bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Screening Discrimination in a Broader Context
Authors: Fain James
Published: February 2016

I employ simulations to investigate the impact of screening discrimination, which addresses discrimination in hiring. I extend a well‐known model of screening discrimination by including minority firms, wages, worker preferences and competition among the firms for workers. The Gale–Shapley algorithm is used to find a stable matching of heterogeneous workers to heterogeneous firms. Screening discrimination gives majority applicants an advantage in the hiring process, but this advantage is reduced by the presence of minority firms. In this broader context, screening discrimination produces segregated firms but has little impact on median wages or employment probabilities. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Diagnostic value of sonography for detecting endometrial pathologies in postmenopausal women with and without bleeding
Authors: Seckin Berna , Cicek Mahmut Nedim , Dikmen Asiye Ugras , Bostancı Esra Isci , Muftuoglu Kamil Hakan
Published: February 2016

Purpose

To investigate the diagnostic value of endometrial thickness measurement on sonography in predicting endometrial pathologies in postmenopausal women with vaginal bleeding and in those with asymptomatic thickened endometrium.

Methods

Six hundred two postmenopausal women with vaginal bleeding or asymptomatic thickened endometrium were evaluated in this study. Two hundred seventy‐four women with postmenopausal bleeding regardless of endometrial thickness (group 1: symptomatic) and 328 women with an incidental finding of thickened endometrium (≥5 mm) without bleeding (group 2: asymptomatic) underwent endometrial biopsy for histopathologic examination. The receiver operating characteristics curves of endometrial thickness measurement for prediction of endometrial pathologies were analyzed.

Results

Endometrial carcinoma was detected in eight women (2.9%) in group 1 and in three (0.9%) in group 2. The best cutoff point for endometrial thickness in predicting endometrial carcinoma in group 1 was 8.2 mm, which provided 75% sensitivity (95% confidence interval [CI], 40.9–92.9%) and 74% specificity (95% CI, 68–78.5%); area under the receiver operating characteristics curve (AUC), 0.88; 95% CI, 0.76–1.00%; p = 0.0001. In group 2, the AUC was 0.76 (95% CI, 0.46–1.00; p = 0.114); the evidence was inconclusive as to the relationship between endometrial thickness and malignancy. For the prediction of polyps, the AUCs of endometrial thickness were 0.77 for group 1 (95% CI, 0.71–0.83%; p = 0.0001) and 0.61 for group 2 (95% CI, 0.54–0.67%; p = 0.002).

Conclusions

Sonographically determined endometrial thickness measurement shows high diagnostic performance for detection of endometrial cancer in symptomatic postmenopausal women at the optimal cutoff thickness of approximately 8 mm, although the evidence supporting the use of sonography for predicting malignancy in asymptomatic women is inconclusive. For polyp detection, this technique shows moderate diagnostic ability in symptomatic women, but its predictive value is low in asymptomatic women. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Clin Ultrasound 44:339–346, 2016
Tc‐99m Glu‐Cys‐Gly‐His‐Gly‐Lys (ECG‐HGK), a novel Tc‐99m labeled hexapeptide for molecular tumor imaging
Authors: Kim Dae‐Weung , Kim Myoung Hyoun , Kim Chang Guhn
Published: February 2016

Domain 5 of kinin‐free high molecular weight kininogen inhibits the adhesion of many tumor cell lines, and it has been reported that the histidine–glycine–lysine (HGK)‐rich region might be responsible for inhibition of cell adhesion. The authors developed HGK‐containing hexapeptide, glutamic acid–cysteine–glycine (ECG)–HGK, and evaluated the utility of Tc‐99m ECG‐HGK for tumor imaging. Hexapeptide, ECG‐HGK was synthesized using Fmoc solid‐phase peptide synthesis. Radiolabeling efficiency was evaluated. The uptake of Tc‐99m ECG‐HGK within HT‐1080 cells was evaluated in vitro. In HT‐1080 tumor‐bearing mice, gamma imaging and biodistribution studies were performed. The complexes Tc‐99m ECG‐HGK was prepared in high yield. The uptake of Tc‐99m ECG‐HGK within the HT‐1080 tumor cells had been demonstrated by in vitro studies. The gamma camera imaging in the murine model showed that Tc‐99m ECG‐HGK was accumulated substantially in the HT‐1080 tumor (tumor‐to‐muscle ratio = 5.7 ± 1.4 at 4 h), and the tumoral uptake was blocked by the co‐injection of excess HGK (tumor‐to‐muscle ratio = 2.8 ± 0.6 at 4 h). In the present study, Tc‐99m ECG‐HGK was developed as a new tumor imaging agents. Our in vitro and in vivo studies revealed specific function of Tc‐99m ECG‐HGK for tumor imaging.
Vacuum ultraviolet photoionization mass spectrometric study of cyclohexene
Authors: Chen Jun , Cao Maoqi , Wei Bin , Ding Mengmeng , Shan Xiaobin , Liu Fuyi , Sheng Liusi
Published: February 2016

In this work, photoionization and dissociation of cyclohexene have been studied by means of coupling a reflectron time‐of‐flight mass spectrometer with the tunable vacuum ultraviolet (VUV) synchrotron radiation. The adiabatic ionization energy of cyclohexene as well as the appearance energies of its fragment ions C6H9+, C6H7+, C5H7+, C5H5+, C4H6+, C4H5+, C3H5+and C3H3+were derived from the onset of the photoionization efficiency (PIE) curves. The optimized structures for the transition states and intermediates on the ground state potential energy surfaces related to photodissociation of cyclohexene were characterized at theωB97X‐D/6‐31+g(d,p) level. The coupled cluster method, CCSD(T)/cc‐pVTZ, was employed to calculate the corresponding energies with the zero‐point energy corrections by theωB97X‐D/6‐31+g(d,p) approach. Combining experimental and theoretical results, possible formation pathways of the fragment ions were proposed and discussed in detail. The retro‐Cope rearrangement was found to play a crucial role in the formation of C4H6+, C4H5+and C3H5+. Intramolecular hydrogen migrations were observed as dominant processes in most of the fragmentation pathways of cyclohexene. The present research provides a clear picture of the photoionization and dissociation processes of cyclohexene in the 8‐ to 15.5‐eV photon energy region. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Surgical anatomy of the sciatic nerve: A meta‐analysis
Authors: Tomaszewski Krzysztof A. , Graves Matthew J. , Henry Brandon Michael , Popieluszko Patrick , Roy Joyeeta , Pękala Przemysław A. , Hsieh Wan Chin , Vikse Jens , Walocha Jerzy A.
Published: February 2016

The sciatic nerve has varying anatomy with respect to the piriformis muscle. Understanding this variant anatomy is vital to avoiding iatrogenic nerve injuries. A comprehensive electronic database search was performed to identify articles reporting the prevalence of anatomical variations or morphometric data of the sciatic nerve. The data found was extracted and pooled into a meta‐analysis. A total of 45 studies (n = 7068 lower limbs) were included in the meta‐analysis on the sciatic nerve variations with respect to the piriformis muscle. The normal Type A variation, where the sciatic nerve exits the pelvis as a single entity below the piriformis muscle, was most common with a pooled prevalence of 85.2% (95%CI: 78.4–87.0). This was followed by Type B with a pooled prevalence of 9.8% (95%CI: 6.5–13.2), where the sciatic nerve bifurcated in the pelvis with the exiting common peroneal nerve piercing, and the tibial nerve coursing below the piriformis muscle. In morphometric analysis, we found that the pooled mean width of the sciatic nerve at the lower margin of the piriformis muscle was 15.55 mm. The pooled mean distance of sciatic nerve bifurcation from the popliteal fossa was 65.43 mm. The sciatic nerve deviates from its normal course of pelvic exit in almost 15% of cases. As such we recommend that a thorough assessment of sciatic nerve variants needs to be considered when performing procedures in the pelvic and gluteal regions in order to reduce the risk of iatrogenic injury. © 2016 Orthopaedic Research Society. Published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Orthop Res 34:1820–1827, 2016.
Characteristic fingerprinting based on macamides for discrimination of maca (Lepidium meyenii) by LC/MS/MS and multivariate statistical analysis
Authors: Pan Yu , Zhang Ji , Li Hong , Wang Yuan‐Zhong , Li Wan‐Yi
Published: February 2016

BACKGROUND

Macamides with a benzylalkylamide nucleus are characteristic and major bioactive compounds in the functional food maca (Lepidium meyenii Walp). The aim of this study was to explore variations in macamide content among maca from China and Peru. Twenty‐seven batches of maca hypocotyls with different phenotypes, sampled from different geographical origins, were extracted and profiled by liquid chromatography with ultraviolet detection/tandem mass spectrometry (LC‐UV/MS/MS).

RESULTS

Twelve macamides were identified by MS operated in multiple scanning modes. Similarity analysis showed that maca samples differed significantly in their macamide fingerprinting. Partial least squares discriminant analysis (PLS‐DA) was used to differentiate samples according to their geographical origin and to identify the most relevant variables in the classification model. The prediction accuracy for raw maca was 91% and five macamides were selected and considered as chemical markers for sample classification.

CONCLUSION

When combined with a PLS‐DA model, characteristic fingerprinting based on macamides could be recommended for labelling for the authentication of maca from different geographical origins. The results provided potential evidence for the relationships between environmental or other factors and distribution of macamides. © 2016 Society of Chemical Industry
Optimization of cellulase‐assisted extraction process and antioxidant activities of polysaccharides from Tricholoma mongolicum Imai
Authors: Zhao Yong‐Ming , Song Jin‐Hui , Wang Jin , Yang Jian‐Ming , Wang Zhi‐Bao , Liu Ying‐Hui
Published: February 2016

Background

Tricholoma mongolicum Imai is a well‐known edible and medicinal mushroom which in recent years has attracted increasing attention because of its bioactivities. In this study, water‐soluble polysaccharides were extracted from T. mongolicum Imai by cellulase‐assisted extraction and their antioxidant activities were investigated.

Results

In order to improve the yield of polysaccharides, four variables, cellulase amount (X1), pH (X2), temperature (X3) and extraction time (X4), were investigated with a Box–Behnken design. The optimal conditions were predicted to be cellulase amount of 20 g kg−1, pH of 4.0, temperature of 50 °C and extraction time of 127 min, with a predicted polysaccharide yield of 190.1 g kg−1. The actual yield of polysaccharides under these conditions was 189.6 g kg−1, which matched the predicted value well. The crude polysaccharides were purified to obtain four fractions, and characterization of each was carried out. In addition, antioxidant properties of four polysaccharides assessed by 1,1‐diphenyl‐2‐picryldydrazyl (DPPH) and hydroxyl radical‐scavenging assays indicated that polysaccharides from T. mongolicum Imai (TMIPs) possessed antioxidant activity in a dose‐dependent manner.

Conclusion

TMIPs show moderate antioxidant activities in vitro. Therefore it is suggested that TMIPs are potential natural antioxidants for use in functional foods. © 2016 Society of Chemical Industry
Silver Nanoparticle Arrays Prepared by In Situ Automatic Reduction of Silver Ions in Mussel‐Inspired Block Copolymer Films
Authors: Saito Yuta , Higuchi Takeshi , Jinnai Hiroshi , Hara Mitsuo , Nagano Shusaku , Matsuo Yasutaka , Yabu Hiroshi
Published: February 2016

Block copolymer phase separation has been employed to form templates for the fabrication of nanoscale patterns of metals due to their characteristic size scales that range from several nanometers to tens of nanometers. In the present work, poly(vinyl catechol‐block‐styrene) PVCa‐b‐PSt synthesized with various compositions forms unique microphase‐separated structures. Silver nanoparticles are spontaneously formed inside of the PVCa phases due to the reductive properties of the catechol moieties. The alignment and formation of silver nanoparticle arrays is successfully achieved without the need for high‐temperature thermal treatment or chemical reduction processes. The present system can be applied to the formation of nanoparticle arrays with a wide variety of metals by control of their arrangement.

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On the (non) superstable part of the free group
Authors: Perin Chloé , Sklinos Rizos
Published: February 2016

In this short note we prove that a definable set X over is superstable only if .
Simultaneous mapping of water shift and B1(WASABI)—Application to field‐Inhomogeneity correction of CESTMRI data
Authors: Schuenke Patrick , Windschuh Johannes , Roeloffs Volkert , Ladd Mark E. , Bachert Peter , Zaiss Moritz
Published: February 2016

Purpose

Together with the development of MRI contrasts that are inherently small in their magnitude, increased magnetic field accuracy is also required. Hence, mapping of the static magnetic field (B0) and the excitation field (B1) is not only important to feedback shim algorithms, but also for postprocess contrast‐correction procedures.

Methods

A novel field‐inhomogeneity mapping method is presented that allows simultaneous mapping of the water shift and B1 (WASABI) using an off‐resonant rectangular preparation pulse. The induced Rabi oscillations lead to a sinc‐like spectrum in the frequency‐offset dimension and allow for determination of B0 by its symmetry axis and of B1 by its oscillation frequency.

Results

Stability of the WASABI method with regard to the influences of T1, T2, magnetization transfer, and repetition time was investigated and its convergence interval was verified. B0 and B1 maps obtained simultaneously by means of WASABI in the human brain at 3 T and 7 T can compete well with maps obtained by standard methods. Finally, the method was applied successfully for B0 and B1 correction of chemical exchange saturation transfer MRI (CEST‐MRI) data of the human brain.

Conclusion

The proposed WASABI method yields a novel simultaneous B0 and B1 mapping within 1 min that is robust and easy to implement. Magn Reson Med 77:571–580, 2017. © 2016 International Society for Magnetic Resonance in Medicine
Overactive bladder and autonomic dysfunction: Lower urinary tract symptoms in females with postural tachycardia syndrome
Authors: Kaufman Melissa R. , Chang‐Kit Laura , Raj Satish R. , Black Bonnie K. , Milam Douglas F. , Reynolds W. Stuart , Biaggioni Italo , Robertson David , Dmochowski Roger R.
Published: February 2016

Aims

Postural Tachycardia Syndrome (POTS) represents an autonomic disorder predominantly affecting females between 15 and 50 years of age. POTS is a chronic disorder (>6 months) characterized by an excessive heart rate increment on standing (>30 beats/min) in the presence of characteristic symptoms of cerebral hypoperfusion or sympathetic activation. Patients have clinically been noted to describe lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS), although urologic symptoms have not been methodically assessed in the POTS population. Herein, we present data from a pilot study designed to identify and quantitate overactive bladder (OAB) in patients diagnosed with POTS.

Methods

Patients admitted to the Vanderbilt Autonomic Dysfunction Center between June 2009 and October 2010 for evaluation for the potential diagnosis of POTS completed a validated, standardized questionnaire for OAB (OAB‐q) at presentation. Symptom score and subscale analyses were conducted. Subscale health related quality of life (HRQL) scores were transformed into a 0–100 scale, with higher scores reflecting superior HRQL. Data are presented as mean ± SD.

Results

Thirty‐two females presented for evaluation of symptoms consistent with POTS. Twenty‐nine women were subsequently diagnosed with POTS with 19 of these patients completing the OAB‐q questionnaire (65.5% response rate). Average age was 33.5 ± 8.3 years. Symptom severity transformed score was 26.0 ± 16.4, with 13 of 19 patients (68.4%) meeting clinical criteria for diagnosis of probable clinically significant OAB. Nocturia was the most bothersome symptom, followed by increased daytime frequency and urgency.

Conclusions

This pilot study describes bothersome lower urinary tract dysfunction in patients presenting with POTS as assessed by patient‐reported questionnaire data. Nocturia demonstrated the greatest negative impact on health‐related quality of life (HRQL), while social interaction was the least affected HRQL domain. In patients with dysautonomia, this data provides a critical baseline for mechanistic insight into both disease‐specific and global pathophysiology of nocturia and OAB.Neurourol. Urodynam. 36:610–613, 2017. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
10 years follow‐up after mid‐urethral sling implantation: high rate of cure yet a re‐occurrence of OAB‐symptoms
Authors: Schauer Ingrid , Bock Helena , Eredics Klaus , Wallis Martina , Scholz Michael , Madersbacher Stephan , Lüftenegger Werner
Published: February 2016

Aims

To assess the long‐term outcome of mid‐urethral slings regarding urinary incontinence (UI) and lower urinary tract symptoms and to identify risk factors for an unsatisfactory outcome.

Methods

Analysis of a prospective institutional database. For the current analysis only women who reached the 10 years follow‐up were eligible. Outcome was assessed using a detailed, non‐validated questionnaire on continence status and on several aspects of lower urinary tract function.

Results

A total of 256 women were operated during 1999–2004, in 139 (54.3%), a 10 years follow‐up was available and these patients were included. Mean age at surgery was 63 years. At the 2, 5, and 10 years follow‐up, the percentages of women reporting 0–1 pads/day were 96.4%, 97.1% and 88.5%, respectively. More than 95% of the patients reported no stress UI at the 2, 5, and 10 years follow‐up. At baseline, urgency was reported by 61.2%, this figure dropped to 17.3% at 2 years and increased thereafter to 32.4% (5 years) and 41.7% (10 years). De novo urgency was present in 3.6% after 2 years, in 10.8% after 5 years, and 14.4% after 10 years. The percentage of patients with a high degree of treatment satisfaction declined from 79.1% at 2 years to 70.5% at 5 years, and 62.6% at 10 years. Risk factors for an unsatisfactory long‐term outcome were advanced age, the presence of urgency, nocturia, and decreased bladder capacity at baseline.

Conclusions

This study confirms the excellent long‐term efficacy of mid‐urethral slings regarding the management of stress UI. A substantial number of women develop OAB‐symptoms after the procedure that largely contribute to outcome dissatisfaction. Neurourol. Urodynam. 36:614–619, 2017. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Obesity decreases B cell responses in young and elderly individuals
Authors: Frasca Daniela , Ferracci Franco , Diaz Alain , Romero Maria , Lechner Suzanne , Blomberg Bonnie B.
Published: February 2016

Objective

To evaluate the effects of obesity‐associated inflammation on influenza vaccine responses.

Methods

In young and elderly individuals, both lean and with obesity, antibody responses to influenza vaccination were measured.

Results

A decrease in in vivo vaccine responses, circulating switched memory, and transitional B cells and an increase in pro‐inflammatory late/exhausted memory B cells were found. In vitro B cell function was measured by activation‐induced cytidine deaminase and E47, markers of optimal antibody responses. Moreover, IL‐6 production was increased, whereas IL‐10 production was decreased in cultures of B cells from individuals with obesity. Markers of immune activation (TNF‐α, TLR4, micro‐RNAs) in unstimulated B cells were also found increased and were negatively correlated with B cell function. In order to reveal potential mechanisms, we stimulated B cells from lean individuals in vitro with leptin, the adipokine increased in obesity. Leptin increased phospho‐STAT3, crucial for TNF‐α production, and decreased phospho‐AMPK, the energy sensing enzyme upstream of phospho‐p38 MAPK and E47. Leptin‐induced phospho‐STAT3 and phospho‐AMPK levels were similar to those in B cells from individuals with obesity.

Conclusions

These results demonstrate that leptin can be responsible for decreased B cell function in obesity.
Decoupling of epitaxy‐related trapping effects in AlGaN/GaN metal–insulator semiconductor high‐electron‐mobility transistors
Authors: Huber Martin , Curatola Gilberto , Pozzovivo Gianmauro , Daumiller Ingo , Knuuttila Lauri , Silvestri Marco , Bonanni Alberta , Lundskog Anders
Published: February 2016

The decoupling of epitaxial factors influencing the dynamic instabilities of AlGaN/GaN metal–insulator semiconductor high‐electron‐mobility transistors is investigated. Three different sets of samples have been analyzed by means of dynamic instabilities in the threshold voltage ( shift). Secondary ion mass spectroscopy and steady‐state photoluminescence (PL) measurements have been performed in conjunction with electrical characterization. The device dynamic performance is found to be significantly dependent on both the C concentration next to the channel, on the distance between the channel, and the higher doped C region. Additionally, we note that experiments studying trapping should avoid large variations in the sheet carrier density (). This change in the itself has a significant impact on the shift. These experimental trends are also supported by a basic model and device simulation. Finally, the relationship between the yellow luminescence (YL) and the band edge (BE) ratio and the shift is investigated. As long as the basic layer structure is not changed, the determination of the YL/BE ratio obtained from steady‐state PL is demonstrated to be a suitable way to predict trap concentrations in the GaN channel layer.

shift for a device stressed at = 200 V and = V plotted on top of the sheet carrier density of the channel. Model: fitting of calculated relative shift for varying and values.
Improvement of thermal stability of p‐type ZnO:(Al,N) fabricated by oxidizing Zn3N2:Al thin films
Authors: Wang Y. F. , Song D. Y. , Li L. , Li B. S. , Shen A. , Sui Y.
Published: February 2016

The authors report the fabrication of p‐type ZnO thin films with improved thermal stability. The p‐type ZnO thin films were obtained by oxidizing Zn3N2:Al thin films in an oxygen ambient. Both Zn3N2:Al and Zn3N2 thin films were deposited on fused silica substrates at 100 °C by megnetron sputtering. X‐ray diffraction (XRD) measurements showed that the ZnO thin films obtained from by oxiding Zn3N2:Al, have preferred (002) orientation. On the other hand, ZnO films obtained by oxidizing Zn3N2 are polycrystalline. The optical band gap of ZnO (3.294 eV) obtained by annealing Zn3N2:Al thin films is narrower than that of the ZnO (3.31 eV) obtained by annealing Zn3N2. P‐type ZnO films were formed by annealing Zn3N2:Al at temperatures above 600 °C. A maximum hole density of 1.4 x 1016 cm‐3 was obtained in a film annealed at 800 °C. In contrast, only n‐type ZnO can be produced from oxidizing Zn3N2. Our results indicate that the Al can stabilize the nitrogen acceptors in ZnO thin films. (© 2016 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)
Effect of NH3 flow on incorporation efficiency of Al composition and reduction of surface donor states in AlGaN grown by MOVPE
Authors: Gao Tao , Xu Ruimin , Zhang Dongguo , Li Zhonghui , Peng Daqing , Don Xun , Chen Tangsheng
Published: February 2016

We have studied the effect of various ammonia (NH3) flow rates on AlGaN film grown on GaN using c‐plane sapphire as substrate by metal organic chemical vapour deposition. The influences of NH3 flow on the species diffusion anisotropy of thick AlGaN films were investigated by scanning electron microscopy, atomic force microscopy and high‐resolution X‐ray diffraction measurements. It is demonstrated that, in addition to the larger NH3 flow, growth of the AlGaN epilayer under the same trimethylaluminum (TMAl) flow condition as others is a critical factor for less micro‐cracks. The results of X‐ray double crystal diffraction showed that the AlGaN films with larger ammonia flow exhibited lower Al content and smaller (0002) rocking curve width, and while NH3 flow rate reached 23 liter per minute, a (0002) rocking curve width of 295 arcsecond was reached. (© 2015 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)
Application of indium tin oxide to the p‐cladding layers of yellow/green II‐VI compound semiconductor laser diode structures on InP substrates
Authors: Fukushima Koji , Shiraishi Tomohiro , Kobayashi Ryohei , Kishino Katsumi , Nomura Ichirou
Published: February 2016

The application of indium tin oxide (ITO) as the p‐cladding layer of II‐VI compound semiconductor laser diodes (LDs) on InP substrates was investigated. The waveguide analysis of the LD structures revealed that the optical confinement effect around the active layer was obviously improved by changing the p‐cladding layer from the conventional MgSe/BeZnTe superlattice to ITO. For example, the estimated optical confinement factors were 0.15 and 0.27 for the conventional and ITO LD structure, respectively, when the emission wavelength was 580 nm. In addition, we investigated optimum LD structures, considering the optical and carrier confinements at the active layer. In experiments, light emitting devices with an ITO layer were fabricated on InP substrates via molecular beam epitaxy and radio‐frequency (RF) magnetron sputtering. Yellow emissions at 582 nm were observed by current injections at room temperature. These results indicate that ITO is a promising p‐cladding layer material for II‐VI LDs on InP substrates. (© 2016 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)
A Review of Natural Stimulant and Non‐stimulant Thermogenic Agents
Authors: Stohs Sidney J. , Badmaev Vladimir
Published: February 2016

Obesity and overweight are major health issues. Exercise and calorie intake control are recognized as the primary mechanisms for addressing excess body weight. Naturally occurring thermogenic plant constituents offer adjunct means for assisting in weight management. The controlling mechanisms for thermogenesis offer many intervention points. Thermogenic agents can act through stimulation of the central nervous system with associated adverse cardiovascular effects and through metabolic mechanisms that are non‐stimulatory or a combination thereof. Examples of stimulatory thermogenic agents that will be discussed include ephedrine and caffeine. Examples of non‐stimulatory thermogenic agents include p‐synephrine (bitter orange extract), capsaicin, forskolin (Coleus root extract), and chlorogenic acid (green coffee bean extract). Green tea is an example of a thermogenic with the potential to produce mild but clinically insignificant undesirable stimulatory effects. The use of the aforementioned thermogenic agents in combination with other extracts such as those derived from Salacia reticulata, Sesamum indicum, Lagerstroemia speciosa, Cissus quadrangularis, and Moringa olifera, as well as the use of the carotenoids as lutein and fucoxanthin, and flavonoids as naringin and hesperidin can further facilitate energy metabolism and weight management as well as sports performance without adverse side effects. © 2016 The Authors Phytotherapy Research published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.
Measurement of oxygen isotope ratios (18O/16O) of aqueous O2 in small samples by gas chromatography/isotope ratio mass spectrometry
Authors: Pati Sarah G. , Bolotin Jakov , Brennwald Matthias S. , Kohler Hans‐Peter E. , Werner Roland A. , Hofstetter Thomas B.
Published: February 2016

Rationale

Oxygen isotope fractionation of molecular O2 is an important process for the study of aerobic metabolism, photosynthesis, and formation of reactive oxygen species. The latter is of particular interest for investigating the mechanism of enzyme‐catalyzed reactions, such as the oxygenation of organic pollutants, which is an important detoxification mechanism.

Methods

We developed a simple method to measure the δ18O values of dissolved O2 in small samples using automated split injection for gas chromatography coupled to isotope ratio mass spectrometry (GC/IRMS). After creating a N2 headspace, the dissolved O2 partitions from aqueous solution to the headspace, from which it can be injected into the gas chromatograph.

Results

In aqueous samples of 10 mL and in diluted air samples, we quantified the δ18O values at O2 concentrations of 16 μM and 86 μM, respectively. The chromatographic separation of O2 and N2 with a molecular sieve column made it possible to use N2 as the headspace gas for the extraction of dissolved O2 from water. We were therefore able to apply a rigorous δ18O blank correction for the quantification of 18O/16O ratios in 20 nmol of injected O2.

Conclusions

The successful quantification of 18O‐kinetic isotope effects associated with enzymatic and chemical reduction of dissolved O2 illustrates how the proposed method can be applied for studying enzymatic O2 activation mechanisms in a variety of (bio)chemical processes. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Energy and economy: Recognizing high‐energy modernity as a historical period
Authors: Love Thomas , Isenhour Cindy
Published: February 2016

This introduction to Economic Anthropology's special issue on “Energy and Economy” argues that we might find inspiration for a much more engaged and public anthropology in an unlikely place—19th century evolutionist thought. In addition to studying the particularities of energy transitions, which anthropology does so well, a more engaged anthropology might also broaden its temporal horizons to consider the nature of the future “stage” into which humanity is hurtling in an era of resource depletion and climate change. Net energy (EROEI), or the energy “surplus” on which we build and maintain our complex societal arrangements, is a key tool for anthropologists' as we bring our trademark cross‐cultural, ethnographically grounded knowledge and perspectives to bear in examining the complex interplay of material infrastructures, energy flows, social organization, and culture. We are now mindful of the always already cultural nature of such circuitry and interactions—in ways obviously unavailable to our nineteenth‐century forebears. And yet even as our energy futures are neither predetermined nor inevitable, neither are they as unfettered by material constraints as many have come to think. A robust anthropology of energy informed by awareness of the energetic basis of the historically specific moment in which we find ourselves seems poised to help us get beyond the developmentalist ideas of Morgan and Tylor and to overcome a seeming inability to think comprehensively about the human predicament in simultaneously general and particular terms. We have a chance in the space now opening to get beyond the antinomies—materialist—mentalist, infrastructure—superstructure, agency—structure, objective—subjective, and so on—that dominated much of twentieth‐century anthropology.
Neither counterfeit nor paradise: The carrying capacity of pre‐Columbian ecosystems in Brazil
Authors: Bucciferro Justin R.
Published: February 2016

The size of Brazil's population before colonization is indicative of the devastation from slavery, disease, and general upheaval that followed. The question is controversial, however: The coast and Amazon floodplains were heavily settled, yet the extent to which complex societies occupied the upland forests and savannas is uncertain. The carrying capacities of 461 indigenous domains east of 57°W longitude are estimated using 3 approaches: a predator–prey model of energy flow calibrated with remote‐sensing data; feasible yields of maize, manioc, beans, and potatoes; and protein availability from hunting. Native ecosystems were capable of sustaining dozens of people per square kilometer, but the actual density was probably closer to a lower bound of 0.50. Within Amazonia, the floodplain could have supported several times more inhabitants than plateau forests, savannas, or scrubland. The overall standard of living was likely higher than commonly believed, although life in prehistoric Brazil was nonetheless far from “paradise.”
The infrastructure of markets: From electric power to electronic data
Authors: Özden‐Schilling Canay
Published: February 2016

Following the partial deregulation of the electricity industry in the 1990s, a number of electricity markets were instituted in the United States. As relatively new experiments, electricity markets open up possibilities for anthropologists to see markets as infrastructures of information. I argue that making markets in electricity has been a project in reorganizing information relationships, transferring the burden to organize information onto market actors, making them into data processors and the markets themselves into infrastructures of information. This article is part of a yearlong multilocale ethnographic project that seeks to understand how traders, analysts, engineers, and economists make markets in electricity in the United States. It draws on 5 months of participant observation at a market intelligence company that produces data and databases and sells price forecasts to traders in the deregulated markets of electricity. It maps the work practices of data cleaning and maintenance—a kind of labor I call “database work.”
District heating as heterotopia: Tracing the social contract through domestic energy infrastructure in Pimlico, London
Authors: Johnson Charlotte
Published: February 2016

The Pimlico District Heating Undertaking (PDHU) was London's first attempt at neighborhood heating. Built in the 1950s to supply landmark social housing project Churchill Gardens, the district heating system sent heat from nearby Battersea power station into the radiators of the housing estate. The network is a rare example in the United Kingdom, where, unlike other European states, district heating did not become widespread. Today the heating system supplies more than 3,000 homes in the London Borough of Westminster, having survived the closure of the power station and the privatization of the housing estate it supplies. Therefore, this article argues, the neighborhood can be understood as a heterotopia, a site of an alternative sociotechnical order. This concept is used to understand the layers of economic, political, and technological rationalities that have supported PDHU and to question how it has survived radical changes in housing and energy policy in the United Kingdom. This lens allows us to see the tension between the urban planning and engineering perspective, which celebrates this system as a future‐oriented “experiment,” and the reality of managing and using the system on the estate. The article analyzes this technology‐enabled standard of living as a social contract between state and citizen, suggesting this is a way to analyze contemporary questions of district energy.
Circuits and currents: Dynamics of disruption in New York City blackouts
Authors: Rupp Stephanie
Published: February 2016

Blackouts are technological breakdowns that result in social ruptures. Everyday patterns are disrupted, causing inversions of authority, creating new and spontaneous opportunities for social relationships, and offering unusual opportunities for economic benefit. Analysis of blackouts in New York City helps us to understand the role of electricity in the lives of city dwellers, their expectations of what energy should do for them, and when and how it should function. Absences of electricity provide a liminal context in which to examine the role of energy in creating and maintaining the technological and social order that we have come to expect—and demand. This article argues that, through the darkness of electrical disruption, blackouts illuminate two metaphors that connect the scientific properties of electricity with the social order shaped by electricity: circuits and currents. When the circuits of electricity are broken, currents of power in technical, social, economic, and political arenas are also disrupted.
A technique for calculation of shell thicknesses for core–shell–shell nanoparticles from XPS data
Authors: Cant David J. H. , Wang Yung‐Chen , Castner David G. , Shard Alexander G.
Published: February 2016

This paper extends a straightforward technique for the calculation of shell thicknesses in core–shell nanoparticles to the case of core–shell–shell nanoparticles using X‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) data. This method can be applied by XPS analysts and does not require any numerical simulation or advanced knowledge, although iteration is required in the case where both shell thicknesses are unknown. The standard deviation in the calculated thicknesses versus simulated values is typically less than 10%, which is the uncertainty of the electron attenuation lengths used in XPS analysis.© 2016 Crown copyright. Surface and Interface Analysis © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Shareholder perceptions of the changing impact of CEOs: Market reactions to unexpected CEO deaths, 1950–2009
Authors: Quigley Timothy J. , Crossland Craig , Campbell Robert J.
Published: February 2016

Research summary: Despite a number of studies highlighting the important impact Chief Executive Officers (CEOs) have on firms, several theoretical and methodological questions cloud existing findings. This study takes an alternative approach by examining how shareholders' perceptions of CEO significance have changed over time. Using an event study methodology and a sample of 240 sudden and unexpected CEO deaths, we show that absolute (unsigned) market reactions to these events in U.S. public firms have increased markedly between 1950 and 2009. Our results indicate that shareholders act in ways consistent with the belief that CEOs have become increasingly more influential in recent decades.

Managerial summary: With Chief Executive Officers (CEOs) facing increased scrutiny and receiving ever‐increasing pay packages, substantial debate exists about their overall contribution to firm outcomes. While prior research has sought to calculate the proportion of firm outcomes attributable to the CEO, this study takes an alternative approach by using the “wisdom of the crowds” to assess how shareholders think about the importance of CEOs. Our study finds that shareholders, perhaps the most financially motivated stakeholder, view CEOs as increasingly important drivers of firm outcomes, good and bad, versus their peers from decades earlier. Notably, market reaction to the unexpected death of a CEO has increased steadily over the last six decades, highlighting the importance of succession planning and supporting, at least partially, the increased compensation given today's top executives. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Axial loading capacity of concrete‐jacketed RC columns with pre‐ and post‐corrosion damage
Authors: Zhao Yuxi , Zhang Dawei , Shen Shijun , Ueda Tamon
Published: February 2016

The main objective of this study is to investigate the effect of pre‐ and post‐jacketing corrosion and loading damage on concrete‐jacketed reinforced concrete (RC) columns under uniaxial loading and to develop a methodology for predicting the corresponding compressive strength. The pre‐ and post‐damage involved preloading up to 50 % of the peak load of the core column, an electrochemical process to accelerate the migration of chlorides from an external electrolyte into the test columns and a wetting–drying cycle process with a controlled current to speed up the corrosion of the steel reinforcing bars in the test columns. Uniaxial loading tests were performed to determine the structural performance of the concrete‐jacketed columns with and without corrosion damage. The failure mode and load–displacement and load–strain responses of the test columns were recorded, and the related mechanisms are discussed. A model capable of evaluating the compressive strength of unjacketed or jacketed RC columns with and without corrosion damage was then developed. The analytical approach considered the effect of reinforcement corrosion on the effective loadbearing area of the concrete and the confinement effect of the stirrups. The analytical results agree well with the experimental results, indicating the reliability and effectiveness of the models developed.
Swarm intelligence based robust active queue management design for congestion control in TCP network
Authors: Ali Hazem I. , Khalid Karam Samir
Published: February 2016

Active queue management (AQM) is an effective solution for the congestion control problem. It can achieve high quality of service (QoS) by reducing the packet dropping probability and network utilization. Three robust control algorithms are proposed in this paper in order to design robust AQM schemes: conventional controller, robust particle swarm optimization (PSO)‐based PID (proportional–integral–derivative) (PSOPID) controller, and robust ant‐colony optimization (ACO)‐based PID (ACOPID) controller. PSO and ACO methods are used to tune the PID controller parameters subject to constraints to achieve the required robustness of the network. Robust PSOPID and ACOPID controllers can achieve desirable time‐response specifications with a simple design procedure and low‐order controller in comparison to the conventional controller. Wide ranges of system parameters change are used to show the robustness of the designed controllers. The ability of the designed controllers to meet the specified performance is demonstrated using MATLAB 7. 11, (R2010b): The MathWorks, Inc.3 Apple Hill Drive Natick, MA USA. On the other hand, to verify the effectiveness of the designed controller, nonlinear simulation is performed using the NS2 package. Finally, it is shown by comparison that the proposed robust ACOPID can achieve more desirable performance than the PSOPID controller and the controllers that have been proposed in previous works. © 2016 Institute of Electrical Engineers of Japan. Published by John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Ongoing Response in BRAF V600E-Mutant Melanoma After Cessation of Intermittent Vemurafenib Therapy: A Case Report
Authors: Dooley Andrew J. , Gupta Avinash , Middleton Mark R.
Published: February 2016

The selective BRAF inhibitors vemurafenib and dabrafenib yield high response rates and improved overall survival in patients with BRAF V600E-mutant metastatic melanoma. Treatment traditionally continues until disease progression or the development of unacceptable toxicity. Acquired drug resistance and toxicity are key challenges with the use of these drugs. Resistance to vemurafenib usually develops within 6–8 months. Management of drug toxicity typically involves stopping vemurafenib until resolution, before restarting at a lower dose, or permanently ceasing vemurafenib therapy. We have recently considered whether intermittent dosing could be used as an alternative to dose reduction/termination in the management of vemurafenib toxicity. One patient treated with intermittent vemurafenib was an 89-year-old woman with metastatic melanoma, who initially showed a good response to continuous dosing. Recurrent toxicity meant that the continuous vemurafenib dosage was repeatedly ceased before restarting at a lower dose. Ten months after vemurafenib was first begun, an intermittent dosing regimen was introduced in an attempt to control toxicity. This continued for 2 months, before cessation due to continued unacceptable toxicity. A further 24 months later, the patient remains fit and well in complete clinical remission, with no recurrence of her previous melanoma and no new primary malignancies. To the best of our knowledge, a continued response after the cessation of selective BRAF inhibitors has never before been described in melanoma. Induction of an immune response and/or epigenetic changes could explain continued disease response after cessation of vemurafenib therapy. Care should be taken when extrapolating the findings from the continued response after vemurafenib cessation to other tumour types. We recommend the collection and analysis of data to investigate the clinical responses seen after cessation of vemurafenib due to intolerable toxicities, which could help further explain vemurafenib’s mechanism of action.
Impact of percutaneous coronary intervention timing on 5-year outcome in patients with non-ST-segment elevation acute coronary syndromes. The ‘wait a day’ approach might be safer
Authors: Oosterwerff Erik F.J. , Fagel N. D. , Slagboom T. , Tijssen J. G. P. , Herrman J. P. , Smits P. C. , Suttorp M. J. , Ronner E. , Laarman G. J. , Patterson M. S. , Amoroso G. , Vink M. A. , van der Schaaf R. J. , Verheugt F. W. A. , Riezebos R. K.
Published: February 2016

Background

The OPTIMA trial was a randomised multicentre trial exploring the influence of the timing of percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) on patient outcomes in an intermediate to high risk non-ST-elevation acute coronary syndrome (NSTE-ACS) population. In order to decide the best treatment strategy for patients presenting with NSTE-ACS, long-term outcomes are essential.

Methods

Five-year follow-up data from 133 of the 142 patients could be retrieved (94 %). The primary endpoint was a composite of death and spontaneous myocardial infarction (MI). Spontaneous MI was defined as MI occurring more than 30 days after randomisation. Secondary endpoints were the individual outcomes of death, spontaneous MI or re-PCI.

Results

No significant difference with respect to the primary endpoint was observed (17.8 vs. 10.1 %; HR 1.55, 95 % CI: 0.73–4.22, p = 0.21). There was no significant difference in mortality rate. However, spontaneous MI was significantly more common in the group receiving immediate PCI (11.0 vs. 1.4 %; HR 4.46, 95 % CI: 1.21–16.50, p = 0.02). We did not find a significant difference between the groups with respect to re-PCI rate.

Conclusion

There was no difference in the composite of death and spontaneous MI. The trial suggests an increased long-term risk of spontaneous MI for patients treated with immediate PCI.
Prevalence of blood type A and risk of vascular complications following transcatheter aortic valve implantation
Authors: Rofe M.-T. , Shacham Y. , Steinvi A. , Barak L. , Hareuveni M. , Banai S. , Keren G. , Finkelstein A. , Shmilovich H.
Published: February 2016

Objectives

To assess the prevalence of blood type A among patients referred for transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI) and whether it is related to vascular complications.

Backgrounds

Vascular complications following TAVI are associated with adverse outcomes. Various blood types, particularly type A, have been shown to be more prevalent in cardiovascular diseases and to be related to prognosis.

Methods

The prevalence of various blood types in a cohort of 491 consecutive patients who underwent TAVI was compared with a control group of 6500 consecutive hospitalised patients. The prevalence and predictors of vascular complications and bleeding events were evaluated in the blood type A group and were compared with non-type A patients.

Results

The mean age of TAVI patients was 83 ± 6 years, and 40 % were males. Patients were divided into two groups: blood type A (n = 220) and non-type A (n = 271). Type A was significantly more prevalent in the TAVI group than in the control group (45 vs. 38 %, p = 0.023). Compared with the non-type A group, patients with blood type A had more major and fatal bleeding (14.5 vs. 8.1 %, p = 0.027) and more vascular complications (any vascular complication: 24.5 vs. 15.9 % p = 0.016; major vascular complications: 12.3 vs. 7 % p = 0.047). In a multivariable analysis, blood type A emerged as a significant and independent predictor for vascular complications and bleeding events.

Conclusions

Blood type A is significantly more prevalent in TAVI patients than in the general population and is related to higher rates of vascular and bleeding complications.