bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Augmentation of Cationic Antimicrobial Peptide Production with Histone Deacetylase Inhibitors as a Novel Epigenetic Therapy for Bacterial Infections
Authors: Yedery Roshan , Jerse Ann
Published: January 2015

The emergence of antibiotic resistance seriously threatens our ability to treat many common and medically important bacterial infections. Novel therapeutics are needed that can be used alone or in conjunction with antibiotics. Cationic antimicrobial peptides (CAMPs) are important effectors of the host innate defense that exhibit broad-spectrum activity against a wide range of microorganisms. CAMPs are carried within phagocytic granules and are constitutively or inducibly expressed by multiple cell types, including epithelial cells. The role of histone modification enzymes, specifically the histone deacetylases (HDAC), in down-regulating the transcription of CAMP-encoding genes is increasingly appreciated as is the capacity of HDAC inhibitors (HDACi) to block the action of HDACs to increase CAMP expression. The use of synthetic and natural HDACi molecules to increase CAMPs on mucosal surfaces, therefore, has potential therapeutic applications. Here, we review host and pathogen regulation of CAMP expression through the induction of HDACs and assess the therapeutic potential of natural and synthetic HDACi based on evidence from tissue culture systems, animal models, and clinical trials.
Ruthenium Modification on Mn and Zr-Modified Co/SiO2 Catalysts for Slurry-Phase Fischer-Tropsch Synthesis
Authors: Miyazawa Tomohisa , Hanaoka Toshiaki , Shimura Katsuya , Hirata Satoshi
Published: January 2015

The addition of Ru to Mn and Zr-modified Co/SiO2 catalysts, while applying different preparation orders and loading amounts, was investigated as a means of enhancing the Fischer-Tropsch synthesis reaction. The coimpregnation of Zr/SiO2 with Co, Mn and Ru gave the most attractive catalytic properties. This can be attributed to the higher dispersion of Co metal resulting from the coimpregnation of Co and Mn as well as enhanced reducibility due to the presence of Ru. The addition of a moderate amount of Ru together with the appropriate order of addition affected both the Co reducibility and the catalytic activity, primarily because of increased reducibility. The addition of even 0.1 wt.% Ru resulted in an obvious enhancement of Fischer-Tropsch synthesis activity.
Information Decomposition in Bivariate Systems: Theory and Application to Cardiorespiratory Dynamics
Authors: Faes Luca , Porta Alberto , Nollo Giandomenico
Published: January 2015

In the framework of information dynamics, the temporal evolution of coupled systems can be studied by decomposing the predictive information about an assigned target system into amounts quantifying the information stored inside the system and the information transferred to it. While information storage and transfer are computed through the known self-entropy (SE) and transfer entropy (TE), an alternative decomposition evidences the so-called cross entropy (CE) and conditional SE (cSE), quantifying the cross information and internal information of the target system, respectively. This study presents a thorough evaluation of SE, TE, CE and cSE as quantities related to the causal statistical structure of coupled dynamic processes. First, we investigate the theoretical properties of these measures, providing the conditions for their existence and assessing the meaning of the information theoretic quantity that each of them reflects. Then, we present an approach for the exact computation of information dynamics based on the linear Gaussian approximation, and exploit this approach to characterize the behavior of SE, TE, CE and cSE in benchmark systems with known dynamics. Finally, we exploit these measures to study cardiorespiratory dynamics measured from healthy subjects during head-up tilt and paced breathing protocols. Our main result is that the combined evaluation of the measures of information dynamics allows to infer the causal effects associated with the observed dynamics and to interpret the alteration of these effects with changing experimental conditions.
Theoretical Exploration of Various Lithium Peroxide Crystal Structures in a Li-Air Battery
Authors: Lau Kah , Qiu Dantong , Luo Xiangyi , Greeley Jeffrey , Curtiss Larry , Lu Jun , Amine Khalil
Published: January 2015

We describe a series of metastable Li2O2 crystal structures involving different orientations and displacements of the O22− peroxy ions based on the known Li2O2 crystal structure. Within the vicinity of the chemical potential ΔG ~ 0.20 eV/Li from the thermodynamic ground state of the Li2O2 crystal structure (i.e., Föppl structure), all of these newly found metastable Li2O2 crystal structures are found to be insulating and high-k materials, and they have a common unique signature of an O22− O-O vibration mode (ω ~ 799–865 cm−1), which is in the range of that commonly observed in Li-air battery experiments, regardless of the random O22− orientations and the symmetry in the crystal lattice. From XRD patterns analysis, the commercially available Li2O2 powder is confirmed to be the thermodynamic ground state Föppl-like structure. However, for Li2O2 compounds that are grown electrochemically under the environment of Li-O2 cells, we found that the XRD patterns alone are not sufficient for structural identification of these metastable Li2O2 crystalline phases due to the poor crystallinity of the sample. In addition, the commonly known Raman signal of O22− vibration mode is also found to be insufficient to validate the possible existence of these newly predicted Li2O2 crystal structures, as all of them similarly share the similar O22− vibration mode. However considering that the discharge voltage in most Li-O2 cells are typically several tenths of an eV below the thermodynamic equilibrium for the formation of ground state Föppl structure, the formation of these metastable Li2O2 crystal structures appears to be thermodynamically feasible.
Descriptive Analysis of Antibiotic-Resistant Patterns of Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) st398 Isolated from Healthy Swine
Authors: Morcillo Ana , Castro Beatriz , Rodríguez-Alvarez Cristobalina , Abreu Rossana , Aguirre-Jaime Armando , Arias Angeles
Published: January 2015

Background: Livestock-associated methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) such as the MRSA ST398 strain has spread all over the World and the most worrying aspect of this fact appears to be its capacity to easily spread to humans. The excessive use of antibiotics has made swine a reservoir of MRSA. The aim of the present study was to determine the antibiotic resistance profile of MRSA samples isolated from healthy swine of the island of Tenerife (Spain). Methods: A total of 256 MRSA isolates from swine samples and five MRSA isolates from pig worker samples were investigated for MRSA antibiotic resistant patterns. Results: Analysis of the susceptibility status of MRSA pig isolates revealed that 39 isolates were resistant to one antibiotic, 71 isolates were resistant to two antibiotics and 96 isolates were resistant to three or more antibiotics. SCCmec typing revealed the presence of types IV and V. Isolates having SCCmec IV had an increased resistance to the antimicrobial agents tested than those having SCCmec V. We observed significant differences when comparing the most common resistance patterns and SCCmec type. Conclusions: MRSA isolated from humans showed similar resistance to those isolated from pigs, excepting erythromycin, since all the workers’ isolates were sensitive to this antibiotic. The evolution of new MRSA clones has emphasized the need for infection control practices in animals and humans in close contact.
TiO2 Immobilized on Manihot Carbon: Optimal Preparation and Evaluation of Its Activity in the Decomposition of Indigo Carmine
Authors: Antonio-Cisneros Cynthia , Dávila-Jiménez Martín , Elizalde-González María , García-Díaz Esmeralda
Published: January 2015

Applications of carbon-TiO2 materials have attracted attention in nanotechnology due to their synergic effects. We report the immobilization of TiO2 on carbon prepared from residues of the plant Manihot, commercial TiO2 and glycerol. The objective was to obtain a moderate loading of the anatase phase by preserving the carbonaceous external surface and micropores of the composite. Two preparation methods were compared, including mixing dry precursors and immobilization using a glycerol slurry. The evaluation of the micropore blocking was performed using nitrogen adsorption isotherms. The results indicated that it was possible to use Manihot residues and glycerol to prepare an anatase-containing material with a basic surface and a significant SBET value. The activities of the prepared materials were tested in a decomposition assay of indigo carmine. The TiO2/carbon eliminated nearly 100% of the dye under UV irradiation using the optimal conditions found by a Taguchi L4 orthogonal array considering the specific surface, temperature and initial concentration. The reaction was monitored by UV-Vis spectrophotometry and LC-ESI-(Qq)-TOF-MS, enabling the identification of some intermediates. No isatin-5-sulfonic acid was detected after a 60 min photocatalytic reaction, and three sulfonated aromatic amines, including 4-amino-3-hydroxybenzenesulfonic acid, 2-(2-amino-5-sulfophenyl)-2-oxoacetic acid and 2-amino-5-sulfobenzoic acid, were present in the reaction mixture.
Degradation Dynamics of Glyphosate in Different Types of Citrus Orchard Soils in China
Authors: Zhang Changpeng , Hu Xiuqing , Luo Jinyan , Wu Zhiyi , Wang Li , Li Bin , Wang Yanli , Sun Guochang
Published: January 2015

Glyphosate formulations that are used as a broad-spectrum systemic herbicide have been widely applied in agriculture, causing increasing concerns about residues in soils. In this study, the degradation dynamics of glyphosate in different types of citrus orchard soils in China were evaluated under field conditions. Glyphosate soluble powder and aqueous solution were applied at 3000 and 5040 g active ingredient/hm2, respectively, in citrus orchard soils, and periodically drawn soil samples were analyzed by high performance liquid chromatography. The results showed that the amount of glyphosate and its degradation product aminomethylphosphonic acid (AMPA) in soils was reduced with the increase of time after application of glyphosate formulations. Indeed, the amount of glyphosate in red soil from Hunan and Zhejiang Province, and clay soil from Guangxi Province varied from 0.13 to 0.91 µg/g at 42 days after application of aqueous solution. Furthermore, the amount of glyphosate in medium loam from Zhejiang and Guangdong Province, and brown loam from Guizhou Province varied from less than 0.10 to 0.14 µg/g, while the amount of AMPA varied from less than 0.10 to 0.99 µg/g at 42 days after application of soluble powder. Overall, these findings demonstrated that the degradation dynamics of glyphosate aqueous solution and soluble powder as well as AMPA depend on the physicochemical properties of the applied soils, in particular soil pH, which should be carefully considered in the application of glyphosate herbicide.
Dietary Patterns and Maternal Anthropometry in HIV-Infected, Pregnant Malawian Women
Authors: Ramlal Roshan , Tembo Martin , King Caroline , Ellington Sascha , Soko Alice , Chigwenembe Maggie , Chasela Charles , Jamieson Denise , Van der Horst Charles , Bentley Margaret , Adair Linda , The BAN Study Team
Published: January 2015

Diet is a modifiable factor that can contribute to the health of pregnant women. In a sample of 577 HIV-positive pregnant women who completed baseline interviews for the Breastfeeding, Antiretrovirals, and Nutrition Study in Lilongwe, Malawi, cluster analysis was used to derive dietary patterns. Multiple regression analysis was used to identify associations between the dietary patterns and mid-upper arm circumference (MUAC), arm muscle area (AMA), arm fat area (AFA), and hemoglobin at baseline. Three key dietary patterns were identified: animal-based, plant-based, and grain-based. Women with relatively greater wealth were more likely to consume the animal-based diet, which had the highest intake of energy, protein, and fat and was associated with higher hemoglobin levels compared to the other diets. Women with the lowest wealth were more likely to consume the grain-based diet with the lowest intake of energy, protein, fat, and iron and were more likely to have lower AFA than women on the animal-based and plant-based diets, but higher AMA compared to women on the animal-based diet. Pregnant, HIV-infected women in Malawi could benefit from nutritional support to ensure greater nutrient diversity during pregnancy, when women face increased nutrient demands to support fetal growth and development.
Public Discourse on Human Trafficking in International Issue Arenas
Authors: Meriläinen Niina , Vos Marita
Published: January 2015

The purpose of this study is to better understand how the complex problem of human trafficking is addressed in international debates. How the discussion about human trafficking develops and how it is debated ultimately influences how the decision-making process unfolds. In order to understand the formation of public policy and laws, therefore, it is important to study the debate that occurs prior to decision making. This analysis focuses on the narratives used by major, well-established human rights and political actors that argue for necessary actions to be undertaken—such as the formation of new policies and laws in the European Union—as an attempt to protect citizens of the EU and other regions in the world from becoming victims of trafficking networks. Our research examines how the topic of human trafficking is framed and how this framework is intertwined in the debate with other social problems. We focus on how human trafficking is discussed by two well-established human rights Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs), Amnesty International (Amnesty) and Human Rights Watch (HRW), in addition to the European Parliament (EP). The research questions for this study include: (1) In what context is human trafficking discussed by the three actors? (2) How do these actors frame the definition of human trafficking in their presentations? To answer these questions, we have conducted a systematic content analysis of documents that include official statements and research reports of the NGOs, as well as resolutions and recommendations of the EP. Altogether, 240 documents were analyzed in detail. These findings indicate that the two human rights organizations, Amnesty and Human Rights Watch, along with the European Parliament, all address human trafficking as an important social problem, albeit to varying degrees. Each actor has a different method of correlating human trafficking with many other social problems, thereby emphasizing different causes and effects. In our analysis, we examine the concept of framing and, in particular, responsibility framing in order to understand the causal relationships between actors and events. The findings of this study suggest that the formation of various social policies and laws in the international political forum are deeply affected by the dynamic interrelatedness between the political issues, actors, and form and content of the debates about human trafficking that precede the formation or revision of a policy and law.
Contextualism and Sustainability: A Community Renewal in Old City of Beijing
Authors: Zhou Shangyi , Zhang Shaobo
Published: January 2015

The conception of contextualism in community planning emphasizes the integrity of architecture and its surroundings. It also implies the sustainability of landscape meaning within a community. In as much as planning theories have not mentioned how extensive the background of a community should be considered by a community planner, this paper will seek to answer this question. It considers Nanluoguxiang (NLGX), a community in the old city of Beijing, as the study area. Based on government documents, interviews of residents and also landscape observations in NLGX, this paper identifies the contextual practices in three renovation stages from the perspective of place uniqueness. The planners considered the background of NLGX at three different scales in its three renovation stages. In the last stage, they considered the entire country within the context of planning. NLGX has a unique image in Beijing, even within China. The image of it is the main market at the north end of the Grand Canal. The Grand Canal shows the spatial organization power of the ancient empire because it was the key food supply route for the capital. This is not only the cultural heritage of local residents of NLGX, but is also identified by other citizens in China. We conclude that an historical community can be preserved better by national funds if it has found a unique meaning of its landscape within a broader background.
Evaluation of the Reference Numerical Parameters of the Monthly Method in ISO 13790 Considering S/V Ratio
Authors: Kwak Hee-Jeong , Jo Jae-Hun , Suh Seung-Jik
Published: January 2015

Many studies have investigated the accuracy of the numerical parameters in the application of the quasi steady-state calculation method. The aim of this study is to derive the reference numerical parameters of the ISO 13790 monthly method by reflecting the surface-to-volume (S/V) ratio and the characteristics of the structures. The calculation process was established, and the parameters necessary to derive the reference numerical parameters were calculated based on the input data prepared for the established calculation processes. The reference numerical parameters were then derived through regression analyses of the calculated parameters and the time constant. The parameters obtained from an apartment building and the parameters of the international standard were both applied to the Passive House Planning Package (PHPP) and EnergyPlus programs, and the results were analyzed in order to evaluate the validity of the results. The analysis revealed that the calculation results based on the parameters derived from this study yielded lower error rates than those based on the default parameters in ISO 13790. However, the differences were shown to be negligible in the case of high heat capacity.
Herpes Simplex Virus 1 Us3 Deletion Mutant is Infective Despite Impaired Capsid Translocation to the Cytoplasm
Authors: Wild Peter , Leisinger Sabine , De Oliveira Anna , Schraner Elisabeth , Kaech Andres , Ackermann Mathias , Tobler Kurt
Published: January 2015

Herpes simplex virus 1 (HSV-1) capsids are assembled in the nucleus bud at the inner nuclear membrane into the perinuclear space, acquiring envelope and tegument. In theory, these virions are de-enveloped by fusion of the envelope with the outer nuclear membrane and re-enveloped by Golgi membranes to become infective. Us3 enables the nucleus to cytoplasm capsid translocation. Nevertheless, Us3 is not essential for the production of infective progeny viruses. Determination of phenotype distribution by quantitative electron microscopy, and calculation per mean nuclear or cell volume revealed the following: (i) The number of R7041(∆US3) capsids budding at the inner nuclear membrane was significantly higher than that of wild type HSV-1; (ii) The mean number of R7041(∆US3) virions per mean cell volume was 2726, that of HSV-1 virions 1460 by 24 h post inoculation; (iii) 98% of R7041(∆US3) virions were in the perinuclear space; (iv) The number of R7041(∆US3) capsids in the cytoplasm, including those budding at Golgi membranes, was significantly reduced. Cell associated R7041(∆US3) yields were 2.37 × 108 and HSV-1 yields 1.57 × 108 PFU/mL by 24 h post inoculation. We thus conclude that R7041(∆US3) virions, which acquire envelope and tegument by budding at the inner nuclear membrane into the perinuclear space, are infective.
KSHV Reactivation and Novel Implications of Protein Isomerization on Lytic Switch Control
Authors: Guito Jonathan , Lukac David
Published: January 2015

In Kaposi’s sarcoma-associated herpesvirus (KSHV) oncogenesis, both latency and reactivation are hypothesized to potentiate tumor growth. The KSHV Rta protein is the lytic switch for reactivation. Rta transactivates essential genes via interactions with cofactors such as the cellular RBP-Jk and Oct-1 proteins, and the viral Mta protein. Given that robust viral reactivation would facilitate antiviral responses and culminate in host cell lysis, regulation of Rta’s expression and function is a major determinant of the latent-lytic balance and the fate of infected cells. Our lab recently showed that Rta transactivation requires the cellular peptidyl-prolyl cis/trans isomerase Pin1. Our data suggest that proline‑directed phosphorylation regulates Rta by licensing binding to Pin1. Despite Pin1’s ability to stimulate Rta transactivation, unchecked Pin1 activity inhibited virus production. Dysregulation of Pin1 is implicated in human cancers, and KSHV is the latest virus known to co-opt Pin1 function. We propose that Pin1 is a molecular timer that can regulate the balance between viral lytic gene expression and host cell lysis. Intriguing scenarios for Pin1’s underlying activities, and the potential broader significance for isomerization of Rta and reactivation, are highlighted.
Comparing Methods of Calculating Expected Annual Damage in Urban Pluvial Flood Risk Assessments
Authors: Olsen Anders , Zhou Qianqian , Linde Jens , Arnbjerg-Nielsen Karsten
Published: January 2015

Estimating the expected annual damage (EAD) due to flooding in an urban area is of great interest for urban water managers and other stakeholders. It is a strong indicator for a given area showing how vulnerable it is to flood risk and how much can be gained by implementing e.g., climate change adaptation measures. This study identifies and compares three different methods for estimating the EAD based on unit costs of flooding of urban assets. One of these methods was used in previous studies and calculates the EAD based on a few extreme events by assuming a log-linear relationship between cost of an event and the corresponding return period. This method is compared to methods that are either more complicated or require more calculations. The choice of method by which the EAD is calculated appears to be of minor importance. At all three case study areas it seems more important that there is a shift in the damage costs as a function of the return period. The shift occurs approximately at the 10 year return period and can perhaps be related to the design criteria for sewer systems. Further, it was tested if the EAD estimation could be simplified by assuming a single unit cost per flooded area. The results indicate that within each catchment this may be a feasible approach. However the unit costs varies substantially between different case study areas. Hence it is not feasible to develop unit costs that can be used to calculate EAD, most likely because the urban landscape is too heterogeneous.
Les péans à Asclépios : innovations et continuités
Authors: Piguet Émilie
Published: January 2015

Notre étude se fonde sur une série d’hymnes cultuels inscrits sur des stèles. Les péans d’Érythrées – et ses trois copies –, d’Isyllos et de Makedonikos dédiés à Asclépios contiennent tous un développement mythique et généalogique. La permanence d’une séquence mythologique fait s’interroger sur le choix des «ingrédients » , sur le mécanisme de construction et sur les finalités des poèmes. Une comparaison entre les six textes mettra en évidence les héritages et les innovations par rapport à la plus ancienne variante du mythe et distinguera les péans qui adressent simplement une demande à la divinité de ceux dont le récit mythique devient un instrument politique.
Scomber gaditano en Éfeso. Una Dressel 12 con titulus encontrada en la “Casa Aterrazada 2” de Éfeso
Authors: González Cesteros Horacio
Published: January 2015

Gaditan scomber in Ephesos. A new Dressel 12 with titulus found in the "terrace house 2" at Ephesos.

The baetican fish products were exported around the whole Roman world, their traffic reaching its highest level around the 1st century A. D. In this period we can find Baetican fish amphorae from the Levant up to the British islands. Ephesus, one of the richest cities in Antiquity, was not an exception, and the arrival of these products there is confirmed by the presence of various exemplars of Baetican amphorae. However, there hadn’t been a piece up to date that presented us with so much information about its content and its trade as the one I discuss in the present text, thanks to a partly preserved ink inscription. Moreover, the domestic context where it was found is one of the wealthiest in Ephesus, which makes the piece particularly meaningful.
Adding Technology to Diagnostic Methods
Authors: Radke, BM, MBA John C.
Published: January 2015

Adding technology to clinical diagnosis improves patient care, because objective measurements enhance the patient's report of symptoms and the observations made during an examination. The combination of multiple tests has universally been acknowledged to improve diagnostic sensitivity and specificity, as well as add value to treatment effectiveness monitoring and treatment outcomes. This chapter discusses four dental technologies that objectively measure differing masticatory functions: Surface Electromyography, Magnet-Based 3-Dimensional Electrognathography, Temporomandibular Joint Vibration Analysis, and T-Scan Computerized Occlusal Analysis. Each technology is presented with examples of its output data recorded from both an asymptomatic patient and one demonstrating masticatory system dysfunction. An included case report illustrates how combining these technologies can therapeutically improve a symptomatic Occluso-Muscle Disorder patient's diagnosis and treatment. Finally, recommendations are made that Dental Medicine accept these technologies as an indispensable part of modern clinical practice, so that resistance to their implementation will no longer inhibit their use.
Centric Relation Records and T-Scan Occlusal Analysis of Centric Relation Prematurities
Authors: Solow, DDS Roger
Published: January 2015

Occlusal analysis is the examination and diagnosis of the forces generated by the contacting surfaces of teeth. The clinician can use both mounted diagnostic casts and the T-Scan Occlusal Analysis system to understand the role of adverse forces in a patient's dentition. These casts should be mounted in Centric Relation so that they replicate the patient's hinge axis maxillomandibular relationship, absent of tooth contact. Diagnostic casts can demonstrate the mandibular slide into maximum intercuspation, as well as illustrate the excursive contacts. The T-Scan not only records the location of tooth contacts present in Centric Relation, maximum intercuspation, and lateral excursions, but also detects the timing and relative force of all contacts. The rapid display of recorded tooth contact data in the 2- and 3-Dimensional ForceViews makes it practical for intraoral operative use. These modalities can be used separately or in concert depending on the clinical situation. This chapter discusses the clinical technique, advantages, and rationale for identifying Centric Relation prematurities with mounted diagnostic casts and the T-Scan.
Transcutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulation (TENS) Combined with the T-Scan System
Authors: Westersund, DDS Curtis
Published: January 2015

Masticatory muscle hyperactivity has been considered a significant factor in promoting and perpetuating dysfunctional symptoms observed in Temporomandibular Disorder patients. Many therapeutic modalities have evolved within Dental Medicine that attempt to lessen or resolve the varying symptoms frequently reported by dysfunctional patients. One such method, known as Ultra Low Frequency (ULF) Transcutaneous Electrical Neural Stimulation (TENS), has been used to relax the masticatory musculature by applying an electrical stimulus to the efferent motor fibers of the Vth and VIIth cranial nerves, such that TENS can result in pain analgesia and patient sedation, restore compromised muscle physiology, and increase muscle resting length. TENS also aids in establishing a neuromuscular maxillomandibular relationship by inducing a muscularly contracted involuntary arc of closure. This chapter discusses TENS as a treatment modality for Temporomandibular Disorders, explains how to employ TENS to obtain a neuromuscular maxillomandibular relationship, and illustrates in a Clinical Case Report the use of TENS in combination with the T-Scan Computerized Occlusal Analysis System to measurably and physiologically balance a removable overlay anatomical acetyl resin orthotic prosthesis.
Force Finishing in Dental Medicine
Authors: Koirala Sushil
Published: January 2015

This chapter introduces the Force Finishing concept that is based upon the T-Scan technology. During case finishing, the aesthetic components are clinically visible and guided by the subjective analyses of the patient and the clinician. Alternatively, the case occlusal force components are invisible and do not become apparent until their adverse effects become chronic. When the force components are not properly addressed, clinicians may encounter Occlusal Force Disorder (OFD) symptomatology. Often, clinicians focus on the aesthetic finishing while placing a low priority on the occlusal Force Finishing by relying on subjective articulating paper mark interpretation and the patient's subjective “feel” with which to guide occlusal adjustments. Because articulating paper is a poor indicator of occlusal force and timing, the T-Scan technology can greatly improve the occlusal case finishing. This chapter details how to integrate the Force Finishing concept into conventional case finishing to simplify achieving occlusal force harmony in every case.
A Framework for Nondestructive Evaluation Application in Supply Chain Management
Authors: Uzochukwu Benedict M. , Samantaray Chandan B. , Woodies Caleb
Published: January 2015

This chapter introduces a general framework for Nondestructive Evaluation (NDE) application in Supply Chain Management (SCM). With the support of emerging and existing technologies related to supply chain implementation, nondestructive evaluation provides an enabling platform to analyze the design, planning, and operational decisions within the upper and downstream ends of the supply chain system. This clarifies supply chain goals, supports making of efficient decisions without constraints, identifies managerial strategies that improve overall supply chain performance, competitive advantage, and profitability. Unfortunately, the desired attention has not been paid to how the numerous nondestructive evaluation technologies can be applied to supply chain management and implementation. This chapter, therefore, considers both technical and business perspectives of this application. It is from these viewpoints that an application framework is proposed. It covers the various nondestructive evaluation methods, operational scenarios for each method, and application issues and challenges within the supply chain.
Lean Continuous Improvement Builds Excellence and Engagement
Authors: Huckabee Tom
Published: January 2015

The current management literature is replete with advocates for employee engagement. Not many would argue that engendering ownership and responsibility along with the reported organizational benefits are worth aspiring to achieve. However, the actual results of workplace surveys report disengagement appears to be more the norm in spite of management best efforts. As organizational success and growth come, things start falling apart, resulting in missed deliveries, waste, worker frustration, dissatisfied customers, and lower profit margins. Lean best practices, heralded by many marketplace leaders, demonstrate results-oriented and proven ways of gaining employee engagement from extraordinary process performance to everyone's satisfaction (customers, owners, employees, community). This chapter is a cataloguing of the employee engagement characteristics matched to prevalent Lean processing principles. Lean is promoted in this work as providing a mature and proven system for advancing engagement even while improving processes.
Data Fusion Aiding Tool (DAFAT) Design for Emergency Command and Control Using Lean Principles
Authors: Balogun Obafemi , Tetteh Edem G.
Published: January 2015

Disaster events, such as September 11, 2001, Hurricane Katrina, and the Southeast Asian Tsunami, have taught America and the world the importance of preparing for emergency response to a disaster that may arise from natural disasters or man-made disasters. Decisions regarding emergency response often rely on incomplete information and imprecise data, whereas responsive measures to disasters must be efficient in time and effective in accuracy to minimize possible loss of lives and properties. The domain of emergency response requires the interaction and collaboration of multiple stakeholders with different standard operating procedures. Excluding lean principles in the design of the emergency management information system can be as devastating as the disaster itself. This chapter analyzes the impacts of lean principles in the understanding of command and control, its nature, and the characteristics of an emergency domain, providing better insight into the problems associated with information processing during emergency response planning.
The Impact of On-Line Consumer Reviews on Value Perception
Authors: Chang Hsin Hsin , Fang Po Wen , Huang Chien Hao
Published: January 2015

This study combines the dual-process theory (DPT) and the uncertainty reduction theory (URT) to examine how on-line consumer reviews affect consumer uncertainty reduction and value perceptions in order to understand whether consumer attitudes will be influenced by on-line consumer reviews and if relationships are built between consumers and companies as a result. The results indicated that argument quality, recommendation sidedness, source credibility, confirmation of prior beliefs, and recommendation ratings have a positive effect on the uncertainty reduction of consumers towards the businesses under consideration. Since uncertainty reduction has an effect on value perception, this study suggests that companies provide on-line consumer reviews on their websites to increase consumer uncertainty reduction and to improve consumer value perception of their companies.
Clinical, dermoscopic and histological features of a combined tumor composed of a melanoma in situ, a basal cell carcinoma and an intradermal naevus
Authors: Scalvenzi Massimiliano , Costa Claudia , Palmisano Franco , Fabbrocini Gabriella , Siano Mariella , Staibano Stefania
Published: January 2015

The combined tumors are neoplasms consisting of 2 or more distinct cell population that are intimately admixed. The presence of more than one neoplasm in the same lesion comprising melanocytes and keratinocytes are rare but well documented. We report a case of a 65-year-old man with a melanoma in situ, a basal cell carcinoma and an intradermal naevus in collision that clinically appeared as a single lesion. Clinical, dermoscopic and histological features are discussed.
Welcome to Infectious Disease Reports: A Message from the Editor
Authors: Aronoff David M.
Published: January 2015

Welcome to the new online-only, international, Open Access, peer-reviewed journal, Infectious Disease Reports (IDR).[...]
Mortality in Hospitalized Older Adults Associated with Clostridium difficile Infection at a District Hospital
Authors: Karas Johannis Andreas , Bradshaw Simon , Mahmud Wabas , Enoch David A.
Published: January 2015

Clostridium difficile is the most common cause of hospital acquired infectious diarrhea in the developed world and has re-emerged in recent years with apparent greater morbidity and mortality. Despite this, there is little recent published data from the UK concerning associated mortality. We performed a case control study at a UK district general hospital of 66 hospitalized patients over the age of 65 years with C. difficile infection compared to 3-5 controls matched for age, sex and minimum length of stay. We found a significant excess mortality of 11.5% at seven days, 26.2% at 30 days, 38.1% at 90 days and 41.4% at 180 days. C. difficile infection in hospitalized elderly patients may contribute to long-term mortality or be a marker of poor prognosis and cases may require more intensive long-term follow up to improve mortality.
Fusarium incarnatum/equiseti Hemodialysis Graft Infection
Authors: Riddell James , Woodside Kenneth J. , Leavitt Matthew A. , Newton Duane W. , Punch Jeffery D.
Published: January 2015

Hemodialysis graft infections typically occur as a result of contamination by skin flora at the time of insertion or become secondarily infected after high-grade bacteremia. Infection of implanted vascular devices with filamentous fungi is rare. We report a case of infection of an implanted polytetrafluoroethylene dialysis graft with Fusarium incarnatum/equiseti that did not grow in cultures of tissue but was identified by molecular means.
Nanoparticles Containing siRNA to Silence CD4 and CCR5 Reduce Expression of These Receptors and Inhibit HIV-1 Infection in Human Female Reproductive Tract Tissue Explants
Authors: Eszterhas Susan K. , Ilonzo Nicole O. , Crozier Jennifer E. , Celaj Stela , Howell Alexandra L.
Published: January 2015

Human Immunodeficiency Virus-type 1 (HIV- 1) binds to CD4 and CCR5 receptors on target cells in the human female reproductive tract. We sought to determine whether reducing levels of messenger RNA (mRNA) transcripts that encode these receptors in female reproductive tract cells could protect mucosal tissue explants from HIV- 1 infection. Explants prepared from the endometrium, endocervix, and ectocervix of hysterectomy tissues from HIV-1 sero-negative women were exposed to nanoparticles containing CD4- and CCR5-specific short-interfering RNA (siRNA) sequences. Explants were then exposed two days later to HIV-1, and HIV-1 reverse transcripts were measured five days post-infection. Explants treated with nanoparticles containing CD4- and CCR5-specific siRNA showed reduced levels of CD4 and CCR5 transcripts, and significantly lower levels of HIV-1 reverse transcripts compared to those treated with an irrelevant siRNA. In female reproductive tract explants and in peripheral blood cell cultures, siRNA transfection induced the secretion of IFN-alpha (IFN-α), a potent antiviral cytokine. In female mice, murine-specific Cd4-siRNA nanoparticles instilled within the uterus significantly reduced murine Cd4 transcripts by day 3. Our findings demonstrate that siRNA nanoparticles reduce expression of HIV-1 infectivity receptors in human female reproductive tract tissues and also inhibit HIV-1 infection. Murine studies demonstrate that nanoparticles can penetrate the reproductive tract tissues in vivo and silence gene expression. The induction of IFN-α after siRNA transfection can potentially contribute to the antiviral effect. These findings support the therapeutic development of nanoparticles to deliver siRNA molecules to silence host cell receptors in the female reproductive tract as a novel microbicide to inhibit mucosal HIV-1 transmission.
Overview of Technical Methods of Prevention
Authors: Kleanthous Marina
Published: January 2015

This article is distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution Noncommercial License (by-nc 3.0) which permits any noncommercial use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author(s) and source are credited [...]
A Patient Centred Approach to Care Planning for Patients with Chronic Genetic Diseases
Authors: Kent Alastair
Published: January 2015

This essay proposes seven pre-requisites for the creation of effective programmes of care and support for patients living with the consequences of chronic genetic diseases. It then goes on to discuss the role of patient organisations and other stakeholders in bringing about the development and implementation of these.
Monitoring and Treatment Iron Overload in Thalassaemia
Authors: Porter John
Published: January 2015

This article is distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution Noncommercial License (by-nc 3.0) which permits any noncommercial use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author(s) and source are credited [...]
An Interesting Pathological Diagnosis – Adenoid Cystic Carcinoma in an Adolescent Girl
Authors: Ingle Sachin B. , Jamadar Nawab P. , Adgaonkar Baban D. , Hinge(Ingle) Chitra R. , Siddiqui Saleha
Published: January 2015

Adenoid cystic carcinomas (ACCs) constitute 0.1–1 % of all malignant breast tumors. They have better prognosis than other breast malignancies. To date, there have been about 933 cases reported as per English literature. To the best of our knowledge, this case may be the second well-documented case of ACC of breast at younger age.
Эволюционные семейства конформных отображений с неподвижными точками и уравнение Лeвнера-Куфарева
Authors: Goryainov Victor Vladimirovich
Published: January 2015

Изучаются эволюционные семейства конформных отображений единичного круга в себя, имеющих внутреннюю и граничную неподвижные точки. Получены условия дифференцируемости эволюционных семейств и теорема существования и единственности для эволюционного уравнения. Установлена теорема сходимости, которая дает описание топологии локально равномерной сходимости эволюционных семейств в терминах инфинитезимальных
производящих функций. Основной результат работы составляет теорема вложения, согласно которой всякое конформное отображение единичного круга в себя с двумя неподвижными точками можно вложить в дифференцируемое эволюционное семейство таких отображений. Этот результат позволяет расширить возможности параметрического метода теории однолистных функций. На этом пути решена задача о взаимном изменении производной во внутренней точке и угловой производной в граничной неподвижной точке для класса отображений единичного круга в себя. В частности, получена теорема вращения в этом классе отображений.
Библиография: 27 названий.
Обобщенные классы Дирихле в полуплоскости и их применение к аппроксимации
Authors: Sedletskii Anatolii Mechislavovich
Published: January 2015

Введены обобщенные классы Дирихле аналитических функций в круге и полуплоскости. Найдена связь между этими классами и их нулевыми множествами. Получено точное достаточное условие нулевого подмножества обобщенного класса Дирихле в полуплоскости. С помощью него доказано (также точное) необходимое условие полноты системы экспонент в пространстве $L^2$ на полупрямой с правильно меняющимся весом порядка $\alpha\in[-1,0]$.
Библиография: 18 названий.
Неравенства типа Рисса-Шура для целых функций экспоненциального типа
Authors: Ganzburg Michael Iosifovich , Nevai Paul , Erdélyi Tamás
Published: January 2015

Для целых функций экспоненциального типа доказано общее неравенство типа Рисса-Шура. Если $f$ и $Q$ - функции экспоненциальных типов $\sigma>0$ и $\tau\geqslant 0$ соответственно и $Q$ принимает вещественные
значения на вещественной оси, причем ее вещественные нули (без учета кратностей) отделены друг от друга, то
$$
|f(x)|\le(\sigma+\tau) (A_{\sigma+\tau}(Q))^{-1/2}\|Q f\|_{\mathrm C(\mathbb R)},\qquad x\in \mathbb R,
$$
где
$$
A_s(Q) \stackrel{\mathrm{def}}{=}\inf_{x\in\mathbb R} ([Q'(x)]^2+s^2 [Q(x)]^2).
$$
Это неравенство применяется к весам
$Q(x)\stackrel{\mathrm{def}}{=} \sin (\tau x)$ и $Q(x) \stackrel{\mathrm{def}}{=} x$. Описаны экстремальные
функции в соответствующих оценках.
Библиография: 7 названий.
Making Another World Possible
Authors: Ryley Peter
Published: January 2015

Making Another World Possible identifies the British contribution to the genealogy of modern green and anti-capitalist thinking by examining left libertarian ideologies in the late 19th and early 20th century Britain and highlighting their influence on present day radical thought.

As capitalism heralded the triumph of technology, greater production, and a new urban industrial society, some imagined alternatives to this notion of progress based on endless economic growth. The book examines the development of ideas from these dissidents who included communists, class warriors, free thinkers, secularists, and Christian communitarians. All shared the same beliefs that the benefits of industrialism could only be realized through equality and that urban culture depended on a healthy agriculture and harmony with the natural world - concerns that are still of great importance today.

This distinctive history of anarchist ideas reappraises the work of thinkers and revises the historical picture of the radical milieu in 19th and 20th century Britain. It will be an essential resource to anyone researching the history of ideas and studying anarchism.
Impact of interannual variations in aerosol particle sources on orographic precipitation over California's Central Sierra Nevada
Authors: Creamean J. M. , Ault A. P. , White A. B. , Neiman P. J. , Ralph F. M. , Minnis P. , Prather K. A.
Published: January 2015

Abstract. Aerosols that serve as cloud condensation nuclei (CCN) and ice nuclei (IN) have the potential to profoundly influence precipitation processes. Furthermore, changes in orographic precipitation have broad implications for reservoir storage and flood risks. As part of the CalWater field campaign (2009–2011), the variability and associated impacts of different aerosol sources on precipitation were investigated in the California Sierra Nevada using an aerosol time-of-flight mass spectrometer for precipitation chemistry, S-band profiling radar for precipitation classification, remote sensing measurements of cloud properties, and surface meteorological measurements. The composition of insoluble residues in precipitation samples collected at a surface site contained mostly local biomass burning and long-range transported dust and biological particles (2009), local sources of biomass burning and pollution (2010), and long-range transport from distant sources (2011). Although differences in the sources were observed from year-to-year, the most consistent source of dust and biological residues were associated with storms consisting of deep convective cloud systems with significant quantities of precipitation initiated in the ice phase. Further, biological residues were dominant (up to 40%) during storms with relatively warm cloud temperatures (up to −15 °C), supporting the important role bioparticles can play as ice nucleating particles. On the other hand, lower percentages of residues from local biomass burning and pollution were observed over the three winter seasons (on average 31 and 9%, respectively). When precipitation quantities were relatively low, these residues most likely served as CCN, forming smaller more numerous cloud droplets at the base of shallow cloud systems, and resulting in less efficient riming processes. The correlation between the source of aerosols within clouds and precipitation type and quantity will be further probed in models to understand the mechanisms by which local emissions vs. long-range transported dust and biological aerosols play roles in impacting regional precipitation processes. Ultimately, the goal is to use such observations to improve the mechanistic linkages between aerosol sources and precipitation processes to produce more accurate predictive weather forecast models and improve water resource management.