bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Coil combination of multichannel MRSI data at 7 T: MUSICAL
Authors: Strasser B. , Chmelik M. , Robinson S. D. , Hangel G. , Gruber S. , Trattnig S. , Bogner W.
Published: September 2013

The goal of this study was to evaluate a new method of combining multi‐channel 1H MRSI data by direct use of a matching imaging scan as a reference, rather than computing sensitivity maps. Seven healthy volunteers were measured on a 7‐T MR scanner using a head coil with a 32‐channel array coil for receive‐only and a volume coil for receive/transmit. The accuracy of prediction of the phase of the 1H MRSI data with a fast imaging pre‐scan was investigated with the volume coil. The array coil 1H MRSI data were combined using matching imaging data as coil combination weights. The signal‐to‐noise ratio (SNR), spectral quality, metabolic map quality and Cramér–Rao lower bounds were then compared with the data obtained by two standard methods, i.e. using sensitivity maps and the first free induction decay (FID) data point. Additional noise decorrelation was performed to further optimize the SNR gain. The new combination method improved significantly the SNR (+29%), overall spectral quality and visual appearance of metabolic maps, and lowered the Cramér–Rao lower bounds (−34%), compared with the combination method based on the first FID data point. The results were similar to those obtained by the combination method using sensitivity maps, but the new method increased the SNR slightly (+1.7%), decreased the algorithm complexity, required no reference coil and pre‐phased all spectra correctly prior to spectral processing. Noise decorrelation further increased the SNR by 13%. The proposed method is a fast, robust and simple way to improve the coil combination in 1H MRSI of the human brain at 7 T, and could be extended to other 1H MRSI techniques. © 2013 The Authors. NMR in Biomedicine published by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Convergence analysis of a coupled method for time‐dependent convection‐diffusion equations
Authors: Riviere Beatrice , Yang Xin
Published: September 2013

The coupling of two locally mass conservative methods is formulated and analyzed for the time‐dependent convection‐diffusion problem. Finite volume method is used in some subdomains and interior penalty discontinuous Galerkin method is used in other subdomains. Numerical examples show the advantages of the proposed hybrid method, namely an accurate approximation obtained at a reduced computational cost. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Numer Methods Partial Differential Eq 30: 133–157, 2014
Preclinical evaluation of the PARP inhibitor, olaparib, in combination with cytotoxic chemotherapy in pediatric solid tumors
Authors: Norris Robin E. , Adamson Peter C. , Nguyen Vu T. , Fox Elizabeth
Published: September 2013

Background

Poly(ADP‐ribose) polymerase (PARP) signals DNA damage and facilitates DNA repair. PARP inhibitors are being evaluated in cancers with defective DNA repair mechanisms or in combination with cytotoxic therapy or radiation. We evaluated the PARP inhibitor, olaparib, in combination with chemotherapy using in vitro and in vivo pediatric solid tumor models.

Procedure

The IC50 of olaparib alone and in combination with cytotoxic agents was determined in 10 pediatric solid tumor cell lines. Synergy was assessed using the combination index of Chou‐Talalay. Olaparib alone and in combination with topotecan/cyclophosphamide was evaluated in xenograft models of Ewing sarcoma (RD‐ES) and neuroblastoma (NGP). PAR activity was evaluated in cell lines and tumor lysates.

Results

Olaparib induced growth inhibition, median (range) IC50 = 3.6 (1–33.8) µM, and inhibited PAR activity in pediatric solid tumor cell lines. The addition of olaparib to DNA damaging agents resulted in additive to synergistic interactions. In RD‐ES and NGP xenografts, olaparib inhibited PAR activity by 88–100% as a single agent and 100% when administered with cyclophosphamide/topotecan. Although the addition of olaparib did not antagonize the activity of cyclophosphamide/topotecan, clear evidence of synergy could not be demonstrated.

Conclusions

In pediatric solid tumor cell lines, clinically achievable concentrations of single agent olaparib caused growth inhibition. Although the in vitro data demonstrated synergistic efficacy of olaparib when added to the camptothecins and alkylating agents, synergy was not discernible in vivo. Clinical trials of PARP inhibitors in combination DNA damaging agents are necessary to establish the role of PARP inhibitors in childhood cancer. Pediatr Blood Cancer 2014;61:145–150. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Determining the predictive value of Read codes to identify congenital cardiac malformations in the UK Clinical Practice Research Datalink
Authors: Hammad Tarek A. , Margulis Andrea V. , Ding Yulan , Strazzeri Marian M. , Epperly Holly
Published: September 2013

Purposes

The purposes of this study were to determine (i) the positive predictive value (PPV) of multiple Read codes used to identify congenital cardiac malformation (CCM) cases in the UK Clinical Practice Research Datalink (CPRD); (ii) the accuracy of the diagnosis date; and (iii) the source of information that the general practitioners (GPs) use for validating the diagnosis suggested by the code.

Methods

Eight hundred eighty‐eight records with Read diagnostic and procedures codes for CCM, between January 1996 and November 2010, were identified from CPRD. Questionnaires were sent to GPs to verify the diagnoses and date of the code‐identified events.

Results

A total of 719 questionnaires were returned (81% response rate). The PPV of the CCM codes was 93% (670/719). Thirty‐one percent of cases had a different event date than the one recorded in the electronic medical record (EMR); 10% of these differing dates were within 30 days of the code‐identified CCM date. GPs used a variety of data sources to confirm CCM diagnoses. Although the EMR was the most frequently used data source (70%), 66% reported using consultation letters, 9% reported using clinical notes or paper charts, and 35% of GPs reported using the hospital record to confirm the CCM diagnosis.

Conclusions

Clinical Practice Research Datalink Read codes for CCMs have 93% PPV and most likely point to true cases. However, the accuracy of diagnosis dates and the age at diagnosis may not be as reliable. The findings of this study indicate that GPs use information beyond what is available for researchers in the EMR to confirm clinical diagnoses when responding to validation questionnaires. Published 2013. This article is a U.S. Government work and is in the public domain in the USA.
NMR study of photo‐crosslinked solid polymer electrolytes: The influence of monofunctional oligoethers
Authors: Chiappone Annalisa , Jeremias Sebastian , Bongiovanni Roberta , Schönhoff Monika
Published: September 2013

Solid polymer electrolytes for Lithium batteries applications are commonly prepared by dissolving a lithium salt in poly(ethylene oxide) (PEO)‐based materials. Their performance is strongly related to the structure of the polymer network. In this article, a new salt‐in‐polymer electrolyte prepared by the fast and easy radical photopolymerization of PEO acrylate oligomers is studied. Here, a difunctional monomer used as the polymer backbone is copolymerized with monofunctional monomers of different length and concentration. Thus, the crosslinking density and conductivity are changed. These systems are investigated by a detailed NMR study yielding local dynamics and mass transport by temperature‐dependent spin‐lattice relaxation time and PFG‐NMR diffusion measurements for different nuclei (7Li and 19F). The results indicate that a sufficiently long monofunctional oligoether improves the properties, since it provides a lower crosslinking density as well as more coordinating oxygens for the Li ions. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Polym. Sci., Part B: Polym. Phys. 2013, 51, 1571–1580
Social problem solving and social performance after a group social skills intervention for childhood brain tumor survivors
Authors: Schulte Fiona , Vannatta Kathryn , Barrera Maru
Published: September 2013

Purpose

The aim of this study was to explore the ability of a group social skills intervention program for childhood brain tumor survivors to effect two steps of the social information processing model: social problem solving and social performance.

Methods

Participants were 15 survivors (eight men and seven women) aged 7–15 years. The intervention consisted of eight 2‐h weekly sessions focused on social skills including friendship making. Social problem solving, using hypothetical scenarios, was assessed during sessions 1 and 8. Social performance was observed during intervention sessions 1, 4, and 8.

Results

Compared with session 1, significant increases were found in social performance: frequency of maintaining eye contact and social conversations with peers over the course of the intervention. No significant changes in social problem solving were noted.

Conclusions

This pilot study is the first to report improvements related to group social skills intervention at the level of observed social performance over the course of intervention. The lack of change in social problem solving suggests that survivors may possess the social knowledge required for social situations but have difficulty enacting social behaviors. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Admixture mapping of prostate cancer in African Americans participating in the North Carolina‐Louisiana Prostate Cancer Project (PCaP)
Authors: Bensen Jeannette T. , Xu Zongli , McKeigue Paul M. , Smith Gary J. , Fontham Elizabeth T.H. , Mohler James L. , Taylor Jack A.
Published: September 2013

BACKGROUND

Few genetic risk factors have been uncovered that contribute specifically to the racial disparity in prostate cancer (CaP) observed in African Americans (AA). With the advent of ancestry informative marker (AIM) single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) panels and powerful genetic strategies such as mapping by admixture linkage disequilibrium (MALD) it is possible to discover genes that underlie ethnic variation in disease risk.

METHODS

One thousand one hundred thirty AA CaP cases enrolled in the North Carolina‐Louisiana Prostate Cancer Project (PCaP) were genotyped using a 1,509 AIM SNP panel. MALD was performed using ADMIXMAP to test for linkage between CaP risk and ancestry estimates at each AIM SNP.

RESULTS

The largest increase of African ancestry was observed at marker rs12543473 (P = 0.0011), located on chromosome 8q24.21, and the greatest excess of European ancestry was observed at marker rs10768140 (P = 0.0004) at chromosome 11p13.

CONCLUSIONS

The study confirmed the 8q24 risk loci and identified a novel genomic region on 11p13 that is associated with CaP risk. These findings should be replicated in larger AA populations and combined with fine mapping data to further refine the novel 11p13 CaP risk loci. Prostate 74:1–9, 2014. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Ca2+ clearance mechanisms in cancer cell lines and stromal cells of the prostate
Authors: Wolf Anne , Wennemuth Gunther
Published: September 2013

BACKGROUND

Three prostatic cell lines, PC3, LNCaP, and DU 145, are used as established models to study cell signaling in prostate cancer. Recently, stromal cell lines of the prostate, such as P21, were also introduced. Here we investigate a basic and important mechanism of living cells: Ca2+ homeostasis in PC3, DU 145, and P21.

METHODS

We examined Ca2+ clearance mechanisms by monitoring the kinetics of recovery from histamine stimulation under conditions which inhibit prospect mechanisms for storing or extrusion of Ca2+ from the cytosol by photometry.

RESULTS

Despite the fact that in all three cell lines the Ca2+ ATPase of the plasma membrane and the SERCA are most important for Ca2+ homeostasis, inhibition of PMCA in epithelial cells has a greater effect than in stromal cells. Furthermore, the proportion of PMCA and SERCA differs in PC3 and DU145 cells. PMCA is most effective at reaching resting [Ca2+]i in the final recovery stage. In contrast to DU 145 and P21 cells, PC3 are the only cells substantially affected by the inhibition of the mitochondrial uniporter. In all cell lines the role of the sodium calcium exchanger is marginal.

CONCLUSION

These results demonstrate that not only cancer and stromal cell lines show significant differences in the modes and extent of their use of Ca2+ clearance mechanisms, but also the cancer cell lines themselves. Prostate 74:29–40, 2014. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Nrf2/Maf‐binding‐site‐containing functional Cyp6a2 allele is associated with DDT resistance in Drosophila melanogaster
Authors: Wan Hua , Liu Yan , Li Mei , Zhu Shunyi , Li Xianchun , Pittendrigh Barry R , Qiu Xinghui
Published: September 2013

BACKGROUND

Increased insecticide detoxification mediated by cytochrome P450s is a common mechanism of insecticide resistance. Although Cyp6a2 has been observed to be overexpressed in many 4,4′‐dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane (DDT)‐resistant strains of Drosophila melanogaster, how Cyp6a2 is regulated and whether its overproduction confers DDT resistance remain elusive.

RESULTS

Molecular analysis identified five Cyp6a2 alleles (Cyp6a2Canton−S‐1, Cyp6a2Canton−S‐2, Cyp6a291‐C, Cyp6a291‐R and Cyp6a2Wisconsin−WD) from four D. melanogaster strains, notably differing in the presence or absence of an intact Nrf2/Maf (a transcription factor) binding site in the 5′‐promoter core region, a ‘G1410’ frameshift deletion mutation in the heme‐binding region and a long terminal repeat (LTR) of transposable element 17.6 in the 3′‐untranslated region (UTR). Linkage analysis confirmed that DDT resistance was genetically linked to a Nrf2/Maf‐binding‐site‐containing, LTR‐lacking functional allele of Cyp6a2 (Cyp6a291‐R). The qRT‐PCR results showed that overexpression of functional Cyp6a2 was consistently associated with DDT resistance. Luciferase reporter gene assays revealed that an intact Nrf2/Maf binding site in the 5′‐promoter core region enhanced the constitutive transcription of Cyp6a2.

CONCLUSION

The results suggest that the Nrf2/Maf binding‐site‐containing functional Cyp6a2 allele is associated with DDT resistance in the D. melanogaster strains under study. © 2013 Society of Chemical Industry
To Have or Not to Have a Child? Perceived Constraints on Childbearing in a Lowest‐Low Fertility Context
Authors: Wesolowski Katharina
Published: September 2013

The influence of perceived macro‐level constraints on childbearing on women's fertility decision‐making on the micro level was analysed in Stakhanov, a city with a shrinking population in Eastern Ukraine. The perceived macro‐level constraints employed in the study were related to childcare arrangements, value changes regarding family formation, and pollution of the environment and health concerns. To study the influence of those constraints, logistic regression analyses were conducted whereby first‐birth and second‐birth intentions were analysed separately. None of the constraints influenced childless women's first‐birth intentions. Instead, sociodemographic factors such as age and civil status appeared as significant predictors. That none of the constraints influenced childless women's fertility intentions is interpreted to be an indicator of the strong norm of having at least one child in Ukraine.

For women with one child, the fact that pollution of the environment and health concerns connected to childbirth were perceived as a constraint on childbearing at the national level was significantly associated with lower second‐birth intentions. Women in Ukraine seem to perceive environmental pollution as a constraint on their fertility, possibly influenced by public discourse related to the health consequences of the Chernobyl nuclear disaster. Moreover, the inhabitants of Stakhanov itself have experienced environmental pollution at close range. Those factors together could explain why environmental pollution and poor health were seen as constraints on childbearing at the national level, and the negative influence these had on second‐birth intentions.

It is argued that environmental pollution should be considered a factor influencing fertility decision‐making. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Classification of cubic auxetics
Authors: Goldstein Robert V. , Gorodtsov Valentin A. , Lisovenko Dmitry S.
Published: September 2013

Two‐parameter analysis of auxetics among the cubic crystals is proposed. A brief analysis of the equivalence of this two‐parameter consideration and other approaches is given. The main result of this paper is the classification of partial auxetics with a single dimensionless complex, which is composed of the crystals elastic compliances. The auxetic surface separates the regions with negative and positive Poisson's ratio. The character of its changes with change of the dimensionless complex is determined. The critical value of the complex where a topological rearrangement of the auxetic surface occurs is obtained. The distribution of partial auxetics in zones with different values of the dimensionless complex was found. The sign of another dimensionless parameter influences the location of a region with negative Poisson's ratio relative to the auxetic surface.

View of the auxetic boundary for a cubic crystal when the dimensionless elastic parameter is close to the critical value .
Silver microgrid transparent conductive electrode based on bulk plasmon effect for ultraviolet wavelength application
Authors: Shang Jun , Qi Hongfei , Feng Haifeng , Wang Liang , Zhang Junying , Wang Yigang , Hao Weichang , Wang Tianmin
Published: September 2013

Silver microgrid/TiO2/ITO (indium tin oxide glass) sandwich‐structure photodetectors with various pore sizes are fabricated by a microsphere lithography strategy. This ultraviolet (UV) detector possesses ohmic contact characteristics. The high UV transmittance results from an enhanced bulk plasmon effect of the silver microgrid electrode. Photoelectric properties of the sandwich structure with various pore sizes are discussed. The short transport distance of carriers and the low blocking of incoming UV light are the main reasons of the high activity for silver microgrid/TiO2/ITO sandwich‐structure photodetectors. (© 2013 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)
A generalized robust H ∞  filtering for singular Markovian jump systems and its applications
Authors: Wang Guoliang , Zhang Peng , Zhang Qingling
Published: September 2013

In this paper, a generalized robust H ∞  filtering method is proposed for a class of singular Markovian jump systems, whose generality is mainly embodied that the desired filter could bear perturbances in terms of uncertainties on its parameter matrices. Firstly, an LMI condition of robust mode‐dependent filter is developed. Based on the given result, a new approach to mode‐independent H ∞  filter is presented, which establishes a direct connection between mode‐dependent and mode‐independent filters. Secondly, when the transition rate matrix is with elementwise bounded uncertainties or partially unknown, sufficient conditions of such robust mode‐dependent and mode‐independent filters are all developed within LMI frameworks. Finally, a numerical example is used to demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed methods. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
H ∞  model reduction for discrete‐time positive systems with inhomogeneous initial conditions
Authors: Shen Jun , Lam James
Published: September 2013

This paper addresses the H ∞  model reduction problem of discrete‐time positive linear systems with inhomogeneous initial conditions. For an asymptotically stable positive system with non‐zero initial condition, our goal is to approximate it by a reduced‐order initial‐valued positive system without introducing significant error. We establish a necessary and sufficient condition for the existence of a desired reduced‐order model such that the output error between the original system and the reduced‐order one is bounded by a weighted sum of the magnitude of the input and that of the initial condition. Moreover, based on congruent transformation and the dual form of bounded real lemma, several equivalent conditions are derived in terms of LMIs and an iterative convex optimization algorithm is developed accordingly. Finally, an illustrative example is presented to show the effectiveness of the proposed methods. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Number needed to treat for time‐to‐event data with competing risks
Authors: Gouskova Natalia A. , Kundu Suprateek , Imrey Peter B. , Fine Jason P.
Published: September 2013

The number needed to treat is a tool often used in clinical settings to illustrate the effect of a treatment. It has been widely adopted in the communication of risks to both clinicians and non‐clinicians, such as patients, who are better able to understand this measure than absolute risk or rate reductions. The concept was introduced by Laupacis, Sackett, and Roberts in 1988 for binary data, and extended to time‐to‐event data by Altman and Andersen in 1999. However, up to the present, there is no definition of the number needed to treat for time‐to‐event data with competing risks. This paper introduces such a definition using the cumulative incidence function and suggests non‐parametric and semi‐parametric inferential methods for right‐censored time‐to‐event data in the presence of competing risks. The procedures are illustrated using the data from a breast cancer clinical trial. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Bayesian meta‐analysis of diagnostic tests allowing for imperfect reference standards
Authors: Menten J. , Boelaert M. , Lesaffre E.
Published: September 2013

There is an increasing interest in meta‐analyses of rapid diagnostic tests (RDTs) for infectious diseases. To avoid spectrum bias, these meta‐analyses should focus on phase IV studies performed in the target population. For many infectious diseases, these target populations attend primary health care centers in resource‐constrained settings where it is difficult to perform gold standard diagnostic tests. As a consequence, phase IV diagnostic studies often use imperfect reference standards, which may result in biased meta‐analyses of the diagnostic accuracy of novel RDTs. We extend the standard bivariate model for the meta‐analysis of diagnostic studies to correct for differing and imperfect reference standards in the primary studies and to accommodate data from studies that try to overcome the absence of a true gold standard through the use of latent class analysis. Using Bayesian methods, improved estimates of sensitivity and specificity are possible, especially when prior information is available on the diagnostic accuracy of the reference test. In this analysis, the deviance information criterion can be used to detect conflicts between the prior information and observed data. When applying the model to a dataset of the diagnostic accuracy of an RDT for visceral leishmaniasis, the standard meta‐analytic methods appeared to underestimate the specificity of the RDT. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Contention management in federated virtualized distributed systems: implementation and evaluation
Authors: Salehi Mohsen Amini , Toosi Adel Nadjaran , Buyya Rajkumar
Published: September 2013

The paper describes creation of a contention‐aware environment in a large‐scale distributed system where the contention occurs to access resources between external and local requests. To resolve the contention, we propose and implement a preemption mechanism in the InterGrid platform, which is a platform for large‐scale distributed system and uses virtual machines for resource provisioning. The implemented mechanism enables the resource providers to increase their resource utilization through contributing resources to the InterGrid platform without delaying their local users. The paper also evaluates the impact of applying various policies for preempting user requests. These policies affect resource contention, average waiting time, and imposed overhead to the system. Experiments conducted in real settings demonstrate efficacy of the preemption mechanism in resolving resource contention and the influence of preemption policies on the amount of imposed overhead and average waiting time. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Systemizing: A cross‐cultural constant for motivation to learn science
Authors: Zeyer Albert , Çetin‐Dindar Ayla , Md Zain Ahmad Nurulazam , Juriševič Mojca , Devetak Iztok , Odermatt Freia
Published: September 2013

The present study is based on the empathizing‐systemizing (E‐S) theory of cognitive science. It was hypothesized that the influence of students' gender on their motivation to learn science is often overestimated in the research literature and that cognitive style is more important for motivation than students' gender. By using structural equation modeling, and based on previous research, a precise causal model was formulated to test this hypothesis. Then, using multiple group confirmatory analysis, the model was tested in a cross‐cultural context that included four countries—Malaysia, Slovenia, Switzerland, and Turkey—and 1,188 upper secondary students. Data were collected using standard questionnaires on cognitive style and motivation to learn science. The results showed full mediation of systemizing—the second dimension of the E‐S theory—between gender and motivation. That is, gender had no direct impact on motivation, but systemizing explained 27% of the variation in students' motivation scores. The indirect impact of gender was significant but very low; it explained 1.5% of the variance, in favor of boys. Empathizing—the first dimension of the E‐S theory—had no impact on students' motivation scores. This causal model proved to be similar (invariant) in all four cultures. The results suggest that considering students' cognitive style, instead of or in addition to their gender, could lead to a better understanding of students' motivation to learn science. Science teaching methods that support both cognitive styles—systemizing and empathizing—could enhance students' learning of science. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Res Sci Teach 50: 1047–1067, 2013
Wavefunction methods for the accurate characterization of water clusters
Authors: Howard J. Coleman , Tschumper Gregory S.
Published: September 2013

Although the first ab initio Hartree–Fock computations of the water dimer were reported more than four decades ago, the detailed characterization of water clusters with sophisticated electronic structure techniques remains an important and vibrant area of research. The field of computational quantum chemistry has made significant advances since those pioneering studies. Geometry optimizations of the water dimer can now be carried out at the CCSDTQ level, and CCSD(T) energies can be computed with the aug‐cc‐pVTZ basis for clusters as large as (H2O)17. Some of these high‐level studies are starting to reveal that the electronic structure is harder to describe for some hydrogen bonds than others. For example, discrepancies between MP2 and CCSD(T) energetics tend to increase when there are qualitative differences in the hydrogen‐bonding networks of the water clusters being studied. This review highlights the recent and exciting work in this area and provides an overview of popular strategies for generating reliable properties and benchmark quality energetics for water clusters with correlated wavefunction methods.

This article is categorized under:

Structure and Mechanism > Molecular Structures
Modeling and inference of genetic interactions
Authors: Pal Ranadip
Published: September 2013

The regulatory interactions in a cell form a complicated system, and an important goal of systems biology is to model and infer these interactions. The modeling and inference of genetic regulatory models requires understanding of the true biological interactions while incorporating the technological limitations on observation of the biological entities in estimation of a robust model. This review is structured as follows: (a) a brief description of the biological interactions is provided, (b) currently available technologies for measuring genomic characterizations are outlined, (c) followed by the description of the commonly used approaches for genetic regulatory network modeling, and (d) finally, some of the pertinent issues in modeling and inference of genetic interactions are discussed.WIREs Data Mining Knowl Discov2013, 3:453–466. doi: 10.1002/widm.1103

This article is categorized under:

Algorithmic Development > Biological Data Mining
Scalable economic extracellular synthesis of CdS nanostructured particles by a non-pathogenic thermophile
Authors: Moon Ji-Won , Ivanov Ilia N , Duty Chad E , Love Lonnie J , Rondinone Adam J , Wang Wei , Li Yi-Liang , Madden Andrew S , Mosher Jennifer J , Hu Michael Z , Suresh Anil K , Rawn Claudia J , Jung Hyunsung , Lauf Robert J , Phelps Tommy J
Published: September 2013

We report microbially facilitated synthesis of cadmium sulfide (CdS) nanostructured particles (NP) using anaerobic, metal-reducing Thermoanaerobacter sp. The extracellular CdS crystallites were <10 nm in size with yields of ~3 g/L of growth medium/month with demonstrated reproducibility and scalability up to 24 L. During synthesis, Thermoanaerobacter cultures reduced thiosulfate and sulfite salts to H2S, which reacted with Cd2+ cations to produce thermodynamically favored NP in a single step at 65 °C with catalytic nucleation on the cell surfaces. Photoluminescence (PL) analysis of dry CdS NP revealed an exciton-dominated PL peak at 440 nm, having a narrow full width at half maximum of 10 nm. A PL spectrum of CdS NP produced by dissimilatory sulfur reducing bacteria was dominated by features associated with radiative exciton relaxation at the surface. High reproducibility of CdS NP PL features important for scale-up conditions was confirmed from test tubes to 24 L batches at a small fraction of the manufacturing cost associated with conventional inorganic NP production processes.
Recent biotechnological progress in enzymatic synthesis of glycosides
Authors: Thuan Nguyen Huy , Sohng Jae Kyung
Published: September 2013

Glycosylation is one of the most important post-modification processes of small molecules and enables the parent molecule to have increased solubility, stability, and bioactivity. Enzyme-based glycosylation has achieved significant progress due to advances in protein engineering, DNA recombinant techniques, exploitation of biosynthetic gene clusters of natural products, and computer-based modeling programs. Our report summarizes glycosylation data that have been published within the past five years to provide an overall review of current progress. We also present the future trends and perspectives for glycosylation.
Distributional Jacobian equal to $H^{1}$ measure
Authors: Hencl Stanislav , Liu Zhuomin , Malý Jan
Published: September 2013

Let

1⩽p < 2

. We construct a Hölder continuous

W^{1,p}

mapping of a square into

\mathbb{R}^{2}

such that the distributional Jacobian equals to one-dimensional Hausdorff measure on a line segment.
Promoters of and barriers to cervical cancer screening in a rural setting in Tanzania
Authors: Perng Powell , Perng Wei , Ngoma Twalib , Kahesa Crispin , Mwaiselage Julius , Merajver Sofia D. , Soliman Amr S.
Published: September 2013

Objective

To investigate promoters and barriers for cervical cancer screening in rural Tanzania.

Methods

We interviewed 300 women of reproductive age living in Kiwangwa village, Tanzania. The odds of attending a free, 2‐day screening service were compared with sociodemographic variables, lifestyle factors, and knowledge and attitudes surrounding cervical cancer using multivariable logistic regression.

Results

Compared with women who did not attend the screening service (n = 195), women who attended (n = 105) were older (OR 4.29; 95% CI, 1.61–11.48, age 40–49 years versus 20–29 years), listened regularly to the radio (OR 24.76; 95% CI, 11.49–53.33, listened to radio 1–3 times per week versus not at all), had a poorer quality of life (OR 4.91; CI, 1.96–12.32, lowest versus highest score), had faced cost barriers to obtaining health care in the preceding year (OR 2.24; 95% CI, 1.11–4.53, yes versus no), and held a more positive attitude toward cervical cancer screening (OR 4.64; 95% CI, 1.39–15.55, least versus most averse).

Conclusion

Efforts aimed at improving screening rates in rural Tanzania need to address both structural and individual‐level barriers, including knowledge and awareness of cervical cancer prevention, cost barriers to care, and access to health information.
Stillbirths and neonatal mortality as outcomes
Authors: Goldenberg Robert L. , McClure Elizabeth M. , Jobe Alan H. , Kamath‐Rayne Beena D. , Gravette Michael G. , Rubens Craig E.
Published: September 2013

Several recent studies in low‐resource countries have claimed that training in—and increased use of—newborn resuscitation resulted in reduced stillbirth rates. In the present article, we explore the ability of various types of birth attendant in some low‐resource country locations to gather data that accurately differentiate a stillbirth from a live birth/early neonatal death. We conclude that, in many situations, it cannot be determined whether the infant was a stillbirth or a live birth/early neonatal death, and therefore the least‐biased description of study outcomes includes a combined stillbirth and live birth/neonatal death outcome. However, because defining the burden of stillbirth and neonatal death is important from a public health perspective, every effort should be made, in low‐income countries and elsewhere, to distinguish between stillbirths and live births/neonatal deaths and to report the results independently.
Enhancing Crisis Leadership in Public Health Emergencies
Authors: Deitchman Scott
Published: September 2013

Reviews of public health emergency responses have identified a need for crisis leadership skills in health leaders, but these skills are not routinely taught in public health curricula. To develop criteria for crisis leadership in public health, published sources were reviewed to identify attributes of successful crisis leadership in aviation, public safety, military operations, and mining. These sources were abstracted to identify crisis leadership attributes associated with those disciplines and compare those attributes with crisis leadership challenges in public health. Based on this review, the following attributes are proposed for crisis leadership in public health: competence in public health science; decisiveness with flexibility; ability to maintain situational awareness and provide situational assessment; ability to coordinate diverse participants across very different disciplines; communication skills; and the ability to inspire trust. Of these attributes, only competence in public health science is currently a goal of public health education. Strategies to teach the other proposed attributes of crisis leadership will better prepare public health leaders to meet the challenges of public health crises. (Disaster Med Public Health Preparedness. 2013;0:1–7)
Vortex development on pitching plates with lunate and truncate planforms
Authors: Hartloper Colin , Rival David E.
Published: September 2013

The three-dimensional flow field and instantaneous forces are measured on pitching rectangular, lunate and truncate planforms of aspect-ratio four. The leading-edge vortex on the rectangular planform is compressed as it grows, and subsequently forms an arch-shaped vortex. For the lunate and truncate planforms, which both have identical spanwise leading-edge curvature but differ in planform area, outboard-directed convection of vorticity, rather than vortex stretching, mitigates arch-vortex formation. The vortical near wake that is formed by the planforms with spanwise leading-edge curvature is found to be strongly correlated with a favourable lift-to-drag ratio during the force-relaxation phase.
Opportunities and Challenges: School Guidance Counsellors’ Perceptions of Counselling Students Online
Authors: Glasheen Kevin , Campbell Marilyn A. , Shochet Ian
Published: September 2013

School guidance counsellors worldwide seek ways of providing appropriate professional assistance to all students. While young people integrate online technology into their daily lives and go online for information and to communicate with each other, school counsellors in Australia are not offering online support to students. This cross-sectional study reported on the reluctance of school counsellors to offer online counselling and the reasons for this. A survey was developed focusing on the intention to offer online counselling based on indicative factors favouring the use of this initiative. 210 school guidance counsellors completed the survey online, which showed that there is conditional support for the introduction of online counselling into the school setting. Counsellors indicated that they would use online counselling if students accepted its use in the school setting though they question how genuine students would be in its use. Most respondents reported a lack of confidence in understanding the ethical and legal implications of online counselling. However, the majority of participants were prepared to undertake further professional development in this mode of counselling. Additionally, they sought confirmation of the effectiveness of counselling students online before committing themselves to it. The implications for school guidance practice are discussed.
Adolescents’ Beliefs About Why Young People Commit Crime
Authors: Skrzypiec Grace
Published: September 2013

The aim of the study was to obtain adolescents’ perspectives about why young people offend. Twenty-four Australian male and female offenders and non-offenders offered insights about what, according to them, motivates young people to become involved in crime. Without the use of sophisticated language, participants offered explanations that were well-aligned with the ‘big three’ theories suggested by Cullen and Agnew (2003) as major criminological theories — namely, control, differential association, and strain theories. Participants also provided explanations that corroborated Carroll, Houghton, Durkin, and Hattie's (2009) reputation enhancing goals theory. Participants’ explanations were consistent with empirically supported criminological theories, suggesting that young people involved in crime, or associated with known offenders, have insights about the causes of crime. An extrapolation of this notion would suggest that they might also have some insight into what measures could be taken to reduce or prevent offending. Notwithstanding further research, it is proposed that young people should be given more voice in criminal justice matters.
Oral Lactobacillus reuteri GMN-32 treatment reduces blood glucose concentrations and promotes cardiac function in rats with streptozotocin-induced diabetes mellitus
Authors: Lin Chih-Hsueh , Lin Cheng-Chieh , Shibu Marthandam Asokan , Liu Chiu-Shong , Kuo Chia-Hua , Tsai Fuu-Jen , Tsai Chang-Hai , Hsieh Cheng-Hong , Chen Yi-Hsing , Huang Chih-Yang
Published: September 2013

Impaired regulation of blood glucose levels in diabetes mellitus (DM) patients and the associated elevation of blood glucose levels are known to increase the risk of diabetic cardiomyopathy (DC). In the present study, a probiotic bacterium, Lactobacillus reuteri GMN-32, was evaluated for its potential to reduce blood glucose levels and to provide protection against DC risks in streptozotocin (STZ)-induced DM rats. The blood glucose levels of the STZ-induced DM rats when treated with L. reuteri GMN-32 decreased from 4480 to 3620 mg/l (with 107 colony-forming units (cfu)/d) and 3040 mg/l (with 109 cfu/d). Probiotic treatment also reduced the changes in the heart caused by the effects of DM. Furthermore, the Fas/Fas-associated protein with death domain pathway-induced caspase 8-mediated apoptosis that was observed in the cardiomyocytes of the STZ-induced DM rats was also found to be controlled in the probiotic-treated rats. The results highlight that L. reuteri GMN-32 treatment reduces blood glucose levels, inhibits caspase 8-mediated apoptosis and promotes cardiac function in DM rats as observed from their ejection fraction and fractional shortening values. In conclusion, the administration of L. reuteri GMN-32 probiotics can regulate blood glucose levels, protect cardiomyocytes and prevent DC in DM rats.
“Russia's Most Effective Fifth Column”: Cold War Perceptions of Un-Americanism in US Churches
Authors: RUOTSILA MARKKU
Published: September 2013

From the very beginning of the Cold War, fundamentalist Christian organizations in the United States were engaged in a strident polemical campaign against the modern ecumenical movement and its American supporters in the major mainline churches. Consistently, this movement and its Social Gospel supporters were perceived as allies or tools of the Soviet Union, or at the very least as unwitting co-conspirators in world revolutionary projects that posed a direct threat to US national security. In the late 1940s and the early 1950s, the American Council of Christian Churches and other key fundamentalist organizations of the era developed a set of key theological arguments about the perceived un-Americanism of said churches and their clergy. Later in the 1950s, the fundamentalists allied with others on the religious and political right to push for a series of Congressional and FBI investigations into perceived subversion as practised by these churches. While ultimately unsuccessful in terms of their originally stated goals, these prolonged fundamentalist campaigns became a crucial site for disseminating the faith-based conceptions of Americanism and un-Americanism that eventually cohered in the contemporary religious right. This paper will investigate the Cold War fundamentalist discourse on un-Americanism and subversion in an effort to illumine the contours of perceived religious otherness in this exceptionally religious nation.
“An Amorphous Code”: The Ku Klux Klan and Un-Americanism, 1915–1965
Authors: LEWIS GEORGE
Published: September 2013

On 1 June 1965, the House Un-American Activities Committee (HUAC) announced that it would hold hearings into the Ku Klux Klan, fifty years after the organization had appeared before the House Rules Committee. Whereas the 1925 investigation allowed the Klan to continue to claim a “100% Americanism,” HUAC unequivocally declared the Klan of the 1960s to be entirely un-American. This essay seeks to explain that turnaround in the understanding of the Klan and its activities, on the one hand, and the contested ideas of un-Americanism and Americanism on the other. It is only within the context of that struggle over un-Americanism's evolving definition, it is argued, that the official decision of civil rights organizations such as COFO and SCLC – whose members had suffered personally from Klan violence – to oppose the proposed HUAC investigation of the Klan can be understood. Similarly, that ongoing contest explains how it was that, after almost three decades of investigating left-wing organizations that often included those fighting for greater civil rights, HUAC was finally moved to turn its attention to the right. Finally, this essay seeks to determine what it was, precisely, about the Klan in 1965 that was deemed “un-American” rather than simply criminal.
The “Un-American” Experiment: Jane Addams's Lessons from Pullman
Authors: HUDSON CHERYL
Published: September 2013

The exceptional character of the United States' political culture has been and continues to be hotly contested. In the late nineteenth century, commentators framed radical ideologies as “un-American” and they subsequently entered the political lexicon as alien to American ideals and values. However, far less scholarly attention has been given to alternative definitions of “un-American” activity that emerged in the late nineteenth century. This article examines the charges made by contemporaries against the “un-American” town of Pullman and of George Pullman's patronage of his town and its workers. Through a close reading of Addams's critique of Pullman as “A Modern Lear” as well as other narratives and counternarratives contained within contemporary speeches, pamphlets, and newspaper and journal articles, this essay will demonstrate the flexible nature of the charge of “un-Americanism” in the crisis years of the 1890s. In that decade, the character of the modern nation was still highly contested and although the conservative, anti-union view won the immediate Pullman battle, it did not do so without a fight and it did not ultimately succeed in defining the character of the modern nation.
Infection levels of intestinal helminths in two commensal rodent species from rural households in Yucatan, Mexico
Authors: Panti-May J.A. , Hernández-Betancourt S.F. , Rodríguez-Vivas R.I. , Robles M.R.
Published: September 2013

The aim of the present study was to calculate the prevalence and intensity of intestinal helminths in the house mouse (Mus musculus) and the black rat (Rattus rattus) trapped in rural households of Yucatan, Mexico. Sampling was conducted during the rainy season from October to December 2011 and the dry season from January to March 2012. A total of 154M. musculusand 46R. rattuswere examined, with 84.2% ofM. musculusbeing infected with helminths compared with a significantly lower prevalence of 52.2% inR. rattus(P< 0.01). AdultM. musculuswere more likely to be infected with helminths (89%) than subadults (63%) (P< 0.01). Four helminth species were identified:Taenia taeniaeformislarvae,Nippostrongylus brasiliensis,Syphacia murisandTrichuris muris.Nippostrongylusbrasiliensiswas present more frequently inM. musculusthan inR. rattus(P< 0.01) and in adult mice compared to subadults (P< 0.01).Trichuris muriswas present only in adult mice. This is the first report ofN. brasiliensis,S. murisandT. murisin Yucatan, Mexico, as well as the first to report the presence ofN. brasiliensisinM. musculusfrom Mexico. The helminth fauna of commensal rodents present in households appears to constitute a low potential health risk to local inhabitants; however, it would be advisable to conduct further studies to better understand the public health risk posed by these rodent intestinal helminths.
Septal perforation and bilateral partial middle turbinate necrosis after bilateral sphenopalatine artery ligation
Authors: Elsheikh E , El-Anwar M W
Published: September 2013

Objective:

To report previously unreported complications of bilateral sphenopalatine artery ligation.

Subjects and methods:

We present the case of a 45-year-old man who underwent bilateral sphenopalatine artery ligation to control intractable posterior epistaxis. After four months, he re-presented with nasal obstruction and crusting.

Results and analysis:

Examination under general anaesthesia showed posterior septal perforation and bilateral necrosis of the lower parts of the middle turbinates. The necrotic parts were excised. The patient had no more complaints.

Conclusion:

Following sphenopalatine artery occlusion, ischaemic necrosis is a potential risk in anatomical areas that receive their only arterial supply from this artery. The staging of bilateral sphenopalatine artery occlusion needs to be studied.