bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Assessing a mini‐application as a performance proxy for a finite element method engineering application
Authors: Lin Paul T. , Heroux Michael A. , Barrett Richard F. , Williams Alan B.
Published: July 2015

The performance of a large‐scale, production‐quality science and engineering application (‘app’) is often dominated by a small subset of the code. Even within that subset, computational and data access patterns are often repeated, so that an even smaller portion can represent the performance‐impacting features. If application developers, parallel computing experts, and computer architects can together identify this representative subset and then develop a small mini‐application (‘miniapp’) that can capture these primary performance characteristics, then this miniapp can be used to both improve the performance of the app as well as provide a tool for co‐design for the high‐performance computing community. However, a critical question is whether a miniapp can effectively capture key performance behavior of an app. This study provides a comparison of an implicit finite element semiconductor device modeling app on unstructured meshes with an implicit finite element miniapp on unstructured meshes. The goal is to assess whether the miniapp is predictive of the performance of the app. Single compute node performance will be compared, as well as scaling up to 16,000 cores. Results indicate that the miniapp can be reasonably predictive of the performance characteristics of the app for a single iteration of the solver on a single compute node. Published 2015. This article is a U.S. Government work and is in the public domain in the USA.
A convergence of key‐value storage systems from clouds to supercomputers
Authors: Li Tonglin , Zhou Xiaobing , Wang Ke , Zhao Dongfang , Sadooghi Iman , Zhang Zhao , Raicu Ioan
Published: July 2015

This paper presents a convergence of distributed key‐value storage systems in clouds and supercomputers. It specifically presents ZHT, a zero‐hop distributed key‐value store system, which has been tuned for the requirements of high‐end computing systems. ZHT aims to be a building block for future distributed systems, such as parallel and distributed file systems, distributed job management systems, and parallel programming systems. ZHT has some important properties, such as being lightweight, dynamically allowing nodes join and leave, fault tolerant through replication, persistent, scalable, and supporting unconventional operations such as append, compare and swap, callback in addition to the traditional insert/lookup/remove. We have evaluated ZHT's performance under a variety of systems, ranging from a Linux cluster with 64 nodes, an Amazon EC2 virtual cluster up to 96 nodes, to an IBM Blue Gene/P supercomputer with 8K nodes. We compared ZHT against other key‐value stores and found it offers superior performance for the features and portability it supports. This paper also presents several real systems that have adopted ZHT, namely, FusionFS (a distributed file system), IStore (a storage system with erasure coding), MATRIX (distributed scheduling), Slurm++ (distributed HPC job launch), Fabriq (distributed message queue management); all of these real systems have been simplified because of key‐value storage systems and have been shown to outperform other leading systems by orders of magnitude in some cases. It is important to highlight that some of these systems are rooted in HPC systems from supercomputers, while others are rooted in clouds and ad hoc distributed systems; through our work, we have shown how versatile key‐value storage systems can be in such a variety of environments. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Substituted Phthalic Anhydrides from Biobased Furanics: A New Approach to Renewable Aromatics
Authors: Thiyagarajan Shanmugam , Genuino Homer C. , Śliwa Michał , van der Waal Jan C. , de Jong Ed , van Haveren Jacco , Weckhuysen Bert M. , Bruijnincx Pieter C. A. , van Es Daan S.
Published: July 2015

A novel route for the production of renewable aromatic chemicals, particularly substituted phthalic acid anhydrides, is presented. The classical two‐step approach to furanics‐derived aromatics via Diels–Alder (DA) aromatization has been modified into a three‐step procedure to address the general issue of the reversible nature of the intermediate DA addition step. The new sequence involves DA addition, followed by a mild hydrogenation step to obtain a stable oxanorbornane intermediate in high yield and purity. Subsequent one‐pot, liquid‐phase dehydration and dehydrogenation of the hydrogenated adduct using a physical mixture of acidic zeolites or resins in combination with metal on a carbon support then allows aromatization with yields as high as 84 % of total aromatics under relatively mild conditions. The mechanism of the final aromatization reaction step unexpectedly involves a lactone as primary intermediate.
A Tangled Web: Assessing overlaps between energy and environmental policy instruments along the electricity supply chain
Authors: Simoes Sofia , Huppes Gjalt , Seixas Julia
Published: July 2015

In OECD countries, many overlapping energy and environmental policy instruments are targeting the various stakeholders in the electricity supply chain (producers, transmission and distribution companies and various consumers). Although synergies between different policy instruments exist, e.g. reducing acidification and climate change by reducing energy consumption, there are also measures whose effects counter each other. Such counter effects arise not only within different environmental policy instruments but also with energy policy instruments. This paper surveys the overlaps in the policy instruments that target the European Union electricity system and characterizes their interactions. A framework for further assessment and analysis of overlaps and co‐effects between policy instruments is presented. The development of policies and their implementation using specific instruments may then be better aligned. A brief discussion on how trade‐offs can be structured is made, as well as some notes on issues to be considered towards policy integration. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd and ERP Environment
Patterns of Multi‐Level Fisheries Governance and Their Impact on Fishermen's Adaptation Strategies in Tamil Nadu, India
Authors: Novak Julia M. , Axelrod Mark
Published: July 2015

Fishermen, like other resource users, follow a range of adaptation strategies in response to environmental or economic stressors. This paper examines how multi‐level governance arrangements influence fishermen's adaptation strategies, with evidence from three villages in Tamil Nadu, India. In the absence of local or regional constraints, fishermen adapt to changing conditions by either increasing or decreasing their fishing effort. In situations where regional and local management rules conflict, fishermen defer to community‐level institutions – even if limited – at the expense of state or district government regulations. However, robust behavioural constraints may in some conditions emerge from extra‐local governance, as we show for one village that invited district‐level governance. Furthermore, our results show that while village‐level heterogeneity may inhibit local resource governance, resulting local conflict may actually create opportunities for legitimate external rules. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd and ERP Environment
Heart failure, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, and asthma: numbers, facts, and challenges
Authors: Lainscak Mitja , Anker Stefan D.
Published: July 2015

Heart failure (HF), chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), and asthma are considered as major health problems. They affect 1–3%, 4–10%, and 8–19% of population, respectively, and frequently coexist. Pulmonary function testing and echocardiography are needed for reliable diagnosis, but in clinical practice, diagnosis often is based on history and disease self‐reporting. Concomitant HF can be diagnosed in about 20% of patients with COPD, and at least 50% had systolic dysfunction. In patients with HF, prevalence of COPD is up to 35%, and less than 25% of patients have COPD GOLD stage III or IV. COPD is more severe in patients with HF with preserved ejection fraction. When HF and COPD coexist, hazard of death is increased for 39% but can even exceed the mortality in individual disease by threefold. In patients with acute deterioration, natriuretic peptides and lung ultrasound, along with other laboratory biomarkers and imaging, need to be implemented to differentiate underlying cause and to manage patients accordingly. COPD is not contraindication for beta‐blockers, and if used, the risk of death is reduced by 31%; if indicated, cardio‐selective agents can be used in asthma. Recent pan‐European registry reported that about 90% of patients with HF receive beta‐blockers, whereas dosing remains a large unmet need with only 17% being treated with target daily dose. Concurrent HF and COPD reduce the prescription of beta blockers threefold, which results in about 20% of patients actually being treated with beta‐blockers. In COPD/asthma, beta‐agonists are strongly associated with new HF (relative risk of 3.41) and HF hospitalizations (odds ratio of 1.74).
Batch‐injection versus Flow‐injection Analysis Using Screen‐printed Electrodes: Determination of Ciprofloxacin in Pharmaceutical Formulations
Authors: Stefano Jéssica S. , Cordeiro Denise S. , Marra Mariana C. , Richter Eduardo M. , Munoz Rodrigo A. A.
Published: July 2015

This article highlights the potential use of multi‐walled carbon‐nanotube modified screen‐printed electrodes (SPEs) for the amperometric sensing of ciprofloxacin and compares the association of batch‐injection analysis (BIA) and flow‐injection analysis (FIA) with amperometric detection. Both analytical systems provided precise (RSD<5 %) and sensitive determination of ciprofloxacin (LOD<0.1 μmol L−1) within wide linear range (up to 200 μmol L−1). Accuracy of both methods was attested by recovery values (93–107 %) and comparison with capillary electrophoresis. The BIA system is completely portable (especially due to association with SPEs) and provided faster analyses (130 h−1) and more sensitive detection than the FIA system due to the higher flow rates of injection.
Thermoeconomic and thermoenvironomic modeling and analysis of selected gas turbine power plants in Nigeria
Authors: Oyedepo Sunday O. , Fagbenle Richard O. , Adefila Samuel S. , Alam Md. Mahbub
Published: July 2015

This study presents comprehensive thermoeconomic and thermoenvironomic modeling and analysis of selected gas turbine power plants in Nigeria using the first and second laws of thermodynamics (exergy) concept. Exergetic analysis was conducted using operating data obtained from the power plants to determine the exergy destruction and exergy efficiency of each major component of the gas turbine in each power plant. The results of the study showed that the combustion chamber (CC) is the most exergy destructive component compared to other cycle components. The percentage of exergy destruction in CC varies between 86.05% and 94.6%. By increasing the gas turbine inlet temperature (GTIT), the exergy destruction of this component can be reduced. The total exergy improvement potential of the selected plants varies from 54.04 to 159.88 MW. The component with the highest exergy improvement potential is the CC, which has the value that varies from 30.21 to 88.86 MW. Thermoeconomic analysis showed that the cost of exergy destruction is high in the CC, and an increase in the GTIT effectively decreases this cost. The exergy costing analysis revealed that the unit cost of electricity produced in the plants ranged from cents 1.99/kWh (N3.16/kWh) to cents 5.65 /kWh (N8.98/kWh). Thermoenvironomic analysis showed that the CO2 emissions varied between 100.18 and 408.78 kg CO2/MWh, while cost rate of environmental impact varied from 40.18 $/h (6, 388.62 N/h) to 276.97 $/h (44, 038. 23 N/h). The results further showed that CO2 emissions and cost of environmental impact decrease with increasing GTIT. The sustainability index increase with increasing GTIT. Finally, this study will assist efforts to understand the thermodynamic losses in the gas turbine cycle, and to improve efficiency as well as provide future recommendations for better performance, sustainability, and lessening environmental impact of power plant.
Dextran sulfate as a drug delivery platform for drug‐coated balloons: Preparation, characterization, in vitro drug elution, and smooth muscle cell response
Authors: Lamichhane Sujan , Anderson Jordan , Remund Tyler , Kelly Patrick , Mani Gopinath
Published: July 2015

Drug‐coated balloons (DCBs) have now emerged as a promising approach to treat peripheral artery disease. However, a significant amount of drug from the balloon surface is lost during balloon tracking and results in delivering only a subtherapeutic dose of drug at the diseased site. Hence, in this study, the use of dextran sulfate (DS) polymer was investigated as a platform to control the drug release from balloons. An antiproliferative drug, paclitaxel (PAT), was incorporated into DS films (PAT‐DS). The characterizations using SEM, FT‐IR, and DSC showed that the films prepared were smooth and homogenous with PAT molecularly dispersed in the bulk of DS matrix in amorphous form. An investigation on the interaction of smooth muscle cells (SMCs) with control‐DS and PAT‐DS films showed that both films inhibited SMC growth, with a superior inhibitory effect observed for PAT‐DS films. PAT‐DS coatings were then produced on balloon catheters. The integrity of coatings was well‐maintained when the balloons were either deflated or inflated. In this study, up to 2.2 µg/mm2 of PAT was loaded on the balloons using the DS platform. Drug elution studies showed that only 10 to 20% of the total PAT loaded was released from the PAT‐DS coated balloons during the typical time period of balloon tracking (1 min) and then ∼80% of the total PAT loaded was released during the typical time period of balloon inflation and treatment (from 1 min to 4 min). Thus, this study demonstrated the use of DS as a platform to control drug delivery from balloons. © 2015 The Authors Journal of Biomedical Materials Research Part B: Applied Biomaterials Published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Biomed Mater Res Part B: Appl Biomater, 104B: 1416–1430, 2016.
Mechanical properties of human autologous tubular connective tissues (human biotubes) obtained from patients undergoing peritoneal dialysis
Authors: Nakayama Yasuhide , Kaneko Yoshiyuki , Takewa Yoshiaki , Okumura Noriko
Published: July 2015

Completely autologous in vivo tissue‐engineered connective tissue tubes (Biotubes) have promise as arterial vascular grafts in animal implantation studies. In this clinical study of patients undergoing peritoneal dialysis (PD) (n = 11; age: 39–83 years), we evaluated human Biotubes' (h‐Biotubes) mechanical properties to determine whether Biotubes with feasibility as vascular grafts could be formed in human bodies. We extracted PD catheters, embedded for 4–47 months, and obtained tubular connective tissues as h‐Biotubes (internal diameter: 5 mm) from around the catheter' silicone tubular parts. h‐Biotubes were composed mainly of collagen with smooth luminal surfaces. The average wall thickness was 278 ± 178 μm. No relationship was founded between the tubes' mechanical properties and patients' ages or PD catheter embedding periods statistically. However, the elastic modulus (2459 ± 970 kPa) and tensile strength (623 ± 314 g) of h‐Biotubes were more than twice as great as those from animal Biotubes, formed from the same PD catheters by embedding in the beagle subcutaneous pouches for 1 month, or beagle arteries. The burst strength (6338 ± 1106 mmHg) of h‐Biotubes was almost the same as that of the beagle thoracic or abdominal aorta. h‐Biotubes could be formed in humans over a 4‐month embedding period, and they satisfied the mechanical requirements for application as vascular grafts. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Biomed Mater Res Part B: Appl Biomater, 104B: 1431–1437, 2016.
Beyond static structures: Putting forth REMD as a tool to solve problems in computational organic chemistry
Authors: Petraglia Riccardo , Nicolaï Adrien , Wodrich Matthew D. , Ceriotti Michele , Corminboeuf Clemence
Published: July 2015

Computational studies of organic systems are frequently limited to static pictures that closely align with textbook style presentations of reaction mechanisms and isomerization processes. Of course, in reality chemical systems are dynamic entities where a multitude of molecular conformations exists on incredibly complex potential energy surfaces (PES). Here, we borrow a computational technique originally conceived to be used in the context of biological simulations, together with empirical force fields, and apply it to organic chemical problems. Replica‐exchange molecular dynamics (REMD) permits thorough exploration of the PES. We combined REMD with density functional tight binding (DFTB), thereby establishing the level of accuracy necessary to analyze small molecular systems. Through the study of four prototypical problems: isomer identification, reaction mechanisms, temperature‐dependent rotational processes, and catalysis, we reveal new insights and chemistry that likely would be missed using static electronic structure computations. The REMD‐DFTB methodology at the heart of this study is powered by i‐PI, which efficiently handles the interface between the DFTB and REMD codes. © 2015 The Authors. Journal of Computational Chemistry Published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Why do good people do bad things?
Authors: Venditti Ellen Grady
Published: July 2015

That was the question Dr. Lucien Leape, patient safety pioneer, posed in the title of a lecture he delivered at a Harvard University risk management conference way back in 1997. As a new healthcare risk manager, I had been asking myself this same question almost every day since my move from nursing to risk management.
Hospital and physician professional liability trends and industry topics
Authors: Jones Virginia
Published: July 2015

This article summarizes the findings published in the Aon/ASHRM Hospital and Physician Professional Liability Benchmark Analysis, October 2014. The report analyzes aggregated data from hospital systems and physician groups across the United States that self‐insure their professional liability exposures. Risk managers use the information to identify, measure, and better understand the risks that may affect their organizations.
Effective followership: A standardized algorithm to resolve clinical conflicts and improve teamwork
Authors: Sculli Gary L. , Fore Amanda M. , Sine David M. , Paull Douglas E. , Tschannen Dana , Aebersold Michelle , Seagull F. Jacob , Bagian James P.
Published: July 2015

In healthcare, the sustained presence of hierarchy between team members has been cited as a common contributor to communication breakdowns. Hierarchy serves to accentuate either actual or perceived chains of command, which may result in team members failing to challenge decisions made by leaders, despite concerns about adverse patient outcomes. While other tools suggest improved communication, none focus specifically on communication skills for team followers, nor do they provide techniques to immediately challenge authority and escalate assertiveness at a given moment in real time. This article presents data that show one such strategy, called the Effective Followership Algorithm, offering statistically significant improvements in team communication across the professional continuum from students and residents to experienced clinicians.
Maintaining the privacy of a minor's sexual orientation and gender identity in the medical environment
Authors: Hyatt Josh
Published: July 2015

Dealing with self‐identity, sexual orientation, and gender identity is often a struggle for minors. The potential negative outcomes minors face when their sexual orientation or gender identity is disclosed to others before they have an opportunity to address it in their own time has become more evident in the media. Because of the intimate nature of the provider–patient relationship, the healthcare provider may be the first person in whom they confide. If a minor receives a positive, nonjudgmental experience from his or her provider, it will often lead to a more positive self‐image, whereas a negative, judgmental experience will often result in the opposite. Critical components of their experience are a sense of trust that the provider will keep the information confidential and the healthcare setting being organized in a manner that promotes privacy. Healthcare providers play a key role in developing and projecting a safe, comfortable environment where the minor can discretely discuss issues of sexual orientation and gender identity. Establishing this environment will usually facilitate a positive therapeutic relationship between the minor and the provider. Steps healthcare providers can take to achieve trust from minor patients and ensure confidentiality of sensitive information are understanding privacy laws, making privacy a priority, getting consent, training staff, and demonstrating privacy in the environment.
Evidence for early and progressive ultrasonic vocalization and oromotor deficits in a PINK1 gene knockout rat model of Parkinson's disease
Authors: Grant Laura M. , Kelm‐Nelson Cynthia A. , Hilby Breanna L. , Blue Katherine V. , Paul Rajamanickam Eunice S. , Pultorak Joshua D. , Fleming Shelia M. , Ciucci Michelle R.
Published: July 2015

Parkinson's disease (PD) is a progressive neurodegenerative disease that leads to a wide range of motor and nonmotor deficits. Specifically, voice and swallow deficits manifest early, are devastating to quality of life, and are difficult to treat with standard medical therapies. The pathological hallmarks of PD include accumulation of the presynaptic protein α‐synuclein (αSyn) as well as degeneration of substantia nigra dopaminergic neurons. However, there is no clear understanding of how or when this pathology contributes to voice and swallow dysfunction in PD. The present study evaluates the effect of loss of function of the phosphatase and tensin homolog‐induced putative kinase 1 gene in rats (PINK1–/–), a model of autosomal recessive PD in humans, on vocalization, oromotor and limb function, and neurodegenerative pathologies. Behavioral measures include ultrasonic vocalizations, tongue force, biting, and gross motor performance that are assayed at 2, 4, 6, and 8 months of age. Aggregated αSyn and tyrosine hydroxylase immunoreactivity (TH‐ir) were measured at 8 months. We show that, compared with wild‐type controls, PINK1–/– rats develop 1) early and progressive vocalization and oromotor deficits, 2) reduced TH‐ir in the locus coeruleus that correlates with vocal loudness and tongue force, and 3) αSyn neuropathology in brain regions important for cranial sensorimotor control. This novel approach of characterizing a PINK1–/– genetic model of PD provides the foundational work required to define behavioral biomarkers for the development of disease‐modifying therapeutics for PD patients. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
An overview of the current plant biostimulant legislations in different European Member States
Authors: La Torre Anna , Battaglia Valerio , Caradonia Federica
Published: July 2015

Plant biostimulants are borderline substances that play an intermediate role between plant protection products and fertilisers. At present, such substances are regulated by national laws and have different names in the various European Member States. The aim of this paper is to provide an overview on the activity of these substances and on the national laws that regulate them, as they vary considerably from one Member State to another. The greatest difficulty in terms of the correct regulatory framework for these substances is related to their heterogeneity. This situation creates uncertainties for operators, control authorities and bodies that certify and control the organic production, and strongly limits the growth of these substances. This problem will be overcome with the amendment of Regulation EC No 2003/2003 which will shortly extend its scope to the category of plant biostimulants included within the fertilising additives. © 2015 Society of Chemical Industry
An overview of available crop growth and yield models for studies and assessments in agriculture
Authors: Di Paola Arianna , Valentini Riccardo , Santini Monia
Published: July 2015

The scientific community offers numerous crop models with different levels of sophistication. In such a wide range of crop models, users should have the possibility to choose the most suitable, in terms of detail, scale and representativeness, to their objectives. However, even when an appropriate choice is made, model limitations should be clarified such that modelling studies are put in the proper perspective and robust applications are achieved. This work is an overview of available models to simulate crop growth and yield. A summary matrix with more than 70 crop models is provided, storing the main model characteristics that can help users to choose the proper tool according to their purposes. Overall, we found that two main aspects of models, despite their importance, are not always clear from the published references, i.e. the versatility of the models, in terms of reliable transferability to different conditions, and the degree of complexity. Hence, the developers of models should be encouraged to pay more attention to clarifying the model limitations and limits of applicability, and users should make an effort in proper model selection, to save time often devoted to iteration of tuning steps to force an inappropriate model to be adapted to their own purpose. © 2015 Society of Chemical Industry
Popliteal sentinel lymph node involvement in melanoma patients
Authors: Bertolli Eduardo , Bevilacqua José Luiz Barbosa , Molina André Sapata , de Macedo Mariana Petaccia , Pinto Clovis Antonio Lopes , Duprat Neto João Pedreira
Published: July 2015

Background

Sentinel lymph nodes (SLN) in popliteal basins are rare, and there is controversy in literature regarding their origin, management, and outcomes.

Objectives

To correlate clinical and pathological features of popliteal basin drainage and analyze the impact of popliteal lymph node drainage on survival.

Materials and Methods

Retrospective analysis of SLN biopsies performed at a single institution between 2000 and 2010.

Results

SLN biopsies were performed in 254 patients with melanoma in lower limbs, 247 of which were evaluated. In this group, there were 59 patients (24%) with a positive SLN. Twenty‐seven cases (11%) presented with popliteal drainage, one of which lacked concurrent groin drainage. Among these 27 patients, three (11%) had popliteal metastasis, one of which had exclusive involvement of this basin. Popliteal drainage was associated with worse 5‐year disease‐free survival (DFS) (P = 0.028) but not 5‐year overall survival (OS) (P = 0.219) in univariate analysis. In multivariate analysis, Breslow thickness, mitotic index, and positive SLN were prognostic factors for DFS. Only mitotic index correlated significantly with OS (P = 0.044).

Conclusions

Popliteal drainage seems to be associated with worse prognostic features of the primary tumor. J. Surg. Oncol. 2015 111:179–182. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Neutrophil‐lymphocyte and platelet‐lymphocyte ratio as predictors of disease specific survival after resection of adrenocortical carcinoma
Authors: Bagante Fabio , Tran Thuy B. , Postlewait Lauren M. , Maithel Shishir K. , Wang Tracy S. , Evans Douglas B. , Hatzaras Ioannis , Shenoy Rivfka , Phay John E. , Keplinger Kara , Fields Ryan C. , Jin Linda X. , Weber Sharon M. , Salem Ahmed , Sicklick Jason K. , Gad Shady , Yopp Adam C. , Mansour John C. , Duh Quan‐Yang , Seiser Natalie , Solorzano Carmen C. , Kiernan Colleen M. , Votanopoulos Konstantinos I. , Levine Edward A. , Poultsides George A. , Pawlik Timothy M.
Published: July 2015

Background

The systemic inflammatory response may be associated with tumor progression. We sought to analyze the impact of neutrophil‐lymphocyte ratio (NLR) and platelet‐lymphocyte ratio (PLR) on recurrence‐free survival (RFS) and disease‐specific survival (DSS) among patients who underwent surgery for adrenocortical carcinoma (ACC).

Methods

Patients undergoing surgery for ACC were identified from a multi‐center database. Cut‐off values of 5 and 190 were defined as elevated NLR and PLR, respectively, and long‐term outcome was assessed.

Results

Among 84 patients with ACC, 29 (34.%) had NLR > 5 while 32 (40.5%) had PLR > 190. NLR and PLR were associated with larger tumors (NLR > 5: ≤5 cm, 0% vs. >5 cm, 39.7%; PLR > 190: ≤ 5cm, 0% vs. >5 cm, 45.7%), as well as need to resect of other organs (NLR > 5: other organ resected 48.8% vs. not resected 20.9%; PLR > 190: other organ resected 25.0% vs. not resected 56.4%)(all P < 0.05). Five‐year RFS was associated with an elevated NLR (NLR ≤ 5, 14.2% vs. NLR> 5, 10.5%) and PLR (PLR ≤ 190: 19.4% vs. PLR > 190: 5.2%) (both P < 0.05). On multivariate survival analyses, PLR remained a predictor of RFS (HR 1.72), while NLR was associated with both DSS (HR 2.21) and RFS (HR 1.99) (both P < 0.05).

Conclusions

Immune markers such as NLR and PLR may be useful to stratify patients with regards to prognosis following surgery for ACC. J. Surg. Oncol. 2015 111:164–172. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Counteracting effects of recruitment and predation shape establishment of rotifer communities under climate change
Authors: Zhang Huan , Ekvall Mattias K. , Xu Jun , Hansson Lars–Anders
Published: July 2015

To assess how synergies between climate warming and increased concentrations of humic substances (“brownification”) will affect rotifer community establishment in spring, we conducted a mesocosm experiment where we combined a 3°C temperature increase with a doubling in water color, changes corresponding to modeled projections for the coming 25–75 yr. We also performed a complementary predation experiment to separate the effects of predation from climate–driven changes. We show that recruitment from the sediment is crucial for shaping the rotifer community and that an elevated temperature will likely advance the recruitment peak resulting in an earlier rotifer peak abundance in spring. However, increased predator abundances, also resulting from elevated temperatures, counteracted the climate driven increase in rotifer recruitment and thereby hampered the pelagic establishment of rotifers. We show further that different rotifer genera respond differently to these increased predation pressure due to selective predation by copepods and taxa–specific protection morphologies and behaviors of rotifers. However, with the exception of one taxon, the effects from brownification were negligible, compared to effects imposed by elevated temperatures. We conclude, therefore, that future rotifer dynamics will be affected both directly through elevated temperatures and indirectly by increased predation.
Suspended particulate matter transport of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in the lower Columbia River and its estuary
Authors: Gregg Tiffany , Prahl Fredrick G. , Simoneit Bernd R. T.
Published: July 2015

Analysis of suspended particulate material (SPM) collected from the Columbia River and its estuary in 2007–2008 revealed the ubiquitous presence of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) from several distinct sources. The two dominant ones were: (1) a suite of non‐alkylated, three to five‐ringed compounds derived from high temperature combustion and (2) perylene, a compound of diagenetic origin. A particle‐selective, hydrodynamic trapping process explains how both PAH types become concentrated on both a particle weight and organic carbon basis in the estuarine turbidity maximum (ETM) by as much as 10 times relative to the riverborne particle source. The ETM is a transient sedimentary feature at the land‐to‐sea interface of river‐dominated estuarine systems which, in the case of our study region, is located remotely from the likely site of initial PAH input. Particle normalized concentrations for PAH of notable environmental concern, such as fluoranthene, chrysene, and benzo[a]pyrene, exceeded the EPA‐defined threshold effects level in all cases and were typically at, or above, the probable effects level. Comparison with results from studies for other waterways around the world indicates PAH concentrations in ETM‐trapped particles from the Columbia River estuary are higher than those documented for SPM in waters of many far more industrialized and populated regions. Our refined understanding of PAH behavior in the Columbia River and its estuary should prove valuable for reliably modeling the transport and dispersal mechanism that is characteristic of other hydrophobic, particle associated persistent organic pollutants prevalent in this system, and for other river‐dominated estuarine systems.
Targeted narrowband intense pulsed light on cutaneous vasculature
Authors: Moy Wesley J. , Yakel Joshua D. , Osorio O. Cecilia , Salvador Jocelynda , Hayakawa Carole , Kelly Kristen M. , Choi Bernard
Published: July 2015

Background and Objectives

Laser based therapies are the standard treatment protocol for port wine stain in the United States, but complete removal is infrequently achieved. Intense pulsed light (IPL) offers a broadband light spectrum approach as a viable treatment alternative. Previous studies suggest that IPL can be more effective in treatment of port wine stain by utilizing multiple wavelengths to selectively target different peaks in oxy‐ and deoxy‐hemoglobin. Our study objectives were to (i) determine a characteristic radiant exposure able to achieve persistent vascular shutdown with narrowband IPL irradiation, (ii) determine the degree to which narrowband IPL irradiation can achieve persistent vascular shutdown, and (iii) compare the effectiveness of narrowband IPL radiation to single wavelength pulsed dye laser (PDL) irradiation in achieving persistent vascular shutdown.

Study Design/Materials and Methods

We utlized either single pulse or double, stacked pulses in narrowband IPL experiments, with the IPL operating over a 500–600 nm wavelength range on the rodent dorsal window chamber model. We compared the results from our narrowband IPL experiments to acquired PDL data from a previous study and determined that narrowband IPL treatments can also produce persistent vascular shutdown. We ran Monte Carlo simulations to investigate the relationship between absorbed energy, wavelength, and penetration depth.

Results

For single and double pulse narrowband IPL irradiation we observed (i) little to no change in blood flow, resulting in no persistent vascular shutdown, (ii) marked acute disruption in blood flow and vascular structure, followed by partial to full recovery of blood flow, also resulting in no persistent vascular shutdown, and (iii) immediate changes in blood flow and vascular structure, resulting in prolonged and complete vascular shutdown. Monte Carlo modeling resulted in a 53.2% and 69.0% higher absorbed energy distribution in the top half and the total simulated vessel when comparing the composite narrowband IPL to the 595 nm (PDL), respectively.

Conclusions

Our data collectively demonstrate the potential to achieve removal of vascular lesions using a 500–600 nm range. Additionally, the narrowband IPL was tuned to optimize a specific wavelength range that can be used to treat PWS, whereas the PDL can only operate at one discrete wavelength. Lasers Surg. Med. 47:651–657, 2015. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
On the quantifier complexity of definable canonical Henselian valuations
Authors: Fehm Arno , Jahnke Franziska
Published: July 2015

We discuss definability in the language of rings without parameters of the unique canonical Henselian valuation of a field. We show that in most cases where the canonical Henselian valuation is definable, it is already definable by a universal‐existential or an existential‐universal formula.
A guide on gene prioritization in studies of psychiatric disorders
Authors: Stringer Sven , Cerrone Kim C. , van den Brink Wim , van den Berg Julia F. , Denys Damiaan , Kahn Rene S. , Derks Eske M.
Published: July 2015

There has been an increasing interest in the identification of genetic variants causing individual differences in human behavior. Psychiatrists have contributed to the genetics field by defining the most important behavioral characteristics and by studying the association between genetic variants and behavioral differences within phenotypically well‐characterized samples in which detailed assessments have been collected (e.g. neuroimaging). These samples are typically limited in size and are therefore not suitable for a genome‐wide association analysis. Instead, gene association studies conducted in such samples typically focus on a few genes of interest, allowing smaller sample sizes. However, the selection of high‐priority genes is not always straightforward and psychiatrists will usually have a limited background in genetics. We aim to fill this gap by (i) providing a basic introduction to genetics; (ii) showing how the selection of genes of interest can be optimized by the use of two web tools: Polysearch and Gene Prospector; (iii) illustrating how statistical power analyses can be performed and discussing the importance of sufficiently powered studies. This guide can help psychiatrists with limited experience in genetics in designing genetic studies that allow identification of specific behavioral, cognitive, or neural correlates of genetic risk variants, while avoiding common pitfalls. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
General design approach and practical realization of decoupling matrices for parallel transmission coils
Authors: Mahmood Zohaib , McDaniel Patrick , Guérin Bastien , Keil Boris , Vester Markus , Adalsteinsson Elfar , Wald Lawrence L. , Daniel Luca
Published: July 2015

Purpose

In a coupled parallel transmit (pTx) array, the power delivered to a channel is partially distributed to other channels because of coupling. This power is dissipated in circulators resulting in a significant reduction in power efficiency. In this study, a technique for designing robust decoupling matrices interfaced between the RF amplifiers and the coils is proposed. The decoupling matrices ensure that most forward power is delivered to the load without loss of encoding capabilities of the pTx array.

Theory and Methods

The decoupling condition requires that the impedance matrix seen by the power amplifiers is a diagonal matrix whose entries match the characteristic impedance of the power amplifiers. In this work, the impedance matrix of the coupled coils is diagonalized by a successive multiplication by its eigenvectors. A general design procedure and software are developed to generate automatically the hardware that implements diagonalization using passive components.

Results

The general design method is demonstrated by decoupling two example parallel transmit arrays. Our decoupling matrices achieve better than −20 db decoupling in both cases.

Conclusion

A robust framework for designing decoupling matrices for pTx arrays is presented and validated. The proposed decoupling strategy theoretically scales to any arbitrary number of channels. Magn Reson Med 76:329–339, 2016. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
TOWERS: T‐One with Enhanced Robustness and Speed
Authors: Eldeniz Cihat , Finsterbusch Jürgen , Lin Weili , An Hongyu
Published: July 2015

Purpose

A new T1 mapping method is proposed that is accurate, rapid, and robust to motion. Considering these features, the method is dubbed “T‐One with Enhanced Robustness and Speed (TOWERS).”

Methods

TOWERS is composed of inversion recovery (IR) and saturation recovery (SR) acquisitions. In the IR acquisitions, a slice reordering scheme is used to sample all slices in an efficient manner, whereas the SR acquisitions serve as references for motion estimation. Furthermore, as opposed to the usual way of running generalized autocalibrating partially parallel acquisitions (GRAPPA) calibration only once at the beginning, GRAPPA coefficients are updated in the middle and at the end, and are later used for retrospectively correcting for motion artifacts. Finally, sub‐voxel magnetization tracking is deployed to account for motion‐induced signal evolution changes.

Results

Whole‐brain T1 mapping data with a spatial resolution of 1.56 × 1.56 × 2.00 mm can be collected within 2.5 min. TOWERS and the gold‐standard IR method agree well in phantom, while high reproducibility is achieved in vivo. High‐quality T1 maps in the presence of severe motion show the robustness of the method.

Conclusion

The proposed method, TOWERS, is shown to be rapid, accurate, and robust. Multiple GRAPPA calibrations and sub‐voxel magnetization tracking make TOWERS unique. Magn Reson Med 76:118–126, 2016. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Walking is a Feasible Physical Activity for People with Rheumatoid Arthritis: A Feasibility Randomized Controlled Trial
Authors: Baxter Susan V. , Hale Leigh A. , Stebbings Simon , Gray Andrew R. , Smith Catherine M. , Treharne Gareth J.
Published: July 2015

Background

Exercise has been recognized as important in the management of rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Walking is a low‐cost and low‐impact activity, requiring little supervision. It requires no specialist training, is suited to a variety of environments and is inherently a clinically meaningful measure of independence. The aim of the present study was to determine whether a designed walking programme for people with RA successfully facilitated regular physical activity in participants, without detriment to pain levels.

Methods

Thirty‐three people with RA were recruited from Dunedin Hospital rheumatology outpatient clinics and enrolled in a walking randomized controlled trial (RCT) feasibility study. Participants were randomly allocated to the walking intervention (n = 11) or control (n = 22) groups. Control participants received a nutrition education session, and the walking intervention group received instructions on a walking route with three loops, to be completed 3–4 times per week. The walking route shape was designed so that the length of the walk could be tailored by participants. Both groups were assessed at baseline and six weeks later. The primary outcome measures were feasibility, acceptability and safety. The principal secondary outcome was change in walking speed after the intervention. Additional outcome measures were a step‐up test, activity limitations (on the Health Assessment Questionnaire), global well‐being (on the European Quality of Life Questionnaire), self‐efficacy for managing arthritis symptoms, self‐efficacy for physical activity, daily pedometer readings and a daily visual analogue scale for pain.

Results

Participants successfully completed the walk for the suggested frequency, indicating feasibility and acceptability. There were no reported adverse effects of participation and the walking intervention group did not have higher daily pain levels than the control group, indicating safety. The walking intervention group showed a pattern of improvements in self‐efficacy and global well‐being; no changes in these outcomes were noted in the control group. No outcome measure showed statistically significant between‐group differences.

Conclusions

Walking appears to be a feasible, acceptable and safe intervention for people with RA. These findings inform the design and power requirements of larger trials of structured walking interventions. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Unravelling detrusor underactivity: Development of a bladder outlet resistance—Bladder contractility nomogram for adult male patients with lower urinary tract symptoms
Authors: Oelke Matthias , Rademakers Kevin L. J. , van Koeveringe Gommert A. ,   on behalf of the FORCE Research Group, Maastricht & Hannover
Published: July 2015

Aims

Voiding dysfunction in adult men may be caused by bladder outlet obstruction (BOO) and/or detrusor underactivity (DU). Until now, it is only possible to classify BOO and DU by pressure‐flow analysis. Low values of the maximum Watts factor (Wmax) indicate DU but thresholds for the diagnosis have not been established. Purpose of this study was to construct a nomogram using bladder outlet resistance and detrusor contractility in order to classify BOO and DU simultaneously.

Methods

Treatment naïve men aged ≥40 years with uncomplicated lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS) were prospectively evaluated. Patients were assessed with IPSS, prostate volume, uroflowmetry, post‐void residual, and pressure‐flow measurement. The bladder outlet obstruction index (BOOI) was used to determine BOO‐grade and Wmax to calculate detrusor contractility. Individual BOOI‐Wmax values were plotted in a graph. Linear interpolation was applied to determine the 10th, 25th, 50th, 75th, and 90th percentiles.

Results

Retrospective analysis of 822 male patients with means of 64 years, IPSS 16, and prostate volume of 40 cc. Patient and clinical parameters of the <25th percentile groups were significantly different compared to the 25th–50th percentiles: age (66 vs. 63 years, P = 0.006), bladder capacity (503 vs. 442 ml, P = 0.009), post‐void residual urine (167 vs. 116 ml, P = 0.001), and voiding efficiency (67% vs. 73%, P = 0.015).

Conclusions

The nomogram quantifies the relationship between detrusor contractility and BOO in men with LUTS. A measurement value <25th percentile correlates with clinical indicators of DU and is proposed as a cut‐off value for DU‐diagnosis. Higher age, bladder capacity, and PVR as well as lower voiding efficiency indicate DU. Neurourol. Urodynam. 35:980–986, 2016. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Hunting attacks in the dark: clustering and correlation analysis for unsupervised anomaly detection
Authors: Mazel Johan , Casas Pedro , Fontugne Romain , Fukuda Kensuke , Owezarski Philippe
Published: July 2015

Network anomalies and attacks represent a serious challenge to ISPs, who need to cope with an increasing number of unknown events that put their networks' integrity at risk. Most of the network anomaly detection systems proposed so far employ a supervised strategy to accomplish their task, using either signature‐based detection methods or supervised‐learning techniques. The former fails to detect unknown anomalies, exposing the network to severe consequences; the latter requires labeled traffic, which is difficult and expensive to produce. In this paper, we introduce a powerful unsupervised approach to detect and characterize network anomalies in the dark, that is, without relying on signatures or labeled traffic. Unsupervised detection is accomplished by means of robust clustering techniques, combining subspace clustering with correlation analysis to blindly identify anomalies. To alleviate network operator's post‐processing tasks and to speed up the deployment of effective countermeasures, anomaly ranking and characterization are automatically performed on the detected events. The system is extensively tested with real traffic from the Widely Integrated Distributed Environment backbone network, spanning 6years of flows captured from a trans‐Pacific link between Japan and the USA, using the MAWILab framework for ground‐truth generation. We additionally evaluate the proposed approach with synthetic data, consisting of traffic from an operational network with synthetic attacks. Finally, we compare the performance of the unsupervised detection against different previously used unsupervised detection techniques, as well as against multiple anomaly detectors used in MAWILab. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.