bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Use of the modified frailty index to predict 30-day morbidity and mortality from spine surgery
Authors: Ali Rushna , Schwalb Jason M. , Nerenz David R. , Antoine Heath J. , Rubinfeld Ilan
Published: May 2016

OBJECTIVE

Limited tools exist to stratify perioperative risk in patients undergoing spinal procedures. The modified frailty index (mFI) based on the Canadian Study of Health and Aging Frailty Index (CSHA-FI), constructed from standard demographic variables, has been applied to various other surgical populations for risk stratification. The authors hypothesized that it would be predictive of postoperative morbidity and mortality in patients undergoing spine surgery.

METHODS

The 2006–2010 National Surgical Quality Improvement Program (NSQIP) data set was accessed for patients undergoing spine surgeries based on Current Procedural Terminology (CPT) codes. Sixteen preoperative clinical NSQIP variables were matched to 11 CSHA-FI variables (changes in daily activities, gastrointestinal problems, respiratory problems, clouding or delirium, hypertension, coronary artery and peripheral vascular disease, congestive heart failure, and so on). The outcomes assessed were 30-day occurrences of adverse events. These were then summarized in groups: any infection, wound-related complication, Clavien IV complications (life-threatening, requiring ICU admission), and mortality.

RESULTS

A total of 18,294 patients were identified. In 8.1% of patients with an mFI of 0 there was at least one morbid complication, compared with 24.3% of patients with an mFI of ≥ 0.27 (p < 0.001). An mFI of 0 was associated with a mortality rate of 0.1%, compared with 2.3% for an mFI of ≥ 0.27 (p < 0.001). Patients with an mFI of 0 had a 1.7% rate of surgical site infections and a 0.8% rate of Clavien IV complications, whereas patients with an mFI of ≥ 0.27 had rates of 4.1% and 7.1% for surgical site infections and Clavien IV complications, respectively (p < 0.001 for both). Multivariate analysis showed that the preoperative mFI and American Society of Anesthesiologists classification of ≥ III had a significantly increased risk of leading to Clavien IV complications and death.

CONCLUSIONS

A higher mFI was associated with a higher risk of postoperative morbidity and mortality, providing an additional tool to improve perioperative risk stratification.
Cephalometric oropharynx and oral cavity analysis in Chiari malformation Type I: a retrospective case-control study
Authors: Urbizu Aintzane , Ferré Alex , Poca Maria-Antonia , Rovira Alex , Sahuquillo Juan , Martin Bryn A. , Macaya Alfons
Published: May 2016

OBJECTIVE

Traditionally, Chiari malformation Type I has been related to downward herniation of the cerebellar tonsils as a consequence of an underdeveloped posterior cranial fossa. Although the common symptoms of Chiari malformation Type I are occipital headaches, cervical pain, dizziness, paresthesia, and sensory loss, patients often report symptoms related to pharyngeal dysfunction such as choking, regurgitation, dysphagia, aspiration, chronic cough, and sleep disorders. In addition, tracheal intubation is often difficult in these patients. The purpose of this study was to analyze the morphological features of the oropharynx and oral cavity in patients with Chiari malformation Type I to help identify underlying anatomical anomalies leading to these debilitating symptoms.

METHODS

Seventy-six adult patients with symptomatic Chiari malformation Type I with cerebellar tonsillar descent greater than 5 mm below the foramen magnum and a small posterior cranial fossa and 49 sex-matched controls were selected to perform a retrospective case-control MRI-based morphometric study in a tertiary hospital. Eleven linear and areal parameters of the oropharyngeal cavity on midsagittal T1-weighted MRI were measured and the average values between patients and control cohorts were compared. Correlations between variables showing or approaching statistical significance in these structures and posterior cranial fossa measurements related with the occipital bone were sought.

RESULTS

Significant differences were detected for several oropharynx and oral cavity measures in the patient cohort, primarily involving the length and thickness of the soft palate (p = 9.5E-05 and p = 3.0E-03, respectively). A statistically significant (p < 0.01) moderate correlation between some of these variables and posterior cranial fossa parameters was observed.

CONCLUSIONS

The existence of structural oropharyngeal and oral cavity anomalies in patients with Chiari malformation Type I was confirmed, which may contribute to the frequent occurrence of respiratory and deglutitory complications and sleep disorders in this syndrome.
Educational and interactive informed consent process for treatment of unruptured intracranial aneurysms
Authors: Park Jaechan , Son Wonsoo , Park Ki-Su , Kang Dong-Hun , Lee Joomi , Oh Chang Wan , Kwon O-Ki , Kim Taesun , Kim Chang-Hyun
Published: May 2016

OBJECTIVE

For patients with unruptured intracranial aneurysms (UIAs), the information transfer that precedes informed consent needs to be in-depth and detailed, as most patients with a UIA have no symptoms, yet the risks related to treatment are relatively high. Thus, in this study an educational and interactive program was proposed for patients with UIAs to improve the informed consent process and assess the level of comprehension.

METHODS

A total of 110 patients with UIAs underwent the proposed educational and interactive informed consent (EIIC) process and were enrolled in this study. The EIIC process combines patient education using information booklets, a cartoon book, a video, an initial physician-patient interview, answering a questionnaire, a second physician-patient interview based on the questionnaire results, and finally consent. After the first physician-patient interview that provides the patient with specific information, including his or her angiographic characteristics, medical condition, and recommended treatment, the patient is requested to answer a questionnaire composed of 3 parts: demographic information, including the patient's age, sex, and years of education; 13 medical questions to assess the patient's knowledge about his or her UIA; and an evaluation of the usefulness of the educational resources. The control group consisted of 65 patients from 3 other tertiary university hospitals where the EIIC process was not used.

RESULTS

The questionnaire scores of the EIIC group ranged from 7 to 13 (mean ± SD: 11.9 ± 1.3) and were significantly higher than those for the controls (10.2 ± 1.9, p < 0.001). The better comprehension of the patients in the EIIC group was remarkable as they were significantly older than those in the control group (62.7 ± 8.3 years vs 55.9 ± 10.5 years, respectively; p < 0.001). For both the EIIC group and the control group, a Pearson correlation analysis revealed a positive correlation (r = 0.232 for the EIIC group, r = 0.603 for controls) between the years of education and the questionnaire score (p = 0.015 for the EIIC group, p < 0.001 for the controls), whereas no correlation was found between the patient age and the questionnaire score. For the EIIC group, the verbal information from the attending physician was selected by 90 patients (81.8%) as the most useful and informative educational method, while the most effective reinforcement of this verbal communication was the video (n = 86; 78.2%), information booklets (n = 16; 14.5%), the Internet (n = 7; 6.4%), and the cartoon book (n = 1; 0.9%).

CONCLUSIONS

The proposed standardized EIIC process resulted in good patient comprehension about UIAs. The verbal information from the attending physician was the most informative, and the video was the most effective reinforcement of the verbal communication. The patient level of comprehension was shown to be correlated with years of education.
Risk factors for revision surgery following primary adult spinal deformity surgery in patients 65 years and older
Authors: Puvanesarajah Varun , Shen Francis H. , Cancienne Jourdan M. , Novicoff Wendy M. , Jain Amit , Shimer Adam L. , Hassanzadeh Hamid
Published: May 2016

OBJECTIVE

Surgical correction of adult spinal deformity (ASD) is a complex undertaking with high revision rates. The elderly population is poorly studied with regard to revision surgery, yet senior citizens constitute a rapidly expanding surgical demographic. Previous studies aimed at elucidating appropriate risk factors for revision surgery have been limited by small cohort sizes. The purpose of this study was to assess factors that modify the risk of revision surgery in elderly patients with ASD.

METHODS

The PearlDiver database (2005–2012) was used to determine revision rates in elderly ASD patients treated with a primary thoracolumbar posterolateral fusion of 8 or more levels. Analyzed risk factors included demographics, comorbid conditions, and surgical factors. Significant univariate predictors were further analyzed with multivariate analysis. The causes of revision at each year of follow-up were determined.

RESULTS

A total of 2293 patients who had been treated with posterolateral fusion of 8 or more levels were identified. At the 1-year follow-up, 241 (10.5%) patients had been treated with revision surgery, while 424 (18.5%) had revision surgery within 5 years. On univariate analysis, obesity was found to be a significant predictor of revision surgery at 1 year, while bone morphogenetic protein (BMP) use was found to significantly decrease revision surgery at 4 and 5 years of followup. Diabetes mellitus, osteoporosis, and smoking history were all significant univariate predictors of increased revision risk at multiple years of follow-up. Multivariate analysis at 5 years of follow-up revealed that osteoporosis (OR 1.98, 95% CI 1.60–2.46, p < 0.0001) and BMP use (OR 0.70, 95% CI 0.56–0.88, p = 0.002) were significantly associated with an increased and decreased revision risk, respectively. Smoking history trended toward significance (OR 1.37, 95% CI 1.10–1.70, p = 0.005). Instrument failure was consistently the most commonly cited reason for revision. Five years following surgery, it was estimated that the cohort had 68.8% survivorship.

CONCLUSIONS

For elderly patients with ASD, osteoporosis increases the risk of revision surgery, while BMP use decreases the risk. Other comorbidities were not found to be significant predictors of long-term revision rates. It is expected that within 5 years following the index procedure, over 30% of patients will require revision surgery.
Long-term hemorrhagic risk in pediatric patients with arteriovenous malformations
Authors: Yang Wuyang , Anderson-Keightly Heather , Westbroek Erick M. , Caplan Justin M. , Rong Xiaoming , Hung Alice L. , Colby Geoffrey P. , Coon Alexander L. , Tamargo Rafael J. , Huang Judy , Ahn Edward S.
Published: May 2016

OBJECTIVE

Compared with the general population, the specific natural history of arteriovenous malformations (AVMs) in pediatric patients is less well understood. Furthermore, few pediatric studies have compared posttreatment hemorrhagic risk and functional outcome across different treatment modalities. The objective of this study was to elucidate these points.

METHODS

The authors retrospectively reviewed all pediatric patients with AVMs evaluated at their institution between 1990 and 2013. The AVM natural history was represented by hemorrhagic risk during the observation period. For treated patients, the observation period was defined as the interval between diagnosis and treatment. Posttreatment hemorrhagic risk and functional outcomes were also assessed.

RESULTS

A total of 124 pediatric patients with AVMs were evaluated, and 90 patients (72.6%) were retained through follow-up. The average patient age was 13.3 ± 3.8 years, with a mean follow-up period of 9.95 years. The overall AVM obliteration rate was 59.7%. Radiosurgery had an obliteration rate of 49.0%. Thirteen patients were managed conservatively. Four patients under observation hemorrhaged during a total interval of 429.4 patient-years, translating to an annual risk of 0.9%. Posttreatment hemorrhagic risk by treatment modalities were categorized as follows: surgery ± embolization (0.0%), radiosurgery ± embolization (0.8%), embolization alone (2.8%), surgery + radiosurgery ± embolization (3.5%), and observation (0.8%). A significantly higher risk of posttreatment hemorrhage was observed for patients with hemorrhagic presentation (p = 0.043) in multivariate analysis. Seizure presentation, frontal lobe location, nonheadache presentation, and treatment modality were significantly associated with increased risk of poor functional outcomes.

CONCLUSIONS

In this study of pediatric patients with AVMs, the natural history of hemorrhage was relatively low at 0.9%. Resection remained the optimal management for hemorrhage control and functional outcome perseverance in these pediatric patients with AVMs. AVM obliteration is a valid treatment goal, especially for patients with ruptured presentation, to prevent further hemorrhages later in life.
Organizational Justice and Employees Service Behavior in the Healthcare Organizations in Bangladesh: An Agenda for Research
Authors: Nuruzzaman Md. , Talukder Humayun Kabir
Published: May 2016

Bangladesh is aspiring to achieve universal health coverage by 2030. In this regard, quality and efficient healthcare delivery have been regarded as a major challenge. Proper management of employees is crucial for service organizations like healthcare because in healthcare employees provide life saving services which make them unique from other non-health professionals. They directly interface with the patients or service seekers who make evaluative judgment of the quality of service delivered by the employees. Therefore, it is important that healthcare organizations (both public and private) comprehend specific organizational factors and issues that influence employees attitudes and behaviors, which ultimately affect their service behaviour at work. Drawing from the organizational justice principles and other management theories, this article presents a conceptual framework and a set of hypotheses regarding the relationships among distributive justice, procedural justice, interactional justice, employees citizenship behaviour, role prescribed behaviour and counterproductive behaviour for the healthcare organizations in Bangladesh. The purpose is to assist the policy makers and service providers in identifying desirable human resource management practices that healthcare organizations in Bangladesh should seek and engage in and at the same time, avoid undesirable practices in order to maintain optimum level of employee commitment, and citizenship behavior essential for ensuring quality and efficient service delivery to the communities. This article is theoretical but it has practical implications for the policy makers and service providers who are directly involved with service delivery system. It is also expected that the paper enriches the health service delivery literature and also advocates focusing on justice perspectives particularly in Bangladesh.
Design, Development, and Performance Evaluation of a Trash-Board Moldboard Plow for the Interaction between Soil and Straw with Two Different Water Content Levels
Authors: Abdallah Farid , Ding Weimin , Ding Qishuo , Pan Genxing
Published: May 2016

A two-year field study was conducted to investigate the performance of a lightweight trash-board moldboard plow (with and without a trash-board), as influenced by stubble height and water content. Both fields were measured for the performance of a trash-board moldboard plow when used during the optimization of the plowing depth, the water content, and the reaction forces. The results showed that in the first year, when a trash-board was required, the results were significantly different. The fields had lower draft and reaction force in the soil with only stubble height, which was greater than that in the soil with dense straw for all water content levels. This was also observed in the second year for the whole depth. This study shows that the moldboard plow with a trash-board provided minimum draft and reaction forces with only straw and heavy straw. The results indicate that straw nearby shear significantly increased displacement for all treatments, with variance of straw nearby moldboard. Hence, the results verify that a trash-board continuously created large soil fragmentation with different water content. Straw labels create a position of straw which also allows for better results. It is important to install trash-boards with the moldboard plow for heavy straw incorporation.
An Artificial Bee Colony-Based COPE Framework for Wireless Sensor Network
Authors: Singh Amit , Nagaraju Aitha
Published: May 2016

In wireless communication, network coding is one of the intelligent approaches to process the packets before transmitting for efficient information exchange. The goal of this work is to enhance throughput by using the intelligent technique, which may give comparatively better optimization. This paper introduces a biologically-inspired coding approach called Artificial Bee Colony Network Coding (ABC-NC), a modification in the COPE framework. The existing COPE and its variant are probabilistic approaches, which may not give good results in all of the real-time scenarios. Therefore, it needs some intelligent technique to find better packet combinations at intermediate nodes before forwarding to optimize the energy and maximize the throughput in wireless networks. This paper proposes ABC-NC over the existing COPE framework for the wireless environment.
Stable-GARCH Models for Financial Returns: Fast Estimation and Tests for Stability
Authors: Paolella Marc
Published: May 2016

A fast method for estimating the parameters of a stable-APARCH not requiring likelihood or iteration is proposed. Several powerful tests for the (asymmetric) stable Paretian distribution with tail index 1 < α < 2 are used for assessing the appropriateness of the stable assumption as the innovations process in stable-GARCH-type models for daily stock returns. Overall, there is strong evidence against the stable as the correct innovations assumption for all stocks and time periods, though for many stocks and windows of data, the stable hypothesis is not rejected.
High Spatial Resolution Simulation of Annual Wind Energy Yield Using Near-Surface Wind Speed Time Series
Authors: Jung Christopher
Published: May 2016

In this paper a methodology is presented that can be used to model the annual wind energy yield (AEYmod) on a high spatial resolution (50 m × 50 m) grid based on long-term (1979–2010) near-surface wind speed (US) time series measured at 58 stations of the German Weather Service (DWD). The study area for which AEYmod is quantified is the German federal state of Baden-Wuerttemberg. Comparability of the wind speed time series was ensured by gap filling, homogenization and detrending. The US values were extrapolated to the height 100 m (U100m,emp) above ground level (AGL) by the Hellman power law. All U100m,emp time series were then converted to empirical cumulative distribution functions (CDFemp). 67 theoretical cumulative distribution functions (CDF) were fitted to all CDFemp and their goodness of fit (GoF) was evaluated. It turned out that the five-parameter Wakeby distribution (WK5) is universally applicable in the study area. Prior to the least squares boosting (LSBoost)-based modeling of WK5 parameters, 92 predictor variables were obtained from: (i) a digital terrain model (DTM), (ii) the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts re-analysis (ERA)-Interim reanalysis wind speed data available at the 850 hPa pressure level (U850hPa), and (iii) the Coordination of Information on the Environment (CORINE) Land Cover (CLC) data. On the basis of predictor importance (PI) and the evaluation of model accuracy, the combination of predictor variables that provides the best discrimination between U100m,emp and the modeled wind speed at 100 m AGL (U100m,mod), was identified. Results from relative PI-evaluation demonstrate that the most important predictor variables are relative elevation (Φ) and topographic exposure (τ) in the main wind direction. Since all WK5 parameters are available, any manufacturer power curve can easily be applied to quantify AEYmod.
Decision Support for Participatory Forest Planning Using AHP and TOPSIS
Authors: Nilsson Hilma , Nordström Eva-Maria , Öhman Karin
Published: May 2016

Long-term forest management planning often involves several stakeholders with conflicting objectives, creating a complex decision process. Multiple-criteria decision analysis (MCDA) presents a promising framework for finding solutions in terms of suitable trade-offs among the objectives. However, many of the MCDA methods that have been implemented in forest management planning can only be used to compare and evaluate a limited number of management plans, which increases the risk that the most suitable plan is not included in the decision process. The aim of this study is to test whether the combination of two MCDA methods can facilitate the evaluation of a large number of strategic forest management plans in a situation with multiple objectives and several stakeholders. The Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) was used to set weights for objectives based on stakeholder preferences and the Technique for Order Preference by Similarity to Ideal Solution (TOPSIS) was used to produce an overall ranking of alternatives. This approach was applied to a case study of the Vilhelmina municipality, northern Sweden. The results show that the combination of AHP and TOPSIS is easy to implement in participatory forest planning and takes advantage of the capacity of forest decision support systems to create a wide array of management plans. This increases the possibility that the most suitable plan for all stakeholders will be identified.
Land Surface Water Mapping Using Multi-Scale Level Sets and a Visual Saliency Model from SAR Images
Authors: Xu Chuan , Sui Haigang , Xu Feng
Published: May 2016

Land surface water mapping is one of the most basic classification tasks to distinguish water bodies from dry land surfaces. In this paper, a water mapping method was proposed based on multi-scale level sets and a visual saliency model (MLSVS), to overcome the lack of an operational solution for automatically, rapidly and reliably extracting water from large-area and fine spatial resolution Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) images. This paper has two main contributions, as follows: (1) The method integrated the advantages of both level sets and the visual saliency model. First, the visual saliency map was applied to detect the suspected water regions (SWR), and then the level set method only needed to be applied to the SWR regions to accurately extract the water bodies, thereby yielding a simultaneous reduction in time cost and increase in accuracy; (2) In order to make the classical Itti model more suitable for extracting water in SAR imagery, an improved texture weighted with the Itti model (TW-Itti) is employed to detect those suspected water regions, which take into account texture features generated by the Gray Level Co-occurrence Matrix (GLCM) algorithm, Furthermore, a novel calculation method for center-surround differences was merged into this model. The proposed method was tested on both Radarsat-2 and TerraSAR-X images, and experiments demonstrated the effectiveness of the proposed method, the overall accuracy of water mapping is 98.48% and the Kappa coefficient is 0.856.
Association of the MicroRNA-146a SNP rs2910164 with Ischemic Stroke Incidence and Prognosis in a Chinese Population
Authors: Qu Jiao-Yan , Xi Jie , Zhang Yin-Hui , Zhang Chan-Na , Song Li , Song Yan , Hui Ru-Tai , Chen Jing-Zhou
Published: May 2016

We conducted a case-control study investigating the association between the single-nucleotide polymorphism rs2910164 in microRNA (miR)-146a and the risk and prognosis of stroke. We recruited a total of 1139 ischemic stroke patients and 1585 sex- and age-matched control subjects. After a median follow-up period of 4.5 years, 1071 of these ischemic stroke patients were then recruited for a prospective study. Our study revealed that rs2910164 was not associated with ischemic stroke incidence (odds ratio = 1.00; 95% confidence interval (CI) = 0.80–1.24; p = 0.985) by multivariate logistic regression. Meta-analysis of our case-control study and three others on Asian populations also suggested that there was no relationship between rs2910164 and ischemic stroke incidence. The significance of differences in long-term outcomes was examined by the log-rank test of the respective comparison groups. The prospective study showed that rs2910164 led to a 1.56-fold increased risk of stroke recurrence (hazard ratio (HR) = 1.56; 95% CI = 1.10–2.20; p = 0.013) and a 2.13-fold increased risk of death caused by cardiovascular disease or stroke (Csdeath) (HR = 2.13; 95% CI = 1.31–3.46; p = 0.002). The independent association of rs2910164 with stroke prognosis was evaluated using Cox regression models. Therefore, rs2910164 appears to be a strong predictor of stroke prognosis but not of stroke incidence in Asian populations.
Erythropoietin Pathway: A Potential Target for the Treatment of Depression
Authors: Ma Chongyang , Cheng Fafeng , Wang Xueqian , Zhai Changming , Yue Wenchao , Lian Yajun , Wang Qingguo
Published: May 2016

During the past decade, accumulating evidence from both clinical and experimental studies has indicated that erythropoietin may have antidepressant effects. In addition to the kidney and liver, many organs have been identified as secretory tissues for erythropoietin, including the brain. Its receptor is expressed in cerebral and spinal cord neurons, the hypothalamus, hippocampus, neocortex, dorsal root ganglia, nerve axons, and Schwann cells. These findings may highlight new functions for erythropoietin, which was originally considered to play a crucial role in the progress of erythroid differentiation. Erythropoietin and its receptor signaling through JAK2 activate multiple downstream signaling pathways including STAT5, PI3K/Akt, NF-κB, and MAPK. These factors may play an important role in inflammation and neuroprogression in the nervous system. This is particularly true for the hippocampus, which is possibly related to learning, memory, neurocognitive deficits and mood alterations. Thus, the influence of erythropoietin on the downstream pathways known to be involved in the treatment of depression makes the erythropoietin-related pathway an attractive target for the development of new therapeutic approaches. Focusing on erythropoietin may help us understand the pathogenic mechanisms of depression and the molecular basis of its treatment.
Mechanism of Mitochondrial Connexin43′s Protection of the Neurovascular Unit under Acute Cerebral Ischemia-Reperfusion Injury
Authors: Hou Shuai , Shen Ping-Ping , Zhao Ming-Ming , Liu Xiu-Ping , Xie Hong-Yan , Deng Fang , Feng Jia-Chun
Published: May 2016

We observed mitochondrial connexin43 (mtCx43) expression under cerebral ischemia-reperfusion (I/R) injury, analyzed its regulation, and explored its protective mechanisms. Wistar rats were divided into groups based on injections received before middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO). Cerebral infarction volume was detected by 2,3,5-triphenyltetrazolim chloride staining, and cell apoptosis was observed by transferase dUTP nick end labeling. We used transmission electron microscopy to observe mitochondrial morphology and determined superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity and malondialdehyde (MDA) content. MtCx43, p-mtCx43, protein kinase C (PKC), and p-PKC expression were detected by Western blot. Compared with those in the IR group, cerebral infarction volumes in the carbenoxolone (CBX) and diazoxide (DZX) groups were obviously smaller, and the apoptosis indices were down-regulated. Mitochondrial morphology was damaged after I/R, especially in the IR and 5-hydroxydecanoic acid (5-HD) groups. Similarly, decreased SOD activity and increased MDA were observed after MCAO; CBX, DZX, and phorbol-12-myristate-13-acetate (PMA) reduced mitochondrial functional injury. Expression of mtCx43 and p-mtCx43 and the p-Cx43/Cx43 ratio were significantly lower in the IR group than in the sham group. These abnormalities were ameliorated by CBX, DZX, and PMA. MtCx43 may protect the neurovascular unit from acute cerebral IR injury via PKC activation induced by mitoKATP channel agonists.
Spatial Geometries of Self-Assembled Chitohexaose Monolayers Regulate Myoblast Fusion
Authors: Poosala Pornthida , Ichinose Hirofumi , Kitaoka Takuya
Published: May 2016

Myoblast fusion into functionally-distinct myotubes to form in vitro skeletal muscle constructs under differentiation serum-free conditions still remains a challenge. Herein, we report that our microtopographical carbohydrate substrates composed of bioactive hexa-N-acetyl-d-glucosamine (GlcNAc6) modulated the efficiency of myoblast fusion without requiring horse serum or any differentiation medium during cell culture. Promotion of the differentiation of dissociated mononucleated skeletal myoblasts (C2C12; a mouse myoblast cell line) into robust myotubes was found only on GlcNAc6 micropatterns, whereas the myoblasts on control, non-patterned GlcNAc6 substrates or GlcNAc6-free patterns exhibited an undifferentiated form. We also examined the possible role of GlcNAc6 micropatterns with various widths in the behavior of C2C12 cells in early and late stages of myogenesis through mRNA expression of myosin heavy chain (MyHC) isoforms. The spontaneous contraction of myotubes was investigated via the regulation of glucose transporter type 4 (GLUT4), which is involved in stimulating glucose uptake during cellular contraction. Narrow patterns demonstrated enhanced glucose uptake rate and generated a fast-twitch muscle fiber type, whereas the slow-twitch muscle fiber type was dominant on wider patterns. Our findings indicated that GlcNAc6-mediated integrin interactions are responsible for guiding myoblast fusion forward along with myotube formation.
The Lubrication Ability of Ionic Liquids as Additives for Wind Turbine Gearboxes Oils
Authors: Gutierrez Miguel , Haselkorn Michael , Iglesias Patricia
Published: May 2016

The amount of energy that can be gained from the wind is unlimited, unlike current energy sources such as fossil and coal. While there is an important push in the use of wind energy, gears and bearing components of the turbines often fail due to contact fatigue, causing costly repairs and downtime. The objective of this work is to investigate the potential tribological benefits of two phosphonium-based ionic liquids (ILs) as additives to a synthetic lubricant without additives and to a fully formulated and commercially available wind turbine oil. In this work, AISI 52100 steel disks were tested in a ball-on-flat reciprocating tribometer against AISI 440C steel balls. Surface finish also affects the tribological properties of gear surfaces. In order to understand the combined effect of using the ILs with surface finish, two surface finishes were also used in this study. Adding ILs to the commercial available or synthetic lubricant reduced the wear scar diameter for both surface finishes. This decrease was particularly important for trihexyltetradecylphosphonium bis(trifluoromethylsulfonyl) amide, where a wear reduction of the steel disk around 20% and 23% is reached when 5 wt % of this IL is added to the commercially available lubricant and to the synthetic lubricant without additives, respectively.
Influence of Different Framework Designs on the Fracture Properties of Ceria-Stabilized Tetragonal Zirconia/Alumina-Based All-Ceramic Crowns
Authors: Sawada Tomofumi , Spintzyk Sebastian , Schille Christine , Schweizer Ernst , Scheideler Lutz , Geis-Gerstorfer Jürgen
Published: May 2016

The aim of this study was to evaluate the fracture load and failure mode of all-ceramic crowns with different ceria-stabilized tetragonal zirconia/alumina nanocomposite (Ce-TZP/A) framework designs. Four frameworks (anatomical shape: AS, with a buccal or lingual supporting structure: BS and LS, or buccal and lingual supporting structures: BLS) were fabricated. All frameworks were veneered with porcelain to fabricate all-ceramic crowns followed by cementation to tooth analogs. The fracture load of each crown either without or with pre-loading (1.2 million cycles, 49 N) was measured. The failure mode was classified into partial or complete fracture. Differences were tested for significance (p < 0.05) by a two-way Analysis of Variance (ANOVA), followed by Tukey’s test and by Fisher’s exact test, respectively. Without pre-loading, supporting structures did not influence the fracture load or failure mode. Partial fractures were the most common failure mode. Pre-loading promoted the severity of the failure mode, although the fracture load among the framework designs was not influenced. In the AS group, prefailures were observed during pre-loading, and complete fractures were significantly increased after pre-loading. In contrast, the failure mode of the BLS group remained unchanged, showing only partial fracture even after pre-loading. This Ce-TZP/A framework design, comprised of an anatomical shape with additional buccal and lingual structures, has the potential to reduce the chipping of the veneering porcelain.
Sn-Bearing Minerals and Associated Sphalerite from Lead-Zinc Deposits, Kosovo: An Electron Microprobe and LA-ICP-MS Study
Authors: Kołodziejczyk Joanna , Pršek Jaroslav , Voudouris Panagiotis , Melfos Vasilios , Asllani Burim
Published: May 2016

Stannite group minerals (ferrokësterite and stannite) occur in small amounts in association with sulfides in hydrothermal Pb-Zn deposits in Kosovo. The chemical composition of sphalerite co-existing with Sn-bearing minerals has been investigated using laser ablation inductively-coupled plasma mass spectrometry (LA-ICP-MS). Flat Sn-spectra suggest that Sn is bound in the sphalerite lattice or as nanoincluions. Sphalerite from Stan Terg, overgrown by ferrokësterite, contains the lowest Sn content (few ppm) and have been precipitated before Sn-enrichment in the fluids. The highest value of Sn (520 ppm) of Stan Terg sphalerite was obtained directly close to the ferrokësterite rim, and indicates a rapid increase of Sn in the hydrothermal fluids. Significantly higher values of Sn in sphalerite were obtained from other deposits: 1600 ppm (Artana), up to 663 ppm (Kizhnica), up to 2800 ppm (Drazhnje). Stannite-sphalerite geothermometry revealed the following ore-forming temperatures for the Kosovo mineralization: 240–390 °C for Stan Terg, 240–370 °C for Artana, >340 °C for Kizhnica, and 245–295 °C for Drazhnje. Sphalerite and stannite group minerals precipitated simultaneously during cooling from reduced hydrothermal fluids and under low-sulfidation fluid states. Fluctuations in physico-chemical fluid conditions are evidenced by the presence of stannite group minerals along growth zones in sphalerite and may be related to short interval of magmatic pulses during ore deposition.
Biosynthesis of Metal Nanoparticles: Novel Efficient Heterogeneous Nanocatalysts
Authors: Palomo Jose , Filice Marco
Published: May 2016

This review compiles the most recent advances described in literature on the preparation of noble metal nanoparticles induced by biological entities. The use of different free or substituted carbohydrates, peptides, proteins, microorganisms or plants have been successfully applied as a new green concept in the development of innovative strategies to prepare these nanoparticles as different nanostructures with different forms and sizes. As a second part of this review, the application of their synthetic ability as new heterogonous catalysts has been described in C–C bond-forming reactions (as Suzuki, Heck, cycloaddition or multicomponent), oxidations and dynamic kinetic resolutions.
Unexploited Antineoplastic Effects of Commercially Available Anti-Diabetic Drugs
Authors: Papanagnou Panagiota , Stivarou Theodora , Tsironi Maria
Published: May 2016

The development of efficacious antitumor compounds with minimal toxicity is a hot research topic. Numerous cancer cell targeted agents are evaluated daily in laboratories for their antitumorigenicity at the pre-clinical level, but the process of their introduction into the market is costly and time-consuming. More importantly, even if these new antitumor agents manage to gain approval, clinicians have no former experience with them. Accruing evidence supports the idea that several medications already used to treat pathologies other than cancer display pleiotropic effects, exhibiting multi-level anti-cancer activity and chemosensitizing properties. This review aims to present the anticancer properties of marketed drugs (i.e., metformin and pioglitazone) used for the management of diabetes mellitus (DM) type II. Mode of action, pre-clinical in vitro and in vivo or clinical data as well as clinical applicability are discussed here. Given the precious multi-year clinical experience with these non-antineoplastic drugs their repurposing in oncology is a challenging alternative that would aid towards the development of therapeutic schemes with less toxicity than those of conventional chemotherapeutic agents. More importantly, harnessing the antitumor function of these agents would save precious time from bench to bedside to aid the fight in the arena of cancer.
Retrieving Precipitable Water Vapor Data Using GPS Zenith Delays and Global Reanalysis Data in China
Authors: Jiang Peng , Ye Shirong , Chen Dezhong , Liu Yanyan , Xia Pengfei
Published: May 2016

GPS has become a very effective tool to remotely sense precipitable water vapor (PWV) information, which is important for weather forecasting and nowcasting. The number of geodetic GNSS stations set up in China has substantially increased over the last few decades. However, GPS PWV derivation requires surface pressure to calculate the precise zenith hydrostatic delay and weighted mean temperature to map the zenith wet delay to precipitable water vapor. GPS stations without collocated meteorological sensors can retrieve water vapor using standard atmosphere parameters, which lead to a decrease in accuracy. In this paper, a method of interpolating NWP reanalysis data to site locations for generating corresponding meteorological elements is explored over China. The NCEP FNL dataset provided by the NCEP (National Centers for Environmental Prediction) and over 600 observed stations from different sources was selected to assess the quality of the results. A one-year experiment was performed in our study. The types of stations selected include meteorological sites, GPS stations, radio sounding stations, and a sun photometer station. Compared with real surface measurements, the accuracy of the interpolated surface pressure and air temperature both meet the requirements of GPS PWV derivation in most areas; however, the interpolated surface air temperature exhibits lower precision than the interpolated surface pressure. At more than 96% of selected stations, PWV differences caused by the differences between the interpolation results and real measurements were less than 1.0 mm. Our study also indicates that relief amplitude exerts great influence on the accuracy of the interpolation approach. Unsatisfactory interpolation results always occurred in areas of strong relief. GPS PWV data generated from interpolated meteorological parameters are consistent with other PWV products (radio soundings, the NWP reanalysis dataset, and sun photometer PWV data). The differences between them were approximately 1~3 mm at most at our selected stations, and GPS data processing is the main factor influencing the agreement of the GPS PWV results with those of other methods.
Characteristics of Rainfall Runoff Pollutant and Initial Treatment
Authors: Byeon Seongjoon , Koo Bonjin , Jang Dongwoo , Baeck Seunghyub
Published: May 2016

The spread of urbanization drives problems which distort the urban water cycle as a form of flood disaster and pollutant loads. When it comes to pollution, a lack of information on the load and characteristics of pollutants has led to insufficient reduction measures. Thus, this study discusses filtration by different types of filter media as an initial treatment to reduce pollutant loads. This study examined the effectiveness of the filtration method with different types of filter to control micro-particles from rainfall runoff water. The particle size and characteristics of pollutants were investigated. In addition, the characteristics of filter media in the filtration process, such as head loss, treatment efficiency, and changes in particle size distribution were also analyzed by lab-scale experiments. This study suggested the best filtration material to treat surface wash-off pollutants based on the results of various experiments on the treatment of real samples collected from roads and combined sewers. The results and discussions shown in this study may be useful as basic information for appropriate design and operating parameters of filtering facilities to control rainfall runoff pollutants caused by urban storms.
Feasibility Analyses of Developing Low Carbon City with Hybrid Energy Systems in China: The Case of Shenzhen
Authors: Zhang Xun , Ma Yuehui , Ye Bin , Chen Zhang-Ming , Xiong Ling
Published: May 2016

As the largest carbon emission source in China, the power sector grows rapidly owing to the country’s unprecedented urbanization and industrialization processes. In order to explore a low carbon urbanization pathway by reducing carbon emissions of the power sector, the Chinese government launched an international low carbon city (ILCC) project in Shenzhen. This paper presents a feasibility analysis on the potential hybrid energy system based on local renewable energy resources and electricity demand estimation over the three planning stages of the ILCC project. Wind power, solar power, natural gas and the existing power grid are components considered in the hybrid energy system. The simulation results indicate that the costs of energy in the three planning stages are 0.122, 0.105 and 0.141 $/kWh, respectively, if external wind farms and pumped storage hydro stations (PSHSs) exist. The optimization results reveal that the carbon reduction rates are 46.81%, 62.99% and 75.76% compared with the Business as Usual scenarios. The widely distributed water reservoirs in Shenzhen provide ideal conditions to construct PSHS, which is crucial in enhancing renewable energy utilization.
On Consistent Nonparametric Statistical Tests of Symmetry Hypotheses
Authors: Quessy Jean-François
Published: May 2016

Being able to formally test for symmetry hypotheses is an important topic in many fields, including environmental and physical sciences. In this paper, one concentrates on a large family of nonparametric tests of symmetry based on Cramér–von Mises statistics computed from empirical distribution and characteristic functions. These tests possess the highly desirable property of being universally consistent in the sense that they detect any kind of departure from symmetry as the sample size becomes large. The asymptotic behaviour of these test statistics under symmetry is deduced from the theory of first-order degenerate V-statistics. The issue of computing valid p-values is tackled using the multiplier bootstrap method suitably adapted to V-statistics, yielding elegant, easy-to-compute and quick procedures for testing symmetry. A special focus is put on tests of univariate symmetry, bivariate exchangeability and reflected symmetry; a simulation study indicates the good sampling properties of these tests. Finally, a framework for testing general symmetry hypotheses is introduced.
Activity of Palythoa caribaeorum Venom on Voltage-Gated Ion Channels in Mammalian Superior Cervical Ganglion Neurons
Authors: Lazcano-Pérez Fernando , Castro Héctor , Arenas Isabel , García David , González-Muñoz Ricardo , Arreguín-Espinosa Roberto
Published: May 2016

The Zoanthids are an order of cnidarians whose venoms and toxins have been poorly studied. Palythoa caribaeorum is a zoanthid commonly found around the Mexican coastline. In this study, we tested the activity of P. caribaeorum venom on voltage-gated sodium channel (NaV1.7), voltage-gated calcium channel (CaV2.2), the A-type transient outward (IA) and delayed rectifier (IDR) currents of KV channels of the superior cervical ganglion (SCG) neurons of the rat. These results showed that the venom reversibly delays the inactivation process of voltage-gated sodium channels and inhibits voltage-gated calcium and potassium channels in this mammalian model. The compounds responsible for these effects seem to be low molecular weight peptides. Together, these results provide evidence for the potential use of zoanthids as a novel source of cnidarian toxins active on voltage-gated ion channels.
Coupling Peptide Antigens to Virus-Like Particles or to Protein Carriers Influences the Th1/Th2 Polarity of the Resulting Immune Response
Authors: Pomwised Rattanaruji , Intamaso Uraiwan , Teintze Martin , Young Mark , Pincus Seth
Published: May 2016

We have conjugated the S9 peptide, a mimic of the group B streptococcal type III capsular polysaccharide, to different carriers in an effort to elicit an optimal immune response. As carriers, we utilized the soluble protein keyhole limpet hemocyanin and virus-like particles (VLPs) from two plant viruses, Cowpea Chlorotic Mottle Virus and Cowpea Mosaic Virus. We have found that coupling the peptide to the soluble protein elicits a Th2 immune response, as evidenced by the production of the peptide-specific IgG1 antibody and IL-4/IL-10 production in response to antigen stimulation, whereas the peptide conjugated to VLPs elicited a Th1 response (IgG2a, IFN-γ). Because the VLPs used as carriers package RNA during the assembly process, we hypothesize that this effect may result from the presence of nucleic acid in the immunogen, which affects the Th1/Th2 polarity of the response.