bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Synthesis of H2V3O8/Reduced Graphene Oxide Composite as a Promising Cathode Material for Lithium‐Ion Batteries
Authors: Zhu Kai , Yan Xiao , Zhang Yongquan , Wang Yuhui , Su Anyu , Bie Xiaofei , Zhang Dong , Du Fei , Wang Chunzhong , Chen Gang , Wei Yingjin
Published: January 2014

H2V3O8 nanowires wrapped by reduced graphene oxide (RGO) are synthesized successfully through a simple hydrothermal process. The structural properties of the samples are characterized by X‐ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, Raman scattering, and X‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy. The RGO nanosheets modify the surfaces of the H2V3O8 nanowires through VC linkages. The H2V3O8/RGO composite exhibits a remarkably enhanced electrochemical performance in terms of its reversible capacity, cyclic performance, and rate capability. The material shows high discharge capacities of 256 and 117 mA h g−1 at the current densities of 0.1 and 1 A g−1, respectively, with almost no capacity fading after fifty charge/discharge cycles. Cyclic voltammetry and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy show that the superior electrochemical performance of H2V3O8/RGO can be attributed to the cooperation of RGO, which provides better mechanical flexibility, higher electronic conductivity, and smaller charge‐transfer resistance.
Plasmacytoid dendritic cells license regulatory T cells, upon iNKT‐cell stimulation, to prevent autoimmune diabetes
Authors: Beaudoin Lucie , Diana Julien , Ghazarian Liana , Simoni Yannick , Boitard Christian , Lehuen Agnès
Published: January 2014

Invariant NKT (iNKT)‐cell stimulation with exogenous specific ligands prevents the development of type 1 diabetes (T1D) in NOD mice. Studies based on anti‐islet T‐cell transfer showed that iNKT cells prevent the differentiation of these T cells into effector T cells in the pancreatic lymph nodes (PLNs). We hypothesize that this defective priming could be explained by the ability of iNKT cells to induce tolerogenic dendritic cells (DCs) in the PLNs. We evaluated the effect of iNKT‐cell stimulation on T1D development by transferring naïve diabetogenic BDC2.5 T cells into proinsulin 2−/− NOD mice treated with a long‐lasting α‐galactosylceramide regimen. In this context, iNKT cells induce the conversion of BDC2.5 T cells into Foxp3+ Treg cells in the PLNs accumulating in the pancreatic islets. Furthermore, tolerogenic plasmacytoid DCs (pDCs) characterized by low MHC class II molecule expression and TGF‐β production are critical in the PLNs for the recruitment of Treg cells into the pancreatic islets by inducing CXCR3 expression. Accordingly, pDC depletion in α‐galactosylceramide‐treated proinsulin 2−/− NOD mice abrogates the protection against T1D. These findings reveal that upon repetitive iNKT‐cell stimulation, pDCs are critical for the recruitment of Treg cells in the pancreatic islets and the prevention of T1D development.
Differences in T‐cell responses between Mycobacterium tuberculosis and Mycobacterium africanum‐infected patients
Authors: Tientcheu Leopold D. , Sutherland Jayne S. , de Jong Bouke C. , Kampmann Beate , Jafali James , Adetifa Ifedayo M. , Antonio Martin , Dockrell Hazel M. , Ota Martin O.
Published: January 2014

In The Gambia, Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb) and Mycobacterium africanum (Maf) are major causes of tuberculosis (TB). Maf is more likely to cause TB in immune suppressed individuals, implying differences in virulence. Despite this, few studies have assessed the underlying immunity to the two pathogens in human. In this study, we analyzed T‐cell responses from 19 Maf‐ and 29 Mtb‐infected HIV‐negative patients before and after TB chemotherapy following overnight stimulation of whole blood with TB‐specific antigens. Before treatment, percentages of early secreted antigenic target‐6(ESAT‐6)/culture filtrate protein‐10(CFP‐10) and purified protein derivative‐specific single‐TNF‐α‐producing CD4+ and CD8+ T cells were significantly higher while single‐IL‐2‐producing T cells were significantly lower in Maf‐ compared with Mtb‐infected patients. Purified protein derivative‐specific polyfunctional CD4+ T cells frequencies were significantly higher before than after treatment, but there was no difference between the groups at both time points. Furthermore, the proportion of CD3+CD11b+ T cells was similar in both groups pretreatment, but was significantly lower with higher TNF‐α, IL‐2, and IFN‐γ production in Mtb‐ compared with that of Maf‐infected patients posttreatment. Our data provide evidence of differences in T‐cell responses to two mycobacterial strains with differing virulence, providing some insight into TB pathogenesis with different Mtb strains that could be prospectively explored as biomarkers for TB protection or susceptibility.
A comparison of the herbicide tolerances of rare and common plants in an agricultural landscape
Authors: Egan J. Franklin , Graham Ian M. , Mortensen David A.
Published: January 2014

Declining plant biodiversity in agroecosystems has often been attributed to escalating use of chemical herbicides, but other changes in farming systems, including the clearing of seminatural habitat fragments, confound the influence of herbicides. The present study introduces a new approach to evaluate the impacts of herbicide pollution on plant communities at landscape or regional scales. If herbicides are in fact a key factor shaping agricultural plant diversity, one would expect to see the signal of past herbicide impacts in the current plant community composition of an intensively farmed region, with common, successful species more tolerant to widely used herbicides than rare or declining species. Data from an extensive field survey of plant diversity in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, USA, were compared with herbicide bioassay experiments in a greenhouse to test the hypothesis that common species possess higher herbicide tolerances than rare species. Five congeneric pairs of rare and common species were treated with 3 commonly used herbicide modes of action in bioassay experiments, and few significant differences were found in the tolerances of rare species relative to common species. These preliminary results suggest that other factors beyond herbicide exposure may be more important in shaping the distribution and abundance of plant species diversity across an agricultural landscape. Environ Toxicol Chem 2014;33:696–702. © 2014 SETAC
Simultaneous cytoplasmic and nuclear protein expression of melanoma antigen‐A family and NY‐ESO‐1 cancer‐testis antigens represents an independent marker for poor survival in head and neck cancer
Authors: Laban Simon , Atanackovic Djordje , Luetkens Tim , Knecht Rainald , Busch Chia‐Jung , Freytag Marcus , Spagnoli Giulio , Ritter Gerd , Hoffmann Thomas K. , Knuth Alexander , Sauter Guido , Wilczak Waldemar , Blessmann Marco , Borgmann Kerstin , Muenscher Adrian , Clauditz Till S.
Published: January 2014

The prognosis of head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) patients remains poor. The identification of high‐risk subgroups is needed for the development of custom‐tailored therapies. The expression of cancer‐testis antigens (CTAs) has been linked to a worse prognosis in other cancer types; however, their prognostic value in HNSCC is unclear because only few patients have been examined and data on CTA protein expression are sparse. A tissue microarray consisting of tumor samples from 453 HNSCC patients was evaluated for the expression of CTA proteins using immunohistochemistry. Frequency of expression and the subcellular expression pattern (nuclear, cytoplasmic, or both) was recorded. Protein expression of melanoma antigen (MAGE)‐A family CTA, MAGE‐C family CTA and NY‐ESO‐1 was found in approximately 30, 7 and 4% of tumors, respectively. The subcellular expression pattern in particular had a marked impact on the patients' prognosis. Median overall survival (OS) of patients with (i) simultaneous cytoplasmic and nuclear expression compared to (ii) either cytoplasmic or nuclear expression and (iii) negative patients was 23.0 versus 109.0 versus 102.5 months, for pan‐MAGE (p < 0.0001), 46.6 versus 50.0 versus 109.0 for MAGE‐A3/A4 (p = 0.0074) and 13.3 versus 50.0 versus 100.2 months for NY‐ESO‐1 (p = 0.0019). By multivariate analysis, these factors were confirmed as independent markers for poor survival. HNSCC patients showing protein expression of MAGE‐A family members or NY‐ESO‐1 represent a subgroup with an extraordinarily poor survival. The development of immunotherapeutic strategies targeting these CTA may, therefore, be a promising approach to improve the outcome of HNSCC patients.
High‐Resolution 1H Solid‐State NMR Spectroscopy Using Windowed LG4 Homonuclear Dipolar Decoupling
Authors: Halse Meghan E. , Schlagnitweit Judith , Emsley Lyndon
Published: January 2014

We investigate the optimal implementation of windowed LG4 decoupling for the direct acquisition of high‐resolution 1H solid‐state NMR spectra in the moderate magic‐angle spinning regime (ωr<2π × 35 kHz). We determine how the optimal value of the azimuth of the LG rotation axis, α, is affected by the choice of windowing parameters. We find that for both the windowless and windowed implementation of LG4, the optimal value of α is that for which the chemical‐shift scaling factor is approximately 0.43. We then provide an analytical expression for estimating the chemical‐shift scaling factor as a function of both α and the windowed decoupling parameters, which allows the optimal value of α to be easily determined for any implementation of LG4. We also introduce a simple and general method for improving the performance of any phase‐modulated homonuclear dipolar decoupling sequence by compensating for pulse imperfection errors that accumulate in windowed spectra due to the repeated switching of the RF irradiation. This method involves the introduction of short (<0.5 µs) compensation pulses at the start and end of each decoupling pulse, the duration and phase of which are chosen to cancel the effects of the amplitude and phase transients that arise as a result of the RF switching. We demonstrate how this method can be implemented for homonuclear dipolar decoupling sequences such as wPMLG and wLG4 to reduce the chemical‐shift scaling factor distortions generated by phase transients such that high‐quality, high‐resolution 1H NMR spectra can be acquired at arbitrary RF offsets.
Assessing the challenges of Fourier transform infrared spectroscopic analysis of blood serum
Authors: Hughes Caryn , Brown Michael , Clemens Graeme , Henderson Alex , Monjardez Geraldine , Clarke Noel W. , Gardner Peter
Published: January 2014

There are many approaches to measuring the infrared spectrum of a blood serum sample. Naturally, each approach will have both advantages and disadvantages. We report on the progress of the application of infrared spectroscopy in the field of blood serum analysis towards clinical application, with a focus on prostate cancer. In order to perform a high‐powered study with clinical relevance, choosing the most suitable approach must undergo careful consideration. We review the possibilities of using different sample preparation methods and speculate upon the potential pitfalls of both transmission and attenuated total reflectance (ATR) techniques. (© 2014 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)
A tool to measure shared clinical understanding following handoffs to help evaluate handoff quality
Authors: Bates Katherine E. , Bird Geoffrey L. , Shea Judy A. , Apkon Michael , Shaddy Robert E. , Metlay Joshua P.
Published: January 2014

BACKGROUND

Information exchanged during handoffs contributes importantly to a team's shared mental model. There is no established instrument to measure shared clinical understanding as a marker of handoff quality.

OBJECTIVE

To study the reliability, validity, and feasibility of the pediatric cardiology Patient Knowledge Assessment Tool (PKAT), a novel instrument designed to measure shared clinical understanding for pediatric cardiac intensive care unit patients.

DESIGN

To estimate reliability, 10 providers watched 9 videotaped simulated handoffs and then completed a PKAT for each scenario. To estimate construct validity, we studied 90 handoffs in situ by having 4 providers caring for an individual patient each complete a PKAT following handoff. Construct validity was assessed by testing the effects of provider preparation and patient complexity on agreement levels.

SETTING

A 24‐bed pediatric cardiac intensive care unit in a freestanding children's hospital.

RESULTS

Video simulation results demonstrated score reliability. Average inter‐rater agreement by item ranged from 0.71 to 1.00. During in situ testing, agreement by item ranged from 0.41 to 0.87 (median 0.77). Construct validity for some items was supported by lower agreement rates for patients with increased length of stay and increased complexity.

DISCUSSION

Results suggest that the PKAT has high inter‐rater reliability and can detect differences in understanding between handoff senders and receivers for routine and complex patients. Additionally, the PKAT is feasible for use in a real‐time clinical environment. The PKAT or similar instruments could be used to study effects of handoff improvement efforts in inpatient settings. Journal of Hospital Medicine 2014;9:142–147. © 2014 Society of Hospital Medicine
Adipocytes derived from PA6 cells reliably promote the differentiation of dopaminergic neurons from human embryonic stem cells
Authors: Guloglu M.O. , Larsen A. , Brundin P.
Published: January 2014

The PA6 stromal cell line comprises a heterogeneous population of cells that can induce both mouse and human embryonic stem cells to differentiate into dopaminergic neurons. This ability of PA6 cells has been termed stromal cell‐derived inducing activity (SDIA). The level of SDIA has been found to vary considerably between and within batches of PA6 cells. Not only are the molecular mechanisms that underlie SDIA unknown but also the cell type(s) within the heterogeneous PA6 cultures that underlie SDIA remain poorly defined. In this study, we reveal that adipocytes, which are present within the heterogeneous PA6 cell population, robustly release the factors mediating SDIA. Furthermore, we report that the coculture of human embryonic stem cells with PA6‐derived adipocytes reliably induces their differentiation into midbrain dopaminergic neurons. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Neuroprotection of posttreatment with risperidone, an atypical antipsychotic drug, in rat and gerbil models of ischemic stroke and the maintenance of antioxidants in a gerbil model of ischemic stroke
Authors: Yan Bing Chun , Park Joon Ha , Ahn Ji Hyeon , Kim In Hye , Park Ok Kyu , Lee Jae‐Chul , Yoo Ki‐Yeon , Choi Jung Hoon , Lee Choong Hyun , Hwang In Koo , Park Jeong Ho , Her Song , Kim Jin Su , Shin Hyung‐Cheul , Cho Jun Hwi , Kim Young‐Myeong , Kwon Seung‐Hae , Won Moo‐Ho
Published: January 2014

Risperidone, an atypical antipsychotic drug, has been discovered to have some beneficial effects beyond its original effectiveness. The present study examines the neuroprotective effects of risperidone against ischemic damage in the rat and gerbil induced by transient focal and global cerebral ischemia, respectively. The results showed that pre‐ and posttreatment with 4 mg/kg risperidone significantly protected against neuronal death from ischemic injury. Many NeuN‐immunoreactive neurons and a few F‐J B‐positive cells were found in the rat cerebral cortex and gerbil hippocampal CA1 region (CA1) in the risperidone‐treated ischemia groups compared with those in the vehicle‐treated ischemia group. In addition, treatment with risperidone markedly attenuated the activation of microglia in the gerbil CA1. On the other hand, we found that treatment with risperidone significantly maintained the antioxidants levels in the ischemic gerbil CA1. Immunoreactivities of superoxide dismutases 1 and 2, catalase, and glutathione peroxidase were maintained in the stratum pyramidale of the CA1; the antioxidants were very different from those in the vehicle‐treated ischemia groups. In brief, our present findings indicate that posttreatment as well as pretreatment with risperidone can protect neurons in the rat cerebral cortex and gerbils CA1 from transient cerebral ischemic injury and that the neuroprotective effect of risperidone may be related to attenuation of microglial activation as well as maintenance of antioxidants. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Massive accumulation of osteoclastic giant cells in rapid destructive hip disease
Authors: Seitz Sebastian , Zustin Jozef , Amling Michael , Rüther Wolfgang , Niemeier Andreas
Published: January 2014

The term rapid destructive hip disease (RDHD) designates a rare coxarthropathy characterized by a rapid destruction of the femoral head within a few weeks to several months. The etiology and pathogenesis of RDHD are not understood. The goal of this study was to define the histological and histomorphometric hallmarks of RDHD to provide a basis for a deeper understanding of the underlying mechanisms. Fifteen consecutive RDHD patients (mean age 78.9 ± 6.4 years, 14 females) demonstrated the characteristic radiographic appearance of vanishing femoral head bone stock without signs of reactive anabolic changes. Histologic and histomorphometric analyses revealed severe bone resorption with significantly increased numbers of morphologically altered giant osteoclasts, the formation of giant cell granulomas both in bone marrow and the synovium and significantly increased osteoblast numbers and osteoid as compared to controls with primary osteoarthritis (OA). These results suggest that in RDHD, an unknown stimulus leads to a massive activation of osteoclasts and this in turn provokes a reactive increase in osteoblast activity that is too weak to counteract the rapid destruction of the hip, thus providing a rationale for a prospective systematic search for the stimuli upstream of the massively increased osteoclast activation in RDHD. © 2014 Orthopaedic Research Society. Published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Orthop Res 32:702–708, 2014.
No increase in blood transfusions during liver transplantation since the withdrawal of aprotinin
Authors: Schofield Nick , Sugavanam Anita , Thompson Karen , Mallett Susan V.
Published: January 2014

The aims of this study were to determine whether the withdrawal of aprotinin (APRO) led to an increased bleeding risk in patients undergoing orthotopic liver transplantation (OLT). A retrospective analysis compared consecutive patients undergoing OLT and treated with aprotinin (APRO group; n = 100) with a group in which aprotinin was not used (no-APRO group; n = 100). Propensity score matching was then performed for each group to identify 2 matched cohorts. Patients were matched by their primary diagnoses and Model for End-Stage Liver Disease scores. This resulted in 2 matched cohorts with 55 patients in each group. None of the patients in the APRO group had significant fibrinolysis. In the no-APRO group, 23.6% of the patients developed fibrinolysis (P < 0.003). Tranexamic acid was used in 61.5% of the patients (n = 8) in the no-APRO group in whom lysis was present, and this resolved the fibrinolysis in all but 1 of these patients. There were no differences in red blood cell, fresh frozen plasma, platelet concentrate, or cryoprecipitate transfusions between the 2 groups. In conclusion, we have shown a significant increase in the prevalence of fibrinolysis during OLT since the withdrawal of APRO. However, there has been no increase in transfusion requirements. Liver Transpl 20:584-590, 2014. © 2014 AASLD.
Metabolite ratios in 1H MR spectroscopic imaging of the prostate
Authors: Kobus Thiele , Wright Alan J. , Weiland Elisabeth , Heerschap Arend , Scheenen Tom W. J.
Published: January 2014

In 1H MR spectroscopic imaging (1H‐MRSI) of the prostate the spatial distribution of the signal levels of the metabolites choline, creatine, polyamines, and citrate are assessed. The ratio of choline (plus spermine as the main polyamine) plus creatine over citrate [(Cho+(Spm+)Cr)/Cit] is derived from these metabolites and is used as a marker for the presence of prostate cancer. In this review, the factors that are of importance for the metabolite ratio are discussed. This is relevant, because the appearance of the metabolites in the spectrum depends not only on the underlying anatomy, metabolism, and physiology of the tissue, but also on acquisition parameters. These parameters influence especially the spectral shapes of citrate and spermine resonances, and consequently, the (Cho+(Spm+)Cr)/Cit ratio. Both qualitative and quantitative approaches can be used for the evaluation of 1H‐MRSI spectra of the prostate. For the quantitative approach, the (Cho+(Spm+)Cr)/Cit ratio can be determined by integration or by a fit based on model signals. Using the latter, the influence of the acquisition parameters on citrate can be taken into account. The strong overlap between the choline, creatine, and spermine resonances complicates fitting of the individual metabolites. This overlap and (unknown, possibly tissue‐related) variations in T1, T2, and J‐modulation hamper the application of corrections needed for a “normalized” (Cho+(Spm+)Cr)/Cit ratio that would enable comparison of spectra measured with different prostate MR spectroscopy protocols. Quantitative (Cho+(Spm+)Cr)/Cit thresholds for the evaluation of prostate cancer are therefore commonly established per institution or per protocol. However, if the same acquisition and postprocessing protocol were used, the ratio and the thresholds would be institution‐independent, promoting the clinical usability of prostate 1H‐MRSI. Magn Reson Med 73:1–12, 2015. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Off‐resonance suppression for multispectral MR imaging near metallic implants
Authors: den Harder J. Chiel , van Yperen Gert H. , Blume Ulrike A. , Bos Clemens
Published: January 2014

Purpose

Metal artifact reduction in MRI within clinically feasible scan‐times without through‐plane aliasing.

Theory and Methods

Existing metal artifact reduction techniques include view angle tilting (VAT), which resolves in‐plane distortions, and multispectral imaging (MSI) techniques, such as slice encoding for metal artifact correction (SEMAC) and multi‐acquisition with variable resonances image combination (MAVRIC), that further reduce image distortions, but significantly increase scan‐time. Scan‐time depends on anatomy size and anticipated total spectral content of the signal. Signals outside the anticipated spatial region may cause through‐plane back‐folding. Off‐resonance suppression (ORS), using different gradient amplitudes for excitation and refocusing, is proposed to provide well‐defined spatial‐spectral selectivity in MSI to allow scan‐time reduction and flexibility of scan‐orientation. Comparisons of MSI techniques with and without ORS were made in phantom and volunteer experiments.

Results

Off‐resonance suppressed SEMAC (ORS‐SEMAC) and outer‐region suppressed MAVRIC (ORS‐MAVRIC) required limited through‐plane phase encoding steps compared with original MSI. Whereas SEMAC (scan time: 5′46″) and MAVRIC (4′12″) suffered from through‐plane aliasing, ORS‐SEMAC and ORS‐MAVRIC allowed alias‐free imaging in the same scan‐times.

Conclusion

ORS can be used in MSI to limit the selected spatial‐spectral region and contribute to metal artifact reduction in clinically feasible scan‐times while avoiding slice aliasing. Magn Reson Med 73:233–243, 2015. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Prognostic value of intraductal carcinoma of the prostate in radical prostatectomy specimens
Authors: Kimura Kyosuke , Tsuzuki Toyonori , Kato Masashi , Saito Akiko M. , Sassa Naoto , Ishida Ryo , Hirabayashi Hiroki , Yoshino Yasushi , Hattori Ryohei , Gotoh Momokazu
Published: January 2014

BACKGROUND

Intraductal carcinoma of the prostate (IDC‐P) is an adverse prognostic factor for radical prostatectomy (RP). The endpoint in most IDC‐P studies is increased prostate‐specific antigen (PSA) levels. The aim of this study was to evaluate whether IDC‐P in RP specimens is an adverse prognostic factor for progression‐free survival (PFS) and cancer‐specific survival (CSS).

METHODS

We retrospectively evaluated 206 high‐risk prostate cancer patients treated with RP and analyzed data on age, serum PSA level at diagnosis, biopsy Gleason score (bGS), surgical margin (SM), clinical T stage (cT), extraprostatic extension (EPE), seminal vesicle invasion (SVI), lymph node metastasis (LN), and neoadjuvant therapy.

RESULTS

An IDC‐P component was found in 104 cases. Forty‐four patients experienced clinical failure, and 20 patients died of the disease. Patients with IDC‐P showed a higher bGS and stage (including cT, EPE, SVI, and LN) than those without IDC‐P. In univariate analysis, IDC‐P, PSA level, bGS, SM, cT, SVI, LN, and EPE (P < 0.0001) were significantly associated with PFS. IDC‐P (P = 0.0004), PSA level (P < 0.0001), SM (P = 0.0013), cT (P = 0.0019), SVI (P = 0.0012), and LN (P = 0.0002) were significantly associated with CSS. In multivariate analysis, IDC‐P (P = 0.0038), and cT (P = 0.0001) were significantly associated with PFS. IDC‐P (P = 0.0238) and PSA level (P = 0.0112) were significantly associated with CSS.

CONCLUSIONS

IDC‐P in RP specimens was an independent risk factor for PFS and CSS and could predict clinical outcomes. Prostate 74:680–687, 2014. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Density functional theory study of the influence of Ti and V partitioning to cementite in ferritic steels
Authors: Wang Bao‐Wu , Xie Yao‐Ping , Zhao Shi‐Jin , Li Juan , Hu Li‐Juan
Published: January 2014

We perform density functional theory calculations to investigate the partitioning behavior of Ti and V between cementite and ferrite. The energetics show that Ti and V partition to cementite. The chemical bonds in Ti‐ and V‐substituted cementite are stronger than that of cementite, and these alloyed cementite are more stable than cementite. Furthermore, the elastic properties of alloyed cementite are investigated. Ferromagnetic Ti‐ and V‐substituted cementite are mechanically stable, but non‐magnetic Ti‐ and V‐substituted cementite are mechanically unstable. Ti and V partitioning can enhance the resistance to shear strain, the stiffness and the stability against shear of ferromagnetic cementite. Finally, we present the electronic structures to understand the bonding properties of the alloyed cementite.
Science news stories as boundary objects affecting engagement with science
Authors: Polman Joseph L. , Hope Jennifer M.G.
Published: January 2014

This paper explores how participating in a program spanning an informal science institution and multiple school sites engaged youth with science in a different way. In particular, teens in the program selected and researched science topics of personal interest, and then authored, revised, and published science news stories about those topics in an authentic publication venue with an outside editor. Through five case studies analyzed according to a sociocultural framework for engagement understood as involving actions, interests and identifications, the authors describe how the news story artifacts became “boundary objects” inhabiting several intersecting social worlds. These boundary objects are often mediated by adults acting as brokers spanning communities. The properties of the news stories that enable them to act as boundary objects include their mutability and shareability as electronic draft documents created in distributed learning environments and responded to by an editor based at a distance, their flexibility in terms of genres for expressing the meaning and importance of science, and their portability across space in the form of print‐ and web‐based publications that are valued by multiple communities. Implications for developing youth identities while fostering participation in critical thinking about science are discussed, along with further research needed on understanding the power of personal connections to health, and the role of brokers. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Res Sci Teach 51: 315–341, 2014
Minimally invasive therapy for fetal sacrococcygeal teratoma: case series and systematic review of the literature
Authors: Van Mieghem T. , Al‐Ibrahim A. , Deprest J. , Lewi L. , Langer J. C. , Baud D. , O'Brien K. , Beecroft R. , Chaturvedi R. , Jaeggi E. , Fish J. , Ryan G.
Published: January 2014

Objective

Large solid sacrococcygeal teratomas (SCT) can cause high‐output cardiac failure and fetal or neonatal death. The aim of this study was to describe the outcomes of minimally invasive antenatal procedures for the treatment of fetal SCT.

Methods

A case review was performed of five fetuses with a large SCT treated antenatally using minimally invasive techniques, and a systematic literature review on fetal therapy for solid SCTs was carried out.

Results

Five women were referred between 17 + 5 and 26 + 4 weeks' gestation for a large fetal SCT with evidence of fetal cardiac failure. Vascular flow to the tumors was interrupted by fetoscopic laser ablation (n = 1), radiofrequency ablation (RFA; n = 2) or interstitial laser ablation  ±  vascular coiling (n = 2). There were two intrauterine fetal deaths. The other three cases resulted in preterm labor within 10 days of surgery. One neonate died. Two survived without procedure‐related complications but had long‐term morbidity related to prematurity. The systematic literature review revealed 16 SCTs treated minimally invasively for (early) hydrops. Including our cases, six of 20 hydropic fetuses survived after minimally invasive therapy (30%). Survival after RFA or interstitial laser ablation was 45% (5/11). Of 12 fetuses treated for SCT without obvious hydrops and for which perinatal survival data were available, eight (67%) survived. Mean gestational age at delivery after minimally invasive therapy was 29.7 ± 4.0 weeks. Survival after open fetal surgery in hydropic fetuses was 6/11 (55%), with a mean gestational age at delivery of 29.8 ± 2.9 weeks.

Conclusions

Fetal therapy can potentially improve perinatal outcomes for hydropic fetuses with a solid SCT, but is often complicated by intrauterine death and preterm birth. Copyright © 2014 ISUOG. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.
A personal history of Bayesian statistics
Authors: Leonard Thomas Hoskyns
Published: January 2014

The history of Bayesian statistics is traced, from a personal perspective, through various strands and via its re‐genesis during the 1960s to the current day. Emphasis is placed on broad‐sense Bayesian methodology that can be used to meaningfully analyze observed datasets. Over 750 people in science, medicine, and socioeconomics, who have influenced the evolution of the Bayesian approach into the powerful paradigm that it is today, are highlighted. The frequentist/Bayesian controversy is addressed, together with the ways in which many Bayesians combine the two ideologies as a Bayes/non‐Bayes compromise, e.g., when drawing inferences about unknown parameters or when investigating the choice of sampling model in relation to its real‐life background. A number of fundamental issues are discussed and critically examined, and some elementary explanations for nontechnical readers and some personal reminiscences are included. Some of the Bayesian contributions of the 21st century are subjected to more detailed critique, so that readers may learn more about the quality and relevance of the ongoing research. A recent resolution of Lindley's paradox by Baskurt and Evans is reported. The axioms of subjective probability are reassessed, some state‐of‐the‐art alternatives to Leonard Savage's axioms of utility are discussed, and Deborah Mayo and Michael Evan's refutation of Allan Birnbaum's 1962 justification of the likelihood principle in terms of the sufficiency and conditionality principles is addressed.WIREs Comput Stat2014, 6:80–115. doi: 10.1002/wics.1293

This article is categorized under:

Statistical and Graphical Methods of Data Analysis > Bayesian Methods and Theory
Synthesis and Structural Characterization of the Alkali Thiophosphates Na2P2S6, Na4P2S6, K4P2S6, and Rb4P2S6
Authors: Kuhn Alexander , Eger Roland , Nuss Jürgen , Lotsch Bettina V.
Published: January 2014

Four compounds in the ternary systems Na‐P‐S, K‐P‐S, and Rb‐P‐S, Na2P2S6, Na4P2S6, K4P2S6, and Rb4P2S6 were prepared and structurally characterized using single‐crystal X‐ray diffraction. Na2P2S6 crystallizes in the monoclinic space group P21/m (no. 11) with a = 6.6752(3) Å, b = 7.7968(4) Å, c = 9.0379(4) Å, and β = 90.151(1)° in a new structure type that can be described as a distorted Tl2P2S6 structure.The monoclinic structure of Na4P2S6 [space group C2/m, no. 12, a = 6.725(2) Å, b = 11.222(2) Å, c = 7.542(2) Å, and β = 107.03(3)°] is a stuffed variant of the FePS3 structure. K4P2S6 and Rb4P2S6 are isotypic and crystallize in the K4P2Se6 structure type [space group P21/c, no. 14, a = 13.243(3) / 13.538(3), b = 11.946(2) / 12.310(3), c = 8.396(2) / 8.751(2) Å, and β = 91.44(3) / 92.46(3)° for K4P2S6 / Rb4P2S6].
An invasive gull displaces native waterbirds to breeding habitats more exposed to native predators
Authors: Skórka Piotr , Martyka Rafał , Wójcik Joanna D. , Lenda Magdalena
Published: January 2014

The effect of invasive opportunistic predators may include population changes in both native prey and native predators as well as alteration of predator–prey interactions. We analyzed the activity of native magpie Pica pica and changes in population, nest sites and nesting success probability of native waterbirds (namely: grebes, ducks, rails and native gulls) in response to the population growth of the invasive Caspian gull Larus cachinnans. The study was carried out at a reservoir in southern Poland and at a similar control reservoir where the Caspian gull was absent. Both the invasive gulls and the native magpie are opportunistic predators of nests of native waterbirds. The population increase of the invasive gull led to a decline in the population of native black‐headed gulls Larus ridibundus only. However, the invasive gull displaced all the native species from the breeding islets located in the central part of the reservoir to islets located close to the shoreline. The latter were frequently visited by magpies, which depredated on nests along the shores, leading to an up to threefold decrease in nesting success as compared with nests located in the central area of the invaded reservoir. Predation by Caspian gulls was rarely observed. Thus, the invasion of Caspian gull caused complex direct and indirect effects on the waterbird community that included competition for breeding sites, changes in the spatial distribution of nests and alteration of predation rate by native predators. Moreover, the effects of invasion may not be reflected by changes in population size of native species.
The Impact of Legislative Standards on Batterer Intervention Program Practices and Characteristics
Authors: Boal Ashley L. , Mankowski Eric S.
Published: January 2014

Changes in social policy are often pursued with the goal of reducing a social problem by improving prevention efforts, intervention program practices, or participant outcomes. State legislative standards for intimate partner violence intervention programs have been adopted nearly universally across the US, however, we do not know whether such standards actually achieve the intended goal of affecting programs’ policies and practices. To assess the effect that batterer intervention program (BIP) standards have on policies and practices of programs, this study used longitudinal surveys collected as part of an ongoing evaluation conducted from 2001 to the present to compare intervention program (N= 74) characteristics and practices at three time points before and after the adoption of standards in Oregon. Analyses were conducted to examine all BIPs in Oregon at each time point, as well as change among a subset of programs in existence at all survey assessments. Results indicate that across all programs, the use of mixed gender group co‐facilitation increased by 14 % between 2004 and 2008, while program length increased by approximately 12 weeks. However, other practices such as programs’ coordination with community partners were unchanged. Analyses of within‐program change revealed fewer differences, with only program length increasing significantly over the three assessments. These and other findings indicate that while standards affected program length as intended, other practices commonly addressed by legislative standards remained unchanged. The findings provide needed information regarding programs’ compliance with components of the standards, the potential need for compliance monitoring, and the potential impact of state standards on program effectiveness and on the prevalence of intimate partner violence.
On the Unidentifiability of the Fixed-Effects 3PL Model
Authors: San Martín Ernesto , González Jorge , Tuerlinckx Francis
Published: January 2014

The paper offers a general review of the basic concepts of both statistical model and parameter identification, and revisits the conceptual relationships between parameter identification and both parameter interpretability and properties of parameter estimates. All these issues are then exemplified for the 1PL, 2PL, and 1PL-G fixed-effects models. For the 3PL model, however, we provide a theorem proving that the item parameters are not identified, do not have an empirical interpretation and that it is not possible to obtain consistent and unbiased estimates of them.
Common versus psychopathology-specific risk factors for psychotic experiences and depression during adolescence
Authors: Kounali D. , Zammit S. , Wiles N. , Sullivan S. , Cannon M. , Stochl J. , Jones P. , Mahedy L. , Gage S. H. , Heron J. , Lewis G.
Published: January 2014

Background

An argument often used to support the view that psychotic experiences (PEs) in general population samples are a valid phenotype for studying the aetiology of schizophrenia is that risk factors for schizophrenia show similar patterns of association with PEs. However, PEs often co-occur with depression, and no study has explicitly tested whether risk factors for schizophrenia are shared between PEs and depression, or are psychopathology specific, while jointly modelling both outcomes.

Method

We used data from 7030 subjects from a birth cohort study. Depression and PEs at age 18 years were assessed using self-report questionnaires and semi-structured interviews. We compared the extent to which risk factors for schizophrenia across sociodemographic, familial, neurodevelopmental, stress–adversity, emotional–behavioural and substance use domains showed different associations with PEs and depression within bivariate models that allowed for their correlation.

Results

Most of the exposures examined were associated, to a similar degree, with an increased risk of both outcomes. However, whereas female sex and family history of depression showed some discrimination as potential risk factors for depression and PEs, with stronger associations in the former, markers of abnormal neurodevelopment showed stronger associations with PEs.

Conclusions

The argument that PEs are valid markers for studying the aetiology of schizophrenia, made simply on the basis that they share risk factors in common, is not well supported. PEs seem to be a weak index of genetic and environmental risk for schizophrenia; however, studies disentangling aetiological pathways to PEs from those impacting upon co-morbid psychopathology might provide important insights into the aetiology of psychotic disorders.
Saturated output feedback control of uncertain nonholonomic wheeled mobile robots
Authors: Shojaei Khoshnam
Published: January 2014

Many research works on the control of nonholonomic wheeled mobile robots (WMRs) do not consider the actuator saturation problem and the absence of velocity sensors in practice. The actuator saturation deteriorates the tracking performance of the controller, and the use of velocity sensors increases the cost and weight of WMR systems. This paper simultaneously addresses these problems by designing a saturated output feedback controller for uncertain nonholonomic WMRs. First, a second-order input–output model of nonholonomic WMRs is developed by defining a suitable set of output equations. Then a saturated adaptive robust tracking controller is proposed without velocity measurements. For this purpose, a nonlinear saturated observer is used to estimate robot velocities. The risk of actuator saturation is effectively reduced by utilizing saturation functions in the design of the observer–controller scheme. Semi-global uniform ultimate boundedness of error signals is guarantied by the Lyapunov stability analyses. Finally, simulation results are provided to show the effectiveness of the proposed controller. Compared with one recent work of the author, a comparative study is also presented to illustrate that the proposed saturated controller is more effective when WMR actuators are subjected to saturation.
Regenerative effects in the Sit-to-Stand and Stand-to-Sit movement
Authors: Wong Ronnie Joseph , Smith James Andrew
Published: January 2014

While Sit-to-Stand and Stand-to-Sit are routine activities and are crucial pre-requisites to walking and running their underlying dynamics are poorly understood. Furthermore, the potential for using these movements to regenerate energy in energy-sensitive devices such as orthoses, prostheses and humanoid robots has never been examined. Insights in this domain can lead to more energy-efficient prosthesis, orthosis and humanoid robot designs.OBJECTIVES: The objectives are two-fold: first, to determine how much energy can be regenerated during standard movements related to transitions between sitting and standing on a scale humanoid model and second, to determine if the chosen actuator could produce better results if the gear ratio were modified. This manuscript's main contribution to the literature is by showing which joint provides the most regenerative effect during transitions between sitting and standing.MODEL DESIGN AND IMPLEMENTATION: Joint trajectories from existing biomechanics trials of sitting and standing transitions were fed into a 1/10 scale model of a humanoid robot. The robot model, developed in MapleSim, is comprised of standard and off-the-shelf subcomponents, including amplifier, NiMH battery and Robotis Dynamixel RX-28 actuators.RESULTS: Using the RX-28 actuator, the ankle, knee and hip joints all show a degree of regenerative effects, the hip demonstrates the most dramatic levels during the transition from standing to sitting. This contrasts with recent publications which show that the knee has the most important regenerative effects during walking and running. It is also found that for under 3 degree trajectory error the regenerative effect is best for all joints when the gear ratio is increased from the RX-28's 193:1 value to a value of approximately 760:1 for the ankle, 630:1 for the knee and 600:1 for the hip.CONCLUSIONS: During transitions between sitting and standing the greatest potential for regeneration occurs in the hips. Therefore, systems designed to implement regenerative effects between sitting and standing need to include subsystems at the hip for maximum regenerative effects.
Propositions as sessions
Authors: WADLER PHILIP
Published: January 2014

Continuing a line of work by Abramsky (1994), Bellin and Scott (1994), and Caires and Pfenning (2010), among others, this paper presents CP, a calculus, in which propositions of classical linear logic correspond to session types. Continuing a line of work by Honda (1993), Hondaet al. (1998), and Gay & Vasconcelos (2010), among others, this paper presents GV, a linear functional language with session types, and a translation from GV into CP. The translation formalises for the first time a connection between a standard presentation of session types and linear logic, and shows how a modification to the standard presentation yields a language free from races and deadlock, where race and deadlock freedom follows from the correspondence to linear logic.
RETHINKING OPTIMAL EXCHANGE RATE REGIMES WITH FRICTIONAL LABOR MARKETS
Authors: Campolmi Alessia , Faia Ester
Published: January 2014

Currency fluctuations are an important determinant of labor market dynamics. Vice versa, relative labor costs affect real exchange rate dynamics. The optimal choice of exchange rate regimes cannot neglect this nexus. We assess such a choice using a two-country model with frictional labor markets. The monetary authority faces a tension between the classical insulating property of floating exchange rates and the destabilizing effects of currency fluctuations on (relative) job flows. Results show that the second motive is important: optimal monetary policy prescribes (some) response to the exchange rate. We also reexamine the conditions for optimal policy in a currency area whose members experience asymmetries in labor market institutions.
Interactive alignment between bilingual interlocutors: Evidence from two information-exchange tasks
Authors: TROFIMOVICH PAVEL , KENNEDY SARA
Published: January 2014

This study investigated the occurrence of interactive alignment between bilingual interlocutors communicating in a shared second language (L2). Thirty university-level students from various language backgrounds completed two information-exchange tasks in L2 English. Excerpts from the beginning and end of the interactions were presented to ten native-speaking listeners who rated each interlocutor individually and both interlocutors as a team for speech and personality variables, including degree of alignment. Results revealed interactive alignment which encompassed different aspects of interlocutors’ speech and personality characteristics in each task. Theoretical and practical implications for alignment as a sociocognitive phenomenon in lingua franca contexts are discussed.
Sugar-sweetened carbonated beverage consumption and childhood/adolescent obesity: a case–control study
Authors: Martin-Calvo Nerea , Martínez-González Miguel-Angel , Bes-Rastrollo Maira , Gea Alfredo , Ochoa Ma Carmen , Marti Amelia
Published: January 2014

Objective

To assess the association between the consumption of sugar-sweetened carbonated beverages (SSCB) and obesity in children and adolescents from Navarra (Spain).

Design

We used a matched case–control study design. The exposure, SSCB consumption (1 serving: 200 ml), was measured with a previously validated FFQ. Anthropometrical measures were taken using standardized protocols. The outcome, obesity, was defined as BMI above the age- and sex-specific 97th percentile according to the Spanish reference charts. In the analysis we used conditional logistic regression. Potential confounders were controlled using a multivariable model.

Setting

Subjects were recruited in the paediatric departments of the Universidad de Navarra Clinic and the Navarra Hospital Complex, and in three primary health centres of Navarra. Controls were recruited when attending for a routine medical examination or vaccination.

Subjects

One hundred and seventy-four obese children and 174 individually sex- and age-matched controls, 52·87 % boys, with a mean age of 11·6 years. Exclusion criteria were dietary interventions, exposure to hormone treatment, development of secondary obesity due to endocrinopathy and serious intercurrent illness.

Results

Independently of other factors, high consumption of SSCB (>4 servings/week) was significantly associated with obesity (OR = 3·46; 95 % CI 1·24, 9·62; P = 0·01). Besides, each additional daily serving of SSCB was associated with a 69 % relative increase in the risk of obesity (OR = 1·69; 95 % CI 1·04, 2·73; P = 0·03).

Conclusions

We found a strong and significant association between SSCB consumption and obesity risk. Our results suggest a monotonic dose–response linear shape for this association in children and adolescents (P for trend = 0·02).