bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Moderating risk of Alzheimer's disease through the use of anxiolytic agents
Authors: Burke Shanna L. , O'Driscoll Janice , Alcide Amary , Li Tan
Published: November 2016

Objectives

Anxiety diagnoses occur in 17.1% in people age 65 years and older. Individuals with anxiety may be at a higher risk of the development of probable Alzheimer's disease (AD). Previous literature has suggested that anxiolytic medications may exacerbate the risk of AD development. This study explored anxiolytic medication as a potential moderator of AD risk in older adults.

Methods

A secondary data analysis of the National Alzheimer's Coordinating Center Uniform Data Set was undertaken, analyzing observations from 12,083 participants with normal cognition at the first visit. Survival analysis was utilized to examine if anxiolytic medication use by those with anxiety and/or APOE ɛ4 moderates the hazard of AD and/or MCI development.

Results

The hazard of probable AD (HR = 3.50, [2.77 – 4.44], p < .0001) or MCI (HR = 2.13, [1.85–2.44], p < .0001) development was statistically significant for those with anxiety. This hazard was no longer statistically significant when specific anxiolytics were used. ɛ4 carriers experienced a statistically significant hazard of AD (HR = 1.92, [1.52–2.41], p < .001) and MCI (HR = 1.17, [1.04–1.32], p < .05) development. This effect was moderated by the use of anxiolytics.

Discussion

The results of this study suggest that anxiolytics may moderate the effect of anxiety on MCI and AD development, specifically indicating a neutralized hazard for those with ɛ4 carriers with anxiety. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Local gyrification index in patients with major depressive disorder and its association with tryptophan hydroxylase‐2 (TPH2) polymorphism
Authors: Han Kyu‐Man , Won Eunsoo , Kang June , Kim Aram , Yoon Ho‐Kyoung , Chang Hun Soo , Son Kyu Ri , Lee Min‐Soo , Tae Woo‐Suk , Ham Byung‐Joo
Published: November 2016

The tryptophan hydroxylase‐2 (TPH2) gene is considered a promising genetic candidate regarding its association with a predisposition to major depressive disorder (MDD). Local gyrification reflects the early neural development of cortical connectivity, and is regarded as a potential neural endophenotype in psychiatric disorders. They aimed to investigate the alterations in the cortical gyrification of the prefrontal cortex and anterior cingulate cortex and their association with theTPH2rs4570625 polymorphism in patients with MDD. One hundred and thirteen patients with MDD and eighty‐six healthy controls underwent T1‐weighted structural magnetic resonance imaging and genotyping forTPH2rs4570625. The local gyrification index of 22 cortical regions in the prefrontal cortex and anterior cingulate cortex was analyzed using the FreeSurfer. The patients with MDD showed significant hypergyria in the right rostral anterior cingulate cortex (P = 0.001), medial orbitofrontal cortex (P = 0.003), and frontal pole (P = 0.001). There was a significant genotype‐by‐diagnosis interaction for the local gyrification index in the right rostral anterior cingulate cortex (P = 0.003). Their study revealed significant hypergyria of the anterior cingulate cortex and prefrontal cortex and an interactive effect between the diagnosis of MDD and the genotype in the anterior cingulate cortex. This might be associated with the dysfunction of neural circuits mediating emotion processing, which could contribute to pathophysiology of MDD.Hum Brain Mapp 38:1299–1310, 2017. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Developmental differences in cognitive control of social information
Authors: Marotta Andrea , Casagrande Maria
Published: November 2016

We investigated developmental differences in the ability to exert cognitive control in the context of distracting spatial cues varying in social significance. Adults and children (6–13 years) were asked to classify target words (LEFT/RIGHT) that were accompanied by a distracter arrow or averted gaze pointing in a direction that was congruent, incongruent, or neutral (bar without arrowheads, central gaze) relative to the target word. Results showed that interference from averted eye‐gaze differed between adults and children indicating that cognitive control of social information improves with age. These age differences did not generalize to the interference effect from arrows. On the basis of these findings, it was concluded that adults are better at inhibiting and/or to ignore another person's distracting gaze than are children.

Highlights

We examined the developmental differences in the ability to exert cognitive control on social and non‐social directional information

Evidence of age‐related differences in the inhibitory control of attention was only observed with social eye‐gaze distracters

Inhibitory mechanisms of social attention continue to improve along development
From Roquefortine C to Roquefortine L: Formation of a Complex Nitrone with Simple Oxidizing Agents
Authors: Gober Claire M. , Joullié Madeleine M.
Published: November 2016

The oxidation of roquefortine C to the nitrone roquefortine L was investigated using a number of different electrophilic oxidizing reagents. mCPBA and Oxone were shown to be the most effective in achieving this transformation, while unfavorable steric interactions precluded oxidation by bulky reagents such as Davis oxaziridine. Finally, each of the oxidants was shown to promote aromatic hydroxylation following the synthesis of the nitrone functionality.
Monochromatic subdiffusive spatial frequency domain imaging provides in‐situ sensitivity to intratumoral morphological heterogeneity in a murine model
Authors: McClatchy David M. , Hoopes P. Jack , Pogue Brian W. , Kanick Stephen Chad
Published: November 2016

For the first time, spatially resolved quantitative metrics of light scattering recovered with sub‐diffusive spatial frequency domain imaging (sd‐SFDI) are shown to be sensitive to changes in intratumoral morphology and viability by direct comparison to histopathological analysis. Two freshly excised subcutaneous murine tumor cross‐sections were measured with sd‐SFDI, and recovered optical scatter parameter maps were co‐registered to whole mount histology. Unique clustering of the optical scatter parameters vs. γ (i.e. diffuse scattering vs. relative backscattering) evaluated at a single wavelength showed complete separation between regions of viable tumor, aggresive tumor with stromal growth, varying levels of necrotic tumor, and also peritumor muscle. The results suggest that with further technical development, sd‐SFDI may represent a non‐destructive screening tool for analysis of excised tissue or a non‐invasive approach to investigate suspicious lesions without the need for exogenous labels or spectrally resolved imaging.

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Effects of Interactions With Animals On Human Psychological Distress
Authors: Crossman Molly K.
Published: November 2016

Context

Human–animal interaction (HAI) is widely used as a method of reducing psychological distress. However, research findings in support of HAI have not kept pace with the widespread prevalence in practice.

Objective

I review and synthesize the quantitative evidence for the influence of HAI on psychological distress and outline future directions for research.

Results

The evidence suggests that HAI has a small‐to‐medium effect on distress but does not clarify whether animals account for the treatment effects. Research also has not determined whether positive effects observed in circumscribed HAI programs extend to companion animal ownership.

Conclusion

HAI research needs to address methodological limitations and expand the focus beyond treatment outcome studies. By increasing our understanding of the processes through which HAI reduces distress, the circumstances under which it is most effective at doing so, and the influence HAI has on the animals, we can enhance the impact of HAI.
The Emerging Role of TRAF7 in Tumor Development
Authors: Zotti Tiziana , Scudiero Ivan , Vito Pasquale , Stilo Romania
Published: November 2016

The seven members of the tumor necrosis factor receptor (TNF‐R)‐associated factor (TRAF) family of intracellular proteins were originally discovered and characterized as signaling adaptor molecules coupled to the cytoplasmic regions of receptors of the TNF‐R superfamily. Functionally, TRAFs act both as a scaffold and/or enzymatic proteins to regulate activation of mitogen‐activated protein kinases (MAPKs) and transcription factors of nuclear factor‐κB family (NF‐κB). Given the wide variety of stimuli intracellularly conveyed by TRAF proteins, they are physiologically involved in multiple biological processes, including embryonic development, tissue homeostasis, and regulation of innate and adaptive immune responses. In the last few years, it has become increasingly evident the involvement of TRAF7, the last member of the TRAF family to be discovered, in the genesis and progression of several human cancers, placing TRAF7 in the spotlight as a novel tumor suppressor protein. In this paper, we review and discuss the literature recently produced on this subject. J. Cell. Physiol. 232: 1233–1238, 2017. © 2016 The Authors. Journal of Cellular Physiology Published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Force spectroscopy reveals the presence of structurally modified dimers in transthyretin amyloid annular oligomers
Authors: Pires Ricardo H. , Saraiva Maria J. , Damas Ana M. , Kellermayer Miklós S. Z.
Published: November 2016

Toxicity in amyloidogenic protein misfolding disorders is thought to involve intermediate states of aggregation associated with the formation of amyloid fibrils. Despite their relevance, the heterogeneity and transience of these oligomers have placed great barriers in our understanding of their structural properties. Among amyloid intermediates, annular oligomers or annular protofibrils have raised considerable interest because they may contribute to a mechanism of cellular toxicity via membrane permeation. Here we investigated, by using AFM force spectroscopy, the structural detail of amyloid annular oligomers from transthyretin (TTR), a protein involved in systemic and neurodegenerative amyloidogenic disorders. Manipulation was performed in situ, in the absence of molecular handles and using persistence length‐fit values to select relevant curves. Force curves reveal the presence of dimers in TTR annular oligomers that unfold via a series of structural intermediates. This is in contrast with the manipulation of native TTR that was more often manipulated over length scales compatible with a TTR monomer and without unfolding intermediates. Imaging and force spectroscopy data suggest that dimers are formed by the assembly of monomers in a head‐to‐head orientation with a nonnative interface along their β‐strands. Furthermore, these dimers stack through nonnative contacts that may enhance the stability of the misfolded structure.
Daily climate data for the Amhara region in Northwestern Ethiopia
Authors: Sisay Kibruyesfa , Thurnher Christopher , Hasenauer Hubert
Published: November 2016

Many spatial vegetative physiological and environmental impact studies demand consistent as well as fine resolution daily meteorological data, which is often unavailable. This problem is evident when studies and applications focus at the regional and local scale. Meteorological stations cannot provide the needed data due to their irregular locations and several associated shortcomings such as missing data. Climate data from global sources like the National Centers for Environmental Prediction (NCEP) and WorldClim are provided at a coarse resolution which makes them inappropriate to use directly at regional and local scales. In order to circumvent this problem, we downscaled daily WorldClim and NCEP global climate grids to produce weather data sets using a delta method to (approximately 1 × 1 km) spatial resolution for the Amhara region of northwestern Ethiopia. The downscaled data set includes daily precipitation, and minimum and maximum temperature from 1979 to 2010. The drizzle effect in the downscaled data set was first eliminated by using a rain threshold that removed values of <1 mm per day. We compared the downscaled values with our calibration data from 56 meteorological stations in the Amhara region. The comparison between the downscaled and the calibrated data from weather stations showed biases in the downscaled values. A delta‐change bias correction technique on a 10‐day average basis was used to correct the biases associated with the downscaled data. Simple additive and multiplicative bias correction methods were used for temperature and precipitation, respectively. We then validated the corrected downscaled daily weather data using ten independent weather stations from the region. We found that the downscaling and the bias correction methods have improved the NCEP values. The validation exhibited no bias. The full data set can be accessed freely under the following link:
ftp://palantir.boku.ac.at/Public/ClimateDataEthiopia/.
Outbreaks and factors influencing microbiological contamination of fresh produce
Authors: Wadamori Yukiko , Gooneratne Ravi , Hussain Malik A
Published: November 2016

Fresh fruits and vegetables are nutritionally well‐recognised as healthy components in diets. The microbiological foodborne outbreaks associated with the consumption of fresh produce have been increasing. Salmonella spp., Escherichia coli O157:H7, Staphylococcus aureus, Campylobacter spp. and Listeria monocytogenes are the most common pathogens that contaminate fresh produce. This review discusses recent foodborne outbreaks linked to fresh produce, factors that affect microbiological contamination and measures that could be adopted to reduce the foodborne illnesses. © 2016 Society of Chemical Industry
Borderline operability in hepatectomy patients is associated with higher rates of failure to rescue after severe complications
Authors: Kim Bradford J. , Tzeng Ching‐Wei D. , Cooper Amanda B. , Vauthey Jean‐Nicolas , Aloia Thomas A.
Published: November 2016

Background/Objective

To understand the influence of age and comorbidities, this study analyzed the incidence and risk factors for post‐hepatectomy morbidity/mortality in patients with “borderline” (BL) operability, defined by the preoperative factors: age ≥75 years, dependent function, lung disease, ascites/varices, myocardial infarction, stroke, steroids, weight loss >10%, and/or sepsis.

Methods

All elective hepatectomies were identified in the 2005–2013 ACS‐NSQIP database. Predictors of 30‐day morbidity/mortality in BL patients were analyzed.

Results

A 3,574/15,920 (22.4%) patients met BL criteria. Despite non‐BL and BL patients undergoing similar magnitude hepatectomies (P > 0.4), BL patients had higher severe complication (SC, 23.3% vs. 15.3%) and mortality rates (3.7% vs. 1.2%, P < 0.001). BL patients with any SC experienced a 14.1% mortality rate (vs. 7.3%, non‐BL, P < 0.001). Independent risk factors for SC in BL patients included American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) score >3 (odds ratio, OR – 1.29), smoking (OR – 1.41), albumin <3.5 g/dl (OR – 1.36), bilirubin >1 (OR – 2.21), operative time >240 min (OR – 1.58), additional colorectal procedure (OR – 1.78), and concurrent procedure (OR – 1.73, all P < 0.05). Independent predictors of mortality included disseminated cancer (OR – 0.44), albumin <3.5 g/dl (OR – 1.94), thrombocytopenia (OR – 1.95), and extended/right hepatectomy (OR – 2.81, all P < 0.01).

Conclusions

Hepatectomy patients meeting BL criteria have an overall post‐hepatectomy mortality rate that is triple that of non‐BL patients. With less clinical reserve, BL patients who suffer SC are at greater risk of post‐hepatectomy death. J. Surg. Oncol. 2017;115:337–343. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
International Tourists’ Reactions to a Natural Disaster: Experiences of the 2015 Earthquake in Nepal Among Israeli Travelers
Authors: Itzhaky Haya , Kissil Karni , Weiss‐Dagan Shlomit
Published: November 2016

There is a scarcity of research exploring the experiences of foreign travelers exposed to natural disasters while abroad. This qualitative study explored the experiences of the 2015 earthquake in Nepal among international travelers immediately following the earthquake. In‐depth interviews were conducted with 21 Israeli backpackers who were traveling in Nepal at the time of the earthquake. Thematic analysis revealed 4 themes: emotional turmoil, quick recovery, springing into action, and connection to the army. Findings suggest that foreign travelers initially respond with emotional turmoil to the disaster. Then they actively search for ways to effectively cope with the situation by problem solving, creating a community of action and support, and searching their own history for similar circumstances that can provide a sense of competence or clear directions for coping. Implications and limitations of the study, as well as suggestions for future research are discussed.
Subsite variation in survival of oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinomas 2004 to 2011
Authors: Platek Mary E. , Jayaprakash Vijayvel , Gupta Vishal , Cohan David M. , Hicks Wesley L. , Winslow Timothy B. , Platek Alexis J. , Groman Adrienne , Dibaj Shiva , Arshad Hassan , Kuriakose Moni A. , Warren Graham W. , Singh Anurag K.
Published: November 2016

Objectives/Hypothesis

To evaluate subsite‐specific differences in survival between squamous cell carcinomas of the base of tongue and tonsillar fossa in a modern cohort likely to have been treated with intensity‐modulated radiation therapy, chemotherapy for stage III and IV, and have had a high incidence of human papillomavirus–associated tumors.

Study Design

Retrospective cohort analysis utilizing data from the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results program of patients with base of tongue and tonsillar fossa squamous cell carcinoma from 2004 to 2011.

Methods

The cohort included 15,299 primary base of tongue and tonsillar fossa squamous cell carcinoma patients without distant metastases treated between 2004 and 2011. Subsite differences in overall survival and disease‐specific survival were examined with Kaplan‐Meier curves. Multivariate cox proportional hazard ratios were estimated for overall and disease‐specific survival.

Results

The cohort included 7,220 (47.2%) base of tongue and 8,079 (52.8%) tonsillar fossa squamous cell carcinoma patients. Overall survival with all stages combined favored tonsillar fossa (P < .001) and remained superior when stratified by stage. In multivariate analyses adjusted for age, gender, race, and treatment, the hazard ratio for overall survival was superior for tonsillar fossa tumors compared to base of tongue tumors for all stages (stage 1, P = .041; stage 2, P = .006; stages 3 and 4, P < .001). Disease‐specific survival also favored improved outcomes for tonsillar fossa.

Conclusions

In this large modern cohort, overall and disease‐specific survival favored outcomes in tonsillar fossa compared with base of tongue. Further study is required to evaluate factors that influence survival differences between tonsillar fossa and base of tongue despite modern therapy.

Level of Evidence

4 Laryngoscope, 127:1087–1092, 2017
Highly tunable elastic dielectric metasurface lenses
Authors: Kamali Seyedeh Mahsa , Arbabi Ehsan , Arbabi Amir , Horie Yu , Faraon Andrei
Published: November 2016

Dielectric metasurfaces are two‐dimensional structures composed of nano‐scatterers that manipulate the phase and polarization of optical waves with subwavelength spatial resolution, thus enabling ultra‐thin components for free‐space optics. While high performance devices with various functionalities, including some that are difficult to achieve using conventional optical setups have been shown, most demonstrated components have fixed parameters. Here, we demonstrate highly tunable dielectric metasurface devices based on subwavelength thick silicon nano‐posts encapsulated in a thin transparent elastic polymer. As proof of concept, we demonstrate a metasurface microlens operating at 915 nm, with focal distance tuning from 600 μm to 1400 μm (over 952 diopters change in optical power) through radial strain, while maintaining a diffraction limited focus and a focusing efficiency above 50%. The demonstrated tunable metasurface concept is highly versatile for developing ultra‐slim, multi‐functional and tunable optical devices with widespread applications ranging from consumer electronics to medical devices and optical communications.

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Electrospun Lipid Binding Proteins Composite Nanofibers with Antibacterial Properties
Authors: Tomaselli Simona , Ramirez Diego Omar Sanchez , Carletto Riccardo Andrea , Varesano Alessio , Vineis Claudia , Zanzoni Serena , Molinari Henriette , Ragona Laura
Published: November 2016

Electrospinning is here used for the first time to prepare nanofibers including a host/guest complex in a keratin/poly(ethylene oxide) matrix. The host is a lipid binding protein and the guest is an insoluble bactericidal molecule, irgasan, bound within the protein internal cavity. The obtained nanofibers, characterized by scanning electron microscopy, exhibit excellent antibacterial activity toward Gram positive and negative bacteria, even with a moderate protein/irgasan cargo. Solution NMR studies, employed to provide molecular information on the cargo system, points to a micromolar affinity, compatible with both the electrospinning process and slow guest release. The versatility of the carrier protein, capable of interacting with a variety of druggable hydrophobic molecules, is exploitable for the development of innovative biomedical devices, whose properties can be tuned by the selected guest.

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Chaotic behaviour of noisy traffic data
Authors: Martinovič Tomáš
Published: November 2016

This paper describes the procedure of extracting information about the dynamics of highway traffic speed. The wavelet shrinkage is used to diminish the effect of the noise. Afterwards, the dynamical properties of the system are estimated through the 0–1 test for chaos, Lyapunov exponents and the notion of Shannon entropy. The results indicate the strong chaotic dynamics in the traffic speed data. In addition to that, the predictability of the system is related to the values of the maximal Lyapunov exponent and Shannon entropy. The higher those values are, the worse the predictability of the system is. Furthermore, it is shown that Shannon entropy can be used to detect changes in dynamics on different time scales. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Modellreaktionen mit Sonnenlicht oder Taschenlampe
Authors: Hoffmann Heiko , Tausch Michael W.
Published: November 2016

Die Photopinakolisierungen von Benzophenon und Aesculin sind preiswert und einfach durchzuführen und bieten so einen experimentellen Einstieg in zentrale Konzepte der Photochemie.
Chemie vermitteln – aber wie?
Authors: Kolbeck Eva
Published: November 2016

Chemiker forschen in ihrem Berufsalltag nicht nur, sondern müssen ihr chemisches Wissen auch weitergeben. Daher haben wir an der Universität Münster ein Qualifizierungsangebot für Promovierende entwickelt, das ihre Vermittlungsfähigkeiten schult.
Biopolymere aus der Kläranlage
Authors: Pittmann Timo
Published: November 2016

Eine Quelle für biologisch abbaubare Kunststoffe sind Bakterien im Primärschlamm. Entsprechend ausgelegte Reaktoren könnten den Bedarf an Biokunststoffen decken, ohne etwa auf nachwachsende Rohstoffe zuzugreifen.
Exploring New Pathways: From Nature to Technology
Authors: Weinig Hans‐Georg
Published: November 2016

Zum sechsten Mal richtete die Gesellschaft Deutscher Chemiker gemeinsam mit der Chinese Chemical Society (CCS) das „Sino‐German Frontiers of Chemistry Symposium“ für Nachwuchswissenschaftler aus.
Long‐term outcomes of 95 children with moderate aplastic anemia treated with horse antithymocyte globulin and cyclosporine
Authors: Nishikawa Eri , Yagasaki Hiroshi , Hama Asahito , Yabe Hiromasa , Ohara Akira , Kosaka Yoshiyuki , Kudo Kazuko , Kobayashi Ryoji , Ohga Shouichi , Morimoto Akira , Watanabe Ken‐ichiro , Yoshida Nao , Muramatsu Hideki , Takahashi Yoshiyuki , Kojima Seiji
Published: November 2016

Background

Currently, the standard management of moderate aplastic anemia (MAA) has not been well described, although the superiority of the combination of antithymocyte globulin (ATG) and cyclosporine (CyA) over CyA alone has been demonstrated in terms of hematological responses and failure‐free survival (FFS).

Procedure

We adopted this therapeutic strategy and treated 95 children with MAA who were enrolled in two consecutive prospective studies between October 1992 and August 2009.

Results

For these patients, the 6‐month response rate was 54.7% (complete response, 13.7%; partial response, 41.1%). There were no statistically significant differences in the overall response rates between the transfusion‐dependent (48.8%, n = 41) and transfusion‐independent groups (59.3%, n = 54; P = 0.4). Treatment failure was defined as the requirement of salvage treatment, and was observed in 52 patients. The 10‐year FFS was 44.0% (95% confidence interval [CI], 32.9%–54.6%). Of the 22 patients who underwent a second immunosuppressive therapy (IST), 12 responded. Forty patients underwent hematopoietic stem cell transplantation as second‐ or third‐line therapy and three died of complications. Consequently, the 10‐year overall survival rate was 96.0% (95% CI, 88.0%–98.7%) with a median follow‐up period of 103 months (range, 29–221 months).

Conclusions

Although current guidelines recommend only observation for patients with transfusion‐independent MAA, the results of our study justify early intervention with ATG and CyA in those patients. A prospective randomized trial is warranted to clarify the risks and benefits of early intervention with IST and observation alone until progression to severe AA in patients with MAA.
The value of the first trimester ultrasound in the era of cell free DNA screening
Authors: Rao Rashmi R. , Valderramos Stephanie G. , Silverman Neil S. , Han Christina S. , Platt Lawrence D.
Published: November 2016

Objective

To describe the clinically relevant findings detected by the first trimester ultrasound (FTU) and to determine the additional value of the FTU compared to cell free DNA (cfDNA) alone.

Method

Retrospective cohort study of patients undergoing a FTU at a maternal–fetal medicine referral practice. Fetal, gynecologic, and placental findings detected by ultrasound were analyzed with available cfDNA and diagnostic testing results. A subgroup analysis of positive ultrasound findings and cfDNA results was performed to assess the additional benefit of ultrasound evaluation in FT prenatal screening.

Results

There were 1906 FTU between 1 October 2013 and 1 October 2014. CfDNA results were available for 959 (50%) patients. FTU detected: 42 fetal (2.2%), 286 gynecologic (15.0%), and 317 placental (16.6%) findings. CfDNA results were discordant with invasive testing results in 8/61 cases (13%) and with ultrasound findings in 18/42 (42%) cases. There were six false positive and two false negative cfDNA results confirmed by diagnostic testing. Subgroup analysis revealed that cfDNA as the sole method of prenatal screening in the FT would miss 95% of the fetal findings detected with ultrasound.

Conclusion

The comprehensive FTU provides valuable clinical information about fetal and maternal anatomy that cannot be detected with cfDNA alone. © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Prediction of neonatal outcome of TTTS by fetal heart and Doppler ultrasound parameters before and after laser treatment
Authors: Delabaere A. , Leduc F. , Reboul Q. , Fuchs F. , Wavrant S. , Fouron J. C. , Audibert F.
Published: November 2016

Objectives

To determine the prognostic value of fetal Doppler and echocardiographic parameters for neonatal survival up to 30 days after laser coagulation in monochorionic pregnancies complicated by twin–twin transfusion syndrome (TTTS).

Methods

Fetal echocardiography and outcome data of consecutive cases of TTTS treated by laser were retrospectively reviewed. Hemodynamic and cardiac function parameters were collected before and after laser.

Results

Between February 2006 and January 2015, 106 fetoscopic laser were performed. The final analysis was limited to cases with ultrasound within 2 days before laser (n = 77) and 4 weeks after laser (n = 86). Overall neonatal survival rate was 64.9% (135/208) and 77.9% of pregnancies (81/104) had at least one baby alive. For the recipient twin, the preoperative predictors of neonatal survival were umbilical artery (UA) pulsatility index (PI), cerebro‐placental PI ratio, UA end diastolic flow (EDF), ductus venosus a‐wave, right ventricular myocardial performance index (RV‐MPI) and CHOP score. The postoperative predictors of donor survival were donor RV‐MPI and recipient UA EDF, umbilical vein pulsations, tricuspid regurgitation, cardiac hypertrophy and CHOP score.

Conclusion

The hemodynamic predictors of postnatal survival after laser were preoperative signs of recipient cardiomyopathy and postoperative signs of cardiac overload in both twins. © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
On the Integration of Need–related Autobiographical Memories among Late Adolescents and Late Adults: The Role of Depressive Symptoms and Self–congruence
Authors: van der Kaap–Deeder Jolene , Vansteenkiste Maarten , Van Petegem Stijn , Raes Filip , Soenens Bart
Published: November 2016

Within self–determination theory, integration denotes the process through which people accept past and present experiences and harmonize these experiences within their sense of self. We investigated associations between indicators of successful and poor integration of need–related memories and memory–related affect. We also examined the role of depressive symptoms and self–congruence as antecedents of these indicators. Moreover, we investigated whether late adults, compared with late adolescents, were better capable of integrating need–frustrating memories through higher levels of self–congruence. Participants were 132 late adolescents (Mage = 17.83) and 147 late adults (Mage = 76.13), who reported on their level of depressive symptoms and self–congruence. Next, participants generated a need–satisfying and need–frustrating memory and reported on the memories‘ integration (in terms of acceptance, connection and rumination) and associated affect. Whereas depressive symptoms related mainly to the poor integration of need–frustrating memories, self–congruence related positively to the integration of both need–satisfying and need–frustrating memories. In turn, integration was related to more positive and less negative affect. Late adults scored higher than late adolescents on the integration of need–frustrating memories, an effect that was partly accounted for by late adults‘ elevated self–congruence. Results suggest that self–congruence, depressive symptoms and age play a role in the integration of need–based autobiographical memories. Copyright © 2016 European Association of Personality Psychology
Geknickter Stab mit unerwarteter Krümmung
Authors: Schneider Werner
Published: November 2016

Ebene optische Grenzflächen können gegenüber landläufigen Vorstellungen auch abbildend wirken. Die daraus folgenden Konsequenzen werden besonders bei Beobachtungen an einem Aquarium sichtbar, die zunächst überraschen. Sie können jedoch leicht mit einem Computerprogramm zur Strahlenoptik gedeutet werden.
Botschaften aus der Geschichte des Universums
Authors: Schäfer Björn Malte
Published: November 2016

Der kosmische Mikrowellenhintergund (CMB) weist Anisotropien auf, die Informationen über die Entstehung der kosmischen Strukturen wie Galaxienhaufen enthalten. Neben den primären Anisotropien besitzt der CMB Strukturen, die durch die Wechselwirkung der Photonen auf dem Weg zu uns entstehen. Die Wechselwirkung kann durch Compton‐Streuung an Elektronen oder durch gravitative Wechselwirkung erfolgen. Beide ermöglichen einen neuen Blick auf kosmische Strukturen und deren Entwicklung. Ihre Beobachtung ist das Ziel von vielen neuen Experimenten, die durch ihre Ergebnisse ein Brücke zwischen der fundamentalen Physik derKosmologie und der Astronomie schlagen.
Die Kometenmission Rosetta
Authors: Krüger Harald
Published: November 2016

Die Rosetta‐Mission ist ein Meilenstein in der Erforschung der Kometen und ihrer Entstehung. Eine der größten Überraschungen war die unregelmäßige hantelförmige Gestalt des Zielkometen 67P/Tschurjumow‐Gerassimenko. Er besteht wahrscheinlich aus zwei Einzelkörpern, die durch ihre Schwerkraft aneinander gehalten werden. Seine Oberfläche ist sehr rau und zeigt eine sehr vielfältige Morphologie, die auf eine Vielzahl von ablaufenden Prozessen hindeutet. Der Kometenkern ist vermutlich auf Größenskalen von mehr als etwa 10 bis 100 Metern homogen, Inhomogenitäten auf kleineren Skalen könnten für seine Aktivität verantwortlich sein. Diese ist auf kleine Gebiete konzentriert, und auch Oberflächenveränderungen, die sich innerhalb von einigen Tagen bis wenigen Wochen abspielen, sind lokal. Im Kometenmaterial wurde eine Vielzahl an organischen Substanzen gemessen, die zum Teil als Schlüsselmoleküle für die Synthese der Grundbausteine des Lebens gelten, wie wir es kennen.
Karl Schwarzschild – Pionier der Astrophysik
Authors: Wolfschmidt Gudrun
Published: November 2016

Karl Schwarzschild begann seine astrophysikalischen Studien in Straßburg auf dem Gebiet der Veränderlichen Sterne. Eine Sonnenfinsternis in Algerien im Jahr 1905 war sein Einstieg in das Thema Sonnenphysik, was ihn 1906 zum Begriff des Strahlungsgleichgewichtes führte. Als Direktor des Astrophysikalischen Observatoriums Potsdam (1909 bis 1916) beschäftigte er sich neben Sonnenphysik, Stellarstatistik und Sternatmosphären besonders mit der gerade entstehenden Allgemeinen Relativitätstheorie. Kurz vor seinem Tod entwickelte er die ersten exakten Lösungen der Allgemeinen Relativitätstheorie und stieß dabei auf das Phänomen der Schwarzen Löcher und den später nach ihm benannten Schwarzschild‐Radius.
Flüchtige Regenbögen einzelner Tropfen
Authors: Vollmer Michael , Möllmann Klaus‐Peter
Published: November 2016

Regenbögen sind ein zeitabhängiges Phänomen, erzeugt von gestreutem Licht an vielen fallenden Regentropfen [1]. Jeder einzelne Tropfen trägt jeweils nur für kurze Zeit zum wahrgenommenen Phänomen bei, wenn das Licht gerade durch den entsprechenden Winkelbereich fällt. Mit einem Experiment lässt sich Lichtstreuung in fallenden Tropfen beobachten und mit einer Hochgeschwindigkeitskamera aufzeichnen.
Die smarte Lupe
Authors: Laumann Daniel , Wilhelm Thomas , Kuhn Jochen
Published: November 2016

Mit Hilfe einfach konstruierter Vergrößerungsaufsätze und Kugellinsen können Smartphones als Maxilupen genutzt werden, um die Welt im Kleinen zu beobachten. Hiermit erreicht man bis zu 350‐fach vergrößerte Abbildungen.
Thermal stability of ester linkage in the presence of 1,2,3‐Triazole moiety generated by click reaction
Authors: Lee Kyu Seong , Park So Yeong , Moon Hong Chul , Kim Jin Kon
Published: November 2016

The copper(I)‐catalyzed alkyne‐azide cycloaddition (CuAAC), so‐called “click” reaction, is one of most useful synthetic strategies to connect two polymer chains. 1,2,3‐Triazole ring (TA) produced by the click reaction has good thermal and chemical stability. However, we observed that block copolymers synthesized by the click reaction showed thermal degradation to give homopolymers when they are thermally annealed at high temperature, which is required for obtaining equilibrium microdomain structure. To investigate the origin of thermal instability of block copolymers, we synthesized model polystyrenes (PSs) using systematically designed bi‐functional atom transfer radical polymerization (ATRP) initiators containing TA. PS including both ester and TA groups showed thermal decomposition at relatively low temperature (e.g., 140 °C). MALDI‐TOF analysis clearly demonstrated that the cleavage site is the ester group adjacent to TA. We also found that the bromine group located at the polymer chain end plays an important role in pyrolysis of ester groups at low temperature. The pyrolysis occurs by syn‐elimination of the ester group. This result implies that the phase behavior of block copolymer synthesized by click reaction should be carefully investigated when high temperature thermal annealing is required. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Polym. Sci., Part A: Polym. Chem. 2017, 55, 427–436
Fullerene‐Structural Carbon‐Based Dots from C60 Molecules and their Optical Properties
Authors: Dong Yongqiang , Fang Qingqing , Wu Huan , Wan Lisi , Lin Yuhong , Lu Chun‐Hua , Chi Yuwu , Yang Huang‐Hao
Published: November 2016

Fullerene‐structural carbon‐based dots (f‐CDs) are synthesized for the first time by chemically oxidizing fullerene molecules (C60) using concentrated HNO3. The lateral sizes of the f‐CDs distribute in the range of 7–20 nm, and the heights mainly range from 0.4 to 1.3 nm with an average value of 0.7 nm. The presence of massive pentagonal carbon units makes the f‐CDs different from most of graphitic‐CDs in structure and morphology. The f‐CDs exhibit unique luminescent properties such as photoluminescence (PL) and electrochemiluminescence. Based on the investigation of the UV–vis absorption and luminescent properties, a novel and reasonable model is proposed for the PL mechanism of f‐CDs. Furthermore, the obtained f‐CDs show low cytotoxicity and have potential application in cell imaging.
AlGaN/GaN high electron mobility transistors on Si with sputtered TiN gate
Authors: Li Y. , Ng G. I. , Arulkumaran S. , Liu Z. H. , Ranjan K. , Xing W. C. , Ang K. S. , Murmu P. P. , Kennedy J.
Published: November 2016

AlGaN/GaN high electron mobility transistors (HEMTs) on Si were fabricated and studied using sputtered TiN Schottky gate. The sputtered TiN on AlGaN/GaN HEMTs exhibit an improved Schottky barrier height (SBH) of ∼1.1 eV, which is larger than the Schottky contacts formed by the other reported TiN‐based stacks and by most of Ni/Au‐free materials. The improvement of SBH is due to the increase of metal work function either by the incorporation of oxygen in sputtered TiN or by using a high N2/Ar ratio during the sputtering process. Although the HEMTs with TiN gate show comparable DC output and transfer characteristics compared to devices with Ni/Au gate, they exhibit enhanced OFF‐state breakdown voltages (BVgd) of ∼48–58 V. This is consistent with the observation of an order of magnitude lower reverse gate leakage current and is also well agreed by the enhanced SBH of the sputtered TiN as compared to the Ni/Au gate. With reference to the HEMTs with Ni/Au gate, a slight increase of dynamic/static on‐resistances (Rds[ON]) ratio (∼8%) was observed in the sputtered TiN gate HEMTs.
Cloaking by π‐electrons in the infrared
Authors: Pekker Áron , Németh Gergely , Botos Ákos , Tóháti Hajnalka M. , Borondics Ferenc , Osváth Zoltán , Biró László P. , Walker Kate , Khlobystov Andrei N. , Kamarás Katalin
Published: November 2016

Hybrid materials composed of single walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs) as hollow containers and small molecules as fillers possess intriguing physical and chemical properties. Infrared spectroscopy is a useful method in most cases to characterize hybrid systems; however, regardless of the type of small molecule encapsulated in the SWCNT, the IR spectrum of the hybrid system remains silent. The possible explanation involves the highly polarizable ‐electron system of the SWCNTs. Image charges induced in the SWCNT walls cancel out the transition dipole moment of the molecular vibrations resulting in the cloaking of the material inside the nanotube. To confirm the role of the delocalized ‐electron system in this process, insulating boron nitride nanotubes filled with were also investigated and found to be transparent to infrared radiation. We have also demonstrated the cloaking effect in two dimensions using a thin film of covered by single layer graphene. The significance of our results lies in the fact that the cloaking layer is a real material, not a metamaterial.
Remarkable room‐temperature magnetoresistance in silicon strip devices
Authors: Guo Hui , Cui Lei , Li Yali , Chen Qiang , Fan Xiaolong , Wang Fangcong , Li Junshuai
Published: November 2016

In this paper, we report remarkable room‐temperature magnetoresistance (MR) in silicon strip devices. Saturating and non‐saturating MRs can be realized based on the measuring configurations with one top contact and ten top contacts, respectively. Using the one‐top‐contact measurement, a saturating MR ratio of ∼400% is obtained at an applied voltage of only 1.0 V when the magnetic field is larger than 0.8 T. While the non‐saturating MR is achieved in the ten‐top‐contact measurement and the MR ratio is only ∼155% for the 1.0 V applied voltage even under the magnetic field of 1.2 T. The differences for MR ratio values and change trends in these two measuring configurations are attributed to the enhanced Hall electric field with the increase of the top contact number.
Proposed best practice for projects that involve modelling and simulation
Authors: O'Kelly Michael , Anisimov Vladimir , Campbell Chris , Hamilton Sinéad
Published: November 2016

Modelling and simulation has been used in many ways when developing new treatments. To be useful and credible, it is generally agreed that modelling and simulation should be undertaken according to some kind of best practice. A number of authors have suggested elements required for best practice in modelling and simulation. Elements that have been suggested include the pre‐specification of goals, assumptions, methods, and outputs. However, a project that involves modelling and simulation could be simple or complex and could be of relatively low or high importance to the project. It has been argued that the level of detail and the strictness of pre‐specification should be allowed to vary, depending on the complexity and importance of the project. This best practice document does not prescribe how to develop a statistical model. Rather, it describes the elements required for the specification of a project and requires that the practitioner justify in the specification the omission of any of the elements and, in addition, justify the level of detail provided about each element. This document is an initiative of the Special Interest Group for modelling and simulation. The Special Interest Group for modelling and simulation is a body open to members of Statisticians in the Pharmaceutical Industry and the European Federation of Statisticians in the Pharmaceutical Industry. Examples of a very detailed specification and a less detailed specification are included as appendices.
Respiratory bronchiolitis‐associated interstitial lung disease with obvious paraseptal emphysema
Authors: Zhou Yun , He Zhiyi , Bai Jing , Zhong Xiaoning
Published: November 2016

Respiratory bronchiolitis‐associated interstitial lung disease (RBILD) is a distinct clinical–pathological disease described almost exclusively among cigarette smokers. Normally, the most common manifestations in computed tomography findings of RBILD are central and peripheral bronchial wall thickening, centrilobular nodules, ground glass opacity, and mild centrilobular emphysema in the upper lobes. In this study, we report a current smoker presenting with diffuse ground glass opacity in the entire lungs along with paraseptal emphysema. This case differs from past reports where obvious paraseptal emphysema in upper lung is seldom reported.
Norwegian internet voting protocol revisited: ballot box and receipt generator are allowed to collude
Authors: Kardaş Süleyman , Kiraz Mehmet Sabir , Bingöl Muhammed Ali , Birinci Fatih
Published: November 2016

Norway experienced internet voting in 2011 and 2013 for municipal and parliamentary elections, respectively. Its security depends on the assumptions that the involving organizations are completely independent, reliable, and the receipt codes are securely sent to the voters. In this paper, we point out the following aspects:

The vote privacy of the Norwegian scheme is violated if Ballot Box and Receipt Generator cooperate because the private key of Decryption Service can be obtained by the two former players. We propose a solution to avoid this issue without adding new players.

To assure the correctness, the receipt codes are sent to the voters over a pre‐channel (postal service) and a post‐channel (Short Message Service [SMS]). However, by holding both SMS and the postal receipt code, a voter can reveal his vote even after the elections. Albeit revoting is a fairly well solution for coercion or concealment, intentional vote revealing is still a problem. We suggest SMS only for notification of vote submission.

In case the codes are falsely generated or the pre‐channel is not secure, a vote can be counted for a different candidate without detection. We propose a solution in which voters verify the integrity of the postal receipt codes.

Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Are Charters the Best Alternative? A Cost Frontier Analysis of Alternative Education Campuses in Texas
Authors: Gronberg Timothy J. , Jansen Dennis W. , Taylor Lori L.
Published: November 2016

Previous research on the relative efficiency of charter schools focused on schools that serve a general student population. In Texas, as in many other states, some charter schools have been designed specifically to serve students who are at risk of dropping out of school. Such “alternative education campuses” may have very different cost and efficiency profiles than schools designed to serve students in regular education programs. In this article, we estimate a translog stochastic cost frontier model using panel data for alternative public high school campuses in Texas over the five‐year period 2007–2011, and find that alternative education high school campuses operated by charter schools are systematically more efficient than alternative education high school campuses operated by traditional public school districts. Policies that encourage the formation of alternative education charter campuses may thus be a sensible component of strategies to combat the pervasive and pernicious problem of high school dropouts.
Aluminum Hydrides Stabilized by N‐Heterocyclic Imines as Catalysts for Hydroborations with Pinacolborane
Authors: Franz Daniel , Sirtl Lorenz , Pöthig Alexander , Inoue Shigeyoshi
Published: November 2016

The catalytic activity of the NHI‐substituted aluminum hydrides {LMesNAlH2}2 (1a), {LDipNAlH2}2 (1b), {LMesNAl(H)OTf}2 (2a), and {LDipNAl(H)OTf}2 (2b) in the hydroboration of terminal alkynes (for 1), as well as carbonyl compounds (for 2) with pinacolborane (4,4,5,5‐tetramethyl‐1,3,2‐dioxaborolane) is investigated (LMesN = 1,3‐dimesityl‐imidazolin‐2‐imino, Mes = 2,4,6‐trimethylphenyl, LDipN = 1,3‐bis(2,6‐diisopropylphenyl)‐imidazolin‐2‐imino, Tf = triflyl). With the implementation of 1 as a catalyst, the hydroboration of selected terminal arylalkynes requires elevated temperature (80 °C) to proceed. The less sterically congested 1a produces faster conversions than the bulkier 1b. With the use of 2 as a catalyst, the hydroboration of carbonyl compounds occurs at room temperature. An increased steric hindrance of the catalyst (2a vs. 2b) does not mitigate the rate of conversion to a relevant degree.