bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Toward a computational multiresolution analysis for radial point interpolation meshless method
Authors: Afsari Arman , Chehrazi Akram , Movahhedi Masoud
Published: March 2014

In this work, the application of Daubechies' scaling functions (DSFs) in computational engineering, particulary radial point interpolation meshless method (RPIM) in electromagnetic engineering, is studied. This analysis indicates some shortcomings of DSFs in computational engineering. In fact, the DSFs take the role of shape functions in RPIM, but they do not hold some general properties of shape functions. Modifying these shortcomings according to engineering requirements as time consumption rate, new scaling (shape) functions are derived, and testing them into two important classes of electromagnetic problems, that is, incident wave on dielectrics and scatterers, gives good agreement with exact solutions. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Evolution of polyphenols and organic acids during the fermentation of apple cider
Authors: Ye Mengqi , Yue Tianli , Yuan Yahong
Published: March 2014

BACKGROUND

Polyphenols and organic acids are important constitutes in the cider because they greatly contribute to organoleptic quality. The determination of their changes is important for monitoring the fermentation process for purposes of quality control. In this study, the evolution of polyphenols and organic acids was monitored throughout the cider fermentation process. The samples were taken periodically and the polyphenols and organic acids contents were determined using HPLC methods.

RESULTS

The contents of polyphenols and organic acids were in constant change. After fermentation, the content of (+)‐catechin, (−)‐epicatechin, chlorogenic acid, cinnamic acid, p‐coumaric acid, gallic acid, caffeic acid, ferulic acid, rutin and phloridzin decreased by different degrees, while protocatechuic acid increased after fermentation. The content of organic acids was also affected by fermentation. Malic acid, lactic acid, quinic acid, pyruvic acid and citric acid showed different levels of increase, but succinic acid content decreased.

CONCLUSIONS

The contents of polyphenols and organic acids were affected by fermentation. Their changing profiles during fermentation process were dependent on the type of phenolic compounds and organic acids studied. © 2014 Society of Chemical Industry
Factors affecting distribution and abundance of Aspergillus section Nigri in vineyard soils from grapevine growing regions of Argentina
Authors: Barberis Mauricio G , Giaj Merlera Guillermo , Reynoso Maria M , Chulze Sofia N , Torres Adriana M
Published: March 2014

BACKGROUND

Aspergillus species belonging to section Nigri are the main fungi responsible for ochratoxin (OTA) contamination in grapes and wine. These species live as saprophytes in the superficial layer of the vineyard soil. We evaluated the biodiversity of potentially ochratoxigenic strains of Aspergillus section Nigri isolated from vineyard soils from different grapevine growing regions of Argentina. The isolates were characterized by classical and molecular methods. A multiple correspondence analysis was performed to identify the overall correlation of the Aspergillus group distribution with environmental conditions, geographical characteristics and vineyard practices.

RESULTS

Aspergillus niger aggregate was the prevalent group (71%) and A. carbonarius made up only 2%. Species discrimination by species‐specific primers showed that in A. niger aggregate 89% were A. tubingensis; 97% of the uniseriate were A. japonicus/A. aculeatus. Isolates belonging to these groups were unable to produce OTA. Our results clearly demonstrate a strong association between presence of A. carbonarius, high average temperatures and drip irrigation. Precipitation levels appear as a secondary factor, and altitude, vineyard age, predominant species, grape variety or total fungal count showed no association with A. carbonarius.

CONCLUSION

We demonstrated a low prevalence of ochratoxigenic species in vineyard soil from the grape‐growing regions of Argentina. © 2014 Society of Chemical Industry
RhoA activation by CNFy restores cell–cell adhesion in kindlin‐2‐deficient keratinocytes
Authors: He Yinghong , Sonnenwald Tanja , Sprenger Adrian , Hansen Uwe , Dengjel Joern , Bruckner‐Tuderman Leena , Schmidt Gudula , Has Cristina
Published: March 2014

Kindlins are a family of integrin adapter and cell–matrix adhesion proteins causally linked to human genetic disorders. Kindlin‐2 is a ubiquitously expressed protein with manifold functions and interactions. The contribution of kindlin‐2 to integrin‐based cell–matrix adhesions has been extensively explored, while other integrin‐independent roles emerge. Because of the early involvement of kindlin‐2 in development, no viable animal models with its constitutional knockout are available to study its physiological functions in adult skin. Here, we uncovered a critical physiological role of kindlin‐2 in the epidermis by using a skin‐equivalent model with shRNA‐mediated knock‐down of kindlin‐2 in keratinocytes. Kindlin‐2‐deficient keratinocytes built stratified epidermal layers, but displayed impaired dermal–epidermal and intra‐epidermal adhesion and barrier function. Co‐immunoprecipitation studies demonstrated that kindlin‐2 interacts with both integrin‐ and cadherin‐based adhesions. In kindlin‐2‐deficient keratinocytes, reduced cell–cell adhesion was associated with abnormal cytoplasmic distribution of adherens junctions and desmosomal proteins, which was dependent on RhoA activation. Direct activation of RhoA with recombinant bacterial cytotoxic necrotizing factor y (CNFy) reverted the abnormal phenotype and barrier function of kindlin‐2‐deficient keratinocytes and skin equivalents. These findings have physiological and pathological significance, since kindlin‐2 expression modulates the phenotype in Kindler syndrome, a skin fragility disorder caused by kindlin‐1 deficiency. Our results suggest that pharmacological regulation of RhoGTPase activity may represent a therapeutic option for skin fragility. Copyright © 2014 Pathological Society of Great Britain and Ireland. Published by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd
Green Template‐Free Synthesis of Mesoporous Ternary CoNi–Mn Oxide Nanowires Towards High‐Performance Electrochemical Capacitors
Authors: Yuan Changzhou , Zhang Longhai , Hou Linrui , Pang Gang , Zhang Xiaogang
Published: March 2014

One‐dimensional (1D) mesoporous ternary Co–Ni–Mn oxide nanowires (CNMO NWs) have been controllably fabricated via a facile yet scalable template‐free strategy involving a green hydrothermal route coupled with the following calcination. The composition of the reaction solvent system, i.e., the volume ratio of the ethylene glycol and deionized water, plays a significant role in tuning the specific morphologies and microstructures of the final CNMO products. The as‐derived lD CNMO NWs are constructed with numerous nanoparticle subunits with the size of ≈5–10 nm, and possess lots of interparticle mesopores ranged from 2 to 6 nm. The well‐defined mesoporous CNMO NWs apparently have appealing structural advantages, such as fast and convenient electron and ion transport, sufficient redox electrochemical centers with multiple valences, and large electroactive surface area. As a result, the as‐fabricated mesoporous CNMO NWs manifest exceptional pesudocapacitance and excellent cycling stability at high rates when evaluated as a striking low‐cost electrode for next‐generation electrochemical capacitors.
Efficient video frame insertion and deletion detection based on inconsistency of correlations between local binary pattern coded frames
Authors: Zhang Zhenzhen , Hou Jianjun , Ma Qinglong , Li Zhaohong
Published: March 2014

Frame insertion and deletion are common inter‐frame forgery in digital videos. In this paper, an efficient method based on quotients of correlation coefficients between local binary patterns (LBPs) coded frames is proposed. This method is composed of two parts: feature extraction and abnormal point detection. In the feature extraction, each frame of a video is coded by LBP. Then, quotients of correlation coefficients among sequential LBP‐coded frames are calculated. In the abnormal point detection, insertion and deletion localization is achieved by using Tchebyshev inequality twice followed by abnormal points detection based on decision‐thresholding. Experimental results show that our method has high detection accuracy and low computational complexity. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Editorial: Well Documented Articles Achieve More Impact
Authors: Albers Sönke
Published: March 2014

This issue offers for the first time supplementary material to articles. It consists of Excel files providing data the research is based on, calculation sheets, and optimization tools. Moreover, text files with pseudo code of algorithms and data of instances used for testing these algorithms as well as a video file with a demonstration of the use of a system in experiments are supplied for download. This material facilitates the understanding of the published articles and the replication of their findings to the benefit of scientific progress. And last but not least, such well documented articles will achieve much more impact.
Who has really paid for the Reconstruction of East Germany? Expected and Realized Returns on Real Estate Investments in East and West Germany in the 1990s
Authors: Kiesewetter Dirk , Bensemann Tina , Schönemann Kristin
Published: March 2014

We evaluate the profitability of investments in residential property in Germany after unification with a focus on the comparison of East and West Germany. Calculations are carried out for (1) the after-tax return an investor might have expected at the beginning of the 1990s, and (2) the after-tax return that has been realized ten years after. We compare a set of statistical data for investments in fifty major cities by using complete financial budgeting. The results show that tax subsidies could not always protect investors from losing money, but they have boosted realized returns after tax considerably. Therefore, it was indeed the taxpayers, not the investors, who have borne the cost of reconstructing East Germany.
Borderline Resectable Adrenal Cortical Carcinoma: A Potential Role for Preoperative Chemotherapy
Authors: Bednarski Brian K. , Habra Mouhammed Amir , Phan Alexandria , Milton Denai R. , Wood Christopher , Vauthey Nicholas , Evans Douglas B. , Katz Matthew H. , Ng Chaan S. , Perrier Nancy D. , Lee Jeffrey E. , Grubbs Elizabeth G.
Published: March 2014

Background

Adrenal cortical carcinoma (ACC) may have tumor or patient characteristics at presentation that argue against immediate surgery because of an unacceptable risk of morbidity/mortality, incomplete resection, or recurrence. This clinical stage can be characterized as borderline resectable ACC (BRACC). At present, systemic therapies in ACC can reduce tumor burden in some patients, creating an opportunity in BRACC for a strategy of preoperative chemotherapy (ctx) followed by surgery.

Materials and Methods

A single‐institution retrospective review was conducted of all patients considered for surgery for primary ACC. Patients with BRACC treated with preoperative ctx were categorized as follows: group A, imaging suggesting a need for multiorgan/vascular resection; group B, imaging suggesting potentially resectable oligometastases; and group C, patients having marginal performance status/comorbidities precluding immediate surgery. Both the disease‐free survival (DFS) and the overall survival (OS) were compared in BRACC patients treated with preoperative ctx+surgery and those who had upfront surgery.

Results

Fifty‐three patients with primary ACC were considered for surgery (median follow‐up: 49.9 months). Thirty‐eight patients (71.7 %) had initial surgery and 15 of them (28.3 %) were considered BRACC and received preoperative therapy. Of these 15 patients, 12 (80 %) received combination therapy with mitotane and etoposide/cisplatin‐based ctx, 2 (13 %) received mitotane alone, and 1 (7 %) received ctx alone. Six patients were defined as group A, 5 as group B, and 4 as group C. Thirteen (87 %) BRACC patients underwent surgical resection. BRACC patients were younger but had more advanced disease than the patients having initial surgery (stage IV in 40 vs 2.6 % [p < 0.01]). By Response Evaluation Criteria In Solid Tumors criteria, 5 patients (38.5 %) had a partial response, 7 (53.8 %) had stable disease, and 1 (7.7 %) had disease that progressed. Postoperative mitotane use was similar between groups (p =. 15). Median DFS for resected BRACC patients was 28.0 months [95 % confidence interval (CI), 2.9–not attained] vs 13 months (95 % CI, 5.8–46.9) (p = 0.40) for initial surgery patients. Five‐year OS rates were also similar: 65 % for resected BRACC vs 50 % for initial surgery (p = 0.72).

Conclusions

The favorable outcome of patients with BRACC, despite more advanced stage of disease compared to those treated with surgery first, together with uncommon disease progression, suggests a benefit of neoadjuvant treatment sequencing in patients with BRACC.
PALMETTE CUPS FROM ANCIENT TANAGRA
Authors: Heymans Elon D.
Published: March 2014

This article provides an overview of the development of palmette cups from ancient Tanagra. Also known as floral cups, these formed the predominant type of decorated pottery in Boeotia and neighbouring areas during the Classical period. Production of these cups – which were decorated with simple floral motifs (mostly palmettes) in silhouette technique – peaked towards the end of the fifth and in the early fourth centurybc. This study is based on a catalogue of 74 cups of unknown context in theapothekeof the Schimatari Museum, with reference to other material from excavations and collections, thus providing the most comprehensive body of palmette vases known from Tanagra or any other production centre. With a focus on vase shape and decoration, several groups or workshops are identified. The picture that is built up contributes to a better understanding of the diversity and development of this type of pottery, and offers an insight into the ceramic traditions of Boeotia in general.
“AND GRAVES GIVE UP THEIR DEAD”:THE OLD CURIOSITY SHOP, VICTORIAN PSYCHOLOGY, AND THE NATURE OF THE FUTURE LIFE
Authors: Stolte Tyson
Published: March 2014

Midway throughthe old curiosity shop(1840–41), Quilp returns home to discover his own wake in progress upstairs. He has been absent for three days, dogging the footsteps of the friends and family searching for Nell: materializing at Little Bethel, the chapel Kit's mother attends, or rising from the larder of the inn to which the single gentleman and Kit's mother retire after discovering from Mrs. Jarley that they have just missed Nell. Quilp's wife, having heard nothing from him all this time, has concluded that he has drowned, and so Quilp finds her, her mother, and the lawyer Sampson Brass at work on a descriptive advertisement for his corpse. As Quilp looks on, the group insultingly anatomizes him – “Large head, short body, legs crooked” (Dickens 382; ch. 49) – a process punctuated by the slightly inebriated Brass's musings on the afterlife to which the dwarf might have flown. Brass considers the possibility that the recently deceased might be at that moment watching from the next world, and this thought leads to another platitude about the dead:

“I can almost fancy” said the lawyer shaking his head, “that I see his eye glistening down at the very bottom of my liquor. When shall we look upon his like again? Never, never! One minute we are here” – holding his tumbler before his eyes – “the next we are there” – gulping down its contents, and striking himself emphatically a little below the chest – “in the silent tomb.” (381; ch. 49)

Brass's sentiments are, at least for a moment, tantalizingly vague. We, of course, know precisely where Quilp is – behind the door – but Dickens's suspension of Brass's speech until the lawyer has finished his drink seems to offer a much less definite possibility: that once the dead are no longer “here,” they are simply “there.” But where, when it comes to the future life, is that? Only in the silent tomb? For all its lack of seriousness, this scene gets to the heart of a fundamental curiosity in this novel about what might await us in the next life. In other words, while readers of the novel have tended to focus most intently on whether Little Nell might die, the novel itself seems equally interested in what might happen to Nell – and to us –afterdeath.
CAPTAIN FREDERICK MARRYAT ANDTHE FLORAL TELEGRAPH; OR, A FORGOTTEN CODER AND HIS FLORAL CODE
Authors: Wuebben Daniel
Published: March 2014

This essay examinesthe floral telegraph;A New Mode of Communication by Floral Signals, a rare Victorian novel published anonymously in 1836 and reprinted in 1850 with a new tagline –The Floral Telegraph; Or, Affection's Signals. The reprint includes an ascription to Captain Frederick Marryat, Royal Navy (1792–1848) (See Figure 5). The majority of Marryat's biographers, scholars, and archivists have doubted the posthumous ascription. Here, I challenge the critical consensus and argue that Marryat did indeed writeThe Floral Telegraphpublished in 1836 and that the attribution of 1850 is correct. I begin with a biographical sketch of Marryat, a brief synopsis of the novel, and a review of its scant, mostly skeptical reception. I then argue that the “floral code” presented in the text resembles (albeit through parody) Marryat's famous codebook for maritime flag signals and that the Captain's acknowledged interest in botany and horticulture gave him the fluency necessary to create the Table of Flowers (See Figure 6). In addition, Marryat had a strong relationship with the novel's publisher, Saunders and Otley, and he was the editor of theMetropolitan, a literary magazine which ran a favorable review shortly afterThe Floral Telegraphwas first published. The narrative also reflects Marryat's stylistic tendency to satire and parody and his ideas about literacy and widespread publication seem to be inversely reflected in the ironic digressions of the unreliable narrator, Horace Honeycomb, and the diatribe against the “cursed and abominable art of Printing” (117) offered by the inventor of the floral code, Floribel. I conclude my essay by viewingThe Floral Telegraphas representative of early Victorian issues of literacy, affect, and disembodied, long-distance communication in the age immediately preceding the advent of the electromagnetic telegraph.
Lexical profiles of bilingual children with primary language impairment
Authors: EBERT KERRY DANAHY , PHAM GIANG , KOHNERT KATHRYN
Published: March 2014

This study used lexical tasks to examine associations between languages, tasks, and age in bilingual children with primary language impairment. Participants (n = 41, mean age 8;8 years) lived in the United States, spoke primarily Spanish (L1) at home and English (L2) at school, and were identified with moderate to severe impairments in both languages. A total of eight tasks (four in each language) measured breadth of vocabulary knowledge (receptive and expressive vocabulary) and aspects of lexical processing (rapid automatic naming and nonword repetition). Correlational analyses revealed older children outperformed younger children on lexical tasks in L2 but not L1, as well as relative L2 dominance for most individuals and tasks. Positive associations were found between languages on processing-based tasks but not vocabulary measures. Findings were consistent with literature on typical bilingual learners, albeit with a notable increased risk of plateau in L1 growth. Results are interpreted within a Dynamic Systems framework.
Beam steering spiral antenna reconfigured by PIN diodes
Authors: Gong Liang , Ramer Rodica , Chan King Yuk “Eric”
Published: March 2014

The paper proposes a new design for a single-arm, rectangular, spiral antenna (SARSA) with a wide azimuth space coverage. The antenna, operating at around 3.3 GHz, is capable of steering the beam in four separate directions in the azimuth plane. Only three DC signals are required to control the seven PIN diodes attached along the spiral arm. The antenna has a 200-MHz-bandwidth around 3.3 GHz with stable maximum beam directions that are defined by setting of the switches. Considerations required in selecting switch positions when designing such antennas for other frequencies, are presented. The measured return loss, radiation pattern and gain, all have close correlation with the simulation results. A detailed comparison of our design with those already proposed in the literature is given.
Placental weight and foetal growth rate as predictors of ischaemic heart disease in a Swedish cohort
Authors: Heshmati A. , Koupil I.
Published: March 2014

Studies on placental size and cardiovascular disease have shown inconsistent results. We followed 10,503 men and women born in Uppsala, Sweden, 1915–1929 from 1964 to 2008 to assess whether birth characteristics, including placental weight and placenta/birth weight ratio, were predictive of future ischaemic heart disease (IHD). Adjustments were made for birth cohort, age, sex, mother’s parity, birth weight, gestational age and social class at birth. Placental weight and birth weight were negatively associated with IHD. The effect of placental weight on IHD was stronger in individuals from medium social class at birth and in those with low education. Men and women from non-manual social class at birth had the lowest risk for IHD as adults. We conclude that low foetal growth rate rather than placental weight was more predictive of IHD in the Swedish cohort. However, the strong effect of social class at birth on risk for IHD did not appear to be mediated by foetal growth rate.
One-pot synthesis of hydrophilic CuInS2 and CuInS2–ZnS colloidal quantum dots
Authors: Zhang Jianbing , Sun Weipeng , Yin Liping , Miao Xiangshui , Zhang Daoli
Published: March 2014

Hydrophilic CuInS2 and CuInS2–ZnS colloidal quantum dots were directly synthesized using in situ generated H2S as the sulphur source and DMF as the solvent. Short chain thiols were applied as capping ligands, reactivity controlling agents and sulphur sources for the growth of the ZnS shell.
Induced redox responsiveness and electroactivity for altering the properties of micelles without external stimuli
Authors: Glavas Lidija , Odelius Karin , Albertsson Ann-Christine
Published: March 2014

Triggered dissociation of micelles without external stimuli through incorporation of an aniline pentamer into amphiphilic PEG–PLA.
Breaking news: Sign language interpreters on television during natural disasters
Authors: McKee Rachel
Published: March 2014

Flood, cyclone and earthquake disasters in Australia and New Zealand in 2011 brought sign language interpreters into the media spotlight in these countries. Their inclusion in television broadcasts to communicate emergency-related information was unprecedented in both countries, and attracted strong responses from Deaf viewers and the general public. Drawing on retrospective interviews with two New Zealand interpreters and one Australian interpreter, this report explains how interpreters came to be included in the broadcasts, and identifies the specific demands they encountered when working in the context of a civil emergency. Impacts of, and responses to, the interpreted coverage are also noted.
The Soviet Union and Mosaddeq: A Research Note
Authors: Kalinovsky Artemy M.
Published: March 2014

Although it is generally accepted that the Soviet Union did not play a significant role in the events leading to the overthrow of Mohammed Mosaddeq in 1953, little has been written about how the Soviets perceived the Iranian leader and the movement he inspired. This article argues that Soviet leaders generally saw Mosaddeq as weak and ill-disposed towards the Soviet Union. The Soviet failure to secure an oil concession in Iran in 1946 and general conservatism about anti-colonial movements during the late Stalin period conditioned their assessment of Mosaddeq's premiership. After Soviet policy towards the Third World changed in the mid-1950s, Mosaddeq's movement was reinterpreted as a genuine “struggle of national liberation.”
Ruinopolis: Post‐Imperial Theory and Learning from Las Vegas
Authors: Hell Julia , Steinmetz George
Published: March 2014

This essay foregrounds a dimension of Las Vegas that other authors only touch on in passing: its connections to empire. The authors propose a post‐imperial analysis of the city based on a reconstruction of its history and a reading of the traces of this history in the city's architecture and its self‐presentation in American popular culture. This analysis of Las Vegas as ruinopolis draws attention to the ruin sites of the city and its hinterland, reading them through the lens of empire. We work out the imperial territoriality of Las Vegas, including the derelict space of the Las Vegas Paiute Indian Colony, the ‘Pentagon Desert’ around the city with its so‐called ‘national sacrifice zone’, and the Strip, with Caesars Palace. We conclude with a post‐imperial reading of Venturi, Scott Brown and Izenour's canonical Learning from Las Vegas and of the ruin signs of the Neon Boneyard.
Unravelling the cross‐talk between iron starvation and oxidative stress responses highlights the key role of PerR (alr0957) in peroxide signalling in the cyanobacterium Nostoc PCC 7120
Authors: Yingping Fan , Lemeille Sylvain , Talla Emmanuel , Janicki Annick , Denis Yann , Zhang Cheng‐Cai , Latifi Amel
Published: March 2014

The cyanobacterial phylum includes oxygenic photosynthetic prokaryotes of a wide variety of morphologies, metabolisms and ecologies. Their adaptation to their various ecological niches is mainly achieved by sophisticated regulatory mechanisms and depends on a fine cross‐talk between them. We assessed the global transcriptomic response of the filamentous cyanobacterium Nostoc PCC 7120 to iron starvation and oxidative stress. More than 20% of the differentially expressed genes in response to iron stress were also responsive to oxidative stress. These transcripts include antioxidant proteins‐encoding genes that confirms that iron depletion leads to reactive oxygen accumulation. The activity of the Fe‐superoxide dismutase was not significantly decreased under iron starvation, indicating that the oxidative stress generated under iron deficiency is not a consequence of (SOD) deficiency. The transcriptional data indicate that the adaptation of Nostoc to iron‐depleted conditions displays important differences with what has been shown in unicellular cyanobacteria. While the FurA protein that regulates the response to iron deprivation has been well characterized in Nostoc, the regulators in charge of the oxidative stress response are unknown. Our study indicates that the alr0957 (perR) gene encodes the master regulator of the peroxide stress. PerR is a peroxide‐sensor repressor that senses peroxide by metal‐catalysed oxidation.
Earnings Management Surrounding CEO Turnover: Evidence from Korea
Authors: Choi Jong‐Seo , Kwak Young‐Min , Choe Chongwoo
Published: March 2014

This article examines the empirical relation between chief executive officer (CEO) turnover and earnings management in Korea using a sample of 403 CEO turnovers and 806 non‐turnover control firms during the period 2001–2010. We classify CEO turnovers into four types depending on whether the departure of the outgoing CEO is peaceful or forced and whether the incoming CEO is promoted from within or recruited from outside the firm. We measure earnings management by both discretionary accruals and real activities management. We also control for the endogeneity of CEO turnover and a potential selection bias using 2SLS and Heckman's two‐stage approach. After controlling for corporate financial performance and governance structure, we find upward earnings management by the departing CEO only when the departure is forced and the new CEO is an insider. In this case, the new CEO also engages in downward earnings management using both discretionary accruals and real activities management. We also find some evidence that the new CEO recruited from outside the firm manages discretionary accruals upward following the peaceful departure of his predecessor. In all other types of CEO turnover, we do not find evidence of significant earnings management by either CEO.
A single‐dose, randomized, double‐blind, placebo‐controlled trial of sublingual asenapine for acute agitation
Authors: Pratts M. , Citrome L. , Grant W. , Leso L. , Opler L. A.
Published: March 2014

Objective

To assess sublingual asenapine for acute agitation.

Method

Agitated adults 18–65 years (any diagnosis) presenting for treatment in an emergency department and found to have a score of ≥14 on the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale‐Excited Component (PANSS‐EC) were randomized to receive either a single dose of a sublingual 10 mg tablet of asenapine or placebo. Primary outcome measure was change in the PANSS‐EC score from baseline to 2 h after medication or placebo administration. Secondary outcomes included the percentage of responders with a ≥ 40% reduction from baseline on the PANSS‐EC score at 2 h.

Results

A total of 120 subjects were randomized, 60 each to sublingual asenapine or placebo. Mean (SE) baseline PANSS‐EC scores for the asenapine‐treated and placebo‐treated subjects were 19.4 ± 0.66 and 20.1 ± 0.61, respectively. Mean PANSS‐EC scores at endpoint (LOCF) was 7.4 ± 0.65 for the asenapine‐treated subjects and 14.7 ± 0.98 for the placebo‐treated subjects. Change in PANSS‐EC score at 2 h was statistically significantly greater for the asenapine‐treated subjects compared with the placebo‐treated subjects. NNT for response vs. placebo was 3 (95% CI 2–4).

Conclusion

Sublingual asenapine was efficacious in the treatment of agitation with an effect size comparable to that observed in prior studies of intramuscular antipsychotics.
Risk factor analysis of non‐Hodgkin lymphoma‐associated haemophagocytic syndromes: a multicentre study
Authors: Sano Hirozumi , Kobayashi Ryoji , Tanaka Junji , Hashino Satoshi , Ota Shuichi , Torimoto Yoshihiro , Kakinoki Yasutaka , Yamamoto Satoshi , Kurosawa Mitsutoshi , Hatakeyama Naoki , Haseyama Yoshihito , Sakai Hajime , Sato Kazuya , Fukuhara Takashi
Published: March 2014

Haemophagocytic syndrome is often associated with malignant lymphoma; however, few studies have examined lymphoma‐associated haemophagocytic syndrome (LAHS). A total of 1239 patients with non‐Hodgkin lymphoma were analysed at 12 institutions in Hokkaido prefecture between January 2007 and December 2011 to assess the incidence, prognosis and risk factors of LAHS. The cumulative incidence rate of LAHS was 2·8% (35/1239). Overall survival (OS) in patients with LAHS was significantly inferior to those without LAHS (3‐year OS: 35·6 vs. 59·0% respectively, P < 0·0001). The cumulative incidence of LAHS was higher in patients with T/Natural Killer (NK)‐cell lymphoma than in those with B‐cell lymphoma (8·2 vs. 1·8% respectively, P < 0·0001). The characteristics of patients with and without early death (within the first 120 d after developing LAHS) were subsequently compared to evaluate the prognostic factor of LAHS. The results obtained showed that the rate of early death after developing LAHS was higher in patients with T/NK‐cell lymphoma than in those with B‐cell lymphoma (62·5 vs. 10·5%, P = 0·0033). In conclusion, the complication and mortality rates of LAHS were higher in patients with T/NK‐cell lymphoma after they developed LAHS than in those with B‐cell lymphoma.
Fatty acids increase hepatitis B virus X protein stabilization and HBx‐induced inflammatory gene expression
Authors: Cho Hyun Kook , Kim So Young , Yoo Seong Keun , Choi Yung Hyun , Cheong JaeHun
Published: March 2014

The protein level of human hepatitis B virus (HBV) in infection is variable, depending on patient context. We previously reported that HBV X protein (HBx) induces hepatic lipid accumulation and inflammation. Here, we show that abnormal levels of hepatic fatty acids increase HBx protein stability during HBV expression, resulting in the potentiation of HBx‐induced inflammation. Reactive oxygen species, Ca2+ signaling and expression levels of various lipid metabolic genes were investigated in HBx‐expressing cells and in HBx transgenic mice. Fatty acids, including palmitate, stearate and oleate, increased HBx protein stability by preventing proteasome‐dependent degradation. Hepatic inflammation induced by a high fat diet (HFD) and HBx was measured based on the expression of interleukin–6 and tumor necrosis factor α. In addition, the protein level of HBx increased in HFD–HBx transgenic mice. Reactive oxygen species production and intracellular Ca2+ signal activation play critical roles in fatty‐acid‐induced HBx stabilization. Abnormal levels of hepatic fatty acids resulted in synergistic induction of HBx protein and liver inflammatory gene expression through HBx protein stabilization. These results indicate that different fatty acid levels in the liver might affect HBV‐induced pathogenesis.
Relationships Between Water Table and Model Simulated ET
Authors: Jayakody Priyantha , Parajuli Prem B. , Sassenrath Gretchen F. , Ouyang Ying
Published: March 2014

This research was conducted to develop relationships among evapotranspiration (ET), percolation (PERC), groundwater discharge to the stream (GWQ), and water table fluctuations through a modeling approach. The Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT) hydrologic and crop models were applied in the Big Sunflower River watershed (BSRW; 7660 km2) within the Yazoo River Basin of the Lower Mississippi River alluvial plain. Results of this study showed good to very good model performances with the coefficient of determination (R2) and Nash‐Sutcliffe efficiency (NSE) index from 0.4 to 0.9, respectively, during both hydrologic and crop model calibration and validation. An empirical relationship between ET, PERC, GWQ, and water table fluctuations was able to predict 64% of the water table variation of the alluvial plain in this study. Thematic maps were developed to identify areas with overuse of groundwater, which can help watershed managers to develop water resource programs.
Slug Tests in Wells Screened Across the Water Table: Some Additional Considerations
Authors: Butler J.J.
Published: March 2014

The majority of slug tests done at sites of shallow groundwater contamination are performed in wells screened across the water table and are affected by mechanisms beyond those considered in the standard slug‐test models. These additional mechanisms give rise to a number of practical issues that are yet to be fully resolved; four of these are addressed here. The wells in which slug tests are performed were rarely installed for that purpose, so the well design can result in problematic (small signal to noise ratio) test data. The suitability of a particular well design should thus always be assessed prior to field testing. In slug tests of short duration, it can be difficult to identify which portion of the test represents filter‐pack drainage and which represents formation response; application of a mass balance can help confirm that test phases have been correctly identified. A key parameter required for all slug test models is the casing radius. However, in this setting, the effective casing radius (borehole radius corrected for filter‐pack porosity), not the nominal well radius, is required; this effective radius is best estimated directly from test data. Finally, although conventional slug‐test models do not consider filter‐pack drainage, these models will yield reasonable hydraulic conductivity estimates when applied to the formation‐response phase of a test from an appropriately developed well.
Detection of Mixing Dynamics During Pumping of a Flooded Coal Mine
Authors: Elliot Trevor , Younger Paul L.
Published: March 2014

In complex hydrogeological environments the effective management of groundwater quality problems by pump‐and‐treat operations can be most confidently achieved if the mixing dynamics induced within the aquifer by pumping are well understood. The utility of isotopic environmental tracers (C‐, H‐, O‐, S‐stable isotopic analyses and age indicators—14C, 3H) for this purpose is illustrated by the analysis of a pumping test in an abstraction borehole drilled into flooded, abandoned coal mineworkings at Deerplay (Lancashire, UK). Interpretation of the isotope data was undertaken conjunctively with that of major ion hydrochemistry, and interpreted in the context of the particular hydraulic setting of flooded mineworkings to identify the sources and mixing of water qualities in the groundwater system. Initial pumping showed breakdown of initial water quality stratification in the borehole, and gave evidence for distinctive isotopic signatures (δ34S(SO4) ≅ −1.6‰, δ18O(SO4) ≅ +15‰) associated with primary oxidation of pyrite in the zone of water table fluctuation—the first time this phenomenon has been successfully characterized by these isotopes in a flooded mine system. The overall aim of the test pumping—to replace an uncontrolled outflow from a mine entrance in an inconvenient location with a pumped discharge on a site where treatment could be provided—was swiftly achieved. Environmental tracing data illustrated the benefits of pumping as little as possible to attain this aim, as higher rates of pumping induced in‐mixing of poorer quality waters from more distant old workings, and/or renewed pyrite oxidation in the shallow subsurface.
A 48‐week telaprevir‐based triple combination therapy improves sustained virological response rate in previous non‐responders to peginterferon and ribavirin with genotype 1b chronic hepatitis C: A multicenter study
Authors: Shimada Noritomo , Tsubota Akihito , Atsukawa Masanori , Abe Hiroshi , Ide Tatsuya , Takaguchi Koichi , Chuganji Yoshimichi , Toyoda Hidenori , Yoshizawa Kai , Ika Makiko , Sato Yoshiyuki , Kato Keizo , Kumada Takashi , Sakamoto Choitsu , Aizawa Yoshio , Sata Michio
Published: March 2014

Aim

The sustained virological response (SVR) rate of non‐responders to peginterferon and ribavirin therapy (PR) is low for 24‐week telaprevir‐based triple combination therapy (T12PR24), compared to that of treatment‐naïve patients or previous‐treatment relapsers. This study investigated which characteristics of non‐responders were associated with a better SVR rate to 48‐week therapy (T12PR48).

Methods

A total of 103 Japanese non‐responders with genotype 1b chronic hepatitis C received telaprevir‐based therapy. Among them, 81 patients (50 partial and 31 null responders) received T12PR24 and 22 (seven partial and 15 null responders) who agreed to the extended therapy received T12PR48.

Results

Multivariate logistic regression analysis for SVR identified the interleukin‐28B (IL28B) rs8099917 TT genotype (P = 0.0005, odds ratio [OR] = 10.38), extended rapid virological response (P = 0.0008, OR = 7.02), T12PR48 regimen (P = 0.0016, OR = 9.31) and previous partial responders (P = 0.0022, OR = 5.89). Among partial responders, the SVR rate did not differ significantly between T12PR48 (85.7%) and T12PR24 (70.0%). Among null responders, the SVR rate was significantly higher with T12PR48 than T12PR24 (66.7% vs 22.6%, P = 0.0037). Among patients with the IL28B non‐TT genotype, the SVR rate was significantly higher with T12PR48 than T12PR24 (68.8% vs 37.7%, P = 0.0288). Moreover, among null responders with the non‐TT genotype, the SVR rate was significantly higher with T12PR48 than T12PR24 (66.7% vs 9.1%, P = 0.0009).

Conclusion

T12PR48 improves the SVR rate in null responders, patients with the non‐TT genotype, and null responders with a non‐TT genotype.
Trends in door‐to‐balloon time and outcomes following primary percutaneous coronary intervention for ST‐elevation myocardial infarction: an Australian perspective
Authors: Brennan A. L. , Andrianopoulos N. , Duffy S. J. , Reid C. M. , Clark D. J. , Loane P. , New G. , Black A. , Yan B. P. , Brooks M. , Roberts L. , Carroll E. A. , Lefkovits J. , Ajani A. E. ,   Melbourne Interventional Group Investigators
Published: March 2014

Background

Guidelines for patients with ST‐elevation myocardial infarction include a door‐to‐balloon time (DTBT) of ≤90 min for primary percutaneous coronary intervention.

Aim

The aim of this study was to assess temporal trends (2006–2010) in DTBT and determine if a reduction in DTBT was associated with improved clinical outcomes.

Methods

We compared annual median DTBT in 1926 STEMI patients undergoing primary percutaneous coronary intervention from the Melbourne Interventional Group registry. ST‐elevation myocardial infarction presenting >12 h and rescue percutaneous coronary intervention was excluded. Major adverse cardiac events were analysed according to DTBT (dichotomised as ≤90 min vs >90 min). A multivariable analysis for predictors of mortality (including DTBT) was performed.

Results

Baseline demographics, clinical and procedural characteristics were similar in the STEMI cohort across the 5 years, apart from an increase in out‐of‐hospital cardiac arrest (3.6% in 2006 vs 9.4% in 2010, P < 0.0001) and cardiogenic shock (7.7–9.6%, P = 0.07). The median DTBT (interquartile range) was reduced from 95 (74–130) min in 2006 to 75 (51–100) min in 2010 (P < 0.01). In this period, the proportion of patients achieving a DTBT of ≤90 min increased from 45% to 67% (P < 0.01). Lower mortality and major adverse cardiac event rates were observed with DTBT ≤90 min (all P < 0.01). Multivariable analysis showed that a DTBT of ≤90 min was associated with improved clinical outcomes at 12 months (odds ratio 0.48; 95% confidence interval 0.33–0.73, P < 0.01).

Conclusion

There has been a decline in median DTBT in the Melbourne Interventional Group registry over 5 years. DTBT of ≤90 min is associated with improved clinical outcomes at 12 months.
Can hospital‐based doctors change their working hours? Evidence from Australia
Authors: Norman R. , Hall J.
Published: March 2014

Background and Aims

To explore factors predicting hospital‐based doctors’ desire to work less, and then their success in making that change.

Methods

Consecutive waves of an Australian longitudinal survey of doctors (Medicine in Australia – Balancing Employment and Life). There were 6285 and 6337 hospital‐based completers in the two waves, consisting of specialists, hospital‐based non‐specialists and specialist registrars.

Results

Forty‐eight per cent stated a preference to reduce hours. Predictive characteristics were being female and working more than 40 h/week (both P < 0.01). An inverted U‐shape relationship was observed for age, with younger and older doctors less likely to state the preference. Factors associated with not wanting to reduce working hours were being in excellent health and being satisfied with work (both P < 0.01). Of those who wanted to reduce working hours, only 32% successfully managed to do so in the subsequent year (defined by a reduction of at least 5 h/week). Predictors of successfully reducing hours were being older, female and working more than 40 h/week (all P < 0.01).

Conclusion

Several factors predict the desire of hospital‐based doctors to reduce hours and then their subsequent success in doing so. Designing policies that seek to reduce attrition may alleviate some of the ongoing pressures in the Australian hospital system.
Can a Click be a Word?: Infants' Learning of Non‐Native Words
Authors: May Lillian , Werker Janet F.
Published: March 2014

Forms that are nonlinguistic markers in one language (i.e., “tsk‐tsk” in English) may be part of the phoneme inventory—and hence part of words—in another language. In the current paper, we demonstrate that infants' ability to learn words containing unfamiliar language sounds is influenced by the age and vocabulary size of the infant learner, as well as by cues to the speaker's referential intent. When referential cues were available, infants at 14 months learned words with non‐native speech sounds, but at 20 months only those infants with smaller vocabularies succeeded. When no referential cues were present, infants at both 14 and 20 months failed to learn the same words. The implications of the relation between linguistic sophistication and non‐native word learning are discussed.
Voluntary, Human Rights–Based Family Planning: A Conceptual Framework
Authors: Hardee Karen , Kumar Jan , Newman Karen , Bakamjian Lynn , Harris Shannon , Rodríguez Mariela , Brown Win
Published: March 2014

At the 2012 Family Planning Summit in London, world leaders committed to providing effective family planning information and services to 120 million additional women and girls by the year 2020. Amid positive response, some expressed concern that the numeric goal could signal a retreat from the human rights–centered approach that underpinned the 1994 International Conference on Population and Development. Achieving the FP2020 goal will take concerted and coordinated efforts among diverse stakeholders and a new programmatic approach supported by the public health and human rights communities. This article presents a new conceptual framework designed to serve as a path toward fulfilling the FP2020 goal. This new unifying framework, which incorporates human rights laws and principles within family‐planning‐program and quality‐of‐care frameworks, brings what have been parallel lines of thought together in one construct to make human rights issues related to family planning practical.
What is the Point of Sufficiency?
Authors: Segall Shlomi
Published: March 2014

Telic sufficientarians hold that there is something special about a certain threshold level such that benefiting people below it, or raising them above it, makes an outcome better in at least one respect. The article investigates what fundamental value might ground that view. The aim is to demonstrate that sufficientarianism, at least on this telic version, is groundless and as such indefensible. The argument is advanced in three steps: first, it is shown that sufficientarianism cannot be grounded in a personal value. Neither, secondly, is it committed to the person‐affecting view, the view that says that nothing can be better (worse) if there is no one for whom it is better (worse). This, in itself, is of interest because some sufficientarians reject egalitarianism precisely for its alleged incompatibility with the person‐affecting view. Sufficientarians' disavowal of the person‐affecting view implies that their view, similarly to egalitarianism (and, perhaps less famously, prioritarianism), must be anchored in some impersonal value. But crucially, and this is the third step of the argument, there is no apparent value that can fit that role. We must conclude, then, that telic sufficientarianism is groundless.