bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Mild solutions of stochastic Navier‐Stokes equation with jump noise in ‐spaces
Authors: Fernando B. P. W. , Rüdiger B. , Sritharan S. S.
Published: May 2015

In this paper, we study solvability of the local mild solution of stochastic Navier‐Stokes equation with jump noise in ‐spaces. This research work has mainly carried out by exploiting some interesting works of Tosio Kato.
Pathways Through Care for Long‐Term Pain After Knee Replacement: A Qualitative Study With Healthcare Professionals
Authors: MacKichan F. , Wylde V. , Gooberman‐Hill R.
Published: May 2015

Background

Chronic pain after total knee replacement is experienced by around 20% of patients in the UK. Ensuring that services are designed to best meet the needs of patients requires a foundation of empirical work. The present study sought to describe healthcare professionals’ experiences and views on the assessment and care of patients with chronic pain after total knee replacement.

Methods

We undertook a qualitative focus group study with healthcare professionals at a large acute NHS hospital trust, all of whom came into contact with patients experiencing chronic pain after total knee replacement. Snowball sampling was used to recruit participants to four focus groups. Transcripts of the audio‐recorded groups were analysed thematically.

Results

Eighteen healthcare professionals from a range of disciplines took part. Participants found it difficult to conceptualize chronic pain; its character varied between patients, and its origins and progress were often ambiguous. In the first of two superordinate themes, participants recognized chronic pain as a possible outcome of total knee replacement, but felt that patients may be unprepared for this. In the second superordinate theme, apparent complexities in assessing and managing patients with chronic pain after total knee replacement and a lack of explicit access points meant that healthcare professionals often saw no clear way to help patients. Participants agreed that a multidisciplinary approach that adapts to individual patient context was an ideal approach.

Conclusion

The present study illustrated potential obstacles to ‘best practice’ in the management of chronic pain after total knee replacement, identified through research with healthcare professionals. There is a need to improve access to services and develop well‐defined and flexible care pathways that can accommodate complexities inherent to chronic pain, such as an unpredictable course. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Optimization of composite structures under multiple load cases using a discrete approach based on lamination parameters
Authors: de Faria Alfredo R.
Published: May 2015

This paper presents a new optimization technique applicable to optimization of composite structures subjected to multiple objectives. The composite structures may be composed of an arbitrary number of laminates. The technique is especially suited for the case where the layers of the laminates may assume a discrete number of orientations. However, given the efficiency of the technique, it is readily extendable to situations where the ply orientations vary quasi‐continuously, for instance, by one degree in one degree. The high efficiency is obtained through application of lamination parameters, which, in the case of symmetric laminates, consist of only 10 parameters per laminate. Three traditional structures, a rectangular composite plate, a cantilever composite beam, and a stiffened composite panel, are optimized against buckling when subjected to multiple load cases. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Synthesis of Arylamine Tribenzopentaphenes and Investigation of their Hole Mobility
Authors: Alameddine Bassam , Rice Andrew H. , Luscombe Christine , Jenny Titus A.
Published: May 2015

We report the versatile synthesis of two tribenzo[fj,ij,rst]pentaphene (TBP) derivatives bearing two diarylamine substituents attached at the opposite ends of the aromatic core. Field effect transistor (FET) devices of the bis‐diarylamine‐TBP compounds were fabricated using spin coating under different concentrations, spin speed, and solvent conditions. Emission spectra and surface investigation by atomic force microscopy (AFM) reveal the formation of aggregates induced by the strong π–π stacking of the aromatic core leading to island features, and thus, unexpected low hole mobilities. The synthetic strategy we show herein, however, offers the possibility to decorate the TBP core structure with various charge‐carrier peripheral groups and optimized alkyl chains, which should improve the crystalline property of their thin films upon deposition, leading consequently to a better hole transport mobility.
Processing of composite polystyrene foam with a honeycomb structure
Authors: Hong Yifeng , Fang Xudong , Yao Donggang
Published: May 2015

Composite polystyrene foam with a honeycomb‐like barrier structure was processed from an expandable aqueous suspension. Optical observations confirmed the formation of such a unique structure that encapsulates each expanded polystyrene microsphere in the resulting foam. The suspension viscosity was found to highly influence the foam morphology. Results from mechanical tests showed that the existence of the barrier structure can considerably improve the mechanical performance of the composite foam. Fire retardation tests demonstrated that the barrier structure can effectively stop the fire path into the foam, suppress toxic smoke generation, and maintain structural integrity, leading to improved fire resistance in comparison with the neat polystyrene foam. POLYM. ENG. SCI., 55:1494–1503, 2015. © 2015 Society of Plastics Engineers
Rho‐kinase inhibitor Y‐27632 increases cellular proliferation and migration in human foreskin fibroblast cells
Authors: Piltti Juha , Varjosalo Markku , Qu Chengjuan , Häyrinen Jukka , Lammi Mikko J.
Published: May 2015

The idea of direct differentiation of somatic cells into other differentiated cell types has attracted a great interest recently. Rho‐kinase inhibitor Y‐27632 (ROCKi) is a potential drug molecule, which has been reported to support the gene expressions typical for the chondrocytes, thus restricting their phenotypic conversion to fibroblastic cells upon the cellular expansion. In this study, we have investigated the short‐term biological responses of ROCKi to human primary foreskin fibroblasts. The fibroblast cells were exposed to 1 and 10 μM ROCKi treatments. A proteomics analysis revealed expression changes of 56 proteins, and a further protein pathway analysis suggested their association with the cell morphology, the organization, and the increased cellular movement and the proliferation. These functional responses were confirmed by a Cell‐IQ time‐lapse imaging analysis. Rho‐kinase inhibitor treatment increased the cellular proliferation up to twofold during the first 12 h, and a wound model based migration assay showed 50% faster filling of the mechanically generated wound area. Additionally, significantly less vinculin‐associated focal adhesions were present in the ROCKi‐treated cells. Despite the marked changes in the cell behavior, ROCKi was not able to induce the expression of the chondrocyte‐specific genes, such as procollagen α1(II) and aggrecan.
RETRACTED: Elevated GAPDH expression is associated with the proliferation and invasion of lung and esophageal squamous cell carcinomas
Authors: Hao Lihong , Zhou Xin , Liu Shuqing , Sun Mingzhong , Song Yang , Du Sha , Sun Bing , Guo Chunmei , Gong Linlin , Hu Jun , Guan Hongwei , Shao Shujuan
Published: May 2015

Glyceraldehyde‐3‐phosphate dehydrogenase, is one of the most investigated housekeeping genes and widely used as an internal control in analysis of gene expression levels. The present study was designed to assess whether GAPDH is associated with cancer cell growth and progression and, therefore may not be a good internal control in cancer research. Our results from clinical tissue studies showed that the levels of GAPDH protein were significantly up‐regulated in lung squamous cell carcinoma tissues, compared with the adjacent normal lung tissues, and this was confirmed by western blotting and immunohistochemistry. GAPDH knockdown by siRNA resulted in significant reductions in proliferation, migration, and invasion of lung squamous carcinoma cells in vitro. In a nude mouse cancer xenograft model, GAPDH knockdown significantly inhibited the cell proliferation and migration/invasion in vivo. In summary, GAPDH may not be an appropriate internal control for gene expression studies, especially in cancer research. The role of GAPDH in cancer development and progression should be further examined in pre‐clinical and clinical studies.
Reflections on Migration, Community, and Place
Authors: Phillips Deborah , Robinson David
Published: May 2015

This paper explores different conceptualisations of migration, community, and place as an introduction to a themed issue of this journal concerned with the contextualisation of migrants' experiences across a range of nested scales. The purpose of this collection of papers is to draw out the spatial variability, contradictions, and ambiguities in migrant experiences and to explore conceptual frameworks for understanding the connections between migration, community, and place. The papers focus on local places of social encounter, particularly at the neighbourhood and city scale, but they also draw attention to the value of comparative research to tease out structural differences in opportunities, social context, and policy that underpin commonalities and differences in experience between localities. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Thickness‐dependent electroforming behavior of ultra‐thin Ta2O5 resistance switching layer
Authors: Park Tae Hyung , Song Seul Ji , Kim Hae Jin , Kim Soo Gil , Chung Suock , Kim Beom Yong , Lee Kee Jeung , Kim Kyung Min , Choi Byung Joon , Hwang Cheol Seong
Published: May 2015

Electroforming behaviours of Ta2O5 resistance switching memory cell with a diameter of 28 nm and different thickness (0.5–2.0 nm) of Ta2O5 layer have been examined. The devices showed a constant forming electric field of 0.54 V/nm regardless of Ta2O5 thickness. The electroforming with negative bias to top TiN electrode was ascribed to electric field‐ driven migration of oxygen vacancies, originally residing near the bottom interface, toward the top electrode interface and formation of conducting filaments. The estimated electroforming energy (0.094–0.14 eV) was favourably compared with the hopping energy of electrons from the VO site to a nearby Ta site. (© 2015 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH &Co. KGaA, Weinheim)
Severe respiratory failure associated with influenza B virus infection
Authors: Kato Shinpei , Fujisawa Tomoyuki , Enomoto Noriyuki , Inui Naoki , Nakamura Yutaro , Suda Takafumi
Published: May 2015

A 72‐year‐old man who had been diagnosed with type B influenza infection and high fever 4 days previously was admitted to our hospital. He presented with severe respiratory insufficiency; chest computed tomography (CT) revealed extensive ground‐glass opacity in lung fields on both sides. Although peramivir and antibiotics were administered, reticular shadows on chest CT worsened and respiratory insufficiency deteriorated. The patient fulfilled the criteria for severe acute respiratory distress syndrome. Despite multimodal therapy, including noninvasive positive pressure ventilation, polymyxin B‐immobilized fiber column hemoperfusion, and methylprednisolone infusion, his general condition gradually deteriorated. He died of respiratory failure on day 129. Pathology findings of the lungs during autopsy showed diffuse alveolar damage. To our knowledge, this is the first report of severe respiratory failure after type B influenza infection. Clinicians should be aware of the potential for fatal respiratory failure in cases of type B as well as type A influenza infections.
Development of a Blade‐type Crawler Mechanism for a Fast Deployment Task to Observe Eruptions on Mt. Mihara
Authors: Yamada Yasuyuki , Miyagawa Yutaka , Yokoto Ryota , Endo Gen
Published: May 2015

Observing a crater during a volcanic eruption is a dangerous task that is still being performed by volcanologists. Because of the risks involved, it is proposed that this observation be performed by robots rather than humans. Unlike rescue robots that operate inside buildings, those that observe craters during volcanic activities are expected to demonstrate rapid movements because the environmental conditions during an eruption can change in a split second. Furthermore, the cost of the robots to be developed should be kept to a minimum, as there is a high chance that they will be damaged or lost. This study proposes a blade‐type crawler vehicle with improved performance over rough terrain. The vehicle does not compromise speed nor does it have complex controls, which keeps the cost low. The objective of the study was to observe eruptions on Mt. Mihara on Izu Oshima Island, where there have been threats of eruption in recent years. The proposed vehicle was tested, and its effectiveness was demonstrated through laboratory experiments and a field test on Mt. Mihara. This vehicle was capable of traveling on scoria desert and vulnerable, uneven, and rough terrain, including bushes, on Izu Oshima Island. In addition, the vehicle recorded a maximum velocity of about 10 km/h and climbed over steps with a height of about 135 mm, which is about 270% of the diameter of its wheel. Moreover, it is small, lightweight (2.5 kg), and it can be operated by one person. Through practical experiments, it was verified that the vehicle demonstrated superior performance and speed over rough terrain as compared with other crawler mechanisms. Therefore, it was found that the mechanism was effective for an unmanned probe device, especially in a hypothetical volcanic eruption site on Izu Oshima Island.
RJ: a Java package providing JR‐like concurrent programming
Authors: Olsson Ronald A. , Williamson Todd
Published: May 2015

The JR concurrent programming language extends Java with a richer concurrency model, by adding several new types and statements. JR provides dynamic remote virtual machine creation, dynamic remote object creation, remote method invocation, dynamic process creation, rendezvous, asynchronous message passing, semaphores, concurrent invocation, and shared variables. This paper presents RJ, a package for Java that provides JR‐like features. The paper gives an overview of RJ and its key features; describes the implications of RJ's design, including how RJ provides additional, useful flexibility; discusses the implementation of RJ; and gives qualitative and quantitative evaluations of our work with respect to feasibility and usability, experimentation, migration, and performance. RJ has been successful in meeting these goals and in providing insight into the trade‐offs between using a concurrent programming language versus using the equivalent concurrent package. Our work has yielded a few surprises in dealing with some concurrent programming language features, in understanding the run‐time performances of JR versus RJ programs, and in obtaining some additional, useful flexibility for concurrent programming applications. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Wind field simulation of large horizontal‐axis wind turbine system under different operating conditions
Authors: Chen Junling , Yang Rongchang , Ma Renle
Published: May 2015

This paper proposes a technique of generating turbulent wind velocities on large horizontal‐axis wind turbine systems under different operating conditions. The rotational sampling effect, vertical wind shear and coherence between wind velocities at blades and on the tower were taken into account. Coordinate system of wind time series at certain discrete sampling points on the vertical plane of the wind turbine is generated by the hybrid weighted amplitude wave superposition and proper orthogonal decomposition (POD) methods. The POD eigenmodes on the blades after updating locations were calculated subsequently using B‐spline surface interpolation method, and the rotationally sampled wind velocities are reconstructed by taking advantage of POD method again. Examples are subsequently presented to validate this proposed technique and demonstrate the generation of wind velocities under different operating conditions. The results show that the simulated spectrum of turbulent wind velocities at blades corresponds well to the measured data and that on the tower agrees well with the fixed point Kaimal spectrum. The reasonable sampling points spacing is suggested to be about 10 m for the wind field simulation of wind turbine system. The proposed method is of great advantage in accuracy and efficiency, which is greatly significant for the fine analysis of multi‐megawatt wind turbines. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Bis(2‐cycloazylindolyl)titanium Complexes: Synthesis, Characterization, and the Catalytic Behaviors towards Hydroamination and Ring‐opening Polymerization of ϵ‐Caprolactone
Authors: Zhao Jing‐Jing , Pei Hao , Chen Yan‐Mei , Lu Ning , Liu Jin‐Na , Hu Jin‐Fa , Liu Wei , Li Wu , Li Yahong
Published: May 2015

The ligands 2‐pyrazol‐1‐yl‐1H‐indole (HL1) and 2‐1,2,4‐triazol‐1‐yl‐1H‐indole (HL2) individually reacted with Ti(NMe2)4 in tetrahydrofuran to form the corresponding complexes Ti(L1)2(NMe2)2 (1) and Ti(L2)2(NMe2)2 (2), respectively. The titanium complexes were fully characterized by NMR measurement and elemental analysis as well as the single‐crystal X‐ray diffraction of 1 and 2. Both 1 and 2 exhibit high activities towards intermolecular hydroamination of terminal alkynes with high selectivity, and they also efficiently promote the ring‐opening polymerization of ϵ‐caprolactone.
Synthesis and Crystal Structure of the Electron‐Rich Cyano‐Rhodate Ba3[Rh(CN)3]
Authors: Jach Franziska , Höhn Peter , Prots Yurii , Ruck Michael
Published: May 2015

Brownish gray microcrystalline powders of Ba3[Rh(CN)3] were synthesized from pellets of mixtures of Ba2N, rhodium, NaCN, and graphite at 1070 K in an argon atmosphere. Synchrotron powder diffraction data at 293(1) K revealed the crystal structure of the compound [P63/m, a = 9.23266(7) Å, c = 5.81612(6) Å] is isostructural to Ba3[Co(CN)3] and Ba3[Ir(CN)3]. The trigonal‐planar complex [Rh(CN)3]6– is surrounded by nine Ba2+ cations forming a tri‐capped trigonal prism. Compared to typical cyano ligands, the C–N bond is long [1.21(5) Å] and the vibrational frequencies are low (IR 1674 cm–1, Raman 1728 cm–1).
On the use of the first order shear deformation plate theory for the analysis of three‐layer plates with thin soft core layer
Authors: Altenbach Holm , Eremeyev Victor A. , Naumenko Konstantin
Published: May 2015

Three‐layer laminates with thin soft core layer can be found in many engineering applications. Examples include laminated glasses and photovoltaic panels. For such structures high contrast in the mechanical properties of faces and core requires the use of advanced methods to determine effective material properties of the laminate. In this paper we address the application of the first order shear deformation plate theory to the analysis of laminates with thin and soft core layer. In particular, transverse shear stiffness parameters for three‐layered plates with different symmetric configurations are analyzed. For classical sandwiches with thick core layer the result coincides with the Reissner's formula. For the case of thin and compliant core layer the new expression for the effective shear stiffness is derived.
Engineering microaerobic metabolism of E. coli for 1,2-propanediol production
Authors: Jain Rachit , Huang Jin , Yuan Qipeng , Yan Yajun
Published: May 2015

Establishment of novel metabolic pathways for biosynthesis of chemicals, fuels and pharmaceuticals has been demonstrated in Escherichia coli due to its ease of genetic manipulation and adaptability to varying oxygen levels. E. coli growing under microaerobic condition is known to exhibit features of both aerobic and anaerobic metabolism. In this work, we attempt to engineer this metabolism for production of 1,2-propanediol. We first redirect the carbon flux by disrupting carbon-competing pathways to increase the production of 1,2-propanediol microaerobically from 0.25 to 0.85 g/L. We then disrupt the first committed step of E. coli’s ubiquinone biosynthesis pathway (ubiC) to prevent the oxidation of NADH in microaerobic conditions. Coupling this strategy with carbon flux redirection leads to enhanced production of 1,2-propanediol at 1.2 g/L. This work demonstrates the production of non-native reduced chemicals in E. coli by engineering its microaerobic metabolism.
Stabilization of single speciesSynechocystisbiofilms by cultivation under segmented flow
Authors: David Christian , Bühler Katja , Schmid Andreas
Published: May 2015

The application of segmented flow on a Synechocystis sp. PCC 6803 biofilm prevented excessive biomass formation and clogging by fundamentally changing the structure of the microbial community. It was possible to continuously operate a capillary microreactor for 5 weeks, before the experiment was actively terminated. The biofilm developed up to a thickness of 70–120 µm. Surprisingly, the biofilm stopped growing at this thickness and stayed constant without any detachment events occurring afterwards. The substrates CO2 and light were supplied in a counter-current fashion. Confocal microscopy revealed a throughout photosynthetically active biofilm, indicated by the red fluorescence of photo pigments. This control concept and biofilm reaction setup may enable continuous light driven synthesis of value added compounds in future.
Electron flux and microbial community in microbial fuel cells (open-circuit and closed-circuit modes) and fermentation
Authors: Yu Jaecheul , Park Youghyun , Lee Taeho
Published: May 2015

A closed-circuit microbial fuel cell (C-MFC) was operated to investigate the electron flux under fed-batch mode, and the results were compared to those of open-circuit MFC (O-MFC) and a fermentation reactor (F-reactor). The current was the largest electron sink (52.7 % of influent SCOD) in C-MFC, whereas biomass and methane gas were the most significant electron sinks in O-MFC and F-reactor. Interestingly, some of the unknown sink may have accumulated in the electrode of O-MFC. Principal component analysis based on gradient gel electrophoresis profiles showed that the microbial communities were significantly affected by the growth conditions and the presence of electrode, regardless of the circuit connection. Therefore, the electrode and circuit mode might help to control the amount of biomass and enhance the MFC performance.
Potential benefits of student- and junior doctor-led textbooks
Authors: Qureshi Zeshan U , Lattey Katherine , Bryne Patrick , Rodrigues Mark , Ross Michael , Maxwell Simon
Published: May 2015

Introduction Medical textbooks are an important teaching supplement. Few have junior doctors or medical students (‘juniors’) as primary contributors. However, the strengths of junior-led face-to-face teaching are now well-established, and we hypothesized that similar advantages would be transferrable to a textbook setting.

Methods Juniors were approached to contribute to an independently published medical textbook, with senior clinicians recruited in parallel to ensure factual accuracy. Juniors directed every aspect of textbook writing and the production process. The published book stressed that it was an open collaboration with readers, inviting them to get in touch to evaluate the text and suggest ideas for new titles.

Results Of 75 respondents, 93 % awarded the first textbook in the series 4 or 5 out of 5 for overall quality. Five other titles have been released, with seven more in development. Over 100 juniors are currently involved, with two students progressing from reviewers to editors after less than a year of mentorship.

Conclusion Juniors can be a motivated, dynamic, innovative group, capable of significant contributions to the medical textbook literature. This initiative has generated a sustainable infrastructure to facilitate junior-led publishing, and has the capacity for expansion to accommodate new initiatives and ideas.
Communication in legislative bargaining
Authors: Baranski Andrzej , Kagel John H.
Published: May 2015

We investigate the Baron-Ferejohn (The American Political Science Review 83(4): 1181–1206, 1989) model of legislative bargaining with cheap talk between the designated proposer and potential coalition partners. Communication results in substantially increased proposer power close to the stationary subgame perfect equilibrium prediction. This is achieved primarily through voters competing with each other to get the proposer to include them in the winning coalition, while arguing for a zero allocation for redundant voters. Voters typically follow through on their stated reservation shares, but proposers often fail to partner with voters making excessively low offers, as these are more likely to be reneged on.
Reptin physically interacts with p65 and represses NF‐κB activation
Authors: Qiu Hua , Gao Yueqiu , Mao Dewen
Published: May 2015

Reptin and Pontin belong to the AAA+ ATPase family of DNA helicases. Both proteins are present in several chromatin‐remodeling machineries and are involved in transcriptional regulation, DNA repair, and telomerase activity, but they also function independently from each other. Here we report the identification of p65 as an interacting partner of Reptin. Using reporter gene assays, we show Reptin inhibits NF‐κB transactivation after TNFα stimulation. Reptin is mainly localized in the cytoplasm and impedes NF‐κB activation by inhibiting IκB‐α degradation and restraining p65 nuclear translocation. These results reveal a novel mechanism for the control of NF‐κB pathway by cytoplasmic Reptin.
Biselyngbyasides, cytotoxic marine macrolides, are novel and potent inhibitors of the Ca2+ pumps with a unique mode of binding
Authors: Morita Maho , Ogawa Haruo , Ohno Osamu , Yamori Takao , Suenaga Kiyotake , Toyoshima Chikashi
Published: May 2015

Biselyngbyasides (BLSs), macrolides from a marine cyanobacterium, are cytotoxic natural products whose target molecule is unknown. Here we report that BLSs are high affinity (K
i
∼ 10 nM) inhibitors of Ca2+‐pumps with a unique binding mode. The crystal structures of the Ca2+‐pump in complex with BLSs at 3.2–3.5 Å‐resolution show that BLSs bind to the pump near the cytoplasmic surface of the transmembrane region. The crystal structures and activity measurement of BLS analogs allow us to identify the structural features that confer high potency to BLSs as inhibitors of the pump.
Expulsion of Nova‐T380, Multiload 375, and Copper‐T380A contraceptive devices inserted during cesarean delivery
Authors: Ragab Ahmed , Hamed Hossam O. , Alsammani Mohamed A. , Shalaby Hend , Nabeil Hanan , Barakat Rafik , Fetih Ahmed N.
Published: May 2015

Objective

To compare the expulsion rate of Nova‐T380, Multiload 375, and Copper‐T380A intrauterine contraceptive devices (IUCDs) inserted during cesarean delivery.

Methods

A comparative randomized study was conducted between January 1, 2013, and June 30, 2014, in three maternity centers in Egypt and Saudi Arabia. All women scheduled for an elective cesarean and accepting intraoperative insertion of an IUCD were randomly allocated to receive the Nova‐T380 (group 1), Multiload 375 (group 2), or Cu‐T380A (group 3) using a computer‐generated table. Researchers and participants were not masked to the type of IUCD. Follow‐up was for 1 year. The primary outcome was IUCD expulsion (complete or partial [i.e. displacement]).

Results

Each group contained 40 participants. At 1 year, expulsion had been reported for 5 (13%) women in group 1, 2 (5%) in group 2, and 6 (15%) in group 3 (P > 0.05 for all). The frequency of displacement was significantly lower in group 2 (5 [13%] participants) than in group 1 (15 [38%]; P = 0.001) and group 3 (14 [35%]; P = 0.008).

Conclusion

Despite a comparable risk of expulsion following IUCD insertion during cesarean delivery, the Multiload 375 device showed the lowest risk of displacement.
Risks of nonadherence to hormone therapy in Asian women with breast cancer
Authors: Hsieh Kun‐Pin , Chen Li‐Chia , Cheung Kwok‐Leung , Yang Yi‐Hsin
Published: May 2015

The aim of this study was to quantify the hormone therapy (HT) nonadherence patterns and to assess the associated risk factors in Asian women with breast cancer. This retrospective cohort study used the Taiwan Health Insurance Research Database from 2003 to 2011. Data from women with newly diagnosed primary breast cancer were identified, and persistence (without HT prescribing gap ≥ 180 days) to HT was defined through records of dispensing prescriptions. Study cohorts were further classified as adjuvant and primary HT groups. Each individual's HT utilization patterns and the medication possession ratio at overall HT course were measured. The odds ratios (ORs) of nonadherence (medication possession ratio, <80%) in adjuvant and primary HT patients were estimated using logistic regressions with adjustment of potential confounding variables. These patients had 15.6% and 23.4% nonadherence rates to HT in adjuvant and primary HT groups, respectively. In the adjuvant HT group, older age groups (≥50 years) and taking aromatase inhibitors were less likely to show nonadherence (p < 0.05). In the primary HT group, women older than 70 years were significantly less likely to exhibit nonadherence (OR = 0.53; 95% confidence interval, 0.28–0.99); however, women with presence of HT‐related adverse events had significantly increased risk (OR = 1.44; 95% confidence interval, 1.02–2.03). Young age and experience of musculoskeletal and joint symptoms were identified as risk factors for nonadherence.
Trematode diversity in the freshwater snail Bithyniasiamensisgoniomphalos sensu lato from Thailand and Lao PDR
Authors: Kiatsopit N. , Sithithaworn P. , Kopolrat K. , Namsanor J. , Andrews R.H. , Petney T.N.
Published: May 2015

In order to obtain a comprehensive understanding of trematode diversity in Bithyniasiamensis goniomphalos sensu lato, the first intermediate host of the liver fluke Opisthorchis viverrini s.l., the prevalence of larval trematode species was investigated in different localities in Thailand and Lao People's Democratic Republic (Lao PDR). In Thailand, snail samples were collected from 29 localities in the nine provinces: Buri Ram, Surin, Chaiya Phum, Maha Sarakham, Khon Kaen, Kalasin, Mukdahan, Sakon Nakhon and Nakhon Phanom. In Lao PDR, snail samples were collected from 21 localities in Vientiane Province and six localities in Savannakhet Province. Snails were identified by standard morphological criteria and then examined for trematode infection using the cercarial shedding method. Twenty different types of cercariae were detected and identified, based on morphological criteria. Virgulate type 1 emerged as the most common cercaria, with an average prevalence of 10.90% (range 0.26–54.22%) in Thailand and 6.58% (range 1.15–89.77%) in Lao PDR. Opisthorchis viverrini s.l. cercariae were the fourth most common in Thailand, with an average prevalence of 1.59% (0.15–6.93), while in Lao PDR their prevalence was 0.96% (0.08–8.37). The high diversity of trematode cercariae observed in this study indicates that B. s. goniomphalos s.l. is highly susceptible to infection with a variety of trematode species. However, the role of non-opisthorchiid trematodes as fish-borne parasites in human health is not fully known and further molecular identification is required.
Servigliano revisited: An examination from constraint-based serialism
Authors: TORRES-TAMARIT FRANCESC
Published: May 2015

This paper examines a metaphonic chain shift in Servigliano (Italo-Romance), in which /ɛ, ɔ/ raise to [e, o] and /e, o/ raise to [i, u] when stressed and followed by inflectional /i, u/. The paper also explores pre-tonic metaphony, whereby /ɛ, ɔ/ raise all the way up to [i, u] when followed by a stressed high vowel. First, an analysis of the data is developed using Optimality Theory with Candidate Chains (OT-CC), taking as a starting point the parallel OT analysis developed in Mascaró (2011). Second, it is shown that OT-CC causes one analytical problem and no gain in terms of economy. On the one hand, the metaphony-triggering constraint Agree(+high,+ATR) proposed in Mascaró (2011) needs to be split into two different constraints, one of which needs a more complicated formulation that requires a conditional clause. On the other hand, positional faithfulness is needed, as in the parallel OT analysis by Mascaró (2011b), to explain the asymmetry between one-step metaphony and fell-swoop pre-tonic metaphony; OT-CC provides no inherent advantage in explaining this asymmetry.
Sensitive periods in human social development: New insights from research on oxytocin, synchrony, and high-risk parenting
Authors: Feldman Ruth
Published: May 2015

Sensitive periods (SP) in behavioral development appeared in the biological sciences during the first decade of the 20th century, and research in animal models beginning in the 1950s provide terminology and evidence for SP effects. This paper proposes a rigorous program for human SP research and argues that the complexity of the human brain and variability of the human ecology necessitate that SP effects must be studied in humans, employ longitudinal designs starting at birth, test mechanism-based hypotheses based on animal studies that manipulate early environments, and utilize high-risk conditions as “natural experiments.” In light of research on the molecular basis of critical periods and their sequential cascades, it is proposed that the oxytocin (OT) system, an ancient and integrative system that cross-talks with the stress, reward, immune, and brain stem mediated homeostatic systems and supports mammalian sociality, plays a unique role in experience-dependent plasticity that buttresses SP effects due to its (a) dendritic mode of release leading to autoregulated functioning primed by early experience, (b) pulsatile pattern of activity, and (c) special role in neural plasticity at the molecular and network assembly levels. Synchrony, the coordination of biology and behavior during social contact, is suggested as a mechanism by which SP exert their effect on OT functionality, the social brain, and adult sociality. Findings from four high-risk birth cohorts, each followed repeatedly from birth to 10 years, provide unique “natural experiments” for human SP research based on specific programs in animal models. These include prematurity (maternal proximity), multiple birth (peer rearing), postpartum depression (low licking and grooming), and chronic unpredictable trauma (maternal rotation, variable foraging demands). In each cohort, hypotheses are based on the missing environmental component during SP, and findings on social synchrony, OT functionality, stress response, emotion regulation, and mental health accord with the multilevel and dynamic principles of developmental psychopathology. The results on the potential for reparation versus chronicity following early deprivation highlight a flexible conceptualization of resilience based on human SP research. Consideration of SP effects at the molecular, endocrine, brain, and behavioral levels and in relation to the neural plasticity and multifinality of human social functions may assist in fine-tuning early detection and the construction of targeted individualized interventions.
Exposure to early adversity: Points of cross-species translation that can lead to improved understanding of depression
Authors: Andersen Susan L.
Published: May 2015

The relationship between developmental exposure to adversity and affective disorders is reviewed. Adversity discussed herein includes physical and sexual abuse, neglect, or loss of a caregiver in humans. While these stressors can occur at any point during development, the unique temporal relationship to specific depressive symptoms was the focus of discussion. Further influences of stress exposure during sensitive periods can vary by gender and duration of abuse as well. Data from animal studies are presented to provide greater translational and causal understanding of how sensitive periods, different types of psychosocial stressors, and sex interact to produce depressive-like behaviors. Findings from maternal separation, isolation rearing, chronic variable stress, and peer–peer rearing paradigms clarify interpretation about how various depressive behaviors are influenced by age of exposure. Depressive behaviors are broken down into the following categories: mood and affect, anhedonia, energy, working memory, sleep–wake, appetite changes, suicide, and general malaise. Cross-species evidence from humans, nonhuman primates, rats, and mice within each of these categories is discussed. In conclusion, sensitive periods for affective-related behaviors (anxiety, mood, and controllability) occur earlier in life, while other aspects of depression are associated with adversity later during adolescence.
The theory of latent vulnerability: Reconceptualizing the link between childhood maltreatment and psychiatric disorder
Authors: McCrory Eamon J. , Viding Essi
Published: May 2015

Maltreatment in childhood is associated with a significantly increased likelihood of psychiatric disorder that endures across the life span. If disorders emerge they tend to be more severe and less responsive to treatment. We introduce the concept of latent vulnerability as a way of conceptualizing the nature of this psychiatric risk. We argue that vulnerability to mental health problems can be understood as changes in a suite of neurocognitive systems that reflect adaptation or altered calibration to early neglectful or maltreating environments. Altered threat processing is presented as one exemplar candidate system. Heightened neurocognitive vigilance to threat is argued to reflect a calibration to an early at-risk environment that becomes maladaptive (and instantiates vulnerability) in the longer term. Other neurocognitive domains, including reward and memory processing, represent equally promising candidates for indexing latent vulnerability and warrant future enquiry. We suggest that the operationalization of latent vulnerability has the potential to guide a preventative psychiatry approach. Intervention currently occurs at two stages when maltreatment is confirmed: first, by addressing issues of risk; and second, by providing clinical intervention if a child meets criteria for psychiatric disorder. We argue that indexing latent vulnerability represents a third intervention opportunity, with the potential to target an indicated prevention approach for the most vulnerable children, offsetting risk trajectories before psychiatric disorders emerge.
Childhood maltreatment and its effect on neurocognitive functioning: Timing and chronicity matter
Authors: Cowell Raquel A. , Cicchetti Dante , Rogosch Fred A. , Toth Sheree L.
Published: May 2015

Childhood maltreatment represents a complex stressor, with the developmental timing, duration, frequency, and type of maltreatment varying with each child (Barnett, Manly, & Cicchetti, 1993; Cicchetti & Manly, 2001). Multiple brain regions and neural circuits are disrupted by the experience of child maltreatment (Cicchetti & Toth, in press; DeBellis et al., 2002; McCrory & Viding, 2010; Teicher, Anderson, & Polcari, 2012). These neurobiological compromises indicate the impairment of a number of important cognitive functions, including working memory and inhibitory control. The present study extends prior research by examining the effect of childhood maltreatment on neurocognitive functioning based on developmental timing of maltreatment, including onset, chronicity, and recency, in a sample of 3- to 9-year-old nonmaltreated (n= 136) and maltreated children (n= 223). Maltreated children performed more poorly on inhibitory control and working-memory tasks than did nonmaltreated children. Group differences between maltreated children based on the timing of maltreatment and the chronicity of maltreatment also were evident. Specifically, children who were maltreated during infancy, and children with a chronic history of maltreatment, exhibited significantly poorer inhibitory control and working-memory performance than did children without a history of maltreatment. The results suggest that maltreatment occurring during infancy, a period of major brain organization, disrupts normative structure and function, and these deficits are further instantiated by the prolonged stress of chronic maltreatment during the early years of life.
Plasticity of risky decision making among maltreated adolescents: Evidence from a randomized controlled trial
Authors: Weller Joshua A. , Leve Leslie D. , Kim Hyoun K. , Bhimji Jabeene , Fisher Philip A.
Published: May 2015

Childhood maltreatment has lasting negative effects throughout the life span. Early intervention research has demonstrated that these effects can be remediated through skill-based, family-centered interventions. However, less is known about plasticity during adolescence, and whether interventions are effective many years after children experience maltreatment. This study investigated this question by examining adolescent girls' ability to make advantageous decisions in the face of risk using a validated decision-making task; performance on this task has been associated with key neural regions involved in affective processing and executive functioning. Maltreated foster girls (n= 92), randomly assigned at age 11 to either an intervention designed to prevent risk-taking behaviors or services as usual (SAU), and nonmaltreated age and socioeconomic status matched girls living with their biological parent(s) (n= 80) completed a decision-making task (at age 15–17) that assessed risk taking and sensitivity to expected value, an index of advantageous decision making. Girls in the SAU condition demonstrated the greatest decision-making difficulties, primarily for risks to avoid losses. In the SAU group, frequency of neglect was related to greater difficulties in this area. Girls in the intervention condition with less neglect performed similarly to nonmaltreated peers. This research suggests that early maltreatment may impact decision-making abilities into adolescence and that enriched environments during early adolescence provide a window of plasticity that may ameliorate these negative effects.
Adversity in preschool-aged children: Effects on salivary interleukin-1β
Authors: Tyrka Audrey R. , Parade Stephanie H. , Valentine Thomas R. , Eslinger Nicole M. , Seifer Ronald
Published: May 2015

Exposure to early life adversity is linked to impaired affective, cognitive, and behavioral functioning and increases risk for various psychiatric and medical conditions. Stress-induced increases in pro-inflammatory cytokines may be a biological mechanism of these effects. Few studies have examined cytokine levels in children experiencing early life adversity, and very little research has investigated cytokines or other markers of inflammation in saliva. In the present study, we examined salivary interleukin (IL)-1β and C-reactive protein (CRP) levels in relation to stress exposure in 40 children aged 3 to 5 years who were enrolled in a larger study of early life adversity. Childhood maltreatment status was assessed via review of child welfare records. Contextual stress exposure, traumatic life event history, and symptoms of psychopathology were assessed via caregiver interviews at a home visit. In a subsequent visit, salivary IL-1β and CRP were obtained before and after participation in four emotion-eliciting tasks. The number of past-month contextual stressors, lifetime contextual stressors, and traumatic life events each demonstrated a significant main effect on IL-1β. Baseline IL-1β was positively associated with each of the significant main-effect adversities. Postchallenge IL-1β displayed positive associations with each adversity variable, but these were not significant. CRP was not significantly associated with any of the adversity variables. Given the evidence suggesting the involvement of IL-1β in the neuropathology of psychiatric conditions, these results may have important implications for developmental outcomes.
Environmental Constitutionalism in South Asia: Analyzing the Experiences of Nepal and Sri Lanka
Authors: Gellers Joshua C.
Published: May 2015

Why do some countries adopt constitutional environmental rights while others do not? This article uses qualitative content analysis of interviews conducted in Kathmandu (Nepal) and Colombo (Sri Lanka) to analyze the cases of Nepal, which adopted a constitutional environmental right in the 2007 Interim Constitution, and Sri Lanka, which has not enacted such a right in any of its governing charters. It finds that the presence of a constitutional environmental right in Nepal and the absence of such a right in Sri Lanka can be best explained directly with reference to domestic political conditions and structures, and indirectly in terms of the international normative environment in which the constitution was written. The article outlines a research agenda which focuses on evaluating the impacts of constitutional environmental rights. This research provides important insights into the process of constitutional design in developing states and the translation of international norms in domestic contexts.
What Causes Sunspot Pairs?
Authors: Wendel JoAnna
Published: May 2015

Analysis of magnetic fields on the Sun's surface offers a new clue on why sunspots appear.
The Brain Metabolic Activity after Resuscitation with Liposome-Encapsulated Hemoglobin in a Rat Model of Hypovolemic Shock
Authors: Rao Geeta , Hedrick Andria F , Yadav Vivek R , Xie Jun , Hussain Alamdar , Awasthi Vibhudutta
Published: May 2015

We examined the effect of resuscitation with liposome-encapsulated hemoglobin (LEH) on cerebral bioenergetics in a rat model of 45% hypovolemia. The rats were resuscitated with isovolemic LEH or saline after 15 minutes of shock and followed up to 6 hours. Untreated hypovolemic rats received no fluid. The cerebral uptake of F-18-fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG) was measured by PET, and at 6 hours, the brain was collected for various assays. Hypovolemia decreased cellular adenosine triphosphate (ATP), phosphocreatine, nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD)/NADH ratio, citrate synthase activity, glucose-6-phosphate, and nerve growth factor (NGF), even when FDG uptake remained unchanged. The FDG uptake was reduced by saline, but not by LEH infusion. The reduced FDG uptake in saline group was associated with a decrease in hexokinase I expression. The LEH infusion effectively restored ATP content, NAD/NADH ratio, and NGF expression, and reduced the hypovolemia-induced accumulation of pyruvate and ubiquitinated proteins; in comparison, saline was significantly less effective. The LEH infusion was associated with low pH and high anion gap, indicating anionic gap acidosis. The results suggest that hypovolemic shock perturbs glucose metabolism at the level of pyruvate utilization, resulting in deranged cerebral energy stores. The correction of volume and oxygen deficits by LEH recovers the cerebral metabolism and creates a prosurvival phenotype.
Expanding Applications, Accuracy, and Interpretation of Laser Speckle Contrast Imaging of Cerebral Blood Flow
Authors: Kazmi SM Shams , Richards Lisa M , Schrandt Christian J , Davis Mitchell A , Dunn Andrew K
Published: May 2015

Laser speckle contrast imaging (LSCI) provides a rapid characterization of cortical flow dynamics for functional monitoring of the microcirculation. The technique stems from interactions of laser light with moving particles. These interactions encode the encountered Doppler phenomena within a random interference pattern imaged in widefield, known as laser speckle. Studies of neurovascular function and coupling with LSCI have benefited from the real-time characterization of functional dynamics in the laboratory setting through quantification of perfusion dynamics. While the technique has largely been relegated to acute small animal imaging, its scalability is being assessed and characterized for both chronic and clinical neurovascular imaging.