bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Specification of anteroposterior axis by combinatorial signaling during Xenopus development
Authors: Carron Clémence , Shi De‐Li
Published: November 2015

The specification of anteroposterior (AP) axis is a fundamental and complex patterning process that sets up the embryonic polarity and shapes a multicellular organism. This process involves the integration of distinct signaling pathways to coordinate temporal–spatial gene expression and morphogenetic movements. In the frog Xenopus, extensive embryological and molecular studies have provided major advance in understanding the mechanism implicated in AP patterning. Following fertilization, cortical rotation leads to the transport of maternal determinants to the dorsal region and creates the primary dorsoventral (DV) asymmetry. The activation of maternal Wnt/ß‐catenin signaling and a high Nodal signal induces the formation of the Nieuwkoop center in the dorsal‐vegetal cells, which then triggers the formation of the Spemann organizer in the overlying dorsal marginal zone. It is now well established that the Spemann organizer plays a central role in building the vertebrate body axes because it provides patterning information for both DV and AP polarities. The antagonistic interactions between signals secreted in the Spemann organizer and the opposite ventral region pattern the mesoderm along the DV axis, and this DV information is translated into AP positional values during gastrulation. The formation of anterior neural tissue requires simultaneous inhibition of zygotic Wnt and bone morphogenetic protein (BMP) signals, while an endogenous gradient of Wnt, fibroblast growth factors (FGFs), retinoic acid (RA) signaling, and collinearly expressed Hox genes patterns the trunk and posterior regions. Collectively, DV asymmetry is mostly coupled to AP polarity, and cell–cell interactions mediated essentially by the same regulatory networks operate in DV and AP patterning. WIREs Dev Biol 2016, 5:150–168. doi: 10.1002/wdev.217

This article is categorized under:

Early Embryonic Development > Development to the Basic Body Plan
Challenges in carrier‐mediated intracellular delivery: moving beyond endosomal barriers
Authors: Stewart Martin P. , Lorenz Anna , Dahlman James , Sahay Gaurav
Published: November 2015

The deployment of molecular to microscale carriers for intracellular delivery has tremendous potential for biology and medicine, especially for in vivo therapies. The field remains limited, however, by a poor understanding of how carriers gain access to the cell interior. In this review, we provide an overview of the different types of carriers, their speculated modes of entry, putative pathways of vesicular transport, and sites of endosomal escape. We compare this alongside pertinent examples from the cell biology of how viruses, bacteria, and their effectors enter cells and escape endosomal confinement. We anticipate insights into the mechanisms of cellular entry and endosomal escape will benefit future research efforts on effective carrier‐mediated intracellular delivery. WIREs Nanomed Nanobiotechnol 2016, 8:465–478. doi: 10.1002/wnan.1377

This article is categorized under:

Nanotechnology Approaches to Biology > Cells at the Nanoscale

Nanotechnology Approaches to Biology > Nanoscale Systems in Biology
Quality of Life in Thyroid Cancer is Similar to That of Other Cancers with Worse Survival
Authors: Applewhite Megan K. , James Benjamin C. , Kaplan Sharone P. , Angelos Peter , Kaplan Edwin L. , Grogan Raymon H. , Aschebrook‐Kilfoy Briseis
Published: November 2015

Background

The incidence of thyroid cancer is increasing. As such, the number of survivors is rising, and it has been shown that their quality of life (QOL) is worse than expected. Using results from the North American Thyroid Cancer Survivorship Study (NATCSS), a large‐scale survivorship study, we aim to compare the QOL of thyroid cancer survivors to the QOL of survivors of other types of cancer.

Methods

The NATCSS assessed QOL overall and in four subcategories: physical, psychological, social, and spiritual well‐being using the QOL‐Cancer Survivor (QOL‐CS) instrument. Studies that used the QOL‐CS to evaluate survivors of other types of cancers were compared to the NATCSS findings using two‐tailed t tests.

Results

We compared results from NATCSS to QOL survivorship studies in colon, glioma, breast, and gynecologic cancer. The mean overall QOL in NATCSS was 5.56 (on a scale of 0–10, where 10 is the best). Overall QOL of patients with thyroid cancer was similar to that of patients with colon cancer (mean 5.20, p = 0.13), glioma (mean 5.96, p = 0.23), and gynecologic cancer (mean 5.59, p = 0.43). It was worse than patients surveyed with breast cancer (mean 6.51, p < 0.01).

Conclusions

We found the self‐reported QOL of thyroid cancer survivors in our study population is overall similar to or worse than that of survivors of other types of cancer surveyed with the same instrument. This should heighten awareness of the significance of a thyroid cancer diagnosis and highlights the need for further research in how to improve care for this enlarging group of patients.
Associations with Perioperative Mortality Rate at a Major Referral Hospital in Rwanda
Authors: Rickard Jennifer L. , Ntakiyiruta Georges , Chu Kathryn M.
Published: November 2015

Background

Little is known about perioperative mortality in sub‐Saharan Africa. The perioperative mortality rate (POMR) and associated factors at a major referral hospital in Rwanda were measured.

Methods

The operative activity at University Teaching Hospital of Kigali was evaluated through an operative database. As a part of this larger study, patient characteristics and outcomes were measured to determine areas for improvement in patient care. Data were collected on patient demographics, surgeon, diagnosis, and operation over a 12‐month period. The primary outcome was POMR. Secondary outcomes were timing and hospital location of death.

Results

The POMR was 6 %. POMR in patients under 5 years of age was 10 %, 3 % in patients 5–14 years and 6 % in patients age >14 years. For emergency and elective operations, POMR was 9 and 2 %, respectively. POMR was associated with emergency status, congenital anomalies, repeat operations, referral outside Kigali, and female gender. Orthopedic procedures and age 5–14 years were associated with decreased odds of mortality. Forty‐nine percent of deaths occurred in the post‐operative recovery room and 35 % of deaths occurred within the first post‐operative day.

Conclusions

The POMR at a large referral hospital in Rwanda is <10 % demonstrating that surgery can save lives even in resource‐limited settings. Emergency operations are associated with higher mortality, which could potentially be improved with faster identification and transfer from district hospitals. Nearly half of deaths occurred in the post‐operative recovery room. Multidisciplinary audits of operative mortalities could help guide improvements in surgical care.
Hepatic Artery Reconstruction with a Continuous Suture Method for Hepato‐Biliary‐Pancreatic Surgery
Authors: Otsuka Shimpei , Kaneoka Yuji , Maeda Atsuyuki , Takayama Yuichi , Fukami Yasuyuki , Onoe Shunsuke
Published: November 2015

Background

In some cases, hepato‐biliary‐pancreatic (HBP) surgery requires hepatic artery resection and hepatic artery reconstruction (HAR) for histologically curative resection. We describe our surgical HAR technique, which involves continuous suturing, and we report the results of a study of the surgical outcomes.

Methods

Between 2000 and 2014, 380 patients underwent radical surgery for advanced HBP malignancies (118 bile duct cancers, 189 pancreatic head cancers, and 73 gallbladder cancers), 24 of whom (6.3 %) underwent HAR (for complete cure of 16 bile duct cancers, 5 pancreatic cancers, and 3 gallbladder cancers). The 24 surgical procedures included 8 hepato‐pancreatoduodenectomies, 10 hepatectomies, and 6 pancreatoduodenectomies. The ends of the 2 arteries were spatulated, and the reconstruction was performed with a continuous 7‐0 polypropylene suture under loupe magnification.

Results

Eighteen right hepatic arteries, 4 left hepatic arteries, and 2 proper hepatic arteries were resected and reconstructed. Median HAR time was 18 min (range 9–31 min). End‐to‐end anastomosis was performed in 7 patients, and heterogeneous reconstruction was performed in 17 patients (with 9 colic arteries, 4 gastroduodenal arteries, and 4 others). Doppler ultrasonography performed upon vessel reconstruction depicted pulsatile flow within the intrahepatic arteries in all cases, and patency of the reconstructed vessel was confirmed postoperatively by contrast‐enhanced CT in 19 patients (82.6 %). Morbidity occurred in 10 patients (42 %), including 4 HAR‐related complications: 3 bile leakages and 1 hepatic abscess.

Conclusion

Our HAR method can be performed safely and easily by general surgeons. It may be a time‐saving procedure that yields acceptable patency and morbidity rates.
Characteristics of Persistent Hyperparathyroidism After Renal Transplantation
Authors: Yamamoto Takayuki , Tominaga Yoshihiro , Okada Manabu , Hiramitsu Takahisa , Tsujita Makoto , Goto Norihiko , Narumi Shunji , Watarai Yoshihiko
Published: November 2015

Background

Persistent hyperparathyroidism (HPT) after renal transplantation (RTx), termed tertiary HPT (THPT), is not uncommon. However, risk factors and appropriate operative procedures for THPT are poorly understood.

Methods

A retrospective study of patients who underwent RTx without pre‐transplant parathyroidectomy (PTx) was performed at our hospital between January 2001 and March 2011. Risk factors for the development of THPT were investigated by comparing THPT and non‐THPT groups. We retrospectively analyzed patients with THPT who underwent total PTx with forearm autograft. Pre‐ and postoperative (1 year after PTx) laboratory results were analyzed for PTx efficacy.

Results

Data for 520 patients were analyzed. On multivariate analysis, long dialysis duration (p = 0.009, hazard ratio (HR) 1.01), large maximum parathyroid gland size before RTx (p = 0.003, HR 1.23), pre‐RTx high intact parathyroid hormone (iPTH) (p = 0.041, HR 1.01), post‐RTx (<2 weeks) high calcium (Ca) (p < 0.001, HR 25.04), and post‐RTx high alkaline phosphatase (ALP) (p = 0.027, HR 0.99) were identified as risk factors for THPT. Patients who underwent PTx showed significant improvement compared with baseline for serum Ca, phosphorus, iPTH, and ALP. Serum creatinine showed no significant difference.

Conclusions

Several risk factors for THPT development were identified. PTx for patients with THPT significantly improved serum Ca, iPTH, ALP, and phosphorous levels. There was no significant difference in renal function after PTx. Therefore, total PTx with forearm autograft may be an appropriate surgical approach for patients with THPT.
A systematic review of supportive supervision as a strategy to improve primary healthcare services in Sub‐Saharan Africa
Authors: Bailey Claire , Blake Carolyn , Schriver Michael , Cubaka Vincent Kalumire , Thomas Tisa , Martin Hilber Adriane
Published: November 2015

Background

It may be assumed that supportive supervision effectively builds capacity, improves the quality of care provided by frontline health workers, and positively impacts clinical outcomes. Evidence on the role of supervision in Sub‐Saharan Africa has been inconclusive, despite the critical need to maximize the workforce in low‐resource settings.

Objectives

To review the published literature from Sub‐Saharan Africa on the effects of supportive supervision on quality of care, and health worker motivation and performance.

Search strategy

A systematic review of seven databases of both qualitative and quantitative studies published in peer‐reviewed journals.

Selection criteria

Selected studies were based in primary healthcare settings in Sub‐Saharan Africa and present primary data concerning supportive supervision.

Data collection and analysis

Thematic synthesis where data from the identified studies were grouped and interpreted according to prominent themes.

Main results

Supportive supervision can increase job satisfaction and health worker motivation. Evidence is mixed on whether this translates to increased clinical competence and there is little evidence of the effect on clinical outcomes.

Conclusions

Results highlight the lack of sound evidence on the effects of supportive supervision owing to limitations in research design and the complexity of evaluating such interventions. The approaches required a high level of external inputs, which challenge the sustainability of such models.
Explanation of spatial differentiation of electoral results in the Czech Republic and Slovak Republic
Authors: Voda Petr , Pink Michal
Published: November 2015

This article explains the basis for electoral support for political parties in the Czech and Slovak Republics in the post-1993 period. The database consists of results from Parliamentary elections (in the Czech context, elections to the Chamber of Deputies) and of data obtained from censuses carried out by statistical agencies. The theory of conflict lines developed by Stein Rokkan and Seymour M. Lipset was chosen as the theoretical basis. The key analytical tool employed is linear regression. The explanation provided evaluates the dependence of political party electoral support (as defined by seats won in elections) upon socioeconomic variables contained in the theory. Analysis of the results shows that the support parties receive in elections depends significantly upon social characteristics. An especially clear explanation is generated for the support given to Christian and ethnic parties. For protest parties, the impact of the constituent social and economic structure is only marginal.
European Union Health Law
Authors: Hervey Tamara K. , McHale Jean V.
Published: November 2015

A contextual analysis of the internal logics of EU health law through four themes: consumerism; (human) rights; interactions between equality, solidarity and competition; and risk. Leading authors in the emergent field explain the interactions and implications of EU health law through thematic reinterpretation of the law in context in key substantive areas, such as the regulation of health research, access of patients to high quality care, health care professional regulation, organisation and funding of health care services, and public health. This book offers a fresh perspective and thorough understanding of EU health law through individual and collective or systemic perspectives, and covers health law both within the EU and globally. Essential reading for anyone interested in health law in any EU Member State or in global health law.
Die Griechischen Tragödien mit Rücksicht auf den Epischen Cyclus
Authors: Welcker Friedrich Gottlieb
Published: November 2015

Friedrich Gottlieb Welcker (1784–1868) championed a comprehensive approach to antiquity, embracing history, literature, art and religion. This, and his openness to contemporary philosophical ideas about aesthetics and mythology, gave his work a visionary quality that inspired later figures as diverse as Usener and Wilamowitz. In this three-volume work on tragedy, his largest, published between 1839 and 1841, he attempts to reconstruct all the lost trilogies and tetralogies of Greek tragic theatre, insisting on their artistic unity, and demonstrating their fundamental debt to the Epic Cycle (which he had investigated in his Der Epische Cyclus, also reissued in this series). Amid much that is fantastic he made many brilliant discoveries, such that he must still be consulted by all serious students of the subject. Volume 2 discusses Euripides, and the Trojan and Theban epic cycles.
African Civilizations
Authors: Connah Graham
Published: November 2015

This new revised edition of African Civilizations re-examines the physical evidence for developing social complexity in Africa over the last six thousand years. Unlike the two previous editions, it is not confined to tropical Africa but considers the whole continent. Graham Connah focuses upon the archaeological research of two key aspects of complexity, urbanism and state formation, in ten main areas of Africa: Egypt, North Africa, Nubia, Ethiopia, the West African savanna, the West African forest, the East African coast and islands, the Zimbabwe Plateau, parts of Central Africa and South Africa. The book's main concern is to review the available evidence in its varied environmental settings, and to consider possible explanations of the developments that gave rise to it. Extensively illustrated, including new maps and plans, and offering an extended list of references, this is essential reading for students of archaeology, anthropology, African history, black studies and social geography.
The Revolutions of Civilisation
Authors: Petrie William Matthew Flinders
Published: November 2015

Among the leading Egyptologists of his day, Sir William Matthew Flinders Petrie (1853–1942) excavated over fifty sites and trained a generation of archaeologists. This short yet well-illustrated work, first published in 1911, sketches humankind's achievements over 10,000 years, establishing patterns in the rise and fall of civilisations. Drawing on his extensive knowledge of ancient Egypt, and looking also at Greece, Rome and beyond, Petrie defines each civilisation as having a summer of growth and a winter of decline, revealing his controversial eugenic view that while migration can initially reinvigorate a society, the mixing of peoples over time leads ultimately to that society's deterioration. Correlating developments in the production of art and material culture in different places, Petrie argues that civilisation is not a continuous state, but intermittent and recurrent. Many of his other publications - for both Egyptologists and non-specialists - are also reissued in this series.
Ancient Gaza
Authors: Petrie William Matthew Flinders
Published: November 2015

A pioneering Egyptologist, Sir William Matthew Flinders Petrie (1853–1942) excavated over fifty sites and trained a generation of archaeologists. Now reissued in two volumes are the four excavation reports, published between 1931 and 1934, covering his extensive dig at Tell el-Ajjul in Palestine. The reports scrupulously record the finds of artefacts dating from the Copper Age and extending to the Hyksos period. Descriptions of the working party's struggles against malaria and the elements highlight Petrie's devotion to his work. Volume 2 combines the final two excavation reports, first published in 1933 and 1934, and includes the significant discovery of the large tomb of the governor under Tutankhamun. Each report features a section of photographs and sketches of tombs, pottery, weapons and jewellery. Petrie wrote prolifically throughout his long career, and a great many of his Egyptological publications - for both specialists and non-specialists - are also reissued in this series.
The Gentleman's House
Authors: Kerr Robert
Published: November 2015

After Scottish architect Robert Kerr (1823–1904) published this book in 1864, he was given a commission to build what would become his best-known work, Bearwood House, in Berkshire, for the then proprietor of The Times of London, John Walter. Kerr gives a thorough explanation of the elements involved in the planning and building of a 'comfortable English Residence of the better sort' in this book, which is divided into five parts. The first gives a detailed historical account of the 'domestic plan' from the eleventh century to the present day. The subsequent sections leave no corner of a manor house unexamined, as Kerr discusses every room of such houses, their grounds, the possible types of architectural styles, and the matter of cost. There is also an extensive appendix of plates of architectural and garden plans, accompanied by explanations, giving a comprehensive guide to mid-Victorian stately-home building.
Deliberative Democracy between Theory and Practice
Authors: Neblo Michael A.
Published: November 2015

Deliberative democrats seek to link political choices more closely to the deliberations of common citizens, rather than consigning them to speak only in the desiccated language of checks on a ballot. Sober thinkers from Plato to today, however, have argued that if we want to make good decisions we cannot entrust them to the deliberations of common citizens. Critics argue that deliberative democracy is wildly unworkable in practice. Deliberative Democracy between Theory and Practice cuts across this debate by clarifying the structure of a deliberative democratic system, and goes on to re-evaluate the main empirical challenges to deliberative democracy in light of this new frame. It simultaneously reclaims the wider theory of deliberative democracy and meets the empirical critics squarely on terms that advance, rather than evade, the debate. Doing so has important implications for institutional design, the normative theory of democracy, and priorities for future research and practice.
Le règne animal distribué d'après son organisation
Authors: Cuvier Georges
Published: November 2015

French zoologist and naturalist Georges Cuvier (1769–1832), one of the most eminent scientific figures of the early nineteenth century, is best known for laying the foundations of comparative anatomy and palaeontology. He spent his lifetime studying the anatomy of animals, and broke new ground by comparing living and fossil specimens - many he uncovered himself. However, Cuvier always opposed evolutionary theories and was during his day the foremost proponent of catastrophism, a doctrine contending that geological changes were caused by sudden cataclysms. He received universal acclaim when he published his monumental Le règne animal, which made significant advances over the Linnaean taxonomic system of classification and arranged animals into four large groups. The sixteen-volume English translation and expansion, The Animal Kingdom (1827–35), is also reissued in the Cambridge Library Collection. First published in 1817, Volume 4 of the original version covers zoophytes and concludes with several beautiful plates.
Holographic Duality in Condensed Matter Physics
Authors: Zaanen Jan , Liu Yan , Sun Ya-Wen , Schalm Koenraad
Published: November 2015

A pioneering treatise presenting how the new mathematical techniques of holographic duality unify seemingly unrelated fields of physics. This innovative development morphs quantum field theory, general relativity and the renormalisation group into a single computational framework and this book is the first to bring together a wide range of research in this rapidly developing field. Set within the context of condensed matter physics and using boxes highlighting the specific techniques required, it examines the holographic description of thermal properties of matter, Fermi liquids and superconductors, and hitherto unknown forms of macroscopically entangled quantum matter in terms of general relativity, stars and black holes. Showing that holographic duality can succeed where classic mathematical approaches fail, this text provides a thorough overview of this major breakthrough at the heart of modern physics. The inclusion of extensive introductory material using non-technical language and online Mathematica notebooks ensures the appeal to students and researchers alike.
Earthquake Time Bombs
Authors: Yeats Robert
Published: November 2015

In a media interview in January 2010, scientist Robert Yeats sounded the alarm on Port-au-Prince, Haiti, as an 'earthquake time bomb', a region at critical risk of major seismic activity. One week later, a catastrophic earthquake struck the city, leaving over 100,000 dead and triggering a humanitarian crisis. In this timely study, Yeats sheds new light on other earthquake hotspots around the world and the communities at risk. He examines these seismic threats in the context of recent cultural history, including economic development, national politics and international conflicts. Descriptions of emerging seismic resilience plans from some cities provide a more hopeful picture. Essential reading for policy-makers, infrastructure and emergency planners, scientists, students and anyone living in the shadow of an earthquake, this book raises the alarm so that we can protect our vulnerable cities before it's too late.
Roman Festivals in the Greek East
Authors: Graf Fritz
Published: November 2015

This study explores the development of ancient festival culture in the Greek East of the Roman Empire, paying particular attention to the fundamental religious changes that occurred. After analysing how Greek city festivals developed in the first two Imperial centuries, it concentrates on the major Roman festivals that were adopted in the Eastern cities and traces their history up to the time of Justinian and beyond. It addresses several key questions for the religious history of later antiquity: who were the actors behind these adoptions? How did the closed religious communities, Jews and pre-Constantinian Christians, articulate their resistance? How did these festivals change when the empire converted to Christianity? Why did emperors not yield to the long-standing pressure of the Church to abolish them? And finally, how did these very popular festivals - despite their pagan tradition - influence the form of the newly developed Christian liturgy?
Scalarity in the Verbal Domain
Authors: Kagan Olga
Published: November 2015

Verbal prefixes in Slavic languages remain an intricate and puzzling phenomenon, raising questions about whether their behavior is governed by a systematic pattern, and if their attachment is subject to any kind of uniform semantic system. Olga Kagan offers a new unified analysis of Russian verbal prefixes which combines a formal semantic approach with detailed discussion of data. The book addresses two vital issues, both of which play an important role in modern linguistic research: the role of scalarity in natural language and, more specifically, within the verbal domain; and Slavic verbal prefixation. Accessibly written and illustrated with numerous examples, Scalarity in the Verbal Domain is important reading for researchers and students of formal semantics, cognitive linguistics and Slavic languages.
Women Prophets and Radical Protestantism in the British Atlantic World, 1640–1730
Authors: Bouldin Elizabeth
Published: November 2015

This book examines the stories of radical Protestant women who prophesied between the British Civil Wars and the Great Awakening. It explores how women prophets shaped religious and civic communities in the British Atlantic world by invoking claims of chosenness. Elizabeth Bouldin interweaves detailed individual studies with analysis that summarizes trends and patterns among women prophets from a variety of backgrounds throughout the British Isles, colonial North America, and continental Europe. Highlighting the ecumenical goals of many early modern dissenters, Women Prophets and Radical Protestantism in the British Atlantic World, 1640–1730 places female prophecy in the context of major political, cultural, and religious transformations of the period. These include transatlantic migration, debates over toleration, the formation of Atlantic religious networks, and the rise of the public sphere. This wide-ranging volume will appeal to all those interested in European and British Atlantic history and the history of women and religion.
Recherches sur l'histoire de l'astronomie ancienne
Authors: Tannery Paul
Published: November 2015

The French mathematician and historian of science Paul Tannery (1843–1904) worked as an administrator in the state tobacco industry while researching and publishing on a wide variety of topics, including editions of Fermat and Descartes as well as of the Greek mathematician Diophantus of Alexandria. This 1893 work reviews the history of ancient Greek astronomy, beginning with a survey of what the Greeks actually meant by the use of the terms 'astronomy' and 'astrology', and going on to consider the work of Pythagoras and the other pre-Socratics, Aristotle and the Alexandrian mathematicians. At its core is a detailed analysis of Claudius Ptolemy's Almagest, which attempts to trace each of the Greek master's theories - on the sphericity and circumference of the earth, on the sun, moon and planets, and on the prediction of eclipses - back to its historical origins in Greek mathematical and philosophical thought.
Theory and Synthesis of Linear Passive Time-Invariant Networks
Authors: Youla Dante
Published: November 2015

Exploring the overlap of mathematics and engineering network synthesis, this book presents a rigorous treatment of the key principles underpinning linear lumped passive time-invariant networks. Based around a series of lectures given by the author, this thoughtfully written book draws on his wide experience in the field, carefully revealing the essential mathematical structure of network synthesis problems. Topics covered include passive n-ports, broadband matching, the design of passive multiplexes and two-state passive devices. It also includes material not usually found in existing texts, such as the theoretical behavior of transverse electromagnetic (TEM) coupled transmission lines. Introducing fundamental principles in a formal theorem-proof style, illustrated by worked examples, this book is an invaluable resource for graduate students studying linear networks and circuit design, academic researchers, and professional circuit engineers.
Medical Surge Capacity in Atlanta-Area Hospitals in Response to Tanker Truck Chemical Releases
Authors: Harris Curtis , Bell William , Rollor Edward , Waltz Tawny , Blackwell Pam , Dallas Cham
Published: November 2015

Objective

We designed and conducted a regional full-scale exercise in 2007 to test the ability of Atlanta-area hospitals and community partners to respond to a terrorist attack involving the coordinated release of 2 dangerous chemicals (toluene diisocyanate and parathion) that were being transported through the area by tanker truck.

Methods

The exercise was designed to facilitate the activation of hospital emergency response plans and to test applicable triage, decontamination, and communications protocols. Plume modeling was conducted by using the Defense Threat Reduction Agency’s (DTRA) Hazard Prediction and Assessment Capability (HPAC) V4 program. The scenario went through multiple iterations as exercise planners sought to reduce total injuries to a manageable, but stressful, level for Atlanta’s health care infrastructure.

Results

Atlanta-area hospitals rapidly performed multiple casualty triage and were able to take in a surge of victims from the simulated attack. However, health care facilities were reticent to push the perceived manageable numbers of victims, and scenarios were modified significantly to lower the magnitude of the simulated attack. Additional coordination with community response partners and incident command training is recommended. Security at health care facilities and decontamination of arriving victims are two areas that will require continued review.

Conclusion

Atlanta-area hospitals participated in an innovative regional exercise that pushed facilities beyond traditional scopes of practice and brought together numerous health care community response partners. Using lessons learned from this exercise coupled with subsequent real-world events and training exercises, participants have significantly enhanced preparedness levels and increased the metropolitan region’s medical surge capacity in the case of a multiple casualty disaster. (Disaster Med Public Health Preparedness. 2015;9:681–689)
In Preparation or Response: Examining Health Care Coalitions Amid a Changing Economic and Political Landscape
Authors: Dornauer Mark E.
Published: November 2015

The Office of the Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response within the US Department of Health and Human Services leads the nation in preparing for, responding to, and recovering from the adverse health effects of public health emergencies, in part through formal collaborations between hospitals, health systems, community health centers, public health departments, and community organizations via health care coalitions (HCCs). HCCs endeavor to meet the medical surge demands inherent to disasters and to improve health outcomes before, during, and after public health emergencies. Nevertheless, significant changes in health economics and policy can impact the operations, capabilities, and scope of HCCs. Specifically, hospital consolidation and the Affordable Care Act (ACA) are altering the national health care landscape, as well as the emergency preparedness sector, and are challenging HCCs to adapt to large-scale, industry-wide transformations. This article examines HCCs in the context of the developments of hospital consolidation and the ACA in order to facilitate future discourse regarding the strategy and policy of HCCs amid a changing economic and political landscape. (Disaster Med Public Health Preparedness. 2015;9:698–703)
Displacement flows under elastic membranes. Part 1. Experiments and direct numerical simulations
Authors: Pihler-Puzović Draga , Juel Anne , Peng Gunnar G. , Lister John R. , Heil Matthias
Published: November 2015

The injection of fluid into the narrow liquid-filled gap between a rigid plate and an elastic membrane drives a displacement flow that is controlled by the competition between elastic and viscous forces. We study such flows using the canonical set-up of an elastic-walled Hele-Shaw cell whose upper boundary is formed by an elastic sheet. We investigate both single- and two-phase displacement flows in which the localised injection of fluid at a constant flow rate is accommodated by the inflation of the sheet and the outward propagation of an axisymmetric front beyond which the cell remains approximately undeformed. We perform a direct comparison between quantitative experiments and numerical simulations of two theoretical models. The models couple the Föppl–von Kármán equations, which describe the deformation of the thin elastic membrane, to the equations describing the flow, which we model by (i) the Navier–Stokes equations or (ii) lubrication theory. We identify the dominant physical effects that control the behaviour of the system and critically assess modelling assumptions that were made in previous studies. The insight gained from these studies is then used in Part 2 of this work, where we formulate an improved lubrication model and develop an asymptotic description of the key phenomena.
Enhanced heat transport in partitioned thermal convection
Authors: Bao Yun , Chen Jun , Liu Bo-Fang , She Zhen-Su , Zhang Jun , Zhou Quan
Published: November 2015

Enhancement of heat transport across a fluid layer is of fundamental interest as well as great technological importance. For decades, Rayleigh–Bénard convection has been a paradigm for the study of convective heat transport, and how to improve its overall heat-transfer efficiency is still an open question. Here, we report an experimental and numerical study that reveals a novel mechanism that leads to much enhanced heat transport. When vertical partitions are inserted into a convection cell with thin gaps left open between the partition walls and the cooling/heating plates, it is found that the convective flow becomes self-organized and more coherent, leading to an unprecedented heat-transport enhancement. In particular, our experiments show that with six partition walls inserted, the heat flux can be increased by approximately 30 %. Numerical simulations show a remarkable heat-flux enhancement of up to 2.3 times (with 28 partition walls) that without any partitions.
Parallel 3-D particle-in-cell modelling of charged ultrarelativistic beam dynamics
Authors: Boronina Marina A. , Vshivkov Vitaly A.
Published: November 2015

We present a three-dimensional (3-D) particle-in-cell (PIC) model and parallel code for the self-consistent motion of charged ultrarelativistic beams (${\it\gamma}\sim 10^{3}{-}10^{5}$) in supercolliders. We use the 3-D set of Maxwell’s equations for the electromagnetic fields, and the Vlasov equation for the distribution function of the beam particles. The model incorporates automatically the longitudinal effects, which can play a significant role in the cases of super-high densities. We present numerical results for the dynamics of two focused ultrarelativistic beams with a size ratio 10:1:100. The results demonstrate high efficiency of the proposed computational methods and algorithms, which are applicable to a variety of problems in relativistic plasma physics.
Application of standards and models in body composition analysis
Authors: Müller Manfred J. , Braun Wiebke , Pourhassan Maryam , Geisler Corinna , Bosy-Westphal Anja
Published: November 2015

The aim of this review is to extend present concepts of body composition and to integrate it into physiology.In vivobody composition analysis (BCA) has a sound theoretical and methodological basis. Present methods used for BCA are reliable and valid. Individual data on body components, organs and tissues are included into different models, e.g. a 2-, 3-, 4- or multi-component model. Today the so-called 4-compartment model as well as whole body MRI (or computed tomography) scans are considered as gold standards of BCA. In practice the use of the appropriate method depends on the question of interest and the accuracy needed to address it. Body composition data are descriptive and used for normative analyses (e.g. generating normal values, centiles and cut offs). Advanced models of BCA go beyond description and normative approaches. The concept of functional body composition (FBC) takes into account the relationships between individual body components, organs and tissues and related metabolic and physical functions. FBC can be further extended to the model of healthy body composition (HBC) based on horizontal (i.e. structural) and vertical (e.g. metabolism and its neuroendocrine control) relationships between individual components as well as between component and body functions using mathematical modelling with a hierarchical multi-level multi-scale approach at the software level. HBC integrates into whole body systems of cardiovascular, respiratory, hepatic and renal functions. To conclude BCA is a prerequisite for detailed phenotyping of individuals providing a sound basis for in depth biomedical research and clinical decision making.
Epidemiological and clinical characteristics of severe fever with thrombocytopenia syndrome (SFTS) in China: an integrated data analysis
Authors: GUO C.-T. , LU Q.-B. , DING S.-J. , HU C.-Y. , HU J.-G. , WO Y. , FAN Y.-D. , WANG X.-J. , QIN S.-L. , CUI N. , YANG Z.-D. , ZHANG X.-A. , LIU W. , CAO W.-C.
Published: November 2015

Severe fever with thrombocytopenia syndrome (SFTS) is an emerging infectious disease that was caused by a novel bunyavirus, SFTSV. The study aimed to disclose the epidemiological and clinical characteristics of SFTSV infection in China so far. An integrated clinical database comprising 1920 SFTS patients was constructed by combining first-hand clinical information collected from SFTS sentinel hospitals (n = 1159) and extracted data (n = 761) from published literature. The considered variables comprised clinical manifestations, routine laboratory tests of acute infection, hospitalization duration and disease outcome. SFTSV-IgG data from 19 119 healthy subjects were extracted from the published papers. The key clinical variables, case-fatality rate (CFR) and seroprevalence were estimated by meta-analysis. The most commonly seen clinical manifestations of SFTSV infection were fever, anorexia, myalgia, chill and lymphadenopathy. The major laboratory findings were elevated lactate dehydrogenase, aminotransferase, followed by thrombocytopenia, lymphocytopenia, elevated alanine transaminase and creatine kinase. A CFR of 12·2% was estimated, significantly higher than that obtained from national reporting data, but showing no geographical difference. In our paper, the mortality rate was about 1·9 parts per million. Older age and longer delay to hospitalization were significantly associated with fatal outcome. A pooled seroprevalence of 3·0% was obtained, which increased with age, while comparable for gender. This study represents a clinical characterization on the largest group of SFTS patients up to now. A higher than expected CFR was obtained. A wider spectrum of clinical index was suggested to be used to identify SFTSV infection, while the useful predictor for fatal outcome was found to be restricted.
Young People and Attitudes towards Pension Planning
Authors: Foster Liam
Published: November 2015

There has been much concern about people not saving enough for retirement in the UK and how to encourage further saving. This has led to pension policy developments, including the introduction of auto-enrolment, a form of ‘soft’ compulsion, to ‘nudge’ people to save. Given that young working age cohorts have longest to contribute to pensions and have traditionally been least likely to save for retirement, it is important to investigate their attitudes and expectations in relation to pensions and the potential effects of auto-enrolment on their future retirement income. This study utilises the findings of thirty interviews with young people aged eighteen to thirty about their opportunities and attitudes towards pensions, and identifies a variety of factors which affect pension contributions, including knowledge and advice, trust and myopia. It then focuses explicitly on auto-enrolment before concluding that if auto-enrolment is to succeed, people need to be reassured beyond doubt that it ‘pays to save’.
Humanitarian principles put to the test: Challenges to humanitarian action during decolonization
Authors: Thompson Andrew
Published: November 2015

This article examines the meaning and purpose of the Fundamental Principles of the Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement during and after decolonization. This was a period when the character of conflict experienced far-reaching changes, when the limitations of international humanitarian law were sharply exposed, and when humanitarian organizations of all kinds – the International Committee of the Red Cross included – redefined their missions and mandates. The Fundamental Principles were caught up in these processes; subject to a resurgent State sovereignty, they were both animated and constrained by the geopolitical forces of the era. The article pays particular attention to the politicization of the Principles in the contexts of colonial counter-insurgency, political detention and transfers of power.
Applying the humanitarian principles: Reflecting on the experience of the International Committee of the Red Cross
Authors: Labbé Jérémie , Daudin Pascal
Published: November 2015

Applying the humanitarian principles of humanity, impartiality, neutrality and independence in a relevant manner in concrete operational settings is a constant challenge for humanitarian organizations. Bound by this set of norms, the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) has incrementally developed over the years a rational framework that allows its leadership and staff on the ground to act according to these principles while developing adapted solutions and pragmatic approaches. This article begins by describing the history and development of the humanitarian principles; it then explains how the strategic choices of the ICRC are informed by these principles, and what the consequences are for the organization's capacity to act in favour of victims of armed conflicts.
Clinical implications of proliferation activity in T1 or T2 male gastric cancer patients
Authors: Kim Young-Woo , Eom Bang Wool , Kook Myeong-Cherl , Kim Han-Seong , Kim Mi-Kyung , Hwang Hai-Li , Chandra Vishal , Poojan Shiv , Song Yura , Koh Jae-Soo , Bae Chang-Dae , Ro Jungsil , Hong Kyeong-Man
Published: November 2015

Proliferation activity has already been established as a prognostic marker or as a marker for anticancer drug sensitivity. In gastric cancer, however, the prognostic significance of proliferation activity is still being debated. Several studies evaluating proliferation activity using Ki-67 have shown controversial results in terms of the relationship between proliferation activity and overall survival (OS) or drug sensitivity in gastric cancer patients. Because cytoskeleton-associated protein 2 (CKAP2) staining has recently been introduced as a marker of proliferation activity, we analyzed 437 gastric cancer tissues through CKAP2 immunohistochemistry, and we evaluated the chromatin CKAP2-positive cell count (CPCC) for proliferation activity. Although the CPCC did not show any significant correlation with OS in the male, female or total number of cases, it did show a significant correlation in the T1 or T2 male patient subgroup, according to log-rank tests (P=0.001) and univariate analysis (P=0.045). Additionally, multivariate analysis with the Cox proportional hazard regression model showed a significant correlation between the CPCC and OS (P=0.039) for the co-variables of age, gender, T stage, N stage, histology, tumor location, tumor size and adjuvant chemotherapy. In male gastric cancer cell lines, faster-growing cancer cells showed higher sensitivity to cisplatin than slow-growing cells. Thus our study indicates that CPCC-measured proliferation activity demonstrates a significantly worse prognosis in T1 or T2 male gastric cancer patients. The CPCC will help to more precisely classify gastric cancer patients and to select excellent candidates for adjuvant chemotherapy, which in turn will facilitate further clinical chemotherapeutic trials.
Modelling extracellular limitations for mediated versus direct interspecies electron transfer
Authors: Storck Tomas , Virdis Bernardino , Batstone Damien J
Published: November 2015

Interspecies electron transfer (IET) is important for many anaerobic processes, but is critically dependent on mode of transfer. In particular, direct IET (DIET) has been recently proposed as a metabolically advantageous mode compared with mediated IET (MIET) via hydrogen or formate. We analyse relative feasibility of these IET modes by modelling external limitations using a reaction-diffusion-electrochemical approach in a three-dimensional domain. For otherwise identical conditions, external electron transfer rates per cell pair (cp) are considerably higher for formate-MIET (317 × 103 e− cp−1 s−1) compared with DIET (44.9 × 103 e− cp−1 s−1) or hydrogen-MIET (5.24 × 103 e− cp−1 s−1). MIET is limited by the mediator concentration gradient at which reactions are still thermodynamically feasible, whereas DIET is limited through redox cofactor (for example, cytochromes) activation losses. Model outcomes are sensitive to key parameters for external electron transfer including cofactor electron transfer rate constant and redox cofactor area, concentration or count per cell, but formate-MIET is generally more favourable for reasonable parameter ranges. Extending the analysis to multiple cells shows that the size of the network does not strongly influence relative or absolute favourability of IET modes. Similar electron transfer rates for formate-MIET and DIET can be achieved in our case with a slight (0.7 kJ mol−1) thermodynamic advantage for DIET. This indicates that close to thermodynamic feasibility, external limitations can be compensated for by improved metabolic efficiency when using direct electron transfer.
Heat Acclimation Provides Sustained Improvement in Functional Recovery and Attenuates Apoptosis after Traumatic Brain Injury
Authors: Umschweif Gali , Shein Na'ama A , Alexandrovich Alexander G , Trembovler Victoria , Horowitz Michal , Shohami Esther
Published: November 2015

Correction to: Journal of Cerebral Blood Flow and Metabolism (2010) 30, 616–627; doi:10.1038/jcbfm.2009.234; published online 11 November 2009.

Following the publication of this article, the authors noticed that Dr Umschweif was misspelled. The complete and correct author names appear above.