bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The Role of Maternal Gestational Diabetes in Inducing Fetal Endothelial Dysfunction
Authors: Sultan Samar A , Liu Wanting , Peng Yonghong , Roberts W. , Whitelaw Donald , Graham Anne M
Published: March 2015

Gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) is known to be associated with fetal endothelial dysfunction, however, the mechanisms are not fully understood. This study examines the effect of maternal diabetes on fetal endothelial function and gene expression under physiological glucose conditions (5 mM). Human umbilical vein endothelial cell (HUVEC) isolated from diabetic mothers (d.HUVEC) grew more slowly than HUVEC isolated from healthy mothers (c.HUVEC) and had delayed doubling time despite increased levels of total vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) expression and protein production as determined by real‐time PCR and ELISA respectively. Using western blot, the levels of antiproliferative VEGF165b isoform were increased in d.HUVEC relative to c.HUVEC. Successful VEGF165b knockdown by small interfering RNA (siRNA) resulted in increased proliferation of d.HUVEC measured by MTT, compared with negative siRNA control, to similar levels measured in c.HUVEC. In addition, d.HUVEC generated excess levels of ROS as revealed by 2′,7′ Dichlorodihydrofluorescein Diacetate (DCFH‐DA) and Nitrotetrazolium blue (NBT). Using microarray, 102 genes were differentially overexpressed between d.HUVEC versus c.HUVEC (>1.5‐fold change; P < 0.05). Functional clustering analysis of these differentially expressed genes revealed participation in inflammatory responses (including adhesion) which may be related to pathological outcomes. Of these genes, ICAM‐1 was validated as upregulated, confirming microarray results. Additional confirmatory immunofluorescence staining revealed increased protein expression of ICAM‐1 compared with c.HUVEC which was reduced by vitamin C treatment (100 μM). Thus, maternal diabetes induces persistent alterations in fetal endothelial function and gene expression following glucose normalization and antioxidant treatment could help reverse endothelium dysfunction. J. Cell. Physiol. 9999: 2695–2705, 2015. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Targeted inhibition of osteosarcoma tumor growth by bone marrow‐derived mesenchymal stem cells expressing cytosine deaminase/5‐fluorocytosine in tumor‐bearing mice
Authors: NguyenThai Quynh‐Anh , Sharma Neelesh , Luong Do Huynh , Sodhi Simrinder Singh , Kim Jeong‐Hyun , Kim Nameun , Oh Sung‐Jong , Jeong Dong Kee
Published: March 2015

Background

Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) are considered as an attractive approach for gene or drug delivery in cancer therapy. In the present study, the ability of human bone marrow‐derived MSCs expressing the cytosine deaminase/5‐fluorocytosine prodrug (CD/5‐FC MSCs) to target the human osteosarcoma cell line Cal72 was evaluated.

Methods

The stable CD/5‐FC MSC cell line was established by transfection of pEGFP containing the cytosine deaminase gene into MSCs with G418 selection. The anti‐tumor effect was verified by a bystander effect assay in vitro and co‐injection of Cal72 and CD/5‐FC MSCs in cancer‐bearing mice.

Results

The therapeutic CD/5‐FC MSCs retained the characteristics of multipotent cells, such as differentiation into adipocytes/osteocytes and expression of mesenchymal markers (CD90 and CD44), and showed migration toward Cal72 cells to a greater extent than the native MSCs. The bystander effect assay showed that the CD/5‐FC MSCs significantly augmented Cal72 cytotoxicity in direct co‐culture and in the presence of 5‐FC through the application of conditioned medium. In osteosarcoma‐bearing mice, the CD/5‐FC MSCs inhibited tumor growth compared to control mice subcutaneously injected with only Cal72 cells.

Conclusions

Taken together, these findings suggest that CD/5‐FC MSCs may be suitable for targeting human osteosarcoma. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Csp2–O and C–C Bond Formation via Pd‐Catalyzed Coupling Reaction of 2,4‐Dichloroquinazoline
Authors: Sharma Alka , Luxami Vijay , Paul Kamaldeep
Published: March 2015

An efficient palladium‐catalyzed C–O and subsequent C–C bond formation of 2,4‐dichloroquinazoline have been described. The designed strategy results in the synthesis of novel 2‐arylated quinazolin‐4‐ones framework with various aryl/heteroaryl boronic acids in moderate to good yields along with 2,4‐diarylated quinazolines. This methodology offers a direct transformation of aryl halides to aryl alcohols/ketone as well as the straight forward application to generate a wide variety of monoaryl and diaryl quinazoline.
A multifaceted hospitalist quality improvement intervention: Decreased frequency of common labs
Authors: Corson Adam H. , Fan Vincent S. , White Travis , Sullivan Sean D. , Asakura Kenji , Myint Michael , Dale Christopher R.
Published: March 2015

PURPOSE

Common labs such as a daily complete blood count or a daily basic metabolic panel represent possible waste and have been targeted by professional societies and the Choosing Wisely campaign for critical evaluation. We undertook a multifaceted quality‐improvement (QI) intervention in a large community hospitalist group to decrease unnecessary common labs.

METHODS

The QI intervention was composed of academic detailing, audit and feedback, and transparent reporting of the frequency with which common labs were ordered as daily within the hospitalist group. We performed a pre‐post analysis, comparing a cohort of patients during the 10‐month baseline period before the QI intervention and the 7‐month intervention period. Demographic and clinical data were collected from the electronic medical record. The primary endpoint was number of common labs ordered per patient‐day as estimated by a clustered multivariable linear regression model clustering by ordering hospitalist. Secondary endpoints included length of stay, hospital mortality, 30‐day readmission, blood transfusion, amount of blood transfused, and laboratory cost per patient.

RESULTS

The baseline (n = 7824) and intervention (n = 5759) cohorts were similar in their demographics, though the distribution of primary discharge diagnosis‐related groups differed. At baseline, a mean of 2.06 (standard deviation 1.40) common labs were ordered per patient‐day. Adjusting for age, sex, and principle discharge diagnosis, the number of common labs ordered per patient‐day decreased by 0.22 (10.7%) during the intervention period compared to baseline (95% confidence interval [CI], 0.34 to 0.11; P < 0.01). There were nonsignificant reductions in hospital mortality in the intervention period compared to baseline (2.2% vs 1.8%, P = 0.1) as well as volume of blood transfused in patients who received a transfusion (127.2 mL decrease; 95% CI, −257.9 to 3.6; P = 0.06). No effect was seen on length of stay or readmission rate. The intervention decreased hospital direct costs by an estimated $16.19 per admission or $151,682 annualized (95% CI, $119,746 to $187,618).

CONCLUSION

Implementation of a multifaceted QI intervention within a community‐based hospitalist group was associated with a significant, but modest, decrease in the number of ordered lab tests and hospital costs. No effect was seen on hospital length of stay, mortality, or readmission rate. This intervention suggests that a community‐based hospitalist QI intervention focused on daily labs can be effective in safely reducing healthcare waste without compromising quality of care. Journal of Hospital Medicine 2015;10:390–395. © 2015 Society of Hospital Medicine
In vivo strains in the femur of the nine‐banded armadillo (Dasypus novemcinctus)
Authors: Copploe Joseph V. , Blob Richard W. , Parrish John H.A. , Butcher Michael T.
Published: March 2015

The capacity of limb bones to resist the locomotor loads they encounter depends on both the pattern of those loads and the material properties of the skeletal elements. Among mammals, understanding of the interplay between these two factors has been based primarily on evidence from locomotor behaviors in upright placentals, which show limb bones that are loaded predominantly in anteroposterior bending with minimal amounts of torsion. However, loading patterns from the femora of opossums, marsupials using crouched limb posture, show appreciable torsion while the bone experiences mediolateral (ML) bending. These data indicated greater loading diversity in mammals than was previously recognized, and suggested the possibility that ancestral loading patterns found in sprawling lineages (e.g., reptilian sauropsids) might have been retained among basal mammals. To further test this hypothesis, we recorded in vivo locomotor strains from the femur of the nine‐banded armadillo (Dasypus novemcinctus), a member of the basal xenarthran clade of placental mammals that also uses crouched limb posture. Orientations of principal strains and magnitudes of shear strains indicate that armadillo femora are exposed to only limited torsion; however, bending is essentially ML, placing the medial aspect of the femur in compression and the lateral aspect in tension. This orientation of bending is similar to that found in opossums, but planar strain analyses indicate much more of the armadillo femur experiences tension during bending, potentially due to muscles pulling on the large, laterally positioned third trochanter. Limb bone safety factors were estimated between 3.3 and 4.3 in bending, similar to other placental mammals, but lower than opossums and most sprawling taxa. Thus, femoral loading patterns in armadillos show a mixture of similarities to both opossums (ML bending) and other placentals (limited torsion and low safety factors), along with unique features (high axial tension) that likely relate to their distinctive hindlimb anatomy. J. Morphol. 26:889–899, 2015. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
A 3D finite element analysis of large‐scale nonlinear dynamic electromagnetic problems by harmonic balancing and domain decomposition
Authors: Yao Wang , Jin Jian‐Ming , Krein Philip T.
Published: March 2015

The dual–primal finite element tearing and interconnecting (FETI‐DP) method is applied together with the harmonic balance method and the fixed‐point (FP) method to improve the efficiency of three‐dimensional finite element analysis of large‐scale nonlinear dynamic electromagnetic problems. The FETI‐DP method decomposes the original problem into smaller subdomains problems. Combined with parallel computing techniques, the total computation time can be reduced significantly. To account for nonlinear B‐H characteristics, the FP method is applied together with the polarization formulation. Because the FP method assumes a constant reluctivity, it decouples the systems of different harmonics. The FETI‐DP method can then be applied to speed up the simulation of each harmonic in each FP iteration. Two benchmark problems and a three‐phase inductor are simulated by the proposed method to validate the formulation and demonstrate its performance. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
A reliable model for gamma oscillations in hippocampal tissue
Authors: Schneider Justus , Lewen Andrea , Ta Thuy‐Truc , Galow Lukas V. , Isola Raffaella , Papageorgiou Ismini E. , Kann Oliver
Published: March 2015

Gamma oscillations (30–100 Hz) reflect a fast brain rhythm that provides a fundamental mechanism of complex neuronal information processing in the hippocampus and in the neocortex in vivo. Gamma oscillations have been implicated in higher brain functions, such as sensory perception, motor activity, and memory formation. Experimental studies on synaptic transmission and bioenergetics underlying gamma oscillations have primarily used acute slices of the hippocampus. This study tests whether organotypic hippocampal slice cultures of the rat provide an alternative model for cortical gamma oscillations in vitro. Our findings are that 1) slice cultures feature well‐preserved laminated architecture and neuronal morphology; 2) slice cultures of different maturation stages (7–28 days in vitro) reliably express gamma oscillations at about 40 Hz as induced by cholinergic (acetylcholine) or glutamatergic (kainate) receptor agonists; 3) the peak frequency of gamma oscillations depends on the temperature, with an increase of ∼3.5 Hz per degree Celsius for the range of 28–36°C; 4) most slice cultures show persistent gamma oscillations for ∼1 hr during electrophysiological local field potential recordings, and later alterations may occur; and 5) in slice cultures, glucose at a concentration of 5 mM in the recording solution is sufficient to power gamma oscillations, and additional energy substrate supply with monocarboxylate metabolite lactate (2 mM) exclusively increases the peak frequency by ∼4 Hz. This study shows that organotypic hippocampal slice cultures provide a reliable model to study agonist‐induced gamma oscillations at glucose levels near the physiological range. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Grizzly bear connectivity mapping in the Canada–United States trans‐border region
Authors: Proctor Michael F. , Nielsen Scott E. , Kasworm Wayne F. , Servheen Chris , Radandt Thomas G. , Machutchon A. Grant , Boyce Mark S.
Published: March 2015

Fragmentation is a growing threat to wildlife worldwide and managers need solutions to reverse its impacts on species' populations. Populations of grizzly bears (Ursus arctos), often considered an umbrella and focal species for large mammal conservation, are fragmented by human settlement and major highways in the trans‐border region of southern British Columbia, northern Montana, Idaho, and northeastern Washington. To improve prospects for bear movement among 5 small fragmented grizzly bear subpopulations, we asked 2 inter‐related questions: Are there preferred linkage habitats for grizzly bears across settled valleys with major highways in the fragmented trans‐border region, and if so, could we predict them using a combination of resource selection functions and human settlement patterns? We estimated a resource selection function (RSF) to identify high quality backcountry core habitat and to predict front‐country linkage areas using global positioning system (GPS) telemetry locations representing an average of 12 relocations per day from 27 grizzly bears (13F, 14M). We used RSF models and data on human presence (building density) to inform cost surfaces for connectivity network analyses identifying linkage areas based on least‐cost path, corridor, and circuit theory methods. We identified 60 trans‐border (Canada–USA) linkage areas across all major highways and settlement zones in the Purcell, Selkirk, and Cabinet Mountains encompassing 24% of total highway length. We tested the correspondence of the core and linkage areas predicted from models with grizzly bear use based on bear GPS telemetry locations and movement data. Highway crossings were relatively rare; however, 88% of 122 crossings from 13 of our bears were within predicted linkage areas (mean = 8.3 crossings/bear, SE = 2.8, range 1–31, 3 bears with 1 crossing) indicating bears use linkage habitat that could be predicted with an RSF. Long‐term persistence of small fragmented grizzly bear populations will require management of connectivity with larger populations. Linkage areas identified here could inform such efforts. © 2015 The Wildlife Society.
Aminobisphosphonate Polymers via RAFT and a Multicomponent Kabachnik–Fields Reaction
Authors: Bachler Patricia R. , Schulz Michael D. , Sparks Chelsea A. , Wagener Kenneth B. , Sumerlin Brent S.
Published: March 2015

Polyacrylamides containing pendant aminobisphosphonate groups are synthesized via reversible addition‐fragmentation chain transfer (RAFT) polymerization and a multicomponent postpolymerization functionalization reaction. A Moedritzer–Irani reaction installs the phosphonic acid groups on well‐defined, RAFT‐generated polymers bearing a pendant amine. An alternate route to the same materials is developed utilizing a three‐component Kabachnik–Fields reaction and subsequent dealkylation. Kinetics of the RAFT polymerization of the polymer precursor are studied. Successful functionalization is demonstrated by NMR and FTIR spectroscopy and elemental analysis of the final polymers.

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Comparative impact of diverse regulatory loci on Staphylococcus aureus biofilm formation
Authors: Atwood Danielle N. , Loughran Allister J. , Courtney Ashleah P. , Anthony Allison C. , Meeker Daniel G. , Spencer Horace J. , Gupta Ravi Kr. , Lee Chia Y. , Beenken Karen E. , Smeltzer Mark S.
Published: March 2015

The relative impact of 23 mutations on biofilm formation was evaluated in the USA300, methicillin‐resistant strain LAC. Mutation of sarA, atl, codY, rsbU, and sigB limited biofilm formation in comparison to the parent strain, but the limitation imposed by mutation of sarA was greater than that imposed by mutation of any of these other genes. The reduced biofilm formation of all mutants other than the atl mutant was correlated with increased levels of extracellular proteases. Mutation of fur‐ and mgrA‐enhanced biofilm formation but in LAC had no impact on protease activity, nuclease activity, or accumulation of the polysaccharide intercellular adhesin (PIA). The increased capacity of these mutants to form a biofilm was reversed by mutation of sarA, and this was correlated with increased protease production. Mutation of sarA, mgrA, and sigB had the same phenotypic effect in the methicillin‐sensitive strain UAMS‐1, but mutation of codY increased rather than decreased biofilm formation. As with the UAMS‐1 mgrA mutant, this was correlated with increased production of PIA. Examination of four additional clinical isolates suggests that the differential impact of codY on biofilm formation may be a conserved characteristic of methicillin‐resistant versus methicillin‐sensitive strains.
Strategic Experimentation in the Lab
Authors: Boyce John R. , Bruner David M. , McKee Michael
Published: March 2015

This paper reports the results of experimental tests of the Nash equilibrium predictions in a one‐armed bandit game with information spillover. Players learn the probability that a risky prospect pays by either taking draws from the distribution themselves or observing the outcome of another player's choice. Our experiment is designed to learn whether players experiment strategically, anticipating the opportunity to free‐ride on others' information and doing so. While error rates exhibit a bias toward under‐experimentation, we observe a significant strategic effect. Structural parameter estimates suggest the lack of experimentation observed is due to decision error and somewhat pessimistic priors, rather than risk preferences or probability weighting. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Nonmotor symptoms in healthy Ashkenazi Jewish carriers of the G2019S mutation in the LRRK2 gene
Authors: Mirelman Anat , Alcalay Roy N. , Saunders‐Pullman Rachel , Yasinovsky Kira , Thaler Avner , Gurevich Tanya , Mejia‐Santana Helen , Raymond Deborah , Gana‐Weisz Mali , Bar‐Shira Anat , Ozelius Laurie , Clark Lorraine , Orr‐Urtreger Avi , Bressman Susan , Marder Karen , Giladi Nir ,   the LRRK2 AJ consortium
Published: March 2015

Background

The asymptomatic carriers of the Leucine rich repeat kinase 2 (LRRK2) G2019S mutation represent a population at risk for developing PD. The aim of this study was to assess differences in nonmotor symptoms between nonmanifesting carriers and noncarriers of the G2019S mutation.

Methods

Two hundred fifty‐three subjects participated in this observational cross‐sectional multicenter study. Standard questionnaires assessing anxiety, depression, cognition, smell, nonmotor symptoms, and rapid eye movement (REM) sleep behavior were administered. Analyses were adjusted for age, sex, family relations, education, and site.

Results

One hundred thirty‐four carriers were identified. Carriers had higher nonmotor symptoms score on the Nonmotor symptoms (NMS) questionnaire (P = 0.02). These findings were amplified in carriers older than age 50 y, with higher nonmotor symptoms scores and trait anxiety scores (P < 0.03).

Conclusions

In this cross‐section study, carriers of the G2019S LRRK2 mutation endorsed subtle nonmotor symptoms. Whether these are early features of PD will require a longitudinal study. © 2015 International Parkinson and Movement Disorder Society
Aerosol deposition in the lungs of spontaneously breathing rats using Gd‐DOTA‐based contrast agents and ultra‐short echo time MRI at 1.5 Tesla
Authors: Wang Hongchen , Sebrié Catherine , Ruaud Jean‐Pierre , Guillot Geneviève , Bouazizi Khaoula , Willoquet Georges , Maître Xavier , Darrasse Luc , de Rochefort Ludovic
Published: March 2015

Purpose

Aerosol toxicology and drug delivery through the lungs, which depend on various parameters, require methods to quantify particle deposition. Intrapulmonary‐administered MRI contrast agent combined with lung‐specific imaging sequences has been proposed as a high performance technique for aerosol research. Here, aerosol deposition is assessed using ultra‐short echo (UTE) sequences.

Methods

Before and after administration of Gd‐DOTA‐based aerosol delivered nose‐only in free‐breathing healthy rats, a T1‐weighted 3D UTE sequence was applied in a clinical 1.5 Tesla scanner. Administration lasted 14 min, and the experiment was performed on six rats. A contrast‐enhanced quantitative analysis was done.

Results

Fifty percent signal enhancement was obtained in the lung parenchyma. Lung clearance of the contrast agent was evaluated to be 14% per h (corresponding to a characteristic clearance time of 3.6 h) and aerosol deposition was shown to be homogeneous throughout the lung in healthy rats. The total deposited dose was estimated to be 1.05 µmol/kg body weight, and the concentration precision was 0.02 mM.

Conclusion

The UTE protocol with nebulized Gd‐DOTA is replicable to significantly enhance the lung parenchyma and to map aerosol deposition. This functional strategy, applied in a clinical system with a clinical nebulization setup and a low inhaled dose, suggests a feasible translation to human. Magn Reson Med 75:594–605, 2016. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Is pilates as effective as conventional pelvic floor muscle exercises in the conservative treatment of post‐prostatectomy urinary incontinence? A randomised controlled trial
Authors: Pedriali Fabiana Rotondo , Gomes Cíntia Spagnolo , Soares Larissa , Urbano Mariana Ragassi , Moreira Eliane Cristina Hilberath , Averbeck Márcio Augusto , de Almeida Silvio Henrique Maiade
Published: March 2015

Aims

To verify the efficacy of a Pilates exercise program compared to conventional pelvic floor muscle exercise (PFME) protocol in the conservative treatment of post‐prostatectomy urinary incontinence (PPUI).

Methods

Baseline assessment was performed four weeks postoperatively and included 24 hr pad test, bladder diary, and the ICIQ‐SF. Patients were randomised into three groups: Pilates (G1), PFME combined with anal electrical stimulation (G2), and a control group (G3). Both treatment groups had to perform 10 weekly treatment sessions. Primary outcomes were mean reduction of daily pads and mean reduction of ICIQ‐SF score four months after surgery. The significance level was set at P < 0.05.

Results

85 patients completed the study. Differences between treatment groups (G1 and G2) in terms of mean reduction in daily pad usage, 24 hr pad test, and ICIQ‐SF scores were not statistically significant (P > 0.05). The control group differed from G1 in daily pad usage (P = 0.01) and ICIQ‐SF score (P = 0.0073). Intergroup comparisons revealed that 57.7% of the volunteers in G1 and 50% of the individuals from G2 no longer used pads by the end of the treatment period (P = 0.57). In the control group, 22.6% were not using pads four months after surgery, with statistical difference compared to G1 (P < 0.05).

Conclusions

The Pilates exercise program proved to be as effective as conventional PFME to speed up continence recovery in PPUI. It also achieved a higher rate of fully continent patients when compared to the control group in the short‐term. Neurourol. Urodynam. 35:615–621, 2016. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
4D MRI of polycystic kidneys from rapamycin‐treated Glis3‐deficient mice
Authors: Xie Luke , Qi Yi , Subashi Ergys , Liao Grace , Miller‐DeGraff Laura , Jetten Anton M. , Johnson G. Allan
Published: March 2015

Polycystic kidney disease (PKD) is a life‐threatening disease that leads to a grotesque enlargement of the kidney and significant loss of function. Several imaging studies with MRI have demonstrated that cyst size in polycystic kidneys can determine disease severity and progression. In the present study, we found that, although kidney volume and cyst volume decreased with drug treatment, renal function did not improve with treatment. Here, we applied dynamic contrast‐enhanced MRI to study PKD in a Glis3 (GLI‐similar 3)‐deficient mouse model. Cysts from this model have a wide range of sizes and develop at an early age. To capture this crucial stage and assess cysts in detail, we imaged during early development (3–17 weeks) and applied high spatiotemporal resolution MRI (125 × 125 × 125 cubic microns every 7.7 s). A drug treatment with rapamycin (also known as sirolimus) was applied to determine whether disease progression could be halted. The effect and synergy (interaction) of aging and treatment were evaluated using an analysis of variance (ANOVA). Structural measurements, including kidney volume, cyst volume and cyst‐to‐kidney volume ratio, changed significantly with age. Drug treatment significantly decreased these metrics. Functional measurements of time‐to‐peak (TTP) mean and TTP variance were determined. TTP mean did not change with age, whereas TTP variance increased with age. Treatment with rapamycin generally did not affect these functional metrics. Synergistic effects of treatment and age were not found for any measurements. Together, the size and volume ratio of cysts decreased with drug treatment, whereas renal function remained the same. The quantification of renal structure and function with MRI can comprehensively assess the pathophysiology of PKD and response to treatment. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
A Padé approximate linearization algorithm for solving the quadratic eigenvalue problem with low‐rank damping
Authors: Lu Ding , Huang Xin , Bai Zhaojun , Su Yangfeng
Published: March 2015

The low‐rank damping term appears commonly in quadratic eigenvalue problems arising from physical simulations. To exploit the low‐rank damping property, we propose a Padé approximate linearization (PAL) algorithm. The advantage of the PAL algorithm is that the dimension of the resulting linear eigenvalue problem is only n + ℓm, which is generally substantially smaller than the dimension 2n of the linear eigenvalue problem produced by a direct linearization approach, where n is the dimension of the quadratic eigenvalue problem, and ℓ and m are the rank of the damping matrix and the order of a Padé approximant, respectively. Numerical examples show that by exploiting the low‐rank damping property, the PAL algorithm runs 33–47% faster than the direct linearization approach for solving modest size quadratic eigenvalue problems. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
A generalised method for ratchet analysis of structures undergoing arbitrary thermo‐mechanical load histories
Authors: Lytwyn M. , Chen H. F. , Ponter A. R. S.
Published: March 2015

A novel approach is presented based upon the Linear Matching Method framework in order to directly calculate the ratchet limit of structures subjected to arbitrary thermo‐mechanical load histories. Traditionally, ratchet analysis methods have been based upon the fundamental premise of decomposing the cyclic load history into cyclic and constant components, respectively, in order to assess the magnitude of additional constant loading a structure may accommodate before ratcheting occurs. The method proposed in this paper, for the first time, accurately and efficiently calculates the ratchet limit with respect to a proportional variation between the cyclic primary and secondary loads, as opposed to an additional primary load only. The method is a strain‐based approach and utilises a novel convergence scheme in order to calculate an approximate ratchet boundary based upon a predefined target magnitude of ratchet strain per cycle. The ratcheting failure mechanism evaluated by the method leads to less conservative ratchet boundaries compared with the traditional Bree solution. The method yields the total and plastic strain ranges as well as the ratchet strains for various levels of loading between the ratchet and limit load boundaries. Two example problems have been utilised in order to verify the proposed methodology. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
The Effect of Occupation‐based Cognitive Rehabilitation for Traumatic Brain Injury: A Meta‐analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials
Authors: Park Hae Yean , Maitra Kinsuk , Martinez Kristina Marie
Published: March 2015

Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is the leading cause of death and disability among people younger than 35 years in the United States. Cognitive difficulty is a common consequence of TBI. To address cognitive deficits of patients with TBI, various cognitive rehabilitation approaches have been used for the clinical setting. The purpose of this study was to investigate the overall effect of occupation‐based cognitive rehabilitation on patients' improvement in cognitive performance components, activity of daily living (ADL) performance, and values, beliefs and spirituality functions of patients with TBI. The papers used in this study were retrieved from the Cochrane Database, EBSCO (CINAHL), PsycINFO, PubMed and Web of Science published between 1997 and 2014. The keywords for searching were cognitive, rehabilitation, occupation, memory, attention, problem‐solving, executive function, ADL, values, beliefs, spirituality, randomized controlled trials and TBI. For the meta‐analysis, we examined 60 effect sizes from nine studies that are related to the occupation‐based cognitive rehabilitation on persons with TBI. In persons with TBI, overall mental functions, ADL, and values, beliefs and spirituality were significantly improved in the groups that received occupation‐based cognitive rehabilitation compared with comparison groups (mean d = 0.19, p < .05). Evidence from the present meta‐analytic study suggests that occupation‐based cognitive rehabilitation would be beneficial for individuals with TBI for improving daily functioning and positively be able to affect their psychosocial functions. Collecting many outcome measures in studies with relatively few participants and the final data are less reliable than the whole instrument itself. Future research should evaluate the effectiveness of specific occupation‐based cognitive rehabilitations programmes in order to improve consistency among rehabilitation providers. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Think socially but act publicly: refocusing CSR as corporate public responsibility
Authors: Kim Soojin , Kim Jeong‐Nam , Tam Laishan
Published: March 2015

Current literature has identified many different definitions for the concept of corporate social responsibility (CSR). As a result, many organizations fail to implement and measure CSR strategically. This study reviews the different theories and concepts within CSR and suggests that the current scope of CSR activities is too large that organizations are unable to find a tangible link between CSR and their bottom line. Using two case examples, this study proposes refocusing the concept of CSR as corporate public responsibility (CPR) based on which organizations utilize the concept of publics to prioritize the groups to which they must fulfill their responsibilities before attending to society as a whole. Because organizations are constrained by limited resources, the concept of CPR allows them to invest their resources more strategically. The concept also addresses the limitations of existing theories. The practical implications of this concept will be discussed in detail. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Caregiver and health care provider preferences of nutritional support in a hematopoietic stem cell transplant unit
Authors: Williams‐Hooker Ruth , Adams Marissa , Havrilla David A. , Leung Wing , Roach Robin R. , Mosby Terezie T.
Published: March 2015

Background

Many pediatric oncology patients undergoing hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) require nutritional support (NS) because of their inability to consume adequate caloric intake enough calories orally. Although NS can be provided either enteraly (EN) or parenteraly (PN), EN is the preferred method of NS as long as if the gastrointestinal tract is functioning. In this qualitative study, we determined the type of NS preferences and the reservations of caregivers of pediatric HSCT patients undergoing hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) as well as those of health care (HC) providers working on the HSCT unit.

Procedures

A survey was developed and completed anonymously by HC providers and caregivers. The hypothesis was that HC providers and caregivers would prefer PN because it is convenient to use in patients who already have a central line in place.

Results

Most caregivers preferred PN to EN, while most HC providers preferred EN to PN. The barrier between EN initiation and caregivers' approval was the caregivers' perception that EN was invasive and painful, most common obstacle for initiation of EN among caregivers was that it hurts/is invasive, while the barrier with HC providers was vomiting and/abdominal pain associated with EN.

Conclusions

If caregivers were better educated about NS and the advantages/disadvantages of the different forms of NS, their preferences may change. There have been policy changes at St. Jude have been implemented since this study, and an outpatient dietitian now provides education to caregivers about NS during the pre‐evaluation for HSCT. Pediatr Blood Cancer 2015;62:1473–1476. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Value of surgical resection in children with high‐risk neuroblastoma
Authors: Englum Brian R. , Rialon Kristy L. , Speicher Paul J. , Gulack Brian , Driscoll Timothy A. , Kreissman Susan G. , Rice Henry E.
Published: March 2015

Background

The value of gross total resection (GTR) for children with high‐risk neuroblastoma (NB) is controversial. We hypothesized that patients undergoing GTR would demonstrate improved overall survival (OS) compared those having <GTR.

Methods

Using a single institutional database, we reviewed the medical records of all children with high‐risk NB undergoing hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) as part of multimodality therapy from 1990 to 2012. Children had received surgical care at multiple institutions (n = 14) prior to HSCT and were divided into two groups based on extent of surgical resection: GTR (no visible or palpable disease at end of operation) and <GTR (no surgery, biopsy only, or subtotal resection). Kaplan–Meier curves and Cox hazards models evaluated differences in overall survival (OS).

Results

One hundred four children underwent HSCT, and 87 (83.6%) had adequate data for analysis. Thirty eight percent had GTR while 62% had <GTR prior to HSCT. There was no significant difference in OS in patients undergoing GTR compared to 90% resection compared to <90% resection (P = 0.008). Multivariable Cox models confirmed these findings with improved survival in children undergoing >90% vs. <90% resection but no difference in GTR vs. <GTR.

Conclusion

Gross total resection prior to HSCT in high‐risk NB patients is not associated with improved OS compared to 90% resection is associated with improved OS compared to less than 90% resection. Pediatr Blood Cancer 2015;62:1529–1535. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Use of patient registries and administrative datasets for the study of pediatric cancer
Authors: Rice Henry E. , Englum Brian R. , Gulack Brian C. , Adibe Obinna O. , Tracy Elizabeth T. , Kreissman Susan G. , Routh Jonathan C.
Published: March 2015

Analysis of data from large administrative databases and patient registries is increasingly being used to study childhood cancer care, although the value of these data sources remains unclear to many clinicians. Interpretation of large databases requires a thorough understanding of how the dataset was designed, how data were collected, and how to assess data quality. This review will detail the role of administrative databases and registry databases for the study of childhood cancer, tools to maximize information from these datasets, and recommendations to improve the use of these databases for the study of pediatric oncology. Pediatr Blood Cancer 2015;62:1495–1500. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
INFLUENCE OF PEER SOCIAL EXPERIENCES ON POSITIVE AND NEGATIVE INDICATORS OF MENTAL HEALTH AMONG HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS
Authors: Suldo Shannon M. , Gelley Cheryl D. , Roth Rachel A. , Bateman Lisa P.
Published: March 2015

Modern definitions of complete mental health include both positive and negative indicators of psychological functioning. We examined the associations between peer relationships (victimization and receipt of prosocial acts) and multiple indicators of mental health that represent subjective well‐being (i.e., life satisfaction, positive and negative affect) and psychopathology (general internalizing symptoms and externalizing problems—aggressive behavior) among 500 high school students in Grades 9 to 11. Peer experiences explained the most variance in positive affect (R2 = 18%) and internalizing psychopathology (R2 = 19%). Different types of peer experiences drove these effects, with relational victimization particularly salient to internalizing psychopathology and prosocial acts by peers most predictive of positive affect. Moderation analyses indicated that peers’ prosocial acts did not serve a protective role in the associations between victimization and mental health. Instead, the presence of overt victimization negated the positive associations between prosocial acts and good mental health (high life satisfaction, low internalizing psychopathology). Understanding these associations illuminates the range of student outcomes possibly impacted by victimization and suggests that both limiting peer victimization and facilitating positive peer experiences may be necessary to facilitate complete mental health among high school students.
Proteomic approaches to analyzing hepatitis C virus biology
Authors: Douam Florian , Ploss Alexander
Published: March 2015

Hepatitis C virus (HCV) is a major cause of liver disease worldwide. Acute infection often progresses to chronicity resulting frequently in fibrosis, cirrhosis, and in rare cases, in the development of hepatocellular carcinoma. Although HCV has proven to be an arduous object of research and has raised important technical challenges, several experimental models have been developed all over the last two decades in order to improve our understanding of the virus life cycle, pathogenesis and virus‐host interactions. The recent development of direct acting‐agents, leading to considerable progress in treatment of patients, represents the direct outcomes of these achievements. Proteomic approaches have been of critical help to shed light on several aspect of the HCV biology such as virion composition, viral replication, and virus assembly and to unveil diagnostic or prognostic markers of HCV‐induced liver disease. Here, we review how proteomic approaches have led to improve our understanding of HCV life cycle and liver disease, thus highlighting the relevance of these approaches for studying the complex interactions between other challenging human viral pathogens and their host.
Minimization of the auxiliary reagent loading for direct arylation polymerization (DArP) of 2‐bromo‐3‐hexylthiophene
Authors: Rudenko Andrey E. , Latif Alia A. , Thompson Barry C.
Published: March 2015

In this work, we present a powerful set of synthetic strategies aimed at minimization of auxiliary reagent loading for direct arylation polymerization (DArP) of 2‐bromo‐3‐hexylthiophene. As such, we report efficient lowering of Pd(OAc)2 catalyst loading as well as loading of other auxiliary reagents, such as neodecanoic acid and N,N‐dimethylacetamide. Unprecedented low loadings of catalyst down to 0.0313% (313 ppm) were achieved, while producing polymer in high yield (91% after Soxhlet extraction), with a high molecular weight (24.2 kDa) and carefully controlled chemical structure thus making the optimized DArP protocol significantly more cost‐effective, convenient, sustainable, and environmentally friendly. The resulting polymer samples were thoroughly investigated in terms of their chemical structure as well as optical, thermal, chain ordering and electronic properties using GPC analysis, 1H NMR, MALDI, UV–vis, GIXRD spectroscopy, DSC, and SCLC hole mobility measurements. The results demonstrate that the reagent lowering strategies increase the polymer regioregularity from 94.6 to 96.5% as evidenced by 1H NMR spectra and corroborated by GIXRD, DSC, and UV–vis measurements. Additionally, polymer samples obtained at low reagent loading are more uniformly proton‐terminated as evidenced by 1H NMR and MALDI end‐group analysis. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Polym. Sci., Part A: Polym. Chem. 2015, 53, 1492–1499
Synthesis of bithiazole‐based crystalline polymers via palladium‐catalyzed direct CH arylation
Authors: Lu Wei , Kuwabara Junpei , Kuramochi Masahiro , Kanbara Takaki
Published: March 2015

Palladium‐catalyzed direct arylation polycondensation afforded a bithiazole‐based homopolymer and donor–acceptor (D–A)‐type copolymers where the bithiazole unit served as an acceptor unit. The results of polymerization strongly depended on the solubility of the polymers; long alkyl chain substituents were required for the formation of high‐molecular‐weight polymers in high yields owing to low solubility of the bithiazole‐based polymers. X‐ray diffraction studies revealed that the obtained polymers were highly crystalline. In particular, a well‐ordered lamellar structure was observed in the D–A‐type copolymer with flexible alkyl chains after thermal annealing, presumably owing to the combination of interchain interactions between the bithiazole units and the electrostatic D–A interactions. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Polym. Sci., Part A: Polym. Chem. 2015, 53, 1396–1402
Implications and considerations of thermal effects when applying irreversible electroporation tissue ablation therapy
Authors: Davalos Rafael V. , Bhonsle Suyashree , Neal Robert E.
Published: March 2015

Irreversible electroporation (IRE) describes a cellular response to electric field exposure, resulting in the formation of nanoscale defects that can lead to cell death. While this behavior occurs independently of thermally‐induced processes, therapeutic ablation of targeted tissues with IRE uses a series of brief electric pulses, whose parameters result in secondary Joule heating of the tissue. Where contemporary clinical pulse protocols use aggressive energy regimes, additional evidence is supplementing original studies that assert care must be taken in clinical ablation protocols to ensure the cumulative thermal effects do not induce damage that will alter outcomes for therapies using the IRE non‐thermal cell death process for tissue ablation. In this letter, we seek to clarify the nomenclature regarding IRE as a non‐thermal ablation technique, as well as identify existing literature that uses experimental, clinical, and numerical results to discretely address and evaluate the thermal considerations relevant when applying IRE in clinical scenarios, including several approaches for reducing these effects. Existing evidence in the literature describes cell response to electric fields, suggesting cell death from IRE is a unique process, independent from traditional thermal damage. Numerical simulations, as well as preclinical and clinical findings demonstrate the ability to deliver therapeutic IRE ablation without occurrence of morbidity associated with thermal therapies. Clinical IRE therapy generates thermal effects, which may moderate the non‐thermal aspects of IRE ablation. Appropriate protocol development, utilization, and pulse delivery devices may be implemented to restrain these effects and maintain IRE as the vastly predominant tissue death modality, reducing therapy‐mitigating thermal damage. Clinical applications of IRE should consider thermal effects and employ protocols to ensure safe and effective therapy delivery. Prostate 75:1114–1118, 2015. © 2015 The Authors. The Prostate, published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Letter to the editor by the authors of Exact Calculation of Power and Sample Size in Bioequivalence Studies Using Two One‐sided Tests, Pharmaceutical Statistics, DOI: 10.1002/pst.1666
Authors: Shen Meiyu , Russek‐Cohen Estelle , Slud Eric V
Published: March 2015

This article reflects the views of the authors and should not be construed to be those of the US Food and Drug Administration. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Review of the Safety and Efficacy of Moringa oleifera
Authors: Stohs Sidney J. , Hartman Michael J.
Published: March 2015

Moringa oleifera leaves, seeds, bark, roots, sap, and flowers are widely used in traditional medicine, and the leaves and immature seed pods are used as food products in human nutrition. Leaf extracts exhibit the greatest antioxidant activity, and various safety studies in animals involving aqueous leaf extracts indicate a high degree of safety. No adverse effects were reported in association with human studies. Five human studies using powdered whole leaf preparations of M. oleifera have been published, which have demonstrated anti‐hyperglycemic (antidiabetic) and anti‐dyslipidemic activities. These activities have been confirmed using extracts as well as leaf powders in animal studies. A rapidly growing number of published studies have shown that aqueous, hydroalcohol, or alcohol extracts of M. oleifera leaves possess a wide range of additional biological activities including antioxidant, tissue protective (liver, kidneys, heart, testes, and lungs), analgesic, antiulcer, antihypertensive, radioprotective, and immunomodulatory actions. A wide variety of polyphenols and phenolic acids as well as flavonoids, glucosinolates, and possibly alkaloids is believed to be responsible for the observed effects. Standardization of products is an issue. However, the results of published studies to date involving M. oleifera are very promising. Additional human studies using standardized extracts are highly desirable. © 2015 The Authors Phytotherapy Research Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.
Reference Range Estimation: Accounting for Measurement System Errors
Authors: Alshraideh Hussam , Smadi Hazem , Abo‐Taha Jalal , Alomari Obaidah
Published: March 2015

Reference range is a statistic that is used in health related fields to represent the range of the most likely values for a variable of interest. Based on this range, individuals are classified as being healthy or unhealthy. In biostatistics, the reference range is calculated as the (1 − α)% prediction interval, where this prediction interval is based on the estimated population variance from the data. Such estimation of population variance is not precise, because obtained test results do usually have errors associated with them. These errors are due to the imprecise test procedure or gauge used. In this paper, the total variability in the data is decomposed into two categories. The first is the patient‐to‐patient variability and the other is the variability due to the measurement system used. Estimation of the two kinds is performed through a gauge repeatability and reproducibility study, then the reference range is calculated, taking into account only the patient‐to‐patient variability. The revised reference range procedure is illustrated through a case study of vitamin B12 test results. A closed form formula is given to calculate the probability of a given test result being within the revised reference range. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.