bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Transsphenoidal surgery and diabetes mellitus: An analysis of inpatient data and complications
Authors: Pines Morgan J. , Raikundalia Milap D. , Svider Peter F. , Baredes Soly , Liu James K. , Eloy Jean Anderson
Published: February 2015

Objectives/Hypothesis

Transsphenoidal surgery (TSS) has emerged as the standard approach for pituitary resection due to its minimally invasive nature. There has been little analysis examining the impact of diabetes mellitus (DM) on patients undergoing TSS. In this study, we characterize DM's association with postoperative TSS complications. In addition to analysis of associated charges and patient demographics, we performed comparison of complication rates between DM and non‐DM patients who have undergone TSS in recent years.

Methods

The Nationwide Inpatient Sample, a database encompassing nearly 8 million inpatient hospitalizations, was evaluated for patients undergoing TSS from 2002 to 2010.

Results

Of 12,938 TSS patients, 2,173 (16.8%) had a DM diagnosis. The non‐DM cohort was younger (50.1 y ± 16.6SD vs. 56.8 y ± 14.1; P < 0.001) and had shorter hospitalizations and lesser charges. DM patients had a greater incidence of pulmonary, cardiac, urinary/renal, and fluid/electrolyte complications, and had a lesser incidence of diabetes insipidus (P < 0.05). Upon controlling for age, the greater incidence of pulmonary and fluid/electrolyte complications was present only among patients < 60 years of age. Higher occurrence of cerebrospinal fluid rhinorrhea was noted among black diabetics when compared to non‐DM blacks.

Conclusions

DM is associated with greater length of stay and hospital charges among TSS patients. DM patients undergoing TSS have a significantly greater incidence of pulmonary and fluid/electrolyte complications among patients under the age of 60, and greater risk for urinary/renal complications across all ages. Despite a theoretical concern due to an impaired wound‐healing in DM patients, association with cerebrospinal fluid rhinorrhea was only noted among black diabetics.

Level of Evidence

2C. Laryngoscope, 125:2273–2279, 2015
Tacrolimus prevents laryngotracheal stenosis in an acute‐injury rat model
Authors: Mizokami Daisuke , Araki Koji , Tanaka Nobuaki , Suzuki Hiroshi , Tomifuji Masayuki , Yamashita Taku , Matsushita Kazuyuki , Shimada Hideaki , Shiotani Akihiro
Published: February 2015

Objectives/Hypothesis

Acquired laryngotracheal stenosis is a challenging problem for otolaryngologists. Several studies suggest tacrolimus may inhibit post‐transplant airway stenosis that occurs with coronary drug‐eluting stents. The objective of the present study was to determine whether tacrolimus modulates wound healing of the airway mucosa and prevents laryngotracheal stenosis in an acute injury animal model.

Study Design

Basic science.

Methods

The laryngotracheal mucosa of rats was scraped with a nylon brush through the tracheostoma. Tacrolimus (0.2 mg/kg or 1.0 mg/kg) was systemically administered intramuscularly for 5 days. Nine days after scraping, the pathological changes and the degree of stenosis were assessed by hematoxylin and eosin staining or by immunohistochemical staining for nuclear factor of activated T cell and interleukin 2.

Results

Lumen stenosis resulted from hyperplasia of the airway epithelium and a thickened submucosal layer with extensive fibrosis, angiogenesis, and collagen deposition. There was a significant preventive effect on airway stenosis at the tracheal and cricoid levels in the low‐dose (0.2 mg/kg) tacrolimus‐treated animals, compared to the untreated animals (P < .05). This effect was insignificant with treatment by high‐dose tacrolimus (1.0 mg/kg). Immunohistochemistry showed that, after tacrolimus treatment, the expressions of nuclear factor of activated T cell and interleukin 2 were downregulated in submucosal fibroblasts, neovascular cells, and glandular cells.

Conclusions

This study suggests that low‐dose systemic tacrolimus has a preventive effect on laryngotracheal stenosis by inhibiting the activation of immune cells in the injured airway mucosa via the calcineurin/nuclear factor of activated T cell/interleukin 2 pathway.

Level of Evidence

NA Laryngoscope, 125:E210–E215, 2015
Variations in the cochlear implant experience in children with enlarged vestibular aqueduct
Authors: Pritchett Cedric , Zwolan Teresa , Huq Farhan , Phillips Amanda , Parmar Hemant , Ibrahim Mohannad , Thorne Marc , Telian Steven
Published: February 2015

Objectives/Hypothesis

To describe the clinical experience and characterize the outcomes of cochlear implantation (CI) in children with isolated enlarged vestibular aqueduct (IEVA) as compared to children with enlarged vestibular aqueduct (EVA) associated with other bony labyrinth abnormalities.

Study Design

Single, tertiary care, institutional retrospective review over 2 decades.

Methods

The clinical course and outcomes of 55 children with EVA undergoing CI between 1991 and 2013 were reviewed. Test measures included open and closed set speech perception tests, and various speech and language measures.

Results

In 18 children (32.7%), IEVA was the only defect present. In 33 children (60%), EVA occurred concomitantly with incomplete partition type 2 (IP 2) bilaterally, and three children with incomplete partition type 1 bilaterally. Ninety‐two percent (51 of 55) occurred bilaterally and had matching bony defects. Mean age of CI was 73.4 months. A statistically significant defect‐related and linguistic‐status pattern was noted, impacting the timing of implantation: IEVA = 112.8 months, IP 2 = 58.4 months (P < .001), prelingual deafness = 53.8 months, postlingual deafness = 110.8 months (P < .001). Controlling for implant age and hearing loss severity, IEVA children demonstrated superior performance on speech perception tests (8.2 to 20.3 point differences), though statistical significance was inconsistent (P = .01–.40. Performance was also superior in speech and language tests, though statistical significance was never reached (2.9–13.9 point differences; P = .14–.69).

Conclusions

Children with hearing loss secondary to EVA respond meaningfully to cochlear implantation. However, the severity of temporal bone anomalies in these children has clinical relevance.

Level of Evidence

4 Laryngoscope, 125:2169–2174, 2015
GTM‐Based QSAR Models and Their Applicability Domains
Authors: Gaspar H. A. , Baskin I. I. , Marcou G. , Horvath D. , Varnek A.
Published: February 2015

In this paper we demonstrate that Generative Topographic Mapping (GTM), a machine learning method traditionally used for data visualisation, can be efficiently applied to QSAR modelling using probability distribution functions (PDF) computed in the latent 2‐dimensional space. Several different scenarios of the activity assessment were considered: (i) the “activity landscape” approach based on direct use of PDF, (ii) QSAR models involving GTM‐generated on descriptors derived from PDF, and, (iii) the k‐Nearest Neighbours approach in 2D latent space. Benchmarking calculations were performed on five different datasets: stability constants of metal cations Ca2+, Gd3+ and Lu3+ complexes with organic ligands in water, aqueous solubility and activity of thrombin inhibitors. It has been shown that the performance of GTM‐based regression models is similar to that obtained with some popular machine‐learning methods (random forest, k‐NN, M5P regression tree and PLS) and ISIDA fragment descriptors. By comparing GTM activity landscapes built both on predicted and experimental activities, we may visually assess the model’s performance and identify the areas in the chemical space corresponding to reliable predictions. The applicability domain used in this work is based on data likelihood. Its application has significantly improved the model performances for 4 out of 5 datasets.
Interleukin‐32β ameliorates metabolic disorder and liver damage in mice fed high‐fat diet
Authors: Lee Dong Hun , Hong Ji Eun , Yun Hyung‐Mun , Hwang Chul Ju , Park Ju Ho , Han Sang Bae , Yoon Do Young , Song Min Jong , Hong Jin Tae
Published: February 2015

Objective

Chronic excessive food intake leads to energy imbalance, resulting in hepatic steatosis and inflammation. Interleukin‐32 (IL‐32) is known to be a pro‐inflammatory cytokine associated with chronic inflammation and cancer. Therefore, the relationship between IL‐32 and chronic excessive food intake‐induced liver disease was investigated.

Methods

Male IL‐32β transgenic and wild‐type mice were fed a high‐fat diet (HFD) for 15 weeks. They were compared with wild‐type mice on a standard chow diet. Daily food intake, body and liver weight, serum biochemistry, histopathological analysis of the liver, and hepatic immune response were determined.

Results

IL‐32β mice on HFD showed lower lipid accumulation, reduced infiltration of immune cells, and lower production of pro‐inflammatory cytokines in the liver. The expression of the peroxisome proliferator‐activated receptor γ (PPARγ) was downregulated and the adenosine 50‐monophosphate (AMP)‐activated protein kinase (AMPK) was activated in the liver of IL‐32β mice compared to wild‐type mice. Furthermore, IL‐32β over‐expression activated the AMPK pathway and IL‐32β downregulation inactivated the AMPK pathway in HepG2 cells under high‐glucose conditions.

Conclusions

These data suggest that IL‐32β modulates lipid accumulation through inhibition of PPARγ expression and AMPK activation.
Changes in insulin‐like growth factor‐I and ‐II associated with fat but not lean mass in early old age
Authors: Bann David , Holly Jeff M.P. , Lashen Hany , Hardy Rebecca , Adams Judith , Kuh Diana , Ong Ken K. , Ben‐Shlomo Yoav
Published: February 2015

Objective

To test the hypothesis that insulin‐like growth factors‐I and II (IGF‐I and II) decline during late midlife and that greater declines are related to higher fat mass and lower lean mass.

Methods

A total of 1,542 men and women in a British birth cohort study had IGF‐I and II measured by immunoassay of blood samples at age 53 and/or 60‐64 years. Fat mass, android:gynoid fat ratio, and appendicular lean mass were measured at 60‐64 years using dual‐energy X‐ray absorptiometry (DXA). Associations between changes in IGF‐I or II and body composition outcomes were examined using conditional change linear regression models.

Results

Mean IGF‐I and IGF‐II concentrations were lower at 60‐64 than at 53 years, by 12.8% for IGF‐I and by 12.5% for IGF‐II. Larger declines in either IGF‐I or II were associated with higher fat mass at 60‐64 years. Although higher IGF‐I at 53 years was associated with higher lean mass, there was little evidence linking changes in IGF‐I or II to lean mass.

Conclusions

The findings suggest that IGF‐I and II concentrations decline with age, and greater declines are associated with higher fat mass levels. These results provide some evidence for the suggested roles of IGF‐I and II in regulating fat mass but not lean mass in older age.
Cardiovascular, metabolic, and coronary dysfunction in high‐Fat‐Fed obesity‐resistant/prone rats
Authors: Dake Brian L. , Oltman Christine L.
Published: February 2015

Objective

Obesity is a global epidemic leading to several comorbidities including diabetes and cardiovascular disease. The hypothesis that the genetic background of the obesity‐prone rat (OP) predisposes to physiologic, metabolic, and microvascular dysfunction which is exacerbated by a diet high in saturated fats was tested.

Methods

Male OP and obesity‐resistant (OR) rats were fed either a diet containing 10% (chow) or 45% kcal fat (HF) for 42 weeks.

Results

Weight of OP rats was greater than OR rats by 8 weeks on both diets. Blood pressure was increased in OP rats on chow and further augmented by HF diet compared to OR rats on similar diets. In contrast to weight and blood pressure, glucose clearance was similar in OR and OP rats on chow and impaired in both models on HF diet. Relaxation to acetylcholine was attenuated in OP rats compared to OR rats by 8 weeks and remained reduced throughout the study. A longer period of time was required to observe vascular dysfunction in HF‐fed OR rats.

Conclusions

When compared to OR rats, OP rats are prone to develop not only greater obesity but also hypertension and vascular dysfunction on a normal diet which is further augmented with HF diet.
Risk and injury severity of obese child passengers in motor vehicle crashes
Authors: Kim Jong‐Eun , Hsieh Min‐Heng , Shum Phillip C. , Tubbs R. Shane , Allison David B.
Published: February 2015

Objective

To investigate the risk and injury severity on the regional body (head, neck, and chest) of obese children in frontal motor vehicle crashes (MVCs).

Methods

No physical surrogates (i.e., crash dummies) for obese children were available, and experiments on pediatric cadavers were generally not feasible. Therefore, computational models of obese children using medical imaging processing and state‐of‐the‐art modeling techniques were developed. A hybrid modeling technique was used to integrate the finite element model for torso fat layer into the standard multibody model to represent various levels of obese children for 3‐ and 6‐year‐old age groups. The models were used to investigate injury severity under various crash scenarios through model simulations.

Results

The head injury criterion and chest acceleration were observed to increase as body mass index (BMI) increased. Meanwhile, no such correlations were found between BMI and neck injury and chest deformation. Forward head and torso excursions were observed to increase as obesity increased, owing to the momentum effect of greater body mass.

Conclusions

Obese children appeared to have greater risks for head and chest injuries than do their non‐obese counterparts in frontal MVCs, owing to higher head and chest accelerations induced by greater body excursion.
Blunted suppression of acyl‐ghrelin in response to fructose ingestion in obese adolescents: The role of insulin resistance
Authors: Van Name Michelle , Giannini Cosimo , Santoro Nicola , Jastreboff Ania M. , Kubat Jessica , Li Fangyong , Kursawe Romy , Savoye Mary , Duran Elvira , Dziura James , Sinha Rajita , Sherwin Robert S. , Cline Gary , Caprio Sonia
Published: February 2015

Objective

Fructose consumption has risen alongside obesity and diabetes. Gut hormones involved in hunger and satiety (ghrelin and PYY) may respond differently to fructose compared with glucose ingestion. This study evaluated the effects of glucose and fructose ingestion on ghrelin and PYY in lean and obese adolescents with differing insulin sensitivity.

Methods

Adolescents were divided into lean (n = 14), obese insulin sensitive (n = 12) (OIS), and obese insulin resistant (n = 15) (OIR). In a double‐blind, cross‐over design, subjects drank 75 g of glucose or fructose in random order, serum was obtained every 10 minutes for 60 minutes.

Results

Baseline acyl‐ghrelin was highest in lean and lowest in OIR (P = 0.02). After glucose ingestion, acyl‐ghrelin decreased similarly in lean and OIS but was lower in OIR (vs. lean, P = 0.03). Suppression differences were more pronounced after fructose (lean vs. OIS, P = 0.008, lean vs. OIR, P < 0.001). OIS became significantly hungrier after fructose (P = 0.015). PYY was not significantly different at baseline, varied minimally after glucose, and rose after fructose.

Conclusions

Compared with lean, OIS adolescents have impaired acyl‐ghrelin responses to fructose but not glucose, whereas OIR adolescents have blunted responses to both. Diminished suppression of acyl‐ghrelin in childhood obesity, particularly if accompanied by insulin resistance, may promote hunger and overeating.
A visual review of the interactome of LRRK2: Using deep‐curated molecular interaction data to represent biology
Authors: Porras Pablo , Duesbury Margaret , Fabregat Antonio , Ueffing Marius , Orchard Sandra , Gloeckner Christian Johannes , Hermjakob Henning
Published: February 2015

Molecular interaction databases are essential resources that enable access to a wealth of information on associations between proteins and other biomolecules. Network graphs generated from these data provide an understanding of the relationships between different proteins in the cell, and network analysis has become a widespread tool supporting –omics analysis. Meaningfully representing this information remains far from trivial and different databases strive to provide users with detailed records capturing the experimental details behind each piece of interaction evidence. A targeted curation approach is necessary to transfer published data generated by primarily low‐throughput techniques into interaction databases. In this review we present an example highlighting the value of both targeted curation and the subsequent effective visualization of detailed features of manually curated interaction information. We have curated interactions involving LRRK2, a protein of largely unknown function linked to familial forms of Parkinson's disease, and hosted the data in the IntAct database. This LRRK2‐specific dataset was then used to produce different visualization examples highlighting different aspects of the data: the level of confidence in the interaction based on orthogonal evidence, those interactions found under close‐to‐native conditions, and the enzyme–substrate relationships in different in vitro enzymatic assays. Finally, pathway annotation taken from the Reactome database was overlaid on top of interaction networks to bring biological functional context to interaction maps.
Restructuring Sharing Time for English Learners and Their Parents
Authors: Protacio Maria Selena , Edwards Patricia A.
Published: February 2015

In this article, the authors discuss how sharing time, a staple classroom practice in primary grade classrooms, was modified to increase involvement among parents ofELLs. The authors discuss the benefits of modifying sharing time to focus on specific cultural artifacts fromELLs’ native culture. This modification allowed for meaningful conversations and planning to occur betweenELLs and their parents. The sharing time presentation also increased the interest and knowledge of theELLs and their classmates about their native culture.
Inquiry as ESL
Authors: Moses Lindsey , Busetti‐Frevert Rachel , Pritchard Rachael
Published: February 2015

This article includes discussion about a formative study in which inquiry was used as ESL instruction for second‐grade emerging bilinguals. Drawing on the literature and research surrounding English learners, comprehension, informational text and inquiry, the teachers and researcher integrated comprehension strategy instruction with inquiry and research skills as an instructional approach to support the development of informational reading, writing, listening and speaking in English. The five most frequently used and instructionally essential strategies identified for facilitating the research projects during the study are reported. Each strategy and anchor lesson is explained along with the teachers’ narrative account of how they continued facilitating inquiry throughout the week with teaching tips they developed throughout the unit of inquiry. The classroom teachers share challenges, successes and reasons for using inquiry with accompanying photos of student work.
Effect of reaction media on clay dispersion and mechanical properties in poly(butylene succinate)/organoclay nanocomposites
Authors: Tian Qin , Qin Shuhao , Long Lijuan , Jiang Yehua , Zhou Rongfeng , Zhou Rong , He Wentao , Xu Guomin
Published: February 2015

The effect of the reaction media on clay dispersion and mechanical properties in poly(butylene succinate) (PBS, a biodegradable aliphatic thermoplastic polyester)/organoclay nanocomposites was investigated in this article. The results suggested that the most dispersed structures can be observed for organoclay modified in supercritical carbon dioxide (scCO2), which was used as solvent in the modification of montmorillonite in this study known for its environmentally benign, inexpensive, and nonflammable solvent, high diffusivity like a gas, near‐zero surface tension, low viscosity and density like a liquid, and high‐solvency power tunable by adjusting pressure and then organoclay modified in ethanol, while the least for organoclay was modified in distilled water. The results also confirmed intercalation‐predominate structures were obtained for nanocomposites of PBS with organoclay modified in ethanol, the mixture of intercalated and exfoliated structures for nanocomposites of PBS with organoclay modified in distilled water, but when clay was modified in scCO2, exfoliation‐predominate structures were observed for the nanocomposites. The storage modulus was significantly enhanced below the glass transition temperature, and the glass transition temperature shifted to a higher temperature compared with pure PBS and the maximum for PBS‐based nanocomposite of pretreated grafted montmorillonite via modification with trihexyltetradecylphosphonium chloride in scCO2 (OGMMTc). The mechanical properties including tensile strength and notched impact strength first decreased and then increased, whereas flexural strength and flexural modulus steadily and nearly linearly increased, maximum for PBS/OGMMTc nanocomposite, owing to the strong interaction between matrix and clay, which ultimately led to better overall dispersion. J. VINYL ADDIT. TECHNOL., 22:423–432, 2016. © 2015 Society of Plastics Engineers
Comparison of stormwater biofiltration systems in Southeast Australia and Southern California
Authors: Ambrose Richard F. , Winfrey Brandon K.
Published: February 2015

Stormwater biofilters (also called rain gardens, bioretention systems, and bioswales) are used to manage stormwater runoff in urbanized environments. Some benefits of biofilters include flood prevention, stormwater runoff water quality improvement, and wildlife habitat. This technology has been implemented on a larger scale in southeast Australia, but cities and counties in southern California just beginning to construct biofilter systems to manage stormwater runoff. Biofilters tend to be larger in southern California than in southeast Australia. Differences in rainfall patterns likely affect biofilter function. Southern California has much longer periods between rain events than southeast Australia, providing challenges to establishing and maintaining vegetation in biofilters. The use of biofilters for restoring predevelopment flow regimes has been studied in a peri‐urban watershed in southeast Australia, but flow regime restoration is not likely in highly urbanized locations in both Australia and southern California. However, stormwater runoff treatment and harvesting in decentralized biofilters could substantially reduce storm flows and improve water quality in receiving waters while improving urban water supply and extending the life of existing stormwater management infrastructure. WIREs Water 2015, 2:131–146. doi: 10.1002/wat2.1064

This article is categorized under:

Water and Life > Conservation, Management, and Awareness

Engineering Water > Sustainable Engineering of Water
Customs, habits, and traditions: the role of nonscientific factors in the development of ecological assessment methods
Authors: Kelly Martyn G. , Schneider Susanne C. , King Lydia
Published: February 2015

A large number of new ecological assessment tools have been developed in Europe in response to the obligations imposed on Member States by the Water Framework Directive. These have been extensively evaluated and compared to ensure consistent application of this legislation across the European Union. In this essay, we suggest that part of the variation between national approaches reflects differences in the customs, habits, and traditions of the Member States. Using phytobenthos (benthic algae) as an example, we show how the initial selection of a method may, itself, generate an infrastructure that makes it harder for an organization to change to an alternative method in the future. Differences in academic tradition around Europe, exemplified by the strong tradition of teaching systematic biology in central Europe, can lead to differences in the types of method that are adopted that cannot be explained wholly by their effectiveness as measures of ecological status. This focus on national differences in assessment, however, needs to be set in context in a wider debate about the effectiveness of water management regimes, if the objectives of the Water Framework Directive are to be achieved. WIREs Water 2015, 2:159–165. doi: 10.1002/wat2.1068

This article is categorized under:

Water and Life > Conservation, Management, and Awareness

Human Water > Water Governance
Structural and Magnetic Characterization of Single‐phase Sponge‐like Bulk α′′‐Fe16N2
Authors: Widenmeyer Marc , Shlyk Larysa , Senyshyn Anatoliy , Mönig Reiner , Niewa Rainer
Published: February 2015

Improvements of the two‐step reaction sequence starting from γ‐Fe2O3 enabled us to synthesize α′′‐Fe16N2 in single phase according to the applied diffraction methods. Simultaneous Rietveld refinements were carried out on powder X‐ray and neutron diffraction data. Scanning electron microscopy images of the in situ formed α‐Fe and α′′‐Fe16N2 indicate the formation of pores during reduction and ammonolysis reaction, respectively, resulting in a sponge‐like morphology of the α′′‐Fe16N2 particles and simultaneously a large surface area facilitating a complete reaction at comparably low temperatures of 125 °C. The large surface area is susceptible to the sorption of impurities and indeed chemical analysis reveals significant oxygen and hydrogen contamination of the sample. From EDX measurements in combination with the results of chemical analysis a sorption of humidity to the surface seems to be more likely to explain this contamination than an incorporation of oxygen into the bulk of the sample. Magnetization measurements on the bulk sample of α′′‐Fe16N2 did not reveal any indication for the presence of a proposed giant magnetic effect.
Bayesian Assessment of Genetic Risk in Families with a Balanced Translocation
Authors: VanDerwerken Douglas
Published: February 2015

An important problem from the field of genetics involves the calculation of a personalized risk estimate on behalf of a heterozygous carrier of a balanced translocation. Though phenotypically normal, the carrier may be at increased risk of having a child who is mentally and physically abnormal due to an unbalanced translocation of chromosomal segments. An accurate estimate of the probability of this event is understandably desirable. Unfortunately, translocations are almost always family‐specific so there is very little data that are perfectly relevant and one has to rely heavily on general risk figures derived from studies of families with similar translocations. This makes the problem particularly well suited to Bayesian analysis, which coherently combines family‐specific data and a priori knowledge. However, much of the genetics counseling literature recommends an either/or approach: if the family is large enough, use family data; else, use pooled population data. In this article, we describe how uncertainty can be significantly reduced by incorporating all available information in the context of deriving a risk estimate for a hypothetical familial translocation.
Assessment of Fetal Nasal Bone Length and Nasofrontal Angle in the Second Trimester in Normal Indian Pregnancies
Authors: Kashikar Shivali V. , Lakhkar Bhushan N.
Published: February 2015

The authors aimed to establish the reference ranges of fetal nasal bone length (NBL) in the second trimester and evaluate the relationship between fetal NBL and biparietal diameter (BPD) at 17–22 weeks of gestation in the Indian population. The authors also determined the normal ranges of the fetal nasofrontal angle (NFA). Ultrasound examination was done in 486 singleton pregnancies at 17–22 weeks of gestation. The fetal NBL was measured in millimeters in a strict sagittal view of the fetal head. The NFA was also measured in this mid-sagittal profile. The authors present the normal range of fetal NBL. Mean NBL was found to increase linearly with advancing gestation and BPD. The NBL appears to be marginally longer in Indian fetuses than other Asian fetuses. The minimum, maximum, and mean NFA values were 112, 142, and 130 degrees. The authors present the normal range of NBL in the second trimester in the Indian population and identify its linear relationship with gestational age. The normal range varies among races and so a relative percentile is a more reliable screening criterion than an absolute value. The authors present the normal ranges of fetal NFA from 18 to 21 weeks.
Energy estimates and symmetry breaking in attractive Bose–Einstein condensates with ring-shaped potentials
Authors: Zhou Huan-Song , Guo Yujin , Zeng Xiaoyu
Published: February 2015

This paper is concerned with the properties of

L^{2}

-normalized minimizers of the Gross–Pitaevskii (GP) functional for a two-dimensional Bose–Einstein condensate with attractive interaction and ring-shaped potential. By establishing some delicate estimates on the least energy of the GP functional, we prove that symmetry breaking occurs for the minimizers of the GP functional as the interaction strength

a > 0

approaches a critical value

a^{⁎}

, each minimizer of the GP functional concentrates to a point on the circular bottom of the potential well and then is non-radially symmetric as

a↗a^{⁎}

. However, when

a > 0

is suitably small we prove that the minimizers of the GP functional are unique, and this unique minimizer is radially symmetric.
A Dirichlet problem involving the divergence operator
Authors: Csató G. , Dacorogna B.
Published: February 2015

We consider the problem

\begin{cases}
\mathrm{div}\:u +\langle a;u\rangle = f & \text{in }\Omega \\
u = u_{0} & \text{on }\partial \Omega .
\end{cases}

We show that if

\mathrm{curl}\:a(x_{0}) \neq 0

for some

x_{0} \in \Omega

, then the problem is solvable without restriction on

f

. We also discuss the regularity of the solution.
High magnetic field equilibria for the Fokker–Planck–Landau equation
Authors: Bostan Mihai
Published: February 2015

The subject matter of this paper concerns the equilibria of the Fokker–Planck–Landau equation under the action of strong magnetic fields. Averaging with respect to the fast cyclotronic motion when the Larmor radius is supposed to be finite leads to an integro-differential version of the Fokker–Planck–Landau collision kernel, combining perpendicular space coordinates (with respect to the magnetic lines) and velocity. We determine the equilibria of this gyroaveraged Fokker–Planck–Landau kernel and derive the macroscopic equations describing the evolution around these equilibria, in the parallel direction.
Multimodality Imaging of Tumour Thrombus
Authors: Rohatgi Saurabh , Howard Stephanie A. , Tirumani Sree Harsha , Ramaiya Nikhil H. , Krajewski Katherine M.
Published: February 2015

Vascular thrombosis occurs commonly in cancer patients. Once the diagnosis of thrombosis is established, it is important to characterize the nature of thrombus, tumoural versus bland, as each have a different prognosis, clinical significance, and management. This review paper discusses the imaging spectrum of tumour thrombus and its clinical significance emphasizing the role of imaging in differentiating tumour from bland thrombus.
Signaling via the transcriptionally regulated activin receptor 2B is a novel mediator of neuronal cell death during chicken ciliary ganglion development
Authors: Koszinowski S. , Buss K. , Kaehlcke K. , Krieglstein K.
Published: February 2015

The TGF‐β ligand superfamily members activin A and BMP control important aspects of embryonic neuronal development and differentiation. Both are known to bind to activin receptor subtypes IIA (ActRIIA) and IIB, while in the avian ciliary ganglion (CG), so far only ActRIIA‐expression has been described. We show that the expression of ACVR2B, coding for the ActRIIB, is tightly regulated during CG development and the knockdown of ACVR2B expression leads to a deregulation in the execution of neuronal apoptosis and therefore affects ontogenetic programmed cell death in vivo. While the differentiation of choroid neurons was impeded in the knockdown, pointing toward a reduction in activin A‐mediated neural differentiation signaling, naturally occurring neuronal cell death in the CG was not prevented by follistatin treatment. Systemic injections of the BMP antagonist noggin, on the other hand, reduced the number of apoptotic neurons to a similar extent as ACVR2B knockdown. We therefore propose a novel pathway in the regulation of CG neuron ontogenetic programmed cell death, which could be mediated by BMP and signals via the ActRIIB.
Aberrant brain activation of error processing among adults with attention deficit and hyperactivity disorder
Authors: Chen Chiao‐Yun , Yen Ju‐Yu , Yen Cheng‐Fang , Chen Cheng‐Sheng , Liu Gin‐Chung , Liang Chih‐Yuan , Ko Chih‐Hung
Published: February 2015

Individuals with adult attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) have a deficit in their cognitive control. The aim of this study was to reveal the brain correlates of the deficits in response inhibition or error processing in adult ADHD. A total of 29 adults with ADHD and 25 control individuals were recruited. They completed an event‐related‐design Go/No‐go task under functional magnetic resonance imaging scanning. Both the ADHD group and the control group exhibited activation of the frontostriatal network when processing response inhibition. They also exhibited activation of the frontoinsula cortex and anterior cingulate in error processing. Adults with ADHD have a lower brain activation of error processing over the right inferior frontal lobe adjacent to the insula than control individuals. The altered frontoinsula cortex activation may represent the mechanism of error processing deficit among adults with ADHD.
Inertial confinement fusion and prospects for power production
Authors: Edwards C.B. , Danson C.N.
Published: February 2015

As our understanding of the environmental impact of fossil fuel based energy production increases, it is becoming clear that the world needs a new energy solution to meet the challenges of the future. A transformation is required in the energy market to meet the need for low carbon, sustainable, affordable generation matched with security of supply. In the short term, an increasing contribution from renewable sources may provide a solution in some locations. In the longer term, low carbon, sustainable solutions must be developed to meet base load energy demand, if the world is to avoid an ever increasing energy gap and the attendant political instabilities. Laser-driven inertial fusion energy (IFE) may offer such a solution.
Far from depleted…
Authors: Sankaran Neeraja
Published: February 2015

There's just no deleting Darwin, not really. Even Peter Bowler, the title to whose delightful book purports to do just that, is quick to add in the subtitle that he is only imagining the history of science without Darwin. The sixty-three essays written by a like number of scholars, Bowler among them (some articles are co-authored and a handful of authors have contributed to more than one essay) in the recently published Cambridge Encyclopedia of Darwin and Evolutionary Thought bear additional witness to the fact that Darwin's ideas continue to exert a powerful influence on historians, philosophers and biologists alike.
Nonthermal effects on the elastic electron–atom collision in generalized Lorentzian semiclassical plasmas: Lorentzian renormalization shielding
Authors: Hong Woo-Pyo , Jung Young-Dae
Published: February 2015

The Lorentzian renormalization plasma shielding effects on the elastic electron–atom collision are investigated in generalized Lorentzian semiclassical plasmas. The eikonal analysis and the effective interaction potential are employed to obtain the eikonal scattering phase shift, differential eikonal collision cross section, and total eikonal collision cross section as functions of the collision energy, impact parameter, nonthermal renormalization parameter, and spectral index of the Lorentzian plasma. It is found that the influence of Lorentzian renormalization shielding suppresses the eikonal scattering phase shift and, however, enhances the eikonal collision cross section in Lorentzian semiclassical plasmas. Additionally, the energy dependence on the total collision cross section in nonthermal plasmas is found to be more significant than that in thermal plasmas.
‘They are not the ponies they ought to have been’: revisiting Cecil Meares’ purchase of Siberian ponies for Captain Scott's British Antarctic (Terra Nova) Expedition (1910–1913)
Authors: May Karen , Lewis George
Published: February 2015

Captain Robert Falcon Scott has been attacked in recent decades because hisTerra Novaexpedition (1910–1913) had to rely on substandard Siberian ponies. Certain commentators have argued that this was Scott's fault, but the available evidence indicates that blame should rest with the buyer Cecil Meares. Additionally, archive evidence indicates that Scott specifically requested Captain Lawrence Oates to travel to Siberia to assist Meares in 1910, and that Oates refused Scott's request.
Theory of mind in the early course of schizophrenia: stability, symptom and neurocognitive correlates, and relationship with functioning
Authors: Ventura J. , Ered A. , Gretchen-Doorly D. , Subotnik K. L. , Horan W. P. , Hellemann G. S. , Nuechterlein K. H.
Published: February 2015

Background

Numerous studies have reported links between theory of mind (ToM) deficits, neurocognition and negative symptoms with functional outcome in chronic schizophrenia patients. Although the ToM deficit has been observed in first-episode patients, fewer studies have addressed ToM as a possible trait marker, neurocognitive and symptom correlations longitudinally, and associations with later functioning.

Method

Recent-onset schizophrenia patients (n = 77) were assessed at baseline after reaching medication stabilization, and again at 6 months (n = 48). Healthy controls (n = 21) were screened, and demographically comparable with the patients. ToM was assessed with a Social Animations Task (SAT), in which the participants’ descriptions of scenes depicting abstract visual stimuli ‘interacting’ in three conditions (ToM, goal directed and random) were rated for degree of intentionality attributed to the figures and for appropriateness. Neurocognition, symptoms and role functioning were also assessed.

Results

On the SAT, patients had lower scores than controls for both intentionality (p < 0.01) and appropriateness (p < 0.01) during the ToM condition, at baseline and 6 months. The ToM deficit was stable and present even in remitted patients. Analyses at baseline and 6 months indicated that for patients, ToM intentionality and appropriateness were significantly correlated with neurocognition, negative symptoms and role functioning. The relationship between ToM and role functioning was mediated by negative symptoms.

Conclusions

The ToM deficit was found in recent-onset schizophrenia patients and appears to be moderately trait-like. ToM is also moderately correlated with neurocognition, negative and positive symptoms, and role functioning. ToM appears to influence negative symptoms which in turn makes an impact on role functioning.
Experimental investigation and propulsion control for a bio-inspired robotic undulatory fin
Authors: Sfakiotakis Michael , Fasoulas John , Kavoussanos Manolis M. , Arapis Manolis
Published: February 2015

Undulatory fin propulsion, inspired by the locomotion of aquatic species such as electric eels and cuttlefish, holds considerable potential for endowing underwater vehicles with enhanced propulsion and maneuvering abilities, to address the needs of a growing number of applications. However, there are still gaps in our understanding of the effect of the fin undulations' characteristics on the generated thrust, particularly within the context of developing propulsion control strategies for such robotic systems. Towards this end, we present the design and experimental evaluation of a robotic fin prototype, comprised of eight individually-actuated fin rays. An artificial central pattern generator (CPG) is used to produce the rays' undulatory motion pattern. Experiments are performed inside a water tank, with the robotic fin suspended from a carriage, whose motion is constrained via a linear guide. The results from a series of detailed parametric investigations reveal several important findings regarding the effect of the undulatory wave kinematics on the propulsion speed and efficiency. Based on these findings, two alternative strategies for propulsion control of the robotic fin are proposed. In the first one, the speed is varied through changes in the undulation amplitude, while the second one involves simultaneous adjustment of the undulation frequency and number of waves. These two strategies are evaluated via experiments demonstrating open-loop velocity control, as well as closed-loop position control of the prototype.
Syntactic and semantic coordination in finite complement-clause constructions: a diary-based case study
Authors: KÖYMEN BAHAR , LIEVEN ELENA , BRANDT SILKE
Published: February 2015

This study investigates the coordination of matrix and subordinate clauses within finite complement-clause constructions. The data come from diary and audio recordings which include the utterances produced by an American English-speaking child, L, between the ages 1;08 and 3;05. We extracted all the finite complement-clause constructions that L produced and compared the grammatical acceptability of these utterances with that of the simple sentences of the same length produced within the same two weeks and with that of the simple sentences containing the same verb produced within the same month. The results show that L is more likely to make syntactic errors in finite complement-clause constructions than she does in her simple sentences of the same length or with the same verb. This suggests that the errors are more likely to arise from the syntactic and semantic coordination of the two clauses rather than limitations in performance or lexical knowledge.
Punishment and Discretion in Mill's Utilitarianism
Authors: TURNER PIERS NORRIS
Published: February 2015

I argue that a notorious passage from Utilitarianism concerning the relationship between morality and blameworthiness need not be an obstacle to a consistent act-utilitarian interpretation of Mill's moral theory. First, the Art of Life provides a framework for reconciling Mill's evaluation of conduct in terms of both expediency and blameworthiness. Like contemporary sophisticated act-utilitarians, Mill treats expediency as the more fundamental category of evaluation. Second, textual evidence suggests that, on Mill's view, evaluations of blameworthiness are not strictly bound by rules, despite rule-ish considerations about punishment and discretion. Third, Mill's own jurisdictional account in terms of competent decision-making remains consistent with the act-utilitarian interpretation.
Expanding the Justificatory Framework of Mill's Experiments in Living
Authors: MULDOON RYAN
Published: February 2015

In On Liberty, Mill introduced the concept of ‘experiments in living’. I will provide an account of what Mill saw to be the basic problem he was addressing – the extensive pressure to fit in with the crowd, and how this bred mediocrity. I connect this to worries about public reason models of justification. I argue that a generalized version of Mill's argument offers us a better path to political justification stemming from experimentation. Rather than grounding political justification on shared political reasons, we justify our political culture on our ability to reject consensus views and try alternatives.
The Impotence of the Value Pump
Authors: HALSTEAD JOHN
Published: February 2015

Many philosophers have argued that agents must be irrational to lose out in a ‘value pump’ or ‘money pump’. A number of different conclusions have been drawn from this claim. The ‘Value Pump’ (VP) has been one of the main arguments offered for the axioms of expected utility theory; it has been used to show that options cannot be incomparable or on a par; and it has been used to show that our past choices have normative significance for our subsequent choices. In this article, I argue that the fact that someone loses out in a value pump provides no reason to believe that they are irrational. The VP is impotent.
Hackerspaces: a case study in the creation and management of a common pool resource
Authors: WILLIAMS MICHAEL R. , HALL JOSHUA C.
Published: February 2015

Hackerspaces are community-operated physical places where individuals get together to build things. While the organization itself is private, the ‘space’ that is created for individuals to work has elements of a common pool resource (CPR). The previous literature finds technology to be important in effective CPR management. Through an ethnographic study of a hackerspace, we show how technology is crucial for management of the ‘space’. In addition, we highlight how technology is used in hackerspaces to satisfy three of Ostrom's design principles for stable CPR management.
SOLOVAY-TYPE THEOREMS FOR CIRCULAR DEFINITIONS
Authors: STANDEFER SHAWN
Published: February 2015

We present an extension of the basic revision theory of circular definitions with a unary operator, □. We present a Fitch-style proof system that is sound and complete with respect to the extended semantics. The logic of the box gives rise to a simple modal logic, and we relate provability in the extended proof system to this modal logic via a completeness theorem, using interpretations over circular definitions, analogous to Solovay’s completeness theorem forGLusing arithmetical interpretations. We adapt our proof to a special class of circular definitions as well as to the first-order case.
HOW A SEMANTICS FOR TONK SHOULD BE
Authors: FJELLSTAD ANDREAS
Published: February 2015

This paper explores how a semantics for Prior’s infamous connective tonk should be, a connective defined by inference rules that trivialize the logic of a deductive system if that logic is supposed to be transitive. To avoid triviality, one must reject transitivity and in a relatively recent paper, Roy Cook develops a semantics for tonk with non-transitive entailment. However, I show in this paper that a cut-free sequent calculus for tonk - the arguably most natural and simplest deductive system for a non-transitive logic - can neither be complete with respect to Cook’s semantics nor with respect to a semantics with non-transitive entailment based on a semantics for vagueness and transparent truth developed by Cobreros et al. It is argued that the failure to adequately represent tonk is connected with the fact that tonk is not uniquely defined in a cut-free sequent calculus system unless the logic is in addition non-reflexive. To remedy this, the paper develops a semantics with non-transitive and non-reflexive entailment based on the idea that complex formulae are true or false relative to them being assessed as premise or as conclusion.
Extraterritorial targeting by means of armed drones: Some legal implications
Authors: Pejic Jelena
Published: February 2015

The use of “drones” has grown exponentially over the past decade, giving rise to a host of legal and other issues. Internationally, it is the utilization of armed drones by States for the extraterritorial targeting of persons that has generated significant debate. This article attempts to outline some aspects of the relevant legal framework, with a focus on the international law applicable to drone strikes in situations of armed conflict. It briefly addresses thejus ad bellumand then centres on thejus in bello, addressing, in turn, questions related to when there is an armed conflict, what the rules on targeting are, who may be targeted and where persons may be targeted.