bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Development and Validation of a Prediction Rule Using the Oxford Classification in IgA Nephropathy
Authors: Tanaka Shigeru , Ninomiya Toshiharu , Katafuchi Ritsuko , Masutani Kosuke , Tsuchimoto Akihiro , Noguchi Hideko , Hirakata Hideki , Tsuruya Kazuhiko , Kitazono Takanari
Published: November 2013

Background and objectives

The risk assessment for developing ESRD remains limited in patients with IgA nephropathy (IgAN). The aim of this study was to develop and validate a prediction rule for estimating the individual risk of ESRD in patients with IgAN.

Design, setting, participants, & measurements

A total of 698 patients with IgAN diagnosed by renal biopsy at Kyushu University Hospital (derivation cohort) between 1982 and 2010 were retrospectively followed. The Oxford classification was used to evaluate the pathologic lesions. The risk factors for developing ESRD were evaluated using a Cox proportional hazard model with a stepwise backward elimination method. The prediction rule was verified using data from 702 patients diagnosed at Japanese Red Cross Fukuoka Hospital (validation cohort) between 1979 and 2002.

Results

In the derivation cohort, 73 patients developed ESRD during the median 4.7-year follow-up. The final prediction model included proteinuria (hazard ratio [HR], 1.30; 95% confidence interval [95% CI], 1.16 to 1.45, every 1 g/24 hours), estimated GFR (HR, 0.84; 95% CI, 0.74 to 0.96, every 10 ml/min per 1.73 m2), mesangial proliferation (HR, 1.85; 95% CI, 1.10 to 3.11), segmental sclerosis (HR, 3.21; 95% CI, 1.37 to 7.51), and interstitial fibrosis/tubular atrophy (T1: HR, 5.30; 95% CI, 2.63 to 10.7; T2: HR, 20.5; 95% CI, 9.05 to 46.5) as independent risk factors for developing ESRD. To create a prediction rule, the score for each variable was weighted by the regression coefficients calculated using the relevant Cox model. The incidence of ESRD increased linearly with increases in the total risk scores (P for trend <0.001). Furthermore, the prediction rule demonstrated good discrimination (c-statistic=0.89) and calibration (Hosmer-Lemeshow test, P=0.78) in the validation cohort.

Conclusions

This study developed and validated a new prediction rule using clinical measures and the Oxford classification for developing ESRD in patients with IgAN.
Change in Albuminuria and eGFR Following Insulin Sensitization Therapy Versus Insulin Provision Therapy in the BARI 2D Study
Authors: August Phyllis , Hardison Regina M. , Hage Fadi G. , Marroquin Oscar C. , McGill Janet B. , Rosenberg Yves , Steffes Michael , Wall Barry M. , Molitch Mark
Published: November 2013

Background and objectives

In the Bypass Angioplasty Revascularization Investigation 2 Diabetes randomized trial, glycemic control with insulin-sensitization therapy was compared with insulin-provision therapy in patients with type 2 diabetes and coronary artery disease. This study examined differences in albumin excretion and renal function in the insulin-sensitization group versus the insulin-provision group over 5 years.

Design, setting, participants & measurements

In total, 1799 patients with measurements of creatinine and urine albumin/creatinine ratio at baseline and at least two follow-up visits were included. Management of BP, lipids, and lifestyle counseling was uniform. Progression of albuminuria was defined as doubling of baseline albumin/creatinine ratio to at least 100 mg/g or worsening of albumin/creatinine ratio status on two or more visits. Worsening renal function was defined as >25% decline in estimated GFR and annualized decline of >3 ml/min per 1.73 m2 per year.

Results

By 6 months and thereafter, the mean glycated hemoglobin levels were lower in the insulin-sensitization group compared with the insulin-provision group (P<0.002 for each time point; absolute difference=0.4%). Albumin/creatinine ratio increased over time in the insulin-sensitization group (P value for trend<0.001) and was stable in the insulin-provision group. Risk for progression of albumin/creatinine ratio was higher in the insulin-sensitization group compared with the insulin-provision group (odds ratio, 1.59; 95% confidence interval, 1.25 to 2.02; P=0.02). Over 5 years, albumin/creatinine ratio increased from 11.5 (interquartile range=5.0–46.7) to 15.7 mg/g (interquartile range=6.2–55.4) in the insulin-sensitization group (P<0.001) and from 12.1 (interquartile range=5.3–41.3) to 12.4 mg/g (interquartile range=5.8–50.6) in the insulin-provision group (P=0.21). Estimated GFR declined from 75.0±20.6 to 66.3±22.6 ml/min per 1.73 m2 in the insulin-sensitization group (P<0.001) and from 76.1±29.5 to 66.8±22.1 ml/min per 1.73 m2 in the insulin-provision group (P<0.001).

Conclusion

Over 5 years, despite lower glycated hemoglobin levels, the insulin-sensitization treatment group had greater progression of albumin/creatinine ratio compared with the insulin-provision treatment group. Decline in estimated GFR was similar.
Molecular Genetic Markers as a Basis for Personalized Medicine / MOLEKULARNO-GENETIČKI MARKERI KAO OSNOV ZA PERSONALIZOVANU MEDICINU
Authors: Pavlović Sonja , Zukić Branka , Stojiljković Petrović Maja
Published: November 2013

Nowadays, genetics and genomics are fully integrated into medical practice. Personalized medicine, also called genome-based medicine, uses the knowledge of the genetic basis of disease to individualize treatment for each patient. A number of genetic variants, molecular genetic markers, are already in use in medical practice for the diagnosis, prognosis and follow-up of diseases (monogenic hereditary disorders, fusion genes and rearrangements in pediatric and adult leukemia) and presymptomatic risk assessment (BRCA 1/2 for breast cancer). Additionally, the application of pharmacogenomics in clinical practice has significantly contributed to the individualization of therapy in accordance with the patient’s genotype and gene expression profile. Genetic testing for several pharmacogenomic markers (TPMT, UGT1A1, CYP2C9, VKORC1) is mandatory or recommended prior to the initiation of therapy. The most important achievement of genome-based medicine is molecular-targeted therapy, tailored to the genetic profile of a disease. Testing for gene variants in cancer (BCR-ABL, PML/RARa, RAS, BCL-2) is part of the recommended evaluation for different cancers, in order to achieve better management of the disease. The ultimate goal of medical science is to develop gene therapy which will fight or prevent a disease by targeting the disease causing genetic defect. Gene therapy technology is rapidly developing, and has already been used with success. Although medicine has always been essentially »personal« to each patient, personalized medicine today uses modern technology and knowledge in the field of molecular genetics and genomics, enabling a level of personalization which leads to significant improvement in health care.
Alpha-1-Antitrypsin Deficiency – Molecular Basis, Clinical Presentation, Therapeutic Options and an Integrative Approach in Diagnostics / DEFICIJENCIJA ALFA-1-ANTITRIPSINA – MOLEKULSKE OSNOVE, KLINIČKE MANIFESTACIJE, TERAPIJSKE MOGUĆNOSTI I INTEGRATIVNI PRISTUP U DIJAGNOSTICI
Authors: Beletić Anđelo , Dudvarski-Ilić Aleksandra , Milenković Branislava , Nagorni-Obradović Ljudmila , Ljujić Mila , Đorđević Valentina , Radojković Dragica , Majkić-Singh Nada
Published: November 2013

The primary role of alpha-1-antitrypsin (AAT), encoded by the highly polymorphic SERPINA1 gene, is to protect the lung parenchyma from proteolysis by neutrophil elastase. AAT deficiency (AATD) is an autosomal recessive disease, considered as the most important genetic cause of liver disease in children and emphysema in adults. According to frequency, deficient alleles can be classified as »common« (Z and S) and »rare« (Mmalton, Mheerlen, Mprocida etc). Type, intensity and onset of clinical disease associated with AATD occur as a result of interaction between AATD and additional genetic and acquired factors (tobacco smoking, air pollution exposure etc). The most frequent clinical manifestations include premature emphysema, chronic hepatitis, cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma. Epidemiological studies highlight the need for improvement in diagnostic efficiency for AATD. It is recommended for a diagnostic approach to integrate precise, internationally recognized clinical criteria and a standardized laboratory protocol, based on a combination of biochemical and molecular methods. The predilection site of cli nical manifestations guides the therapeutic approach. Augmen tation therapy is possible in lung disease, while currently the only specific measure in patients with severe liver failure due to AATD is transplantation. In all patients, preventive measures, ammeliorating the deleterious effects of habits and environmental factors are recommended. Introduction of gene therapy is expected to additionally improve health outcomes in affected persons. Current results with an integrative AATD diagnostic strategy in the Serbian population are highly encouraging, prompting towards its further implementation in common medical practice with the ultimate goal to establish a national register of affected individuals.
Eros and Pilgrimage in Chaucer’s and Shakespeare’s Poetry
Authors: Kowalik Barbara
Published: November 2013

The paper discusses erotic desire and the motif of going on pilgrimage in the opening of Geoffrey Chaucer’s General Prologue to The Canterbury Tales and in William Shakespeare’s sonnets. What connects most of the texts chosen for consideration in the paper is their diptych-like composition, corresponding to the dual theme of eros and pilgrimage. At the outset, I read the first eighteen lines of Chaucer’s Prologue and demonstrate how the passage attempts to balance and reconcile the eroticism underlying the description of nature at springtime with Christian devotion and the spirit of compunction. I support the view that the passage is the first wing of a diptych-like construction opening the General Prologue. The second part of the paper focuses on the motif of pilgrimage, particularly erotic pilgrimage, in Shakespeare’s sonnets. I observe that most of the sonnets that exploit the conceit of travel to the beloved form lyrical diptychs. Shakespeare reverses the medieval hierarchy of pilgrimage and desire espoused by Chaucer. Both poets explore and use to their own ends the tensions inherent in the juxtaposition of sacred and profane love. Their compositions encode deeper emotional patterns of desire: Chaucer’s narrator channels sexual drives into the route of communal national penance, whereas the Shakespearean persona employs religious sentiments in the service of private erotic infatuations.
“I cluppe and I cusse as I wood wore”: Erotic Imagery in Middle English Mystical Writings
Authors: Witalisz Władysław
Published: November 2013

The mutual influences of the medieval discourse of courtly love and the literary visions of divine love have long been recognized by readers of medieval lyrical poetry and devotional writings. They are especially visible in the affinities between the language used to construct the picture of the ideal courtly lady and the images of the Virgin Mary. Praises of Mary’s physical beauty, strewn with erotic implications, are an example of a strictly male eroticization of the medieval Marian discourse, rooted in Bernard of Clairvaux’s allegorical reading of the Song of Songs, where Mary is imagined as the Bride of the poem, whose “breasts are like two young roes that are twins” (Cant. of Cant. 4:5). Glimpses of medieval female erotic imagination, also employed to express religious meanings, can be found in the writings of the mystical tradition: in England in the books of visions of Margery Kempe, in the anonymous seers of the fourteenth century, and, to some extent, in Julian of Norwich. Though subdued by patriarchal politics and edited by male amanuenses, the female voice can still be heard in the extant texts as it speaks of mystical experience by reference to bodily, somatic and, sometimes, erotic sensations in a manner different from the sensual implications found in the poetry of Marian adoration. The bliss of mystic elation, the ultimate union with God, is, in at least one mystical text, confidently metaphorized as an ecstatic, physical union with the human figure of Christ hanging on the cross.
Eroticism in the “Cold Climate” of Northern Ireland in Christina Reid’s The Belle of the Belfast City
Authors: Ojrzyńska Katarzyna
Published: November 2013

Closely based on the dramatist’s personal experience, Christina Reid’s The Belle of the Belfast City offers a commentary on the life of the Protestant working class in the capital of Northern Ireland in the 1980s from a woman’s perspective. It shows the way eroticism is successfully used by the female characters as a source of emancipation as well as a means not only to secure their strong position in the private domain of the household, but also to challenge the patriarchal structures that prevail in the Irish public sphere. The analysis of the play proposed in this essay focuses on the contrast between the presentation of its male and female characters. I will demonstrate that, while the former group desperately cling to the idea of preserving the social status quo, the latter display a more progressive outlook on the social and sexual politics of the country. In particular, I will investigate how the tensions between the representatives of the two sexes reveal themselves in the corporal sphere. I will argue that, as opposed to the erotically-inhibited and physically-inarticulate male characters, the female dramatis personae take advantage of being more connected to their bodies and use their physicality in an erotic fashion to subvert the rules of the patriarchal system and its strict moral code that limits their social roles to those of respectful mothers, obedient sisters or virtuous wives.
Pornography Debate, Gaze and Spectatorship in Sarah Daniels’s Masterpieces
Authors: Lorek-Jezińska Edyta
Published: November 2013

Masterpieces by Sarah Daniels has been described as a voice in the debate on pornography, expressing the anti-pornography position as opposed to the liberal feminist stance in this debate. Despite its ideological clarity reported by many reviewers and critics, the play has been commented upon as deficient or inadequate because of evoking conflicting interpretations and ambiguity. The paper argues that these deficiencies stem from the play’s concern with the distribution of agency and passivity along gender lines as well as the influence of generic and essentialist notions of genders on the perception of social and individual power relations particularly in the domain of eroticism and sexuality. One of the key issues of the play is the question to what extent and in what ways human perception is conditioned by the place of the subject in relation to the agency/passivity dichotomy and his or her viewing/reading position in relation to erotic and pornographic material.
The Lost Life of Ira Daniel Aldridge (Part 2)
Authors: Lindfors Bernth
Published: November 2013

The sons of famous men sometimes fail to succeed in life, particularly if they suffer parental neglect in their childhood and youth. Ira Daniel Aldridge is a case in point—a promising lad who in his formative years lacked sustained contact with his father, a celebrated touring black actor whose peripatetic career in the British Isles and later on the European continent kept him away from home for long periods. When the boy rebelled as a teenager, his father sent him abroad, forcing him to make his own way in the world. Ira Daniel settled in Australia, married, and had children, but he found it difficult to support a family. Eventually he turned to crime and wound up spending many years in prison. The son of an absent father, he too became an absent father to his own sons, who also suffered as a consequence.
Ira Daniel’s story is not just a case study of a failed father-son relationship. It also presents us with an example of the hardships faced by migrants who move from one society to another in which they must struggle to fit in and survive. This is especially difficult for migrants who look different from most of those in the community they are entering, so this is a tale about strained race relations too. And it takes place in a penal colony where punishments were severe, even for those who committed petty offences. Ira Daniel tried at first to make an honest living, but finally, in desperation, he broke the law and ended up incarcerated in brutal conditions. He was a victim of his environment but also of his own inability to cope with the pressures of settling in a foreign land. Displacement drove him to fail.
The Comparative Analysis of Pressures and Threats to The Natura 2000 Sites for Wild Birds Protection - Case Studies in Wetlands in Romania and Bulgaria
Authors: Cioacă Doina
Published: November 2013

The Natura 2000 concept and wetlands protection are relatively new for Romania and Bulgaria, because they are former communist countries and, after the 1990s, had too little value placed on nature conservation in favour of infrastructure development and agriculture. The development of the European ecological network Natura 2000 on these territories has come as an obligation for accession of these countries to The European Union on 01.01.2007.

During the period 2006-2009 I made an analysis for the management of protected areas along the Danube Green Corridor, between Romania and Bulgaria, especially for wetlands, similar to the results of the WWF Germany project “Lower Danube - Green Corridor (LDGC): Freshwater protected area management and freshwater restoration in Bulgaria, Romania and trans-boundary conservation along the Lower Danube”. To have a complete view of the situation of the protected areas management between Romania and Bulgaria, along the Lower Danube Green Corridor, and the perspectives for the next years, I carried out some evaluation for more than 20 Natura 2000 sites, which are alike in many ways, such as: the object of protection (Sites of Community Importance, SCI, under the Habitats Directive; Special Protection Areas for birds, SPAs, under the Birds Directive; natural protected areas of national importance for these two countries, or other natural and semi natural areas with the potential to be protected), human activities, pressures and threats, and other aspects.

Later, I used these results to make a comparative analysis of the Cernica area (Ilfov County, Romania), to add another argument to include it in the Natura 2000 Network from Romania, as ROSPA0122 Cernica Lake and Forest.

This analysis showed that Cernica faces approximately the same pressures and threats as other protected areas and has almost the same efficiency in management planning as the highest assessed Natura 2000 SPAs, respectively Iezer-Călăraşi in Romania and Srebarna of Bulgaria, which is an argument to establish this area as a Natura 2000 site.
Electrochemical investigation of the effect of different laser surface treatments on Hastelloy G alloy
Authors: Toor Ihsan H. , Yilbas Bekir S. , Karatas Cihan , Hussein Mohammed A. , Zafar Mohammed N.
Published: November 2013

In the present study, the corrosion resistance behavior of untreated and laser treated Hastelloy was examined. The electrochemical tests including potentiodynamic polarization, Tafel analysis, and linear polarization resistance were carried out in deaerated 0.5% NaCl aqueous solution at room temperature. Surface roughness was measured to correlate it with corrosion resistance properties of the materials. Surface morphology of the samples after corrosion tests was examined using scanning electron microscopy and energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy. Results showed that laser treated surface exhibited better corrosion resistance properties as compared to untreated surface.
Preparation of ZrB2-based nanocomposites with limited grain growth by means of low-temperature hot-pressing using Cu additive
Authors: He Rujie , Zhang Xinghong , Hu Ping , Han Wenbo
Published: November 2013

The purpose of the present study is to prepare ZrB2-based nanocomposites with limited or no obvious grain growth. For ZrB2 nanoparticles, the densification on-set temperature was about 1300°C, whereas the obvious grain growth on-set temperature for ZrB2 nanoparticles was found to be about 1500°C. Therefore, there was a temperature “window” 1300–1500°C where ZrB2 nanoparticles could be densified with limited or no grain growth. In this study, densification of ZrB2-based nanocomposite was finally realized by means of low-temperature hot-pressing at 1450°C for 60 min under a uniaxial pressure of 30 MPa using Cu as a sintering additive. After hot-pressing, the grain growth of ZrB2 nanoparticles was greatly suppressed, and the average grain size for ZrB2 was only 310 nm. The microstructure and mechanical properties were examined, and the flexural strength and fracture toughness were 472.8 ± 36.4 MPa and 12.4 ± 0.5 MPa · m1/2, respectively. We believe this paper can lay the foundation for the preparation of ZrB2-based nanocomposites.
Influence of sputtering gas pressure on properties of transparent conducting Si-doped zinc oxide films
Authors: Qin Hua , Liu Hunfa , Lei Chengxin
Published: November 2013

Si-doped zinc oxide (SZO, Si 3%) thin films were deposited on glass substrates by means of direct current magnetron sputtering under different pressures. The influence of sputtering pressure on structure, morphology, optical and electrical properties of SZO thin films was investigated. The results reveal that the sputtering pressures have a significant impact on the growth rate, crystal quality and electrical properties of the films, but have little impact on the optical properties of the films. SZO thin film samples grown on glasses are polycrystalline with a hexagonal wurtzite structure and have a preferred orientation along the c-axis perpendicular to the substrate. When the sputtering pressure increases from 2 to 8 Pa, the film surface becomes compact and smooth, the degree of crystallization of the films increases, and the resistivity of films decreases. However, when the sputtering pressure continues to increase from 8 to 10 Pa, the degree of crystallization of the films decreases, the grain size decreases, and the resistivity of the films increases. SZO(3%) thin film deposited at a sputtering pressure of 8 Pa shows the largest carrier concentration, the largest mobility, the lowest resistivity of 3.0 × 10−4 Ω cm and a high overall transmission of 93.3% in the visible range.
Atomic mobilities in fcc Cu–Mn–Ni–Zn alloys and their characterizations of uphill diffusion and zero-flux plane phenomena
Authors: Zhang Weibin , Zhang Lijun , Du Yong , Liu Shuhong , Tang Chengying
Published: November 2013

An effective approach to establish the atomic mobility parameters of quaternary Cu-rich fcc Cu–Mn–Ni–Zn alloys is presented through assessments of the critically-reviewed experimental diffusivities available in the literature by means of DICTRA (DIffusion Controlled TRAnsformation) software. In the quaternary Cu-rich fcc Cu–Mn–Ni–Zn alloys, atomic mobilities in ternary fcc Cu–Mn–Ni and Cu–Ni–Zn boundary systems were directly taken from our previous work, while atomic mobilities in ternary fcc Cu–Mn–Zn boudnary system were assessed as a function of temperature and composition in this work. Since no experimental data were available, the atomic mobility database for fcc Ni–Mn–Zn alloys was not assessed but just directly extrapolated based on the three constituent binary alloys. Considering that the accurate quaternary interdiffusion coefficients were usually absent in the literature, atomic mobilities in fcc Cu–Mn–Ni–Zn alloys were extrapolated based on the assessed atomic mobilities in the 4 ternary boundary systems. On the basis of the obtained mobility parameters, simulations of a series of ternary and quaternary diffusion couple experiments were performed. The concentration profiles and the diffusion paths in diffusion couples were well reproduced by the presently obtained parameters. Furthermore, 3D views of the concentration profiles, diffusion fluxes, chemical potential and quaternary interdiffusion coefficients surfaces were calculated with the obtained atomic mobilities to analyze the uphill diffusion and zero-flux plane phenomenon in some quaternary diffusion couples. In addition, simple criteria for judging whether the uphill diffusion and/or zero-flux plane can occur are also proposed.
Thermal investigation of alumina-based pastes and refractory mixturesd
Authors: Katsavou Ioanna D. , Krokida Magdalini K. , Ziomas Ioannis C.
Published: November 2013

Alumina-based refractories are the most commonly used materials for lining electrical furnaces. Bauxite and aluminate chamotte were selected, bound with aluminate cement, and their thermal stability was studied using differential scanning calorimetry and thermogravimetry. Their loss on ignition, after firing at 1000 °C, was determined. The main changes in mass observed were attributed to the removal of moisture at temperatures up to 140 °C and to the dehydration of calcium aluminate cement at 200–300 °C. Boehmite (500 °C) and bayerite transformations (650–700 °C) were recorded for bauxite samples, while chamotte samples exhibited changes due to goethite conversion to hematite (400 °C) and spinel formation at 900 °C. Water removal was then examined in detail through differential scanning calorimetry tests. Experiments for loss on ignition showed that particle size of refractory bauxite does not affect mass changes during firing, while chamotte samples were found to show greater loss at particle sizes 200–315 μm, due to impurities and low melting point compounds.
Microwave absorbing materials based on polyaniline composites: a review
Authors: Wang Yanmin
Published: November 2013

Conductive polymers are widely studied as microwave absorbing materials due to their light weight, corrosion resistance, good and flexible processibility and variability of conductivity. Among them, polyaniline (PANI) microwave absorbing materials have been studied most extensively because of their easier and inexpensive preparation methods, good environmental stability in both doped and undoped forms, excellent physical and chemical properties, high conductivity at microwave frequencies and unique doping mechanism with its ease of protonic acid doping in the emeraldine form. In this paper, the preparation and the microwave properties of PANI/inorganics composites and PANI/insulating polymer composites are thoroughly reported.
Nanoscratch characterization of indium nitride films
Authors: Lian Derming
Published: November 2013

In this study we used RF plasma-assisted molecular beam epitaxy for the epitaxial growth of single-crystalline indium nitride (InN) thin films on aluminum nitride buffer layers/Si (111) substrates. We then used scratch techniques to study the influence of the c-axis orientation of the InN films and the beam interactions on the tribological performance of these samples. When grown at 440, 470, and 500 °C, the coefficients of friction were 0.18, 0.22, and 0.26, respectively, under a normal force (F
n) of 2000 μN; 0.19, 0.23, and 0.27, respectively, under a value of F
n of 4000 μN; and 0.21, 0.24, and 0.28, respectively, under a value of F
n of 6000 μN. These measured values increased slightly upon increasing the growth temperature because of the resulting smaller sizes of the apertures and/or pores in the inner films. The sliding resistance of the ploughed area was observed. The contact sliding line became increasingly noticeable upon increasing the value of F
n; the plot of the friction with respect to the penetration depth revealed a significant relation in its adhesion properties presentation.
Methods of segregation analysis applied to simulated multicomponent multiphase microstructures
Authors: Grätz Kathrin , Eiken Janin , Schmid-Fetzer Rainer
Published: November 2013

Advanced microstructure simulation models can predict solute segregation in 2D and 3D space, which often leads to outputs of large arrays of concentration values with a multitude of detailed information that hinders straightforward evaluations. The target of this study is to establish a common evaluation method for both simulation results and experimental data as a standard for quantitative comparison and validation. For this purpose, a methodology is adopted from experimental segregation analysis to transform the multi-dimensional data into meaningful 1D segregation profiles, which can easily be plotted and discussed. As an application example, a directional solidification experiment on an AZ31 magnesium alloy is selected and the solidification process is simulated using the phase-field method. The subsequently obtained 1D segregation profiles are compared to measured segregation profiles. As part of the study, two common sorting methods are evaluated with respect to their applicability to recover the general segregation behavior and the solidification path, as well as to handle numerical noise.
Preparation and Characterization of Bamboo Fibers Coated with Titanium Urushiol and its Composite Materials with Polypropylene
Authors: Yin F. , Lin J. , Mao X. , Deng Y. , Chen Q.
Published: November 2013

Bamboo fibers (BFs) coated with titanium urushiol (BFTiU) was prepared by in situ reaction. Effects of activation time, urushiol concentration, reaction time and butyl titanate concentration etc on the coating ratio of BFTiU were investigated. On the other hand, the BFTiU was characterized by FTIR measurements, scanning electron microscope, thermo gravimetric analysis and differential scanning calorimetry. The results showed that titanium urushiol compound was coated on the BFs by coordination reaction and the coating ratio of BFTiU reached 35% at the optimal preparation condition. It also could be found that BFTiU possessed better heat resistant properties than BFs. Due to titanium urushiol coated on BFs, the elongation at break, the maximum deflection and the bending strength of BFTiU/PP composites were 33%, 30 % and 10% higher than those of BP/PP composites respectively. Particularly, the tensile strength of BFTiU/PP composites was better than that of BP/PP composites at the presence of 70% BFTiU.
The added value of semimicroelectrode recording in deep brain stimulation of the subthalamic nucleus for Parkinson disease
Authors: Jonker Pascal K. C. , van Dijk J. Marc C. , van Hulzen Arjen L. J. , van Laar Teus , Staal Michiel J. , Journée H. Louis
Published: November 2013

Object

Accurate placement of the leads is crucial in deep brain stimulation (DBS). To optimize the surgical positioning of the lead, a combination of anatomical targeting on MRI, electrophysiological mapping, and clinical testing is applied during the procedure. Electrophysiological mapping is usually done with microelectrode recording (MER), but the relatively undocumented semimicroelectrode recording (SMER) is a competing alternative. In this study the added value and safety of SMER for optimal lead insertion in the subthalamic nucleus (STN) in a consecutive cohort of patients with Parkinson disease (PD) was assessed.

Methods

Between 2001 and 2010, a consecutive single-center cohort of 46 patients with PD underwent DBS of the STN (85 lead insertions). After exclusion of 11 lead insertions for mostly technical reasons, 74 insertions were included for the assessment. Anatomical target localization was based on either 1.5-T MRI or fused 3-T MRI with CT, with reference to anterior commissure–posterior commissure coordinates. Electrophysiological mapping was performed with SMER. Intraoperative clinical testing was dominant in determining the final lead position. The target error was defined as the absolute distance between the anatomical or electrophysiological target and the final lead position. The effect of SMER on anatomical target error reduction and final target selection was analyzed. Also, the anatomical and electrophysiological target error was judged against the different imaging strategies. For safety evaluation, the adverse events related to all lead insertions were assessed.

Results

The use of SMER significantly reduced the anatomical target error from 1.7 (SD 1.6) mm to 0.8 (SD 1.3) mm (p < 0.0001). In particular, the anatomical target error based on 1.5-T MRI was significantly reduced by SMER, from 2.3 (SD 1.5) mm to 0.1 (SD 0.5) mm (p < 0.001). Anatomical target error reduction based on 3-T MRI fused with CT was not significantly influenced by SMER (p = 0.2), because the 3-T MRI-CT combination already significantly reduced the anatomical target error from 2.3 (SD 1.5) mm to 1.5 (SD 1.5) mm compared with 1.5-T MRI (p = 0.03). No symptomatic intracerebral hemorrhage was reported. Intracerebral infection was encountered in 1 patient following lead insertion.

Conclusions

Semimicroelectrode recording has added value in targeting the STN in DBS for patients with PD based on 1.5-T MRI. The use of SMER does not significantly reduce the anatomical target error in procedures with fused 3-T MRI-CT studies and therefore might be omitted. With the absence of hemorrhagic complications, SMER-guided lead implantation should be considered a safe alternative to MER.
Deep brain stimulation: a mechanistic and clinical update
Authors: Karas Patrick J. , Mikell Charles B. , Christian Eisha , Liker Mark A. , Sheth Sameer A.
Published: November 2013

Deep brain stimulation (DBS), the practice of placing electrodes deep into the brain to stimulate subcortical structures with electrical current, has been increasing as a neurosurgical procedure over the past 15 years. Originally a treatment for essential tremor, DBS is now used and under investigation across a wide spectrum of neurological and psychiatric disorders. In addition to applying electrical stimulation for clinical symptomatic relief, the electrodes implanted can also be used to record local electrical activity in the brain, making DBS a useful research tool. Human single-neuron recordings and local field potentials are now often recorded intraoperatively as electrodes are implanted. Thus, the increasing scope of DBS clinical applications is being matched by an increase in investigational use, leading to a rapidly evolving understanding of cortical and subcortical neurocircuitry. In this review, the authors discuss recent innovations in the clinical use of DBS, both in approved indications as well as in indications under investigation. Deep brain stimulation as an investigational tool is also reviewed, paying special attention to evolving models of basal ganglia and cortical function in health and disease. Finally, the authors look to the future across several indications, highlighting gaps in knowledge and possible future directions of DBS treatment.
Entwurf eines optimalen Seillinienlayouts für die Holzernte in steilem Gelände
Authors: Bont Leo
Published: November 2013

Designing an optimal cable road layout for harvesting in steep terrain

Cable-based technologies are a backbone when designing harvesting systems for steep slopes. However, layout and placement of the cable roads are challenging. To guarantee that harvesting costs are minimized and that the process has the least environmental impact on the remaining forest, one must carefully locate both cable towers and cable roads. Our study objectives were to 1) develop an approach of mixed integer linear programming for planning an optimal harvesting and cable road layout and 2) test this methodology on a specific site, then observe its behaviour with single- and multi-objective alternatives and evaluate its practicality. In doing so, we determined that fitting the model to terrain units up to 35 ha provided the best results and within a reasonable timeframe. The approach presented here is the first to consider both environmental and economic objectives, and can determine the optimal cable road layout within the shortest time.
Tympan Alley: Posthumanist Performatives inDancer in the Dark
Authors: Turner Lynn
Published: November 2013

While it is Derrida's late work on the ‘animal question’ that brought his insistence on limitrophy between species to wider attention, it is also named as the general condition of the limits in the much earlier text, ‘Tympan’. There, in dislocating the tympanum, the margins of philosophy are eaten. Equally, given the rhythmic address of the tympanum, we might say that the margins of philosophy are beaten.

This paper considers the persistent play on rhythmic sounds in Lars von Trier's Dancer in the Dark as a ‘tympanising’ or derision of the limits, notably of the limits of the law in both juridical and symbolic senses, as they also work the edges of the film's two styles (broadly, realism and musical). In a provocative analysis of this film, Cary Wolfe suggests that we might understand Selma's vocal style (given singular expression by Bjork) as a refusal of the phallic imposition of language, and that her virtually suicidal submission to the death sentence allows for a notion of a ‘posthuman feminine’. ‘Tympan Alley’ redirects this tantalising term ‘posthuman feminine’ through a more consistently Derridean line of thought to sound out the implications of b/eating the limits through Selma's oblique ear.
CENDARI's Grand Challenges: Building, Contextualising and Sustaining a New Knowledge Infrastructure
Authors: Edmond Jennifer
Published: November 2013

In its widest sense, infrastructure allows us as finite individuals to achieve beyond our individual capacity to know, to do, to see. But even within the narrower context of research infrastructures, broad and diverse definitions exist of how such an infrastructure should deliver these enhancements in knowledge and perspective. The Collaborative EuropeaN Digital Archival Research Infrastructure (CENDARI) project was launched in 2012 to address some of the gaps in provision for digital historical research, building on a long tradition of work in libraries, archives, digital humanities research centres and other research infrastructures. What distinguishes CENDARI, however, is its focus on what the project team has identified as the ‘grand challenges’ for each of its contributing stakeholder groups: collections experts based in libraries and archives, historians of the medieval and modern periods, and e-Scientists. This ethos, combined with its close relationship at European level to DARIAH, the Digital Research Infrastructure for the Arts and Humanities, has instigated a unique and fruitful approach to supporting historical research with digital resources, tools and spaces.
A Laboratory Assessment of Factors That Affect Bacterial Adhesion to Contact Lenses
Authors: Dutta Debarun , Willcox Mark
Published: November 2013

Adhesion of pathogenic microbes, particularly bacteria, to contact lenses is implicated in contact lens related microbial adverse events. Various in vitro conditions such as type of bacteria, the size of initial inoculum, contact lens material, nutritional content of media, and incubation period can influence bacterial adhesion to contact lenses and the current study investigated the effect of these conditions on bacterial adhesion to contact lenses. There was no significant difference in numbers of bacteria that adhered to hydrogel etafilcon A or silicone hydrogel senofilcon A contact lenses. Pseudomonas aeruginosa adhered in higher numbers compared to Staphylococcus aureus. Within a genera/species, adhesion of different bacterial strains did not differ appreciably. The size of initial inoculum, nutritional content of media, and incubation period played significant roles in bacterial adhesion to lenses. A set of in vitro assay conditions to help standardize adhesion between studies have been recommended.
Biophysical Insights into the Inhibitory Mechanism of Non-Nucleoside HIV-1 Reverse Transcriptase Inhibitors
Authors: Schauer Grant , Leuba Sanford , Sluis-Cremer Nicolas
Published: November 2013

HIV-1 reverse transcriptase (RT) plays a central role in HIV infection. Current United States Federal Drug Administration (USFDA)-approved antiretroviral therapies can include one of five approved non-nucleoside RT inhibitors (NNRTIs), which are potent inhibitors of RT activity. Despite their crucial clinical role in treating and preventing HIV-1 infection, their mechanism of action remains elusive. In this review, we introduce RT and highlight major advances from experimental and computational biophysical experiments toward an understanding of RT function and the inhibitory mechanism(s) of NNRTIs.
Estimated Fluoride Doses from Toothpastes Should be Based on Total Soluble Fluoride
Authors: Oliveira Maria , Martins Carolina , Paiva Saul , Tenuta Livia , Cury Jaime
Published: November 2013

The fluoride dose ingested by young children may be overestimated if based on levels of total fluoride (TF) rather than levels of bioavailable fluoride (total soluble fluoride—TSF) in toothpaste. The aim of the present study was to compare doses of fluoride intake based on TF and TSF. Fluoride intake in 158 Brazilian children aged three and four years was determined after tooth brushing with their usual toothpaste (either family toothpaste (n = 80) or children’s toothpaste (n = 78)). The estimated dose (mg F/day/Kg of body weight) of TF or TSF ingested was calculated from the chemical analysis of the toothpastes. Although the ingested dose of TF from the family toothpastes was higher than that from the children’s toothpastes (0.074 ± 0.007 and 0.039 ± 0.003 mg F/day/Kg, respectively; p < 0.05), no difference between types of toothpaste was found regarding the ingested dose based on TSF (0.039 ± 0.005 and 0.039 ± 0.005 mg F/day/Kg, respectively; p > 0.05). The fluoride dose ingested by children from toothpastes may be overestimated if based on the TF of the product. This finding suggests that the ingested dose should be calculated based on TSF. Dose of TSF ingested by children is similar whether family or children’s toothpaste is used.
Transcription and Maturation of mRNA in Dinoflagellates
Authors: Roy Sougata , Morse David
Published: November 2013

Dinoflagellates are of great importance to the marine ecosystem, yet scant details of how gene expression is regulated at the transcriptional level are available. Transcription is of interest in the context of the chromatin structure in the dinoflagellates as it shows many differences from more typical eukaryotic cells. Here we canvas recent transcriptome profiles to identify the molecular building blocks available for the construction of the transcriptional machinery and contrast these with those used by other systems. Dinoflagellates display a clear paucity of specific transcription factors, although surprisingly, the rest of the basic transcriptional machinery is not markedly different from what is found in the close relatives to the dinoflagellates.
An Updated List of Generic Names in the Thoracosphaeraceae
Authors: Gottschling Marc , Soehner Sylvia
Published: November 2013

Calcareous dinophytes produce exoskeletal calcified structures during their life history (a unique character among the alveolates) and are subsumed under the Thoracosphaeraceae as part of the Peridiniales. We provide a brief synopsis about the taxonomic history of the group, from the first descriptions of fossils in the 19th century through to the results of molecular phylogenetics studies undertaken during the past two decades. Delimitation and circumscription of the Thoracosphaeraceae are challenging, as they comprise both phototrophic (presumably including endosymbiotic) as well as heterotrophic (and even parasitic) dinophytes from marine and freshwater environments, respectively. However, calcareous structures are not known from all members of the Thoracosphaeraceae, and the corresponding species and groups are considered to have lost the capacity to calcify. Five years ago, a taxonomic list of 99 generic names assigned to the Thoracosphaeraceae was published, and we update this compendium with 19 additional names based on recent studies.
Responsiveness of Health State Utility Values in Knee Osteoarthritis
Authors: Davis Erin M. , Lynd Larry D. , Grubisic Maja , Kopec Jacek A. , Sayre Eric C. , Cibere Jolanda , Esdaile John , Marra Carlo A.
Published: November 2013

Objective.

Adaptive tests are increasingly being used to assess health-related quality of life in patients with a variety of medical conditions, including osteoarthritis (OA) of the knee. This approach has recently been used to assess health state utility valuations (HSUV) for use in quality-adjusted life-year calculations. To accurately assess incremental value for money, these tools must be responsive. Therefore, we examined the responsiveness of the Health Utilities Index mark 3 (HUI3) and Paper Adaptive Test-5D (PAT-5DQOL) in a group of patients with knee OA.

Methods.

We used patient-level data from a randomized controlled trial evaluating a pharmacist-initiated multidisciplinary intervention in newly diagnosed patients with knee OA. The mean change for utility scores from baseline to 6 months was calculated, as well as effect size (ES) and standardized response mean (SRM) for the HUI3 and PAT-5DQOL, and generalized additive model plots, using the Western Ontario and McMaster Osteoarthritis index as a reference standard.

Results.

When patients were assessed based on whether their condition had improved, remained unchanged, or worsened over time, the PAT-5DQOL showed greater responsiveness in patients whose condition had either improved or worsened. ES and SRM were generally small for both instruments.

Conclusion.

The PAT-5DQOL is more responsive to change over time than the HUI3 in patients with knee OA.
The Effects of Monosodium Urate Monohydrate Crystals on Chondrocyte Viability and Function: Implications for Development of Cartilage Damage in Gout
Authors: Chhana Ashika , Callon Karen E. , Pool Bregina , Naot Dorit , Gamble Gregory D. , Dray Michael , Pitto Rocco , Bentley Jarome , McQueen Fiona M. , Cornish Jillian , Dalbeth Nicola
Published: November 2013

Objective.

Cartilage damage is frequently observed in advanced destructive gout. The aim of our study was to investigate the effects of monosodium urate monohydrate (MSU) crystals on chondrocyte viability and function.

Methods.

The alamarBlue assay and flow cytometry were used to assess the viability of primary human chondrocytes and cartilage explants following culture with MSU crystals. The number of dead chondrocytes in cartilage explants cultured with MSU crystals was quantified. Real-time PCR was used to determine changes in the relative mRNA expression levels of chondrocytic genes. The histological appearance of cartilage in joints affected by gout was also examined.

Results.

MSU crystals rapidly reduced primary human chondrocyte and cartilage explant viability in a dose-dependent manner (p < 0.01 for both). Cartilage explants cultured with MSU crystals had a greater percentage of dead chondrocytes at the articular surface compared to untreated cartilage (p = 0.004). Relative mRNA expression of type II collagen and the cartilage matrix proteins aggrecan and versican was decreased in chondrocytes following culture with MSU crystals (p < 0.05 for all). However, expression of the degradative enzymes ADAMTS4 and ADAMTS5 was increased (p < 0.05 for both). In joints affected by gout, normal cartilage architecture was lost, with empty chondrocyte lacunae observed.

Conclusion.

MSU crystals have profound inhibitory effects on chondrocyte viability and function. Interactions between MSU crystals and chondrocytes may contribute to cartilage damage in gout through reduction of chondrocyte viability and promotion of a catabolic state.
Le partage ponctuel d'idées en ligne par la pratique du jam : atouts et limites
Authors: Renault Sophie , Boutigny Erwan
Published: November 2013

La créativité est l’un des piliers indiscutables de la construction d’un avantage concurrentiel. Afin de l’encourager et de l’accompagner, les outils collaboratifs se multiplient. Parmi ceux-ci, le jam se présente comme une modalité originale de remue-méninges basée sur les technologies de l’information et de la communication. Créé en 2001 par IBM, le jam permet de solliciter l’interaction d’une multitude d’acteurs et d’augmenter ainsi les chances de trouver des idées novatrices. De nombreuses organisations ont jusqu’alors eu recours à cet outil d’idéation, dont Nekoé, un pôle d’excellence dédié à l’innovation par les services. Cet article examine cette pratique collaborative innovante.