bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Potential risk of port‐site adhesions in patients after laparoscopic myomectomy using radially expanding trocars
Authors: Kumakiri Jun , Kikuchi Iwaho , Kitade Mari , Jinushi Makoto , Shinjyo Azusa , Takeda Satoru
Published: September 2014

Objective

To investigate the incidence of port‐site adhesions following use of radially expanding trocars (RETs) at laparoscopic myomectomy by observation via second‐look laparoscopy (SLL).

Methods

In a retrospective study, data from patients who underwent SLL after laparoscopic myomectomy between January 2007 and June 2012 at Juntendo University Hospital, Tokyo, were assessed for the incidence of port‐site adhesions forming below RET incisional scars when fascial and peritoneal defects had not been closed.

Results

During the study period, 554 patients underwent SLL, and 2176 incisional scars were examined. Adhesions were detected in 15 patients (2.8%); thus, the incidence of port‐site adhesions under scars was 0.7% (15/2176). Among these 15 patients, the wounds with adhesions were located as follows: 6 (1.1%) under the umbilical scar, 5 (0.9%) under the right lower abdominal scar, 2 (0.4%) under the left upper abdominal scar, and 2 (0.4%) under the left lower abdominal scar. According to multiple regression analysis, the duration of laparoscopic myomectomy was positively associated with port‐site adhesions (odds ratio, 1.79; 95% confidence interval, 1.09–2.94; P = 0.02).

Conclusion

The present data suggest that the incidence of port‐site hernias and adhesions under RET incisional scars is low despite the non‐closure of fascial and peritoneal defects.
Admission to and Continuation of Inpatient Stroke Rehabilitation in Queensland, Australia: A Survey of Factors that Contribute to the Consultant's Decision
Authors: Hayward Kathryn S. , Aitken Philip D. , Barker Ruth N. , Brauer Sandra G.
Published: September 2014

Aim: To evaluate factors that may contribute to the decision of the consultant medical officer (CMO) to: (1) admit a person with stroke to inpatient rehabilitation from acute hospitalisation; and (2) continue or cease inpatient rehabilitation.

Methods: A web-based survey of CMOs practising in Queensland Australia, who were members of the Australian and New Zealand Society of Geriatric Medicine (n ~ 90) or the Queensland Stroke Clinical Network (n ~ 30) was completed. The survey contained two sections to explore factors that could: (1) favour or disfavour admission to inpatient rehabilitation from acute hospitalisation; and (2) favour continuation or cessation of inpatient rehabilitation. Open and closed questions were used.

Results: Twenty-one CMOs (13–20% response rate, 43% geriatrician) completed the survey. Factors related to physical function, along with the presence of social supports favoured admission, while the presence of behavioural and cognitive impairments and a lack of staff capacity disfavoured admission. Improvements in function favoured continuation of inpatient rehabilitation, while a lack of improvement favoured cessation.

Conclusion: Factors related to the patient, their social support network and the organisation were found to influence the decision of the CMO to admit a person with stroke to inpatient rehabilitation from acute hospitalisation. Once in rehabilitation, demonstration of benefit was consistently reported to indicate continued service need.
Breakout Session 2 Summary: Health Planning for All Phases of a Disaster Including Risk Assessment with Concern for Vulnerable Populations
Authors: Sugawara Junichi , Yeskey Kevin
Published: September 2014

Cross-cutting Principle

∙

Development of public health communications that connect people and communities to their health resources and needs before, during and after a disaster

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Reduction of health disparities to vulnerable populations as a result of a disaster. An end state should be that every population with similar exposures/incidents have identical health outcomes.

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Public health/disaster preparedness as a shared responsibility that starts at the individual and grows to the community/state
Breakout Session 3 Summary: Psychosocial/Mental Health Concerns and Building Community Resilience
Authors: Tomita Hiroaki , Ursano Robert J.
Published: September 2014

Cross-cutting Principle

∙

Mental health working group supports the “proposed Key messages – People’s health” of the WHO. Proposed key messages are fundamental principles in support of health including mental health. Our work group’s statement builds on these principles to emphasize the importance of attending to mental health across all phases of Disaster Risk Management (DRM): prevention, preparedness, response, and recovery.

∙

Changing behaviors can affect a large outcome from disasters

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Strategic and tactical approaches to include mental health in the curriculum

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Strong emphasis on using WHO language to maintain the same universal terminology
Flexibility in flapping foil suppresses meandering of induced jet in absence of free stream
Authors: Shinde Sachin Y. , Arakeri Jaywant H.
Published: September 2014

Thrust-generating flapping foils are known to produce jets inclined to the free stream at high Strouhal numbers$\def \xmlpi #1{}\def \mathsfbi #1{\boldsymbol {\mathsf {#1}}}\let \le =\leqslant \let \leq =\leqslant \let \ge =\geqslant \let \geq =\geqslant \def \Pr {\mathit {Pr}}\def \Fr {\mathit {Fr}}\def \Rey {\mathit {Re}}\mathit{St} = fA/U_{\infty }$, where$f$is the frequency and$A$is the amplitude of flapping and$U_{\infty }$is the free-stream velocity. Our experiments, in the limiting case of$\mathit{St} \rightarrow \infty $(zero free-stream speed), show that a purely oscillatory pitching motion of a chordwise flexible foil produces a coherent jet composed of a reverse Bénard–Kármán vortex street along the centreline, albeit over a specific range of effective flap stiffnesses. We obtain flexibility by attaching a thin flap to the trailing edge of a rigid NACA0015 foil; length of flap is$0.79\, c$where$c$is rigid foil chord length. It is the time-varying deflections of the flexible flap that suppress the meandering found in the jets produced by a pitching rigid foil for zero free-stream condition. Recent experiments (Maraiset al.,J. Fluid Mech., vol. 710, 2012, p. 659) have also shown that the flexibility increases the$\mathit{St}$at which non-deflected jets are obtained. Analysing the near-wake vortex dynamics from flow visualization and particle image velocimetry (PIV) measurements, we identify the mechanisms by which flexibility suppresses jet deflection and meandering. A convenient characterization of flap deformation, caused by fluid–flap interaction, is through a non-dimensional ‘effective stiffness’,$EI^{*} = 8 \, EI/(\rho \, V_{{{TE_{{max}}}}}^2 \, s_{{{f}}} \, c_{{{f}}}^3/2)$, representing the inverse of the flap deflection due to the fluid-dynamic loading; here,$EI$is the bending stiffness of flap,$\rho $is fluid density,$V_{{{TE_{{max}}}}}$is the maximum velocity of rigid foil trailing edge,$s_{{{f}}}$is span and$c_{{{f}}}$is chord length of the flexible flap. By varying the amplitude and frequency of pitching, we obtain a variation in$EI^{*}$over nearly two orders of magnitude and show that only moderate$EI^{*}\ (0.1 \lesssim EI^{*} \lesssim 1)$generates a sustained, coherent, orderly jet. Relatively ‘stiff’ flaps ($EI^{*} \gtrsim 1$), including the extreme case of no flap, produce meandering jets, whereas highly ‘flexible’ flaps ($EI^{*} \lesssim 0.1$) produce spread-out jets. Obtained from the measured mean velocity fields, we present values of thrust coefficients for the cases for which orderly jets are observed.
Calcium supplementation and bone mineral accretion in Chinese adolescents aged 12–14 years: a 12-month, dose–response, randomised intervention trial
Authors: Ma Xiao-ming , Huang Zhen-wu , Yang Xiao-guang , Su Yi-xiang
Published: September 2014

A 12-month, dose–response, randomised, intervention trial was conducted to determine adequate Ca intake levels for Chinese adolescents by investigating the effect of Ca supplementation on bone mineral accretion. A total of 220 Han adolescents (111 girls and 109 boys) aged 12–14 years were recruited. All subjects were randomly divided into three groups. The bone mineral content (BMC) and bone mineral density (BMD) of the whole body, lumbar spine (L1–L4), left hip and femoral neck were measured by dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry. Girls in the high-Ca group (actual Ca intake: 1243 (sd193) mg/d) exhibited greater increases in the femoral neck BMC compared with those in the low-Ca group (9·7v. 6·4 %,P =0·04) over the 1-year intervention period. The increases in femoral neck BMC were greater in boys in the high-Ca and medium-Ca groups (actual Ca intake: 985 (sd168) mg/d) than in those in the low-Ca group (15·7v. 11·7 %,P =0·03; 15·8v. 11·7 %,P =0·03). Ca supplementation had significant effects on the whole-body BMC and BMD in subjects with physical activity levels>34·86 metabolic equivalents and on the spine BMD and BMC and BMD of most sites in subjects with Tanner stage < 3. Increasing Ca intake levels with Ca supplementation enhanced femoral neck mineral acquisition in Chinese adolescents. Furthermore, high physical activity levels and low Tanner stage appeared to significantly contribute to the effect of Ca supplementation on bone mass. Whether this is a lasting beneficial effect leading to the optimisation of peak bone mass needs to be determined in other long-term prospective studies.
Cholesterol and egg intakes and the risk of type 2 diabetes: The Japan Public Health Center-based Prospective Study
Authors: Kurotani Kayo , Nanri Akiko , Goto Atsushi , Mizoue Tetsuya , Noda Mitsuhiko , Oba Shino , Sawada Norie , Tsugane Shoichiro ,   for the Japan Public Health Center-based Prospective Study Group
Published: September 2014

Limited and inconsistent associations between cholesterol and egg consumption and type 2 diabetes risk have been observed in Western countries. In the present study, the association of dietary cholesterol and egg intakes with type 2 diabetes risk was examined prospectively. The study subjects comprised 27 248 men and 36 218 women aged 45–75 years who participated in the second survey of the Japan Public Health Center-based Prospective Study and had no histories of type 2 diabetes or other serious diseases. Dietary cholesterol and egg intakes were estimated using a validated 147-item FFQ. The OR of self-reported, physician-diagnosed type 2 diabetes over 5 years were estimated using multiple logistic regression. A total of 1165 newly diagnosed cases of type 2 diabetes were self-reported. Although dietary cholesterol intake was not associated with type 2 diabetes risk in men, it was found to be associated with a 23 % lower odds of type 2 diabetes risk in women in the highest quartile of intake, albeit not statistically significant, compared with those in the lowest quartile (Ptrend= 0·08). Such risk reduction was somewhat greater among postmenopausal women; the multivariable-adjusted OR for the highest quartile of cholesterol intake compared with the lowest quartile was 0·68 (95 % CI 0·49, 0·94; Ptrend= 0·04). No association between egg intake and type 2 diabetes risk was found in either men or women. In conclusion, higher intake of cholesterol or eggs may not be associated with an increased risk of type 2 diabetes in Japanese populations. The observed association between decreased type 2 diabetes risk and higher dietary cholesterol intake in postmenopausal women warrants further investigation.
Noise-induced hearing loss in small-scale metal industry in Nepal
Authors: Whittaker J D , Robinson T , Acharya A , Singh D , Smith M
Published: September 2014

Background:

There has been no previous research to demonstrate the risk of noise-induced hearing loss in industry in Nepal. Limited research on occupational noise-induced hearing loss has been conducted within small-scale industry worldwide, despite it being a substantial and growing cause of deafness in the developing world.

Method:

The study involved a cross-sectional audiometric assessment, with questionnaire-based examinations of noise and occupational history, and workplace noise level assessment.

Results:

A total of 115 metal workers and 123 hotel workers (control subjects) were recruited. Noise-induced hearing loss prevalence was 30.4 per cent in metal workers and 4.1 per cent in hotel workers, with a significant odds ratio of 10.3. Except for age and time in occupation, none of the demographic factors were significant in predicting outcomes in regression analyses. When adjusted for this finding, and previous noise-exposed occupations, the odds ratio was 13.8. Workplace noise was significantly different between the groups, ranging from 65.3 to 84.7 dBA in metal worker sites, and from 51.4 to 68.6 dBA in the control sites.

Conclusion:

Metal workers appear to have a greater risk of noise-induced hearing loss than controls. Additional research on occupational noise-induced hearing loss in Nepal and small-scale industry globally is needed.
A critique of Samuel Shearn's moral critique of theodicies
Authors: SØVIK ATLE OTTESEN , EIKREM ASLE
Published: September 2014

In ‘Moral critique and defence of theodicy’ (2013) Samuel Shearn argues that ambitious theodicies trivialize horrendous suffering in an unacceptable way by reinterpreting evils in a way sufferers do not accept. Against Shearn, the authors of this article will argue that sufferer acceptance should not be used as a criterion for the moral acceptability of what theodicies say about horrendous evils. Also, since theodicy is done in the public square, Shearn does not find it relevant to distinguish between contexts in which it is morally improper to communicate theodicies and those in which it is not. We disagree, and present some arguments as to why making such distinctions is morally relevant. Furthermore Shearn argues that theodicy is self-defeating if it aims to comfort sufferers of horrendous evils. We will critically re-examine the examples used to support his conclusion, and suggest that theodicies do have a comforting function. Finally, Shearn describes the difference between theodicy and anti-theodicy as an aesthetic impasse, rather than a moral issue. Against this, we find good reasons to affirm its predominant moral character.
The Choreographic Interface: Dancing Facial Expression in Hip-Hop and Neo-Burlesque Striptease
Authors: Dodds Sherril
Published: September 2014

Although the face possesses potent social and symbolic meaning, the “dancing face” is rarely addressed in dance scholarship. In spite of its neglect, the face participates choreographically in the realization of aesthetic codes and embodied conventions that pertain to different dance styles and genres. I therefore turn to Gilles Deleuze and Felix Guattari's (1987) theory of “faciality” to understand the semiotic coding of the face in relation to the Busby Berkeley chorus girl. Although their work offers an important critique of universalist theorizations of facial expression, I argue that “facial choreography” offers scope to dismantle the legibility of the face that is produced through the overcoded “abstract machine of faciality.” To do so, I introduce the concept of a “choreographic interface” to explore how facial expression enters into a choreographic relationship with other faces and bodily territories. With this in mind, I explore two dancing bodies that engage the face in ways that complicate existing modalities of facial expression. I analyze a hip-hop battle and a neo-burlesque striptease number to show how the mobility and ambiguity of facial choreography opens a dialogic space through which meaning is generated and social and political critique take place.
Choreographing Empathy: Kinesthesia in Performance
Authors: Fensham Rachel
Published: September 2014

On the cover of both of these two books are photographs of women in loose white pants—arms extended, wrists twisted, each wearing concentrated facial expressions; both seen from front and back as if doubling in a mirror. Perhaps suggested by the reaching gesture, the bodies seem to implore the viewer. It is as if movement is held out and yet in abeyance, incomplete within the image, thus awaiting further fulfillment and explanation. As with the images, both books grapple with the conundrum of how movement communicates to a viewer, and how feelings might be evoked, whether kinesthetically or choreographically. Similar but different—one more historical, the other more fragmented—they also address the timely question of empathy in creative practice.
Simultaneous path planning and trajectory optimization for robotic manipulators using discrete mechanics and optimal control
Authors: Shareef Zeeshan , Trächtler Ansgar
Published: September 2014

In robotics, path planning and trajectory optimization are usually performed separately to optimize the path from the given starting point to the ending point in the presence of obstacles. In this paper, path planning and trajectory optimization for robotic manipulators are solved simultaneously by a newly developed methodology called Discrete Mechanics and Optimal Control (DMOC). In DMOC, the Lagrange–d'Alembert equation is discretized directly unlike the conventional variational optimization method in which first the Euler–Lagrange equations are derived and then discretization takes place. In this newly developed method, the constraints for optimization of a desired objective function are the forced discrete Euler–Lagrange equations. In this paper, DMOC is used for simultaneous path planning and trajectory optimization for robotic manipulators in the presence of known static obstacles. Two numerical examples, applied on a DELTA parallel robot, are discussed to show the applicability of this new methodology. The optimal results obtained from DMOC are compared with the other state-of-the-art techniques. The difficulties and problems associated in using the DMOC for Parallel Kinematic Machine (PKM) are also discussed in this paper.
A hydrographic framework for marine conservation in Scotland
Authors: McManus John
Published: September 2014

Synopsis

Organisms and sea floor sediments respond to a number of physical and physico-chemical factors, the understanding of which permits identification of areas with typical and potentially aberrant habitats and deposits. After a resumé of the bathymetry of Scottish water tides, tidal current and residual currents stemming from the circulation in the North Atlantic are examined. The salinity and temperature interrelationships in many areas are summarised in open shelf waters, sea lochs and estuaries. Sea floor sediments commonly reflect reworking of glacial deposits coupled with varying indigenous populations of organisms which contribute skeletal debris to the particulate assemblages characterising the bed.
Church, Communion of Churches and the Anglican Communion
Authors: Hamid David
Published: September 2014

This paper is intended to point to some major concepts and features in Anglican ecclesiology and to mention some significant moments or phases that have shaped it. It will also reflect briefly on the direction that our ecclesiology is taking, as the Churches of the Anglican Communion face challenges, both positive and negative.
I Am Not a Camera: On Visual Politics and Method. A Response to Roy Germano
Authors: Yanow Dvora
Published: September 2014

No observational method is “point and shoot.” Even bracketing interpretive methodologies and their attendant philosophies, a researcher—including an experimentalist—always frames observation in terms of the topic of interest. I cannot ever be “just a camera lens,” not as researcher and not as photographer. Framing research “shots,” an observer always includes some features of the research question terrain while excluding others—of necessity, given human limitations and the partiality, always, of what we can know and the knowledge we can claim. With “shutters” open, we are never passive, always thinking, always world-making. While attention to videography and other visual research methods is welcome, researchers doing “visual politics” need to ask “political” questions: who has created the image being analyzed, for what purpose(s), what imagined viewer(s), and what unintended viewer(s), as well as consider the ethical issues that these methods entail.
Cinéma vérité and the Ontology of Cinema: A Response to Roy Germano
Authors: Panagia Davide
Published: September 2014

In this response I discuss the cinema ontology of Roy Germano’s project of analytic filmmaking. I argue that though the project is at once compelling and ambitious, there are challenges posed by the medium of cinema itself that ultimately undermine Germano’s commitments to indexicality, referentiality, and continuity in political science research.
A Discussion of Gospel of Freedom: Martin Luther King, Jr.'s Letter from Birmingham Jail and the Struggle that Changed a Nation By Jonathan Rieder
Authors: Chenoweth Erica
Published: September 2014

The U.S. civil rights movement was perhaps the most politically and symbolically important American social movement of the 20th century. And Reverend Martin Luther King, Jr.’s “Letter from Birmingham Jail” was a central text of the movement, and arguably one of the most important political texts of the century. Jonathan Rieder’s Gospel of Freedom: Martin Luther King, Jr.’s Letter from Birmingham Jail and the Struggle That Changed a Nation offers a rich and sustained account of the role of King’s letter as a contribution to thinking about race and politics, religion and politics, civil disobedience, political ethics, and the struggle for social justice. This symposium brings together a range of political scientists to comment on Rieder’s book and on the importance of King’s “Letter” more generally, as a contribution both to U.S. political discourse and to political theory.
Grievances and Opportunities: Religious Violence across Political Regimes
Authors: Muchlinski David
Published: September 2014

Studies of religious violence have established that when states restrict religious freedom, the probability of religious violence increases. Conventional wisdom holds that religious violence is primarily a result of religious grievances. When religious groups are denied religious freedom, they seek to revise the status quo in their favor though the use of violence. This study challenges this narrative. It finds, rather than being caused only by grievances, religious violence is also fueled by moments of opportunity. Utilizing cross-national data for the years 2008 and 2001–2005, it is found that religious violence occurs most frequently in anocratic regimes marked by weak and decaying state institutions. Hence, the current narrative is incomplete. Studies analyzing religious violence need to consider how various regimes provide or stifle the opportunity for religious actors to engage in violence as well as how those regimes fuel religious violence through restricting religious freedom and increasing religious grievances.
The Relation Between Illegal Risk Behaviors and the Acquired Capability for Suicide
Authors: Mitchell Sean M. , Jahn Danielle R. , Cukrowicz Kelly C.
Published: September 2014

Background: Suicide is the third leading cause of death among college students. The interpersonal theory of suicide may provide a way to conceptualize suicide risk in this population. Aims: We sought to examine relations between illegal behaviors that may act as risk factors for suicide and the acquired capability for suicide. Method: College students (N = 758) completed assessments of acquired capability and previous exposure to painful and provocative events, including illegal risk behaviors (IRBs). Linear regression, a nonparametric bootstrapping procedure, and two-tailed partial correlations were employed to test our hypotheses. Results: There was no significant relation between IRBs and acquired capability after controlling for legal painful and provocative experiences. A significant positive relation was identified between IRBs and fear/anxiety, contradicting the expected relation between increased painful and provocative experiences and lower fear/anxiety. Acquired capability explained variance in the relation between IRBs and history of suicide attempt or self-injury history. Conclusion: Further research is needed to examine links between IRBs and painful and provocative events, particularly to identify the point at which habituation begins to increase acquired capability, as our unexpected results may be due to a lack of habituation to risky behaviors or low variability of scores in the sample.
Attempted Suicide in Patients With Eating Disorders
Authors: Portzky Gwendolyn , van Heeringen Kees , Vervaet Myriam
Published: September 2014

Background: Suicide is a major cause of mortality for patients with eating disorders (ED), especially for patients with anorexia nervosa. Attempted suicide is also relatively common in patients with anorexia or bulimia nervosa. Aims: This study aimed at examining associations between attempted suicide and trait- and state-dependent characteristics in a large clinical population of ED patients. Method: The sample consisted of 1,436 in- and outpatients of the Centre for Eating Disorders of the Ghent University Hospital. Measures of ED symptoms, psychopathology, and personality traits were compared between ED patients with and ED patients without a history of attempted suicide. Results: A history of attempted suicide was found in 11.8% of the ED patients and lifetime suicidal ideation was reported by 43.3%. Multivariate analyses showed that a history of attempted suicide was associated with higher scores on depression, purging symptomatology, early-developed cognitive schemes (impaired autonomy and increased inhibition), and social insecurity. Conclusion: These findings support the increased risk of suicidal behavior in ED. The presence of particular personality traits, of cognitive schemes, and of purging and depressive symptoms should increase vigilance for suicidal behavior.
Presence and Persistence of Sleep-Related Symptoms and Suicidal Ideation in Psychiatric Inpatients
Authors: Nadorff Michael R. , Ellis Thomas E. , Allen Jon G. , Winer E. Samuel , Herrera Steve
Published: September 2014

Background: Although sleep is an important risk factor for suicidal behavior, research has yet to examine the association between sleep problems and suicidality across the course of inpatient treatment. This study examined the relationship among sleep-related symptoms and suicidal ideation across inpatient treatment. Aims: To examine whether poor sleep at admission longitudinally predicts less improvement in suicidal ideation over the course of treatment. Further, to examine whether suicidal ideation is reduced in patients whose sleep does not improve. Method: The study utilized the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI)-II, which contains items measuring depressive symptoms, sleep-related symptoms, and suicidal ideation. The study sample consisted of 1,529 adult psychiatric inpatients. Patients were assessed at admission, biweekly, and at treatment termination. Results: Admission fatigue, loss of energy, and change in sleep pattern were associated with higher levels of suicidal ideation at admission and discharge. Fatigue at admission predicted suicidal ideation at termination independent of admission depression and suicidal ideation. Individuals whose sleep did not improve over the course of treatment had significantly higher suicidal ideation scores at termination relative to those whose sleep symptoms improved, after controlling for sleep, depression, and suicidal ideation scores at admission. Conclusion: These findings suggest that persistence of sleep-related symptoms warrants clinical attention in the treatment of suicidal patients.
Depression and heart failure associated with clinical COPD questionnaire outcome in primary care COPD patients: a cross-sectional study
Authors: Urff Manon , van den Berg Jan-Willem K , Uil Steven M , Chavannes Niels H , Damoiseaux Roger AMJ
Published: September 2014

Background:

Improvement in health-related quality of life (HRQoL) is one of the main goals in treating chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Impaired HRQoL in COPD is associated with increased morbidity and mortality, hospitalisations and burden on our health-care system. The Clinical COPD Questionnaire (CCQ) is a validated, reliable, short questionnaire for the evaluation of disease-specific HRQoL in patients with COPD in primary care.

Aims:

To investigate factors that might be associated with CCQ outcome in COPD in a primary care setting.

Methods:

In a population of COPD patients in primary care, multiple regression analyses were used to assess associations between CCQ outcome and depression, heart failure, FEV1% predicted, FEV1/FVC, age, sex, body mass index and current smoking.

Results:

Data from 341 patients (mean age 68.1±10.3, COPD GOLD class I–III) were used for analyses. Together, heart failure and depression explained 23% of the variance in CCQ total score (P<0.001, N=93). Heart failure was most strongly associated with CCQ functional score (27% explained variance, P<0.001, N=100), whereas depression was most strongly associated with CCQ mental score (22% explained variance, P<0.001, N=93).

Conclusions:

CCQ outcomes are higher in COPD patients with heart failure and depression. These findings might imply that heart failure and depression affect HRQoL of patients with COPD, and thus emphasise the importance of a holistic approach of this complex disease, leading to a correct diagnosis of COPD and its comorbidities, to achieve better tailored treatment of chronic patients.
Competitive growth mechanisms of AlN on Si (111) by MOVPE
Authors: Feng Yuxia , Wei Hongyuan , Yang Shaoyan , Chen Zhen , Wang Lianshan , Kong Susu , Zhao Guijuan , Liu Xianglin
Published: September 2014

To improve the growth rate and crystal quality of AlN, the competitive growth mechanisms of AlN under different parameters were studied. The mass transport limited mechanism was competed with the gas-phase parasitic reaction and became dominated at low reactor pressure. The mechanism of strain relaxation at the AlN/Si interface was studied by transmission electron microscopy (TEM). Improved deposition rate in the mass-transport-limit region and increased adatom mobility were realized under extremely low reactor pressure.
Enhanced live cell imaging via photonic crystal enhanced fluorescence microscopy
Authors: Chen Weili , Long Kenneth D. , Yu Hojeong , Tan Yafang , Choi Ji Sun , Harley Brendan A. , Cunningham Brian T.
Published: September 2014

Photonic crystal enhanced fluorescence microscopy can provide information about the spatial distribution of cell–surface interactions at the single-cell level.
Evaluation of hydrodynamic chromatography coupled with inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry detector for analysis of colloids in environmental media – effects of colloid composition, coating and shape
Authors: Philippe A. , Gangloff M. , Rakcheev D. , Schaumann G. E.
Published: September 2014

We evaluated hydrodynamic chromatography coupled with inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry to analyse nanoparticles with different coating and shapes.
A fluorescent turn-on probe of naphthalimide for sensitive and specific detection of iodide in neutral aqueous solution and real samples
Authors: Li Dandan , Chen Xinlei , Li Yang , Cheng Tanyu , Zhu Weiping , Xu Yufang , Qian Xuhong
Published: September 2014

A new naphthalimide-based fluorescent turn-on probe was developed for quantitative detection of iodide in neutral aqueous solution.
Thiol–ene immobilisation of carbohydrates onto glass slides as a simple alternative to gold–thiol monolayers, amines or lipid binding
Authors: Biggs Caroline I. , Edmondson Steve , Gibson Matthew I.
Published: September 2014

Carbohydrate arrays are a vital tool in studying infection, probing the mechanisms of bacterial, viral and toxin adhesion and the development of new treatments, by mimicking the structure of the glycocalyx.
Enhanced photocatalytic hydrogen evolution from water by niobate single molecular sheets and ensembles
Authors: Nakagawa Keizo , Jia Tiantian , Zheng Weiran , Fairclough Simon Michael , Katoh Masahiro , Sugiyama Shigeru , Edman Tsang Shik Chi
Published: September 2014

We report single molecular sheets of niobate prepared by a simple bottom-up approach using hydrothermal synthesis of niobium ethoxide with the aid of triethanolamine as a structural modifier.
Synthesis of self-ordered and well-aligned Nb2O5 nanotubes
Authors: Galstyan Vardan , Comini Elisabetta , Faglia Guido , Sberveglieri Giorgio
Published: September 2014

In the present work we demonstrate the fabrication of self-assembled and highly aligned Nb2O5 nanotubes by means of electrochemical anodization of metallic Nb at room temperature.
Environmental assessment of a bottom-up hydrolytic synthesis of TiO2 nanoparticles
Authors: Pini Martina , Rosa Roberto , Neri Paolo , Bondioli Federica , Ferrari Anna Maria
Published: September 2014

A green metrics evaluation of the bottom-up hydrolytic sol–gel synthesis of titanium dioxide (TiO2) nanoparticles has been performed by following two different approaches, namely, EATOS software and LCA methodology.
Hydration of alkynes at room temperature catalyzed by gold(i) isocyanide compounds
Authors: Xu Yun , Hu Xingbang , Shao Jing , Yang Guoqiang , Wu Youting , Zhang Zhibing
Published: September 2014

Gold(i) isocyanide shows high catalytic ability for the hydration of different alkynes at room temperature.
Flexible, thorn-like ZnO-multiwalled carbon nanotube hybrid paper for efficient ultraviolet sensing and photocatalyst applications
Authors: Shao Dali , Sun Hongtao , Gao Jian , Xin Guoqing , Anthony Aguilar Mark , Yao Tiankai , Koratkar Nikhil , Lian Jie , Sawyer Shayla
Published: September 2014

We report fabrication of a flexible, thorn-like ZnO-multiwalled carbon nanotube (MWCNT) hybrid paper with high aspect ratio for efficient ultraviolet (UV) sensing and photocatalyst applications.
Bioinspired polyethylene terephthalate nanocone arrays with underwater superoleophobicity and anti-bioadhesion properties
Authors: Liu Wendong , Liu Xueyao , Fangteng Jiaozi , Wang Shuli , Fang Liping , Shen Huaizhong , Xiang Siyuan , Sun Hongchen , Yang Bai
Published: September 2014

Bioinspired PET nanocone arrays with aspect ratio of 6, which were fabricatedviacolloidal lithography, exhibit underwater superoleophobic and anti-adhesion behavior.
The design, synthesis and biological evaluation of novel thiamin diphosphate analog inhibitors against the pyruvate dehydrogenase multienzyme complex E1 from Escherichia coli
Authors: Feng Lingling , He Junbo , He Haifeng , Zhao Lulu , Deng Lingfu , Zhang Li , Zhang Lin , Ren Yanliang , Wan Jian , He Hongwu
Published: September 2014

Optimal binding mode for the novel potent inhibitor4jagainst PDHc-E1 fromE. coli.
Regioselective ruthenium catalysed H–D exchange using D2O as the deuterium source
Authors: Piola Lorenzo , Fernández-Salas José A. , Manzini Simone , Nolan Steven P.
Published: September 2014

An efficient and convenient ruthenium catalysed method for a regiospecific H/D exchange using D2O is described.
Influence of push–pull configuration on the electro-optical and charge transport properties of novel naphtho-difuran derivatives: a DFT study
Authors: Chaudhry Aijaz Rasool , Ahmed R. , Irfan Ahmad , Muhammad Shabbir , Shaari A. , Al-Sehemi Abdullah G.
Published: September 2014

By a push–pull strategy, highly efficient and photostable naphtho-difuran derivatives were designed to get improved intrinsic electron mobility (1.13 cm2 V−1 s−1).
Polystyrene-based superacidic solid acid catalyst: synthesis and its application in biodiesel production
Authors: Chang Ying , Lee Chohee , Bae Chulsung
Published: September 2014

A novel polystyrene-based superacidic solid acid catalyst was developed. It showed high efficiency for biodiesel production with low catalyst loading and excellent recyclability.
Facile synthesis of a reduction-responsive amphiphilic triblock polymer via a selective thiol–disulfide exchange reaction
Authors: Liu Xiangyu , He Jingwen , Hu Ding , Niu Yile , Xia Xinnian , Lu Yanbing
Published: September 2014

A reduction-responsive amphiphilic triblock polymer was prepared via polycondensation between a dithiol and dipyridyl disulfide, followed by a selective thiol–disulfide exchange reaction.
Isohexide hydroxy esters: synthesis and application of a new class of biobased AB-type building blocks
Authors: Thiyagarajan Shanmugam , Wu Jing , Knoop Rutger J. I. , van Haveren Jacco , Lutz Martin , van Es Daan S.
Published: September 2014

Here we present the synthesis of a new family of sugar derived 1,4:3,6-dianhydrohexitol based AB-type monomers, containing one methyl ester group and a secondary hydroxyl group in all four possible stereo isomers (RR, RS, SR, SS).
Dinuclear Cd(ii), Mn(ii) and Cu(ii) complexes derived from (anthraquinone-1-diyl) benzoate: DNA binding and cleavage studies
Authors: Liu Lin , Zhang Gong-Ming , Zhu Ru-Gang , Liu Yong-Hui , Yao Hui-Meng , Han Zheng-Bo
Published: September 2014

Three dinuclear Cd(ii), Mn(ii) and Cu(ii) complexes have been successfully synthesized under solvothermal conditions. Among them, only the Cu(ii) complex has the activity for DNA cleavage.
Determination of minimal sequence for binding of an aptamer. A comparison of truncation and hybridization inhibition methods
Authors: Le Thao T. , Chumphukam Orada , Cass Anthony E. G.
Published: September 2014

A thermodynamic analysis of the effects of truncation or competitive hybridisation of an aptamer on target binding is presented.
Green and size-controllable synthesis of photoluminescent carbon nanoparticles from waste plastic bags
Authors: Hu Yaoping , Yang Jing , Tian Jiangwei , Jia Li , Yu Jun-Sheng
Published: September 2014

Hydrothermal treatment of various waste plastic bags in low-concentration H2O2 solutions for green and size-controllable synthesis of photoluminescent carbon nanoparticles.
A lithium/polysulfide semi-solid rechargeable flow battery with high output performance
Authors: Dong Kang , Wang Shengping , Yu Jingxian
Published: September 2014

The feasibility of a semi-solid flow cell using polysulfides as catholyte in flow-through mode is demonstrated.
Ni(OH)2 nanosheets grown on a 3D graphene framework as an excellent cathode for flexible supercapacitors
Authors: Ma Yufang , Chen Wanjun , Zhang Peng , Teng Feng , Zhou Jinyuan , Pan Xiaojun , Xie Erqing
Published: September 2014

A simple and scalable hydrothermal method is used to fabricate the Ni(OH)2 nanosheets/3D graphene composite, which presents high specific capacitance and good rate capability.
Fabrication of carbon nanofibers with Si nanoparticle-stuffed cylindrical multi-channels via coaxial electrospinning and their anodic performance
Authors: Yang Ho-Sung , Lee Byoung-Sun , You Byeong-Chul , Sohn Hun-Joon , Yu Woong-Ryeol
Published: September 2014

Si-encapsulated, multi-channeled carbon nanofiber anode, manufactured using coaxial electrospinning, shows improved electrochemical performance.
Chemically deposited PbS thin film photo-conducting layers for optically addressed spatial light modulators
Authors: Safrani Tsofnat , Kumar Tatipamula Arun , Klebanov Matvey , Arad-Vosk Neta , Beach Rotem , Sa'ar Amir , Abdulhalim Ibrahim , Sarusi Gabby , Golan Yuval
Published: September 2014

Lead sulfide semiconducting thin films were chemically deposited on indium tin oxide coated glass plates for use as photoreceptor layers in conjugation with optically addressed spatial light modulators (OASLMs).
Studies of the regulated assembly of SNARE complexes in adipocytes
Authors: Kioumourtzoglou Dimitrios , Sadler Jessica B.A. , Black Hannah L. , Berends Rebecca , Wellburn Cassie , Bryant Nia J. , Gould Gwyn W.
Published: September 2014

Insulin plays a fundamental role in whole-body glucose homeostasis. Central to this is the hormone's ability to rapidly stimulate the rate of glucose transport into adipocytes and muscle cells [1]. Upon binding its receptor, insulin stimulates an intracellular signalling cascade that culminates in redistribution of glucose transporter proteins, specifically the GLUT4 isoform, from intracellular stores to the plasma membrane, a process termed ‘translocation’ [1,2]. This is an example of regulated membrane trafficking [3], a process that also underpins other aspects of physiology in a number of specialized cell types, for example neurotransmission in brain/neurons and release of hormone-containing vesicles from specialized secretory cells such as those found in pancreatic islets. These processes invoke a number of intriguing biological questions as follows. How is the machinery involved in these membrane trafficking events mobilized in response to a stimulus? How do the signalling pathways that detect the external stimulus interface with the trafficking machinery? Recent studies of insulin-stimulated GLUT4 translocation offer insight into such questions. In the present paper, we have reviewed these studies and draw parallels with other regulated trafficking systems.
Alterations of membrane curvature during influenza virus budding
Authors: Martyna Agnieszka , Rossman Jeremy
Published: September 2014

Influenza A virus belongs to the Orthomyxoviridae family. It is an enveloped virus that contains a segmented and negative-sense RNA genome. Influenza A viruses cause annual epidemics and occasional major pandemics, are a major cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide, and have a significant financial impact on society. Assembly and budding of new viral particles are a complex and multi-step process involving several host and viral factors. Influenza viruses use lipid raft domains in the apical plasma membrane of polarized epithelial cells as sites of budding. Two viral glycoproteins, haemagglutinin and neuraminidase, concentrate in lipid rafts, causing alterations in membrane curvature and initiation of the budding process. Matrix protein 1 (M1), which forms the inner structure of the virion, is then recruited to the site followed by incorporation of the viral ribonucleoproteins and matrix protein 2 (M2). M1 can alter membrane curvature and progress budding, whereas lipid raft-associated M2 stabilizes the site of budding, allowing for proper assembly of the virion. In the later stages of budding, M2 is localized to the neck of the budding virion at the lipid phase boundary, where it causes negative membrane curvature, leading to scission and virion release.
Building lipid ‘PIPelines’ throughout the cell by ORP/Osh proteins
Authors: von Filseck Joachim Moser , Mesmin Bruno , Bigay Joëlle , Antonny Bruno , Drin Guillaume
Published: September 2014

In eukaryotic cells, a sterol gradient exists between the early and late regions of the secretory pathway. This gradient seems to rely on non-vesicular transport mechanisms mediated by specialized carriers. The oxysterol-binding protein-related protein (ORP)/oxysterol-binding homology (Osh) family has been assumed initially to exclusively include proteins acting as sterol sensors/transporters and many efforts have been made to determine their mode of action. Our recent studies have demonstrated that some ORP/Osh proteins are not mere sterol transporters, but sterol/phosphatidylinositol 4-phosphate [PI(4)P] exchangers. They exploit the PI(4)P gradient at the endoplasmic reticulum (ER)/Golgi interface, or at membrane-contact sites between these compartments, to actively create a sterol gradient. Other recent reports have suggested that all ORP/Osh proteins bind PI(4)P and recognize a second lipid that is not necessary sterol. We have thus proposed that ORP/Osh proteins use PI(4)P gradients between organelles to convey various lipid species.
Role of calcium in membrane interactions by PI(4,5)P2-binding proteins
Authors: Monteiro Marina E. , Sarmento Maria J. , Fernandes Fábio
Published: September 2014

Ca2+ and phosphatidylinositol 4,5-bisphosphate [PI(4,5)P2] are key agents in membrane-associated signalling events. Their temporal and spatial regulation is crucial for activation or recruitment of proteins in the plasma membrane. In fact, the interaction of several signalling proteins with PI(4,5)P2 has been shown to be tightly regulated and dependent on the presence of Ca2+, with co-operative binding in some cases. In these proteins, PI(4,5)P2 and Ca2+ binding typically occurs at different binding sites. In addition, several PI(4,5)P2-binding proteins are known targets of calmodulin (CaM), which, depending on the presence of calcium, can compete with PI(4,5)P2 for protein interaction, translating Ca2+ transient microdomains into variations of PI(4,5)P2 lateral organization in time and space. The present review highlights different examples of calcium-dependent PI(4,5)P2-binding proteins and discusses the possible impact of this dual regulation on fine-tuning of protein activity by triggering target membrane binding in the presence of subtle changes in the levels of calcium or PI(4,5)P2.
Lysophosphatidylinositol: a novel link between ABC transporters and G-protein-coupled receptors
Authors: Ruban Emily L. , Ferro Riccardo , Arifin Syamsul Ahmad , Falasca Marco
Published: September 2014

Lysophosphatidylinositol (LPI) is a well-known bioactive lipid that is able to activate signalling cascades relevant to cell proliferation, migration, survival and tumorigenesis. Our previous work suggested that LPI is involved in cancer progression since it can be released in the medium of Ras-transformed fibroblasts and can function as an autocrine modulator of cell growth. Different research groups have established that LPI is the specific and functional ligand for G-protein-coupled receptor 55 (GPR55) and that this GPR55–LPI axis is able to activate signalling cascades that are relevant for different cell functions. Work in our laboratory has recently unravelled an autocrine loop, by which LPI synthesized by cytosolic phospholipase A2 (cPLA2) is pumped out of the cell by ATP-binding cassette (ABC) transporter C1 (ABCC1)/multidrug resistance protein 1 (MRP1), initiating a signalling cascade downstream of GPR55. Our current work suggests that blockade of this pathway may represent a novel strategy to inhibit cancer cell proliferation.
WIPI β-propellers at the crossroads of autophagosome and lipid droplet dynamics
Authors: Pfisterer Simon G. , Bakula Daniela , Cezanne Alice , Robenek Horst , Proikas-Cezanne Tassula
Published: September 2014

Macroautophagy (autophagy hereafter) is an evolutionarily highly conserved catabolic process activated by eukaryotes in order to counteract cellular starvation. Autophagy leads to bulk degradation of cytoplasmic content in the lysosomal compartment, thereby clearing the cytoplasm and generating nutrients and energy. Upon autophagy initiation, cytoplasmic material becomes sequestered in newly formed double-membrane vesicles termed ‘autophagosomes’ that subsequently acquire acidic hydrolases for content destruction. The de novo biogenesis of autophagosomes often occurs at the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) and, in many cases, in close proximity to lipid droplets (LDs), intracellular neutral lipid storage reservoirs. LDs are targets of autophagic destruction, but have recently also been shown to contribute to autophagosome formation. In fact, some autophagy-related (Atg) proteins, such as microtubule-associated protein light chain 3 (LC3), Atg2 and Atg14L, functionally contribute to both LD and autophagosome biogenesis. In the present paper, we discuss Atg proteins, including members of the human WD-repeat protein interacting with phosphoinositides (WIPI) family that co-localize prominently with LC3, Atg2 and Atg14L to conceivably integrate LD and autophagosome dynamics.