bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Correlation of microbiologic culture and fine‐needle aspiration cytology: A 14‐year experience at a single institution
Authors: Clement Cecilia G. , Williams‐Bouyer Natalie M. , Nawgiri Ranjana S. , Schnadig Vicki J.
Published: August 2015

BACKGROUND

Fine‐needle aspiration (FNA) is an important tool for the diagnosis of infectious disease. FNA material should be appropriately submitted for cultures when indicated by preliminary findings. Correlation of cytologic diagnoses with culture results are important quality assurance tools. The current study reviewed 14 years of FNA‐culture correlation.

METHODS

FNA cytology‐culture correlation records from the years 1996 through 2007 and 2010 through 2011 were retrieved from electronic databases compiled for histology and culture correlation. Correlation was limited to those cases for which material was submitted for culture from the FNA sample. Culture results were retrieved from the laboratory or hospital information system.

RESULTS

Correlative data included 770 cases. Cytology, culture, or both were positive for microbes in 416 of 770 samples (54%), excluding cultured bacterial skin contaminants. Among the 204 bacteria cases, 93 (46%) were identified by cytology and culture, 92 (45%) were identified by culture only, and 19 (9%) were identified by cytology only. Among the 16 cases of Actinomycetales, 8 (50%) were identified by cytology and culture, 5 (31%) were identified by culture only, and 3 (19%) were identified by cytology only. Of the 129 cases of mycobacteria, 63 (49%) were identified by cytology and culture, 44 (34%) were identified by culture only, and 22 (17%) were identified by cytology only. Among the 67 cases of fungi, 34 (51%) were identified by cytology only, with 15 of these 34 cases being fungal hyphae; 25 cases (37%) were identified by cytology and culture, with a 100% concordance between the cytology diagnosis and culture result; and 8 cases (12%) were identified by culture only.

CONCLUSIONS

FNA cytology‐culture correlation is a valuable tool with which to assess the efficacy and limitations of the direct diagnosis of infectious agents, and to identify types of infections that may be negative on culture but positive on cytology diagnosis. Cancer (Cancer Cytopathol) 2015;123:612–9. © 2015 American Cancer Society.
Analyzing related raw data files through dataflows
Authors: Silva Vítor , de Oliveira Daniel , Valduriez Patrick , Mattoso Marta
Published: August 2015

Computer simulations may ingest and generate high numbers of raw data files. Most of these files follow a de facto standard format established by the application domain, for example, Flexible Image Transport System for astronomy. Although these formats are supported by a variety of programming languages, libraries, and programs, analyzing thousands or millions of files requires developing specific programs. Database management systems (DBMS) are not suited for this, because they require loading the raw data and structuring it, which becomes heavy at large scale. Systems like NoDB, RAW, and FastBit have been proposed to index and query raw data files without the overhead of using a database management system. However, these solutions are focused on analyzing one single large file instead of several related files. In this case, when related files are produced and required for analysis, the relationship among elements within file contents must be managed manually, with specific programs to access raw data. Thus, this data management may be time‐consuming and error‐prone. When computer simulations are managed by a scientific workflow management system (SWfMS), they can take advantage of provenance data to relate and analyze raw data files produced during workflow execution. However, SWfMS registers provenance at a coarse grain, with limited analysis on elements from raw data files. When the SWfMS is dataflow‐aware, it can register provenance data and the relationships among elements of raw data files altogether in a database, which is useful to access the contents of a large number of files. In this paper, we propose a dataflow approach for analyzing element data from several related raw data files. Our approach is complementary to the existing single raw data file analysis approaches. We use the Montage workflow from astronomy and a workflow from Oil and Gas domain as data‐intensive case studies. Our experimental results for the Montage workflow explore different types of raw data flows like showing all linear transformations involved in projection simulation programs, considering specific mosaic elements from input repositories. The cost for raw data extraction is approximately 3.7% of the total application execution time. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Host–Guest Complexes of Flavylium Cations and Cucurbit[7]uril: The Influence of Flavylium Substituents on the Structure and Stability of the Complex
Authors: Basílio Nuno , Petrov Vesselin , Pina Fernando
Published: August 2015

The host–guest complexes formed from six differently substituted flavylium cations and cucurbit[7]uril (CB7) have been characterized by UV/Vis absorption, fluorescence emission and 1H NMR spectroscopy. It was observed that all flavylium cations form 1:1 inclusion complexes with association constants that depend on the nature and position of the substituents. The results indicate that CB7 displays higher affinity for more hydrophobic flavylium compounds and for those bearing amino substituents. 1H NMR spectroscopy was used to elucidate the structure of the complexes. While for 7‐hydroxyflavylium and 4‐methyl‐7‐hydroxyflavylium the phenyl group (ring B) is included within the host's cavity leaving the benzopyrilium group (rings A and C) outside, in 4′,7‐dihydroxyflavylium and 3′,4′,7‐trihydroxyflavylium the macrocycle shuttles between rings A and B. For compounds with amino substituents it was found that CB7 is attracted towards these groups regardless of their position in ring A or B. In addition, it was observed that the dimethylamino group tends to be positioned near the carbonyl‐decorated portal while the diethylamino motif prefers the hydrophobic cavity of CB7.
The Perception of Threat from Emotions in Predicting Binge Eating Behaviours in People Who Are Obese and Seeking Treatment for Their Weight
Authors: Fox J. R. E. , Msetfi R. M. , Johnson R. S. , Haigh E.
Published: August 2015

Objective

The affect regulation theory suggests that people binge eat to regulate negative emotional states. In this study, we used a basic emotions perspective to consider the role of perceived threat of emotions, emotional suppression and reduced emotional expressiveness in predicting binge eating behaviours in people who are obese.

Method

Treatment‐seeking participants with obesity (N = 51, body mass index range from 30.8 to 60.2 kg m−2) completed measures of ‘perception of threat from emotion’ as well as ‘emotional expressiveness’ and binge eating.

Results

The results demonstrated that perceived threat of sadness predicted binge eating (β = .55, p < .05). Additionally, a mediation analysis revealed that reduced emotional expressiveness mediated the relationship between perceived threat of fear and binge eating (β = .25, 95%).

Discussion

These findings are contextualized within a theoretical perspective that suggests that individuals who binge eat are threatened by certain emotional states and they use binge eating to suppress certain, but not all, emotional states. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Key Practitioner Message

Considering basic emotions within binge eating should be a part of a psychological assessment and treatment. This should consider how emotions could often be perceived as being threatening and their expression is limited.

It is possible that the emotions of fear and sadness appear to be particularly threatening within binge eating/obese populations.
An all‐digital DLL with duty‐cycle correction using reusable TDC
Authors: Kao Shao‐Ku , Hsieh Yi‐Hsien , Cheng Hsiang‐Chi
Published: August 2015

This paper presents the design of an all‐digital delay‐locked loop (ADDLL) with duty‐cycle correction using reusable time‐to‐digital converter (TDC). The proposed ADDLL uses a reusable TDC for achieving a wide‐operating frequency range. In addition, it achieves the frequency doubling output clock easily by changing the quantization interval. It is implemented in a 0.18‐µm complementary metal‐oxide semiconductor technology. This circuit corrects the duty cycle and synchronizes the input and output clocks in 10 clock cycles. The output duty cycle is corrected to 50 ± 1.5% as the input duty cycle ranges from 25% to 75%. The acceptable input frequency range is from 300 to 900 MHz without frequency doubling. The acceptable input frequency range is from 150 to 450 MHz when using frequency doubling. It dissipates 6.2 mW from a 1.8‐V supply at 900 MHz. The peak‐to‐peak and RMS jitters at 900 MHz are 14 and 1.8 ps, respectively. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Kinin‐B1 and B2 receptor activity in proliferation and neural phenotype determination of mouse embryonic stem cells
Authors: Nascimento Isis C. , Glaser Talita , Nery Arthur A. , Pillat Micheli M. , Pesquero João B. , Ulrich Henning
Published: August 2015

The kinins bradykinin and des‐arg9‐bradykinin cleaved from kininogen precursors by kallikreins exert their biological actions by stimulating kinin‐B2 and B1 receptors, respectively. In vitro models of neural differentiation such as P19 embryonal carcinoma cells and neural progenitor cells have suggested the involvement of B2 receptors in neural differentiation and phenotype determination; however, the involvement of B1 receptors in these processes has not been established. Here, we show that B1 and B2 receptors are differentially expressed in mouse embryonic E14Tg2A stem cells undergoing neural differentiation. Proliferation and differentiation assays, performed in the presence of receptor subtype‐selective agonists and antagonists, revealed that B1 receptor activity is required for the proliferation of embryonic and differentiating cells as well as for neuronal maturation at later stages of differentiation, while the B2 receptor acts on neural phenotype choice, promoting neurogenesis over gliogenesis. Besides the elucidation of bradykinin functions in an in vitro model reflecting early embryogenesis and neurogenesis, this study contributes to the understanding of B1 receptor functions in this process. © 2015 International Society for Advancement of Cytometry
Imaging flow cytometry as a sensitive tool to detect low‐dose‐induced DNA damage by analyzing 53BP1 and γH2AX foci in human lymphocytes
Authors: Durdik Matus , Kosik Pavol , Gursky Jan , Vokalova Lenka , Markova Eva , Belyaev Igor
Published: August 2015

Ionizing radiation induced foci (IRIF) are considered the most sensitive indicator for DNA double‐strand break (DSB) detection. Monitoring DSB induction by low doses of ionizing radiation is important due to the increasing exposure in the general population. γH2AX and 53BP1 are commonly used molecular markers for in situ IRIF assessment. Imaging flow cytometry (IFC) via ImageStream system provides a new opportunity in this field. We analyzed the formation of 53BP1, γH2AX foci and their co‐localization induced by γ‐rays (2, 5, 10, 50, 200 cGy) in human lymphocytes using ImageStream and the automated microscopic system Metafer. We observed very similar sensitivity of both systems for the detection of endogenous and low‐dose‐induced IRIF. Statistically significant induction of γH2AX foci was found at doses of 2 and 10 cGy using ImageStream and Metafer, respectively. Statistically significant induction of 53BP1 foci was evident at doses ≥5 cGy when analyzed by IFC. Analysis of the co‐localizing foci by ImageStream and Metafer showed statistical significance at doses ≥2 cGy, suggesting that foci co‐localization is a sensitive parameter for DSB quantification. Assessment of γH2AX, 53BP1 foci and their co‐localization by Metafer and ImageStream showed similar linear dose responses in the low‐dose range up to 10 cGy, although IFC showed slightly better resolution for IRIF in this dose range. At higher doses, IFC underestimated IRIF numbers. Using the imaging ability of ImageStream, we introduced an optimized assay by gating γH2AX foci positive (with 1 or more γH2AX foci) and negative (cells without foci) cells. This assay resulted in statistically significant IRIF induction at doses ≥ 5cGy and a linear dose response up to 50 cGy. In conclusion, we provide evidence for the use of IFC as an accurate high throughput assay for the prompt detection and enumeration of endogenous and low‐dose induced IRIF. © 2015 International Society for Advancement of Cytometry
A criterion for environmental assessment using Birnbaum–Saunders attribute control charts
Authors: Leiva Victor , Marchant Carolina , Ruggeri Fabrizio , Saulo Helton
Published: August 2015

Assessing environmental risk is useful for preventing adverse effects on human health in highly polluted cities. We design a criterion for environmental monitoring based on an attribute control chart for the number of dangerous contaminant levels when the concentration to be monitored follows a Birnbaum–Saunders distribution. This distribution is being widely applied to environmental data. We provide a novel justification for its usage in environmental sciences. The control coefficient and the minimum inspection concentration for the designed criterion are determined to yield the specified in‐control average run length, whereas the out‐of‐control case is obtained according to a shift in the target mean. A simulation study is conducted to evaluate the proposed criterion, which reports its performance to provide earlier alerts of out‐of‐control processes. An application with real‐world environmental data is carried out to validate its coherence with what is reported by the health authority. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
A hidden Markov model for the analysis of cylindrical time series
Authors: Lagona Francesco , Picone Marco , Maruotti Antonello
Published: August 2015

A new hidden Markov model is proposed for the analysis of cylindrical time series, that is, bivariate time series of intensities and angles. It allows us to segment cylindrical time series according to a finite number of regimes that represent the conditional distributions of the data under specific environmental conditions. The model parsimoniously accommodates for circular–linear correlation, multimodality, skewness, and temporal autocorrelation. A computationally efficient expectation–maximization algorithm is described to estimate the parameters, and a parametric bootstrap routine is provided to compute confidence intervals. These methods are illustrated on cylindrical time series of wave heights and directions. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
The Information Content of Equity Block Trades on the Warsaw Stock Exchange: Conventional and Bootstrap Approaches
Authors: Kurek Bartosz
Published: August 2015

This paper focuses on the Polish stock market by analysing the information content of 95 equity block trade transactions executed on shares of companies constituting the WIG20 index. A normalized conventional approach and a bootstrap approach are used to draw inferences. These approaches make use of a multivariate regression model with two explanatory variables: a market return and a dummy variable for the event. Resampling allows construction of an empirical distribution of the normalized test statistic. The outcomes obtained from the application of a normalized conventional approach as well as a bootstrap approach are in line and confirm that equity block trade transactions carry an important signal to investors. Significant abnormal positive (negative) returns are associated with the execution of the equity block trades, the prices of which are higher (lower) than the closing prices 2 days before the execution of the equity block trade transactions. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Spot and Futures Markets Linkages: Does Contango Differ from Backwardation?
Authors: Fernandez Viviana
Published: August 2015

Recent research has concluded that spot and futures copper returns are more closely correlated during periods of contango than of backwardation. It is argued speculation and investor demand in futures markets should affect spot prices to a much lesser extent during backwardation, due to an infeasible inter‐temporal arbitrage. This article expands this line of research by analyzing daily spot and 3‐, 15‐, and 27‐month futures contract prices for industrial metals traded on the London Metal Exchange over a period of more than two decades. Estimates of convenience yields are provided, along with tests for Granger causality between futures and spot returns after accounting for cointegration, and tests for statistical differences between correlations of contemporaneous spot and futures returns during periods of contango and backwardation. After various robustness checks, the evidence supporting a stronger linkage between spot and futures markets in contango is weak. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Jrl Fut Mark 36:375–396, 2016
The impacts of mountain pine beetle disturbance on the energy balance of snow during the melt period
Authors: Welch Christopher M. , Stoy Paul C. , Rains F. Aaron , Johnson Aiden V. , McGlynn Brian L.
Published: August 2015

Mountain snowpacks provide most of the annual discharge of western US rivers, but the future of water resources in the western USA is tenuous, as climatic changes have resulted in earlier spring melts that have exacerbated summer droughts. Compounding changes to the physical environment are biotic disturbances including that of the mountain pine beetle (MPB), which has decimated millions of acres of western North American forests. At the watershed scale, MPB disturbance increases the peak hydrograph, and at the stand scale, the ‘grey’ phase of MPB canopy disturbance decreases canopy snow interception, increases snow albedo, increases net shortwave radiation, and decreases net longwave radiation versus the ‘red’ phase. Fewer studies have been conducted on the red phase of MPB disturbance and in the mixed coniferous stands that may follow MPB‐damaged forests. We measured the energy balance of four snowpacks representing different stages of MPB damage, management, and recovery: a lodgepole pine stand, an MPB‐infested stand in the red phase, a mixed coniferous stand (representing one successional trajectory), and a clear‐cut (representing reactive management) in the Tenderfoot Creek Experimental Forest in Montana, USA. Net longwave radiation was lower in the MPB‐infested stand despite higher basal area and plant area index of the other forests, suggesting that the desiccated needles serve as a less effective thermal buffer against longwave radiative losses. Eddy covariance observations of sensible and latent heat flux indicate that they are of similar but opposite magnitude, on the order of 20 MJ m−2 during the melt period. Further analyses reveal that net turbulent energy fluxes were near zero because of the temperature and atmospheric vapour pressure encountered during the melt period. Future research should place snow science in the context of forest succession and management and address important uncertainties regarding the timing and magnitude of needlefall events. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Effects of facial expression on working memory
Authors: Stiernströmer Emelie S. , Wolgast Martin , Johansson Mikael
Published: August 2015

In long‐term memory (LTM) emotional content may both enhance and impair memory, however, disagreement remains whether emotional content exerts different effects on the ability to maintain and manipulate information over short intervals. Using a working‐memory (WM) recognition task requiring the monitoring of faces displaying facial expressions of emotion, participants judged each face as identical (target) or not (non‐target) to that presented 2 trials back (2‐back). Negative expression was better and faster recognised, illustrated by higher target discriminability and target detection. Positive and negative expressions also induced a more liberal detection bias compared with neutral. Taking the preceding item into account, additional accuracy impairment (negative preceding negative target) and enhancement effects (negative or positive preceding neutral target) appeared. This illustrates a differential modulation of WM based on the affective tone of the target (mirroring LTM enhancement‐ and recognition bias effects), and of the preceding item (enhanced and impaired target detection).
Virtual Reality in Health System: Beyond Entertainment. A Mini‐Review on the Efficacy of VR During Cancer Treatment
Authors: Chirico Andrea , Lucidi Fabio , De Laurentiis Michele , Milanese Carla , Napoli Alessandro , Giordano Antonio
Published: August 2015

Virtual reality (VR), a computer‐generated virtual environment, has been increasingly used in the entertainment world becoming a very new evolving field, but VR technology has also found a variety of applications in the biomedical field. VR can offer to subjects a safe environment within which to carry on different interventions ranging from the rehabilitation of discharged patients directly at home, to the support of hospitalized patients during different procedures and also of oncological inpatient subjects. VR appears as a promising tool for support and monitoring treatments in cancer patients influencing psychological and physiological functions. The aim of this systematic review is to provide an overview of all the studies that used VR intervention on cancer patients and analyze their main findings. Nineteen studies across nearly a thousand articles were identified that explored effects of VR interventions on cancer patients. Although these studies varied greatly in setting and design, this review identified some overarching themes. Results found that VR improved patients’ emotional well‐being, and diminished cancer‐related psychological symptoms. The studies explored various relevant variables including different types of settings (i.e., during chemotherapy, during pain procedures, during hospitalization). Here, we point to the need of a global and multi‐disciplinary approach aimed at analyzing the effects of VR taking advantage of the new technology systems like biosensors as well as electroencephalogram monitoring pre, during, and after intervention. Devoting more attention to bio‐physiological variables, standardized procedures, extending duration to longitudinal studies and adjusting for motion sickness related to VR treatment need to become standard of this research field. J. Cell. Physiol. 231: 275–287, 2016. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Retinoblastoma Protein Knockdown Favors Oxidative Metabolism and Glucose and Fatty Acid Disposal in Muscle Cells
Authors: Petrov Petar D. , Ribot Joan , López‐Mejía Isabel C. , Fajas Lluís , Palou Andreu , Bonet M. Luisa
Published: August 2015

Deficiency in the retinoblastoma protein (Rb) favors leanness and a healthy metabolic profile in mice largely attributed to activation of oxidative metabolism in white and brown adipose tissues. Less is known about Rb modulation of skeletal muscle metabolism. This was studied here by transiently knocking down Rb expression in differentiated C2C12 myotubes using small interfering RNAs. Compared with control cells transfected with non‐targeting RNAs, myotubes silenced for Rb (by 80–90%) had increased expression of genes related to fatty acid uptake and oxidation such as Cd36 and Cpt1b (by 61% and 42%, respectively), increased Mitofusin 2 protein content (∼2.5‐fold increase), increased mitochondrial to nuclear DNA ratio (by 48%), increased oxygen consumption (by 65%) and decreased intracellular lipid accumulation. Rb silenced myotubes also displayed up‐regulated levels of glucose transporter type 4 expression (∼5‐fold increase), increased basal glucose uptake, and enhanced insulin‐induced Akt phosphorylation. Interestingly, exercise in mice led to increased Rb phosphorylation (inactivation) in skeletal muscle as evidenced by immunohistochemistry analysis. In conclusion, the silencing of Rb enhances mitochondrial oxidative metabolism and fatty acid and glucose disposal in skeletal myotubes, and changes in Rb status may contribute to muscle physiological adaptation to exercise. J. Cell. Physiol. 231: 708–718, 2016. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Influence of kidney disease on drug disposition: An assessment of industry studies submitted to the FDA for new chemical entities 1999–2010
Authors: Matzke Gary R. , Dowling Thomas C. , Marks Samantha A. , Murphy John E.
Published: August 2015

In 1998, the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) released the first guidance for industry regarding pharmacokinetic (PK) studies in renally impaired patients. This study aimed to determine if the FDA renal PK guidance influenced the frequency and rigor of renal studies conducted for new chemical entities (NCEs). FDA‐approved package inserts (APIs) and clinical pharmacology review documents were analyzed for 194 NCEs approved from 1999 to 2010. Renal studies were conducted in 71.6% of NCEs approved from 1999 to 2010, a significant increase over the 56.3% conducted from 1996 to 1997 (P = .0242). Renal studies were more likely to be completed in highly renally excreted drugs (fe ≥ 30%) compared with drugs with low renal excretion, fe < 30% (89.6% vs 65.8%, P = .0015). PK studies to assess the impact of dialysis were conducted for 31.7% of NCEs that had a renal study: a greater proportion of high fe NCEs were studied (44.2% vs 26.0%, P = .0335). No significant change in frequency or rigor of PK studies was detected over time. The majority of NCEs (76.3%) with a renal study provided specific dosing recommendations in the API. The adoption of the 1998 FDA guidance has resulted in improved availability of PK and drug‐dosing recommendations, particularly for high fe drugs.
Ultrastructure of dermal denticles in sharpnose shark (Rhizoprionodon lalandii) (Elasmobranchii, Carcharhinidae)
Authors: Laranjeira M.E. , Guimarães J.P. , Amorim A.F. , Rotundo M. , Rici R.E.G. , Mari R.B.
Published: August 2015

The presence of denticles in the external surface, oral cavity, fins, and clasper of Elasmobranchii has been widely reported. These structures, called body denticles, may be observed on the body surface of sharks. Dermal and oral denticles are made up by a basal plate that is embedded in the dermis, forming a peduncle that grows from the base to the crown. These denticles may protect the skin against abrasion, and improve hydrodynamics and gill arches function. Rhizoprionodon lalandii is a widely distributed and very common species in Brazilian coastal areas. The aims of this study was to compare the morphology of oral and body denticles of R. lalandii to understand the implications of these structures in the behavior of these animals. Morphological analysis showed that there are differences between dermal and oral denticles, which are related to their role in different body regions. Body denticles have three cusps, and well‐defined crests and ridges, and literature data suggest that suggest that hydrodynamics is their main function. Most of the oral denticles have only one cusp, and their morphology and distribution showed that their main functions are preparing food to be swallowed and protecting the oral cavity against abrasion. Microsc. Res. Tech. 78:859–864, 2015. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Serum level of C‐reactive protein is not a parameter to determine the difference between viral and atypical bacterial infections
Authors: Durán Anyelo , González Andrea , Delgado Lineth , Mosquera Jesús , Valero Nereida
Published: August 2015

C‐reactive protein (CRP) is an acute‐phase reactant that increases in the circulation in response to a variety of inflammatory stimuli. Elevated levels in serum during several infectious diseases have been reported. In this study, a highly sensitive CRP enzyme immunoassay was used to evaluate serum CRP values in patients with viral and atypical bacterial infections. Patients (n = 139) with different viral or atypical bacterial infections (systemic or respiratory) and healthy controls (n = 40) were tested for circulating CRP values. High levels of IgM antibodies against several viruses: Dengue virus (n = 36), Cytomegalovirus (n = 9), Epstein Barr virus (n = 17), Parvovirus B19 (n = 26), Herpes simplex 1 and 2 virus (n = 3) and Influenza A and B (n = 8) and against atypical bacteria: Legionella pneumophila (n = 15), Mycoplasma pneumoniae (n = 21) and Coxiella burnetii (n = 4) were found. High values of CRP in infected patients compared with controls (P < 0.001) were found; however, no significant differences between viral and atypical bacterial infections were found. Low levels of CRP in respiratory and Coxiella burnetii infections compared with exanthematic viral and other atypical bacterial infections were found. This study suggests that CRP values are useful to define viral and atypical bacterial infections compared with normal values, but, it is not useful to define type of infection. J. Med. Virol. 88:351–355, 2016. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Increased expression and activation of cathepsin K in human osteoarthritic cartilage and synovial tissues
Authors: Kozawa Eiji , Cheng Xian Wu , Urakawa Hiroshi , Arai Eisuke , Yamada Yoshihisa , Kitamura Shinji , Sato Koji , Kuzuya Masafumi , Ishiguro Naoki , Nishida Yoshihiro
Published: August 2015

Few studies have analyzed Cathepsin K (CatK) expression in human osteoarthritic tissues. We investigated CatK expression and activation in human articular cartilage using clinical specimens. Human osteoarthritic cartilage was obtained during surgery of total hip arthroplasty (n = 10), and control cartilage was from that of femoral head replacement for femoral neck fracture (n = 10). CatB, CatK, CatL, CatS, and Cystatin C (CysC) expressions were evaluated immunohistochemically and by real‐time PCR. Intracellular CatK protein was quantified by ELISA. Intracellular CatK activity was also investigated. Osteoarthritis (OA) chondrocytes were strongly stained with CatK, particularly in the superficial layer and more damaged areas. CatB, CatL, CatS, and CysC were weakly stained. CatK mRNA expression was significantly higher in OA group compared to that in control group (p = 0.043), whereas those of CatB, CatL, CatS, and CysC did not differ significantly. Mean CatK concentration (4.83 pmol/g protein) in OA chondrocytes was higher than that (3.91 pmol/g protein) in control chondrocytes (p = 0.001). CatK was enzymatically more activated in OA chondrocytes as compared with control chondrocytes. This study, for the first time, revealed increased CatK expression and activation in human OA cartilage, suggesting possible crucial roles for it in the pathogenesis of osteoarthritic change in articular cartilage. © 2015 Orthopaedic Research Society. Published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Orthop Res 34:127–134, 2016.
Vibrational studies of polar aprotic molecule in aromatic chemical and isotropic solvents: experimental and quantum chemical investigations
Authors: Upadhyay Ganesh , Upadhyaya Pradeep , Devi Th. Gomti
Published: August 2015

Raman spectroscopic technique has been used to study the intermolecular interactions and dynamics of SO, C―H and CSC stretching modes of dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) in binary mixtures using methyl benzene (MBN) and deuterated methyl benzene (MBNd) aromatic solvents. The Raman band of SO stretching mode has been deconvoluted into four distinct bands for neat DMSO as well as in binary mixtures. Deconvoluted bands in neat DMSO were assigned as monomer, cyclic out‐of‐phase, cyclic in‐phase and chain dimers having peak wavenumbers 1069.10, 1056.60, 1041.50 and 1027.30 cm−1 respectively. Peak wavenumber of SO stretching mode shows red shift, while peak wavenumbers of C―H and CSC stretching modes show blue shift with the increase in solvent concentration. The vibrational relaxation phenomena for all the stretching modes have been studied as a function of solvent concentration. Quantum‐chemical calculations have been carried out to gain more insight into the self‐association of DMSO and in interacting environment with the solvents using ab initio and density functional theory method. The ab initio basis set is HF/6‐31 + G (d, p) for the interacting system. The hydrogen bond complexes of DMSO with MBN and MBNd using IEF‐PCM model have been calculated using B3LYP functional and 6‐31 + G(d,p) basis sets. Theoretical calculations have been compared with the experimental findings and we obtained good coherence of the results. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Carbon monoxide as stunning/killing method on farmed Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar): effects on lipid and cholesterol oxidation
Authors: Secci Giulia , Serra Andrea , Concollato Anna , Conte Giuseppe , Mele Marcello , Olsen Rolf E , Parisi Giuliana
Published: August 2015

BACKGROUND

Carbon monoxide (CO) has been recently utilized as a new stunning/killing procedure for Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar). Its effects on lipid and cholesterol oxidation of farmed Atlantic salmon fillets were evaluated at two times of refrigerated (2.5 °C) storage, T0 (64 h after death) and T14 (14 days from T0). The use of CO was compared with the commonly utilized percussion (P) method.

RESULTS

Fatty acid profile, primary (conjugated dienes) and secondary (TBARS) oxidation products, cholesterol oxidation products (COPs) and carotenoids were unaffected by the killing method. Despite the low oxidative status of lipid (0.66 and 0.60 mg malondialdehyde kg−1 muscle in P and CO fish respectively), cholesterol was found to be highly oxidized (0.17 and 0.13 mg COPs kg−1). Storage significantly affected oxidative stability of fish muscle by increasing oxidation products. Interestingly, TBARS content doubled while the increase for COPs was not homogeneous: α‐ and β‐epoxycholesterol increased by 25%, whereas triol and 7‐ketocholesterol increased by 48 and 62% respectively.

CONCLUSION

The quality of salmon fillets just after slaughtering and after 14 days of refrigerated storage at 2.5 °C did not change, irrespective of the killing method adopted, suggesting that the CO method may be applied without any detrimental effect on the quality of fish fillets. © 2015 Society of Chemical Industry
Prognostic factors in surgical resection of sacral chordoma
Authors: Angelini Andrea , Pala Elisa , Calabrò Teresa , Maraldi Marco , Ruggieri Pietro
Published: August 2015

Background and objectives

The best treatment of sacral chordoma is surgical resection, nowadays associated with optimized radiation therapy. We analysed 1) the oncologic outcome in a large series; 2) the effect of previous intralesional surgery, resection level, tumor volume and margins on survivorship to local recurrence (LR) and 3) the complication rate.

Methods

We reviewed 71 patients with sacral chordomas. Forty‐eight resections were proximal to S3. Mean tumor volume was 535 cm3. Eleven received previous intralesional surgery elsewhere. Margins were wide in 44 resections, wide‐contaminated in 11, marginal in 9 and intralesional in 7.

Results

Overall survival was 92%, 65% and 44% at 5, 10 and 15 years. At a mean of 9.5 years 37 were NED (54.4%), 23 died with disease (33.8%) and 8 were alive with disease (11.7%). Relapses included 15 LRs, 6 distant metastases, 17 both. LR rate was significantly higher in patients with previous surgery (p=0.0217), with inadequate margins (p= 0.0339) and large tumors(p<0.01), whereas resection level was not significant. Multivariate analysis confirmed the role of tumor volume. Complication rate was high (80.9%) with an infection rate of 41.2%.

Conclusions

The most prominent adverse factor for LR was previous intralesional surgery. LR rate was related with inadequate margins and tumor volume. J. Surg. Oncol. 2015; 112:344–351. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Impact of Quetiapine Treatment on Duration of Hypoactive Delirium in Critically Ill Adults: A Retrospective Analysis
Authors: Michaud Christopher J. , Bullard Heather M. , Harris Serena A. , Thomas Wendy L.
Published: August 2015

Study Objective

Because delirium remains a common consequence of critical illness, and reducing its duration has been shown to have a positive impact on patient outcomes during and after an intensive care unit (ICU) stay, we sought to determine whether treatment of hypoactive delirium with quetiapine reduces the duration of delirium compared with no pharmacologic treatment.

Design

Retrospective cohort study.

Setting

Three medical‐surgical ICUs within the two main campuses of an academic tertiary care hospital system.

Patients

A total of 113 adults with documented hypoactive delirium during an ICU length of stay (LOS) of at least 72 hours between August 2013 and September 2014; 52 patients received at least one dose of quetiapine during their hypoactive delirium course, and 61 patients received no pharmacologic delirium treatment.

Measurements and Main Results

Patients were screened for hypoactive delirium using the Confusion Assessment Method‐ICU (CAM‐ICU) and the Richmond Agitation Sedation Scale (RASS). The primary outcome was time to first resolution of delirium, and secondary outcomes included ICU and hospital LOS, and duration of mechanical ventilation. To assess potential adverse effects of quetiapine, the number of RASS assessments deeper than goal and the total number of RASS assessments documented during the delirium course were recorded for all patients. Daily progress notes and discharge documentation were surveyed to assess for new onset of extrapyramidal symptoms or torsade de pointes. Median duration of hypoactive delirium was shorter in the quetiapine‐treated group compared with the no‐quetiapine group (1.5 vs 2.0 days, p=0.04), and time to extubation after screening positive for delirium trended favorably toward quetiapine‐treated patients (3 vs 5 days, p=0.08). There were no significant differences in ICU or hospital LOS, and safety outcomes were similar between groups.

Conclusion

In this mixed ICU population, treatment of hypoactive delirium with quetiapine was safe and reduced the duration of delirium compared with standard care alone. Prospective placebo‐controlled studies are needed to further assess the role of antipsychotics in hypoactive delirium.
Palladium‐catalyzed cyclization of 2‐alkynyl‐N‐ethanoyl anilines to indoles: synthesis, structural, spectroscopic, and mechanistic study
Authors: Hoque Mohammad Mazharol , Halim Mohammad A. , Sarwar Mohammed G. , Khan Md. Wahab
Published: August 2015

This study reports a facial regio‐selective synthesis of 2‐alkyl‐N‐ethanoyl indoles from substituted‐N‐ethanoyl anilines employing palladium (II) chloride, which acts as a cyclization catalyst. The mechanistic trait of palladium‐based cyclization is also explored by employing density functional theory. In a two‐step mechanism, the palladium, which attaches to the ethylene carbons, promotes the proton transfer and cyclization. The gas‐phase barrier height of the first transition state is 37 kcal/mol, indicating the rate‐determining step of this reaction. Incorporating acetonitrile through the solvation model on density solvation model reduces the barrier height to 31 kcal/mol. In the presence of solvent, the electron‐releasing (–CH3) group has a greater influence on the reduction of the barrier height compared with the electron‐withdrawing group (–Cl). These results further confirm that solvent plays an important role on palladium‐catalyzed proton transfer and cyclization. For unveiling structural, spectroscopic, and photophysical properties, experimental and computational studies are also performed. Thermodynamic analysis discloses that these reactions are exothermic. The highest occupied molecular orbitallowest unoccupied molecular orbital gap (4.9–5.0 eV) confirms that these compounds are more chemically reactive than indole. The calculated UV–Vis spectra by time‐dependent density functional theory exhibit strong peaks at 290, 246, and 232 nm, in good agreement with the experimental results. Moreover, experimental and computed 1H and 13C NMR chemical shifts of the indole derivatives are well correlated. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Flexible regression models for ROC and risk analysis, with or without a gold standard
Authors: Branscum Adam J. , Johnson Wesley O. , Hanson Timothy E. , Baron Andre T.
Published: August 2015

A novel semiparametric regression model is developed for evaluating the covariate‐specific accuracy of a continuous medical test or biomarker. Ideally, studies designed to estimate or compare medical test accuracy will use a separate, flawless gold‐standard procedure to determine the true disease status of sampled individuals. We treat this as a special case of the more complicated and increasingly common scenario in which disease status is unknown because a gold‐standard procedure does not exist or is too costly or invasive for widespread use. To compensate for missing data on disease status, covariate information is used to discriminate between diseased and healthy units. We thus model the probability of disease as a function of ‘disease covariates’. In addition, we model test/biomarker outcome data to depend on ‘test covariates’, which provides researchers the opportunity to quantify the impact of covariates on the accuracy of a medical test. We further model the distributions of test outcomes using flexible semiparametric classes. An important new theoretical result demonstrating model identifiability under mild conditions is presented. The modeling framework can be used to obtain inferences about covariate‐specific test accuracy and the probability of disease based on subject‐specific disease and test covariate information. The value of the model is illustrated using multiple simulation studies and data on the age‐adjusted ability of soluble epidermal growth factor receptor – a ubiquitous serum protein – to serve as a biomarker of lung cancer in men.SAScode for fitting the model is provided. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Frostschäden an stählernen Hohlbauteilen
Authors: Moser Johannes
Published: August 2015

Hohlbauteile werden als luftdicht verschweißte Tragelemente geplant und doch treten gelegentlich Schäden durch inneren Eisdruck auf, wenn Wasser eingedrungen ist, das im Winter gefriert. Fünf Schadensbeispiele werden analysiert und daraus eine allgemeine Beschreibung des Schädigungsverlaufs abgeleitet. Es folgen praxisorientierte Hinweise zur Schadensprävention, wobei der Schwerpunkt auf der Bauwerksprüfung liegt.

Frost damages at steel hollow sections. Steel hollow sections are often sealed by welding. Nevertheless ice pressure can damage those cells, if intruding water begins to freeze in winter. From the analysis of five cases a general description of frost damage is derived. Recommendations of the prevention of damages with focus on the inspection of structures are given.
Preparation and characterization of vinyltrimethoxysilane and dicumyl peroxide–cured (ethylene propylene diene monomer)/polypropylene thermoplastic vulcanizates
Authors: Mali Manoj , Kadam Pravin , Mhaske Shashank
Published: August 2015

The present investigation deals with understanding the influence of vinyltrimethoxysilane (VTMS) concentration on the mechanical, thermal, thermomechanical, rheological, morphological, gel content, crosslinking density, and compression set properties of dynamically vulcanized ethylene propylene diene monomer (EPDM)/polypropylene (PP) (60/40, w/w) ‐based thermoplastic vulcanizates. It was determined that the values of crosslinking density, gel content, tensile strength, Young's modulus, elongation at break, and viscosity increased; whereas that of compression set, melting temperature, enthalpy of melting, crystallinity, and damping factor decreased with increased addition of VTMS in the EPDM/PP‐based thermoplastic vulcanizate. This is attributed to the physical crosslinking caused because of VTMS grafting on EPDM and chemical crosslinking induced by VTMS between PP and EPDM. This has been confirmed by Fourier‐transform infrared spectroscopy spectra, whereas the thermomechanical and scanning electron microscopy analysis confirmed increased compatibility between EPDM and PP on the addition of VTMS. J. VINYL ADDIT. TECHNOL., 23:312–320, 2017. © 2015 Society of Plastics Engineers
Barriers to Essential Surgical Care in Low‐ and Middle‐Income Countries: A Pilot Study of a Comprehensive Assessment Tool in Ghana
Authors: Stewart Barclay T. , Gyedu Adam , Abantanga Francis , Abdulai Abdul Rashid , Boakye Godfred , Kushner Adam
Published: August 2015

Background

Beyond resource deficiencies, other barriers to care prevent patients from receiving surgery in low‐ and middle‐income countries (LMICs). This study aimed to develop and pilot a comprehensive, generalizable tool for assessing the barriers to surgical care.

Methods

Sociodemographic, clinical and 38 questions regarding potential barriers to surgical care were asked during a surgical outreach to two district and one regional hospital in Upper East Region, Ghana. Sites were selected to capture individuals with prolonged unmet surgical needs and represent geographic, socioeconomic, and healthcare development differences. Results were indexed into three dimensions of barriers to care (i.e., ‘acceptability,’ ‘affordability,’ and ‘accessibility’) so that communities could be compared and targeted interventions developed.

Results

The tool was administered to 148 participants (98 % response rate): Bolgatanga 54 (37 %); Amiah 16 (11 %); and Sandema 78 (52 %). Amiah had the fewest barriers to surgical care (median index 8.3; IQR 7.6–9.3), followed by Sandema (8.2; IQR 5.3–9.2) and Bolgatanga (6.7; IQR 3.9–9.5). Individual dimension scores (i.e., acceptability, affordability, accessibility) ranged from 10.8 to 18 out of 18 possible points. Main factors contributing to low dimension scores were different between communities: Bolgatanga—cost and healthcare navigation; Amiah—social marginalization and poor medical understanding; Sandema—distance to surgically capable facility.

Conclusion

This study identified a number of significant barriers, as well as successes for patients’ ability and willingness to access surgical care that differed between communities. The tool itself was well accepted, easy to administer and provided valuable data from which targeted interventions can be developed.
A Novel Approach to Major Surgery: Tracking Its Pathophysiologic Footprints
Authors: Mantziari Styliani , Hübner Martin , Coti‐Bertrand Pauline , Pralong François , Demartines Nicolas , Schäfer Markus
Published: August 2015

Background

To study the ‘metabolic profile’ of different surgical procedures and correlate it with pertinent surgical details and postoperative complications.

Methods

We conducted a prospective pilot study of 70 patients, ten for each of the seven following groups: (1) laparoscopic cholecystectomy, (2) incisional hernia repair, (3) laparoscopic and (4) open colon surgery, (5) upper gastrointestinal, (6) hepatic, and (7) pancreatic resections. Biochemical assessment included white blood cell count (WBC), C‐reactive protein (CRP), glucose, triglycerides (TG), albumin (Alb), and pre‐albumin (Pre‐Alb), from the day before surgery until 5 days thereafter. Biological markers were compared for major versus minor surgery groups, which were defined on a clinical basis. Univariable analysis was used to identify risk factors for postoperative complications and p < 0.05 was the significance threshold.

Results

Common findings in all surgery groups were the acute inflammatory response (↑: WBC, CRP, ↓: TG, Alb, pre‐Alb). Using cut‐off values of 240 min operative (OR) time and 300 ml estimated blood loss (EBL), laparoscopic cholecystectomy, incisional hernia repair, and laparoscopic colectomy could be distinguished from open colectomy, upper gastrointestinal, liver, and pancreas resections. In a biochemical level, increased CRP and reduced postoperative Alb levels were highly discriminative of all types of ‘major surgery.’ Significant risk factors for postoperative complications were age, male gender, malignancy, longer OR time, higher blood loss, high CRP, and low Alb levels.

Conclusions

Biochemically, CRP and Alb levels can help quantify the magnitude of the surgical trauma, which is correlated with adverse outcomes.