B. , Yambasu Sahr E. , Calland James F. , Peter Kingham T. , Guterbock Thomas M. , Choo Barbara , Kushner Adam L.
Published: February 2012

Background

The prevalence of surgical diseases in low income countries is thought to be very large, but to date no population‐based survey has documented the need. The Surgeons OverSeas Assessment of Surgical Need (SOSAS) is a survey tool programmed for use with iPads to measure the prevalence of surgical conditions.

Methods

To assess the appropriateness and utility of SOSAS, a pilot test was undertaken in Sierra Leone. Local medical students were trained in sampling, interviewing, and SOSAS specifics. Five clusters of 10 households were randomly selected and 100 individuals were interviewed. Problems with the tool, iPad use, and respondent answers were collected. Daily debriefings with the enumerators aimed to identify problems and ways for improvement.

Results

Administering SOSAS via iPads was found to be easy and facilitated data entry. Quick analysis of the data allowed for rapid feedback. Although the survey has 450 possible data entry points, by using conditional formatting, the enumerators were able to collect household demographics and interview two randomly selected household members in an average of 25 min. The survey methodology was acceptable, with a response rate of 96%. Five major sections were amended after the pilot.

Discussion

Pilot testing of SOSAS showed that a population‐based survey measuring the prevalence of surgical disease could be undertaken in a low income country. It is recommended that SOSAS be used with a larger sample size to calculate the prevalence of surgical disease in low income countries.
Correlation of apparent diffusion coefficient measured by diffusion‐weighted MRI and clinicopathologic features in pancreatic cancer patients
Authors: Hayano Koichi , Miura Fumihiko , Amano Hodaka , Toyota Naoyuki , Wada Keita , Kato Kenichiro , Sano Keiji , Takeshita Koji , Aoyagi Tomoyoshi , Shuto Kiyohiko , Matsubara Hisahiro , Asano Takehide , Takada Tadahiro
Published: February 2012

Background/purpose

The aim of this study was to evaluate the clinical usefulness of diffusion‐weighted magnetic resonance imaging (DWI) in patients with pancreatic cancer by comparing the apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) value with clinicopathologic features.

Methods

Twenty‐two consecutive patients (12 men, 10 women; mean age 64.4 years) with pancreatic cancer underwent DWI before surgery. We retrospectively investigated the correlations between tumor ADC value and clinicopathologic features.

Results

Apparent diffusion coefficient value was significantly lower for pancreatic cancer than for noncancerous tissue (P < 0.001). Receiver operating characteristic analysis yielded an optimal ADC cutoff value of 1.21 × 10−3 mm2/s to distinguish pancreatic cancer from noncancerous tissue. There was a significant negative correlation between ADC value and tumor size (r = ‐0.59, P = 0.004) and between ADC value and number of metastatic lymph nodes (r = ‐0.56, P = 0.007). Tumors with low ADC value had a significant tendency to show high portal venous system invasion (P = 0.02) and extrapancreatic nerve plexus invasion (P = 0.01).

Conclusions

Apparent diffusion coefficient value appears to be a promising parameter for detecting pancreatic cancer and evaluating the degree of malignancy of pancreatic cancer.
Combination small molecule PPT1 mimetic and CNS‐directed gene therapy as a treatment for infantile neuronal ceroid lipofuscinosis
Authors: Roberts Marie S. , Macauley Shannon L. , Wong Andrew M. , Yilmas Denis , Hohm Sarah , Cooper Jonathan D. , Sands Mark S.
Published: February 2012

Infantile neuronal ceroid lipofuscinosis (INCL) is a profoundly neurodegenerative disease of children caused by a deficiency in the lysosomal enzyme palmitoyl protein thioesterase‐1 (PPT1). There is currently no effective therapy for this invariably fatal disease. To date, preclinical experiments using single treatments have resulted in incremental clinical improvements. Therefore, we determined the efficacy of CNS‐directed AAV2/5‐mediated gene therapy alone and in combination with the systemic delivery of the lysosomotropic PPT1 mimetic phosphocysteamine. Since CNS‐directed gene therapy provides relatively high levels of PPT1 activity to specific regions of the brain, we hypothesized that phosphocysteamine would complement that activity in regions expressing subtherapeutic levels of the enzyme. Results indicate that CNS‐directed gene therapy alone provided the greatest improvements in biochemical and histological measures as well as motor function and life span. Phosphocysteamine alone resulted in only minor improvements in motor function and no increase in lifespan. Interestingly, phosphocysteamine did not increase the biochemical and histological response when combined with AAV2/5‐mediated gene therapy, but it did result in an additional improvement in motor function. These data suggest that a CNS‐directed gene therapy approach provides significant clinical benefit, and the addition of the small molecule PPT1 mimetic can further increase that response.
Predicting Latent Class Scores for Subsequent Analysis
Authors: Petersen Janne , Bandeen-Roche Karen , Budtz-Jørgensen Esben , Groes Larsen Klaus
Published: February 2012

Latent class regression models relate covariates and latent constructs such as psychiatric disorders. Though full maximum likelihood estimation is available, estimation is often in three steps: (i) a latent class model is fitted without covariates; (ii) latent class scores are predicted; and (iii) the scores are regressed on covariates. We propose a new method for predicting class scores that, in contrast to posterior probability-based methods, yields consistent estimators of the parameters in the third step. Additionally, in simulation studies the new methodology exhibited only a minor loss of efficiency. Finally, the new and the posterior probability-based methods are compared in an analysis of mobility/exercise.
Medical education: past, present and future
Authors: Norman Geoff
Published: February 2012

This article reviews changes in undergraduate and postgraduate medical education
since the Flexner report of 1910. I argue that many of the changes in the twentieth
century could be viewed as ‘post-Flexnerian’, and related to the integration of
biomedical science in the preclinical medical curriculum. I then go on to argue that
recent changes in the health care systems worldwide will force a critical re-examination
of our approach to clinical education—a ‘post-Oslerian’ era. I suggest that one approach
would be to decouple clinical education from clinical care, to some degree, and
supplement with curricula designed around careful sequencing of simulated
cases.
Cancer biomarkers
Authors: Henry N. Lynn , Hayes Daniel F.
Published: February 2012

Biomarkers have many potential applications in oncology, including risk assessment, screening, differential diagnosis, determination of prognosis, prediction of response to treatment, and monitoring of progression of disease. Because of the critical role that biomarkers play at all stages of disease, it is important that they undergo rigorous evaluation, including analytical validation, clinical validation, and assessment of clinical utility, prior to incorporation into routine clinical care. In this review we address key steps in the development of biomarkers, including ways to avoid introducing bias and guidelines to follow when reporting results of biomarker studies.
Thomas Stearns Eliot: Poet
Authors: Moody A. David
Published: February 2012

A. David Moody's Thomas Stearns Eliot: Poet was published to acclaim in 1979, with a successful paperback following in 1980. This carefully revised and corrected second edition, with a specially written preface and a new appendix, meets the demand for one of the classic studies of the twentieth century's best-known poet.
The Naval History of Great Britain
Authors: James William
Published: February 2012

William James (1780–1827) was a lawyer and naval historian best known for this magisterial history of the Royal Navy between 1793 and 1827. James began to research the role of the Royal Navy in the Revolutionary Wars, publishing five volumes between 1822 and 1824. This was expanded up to 1827 in later editions. In one of the most comprehensive histories of the Navy in the Napoleonic Wars ever published, James' rigorous research methodology using various contemporary sources provides detailed descriptions of the operations of the Royal Navy in the period. Fleet campaigns and minor engagements are discussed, with technical and tactical details of ships and battles also provided. These volumes (here reissued from the 1859 edition) remain an invaluable source of information for the history of the Royal Navy during this fascinating period. Volume 2 covers 1797–1800 and the Battle of the Nile.
Observations of Sir Richard Hawkins, Knt in His Voyage into the South Sea in the Year 1593
Authors: Hawkins Richard
Published: February 2012

The publications of the Hakluyt Society (founded in 1846) made available edited (and sometimes translated) early accounts of exploration. The first series, which ran from 1847 to 1899, consists of 100 books containing published or previously unpublished works by authors from Christopher Columbus to Sir Francis Drake, and covering voyages to the New World, to China and Japan, to Russia and to Africa and India. Volume 1, published in 1847, contains Sir Richard Hawkins's account of the voyage by which in 1593 he planned to sail to 'the Ilands of Japan, of the Phillippinas, and Molucas, the kingdomes of China, and the East Indies, by the way of the Straites of Magelan, and the South Sea'. The version of the book printed in 1622 was edited for the Hakluyt Society by Captain C .R. Drinkwater Bethune of the Royal Navy, and includes an editorial preface, explanatory footnotes and an index.
An Inquiry, whether Crime and Misery are Produced or Prevented, by our Present System of Prison Discipline
Authors: Buxton Thomas Fowell
Published: February 2012

Thomas Fowell Buxton, M. P. (1786–1845) was a philanthropist who had many connections with the Quaker movement through the family of his wife, who was the sister of Henry Gurney and Elizabeth Fry. He was a passionate opponent of slavery, and campaigned to end it at a time when most British people believed that enough had been done by the abolition of slave trading in 1807. His other great interest was the punishment of crime: he wanted the death sentence abolished, and his campaign succeeded in reducing the number of capital crimes from over two hundred to eight. This book is a plea for a complete change in the purpose and operation of prisons, and an argument (still valid today) that prisons actually encourage crime and produce recidivists rather than reformed characters. Buxton draws on own his experience as a visitor to produce a harrowing account of Victorian prison conditions.
The Book of Ser Marco Polo, the Venetian
Authors: Polo Marco
Published: February 2012

The Book of Ser Marco Polo, the Venetian is a nineteenth-century edition of the famous travelogue written by Rustichello da Pisa and Marco Polo, describing the travels of the latter through Asia, Persia, China and Indonesia between 1271 and 1291. The book secured lasting fame for its editor, the prominent geographer and literary scholar Henry Yule, who was awarded the founder's medal of the Royal Geographical Society for his efforts. The two-volume work, the result of Yule's research in Palermo, Venice, Florence, Paris and London and of extensive correspondence with scholars around the world, has long been considered an authoritative source on Polo's travels. Volume I contains Books One and Two of the travelogue and contains descriptions of the lands of the Middle East and Central Asia that Polo encountered en route to China. Book II covers Polo's time in China and the court of Kublai Khan.
A History of the Sikhs
Authors: Cunningham Joseph Davey
Published: February 2012

Joseph Davey Cunningham (1812–1851) joined the East India Company's army thanks to the patronage of Sir Walter Scott. He became the assistant to Colonel Claud Wade, a political agent on the Sikh frontier, in 1837, and spent eight years in various political roles living among the Sikh in the Punjab. While writing a report in 1844 for the government, he decided to undertake the history of the Sikhs, and received encouragement for the project from his father, Scottish poet and author Allan Cunningham. He spent four years on the book, and while it established his reputation as a historian of India, it also destroyed his career as a colonial official: he fell foul of the Army in India for his revelation of supposedly secret negotiations with Sikh leaders, and allegations of corruption, during the First Anglo-Sikh War of 1845–1846.
Neuronal Networks of the Hippocampus
Authors: Traub Roger D. , Miles Richard
Published: February 2012

The questions of how a large population of neurons in the brain functions, how synchronized firing of neurons is achieved, and what factors regulate how many and which neurons fire under different conditions form the central theme of this book. Using a combined experimental-theoretical approach unique in neuroscience, the authors present important techniques for the physiological reconstruction of a large biological neuronal network. They begin by discussing experimental studies of the CA3 hippocampal region in vitro, focusing on single-cell and synaptic electrophysiology, particularly the effects a single neuron exerts on its neighbours. This is followed by a description of a computer model of the system, first for individual cells then for the entire detailed network, and the model is compared with experiments under a variety of conditions. The results shed significant light into the mechanisms of epilepsy, electroencephalograms, and biological oscillations and provide an excellent test case for theories of neural networks. Researchers in neurophysiology and physiological psychology, physicians concerned with epilepsy and related disorders, and researchers in computational neuroscience will find this book an invaluable resource.
National Choices and International Processes
Authors: Maoz Zeev
Published: February 2012

National Choices and International Processes brings together the various conflicting approaches to the study of foreign policy decision-making under a single theoretical framework. Initially examining decision processes within states, Zeev Maoz continues by exploring the relationship between the creation of national choices and their outcomes, the interactions between states and the manner in which international processes evolve over time. This he calls the 'bottom up' approach which is contrasted in his last chapter with the 'top down' approach of systems analysis. Although the focus of this study is on theoretical construction, Maoz provides a thorough analysis of the literature on foreign policy decision-making and international bargaining. His arguments are supported both by separate chapters of mathematical analysis and by numerous historical examples, often from the Middle East - an area where the author has particular expertise. National Choices and International Processes is the culmination of many years work. It will be of interest to students and specialists in foreign policy and international relations theory.
Putting Popular Music in its Place
Authors: Hamm Charles
Published: February 2012

This volume of essays by the distinguished musicologist Charles Hamm focuses on the context of popular music and its interrelationships with other styles and genres, including classical music, the meaning of popular music for audiences, and the institutional appropriation of this music for hegemonic purposes. Specific topics include the use of popular song to rouse anti-slavery sentiment in mid-nineteenth-century America, the reception of such African-American styles and genres as rock 'n' roll and soul music by the black population of South Africa, the question of genre in the early songs of Irving Berlin, the attempts by the governments of South Africa and China to impose specific bodies of music on their populations, the persistence of the minstrel show in rural twentieth-century America and the impact of modernist modes of thought on writing about popular music.
The Mind and Art of Calderón
Authors: Parker Alexander Augustine
Published: February 2012

Don Pedro Calderón de la Barca (1600–81) was, with Lope de Vega, the greatest exponent of Spanish Golden Age drama. Professor Parker's essays are the fruits of a highly distinguished career spanning forty-five years. They provide a wide-ranging survey of Calderón's secular, three-act plays (comedias) through detailed analyses of individual works. The themes found in the plays are studied in relation to the background of ideas in seventeenth-century Spain and to the development of Calderón's own view of the intellectual life and the social, ethical and moral problems of this age. From the tensions of Calderón's early family life and his intellectual struggle with the associated problems, the book passes to the wider tensions in the social and political life of his time, and concludes with a demonstration of how Calderón raises all these human problems onto a wide 'philosophical' level through his use of myths and symbols.