bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Smartphone image acquisition forensics using sensor fingerprint
Authors: Sandoval Orozco Ana Lucila , García Villalba Luis Javier , Arenas González David Manuel , Corripio Jocelin Rosales , Hernandez‐Castro Julio , Gibson Stuart James
Published: June 2015

The forensic analysis of digital images from mobile devices is particularly important given their quick expansion and everyday use in the society. A further consequence of digital images' widespread use is that they are used today as silent witnesses in legal proceedings, as crucial evidence of the crime. This study specifically addresses the description of a technique that allows the identification of the image source acquisition, for the specific case of mobile devices images. This approach is to extract wavelet‐based features from sensor pattern noise which are then classified using a support vector machine. Moreover, there are a number of parameters that allows the authors to adapt the execution of the algorithm to specific situations desired for the forensic analyst (a variety of types and sizes of image or optimising the average accuracy rate in terms of processing time). This article describes a set of experiments with the same set of images that can obtain general conclusions for the different configurations.
Notch filter‐based fundamental frequency component extraction to control distribution static compensator for mitigating current‐related power quality problems
Authors: Singh Bhim , Kant Krishan , Arya Sabha Raj
Published: June 2015

This study presents an implementation of a multifunction distribution static compensator (DSTATCOM) using a notch filter‐based control algorithm for DSTATCOM to mitigate power quality issues. There are many power quality problems such as poor power factor of loads, network pollution due to harmonics injection by the non‐linear loads and excessive neutral current because of non‐linear and unbalanced loads. The function of the notch filter is to extract the fundamental frequency component of the load currents. The notch filter is designed to retain its property of fundamental frequency component extraction without any extra calculation to work even under variation of grid frequency. These components of load currents are used to estimate reference supply currents. This control algorithm is implemented on a digital signal processor and tested on a developed prototype of DSTATCOM.
Surgical Outcomes in Patients with High Spinal Instability Neoplasm Score Secondary to Spinal Giant Cell Tumors
Authors: Elder Benjamin D. , Sankey Eric W. , Goodwin C. Rory , Kosztowski Thomas A. , Lo Sheng-Fu L. , Bydon Ali , Wolinsky Jean-Paul , Gokaslan Ziya L. , Witham Timothy F. , Sciubba Daniel M.
Published: June 2015

Study Design

Retrospective review.

Objective

To describe the surgical outcomes in patients with high preoperative Spinal Instability Neoplastic Score (SINS) secondary to spinal giant cell tumors (GCT) and evaluate the impact of en bloc versus intralesional resection and preoperative embolization on postoperative outcomes.

Methods

A retrospective analysis was performed on 14 patients with GCTs of the spine who underwent surgical treatment prior to the use of denosumab. A univariate analysis was performed comparing the patient demographics, perioperative characteristics, and surgical outcomes between patients who underwent en bloc marginal ( n = 6) compared with those who had intralesional ( n = 8) resection.

Results

Six patients underwent en bloc resections and eight underwent intralesional resection. Preoperative embolization was performed in eight patients. All patients were alive at last follow-up, with a mean follow-up length of 43 months. Patients who underwent en bloc resection had longer average operative times ( p = 0.0251), higher rates of early ( p = 0.0182) and late ( p = 0.0389) complications, and a higher rate of surgical revision ( p = 0.0120). There was a 25% (2/8 patients) local recurrence rate for intralesional resection and a 0% (0/6 patients) local recurrence rate for en bloc resection ( p = 0.0929).

Conclusions

Surgical excision of spinal GCTs causing significant instability, assessed by SINS, is associated with high intraoperative blood loss despite embolization and independent of resection method. En bloc resection requires a longer operative duration and is associated with a higher risk of complications when compared with intralesional resection. However, the increased morbidity associated with en bloc resection may be justified as it may minimize the risk of local recurrence.
Mapping the vegetation of the ultramafic outcrops of Saddle Hills (North Andaman Islands, India) using remote-sensing tools
Authors: Chaudhury Krishna , Dutta Suman , Mukherjee Prasanta
Published: June 2015

Saddle Peak (734 m asl) is the highest peak of North Andaman in the Andaman group of islands of India and is reported to be an ultramafic massif. To map the forest vegetation and to identify the species association in this otherwise inaccessible topography, several remote-sensing (RS) tools were used. In standard false colour composite (FCC) satellite image, the area showed smooth texture and bright tone owing to uniform height of the trees and close canopy cover, caused by low variability of the spectral signature. Ratioed images were found useful for discrimination of brightness variation in the slopes between the two bands involved. Vegetation analyses revealed that thick dwarf shrubby trees cover this ultramafic outcrop on the top of Saddle Hills, termed here as ‘stunted evergreen forests.’
Quantifying nitrous oxide emissions from the foliage of cotton, maize and soybean crops
Authors: Rochester I. , Wood C. , Macdonald B.
Published: June 2015

Nitrous oxide (N2O) is a potent greenhouse gas, contributing to global warming. Most of the N2O emitted from cropping systems is derived from the soil and is closely related to the use of nitrogen (N) fertiliser. However, several reports have shown that small, yet significant, portions of the N2O flux from cropping systems are emitted from the crop foliage. This research aimed to quantify N2O emissions from the foliage of field-grown cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.), and included maize (Zea mays L.) and soybean (Glycine max L.) for comparison. We also aimed to identify differences in the timing of N2O emissions from foliage during the day and over an irrigation cycle. Individual plants were isolated from the soil, and the atmosphere surrounding the encapsulated plants was sampled over a 30-min period. Subplots that were previously fertilised with urea at 0, 80, 160, 240 and 320 kg N ha–1 and then sown to cotton were used to measure N2O flux from plants on three occasions. N2O flux from cotton foliage was also measured on five occasions during an 11-day irrigation cycle and at five times throughout one day. N2O flux from foliage accounted for a small but significant portion (13–17%) of the soil–crop N2O flux. N2O flux from foliage varied with plant species, and the time of day the flux was measured. N2O flux from cotton plants was closely related to soil water content. Importantly, the application of N fertiliser was not related to the N2O flux from cotton plants. The most plausible explanation of our results is that a proportion of the N2O that was evolved in the soil was transported through the plant via evapotranspiration, rather than being evolved within the plant. Studies that exclude N2O emissions from crop foliage will significantly underestimate the N2O flux from the system.
Analysis of direct-to-consumer marketed Chlamydia trachomatis diagnostic tests in Norway
Authors: Reinton Nils , Hjelmevoll Stig Ove , Håheim Håkon , Garstad Kjersti , Mørch-Reiersen Lisa Therese , Moghaddam Amir
Published: June 2015

Background
In 2014, and for the first time in Norway, a pharmacy chain started selling home sampling kits for Chlamydia trachomatis (C. trachomatis) detection. Direct-to-consumer diagnostic kits for C. trachomatis have been available in Norway from an Internet company since 2005. There has been little assessment of persons who purchase direct-to-consumer diagnostic tests for sexually transmissible infections (STIs) detection and if low-risk populations are being unnecessarily encouraged to buy these tests. Methods: The prevalence of C. trachomatis in customers who purchased home sampling kits from the pharmacy chain and from the commercial Internet Co. were compared to that of patients attending STI clinics and other free primary healthcare services. Prevalences of other STIs in pharmacy and Internet customers were also determined. Results: The prevalence of C. trachomatis among pharmacy customers was 11%, almost identical to the prevalence among Internet customers (12%). In comparison, the prevalence among patients attending STI clinics in Oslo was 7.2%, which is similar to the prevalence among patients who have been tested through primary healthcare services. The prevalence of Mycoplasma genitalium was two-fold less than that of C. trachomatis in the STI and primary physician population, and significantly less in the Internet and the pharmacy population. Neisseria gonorrhoeae was not detected in urine samples from pharmacy customers or from Internet customers. Conclusions: Both pharmacy and Internet C. trachomatis home-sampling kits seem to be purchased by the right risk population. Marketing of direct-to-consumer N. gonorrhoeae tests and possibly M. genitalium tests cannot be justified in Norway. Direct-to-consumer diagnostic tests should be actively utilised as part of national programs in preventing the spread of C. trachomatis.
Anthropogenic effects on global mean fire size
Authors: Hantson Stijn , Lasslop Gitta , Kloster Silvia , Chuvieco Emilio
Published: June 2015

Wildland fires are an important agent in the earth’s system. Multiple efforts are currently in progress to better represent wildland fires in earth system models. Although wildland fires are a natural disturbance factor, humans have an important effect on fire occurrence by directly igniting and suppressing fires and indirectly influencing fire behaviour by changing land cover and landscape structure. Although these factors are recognised, their quantitative effect on fire growth and burned area are not well understood and therefore only partly taken into account in current process-based fire models. Here we analyse the influence of humans on mean fire size globally. The mean fire size was extracted from the global Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) burned area product MCD45. We found a linear decreasing trend between population density and observed mean fire size over the globe, as well as a negative effect of cropland cover and net income. We implemented the effect of population density on fire growth in a global vegetation model including a process-based fire model (SPITFIRE–JSBACH). When including this demographic control, spatial trends in modelled fraction of burned area generally improved when compared with satellite-derived burned area data. More process-based solutions to limit fire spread are needed in the future, but the empirical relations described here serve as an intermediate step to improve current fire models.
A new type of convergence at the deictic center
Authors: Konnerth Linda
Published: June 2015

There is a functional overlap between motion towards the deictic center and (di-)transitive events directed at speech act participants. Grammatical evidence for this comes from verbal morphemes that are used in motional clauses like ‘come to me!’ and ditransitive clauses like ‘give (it) to me!’ While the literature suggests that such syncretic markers develop through extension from a cislocative (venitive/ventive) to a speech act participant index, the evidence presented here indicates that this development has gone the other way in Karbi (Tibeto-Burman). This suggests that neither cislocative nor non-subject speech act participant indexation is more primary, but that they share an equally basic idea of orientation towards and therefore impact on the deictic center.
Structural analysis of enzymes used for bioindustry and bioremediation
Authors: Tanokura Masaru , Miyakawa Takuya , Guan Lijun , Hou Feng
Published: June 2015

Microbial enzymes have been widely applied in the large-scale, bioindustrial manufacture of food products and pharmaceuticals due to their high substrate specificity and stereoselectivity, and their effectiveness under mild conditions with low environmental burden. At the same time, bioremedial techniques using microbial enzymes have been developed to solve the problem of industrial waste, particularly with respect to persistent chemicals and toxic substances. And finally, structural studies of these enzymes have revealed the mechanistic basis of enzymatic reactions, including the stereoselectivity and binding specificity of substrates and cofactors. The obtained structural insights are useful not only to deepen our understanding of enzymes with potential bioindustrial and/or bioremedial application, but also for the functional improvement of enzymes through rational protein engineering. This review shows the structural bases for various types of enzymatic reactions, including the substrate specificity accompanying cofactor-controlled and kinetic mechanisms.
Preschoolers, adolescents, and adults visually anticipate an agent's efficient action; but only after having observed it frequently
Authors: Schuwerk Tobias , Paulus Markus
Published: June 2015

The present study examined the contribution of efficiency reasoning and statistical learning on visual action anticipation in preschool children, adolescents, and adults. To this end, Experiment 1 assessed proactive eye movements of 5-year-old children, 15-year-old adolescents, and adults, who observed an agent stating the intent to reach a goal as quickly as possible. Subsequently the agent could four times either take a short, hence efficient, or long, hence inefficient, path to get to the goal. The results showed that in the first trial participants in none of the age groups predicted above chance level that the agent would produce the efficient action. Instead, we observed an age-dependent increase in action predictions in the subsequent repeated presentation of the same action. Experiment 2 ruled out that participants’ nonconsideration of the efficient path was due to a lack of understanding of the agent's action goal. Moreover, it demonstrated that 5-year-old children do predict that the agent will act efficiently when verbally reasoning about his future action. Overall, the study supports the view that rapid learning from frequency information guides visual action anticipations.
The sound of you and me: Novices represent shared goals in joint action
Authors: Loehr Janeen D. , Vesper Cordula
Published: June 2015

People performing joint actions coordinate their individual actions with each other to achieve a shared goal. The current study investigated the mental representations that are formed when people learn a new skill as part of a joint action. In a musical transfer-of-learning paradigm, piano novices first learned to perform simple melodies in the joint action context of coordinating with an accompanist to produce musical duets. Participants then performed their previously learned actions with two types of auditory feedback: while hearing either their individual action goal (the melody) or the shared action goal (the duet). As predicted, participants made more performance errors in the individual goal condition than in the shared goal condition. Further experimental manipulations indicated that this difference was not due to different coordination requirements in the two conditions or perceptual dissimilarities between learning and test. Together, these findings indicate that people form representations of shared goals in contexts that promote minimal representations, such as when learning a new action together with another person.
In Memoriam
Authors: Faris Hani A.
Published: June 2015

Naseer H. Aruri (7 January 1934–10 February 2015) was an internationally recognized and renowned scholar, activist and expert on Middle East politics, US foreign policy in the Middle East and human rights. He was Chancellor Professor (Emeritus) of Political Science, having served on the faculty of the University of Massachusetts (UMASS) – Dartmouth from 1965 to 1998. In 1993, he received the College of Arts and Sciences ‘Distinguished Research Award’. His papers have been preserved and are on display at the Claire T. Carney Library Archives and Special Collections at UMASS-Dartmouth. This text is based on an earlier version of a speech delivered by the author at the Memorial for Naseer Aruri held on 12 April 2015 at UMASS-Dartmouth.
John H. Laragh MD: The Man
Authors: Sealey-Laragh Jean
Published: June 2015

John has been variously described as an inspiration, mentor, teacher, friend (fiend—a typo?), charming, warm, enthusiastic, visionary scientist, pioneer, innovator, egalitarian, and golfer. At other times he was called street fighter, competitor, and some unprintables. I believe he was all of these, and more.

Join us in celebrating the life of Dr. John Laragh
FDF-PAGE: a powerful technique revealing previously undetected small RNAs sequestered by complementary transcripts
Authors: Harris C. Jake , Molnar Attila , Müller Sebastian Y. , Baulcombe David C.
Published: June 2015

Small RNAs, between 18nt and 30nt in length, are a diverse class of non-coding RNAs that mediate a range of cellular processes, from gene regulation to pathogen defense. They guide ribonucleoprotein complexes to their target nucleic acids by Watson–Crick base pairing. We report here that current techniques for small RNA detection and library generation are biased by formation of RNA duplexes. To address this problem, we established FDF-PAGE (fully-denaturing formaldehyde polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis) to prevent annealing of sRNAs to their complement. By applying FDF-PAGE, we provide evidence that both strands of viral small RNA are present in near equimolar ratios, indicating that the predominant precursor is a long double-stranded RNA. Comparing non-denaturing conditions to FDF-PAGE uncovered extensive sequestration of miRNAs in model organisms and allowed us to identify candidate small RNAs under the control of competing endogenous RNAs (ceRNAs). By revealing the full repertoire of small RNAs, we can begin to create a better understanding of small RNA mediated interactions.
Pseudomonas fluorescensPTA-CT2 Triggers Local and Systemic Immune Response AgainstBotrytis cinereain Grapevine
Authors: Gruau Charlotte , Trotel-Aziz Patricia , Villaume Sandra , Rabenoelina Fanja , Clément Christophe , Baillieul Fabienne , Aziz Aziz
Published: June 2015

Although induced systemic resistance (ISR) is well-documented in the context of plant–beneficial bacteria interactions, knowledge about the local and systemic molecular and biochemical defense responses before or upon pathogen infection in grapevine is very scarce. In this study, we first investigated the capacity of grapevine plants to express immune responses at both above- and below-ground levels upon interaction with a beneficial bacterium, Pseudomonas fluorescens PTA-CT2. We then explored whether the extent of priming state could contribute to the PTA-CT2-induced ISR in Botrytis cinerea–infected leaves. Our data provide evidence that this bacterium colonized grapevine roots but not the above-ground plant parts and altered the plant phenotype that displayed multiple defense responses both locally and systemically. The grapevine roots and leaves exhibited distinct patterns of defense-related gene expression during root colonization by PTA-CT2. Roots responded faster than leaves and some responses were more strongly upregulated in roots than in leaves and vice versa for other genes. These responses appear to be associated with some induction of cell death in roots and a transient expression of HSR, a hypersensitive response-related gene in both local (roots) and systemic (leaves) tissues. However, stilbenic phytoalexin patterns followed opposite trends in roots compared with leaves but no phytoalexin was exuded during plant-bacterium interaction, suggesting that roots could play an important role in the transfer of metabolites contributing to immune response at the systemic level. Unexpectedly, in B. cinerea–infected leaves PTA-CT2-mediated ISR was accompanied in large part by a downregulation of different defense-related genes, including HSR. Only phytoalexins and glutathion-S-transferase 1 transcripts were upregulated, while the expression of anthocyanin biosynthetic genes was maintained at a higher level than the control. This suggests that decreased expression of HSR, as a marker of cell death, and activation of secondary metabolism pathways could be responsible for a reduced B. cinerea colonization capacity in bacterized plants.
Anastomosis Groups and Pathogenicity ofRhizoctonia solaniand BinucleateRhizoctoniafrom Potato in South Africa
Authors: Muzhinji N. , Truter M. , Woodhall J. W. , van der Waals J. E.
Published: June 2015

A survey of anastomosis groups (AG) of Rhizoctonia spp. associated with potato diseases was conducted in South Africa. In total, 112 Rhizoctonia solani and 19 binucleate Rhizoctonia (BNR) isolates were recovered from diseased potato plants, characterized for AG and pathogenicity. The AG identity of the isolates was confirmed using phylogenetic analysis of the internal transcribed spacer region of ribosomal DNA. R. solani isolates recovered belonged to AG 3-PT, AG 2-2IIIB, AG 4HG-I, AG 4HG-III, and AG 5, while BNR isolates belonged to AG A and AG R, with frequencies of 74, 6.1, 2.3, 2.3, 0.8, 12.2, and 2.3%, respectively. R. solani AG 3-PT was the most predominant AG and occurred in all the potato-growing regions sampled, whereas the other AG occurred in distinct locations. Different AG grouped into distinct clades, with high maximum parsimony and maximum-likelihood bootstrap support for both R. solani and BNR. An experiment under greenhouse conditions with representative isolates from different AG showed differences in aggressiveness between and within AG. Isolates of AG 2-2IIIB, AG 4HG-III, and AG R were the most aggressive in causing stem canker while AG 3-PT, AG 5, and AG R caused black scurf. This is the first comprehensive survey of R. solani and BNR on potato in South Africa using a molecular-based approach. This is the first report of R. solani AG 2-2IIIB and AG 4 HG-I causing stem and stolon canker and BNR AG A and AG R causing stem canker and black scurf on potato in South Africa.
A one-dimensional CdIIcoordination polymer constructed from 4-(dimethylamino)pyridinium-1-acetate ligands and thiocyanate coordination bridges
Authors: Wang Hui-Ting , Zhou Lin
Published: June 2015

A new cadmium–thiocyanate complex, namelycatena-poly[1-carboxymethyl-4-(dimethylamino)pyridinium [cadmium(II)-tri-μ-thiocyanato-κ4N:S;κ2S:N] [[[4-(dimethylamino)pyridinium-1-acetate-κ2O,O′]cadmium(II)]-di-μ-thiocyanato-κ2N:S;κ2S:N]], {(C9H13N2O2)[Cd(NCS)3][Cd(NCS)2(C9H12N2O2)]}n, was synthesized by the reaction of 4-(dimethylamino)pyridinium-1-acetate, cadmium nitrate tetrahydrate and potassium thiocyanide in aqueous solution. In the crystal structure, two types of CdIIatoms are observed in distorted octahedral coordination environments. One type of CdIIatom is coordinated by two O atoms from the carboxylate group of the 4-(dimethylamino)pyridinium-1-acetate ligand and by two N atoms and two S atoms from four different thiocyanate ligands, while the second type of CdIIatom is coordinated by three N atoms and three S atoms from six different thiocyanate ligands. Neighbouring CdIIatoms are linked by thiocyanate bridges to form a one-dimensional zigzag chain and a one-dimensional coordination polymer. Hydrogen-bond interactions are involved in the formation of the supramolecular network.
Do clusters matter to firm and regional development and growth?
Authors: Rocha Hector
Published: June 2015

Purpose

– This paper aims to analyse the impact of clusters on development and growth at the firm and regional level in Latin America (LA). The past 20 years have witnessed an acceleration of cluster initiatives, assuming their positive impact on firm performance and regional development. However, theoretical development and empirical meta-studies in emerging countries to validate this assumed relationship are scarce.

Design/methodology/approach

– This paper reviews empirical evidence from a population of 123 studies and a sample of 45 empirical studies including 216 clusters in LA.

Findings

– It concludes that clusters contribute to both development and growth at the firm- and regional-level contingent to factors such as cluster stage of development, collective efficiency, the pattern of governance of the value chain and the sector in which the firm operates; however, clusters are also a potential source of socio-economic divides.

Originality/value

– Therefore, these results qualify the conclusions of studies of clusters in developed countries (Porter, 2003; Delgadoet al., 2010).
Risk‐Adjusted In‐Hospital Mortality Models for Congestive Heart Failure and Acute Myocardial Infarction: Value of Clinical Laboratory Data and Race/Ethnicity
Authors: Lim Eunjung , Cheng Yongjun , Reuschel Christine , Mbowe Omar , Ahn Hyeong Jun , Juarez Deborah T. , Miyamura Jill , Seto Todd B. , Chen John J.
Published: June 2015

Objective

To examine the impact of key laboratory and race/ethnicity data on the prediction of in‐hospital mortality for congestive heart failure (CHF) and acute myocardial infarction (AMI).

Data Sources

Hawaii adult hospitalizations database between 2009 and 2011, linked to laboratory database.

Study Design

Cross‐sectional design was employed to develop risk‐adjusted in‐hospital mortality models among patients with CHF (n = 5,718) and AMI (n = 5,703).

Data Collection/Extraction Methods

Results of 25 selected laboratory tests were requested from hospitals and laboratories across the state and mapped according to Logical Observation Identifiers Names and Codes standards. The laboratory data were linked to administrative data for each discharge of interest from an all‐payer database, and a Master Patient Identifier was used to link patient‐level encounter data across hospitals statewide.

Principal Findings

Adding a simple three‐level summary measure based on the number of abnormal laboratory data observed to hospital administrative claims data significantly improved the model prediction for inpatient mortality compared with a baseline risk model using administrative data that adjusted only for age, gender, and risk of mortality (determined using 3M's All Patient Refined Diagnosis Related Groups classification). The addition of race/ethnicity also improved the model.

Conclusions

The results of this study support the incorporation of a simple summary measure of laboratory data and race/ethnicity information to improve predictions of in‐hospital mortality from CHF and AMI. Laboratory data provide objective evidence of a patient's condition and therefore are accurate determinants of a patient's risk of mortality. Adding race/ethnicity information helps further explain the differences in in‐hospital mortality.
Percutaneous insertion of peritoneal dialysis catheters using ultrasound and fluoroscopic guidance: A single centre experience and review of literature
Authors: De Boo Diederick W , Mott Nigel , Tregaskis Peter , Quach Trung , Menahem Solomon , Walker Rowan G , Koukounaras Jim
Published: June 2015

Various methods of peritoneal dialysis (PD) catheter insertion are available. The purpose of this study was to evaluate a percutaneous insertion technique using ultrasound (US) and fluoroscopy performed under conscious sedation and as day case procedure. Data of 87 percutaneous inserted dialysis catheters were prospectively collected, including patients' age, gender, body mass index, history of previous abdominal surgery and cause of end stage renal failure. Length of hospital stay, early complications and time to first use were also recorded. Institutional review board approval was obtained. A 100% technical success rate was observed. Early complications included bleeding (n = 3), catheter dysfunction (n = 6), exit site infection (n = 1) and exit site leakage (n = 1). All cases of catheter dysfunction and one case of bleeding required surgical revision. Median time of follow‐up was 18 months (range 3–35), and median time from insertion to first use was days 14 (1–47). Of the 82 patients who started dialysis, 20 (23%) ceased PD at some stage during follow‐up. Most frequently encountered reasons include deteriorating patient cognitive or functional status (n = 5), successful transplant kidney (n = 4) and pleuro‐peritoneal fistula (n = 4). Sixty‐two (71%) PD catheter insertions were performed as day case. The remaining insertions were performed on patients already admitted to the hospital. Percutaneous insertion of dialysis catheter using US and fluoroscopy is not only safe but can be performed as day case procedure in most patients, even with a medical history of abdominal surgery and/or obesity.
Ropivacaine and dexamethasone: a potentially dangerous combination for therapeutic pain injections
Authors: Watkins Trevor William , Dupre Simon , Coucher John Richard
Published: June 2015

Introduction

Targeted spinal steroid injections are effective in reducing back pain in selected patient populations and carry a small risk of significant adverse neurological outcomes. Recent recommendations are for the use of non‐particulate steroid agents for all spinal injections to reduce the risk of neurovascular embolic adverse events. Many injections have used a combination of local anaesthetic agent with the steroid. At our institutions, we have recently observed interactions between ropivacaine and dexamethasone combinations ascribed to the incompatibility of the former with alkaline solutions, resulting in rapid crystallisation. This study has further investigated the combinations of commonly used local anaesthetic and steroid combinations to determine if such precipitation effects are more widespread.

Methods

The commonly used local anaesthetics (lignocaine, bupivacaine, ropivacaine) and the non‐particulate steroid dexamethasone sodium phosphate combinations were evaluated macroscopically, microscopically, and pH values measured. Where crystallisation was observed the rate of precipitation and crystal size was measured. Contamination of ropivacaine with sodium bicarbonate solution was also evaluated. Particulate size of the particulate steroid agent betamethasone acetate was evaluated as a comparison.

Results

All mixtures of ropivacaine and the non‐particulate dexamethasone sodium phosphate assessed demonstrated a pH‐dependent crystallisation of the solution. No precipitation was demonstrated with the combinations of dexamethasone and lignocaine or bupivacaine. Contamination of ropivacaine with residual sodium bicarbonate in a drawing up needle following air clearing had a precipitation effect.

Conclusion

We describe the effect of crystallisation with the combination of ropivacaine and the non‐particulate steroid, dexamethasone sodium phosphate, a mixture that has been used in the literature for targeted pain injections. As this may be considered a non‐particulate steroid/anaesthetic injectate, this would potentially carry increased risk if inadvertent intravascular injection occurred during a targeted spinal injection, as has been described with particulate steroid agents. This is due to the elevated pH of dexamethasone and the incompatibility of ropivacaine with alkaline solutions.
The Role of Credit Spreads and Structural Breaks in Forecasting the Term Structure of Korean Government Bond Yields
Authors: Lee Chang Hoon , Kang Kyu Ho
Published: June 2015

We examine whether Korean credit spreads are informative enough to help improve the predictive accuracy of Korean government bond yields. To do this, we analyze a joint dynamic Nelson‐Siegel (DNS) model of Korean government bond yields and credit spreads. In the model multiple change‐points at unknown time points in the factor process are allowed in order to capture the possibility of structural breaks in the yield and credit spread curve dynamics. We find that the joint DNS model of the yield and credit spread curves outperforms the standard DNS model of the yield curve in terms of out‐of‐sample yield curve prediction. Further, the predictive gains are maximized at the two change‐points. The two change‐points seem to be closely associated with the beginning of the recent financial crisis and the subsequent stabilization of Korean bond markets.
A Study of the Causality Between Convertible Bond Prices and Stock Prices in Conversion‐price Reset Periods—Time‐series and Cross‐section Analyses
Authors: Wang Ma‐Ju , Lin Yun‐Wei , Lee Tsun‐Siou
Published: June 2015

This study examines the causality between the returns of convertible bonds and stocks during periods of conversion‐price resets and general pre‐reset in Taiwan. Profits, stock turnover, and firm size affect the significance of causality. The empirical results indicate that the returns of convertible bonds always lag behind the stock returns for general pre‐reset periods. However, for reset periods, the numbers of companies for which convertible bonds lead ahead of the stock market increases. The causality reversal is based on uprising liquidity and information transparency. These results provide evidence that various reset price mechanisms affect financing market efficiency.
Assumed race moderates spontaneous racial bias in a computer‐based police simulation
Authors: Park Sang Hee , Kim Hyeon Jeong
Published: June 2015

We demonstrated that playing the roles of different outgroup races can elicit extrapersonal racial bias associated with respective racial groups. In a modified version of a computer‐based police simulation, the police officer's race was visually manipulated to be either Black or White. Korean participants made quick decisions whether to shoot targets (Black or White, armed or unarmed) on screen. Comparison of behavioral bias in the task revealed that, as expected, playing the role of a White police officer was associated with a stronger bias against Black targets compared to playing a Black police officer's role. The result suggests that when a social category is activated, one's race‐related behavior can reflect one's beliefs about the biases that members of that category hold.
Systematic review: colitis associated with anti‐CTLA‐4 therapy
Authors: Gupta A. , De Felice K. M. , Loftus E. V. , Khanna S.
Published: June 2015

Background

Cytotoxic T‐lymphocyte‐associated protein‐4 (CTLA‐4) has an important role in T‐cell regulation, proliferation and tolerance. Anti‐CTLA‐4 agents, such as ipilimumab and tremelimumab, have been shown to prolong overall survival in patients with metastatic melanoma, and their use is being investigated in the treatment of other malignancies. Their novel immunostimulatory mechanism, however, predisposes patients to immune‐related adverse effects, of which gastrointestinal effects such as diarrhoea and colitis are the most common.

Aims

To discuss the existing literature and summarise the epidemiology, pathogenesis and clinical features of anti‐CTLA‐4‐associated colitis, and to present a management algorithm for it.

Methods

We searched PubMed for studies published through October 2014 using the terms ‘anti‐CTLA,’ ‘ipilimumab,’ ‘tremelimumab,’ ‘colitis,’ ‘gastrointestinal,’ ‘immune‐related adverse effect,’ ‘immunotherapy,’ ‘melanoma,’ and ‘diarrhoea.’

Results

Watery diarrhoea is commonly associated with anti‐CTLA‐4 therapy (27–54%), and symptoms occur within a few days to weeks of therapy. Diffuse acute and chronic colitis are the most common findings on endoscopy (8–22%). Concomitant infectious causes of diarrhoea must be evaluated. Most cases may be successfully managed with discontinuation of anti‐CTLA‐4 and conservative therapy. Those with persistent grade 2 and grade 3/4 diarrhoea should undergo endoscopic evaluation and require corticosteroid therapy. Corticosteroid‐resistant cases may respond to anti‐tumour necrosis factor‐alpha therapy such as infliximab. Surgery is reserved for patients with bowel perforation or failure of medical therapy.

Conclusion

Given the increasing use of anti‐CTLA‐4 therapy, clinicians must be aware of related adverse events and their management.
Octreotide s.c. depot provides sustained octreotide bioavailability and similar IGF‐1 suppression to octreotide LAR in healthy volunteers
Authors: Tiberg Fredrik , Roberts John , Cervin Camilla , Johnsson Markus , Sarp Severine , Tripathi Anadya Prakash , Linden Margareta
Published: June 2015

Aims

The aim was to assess the pharmacokinetics, pharmacodynamics, safety and tolerability of octreotide subcutaneous (s.c.) depot, a novel octreotide formulation.

Methods

This was a phase I, randomized, open label study. After a single dose of octreotide immediate release (IR) 200 µg, subjects were randomized to one of eight groups to receive three monthly injections of octreotide s.c. depot A 10, 20 or 30 mg, B 30 mg, C 10, 20 or 30 mg or long acting octreotide (octreotide LAR) 30 mg.

Results

One hundred and twenty‐two subjects were randomized. For all depot variants, onset of octreotide release was rapid and sustained for up to 4 weeks. The relative octreotide bioavailability of depot variants vs. octreotide IR ranged from 0.68 (90% confidence interval [CI] 0.61, 0.76) to 0.91 (90% CI 0.81, 1.02) and, vs. octreotide LAR, was approximately four‐ to five‐fold greater: 3.97 (90% CI 3.35, 4.71) to 5.27 ng ml–1 h (90% CI 4.43, 6.27). All depot variants showed relatively rapid initial reductions of insulin‐like growth factor 1 (IGF‐1) compared with octreotide LAR. A trend of octreotide dose dependence was also indicated from the plasma concentrations and suppression of IGF‐1. Maximum inhibition of IGF‐1 at steady‐state was highest for depot B and C. All depot treatments were well tolerated. The most frequent adverse events were gastrointestinal related.

Conclusions

Octreotide s.c. depot provides greater octreotide bioavailability with a more rapid onset and stronger suppression of IGF‐1 than octreotide LAR in healthy volunteers.
MD‐2 as the target of a novel small molecule, L6H21, in the attenuation of LPS‐induced inflammatory response and sepsis
Authors: Wang Yi , Shan Xiaoou , Chen Gaozhi , Jiang Lili , Wang Zhe , Fang Qilu , Liu Xing , Wang Jingying , Zhang Yali , Wu Wencan , Liang Guang
Published: June 2015

Background and Purpose

Myeloid differentiation 2 (MD‐2) recognizes LPS, which is required for TLR4 activation, and represents an attractive therapeutic target for severe inflammatory disorders. We previously found that a chalcone derivative, L6H21, could inhibit LPS‐induced overexpression of TNF‐α and IL‐6 in macrophages. Here, we performed a series of biochemical experiments to investigate whether L6H21 specifically targets MD‐2 and inhibits the interaction and signalling transduction of LPS‐TLR4/MD‐2.

Experimental Approach

The binding affinity of L6H21 to MD‐2 protein was analysed using computer docking, surface plasmon resonance analysis, elisa, fluorescence measurements and flow cytometric analysis. The effects of L6H21 on MAPK and NF‐κB signalling were determined using EMSA, fluorescence staining, Western blotting and immunoprecipitation. The anti‐inflammatory effects of L6H21 were confirmed using elisa and RT‐qPCR in vitro. The anti‐inflammatory effects of L6H21 were also evaluated in septic C57BL/6 mice.

Key Results

Compound L6H21 inserted into the hydrophobic region of the MD‐2 pocket, forming hydrogen bonds with Arg90 and Tyr102 in the MD‐2 pocket. In vitro, L6H21 subsequently suppressed MAPK phosphorylation, NF‐κB activation and cytokine expression in macrophages stimulated by LPS. In vivo, L6H21 pretreatment improved survival, prevented lung injury, decreased serum and hepatic cytokine levels in mice subjected to LPS. In addition, mice with MD‐2 gene knockout were universally protected from the effects of LPS‐induced septic shock.

Conclusions and Implications

Overall, this work demonstrated that the new chalcone derivative, L6H21, is a potential candidate for the treatment of sepsis. More importantly, the data confirmed that MD‐2 is an important therapeutic target for inflammatory disorders.
The impact of public ownership in the lending sector
Authors: Bose Arup , Pal Debashis , Sappington David E. M.
Published: June 2015

We examine the effects of increased government ownership of suppliers in the lending sector, which induces increased concern with total welfare and reduced concern with profit. Such increased ownership of a lender can have unanticipated effects. For instance, it can increase lender profit. Furthermore, borrower welfare often declines as government ownership increases in a lender with a relatively limited ability to discern the true quality of borrowers’ projects. In addition, there are settings in which increased government ownership of a lender has no impact on either lender profit or borrower welfare.
Conservation authority board composition and watershed management in Ontario
Authors: Lyons Joseph
Published: June 2015

This article contributes to the general debate about specialized governments, which may represent one or many municipalities. The research compares the Upper Thames River Conservation Authority (UTRCA) and its fragmented board and the consolidated board of the Hamilton Conservation Authority (HCA) to assess whether board composition affects policy implementation. It finds that the UTRCA is more responsive to the provincial mandate for watershed management than the HCA. This suggests that specialized governments serving several municipalities are likely to be more faithful to their mandate than those serving a single municipality.
Congenital generalized lipodystrophy: identification of novel variants and expansion of clinical spectrum
Authors: Haghighi A. , Kavehmanesh Z. , Haghighi A. , Salehzadeh F. , Santos‐Simarro F. , Van Maldergem L. , Cimbalistiene L. , Collins F. , Chopra M. , Al‐Sinani S. , Dastmalchian S. , de Silva D.C. , Bakhti H. , Garg A. , Hilbert P.
Published: June 2015

Congenital generalized lipodystrophy (CGL) is an autosomal recessive disorder with two major subtypes. Variants in AGPAT2 result in CGL type 1 with milder manifestations, whereas BSCL2 variants cause CGL type 2 with more severe features. Muscle hypertrophy caused by lack of adipose tissue is present early in life in CGL patients. Our aim was to investigate 10 CGL patients from 7 different countries and report genotype–phenotype relationships. Genetic analysis identified disease‐causing variants in AGPAT2 (five patients) and in BSCL2 (five patients), including three novel variants; c.134C>A (p.Ser45*), c.216C>G (p.Tyr72*) in AGPAT2 and c.458C>A (p.Ser153*) in BSCL2. We also report possible novel clinical features such as anemia, breast enlargement, steatorrhea, intraventricular hemorrhage and nephrolithiasis in CGL patients. Generalized lipodystrophy and muscular hypertrophy were the only features in all of our patients. Hepatomegaly was the second common feature. Some manifestations were exclusively noticed in our CGL2 patients; hypertrichosis, high‐pitched voice and umbilical hernia. Bone cysts and history of seizures were noticed only in CGL1 patients. The findings of this study expand our knowledge of genotype–phenotype correlations in CGL patients. These results have important clinical applications in diagnosis and management of the CGL patients as well as in genetic counseling in families at‐risk.
Neurofibromatosis type 1 and malignancy in childhood
Authors: Varan A. , Şen H. , Aydın B. , Yalçın B. , Kutluk T. , Akyüz C.
Published: June 2015

Neurofibromatosis type 1 (NF1) is an autosomal dominant hereditary neurocutaneous syndrome characterized by multi‐system involvement and an increased incidence of both benign and malignant tumors. In this study, we evaluated the clinical presentation and prognosis of NF1 and malignancy. Between 1975 and 2013, 26 (5%) of the 473 patients with NF1 at our center developed non‐neurofibroma neoplasms. The patient files of 26 subjects with tumors, other than optic glioma, were analyzed retrospectively to evaluate clinical features and treatment results. The age at diagnosis of NF1 ranged from 3 months to 16 years (median 5.5 years). The age range at tumor diagnosis was 1.5–33 years (median 8 years) in these 26 patients. The tumor histological subtypes included the following: 12 soft‐tissue tumors (6 malignant peripheral nerve sheath tumors (MPNST), 5 rhabdomyosarcomas (RMS) and 1 malignant fibrous histiocytoma), 11 brain tumors (6 low‐grade gliomas, 3 high‐grade gliomas, and 2 medulloblastoma), 2 neuroblastomas and 1 non‐Hodgkin's lymphoma. Twelve of 26 patients were alive at the time of the study. Although benign brain tumors with NF1 are more common, high‐grade brain tumors also occur. Thus, careful and regular follow‐up is crucial for early detection of malignancy in NF1 patients.
Phylogenetic position of the house dust mite subfamily Guatemalichinae (Acariformes: Pyroglyphidae) based on integrated molecular and morphological analyses and different measures of support
Authors: Klimov Pavel B. , Bochkov Andre V. , OConnor Barry M.
Published: June 2015

Based on multilocus phylogenetic analyses (18S, 28S, EF1‐α, SRP54, HSP70, CO1, 10 860 nt aligned), we show that the house dust mite subfamily Guatemalichinae is nested within non‐onychalgine pyroglyphid mites and forms the sister group to the genus Sturnophagoides (bootstrap support 100, posterior probability 1.0). Because high bootstrap support values may be misleading in the presence of incongruence, we evaluate robustness of the Guatemalichinae+Sturnophagoides clade using: (1) internode certainty indices to estimate the frequency of conflicting bipartitions in maximum‐likelihood bootstrap trees, (ii) consensus networks to investigate conflict among different loci; and (iii) statistical hypothesis testing based on information theory, both multi‐scale and regular bootstrap. Results suggest that this grouping is very well supported given the data. The molecular analyses were integrated with detailed morphological study using scanning electron and light microscopy. We suggest that the subfamilial status of Guatemalichinae should be reconsidered, and this lineage should be placed within the subfamily Dermatophagoidinae. The latter subfamily is currently accepted in the literature as a monophyletic group but was here inferred as paraphyletic and was not supported by any morphological synapomorphy. The paraphyly involved the most species‐rich and medically important genus, Dermatophagoides. Our findings suggest the need for a comprehensive revision of the higher‐level relationships of pyroglyphid house dust mites using both DNA sequences and morphology coupled with a broad taxonomic sampling.