bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Prolonged remission from hepatic encephalopathy with rifaximin: results of a placebo crossover analysis
Authors: Bajaj J. S. , Barrett A. C. , Bortey E. , Paterson C. , Forbes W. P.
Published: October 2014

Background

Rifaximin therapy reduced risk of hepatic encephalopathy (HE) recurrence and HE‐related hospitalisations during a 6‐month, randomised, placebo‐controlled trial (RCT) and a 24‐month open‐label maintenance (OLM) study. However, the impact of crossover from placebo to rifaximin therapy is unclear.

Aim

To study the impact of crossing over from placebo to rifaximin treatment on breakthrough HE and hospitalisation rates using a within‐subjects design.

Methods

Adults with cirrhosis and history of overt HE episodes, currently in HE remission, received placebo during the RCT and crossed over to rifaximin 550 mg twice daily during the OLM study. Rate of breakthrough overt HE episodes, hospitalisations and incidence and rate of adverse events (AEs) were analysed during RCT and first 6 months of OLM.

Results

Of 82 patients randomised to placebo in the RCT who crossed over to the OLM study, 39 experienced an HE episode during the RCT compared with 14 during the OLM study (P < 0.0001). Significantly lower rates of HE events were observed with rifaximin treatment compared with placebo treatment (P < 0.0001). Rates of HE‐related hospitalisation were numerically lower during rifaximin treatment compared with placebo treatment, although not significant. Rates of most common AEs, serious AEs and infection‐related AEs were similar between the two treatments.

Conclusions

This analysis confirms the repeatability of results from the RCT on safety and efficacy of rifaximin 550 mg twice daily in reducing the risk of hepatic encephalopathy recurrence, and suggests these findings are translatable outside of a rigorous, controlled trial setting.
Cigarette smoking during external beam radiation therapy for prostate cancer is associated with an increased risk of prostate cancer‐specific mortality and treatment‐related toxicity
Authors: Steinberger Emily , Kollmeier Marisa , McBride Sean , Novak Caroline , Pei Xin , Zelefsky Michael J.
Published: October 2014

Objective

To evaluate whether a history of smoking or smoking during therapy after external beam radiotherapy (EBRT) for clinically localised prostate cancer is associated with increased treatment‐related toxicity or disease progression.

Patients and Methods

Of 2358 patients receivingEBRTfor prostate cancer between 1988 and 2005, 2156 had chart‐recorded smoking histories. Patients were classified as ‘never smokers’, ‘current smokers’, ‘former smokers’, and ‘current smoking unknown’. Variables considered included quantity of tobacco use in pack‐years, duration of smoking, and, for former smokers, how long before initiation ofRTthe patient quit smoking, when available. The medianEBRTdose was 8100 Gy and the median follow‐up was 95 months. Toxicity was graded according to the National Cancer Institute's Common Terminology Criteria for Adverse Events.

Results

Current smoking significantly increased the risks of both prostate‐specific antigen relapse [hazard ratio (HR) 1.4,P= 0.02] and distant metastases (HR2.37,P< 0.001), as well as prostate cancer‐specific death (HR2.25,P< 0.001). Multivariate analysis showed that smoking was also associated with increased risk ofEBRT‐related genitourinary toxicities (current smoker,HR1.8,P= 0.02; former smoker,HR1.45,P= 0.01). Smoking did not increase gastrointestinal toxicity.

Conclusions

Current smokers with prostate cancer are at increased risk of biochemical recurrence, distant metastasis, and prostate cancer‐related mortality after definitiveRTto the prostate. Current and former smokers, regardless of duration and quantity of exposure, are at an increased risk of long‐term genitourinary toxicity afterEBRT. Oncologists should encourage patients to participate in smoking‐cessation programmes before therapy to potentially lower their risk of relapsing disease and post‐treatment toxicities.
Activation of TRPV1 attenuates high salt‐induced cardiac hypertrophy through improvement of mitochondrial function
Authors: Lang Hongmei , Li Qiang , Yu Hao , Li Peng , Lu Zongshi , Xiong Shiqiang , Yang Tao , Zhao Yu , Huang Xiaohu , Gao Peng , Zhang Hexuan , Shang Qianhui , Liu Daoyan , Zhu Zhiming
Published: October 2014

Background and Purpose

High‐salt diet induces cardiac remodelling and leads to heart failure, which is closely related to cardiac mitochondrial dysfunction. Transient receptor potential (TRP) channels are implicated in the pathogenesis of cardiac dysfunction. We investigated whether activation of TRP vanilloid (subtype 1) (TRPV1) channels by dietary capsaicin can, by ameliorating cardiac mitochondrial dysfunction, prevent high‐salt diet‐induced cardiac hypertrophy.

Experimental Approach

Male wild‐type (WT) and TRPV1−/− mice were fed a normal or high‐salt diet with or without capsaicin for 6 months. Their cardiac parameters and endurance capacity were assessed. Mitochondrial respiration and oxygen consumption were measured using high‐resolution respirometry. The expression levels of TRPV1, sirtuin 3 and NDUFA9 were detected in cardiac cells and tissues.

Key Results

Chronic high‐salt diet caused cardiac hypertrophy and reduced physical activity in mice; both effects were ameliorated by capsaicin intake in WT but not in TRPV1−/− mice. TRPV1 knockout or high‐salt diet significantly jeopardized the proficiency of mitochondrial Complex I oxidative phosphorylation (OXPHOS) and reduced Complex I enzyme activity. Chronic dietary capsaicin increased cardiac mitochondrial sirtuin 3 expression, the proficiency of Complex I OXPHOS, ATP production and Complex I enzyme activity in a TRPV1‐dependent manner.

Conclusions and Implications

TRPV1 activation by dietary capsaicin can antagonize high‐salt diet‐mediated cardiac lesions by ameliorating its deleterious effect on the proficiency of Complex I OXPHOS. TRPV1‐mediated amendment of mitochondrial dysfunction may represent a novel target for management of early cardiac dysfunction.

Linked Articles

This article is part of a themed section on Chinese Innovation in Cardiovascular Drug Discovery. To view the other articles in this section visit http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/bph.2015.172.issue-23
SMEs' Preference for Innovation Networks: A Choice Experimental Approach
Authors: Lefebvre Virginie Marie , Raggi Meri , Viaggi Davide , Sia‐Ljungström Clarissa , Minarelli Francesca , Kühne Bianka , Gellynck Xavier
Published: October 2014

The objective of this paper is to evaluate the importance of selected characteristics of innovation networks in affecting the decision of food SMEs when joining such networks. The paper develops and tests a series of hypotheses through a choice experiment exercise ran on a sample of 231 firms in six EU countries. The results showed that SMEs prefer networks that are composed of manufacturers and supply chain members, where information is shared confidentially among network partners, and when the network provides support to help the firm build its own networks of partners for innovation. In addition, SMEs' choice of the network is also affected by the interaction between specific network attributes and two firm characteristics, i.e. the firm's collaborative experience and innovation objectives. Based on the results, we conclude that the success of inter‐organizational networks depends on the fit between the network's design and the innovation and networking behaviour of the firms.
Family Conflict, Mood, and Adolescents' Daily School Problems: Moderating Roles of Internalizing and Externalizing Symptoms
Authors: Timmons Adela C. , Margolin Gayla
Published: October 2014

Using daily diary data, this study examined cross‐day associations between family conflict and school problems and tested mediating effects of daily negative mood and moderating effects of psychological symptoms. For 2 weeks, parents and adolescents (N = 106; Mage = 15.4) reported daily conflict; adolescents reported daily negative mood and school problems. Results indicated bidirectional, multiday spillover between parent–adolescent conflict and school problems with daily negative mood statistically accounting for spillover both within and across days. Externalizing symptoms strengthened links between father–adolescent conflict and school problems, whereas depressive and anxious symptoms strengthened links between parent–adolescent conflict and daily negative mood. By demonstrating cross‐domain transmission of daily problems, these findings highlight the salience of everyday events as possible intervention targets.
Family Income Dynamics, Early Childhood Education and Care, and Early Child Behavior Problems in Norway
Authors: Zachrisson Henrik D. , Dearing Eric
Published: October 2014

The sociopolitical context of Norway includes low poverty rates and universal access to subsidized and regulated Early Childhood Education and Care (ECEC). In this context, the association between family income dynamics and changes in early child behavior problems was investigated, as well as whether high‐quality ECEC buffers children from the effects of income dynamics. In a population‐based sample (N = 75,296), within‐family changes in income‐to‐needs predicted changes in externalizing and internalizing problems (from ages 18 to 36 months), particularly for lower income children. For internalizing problems, ECEC buffered the effect of income‐to‐needs changes. These findings lend further support to the potential benefits of ECEC for children from lower income families.
Methodological Issues in Studying Trigger Factors and Premonitory Features of Migraine
Authors: Lipton Richard B. , Pavlovic Jelena M. , Haut Sheryl R. , Grosberg Brian M. , Buse Dawn C.
Published: October 2014

Objective

In this review, we focus on migraine as a chronic disorder with episodic attacks (CDEA). We aim to review methodological approaches to studying trigger factors and premonitory features that often precede a migraine attack.

Background

Migraine attacks are sometimes initiated by trigger factors, exposures which increase the probability of an attack. They are heralded by premonitory features, symptoms which warn of an impending attack.

Design/Methods

We review candidate predictors of migraine attack and discuss the methodological issues and approaches to studying attack prediction and suggest that electronic diaries may be the method of choice.

Conclusion

Establishing the relationship between antecedent events and headaches is a formidable challenge. Successfully addressing this challenge should provide insights into disease mechanisms and lead to new strategies for treatment. In the second paper in this series, we review the available literature on trigger factors and premonitory features.
Practical Reformers: Women School Owners in Imperial Germany
Authors: Chamberlin Ute Elisabeth
Published: October 2014

In the early 1860s, the Ruhr Valley town of Dortmund had no schools for girls beyond the elementary level with the exception of a few private establishments that trained domestic servants. This dearth of educational opportunities is hardly surprising in a town of just 25,000 people at a time when even many larger German cities were bereft of secondary schools for girls. By 1914, however, when Dortmund's population had grown tenfold to well over 250,000, girls or their parents could choose among numerous types of institutions beyond the basic elementary school—several secondary schools, middle schools, and a variety of vocational and commercial institutions, most of them under municipal control.
Merze Tate and the Quest for Gender Equity at Howard University: 1942–1977
Authors: Perkins Linda M.
Published: October 2014

This study discusses Merze Tate, a black woman faculty member at Howard University from 1942 to 1977, and her efforts throughout her tenure at the institution to obtain gender equity for women faculty. This study also discusses Tate's decades-long battle with Rayford Logan, chair of the history department of Howard. Both Harvard PhDs, their difficulties reflect both gender differences as well as professional jealously. Tate was the first black woman to earn a degree from Oxford University (International Relations, 1935) and the first black woman to earn a PhD from Harvard in the fields of government and international relations (1941). She joined the faculty at Howard University in 1942, as one of two women ever hired in the history department. She remained on the faculty until her retirement in 1977. Tate is significant not only for her academic accomplishments and her advocacy on behalf of women but also as one of the earliest tenured women faculty members at Howard. In addition, she was a part of a very small group of highly accomplished black women academics who devoted their lives to the education of black youth. In a 1946 study of black doctorate and professional degree holders, Harry Washington Greene noted that of the three hundred eighty-one recipients, only forty-five were women. Black women were overwhelmingly enrolled and graduated from teacher training colleges that were unaccredited and/or did not provide the curriculum to attend graduate school without taking an additional year of undergraduate studies. The time and cost factor were prohibitive and many black women attended summer schools for years to take courses to prepare them for a graduate degree program.
Interprofessional collaboration and communication in nursing homes: a qualitative exploration of problems in medical care for nursing home residents – study protocol
Authors: Mueller Christiane A. , Tetzlaff Britta , Theile Gudrun , Fleischmann Nina , Cavazzini Christoph , Geister Christina , Scherer Martin , Weyerer Siegfried , van den Bussche Hendrik , Hummers‐Pradier Eva
Published: October 2014

Aim

This study explores the current state of collaboration and communication between nurses and general practitioners in nursing homes, as well as needs and expectations of nursing home residents and their families. Finally, we aim to develop a new model of collaboration and communication.

Background

Rising numbers of residents in nursing homes present a challenge for general practice and nursing in most Western countries. In Germany, general practitioners visit their patients in nursing homes, where nurses work in shifts. This leads to a big variety of contacts with regard to persons involved and ways of communication.

Design

Qualitative multicentre study.

Methods

Study part 1 explores needs and problems in interprofessional collaboration in interviews with nursing home residents and their relatives, general practitioners and nurses. Simultaneously, general practitioners' visits in nursing homes are observed directly. In study part 2, general practitioners and nurses will discuss findings from study part 1 in focus groups, aiming to develop strategies for the improvement of shortcomings in a participatory way. Based on the results, experts will contribute to the emerging model of collaboration and communication in a multi‐professional workshop. Finally, this model will be tested in a small feasibility study. The German Federal Ministry of Education and Research approved funding in March 2011.

Discussion

The study is expected to uncover deficits and opportunities in interprofessional collaboration in nursing homes. It provides deeper understanding of the concepts of all involved person groups and adds important clues for the interaction between professionals and older people in this setting.
The effects of GBL and learning styles on Chinese idiom by using TUI device
Authors: Ku D.T. , Huang Y.‐H. , Hus S.‐C.
Published: October 2014

This study investigated how the integration of a game‐based learning strategy and a tangible user interface (TUI) device improves the learning achievement of fifth‐grade students in studying Chinese idioms. By using the sifting, and sorting, features of Sifteo Cubes, learners, via a gaming situation, manually composed the cubes to the correct idioms, and the system also provided the origins of the idioms, facilitating meaningful learning. A quasi‐experimental non‐equivalent control‐group design was conducted. Both the experimental and control groups were administered a pre‐test and post‐test, the Idiom Learning Performance Test (ILPT), to investigate the variations between the treatment and groups. Furthermore, the Index of Learning Style for Youth (ILSY) survey was administered to determine how different learning styles and learning strategies affect learning achievement. The results showed that, after the CILS was used, the post‐test scores were significantly higher than the pre‐test scores in the experimental group. In addition, the post‐test scores of active and visual learners were higher than the pre‐test scores, and were significantly higher than reflective and verbal learners. The results suggested that the CILS is suitable for active and visual learners. Recommendations for using the CILS and Sifteo Cubes in instruction and further direction research are provided.
Systemic treatments in paediatric psoriasis: a systematic evidence‐based update
Authors: van Geel M.J. , Mul K. , de Jager M.E.A. , van de Kerkhof P.C.M. , de Jong E.M.G.J. , Seyger M.M.B.
Published: October 2014

In 2008, a systematic review revealed that evidence‐based data on efficacy and safety of treatments in paediatric psoriasis are scarce and with low level of evidence. In recent years, publications on this topic have increased exponentially. To present a systematic, evidence‐based update on the efficacy and safety of systemic treatments in paediatric psoriasis and to provide treatment recommendations, an update of the previous review was performed. PubMed, EMBASE and the Cochrane Controlled Clinical Trial Register were searched between January 2007 and March 2014 for all available literature on efficacy and safety of all systemic treatments in paediatric psoriasis. The levels of evidence were determined on the Oxford Centre for Evidence‐based Medicine Levels of Evidence. The newly retrieved evidence was combined with the evidence available in the former review. Fifty‐two studies were included: 36 from the former review, plus 16 new articles. New evidence on induction therapy was mainly available on fumaric acid esters (FAEs), which are shown to be effective in a subgroup of patients. Long‐term (96 weeks) safety and efficacy data on etanercept were found. Prospective studies are scarce. Most conclusions are formulated on studies with low level of evidence. Of the conventional systemic treatments, methotrexate still has the most evidence albeit in a low number of patients and with a low level of evidence. FAEs seem to be effective in a subgroup of patients, with gastro‐intestinal complaints, flushes and temporary shifts in leucocyte counts and liver enzymes being the main side‐effects. Etanercept has still accumulated most evidence of the available systematic treatments, with a large efficacy and reassuring safety profile in a 96‐week follow‐up.
Relationships among sexual self‐concept and sexual risk cognition toward sexual self‐efficacy in adolescents: Cause‐and‐effect model testing
Authors: HSU Hsiu‐Yueh , YU Hsing‐Yi , LOU Jiunn‐Horng , ENG Cheng‐Joo
Published: October 2014

Aim

Sexual self‐efficacy plays an important role in adolescents' sexual health. The aim of this study was to test a cause‐and‐effect model of sexual self‐concept and sexual risk cognition toward sexual self‐efficacy in adolescents.

Methods

The study was a cross‐sectional survey. Using a random sampling method, a total of 713 junior nursing students were invited to participate in the study, and 465 valid surveys were returned, resulting in a return rate of 65.2%. The data was collected using an anonymous mailed questionnaire. Structural equation modeling was used to test the relationships among sexual self‐concept, sexual risk cognition, and sexual self‐efficacy, as well as the mediating role of sexual risk cognition.

Results

The results revealed that the postulated model fits the data well. Sexual self‐concept significantly predicted sexual risk cognition and sexual self‐efficacy. Sexual risk cognition significantly predicted sexual self‐efficacy and had a mediating effect on the relationship between sexual self‐concept and sexual self‐efficacy.

Conclusion

Based on social cognitive theory and a structural equation model technique, this study confirmed the mediating role of sexual risk cognition in the relationship between sexual self‐concept and sexual self‐efficacy. Also, sexual self‐concept's direct and indirect effects explaining adolescents' sexual self‐efficacy were found in this study.
Pharmacogenomic biomarkers for personalized cancer treatment
Authors: Rodríguez‐Antona C. , Taron M.
Published: October 2014

Personalized medicine involves the selection of the safest and most effective pharmacological treatment based on the molecular characteristics of the patient. In the case of anticancer drugs, tumour cell alterations can have a great impact on drug activity and, in fact, most biomarkers predicting response originate from these cells. On the other hand, the risk of developing severe toxicity may be related to the genetic background of the patient. Thus, understanding the molecular characteristics of both the tumour and the patient, and establishing their relation with drug outcomes will be critical for the identification of predictive biomarkers and to provide the basis for individualized treatments. This is a complex scenario where multiple genes as well as pathophysiological and environmental factors are important; in addition, tumours exhibit large inter‐ and intraindividual variability in space and time. Against this background, the huge amounts of biological and genetic data generated by the high‐throughput technologies will facilitate pharmacogenomic progress, suggest novel druggable molecules and support the design of future strategies aimed at disease control. Here, we will review the current challenges and opportunities for pharmacogenomic studies in oncology, as well as the clinically established biomarkers. Lung and renal cancer, two areas in which huge progress has been made in the last decade, will be used to illustrate advances in personalized cancer treatment; we will review EGFR mutation as the paradigm of targeted therapies in lung cancer, and discuss the dissection of lung cancer into clinically relevant molecular subsets and novel advances that suggest an important role of single nucleotide polymorphisms in the response to antiangiogenic agents, as well as the challenges that remain in these fields. Finally, we will present new approaches and future prospects for personalizing medicine in oncology.
Personalized medicine approaches in epilepsy
Authors: Walker L. E. , Mirza N. , Yip V. L. M. , Marson A. G. , Pirmohamed M.
Published: October 2014

Epilepsy affects 50 million persons worldwide, a third of whom continue to experience debilitating seizures despite optimum anti‐epileptic drug (AED) treatment. Twelve‐month remission from seizures is less likely in female patients, individuals aged 11–36 years and those with neurological insults and shorter time between first seizure and starting treatment. It has been found that the presence of multiple seizures prior to diagnosis is a risk factor for pharmacoresistance and is correlated with epilepsy type as well as intrinsic severity. The key role of neuroinflammation in the pathophysiology of resistant epilepsy is becoming clear. Our work in this area suggests that high‐mobility group box 1 isoforms may be candidate biomarkers for treatment stratification and novel drug targets in epilepsy. Furthermore, transporter polymorphisms contributing to the intrinsic severity of epilepsy are providing robust neurobiological evidence on an emerging theory of drug resistance, which may also provide new insights into disease stratification. Some of the rare genetic epilepsies enable treatment stratification through testing for the causal mutation, for example SCN1A mutations in patients with Dravet's syndrome. Up to 50% of patients develop adverse reactions to AEDs which in turn affects tolerability and compliance. Immune‐mediated hypersensitivity reactions to AED therapy, such as toxic epidermal necrolysis, are the most serious adverse reactions and have been associated with polymorphisms in the human leucocyte antigen (HLA) complex. Pharmacogenetic screening for HLA‐B*15:02 in Asian populations can prevent carbamazepine‐induced Stevens–Johnson syndrome. We have identified HLA‐A*31:01 as a potential risk marker for all phenotypes of carbamazepine‐induced hypersensitivity with applicability in European and other populations. In this review, we explore the currently available key stratification approaches to address the therapeutic challenges in epilepsy.
Toll‐like receptor 9 mediates invasion and predicts prognosis in squamous cell carcinoma of the mobile tongue
Authors: Kauppila Joonas H. , Korvala Johanna , Siirilä Kristiina , Manni Marika , Mäkinen Laura K. , Hagström Jaana , Atula Timo , Haglund Caj , Selander Katri S. , Saarnio Juha , Karttunen Tuomo J. , Lehenkari Petri P. , Salo Tuula
Published: October 2014

Background

Toll‐like receptor 9 (TLR9) is a cellular receptor, which recognizes bacterial and host‐derived DNA. Stimulation of TLR9 induces cellular invasion via matrix metalloproteinase 13 (MMP‐13). The aim of this study was to evaluate the role of TLR9 in invasion of oral tongue squamous cell carcinoma (OTSCC).

Methods

The effects of TLR9 ligands on oral squamous cell carcinoma cell lines were studied with invasion and migration assays, as well as in a myoma organotypic model.

Results

The TLR9 ligand, CpG‐ODN, increased invasion and migration in OTSCC lines. These effects were reduced by TLR9 siRNA or inhibition with TLR9 antibodies. Immunohistochemical analysis of tissues from 195 patients with OTSCC revealed that TLR9 was expressed in 181/195 carcinomas. The expression of TLR9 was higher in the malignant cells than in the normal epithelium. High TLR9 expression was associated with high MMP‐13 expression and poor differentiation. High TLR9 expression was also identified as an independent predictor of poor prognosis (HR 1.810, 95% CI [1.053–3.112]).

Conclusion

Toll‐like receptor 9 mediates OTSCC invasion and migration in vitro and is an independent prognostic factor of OTSCC. Inhibition of TLR9 may be a novel therapeutic opportunity in oral cancer.
Finding fault in organisations – reconceptualising the role of senior managers in corporate manslaughter
Authors: Price Luke
Published: October 2014

The Corporate Manslaughter and Corporate Homicide Act 2007 purports to move away from the identification doctrine, towards a genuinely organisational model of corporate liability. There is a risk, however, that insistence upon the involvement of senior management in corporate manslaughter will reduce the Act to doing no more than aggregating individual misconduct. Such an approach would fail both to encompass the culpability of the organisation as more than just a collection of individuals, and to offer an effective tool for the prosecution of large organisations. I argue that the senior management requirement should not be interpreted as focusing on individuals, but on the authoritative systems of work that organisations impose upon their employees. Inherent in large organisations is a corporate structure, determining the meaning and value of what employees perceive and the boundaries and direction of their work. These structures emerge from the involvement of senior managers, whose rank and role within organisations enables them to contribute to the development of corporate structure. Through insistence on the involvement of these corporate architects and surveyors, the 2007 Act may be seen to emphasise the role of the organisation in corporate manslaughter, identifying truly corporate culpability.
Endogone, one of the oldest plant‐associated fungi, host unique Mollicutes‐related endobacteria
Authors: Desirò Alessandro , Faccio Antonella , Kaech Andres , Bidartondo Martin I. , Bonfante Paola
Published: October 2014

Glomeromycota have been considered the most ancient group of fungi capable of positively interacting with plants for many years. Recently, other basal fungi, the Endogone Mucoromycotina fungi, have been identified as novel plant symbionts, challenging the paradigm of Glomeromycota as the unique ancestral symbionts of land plants. Glomeromycota are known to host endobacteria and recent evidences show that also some Mucoromycotina contain endobacteria. In order to examine similarities between basal groups of plant‐associated fungi, we tested whether Endogone contained endobacteria.

Twenty‐nine Endogone were investigated in order to identify Mollicutes‐related endobacteria (Mre). Fruiting bodies were processed for transmission electron microscopy and molecularly investigated using fungal and Mre‐specific primers.

We demonstrate that Mre are present inside 13 out of 29 Endogone: endobacteria are directly embedded in the fungal cytoplasm and their 16S rDNA sequences cluster together with the ones retrieved from Glomeromycota, forming, however, a separate new clade.

Our findings provide new insights on the evolutionary relations between Glomeromycota, Mucoromycotina and endobacteria, raising new questions on the role of these still enigmatic microbes in the ecology, evolution and diversification of their fungal hosts during the history of plant–fungal symbiosis.
Resilience of rice (Oryza spp.) pollen germination and tube growth to temperature stress
Authors: Coast Onoriode , Murdoch Alistair J. , Ellis Richard H. , Hay Fiona R. , Jagadish Krishna S.V.
Published: October 2014

Resilience of rice cropping systems to potential global climate change will partly depend on the temperature tolerance of pollen germination (PG) and tube growth (PTG). Pollen germination of high temperature‐susceptible Oryza glaberrima Steud. (cv. CG14) and Oryza sativa L. ssp. indica (cv. IR64) and high temperature‐tolerant O. sativa ssp. aus (cv. N22), was assessed on a 5.6–45.4 °C temperature gradient system. Mean maximum PG was 85% at 27 °C with 1488 μm PTG at 25 °C. The hypothesis that in each pollen grain, the minimum temperature requirements (Tn) and maximum temperature limits (Tx) for germination operate independently was accepted by comparing multiplicative and subtractive probability models. The maximum temperature limit for PG in 50% of grains (Tx(50)) was the lowest (29.8 °C) in IR64 compared with CG14 (34.3 °C) and N22 (35.6 °C). Standard deviation (sx) of Tx was also low in IR64 (2.3 °C) suggesting that the mechanism of IR64's susceptibility to high temperatures may relate to PG. Optimum germination temperatures and thermal times for 1 mm PTG were not linked to tolerating high temperatures at anthesis. However, the parameters Tx(50) and sx in the germination model define new pragmatic criteria for successful and resilient PG, preferable to the more traditional cardinal (maximum and minimum) temperatures.
Two new species of Nitzschia (Bacillariophyceae) from freshwater environs of Lonar Crater Lake, India
Authors: Alakananda Batni , Karthick Balasubramanian , Taylor Jonathan C. , Hamilton Paul B.
Published: October 2014

Diatom taxa in India were first documented by Ehrenberg and subsequently many studies have focused on the Western Ghats and Himalayan mountains while other regional environments were rarely explored. In the current study, the freshwater environs of the saline Lonar Crater Lake were investigated and two new Nitzschia species have been described. Nitzschia kociolekii sp. nov. and Nitzschia tripudio sp. nov. were sampled from bird feeding ponds associated with Lonar Lake. The morphological characters of the new species are similar to N. amphibia and N. frustulum but differ in terms of striae pattern, polymorphic areolae development, fibula and stria density. In addition, larger specimens of N. williamsii, a recently described taxon from Bangalore wetlands of Peninsular India, were found in a waterfalls flowing into Lonar Lake. All three taxa are freshwater diatoms and are possibly endemic to Peninsular India.
Exercise training combined with psychological interventions for people with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease
Authors: Wiles Louise , Cafarella Paul , Williams Marie T.
Published: October 2014

Previous systematic reviews have confirmed the benefits of both exercise training and psychological interventions in people with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). The objective of this systematic review was to examine the effect of interventions which combine exercise training and psychological interventions for a range of health outcomes in people with COPD. Database searches identified randomized controlled trials of people with COPD participating in interventions that combined exercise training with a psychological strategy compared with control (usual care, waiting list) or active comparators (education, exercise, psychological interventions alone). Health outcomes included dyspnoea, anxiety, depression, quality of life or functional exercise capacity. Standardized mean differences (SMD) were calculated for each intervention arm/control comparison. Across the 12 included studies (738 participants), compared with control conditions, SMD consistently favoured interventions which included both exercise + psychological components (SMD range dyspnoea −1.63 to −0.25; anxiety −0.50 to −0.20; depression −0.46 to −0.18; quality of life 0.09 to 1.16; functional exercise capacity 0.22 to 1.23). When compared with active comparators, SMD consistently favoured interventions that included exercise training + psychological component for dyspnoea (SMD range −0.35 to −0.97), anxiety (SMD range −0.13 to −1.00) and exercise capacity (SMD range 0.64 to 0.71) but were inconsistent for depression (−0.11 to 1.27) and quality of life (0.02 to −2.00). The magnitude of effect for most interventions was greater than the minimum required for clinical significance (i.e. > 0.32) in behavioural medicine. While interventions, outcomes and effect sizes differed substantially between studies, combining exercise training with a psychological intervention may provide a means of optimizing rehabilitation in people with COPD.
Hedonic Imputed Property Price Indexes: The Effects of Econometric Modeling Choices
Authors: Rambaldi Alicia N. , Fletcher Cameron S.
Published: October 2014

In this paper we consider how choices in the econometric approach to impute prices affect the Törnqvist and Jevons hedonic imputed indexes. We compare the rolling window approach to estimation by smoothing methods. The main difference between the rolling window and the smoothing methods is in the way information is weighted. We propose that the Kalman filter smoother is the most appropriate estimator for the task as it optimally weights current and past information. We show the rolling window approach does not produce estimates that are attenuated over time leading to chain drift in the index. We also compare two alternative specifications to model property location. The empirical section uses data from a small and homogeneous market in the state of Queensland, Australia. The Törnqvist and Jevons indexes differ in value during periods of market volatility. This seems expected given their different weighting of transactions and the likelihood that price movements of properties at the upper and lower end of the price distribution might differ during periods of market volatility.
Global Inequality; Levels and Trends, 1993–2005: How Sensitive are These to the Choice of PPPs and Real Income Measures?
Authors: Warner David , Prasada Rao D. S. , Griffiths William E. , Chotikapanich Duangkamon
Published: October 2014

Increasing global interaction between economies over the last few decades has led to growing interest on the implications of globalization. Of particular interest has been the distributional impact of globalization and whether this has been equity enhancing. Contributing to this debate, Chotikapanich et al. have previously estimated global and regional inequalities for 1993 and 2000. The current paper presents estimates of global inequality for 2005, making use of purchasing power parity (PPP) data from the 2005 International Comparison Program (ICP) round. A critical element in the estimation of regional and global inequality is the data on PPPs and real incomes. Another objective of the paper is to examine the sensitivity of the inequality results to the use of alternative sets of real incomes using different sets of PPP data to convert per capita income data into a common currency unit. The paper also compares levels and trends of global inequality measures based on real per capita income measures from the national accounts and those obtained using per capita expenditure data from household expenditure surveys. The main finding of the paper is that the populist view that globalization has increased inequality does not hold when inequality is measured at the global level. Between 1993 and 2005, inequality has consistently declined as measured both by the Gini coefficient and the Theil index. This decline in global inequality was the result of a decline in inequality between countries. The estimates do suggest that there is an overall upward trend in inequality within countries, lending some support for protestors against globalization. Another finding is that the levels of global inequality are indeed sensitive to the choice of PPPs. However, the downward trend in global inequality is consistently evident across different choices of PPPs and real incomes. We find similar trends in inequality and in the within and between components of inequality when inequality measures are based on national accounts real per capita incomes or on the survey‐based real per capita expenditures.
Evaluation of Explicit Coupling Between Reservoir Simulators and Production System
Authors: von Hohendorff Filho João Carlos , José Schiozer Denis
Published: October 2014

In recent years, the oil industry has used various methodologies to solve numerical coupling of reservoirs and production systems to properly model complex projects needing an integrated solution of computational models that represent the fluid flow through the reservoir up to the surface. We present a study of explicit coupling methodology testing the production system on common operating conditions, verifying the benefits and quantifying limitations of explicit methodology, due to numerical stability errors reported in literature.
Retrofit of a Bubbling Fluidized Bed Pilot Plant From Air Combustion to Oxyfuel Combustion
Authors: Faé Gomes Gabriel M. , Vilela Antônio C. F. , da Silva Priebe Guilherme P. , Dalla Zen Leandro
Published: October 2014

When using fluidized bed in oxyfuel combustion, process parameters must be adjusted to maintain combustion and control air leakage into the system as there are important changes in gases properties, flow, and temperature. In this sense, this work makes a description of the retrofit of air combustion to oxyfuel combustion in a 0.25 MWth bubbling fluidized pilot plant. Process parameters were analyzed and mass and energy balances were developed to compare air and oxyfuel combustion. Air leakage and fluidization showed to be important to control when proceeding transition to oxyfuel combustion and temperature increase was consequence of radiation mechanism changes.
Effects of Diluents on Lifted Turbulent Methane and Ethylene Jet Flames
Authors: Hutchins Andrew R. , Kribs James D. , Lyons Kevin M.
Published: October 2014

The effects of diluents on the liftoff of turbulent, partially premixed methane and ethylene jet flames for potential impact in industrial burner operation for multifuel operation have been investigated. Both fuel jets were diluted with nitrogen and argon in separate experiments, and the flame liftoff heights were compared for a variety of flow conditions. Methane flames have been shown to liftoff at lower jet velocities and reach blowout conditions much more rapidly than ethylene flames. Diluting ethylene and methane jets with nitrogen and argon, independently, resulted in varying trends for each fuel. At low dilution levels (∼5% by mole fraction), methane flames were lifted to similar heights, regardless of the diluent type; however, at higher dilution levels (∼10% by mole fraction) the argon diluent produced a flame which stabilized farther downstream. Ethylene jet flames proved to vary less in liftoff heights with respect to diluent type. Significant soot reduction with dilution is witnessed for both ethylene and methane flames, in that flame luminosity alteration occurs at the flame base at increasing levels of argon and nitrogen dilution. The increasing dilution levels also decreased the liftoff velocity of the fuel. Analysis showed little variance among liftoff heights in ethylene flames for the various inert diluents, while methane flames proved to be more sensitive to diluent type. This sensitivity is attributed to the more narrow limits of flammability of methane in comparison to ethylene, as well as the much higher flame speed of ethylene flames.
Numerical Investigation of Shock Wave Attenuation by Geometrical Means: Double Barrier Configuration
Authors: Berger Shahar , Ben-Dor Gabi , Sadot Oren
Published: October 2014

Due to the increase in global terror threats, many resources are being invested in efforts to find and utilize efficient protective means and technologies against blast waves induced by conventional and nonconventional weapons. Bombs exploding in the entrance of military underground bunkers initiate a blast wave that propagates in a corridor-type structure causing injuries to human and damage both to the structures and the equipment. Rigid barriers of different geometries inside a tunnel can cause the blast wave to diffract and attenuate, leaving behind it a complex flow field that changes the impact on the target downstream of the barrier. In our earlier phase of the research that dealt with a single barrier configuration, it was shown that the opening ratio (i.e., the cross section that is open to the flow divided by the total cross section of the tunnel) is the most dominant parameter in attenuating the shock wave. Additionally, it was found that when the opening ratio was fixed at 0.375, the barrier inclination angle was significantly more effective than the barrier width in attenuating the shock wave. The present phase of the research focuses on the dependence of the shock wave attenuation on a double barrier configuration, while keeping the opening ratio fixed at 0.375. The methodology is a numerical approach that has been validated by experimental results. The experiments were conducted in a shock tube using a high-speed camera. The numerical simulations were carried out using a commercial code based on an MSC-DYTRAN solver under initial conditions similar to those in the experiments. A wide span of the barrier geometrical parameters was used to map in a continues manner the effect of the barrier geometry on the shock wave attenuation. By analyzing the geometrical parameters characterizing the double barrier configuration, better understanding of the physical mechanisms of shock wave attenuation is achieved. It was shown that for a double barrier configuration, the first barrier inclination angle was very dominant in attenuating the shock wave, as expected, while the efficiency of the second barrier inclination angle depended on the distance between the two barriers. Only when the distance between the two barriers was increased and the second barrier was far enough from the first barrier, it affected the attenuation regardless of the first barrier.
On the Stribeck Curves for Lubricated Counterformal Contacts of Rough Surfaces
Authors: Zhu Dong , Wang Jiaxu , Jane Wang Q.
Published: October 2014

The “Stribeck curve” is a well-known concept, describing the frictional behavior of a lubricated interface during the transition from boundary and mixed lubrication up to full-film hydrodynamic/elastohydrodynamic lubrication. It can be found in nearly every tribology textbook/handbook and many articles and technical papers. However, the majority of the published Stribeck curves are only conceptual without real data from either experiments or numerical solutions. The limited number of published ones with real data is often incomplete, covering only a portion of the entire transition. This is because generating a complete Stribeck curve requires experimental or numerical results in an extremely wide range of operating conditions, which has been a great challenge. Also, numerically calculating a Stribeck curve requires a unified model with robust algorithms that is capable of handling the entire spectrum of lubrication status. In the present study, numerical solutions in counterformal contacts of rough surfaces are obtained by using the unified deterministic mixed elastohydrodynamic lubrication (EHL) model recently developed. Stribeck curves are plotted in a wide range of speed and lubricant film thickness based on the simulation results with various types of contact geometry using machined rough surfaces of different orientations. Surface flash temperature is also analyzed during the friction calculation considering the mutual dependence between friction and interfacial temperature. Obtained results show that in lubricated concentrated contacts, friction continuously decreases as speed and film thickness increase even in the full-film regime until extremely high speeds are reached. This is mainly due to the reduction of lubricant limiting shear stress caused by flash temperature rise. The results also reveal that contact ellipticity and roughness orientation have limited influence on frictional behaviors, especially in the full-film and boundary lubrication regimes.
Modal Reduction Technique for Predicting the Onset of Chaotic Behavior due to Lateral Vibrations in Drillstrings
Authors: Mongkolcheep Kathira , Ruimi Annie , Palazzolo Alan
Published: October 2014

Drillstrings used for oil and gas exploration and extraction consist of a drillpipe (slender columns on the order of 3–5 km long), drill collars (DCs) (thick-walled large-diameter pipes), stabilizers (cylindrical elements with short sections and diameter near that of the borehole), and a rock-cutting tool that uses rotational energy to penetrate the soil. Several types of vibrations ensue from these motions and play a major role in added costs resulting from unforeseen events such as abandoning holes, replacing bits, and fishing severed bottom-hole assemblies (BHAs). It is thus of critical importance to understand, predict, and mitigate the severe vibrations experienced by drillstrings and BHA to optimize drilling time while lowering fuel consumption and related emissions of NOX and/or other pollutants. In this paper, we present a dynamical analysis of the behavior of drillstrings due to the violent lateral vibrations (LVs) DCs may experience as a result of rotating drillstrings. The behavior is represented by a system of two coupled nonlinear ordinary equations that are integrated numerically with a finite element analysis based on Timoshenko beam (TB) formulation combined to a modal condensation technique to reduce the computational time. Various nonlinear dynamical analysis tools, such as frequency spectrum, Poincaré maps, bifurcation diagrams, and Lyapunov exponents (LE), are used to characterizing the response. The DC section between two stabilizers is essentially modeled as a Jeffcott rotor with nonlinearity effects included. The model builds on two earlier models for the finite element formulation and the treatment of chaotic vibrations. Nonlinearity appears in the form of drillstring/borehole contact force, friction, and quadratic damping. The DC flexibility is included to allow investigation of bending modes. The analysis takes into account the length of time to steady state, number of subintervals, presence of rigid body modes, number of finite elements, and modal coordinates. Simulations results indicate that by varying operating conditions, a spectrum of behaviors from periodic to chaotic may be observed.