bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Origin of Cardiomyocytes in the Adult Heart
Authors: Leri Annarosa , Rota Marcello , Pasqualini Francesco S. , Goichberg Polina , Anversa Piero
Published: December 2014

This review article discusses the mechanisms of cardiomyogenesis in the adult heart. They include the re-entry of cardiomyocytes into the cell cycle; dedifferentiation of pre-existing cardiomyocytes, which assume an immature replicating cell phenotype; transdifferentiation of hematopoietic stem cells into cardiomyocytes; and cardiomyocytes derived from activation and lineage specification of resident cardiac stem cells. The recognition of the origin of cardiomyocytes is of critical importance for the development of strategies capable of enhancing the growth response of the myocardium; in fact, cell therapy for the decompensated heart has to be based on the acquisition of this fundamental biological knowledge.
The GSK-3 Family as Therapeutic Target for Myocardial Diseases
Authors: Lal Hind , Ahmad Firdos , Woodgett James , Force Thomas
Published: December 2014

Glycogen synthase kinase-3 (GSK-3) is one of the few signaling molecules that regulate a truly astonishing number of critical intracellular signaling pathways. It has been implicated in several diseases including heart failure, bipolar disorder, diabetes mellitus, Alzheimer disease, aging, inflammation, and cancer. Furthermore, a recent clinical trial has validated the feasibility of targeting GSK-3 with small molecule inhibitors for human diseases. In the current review, we will focus on its expanding role in the heart, concentrating primarily on recent studies that have used cardiomyocyte- and fibroblast-specific conditional gene deletion in mouse models. We will highlight the role of the GSK-3 isoforms in various pathological conditions including myocardial aging, ischemic injury, myocardial fibrosis, and cardiomyocyte proliferation. We will discuss our recent findings that deletion of GSK-3α specifically in cardiomyocytes attenuates ventricular remodeling and cardiac dysfunction after myocardial infarction by limiting scar expansion and promoting cardiomyocyte proliferation. The recent emergence of GSK-3β as a regulator of myocardial fibrosis will also be discussed. We will review our recent findings that specific deletion of GSK-3β in cardiac fibroblasts leads to fibrogenesis, left ventricular dysfunction, and excessive scarring in the ischemic heart. Finally, we will examine the underlying mechanisms that drive the aberrant myocardial fibrosis in the models in which GSK-3β is specifically deleted in cardiac fibroblasts. We will summarize these recent results and offer explanations, whenever possible, and hypotheses when not. For these studies we will rely heavily on our models and those of others to reconcile some of the apparent inconsistencies in the literature.
Control of Cardiac Repolarization by Phosphoinositide 3-Kinase Signaling to Ion Channels
Authors: Ballou Lisa M. , Lin Richard Z. , Cohen Ira S.
Published: December 2014

Upregulation of phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI3K) signaling is a common alteration in human cancer, and numerous drugs that target this pathway have been developed for cancer treatment. However, recent studies have implicated inhibition of the PI3K signaling pathway as the cause of a drug-induced long-QT syndrome in which alterations in several ion currents contribute to arrhythmogenic drug activity. Surprisingly, some drugs that were thought to induce long-QT syndrome by direct block of the rapid delayed rectifier (
I
Kr
) also seem to inhibit PI3K signaling, an effect that may contribute to their arrhythmogenicity. The importance of PI3K in regulating cardiac repolarization is underscored by evidence that QT interval prolongation in diabetes mellitus also may result from changes in multiple currents because of decreased insulin activation of PI3K in the heart. How PI3K signaling regulates ion channels to control the cardiac action potential is poorly understood. Hence, this review summarizes what is known about the effect of PI3K and its downstream effectors, including Akt, on sodium, potassium, and calcium currents in cardiac myocytes. We also refer to some studies in noncardiac cells that provide insight into potential mechanisms of ion channel regulation by this signaling pathway in the heart. Drug development and safety could be improved with a better understanding of the mechanisms by which PI3K regulates cardiac ion channels and the extent to which PI3K inhibition contributes to arrhythmogenic susceptibility.
Contemporary Aspects of the Biology and Therapeutic Regulation of the Microsomal Triglyceride Transfer Protein
Authors: Hooper Amanda J. , Burnett John R. , Watts Gerald F.
Published: December 2014

The microsomal triglyceride transfer protein (MTP), the product of the
MTTP
gene, is essential for the assembly and secretion of apolipoprotein B–containing lipoproteins, but when defective causes abetalipoproteinemia. Abetalipoproteinemia is a rare autosomal recessive disorder characterized by the inability to produce chylomicrons or very low-density lipoproteins, with the absence of apolipoprotein B–containing lipoproteins in the circulation. Knowledge of the molecular basis for abetalipoproteinemia has led to the development of therapies for dyslipidemia that inhibit MTP. Partial MTP inhibition using small molecule inhibitors, such as lomitapide, can effectively lower plasma low-density lipoprotein–cholesterol and apolipoprotein B levels, but is associated with gastrointestinal side effects and hepatic steatosis, whose long-term sequelae remain unclear; lomitapide has accordingly only been approved as a treatment for homozygous familial hypercholesterolemia. Intestine-specific inhibitors of MTP decrease chylomicron biogenesis and improve insulin sensitivity in experimental animals and, while overcoming hepatic steatosis, may have significant gastrointestinal side effects that could limit their use in humans. We review contemporary aspects of the biology and therapeutic regulation of MTP and their significance for lipid metabolism and cardiovascular disease.
Norrin Protected Blood–Brain Barrier Via Frizzled-4/β-Catenin Pathway After Subarachnoid Hemorrhage in Rats
Authors: Chen Yujie , Zhang Yang , Tang Junjia , Liu Fei , Hu Qin , Luo Chunxia , Tang Jiping , Feng Hua , Zhang John H.
Published: December 2014

Background and Purpose—

Norrin and its receptor Frizzled-4 have important roles in the blood–brain barrier development. This study is to investigate a potential role and mechanism of Norrin/Frizzled-4 on protecting blood–brain barrier integrity after subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH).

Methods—

One hundred and seventy-eight male Sprague–Dawley rats were used. SAH model was induced by endovascular perforation. Frizzled-4 small interfering RNA was injected intracerebroventricularly 48 hours before SAH. Norrin was administrated intracerebroventricularly 3 hours after SAH. SAH grade, neurological scores, brain water content, Evans blue extravasation, western blots, and immunofluorescence were used to study the mechanisms of Norrin and its receptor regulation protein TSPAN12, as well as neurological outcome.

Results—

Endogenous Norrin and TSPAN12 expression were increased after SAH, and Norrin was colocalized with astrocytes marker glial fibrillary acidic protein in cortex. Exogenous Norrin treatment significantly alleviated neurobehavioral dysfunction, reduced brain water content and Evans blue extravasation, promoted β-catenin nuclear translocation, and increased Occludin, VE-Cadherin, and ZO-1 expressions. These effects were abolished by Frizzled-4 small interfering RNA pretreated before SAH.

Conclusions—

Norrin protected blood–brain barrier integrity and improved neurological outcome after SAH, and the action of Norrin appeared mediated by Frizzled-4 receptor activation, which promoted β-catenin nuclear translocation, which then enhanced Occludin, VE-Cadherin, and ZO-1 expression. Norrin might have potential to protect blood–brain barrier after SAH.
The Role of Ocean–Atmosphere Coupling in the Zonal-Mean Atmospheric Response to Arctic Sea Ice Loss
Authors: Deser Clara , Tomas Robert A. , Sun Lantao
Published: December 2014

The role of ocean–atmosphere coupling in the zonal-mean climate response to projected late twenty-first-century Arctic sea ice loss is investigated using Community Climate System Model version 4 (CCSM4) at 1° spatial resolution. Parallel experiments with different ocean model configurations (full-depth, slab, and no interactive ocean) allow the roles of dynamical and thermodynamic ocean feedbacks to be isolated. In the absence of ocean coupling, the atmospheric response to Arctic sea ice loss is confined to north of 30°N, consisting of a weakening and equatorward shift of the westerlies accompanied by lower tropospheric warming and enhanced precipitation at high latitudes. With ocean feedbacks, the response expands to cover the whole globe and exhibits a high degree of equatorial symmetry: the entire troposphere warms, the global hydrological cycle strengthens, and the intertropical convergence zones shift equatorward. Ocean dynamics are fundamental to producing this equatorially symmetric pattern of response to Arctic sea ice loss. Finally, the absence of a poleward shift of the wintertime Northern Hemisphere westerlies in CCSM4’s response to greenhouse gas radiative forcing is shown to result from the competing effects of Arctic sea ice loss and greenhouse warming on the meridional temperature gradient in middle latitudes.
Self-esteem and fear of negative evaluation as mediators between family socioeconomic status and social anxiety in Chinese emerging adults
Authors: Cheng Gang , Zhang Dajun , Ding Fangyuan
Published: December 2014

Aims:

The social causation hypothesis suggests that the stress in connection with a depressing social position results in the development of mental disorders. This study examines the psychological mechanisms underlying the link between family socioeconomic status (SES) and social anxiety in Chinese emerging adults.

Methods:

A self-administered questionnaire was given to a representative sample ( N = 717) of undergraduate students (17–23 years old) at three universities in China. Correlational and structural equation modeling analyses were employed to test the hypothesized three-path effect of self-esteem and fear of negative evaluation (FNE) as mediators between family SES and social anxiety.

Results:

Findings suggest the following: (1) the emerging adults belonging to families with low SES are at an increased risk of social anxiety, and (2) lower family SES caused lower self-esteem, which, in turn, serves to enhance the levels of FNE, thereby increasing social anxiety.

Conclusion:

In addressing the prevention and treatment of social anxiety, we conclude that preventive efforts toward improving self-esteem may help reduce social anxiety in individuals with low family SES.
Tune in to the Tone: Lexical Tone Identification is Associated with Vocabulary and Word Recognition Abilities in Young Chinese Children
Authors: Tong Xiuli , Tong Xiuhong , McBride-Chang Catherine
Published: December 2014

Lexical tone is one of the most prominent features in the phonological representation of words in Chinese. However, little, if any, research to date has directly evaluated how young Chinese children’s lexical tone identification skills contribute to vocabulary acquisition and character recognition. The present study distinguished lexical tones from segmental phonological awareness and morphological awareness in order to estimate the unique contribution of lexical tone in early vocabulary acquisition and character recognition. A sample of 199 Cantonese children aged 5–6 years was assessed on measures of lexical tone identification, segmental phonological awareness, morphological awareness, nonverbal ability, vocabulary knowledge, and Chinese character recognition. It was found that lexical tone awareness and morphological awareness were both associated with vocabulary knowledge and character recognition. However, there was a significant relationship between lexical tone awareness and both vocabulary knowledge and character recognition, even after controlling for the effects of age, nonverbal ability, segmental phonological awareness and morphological awareness. These findings suggest that lexical tone is a key factor accounting for individual variance in young children’s lexical acquisition in Chinese, and that lexical tone should be considered in understanding how children learn new Chinese vocabulary words, in either oral or written forms.
Theaster Gates’s Dorchester Projects in Chicago
Authors: Reinhardt Kathleen
Published: December 2014

In the projects of the artist Theaster Gates, social change and transformation is strongly tied to an actual rebuilding and reactivation of vacant architectures across the South Side of Chicago. Opposed to Richard Florida’s analysis of the artist’s role in the processes of gentrification, in Gates’s model, the artist does not upvalue property in a decaying place only to then become victim to the outcome of this valorization, but the artist is a conscious and acting part in the very process himself with a designated long-term goal. Gates started acquiring abandoned houses at South Dorchester Avenue in Chicago’s Grand Crossing area in 2006, and since then included them into an artist-activated ecology. He inserts architectural remainders into works of art that travel around the world, and when sold to collectors, he reinvests the profits into the reconstruction of the buildings and acquisition of further ones. Especially through an involvement and practical reworking and repurposing of architectural structures, Gates is performing a break from a passive emotional attachment to a nostalgic image of the spaces of non-lived memory that is a prevailing trend in photography at the moment as in the works of Yves Marchand and Romain Meffre for example. Gates’s active placemaking includes the investment into the materiality and poetics of space, communal dinners, performances, film screenings and an artist residency program with a focus on sustainable site-specific projects. In Dorchester Projects, Gates’s interests in a history of making, as well as the history of the city cumulate, but despite historical preferentiality, the places have a distinct atmosphere of nowness. He links his artistic practice and social agendas with architectural and aesthetic issues. Gates’s recycling, or also upcycling, an “investment into the care of things” and the permanence of built places is testifying to his interest “to move back and forth between the real, the gestural, and the economic,” all contributing to his “art of staying.”
Effects of Tootling on Classwide Disruptive and Appropriate Behavior of Upper-Elementary Students
Authors: Lambert Abigail M. , Tingstrom Daniel H. , Sterling Heather E. , Dufrene Brad A. , Lynne Shauna
Published: December 2014

The current study assessed the effects of a positive peer reporting procedure known as Tootling on classwide disruptive as well as appropriate behavior with fourth- and fifth-grade students and their teachers in two regular education classrooms. Tootling is a technique that teaches students to recognize and report peers’ prosocial behavior rather than inappropriate behavior (i.e., as in tattling), and is also a variation on the expression, “tooting your own horn.” Tootling combined with an interdependent group contingency and publicly posted feedback were assessed using an ABAB withdrawal design with a multiple baseline element across classrooms. Results demonstrated decreases in classwide disruptive behavior as well as increases in appropriate behavior compared with baseline and withdrawal phases across both classrooms, with results maintained at follow-up. Tootling was also rated highly acceptable by both teachers. Effect size calculations reflected moderate to strong effects across all comparisons. Limitations of the present study, directions for future research, and implications for practice are discussed.
Analysis of an Online Match Discussion Board
Authors: Kozin Elliott D. , Sethi Rosh K. V. , Lehmann Ashton , Remenschneider Aaron K. , Golub Justin S. , Reyes Samuel A. , Emerick Kevin S. , Lee Daniel J. , Gray Stacey T.
Published: December 2014

Objective

“The Match” has become the accepted selection process for graduate medical education. Otomatch.com has provided an online forum for Otolaryngology–Head and Neck Surgery (OHNS) Match‐related questions for over a decade. Herein, we aim to delineate the type of posts on Otomatch to better understand the perspective of medical students applying for OHNS residency.

Study Design

Retrospective review of an OHNS Match‐related online forum.

Subjects and Methods

Subjects were contributors to an OHNS Match‐related online forum. Posts on Otomatch between December 2001 and April 2014 were reviewed. The title of each thread and number of views were recorded for quantitative analysis. Each thread was organized into 1 of 6 major categories and 1 of 18 subcategories. National Resident Matching Program (NRMP) data were utilized for comparison.

Results

We identified 1921 threads corresponding to over 2 million page views. Over 40% of threads were related to questions about specific programs, and 27% were discussions about interviews. Views, a surrogate measure for popularity, reflected different trends. The majority of individuals viewed posts on interviews (42%), program‐specific questions (20%), and how to rank programs (11%). There was an increase in viewership tracked with a rise in applicant numbers based on NRMP data.

Conclusion

Our study provides an in‐depth analysis of a popular discussion forum for medical students interested in the OHNS Match process. The most viewed posts are about interview dates and questions regarding specific programs. We provide suggestions to address unmet needs for medical students and potentially improve the Match process.
Characteristics and Intraoperative Treatments Associated with Head and Neck Free Tissue Transfer Complications and Failures
Authors: Hand William R. , McSwain Julie R. , McEvoy Matthew D. , Wolf Bethany , Algendy Abdalrahman A. , Parks Matthew D. , Murray John L. , Reeves Scott T.
Published: December 2014

Objective

To investigate the association between perioperative patient characteristics and treatment modalities (eg, vasopressor use and volume of fluid administration) with complications and failure rates in patients undergoing head and neck free tissue transfer (FTT).

Study Design

A retrospective review of medical records.

Setting

Perioperative hospitalization for head and neck FTT at 1 tertiary care medical center between January 1, 2009, and October 31, 2011.

Subjects and Methods

Consecutive patients (N = 235) who underwent head and neck FTT. Demographic, patient characteristic, and intraoperative data were extracted from medical records. Complication and failure rates within the first 30 days were collected

Results

In a multivariate analysis controlling for age, sex, ethnicity, reason for receiving flap, and type and volume of fluid given, perioperative complication was significantly associated with surgical blood loss (P =. 019; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.01‐1.16), while the rate of intraoperative fluid administration did not reach statistical significance (P =. 06; 95% CI, 0.99‐1.28). In a univariate analysis, FTT failure was significantly associated with reason for surgery (odds ratio, 5.40; P =. 03; 95% CI, 1.69‐17.3) and preoperative diagnosis of coronary artery disease (odds ratio, 3.60; P =. 03; 95% CI, 1.16‐11.2). Intraoperative vasopressor administration was not associated with either FTT complication or failure rate.

Conclusions

FTT complications were associated with surgical blood loss but not the use of vasoactive drugs. For patients undergoing FTT, judicious monitoring of blood loss may help stratify the risk of complication and failure.
2014 PSA Presidential Address (Un)Changing Institutions
Authors: Wharton Amy S.
Published: December 2014

Change is never linear, all-encompassing, or necessarily forward moving. In this essay, I explore the pace, prospects, and pathways for change in work, family, and gender at the societal and organizational levels. After a lengthy period of sustained progress, movement toward greater gender equality has slowed. This slowing has been accompanied by new cultural narratives about gender and gender inequality. These narratives have also penetrated organizations, which have their own change dynamics. Gender issues in the academy have received renewed attention in recent years as part of the National Science Foundation’s ADVANCE initiative. Drawing from my own and others’ research, I explore how academic leaders’ narratives about work, family, and gender can slow or undermine change efforts. By deflecting responsibility for change to individual faculty, leaders’ willingness, capacity, and resolve to act are weakened. Gender narratives are a central ingredient in the broader system of societal and organizational practices that reproduce inequality.
Anticipatory Socialization of Pregnant Women
Authors: Barnes Medora W.
Published: December 2014

Although doctors still frequently call out “It’s a girl!” when a baby girl is born, the majority of mothers now use ultrasound to find out the sex months earlier. This study examines how women who learn the sex of their fetus before birth are engaging in gendered verbal interactions throughout pregnancy. These include types of conversations, usage of gendered pronouns, and calling the unborn baby by a given name. These changes in behaviors by pregnant woman once fetal sex is known can be seen as a form of anticipatory socialization, as they begin to practice the behaviors and values associated with the role of being either a mother of a son or mother of a daughter. Findings also discuss general differences between mothers who choose to find out fetal sex and those who choose not to. The research is based on in-depth interviews with middle-class mothers in the United States.
Multifunctional Rural Regional Development
Authors: Hibbard Michael , Senkyr Lauren , Webb Mark
Published: December 2014

A new approach to rural regional development planning seems to be emerging. Substantively, it combines socioeconomic development with a conservation and restoration approach to environmental planning and natural resource management. With respect to process, it moves from more rational–comprehensive, top–down approaches toward decentralized, bottom–up strategies. This paper reports a key case from the American West. We begin by reviewing the evolution and current state of rural regional development planning. Next we describe the case study area, the planning situation, and our research methods. Then we report landowners’ and resource managers’ perceptions of the emerging approach and their implications.
Phosphorus and Calcium
Authors: Kraft Michael D.
Published: December 2014

Phosphorus (P) and calcium (Ca) serve vital roles in the human body and are essential components of nutrition support therapy. Regulation of P and regulation of Ca in the body are closely interrelated, and P and Ca homeostasis can be affected by several factors, including disease states, clinical condition, severity of illness, and medications. Nutrition support clinicians must understand these factors to prevent and treat P and Ca disorders in patients receiving nutrition support therapy. This review provides an overview of P and Ca for the adult nutrition support clinician, with some emphasis on the hospitalized inpatient.
Calcium phosphate cement – gelatin powder composite testing in canine models: Clinical implications for treatment of bone defects
Authors: Yomoda Mitsuhiro , Sobajima Satoshi , Kasuya Akihiro , Neo Masashi
Published: December 2014

Previous studies have reported the excellent biocompatibility of calcium phosphate cement. However, calcium phosphate cement needs further improvement in order for it to promote bone replacement and eventual bone substitution, as it exhibits slow biodegradability and thus remains in the body over an extended period of time. In this study, we mixed calcium phosphate cement with gelatin powder in order to create a composite containing macropores with interconnectivity, and we then implanted it into canine femurs from the diaphysis to the distal metaphysis. Eight dogs were divided into the sham group, the control (C0) group with 100 wt% calcium phosphate cement, the C10 group with 90 wt% calcium phosphate cement and 10 wt% gelatin powder, and the C15 group with 85 wt% calcium phosphate cement and 15 wt% gelatin powder. Bone replaceability in C10 and C15 at 3 and 6 months was evaluated by radiography, micro-CT, histomorphometry, and mineral apposition rate. New bone formation was seen in C10 and C15 although that was not seen in C0 at six months. The mineral apposition rate was significantly higher in C15 than in C10 in both the diaphysis and metaphysis, and the composite was found to have excellent biodegradability and bone replaceability in canine subjects. As the composite is easily and rapidly prepared, it is likely to become a new bone substitute for use in clinical settings.
New Small Firms and Dimensions of Economic Performance
Authors: Shaffer Sherrill , Hasan Iftekhar , Zhou Mingming
Published: December 2014

Using data from metropolitan U.S. labor market areas, the authors quantify empirical associations between entry by small firms and multiple economic outcomes including levels, growth rates, and volatilities of income and employment. The inclusion of volatilities, motivated by prior studies, fills an important gap in the empirical analysis of the economic effects of small business entry. We introduce a new measure of excess volatility to reduce any bias from endogeneity or reverse causality. Several robust associations emerge, suggesting a richer variety of effects of entry than previously documented, and raising important new questions for future research and public policy.
Continuity and Change in Life Engagement Among People With Dementia
Authors: Kuosa Kirsti , Elstad Ingunn , Normann Hans Ketil
Published: December 2014

The purpose of this study was to explore the change and continuity in the engagement in life of people with advanced dementia. The idea of meaningful activities is commonly used in nursing research, but few studies have been performed on what makes activities meaningful. This study aims to shed light on the meaning of activities in a life course context, changes in activity patterns due to dementia disease, and the significance of narratives told by close relatives. The 11 stories of activities were analyzed using thematic narrative analysis with Leontyev’s activity theory as a theoretical framework. The findings revealed several types of changes: slow and abrupt changes in everyday and physical activities, changes in the person’s level of awareness, and changes in habits in new care settings and environments. The meaningfulness of activities was connected to a person’s background, his/her motives, lifestyle and identity, and the contextuality of activities. Through the narratives, nursing care personnel could acquire a nuanced picture of the person and his/her engagement in life. These narratives are vital to helping people who have dementia to keep up with meaningful activities and enhance their quality of life, especially when the person has deficiencies in communication.
Managing Advanced Progressive Supranuclear Palsy and Corticobasal Degeneration in a Palliative Care Unit
Authors: Bükki Johannes , Nübling Georg , Lorenzl Stefan
Published: December 2014

Background:

Progressive supranuclear palsy (PSP) and corticobasal degeneration (CBD) are characterized by rapid deterioration and a fatal outcome.

Objectives:

Admission triggers, treatment efficacy, and care patterns.

Methods:

Retrospective analysis of patients with PSP/CBD admitted to an inpatient specialized palliative care service.

Results:

In 38 patients, there were 63 admissions for swallowing difficulties, falls, pain, impaired communication, cognitive/mood disturbances, respiratory symptoms, and infection. Mean length of stay was 11.6 days. Treatment response was variable. In 68%, of admission episodes there was stabilization or improvement, 75% were discharged home. In case of readmission, the mean interval has been 9.7 months. Time since diagnosis and admission triggers were not associated with outcome or death.

Conclusion:

Patients showed high symptom load contrasting with discharge rates and subsequent health care utilization. Brief multidisciplinary interventions might be helpful to preserve autonomy.
Risk Factors for Wound Complications in Patients After Elective Orthopedic Foot and Ankle Surgery
Authors: Wiewiorski Martin , Barg Alexej , Hoerterer Hubert , Voellmy Thomas , Henninger Heath B. , Valderrabano Victor
Published: December 2014

Background:

The aim of this study was to quantify the incidence of postoperative wound complications in elective foot and ankle surgery as well as the risk factors for postoperative wound complications.

Methods:

Two hundred ninety-five elective orthopaedic foot and ankle operative procedures were performed in 290 patients between January 2006 and June 2010. A logistic multiple regression model was used to identify independent risk factors for postoperative wound healing complications/infection.

Results:

The overall prevalence of postoperative wound complications within our cohort was 16.9%. In 4 patients (1.4%) deep infection was diagnosed requiring operative irrigation and debridement. Using a logistic multiple regression model we identified the following statistically independent risk factors: age ≥ 60 years (OR = 8.98, 95% CI = 3.55 to 25.02), tobacco use (OR = 48.77, 95% CI = 15.55 to 139.71), and tourniquet time ≥ 90 minutes (OR = 7.02, 95% CI = 2.77 to 19.32).

Conclusion:

Patients at risk for postoperative wound healing complications following elective orthopaedic foot and ankle surgery include those with higher age, tobacco use, and prolonged use of tourniquet.

Level of Evidence:

Prognostic Level III, comparative study.
Factor VIII Antigen, Activity, and Mutations in Hemophilia A
Authors: Nair Preethi S. , Shetty Shrimati , Ghosh Kanjaksha
Published: December 2014

Factor VIII (FVIII) activity, antigen, and its gene mutation in patients may give us some insight into structure–activity relationship and probable reason for its low level in a particular patient. A total of 53 cases with hemophilia A and 17 normal individuals were analyzed for FVIII:C and FVIII:Ag levels along with their blood groups to determine their cross-reacting material (CRM) status. In all, 37 cases (18 moderate and 19 mild) were found to have discordant CRM status. Missense mutations ( Ala723Thr and Lys439Ser) and protein truncating changes ( Trp1854* and Arg2326*) were observed in 2 each of these cases. Although 37 (70%) of the 53 had discordant antigen–activity ratio, majority of those mutations produced FVIII with low FVIII-specific activity. However, 4 (7.5%) of the 53 mutations produced higher specific activity of FVIII. It is possible that these mutations either produce a secretory defect or an increased metabolic turnover to account for the low levels of FVIII with these mutations.
Elevation in Total Homocysteine Levels in Chinese Patients With Essential Hypertension Treated With Antihypertensive Benazepril
Authors: Jiang Shanqun , Pan Mingluo , Wu Suwen , Venners Scott A. , Zhong Guisheng , Hsu Yi-Hsiang , Weinstock Justin , Wang Binyan , Tang Genfu , Liu Dahai , Xu Xiping
Published: December 2014

Objective:

To investigate the effect of benazepril on plasma homocysteine (Hcy) levels and to analyze the correlation between the methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase ( MTHFR) C677T polymorphism and changes in Hcy levels in response to benazepril.

Methods:

A total of 231 patients with mild to moderate essential hypertension were enrolled, and benazepril was orally administered at a dose of 10 mg/d for 2 weeks. Plasma Hcy levels were measured by high-performance liquid chromatography at baseline and after 2 weeks of treatment. Genotyping of the MTHFR C677T polymorphism was performed by TaqMan probe technique.

Results:

There was no significant change in Hcy level after benazepril treatment for 2 weeks ( P = .97). However, stratified by baseline Hcy levels, the patients with baseline Hcy <10 μmol/L had a significant increase in plasma Hcy levels ( P = .003). The results from the multivariable linear regression analysis demonstrated a significant correlation between baseline Hcy levels and the changes in Hcy levels found in both the unadjusted ( P = .002) and the adjusted model ( P = .004). Strikingly, we found no significant effect modification by the MTHFR C677T polymorphism on the Hcy changes after benazepril treatment. There were also no statistically significant interactions of gene and environment factors (ie, gene smoking and drinking) on the changes in Hcy levels after benazepril treatment.

Conclusion:

Benazepril may cause an increase in plasma Hcy levels among patients with hypertension with low baseline Hcy levels, while effect modification by MTHFR C677T genotypes on the changes in Hcy levels in response to benazepril was not significant among patients with essential hypertension.
Can Plateletcrit be a Marker for Recurrent Pregnancy Loss?
Authors: Aynıoglu Oner , Isık Hatice , Sahbaz Ahmet , Harma Mehmet I. , Isık Metin , Kokturk Furuzan
Published: December 2014

Aim:

To determine the utility of platelet (PLT) indices for the prediction of recurrent pregnancy loss (RPL).

Methods:

In all, 208 patients who experienced 2 or more first trimester spontaneous abortions and 95 controls who had no abortions were studied. The hematological markers, including plateletcrit (PCT) and neutrophil (Neu) to lymphocyte (Lym) ratio (NLR), were measured. Thrombophilia genetic tests for factor V Leiden mutation, prothrombin G202I0A mutation, and methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase C677 T and A1298C mutations were performed.

Results:

The PLT count, PCT, white blood cell count, red cell distribution width (RDW), Lym and Neu count, and NLR were significantly higher in patients with RPL than in controls. The RDW, PLT, and PCT values were higher in the low-risk group, whereas mean PLT volume values were lower than the high-risk group values.

Conclusion:

Plateletcrit is a low-cost, widely available marker for prediction of RPL in patients with a history of at least 1 abortus.
Numerical analyses of sandwich panels with triangular core subjected to impact loading
Authors: Dahiwale NB , Panigrahi SK , Akella K
Published: December 2014

Sandwich panels made of metal sheets with unfilled cellular cores are found to exhibit lower deflections compared to an equivalent monolithic plate of same metal and similar mass per unit density. The structures having such sandwich panels are suitable under impact loading due to low deflection. However, the process of localized impact on solid structures is quite complicated involving plastic deformation, high strain rates, temperature effect, material erosion, etc. Further, the sandwich panel having triangular corrugated core depends on various design parameters such as thickness of front plate, thickness of back plate, thickness of core, thickness of webs, and angle of web. The influences of these parameters on the structural performance are studied while designing a triangular corrugated core structure for improved ballistic limit for a given mass per unit area. In this research, a numerical analysis of impact of empty triangular corrugated core sandwich panels by ogive nose steel rod projectiles is carried out. Design parameters of the corrugated structure; namely web thickness, core thickness, web angle, front and back plate thickness are varied; and residual velocity of projectile is obtained for each case. Impact at webs resulted in higher projectile retardation and deflection than impact at the base of the prism. For base impacts, improvement in ballistic performance at minimum cost of structural weight can be achieved by increasing web angle or front or back plate thickness, while the same can be achieved for web impacts by increasing web thickness. Since web impacts experience higher penetration resistance than base impacts, designing the panel using optimum design parameters for web impacts is desirable.
Voicing passion: The emotional economy of songwriting
Authors: Long Paul , Barber Simon
Published: December 2014

This article examines articulations of the role of passion in accounts of the life and work of the songwriter. It draws upon a range of interviews with successful artists captured in the Sodajerker On Songwriting podcast. It is suggested that these interviews capture the ‘voicing’ of the conventions of creativity in popular music, exploring a context in which passionate motivation, expression and understanding of the (potentially) affective responses to songs are paramount to the labour of the songwriter. The article explores how the core of this labour deals in emotion, attempting to articulate feelings in recognisable, tradable form. This is a process that is both instrumentally rationalised but often felt to be a deeply authentic process, understood (and believed) to spring from the individual’s emotional experience, so conferring identity in a generic field. In light of current debates about the nature of creative work and emotional labour, the accounts drawn upon here can be seen to epitomise many of the qualities of what constitutes ‘good work’ through a mode of self-actualisation.
Computational thermodynamics in electric current metallurgy
Authors: Qin R. S. , Bhowmik A.
Published: December 2014

A priori derivation for the extra free energy caused by the passing electric current in metal is presented. The analytical expression and its discrete format in support of the numerical calculation of thermodynamics in electric current metallurgy have been developed. This enables the calculation of electric current distribution, current induced temperature distribution and free energy sequence of various phase transitions in multiphase materials. The work is particularly suitable for the study of magnetic materials that contain various magnetic phases. The latter has not been considered in literature. The method has been validated against the analytical solution of current distribution and experimental observation of microstructure evolution. It provides a basis for the design, prediction and implementation of the electric current metallurgy. The applicability of the theory is discussed in the derivations.
Resistance of different Zn coatings at elevated temperature air environments
Authors: Chaliampalias D. , Pistofidis N. , Pavlidou E. , Tsipas D. , Stergioudis G. , Vourlias G.
Published: December 2014

In this work, the structure and oxidation behaviour of three different zinc coatings were examined. The coatings were formed with hot dip galvanizing, pack cementation and thermal spray methods. Three different oxidation conditions were selected for the tests, which correspond to low, medium and intensive oxidation conditions. The oxidized samples were examined by scanning electron microscopy and X-ray diffraction. Results showed that the thermal spray coatings are far more susceptible than the others and suffer from extreme oxidation because of the porous net existing in the coating, which provides diffusion paths to oxygen. Hot dip and pack coatings were proved more resistant under the same exposure conditions, mainly due to the presence of different Fe–Zn phases in their structure and their morphological homogeneity.
Acute myeloid leukemia ontogeny is defined by distinct somatic mutations
Authors: Lindsley R. Coleman , Mar Brenton G. , Mazzola Emanuele , Grauman Peter V. , Shareef Sarah , Allen Steven L. , Pigneux Arnaud , Wetzler Meir , Stuart Robert K. , Erba Harry P. , Damon Lloyd E. , Powell Bayard L. , Lindeman Neal , Steensma David P. , Wadleigh Martha , DeAngelo Daniel J. , Neuberg Donna , Stone Richard M. , Ebert Benjamin L.
Published: December 2014

Key Points

The presence of a mutation in SRSF2, SF3B1, U2AF1, ZRSR2, ASXL1, EZH2, BCOR, or STAG2 is highly specific for secondary AML. Secondary-type mutations define an s-AML–like disease within t-AML and elderly de novo AML that underlies clinical heterogeneity.
Azimuthal amplitude variation with offset analysis of physical modeling data acquired over an azimuthally anisotropic medium
Authors: Mahmoudian Faranak , Margrave Gary F. , Wong Joe , Henley David C.
Published: December 2014

We evaluated a quantitative amplitude analysis of 3D physical model reflection data acquired over an experimental phenolic layer that modeled a fractured medium with one set of vertical fractures. The phenolic layer was overlain by two isotropic layers, the uppermost being water, and the data acquisition was designed to avoid the interference of the primary and ghost events. The elastic stiffness coefficients and hence the anisotropy of the phenolic layer were known in advance from a previous traveltime analysis. The reflection amplitudes from the top of the phenolic layer required corrections to make them suitable for an amplitude study. In addition to the usual amplitude corrections applied to seismic field data, a directivity correction specific to the physical model transducers was applied. The corrected amplitudes along different azimuths showed a clear azimuthal variation caused by the phenolic layer and agreed with amplitudes predicted theoretically. An amplitude variation with angle and azimuth inversion was performed for horizontal transverse isotropy (HTI) parameters of the phenolic layer. We determined from the inversion results that from the azimuthally varying P-wave reflectivity response, it was possible to estimate HTI parameters that compared favorably to those obtained previously by a traveltime analysis. This result made it possible to compute the S-wave splitting parameter [Formula: see text] (historically determined from S-wave data and directly related to fracture density) from a quantitative analysis of the PP data.
Searchlights for gravity and magnetics
Authors: Dransfield Mark
Published: December 2014

The development of mental schemata is important in developing an understanding of physical phenomena and processes. Gravitational and magnetic fields are often visualized by geophysicists as equipotential surfaces (for gravity) and field lines (for magnetics). In these cases, the schemata treat the geology as the source of the field. In seismic and electromagnetic prospecting, one instead visualizes a field that is emitted by the instrument. Example schemata are traveling wavefronts (seismic) and smoke rings (electromagnetic induction in the dissipative limit). I carried this instrument-focused conceptualization over to potential field prospecting by a schema, which envisages the instrument as a probe, illuminating the earth in a manner analogous to a searchlight. Different potential-field instruments (potentiometers, gravimeters, magnetometers, and gradiometers) each have different beam characteristics and consequently illuminate the earth in different ways. This schema provides a new way of visualizing potential fields in prospecting with applications in instrument development, data acquisition and processing, and interpretation.
Shallow seismic detection of the fault zone associated with a high scarp in southwestern Montana
Authors: Pujol Jose , Bartholomew Mervin J. , Mickelson Andrew , Bone Michael
Published: December 2014

We collected shallow reflection data in southwestern Montana, USA, across a 5.4-m-high tectonic scarp. The goal was to image the normal fault associated with the scarp, observed in an adjacent trench. Processing of the data was challenging because the height of the scarp was comparable to the depths of the reflectors of interest. To find out how to proceed, we processed synthetic data generated using velocity models derived in part from actual shot gathers. The actual data are dominated by large-amplitude low-frequency surface waves, but clear high-frequency reflections are seen in the more distant geophones. Common-offset gathers for the raw and high-pass filtered data reveal sharp discontinuities in arrival times and a strong decrease in amplitudes, respectively, under the scarp. These changes in the wavefield are indicative of lateral variations in elastic properties and are consistent with the presence of a fault zone seen in the trench. The actual data were stacked after the surface waves were removed with a narrow f-k filter. Severe muting was applied to isolate the reflections seen in the high-pass filtered data. The stacked data reveal a clear and fairly continuous horizontal reflector on the downthrown side of the fault and more disrupted reflectors on the upthrown side, with truncated reflections and changes in amplitude roughly across the projection of the fault mapped in the trench. These observations are consistent with faulting and would be difficult to explain if the scarp were an erosional feature.
Happy New Year to all of our wonderful donors and SEG members!
Authors: Allison Paul
Published: December 2014

The new year will welcome new opportunities for the Foundation to continue to grow and serve our greater geosciences community. In 2015, we will expand our efforts to connect directly with SEG sections in the upcoming year to better understand how we can increase individual support to benefit local members, students, and professional development. We will also welcome a few new directors to the Foundation Board who will be charged to raise awareness and assist in the fund-raising activities critical to our success. Development will seek pathways to allow donors from countries outside the United States to gain tax benefits from their respective countries of citizenship. Finally, 2015 will be a year in which your donations are very important to strengthening our great SEG programs.
Introduction to this special section: Time-frequency applications
Authors: Stark Tracy J.
Published: December 2014

This special section augments a 2014 SEG postconvention workshop titled “Latest developments in time-frequency analysis.” That workshop concentrated on specific methods used to perform spectral decomposition, whereas most of the special-section articles discuss how spectral-decomposition results can be used to produce better geologic interpretations.
Sorting and visualization of spectral-decomposition data
Authors: Oyem Arnold , Castagna John
Published: December 2014

Spectral-decomposition data are sorted and visualized in a variety of ways. Useful sorting schemes include (1) pseudospectral volumes such as “tuning cubes,” (2) time-frequency gathers, (3) space-frequency gathers, and (4) common-frequency volumes. Sorting spectral data into maps and cross sections has useful application in visualizing a combination of time, frequency, and offset dimensions.