bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Carotid Intima‐Media Thickness Measurement Promises to Improve Cardiovascular Risk Evaluation in Head and Neck Cancer Patients
Authors: Jacoby Douglas , Hajj Jihane , Javaheri Ali , deGoma Emil , Lin Alexander , Ahn Peter , Quon Harry
Published: May 2015

Background

Radiation‐treated head and neck cancer (HNC) patients are at high risk for developing radiation vasculopathy, as evidenced by an increased stroke risk. The benefits of screening and assessing the cardiovascular (CV) risk of HNC patients using carotid intima‐media thickness (CIMT) ultrasound are not known. Our objective was to determine the prevalence of high CV risk in patients without known CV diseases who received radiation for HNC, determine the percentage of screened patients who had a change in clinical management as a result of an increased CIMT, and to compare this risk‐assessment tool to patients' risk classification using the Framingham Risk Score (FRS) and Pooled Cohort Atherosclerotic Cardiovascular Disease (ASCVD) Risk Equation (recommended by American College of Cardiology/American Heart Association Guidelines on the Assessment of Cardiovascular Risk).

Hypothesis

Risk calculators may not accurately predict risk in this population with a unique risk factor. Carotid IMT may be used to detect radiation vasculopathy in HNC patients.

Methods

Retrospective medical chart review was conducted on 134 radiation‐treated HNC patients. The main outcome measures were CV risk (as determined by CIMT) and clinical management. Also, the FRS and the Pooled Cohort ASCVD Risk Equation were used to compare classification with CIMT.

Results

Approximately 74% of the cases were at high CV risk using CIMT technique. Approximately half of the HNC patients screened had a change in clinical management characterized by recorded initiation of aspirin and recorded initiation or increase of statin therapies. The FRS and the Pooled Cohort ASCVD Risk Equation failed to detect 40% to 50% of cases found to be at high risk using the CIMT technique.

Conclusions

Carotid IMT identified a much greater percentage of radiation‐treated HNC patients at high CV risk compared with standard CV‐risk calculators. By more accurately identifying the patients at high risk, this may lead to more effective prevention, and therefore a reduction in CV events.
Contemporary Trends of Optimal Evidence‐Based Medical Therapy at Discharge for Patients Surviving Acute Myocardial Infarction From the Korea Acute Myocardial Infarction Registry
Authors: Lee Jang Hoon , Bae Myung Hwan , Yang Dong Heon , Park Hun Sik , Cho Yongkeun , Jeong Myung Ho , Kim Young Jo , Kim Kee‐Sik , Hur Seung Ho , Seong In Whan , Cho Myeong Chan , Kim Chong Jin , Chae Shung Chull ,   for the Korea Acute Myocardial Infarction Registry Investigators
Published: May 2015

Background

Temporal trends of evidence‐based optimal medical therapy (OMT) at discharge after acute myocardial infarction (AMI) have not been investigated in recent years.

Hypothesis

OMT should have been increased in AMI and gap between guidelines and practices in its use should have been narrowed.

Methods

We examined discharge medications of 17,578 post‐MI patients who had no documented contraindications to antiplatelet agents, β‐blockers, angiotensin‐converting enzyme inhibitors, or statins across a 6‐year period (divided into subperiods of November 2005 to December 2006 [period 1], 2007 [period 2], 2008 [period 3], 2009 [period 4], 2010 [period 5], and January to June 2011 [period 6]) in the Korean AMI Registry. OMT was defined as use of all 4 indicated medications.

Results

Marked increases in OMT (48.6% to 63.2%) were seen irrespective of age and sex, mainly attributed to marked increases in the use of β‐blockers (70.3% to 83.7%) and statins (76.9% to 82.6%) from period 1 to period 6. The gap in use of OMT between men and women narrowed over time between the first and second 3 periods, but not between the young and the elderly. Advanced age (odds ratio [OR]: 0.88, P = 0.04) was independently associated with underuse of OMT. Adjusted ORs for OMT from period 1 to period 6 were as follows: 1, 1.14 (P = 0.024), 1.21 (P = 0.001), 1.40 (P < 0.001), 1.47 (P < 0.001), and 1.69 (P < 0.001), respectively.

Conclusions

Despite gradual increase in OMT over time, the gap between guidelines and practices in use of OMT continues to exist.
Effects of the Inhalation of the M3 Receptor Antagonist Bencycloquidium Bromide in A Mouse Cigarette Smoke‐Induced Airway Inflammation Model
Authors: Zhang Shui‐Juan , Jiang Jun‐Xia , Ren Qian‐Qian , Xie Qiang‐Min , Xiong Yao‐Kang
Published: May 2015

Preclinical Research

Bencycloquidium bromide (BCQB), a novel M3 receptor antagonist, alleviates airway hyperresponsiveness, inflammation, and airway remodeling in a murine model of asthma. The aim of this study was to investigate the anti‐inflammatory activity of inhaled BCQB in a cigarette smoke (CS)‐induced model of acute lung inflammation. Mice exposed to CS developed chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Inhalation of BCQB suppressed the accumulation of neutrophils and macrophages in airways and lung and also inhibited the CS‐induced increases in mRNA levels of keratinocyte‐derived chemokine, monocyte chemotactic protein‐1, tumor necrosis factor‐alpha, and interleukin‐1β in lung and protein expression levels in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid. Moreover, BCQB (300 μg/ml) inhibited the CS‐induced changes in superoxide dismutase and myeloperoxidase activities in the lungs. Our study suggests that BCQB might be a potential therapy for inflammation in CS‐induced pulmonary diseases, including COPD. Drug Dev Res 73 : 123–131, 2015. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Synthesis of Iron Hydrides by Selective C–F/C–H Bond Activation in Fluoroarylimines and Their Applications in Catalytic Reduction Reactions
Authors: Wang Lin , Sun Hongjian , Li Xiaoyan
Published: May 2015

The reactions of Fe(PMe3)4 with different 2,6‐diflurophenylarylimines 1–5 were explored. Fluoroarylimines 1–3, the aryl rings of which are substituted with electron‐withdrawing groups, reacted with Fe(PMe3)4 to afford the C–H activation products 6–8. However, if the aryl rings of the fluoroarylimines were substituted with electron‐donating groups, the iron hydrides 9 and 10 were obtained from the reactions of the fluoroarylimines with Fe(PMe3)4 through C–F bond activation. In a further study, silanes, especially triethoxysilane, were found to benefit the reactions and improve the yields of the hydridoiron complexes. The three‐component reaction of Fe(PMe3)4, a fluoroarylimine, and a silane could also be utilized in reactions involving 2,6‐(CH3)2C6H3–C(=NH)–2,6‐F2C6H3 (13) and 2,6‐F2C6H3–C(=NH)–C6F5 (16) to synthesize iron hydrides (15 and 18). The hydridoiron complexes could be utilized as efficient catalysts in the hydrosilylation of aldehydes and ketones. Furthermore, cinnamaldehydes were selectively reduced to the corresponding cinnamyl alcohols in high yields. The mechanism of the catalytic reduction reaction was studied extensively through operando IR spectroscopy.
Comparative Study of Nanostructured Matrices Employed in the Development of Biosensors Based on HRP Enzyme for Determination of Phenolic Compounds
Authors: Santos Antonio S. , Costa Vinicius C. , Felício Roberto C.
Published: May 2015

This paper made a comparative study of new matrices of nanostructured materials (multiwall carbon nanotube, fullerene and hydroxylated fullerene) aiming to compare them when employed in the process of immobilization of enzyme horseradish peroxidase (HRP) on the development of amperometric biosensors for the determination phenolic compounds. The results confirm that all the three nanostructured matrices used in the preparation of the biosensor show improvements when acting as a transducer stabilizer and immobilization matrix, comparing to the electrode of carbon paste. Regarding the performance of these matrices it is verified that the developed biosensor employed the multiwall carbon nanotube as matrix immobilized enzyme HRP has shown the best sensitivity for the molecule of phenol (33 nA cm−2 µmol−1 L), however, regarding the range of linear response, the elaborated biosensor containing the hydroxylated fullerene has shown the best response (5–200 µmol L−1). In terms of operational stability, the biosensors maintained their responses around 95 % after more than 200 analyzes. It is also important to mention that in all the cases, the association with the graphite powder improves the answers of the biosensors around 10 to 15 %.
Large wood in central Appalachian headwater streams: controls on and potential changes to wood loads from infestation of hemlock woolly adelgid
Authors: Costigan Katie H. , Soltesz Paul J. , Jaeger Kristin L.
Published: May 2015

Large wood (LW) is an important component of forested headwater streams. The character of LW loads reflects a balance between adjacent valley processes that deliver LW to the channel (herein recruitment processes) and stream channel processes that either retain or transport LW through the reach (herein retention processes). In the central Appalachian Mountains, USA, LW characteristics in headwater streams located in eastern hemlocks (Tsuga candensis) forests are expected to change because of infestation of hemlock woolly adelgid (Adelges tsugae, HWA), an exotic, invasive insect. We examined LW characteristics in 24 headwater streams ranging from un‐infested to severe infestation, as determined by hemlock canopy health. The objectives of this work were to: (i) quantify wood loads; (ii) assess the relative importance of valley recruitment and in‐stream retention mechanisms in controlling reach‐scale wood loads; and (iii) assess if there was a detectable influence of HWA on LW loads. We hypothesized that LW loads would be similar to other forested streams in eastern USA and dominated by recruitment processes. In addition, higher LW loads would correspond with advanced HWA infestation. Mean wood frequency was 38 pieces/100 m ± 17 (standard deviation); mean wood volume was 3.69 m3/100 m ± 2.76. In general, LW load characteristics were influenced by both recruitment and retention parameters; jam (accumulations ≥ 3 pieces) characteristics were dominated by retention parameters. Results suggest that adjacent stand basal area influences LW loads and once LW is recruited to the channel, streams lack sufficient hydraulic driving forces, despite having lower resistance structures, to transport LW out of the reach. Sites in moderate decline had higher proportions of short (1–2 m and 1–4 m) and very long (>10 m) LW with higher frequency of jams that were low in volume. We present a hypothesized conceptual model of expected changes to LW loads associated with HWA infestation and hemlock mortality. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Trajectories of depressive symptoms and oral health outcomes in a community sample of older adults
Authors: Hybels Celia F. , Bennett Joan M. , Landerman Lawrence R. , Liang Jersey , Plassman Brenda L. , Wu Bei
Published: May 2015

Objective

Adverse outcomes associated with chronic depressive symptoms are of clinical importance. The objective was to identify subgroups of older adults based on their trajectories of depressive symptoms over a 10‐year period and determine if these subgroups predicted oral health outcomes.

Methods

The sample was 944 adults aged 65+ who participated in the oral health module of the the Health and Retirement Survey in 2008. Depressive symptoms were measured with a modified version of the Center for Epidemiologic Studies‐Depression (CES‐D) scale. Latent class trajectory analysis was used to identify distinct subgroups of elders based on their CES‐D scores from 1998–2008. Group membership was used to predict self‐rated oral health, overall mouth condition (problems with bleeding gums, gum sensitivity, and food avoidance), and edentulism in 2008.

Results

Three distinct subgroups were identified using zero‐inflated Poisson regression models: (i) minimal depressive symptoms over the study period (43%), (ii) low but generally stable level of depressive symptoms (41%), and (iii) moderate symptoms and higher CES‐D scores than the other groups over the 10 years (16%). Controlling for demographic and health variables and edentulism status, having a trajectory of moderate symptoms was associated with poorer mouth condition (p < 0.0001) and poorer self‐rated oral health (p = 0.0003) compared with those with minimal symptoms. Having low levels of depressive symptoms was not significantly associated with these two outcomes. Group membership was not significantly associated with the probability of edentulism.

Conclusions

Chronic moderate depressive symptoms are associated with poorer oral health in older adults. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Safety and tolerability of ledipasvir/sofosbuvir with and without ribavirin in patients with chronic hepatitis C virus genotype 1 infection: Analysis of phase III ION trials
Authors: Alqahtani Saleh A. , Afdhal Nezam , Zeuzem Stefan , Gordon Stuart C. , Mangia Alessandra , Kwo Paul , Fried Michael , Yang Jenny C. , Ding Xiao , Pang Phillip S. , McHutchison John G. , Pound David , Reddy K. Rajender , Marcellin Patrick , Kowdley Kris V. , Sulkowski Mark
Published: May 2015

In phase III studies, treatment with the once‐daily fixed‐dose combination tablet of ledipasvir/sofosbuvir (LDV/SOF) with and without ribavirin (RBV) resulted in high rates of sustained virological response (SVR) in patients chronically infected with genotype 1 hepatitis C virus, including those with compensated cirrhosis. We conducted an analysis of data from these trials to compare the safety and tolerability profile of LDV‐SOF with and without RBV. We analyzed treatment‐emergent adverse events (AEs) and laboratory abnormalities in patients who were randomized to 8, 12, and 24 weeks of LDV/SOF with or without RBV. In total, data from 1,952 patients (of whom 872 received LDV/SOF with RBV and 1,080 received LDV/SOF alone) were analyzed. Overall, 308 patients (16%) were African American, 224 (11%) had compensated cirrhosis, 501 (26%) had a body mass index ≥30 kg/m2, and 440 (23%) were treatment experienced. Treatment‐related AEs occurred in 71% and 45% of patients treated with and without RBV, respectively, including fatigue, insomnia, irritability, and rash/pruritus. Patients receiving RBV with LDV/SOF were more likely to require dose modification, interruptions of treatment resulting from AEs, or require the use of concomitant medications than those receiving LDV/SOF alone. Rates of treatment‐related serious AEs and discontinuations resulting from AEs were similarly low (<1%) in both groups. The rate of SVR in those receiving RBV and those not receiving RBV was the same (97%). Conclusion: LDV/SOF plus RBV was associated with a greater incidence of AEs as well as concomitant medication use than LDV/SOF alone. Use of RBV did not impact the efficacy of LDV/SOF regimens in the ION phase III studies. (Hepatology 2015;62:25‐30)
Supereulerian Digraphs with Large Arc‐Strong Connectivity
Authors: Algefari Mansour J. , Lai Hong‐Jian
Published: May 2015

Let D be a digraph and let be the arc‐strong connectivity of D, and be the size of a maximum matching of D. We proved that if , then D has a spanning eulerian subdigraph.
Ultrasound Assisted Synthesis of Some Novel Bis‐Pyridazine Derivatives
Authors: Mekky Ahmed E. M. , Al‐Bogami Abdullah S.
Published: May 2015

Bis‐enaminone 3 was coupled with aryldiazonium chlorides 4a, 4b to afford the bis‐arylhydrazonopropanals 6a, 6b. Compounds 6a, 6b could be utilized for the synthesis of a variety of bis‐(dimethyl 2,3‐dihydropyridazine‐3,4‐dicarboxylate), bis‐(pyridazin‐3(2H)‐one), bis‐(2,3‐dihydropyridazine‐4‐carbonitrile) and bis‐(3‐imino‐2,3‐dihydropyridazine) derivatives, under ultrasonic irradiation. A comparative study of aforementioned reactions was carried out under conventional method as well as under ultrasonic irradiation conditions.
Proposal for methods of diagnosis of fish bone foreign body in the Esophagus
Authors: Woo Seung Hoon , Kim Kyung Hee
Published: May 2015

Objective

To investigate the methods of diagnosis of fish bone foreign body in the esophagus and suggest a diagnostic protocol.

Study Design

Prospective cohort study.

Methods

A prospective study was performed on 286 patients with a history of fish bone foreign body impaction. Among them, 88 patients had negative findings in the oral cavity and laryngopharynx. Subsequent radiologic assessment of these patients included plain radiography and computed tomography (CT). Sixty‐six patients showed positive findings in the esophagus, and an attempt was made to remove the obstruction using transnasal esophagoscopy.

Results

In 66 patients, a fish bone foreign body was detected in the esophagus by CT. In contrast, plain radiography detected a foreign body in only 30 patients. The overall detection rate of plain radiography compared with CT for fish bones was 45.5%. Plain radiography detected 35.9% of the simple type fish bones and 54.5% of the gill bone detected by CT. However, jaw bones had a detection rate of 100% with both methods. The fish bone foreign bodies were most commonly located in the upper esophagus (n = 65, 98.5%), followed by the lower esophagus (n = 1, 1.5%).

Conclusion

CT is a useful method for identification of esophageal fish bone foreign bodies. Therefore, CT should be considered as the first‐choice technique for the diagnosis of esophageal fish bone foreign body.

Level of Evidence

4. Laryngoscope, 125:2472–2475, 2015
Imaging mass spectrometry: Instrumentation, applications, and combination with other visualization techniques
Authors: Bodzon‐Kulakowska Anna , Suder Piotr
Published: May 2015

Imaging Mass Spectrometry (IMS) is strengthening its position as a valuable analytical tool. It has unique ability to identify structures and to unravel molecular changes that occur in the precisely defined part of the sample. These unique features open new possibilities in the field of various aspects of biological research. In this review we briefly discuss the main imaging mass spectrometry techniques, as well as the nature of biological samples and molecules, which might be analyzed by such methodology. Moreover, a novel approach, where different analytical techniques might be combined with the results of IMS study, is emphasized and discussed. With such a fast development of IMS and related methods, we can foresee the promising future of this technique. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Mass Spec Rev 35: 147–169, 2016.
New Finds from the Cremains in Tomb II at Aegae Point to Philip II and a Scythian Princess
Authors: Antikas T. G. , Wynn‐Antikas L. K.
Published: May 2015

Earlier osteoarchaeological studies on cremains of the two individuals from Tomb II at Aegae led to endless debates on the identity of the dead. After re‐examining the bones with Computerized Tomography (or CAT scan) (CT) and X‐Ray Fluorescent scanning (XRF) support, our research team has found new evidence identifying the dead man in the main chamber as Philip II and the woman in the antechamber as the daughter of King Atheas killed in a battle against Philip II in 339BC. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Synthesis and spectroscopic investigation of cobalt oxide nanoparticles
Authors: Mahmoud Khaled H.
Published: May 2015

Hydroxyethyl cellulose and cobalt chloride are used as precursor materials for the synthesis of cobalt oxide (Co3O4) nanoparticles. A composite system from polymer and metal chloride is prepared via casting technique. The thermal decomposition of the composite is studied using thermogravimetric technique. Calcination of the composite system at 350°C resulted in the formation of Co3O4 nanoparticles. X‐ray diffraction analysis reveals the presence of crystalline Co3O4 with an average particle size of around 15 nm. The bonding nature and morphology of nanosized Co3O4 are examined using transmission electron microscopy and infrared spectroscopy. The Tauc's plot indicates the energy band gap for direct allowed transition as 3.2 eV and 1.4 eV. POLYM. COMPOS., 37:1881–1885, 2016. © 2015 Society of Plastics Engineers
Experimental investigation and numerical analysis of the dynamic characteristics of a laminated hybrid composite bed
Authors: Rangasamy Selvam , Loganathan Karunamoorthy , Natesan Arunkumar
Published: May 2015

To maximize the productivity of precise products in manufacturing industries, machine tools should be operated at high speeds. The machine tools should withstand higher cutting speeds, higher acceleration and deceleration and should be cost effective to give high quality products. The aforesaid expectations cannot be fulfilled simultaneously if conventional metal such as cast iron is employed. Hence, there is a need to replace cast iron with alternative materials. In the present work an attempt is made to replace the mini lathe bed made of cast iron with laminated hybrid composites, carbon, and glass/epoxy, to attain superior dynamic properties with less weight. The manufactured composite bed weighs 3.5 times less than that of the existing cast iron bed. Numerical and experimental modal analysis was done for both the cast iron and composite bed. The results show that the experimentally obtained fundamental natural frequency and damping ratio of composite bed are superior, 37% and 3 times, than that of the existing cast iron bed. POLYM. COMPOS., 38:20–26, 2017. © 2015 Society of Plastics Engineers
Intrinsic disorder of human Yin Yang 1 protein
Authors: Górecki Andrzej , Bonarek Piotr , Górka Adam Kazimierz , Figiel Małgorzata , Wilamowski Mateusz , Dziedzicka‐Wasylewska Marta
Published: May 2015

YY1 (Yin Yang 1) is a zinc finger protein with an essential role in various biological functions via DNA– and protein–protein interactions with numerous partners. YY1 is involved in the regulation of a broad spectrum of cellular processes such as embryogenesis, proliferation, tumorigenesis, and snRNA transcription. The more than 100 reported targets of the YY1 protein suggest that it contains intrinsically disordered regions that are involved in such diverse interactions. Here, we present a study of the structural properties of human YY1 using several biochemical and biophysical techniques (fluorescence, circular dichroism, gel filtration chromatography, proteolytic susceptibility) together with various bioinformatics approaches. To facilitate our exploration of the YY1 structure, the full‐length protein as well as an N‐terminal fragment (residues 1–295) and the C‐terminal DNA binding domain were used. We found the N‐terminus to be a non‐compact fragment of YY1 with little residual secondary structure and lacking a well‐defined tertiary structure. The results of our study indicate that YY1 belongs to the family of intrinsically disordered proteins (IDPs), which exist natively in a partially unfolded conformation. Proteins 2015; 83:1284–1296. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
EBIC investigations of dislocations in ELOG GaN
Authors: Yakimov E. B. , Polyakov A. Y.
Published: May 2015

Dislocations in the ELOG n‐GaN films have been studied by the Electron Beam Induced Current (EBIC) method. The effect of dopant concentration and diffusion length values on the dislocation EBIC profile is revealed. It is shown that the width of dislocation image in the EBIC mode decreases with a diffusion length decrease and the dopant concentration increase. In the crystals with the submicron diffusion length the individual dislocations can be separated in the EBIC images up to the dislocation densities higher that 109cm‐2. The radius of dislocation related defect cylinder was found to increase with the dopant concentration decreasing that could be explained under an assumption that dislocations in GaN are charged. (© 2015 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)
Rapid evaluation of molecular integrals with ETOs
Authors: Avery John Scales , Avery James Emil
Published: May 2015

In this article, we discuss a way in which the theory of hyperspherical harmonics may be used for rapid evaluation of difficult molecular integrals when exponential‐type orbitals (ETOs) are used as a basis. One of us (J.E.A.) has implemented the method, and programs are available for general use. As a byproduct of this work, we are also able to evaluate generalized scattering factors for ETOs which allow first‐order density matrices to be measured experimentally using high‐quality X‐ray diffraction data. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Hybrid position/force control of an active handheld micromanipulator for membrane peeling
Authors: Wells Trent S. , Yang Sungwook , MacLachlan Robert A. , Lobes Louis A. , Martel Joseph N. , Riviere Cameron N.
Published: May 2015

Background

Peeling procedures in retinal surgery require micron‐scale manipulation and control of sub‐tactile forces.

Methods

Hybrid position/force control of an actuated handheld microsurgical instrument is presented as a means for simultaneously improving positioning accuracy and reducing forces to prevent avoidable trauma to tissue. The system response was evaluated, and membrane‐peeling trials were performed by four test subjects in both artificial and animal models.

Results

Maximum force was reduced by 56% in both models compared with position control. No statistically significant effect on procedure duration was observed.

Conclusions

A hybrid position/force control system has been implemented that successfully attenuates forces and minimizes unwanted excursions during microsurgical procedures such as membrane peeling. Results also suggest that improvements in safety using this technique may be attained without increasing the duration of the procedure. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
A review of blood diseases and cytopenias associated with human parvovirus B19 infection
Authors: Kerr Jonathan R.
Published: May 2015

Parvovirus B19 is a single‐stranded DNA virus which preferentially targets the erythroblast resulting in red cell aplasia, which is temporary in immunocompetent persons. Since the discovery of B19 virus in 1975, a wide variety of blood diseases and cytopenias affecting several blood cell lineages have been documented during or following B19 infection. These include cytopenias affecting the erythroid, megakaryoblastoid, myeloid and lymphoid lineages, as well as a variety of bicytopenias, pancytopenia, bone marrow necrosis / fat embolism syndrome, myelodysplastic syndrome, leucoerythroblastopenia, and hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis. B19 infection may also complicate and precede the course of acute leukemia, the significance of which remains to be determined.

This review describes the current state of knowledge of the abnormalities of individual blood cell lineages encountered during parvovirus B19 infection, over the almost 40 years since its discovery, and reveals some very interesting themes, which improve our understanding of the pathogenesis of B19 infection with particular reference to the bone marrow. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Ebola virus outbreak, updates on current therapeutic strategies
Authors: Elshabrawy Hatem A. , Erickson Timothy B. , Prabhakar Bellur S.
Published: May 2015

Filoviruses are enveloped negative‐sense single‐stranded RNA viruses, which include Ebola and Marburg viruses, known to cause hemorrhagic fever in humans with a case fatality of up to 90%. There have been several Ebola virus outbreaks since the first outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo in 1976 of which, the recent 2013–2015 epidemic in Guinea, Liberia, and Sierra Leone is the largest in recorded history. Within a few months of the start of the outbreak in December 2013, thousands of infected cases were reported with a significant number of deaths. As of March 2015, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, there have been nearly 25 000 suspected cases, with 15 000 confirmed by laboratory testing, and over 10 000 deaths. The large number of cases and the high mortality rate, combined with the lack of effective Food and Drug Administration‐approved treatments, necessitate the development of potent and safe therapeutic measures to combat the current and future outbreaks. Since the beginning of the outbreak, there have been considerable efforts to develop and characterize protective measures including vaccines and antiviral small molecules, and some have proven effective in vitro and in animal models. Most recently, a cocktail of monoclonal antibodies has been shown to be highly effective in protecting non‐human primates from Ebola virus infection. In this review, we will discuss what is known about the nature of the virus, phylogenetic classification, genomic organization and replication, disease transmission, and viral entry and highlight the current approaches and efforts, in the development of therapeutics, to control the outbreak. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
ShoVAT: Shodan‐based vulnerability assessment tool for Internet‐facing services
Authors: Genge Béla , Enăchescu Călin
Published: May 2015

Shodan has been acknowledged as one of the most popular search engines available today, designed to crawl the Internet and to index discovered services. This paper expands the features exposed by Shodan with advanced vulnerability assessment capabilities embedded into a novel tool called Shodan‐based vulnerability assessment tool (ShoVAT). ShoVAT takes the output of traditional Shodan queries and performs an in‐depth analysis of service‐specific data, that is, service banners. It embodies specially crafted algorithms which rely on novel in‐memory data structures to automatically reconstruct Common Platform Enumeration names and to proficiently extract vulnerabilities from National Vulnerability Database. Compared with the state of the art, ShoVAT brings several novel and significant contributions because it encompasses automated vulnerability identification techniques, it can return highly accurate results with customized and even purposefully modified service banners, and it supports historical service vulnerability analysis without the need to deploy additional monitoring infrastructures. The experiments performed on 1501 services in 12 different institutions across different sectors revealed high accuracy of results and a total of 3922 known vulnerabilities. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
An anonymous and secure biometric‐based enterprise digital rights management system for mobile environment
Authors: Mishra Dheerendra , Das Ashok Kumar , Mukhopadhyay Sourav
Published: May 2015

Internet‐based content distribution facilitates an efficient platform to sell the digital content to the remote users. However, the digital content can be easily copied and redistributed over the network, which causes huge loss to the right holders. On the contrary, the digital rights management (DRM) systems have been introduced in order to regulate authorized content distribution. Enterprise DRM (E‐DRM) system is an application of DRM technology, which aims to prevent illegal access of data in an enterprise. Earlier works on E‐DRM do not address anonymity, which may lead to identity theft. Recently, Chang et al. proposed an efficient E‐DRM mechanism. Their scheme provides greater efficiency and protects anonymity. Unfortunately, we identify that their scheme does not resist the insider attack and password‐guessing attack. In addition, Chang et al.'s scheme has some design flaws in the authorization phase. We then point out the requirements of E‐DRM system and present the cryptanalysis of Chang et al.'s scheme. In order to remedy the security weaknesses found in Chang et al.'s scheme, we aim to present a secure and efficient E‐DRM scheme. The proposed scheme supports the authorized content key distribution and satisfies the desirable security attributes. Additionally, our scheme offers low communication and computation overheads and user's anonymity as well. Through the rigorous formal and informal security analyses, we show that our scheme is secure against possible known attacks. Furthermore, the simulation results for the formal security analysis using the widely accepted Automated Validation of Internet Security Protocols and Applications tool ensure that our scheme is also secure. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Composite action in shallow floor beams with different shear connections
Authors: Leskela Matti V. , Peltonen Simo , Obiala Renata
Published: May 2015

Shallow floor beams, abbreviated to SF beams and also known as slim floor beams, are beams where most of the beam member is embedded in the concrete decking of the floor, which is supported on the lower flange or outward ledge of the beam. SF beams are composite members in which composite action can be utilized in both the serviceability and ultimate limit state conditions or only at the serviceability limit state, depending on the decking type. This paper discusses the composite action in SF beams when the decking is of a solid type, i.e. consists of a reinforced concrete slab or composite slab with profiled sheeting, making it possible to benefit from the composite behaviour at all important limit states. Hollow‐core decking supported on SF beams is a special case in which the composite action can only be employed in the design for serviceability conditions. Another paper covers the special issues regarding the design of such shallow floors.
Design of slim‐floor construction for human‐induced vibrations
Authors: Hicks Stephen , Peltonen Simo
Published: May 2015

This paper presents a simplified design method for evaluating the vibration response of composite floors with slim‐floor beams. The methodology is amenable to hand calculations and is appropriate for floors with regularly spaced grids and vibrations that are occasioned by walking activities. From in situ tests that have been undertaken on six floors, it is shown that slim‐floor construction can easily satisfy the demanding ISO 10137 response limits for operating theatres and laboratories together with limits recommended by industry for car parks and shopping malls. Comparisons with measurements show that the simplified method presented here provides conservative predictions, and may therefore be used with confidence in design.
Effect of unzipping connection behaviour on the composite interaction of shallow floor beams
Authors: Leskela Matti V. , Peltonen Simo
Published: May 2015

Unzipping connection behaviour is not referred to in EN 1994‐1‐1 – only ductile and non‐ductile shear connections are classified. It might be clear that unzipping connections belong to the non‐ductile ones, but not all the non‐ductile connections are unzipping ones. Characteristic of unzipping connection behaviour is that, initially, connection stiffness is high and composite action is efficient. However, as the load increases, so the connection loses its shear stiffness very rapidly, and after the onset of plastic behaviour in the beam, the decking no longer contributes to the bending resistance of the initially composite member. This behaviour is most typically seen in shallow floor beams (abbreviated to SF beams) supporting hollow‐core decking. This is a companion paper to the one in which the composite action in SF beams with ductile shear connections is discussed.
An Eye to the Sky
Authors: Helbig Thorsten , Kamp Florian , Oppe Matthias
Published: May 2015

A 6500 m² glazed grid shell dome covers the Nazarbayev Centre in Astana, Kazakhstan. Located near the Presidential Palace, this futuristic building, designed by Foster Partners in London, is one of a whole series of prominent architectural buildings in Astana.

The 20° inclined glass roof spans across various levels of the reinforced concrete structure and slopes down to the north. The dome has a span of over 90 m and a rise of about 11 m. A sufficient in‐plane stiffness of the rectangular grid of the dome is achieved by the rigidly connected rectangular hollow sections, which are framed by a strong circumferential edge beam. Connections of the grid and edge beam are bolted mainly as a means to cope with the ambitious time schedule that required fast erection during the strong Kazakh winter. By means of a statically determined support, the roof grid and edge beam of the glazed dome remain largely independent of the concrete structure’s long‐term and deformation behavior. A major issue for the roof structure was the verification of global buckling of the dome. In order to minimize tolerances, all connection surfaces of bolt joints were CNC milled. This article summarizes the design philosophy of the dome steel grid and the relationship between glazed dome and main concrete structure.
Genome‐wide association studies in biliary atresia
Authors: Ningappa Mylarappa , Min Jun , Higgs Brandon W. , Ashokkumar Chethan , Ranganathan Sarangarajan , Sindhi Rakesh
Published: May 2015

Biliary atresia (BA) is a model complex disease resulting from interactions between multiple susceptibility loci and environmental factors. This perception is based on a heterogeneous phenotype extending beyond an absent extrahepatic bile duct to include gut and cardiovascular anomalies, and the association of BA with viral infections. Refractory jaundice and progression to cirrhosis shortly after birth can be fatal without surgical correction, and further suggests a pathogenesis during liver and bile duct development. Conclusive proof for a developmental origin would require documentation of disease progression in the perinatal or fetal liver, an impossible task for obvious reasons. We review three different sets of genome‐wide association studies (GWAS) from three different cohorts of BA patients by three different groups of investigators, which address this knowledge gap. Knockdown of each susceptibility gene identified by GWAS in zebrafish embryos impairs excretion of bile from the liver, duplicating the characteristic diagnostic finding seen in affected children. This finding is associated with impaired intrahepatic biliary network formation in zebrafish morphants. Although distinct, these susceptibility genes share several functions including roles in mechanisms for organogenesis (glypican 1 or GPC1, and adenosine diphosphate ribosylation factor 6, or ARF6) or a greater expression in fetal liver than in adult liver (adducin 3 or ADD3). Together, these studies emphasize the importance of the human evidence, and present opportunities to map novel pathways which explain the phenotypic heterogeneity of BA. WIREs Syst Biol Med 2015, 7:267–273. doi: 10.1002/wsbm.1303

This article is categorized under:

Analytical and Computational Methods > Computational Methods

Developmental Biology > Developmental Processes in Health and Disease

Translational, Genomic, and Systems Medicine > Translational Medicine
Stent Placement for Portal Vein Stenosis After Pancreaticoduodenectomy
Authors: Hiyoshi Masahide , Fujii Yoshiro , Kondo Kazuhiro , Imamura Naoya , Nagano Motoaki , Ohuchida Jiro
Published: May 2015

Background

Portal vein (PV) stenosis is a worrisome late complication following pancreaticoduodenectomy (PD) that causes intestinal bleeding from varices, which must be diagnosed correctly and treated promptly. Recent reports advocate the usefulness of stent placement to improve PV stenosis.

Methods

We evaluated the cause, diagnosis, and treatment method of PV stenosis after PD and the duration of stent patency in our institution.

Results

Intestinal bleeding caused by PV stenosis occurred in 5 (2.4 %) of 205 patients. A computed tomography scan was useful to diagnose this complication. Four of 5 patients with PV stenosis underwent percutaneous transhepatic PV stent placement. The duration of stent patency was 21–41 months, and no rebleeding occurred.

Conclusions

Percutaneous stent placement is viable, less invasive option than laparotomy for the management of PV stenosis after PD.
p110Delta Inhibits Monocyte Infiltration by Thioglycollate‐Induced Periotoneal Inflammation but Not HCD‐Induced Inflammation and Atherosclerosis in APOE KO Mice
Authors: Tang Futian , Li Xiaoqiang , Gui Yali , Qi Cuiling , Lu Meili , Dai Chunmei , Wang Hongxin , Wang Lijing
Published: May 2015

We have previously reported that phosphoinositide 3‐kinase p110δ knockout (p110δ KO) diminished the adhesion of leukocytes to capillary venules and suppressed the peritoneal infiltration of leukocytes, both functions that play important roles in atherosclerosis. Therefore, we hypothesized that p110δ deficiency might be protective against atherosclerosis. Apolipoprotein E knockout (ApoE KO) mice were crossed with p110δ KO mice to generate homozygous double knockout mice (ApoE/p110δ DKO). The present study showed that ApoE/p110δ DKO mice fed with a high cholesterol diet (HCD) demonstrated less peritoneal infiltration of leukocytes and monocytes compared with ApoE KO mice after intraperitoneal injection of thioglycollate, an inducer of acute peritoneal inflammation. Unexpectedly, atherosclerosis in the aortic root and in the entire aorta was similar between the ApoE/p110δ DKO and ApoE KO groups. No difference in Mac‐3 expression, indicative of macrophage infiltration, was found between the two groups. Further analysis showed that ApoE KO mice chronically fed with HCD had increased levels of total cholesterol, low‐density lipoprotein in the blood and counts and percentages of circulating monocytes compared with ApoE KO mice fed with a normal diet. Consistently, the deficiency of p110δ affected neither the counts nor the percentages of monocytes nor the lipid profiles in the blood. The results suggested that p110δ plays an important role in acute but not in chronic inflammation, the latter being included in the early characteristics of atherosclerosis, which might explain the finding that p110δ deficiency fails to inhibit early atherosclerosis.
A Weighty Issue: Diminished Net Nutrition Among the U.S. Working Class in the Nineteenth Century
Authors: Carson Scott Alan
Published: May 2015

Much has been written about the modern obesity epidemic, and historical BMIs are low compared with their modern counterparts. However, interpreting BMI variation is difficult because BMIs increase when weight increases or when stature decreases, and the two have different implications for human health. An alternative measure for net current nutritional conditions is body weight. After controlling for height, I find that African American and white weights decreased throughout the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. Farmers had greater average weights than workers in other occupations. Individuals from the South had taller statures, greater BMIs, and heavier weights than workers in other U.S. regions, indicating that even though the South had higher disease rates in the nineteenth century, it had better net nutritional conditions.
Feedback on role model behaviour: effective for clinical trainers?
Authors: Jochemsen-van der Leeuw H.G.A. Ria , Waard Margreet Wieringa-de , Van Dijk Nynke
Published: May 2015

Aim The aim of this study was to assess changes in role model behaviour of clinical trainers after giving personal feedback.

Methods First-year general practitioner (GP) trainees at two institutes for GP speciality training in the Netherlands were asked to complete an assessment of their clinical trainers: the Role Model Apperception Tool (RoMAT). The RoMAT consists of attributes of positive role modelling divided into two components (Caring Attitude and Effectiveness) and was scored on a 5-point Likert scale twice. After the first assessment moment, the trainers received their personal scores combined with the mean score of their peers. The trainers were divided into three performance groups: below average, average and above average.

Results Only the group with the lowest scores showed an improvement on the Effectiveness component of the RoMAT from 3.89 to 4.08 (p = 0.04) with an effect size of.52, showing a large effect. This pattern is confirmed by the number of trainers shifting from the below average performance group to the average (7) and above average (5) performance groups.

Conclusion Giving feedback to clinical trainers resulted in better scores on the Effectiveness characteristics. This indicates that role model behaviour of clinical trainers can be improved.
Law and the Construction of Institutionalized Sexual Harassment in Restaurants
Authors: Matulewicz Kaitlyn
Published: May 2015

This paper tells the story of how full-service restaurant work is organized in such a way that sexualized interactions between customers and women working as servers, bartenders, and hostesses become enmeshed in the labour process. Key to this organization is how law contributes to making restaurant work precarious. With the unique gendered wage-tip relation, a relation legitimized and reinforced through lower minimum wage regulations for alcohol servers, workers rely on customers for tips. This fuels a relationship of unequal power that leaves workers vulnerable to sexual harassment and sexualized interactions with customers as the price to be paid for a tip—a form of institutionalized quid pro quo. Moreover, power relations become intensified in a work environment where employee schedules, duration of shifts, the regulation of tips, and overall income are insecure and unpredictable—all of these characteristics are attributable, in large part, to shortcomings of employment standards legislation in British Columbia.
PAPER MONEY, THE NATION, AND THE SUSPENSION OF CASH PAYMENTS IN 1797
Authors: SHIN HIROKI
Published: May 2015

This article considers British society's response to the suspension of cash payments in February 1797. Although this event marked the beginning of the so-called Bank Restriction Period, during which the Bank of England's notes were inconvertible, there have been no detailed studies on the social and political situation surrounding the suspension. This article provides an in-depth examination of the events leading up to and immediately following the suspension. It questions existing accounts of the suspension as a smooth transition into the nationwide use of paper money and describes the complex process that came into play to avert a nationwide financial collapse. The decision to suspend the Bank's cash payments stemmed from deep-rooted financial instability, exacerbated by recurrent invasion scares that heightened after the French attempt on Bantry Bay, Ireland, in December 1796. Under such circumstances, national support for drastic financial measures could not be taken for granted. The article demonstrates that the declaration movement, which was a form of consolidated and visualized trust in the financial system, played a crucial role in the 1797 suspension crisis.
ROMANTIC LIBERALISM IN SPAIN AND PORTUGAL, c. 1825–1850
Authors: PAQUETTE GABRIEL
Published: May 2015

This article examines Spanish and Portuguese liberal political thought in the period after the independence of Latin America (c. 1825–50). It argues that while Iberian liberalism undoubtedly reflected broader European and transatlantic debates and intellectual trends, it was distinguished by its robust engagement with literary romanticism. The article proceeds to describe and make a case for ‘romantic liberalism’ through the examination of texts by six politically engaged writers: Spanish statesman, poet and dramatist Francisco Martínez de la Rosa (1787–1862); Portuguese statesman, poet, novelist, and dramatist João Baptista da Silva Leitão de Almeida Garrett (1799–1854); Spanish poet and statesman Ángel de Saavedra (1791–1865), Duque de Rivas; Spanish parliamentarian and literary critic Antonio Alcalá Galiano; Spanish poet, journalist, and parliamentarian José de Espronceda (1808–42); and Portuguese historian, novelist, and journalist Alexandre Herculano (1810–77).