bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Incidence of intracranial radiation necrosis following postoperative radiation therapy for sinonasal malignancies
Authors: Ahmad Shah , Le Christopher H. , Chiu Alexander G. , Chang Eugene H.
Published: June 2016

Objectives/Hypothesis

Surgery and postoperative radiation therapy are commonly used in the treatment of advanced sinonasal cancer. However, post‐treatment radiation changes to the brain often mimic radiologic findings suggestive of tumor recurrence, leading to potential unnecessary intracranial biopsies. The objective of this study was to determine clinical factors that predict signs of tumor recurrence versus radiation necrosis in post‐therapy sinonasal malignancies with intracranial extension.

Study Design

Retrospective study.

Methods

Twenty‐six patients with sinonasal malignancy with intracranial extension underwent surgery and radiation ± chemotherapy between 2010 and 2014 at the University of Arizona. We analyzed sinonasal cancer type, stage, total radiation dosimetry, time until imaging changes, surgical pathology, associated imaging, and patient demographics.

Results

Thirteen of 26 patients had postoperative imaging changes seen on surveillance magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Five were deemed to have tumor recurrence due to new metastasis seen on positron emission tomography/computed tomography scan. Four patients were observed with serial imaging that confirmed pseudoprogression. In four patients, there was sufficient concern due to persistent MRI changes, which prompted surgical biopsy, and only one of them was positive for tumor recurrence. Factors that favored tumor recurrence included faster onset of imaging changes on MRI (55 vs. 186 days, P < .05).

Conclusions

Intracranial tumor recurrence can be difficult to distinguish between radiation necrosis in sinonasal cancers treated with surgery and postoperative radiation ± chemotherapy. Patients with sub–total resection and rapid onset of MRI changes in postsurveillance scans are more likely to have tumor recurrence versus radiation necrosis. Future imaging techniques or tests that investigate tumor biomarkers are necessary to prevent unnecessary biopsies.

Level of Evidence

4 Laryngoscope, 126:2445–2450, 2016
Development of an in vivo model of laryngeal burn injury
Authors: Dion Gregory R. , Teng Stephanie , Bing Renjie , Hiwatashi Nao , Amin Milan R. , Branski Ryan C.
Published: June 2016

Objectives/Hypothesis

Inhalation injury significantly increases morbidity and mortality in burn patients. Approximately one in five burn patients have acute injury to the larynx, trachea, and/or lungs—and as many as 70% have long‐term laryngeal abnormalities. Although inhalation injury to the lung has been studied extensively, no models exist to study these insults to the larynx. As such, we developed an in vivo rabbit model to create precise and reproducible laryngeal burn with resultant tissue damage as a foundation for interventional studies.

Methods

Following tubeless tracheotomy, a custom temperature‐control device was employed to apply heated air (70°C–80°C, 150°C–160°C, or 310°C–320°C) ± smoke derived from unbleached cotton to the larynx, endoscopically, minimizing adjacent tissue damage in six rabbits. Pain, nutrition, and level of activity were monitored. Direct laryngoscopy and histological examination were performed 24 hours following insult.

Results

All animals survived injury with appropriate pain control; oral intake was initiated and all were adequately ventilating via tracheostomy. Burn sequelae were noted under direct visualization 24 hours after injury, and graded levels of edema and tissue damage were observed as a function of temperature. Edema obstructed true vocal fold visualization at increased temperatures. These injury patterns correlated with graded tissue damage on histology.

Conclusion

We created an in vivo model of laryngeal burn injury employing a custom burn device resulting in graded tissue injury. This model is critical for investigation of the mechanisms underlying burn injury, and ultimately, the development and evaluation of therapies for this challenging population.

Level of Evidence

NA Laryngoscope, 127:186–190, 2017
Alzheimer's disease cerebrospinal fluid biomarkers predict cognitive decline in lewy body dementia
Authors: Abdelnour Carla , van Steenoven Inger , Londos Elisabet , Blanc Frédéric , Auestad Bjørn , Kramberger Milica G. , Zetterberg Henrik , Mollenhauer Brit , Boada Mercè , Aarsland Dag ,   on behalf of the European DLB Consortium
Published: June 2016

Introduction

Alzheimer's disease pathologies are common in dementia with Lewy bodies, but their clinical relevance is not clear. CSF biomarkers amyloid beta 1‐42, total tau, and tau phosphorylated at threonine 181 reflect Alzheimer's disease neuropathology antemortem. In PD, low CSF amyloid beta 1‐42 predict long‐term cognitive decline, but little is known about these biomarkers as predictors for cognitive decline in Lewy body dementia. The aim of this study was to assess whether Alzheimer's disease CSF biomarkers predict cognitive decline in Lewy body dementia.

Methods

From a large European dementia with Lewy bodies multicenter study, we analyzed baseline Alzheimer's disease CSF biomarkers and serial MMSE (baseline and 1‐ and 2‐year follow‐up) in 100 patients with Lewy body dementia. Linear mixed‐effects analyses, adjusted for sex, age, baseline MMSE, and education, were performed to model the association between CSF biomarkers and rate of cognitive decline measured with MMSE. An Alzheimer's disease CSF profile was defined as pathological amyloid beta 1‐42 plus pathological total tau or phosphorylated tau.

Results

The Alzheimer's disease CSF profile, and pathological levels of amyloid beta 1‐42, were associated with a more rapid decline in MMSE (2.2 [P < 0.05] and 2.9 points difference [P < 0.01], respectively). Higher total tau values showed a trend toward association without statistical significance (2.0 points difference; P = 0.064), whereas phosphorylated tau was not associated with decline.

Conclusions

Reduced levels of CSF amyloid beta 1‐42 were associated with more rapid cognitive decline in Lewy body dementia patients. Future prospective studies should include larger samples, centralized CSF analyses, longer follow‐up, and biomarker‐pathology correlation. © 2016 International Parkinson and Movement Disorder Society
Integrable couplings of fractional L‐hierarchy and its Hamiltonian structures
Authors: Wu Jingzhu , Xing Xiuzhi , Geng Xianguo
Published: June 2016

Based on a general isospectral problem of fractional order, a fractional bilinear form variational identity, the new integrable coupling of fractional L‐hierarchy and the Hamiltonian structures of the integrable coupling of fractional L‐hierarchy are obtained. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Decay rates for memory‐type plate system with delay and source term
Authors: Mustafa Muhammad I. , Kafini Mohammad
Published: June 2016

In this paper, we consider a plate equation with infinite memory in the presence of delay and source term. Under suitable conditions on the delay and source term, we establish an explicit and general decay rate result without imposing restrictive assumptions on the behavior of the relaxation function at infinity. Our result allows a wider class of relaxation functions and improves earlier results in the literature. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Therapeutic Review of Methylprednisolone Acetate Intra‐Articular Injection in the Management of Osteoarthritis of the Knee – Part 2: Clinical and Procedural Considerations
Authors: McCrum Carol
Published: June 2016

The use of an intra‐articular methylprednisolone acetate (MPA) injection has been shown to have benefits for symptoms of knee osteoarthritis (OA). However, considerations beyond drug efficacy can influence the appropriateness, clinical effectiveness and potential harm of an injection. A review of research evidence and published literature on clinical and procedural factors influencing the effectiveness and safety of a knee injection has been undertaken. Factors include dose, frequency, contraindications, precautions, drug interactions, side‐effects, and procedural and patient‐related considerations. An evaluation of evidence indicated that a 40 mg dose provides clinical benefit. No strong predictors of response were evident, with the exception of pain severity. Additional benefit for outcomes from higher doses, local anaesthetic, ultrasound guidance or particular anatomical approaches is yet to be demonstrated. Evidence for dose‐ and duration‐related detrimental effects suggests judicious use and frequency. The evaluation showed that there are a number of contraindications and precautions arising from the drug pharmacology, concurrent medications, comorbidities and adverse events which need consideration and monitoring. There was limited safety evidence concerning anticoagulation. The review found that specialist guidance and limited evidence suggests that injection safety concerning warfarin may be enhanced by ensuring that the international normalized ratio level is within therapeutic range. However, the risk‐benefit evaluation concerning non vitamin K antagonist oral anticoagulants remains challenging. Although there is published guidance, a lack of clinical studies, safety evidence and reversibility advocates caution. Overall, the review indicates that injection decisions and procedures need an individualized approach and supporting evidence is limited in many areas. Evaluation and discussion of benefits and risks, peri‐procedural and post‐injection management, and tailoring to the context and individuals' preferences are important in optimizing the benefits and safety of a knee injection.
A two‐grid SA‐AMG convergence bound that improves when increasing the polynomial degree
Authors: Hu Xiaozhe , Vassilevski Panayot S. , Xu Jinchao
Published: June 2016

In this paper, we consider the convergence rate of a smoothed aggregation algebraic multigrid method, which uses a simple polynomial (1 − t)ν or an optimal Chebyshev‐like polynomial to construct the smoother and prolongation operator. The result is purely algebraic, whereas a required main weak approximation property of the tentative interpolation operator is verified for a spectral element agglomeration version of the method. More specifically, we prove that, for partial differential equations (PDEs), the two‐grid method converges uniformly without any regularity assumptions. Moreover, the convergence rate improves uniformly when the degree of the polynomials used for the smoother and the prolongation increases. Such a result, as is well‐known, would imply uniform convergence of the multilevel W‐cycle version of the algorithm. Numerical results, for both PDE and non‐PDE (graph Laplacian) problems are presented to illustrate the theoretical findings. Published 2016. This article is a U.S. Government work and is in the public domain in the USA.
Spectral estimates for unreduced symmetric KKT systems arising from Interior Point methods
Authors: Morini Benedetta , Simoncini Valeria , Tani Mattia
Published: June 2016

We consider symmetrized Karush–Kuhn–Tucker systems arising in the solution of convex quadratic programming problems in standard form by Interior Point methods. Their coefficient matrices usually have 3 × 3 block structure, and under suitable conditions on both the quadratic programming problem and the solution, they are nonsingular in the limit. We present new spectral estimates for these matrices: the new bounds are established for the unpreconditioned matrices and for the matrices preconditioned by symmetric positive definite augmented preconditioners. Some of the obtained results complete the analysis recently given by Greif, Moulding, and Orban in [SIAM J. Optim., 24 (2014), pp. 49‐83]. The sharpness of the new estimates is illustrated by numerical experiments. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Modification of bamboo fibers/bio‐based epoxy interface by nano‐reinforced coatings
Authors: Gauvin Florent , Richard Clément , Robert Mathieu
Published: June 2016

This study investigates the improvement of the interface between bamboo fibers (BF) and a bio‐based epoxy polymer by coating the surface of BF with nanoparticles. Unidirectional BF bundles were dip‐coated with three different types of coating: bio‐based epoxy, bio‐based epoxy containing silanized silica fume, and bio‐based epoxy containing starch nanoparticles. Scanning electron microscopy and dynamic contact angle tensiometry were performed to characterize the fiber surface. Tensile tests were conducted to study the benefit of the coating on the fiber properties. Bio‐based epoxy/BF composites were molded and both tensile and flexural tests were conducted to study the fiber/matrix interface. Experimental results show that coated BF bundles are more hydrophobic and up to 30% stiffer and resistant than untreated fibers. The nano‐reinforced interface enhances the flexural stress and modulus up to 25% and 20%, respectively, depicting a better fiber/matrix interface. POLYM. COMPOS., 39:1534–1542, 2018. © 2016 Society of Plastics Engineers
Heat treatment effect on thermal and thermomechanical properties of polyphenylene sulfide composites reinforced with silane‐treated volcanic ash particles
Authors: Çoban Onur , Özgür Bora Mustafa , Kutluk Togayhan , Fidan Sinan , Sinmazçelik Tamer
Published: June 2016

Thermal and thermomechanical properties of volcanic ash (VA) filled polyphenylene sulfide (PPS) composites were investigated with respect to silane treatment of VA and heat treatment of VA/PPS composites by differential scanning calorimeter (DSC) and dynamic mechanical thermal analysis (DMTA), respectively. The content of pristine VA was varied as 0, 5, 10, 15, 20, and 25 wt%. After determining the optimum VA contents (10 and 15 wt%), silane treatment was performed with 3‐aminopropyltriethoxysilane (3‐APTS). At last, PPS composites with pristine‐ and silane‐treated VA particles with optimum contents were heat treated at 200°C for 2 h. Adhesion behavior between VA and PPS was examined by scanning electron microscopy (SEM). It was reported that thermal behavior of VA/PPS composites was dominantly affected by PPS instead of VAs. However, a direct linear relationship was found between the content of pristine VA and stiffness according to glassy storage modulus (E′) and damping factor (tan δ) results. It was determined that both silane and heat treatment had no significant effect on thermal properties. After silane treatment, a positive effect on both storage modulus and loss factor was obtained. Additionally, heat treatment caused significantly further positive effect on stiffness but drastically caused negative effect on damping. POLYM. COMPOS., 39:1612–1619, 2018. © 2016 Society of Plastics Engineers
Bionanocomposites reinforced with cellulose nanofibers derived from sugarcane bagasse
Authors: Rani Anuradha , Monga Sheetal , Bansal Monica , Sharma Anupama
Published: June 2016

Thermoplastic starch (TPS)/cellulose nanofiber (CNF) based nanocomposites were prepared by thermally plasticizing regular cornstarch by sorbitol and reinforcing it with cellulose nanofibers extracted from sugarcane bagasse using alkali steam explosion coupled with high shear homogenization. High shear results in shearing of the fiber agglomerates resulting in uniformly dispersed nanofibers. Final nanofibers size was found in the range of 30–40 nm. Various analytical techniques were used to characterize cellulose nanofibrils and thermoplastic starch/cellulose nanofiber based nanocomposites like scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X‐ray diffraction (XRD), and Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy. Tensile and barrier properties of prepared nanocomposites were also examined. Nano‐reinforcement resulted in substantial improvement of mechanical and barrier properties of the composites as compared to the neat polymer. POLYM. COMPOS., 39:E55–E64, 2018. © 2016 Society of Plastics Engineers
Graphene oxide embedded P(4‐VP) cryogel composites for fast dye removal/separations
Authors: Sahiner Nurettin , Yildiz Sema , Sagbas Selin
Published: June 2016

In this study, graphene oxide (GO) prepared via modified Hummers method was embedded within superporous poly(4‐vinylpyridine) (p(4‐VP)) cryogels during the p(4‐VP) cryogel preparation up to 50 wt%. The SEM images revealed that GO layers are embedded within superporous of p(4‐VP) network. The FT‐IR and TGA analysis were also disclosed that the introduction of GO provided new functional groups and new thermal degradation profile for p(4‐VP)/GO cryogel composites. The swelling of p(4‐VP) and p(4‐VP)/GO cryogel composites in different solvent demonstrated that the swelling properties of p(4‐VP) cryogels were highly depend on the solvent and to the existence of GO. Moreover, bare p(4‐VP) cryogel and p(4‐VP)/GO cryogel composites were tested successfully in the direct removal of organic dyes such methylene blue (MB), rhodamine 6G (R6G), and methyl orange (MO) in aqueous environment. Interestingly, it was further illustrated that the separation of MB, R6G, and MO from their mixtures can be accomplished readily by using these cryogels as filter materials. The protonated forms of p(4‐VP), p(4‐VP)/GO that were obtained by HCl treatment of these cryogel systems were shown to be very successful in the separation of these dye mixtures. POLYM. COMPOS., 39:1694–1703, 2018. © 2016 Society of Plastics Engineers
The association between domperidone and ventricular arrhythmia in the postpartum period
Authors: Smolina Kate , Mintzes Barbara , Hanley Gillian E. , Oberlander Tim F. , Morgan Steven G.
Published: June 2016

Purpose

The aim of this study is to examine the relationship between domperidone (commonly used off‐label for lactation stimulation), ventricular arrhythmia and all‐cause mortality during the postpartum period.

Methods

This is a retrospective, population‐based cohort study of all women with a live birth between 1 January 2002 and 31 December 2011 in British Columbia, Canada. Cox proportional hazards models, yielding hazard ratios (HRs), were used to estimate the risk of hospitalization for ventricular arrhythmia associated with domperidone exposure within six months postpartum.

Results

The study population consisted of 225 532 women with 320 351 live births. There was only one death during the six‐month postpartum period among the study population, and thus we did not perform any analyses of all‐cause mortality. We identified 21 hospitalizations for ventricular arrhythmia. Adjusting for age, smoking and prior history of ventricular arrhythmia and cardiovascular disease, the risk of ventricular arrhythmia hospitalization was approximately double among those exposed to domperidone, but the results were not statistically significant (HR = 2.25, 95%CI 0.84–6.01). Adjustment for body mass index in the 74% of women for whom it was known further reduced the association (HR = 1.69, 95%CI 0.48–5.96).

Conclusions

We found a possible association between exposure to domperidone and hospitalization for ventricular arrhythmia among a cohort of women who have recently given birth. Future studies are needed to confirm this association. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Bisphosphonate therapy start may transiently increase the risk of tendon rupture in patients with glucocorticoid co‐medication: a population‐based observational study
Authors: Spoendlin Julia , Meier Christian , Jick Susan S. , Meier Christoph R.
Published: June 2016

Purpose

The effect of bisphosphonates on extra‐osseous tissue is rarely investigated. We performed an exploratory analysis on the association of new bisphosphonate use and incident tendon rupture in patients with or without oral glucocorticoid co‐medication.

Methods

We conducted a matched case–control study using data from the UK‐based Clinical Practice Research Datalink. Cases were patients aged 30–89 years with an incident diagnosis of Achilles or biceps tendon rupture between 1995 and 2013. We compared new oral bisphosphonate use between cases and controls with or without oral glucocorticoid co‐medication, by timing (last prescription </≥180 days) and duration (number of prescriptions) of bisphosphonate use. In a case‐crossover analysis, we compared new bisphosphonate exposure in the event period and the control period controlling for glucocorticoid use.

Results

Among 7859 cases, 246 (3.1%) were new users of bisphosphonates. Patients with glucocorticoid co‐medication had an odds ratio (OR) for tendon rupture of 6.42 (95%CI 4.03–10.22) for short‐term bisphosphonate use (≤4 prescriptions), which declined with increasing number of prescriptions. Among people with continuous prednisone use of 5–10 mg/day, bisphosphonate users with <9 prescriptions had an OR of 2.46 (95%CI 1.00–6.03), compared with bisphosphonate non‐users. The case‐crossover analysis yielded an OR of 4.46 (95%CI 2.76–7.20) for new bisphosphonate treatment in patients with glucocorticoid co‐medication, and a null result in glucocorticoid non‐users.

Conclusions

New bisphosphonate treatment may transiently increase the risk of tendon rupture in oral glucocorticoid users. Further research is needed to establish causality of this yet unreported adverse drug reaction or drug–drug interaction. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Multi‐mode acquisition (MMA): An MS/MS acquisition strategy for maximizing selectivity, specificity and sensitivity of DIA product ion spectra
Authors: Williams Brad J. , Ciavarini Steve J. , Devlin Curt , Cohn Steven M. , Xie Rong , Vissers Johannes P.C. , Martin LeRoy B. , Caswell Allen , Langridge James I. , Geromanos Scott J.
Published: June 2016

In proteomics studies, it is generally accepted that depth of coverage and dynamic range is limited in data‐directed acquisitions. The serial nature of the method limits both sensitivity and the number of precursor ions that can be sampled. To that end, a number of data‐independent acquisition (DIA) strategies have been introduced with these methods, for the most part, immune to the sampling issue; nevertheless, some do have other limitations with respect to sensitivity. The major limitation with DIA approaches is interference, i.e., MS/MS spectra are highly chimeric and often incapable of being identified using conventional database search engines. Utilizing each available dimension of separation prior to ion detection, we present a new multi‐mode acquisition (MMA) strategy multiplexing both narrowband and wideband DIA acquisitions in a single analytical workflow. The iterative nature of the MMA workflow limits the adverse effects of interference with minimal loss in sensitivity. Qualitative identification can be performed by selected ion chromatograms or conventional database search strategies.
Synthesis and facile end‐group quantification of functionalized PEG azides
Authors: Edward Semple J. , Sullivan Bradford , Vojkovsky Tomas , Sill Kevin N.
Published: June 2016

Azido‐functionalized poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) derivatives are finding ever‐increasing applications in the areas of conjugation chemistry and targeted drug delivery by their judicious incorporation into nanoparticle‐forming polymeric systems. Quantification of azide incorporation into such PEG polymers is essential to their effective use. 1H Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) analysis offers the simplest approach; however, the relevant adjacent azide‐bearing methylene protons are often obscured by the PEG manifold signals. This study describes the synthesis of 1,2,3‐triazole adducts from their corresponding PEG azides via a convenient, mild click reaction, which facilitates straightforward NMR‐based quantitative end‐group analysis.This method was found to be compatible with many examples of bifunctional azido PEGs with molecular weights ranging from 2 to 18 kDa bearing a variety of functional groups. © 2016 The Authors. Journal of Polymer Science Part A: Polymer Chemistry Published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Polym. Sci., Part B: Polym. Phys. 2016, 54, 2888–2895
Lead generation in crop protection research: a portfolio approach to agrochemical discovery
Authors: Loso Michael R , Garizi Negar , Hegde Vidyadhar B , Hunter James E , Sparks Thomas C
Published: June 2016

The need for increased food and feed supply to support future global demand with the added challenges of resistance pressure and an evolving regulatory environment necessitates the discovery of new crop protection agents for growers of today and tomorrow. Lead generation is the critical ‘engine’ for maintaining a robust pipeline of new high‐value products. A wide variety of approaches exist for the generation of new leads, many of which have demonstrated success. Each approach features some degree of merit or benefit while also having some inherent drawback or level of risk. While risk for any single approach can be mitigated in a variety of different ways depending on the approach, long‐term viability of a successful lead generation program merits utilization of a portfolio of different approaches and methodologies for the generation of new leads. © 2016 Society of Chemical Industry
Descending necrotizing mediastinitis complicating hyperimmunoglobulin E syndrome
Authors: Takanashi Yusuke , Hayakawa Takamitsu , Neyatani Hiroshi , Funai Kazuhito
Published: June 2016

Descending necrotizing mediastinitis (DNM) is a potentially lethal disease that originates from a deep neck infection (DNI); it is often associated with an immunocompromised state. Hyperimmunoglobulin E syndrome (HIES) is an extremely rare complex immune deficiency characterized by recurrent abscesses of staphylococcal etiology. A rare case of a 34‐year‐old woman wherein HIES putatively promoted the development of DNI into DNM is described. She presented with cervical purulent lymphadenitis and retropharyngeal abscess. Despite immediate cervical drainage and use of broad‐spectrum antibiotics, she developed DNI and subsequently DNM. Mediastinal drainage with thoracotomy and subsequent deep neck drainage were performed. Bacterial culture of the abscess isolated methicillin‐resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA). Although a postoperative recurrent deep neck abscess required a second surgery, we succeeded in conservative remission of recurrent mediastinal abscess with long‐term use of anti‐MRSA drugs. Sufficient drainage under thoracotomy and robust administration of postoperative antibiotics resulted in successful management of HIES‐associated DNM.
Multicentric Castleman's disease developing during follow‐up of sarcoidosis
Authors: Sawata Tetsuro , Bando Masashi , Nakayama Masayuki , Mato Naoko , Takemura Tamiko , Sugiyama Yukihiko
Published: June 2016

Pulmonary sarcoidosis is reported to have complication of lymphoproliferative disease such as malignant lymphoma, but the complication of multicentric Castleman's disease (MCD) is rarely reported. In our case of a 60‐year‐old woman, bilateral hilar lymphadenopathy was noted in her chest X‐ray. We performed a transbronchial lung biopsy. She was diagnosed as having pulmonary sarcoidosis (Stage II). The shadow on chest X‐ray disappeared without treatment. However, after 8 years, swelling of the mediastinal and abdominal lymph node, thickened bronchovascular bundle, and multiple nodular shadows were identified, and a thoracoscopic lung biopsy was performed. Based on the histopathological findings and elevated serum interleukin‐6 level (75.7 pg/mL), she was diagnosed with pulmonary sarcoidosis complicated by MCD. When a change in chest X‐ray findings are found during monitoring of pulmonary sarcoidosis, it is important to proceed with a thoracoscopic lung biopsy, because of the possibility of the rare complication of MCD.
Microwave Irradiation‐Assisted Exfoliation of Boron Nitride Nanosheets: A Platform for Loading High Density of Nanoparticles
Authors: Fu Li , Lai Guosong , Chen Guoxin , Lin Cheng‐Te , Yu Aimin
Published: June 2016

Boron nitride nanosheets (BNNS) were first time successfully exfoliated from hexagonal boron nitride (h‐BN) in an ethanol‐sodium hydroxide media using a microwave irradiation method. This simple and low‐cost exfoliation method enabled the fast produce of high quality BNNS within 2 min. The average sheet thickness and lateral size of BNNS were 4.34 nm and 1.13 μm, respectively. The exfoliated BNNS bear a strong negative charge and was demonstrated to be an excellent platform for depositing high density nanoparticles after proper surface modification. As an example, unique core‐shell nanostructure of BNNS/dense palladium nanoparticles was synthesized and its electrochemical catalytic behaviour towards the oxidation of paracetamol was studied in detail.
A Community‐based Complex Systems Approach to High School Completion
Authors: Kasman Matt , Owen Brynle , Hayward Joshua
Published: June 2016

High school completion, like many educational phenomena, is the result of processes that, when taken together, constitute a complex system. In this paper, we describe the innovative use of group model building (GMB) as an entry point for complex systems analysis of educational processes that collectively determine high school completion. GMB exercises were conducted in a community in the state of Victoria in Australia. GMB brought together stakeholders from around the community and encouraged them to view high school completion from a complex systems perspective. Not only were participants able to use their experience to create an action plan to increase high school graduation rates but they also provided researchers with valuable information that can be used as input into rigorous, quantitative models of high school completion. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
AKT Signaling Prevailing in Mesenchymal Stromal Cells Modulates the Functionality of Hematopoietic Stem Cells via Intercellular Communication
Authors: Singh Shweta , Moirangthem Ranjita Devi , Vaidya Anuradha , Jalnapurkar Sapana , Limaye Lalita , Kale Vaijayanti
Published: June 2016

The AKT pathway plays an important role in various aspects of stem cell biology. However, the consequences of constitutive activation of AKT in mesenchymal stromal cells (MSCs) on the fate of hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) were unknown. Here, we show that bone marrow-derived MSCs expressing a constitutively active AKT1 expand HSCs, but severely affect their functionality. Conversely, stromal cells with silenced AKT1 limit HSC proliferation, but boost their functionality. These effects were related to differential modulation of several important regulatory genes, in both, the cocultured HSCs and in the stromal cells themselves. The detrimental effect of stromal cells with constitutively activated AKT1 involved dynamin-dependent endocytosis, whereas the salutary effect of stromal cells devoid of AKT1 was mediated via GAP junctions. Constitutive activation of AKT1 led to deregulated formation of GAP junctions in the stromal cells, which consequently exhibited strikingly increased intercellular transfer of molecular cargo to the HSCs. Conversely, stromal cells with silenced AKT1 exhibited normal intercellular arrangement of GAP junctions at appositional membrane areas, and did not show aberrant intercellular transfer. Micro-vesicles isolated from conditioned media of the stromal cells not only mimicked the effect of these cells, but also showed stronger effects. This is perhaps the first report demonstrating that AKT1 signaling prevailing in the MSCs regulates HSC functionality through various intercellular communication mechanisms. These findings could have important implications in the use of MSCs in regenerative medicine.
Vascular Stem/Progenitor Cell Migration Induced by Smooth Muscle Cell-Derived Chemokine (C-C Motif) Ligand 2 and Chemokine (C-X-C motif) Ligand 1 Contributes to Neointima Formation
Authors: Yu Baoqi , Wong Mei Mei , Potter Claire M. F. , Simpson Russell M. L. , Karamariti Eirini , Zhang Zhongyi , Zeng Lingfang , Warren Derek , Hu Yanhua , Wang Wen , Xu Qingbo
Published: June 2016

Recent studies have shown that Sca-1+ (stem cell antigen-1) stem/progenitor cells within blood vessel walls may contribute to neointima formation, but the mechanism behind their recruitment has not been explored. In this work Sca-1+ progenitor cells were cultivated from mouse vein graft tissue and found to exhibit increased migration when cocultured with smooth muscle cells (SMCs) or when treated with SMC-derived conditioned medium. This migration was associated with elevated levels of chemokines, CCL2 (chemokine (C-C motif) ligand 2) and CXCL1 (chemokine (C-X-C motif) ligand 1), and their corresponding receptors on Sca-1+ progenitors, CCR2 (chemokine (C-C motif) receptor 2) and CXCR2 (chemokine (C-X-C motif) receptor 2), which were also upregulated following SMC conditioned medium treatment. Knockdown of either receptor in Sca-1+ progenitors significantly inhibited cell migration. The GTPases Cdc42 and Rac1 were activated by both CCL2 and CXCL1 stimulation and p38 phosphorylation was increased. However, only Rac1 inhibition significantly reduced migration and p38 phosphorylation. After Sca-1+ progenitors labeled with green fluorescent protein (GFP) were applied to the adventitial side of wire-injured mouse femoral arteries, a large proportion of GFP-Sca-1+-cells were observed in neointimal lesions, and a marked increase in neointimal lesion formation was seen 1 week post-operation. Interestingly, Sca-1+ progenitor migration from the adventitia to the neointima was abrogated and neointima formation diminished in a wire injury model using CCL2−/− mice. These findings suggest vascular stem/progenitor cell migration from the adventitia to the neointima can be induced by SMC release of chemokines which act via CCR2/Rac1/p38 and CXCR2/Rac1/p38 signaling pathways.
Loss of Sfrp2 in the Niche Amplifies Stress-Induced Cellular Responses, and Impairs the In Vivo Regeneration of the Hematopoietic Stem Cell Pool
Authors: Ruf Franziska , Schreck Christina , Wagner Alina , Grziwok Sandra , Pagel Charlotta , Romero Sandra , Kieslinger Matthias , Shimono Akihiko , Peschel Christian , Götze Katharina S. , Istvanffy Rouzanna , Oostendorp Robert A.J.
Published: June 2016

Sfrp2 is overexpressed in stromal cells which maintain hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) during in vitro culture. We here showed, that coculture of hematopoetic cells with stromal cells with reduced expression of Sfrp2 increases the number lineage-negative Kit+ Sca-1+ (LSK) and progenitor cells in vitro. The LSK cells from these cocultures showed activation of canonical Wnt signaling, higher levels of Ki-67, BrdU incorporation, and the number of γH2A.X positive foci. Total repopulating activity of these cultures was, however, diminished, indicating loss of HSC. To extend these in vitro data, we modelled stress in vivo, i.e., by aging, or 5-FU treatment in Sfrp2−/− mice, or replicative stress in regeneration of HSCs in Sfrp2−/− recipients. In all three in vivo stress situations, we noted an increase of LSK cells, characterized by increased levels of β-catenin and cyclin D1. In the transplantation experiments, the increase in LSK cells in primary recipients was subsequently associated with a progressive loss of HSCs in serial transplantations. Similar to the in vitro coculture stress, in vivo genotoxic stress in 5-FU-treated Sfrp2−/− mice increased cell cycle activity of LSK cells with higher levels of BrdU incorporation, increased expression of Ki-67, and canonical Wnt signaling. Importantly, as noted in vitro, increased cycling of LSKs in vivo was accompanied by a defective γH2A.X-dependent DNA damage response and depolarized localization of acetylated H4K16. Our experiments support the view that Sfrp2 expression in the niche is required to maintain the HSC pool by limiting stress-induced DNA damage and attenuating canonical Wnt-mediated HSC activation.
Publishing an annual report: Communicating with your campus
Authors: Palmer Jeff , Fennell Mike , Graybeal Melanie
Published: June 2016

Registrar's Offices are tasked with a wide array of duties and responsibilities to support their campus community. Students, faculty, and staff usually know the Registrar's Office handles degree audits, graduation, transcript ordering, grade publishing, and transfer credit posting. However, a myriad of additional services and support are often unknown and/or presumed to be the work of other academic units. How then can a Registrar's Office, charged with a multitude of accountabilities, professionally and directly inform its campus community of all the work that is being done?
Comparison of effects of digital vaginal examination with transperineal ultrasound during labor on pain and anxiety levels: a randomized controlled trial
Authors: Seval M. M. , Yuce T. , Kalafat E. , Duman B. , Aker S. S. , Kumbasar H. , Koc A.
Published: June 2016

Objective

To evaluate whether routine vaginal examination during labor is associated with increased levels of anxiety and pain compared with transperineal ultrasound assessment.

Methods

This was a single‐blinded, parallel, randomized controlled trial conducted in a tertiary care facility. Parous pregnant women without a known psychiatric condition who were seen at the care facility between November 2015 and March 2016 were included in the trial. Participants had an uneventful pregnancy and were assigned randomly to routine digital vaginal examination or transperineal ultrasound assessment during labor. Psychological distress levels, measured by the Symptom Checklist‐90‐Revised, and anxiety levels, measured by State‐Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI), were recorded before admission, and pain, measured using a visual analog scale, and anxiety were recorded during the latent phase of labor, the beginning of active labor and the postpartum period. A sample size of 45 women per group (n = 90) was planned to compare methods of assessment.

Results

Ninety women were randomized (1:1 allocation) to one or other of the interventions. Preadmission psychological distress and anxiety levels were similar between the two groups (P = 0.93 and 0.65, respectively). Most of the studied characteristics were similar in each group including duration of labor, number of examinations, analgesic administration during labor, episiotomy rate and interval between deliveries. Visual analog scale scores revealed that pain perception was reduced during latent (mean difference, −1.5 (95% CI, −2.51 to −0.57); P < 0.01) and active (mean difference, −1.2 (95% CI, −2.45 to −0.09); P = 0.03) stages of labor and during the postpartum period (mean difference, −0.5 (95% CI, −1.02 to −0.06); P = 0.02) in participants who had a transperineal ultrasound assessment compared with participants who had a digital vaginal examination. STAI scores revealed that anxiety levels were similar between the two groups during the latent and active phases of labor and during the postpartum period (P = 0.07, P = 0.38 and P = 0.13, respectively).

Conclusions

The perception of pain was significantly reduced with the use of a transperineal ultrasound assessment compared with routine digital vaginal examination. However, only during the latent stage of labor was the magnitude of the observed effect sufficiently great to be considered clinically significant. Our results indicate that transperineal ultrasound assessment could be preferred to digital examination for the evaluation of progression of labor during this phase. Digital examination has no clinically relevant effects on state anxiety levels, as measured by the STAI. Copyright © 2016 ISUOG. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.
Impact of Genetic Testing and Family Health History Based Risk Counseling on Behavior Change and Cognitive Precursors for Type 2 Diabetes
Authors: Wu R. Ryanne , Myers Rachel A. , Hauser Elizabeth R. , Vorderstrasse Allison , Cho Alex , Ginsburg Geoffrey S. , Orlando Lori A.
Published: June 2016

Family health history (FHH) in the context of risk assessment has been shown to positively impact risk perception and behavior change. The added value of genetic risk testing is less certain. The aim of this study was to determine the impact of Type 2 Diabetes (T2D) FHH and genetic risk counseling on behavior and its cognitive precursors. Subjects were non‐diabetic patients randomized to counseling that included FHH +/− T2D genetic testing. Measurements included weight, BMI, fasting glucose at baseline and 12 months and behavioral and cognitive precursor (T2D risk perception and control over disease development) surveys at baseline, 3, and 12 months. 391 subjects enrolled of which 312 completed the study. Behavioral and clinical outcomes did not differ across FHH or genetic risk but cognitive precursors did. Higher FHH risk was associated with a stronger perceived T2D risk (pKendall < 0.001) and with a perception of “serious” risk (pKendall < 0.001). Genetic risk did not influence risk perception, but was correlated with an increase in perception of “serious” risk for moderate (pKendall = 0.04) and average FHH risk subjects (pKendall = 0.01), though not for the high FHH risk group. Perceived control over T2D risk was high and not affected by FHH or genetic risk. FHH appears to have a strong impact on cognitive precursors of behavior change, suggesting it could be leveraged to enhance risk counseling, particularly when lifestyle change is desirable. Genetic risk was able to alter perceptions about the seriousness of T2D risk in those with moderate and average FHH risk, suggesting that FHH could be used to selectively identify individuals who may benefit from genetic risk testing.
Eicosapentaenoic Acid, Arachidonic Acid and Eicosanoid Metabolism in Juvenile Barramundi Lates calcarifer
Authors: Salini Michael J. , Wade Nicholas M. , Araújo Bruno C. , Turchini Giovanni M. , Glencross Brett D.
Published: June 2016

A two part experiment was conducted to assess the response of barramundi (Lates calcarifer; initial weight = 10.3 ± 0.03 g; mean ± S.D.) fed one of five diets with varying eicosapentaenoic acid (diets 1, 5, 10, 15 and 20 g/kg) or one of four diets with varying arachidonic acid (1, 6, 12, 18 g/kg) against a fish oil control diet. After 6 weeks of feeding, the addition of EPA or ARA did not impact on growth performance or feed utilisation. Analysis of the whole body fatty acids showed that these reflected those of the diets. The ARA retention demonstrated an inversely related curvilinear response to either EPA or ARA. The calculated marginal utilisation efficiencies of EPA and ARA were high (62.1 and 91.9 % respectively) and a dietary ARA requirement was defined (0.012 g/kg0.796/day). The partial cDNA sequences of genes regulating eicosanoid biosynthesis were identified in barramundi tissues, namely cyclooxygenase 1 (Lc COX1a, Lc COX1b), cyclooxygenase 2 (Lc COX2) and lipoxygenase (Lc ALOX‐5). Both Lc COX2 and Lc ALOX‐5 expression in the liver tissue were elevated in response to increasing dietary ARA, meanwhile expression levels of Lc COX2 and the mitochondrial fatty acid oxidation gene carnitine palmitoyltransferase 1 (Lc CPT1a) were elevated in the kidney. A low level of EPA increased the expression of Lc COX1b in the liver. Consideration should be given to the EPA to ARA balance for juvenile barramundi in light of nutritionally inducible nature of the cyclooxygenase and lipoxygenase enzymes.
Wear behavior of asbestos-free eco-friendly composites for automobile brake materials
Authors: Ilanko Ashok Kumar , Vijayaraghavan Srinivasan
Published: June 2016

The goal of this work is to study the wear behavior of materials that have the potential to be used as brake pad materials under different contact loads and speeds instead of asbestos. The three different brake pad materials studied are flax fiber reinforced phenolic composites (FFRC), basalt fiber reinforced phenolic composites (BFRC), and flax/basalt reinforced hybrid phenolic composites (HFRC). A wear mechanism map was developed by using the fuzzy c-means clustering algorithm method (FCM) to study the wear mechanism of composites. The results showed BFRC to be a better brake pad material than the other fiber reinforced composites studied, because the good thermal characteristics and bonding nature of basalt fiber increased the wear resistance of BFRC considerably.
Tribological behaviors of turbofan seal couples from friction heat perspective under high-speed rubbing condition
Authors: Gao Siyang , Xue Weihai , Duan Deli , Li Shu
Published: June 2016

The tribological behaviors of two types of seal coatings, nickel–graphite and aluminum–hexagon-boron nitride (Ni–Cg and Al–hBN, respectively) versus a Ti–6Al–4V blade used in turbofan engines were investigated using a high-speed rubbing test. The wear status and damage mechanism of the friction couples were studied and the abradability of the seal coatings was evaluated. By analysis of the coating properties and damage mechanism of the seal couple, the friction heat effect was identified as the key factor influencing blade wear forms as well as coating abradability. A one-dimensional heat conduction model was established to estimate the effect of increasing temperature on the friction interface. The results indicated that in the Ni–Cg and Ti–6Al–4V seal couple, the temperature rising rate (TRR) of the Ti–6Al–4V blade was faster than that of the Ni–Cg coating, and so the Ti–6Al–4V blade softened earlier than the Ni–Cg coating, causing the blade to suffer severe wear. In the Al–hBN and Ti–6Al–4V seal couple, the TRR of the Ti–6Al–4V blade was slower than that of the Al–hBN coating, and so the Al–hBN coating softened first; thus, blade damage was reduced or even replaced by coating adhesion. The square root ratio of thermal diffusivity between the blade and the coating could be taken as an indicator of the ratio of TRR between the blade and coating to predict blade wear status as well as damage mechanism. The results of the model agreed well with the experiment results of the two seal couples used in this study.
Formation flight investigation for highly efficient future civil transport aircraft
Authors: Durango G.J. , Lawson C. , Shahneh A.Z.
Published: June 2016

Formation flight could greatly assist the air transport industry in tackling the challenges of environmental impact, excessive reliance on fuel and overcapacity. Previous studies have shown drag reductions leading to significant fuel savings for aircraft in formation relative to their solo flight. Safety is guaranteed with the use of extended formation distances, and practical implementation issues could be solved in the near future. Since studies so far have focused on existing aircraft configurations and technology, a case study using a strut-braced wing airliner was carried out to ascertain its applicability to less conventional craft. The present results did not indicate such clear-cut benefits. If formation flight is to be successful and beneficial for the next generations of aircraft, it will be vital to consider its interaction with new technologies developed for highly efficient operation, in particular those aimed at reduction of aircraft drag such as laminar flow, and to do so early in the design of aerospace vehicles and wider systems.