bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Accelerated Degradation for Hardware in the Loop Simulation of Fuel Cell-Gas Turbine Hybrid System
Authors: Abreu-Sepulveda Maria A. , Harun Nor Farida , Hackett Gregory , Hagen Anke , Tucker David
Published: October 2014

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE)-National Energy Technology Laboratory (NETL) in Morgantown, WV has developed the hybrid performance (HyPer) project in which a solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC) one-dimensional (1D), real-time operating model is coupled to a gas turbine hardware system by utilizing hardware-in-the-loop simulation. To assess the long-term stability of the SOFC part of the system, electrochemical degradation due to operating conditions such as current density and fuel utilization have been incorporated into the SOFC model and successfully recreated in real time. The mathematical expression for degradation rate was obtained through the analysis of empirical voltage versus time plots for different current densities and fuel utilizations.
RF sputtering of polycrystalline (100), (002), and (101) oriented AlN on an epitaxial 3C-SiC (100) on Si(100) substrate
Authors: Iqbal Abid , Chaik Kien , Walker Glen , Iacopi Alan , Mohd-Yasin Faisal , Dimitrijev Sima
Published: October 2014

In this paper, the RF sputtering of polycrystalline AlN thin film on epitaxial 3C-SiC(100) on Si(100) substrate is presented. The effect of nitrogen concentration, deposition temperature and sputtering pressure are studied. These parameters are optimized to improve the crystal quality and deposition rate. Nitrogen concentration was varied from 40% to 100%, and it was found that the maximum deposition rate was observed at 40%. The RF bias power on substrate was also varied from 100 to 400 W, and it was observed that the deposition rate increases proportionally. The process temperature was varied from 200 to 400 °C to see the effect on the crystal quality and deposition rate; it was found that temperature variation does not yield significant shifts. This paper is able to demonstrate a successful RF sputtering of a polycrystalline AlN (100), (101), and (002) on epitaxial 3C-SiC(100) using RF power supply of 550 W.
Age Differences in Change-of-Direction Performance and Its Subelements in Female Football Players
Authors: Hirose Norikazu , Nakahori Chikako
Published: October 2014

Purpose:

To describe cross-sectional age differences in change-of-direction performance (CODp) in female football players and investigate the relationship between CODp and linear-sprint speed, muscle power, and body size.

Methods:

A sample of 135 well-trained female football players was divided into 8 age groups. Anthropometry (height, body mass, and lean body mass) and athletic performance (10-m sprint speed, 10-m × 5-CODp, and 5-step bounding distance) were compared to determine interage differences using ANOVA. Then, the participants were divided into 3 age groups: 12- to 14-y-olds, 15- to 17-y-olds, and ≥ 18 y-olds. Simple- and multiple-regression analyses were conducted to determine the correlation between CODp and the other measurement variables in each age group.

Results:

Age-related differences were found for CODp (F = 10.41, P < .01), sprint speed (F = 3.27, P < .01), and bounding distance (F = 4.20, P < .01). Post hoc analysis revealed that the CODp of 17-y-old players was faster than that of 16-y-old players (P < .01), with no interage differences in sprint speed and bounding distance. Sprint speed and bounding distance were weakly correlated with CODp in 15- to ≥18-y-old players, but only sprint speed was correlated with CODp in 12- to 14-y-old players.

Conclusions:

CODp improves from 16 to 17 y of age in female players. Linear-sprint speed, muscle power, and body size were weakly correlated with the age differences in CODp.
Endoscopic molecular imaging of human bladder cancer using a CD47 antibody
Authors: Pan Ying , Volkmer Jens-Peter , Mach Kathleen E. , Rouse Robert V. , Liu Jen-Jane , Sahoo Debashis , Chang Timothy C. , Metzner Thomas J. , Kang Lei , van de Rijn Matt , Skinner Eila C. , Gambhir Sanjiv S. , Weissman Irving L. , Liao Joseph C.
Published: October 2014

Fluorescently labeled CD47 antibody is an endoscopic molecular imaging agent to diagnose human bladder cancer.
Rupture of giant vertebrobasilar aneurysm following flow diversion: mechanical stretch as a potential mechanism for early aneurysm rupture
Authors: Fox Benjamin , Humphries William Edward , Doss Vinodh T , Hoit Daniel , Elijovich Lucas , Arthur Adam S
Published: October 2014

A patient with a giant symptomatic vertebrobasilar aneurysm was treated by endoscopic third ventriculostomy for obstructive hydrocephalus followed by treatment of the aneurysm by flow diversion using a Pipeline Embolization Device. After an uneventful procedure and initial periprocedural period, the patient experienced an unexpected fatal subarachnoid hemorrhage 1 week later. Autopsy demonstrated extensive subarachnoid hemorrhage and aneurysm rupture (linear whole wall rupture). The patent Pipeline Embolization Device was in its intended location, as was the persistent coil occlusion of the distal left vertebral artery. The aneurysm appeared to rupture in a linear manner and contained a thick large expansile clot that seemed to disrupt or rupture the thin aneurysm wall directly opposite the basilar artery/Pipeline Embolization Device. We feel the pattern of aneurysm rupture in our patient supports the idea that the combination of flow diversion and the resulting growing intra-aneurysmal thrombus can create a mechanical force with the potential to cause aneurysm rupture.
Snowboarders’ ankle
Authors: Kramer Irene Fleur , Brouwers Lars , Brink Peter R G , Poeze Martijn
Published: October 2014

In this case study we report a fracture of the lateral process of the talus (LPF) in a snowboarder. The fracture is frequently overlooked initially, due to subtle clinical and radiological findings and a low incidence rate. However, LPF are associated with significant morbidity when missed. To address this, we report one case of a patient with a LPF and provide a review of the available literature.
Feline urinary tract pathogens: prevalence of bacterial species and antimicrobial resistance over a 10‐year period
Authors: Dorsch Roswitha , von Vopelius‐Feldt Clara , Wolf Georg , Straubinger Reinhard K. , Hartmann Katrin
Published: October 2014

The purpose of this retrospective study was to identify bacterial species in cats with bacterial urinary tract infections (UTIs) and to investigate their antimicrobial susceptibilities over a 10‐year period. Three hundred and thirty cultures from 280 cats were included in the study. The mean age of affected cats was 9.9 years; female cats with bacterial UTIs were significantly older than male cats with UTIs. The most common pathogen identified wasEscherichia coli(42.3 per cent), followed byStreptococcusspecies (19.3 per cent),Staphylococcusspecies (15.6 per cent),Enterococcusspecies (6.6 per cent) andMicrococcaceae(5.8 per cent). Forty specimens (12.1 per cent) yielded growth of more than one isolate.StreptococcusandEnterococcusisolates were resistant to a significantly higher number of antimicrobial agents thanE coliandStaphylococcusspecies isolates. Applying the formula to select rational antimicrobial therapy, bacterial isolates were most likely to be susceptible to nitrofurantoin, amoxicillin clavulanic acid, enrofloxacin and gentamicin. The antimicrobial impact factor for nitrofurantoin increased significantly over the 10‐year period, whereas there was no significant change in antimicrobial impact factors for doxycycline, trimethoprim‐sulfamethoxazole, gentamicin, enrofloxacin, cephalothin and amoxicillin clavulanic acid. The detected changes in in vitro antimicrobial efficacy could help to develop hospital‐specific guidelines for antimicrobial use to prevent the further development of resistance in feline uropathogens.
Signature change in p-adic and noncommutative FRW cosmology
Authors: Djordjevic Goran S. , Nesic Ljubisa , Radovancevic Darko
Published: October 2014

The significant matter for the construction of the so-called no-boundary proposal is the assumption of signature transition, which has been a way to deal with the problem of initial conditions of the universe. On the other hand, results of Loop Quantum Gravity indicate that the signature change is related to the discrete nature of space at the Planck scale. Motivated by possibility of non-Archimedean and/or noncommutative structure of space–time at the Planck scale, in this work we consider the classical, p-adic and (spatial) noncommutative form of a cosmological model with Friedmann–Robertson–Walker (FRW) metric coupled with a self-interacting scalar field.
Solvability analysis and numerical approximation of linearized cardiac electromechanics
Authors: Andreianov Boris , Bendahmane Mostafa , Quarteroni Alfio , Ruiz-Baier Ricardo
Published: October 2014

This paper is concerned with the mathematical analysis of a coupled elliptic–parabolic system modeling the interaction between the propagation of electric potential and subsequent deformation of the cardiac tissue. The problem consists in a reaction–diffusion system governing the dynamics of ionic quantities, intra- and extra-cellular potentials, and the linearized elasticity equations are adopted to describe the motion of an incompressible material. The coupling between muscle contraction, biochemical reactions and electric activity is introduced with a so-called active strain decomposition framework, where the material gradient of deformation is split into an active (electrophysiology-dependent) part and an elastic (passive) one. Under the assumption of linearized elastic behavior and a truncation of the updated nonlinear diffusivities, we prove existence of weak solutions to the underlying coupled reaction–diffusion system and uniqueness of regular solutions. The proof of existence is based on a combination of parabolic regularization, the Faedo–Galerkin method, and the monotonicity-compactness method of Lions. A finite element formulation is also introduced, for which we establish existence of discrete solutions and show convergence to a weak solution of the original problem. We close with a numerical example illustrating the convergence of the method and some features of the model.
Admissibility for exponential dichotomies in average
Authors: Barreira Luis , Dragičević Davor , Valls Claudia
Published: October 2014

We characterize completely the notion of an exponential dichotomy in average in terms of an admissibility property. The notion corresponds to a generalization of that of an exponential dichotomy to measurable cocycles acting on L1 functions with respect to a given probability measure. The admissibility property is described in terms of the injectivity and surjectivity of a certain linear operator in the space of bounded sequences of L1 functions. The characterization is then used to establish in a simple manner the robustness of the notion, in the sense that it persists under sufficiently small linear perturbations. We note that we consider both ℤ-cocycles and ℕ-cocycles.
Photodynamic therapy in the treatment of intracranial gliomas: A review of current practice and considerations for future clinical directions
Authors: Fisher Carl J. , Lilge Lothar
Published: October 2014

Invasive grade III and IV malignant gliomas remain difficult to treat with a typical survival time post-diagnosis hovering around 16 months with only minor extension thereof seen in the past decade, whereas some improvements have been obtained towards five-year survival rates for which completeness of resection is a prerequisite. Optical techniques such as fluorescence guided resection (FGR) and photodynamic therapy (PDT) are promising adjuvant techniques to increase the tumor volume reduction fraction. PDT has been used in combination with surgical resection or alternatively as standalone treatment strategy with some success in extending the median survival time of patients compared to surgery alone and the current standard of care. This document reviews the outcome of past clinical trials and highlights the general shift in PDT therapeutic approaches. It also looks at the current approaches for interstitial PDT and research options into increasing PDT's glioma treatment efficacy through exploiting both physical and biological-based approaches to maximize PDT selectivity and therapeutic index, particularly in brain adjacent to tumor (BAT). Potential reasons for failing to demonstrate a significant survival advantage in prior PDT clinical trials will become evident in light of the improved understanding of glioma biology and PDT dosimetry.
Foundations of Typestate-Oriented Programming
Authors: Garcia Ronald , Tanter Éric , Wolff Roger , Aldrich Jonathan
Published: October 2014

Typestate reflects how the legal operations on imperative objects can change at runtime as their internal state changes. A typestate checker can statically ensure, for instance, that an object method is only called when the object is in a state for which the operation is well defined. Prior work has shown how modular typestate checking can be achieved thanks to access permissions and state guarantees. However, typestate was not treated as a primitive language concept: typestate checkers are an additional verification layer on top of an existing language. In contrast, a typestate-oriented programming (TSOP) language directly supports expressing typestates. For example, in the Plaid programming language, the typestate of an object directly corresponds to its class, and that class can change dynamically. Plaid objects have not only typestate-dependent interfaces but also typestate-dependent behaviors and runtime representations.

This article lays foundations for TSOP by formalizing a nominal object-oriented language with mutable state that integrates typestate change and typestate checking as primitive concepts. We first describe a statically typed language—Featherweight Typestate (FT)—where the types of object references are augmented with access permissions and state guarantees. We describe a novel flow-sensitive permission-based type system for FT. Because static typestate checking is still too rigid for some applications, we then extend this language into a gradually typed language—Gradual Featherweight Typestate (GFT). This language extends the notion of gradual typing to account for typestate: gradual typestate checking seamlessly combines static and dynamic checking by automatically inserting runtime checks into programs. The gradual type system of GFT allows programmers to write dynamically safe code even when the static type checker can only partly verify it.
Cache Design of SSD-Based Search Engine Architectures
Authors: Wang Jianguo , Lo Eric , Yiu Man Lung , Tong Jiancong , Wang Gang , Liu Xiaoguang
Published: October 2014

Caching is an important optimization in search engine architectures. Existing caching techniques for search engine optimization are mostly biased towards the reduction of random accesses to disks, because random accesses are known to be much more expensive than sequential accesses in traditional magnetic hard disk drive (HDD). Recently, solid-state drive (SSD) has emerged as a new kind of secondary storage medium, and some search engines like Baidu have already used SSD to completely replace HDD in their infrastructure. One notable property of SSD is that its random access latency is comparable to its sequential access latency. Therefore, the use of SSDs to replace HDDs in a search engine infrastructure may void the cache management of existing search engines. In this article, we carry out a series of empirical experiments to study the impact of SSD on search engine cache management. Based on the results, we give insights to practitioners and researchers on how to adapt the infrastructure and caching policies for SSD-based search engines.
Clinical Significance of Resistin Expression in Osteoarthritis: A Meta-Analysis
Authors: Li Xiao-Chuan , Tian Feng , Wang Fei
Published: October 2014

Background. The objective of this study was to conduct a systematic review of literature evaluating human resistin expression as a diagnostic factor in osteoarthritis development and to quantify the overall diagnostic effect.Method. Relevant studies were identified and evaluated for quality through multiple search strategies. Studies analyzing resistin expression in the development of OA were eligible for inclusion. Data from eligible studies were extracted and included into the meta-analysis using a random-effects model.Results. Four case-control studies consisting of a total of 375 OA patients and 214 controls as well as three sex-stratified analyses composed of 53 males and 104 females were incorporated into our meta-analysis. Our results revealed that resistin levels were significantly higher in male OA subjects and OA patients overall. Country-stratified analysis yielded significantly different estimates in resistin levels between male OA subjects and female OA subjects in the Canadian subgroup but not among the French and USA subgroups. Based on the resistin levels in OA cases and controls, resistin levels were heightened in OA patients in the Dutch population.Conclusion. These results support the hypothesis that high expression of resistin represents a significant and reproducible marker of poor progression in OA patients, especially in males.
Study of the Causes and Magnitude of Wastage of Materials on Construction Sites in Jordan
Authors: Bekr Ghanim A.
Published: October 2014

The research aims to study the causes and magnitude of wastage of construction materials on construction projects sites in Jordan. To achieve the research aim, the researcher had prepared a questionnaire form included questions about the causes of wastage and the estimated percentages of wastage of ten most popular kinds of materials used on construction sites in Jordan. Prior to the final formulation of the questionnaire form, a pilot survey was conducted. The form was revised in accordance with the feedback received. The number of causes adopted was 60 distributed on the six major categories. The form was distributed to 240 participants (clients, contractors, and consultants). The study revealed that the most important causes of wastage of materials on construction sites in Jordan are frequent design and client’s changes; rework due to workers mistakes; poor contract documents; wrong and lack of storage of materials; poor strategy for waste minimization; shortage and lack of experience of skilled workers; poor site conditions; damage during transportation; theft and vandalism; and mistakes in quantity surveying and over allowance. In addition the study concluded that the percentage of wastage materials is accounted for by values between 15% and 21% on Jordanian construction sites.
Adaptogenic Activity of Lyophilized Hydroethanol Extract of Pandanus odoratissimus in Swiss Albino Mice
Authors: Adkar Prafulla P. , Jadhav Pranita P. , Ambavade Shirishkumar D. , Bhaskar V. H. , Shelke Tushar
Published: October 2014

Background. The leaves of Pandanus odoratissimus Linn have been widely used in Ayurveda to treat a variety of common and stress related disorders. In the present investigation, hydroethanol extract of leaves of Pandanus odoratissimus Linn (LEPO) were evaluated for antistress activity in normal and stress induced mice. Furthermore, the extract was studied for nootropic (adaptogenic) activity in mice and in vitro antioxidant potential to correlate with its adaptogenic and antistress activity. LEPO (100 and 200 mg/kg p.o) was evaluated against forced swimming endurance stress test, anoxia stress tolerance and immobilization stress and chronic cold resistant stress tests, and biomarkers (serum glucose, Corticosterone, WBC, RBC, and DLC count) to assess the antistress activity in mice. Withania somnifera (WS) (100 mg/kg p.o) was selected as reference standard. The parameters like anoxia stress tolerance time were recorded in anoxia stress and estimation of biochemical marker levels and determination of organs weight were carried out in immobilization stress models. Results. Concomitant treatment with LEPO 200 mg/kg significantly increased in anoxia stress tolerance time. Dose dependent significant reduction in serum glucose, corticosterone, and WBC, RBC, and DLC was observed in immobilisation stress model as compared to stressed group. LEOP 200 mg/kg and WS 100 mg/kg significantly reversed/inhibited the stress induced changes in these parameters. The results from the present study indicate that these values also express that dose dependent significant adaptogenic activity in stressed animals. Conclusion. The present study provides scientific support for the antistress (adaptogenic) and nootropic activities of lyophilized hydroethanol extract of Pandanus odoratissimus Linn and substantiate the traditional claims for the usage of Pandanus in stress induced disorders.
Environmental Determinants Influencing Seasonal Variations of Bird Diversity and Abundance in Wetlands, Northern Region (Ghana)
Authors: Nsor Collins Ayine , Obodai Edward Adzesiwor
Published: October 2014

The study assessed major environmental determinants influencing bird community in six wetlands over a 2-year period. A combination of visual and bird sounding techniques was used to determine the seasonal variations in bird abundance, while ordination techniques were performed to determine the influence of environmental factors on bird assemblage. A total of 1,169 birds from 25 species and 885 individuals from 23 species were identified in the wet and dry season, respectively. The shallow close marshes supported the greatest number of birds (P<0.05) compared to the riparian wetlands. Bird diversity was significantly higher in the wet season than in the dry season (F=4.101,P<0.05). Cattle egret (Bubulcus ibis) and marsh warbler (Acrocephalus palustris) were the most abundant. Using the IUCN “Red List” database guide, we noted that 96.2% of birds identified were least concern (LC). The yellow weaver bird (Ploceous megarhrynchus) was the only vulnerable species (VU) and represented 3.8%. From the three variables tested, bushfire and farming practices were the major threats and cumulatively explained 15.93% (wet season) and 14.06% (dry season) variations in bird diversity and abundance. These findings will help wetland managers design conservation measures to check current threats on birds from becoming vulnerable in the future.
Clinicopathologic Correlation of Oral Lichen Planus and Oral Lichenoid Lesions: A Preliminary Study
Authors: Mravak-Stipetić Marinka , Lončar-Brzak Božana , Bakale-Hodak Iva , Sabol Ivan , Seiwerth Sven , Majstorović Martina , Grce Magdalena
Published: October 2014

Oral lichen planus (OLP) and oral lichenoid lesions (OLL) are clinically and histologically similar lesions but their treatment planning and prognosis are different. The review of the literature indicates numerous criteria to distinguish these two lesions; however there is a lot of inconsistency. Thus, the aim of this study was to determine the correlation of histopathology and clinical OLP and OLL diagnosis and to clarify which histopathologic criteria could best distinguish these two diagnoses. A retrospective study showed that clinically diagnosed 92 OLPs and 14 OLLs have been confirmed histopathologically in 52.2% and 42.9% of cases, respectively. In addition, histopathology showed statistically significant more eosinophils (P<0.0005), plasma cells (P<0.0005), and granulocytes (P<0.05) in OLL than OLP. To establish histopathological diagnosis of OLP and OLL it should be mandatory to define the type of cells in mononuclear infiltrate, which can be associated more accurately with clinical feature and patient history. Therefore, currently accepted diagnostic criteria for OLP and OLL should be modified and validated on a larger number of patients taking into account particular distinguishing histopathological features.
An LMI Based Criterion for Global Asymptotic Stability of Discrete-Time State-Delayed Systems with Saturation Nonlinearities
Authors: Kokil Priyanka
Published: October 2014

A linear matrix inequality (LMI) based criterion for the global asymptotic stability of discrete-time systems with multiple state-delays employing saturation nonlinearities is presented. Numerical examples highlighting the effectiveness of the proposed criterion are given.
Natural Killer Cells Are Essential for the Ability of BRAF Inhibitors to Control BRAFV600E-Mutant Metastatic Melanoma
Authors: Ferrari de Andrade Lucas , Ngiow Shin F. , Stannard Kimberley , Rusakiewicz Sylvie , Kalimutho Murugan , Khanna Kum Kum , Tey Siok-Keen , Takeda Kazuyoshi , Zitvogel Laurence , Martinet Ludovic , Smyth Mark J.
Published: October 2014

BRAF V600E is a major oncogenic mutation found in approximately 50% of human melanoma that confers constitutive activation of the MAPK pathway and increased melanoma growth. Inhibition of BRAFV600E by oncogene targeting therapy increases overall survival of patients with melanoma, but is unable to produce many durable responses. Adaptive drug resistance remains the main limitation to BRAFV600E inhibitor clinical efficacy and immune-based strategies could be useful to overcome disease relapse. Tumor microenvironment greatly differs between visceral metastasis and primary cutaneous melanoma, and the mechanisms involved in the antimetastatic efficacy of BRAFV600E inhibitors remain to be determined. To address this question, we developed a metastatic BRAFV600E-mutant melanoma cell line and demonstrated that the antimetastatic properties of BRAF inhibitor PLX4720 (a research analogue of vemurafenib) require host natural killer (NK) cells and perforin. Indeed, PLX4720 not only directly limited BRAFV600E-induced tumor cell proliferation, but also affected NK cell functions. We showed that PLX4720 increases the phosphorylation of ERK1/2, CD69 expression, and proliferation of mouse NK cells in vitro. NK cell frequencies were significantly enhanced by PLX4720 specifically in the lungs of mice with BRAFV600E lung metastases. Furthermore, PLX4720 also increased human NK cell pERK1/2, CD69 expression, and IFNγ release in the context of anti-NKp30 and IL2 stimulation. Overall, this study supports the idea that additional NK cell-based immunotherapy (by checkpoint blockade or agonists or cytokines) may combine well with BRAFV600E inhibitor therapy to promote more durable responses in melanoma. Cancer Res; 74(24); 7298–308. ©2014 AACR.
How Do We ‘Learn' Addiction? Risk Factors and Mechanisms Getting Addicted to Alcohol
Authors: Hägele Claudia , Friedel Eva , Kienast Torsten , Kiefer Falk
Published: October 2014

Background: Alcohol dependence is one of the leading contributors to the burden of disease in the world. A range of genetic and environmental risk factors has been identified to date, and preclinical and clinical studies including imaging studies have identified neuronal networks involved in the development of alcohol dependence. Methods: We review genetic and environmental risk factors for the development of alcohol addiction as well as structural and neuronal changes, including their transmitter systems, due to regular alcohol intake. Results: Stress as well as family background and, in juveniles, the peer group could be identified as environmental risk factors for alcohol dependence. Heritability is estimated at around 50%, and it seems to be comparable in women and men. There is ongoing research on a broad range of putative endophenotypes such as tolerance of the effects of alcohol intake or personal traits like ‘impulsivity'. On the neurobiological level, chronic alcohol intake seems to render mesolimbic circuits hypersensitive to alcohol and alter the motivational reward system including dopaminergic neurotransmission. Conclusion: Environmental and genetic risk factors, and especially their interaction, facilitate the development of alcohol dependence. Ongoing alcohol intake results in profound alterations of neuronal systems crucial for motivation, learning, memory and cognition control. Future studies should further combine the knowledge of neurobiological mechanisms and risk factors to develop new prevention strategies.
Genetics of Alcohol Dependence: A Review of Clinical Studies
Authors: Samochowiec Jerzy , Samochowiec Agnieszka , Puls Imke , Bienkowski Przemyslaw , Schott Björn H.
Published: October 2014

Background/Aims: Alcohol dependence is a common severe psychiatric disorder with a multifactorial etiology. Since the completion of the human genome project and with the increased availability of high-throughput genotyping, multiple genetic risk factors for substance-related disorders, including alcohol dependence, have been identified, but not all results could be replicated. Methods: We systematically review the clinical literature on genetic risk factors for alcohol dependence and alcohol-related phenotypes, including candidate gene-based studies, linkage studies and genome-wide association studies (GWAS). Results: Irrespectively of the methodology employed, the most robust findings regarding genetic risk factors for alcohol dependence concern genetic variations that affect alcohol metabolism. GWAS confirm the importance of the alcohol dehydrogenase gene cluster on chromosome 4 in the genetic risk for alcohol dependence with multiple variants that exert a small, but cumulative influence. A single variant with strong influence on individual risk is the aldehyde dehydrogenase 2 ALDHD2*2 variant common in Asian populations. Other robust associations have been found with previously uncharacterized genes like KIAA0040, and such observations can lead to the identification of thus far unknown signaling pathways. Converging evidence also points to a role of glutamatergic, dopaminergic and serotonergic neurotransmitter signaling in the risk for alcohol dependence, but effects are small, and gene-environment interactions further increase the complexity. Conclusion: With few exceptions like ALDH2*2, the contribution of individual genetic variants to the risk for alcohol-related disorders is small. However, the concentration of risk variants within neurotransmitter signaling pathways may help to deepen our understanding of the underlying pathophysiology and thereby contribute to develop novel therapeutic strategies.
Associations between Physical Activity in Old Age and Dementia-Related Mortality: A Population-Based Cohort Study
Authors: Rosness Tor Atle , Strand Bjørn Heine , Bergem Astrid Liv Mina , Engedal Knut , Bjertness Espen
Published: October 2014

Background: Findings from the literature vary in relation to whether physical activity brings about less cognitive decline in old age. The present study investigated self-reported levels of physical activity in old age and its association with the risk of dementia-related mortality. Methods: We included data from 31,086 subjects, between 65 and 80 years old, from the CONOR (Cohort of Norway) database. Cox regression analysis was used to estimate the risk of association. Results: Taking part in ‘light' (not causing perspiration or panting) activities of <3 h per week was associated with a decreased risk of dementia-related mortality, with a hazard ratio (HR) of 0.74 and a 95% confidence interval (CI) of 0.62-0.88, and of >3 h per week, with an HR of 0.61 and a 95% CI of 0.51-0.73. When taking part in ‘hard' (causing perspiration or panting) activities, a similar risk (HR = 0.56; 95% CI 0.43-0.72) was observed for >3 h per week. Interestingly, the highest reduction in risk was seen for ‘hard' activities of <3 h per week (HR = 0.50; 95% CI 0.41-0.61). Conclusion: Physical activity during leisure time in old age was associated with a lower risk of dementia-related mortality when compared to inactive individuals.
Deep-water sponges (Porifera) from Bonaire and Klein Curaçao, Southern Caribbean
Authors: SOEST ROB W.M. VAN , MEESTERS ERIK H.W.G. , BECKING LEONTINE E.
Published: October 2014

Four submersible dives off the coast of Bonaire (Caribbean Netherlands) and Klein Curaçao (Curaçao) to depths of 99.5–242 m, covering lower mesophotic and upper dysphotic zones, yielded 52 sponge specimens belonging to 31 species. Among these we identified 13 species as new to science. These are Plakinastrella stinapa n. sp., Pachastrella pacoi n. sp., Characella pachastrelloides n. sp., Geodia curacaoensis n. sp., Caminus carmabi n. sp., Discodermia adhaerens n. sp., Clathria (Microciona) acarnoides n. sp., Antho (Acarnia) pellita n. sp., Parahigginsia strongylifera n. sp., Calyx magnoculata n. sp., Neopetrosia dutchi n. sp., Neopetrosia ovata n. sp. and Neopetrosia eurystomata n. sp. We also report an euretid hexactinellid, which belongs to the rare genus Verrucocoeloidea, recently described (2014) as V. liberatorii Reiswig & Dohrmann. The remaining 18 already known species are all illustrated by photos of the habit, either in situ or ‘on deck’, but only briefly characterized in an annotated table to confirm their occurrence in the Southern Caribbean. The habitat investigated—steep limestone rocks, likely representing Pleistocene fossil reefs—is similar to deep-water fossil reefs at Barbados of which the sponges were sampled and studied by Van Soest and Stentoft (1988). A comparison is made between the two localities, showing a high degree of similarity in sponge composition: 53% of the present Bonaire-Klein Curaçao species were also retrieved at Barbados. At the level of higher taxa (genera, families) Bonaire-Klein Curaçao shared approximately 80% of its lower mesophotic and upper dysphotic sponge fauna with Barbados, despite a distance between them of 1000 km, indicating high faunal homogeneity. We also preliminarily compared the shallow-water (euphotic) sponge fauna of Curaçao with the combined data available for the Barbados, Bonaire and Klein Curaçao mesophotic and upper dysphotic sponges, which resulted in the conclusion that the two faunas show only little overlap.
Influences of the Choice of Climatology on Ocean Heat Content Estimation
Authors: Cheng Lijing , Zhu Jiang
Published: October 2014

The choice of climatology is an essential step in calculating the key climate indicators, such as historical ocean heat content (OHC) change. The anomaly field is required during the calculation and is obtained by subtracting the climatology from the absolute field. The climatology represents the ocean spatial variability and seasonal circle. This study found a considerable weaker long-term trend when historical climatologies (constructed by using historical observations within a long time period, i.e., 45 yr) were used rather than Argo-period climatologies (i.e., constructed by using observations during the Argo period, i.e., since 2004). The change of the locations of the observations (horizontal sampling) during the past 50 yr is responsible for this divergence, because the ship-based system pre-2000 has insufficient sampling of the global ocean, for instance, in the Southern Hemisphere, whereas this area began to achieve full sampling in this century by the Argo system. The horizontal sampling change leads to the change of the reference time (and reference OHC) when the historical-period climatology is used, which weakens the long-term OHC trend. Therefore, Argo-period climatologies should be used to accurately assess the long-term trend of the climate indicators, such as OHC.
Spatial Postprocessing of Ensemble Forecasts for Temperature Using Nonhomogeneous Gaussian Regression
Authors: Feldmann Kira , Scheuerer Michael , Thorarinsdottir Thordis L.
Published: October 2014

Statistical postprocessing techniques are commonly used to improve the skill of ensembles from numerical weather forecasts. This paper considers spatial extensions of the well-established nonhomogeneous Gaussian regression (NGR) postprocessing technique for surface temperature and a recent modification thereof in which the local climatology is included in the regression model to permit locally adaptive postprocessing. In a comparative study employing 21-h forecasts from the Consortium for Small Scale Modelling ensemble predictive system over Germany (COSMO-DE), two approaches for modeling spatial forecast error correlations are considered: a parametric Gaussian random field model and the ensemble copula coupling (ECC) approach, which utilizes the spatial rank correlation structure of the raw ensemble. Additionally, the NGR methods are compared to both univariate and spatial versions of the ensemble Bayesian model averaging (BMA) postprocessing technique.
House of Green Cards
Authors: Rissing Ben A. , Castilla Emilio J.
Published: October 2014

This study contributes to the labor market inequality and organizations literature by investigating the role that government agents play in shaping the employment of immigrants. Using unique data on applications for immigrant permanent labor certification evaluated by U.S. Department of Labor agents, we assess to what extent immigrants of select citizenship groups experience disparities in the labor certification process—one critical stage of the work authorization system leading to the granting of most employment-based green cards. Despite current U.S. laws that forbid discrimination on the basis of nationality, we find that labor certification approvals differ significantly depending on immigrants’ foreign citizenship, even after controlling for key factors. Additionally, because of the U.S. government’s unique process of auditing applications, we are in a rare position to empirically distinguish between statistical and preference-based accounts of labor market discrimination in the labor certification process. In support of the statistical account, we find that certification approvals are equally likely for immigrant workers from the vast majority of citizenship groups when agents review audited applications with detailed employment information. This article concludes by discussing the implications of our results for addressing disparities in the employment of foreign nationals.
Comparative Pathobiology of Environmentally Induced Lung Cancers in Humans and Rodents
Authors: Pandiri Arun
Published: October 2014

Lung cancer is the number one cause of cancer-related deaths in humans worldwide. Environmental factors play an important role in the epidemiology of these cancers. Rodents are the most common experimental model to study human lung cancers and are frequently used in bioassays to identify environmental exposure hazards associated with lung cancer. Lung tumors in rodents are common, particularly in certain strains of mice. Rodent lung tumors are predominantly bronchioloalveolar carcinomas and usually follow a progressive continuum of hyperplasia to adenoma to carcinoma. Human lung cancers are phenotypically more diverse and broadly constitute 2 types: small cell lung cancers and nonsmall cell lung cancers (NSCLCs). Rodent lung tumors resulting from exposure to environmental agents are comparable with certain adenocarcinomas that are a subset of human NSCLCs. Human pulmonary carcinomas differ from rodent lung tumors by exhibiting greater morphologic heterogeneity (encompassing squamous cell, neuroendocrine, mucinous, sarcomatoid, and multiple cell combinations), higher metastatic rate, higher stromal response, aggressive clinical behavior, and lack of a clear continuum of proliferative lesions. In spite of these differences, rodent lung tumors recapitulate several fundamental aspects of human lung tumor biology at the morphologic and molecular level, especially in lung cancers resulting from exposure to environmental carcinogens.
Understanding Cultural Acceptability for Urban Food Policy
Authors: Hammelman Colleen , Hayes-Conroy Allison
Published: October 2014

The notion of cultural acceptability is often called forth as a necessary component of food security, yet there is a lack of guidance in literature and policy as to how to operationalize this concept. Without specifying what cultural acceptability means, the concept risks becoming watered down, discounted, or obsolete in practice. This review strives to speak to those gaps by cataloging the connotations and implications of cultural acceptability in literature on urban food policy, food security, and associated topics. We explore the ways in which cultural acceptability has been invoked explicitly and implicitly in policy, planning, and scholarly literatures on food security in recent years in order to better understand what cultural acceptability has come to mean, how it is being utilized, and how it can be operationalized toward more flexible and appropriate urban food policy. We discuss ways in which cultural acceptability encapsulates more than certain types of food and literature that might provide dimension to the meaning and operationalization of cultural acceptability of food. Drawing on scholars that are breaking open understandings of cultural acceptability, we call attention to its complexity with reference to human rights-based approaches, cultural values evident in production and consumption processes, the importance of interweaving multiple knowledges, and challenging decision-making powers in today’s corporate food regime. Cultural valuations within these broad and fluid topics can provide important improvements to policy approaches to the cultural acceptability of food and are important for creating food security policy that is effective for meeting the needs of diverse populations.
The Relationships Among Family Management Behaviors and Asthma Morbidity in Maternal Caregivers of Children With Asthma
Authors: Gibson-Young Linda , Turner-Henson Anne , Gerald Lynn B. , Vance David E. , Lozano David
Published: October 2014

Numerous studies have identified the relationship of the family caregiver’s perception regarding asthma management and the child’s asthma outcomes, although few have examined family caregiver asthma management behaviors. The primary aim of this study was to examine the relationship among family management behaviors and asthma morbidity as perceived by maternal caregivers. The Family Management Style Framework was used to guide the research. Maternal caregivers ( N = 101) with school-aged children diagnosed with persistent asthma and living in the United States were recruited from a specialty asthma clinic. When caregivers perceived they were expending much effort on their child’s asthma management and were not confident in their ability to perform management activities, the child’s asthma outcomes were worse. This is the first study to examine family management behaviors with maternal caregivers of school-aged children with asthma. Findings from this study encourage health care providers to tailor each educational opportunity with families to improve child asthma outcomes. An ongoing effort must be made to include families in asthma management. Health care partnerships between provider and family can lead to improved asthma management.
Government Ideology and Unemployment in the U.S. States
Authors: Kelly Nathan J. , Witko Christopher
Published: October 2014

Research shows that when the more liberal Democratic Party controls the national government, unemployment is lower, but whether liberal state governments are associated with lower unemployment has not been examined. We argue that more left-leaning governments in the U.S. states have the same preference for and willingness to use government to reduce unemployment, but that the greater resource and policymaking constraints that the states face during economic downturns limit their ability to shape unemployment to economic growth periods. We find evidence for these arguments in an analysis of the U.S. states for the period of 1975–2010. Specifically, when economic growth is low, liberal state governments are associated with increases in unemployment rates similar to or even somewhat higher than conservative governments, but when growth is moderate to high, liberal state governments are associated with greater-than-expected reductions in unemployment. We also provide some evidence that different state spending decisions between liberal and conservative state governments may explain these patterns.
Cooperating JAK1 and JAK3 mutants increase resistance to JAK inhibitors
Authors: Springuel Lorraine , Hornakova Tekla , Losdyck Elisabeth , Lambert Fanny , Leroy Emilie , Constantinescu Stefan N. , Flex Elisabetta , Tartaglia Marco , Knoops Laurent , Renauld Jean-Christophe
Published: October 2014

Key Points

Cells transformed by activating JAK1 mutations become resistant to JAK inhibitor by acquiring activating mutations in JAK3 and vice versa. JAK1 and JAK3 mutants cooperatively activate STAT transcription factors.
Insulin resistance in hypothyroid patients under Levothyroxine therapy: a comparison between those with and without thyroid autoimmunity
Authors: Mazaheri Tina , Sharifi Faranak , Kamali Koorosh
Published: October 2014

Background

A chronic inflammation resulting from an imbalance between pro-inflammatory and anti-inflammatory cytokines in Hashimoto’s thyroiditis (HT) might be responsible for IR in hypothyroidism. This study was performed to investigate a probable association between autoimmune background of hypothyroidism and IR.

Methods

In this clinical study, 63 subjects with Hashimoto’s thyroiditis and 49 subjects with post-ablation hypothyroidism were enrolled. All the participants were euthyroid for more than one year through Levothyroxine therapy. Serum concentrations of Thyroid-stimulating Hormone (TSH), Free Thyroxin (FT4, FT3), Anti-Thyroid Peroxidase Antibodies (Anti-TPO Abs), Total Cholesterol (TC), HDL-Cholesterol (HDL-C), Triglyceride (TG), Fasting Blood Glucose (FBG), and insulin levels were measured and Oral Glucose Tolerance Test (OGTT) was performed for all of the subjects. Participants with anti TPO levels more than 1000 IU /ml were classified as having highly positive antibodies.

Results

No significant differences regarding to plasma insulin, glucose and lipid concentration, were detected between subjects with and without Hashimoto’s thyroiditis. However, subjects with highly positive Anti TPO Abs had higher prevalence of elevated fasting insulin level than those with lower titers of Anti TPO Abs and subjects without autoimmune background (94.1% vs. 62.8% and 71.4% respectively, P = 0.05). Subjects with highly positive titers of Abs also had a lower serum HDL-c levels than the rest of the subjects (40.6 ± 2.1 vs. 47.2 ± 1.7 and 47.4 ± 1.4, P = 0.04).

Conclusions

There is no obvious association between thyroid autoimmunity and metabolic indexes of hypothyroid patients. Only patients with Ani TPO antibody levels more than 1000 IU/ml may experience higher insulin level and less HDL-c with the same BMI.
Synthesis and Properties of Novel Fluorescently Labeled Oligonucleotides Possessing Silylated Pyrene at the 5′-Terminus
Authors: Moriguchi Tomohisa , Moki Daisuke , Sekiguchi Tohru , Kato Takahiko , Shinozuka Kazuo
Published: October 2014

Previously, we reported a novel fluorescence dye, a silylated pyrene derivative, as a DNA labeling agent. In this study, new silylated pyrene derivatives with different linker lengths and different substituents on the silicon atom have been prepared and introduced into oligonucleotides. In particular, when the diphenylsilylpyrene derivative was introduced as a fluorescence dye, the fluorescence intensity of the duplex was enhanced about 20 times compared to the signal in the absence of the target DNA.
Electron-rich Five-membered Ring of Azulene as a Donor Unit in Donor–Acceptor Alternating Copolymers for Polymer Solar Cell Applications
Authors: Umeyama Tomokazu , Watanabe Yusuke , Miyata Tetsushi , Imahori Hiroshi
Published: October 2014

Novel donor–acceptor alternating polymers containing an electron-rich five-membered ring in azulene as a donor unit and diketopyrrolopyrrole or 2,1,3-benzothiadiazole unit as an acceptor unit were synthesized. The azulene-based copolymers displayed broad absorption bands in the visible region. The photovoltaic devices consisting of the polymer and a fullerene derivative ([70]PCBM) showed power conversion efficiencies up to 0.39% under simulated AM 1.5G irradiation of 100 mW cm−2.