bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Exploring the Usefulness of Botanicals as an Adjunctive Treatment for Lymphedema: A Systematic Search and Review
Authors: Poage Ellen G. , Rodrick Julia R. , Wanchai Ausanee , Stewart Bob R. , Cormier Janice N. , Armer Jane M.
Published: October 2014

Objectives

To provide a critical analysis of the current published research regarding the use, risks, and benefits of botanicals in the treatment of lymphedema and to provide health professionals with current knowledge of safe, appropriate use of botanicals for treatment of lymphedema.

Type

This systematic search and review addresses the use of botanicals in the treatment of lymphedema in order to develop a best evidence synthesis of the research.

Literature Survey

Articles were identified from 11 major medical indices published from 2004‐2012 using search terms for lymphedema and management. Eighty‐five articles met the inclusion criteria of evidence‐based lymphedema therapies for the category “complementary and alternative methods for lymphedema therapy.”

Methodology

Two clinical lymphedema experts reviewed the studies according to level of evidence guidelines established by the Oncology Nursing Society, Putting Evidence into Practice, and subdivided the methods into subcategories that included Botanical, Pharmaceutical, Physical Agent Modalities, and Modalities of Contemporary Value. The pharmaceutical articles were excluded (5) because they fell outside the inclusion criteria. Twenty‐two articles were used in a separate review of physical agent modalities and modalities of contemporary value for lymphedema. Botanicals generated substantial research (11) and warranted its own independent review.

Synthesis

The levels of evidence are weak, because research conclusions were limited by size, dose, and study design. A limited number of randomized controlled trials have been performed, and reliability is not always evident, particularly in the context of large systematic reviews where evidence was bundled.

Conclusions

Evidence supporting the use of botanicals for the treatment of lymphedema is insufficient. Some evidence suggests benefits for the treatment of chronic venous insufficiency. Development of specific and sensitive measurement methods may change how botanicals are studied and establish a body of evidence for their use.
Neurogenic Bowel After Spinal Cord Injury From the Perspective of Support Providers: A Phenomenological Study
Authors: Burns Anthony S. , St‐Germain Daphney , Connolly Maureen , Delparte Jude J. , Guindon Andréanne , Hitzig Sander L. , Craven B. Catharine
Published: October 2014

Objective

To gain greater insight into the experience of support providers who assist and support individuals with spinal cord injury (SCI) for the performance of bowel care.

Design

Qualitative (phenomenological) interviews and analysis.

Setting

Community.

Participants

Ten support providers of individuals with SCI.

Main Outcome Measurements

Themes related to supporting bowel care for individuals with SCI.

Results

Support providers identified concerns and challenges as well as sources of satisfaction related to the provision of bowel care to individuals with SCI. Traits and characteristics of effective support providers also emerged.

Conclusions

Individuals with SCI often require emotional, logistical, and/or physical assistance to complete bowel care. Exploration of neurogenic bowel care from the perspective of support providers identified concerns and challenges, sources of satisfaction, and important traits and characteristics of support providers. This information can facilitate the identification of effective support providers and the provision of enhanced training and support. Interventions of this nature can improve the experience for individuals with SCI and their supports.
Botulinum Toxin Injection Techniques for the Management of Adult Spasticity
Authors: Walker Heather W. , Lee Michael Y. , Bahroo Laxman B. , Hedera Peter , Charles David
Published: October 2014

Spasticity is often experienced by individuals with injury or illness of the central nervous system from etiologies such as stroke, spinal cord injury, brain injury, multiple sclerosis, or other neurologic conditions. Although spasticity may provide benefits in some patients, it more often leads to complications negatively impacting the patient. Nonpharmacologic treatment options often do not provide long‐term reduction of spasticity, and systemic interventions, such as oral medications, can have intolerable side effects. The use of botulinum neurotoxin injections is one option for management of focal spasticity. Several localization techniques are available to physicians that allow for identification of the selected target muscles. These methods include anatomic localization in isolation or in conjunction with electromyography guidance, electrical stimulation guidance, or ultrasound guidance. This article will focus on further description of each of these techniques in relation to the treatment of adult spasticity and will discuss the advantages and disadvantages of each technique, as well as review the literature comparing the techniques.
What is the apparent angle of a Kelvin ship wave pattern?
Authors: Pethiyagoda Ravindra , McCue Scott W. , Moroney Timothy J.
Published: October 2014

While the half-angle which encloses a Kelvin ship wave pattern is commonly accepted to be 19.47°, recent observations and calculations for sufficiently fast-moving ships suggest that the apparent wake angle decreases with ship speed. One explanation for this decrease in angle relies on the assumption that a ship cannot generate wavelengths much greater than its hull length. An alternative interpretation is that the wave pattern that is observed in practice is defined by the location of the highest peaks; for wakes created by sufficiently fast-moving objects, these highest peaks no longer lie on the outermost divergent waves, resulting in a smaller apparent angle. In this paper, we focus on the problems of free-surface flow past a single submerged point source and past a submerged source doublet. In the linear version of these problems, we measure the apparent wake angle formed by the highest peaks, and observe the following three regimes: a small Froude number pattern, in which the divergent waves are not visible; standard wave patterns for which the maximum peaks occur on the outermost divergent waves; and a third regime in which the highest peaks form a V-shape with an angle much less than the Kelvin angle. For nonlinear flows, we demonstrate that nonlinearity has the effect of increasing the apparent wake angle so that some highly nonlinear solutions have apparent wake angles that are greater than Kelvin’s angle. For large Froude numbers, the effect on apparent wake angle can be more dramatic, with the possibility of strong nonlinearity shifting the wave pattern from the third regime to the second. We expect that our nonlinear results will translate to other more complicated flow configurations, such as flow due to a steadily moving closed body such as a submarine.
Restricted equilibrium and the energy cascade in rotating and stratified flows
Authors: Herbert Corentin , Pouquet Annick , Marino Raffaele
Published: October 2014

Most turbulent flows appearing in nature (e.g. geophysical and astrophysical flows) are subjected to strong rotation and stratification. These effects break the symmetries of classical, homogenous isotropic turbulence. In doing so, they introduce a natural decomposition of phase space in terms of wave modes and potential vorticity modes. The appearance of a new time scale, associated with the propagation of waves, hinders the understanding of energy transfers across scales. For instance, it is difficult to predicta prioriwhether the energy cascades downscale as in homogeneous isotropic turbulence or upscale as expected from balanced dynamics. In this paper, we suggest a theoretical approach based on equilibrium statistical mechanics for the ideal system, inspired by the restricted partition function formalism introduced in metastability studies. We focus on the qualitative features of the inviscid system, taking into account either all the modes or just the slow modes. Specifically, we show that at absolute equilibrium, i.e. when all the modes are considered, no negative temperature states exist, and the isotropic energy spectrum is close to equipartition. By contrast, when the statistics is restricted to the contributions of the slow modes, we find that in the presence of rotation, there exists a regime of negative temperature featuring an infrared divergence in both the isotropic and the axisymmetric average energy spectrum, characteristic of an inverse cascade regime. Such regimes are not allowed for purely stratified flows, even in the restricted ensemble, because the slow manifold then partitions into modes that carry potential vorticity on the one hand, and hydrostatically balanced but vorticity-free modes, the so-called vertical shear horizontal flows, on the other hand, which forbid the appearance of negative temperatures.
REPUBLIC OF PARADOX: THE LEAGUE OF NATIONS MINORITY PROTECTION REGIME AND THE NEW TURKEY'S STEP-CITIZENS
Authors: Ekmekcioglu Lerna
Published: October 2014

This article focuses on the years after World War I, especially the first decade following the 1923 establishment of the Republic of Turkey, in order to analyze the position of minorities in the developing “we” of the new nation as projected by its political elite. Situating the discussion in the context of the League of Nations interwar minority protection regime, I demonstrate that the Treaty of Lausanne, which the Ankara government and the Allies signed in July 1923, played an important role in the conflicting treatment that minorities have since received in Turkey. The treaty's minority protection clauses entrenched divisions that had already been formed in the Ottoman Empire during the violence of the preceding decade, including the Armenian genocide. Moreover, reminding Turkish leaders of how 19th-century European imperial powers had used the cause of Ottoman Christians’ suffering as an excuse to infringe on Ottoman sovereignty, these clauses alarmed the Turkish political elite, especially as the “Great Powers” themselves were not bound by such minority protection guarantees. The goal of preventing a repetition of this unbalanced international power dynamic, which, according to the new Turkey's leaders, had led to the demise of the Ottoman Empire, engendered paradoxical policies toward non-Muslim Turkish citizens; they have been largely excluded from a Turkness (Türklük) to which they were sometimes included, even forcibly included.
“MEMORIES OF THE BELOVED”: ORAL HISTORIES FROM THE 1916–19 SIEGE OF MEDINA
Authors: El Bakri Alia
Published: October 2014

This article analyzes interviews related to the 1916–19 Sharifian siege of Medina that were published in a collection on the city's history by Saudi Arabian historian Ahmad Murshid. These oral histories narrate how Fakhri Pasha (Turkish: Fahreddin), the Ottoman military commander stationed in Medina during the siege, expelled residents from their homes, strictly controlled the supply of food in the city, and managed military operations out of the Holy Mosque of the Prophet Muhammad. The article seeks to explore the perspective of ordinary civilians who experienced the siege, a perspective largely missing from the literature on the subject. The interviews are positioned here as a valuable historical source for understanding the impact of the siege on these individuals and on their families, communities, and identities. Their memories underscore the interviewees’ deep attachment to their city, as well as to their identity asmadanīs and as legitimate narrators of Medina's history.
WHEN MOTHERS ATE THEIR CHILDREN: WARTIME MEMORY AND THE LANGUAGE OF FOOD IN SYRIA AND LEBANON
Authors: al-Qattan Najwa
Published: October 2014

This article explores the experience of the Great War in Syria and Lebanon with a specific focus on the famine that, combined with other wartime calamities, decimated the civilian population. Using food as its primary register, it looks at a wide range of largely untapped Syrian and Lebanese poems,zajal, plays, novels, memoirs, and histories written over the course of the 20th century, in order to illuminate the experiential dimensions of the civilians’ war and to delineate some of the discourses that structured it. More specifically, it argues that the wartime famine in Syria and Lebanon gave rise to a remembered cuisine of desperation that is deeply informative about the ruptured world of the civilians’ war.
FEEDING THE CITY: THE BEIRUT MUNICIPALITY AND THE POLITICS OF FOOD DURING WORLD WAR I
Authors: Tanielian Melanie Schulze
Published: October 2014

World War I in the Ottoman Empire was a humanitarian disaster of unprecedented scale. By 1916 in the Greater Syrian provinces, men, women, and children were dyingen masseof a war-induced famine so devastating that popular memory still names this warḥarb al-majāʿa(the war of famine). Despite the civilian catastrophe, people's experiences on the Ottoman home front have been only marginally explored in the scholarship. Focusing on the city of Beirut, this article highlights the centrality of food provisioning in the competition for political legitimacy in the provincial capital. Through a detailed analysis of how the Beirut municipality was represented in the city's daily newspaperal-Ittihad al-ʿUthmani, I argue that for local reform-minded notables and intellectuals the war presented an opportunity to prove, both to the local population and to the Ottoman state, that issues related to the internal security and well-being of the Beirut province generally and the city specifically could be dealt with locally through existing governing bodies. The article thus traces the fierce political games played around the issue of food by various actors seeking to win the hearts of Beirutis through their stomachs.
Sequestration, Scholarship, Sentinel: The Post-Politics of Peace (and War)
Authors: Kosmatopoulos Nikolas
Published: October 2014

In Lebanon, diverse sociopolitical projects have sought to mend the wounds, repair the cracks, and overhaul the loss of the devastating civil war (1975–90). Experts and technopolitics have featured centrally in almost all of them. In my anthropological research on expertise on peace and crisis in Lebanon, I explore how, in the decades after the war, an abstract ideal of peace gave way to a distinct space occupied by diverse groups of experts. I analyze how a previously political aim was transformed into a professionalized field around which specialized knowledge domains were developed and technopolitical practices deployed. In this essay I briefly explore this new architecture of expert power based on the technopolitics of peace (and war) in the contemporary Middle East.
RECORDING WORLD WARS
Authors: cooke miriam
Published: October 2014

World War I inspired countless artists, poets, novelists, and even soldiers across the world to record their unimaginable experiences and to reject the millennial lie: dulce et decorum est pro patria mori (it is sweet and appropriate to die for one's country). Early 20th-century European writers like Wilfred Owen, Virginia Woolf, Erich Maria Remarque, and Henri Barbusse have become household names. Less well known are the Arab civilians and soldier writers who struggled on the edges of the war's fronts.
A COMMENT ON MARTIN VAN BRUINESSEN'S REVIEW OF CENGIZ GUNES, THE KURDISH NATIONAL MOVEMENT IN TURKEY: FROM PROTEST TO RESISTANCE (IJMES 45 [2013]: 643–45)
Authors: Gunes Cengiz
Published: October 2014

I am humbled that Martin van Bruinessen, a leading figure in the field of Kurdish Studies, has reviewed my book in IJMES. However, the review contains a number of inaccuracies and misrepresentations with which I take issue in this response.
Does the long-term success of REDD+ also depend on biodiversity?
Authors: Hinsley Amy , Entwistle Abigail , Pio Dorothea V.
Published: October 2014

Originally proposed in 2005 as a way to use financial incentives to tackle global climate change, Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and forest Degradation (REDD) has evolved to include conservation, sustainable management of forests and enhancement of forest carbon stocks, in what is now known as REDD+. Biodiversity protection is still viewed principally as a co-benefit of the REDD+ process, with conservation of forest tree cover and carbon stocks providing the main measure of success. However, focusing solely on tree cover and carbon stocks does not always protect other species, which may be threatened by other factors, most notably hunting. We present evidence from the literature that loss of biodiversity can affect forest composition, tree survival and forest resilience and may in some cases ultimately lead to a reduction in carbon storage. We argue that REDD+ projects should specifically mitigate for threats to biodiversity if they are to maximize carbon storage potential in the long term.
Are people at risk of psychosis also at risk of suicide and self-harm? A systematic review and meta-analysis
Authors: Taylor P. J. , Hutton P. , Wood L.
Published: October 2014

Background.

Suicide and self-harm are prevalent in individuals diagnosed with psychotic disorders. However, less is known about the level of self-injurious thinking and behaviour in those individuals deemed to be at ultra-high risk (UHR) of developing psychosis, despite growing clinical interest in this population. This review provides a synthesis of the extant literature concerning the prevalence of self-harm and suicidality in the UHR population, and the predictors and correlates associated with these events.

Method.

A search of electronic databases was undertaken by two independent reviewers. A meta-analysis of prevalence was undertaken for self-harm, suicidal ideation and behaviour. A narrative review was also undertaken of analyses examining predictors and correlates of self-harm and suicidality.

Results.

Twenty-one eligible studies were identified. The meta-analyses suggested a high prevalence of recent suicidal ideation (66%), lifetime self-harm (49%) and lifetime suicide attempts (18%). Co-morbid psychiatric problems, mood variability and a family history of psychiatric problems were among the factors associated with self-harm and suicide risk.

Conclusions.

Results suggest that self-harm and suicidality are highly prevalent in the UHR population, with rates similar to those observed in samples with diagnosed psychotic disorders. Appropriate monitoring and managing of suicide risk will be important for services working with the UHR population. Further research in this area is urgently needed considering the high rates identified.
NONPARAMETRIC IDENTIFICATION OF POSITIVE EIGENFUNCTIONS
Authors: Christensen Timothy M.
Published: October 2014

Important features of certain economic models may be revealed by studying positive eigenfunctions of appropriately chosen linear operators. Examples include long-run risk–return relationships in dynamic asset pricing models and components of marginal utility in external habit formation models. This paper provides identification conditions for positive eigenfunctions in nonparametric models. Identification is achieved if the operator satisfies two mild positivity conditions and a power compactness condition. Both existence and identification are achieved under a further nondegeneracy condition. The general results are applied to obtain new identification conditions for external habit formation models and for positive eigenfunctions of pricing operators in dynamic asset pricing models.
DIFFERENCING TRANSFORMATIONS AND INFERENCE IN PREDICTIVE REGRESSION MODELS
Authors: Camponovo Lorenzo
Published: October 2014

The limit distribution of conventional test statistics for predictability may depend on the degree of persistence of the predictors. Therefore, diverging results and conclusions may arise because of the different asymptotic theories adopted. Using differencing transformations, we introduce a new class of estimators and test statistics for predictive regression models with Gaussian limit distribution that is instead insensitive to the degree of persistence of the predictors. This desirable feature allows to construct Gaussian confidence intervals for the parameter of interest in stationary, nonstationary, and even locally explosive settings. Besides the limit distribution, we also study the efficiency and the rate of convergence of our new class of estimators. We show that the rate of convergence is$\sqrt n $in stationary cases, while it can be arbitrarily close tonin nonstationary settings, still preserving the Gaussian limit distribution. Monte Carlo simulations confirm the high reliability and accuracy of our test statistics.
MEASURING UNIVERSITY-LEVEL L2 LEARNERS’ IMPLICIT AND EXPLICIT LINGUISTIC KNOWLEDGE
Authors: Zhang Runhan
Published: October 2014

Although many theoretical issues revolving around implicit and explicit knowledge in second language (L2) acquisition hinge on the ability to measure these two types of knowledge, few empirical studies have attempted to do so. However, R. Ellis (2005) did develop a battery of tests intended to provide relatively separate measures. This study aims to validate the use of Ellis’s test battery in an English as a foreign language context and to investigate the extent of Chinese first-year university students’ implicit and explicit L2 knowledge. Test scores loaded on two factors, as in R. Ellis (2005), thus demonstrating construct validity for the tests as measures of implicit and explicit knowledge in a population of Chinese university-level learners of English in a Chinese (as opposed to English as a second language) context. These learners were found to have higher scores on measures of explicit knowledge than on those of implicit knowledge because of the instruction they had received and their English learning environment.
An explosive outbreak of Streptococcus pneumoniae serotype-8 infection in a highly vaccinated residential care home, England, summer 2012
Authors: THOMAS H. L. , GAJRAJ R. , SLACK M. P. E. , SHEPPARD C. , HAWKEY P. , GOSSAIN S. , DREW C. M. , PEBODY R. G.
Published: October 2014

In August 2012, an explosive outbreak of severe lower respiratory tract infection (LRTI) due to Streptococcus pneumoniae serotype-8 occurred in a highly vaccinated elderly institutionalized population in England. Fifteen of 23 residents developed LRTI over 4 days (attack rate 65%); 11 had confirmed S. pneumoniae serotype-8 disease, and two died. Following amoxicillin chemoprophylaxis and pneumococcal polysaccharide vaccine (PPV) re-vaccination no further cases occurred in the following 2 months. No association was found between being an outbreak-associated case and age (P = 0·36), underlying comorbidities [relative risk (RR) 0·84 95% confidence interval (CI) 0·34–2·09], or prior receipt of PPV (RR 1·4, 95% CI 0·60–3·33). However, the median number of years since PPV was significantly higher for cases (n = 15, 10·2 years, range 7·3–17·9 years) than non-cases (n = 8, 7·2 years, range 6·8–12·8 years) (P = 0·045), provided evidence of waning immunity. Alternative vaccination strategies should be considered to prevent future S. pneumoniae outbreaks in institutionalized elderly populations.
Optimal Codes in the Enomoto-Katona Space
Authors: CHEE YEOW MENG , KIAH HAN MAO , ZHANG HUI , ZHANG XIANDE
Published: October 2014

Coding in a new metric space, called the Enomoto-Katona space, has recently been considered in connection with the study of implication structures of functional dependencies and their generalizations in relational databases. The central problem is the determination ofC(n,k,d), the size of an optimal code of lengthn, weightk, and distancedin the Enomoto-Katona space. The value ofC(n,k,d) was known only for some congruence classes ofnwhen (k,d) ∈ {(2,3),(3,5)}. In this paper, we obtain new infinite families of optimal codes in the Enomoto-Katona space and verify a conjecture of Brightwell and Katona in certain instances. In particular,C(n,k, 2k− 1) is determined for all sufficiently largensatisfying eithern≡ 1 modkandn(n− 1) ≡ 0 mod 2k2, orn≡ 0 modk. We also give complete solutions fork= 2 and determineC(n,3,5) for certain congruence classes ofnwith finite exceptions.
Assessment of a Scenario-Based Approach to Facilitating Critical Thinking Among Paramedic Students
Authors: Janing Judy
Published: October 2014

Introduction:

Paramedic practice is shifting from [direct] on-line medical control to protocol-driven care initiated on the paramedic's judgment of the patient's problem(s). Teaching in most paramedic training programs remains grounded in technical rationality. This does not adequately prepare practitioners for current day practice. Medical conditions often present as ill-defined problems. To deal with these situations, practitioners need problem solving and reflective-thinking skills. Methodologies incorporating the use of these skills in a contextual situation similar to actual practice may help paramedics develop these skills.

Hypothesis:

This study sought to determine the impact of written scenario exercises in the context of clinical problems as a means of learning in order to foster higher level thinking skills and self-directed tendencies. It involved three hypotheses: 1) Post-test scores would correlate with scores attained on the traditional, multiple choice, final examination; 2) Post-test scores would correlate with scores on the critical thinking sub-test of the final examination; and 3) Scores would be better on the post-test compared to thepre-test.

Methods:

This two year, longitudinal, prospective study was conducted with 55 paramedic students using a pre- and post-test. Post-test scores were compared with final examination scores and scores of the subset of higher level thinking questions within that examination using the Pearson r-test. The relationship between the pre- and post-test scores was analyzed using a one-tailed dependent t-test. Post-hoc analysis of the variables of age, experience, and education was conducted using one-way analysis of variance.

Results:

The correlation between post-test scores with final examination scores was positive and modestly significant. There was no correlation of post-test scores with sub-test scores. Comparison of pre- and post-test scores was significant. Effects for age, experience, and education were not significant statistically.

Conclusion:

Using written scenarios increases ability to utilize reflective thinking and self-directed tendencies. However, this ability may not be demonstrated consistently on traditional written examinations. A multi-site study using large numbers and a control group or alternative methods appears to be indicated to demonstrate more accurate effects of the methodology.
OPTIMAL TIME-CONSISTENT PORTFOLIO AND CONTRIBUTION SELECTION FOR DEFINED BENEFIT PENSION SCHEMES UNDER MEAN–VARIANCE CRITERION
Authors: LIANG XIAOQING , BAI LIHUA , GUO JUNYI
Published: October 2014

We investigate two mean–variance optimization problems for a single cohort of workers in an accumulation phase of a defined benefit pension scheme. Since the mortality intensity evolves as a general Markov diffusion process, the liability is random. The fund manager aims to cover this uncertain liability via controlling the asset allocation strategy and the contribution rate. In order to have a more realistic model, we study the case when the risk aversion depends dynamically on current wealth. By solving an extended Hamilton–Jacobi–Bellman system, we obtain analytical solutions for the equilibrium strategies and value function which depend on both current wealth and mortality intensity. Moreover, results for the constant risk aversion are presented as special cases of our models.
A SIMPLE CLOSED-FORM FORMULA FOR PRICING DISCRETELY-SAMPLED VARIANCE SWAPS UNDER THE HESTON MODEL
Authors: RUJIVAN SANAE , ZHU SONG-PING
Published: October 2014

We develop a simplified analytical approach for pricing discretely-sampled variance swaps with the realized variance, defined in terms of the squared log return of the underlying price. The closed-form formula obtained for Heston’s two-factor stochastic volatility model is in a much simpler form than those proposed in literature. Most interestingly, we discuss the validity of our solution as well as some other previous solutions in different forms in the parameter space. We demonstrate that market practitioners need to be cautious, making sure that their model parameters extracted from market data are in the right parameter subspace, when any of these analytical pricing formulae is adopted to calculate the fair delivery price of a discretely-sampled variance swap.
Improving the Power to Detect Risk Variants for Allergic Disease by Defining Case-Control Status Based on Both Asthma and Hay Fever
Authors: Ferreira Manuel A. R.
Published: October 2014

Asthma and hay fever are likely to share hundreds if not thousands of genetic risk variants. Despite this, the extent to which the power to identify shared risk variants could be improved by considering information from both diseases when designing or analyzing genetic studies has not been studied in detail. Simulations were performed to quantify the power to detect an association between case-control status and a bi-allelic risk variant shared between asthma and hay fever across a range of disease and genetic models, as well as different ascertainment and analytical strategies. For a fixed sample size, when designing a new genome-wide association study (GWAS), selecting for genotyping cases with both asthma and hay fever (A+H+), and controls with neither disease (A-H-) was the study design that provided the greatest power to identify a shared risk variant. On the other hand, when analyzing an existing GWAS, power was greatest across a wide range of scenarios, when cases were defined as individuals who suffered from either disease (A+ or H+) and controls as those who suffered from neither (A-H-). Bivariate analysis of asthma and hay fever provided comparable but slightly decreased power. In conclusion, new GWAS can be designed and existing GWAS reanalyzed more efficiently to identify risk variants for allergic disease by using ascertainment or analytical strategies that consider both asthma and hay fever information.
Nepotism in the Hiring of Leaders
Authors: Darioly Annick , Riggio Ronald E.
Published: October 2014

This study examines how applicants who are relatives of the company’s executives are perceived when they are being considered for a leadership position. In a 2 (Family ties: with vs. without) × 2 (Applicant qualifications: well-qualified vs. underqualified) experimental design, 165 Swiss employees read the applicant’s job application and evaluated the hiring decision, the perceived competence, and the perceived career progress of the target employee. This research showed that even a well-qualified potential employee received a more negative evaluation if the candidate had family ties to the company. Despite their negative evaluation of potential nepotistic hires, the participants nevertheless believed that family ties would boost the career progress of an underqualified applicant. Limitations and implications are discussed.
The bromodomain and extra-terminal inhibitor CPI203 enhances the antiproliferative effects of rapamycin on human neuroendocrine tumors
Authors: Wong C , Laddha S V , Tang L , Vosburgh E , Levine A J , Normant E , Sandy P , Harris C R , Chan C S , Xu E Y
Published: October 2014

Endogenous c-MYC (MYC) has been reported to be a potential pharmacological target to trigger ubiquitous tumor regression of pancreatic neuroendocrine tumors (PanNETs) and lung tumors. Recently inhibitors of bromodomain and extra-terminal (BET) family proteins have shown antitumor effects through the suppression of MYC in leukemia and lymphoma. In this paper, we investigated the antitumor activity of a BET protein bromodomain inhibitor (BETi) CPI203 as a single agent and in combination with rapamycin in human PanNETs. We found that exposure of human PanNET cell lines to CPI203 led to downregulation of MYC expression, G1 cell cycle arrest and nearly complete inhibition of cell proliferation. In addition, overexpression of MYC suppressed the growth inhibition caused by CPI203 and knockdown of MYC phenocopied the effects of CPI203 treatment. These findings indicate that suppression of MYC contributed to the antiproliferative effects of BETi inhibition in human PanNET cells. Importantly, CPI203 treatment enhanced the antitumor effects of rapamycin in PanNET cells grown in monolayer and in three-dimensional cell cultures, as well as in a human PanNET xenograft model in vivo. Furthermore, the combination treatment attenuated rapamycin-induced AKT activation, a major limitation of rapamycin therapy. Collectively, our data suggest that targeting MYC with a BETi may increase the therapeutic benefits of rapalogs in human PanNET patients. This provides a novel clinical strategy for PanNETs, and possibly for other tumors as well.
Analysis of BH3-only proteins upregulated in response to oxygen/glucose deprivation in cortical neurons identifies Bmf but not Noxa as potential mediator of neuronal injury
Authors: Pfeiffer S , Anilkumar U , Chen G , Ramírez-Peinado S , Galindo-Moreno J , Muñoz-Pinedo C , Prehn J H M
Published: October 2014

Stress signaling in response to oxygen/glucose deprivation (OGD) and ischemic injury activates a group of pro-apoptotic genes, the Bcl-2 homology domain 3 (BH3)-only proteins, which are capable of activating the mitochondrial apoptosis pathway. Targeted studies previously identified the BH3-only proteins Puma, Bim and Bid to have a role in ischemic/hypoxic neuronal injury. We here investigated the transcriptional activation of pro-apoptotic BH3-only proteins after OGD-induced injury in murine neocortical neurons. We observed a potent and early upregulation of noxa at mRNA and protein level, and a significant increase in Bmf protein levels during OGD in neocortical neurons and in the ipsilateral cortex of mice subjected to transient middle cerebral artery occlusion (tMCAO). Surprisingly, gene deficiency in noxa reduced neither OGD- nor glutamate-induced neuronal injury in cortical neurons and failed to influence infarct size or neurological deficits after tMCAO. In contrast, bmf deficiency induced significant protection against OGD- or glutamate-induced injury in cultured neurons, and bmf-deficient mice showed reduced neurological deficits after tMCAO in vivo. Collectively, our data not only point to a role of Bmf as a BH3-only protein contributing to excitotoxic and ischemic neuronal injury but also demonstrate that the early and potent induction of noxa does not influence ischemic neuronal injury.
Biological significance of FoxN1 gain-of-function mutations during T and B lymphopoiesis in juvenile mice
Authors: Ruan L , Zhang Z , Mu L , Burnley P , Wang L , Coder B , Zhuge Q , Su D-M
Published: October 2014

FoxN1 is cell-autonomously expressed in skin and thymic epithelial cells (TECs), essential for their development. Inborn mutation of FoxN1 results in hair follicle and TEC development failure, whereas insufficient postnatal FoxN1 expression induces thymic atrophy, resulting in declined T lymphopoiesis. Although upregulating FoxN1 expression in the aged FoxN1-declined thymus rejuvenates T lymphopoiesis, whether its over- and ectopic-expression in early life is beneficial for T lymphopoiesis is unknown. Using our newly generated Rosa26-STOPflox–FoxN1 mice, in which over- and ectopic-expression of FoxN1 can be induced by various promoter-driven Cre-mediated deletions of the roadblock STOPflox in early life, we found that K14Cre-mediated inborn FoxN1 overexpression induced neonatal lethality, exhibited abnormal permeability in the skin and abnormal nursing. Ubiquitous deletion of the STOPflox mediated by progressive uCreERT leakage in juvenile mice affected thymus and bone marrow normality, resulting in an increased ratio of medullary/cortical TECs, along with declined T and B lymphopoiesis. Although the K5CreERT-mediated FoxN1 overexpression mice had a normal lifespan, induction of K5CreERT activation in juveniles adversely influenced total thymoycte development and produced ichthyosis-like skin. Therefore, FoxN1 has temporal and tissue-specific activity. Over- and ectopic-expression of FoxN1 in early life adversely influence immature TEC, T and B cell, and skin epithelial development.
A hybrid absorption–adsorption method to efficiently capture carbon
Authors: Liu Huang , Liu Bei , Lin Li-Chiang , Chen Guangjin , Wu Yuqing , Wang Jin , Gao Xueteng , Lv Yining , Pan Yong , Zhang Xiaoxin , Zhang Xianren , Yang Lanying , Sun Changyu , Smit Berend , Wang Wenchuan
Published: October 2014

Removal of carbon dioxide is an essential step in many energy-related processes. Here we report a novel slurry concept that combines specific advantages of metal-organic frameworks, ion liquids, amines and membranes by suspending zeolitic imidazolate framework-8 in glycol-2-methylimidazole solution. We show that this approach may give a more efficient technology to capture carbon dioxide compared to conventional technologies. The carbon dioxide sorption capacity of our slurry reaches 1.25 mol l−1 at 1 bar and the selectivity of carbon dioxide/hydrogen, carbon dioxide/nitrogen and carbon dioxide/methane achieves 951, 394 and 144, respectively. We demonstrate that the slurry can efficiently remove carbon dioxide from gas mixtures at normal pressure/temperature through breakthrough experiments. Most importantly, the sorption enthalpy is only −29 kJ mol−1, indicating that significantly less energy is required for sorbent regeneration. In addition, from a technological point of view, unlike solid adsorbents slurries can flow and be pumped. This allows us to use a continuous separation process with heat integration.
Multimodal optical characterisation of collagen photodegradation by femtosecond infrared laser ablation
Authors: Manickavasagam A. , Hirvonen L. M. , Melita L. N. , Chong E. Z. , Cook R. J. , Bozec L. , Festy F.
Published: October 2014

Well-defined circular cavities are prepared by controlled femtosecond laser ablation on dry collagen I matrix and analysed using a new multi-modal optical imaging methodology to quantitatively define four distinct zones around the laser ablated areas.
eMethylsorb: rapid quantification of DNA methylation in cancer cells on screen-printed gold electrodes
Authors: Koo Kevin M. , Ibn Sina Abu Ali , Carrascosa Laura G. , Shiddiky Muhammad J. A. , Trau Matt
Published: October 2014

A simple, sensitive and inexpensive electrochemical method has been reported to detect regional DNA methylation by using differential adsorption affinity of DNA bases to gold.
Micropatterning of hydrophilic polyacrylamide brushes to resist cell adhesion but promote protein retention
Authors: Hou Jianwen , Shi Qiang , Ye Wei , Stagnaro Paola , Yin Jinghua
Published: October 2014

Novel micropatterned polyacrylamide brushes are fabricated to resist cell adhesion but promote protein retention.
A seco-catechin cyclization approach to 4→6-linked catechin dimers
Authors: Watanabe Gen , Ohmori Ken , Suzuki Keisuke
Published: October 2014

A viable approach for the selective synthesis of the 4→6-linked catechin dimers is described. The regioselective union of an acyclic catechin precursor (seco-catechin) and an electrophilic catechin unit was achieved. Subsequent pyran cyclization constructed the requisite 4→6-linked dimeric structure. This method would serve as a facile method, accessing the 4→6-linked oligocatechins.
Protein stapling via azide–alkyne ligation
Authors: Abdeljabbar Diya M. , Piscotta Frank J. , Zhang Siyan , James Link A.
Published: October 2014

“Stapling” proteins using the copper-catalyzed azide–alkyne click reaction endows these proteins with improved properties, including thermostability and binding affinity.
Surface-polymerized biomimetic nanofibrils for the cell-directed association of 3-D scaffolds
Authors: Kim Hye Sung , Yoo Hyuk Sang
Published: October 2014

Polymeric nanofibrils were fabricated by the fragmentation of electrospun nanofibers, and their surfaces were decorated with poly(methacrylate) derivativesviaATRP.
An orthogonal photolabile linker for the complete “on-support” synthesis/fast deprotection/hybridization of RNA
Authors: Lietard Jory , Hassler Matthew R. , Fakhoury Johans , Damha Masad J.
Published: October 2014

The preparation of a polystyrene solid support decorated with a photolabile linker is described.
Structural aesthetics in molecular nanoscience: a unique Ni26 cluster with a ‘rabbit-face’ topology and a discrete Ni18 ‘molecular chain’
Authors: Athanasopoulou Angeliki A. , Pilkington Melanie , Raptopoulou Catherine P. , Escuer Albert , Stamatatos Theocharis C.
Published: October 2014

The use of N-salicylidene-2-amino-5-chlorobenzoic acid as a ligand in Ni(ii) chemistry has afforded a Ni26 cluster with a ‘rabbit-face’-like topology, as well as a Ni18 compound with an unusual ‘molecular chain’ structure.
Aggregation-induced emission (AIE) of pyridyl-enamido-based organoboron luminophores
Authors: Wang Xiaoqing , Wu Yanping , Liu Qingsong , Li Zhenyu , Yan Hui , Ji Chonglei , Duan Jicheng , Liu Zhipeng
Published: October 2014

Organoboron complexes having aggregation-induced emission (AIE) properties are presented. A series of pyridyl-enamido-based organoboron complexes (Borepy1–4) were synthesized and the AIE behaviors of Borepy1–4 in solution and in the solid state were investigated.
UO22+-amino hybrid materials: structural variation and photocatalysis properties
Authors: Xu Xue-Ting , Hou Ya-Nan , Wei Si-Yue , Zhang Xiao-Xi , Bai Feng-Ying , Sun Li-Xian , Shi Zhan , Xing Yong-Heng
Published: October 2014

We have synthesized four new uranyl complexes. Their photoluminescence was characterized and their photocatalytic properties were studied in detail.
Facilitated transport of small molecules and ions for energy-efficient membranes
Authors: Li Yifan , Wang Shaofei , He Guangwei , Wu Hong , Pan Fusheng , Jiang Zhongyi
Published: October 2014

This review provides insights into facilitated transport theories of small molecules and ions, encompassing carrier-mediated transport mechanisms and facilitated transport chemistries, as well as an overview of the design, fabrication of facilitated transport membranes and their applications in energy-efficient processes.
The dendritic effect illustrated with phosphorus dendrimers
Authors: Caminade Anne-Marie , Ouali Armelle , Laurent Régis , Turrin Cédric-Olivier , Majoral Jean-Pierre
Published: October 2014

The dendritic effect occurs when the properties of a functional group become different when it is linked to a dendrimer.
Crystallinity control of TiO2 hollow shells through resin-protected calcination for enhanced photocatalytic activity
Authors: Liu Hongyan , Joo Ji Bong , Dahl Michael , Fu Lishun , Zeng Zhengzhi , Yin Yadong
Published: October 2014

A resin overcoat allows effective control over the crystallization of hollow titania nanoshells during calcination and enhances their photocatalytic activity.
Direct synthesis of methane from CO2–H2O co-electrolysis in tubular solid oxide electrolysis cells
Authors: Chen Long , Chen Fanglin , Xia Changrong
Published: October 2014

Methane is directly generated from CO2–H2O with a yield ratio of 41.0% using tubular units integrating electrolysis and methanation processes.
Prolonging the circulatory retention of SPIONs using dextran sulfate: in vivo tracking achieved by functionalisation with near-infrared dyes
Authors: Abdollah Maha R. A. , Kalber Tammy , Tolner Berend , Southern Paul , Bear Joseph C. , Robson Mathew , Pedley R. Barbara , Parkin Ivan P. , Pankhurst Quentin A. , Mulholland Paul , Chester Kerry
Published: October 2014

The rapid reticuloendothelial system (RES) mediated clearance of superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles (SPIONs) from circulation is considered a major limitation of their clinical utility. We aimed to address this by using dextran sulfate 500 (DSO4 500), a Kupffer cell blocking agent, to prolong SPIONs circulatory time. Blood concentrations of SPIONs are difficult to quantify due to the presence of haemoglobin. We therefore developed methods to functionalise SPIONs with near-infrared (NIR) dyes in order to trace their biodistribution. Two SPIONs were investigated: Nanomag®-D-spio-NH2and Ferucarbotran. Nanomag®-D-spio-NH2was functionalised using NHS (N-hydroxysuccinimide) ester NIR dye and Ferucarbotran was labelled using periodate oxidation followed by reductive amination or a combination of EDC (ethyl(dimethylaminopropyl) carbodiimide )/NHS and click chemistries. Stability after conjugation was confirmed by dynamic light scattering (DLS), superconducting quantum interference device (SQUID) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM).In vivoexperiments with the functionalised SPIONs showed a significant improvement in SPIONs blood concentrations in mice pre-treated with dextran sulfate sodium salt 500 (DSO4 500).
Helix foldamers of γ-peptides based on 2-aminocyclopentylacetic acid
Authors: Kang Young Kee , Lee Joo Yun
Published: October 2014

Oligo-γ-peptides based on 2-aminocyclopentylacetic acid (γAc5a) with a cyclopentyl constraint on the Cβ–Cγ bond and homochiral (1S,2S) configurations preferentially adopt the right-handed 14-helix foldamers in the gas phase and in solution.
Energetic alliance of tetrazole-1-oxides and 1,2,5-oxadiazoles
Authors: Fischer Dennis , Klapötke Thomas M. , Reymann Marius , Stierstorfer Jörg , Völkl Maurus B. R.
Published: October 2014

The connection of highly endothermic heterocycles with high nitrogen as well as oxygen content is a recent trend in the development of new energetic materials in order to increase densities and stabilities.
Selective oxygenation of alkynes: a direct approach to diketones and vinyl acetate
Authors: Xia Xiao-Feng , Gu Zhen , Liu Wentao , Wang Ningning , Wang Haijun , Xia Yongmei , Gao Haiyan , Liu Xiang
Published: October 2014

Convenient and expedient methods for the synthesis of α-diketones and β-haloenol acetates from arylalkynes using PhI(OAc)2 as an oxidant are developed at room temperature.
Biosynthesis of 8-hydroxyquinoline-2-carboxylic acid, an iron chelator from the gut of the lepidopteran Spodoptera littoralis
Authors: Pesek Jelena , Svoboda Jiří , Sattler Martina , Bartram Stefan , Boland Wilhelm
Published: October 2014

8-HQA is generated in the gut of Noctuid larvae from tryptophan as an iron chelator to control the gut microbiome.
Oximes as reversible links in polymer chemistry: dynamic macromolecular stars
Authors: Mukherjee Soma , Bapat Abhijeet P. , Hill Megan R. , Sumerlin Brent S.
Published: October 2014

We demonstrate the formation of oxime-functional macromolecular stars that are able to dissociate and reconstruct themselves upon application of a stimulus.
Synthesis, insecticidal activity, structure–activity relationship (SAR) and density functional theory (DFT) of novel anthranilic diamides analogs containing 1,3,4-oxadiazole rings
Authors: Liu Qi , Chen Kai , Wang Qiang , Ni Jueping , Li Yufeng , Zhu Hongjun , Ding Yuan
Published: October 2014

A series of anthranilic diamides analogs (5a–x) containing 1,3,4-oxadiazole rings were synthesized, and their insecticidal activities were evaluated. The density functional theory (DFT) studies was used to understand the various insecticidal activities.
The production of biobased nonanal by ozonolysis of fatty acids
Authors: Omonov Tolibjon S. , Kharraz Ereddad , Foley Patrick , Curtis Jonathan M.
Published: October 2014

Ozonolysis has been proposed as a clean and efficient reaction for use in the production of biobased aldehydes from unsaturated plant oils that can directly replace similar petrochemical compounds.
A small-molecule chemosensor for the selective detection of 2,4,6-trinitrophenol (TNP)
Authors: Pan Jianting , Tang Fang , Ding Aixiang , Kong Lin , Yang Longmei , Tao Xutang , Tian Yupeng , Yang Jiaxiang
Published: October 2014

A pyridine-based receptor (L) was synthesised and characterized, which can serve as a small-molecule sensor for the specific recognition of TNP.
Laser ablation of a bulk Cr target in liquids for nanoparticle synthesis
Authors: Semaltianos N. G. , Hendry E. , Chang H. , Wears M. L.
Published: October 2014

Chromium carbide nanoparticles in the metastable phase are synthesized by laser ablation of a bulk chromium target in acetone or toluene.