bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Development and feasibility assessment of a 3 day electronic bladder diary as an app for smart‐phone
Authors: Mateu Arrom Laura , Peri Cusi Lluís , Franco de Castro Agustín , López‐Fando Luis , Jiménez Cidre Miguel Ángel , Alcaraz Asensio Antonio
Published: January 2018

Aims

To develop a 3 day bladder diary (BD) as an easy‐to‐use application for smart‐phone (eDM3d). To test its feasibility and acceptance in a reduced number of patients.

Methods

An external agency developed the eDM3d following the structure of the Spanish validated 3 day BD (DM3d©), which includes a frequency‐volume chart, the assessment of the grade of urgency, the incontinence events and fluid intake. The eDM3d consisted in a main interface of four buttons (“wake up,” “go to bed,” “urinate,” “drink”) which had to be clicked to create an event. Results were automatically transferred to an internet server to obtain an electronic report. We recruited 25 patients with overactive bladder syndrome or nocturia and previous experience on paper BD. They were asked to complete the eDM3d. Finally, a direct question about satisfaction was answered: “If you had to complete a BD again, would you choose the paper or the app version?”

Results

Three patients (12%) did not complete the eDM3d, 1 patient (4%) completed 2 days of the eDM3d and did not register volumes of micturition nor fluid intake, 1 patient (4%) completed all 2 days variables and 20 patients (80%) completed all 3 day variables. Regarding satisfaction, 19 patients (86.4%) would choose the app version, 2 patients (9.1%) would choose a paper version and 1 patient (4.5%) would choose either indistinctly.

Conclusions

The eDM3d is a useful tool easily filled in by patients with a high satisfaction rate. Adequate validation of the eDM3d is required.
Relationships between Army nursing practice environments and patient outcomes
Authors: Swiger Pauline A. , Loan Lori A. , Raju Dheeraj , Breckenridge‐Sproat Sara T. , Miltner Rebecca S. , Patrician Patricia A.
Published: January 2018

Favorable nursing practice environments have been associated with lower patient mortality, failure to rescue, nurse‐administered medication errors, infections, patient complaints, and patient falls. Favorable environments have also been associated with higher nurse‐reported care quality and patient satisfaction in civilian hospitals. However, limited information exists on the relationship between favorable nursing practice environments and positive outcomes in military facilities. Using 4 years of secondary data collected from 45 units in 10 Army hospitals, generalized estimating equations were used to test the associations between nurses’ scores on the Practice Environment Scale of the Nursing Work Index (PES‐NWI) and patient outcomes of falls with and without injury, medication administration errors with and without harm, and patient experience. Four significant associations were found between the PES‐NWI subscales and the patient outcomes under study. The Staffing and Resource Adequacy subscale was significantly associated with patient falls, the Collegial Nurse Physician Relations subscale was significantly associated with the rate of nurse‐administered medication errors, and the Nursing Foundations for Quality Care and Collegial Nurse Physician Relations subscales were both significantly associated with patient experience with nursing care. As in civilian hospitals, favorable nursing practice environment was associated with improved patient outcomes within these military nursing units.
Cover Image, Volume 67, Issue 2
Authors: Nazari Tayebe , Garmabi Hamid
Published: January 2018

The cover image, by Tayebe Nazari and Hamid Garmabi, is based on the Research Article The effects of processing parameters on the morphology of PLA/PEG melt electrospun fibers, DOI: 10.1002/pi.5486.

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3D Electronic Channels Wrapped Large‐Sized Na3V2(PO4)3 as Flexible Electrode for Sodium‐Ion Batteries
Authors: Ni Qiao , Bai Ying , Li Yu , Ling Liming , Li Limin , Chen Guanghai , Wang Zhaohua , Ren Haixia , Wu Feng , Wu Chuan
Published: January 2018

The development of portable and wearable electronics has aroused the increasing demand for flexible energy‐storage devices, especially for the characteristics of high energy density, excellent mechanical properties, simple synthesis process, and low cost. However, the development of flexible electrodes for sodium‐ion batteries (SIBs) is still limited due to the intricate production methods and the relatively high‐cost of current collectors such as graphene/graphene oxide and carbon nanotubes. Here, the hierarchical 3D electronic channels wrapped large‐sized Na3V2(PO4)3 is designed and fabricated by a simple electrospinning technique. As flexible electrode material, it exhibits outstanding electrolyte wettability, together with ultrafast electronic conductivity and high Na‐ion diffusion coefficients for SIBs, leading to superior electrochemical performances. A high reversible specific capacity of 116 mA h g−1 (nearly 99% of the theoretical specific capacities) can be obtained at the current density of 0.1 C. Even after a 300‐fold current density increased (30 C), the discharge specific capacity of the flexible electrode still remains 63 mA h g−1. Such an effective concept of fabricating 3D electronic channels for large‐sized particles is expected to accelerate the practical applications of flexible batteries at various systems.
Electrocatalytic N‐Doped Graphitic Nanofiber – Metal/Metal Oxide Nanoparticle Composites
Authors: Tang Hongjie , Chen Wei , Wang Jiangyan , Dugger Thomas , Cruz Luz , Kisailus David
Published: January 2018

Carbon‐based nanocomposites have shown promising results in replacing commercial Pt/C as high‐performance, low cost, nonprecious metal‐based oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) catalysts. Developing unique nanostructures of active components (e.g., metal oxides) and carbon materials is essential for their application in next generation electrode materials for fuel cells and metal–air batteries. Herein, a general approach for the production of 1D porous nitrogen‐doped graphitic carbon fibers embedded with active ORR components, (M/MOx, i.e., metal or metal oxide nanoparticles) using a facile two‐step electrospinning and annealing process is reported. Metal nanoparticles/nanoclusters nucleate within the polymer nanofibers and subsequently catalyze graphitization of the surrounding polymer matrix and following oxidation, create an interconnected graphite–metal oxide framework with large pore channels, considerable active sites, and high specific surface area. The metal/metal oxide@N‐doped graphitic carbon fibers, especially Co3O4, exhibit comparable ORR catalytic activity but superior stability and methanol tolerance versus Pt in alkaline solutions, which can be ascribed to the synergistic chemical coupling effects between Co3O4 and robust 1D porous structures composed of interconnected N‐doped graphitic nanocarbon rings. This finding provides a novel insight into the design of functional electrocatalysts using electrospun carbon nanomaterials for their application in energy storage and conversion fields.
Developing High‐Performance Electron‐Rich Unit End‐Capped Wide Bandgap Oligomeric Donor by Weak Electron‐Deficient Central Core Strategy
Authors: Wang Jin‐Liang , Liu Kai‐Kai , Liu Sha , Xiao Fei , Liu Feng , Wu Hong‐Bin , Cao Yong
Published: January 2018

Here, we report the synthesis of a pair of end‐capped hexafluorinated oligomeric donors with electron‐rich unit for fullerene‐based organic solar cells, named as BTZ6F and BTA6F, which include the same difluorobenzothiadiazoles as internal electron‐deficient unit, but differ in distinct electron‐deficient central core, respectively. BTA6F with difluorobenzotriazoles as weak electron‐deficient central core, shows slightly wider bandgap, higher hole mobility, more ordered and crystalline blend film, and better device performances in term of higher PCE, Jsc, and FF. Moreover, the PCEs and fill factors show damatically increase upon SVA or a combined TA and SVA treatment, which can be ascribed to an optimal morphology with highly crystalline content and clearly nanoscale phase separation as revealed by morphology characterization. As a result, the devices from BTA6F exhibit a PCE of 9.04%, which is the best organic solar cell based on difluorobenzotriazoles cored oligomers as a donor reported to date. Equally important, the obtained wide bandgap oligomer BTA6F is among one of the few electron‐rich unit end‐capped oligomeric donor that can deliver high PCE of 9%. These results highlight the weak difluorinated electron‐deficient central core strategy as a promising approach to further improve the photovoltaic performance of electron‐rich unit end‐capped oligomers.
Co-Transplantation of Adipose Tissue-Derived Stromal Cells and Olfactory Ensheathing Cells for Spinal Cord Injury Repair
Authors: Gomes Eduardo D. , Mendes Sofia S. , Assunção-Silva Rita C. , Teixeira Fábio G. , Pires Ana O. , Anjo Sandra I. , Manadas Bruno , Leite-Almeida Hugo , Gimble Jeffrey M. , Sousa Nuno , Lepore Angelo C. , Silva Nuno A. , Salgado António J.
Published: January 2018

Patients suffering from spinal cord injury (SCI) still have a dismal prognosis. Despite all the efforts developed in this area, currently there are no effective treatments. Therefore, cell therapies have been proposed as a viable alternative to the current treatments used. Adipose tissue-derived stromal cells (ASCs) and olfactory ensheathing cells (OECs) have been used with promising results in different models of SCI, namely due to the regenerative properties of the secretome of the first, and the guidance capability of the second. Using an in vitro model of axonal growth, the dorsal root ganglia explants, we demonstrated that OECs induce neurite outgrowth mainly through cell-cell interactions, while ASCs' effects are strongly mediated by the release of paracrine factors. A proteomic analysis of ASCs' secretome revealed the presence of proteins involved in VEGF, PI3K, and Cadherin signaling pathways, which may be responsible for the effects observed. Then, the cotransplantation of ASCs and OECs showed to improve motor deficits of SCI-rats. Particular parameters of movement such as stepping, coordination, and toe clearance were improved in rats that received the transplant of cells, in comparison to nontreated rats. A histological analysis of the spinal cord tissues revealed that transplantation of ASCs and OECs had a major effect on the reduction of inflammatory cells close the lesion site. A slight reduction of astrogliosis was also evident. Overall, the results obtained with the present work indicate that the cotransplantation of ASCs and OECs brings important functional benefits to the injured spinal cord.
Concise Review: Resistance to Tyrosine Kinase Inhibitors in Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer: The Role of Cancer Stem Cells
Authors: Del Re Marzia , Arrigoni Elena , Restante Giuliana , Passaro Antonio , Rofi Eleonora , Crucitta Stefania , De Marinis Filippo , Di Paolo Antonello , Danesi Romano
Published: January 2018

Among the potential mechanisms involved in resistance to tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) in non-small cell lung cancer, the manifestation of stem-like properties in cancer cells seems to have a crucial role. Alterations involved in the development of TKI resistance may be acquired in a very early phase of tumorigenesis, supporting the hypothesis that these aberrations may be present in cancer stem cells (CSCs). In this regard, the characterization of tumor subclones in the initial phase and the identification of the CSCs may be helpful in planning a specific treatment to target selected biomarkers, suppress tumor growth, and prevent drug resistance. The aim of this review is to elucidate the role of CSCs in the development of resistance to TKIs and its implication for the management of patients.
Parallel machine scheduling with dynamic resource allocation via a master–slave genetic algorithm
Authors: Fu Yaping , Tian Guangdong , Li Zhiwu , Wang Zhenling
Published: January 2018

Scheduling problems with resource allocation have become of increasing interest in the academic and industrial areas in recent years. This study investigates parallel machine scheduling with dynamic resource allocation under the objective of minimizing the makespan, where the processing of jobs needs an additional resource that can be assigned and reassigned among all jobs, and the processing time of jobs is a function of the amount of allocated resources. Four decisions must be made in a schedule, namely job assignment, job sequence, resource allocation and jobs' starting time. In order to solve it efficiently, a master–slave genetic algorithm is proposed to determine the decisions of job assignment, job sequence and resource allocation, and a greedy heuristic rule is designed to determine the jobs' starting time. To examine the performance of the proposed algorithm, simulation experiments are carried out on a set of instances, and similar existing algorithms and the standard genetic algorithm are chosen as for comparison. The experimental results show that the proposed algorithm is a promising optimizer in solving the investigated problem. © 2018 Institute of Electrical Engineers of Japan. Published by John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Scientific Literacy in the Wild: Using Multimodal Texts in and out of School
Authors: Buchholz Beth A. , Pyles Damiana Gibbons
Published: January 2018

Building a better public education system for our children begins with providing students with real‐world learning experiences from the very beginning. To this end, the authors explored how two kindergarten teachers scaffolded scientific literacy learning using an authentic multimodal text before, during, and after a zoo field trip in ways that fostered the identity of kinder “scientists” along with good literacy skills. From their experiences, public educators can help their students develop strong science knowledge and scientific literacy through rich literacy practices intertwined with learning science content, over a period of time, with multiple, varied, and scaffolded uses of an authentic, multimodal text and paired with authentic, out‐of‐school learning experiences.
Thermal, crystallization, mechanical and decomposition properties of poly(lactic acid) plasticized with poly(ethylene glycol)
Authors: Wang Bing , Hina Kanza , Zou Hantao , Zuo Danying , Yi Changhai
Published: January 2018

In order to modify the brittleness of poly(lactic acid) (PLA), a series of PLA/poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) blends were prepared by the solution‐cast technique using PEG as a plasticizer. The thermal, crystallization, mechanical, and hydrophilic properties of the PLA/PEG blends were compared with those of neat PLA. It is concluded that the PLA/PEG blends change from miscible to partially miscible at the critical PEG content of 10 wt%. Above 10 wt% PEG content, the miscible PLA/PEG blends occur the phase separation, and the PEG component does not co‐crystallize with PLA component with PLA and PEG crystallizing separately. The introduction of PEG reduces the intermolecular force and enhances the mobility of PLA chains, thus improving the crystallization capacity and flexibility of PLA. The PLA/PEG blends show plastic fracture behavior, yielding higher elongation and lower modulus values compared with neat PLA. Below 30 wt% PEG content, blending with PEG significantly decreases the modulus and yield stress and increases the fracture strain of PLA with an increase in the PEG content. Whereas above 30 wt% PEG content, the crystallization of PEG component results in an increase in modulus and a corresponding decrease in elongation at break of the blends. The thermal degradation temperature is in the range of 320–330°C for PLA/PEG blends, in comparison with 375°C for neat PLA. At ambient temperature, the desired mechanical properties are achieved by blending PLA with 30 wt% PEG. The PEG plasticizer is compatible with the PLA matrix and has a relatively low migration rate toward the blend surfaces with a low PEG content (≤30 wt%). J. VINYL ADDIT. TECHNOL., 24:E154–E163, 2018. © 2018 Society of Plastics Engineers
Effect of Initiator Rate on Kinetics of Reaction and PVC Grains Features in Continuous Dosing of Fast Initiator During Vinyl Chloride Suspension Polymerization
Authors: Bijhanmanesh Mohammad Javad , Etesami Nasrin
Published: January 2018

In order to investigate how the continuous dosage of a fast initiator can affect the kinetics of polymerization and the properties of PVC grains, a series of vinyl chloride monomer suspension polymerization experiments were carried out in which a fast initiator was dosed into the reactor in different ways (non‐continuous, intermittent, and continuous) and different rates. It was found that in the case of polymerization with continuous dosage of the fast initiator, the polymerization time decreased and critical conversion increased with increasing in the initiator dosage level. While the molecular weight of the final PVC was only slightly decreased. Morphological analysis showed that the porosity and particles size increased with initiator dosage level, while the bulk density was also decreased. Other methods of initiator dosing, i.e., intermittent and non‐continuous dosage of the fast initiator reduced the efficiency of the fast initiator compared to the corresponding continuous dosage polymerization at the same initiator value. J. VINYL ADDIT. TECHNOL., 24:367–375, 2018. © 2018 Society of Plastics Engineers
Gini autocovariance function used for time series with heavy‐tail distributions
Authors: Carcea Marcel D.
Published: January 2018

The use of covariance is limited by the need of the finite second moment. This restriction excludes the use of heavy tailed distributions and data. By developing methods that only require finite first moment assumption of the variables we allow for heavy tailed scenarios. Such methods would be valid in the heavy tailed setting, conceptually meaningful in a population model and effective in practical applications. Gini autocovariance function (Gini ACV) is defined under merely finite first moment assumption. Conceptually, it plays a similar role as the usual Pearson autocovariance function, and thus represents a new fundamental tool in time series modeling. The latest applications of Gini ACV and Gini autocorrelation function (Gini ACF) are reviewed, providing a big picture of the latest research in the area. The formulation of Gini ACV and Gini ACF is quickly reviewed and followed by the applications in linear time series modeling, unit root test and reversibility test in time series and nonlinear autoregressive Pareto process.

This article is categorized under

Statistical Learning and Exploratory Methods of the Data Sciences > Manifold Learning

Statistical and Graphical Methods of Data Analysis > Nonparametric Methods

Statistical Models > Time Series Models
Measuring and improving the quality of mental health care: a global perspective
Authors: Kilbourne Amy M. , Beck Kathryn , Spaeth‐Rublee Brigitta , Ramanuj Parashar , O'Brien Robert W. , Tomoyasu Naomi , Pincus Harold Alan
Published: January 2018

Mental disorders are common worldwide, yet the quality of care for these disorders has not increased to the same extent as that for physical conditions. In this paper, we present a framework for promoting quality measurement as a tool for improving quality of mental health care. We identify key barriers to this effort, including lack of standardized information technology‐based data sources, limited scientific evidence for mental health quality measures, lack of provider training and support, and cultural barriers to integrating mental health care within general health environments. We describe several innovations that are underway worldwide which can mitigate these barriers. Based on these experiences, we offer several recommendations for improving quality of mental health care. Health care payers and providers will need a portfolio of validated measures of patient‐centered outcomes across a spectrum of conditions. Common data elements will have to be developed and embedded within existing electronic health records and other information technology tools. Mental health outcomes will need to be assessed more routinely, and measurement‐based care should become part of the overall culture of the mental health care system. Health care systems will need a valid way to stratify quality measures, in order to address potential gaps among subpopulations and identify groups in most need of quality improvement. Much more attention should be devoted to workforce training in and capacity for quality improvement. The field of mental health quality improvement is a team sport, requiring coordination across different providers, involvement of consumer advocates, and leveraging of resources and incentives from health care payers and systems.
What causes psychosis? An umbrella review of risk and protective factors
Authors: Radua Joaquim , Ramella‐Cravaro Valentina , Ioannidis John P.A. , Reichenberg Abraham , Phiphopthatsanee Nacharin , Amir Taha , Yenn Thoo Hyi , Oliver Dominic , Davies Cathy , Morgan Craig , McGuire Philip , Murray Robin M. , Fusar‐Poli Paolo
Published: January 2018

Psychosis is a heterogeneous psychiatric condition for which a multitude of risk and protective factors have been suggested. This umbrella review aimed to classify the strength of evidence for the associations between each factor and psychotic disorders whilst controlling for several biases. The Web of Knowledge database was searched to identify systematic reviews and meta‐analyses of observational studies which examined associations between socio‐demographic, parental, perinatal, later factors or antecedents and psychotic disorders, and which included a comparison group of healthy controls, published from 1965 to January 31, 2017. The literature search and data extraction followed PRISMA and MOOSE guidelines. The association between each factor and ICD or DSM diagnoses of non‐organic psychotic disorders was graded into convincing, highly suggestive, suggestive, weak, or non‐significant according to a standardized classification based on: number of psychotic cases, random‐effects p value, largest study 95% confidence interval, heterogeneity between studies, 95% prediction interval, small study effect, and excess significance bias. In order to assess evidence for temporality of association, we also conducted sensitivity analyses restricted to data from prospective studies. Fifty‐five meta‐analyses or systematic reviews were included in the umbrella review, corresponding to 683 individual studies and 170 putative risk or protective factors for psychotic disorders. Only the ultra‐high‐risk state for psychosis (odds ratio, OR=9.32, 95% CI: 4.91‐17.72) and Black‐Caribbean ethnicity in England (OR=4.87, 95% CI: 3.96‐6.00) showed convincing evidence of association. Six factors were highly suggestive (ethnic minority in low ethnic density area, second generation immigrants, trait anhedonia, premorbid IQ, minor physical anomalies, and olfactory identification ability), and nine were suggestive (urbanicity, ethnic minority in high ethnic density area, first generation immigrants, North‐African immigrants in Europe, winter/spring season of birth in Northern hemisphere, childhood social withdrawal, childhood trauma, Toxoplasma gondii IgG, and non‐right handedness). When only prospective studies were considered, the evidence was convincing for ultra‐high‐risk state and suggestive for urbanicity only. In summary, this umbrella review found several factors to be associated with psychotic disorders with different levels of evidence. These risk or protective factors represent a starting point for further etiopathological research and for the improvement of the prediction of psychosis.
Prediction of psychosis across protocols and risk cohorts using automated language analysis
Authors: Corcoran Cheryl M. , Carrillo Facundo , Fernández‐Slezak Diego , Bedi Gillinder , Klim Casimir , Javitt Daniel C. , Bearden Carrie E. , Cecchi Guillermo A.
Published: January 2018

Language and speech are the primary source of data for psychiatrists to diagnose and treat mental disorders. In psychosis, the very structure of language can be disturbed, including semantic coherence (e.g., derailment and tangentiality) and syntactic complexity (e.g., concreteness). Subtle disturbances in language are evident in schizophrenia even prior to first psychosis onset, during prodromal stages. Using computer‐based natural language processing analyses, we previously showed that, among English‐speaking clinical (e.g., ultra) high‐risk youths, baseline reduction in semantic coherence (the flow of meaning in speech) and in syntactic complexity could predict subsequent psychosis onset with high accuracy. Herein, we aimed to cross‐validate these automated linguistic analytic methods in a second larger risk cohort, also English‐speaking, and to discriminate speech in psychosis from normal speech. We identified an automated machine‐learning speech classifier – comprising decreased semantic coherence, greater variance in that coherence, and reduced usage of possessive pronouns – that had an 83% accuracy in predicting psychosis onset (intra‐protocol), a cross‐validated accuracy of 79% of psychosis onset prediction in the original risk cohort (cross‐protocol), and a 72% accuracy in discriminating the speech of recent‐onset psychosis patients from that of healthy individuals. The classifier was highly correlated with previously identified manual linguistic predictors. Our findings support the utility and validity of automated natural language processing methods to characterize disturbances in semantics and syntax across stages of psychotic disorder. The next steps will be to apply these methods in larger risk cohorts to further test reproducibility, also in languages other than English, and identify sources of variability. This technology has the potential to improve prediction of psychosis outcome among at‐risk youths and identify linguistic targets for remediation and preventive intervention. More broadly, automated linguistic analysis can be a powerful tool for diagnosis and treatment across neuropsychiatry.
Income inequality and depression: a systematic review and meta‐analysis of the association and a scoping review of mechanisms
Authors: Patel Vikram , Burns Jonathan K. , Dhingra Monisha , Tarver Leslie , Kohrt Brandon A. , Lund Crick
Published: January 2018

Most countries have witnessed a dramatic increase of income inequality in the past three decades. This paper addresses the question of whether income inequality is associated with the population prevalence of depression and, if so, the potential mechanisms and pathways which may explain this association. Our systematic review included 26 studies, mostly from high‐income countries. Nearly two‐thirds of all studies and five out of six longitudinal studies reported a statistically significant positive relationship between income inequality and risk of depression; only one study reported a statistically significant negative relationship. Twelve studies were included in a meta‐analysis with dichotomized inequality groupings. The pooled risk ratio was 1.19 (95% CI: 1.07‐1.31), demonstrating greater risk of depression in populations with higher income inequality relative to populations with lower inequality. Multiple studies reported subgroup effects, including greater impacts of income inequality among women and low‐income populations. We propose an ecological framework, with mechanisms operating at the national level (the neo‐material hypothesis), neighbourhood level (the social capital and the social comparison hypotheses) and individual level (psychological stress and social defeat hypotheses) to explain this association. We conclude that policy makers should actively promote actions to reduce income inequality, such as progressive taxation policies and a basic universal income. Mental health professionals should champion such policies, as well as promote the delivery of interventions which target the pathways and proximal determinants, such as building life skills in adolescents and provision of psychological therapies and packages of care with demonstrated effectiveness for settings of poverty and high income inequality.
Psychotherapies for depression in low‐ and middle‐income countries: a meta‐analysis
Authors: Cuijpers Pim , Karyotaki Eirini , Reijnders Mirjam , Purgato Marianna , Barbui Corrado
Published: January 2018

Most psychotherapies for depression have been developed in high‐income Western countries of North America, Europe and Australia. A growing number of randomized trials have examined the effects of these treatments in non‐Western countries. We conducted a meta‐analysis of these studies to examine whether these psychotherapies are effective and to compare their effects between studies from Western and non‐Western countries. We conducted systematic searches in bibliographical databases and included 253 randomized controlled trials, of which 32 were conducted in non‐Western countries. The effects of psychotherapies in non‐Western countries were large (g=1.10; 95% CI: 0.91‐1.30), with high heterogeneity (I2=90; 95% CI: 87‐92). After adjustment for publication bias, the effect size dropped to g=0.73 (95% CI: 0.51‐0.96). Subgroup analyses did not indicate that adaptation to the local situation was associated with the effect size. Comparisons with the studies in Western countries showed that the effects of the therapies were significantly larger in non‐Western countries, also after adjusting for characteristics of the participants, the treatments and the studies. These larger effect sizes in non‐Western countries may reflect true differences indicating that therapies are indeed more effective; or may be explained by the care‐as‐usual control conditions in non‐Western countries, often indicating that no care was available; or may be the result of the relative low quality of many trials in the field. This study suggests that psychotherapies that were developed in Western countries may or may not be more effective in non‐Western countries, but they are probably no less effective and can therefore also be used in these latter countries.
The impact of severe mental disorders and psychotropic medications on sexual health and its implications for clinical management
Authors: Montejo Angel L. , Montejo Laura , Baldwin David S.
Published: January 2018

Sexual dysfunction often accompanies severe psychiatric illness and can be due to both the mental disorder itself and the use of psychotropic treatments. Many sexual symptoms resolve as the mental state improves, but treatment‐related sexual adverse events tend to persist over time, and are unfortunately under‐recognized by clinicians and scarcely investigated in clinical trials. Treatment‐emergent sexual dysfunction adversely affects quality of life and may contribute to reduce treatment adherence. There are important differences between the various compounds in the incidence of adverse sexual effects, associated with differences in mechanisms of action. Antidepressants with a predominantly serotonergic activity, antipsychotics likely to induce hyperprolactinaemia, and mood stabilizers with hormonal effects are often linked to moderate or severe sexual dysfunction, including decreased libido, delayed orgasm, anorgasmia, and sexual arousal difficulties. Severe mental disorders can interfere with sexual function and satisfaction, while patients wish to preserve a previously satisfactory sexual activity. In many patients, a lack of intimate relationships and chronic deterioration in mental and physical health can be accompanied by either a poor sexual life or a more frequent risky sexual behaviour than in the general population. Here we describe the influence of psychosis and antipsychotic medications, of depression and antidepressant drugs, and of bipolar disorder and mood stabilizers on sexual health, and the optimal management of patients with severe psychiatric illness and sexual dysfunction.
A spectroscopic study of the interaction of nigerloxin, a fungal metabolite, with serum albumin
Authors: Sekhar Rao K. C. , Appu Rao A. G. , Sattur A. P.
Published: January 2018

Nigerloxin [2‐amido‐3‐hydroxy‐6‐methoxy‐5‐methyl‐4‐(prop‐1′‐enyl) benzoic acid], a fungal metabolite, is an inhibitor of lipoxygenase and aldose reductase with free radical‐scavenging properties. The interaction of nigerloxin with bovine serum albumin (BSA) was investigated using fluorescence spectroscopy and circular dichroic measurements. The fluorescence of BSA was quenched following interaction with nigerloxin, and this property was used to generate a binding constant. The estimated association constant was 1.01±0.2×106 M−1. Job's method of continuous variation indicated that nigerloxin formed a 1∶1±0.1 complex with BSA. To understand the nature of the interaction, the variance in the association constant as a function of temperature in the range of 14–45°C was used to calculate the thermodynamic parameters. The thermodynamic parameters at 27°C derived from the mass action plot and van't Hoff's plot were as follows: ΔG=−8.2±0.1 kcal/mol, ΔH≈0 kcal/mol, and ΔS=27.5±0.4 cal/mol/K (where ΔG is free energy, ΔH is enthalpy, and ΔS is entropy). Increasing ionic strength did not favor interaction. Circular dichroic measurements revealed that the interaction of nigerloxin with BSA did not lead to changes in the secondary structure of the protein. The reversibility of the interaction verified by the dilution method was found to be reversible. These measurements suggest that partial hydrophobic and partial ionic bonding play a role in the interaction of nigerloxin with BSA.
Characterization of epoxy carotenoids by fast atom bombardment collision‐induced dissociation MS/MS
Authors: Maoka Takashi , Fujiwara Yasuhiro , Hashimoto Keiji , Akimoto Naoshige
Published: January 2018

The characterization and structure of epoxy carotenoids possessing 5,6‐epoxy, 5,8‐epoxy and 3,6‐epoxy end groups conjugated to the polyene chain were investigated using highenergy fast atom bombardment collision‐induced dissociation MS/MS methods. In addition to [M‐80]+, a characteristic fragment ion of an epoxy carotenoid, product ions resulting from the cleavage of C−C bonds in the polyene chain from the epoxy end group, such as m/z 181 (b ion) and 121 (c ion), were detected. On the other hand, diagnostic ions of m/z 286 (e‐H ion) and 312 (f‐H ion) were observed, not in the 5,6‐epoxy or 5,8‐epoxy carotenoid but in the 3,6‐epoxy carotenoid. These fragmentation patterns can be used to distinguish 3,6‐epoxy carotenoids from 5,6‐epoxy or 5,8‐epoxy carotenoids. The structure of an epoxy carotenoid, 3,6‐epoxy‐5,6‐dihydro‐7′,8′‐didehydro‐β,β‐carotene‐5,3′‐diol (8), isolated from oyster, was characterized using FAB CID‐MS/MS by comparing fragmentation patterns with those of related known compounds.
A mutation in sphingolipid synthesis suppresses defects in yeast ergosterol metabolism
Authors: Valachovic Martin , Wilcox Lisa J. , Sturley Stephen L. , Bard Martin
Published: January 2018

A mutation in an otherwise nonessential ERG2 gene is synthetically lethal when combined with mutations in two transcription factors encoded by the UPC2 and ECM22 genes. Employing UV mutagenesis, we isolated a suppressor of the triple mutant erg2Δ upc2Δ ecm22Δ. The morpholine‐resistant phenotype of the suppressor was used to identify the suppressor as a mutation in the ELO3 gene. In an expression study on tridemorph‐containing medium, using the inducible GAL1 promoter fused to the ELO3 open reading frame, we demonstrated that suppression occurred only when ELO3 was not expressed. ELO3 encodes an enzyme involved in sphingolipid synthesis required for long‐chain FA synthesis. Surprisingly, a deletion of ELO2, also required for the synthesis of sphingolipid‐containing long‐chain FA, did not suppress the erg2Δ upc2Δ ecm22Δ triple mutant. The sterol composition of the upc2Δ ecm22Δ double mutant reflected regulation of the latter part of the ergosterol synthesis by the Upc2p and Ecm22p transcription factors. This study demonstrates a synergistic relationship between two lipid species, sterols and sphingolipids.
Isolation and synthesis of shark‐repelling saponins
Authors: Williams John R. , Gong Hua
Published: January 2018

Saponins are complex compounds that are composed of a saccharide attached to a steroid or triterpene. They are natural surfactants, or detergents. Several important biological effects have been ascribed to saponins. They have been isolated from a great number of terrestrial plants. In the animal kingdom they are found in most sea cucumbers and starfish, whereas they are found only rarely in alcyonarians, gorgonians, sponges, and as shark‐repelling compounds in fish. The present review deals with the isolation and some syntheses of the shark‐repelling saponins mosesins‐1 to −5 and pavoninins‐1 to −6 obtained from the fish species Pardachirus.
The electrochemical hydrogenation of edible oils in a solid polymer electrolyte reactor. I. Reactor design and operation
Authors: An Weidong , Hong Jin Ki , Pintauro Peter N. , Warner Kathleen , Neff William
Published: January 2018

A new electrochemical method has been devised and tested for the moderate temperature/atmospheric pressure hydrogenation of edible oils, fatty acids, and fatty acid methyl esters. The method employed a solid polymer electrolyte (SPE) reactor, similar to that used in H2/O2 fuel cells, with water as the source of hydrogen. The key component of the reactor was a membrane‐electrode‐assembly, composed of a RuO2 powder anode and either a Pt‐black or Pd‐black powder cathode that were hot‐pressed as thin films onto the opposing surfaces of a Nafion cation‐exchange membrane. During reactor operation at a constant applied current, water was back‐fed to the RuO2 anode, where it was oxidized electrochemically to O2 and H+. Protons migrated through the Nafion membrane under the influence of the applied electric field and contacted the Pt or Pd cathode, where they were reduced to atomic and molecular hydrogen. Oil was circulated past the back side of the cathode and unsaturated triglycerides reacted with the electrogenerated hydrogen species. The SPE reactor was operated successfully at a constant applied current density of 0.10 A/cm2 and a temperature between 50 and 80°C with soybean, canola, and cottonseed oils and with mixtures of fatty acids and fatty acid methyl esters. Reaction products with iodine values in the range of 60–105 were characterized by a higher stearic acid content and a lower percentage of trans isomers than those produced in a traditional hydrogenation process.
Fatty acid composition of meat from ruminants, with special emphasis on trans fatty acids
Authors: Leth Torben , Ovesen Lars , Hansen Kirsten
Published: January 2018

The fatty acid composition was determined in 39 samples of beef, 20 samples of veal, and 34 samples of lamb, representative of the supply of ruminant meat in Denmark. Five cuts of beef and veal and three cuts of lamb with increasing fat content were selected, and analysis of the fatty acid methyl esters was performed by gas‐liquid chromatography (GLC) on a polar 50‐m capillary column CP Sil 88 with flame‐ionization detection. Lamb had the highest content of saturated fatty acids (52.8±1.8 g/100 g fatty acids), higher than beef and veal (45.3±3.1 and 45.4±0.8 g/100 g fatty acids, respectively). Cis monounsaturated fatty acids were 49.2±3.1, 44.9±1.8, and 37.7±1.7, and polyunsaturated fatty acids were 3.3±0.7, 5.8±2.0, and 5.0±0.1 g/100 g fatty acids in beef, veal, and lamb, respectively. Beef contained 2.1±0.8 g trans C18:1 per 100 g fatty acids, about half that found in veal (4.0±1.2 g/100 g fatty acids) and lamb (4.5±0.6 g/100 g fatty acids). Trans C16:1 was 0.24±0.01, 0.14±0.02, and 0.79±0.02 g/100 g fatty acids in beef, veal, and lamb, respectively. Only small variations in trans and other fatty acids could be demonstrated between cuts. The overlap between cis and trans C18:1 by capillary GLC was verified by argentation‐thin‐layer chromatography followed by GLC, on three samples of veal and three samples of lamb. In veal 1.0 g, and in lamb 1.4 g trans C18:1 per 100 g fatty acids were hidden under the cis C18:1 peak. The mean intake of trans fatty acids from ruminant meat is estimated at 0.2 g/d.
Synthesis of secondary ethers derived from meadowfoam oil
Authors: Isbell Terry A. , Mund Melissa S.
Published: January 2018

Secondary ethers can be obtained from meadow‐foam‐derived delta lactones or 5‐hydroxy fatty acids by using Lewis or Brønsted acid catalysts in good yield (70–90%). The conversion of δ‐lactone or 5‐hydroxy fatty acid to 5‐ethers is performed under atmospheric pressure between 67 and 125°C with 0.5–6.4 mole equivalents of acid catalyst in the presence of 2–40 equivalents of alcohol and a reaction time of 1–140 h. Acid catalysts include mineral acids, such as perchloric and sulfuric; Lewis acids, such as boron trifluoride; and heterogeneous catalysts, such as clays and ion‐exchange resins. Primary alcohols, such as methanol, butanol, decanol, and oleyl alcohol, or branched‐chain alcohols, such as 2‐ethylhexanol, can be used to make secondary ether fatty esters. The 5‐ether fatty esters and the process for their formation have not been previously known and appear to be limited to structures where stabilized cations can be formed. The novel ethers were fully characterized by nuclear magnetic resonance and gas chromatography‐mass spectrometry.
Extraction and identification of antioxidants from the spice Aframomum danielli
Authors: Adegoke G. O. , Gopala Krishna A. G.
Published: January 2018

Successive extractions with diethyl ether and methanol of the whole seeds of the spice Aframomum danielli yielded diethyl ether extract (ADEE), 13.9%, and methanol extract (ADM), 3.4%, respectively. Similarly, reextraction of the defatted seeds of A. danielli successively with diethyl ether and methanol yielded extracts DFADEE (7.9%) and DFADM (6.7%), respectively. When these extracts were added to refined peanut oil (PNO) at 200 ppm, they showed good antioxidative effects. The percentage antioxidant effectiveness (AE) values were as follows: DFADM (87.3) > ADM (85.3) > ADEE (83.4)=tert‐butyl hydroquinone (83.4) on day 20 of storage in an oven maintained at 65±1°C. Generally, antioxidant extracts prepared from A. danielli were also more effective than butylated hydroxytoluene and α‐tocopherol in stabilizing refined PNO. Antioxidant components of A. danielli were tentatively identified as phenolic compounds of the trihydroxy type with reducing properties. All extracts prepared from A. danielli showed strong ultraviolet‐absorbing characteristics, and methanol was a good extracting solvent.
Impact of competition on process of care and resource investments
Authors: Wani Deepa , Malhotra Manoj , Venkataraman Sriram
Published: January 2018

Although competition is generally believed to improve quality, its impact on the Process of Care (PoC)—which measures the timeliness and effectiveness of care—is less clear. Moreover, hospital executives in more competitive hospital markets are faced with several competing priorities. Our study seeks to examine two factors within this context: (1) how competition directly impacts PoC, and (2) in a financially constrained environment, how competition affects investments in resources such as nurses and technology that can potentially improve PoC. We collect longitudinal data from all acute care hospitals in California over a 7‐year period from 2007 to 2013, along with data from several other sources. Analysis using a mixed‐methods approach reveals that both PoC and investments in nurses and technology are lower in more competitive markets. Because future reimbursements under the pay‐for‐performance system will depend on the value of care provided, our results suggest that hospitals should reconsider their short‐term actions that seek to increase market share and instead adopt a long‐term view in which investments are made to fundamentally improve the underlying processes and PoC. The findings presented here thus have major implications for managing hospitals in competitive environments.
Women and the Cuban Insurrection
Authors: Bayard de Volo Lorraine
Published: January 2018

Using gender analysis and focusing on previously unexamined testimonies of women rebels, political scientist Lorraine Bayard de Volo shatters the prevailing masculine narrative of the Cuban Revolution. Contrary to the Cuban War story's mythology of an insurrection single-handedly won by bearded guerrillas, Bayard de Volo shows that revolutions are not won and lost only by bullets and battlefield heroics. Focusing on women's multiple forms of participation in the insurrection, especially those that occurred off the battlefield, such as smuggling messages, hiding weapons, and distributing propaganda, Bayard de Volo explores how gender - both masculinity and femininity - were deployed as tactics in the important though largely unexamined battle for the 'hearts and minds' of the Cuban people. Drawing on extensive, rarely-examined archives including interviews and oral histories, this author offers an entirely new interpretation of one of the Cold War's most significant events.
Forced synchronization of periodic and aperiodic thermoacoustic oscillations: lock-in, bifurcations and open-loop control
Authors: Kashinath Karthik , Li Larry K. B. , Juniper Matthew P.
Published: January 2018

Synchronization is a universal concept in nonlinear science but has received little attention in thermoacoustics. In this numerical study, we take a dynamical systems approach to investigating the influence of harmonic acoustic forcing on three different types of self-excited thermoacoustic oscillations: periodic, quasi-periodic and chaotic. When the periodic system is forced, we find that: (i) at low forcing amplitudes, it responds at both the forcing frequency and the natural (self-excited) frequency, as well as at their linear combinations, indicating quasi-periodicity; (ii) above a critical forcing amplitude, the system locks in to the forcing; (iii) the bifurcations leading up to lock-in and the critical forcing amplitude required for lock-in depend on the proximity of the forcing frequency to the natural frequency; (iv) the response amplitude at lock-in may be larger or smaller than that of the unforced system and the system can exhibit hysteresis and the jump phenomenon owing to a cusp catastrophe; and (v) at forcing amplitudes above lock-in, the oscillations can become unstable and transition to chaos, or switch between different stable attractors depending on the forcing amplitude. When the quasi-periodic system is forced at a frequency equal to one of the two characteristic frequencies of the torus attractor, we find that lock-in occurs via a saddle-node bifurcation with frequency pulling. When the chaotic system is forced at a frequency close to the dominant frequency of its strange attractor, we find that it is possible to destroy chaos and establish stable periodic oscillations. These results show that the open-loop application of harmonic acoustic forcing can be an effective strategy for controlling periodic or aperiodic thermoacoustic oscillations. In some cases, we find that such forcing can reduce the response amplitude by up to 90 %, making it a viable way to weaken thermoacoustic oscillations.