bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Comparison of the hypnotic activity of triazolam, flurazepam hydrochloride, and placebo
Authors: Sunshine Abraham
Published: January 2016

Triazolam, 0.4 and 0.8 mg, flurazepam, 15 and 30 mg, and placebo were compared in a double‐blind, randomized 5‐night crossover study in 25 inpatient insomniacs. These patients all complained oF difficulty falling asleep; all said they usually slept less than 5 hr a night and woke up too early in the morning. Results of the patients’ global evaluation of the medications shows that all of the treatments were rated significantly higher than placebo, with the exception of triazolam, 0.4 mg, which was not significantly different from flurazepam, 15 or 30 mg, or from placebo. In subjective evaluation of sleep onset, only triazolam, 0.4 and 0.8 mg, was rated faster than placebo, while in the objective evaluation of sleep onset only triazolam, 0.8 mg, was rated faster than placebo. All 4 active medications increased duration of sleep. Triazolam, 0.8 mg, and flurazepam, 30 mg, were rated as providing deeper sleep than placebo while all treatments except flurazepam, 15 mg, decreased the number of awakenings below that on placebo. A significant dose‐response curve was obtained with triazolam and flurazepam for some of the parameters. Very few adverse effects were reported. One patient reported feeling groggy and drowsy on 0.4 mg triazolam while 2 reported nightmares on placebo.
Gain compression improvement on low‐power cascaded current reuse LNAs
Authors: Silva Pereira Marco , Vaz João Caldinhas , Leme Carlos Azeredo , Freire João Costa
Published: January 2016

Current reuse low‐noise‐amplifiers (CRLNAs) have been the norm to achieve high‐gain and low‐noise figure under low‐power budgets. However, conventional CRLNAs suffer from a severe lack of large‐signal linearity, especially in conventional cascaded CRLNAs. This main drawback is related with the typical biasing method imposed in the output stage. To prove our point, a large‐signal study is performed for a single stage common‐source in two distinct biasing situations: voltage biased and current biased. On the basis of the gathered results, a new CRLNA solution is proposed to relief the large‐signal bottleneck. The suggested design is analyzed in a 0.13 µm complementary metal–oxide–semiconductor (CMOS) standard process. Post‐layout simulations show 8 dB compression point improvement compared with the conventional CRLNA solution. The CRLNA draws a current of 650 μA from a 1.2 V supply. At 2.45 GHz, a power gain of 25.3 dB and a NF of 2.3 dB are achieved, while the IIP3 is −9 dBm. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
In vitro metabolism study of a black market product containing SARM LGD‐4033
Authors: Geldof Lore , Pozo Oscar J. , Lootens Leen , Morthier Wouter , Van Eenoo Peter , Deventer Koen
Published: January 2016

Anabolic agents are often used by athletes to enhance their performance. However, use of steroids leads to considerable side effects. Non‐steroidal selective androgen receptor modulators (SARMs) are a novel class of substances that have not been approved so far but seem to have a more favourable anabolic/androgenic ratio than steroids and produce fewer side effects. Therefore the use of SARMs has been prohibited since 2008 by the World Anti‐Doping Agency (WADA). Several of these SARMs have been detected on the black market. Metabolism studies are essential to identify the best urinary markers to ensure effective control of emerging substances by doping control laboratories. As black market products often contain non‐pharmaceutical‐grade substances, alternatives for human excretion studies are needed to elucidate the metabolism. A black market product labelled to contain the SARM LGD‐4033 was purchased over the Internet. Purity verification of the black market product led to the detection of LGD‐4033, without other contaminants. Human liver microsomes and S9 liver fractions were used to perform phase I and phase II (glucuronidation) metabolism studies. The samples of the in vitro metabolism studies were analyzed by gas chromatography‐(tandem) mass spectrometry (GC‐MS(/MS)), liquid chromatography‐high resolution‐tandem mass spectrometry (LC‐(HR)MS/MS). LC‐HRMS product ion scans allowed to identify typical fragment ions for the parent compound and to further determine metabolite structures. In total five metabolites were detected, all modified in the pyrrolidine ring of LGD‐4033. The metabolic modifications ranged from hydroxylation combined with keto‐formation (M1) or cleavage of the pyrrolidine ring (M2), hydroxylation and methylation (M3/M4) and dihydroxylation (M5). The parent compound and M2 were also detected as glucuronide‐conjugates. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Phantoms of the forest: legacy risk effects of a regionally extinct large carnivore
Authors: Sahlén Ellinor , Noell Sonja , DePerno Christopher S. , Kindberg Jonas , Spong Göran , Cromsigt Joris P.G.M.
Published: January 2016

The increased abundance of large carnivores in Europe is a conservation success, but the impact on the behavior and population dynamics of prey species is generally unknown. In Europe, the recolonization of large carnivores often occurs in areas where humans have greatly modified the landscape through forestry or agriculture. Currently, we poorly understand the effects of recolonizing large carnivores on extant prey species in anthropogenic landscapes. Here, we investigated if ungulate prey species showed innate responses to the scent of a regionally exterminated but native large carnivore, and whether the responses were affected by human‐induced habitat openness. We experimentally introduced brown bear Ursus arctos scent to artificial feeding sites and used camera traps to document the responses of three sympatric ungulate species. In addition to controls without scent, reindeer scent Rangifer tarandus was used as a noncarnivore, novel control scent. Fallow deer Dama dama strongly avoided areas with bear scent. In the presence of bear scent, all ungulate species generally used open sites more than closed sites, whereas the opposite was observed at sites with reindeer scent or without scent. The opening of forest habitat by human practices, such as forestry and agriculture, creates a larger gradient in habitat openness than available in relatively unaffected closed forest systems, which may create opportunities for prey to alter their habitat selection and reduce predation risk in human‐modified systems that do not exist in more natural forest systems. Increased knowledge about antipredator responses in areas subjected to anthropogenic change is important because these responses may affect prey population dynamics, lower trophic levels, and attitudes toward large carnivores. These aspects may be of particular relevance in the light of the increasing wildlife populations across much of Europe.
EPR as a Tool for Study of Isolated and Coupled Paramagnetic Centers in Coordination Compounds and Macromolecules of Biological Interest
Authors: Rizzi Alberto C. , Neuman Nicolás I. , González Pablo J. , Brondino Carlos D.
Published: January 2016

Invited for the cover of this issue is the group of Carlos D. Brondino at the Universidad Nacional del Litoral, Santa Fe, Argentina. The cover image shows a painting by our colleague and artist Nilda Marsili inspired by results obtained from single‐crystal EPR experiments.
An exercise in obtaining flame radiation fraction from the cone calorimeter
Authors: Quintiere James G. , Lyon Richard E. , Crowley Sean B.
Published: January 2016

The radiant fraction of the heat of combustion emitted by flames of burning fuels is an important quantity needed to predict the thermal radiation from pool fires to remote targets and as a local flame parameter in CFD models. Although there are data for radiant fraction of gas flames, there are little data for this parameter for burning solid materials. The sole source of these data is Archie Tewarson, who used the FMGlobal Fire Propagation Apparatus to compute the radiant fraction of the heat of combustion from energy losses associated with enthalpy flow and duct heat losses. This paper describes a similar approach to obtain the radiant fraction of the heat from flames of burning solids using the cone calorimeter. In the present work, the cone calorimeter is calibrated using a Meeker burner with a premixed methane/air flame that is small and blue and has minimum flame radiation. A heat loss correction factor due to thermal conductance from the duct to the ambient air is determined from the calibration by measuring the temperature of the combustion stream in the duct at the gas sampling location. That factor was found to be 13 ± 2 W/K by calibration compared with a theoretical estimate of 9.3 W/K. The effect of the heat capacity of the duct walls is accounted for by de‐convoluting the duct temperature history. The necessary measurements to compute the radiant fraction then become the heat release rate by oxygen consumption, the mass flow rate in the duct, and the gas temperature in the duct at the sampling location. Results were obtained for 15 polymers, eight of which could be compared with data for nominally similar materials obtained by Tewarson. In addition, results are found to be in good agreement with a correlation by Tewarson in terms of combustion efficiency. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Factor Models of Stock Returns: GARCH Errors versus Time‐Varying Betas
Authors: Koundouri Phoebe , Kourogenis Nikolaos , Pittis Nikitas , Samartzis Panagiotis
Published: January 2016

This paper investigates the implications of time‐varying betas in factor models for stock returns. It is shown that a single‐factor model (SFMT) with autoregressive betas and homoscedastic errors (SFMT‐AR) is capable of reproducing the most important stylized facts of stock returns. An empirical study on the major US stock market sectors shows that SFMT‐AR outperforms, in terms of in‐sample and out‐of‐sample performance, SFMT with constant betas and conditionally heteroscedastic (GARCH) errors, as well as two multivariate GARCH‐type models. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Forecasting US Recessions with a Large Set of Predictors
Authors: Fornaro Paolo
Published: January 2016

In this paper, I use a large set of macroeconomic and financial predictors to forecast US recession periods. I adopt Bayesian methodology with shrinkage in the parameters of the probit model for the binary time series tracking the state of the economy. The in‐sample and out‐of‐sample results show that utilizing a large cross‐section of indicators yields superior US recession forecasts in comparison to a number of parsimonious benchmark models. Moreover, the data‐rich probit model gives similar accuracy to the factor‐based model for the 1‐month‐ahead forecasts, while it provides superior performance for 1‐year‐ahead predictions. Finally, in a pseudo‐real‐time application for the Great Recession, I find that the large probit model with shrinkage is able to pick up the recession signals in a timely fashion and does well in comparison to the more parsimonious specification and to nonparametric alternatives. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Effect of selected spices on chemical and sensory markers in fortified rye‐buckwheat cakes
Authors: Przygodzka Małgorzata , Zieliński Henryk , Ciesarová Zuzana , Kukurová Kristina , Lamparski Grzegorz
Published: January 2016

The aim of this study was to find out the effect of selected spices on chemical and sensorial markers in cakes formulated on rye and light buckwheat flour fortified with spices. Among collection of spices, rye‐buckwheat cakes fortified individually with cloves, nutmeg, allspice, cinnamon, vanilla, and spice mix revealed the highest sensory characteristics and overall quality. Cakes fortified with cloves, allspice, and spice mix showed the highest antioxidant capacity, total phenolics, rutin, and almost threefold higher available lysine contents. The reduced furosine content as well as free and total fluorescent intermediatory compounds were observed as compared to nonfortified cakes. The FAST index was significantly lowered in all cakes enriched with spices, especially with cloves, allspice, and mix. In contrast, browning index increased in compare to cakes without spices. It can be suggested that clove, allspice, vanilla, and spice mix should be used for production of safety and good quality cakes.
Caregiver burden in family carers of people with dementia with Lewy bodies and Alzheimer's disease
Authors: Svendsboe Ellen , Terum Toril , Testad Ingelin , Aarsland Dag , Ulstein Ingun , Corbett Anne , Rongve Arvid
Published: January 2016

Objective

To characterise the differences in caregiver distress between carers of people diagnosed with dementia with Lewy bodies (DLB) and people with Alzheimer's disease (AD), with a view to differentiating and improving support for caregivers.

Methods

This study is a part of two larger Norwegian studies, DemVest (n = 265) and The Norwegian Dementia Register (n = 2220), with data from caregivers and people diagnosed with AD (n = 100) and DLB (n = 86) between 2005 and 2013. The average age was 74.9 years (SD = 7.8). Caregiver distress was rated by the Relative Stress Scale. Diagnosis of the person receiving care was based on a comprehensive standardised assessment program (International Classification of Diseases, Revision 10 or Diagnostic and Statistical Manual for Mental Disorders, fourth edition). Additional data collected from people receiving care were neuropsychiatric symptoms, comorbidity and activities of daily living (ADL) score. Linear regression analyses were applied, first unadjusted and then in stepwise‐adjusts in addition to descriptive analyses.

Results

Caregivers to people with AD (20.2%) and 40% of caregivers for people with DLB experienced moderate or high caregiver burden with an increased risk of psychiatric disorders in the early stage of dementia. High Relative Stress Scale (RSS) total scores in caregivers was significantly associated with neuropsychiatric symptoms (Neuropsychiatric Inventory, p = 0.004) and also with impaired ADL functioning (Rapid Disability Rating Scale‐2, p < 0.0005).

Conclusion

Caregiver distress differed (RSS total, p = 0.005) between people caring for someone with AD (15.0) and those caring for someone with DLB (19.9). These findings have direct implications for the needs and resources that could be available for these individuals and indicate the need for further research into caregiver burden in carers to people with DLB. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Ethics and dissemination

Cohorts were ethically approved by the Regional Ethics Committee for Medical Research Ethics in Eastern and Western Norway.
Exploring circulating micro‐RNA in the neoadjuvant treatment of breast cancer
Authors: Casey Máire‐Caitlín , Sweeney Karl J. , Brown James Andrew Lawrence , Kerin Michael J.
Published: January 2016

Breast cancer is the most frequently diagnosed malignancy amongst females worldwide. In recent years the management of this disease has transformed considerably, including the administration of chemotherapy in the neoadjuvant setting. Aside from increasing rates of breast conserving surgery and enabling surgery via tumour burden reduction, use of chemotherapy in the neoadjuvant setting allows monitoring of in vivo tumour response to chemotherapeutics. Currently, there is no effective means of identifying chemotherapeutic responders from non‐responders. Whilst some patients achieve complete pathological response (pCR) to chemotherapy, a good prognostic index, a proportion of patients derive little or no benefit, being exposed to the deleterious effects of systemic treatment without any knowledge of whether they will receive benefit. The identification of predictive and prognostic biomarkers could confer multiple benefits in this setting, specifically the individualization of breast cancer management and more effective administration of chemotherapeutics. In addition, biomarkers could potentially expedite the identification of novel chemotherapeutic agents or increase their efficacy. Micro‐RNAs (miRNAs) are small non‐coding RNA molecules. With their tissue‐specific expression, correlation with clinicopathological prognostic indices and known dysregulation in breast cancer, miRNAs have quickly become an important avenue in the search for novel breast cancer biomarkers. We provide a brief history of breast cancer chemotherapeutics and explore the emerging field of circulating (blood‐borne) miRNAs as breast cancer biomarkers for the neoadjuvant treatment of breast cancer. Established molecular markers of breast cancer are outlined, while the potential role of circulating miRNAs as chemotherapeutic response predictors, prognosticators or potential therapeutic targets is discussed.
Proportion of premenopausal and postmenopausal breast cancers attributable to known risk factors: Estimates from the E3N‐EPIC cohort
Authors: Dartois Laureen , Fagherazzi Guy , Baglietto Laura , Boutron‐Ruault Marie‐Christine , Delaloge Suzette , Mesrine Sylvie , Clavel‐Chapelon Françoise
Published: January 2016

Breast cancer is the most frequently diagnosed cancer among women worldwide. Breast cancer risk factors have been widely explored individually; however, little is known about their combined impact. We included 67,634 women from the French E3N prospective cohort, aged 42–72 at baseline. During a 15‐year follow‐up period, 497 premenopausal and 3,138 postmenopausal invasive breast cancer cases were diagnosed. Population‐attributable fractions (PAFs) were used to estimate cases proportions attributable to risk factors under hypothetical scenarios of lowest exposure. We examined overall premenopausal and postmenopausal invasive breast cancers and tumour subtypes (ER status and HER2 expression). Premenopausal breast cancer was not significantly attributable to non‐behavioral (61.2%, −15.5 to 91.88%) nor to behavioral (39.9%, −71.0 to 93.9%) factors, contrary to postmenopausal breast cancer (41.9%, 4.5 to 68.7% and 53.5%, 12.8 to 78.7%, respectively). Individually, the highest statistically significant PAFs were obtained in premenopause for birth weight (33.6%, 5.7 to 56.6%) and age at menarche (19.8%, 5.2 to 33.6%) for non‐behavioral factors and in postmenopause for history of benign breast diseases (14.9%, 11.6 to 18.0%) and age at menarche (9.7%, 3.9 to 15.5%) for non‐behavioral factors and for body shape at menarche (17.1%, 9.7 to 24.3%), use of hormone replacement therapy (14.5%, 9.2 to 19.6%), dietary pattern (10.1%, 2.6 to 17.4%) and alcohol consumption (5.6%, 1.9 to 9.3%) for behavioral factors. These proportions were higher for ER+, HER2− and ER+/HER2− postmenopausal breast cancers. Our data support the hypothesis that in postmenopause, never starting unhealthy behaviors can reduce the number of diagnosed breast cancers.
A model for predicting individuals’ absolute risk of esophageal adenocarcinoma: Moving toward tailored screening and prevention
Authors: Xie Shao‐Hua , Lagergren Jesper
Published: January 2016

Esophageal adenocarcinoma (EAC) is characterized by rapidly increasing incidence and poor prognosis, stressing the need for preventive and early detection strategies. We used data from a nationwide population‐based case‐control study, which included 189 incident cases of EAC and 820 age‐ and sex‐matched control participants, from 1995 through 1997 in Sweden. We developed risk prediction models based on unconditional logistic regression. Candidate predictors included established and readily identifiable risk factors for EAC. The performance of model was assessed by the area under receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC) with cross‐validation. The final model could explain 94% of all case patients with EAC (94% population attributable risk) and included terms for gastro‐esophageal reflux symptoms or use of antireflux medication, body mass index (BMI), tobacco smoking, duration of living with a partner, previous diagnoses of esophagitis and diaphragmatic hernia and previous surgery for esophagitis, diaphragmatic hernia or severe reflux or gastric or duodenal ulcer. The AUC was 0.84 (95% confidence interval [CI] 0.81–0.87) and slightly lower after cross‐validation. A simpler model, based only on reflux symptoms or use of antireflux medication, BMI and tobacco smoking could explain 91% of the case patients with EAC and had an AUC of 0.82 (95% CI 0.78–0.85). These EAC prediction models showed good discriminative accuracy, but need to be validated in other populations. These models have the potential for future use in identifying individuals with high absolute risk of EAC in the population, who may be considered for endoscopic screening and targeted prevention.
Genetic variants in ABCG1 are associated with survival of nonsmall‐cell lung cancer patients
Authors: Wang Yanru , Liu Hongliang , Ready Neal E. , Su Li , Wei Yongyue , Christiani David C. , Wei Qingyi
Published: January 2016

Cell membrane transporters and metabolic enzymes play a crucial role in the transportation of a wide variety of substrates that maintain homeostasis in biological processes. We explored associations between genetic variants in these genes and survival of nonsmall‐cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients by reanalyzing two datasets from published genome‐wide association studies (GWASs). In the discovery by using the GWAS dataset of the Prostate, Lung, Colorectal and Ovarian (PLCO) Cancer Screening Trial, we evaluated associations of 1,245 single‐nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in genes of four transporter families and two metabolic enzyme families with survival of 1,185 NSCLC patients. We then performed a replication analysis in the Harvard University Lung Cancer study (LCS) with 984 NSCLC patients. Multivariate Cox proportional hazards regression and false discovery rate (FDR) corrections were performed to evaluate the associations. We identified that 21 genotyped SNPs in eight gene regions were significantly associated with survival with FDR ≤0.1 in the discovery dataset. Subsequently, we confirmed six SNPs, which were putative functional, in ABCG1 of the ATP‐binding cassette transporter family in the replication dataset. In the pooled analysis, two tagging (at r2 > 0.8 for linkage disequilibrium with other replicated SNPs)/functional SNPs were independently associated with survival: rs225388 G > A [adjusted hazards ratio (HR) = 1.12, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 1.03–1.20, Ptrend = 4.6 × 10−3] and rs225390 A > G (adjusted HR = 1.16, 95% CI = 1.07–1.25, Ptrend = 3.8 × 10−4). Our results indicated that genetic variants of ABCG1 may be predictors of survival of NSCLC patients.
WCRF/AICR recommendation adherence and breast cancer incidence among postmenopausal women with and without non‐modifiable risk factors
Authors: Nomura Sarah J.O. , Inoue‐Choi Maki , Lazovich DeAnn , Robien Kim
Published: January 2016

Taller height, family history of breast cancer, greater number of years of potential fertility and nulliparity are established non‐modifiable risk factors for postmenopausal breast cancer. Greater adherence to the World Cancer Research Fund/American Institute for Cancer Research (WCRF/AICR) diet, physical activity and body weight recommendations has previously been shown to be associated with lower breast cancer risk. However, no prior studies have evaluated whether women with non‐modifiable risk factors receive similar benefits from recommendation adherence compared to women without these risk factors. In the Iowa Women's Health Study prospective cohort, we investigated whether associations of WCRF/AICR recommendation adherence differed by the presence/absence of non‐modifiable breast cancer risk factors. Baseline (1986) questionnaire data from 36,626 postmenopausal women were used to create adherence scores for the WCRF/AICR recommendations (maximum score = 8.0). Overall and single recommendation adherence in relation to breast cancer risk (n = 3,189 cases) across levels of non‐modifiable risk factors were evaluated using proportional hazards regression. Mean adherence score was 5.0 points (range: 0.5–8.0). Higher adherence scores (score ≥6.0 vs. ≤3.5, HR = 0.76, 95% CI = 0.67–0.87), and adherence to the individual recommendations for body weight and alcohol intake were associated with a lower breast cancer incidence. While not statistically significant among women with more non‐modifiable risk factors (score ≥6.0 vs. ≤3.5, HR = 0.76, 95% CI = 0.36–1.63), hazard ratios were comparable to women with the no non‐modifiable risk factors (score ≥6.0 vs. ≤3.5, HR = 0.74, 95% CI = 0.49–0.93) (p‐interaction = 0.57). WCRF/AICR recommendation adherence is associated with lower breast cancer risk, regardless of non‐modifiable risk factor status.
Hepatic miR‐126 is a potential plasma biomarker for detection of hepatitis B virus infected hepatocellular carcinoma
Authors: Ghosh Amit , Ghosh Alip , Datta Somenath , Dasgupta Debanjali , Das Soumyajit , Ray Sukanta , Gupta Subash , Datta Simanti , Chowdhury Abhijit , Chatterjee Raghunath , Mohapatra Saroj Kant , Banerjee Soma
Published: January 2016

Controversies about the origin of circulating miRNAs have encouraged us to identify organ specific circulating miRNAs as disease biomarkers. To identify liver‐specific miRNAs for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), global expression profiling of miRNAs in liver tissue of HBV‐HCC and HBV‐control with no or mild fibrosis was evaluated. A total of 40 differentially expressed miRNAs were identified in HCC. Among ten highly altered miRNAs, six miRNAs were successfully validated in tissues, whereas only two miRNAs, miR‐126 and miR‐142‐3p showed increased expression in plasma of HBV‐HCC compared to HBV‐non‐HCC patients. Subsequently, ROC curve analysis revealed that neither miR‐126 nor miR‐142‐3p performed better than AFP in discriminating HCC from non‐HCC while combination of each with AFP showed significantly higher efficiency rather than AFP alone (AUC: 0.922, 0.908 vs. 0.88; sensitivity: 0.84, 0.86 vs. 0.82 and specificity: 0.92, 0.94 vs. 0.86 respectively). Interestingly, triple combination of markers (miR‐126 + miR‐142‐3p + AFP) showed no additive effect on efficiency (AUC: 0.925) over the dual combination. Again, the expression of only miR‐126 was noticed significantly higher in HBV‐HCC patients with low‐AFP [<250 ng/ml] compared to either non‐HCC or liver cirrhosis (AUC: 0.77, 0.64, respectively). Furthermore, no alteration in expression of mir‐126 in HCV‐HCC or non‐viral‐HCC revealed that miR‐126 + AFP might be specific to HBV‐HCC. To understand the physiological role of these two miRNAs in hepato‐carcinogenesis, target genes related to cancer pathways (APAF1, APC2, CDKN2A, IRS1, CRKL, LIFR, EGR2) were verified. Thus, combination of circulating miR‐126 + AFP is a promising noninvasive diagnostic biomarker for HBV‐HCC and may be useful in the management of HCC patients.
Interannual variability of summer monsoon convective and stratiform precipitations in East Asia during 1998–2013
Authors: Lu Daren , Yang Yuanjian , Fu Yunfei
Published: January 2016

In this paper, interannual variations of convective and stratiform precipitations in summer East Asian monsoon (SEAM) dominion are analysed using 16‐year (1998–2013) Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission (TRMM) precipitation radar (PR) rain products (2A25 and 3A25). It is found that the climatological mean patterns of convective and stratiform rain rates (RRs) are generally similar to each other, but the area fraction (AF) of stratiform precipitation can always reach about 80% and dominates in summer East Asia. Nonetheless, convective precipitation produces similar rainfall quantity with stratiform rainfall. For the RR, AF and contribution fraction (CF), their interannual standard deviation and coefficient of variation (CV) spatial patterns are similar between summer convective and stratiform precipitations in East Asia, because of the fact that they are all maybe influenced by SEAM. Differently, only the intensity of interannual variability (i.e. CV) for convective precipitation AF is much greater than that for stratiform precipitation, while CV for both convective and stratiform precipitations RR/CF are similar in most areas. Moreover, the interannual variability of SEAM is more highly correlated with that of RR for convective precipitation than that for stratiform precipitation in most land regions. While the opposite conclusion is found in ocean regions. Generally, the SEAM intensity in the lower troposphere mainly controls interannual variability of the atmospheric stability and both stratiform and convective precipitations RR. Then, atmospheric stability variation further modulates the AF and CF variations of both stratiform and convective precipitations on the interannual scale. This work mainly provides possible evidence of linkage between large‐scale circulation and convective and stratiform precipitations on the interannual scale. It suggests that the possible dominant mechanism should be explored using more observations and together with model simulations in the future work.
Silk Fibroin Degradation Related to Rheological and Mechanical Properties
Authors: Partlow Benjamin P. , Tabatabai A. Pasha , Leisk Gary G. , Cebe Peggy , Blair Daniel L. , Kaplan David L.
Published: January 2016

Regenerated silk fibroin has been proposed as a material substrate for biomedical, optical, and electronic applications. Preparation of the silk fibroin solution requires extraction (degumming) to remove contaminants, but results in the degradation of the fibroin protein. Here, a mechanism of fibroin degradation is proposed and the molecular weight and polydispersity is characterized as a function of extraction time. Rheological analysis reveals significant changes in the viscosity of samples while mechanical characterization of cast and drawn films shows increased moduli, extensibility, and strength upon drawing. Fifteen minutes extraction time results in degraded fibroin that generates the strongest films. Structural analysis by wide angle X‐ray scattering (WAXS) and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) indicates molecular alignment in the drawn films and shows that the drawing process converts amorphous films into the crystalline, β‐sheet, secondary structure. Most interesting, by using selected extraction times, films with near‐native crystallinity, alignment, and molecular weight can be achieved; yet maximal mechanical properties for the films from regenerated silk fibroin solutions are found with solutions subjected to some degree of degradation. These results suggest that the regenerated solutions and the film casting and drawing processes introduce more complexity than native spinning processes.

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Segmenting the Business Traveler Based on Emotions, Satisfaction, and Behavioral Intention
Authors: Millán Angel , Fanjul María Luisa , Moital Miguel
Published: January 2016

As travel is part of their work, business travelers are assumed to be focused on carrying out a work‐related task, rather than feeling emotionally stimulated during their trip. Due to this belief, there is limited research on consumer emotions within this segment of the travel market. However, not only is business travel an experience and therefore it involves emotions, but many business trips have a strong leisure component and business travel decision making is often emotionally charged. This paper segments the business travel market based on emotions, satisfaction, and behavioral intention. Using a sample of 400 managers in small‐ and medium‐sized companies, the study demonstrates that the relationship between emotions and satisfaction is not unidirectional as far as business tourism is concerned. For two of the four segments, the valence of emotions translated into an opposite level of satisfaction/intention. The segments were found to differ in personal and trip‐related variables.
Mall Haul Videos: Self‐Presentational Motives and the Role of Self‐Monitoring
Authors: Harnish Richard J. , Bridges K. Robert
Published: January 2016

Mall haul videos or vlogs are short videos in which young women not only present their fashion and beauty purchases but express their evaluations and opinions as well. The attitudes expressed could help the vlogger reap social rewards from a reference group or demonstrate the consistency between privately held attitudes and publicly expressed ones. In four studies, using the self‐monitoring construct to identify which function an attitude may serve for an individual, the self‐monitoring propensity of mall haul vloggers and the social‐adjustive and value‐expressive functions that posting and watching such vlogs fulfill for the individual was explored. In the first study, those who post and do not post mall haul vlogs were surveyed and results suggested that more high self‐monitors than low self‐monitors posted mall haul vlogs. In Study 2, a content analysis was conducted and revealed that low self‐monitors in comparison to high self‐monitors mentioned more brand names in their mall haul vlog. In Study 3, the valence of the product evaluations conveyed in mall haul vlogs by high and low self‐monitors was analyzed. High self‐monitors generated more positive messages than low self‐monitors. Finally in Study 4, the links between self‐monitoring on individuals’ willingness to watch rather than post mall haul vlogs were examined. High self‐monitors were more likely to watch a mall haul vlog when the retailer mentioned was perceived to possess high status (compared to medium or low status); while low self‐monitors were more likely to watch a mall haul vlog when the retailer mentioned was perceived to possess low status (compared to medium or high status). Across all four studies, results indicated that mall haul vlogs were fulfilling a social‐adjustive function for high self‐monitors whereas they were fulfilling a value‐expressive function for low self‐monitors. Implications for marketing are discussed.
Understanding the Impact of Online Reviews on Customer Choice: A Probability Discounting Approach
Authors: Fagerstrøm Asle , Ghinea Gheorghita , Sydnes Lars
Published: January 2016

This study uses the concept of probability discounting to understand the impact of online customer reviews on consumer choice. Probability discounting describes how the subjective value of an outcome alters when its delivery shifts from certain to uncertain. An experimental study with 29 participants was conducted. Participants were run through an online shopping scenario where they had to choose whether to buy a product from a Web shop with customer reviews on reliability or from a Web shop without reviews but with a lower product price. A titration procedure over sales price for the Web shop without reviews was run over seven probability conditions. The mean switching points where participants chose where to buy the product were extracted from the experimental data, and probability discounting factors were calculated. The results supported the assumption that online reviews indicate the probability of a successful transaction online and function as a guide to choices. Implications for marketers as well as suggestions for future research are discussed.
Gas‐phase reactions of methyl thiocyanate with aliphatic carbanions – A mass spectrometry and computational study
Authors: Repeć Barbara , Błaziak Kacper , Danikiewicz Witold
Published: January 2016

Rationale

Methyl thiocyanate, like other organic thiocyanates, is a molecule with many electrophilic reactive sites and it has many synthetic applications. For better understanding of the intrinsic reactivity of alkyl thiocyanates against nucleophiles it was important to study gas‐phase reactions of methyl thiocyanate with carbanions differing by structure and proton affinity values.

Methods

All experiments were performed using a modified API 365 triple quadrupole mass spectrometer equipped with a TurboIonSpray electrospray ionization (ESI) source. Carbanions were generated in the ESI source by decarboxylation of the respective carboxylic acid anions. Methyl thiocyanate was delivered as a vapor with nitrogen used as a collision gas to the collision cell where the reactions take place.

Results

Mass spectra recorded for the gas‐phase reactions of five aliphatic carbanions with methyl thiocyanate showed a variety of product ions formed via different reaction mechanisms, depending on the structure and proton affinity of the carbanion. The pathways considered are: SN2 nucleophilic substitution, cyanophilic reaction, thiophilic reaction and proton transfer, followed in some instances by subsequent transformations. The proposed reaction pathways are supported by density functional theory (DFT) calculations.

Conclusions

Our preliminary experiments showed that mass spectrometry together with quantum chemical calculations is a good tool for studying gas‐phase reactions of alkyl thiocyanates with carbanions. In the gas phase all four theoretically possible products can be observed and their formation can be rationalized by the results of the modelling of the reaction energy profiles. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Metabolic profiling of luteolin‐7‐O‐glucoside in rat urine, plasma, bile and feces after oral administration using ultra‐high‐performance liquid chromatography/quadrupole time‐of‐flight mass spectrometry
Authors: Liu Hongxia , Huo Xiaoguang , Ding Liqin , Feng Xinchi , Jiang Miaomiao , Pan Guixiang , Chen Lixia , Qiu Feng
Published: January 2016

Rationale

Luteolin‐7‐O‐glucoside (L7G), the main bioactive ingredient of Chinese Lantern, has various biological functions, including anti‐inflammatory and anti‐oxidative activities. However, research on luteolin‐7‐O‐glucoside has focused on the extraction, separation and biological activities of this natural product, whereas the metabolism of luteolin‐7‐O‐glucoside in vivo is not fully understood. In order to explore the metabolic profile of luteolin‐7‐O‐glucoside, we investigated its metabolites in plasma, bile, urine and feces samples following oral administration to rats.

Methods

In this study, an ultra‐high‐performance liquid chromatography/quadrupole time‐of‐flight mass spectrometry (UPLC/QTOFMS) method with a workflow‐interpretation strategy was developed to profile and identify the major metabolites of luteolin‐7‐O‐glucoside in rat urine, plasma, bile and feces after oral administration.

Results

A total of 44 luteolin‐7‐O‐glucoside‐related metabolites were identified in rat biological samples after oral administration of luteolin‐7‐O‐glucoside, including 35 metabolites in urine, 17 metabolites in plasma, 17 metabolites in bile and 5 metabolites in feces. Additionally, three major metabolites (M22, M40 and M44) were isolated as standards from urine and feces.

Conclusions

The study indicated that luteolin‐7‐O‐glucoside was hydrolyzed to luteolin firstly, and then for further absorption, metabolism and excretion in vivo. The results showed that phase I metabolites are hydrolysis and reduction metabolites, and phase II metabolites include sulfation, glucuronidation and methylation metabolites. This research provides scientific and reliable support for full understanding of the metabolic profiling of luteolin‐7‐O‐glucoside and the results provide evidence that should help to elucidate the effective substance basis of luteolin‐7‐O‐glucoside in vivo. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
An objective re‐evaluation of adaptive sample size re‐estimation: commentary on ‘Twenty‐five years of confirmatory adaptive designs’
Authors: Mehta Cyrus , Liu Lingyun
Published: January 2016

Over the past 25 years, adaptive designs have gradually gained acceptance and are being used with increasing frequency in confirmatory clinical trials. Recent surveys of submissions to the regulatory agencies reveal that the most popular type of adaptation is unblinded sample size re‐estimation. Concerns have nevertheless been raised that this type of adaptation is inefficient.We intend to show in our discussion that such concerns are greatly exaggerated in any practical setting and that the advantages of adaptive sample size re‐estimation usually outweigh any minor loss of efficiency. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Prognosis After Brain Metastasis from Differentiated Thyroid Carcinoma
Authors: Saito Fumi , Uruno Takashi , Shibuya Hiroshi , Kitagawa Wataru , Nagahama Mitsuji , Sugino Kiminori , Ito Koichi
Published: January 2016

Background

In patients with differentiated thyroid carcinoma (DTC), lung and bone metastasis sometimes occur. However, brain metastasis (BM) is extremely rare. Because most previous reports about BM from DTC included a relatively small number of cases, the clinical characteristics and outcomes of BM are still unclear.

Patients and methods

Between 1965 and 2013, among 961 patients who had died because of DTC, 24 patients were diagnosed with BM from DTC. One patient with BM from DTC is still alive. To identify the prognostic factors for longer survival after BM, the medical records of these 25 patients were retrospectively reviewed.

Results

The median age at BM diagnosis was 66 years. Typical symptoms associated with BM had appeared in 20 patients (80 %). The Karnofsky Performance Status (KPS) was good (≥70) in 10 patients and poor (≤60) in 15 patients. Seven patients had a single intracranial lesion of BM, 6 patients had 2 or 3 lesions, and 9 patients had 4 or more. Eleven patients did not receive any treatment for BM, and 14 patients underwent surgical resection, radiation therapy, or both. One‐year and 5‐year disease‐specific survival rates were 28 and 10.6 %, respectively. Good KPS (≥70), small number of intracranial lesions (≤3), and treatment for BM were prognostic factors for long survival on univariate analysis (p < 0.05). On multivariate analysis, only treatment for BM was significant.

Conclusion

Treatment of BM from DTC is indicated in patients who have a good KPS and fewer intracranial lesions, and some of them may achieve long survival.
Guidelines for palivizumab prophylaxis in infants and young children at increased risk for respiratory syncytial virus infection in Saudi Arabia
Authors: Aql Fahad Al , Al-Hajjar Sami , Mahmoud Latifa Bin , Al-Alaiyan Saleh , Tufenkji Haysam , Bin-Hussain Ibrahim , Abuzaid Sameh , Peter Vetha
Published: January 2016

Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) is a leading cause of serious seasonal lower respiratory tract infections (LRTI) in high-risk infants and children, with epidemics occurring annually in Saudi Arabia from October to March.

Premature infants born at less than 29 weeks gestation with chronic lung disease or those with significant congenital heart disease who have RSV infection are more likely to be hospitalized and have increased morbidity and mortality. Palivizumab (Synagis®, Medimmune) is a humanized monoclonal antibody for the prevention of severe LRTI by RSV in high-risk children. The current use of Palivizumab in Saudi Arabia is not regulated and does not meet approved standards.

This clinical practice policy statement was developed by the Ministry of Health and is supported by the National Immunization Technical Advisory Group (NITAG) in Saudi Arabia. It is based on available national and international data on the use of Palivizumab for the prevention of severe LRTI caused by RSV in high-risk pediatric patients. These guidelines were solicited and endorsed by two Saudi societies: The Neonatology and the Pediatric Infectious Diseases Societies.
Information and communication technology solutions for outdoor navigation in dementia
Authors: Teipel Stefan , Babiloni Claudio , Hoey Jesse , Kaye Jeffrey , Kirste Thomas , Burmeister Oliver K.
Published: January 2016

Introduction

Information and communication technology (ICT) is potentially mature enough to empower outdoor and social activities in dementia. However, actual ICT‐based devices have limited functionality and impact, mainly limited to safety. What is an ideal operational framework to enhance this field to support outdoor and social activities?

Methods

Review of literature and cross‐disciplinary expert discussion.

Results

A situation‐aware ICT requires a flexible fine‐tuning by stakeholders of system usability and complexity of function, and of user safety and autonomy. It should operate by artificial intelligence/machine learning and should reflect harmonized stakeholder values, social context, and user residual cognitive functions. ICT services should be proposed at the prodromal stage of dementia and should be carefully validated within the life space of users in terms of quality of life, social activities, and costs.

Discussion

The operational framework has the potential to produce ICT and services with high clinical impact but requires substantial investment.
Multisensory interaction in product choice: Grasping a product affects choice of other seen products
Authors: Streicher Mathias C. , Estes Zachary
Published: January 2016

Consumers often touch products before reaching purchase decisions, and indeed touch improves evaluations of the given product. The present research investigates how touching a given product influences perception and choice of other seen products. We show that grasping a source product increases the visual fluency of a haptically similar product, thereby increasing the likelihood of choosing that product, but not the willingness to pay for it (Study 1). We also show that visually crowded rather than sparse product displays increase the effect of touch on choosing other haptically similar products, and that individuals’ instrumental need for touch further modulates this effect (Study 2). Our results suggest that by manipulating or mimicking the haptic features (e.g., shape and size) of objects that consumers grasp while shopping, marketers can develop packaging that facilitates consumers’ visual processing of their products, thereby increasing choice of those products.
Gender and Age Determinants of Psychogenic Movement Disorders: A Clinical Profile of 73 Patients
Authors: Kamble Nitish , Prashantha D.K. , Jha Menka , Netravathi M. , Reddy Y.C. Janardhan , Pal Pramod Kumar
Published: January 2016

Background: Psychogenic movement disorders (PMD) is a group of disorders that cannot be attributed to any structural or biochemical abnormality, but has an underlying psychiatric illness. The profile of PMD varies according to country and socioeconomic factors. Methods: The present study reports the clinical profile of patients with PMD from India. Seventy-three patients with documented or clinically established PMD were seen over a period of 14 years with detailed neurological and psychiatric examinations. Results: The mean age at presentation was 29.1±15.1 years (women, 51%). Approximately 30% were ≤18 years of age (boys, 63.6%). The onset of symptoms was abrupt in 61.6% and the initial body part most often affected was right upper limb (adults, 29.4%; children, 31.8%). Tremor was observed in 31.4% of adults and 9% of children, whereas myoclonus was more common in children (36.4%). Tremors were more often seen in women (42.3%) than in men (20%), whereas myoclonus was almost equally prevalent in girls (37.5%) and boys (35.7%). Depression was the most common psychiatric comorbidity (men, 16%; women, 15.4%). About 42.5% required hospital admission and 57.5% had significant reduction or complete cessation of PMD after counseling, antidepressants, and/ or placebo. Conclusions: PMD was equally prevalent among women and men. Tremor was most often observed in adults, whereas myoclonus was most often observed in children. Electrophysiology and placebo were useful supplementary tools for diagnosing PMD.