bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Single Surgeon Experience With Repair of Occult Inguinal Hernias Using the TAPP Approach: A Prospective Study
Authors: Ciftci Fatih
Published: August 2016

The trans-abdominal preperitoneal (TAPP) approach provides access to the contralateral groin for exploration and repair of occult hernias. Previous studies have shown that the total extraperitoneal (TEP) approach also provides access to the contralateral groin for inguinal hernia repair. The aim of the current study was to document the rate of contralateral occult inguinal hernias diagnosed during the TAPP procedure. Data from all cases of TAPP inguinal hernia repair in our hospital were recorded prospectively for 3 years. Follow-up appointments included physical examinations. A total of 302 patients underwent TAPP inguinal hernia repair. We excluded 3 patients from the study and 299 were included. A total of 204 (68%) patients were scheduled for unilateral hernia repair and contralateral occult hernias were detected in 44 (21%) patients in this group. Of the 74 patients scheduled for bilateral repair, 60 (81%) underwent bilateral repair. In the remaining 29 patients, the diagnosis was changed to unilateral hernia. In this group, unilateral hernia repair was planned along with the possibility of contralateral hernia in 18 (6%) patients. Of these patients, 5 (27%) were subsequently found to have contralateral defects, 1 of whom underwent femoral repair. Our clinical diagnoses were 78% accurate. Identifying the actual incidence of contralateral occult inguinal hernia will enhance the planning of the treatment preoperatively and favor resource allotment planning for utilization of the operating room. TAPP allows preoperative diagnosis and treatment of contralateral occult hernias, saving the patient from additional symptoms and reoperations.
The accretion of foreland basin sediments during early stages of continental collision in the European Alps and similarities to accretionary wedge tectonics
Authors: Dielforder Armin , Berger Alfons , Herwegh Marco
Published: August 2016

We present structural observations from foreland basin sediments that were incorporated into the orogenic wedge of the central European Alps during early stages of continental collision. Our analysis focuses on the prograde evolution and considers the full history of the sediments ranging from their deposition in the basin to deep burial and metamorphism at temperatures of ~320°C. The tectonic evolution is matched with constraints on the diagenetic alteration of the sediments. For this purpose, we calculate the temperatures and depths of sediment compaction and illitization as well as the associated fluid liberation. The data set highlights that the tectonic incorporation of the sediments into the orogenic wedge was strongly controlled by their diagenetic state. Earliest deformation took place during imbrication and frontal accretion of unconsolidated and fluid‐saturated sediments. Ductile folding of the sediments occurred already at this stage and was assisted by particulate flow. With the progressive consolidation of the sediments the elastic strength increased, which resulted in an overall embrittlement. This rheological change is recorded by the onset of out‐of‐sequence thrusting, brittle faulting, and the formation of massive quartz‐calcite veins, which took place in the approximate temperature range of the seismogenic zone (i.e., ~150–350°C). Moreover, widespread pressure solution resulted in the formation of a penetrative cleavage and records slow but long‐lasting deformation at low background strain rates. In summary, the prograde tectonic evolution of the frontal Alpine wedge exhibits many similarities with the structural and mechanical evolution of accretionary wedges at active subduction zones.
Vermittlung organischer Reaktionen durch nichtbenzoide carbocyclische aromatische Ionen
Authors: Lyons Demelza J. M. , Crocker Reece D. , Blümel Marcus , Nguyen Thanh V.
Published: August 2016

Die ersten drei Stammverbindungen nichtbenzoider carbocyclischer aromatischer Ionen – das Cyclopropenium‐, Cyclopentadienid‐ und Cycloheptatrienium(Tropylium)‐Ion – weisen planare cyclische Strukturen mit (4n+2) π‐Elektronen in vollständig konjugierten Systemen auf. Sie erfüllen die Hückel‐Regel der Aromatizität und sind außerordentlich stabil. Seit der Entdeckung von Tropyliumbromid im späten 19. Jahrhundert waren diese nichtbenzoiden aromatischen Ionen aufgrund ihrer einzigartigen Kombination von Stabilität und Reaktivität stets von großem Interesse. Die Ladung der aromatischen Ionen begünstigt, im Vergleich zu ihren neutralen benzoiden Entsprechungen, Reaktionen mit Nucleophilen und Elektrophilen. In den vergangenen sieben Jahren wurden zahlreiche Untersuchungen durchgeführt, in denen aromatische Ionen organische Reaktionen vermittelten. Dieser Aufsatz behandelt diese neueren Entwicklungen und erläutert das Potenzial aromatischer Ionen für wichtige Umwandlungen in der organischen Synthesen.
Mechanische Hochtemperatureigenschaften von flugaschebasierten Geopolymerbetonen
Authors: Pistol Klaus , Rickard William D. A. , Gluth Gregor J. G.
Published: August 2016

Als umweltschonende Alternative zu portlandzementgebundenen Betonen werden derzeit in der Betonindustrie und in der Baustoffforschung Betone mit alkaliaktivierten Bindemitteln, sog. Geopolymerbetone, intensiv erforscht. Die auf industriellen Reststoffen wie Flugasche und Hüttensand basierenden anorganischen Bindemittel weisen bei geeigneter Zusammensetzung einen hohen Widerstand gegenüber aggressiven Salzlösungen und Säuren auf. Als Grundlage für den rechnerischen Nachweis der Tragfähigkeit von brandbeanspruchten Betonbauteilen auf Basis von alkaliaktivierten Bindemitteln werden deshalb an der Bundesanstalt für Materialforschung und ‐prüfung (BAM) die mechanischen Hochtemperatureigenschaften von flugaschebasierten Geopolymerbetonen systematisch untersucht. Die bis zu 750 °C erhitzten Probekörper mit quarzitischer und leichter Gesteinskörnung zeigen einen Festigkeitsverlust bis ca. 300 °C, der auf entwässerungsbedingte Mikrorissbildung zurückgeführt werden kann. Bei weiter zuneh men der Temperatur steigt aufgrund von Sinterungsprozessen ab ca. 500 °C die Festigkeit der untersuchten Geopolymerbetone wieder an. Diese im Vergleich zu herkömmlichem Beton günstigere Materialeigenschaft eröffnet potenziell auch Anwendungsmöglichkeiten in brandschutztechnisch kritischen Infrastrukturbereichen. Die Ergebnisse der thermomechanischen Prüfungen werden für numerische Bauteilberechnungen als temperaturabhängige Spannungs‐Dehnungs‐Beziehungen aufbereitet.
Prognostic significance of lymph node yield in ypN0 rectal cancer
Authors: Raoof M , Nelson R A , Nfonsam V N , Warneke J , Krouse R S
Published: August 2016

Background

Neoadjuvant radiation therapy for locally advanced rectal adenocarcinoma decreases lymph node yield. This study investigated the association between survival and number of lymph nodes evaluated in patients with pathologically negative nodes after neoadjuvant therapy.

Methods

Patients with locally advanced rectal adenocarcinoma who underwent neoadjuvant therapy and had pathologically negative lymph nodes were included from the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) database over a 7-year interval (January 2004 to December 2010). Systematic dichotomization for optimal cut-off point identification was performed using statistical modelling.

Results

A total of 3995 patients met the inclusion criteria. The majority had T3 (66·7 per cent) and moderately differentiated (71·5 per cent) tumours. The median number of lymph nodes retrieved was 12 (i.q.r. 7–16). An optimal cut-off of nine lymph nodes was identified. Increasing age (P < 0·001), increasing T category (T4versus T1, P < 0·001; T3versus T1, P = 0·010), response to neoadjuvant therapy (P < 0·001) and number of nodes evaluated (P < 0·001) were significant factors for overall survival in univariable analysis. After adjustment in the multivariable model, the group with nine or more nodes examined had significantly better overall survival (hazard ratio (HR) 0·76, 95 per cent c.i. 0·65 to 0·88, P < 0·001; 5-year survival 83·2 versus 78·0 per cent) and cancer-specific survival (HR 0·76, 0·64 to 0·92, P = 0·004; 5-year survival 87·9 versus 85·1 per cent) than the group with one to eight nodes examined.

Conclusion

Overall and cancer-specific survival were worse where fewer than nine lymph nodes were identified after neoadjuvant therapy for locally advanced rectal cancer.
Periodic Operation with Modulation of Inlet Concentration and Flow Rate Part II: Adiabatic Continuous Stirred‐Tank Reactor
Authors: Nikolić Daliborka , Felischak Matthias , Seidel‐Morgenstern Andreas , Petkovska Menka
Published: August 2016

The nonlinear frequency response (NFR) method, which is an analytical, fast, and easy method for evaluating the performance of forced periodically operated chemical reactors, was used to investigate possible improvements to a nonisothermal continuous stirred‐tank reactor (CSTR) when inlet concentration and/or flow rate are periodically modulated. The product yield was used for evaluating the performance improvements. Part I of this paper considered the general nonisothermal case. In this part, the results are applied to an adiabatic CSTR. A laboratory‐scale adiabatic CSTR was analyzed by applying kinetic parameters for the hydrolysis of acetic anhydride. It is shown that improvement can be obtained for simultaneous modulation of the two inputs with appropriately chosen forcing parameters.
Odor‐Free Lignin from Lignocellulose by Means of High Pressure Unit Operations: Process Design, Assessment and Validation
Authors: Reynolds Wienke , Baudron Victor , Kirsch Christian , Schmidt Lisa M. , Singer Hannah , Zenker Lilia , Zetzl Carsten , Smirnova Irina
Published: August 2016

In this work a process for the production of odor‐free lignin from wheat straw using solely water, enzymes and CO2 is described. Wheat straw pellets are pretreated by liquid hot water and enzymatic hydrolysis in a pilot plant with a capacity of 40 L, which enables the production of 3 – 4 kg of Aquasolv lignin per batch. Dried lignin samples are further treated using supercritical CO2, resulting into extraction of a large number of odorous free fatty acids and volatile organic compounds. All process steps can be sequentially conducted in a fixed‐bed via different sustainable solvents in a throughput regime.
Molecular evolution of troponin I and a role of its N‐terminal extension in nematode locomotion
Authors: Barnes Dawn E. , Hwang Hyundoo , Ono Kanako , Lu Hang , Ono Shoichiro
Published: August 2016

The troponin complex, composed of troponin T (TnT), troponin I (TnI), and troponin C (TnC), is the major calcium‐dependent regulator of muscle contraction, which is present widely in both vertebrates and invertebrates. Little is known about evolutionary aspects of troponin in the animal kingdom. Using a combination of data mining and functional analysis of TnI, we report evidence that an N‐terminal extension of TnI is present in most of bilaterian animals as a functionally important domain. Troponin components have been reported in species in most of representative bilaterian phyla. Comparison of TnI sequences shows that the core domains are conserved in all examined TnIs, and that N‐ and C‐terminal extensions are variable among isoforms and species. In particular, N‐terminal extensions are present in all protostome TnIs and chordate cardiac TnIs but lost in a subset of chordate TnIs including vertebrate skeletal‐muscle isoforms. Transgenic rescue experiments in Caenorhabditis elegans striated muscle show that the N‐terminal extension of TnI (UNC‐27) is required for coordinated worm locomotion but not in sarcomere assembly and single muscle‐contractility kinetics. These results suggest that N‐terminal extensions of TnIs are retained from a TnI ancestor as a functional domain. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Distinguishing malignant and benign renal masses with composite models and nomograms: A systematic review and meta‐analysis of clinically localized renal masses suspicious for malignancy
Authors: Pierorazio Phillip M. , Patel Hiten D. , Johnson Michael H. , Sozio Stephen M. , Sharma Ritu , Iyoha Emmanuel , Bass Eric B. , Allaf Mohamad E.
Published: August 2016

Solid renal masses and cystic lesions with solid components are suspicious for renal cell carcinoma. Without an effective screening test, composite models and nomograms rely on patient and tumor characteristics to stratify the risk of benign disease versus malignant disease. To guide decisions about the use of renal mass sampling or excision, a systematic review and meta‐analysis of the ability of composite models to predict the likelihood of malignancy on the basis of preoperative clinical variables was performed. MEDLINE, EMBASE, and the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials were searched from January 1, 1997, through May 1, 2015, according to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Review and Meta‐Analyses statement. Composite models necessarily included imaging results and at least 1 element from the following to be compared with surgical pathology: demographic characteristics, clinical characteristics, and blood or urine tests. Two independent reviewers screened citations and extracted data. Quality Assessment Tool for Diagnostic Accuracy Studies 2 was used to assess the risk of bias. The strength of evidence was graded with the scheme recommended by Methods Guide for Effectiveness and Comparative Effectiveness Reviews. Twenty studies (12,149 patients) were included in this review. The only significant predictors of malignancy in the composite models were tumor size (effect size, 1.33‐fold increased risk per centimeter; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.22‐1.43) and male sex (effect size, 2.71; 95% CI, 2.39‐3.02). The results were inconclusive or not significant for tumor characteristics, age, body mass index, and incidental presentation. In conclusion, composite models currently have a limited ability to distinguish malignant renal masses from benign renal masses, with increased tumor size and male sex associated with malignancy. Cancer 2016;122:3267–3276. © 2016 American Cancer Society.
Feasibility of using digital color imaging devices for the determination of cationic dyes compatibility
Authors: Salimian Saeed , Khalili Haleh , Izadan Hossain , Shahamatjoo Sohail
Published: August 2016

In the present research, the compatibility of dyes was evaluated using a scanner by the application of the method proposed by Khalili and Amirshahi, which had been proved as a novel and accurate method for evaluating the compatibility behavior of dye mixtures. A dip‐test method was employed to dye samples, compatibility panels, in binary combinations of cationic dyes on acrylic fibers. In order to use the scanner, first the device was colorimetrically characterized using a regression technique. The tristimulus values obtained from the scanner were, then, used for the reconstruction of the reflectance of the compatibility panels by principal component analysis. Next, the reconstructed reflectance of the panels were transferred to the corresponding K/S spectra and the Khalili and Amirshahi proposed method applied to the spectra in order to obtain the percentage variance (PV), which is the criterion of the dye compatibility. The comparison between the PVs obtained from the scanner and the corresponding one calculated by the spectrophotometrically measured reflectance of the compatibility panels showed a very significant correlation of the compatibility results regarding Pearson correlation coefficients and their K values. It was concluded that due to the smoothness of the reconstructed spectra and the performance of the PCA method of the reconstruction, which manifest itself in the good spectral reconstruction, the scanner method joined with the Khalili and Amirshahi proposed method can reliably be used for the determination of dye mixtures compatibility by a dip test. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Col Res Appl, 42, 337–345, 2017
Offline/online attribute‐based encryption with verifiable outsourced decryption
Authors: Liu Zechao , Jiang Zoe L. , Wang Xuan , Huang Xinyi , Yiu S.M. , Sadakane Kunihiko
Published: August 2016

In this big data era, service providers tend to put the data in a third‐party cloud system. Social networking websites are typical examples. To protect the security and privacy of the data, data should be stored in encrypted form. This brings forth new challenges: how to allow different users to access only the authorized part of the data without decryption of the data. Attribute‐based encryption (ABE) offers fine‐grained access control policy over encrypted data such that users can decrypt successfully only if their attributes satisfy the policy. However, one drawback of ABE is that the computational cost grows linearly with the complexity of ciphertext policy or the number of attributes. The situation becomes worse for mobile devices with limited computing resources. To solve this problem, we adopt the offline/online technique combining with the verifiable outsourced computation technique to propose a new ciphertext‐policy ABE scheme using bilinear groups in prime order, supporting the offline/online key generation and encryption, as well as the verifiable outsourced decryption. As a result, most computations of key generation and encryption can be executed offline, and the majority of computational workload in decryption can be outsourced to third parties. The scheme is selectively chosen‐plaintext attack‐secure in the standard model. We also provide the proof of verifiability on outsourced decryption. The simulation results show that our proposed scheme can effectively reduce the computational cost imposed on resource‐constrained devices. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Syntheses and X‐Ray crystal structures of aminated 4,4'‐Bi‐1,2,4‐triazole salts
Authors: Zhang Song , Wang ZhiQiang , Wang XiaoXu , Chen MingLong , Zhang LiJuan , Liang DeHui , Zhang Yong , Li HongBo
Published: August 2016

3‐Amino‐4,4'‐bi‐1,2,4‐triazole hydrochlorate and 3,3'‐diamino‐4,4'‐bi‐1,2,4‐triazole ditosylate were obtained with the reduction of 3,3',5,5'‐tetraazide‐4,4'‐bi‐1,2,4‐triazole (TABT) by (Ph)3P/H2O and the followed salt forming reaction with concentrated HCl and aqueous TsOH, respectively. Their structures were characterized with elemental analyses, IR, MS, 1H and 13C NMR spectra. The single crystals were cultivated and determined with X‐ray diffraction, test results reveal that H+ combines with electron‐rich N atom in triazole ring to form ionic salts, two N,N‐linked triazoles are almost perpendicular to each other due to lower steric hindrance. The aromatic π…π stacking interactions and hydrogen bonds between molecules are observed. These two novel salts and their derivatives may be applied in coordination chemistry, medicinal chemistry and energetic materials.
Production of fuel briquettes from rice husk–lignite blends
Authors: Özyuğuran Ayşe , Acma Hanzade Haykırı , Dahiloğlu Emine
Published: August 2016

In this study, a lignite sample from Afşin‐Elbistan area of Turkey was briquetted using rice husk as additive. The lignite and the rice husk were first briquetted separately without blending under pressures of 280, 555, 830, and 1110 MPa. Lignite–rice husk blends were prepared to contain 2, 5, 10, and 20 wt % rice husk as additive. The blends were also briquetted using three different binder materials (molasses, starch, and black liquor). Shatter index, compressive strength, and water resistance of the formed briquettes were determined and compared. Addition of rice husk into Afşin‐Elbistan lignite caused to decrease the water resistance, but improved the mechanical strength of the briquettes. Using binder materials affected both compressive strength and shatter index negatively. But the water resistance of the briquettes increased with increasing binder material concentration. Adding rice husk changed the combustion characteristics of Afşin‐Elbistan lignite considerably and shifted its burning profile to lower temperatures. © 2016 American Institute of Chemical Engineers Environ Prog, 36: 742–748, 2017
A study on spike focus dependence of high‐frequency activity in idiopathic focal epilepsy in childhood
Authors: Shibata Takashi , Yoshinaga Harumi , Akiyama Tomoyuki , Kobayashi Katsuhiro
Published: August 2016

Objective

Spike foci in benign epilepsy with centrotemporal spikes (BECTS) are related to seizure semiologies, but this relationship is inconspicuous in Panayiotopoulos syndrome (PS). We analyzed spike‐associated high‐frequency activity (HFA) and its relationship to spike foci in the electroencephalograms (EEGs) of patients with BECTS and PS in order to elucidate the pathophysiology of these epileptic syndromes.

Methods

In 35 patients with BECTS and 29 with PS, focal spikes in scalp sleep EEGs were first classified by clustering according to their characteristics, including shape and distribution. For each patient, three or fewer spike clusters were investigated by time‐frequency spectral analysis and single‐dipole analysis using a realistic three‐dimensional head model to explore the relationships between the presence or absence of spike‐associated HFA and the distribution of estimated spike sources.

Results

A total of 159 spike clusters were analyzed (96 in BECTS and 63 in PS). HFA was detected in 73 spike clusters (76.0%) in BECTS and 37 (58.7%) in PS, with a significant difference in the proportion of spike clusters with HFA (p = 0.024 by Fisher's exact test). In BECTS, spikes had relatively uniform distributions, but the proportion of spikes with associated HFA was significantly higher in the spike group with dipoles in the perirolandic areas (42 of 49) than in that with dipoles outside of the perirolandic areas (23 of 36; p = 0.037). In PS, The proportion of spikes with associated HFA was significantly higher in the spike group with dipoles in the occipital lobes (20 of 26) than in that with dipoles outside of the occipital lobes (13 of 33; p = 0.020).

Significance

The proportion of spike‐associated HFA was higher in BECTS than in PS. Particular pathophysiological meaning was indicated in spikes with dipoles in the perirolandic areas in BECTS and in spikes with dipoles in the occipital lobes in PS owing to the high proportions of spike‐associated HFA in these areas.
DNA‐PkCS expression in oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma: Correlations with human papillomavirus status and recurrence after transoral robotic surgery
Authors: Weaver Alice N. , Cooper Tiffiny S. , Wei Shi , Carroll William R. , Rosenthal Eben L. , Yang Eddy S.
Published: August 2016

Background

Human papillomavirus (HPV)‐positive oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) has improved clinical outcomes compared to HPV‐negative disease. However, the biology underlying differences in prognosis remains unclear.

Methods

We characterized the expression of DNA‐protein kinase catalytic subunit (DNA‐PkCS), a key DNA repair protein also associated with tumor progression, in 29 cases of oropharyngeal SCCs and correlated our findings with HPV status and disease recurrence. In addition, we assessed therapeutic response, migration, and invasion in head and neck cancer cell lines upon DNA‐PkCS knockdown.

Results

DNA‐PkCS expression was significantly decreased in HPV‐positive compared to HPV‐negative oropharyngeal SCC samples. Within the HPV‐positive subgroup, DNA‐PkCS expression was inversely related to HPV E6 and E7 expression and trended toward significance as a predictor of recurrence. DNA‐PkCS knockdown in cell lines resulted in increased sensitivity to cisplatin and radiotherapy and reduced cell migration and invasion.

Conclusion

These results suggest DNA‐PkCS should be further studied as a potential marker of tumor progression in HPV‐positive oropharyngeal SCCs. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Head Neck 39: 206–214, 2017
Effects of different fluid shear stress patterns on the in vitro degradation of poly(lactide‐co‐glycolide) acid membranes
Authors: Chu Zhaowei , Li Xiaoming , Li Ying , Zheng Quan , Feng Chenglong , Guo Meng , Ding Xili , Feng Wentao , Gao Yuanming , Yao Jie , Chen Xiaofang , Wang Lizhen , Fan Yubo
Published: August 2016

The applications of poly (lactide‐co‐glycolide) acid (PLGA) for coating or fabricating polymeric biodegradable stents (BDSs) have drawn more attention. The fluid shear stress has been proved to affect the in vitro degradation process of PLGA membranes. During the maintenance, BDSs could be suffered different patterns of fluid shear stress, but the effect of these different patterns on the whole degradation process is unclear. In this study, in vitro degradation of PLGA membranes was examined with steady, sinusoid, and squarewave fluid shear stress patterns in 150 mL deionized water at 37°C for 20 days, emphasizing on the changes in the viscosity of the degradation solution, mechanical, and morphological properties of the samples. The unsteady fluid shear stress with the same average magnitude as the steady one accelerate the in vitro degradation process of PLGA membranes in terms of maximum fluid shear stress and “window” of effectiveness. Maximum fluid shear stress accelerates the in vitro degradation of molecular fragments that diffused out in the solution while the “window” of effectiveness affects too in the early stage. Besides, maximum fluid shear stress and “window” of effectiveness accelerates the in vitro loss of tensile modulus and ultimate strength of the PLGA membranes while the maximum fluid shear stress plays the leading role in the decrease of tensile modulus at the early degradation stage. This study could help advance the degradation design of PLGA membranes under different fluid shear stress patterns for biomedical applications like stents and drug release systems. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Biomed Mater Res Part A: 105A: 23–30, 2017.
Remodeling of injectable, low‐viscosity polymer/ceramic bone grafts in a sheep femoral defect model
Authors: Talley Anne D. , McEnery Madison A. , Kalpakci Kerem N. , Zienkiewicz Katarzyna J. , Shimko Daniel A. , Guelcher Scott A.
Published: August 2016

Ceramic/polymer composite bone grafts offer the potential advantage of combining the osteoconductivity of ceramic component with the ductility of polymeric component, resulting in a graft that meets many of the desired properties for bone void fillers (BVF). However, the relative contributions of the polymer and ceramic components to bone healing are not well understood. In this study, we compared remodeling of low‐viscosity (LV) ceramic/poly(ester urethane) composites to a ceramic BVF control in a sheep femoral condyle plug defect model. LV composites incorporating either ceramic (LV/CM) or allograft bone (LV/A) particles were evaluated. We hypothesized that LV/CM composites which have the advantageous handling properties of injectability, flowability, and settability would heal comparably to the CM control, which was evaluated for up to 2 years to study its long‐term degradation properties. Remodeling of LV/CM was comparable to that observed for the CM control, as evidenced by new bone formation on the surface of the ceramic particles. At early time points (4 months), LV/CM composites healed similar to the ceramic clinical control, while LV/A components showed more variable healing due to osteoclast‐mediated resorption of the allograft particles. At longer time points (12–15 months), healing of LV/CM composites was more variable due to the nonhomogeneous distribution and lower concentration of the ceramic particles compared to the ceramic clinical control. Resorption of the ceramic particles was almost complete at 2 years. This study highlights the importance of optimizing the loading and distribution of ceramic particles in polymer/ceramic composites to maximize bone healing. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Biomed Mater Res Part B: Appl Biomater, 105B: 2333–2343, 2017.
Acceleration of wound healing by ultrasound activation of TiO2 in Escherichia coli‐infected wounds in mice
Authors: Osumi Koji , Matsuda Sachiko , Fujimura Naoki , Matsubara Kentaro , Kitago Minoru , Itano Osamu , Ogino Chiaki , Shimizu Nobuaki , Obara Hideaki , Kitagawa Yuko
Published: August 2016

Surgical site infections continue to be a common complication affecting surgical prognosis. Reactive oxygen species (ROS) are generated by ultrasound‐irradiated titanium dioxide (TiO2) (UIT). Although excessive ROS production can cause cell damage, ROS at physiological levels mediate beneficial cellular responses, including angiogenesis. This study investigated whether UIT can promote healing of Escherichia coli‐infected wounds. We used TiO2 and ultrasound irradiation using an ultrasonography machine at a frequency of 1.0 MHz and intensity of 0.4 W cm−2. These levels are not bactericidal in vitro; therefore, we could study the effect of UIT on E. coli survival without interference of ultrasound effects. The number of cluster of differentiation 31‐positive blood vessels, which are indicative of angiogenesis, was decreased by bacterial infection, and increased at the wound edges in the UIT‐treated infected wounds, suggesting upregulation of neovascularization by UIT. Although UIT treatment did not decrease E. coli survival in vivo, it promoted healing of the infected wounds as evidenced by a significant decrease in the wound area in the UIT‐treated mice. Our findings demonstrate that UIT promotes wound healing in surgical site infections and suggest beneficial use of the UIT‐based approach as a novel therapeutic method to treat infected surgical wounds. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Biomed Mater Res Part B: Appl Biomater, 105B: 2344–2351, 2017.
Ultrasound‐guided peripheral venous access for therapeutic apheresis procedures reduces need for central venous catheters
Authors: Salazar Eric , Garcia Salvador , Miguel Robin , Segura Francisco J. , Ipe Tina S. , Leveque Christopher
Published: August 2016

Therapeutic and donor apheresis requires adequate vascular access to achieve inlet flow rates of ∼50—100 mL/min. While central dialysis‐type venous catheters can usually provide such access, their use includes several associated risks. Some of these risks can be avoided or diminished if adequate peripheral venous access can be established. Some patients have adequate peripheral veins for apheresis that cannot be readily identified visually or by palpation. We hypothesized that ultrasound‐guided peripheral venous access would benefit such patients and would lead to placement of fewer central venous catheters. The technique of ultrasound‐guided peripheral access for apheresis has been in use at Houston Methodist Hospital since 2012. We performed a prospective review of patients undergoing inpatient and outpatient apheresis at Houston Methodist Hospital from July 1, 2015 to September 30, 2015, to assess its benefit. During this time, we performed 831 procedures on 186 patients, including 787 therapeutic plasma exchanges, three red blood cell exchanges, 41 peripheral stem cell collections. Ultrasound‐guided vascular access was used for 68 procedures (8% of all procedures), including 62 therapeutic plasma exchanges, 4 peripheral stem cell collections, and 2 red blood cell changes. Use of ultrasound‐guided peripheral access prevented the placement of central venous catheters in 37 (20%) patients, demonstrating its utility in a busy transfusion service.
N,N′‐Dialkyl‐4‐Aryl‐3,4‐Dihydropyrimidinones and Thiones: Ceric Ammonium Nitrate Catalyzed Synthesis and Molecular Structure Determination by X‐ray Crystallography
Authors: Kathing Chingrishon , Kumar Sushil , Tumtin Shokip , Singh Nongthombam Geetmani , Rani Jims World Star , Nongrum Ridaphun , Nongkhlaw Rishanlang
Published: August 2016

This work presents a microwave assisted solvent‐free synthesis of N,N′‐dialkyl‐4‐aryl‐3,4‐dihydropyrimidinones/thiones in the presence of Ceric Ammonium Nitrate (CAN) via direct condensation of aromatic aldehydes, β‐keto ester, and N,N′‐dialkylurea/thiourea. The highlights of the methodology adopted are (i) facile condensation of the reactants into product without any side‐products, and (ii) short reaction time with high yield and good purity. All the compounds synthesized were characterized and established by spectroscopic techniques such as FTIR, 1H NMR, 13C NMR, and Mass. The structure of the compound is further corroborated by single crystal X‐ray diffraction analysis.
Etiology, seasonality, and clinical characteristics of respiratory viruses in children with respiratory tract infections in Eastern India (Bhubaneswar, Odisha)
Authors: Panda Swagatika , Mohakud Nirmal Kumar , Suar Mrutyunjay , Kumar Subrat
Published: August 2016

Acute respiratory tract infections (ARTIs) are a leading cause of morbidity and mortality in young children in low and middle income countries. To analyse the overall burden of respiratory viruses responsible for ARTIs in paediatrics population in eastern India, this study was performed. Clinical information, demographic information and nasal/oral swabs were collected from 332 paediatric patients (aged from 1 month to 12 years old) with the symptoms of ARTI, enrolled from the outpatient department from Nov 2012 to Oct 2014. Multiplex PCR was performed to detect eight respiratory viral pathogens. Seasonal, as well as age‐wise prevalence of respiratory viruses was analysed. Of these 332 cases, 32.53% (108/332) were positive for at least one pathogen. Human rhinovirus (HRV) was the most frequently detected pathogen (24.7%, 82/332) followed by respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) (4.22%, 14/332), PIV (2.11%, 7/332), and hMPV (2.11%, 7/332). Single infection was detected in 92.6% (100/108) of positive cases. Respiratory virus infections showed seasonal variation, with peaks during the rainy season followed by winter season, and were most common in patients under 1 year of age. Phylogenetic analysis of HMPV positive samples confirmed the circulation of A2 subgroup in the study area. The present study is first of its kind and adds to our knowledge of the epidemiological characteristics of these common respiratory viruses among patients with ARTIs in the study area. J. Med. Virol. 89:553–558, 2017. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Royal Navy logbooks as secondary sources and their use in climatic investigations: introducing the log‐board
Authors: Norrgård Stefan
Published: August 2016

This investigation encompasses the first presentation of the log‐board, which was the primary source used to compile logbooks on board Royal Navy vessels in the 18th century. All wind force and weather descriptions during the day were entered on the log‐board before they were transcribed to the logbook, which is why the logbook should be approached as a secondary source. This study shows that although Royal Navy logbooks represent valuable compilations of what was written on the log‐board, it cannot be ascertained exactly how the logbooks were compiled. Seven logbooks from the Cumberland for August 1782 were evaluated by comparing them to the log‐board from the same vessel, and the purpose was to determine the validity of logbook wind and weather entries. The results show that wind direction was most consistently transcribed according to the log‐board and, furthermore, that a majority of the wind force entries derived from the 1 p.m. entry on the log‐board. The kappa statistic shows that both wind force and weather conditions were most consistently copied from the 1 p.m. entry on the log‐board. The study concludes that the first wind force and weather entries in the logbooks were not made at noon when the vessel was positioned. While the positioning of the vessel was made at the end of the nautical day, the first wind force and weather entries most likely describe the conditions 23 h earlier.
Reconsidering the Role of Fit in Celebrity Endorsement: Associative‐Propositional Evaluation (APE) Accounts of Endorsement Effectiveness
Authors: Chang Yonghwan , Ko Yong Jae
Published: August 2016

This study is designed to fill any explanatory gaps that have been traditionally underexplored when considering the interplay of implicit/automatic/unconscious and explicit/deliberate/conscious attitudes in the context of celebrity endorsement. The main experiment employed single target‐implicit association test as a measure of implicit attitudes. The key finding of the study is that the experimental condition where the fit between the celebrity and the endorsed product was low induced favorable implicit and explicit attitudes, similar to the condition where the fit was high. The explanation for this finding was that dissonance enhanced the association strength of the attitude object through biased attention and elaboration, which provided a basis for favorable propositions. In propositional reasoning, retroactive confirmation of the favorable implicit attitudes resolved dissonance. This study seeks to go beyond the existing endorsement and sponsorship literature developed based on matching principles such as source models, match‐up hypothesis, the congruity theory, and associative network models. The authors recommend that managers search for more creative and novel partners in addition to image‐matching ones.
What Did You Do to My Brand? The Moderating Effect of Brand Nostalgia on Consumer Responses to Changes in a Brand
Authors: Shields Alison B. , Johnson Jennifer Wiggins
Published: August 2016

Previous research on consumer nostalgia has concluded that nostalgic feelings primarily have a positive effect on consumers, boosting positive feelings and affective responses. However, evidence suggests that consumers who hold nostalgic feelings toward a specific brand sometimes respond negatively to updated or modified versions of the brand. This research tests the moderating effect of consumers’ brand nostalgia on their responses to changes to a brand. Across four studies, the authors find that consumers who are nostalgic toward a specific brand exhibit a positive bias toward the original version of the brand that leads them to perceive the brand as having changed more than do less nostalgic consumers. Further, when the change to the brand is perceived to be large, individuals who are highly nostalgic for a brand show a significantly sharper decrease in reported attitude and behavioral intentions toward the changed brand than do their less nostalgic counterparts. This effect is in opposition to the positive effects of a general tendency toward nostalgia proneness. These results are replicated across multiple product categories and both manipulated and real changes, and the effect is found to be mediated by the consumer's biased perception of how much the brand has changed.
Features and Application in Asymmetric Catalysis of Chiral Phosphine–Phosphite Ligands
Authors: Pizzano Antonio
Published: August 2016

Chiral phosphine–phosphites are a class of ligands for asymmetric catalysis characterized by two coordinating functionalities with different electronic properties. These ligands also possess a highly modular structure and, due to versatile synthetic processes, they can be tuned precisely in the catalyst optimization process. Research regarding the application of these ligands in several enantioselective catalytic processes has provided outstanding results in a good number of them. These processes include not only Rh catalyzed reactions, such as olefin hydrogenation and hydroformylation, but also other reactions, such as hydrogenation of olefins and imines by Ru complexes, of imines and N‐heterocycles by Ir derivatives, allyl alkylation or conjugate addition by Cu catalysts, or hydrocyanation of olefins by Ni ones. Overall, the use of these ligands has led to the preparation of a wide variety of chiral building blocks with high enantiomeric excess. Therefore, phosphine–phosphites have become in an important class of ligands in asymmetric catalysis.

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Amylose engineering: phosphorylase‐catalyzed polymerization of functional saccharide primers for glycobiomaterials
Authors: Nishimura Tomoki , Akiyoshi Kazunari
Published: August 2016

Interest in amylose and its hybrids has grown over many decades, and a great deal of work has been devoted to developing methods for designing functional amylose hybrids. In this context, phosphorylase‐catalyzed polymerization shows considerable promise as a tool for preparing diverse amylose hybrids. Recently, advances have been made in the chemoenzymatic synthesis and characterization of amylose‐block‐polymers, amylose‐graft‐polymers, amylose‐modified surfaces, hetero‐oligosaccharides, and cellodextrin hybrids. Many of these saccharides provide clear opportunities for advances in biomaterials because of their biocompatibility and biodegradability. Important developments in bioapplications of amylose hybrids have also been made, and such newly developed amylose hybrids will help promote the development of new generations of glyco materials. WIREs Nanomed Nanobiotechnol 2017, 9:e1423. doi: 10.1002/wnan.1423

This article is categorized under:

Nanotechnology Approaches to Biology > Nanoscale Systems in Biology
Lyonesse
Authors: Crawford O. G. S.
Published: August 2016

Once upon a time (so tradition says) a region of extreme fertility lay between the Scilly Islands and Cornwall. This land was called Lyonesse; and where now roll the waters of the Atlantic there once stood prosperous towns and no less than a hundred and forty churches. The rocks called the Seven Stones, seven miles west of Land's End, are said to mark the site of a large city. This country was overwhelmed by the sea, and the sole survivor, one Trevilian, escaped destruction only by mounting a swift horse and fleeing to the mainland.

Such, stripped to the bone, is the famous legend of Lyonesse. Had it any real basis in fact, or is it merely an invention of the “dreamy Celt”? There are good reasons for believing that the substance of the legend is true, that within prehistoric times there did actually exist land which is now covered by the sea, and that it has been gradually overwhelmed. In one respect only does the modern critic disagree with tradition. He believes that Lyonesse was the Scilly Islands themselves, not a completely vanished region between them and Cornwall; and that what is now an archipelago of islands was a single large island, surrounded perhaps by a few rocky islets.
Prehistoric Agriculture in Britain
Authors: Curwen E. Cecil
Published: August 2016

The importance of the part played by agriculture in the economic history of our country is sometimes apt to be forgotten, for its place has, during the past hundred years, been largely taken by manufacture. Down to the beginning of the nineteenth century the bulk of the population still made a living by tilling the fields, just as their fathers had done from time immemorial. It becomes, therefore, a matter of great interest to trace the beginnings and growth of agriculture in our country before the dawn of history.

Agriculture may be taken in its broadest sense to signify the artificial growth of plants for human use, as opposed to the gathering of wild products, but the term may also be narrowed down to cover only the cultivation of farinaceous seeds which we call cereals. It is chiefly in the latter sense that the subject will be discussed here, but it must be remembered that the nature of the evidence does not altogether allow of such a distinction.
Forerunners of the Romans
Authors: Randall-MacIver D.
Published: August 2016

The standard Roman histories, especially when written by authors who have an undisguised contempt for archaeology, give very little idea of the civilization and development of Italy before the later days of the Republic. They are histories of Rome but not of Italy. And so the reader is subconsciously led to suppose that the Romans were the most important and the most advanced people on the peninsula, who gradually extended the benefits of their superior civilization over a series of more or less barbarous neighbours. This is a complete inversion of the real facts. The Romans of the Republic were a rather backward people, and it was hardly before the second century B.C. that they could begin to rank as the equals of the Italian provincials in general refinement and culture. Incessantly occupied with the wars which were essential to their very existence, the Romans had no leisure, even if they possessed the inclination, to cultivate the arts and humanities. But, while the future head of the world was struggling for bare life, a rich Italian civilization had been born and developed in the independent territories which had not yet fallen under her sway. Before ever they came under the organizing and levelling domination of the central capital, Etruria, Venetia, Lombardy and Picenum had each evolved its own distinct and very valuable local culture; while the whole south from Naples to Brindisi had been civilized by Corinthian and Ionic influence. Rome when she conquered and annexed these territories in due sequence fell heir to a fully finished product. Italy had been created, but not by Rome; the task that fell to the Romans was much more suited to their peculiar abilities—they had to organize and administer the country.
The Lausitz Culture
Authors: Childe V. Gordon
Published: August 2016

On the continent as in Britain the later phases of the Bronze Age are marked by the spread of large cremation cemeteries generally termed urnfields. One of the several groups of urnfield cultures in Central Europe occupies such a pre-eminent position that it may even claim to be the parent of all the rest. It is known as the Lausitz or Lusatian culture after the area where it is most richly and typically represented—a strip in eastern Saxony and western Silesia.

Here the bodies were cremated in ustrina close to the cemetery, and the ashes, carefully purified from cinders, were enclosed in clay ossuaries or cinerary urns. The ossuary was closed with an inverted dish, but in all early burials a hole was carefully bored in its walls. It is supposed that this aperture was intended to allow the ghost to escape, and hence it has been called a ghost-hole (Seelenloch). The urn, with its cover, was buried in the ground with many accessory vases, presumably containing provisions for the journey into the next world. A barrow might be raised over the tomb, but in all cases the graves form regular cemeteries.
Forerunners of the Romans. II.
Authors: Randall-MacIver D.
Published: August 2016

At the date of about 1000 B.c., that is to say a little after the A beginning of the Iron Age and two centuries before any effective colonization by the Etruscans coming from Asia Minor, northern and central Italy may be partitioned into five distinct spheres of civilization. For convenience of treatment I shall assume that each of these spheres represents a comparatively homogeneous people, passing over the question whether there may not have been submerged minorities of some local importance. And I shall give each of these five peoples, or nations as they may not unfairly be called, a conventional name of geographic derivation, to avoid the endless and futile controversies as to tribal nomenclature. As the accompanying map therefore will show the north-west is occupied by the Comacines, part of Venetia by the Atestines, the Bolognese region by the northern Villanovans, Tuscany and part of Latium by the southern Villanovans. East of the Apennines, from Rimini to Aufidena, the Adriatic coast and the central Apennines were held by the Picenes, who must be understood for this purpose to include some of the tribes known to history as Samnites in addition to a small number of Umbrians. The first four of these nations were related by more or less close ties of kinship and practised the same burial rite of cremation, but the Picenes were of wholly different origin and used only the rite of inhumation. Of the Ligurians, occasionally mentioned by classical writers as occupying the coast of the Italian Riviera, it is impossible to say anything as they have left no remains by which their civilization in the Iron Age can be judged.