bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Seismic design of yielding structures on flexible foundations
Authors: Moghaddasi Masoud , MacRae Gregory A. , Chase J.  G. , Cubrinovski Misko , Pampanin Stefano
Published: February 2015

This paper introduces a simple method to consider the effects of inertial soil–structure interaction (SSI) on the seismic demands of a yielding single‐degree‐of‐freedom structure. This involves idealizing the yielding soil–structure system as an effective substitute oscillator having a modified period, damping ratio, and ductility. A parametric study is conducted to obtain the ratio between the displacement ductility demand of a flexible‐base system and that of the corresponding fixed‐base system. It is shown that while additional foundation damping can reduce the overall response, the effects of SSI may also increase the ductility demand of some structures, mostly being ductile and having large structural aspect ratio, up to 15%. Finally, a design procedure is provided for incorporation of the SSI effects on structural response. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Novel FUS‐KLF17 and EWSR1‐KLF17 fusions in myoepithelial tumors
Authors: Huang Shih‐Chiang , Chen Hsiao‐Wei , Zhang Lei , Sung Yun‐Shao , Agaram Narasimhan P. , Davis Mary , Edelman Morris , Fletcher Christopher D. M. , Antonescu Cristina R.
Published: February 2015

Myoepithelial (ME) tumors of soft tissue and bone display a heterogeneous histologic spectrum and in about half of the cases harbor EWSR1 gene rearrangements. Despite rare case reports, the prevalence of fused in sarcoma (FUS) gene abnormalities and its related fusion partners remains undetermined among ME tumors. Therefore, we screened 66 EWSR1‐negative ME tumors for FUS abnormalities by fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH). In an index FUS‐rearranged case, 3′‐rapid amplification of cDNA ends (RACE) was applied to identify the fusion partner. Results were further confirmed by reverse transcription‐PCR, followed by FISH screening the entire cohort of FUS‐rearranged and EWSR1‐positive ME lesions lacking a known fusion partner. The correlation between genotype and clinicopathological features was also investigated. As a result, six (9%) FUS‐rearranged cases were identified, spanning divergent age groups, tumor locations, and morphologic features. A novel FUS‐KLF17 fusion was identified by 3′‐RACE in an 11‐year‐old girl with a foot lesion associated with locoregional metastases. Three additional cases with FUS‐KLF17 fusions were identified and one KLF17 rearrangement (6.3%) was found among the 16 EWSR1‐positive cases tested. The KLF17‐related ME tumors affected younger patients and often exhibited trabecular growth in a myxohyaline stroma, but this genotype did not correlate with a malignant phenotype. In conclusion, a small subset of ME tumors harbor FUS rearrangements, two thirds of them being associated with KLF17 fusion. FUS FISH analysis is recommended in EWSR1‐negative lesions in which a ME diagnosis is suspected. KLF17 is also a rare gene fusion partner to EWSR1‐rearranged ME tumors. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Behavioral Ambidexterity: The Impact of Incentive Schemes on Productivity, Motivation, and Performance of Employees in Commercial Banks
Authors: Faisal Ahammad Mohammad , Mook Lee Sang , Malul Miki , Shoham Amir
Published: February 2015

Human resource management systems may serve as an antecedent that enables firms to develop a context for ambidexterity—an ability to pursue contradictory processes (exploitation versus exploration) within the same firm. The aim of this article is to examine the impact of motivation‐enhancing HR practices on the productivity, motivation, and performance of commercial bank employees to promote and attain contextual ambidexterity within the organization. The theoretical model presented in this article shows how ex‐ante incentives (incentives based on past performance) and ex‐post incentives (incentives based on future performance) affect productivity, motivation, and performance of employees. The results are tested empirically by analyzing real quarterly data of commercial bank employees in Israel. The main results show that workers with relatively high abilities might take advantage of both ex‐ante and ex‐post incentives. In contrast, workers with relatively low ability are unable to take advantage of both incentive schemes. Our findings indicate that motivation‐enhancing HR practices such as financial incentives significantly influence the productivity and performance of employees. Our study contributes to the ambidexterity literature by examining how motivation‐enhancing human resource (HR) practices such as incentive schemes make employees feel the sense of stretch that is essential in building an ambidextrous organization. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Recurrent Prefixes, Roots, and Suffixes
Authors: Mountain Lee
Published: February 2015

Students in a content‐area reading course examined the vocabulary of each of their disciplines, focusing on recurrent roots and affixes. They wanted to become teachers of math, science, English, music, and history; therefore, they needed to learn discipline‐specific morphemes so they could help their future students figure out new words in their content areas. The students:

analyzed words in their disciplinary vocabularies, using recurrent roots and affixes to aid in comprehension of word meaning;

adapted traditional reading strategies for disciplinary use;

discovered that many roots and affixes which were seemingly particular to one discipline also contributed to the meanings of words in other disciplines;

designed content‐area lessons using a morphemic approach.

The class learned that teaching the meanings of morphemes could improve disciplinary literacy and could also help with vocabulary in other content areas.
Notch4 Signaling Confers Susceptibility to TRAIL‐Induced Apoptosis in Breast Cancer Cells
Authors: Naik Shambhavi , MacFarlane Marion , Sarin Apurva
Published: February 2015

Notch signaling has been established as a key regulator of cell fate in development, differentiation, and homeostasis. In breast cancers, increased Notch1 and Notch4 activity have been implicated in tumor progression and, accumulation of the intracellular domain of Notch4 (ICN4), reported in basal breast cancer cells. While, TNF‐related apoptosis‐inducing ligand (TRAIL) receptor agonists have demonstrated selectively in targeting tumor cells, the majority of primary tumors are resistant to TRAIL. This necessitates the identification of factors that might regulate TRAIL sensitivity. Here we investigate TRAIL sensitivity in tumor cells following the modulation of Notch (1 and 4) activity using siRNA‐mediated depletions or ectopic expression of GFP‐tagged constructs of the intracellular domains of Notch1 (ICN1) or Notch4 (ICN4). Our findings suggest that Notch4, but not Notch1 signaling, sensitizes breast tumor cells to TRAIL‐induced apoptosis. ICN4‐induced sensitization to TRAIL is characterized by CBF1‐dependence. Apoptosis was mediated via caspase‐8 activation and regulated by the Bcl‐2 family pro‐apoptotic proteins Bak and Bid. Finally, we present evidence that endogenous Notch4 activity regulates susceptibility to TRAIL in basal‐like breast cancer cells but not in cell lines of luminal origin. These experiments reveal a hitherto unexplored Notch4‐TRAIL signaling axis in breast cancer cells. J. Cell. Biochem. 116: 1371–1380, 2015. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Spatiotemporal Expression of EAPP Modulates Neuronal Apoptosis and Reactive Astrogliosis After Spinal Cord Injury
Authors: Chen Minhao , Ni Yingjie , Liu Yonghua , Xia Xiaopeng , Cao Jianhua , Wang Chengniu , Mao Xingxing , Zhang Weidong , Chen Chen , Chen Xinlei , Wang Youhua
Published: February 2015

E2F‐associated phosphoprotein (EAPP) is a novel E2F binding protein that interacts with the activating members of the E2F transcription factors family and involved in various biological processes. However, the expression and function of EAPP in central nervous system (CNS) are still unknown. In this study, we performed an acute spinal cord injury (SCI) model in adult rats, we found that EAPP protein levels were significantly increased and reached a peak at day 3, and then gradually returned to normal level at day 14 after spinal cord injury and we observed that the expression of EAPP is enhanced in the gray and white matter. Spatially, increased levels of EAPP were striking in neurons and astrocytes. Moreover, colocalization of EAPP/active caspase‐3 was detected in neurons, and colocalization of EAPP/proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA) was detected in astrocytes after spinal cord injury. These results indicated that EAPP might play an important role in neuronal apoptosis and reactive astrogliosis. Furthermore in vitro, EAPP depletion by siRNA inhibited astrocyte proliferation, migration and CDK4/cyclinD1 expression. Meanwhile, EAPP knockdown also reduce neuronal apoptosis and cell cycle related proteins. Which indicated that EAPP might integrate cell cycle progression and play a crucial role in cell proliferation and apoptosis. Taken together, we speculated that EAPP was involved in biochemical and physiological responses after SCI. J. Cell. Biochem. 116: 1381–1390, 2015. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
The galactose‐binding lectin isolated from Bauhinia bauhinioides Mart seeds inhibits neutrophil rolling and adhesion via primary cytokines
Authors: Girão Deysen Kerlla Fernandes Bezerra , Cavada Benildo Sousa , de Freitas Pires Alana , Martins Timna Varela , Franco Álvaro Xavier , Morais Cecília Mendes , Nascimento Kyria Santiago do , Delatorre Plinio , da Silva Helton Colares , Nagano Celso Shiniti , Assreuy Ana Maria Sampaio , Soares Pedro Marcos Gomes
Published: February 2015

In this study, the amino acid sequence and anti‐inflammatory effect of Bauhinia bauhinioides (BBL) lectin were evaluated. Tandem mass spectrometry revealed that BBL possesses 86 amino acid residues. BBL (1 mg/kg) intravenously injected in rats 30 min prior to inflammatory stimuli inhibited the cellular edema induced by carrageenan in only the second phase (21% – 3 h, 19% – 4 h) and did not alter the osmotic edema induced by dextran. BBL also inhibited carrageenan peritoneal neutrophil migration (51%), leukocyte rolling (58%) and adhesion (68%) and the neutrophil migration induced by TNF‐α (64%). These effects were reversed by the association of BBL with galactose, demonstrating that the carbohydrate‐binding domain is essential for lectin activity. In addition, BBL reduced myeloperoxidase activity (84%) and TNF‐α (68%) and IL1‐β (47%) levels. In conclusion, the present investigation demonstrated that BBL contains highly homologous isolectins, resulting in a total of 86 amino acid residues, and exhibits anti‐inflammatory activity by inhibiting neutrophil migration by reducing TNF‐α and IL1‐β levels via the lectin domain. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Transformation at FalconStor Software: Using the Four Intelligences of the Business Mind to Expand Into New Markets
Authors: Nazemoff Valeh
Published: February 2015

Having identified the US federal government as an untapped market for its products and services, FalconStor Software, an international data protection company, was unsure how to navigate in this niche sector. A partnership with Acolyst, a government technology consulting firm, led to the development of a new program based on revamping the organization's transformational mindset, insight, strategy, and performance reporting and then applying the principles of the four intelligences of the business mind: financial, customer, data, and mastermind intelligence. Thorough assessment and documentation, gap analysis, strategy mapping, team communication and collaboration, performance measurement, and continual improvement exercises were all employed to improve organizational effectiveness and generate sales in a new market. ©2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
A Contingency‐Based Framework for Managing Enterprise Risk
Authors: Hossein Nezhad Nedaei Bahareh , Abdul Rasid Siti Zaleha , Sofian Saudah , Basiruddin Rohaida , Amanollah Nejad Kalkhouran Abolfazl
Published: February 2015

Although studies focused on contingency theories of enterprise risk management (ERM) as a critical facet of an organization's management control system abound, they have yielded few significant results. A review of the literature on ERM contingency theory and the factors that can affect ERM leads to a discussion of the impact of decentralization, organization size, and enterprise resource planning (ERP). Several hypotheses on possible interactions result in a contingency‐based model for managing enterprise risk that takes into account the effects of these three factors on ERM practices, and offers organizational leaders guidance on how best to improve performance. ©2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Effects of hyperglycemia on lonidamine‐induced acidification and de‐energization of human melanoma xenografts and sensitization to melphalan
Authors: Nath Kavindra , Nelson David S. , Heitjan Daniel F. , Zhou Rong , Leeper Dennis B. , Glickson Jerry D.
Published: February 2015

We seek to exploit the natural tendency of melanomas and other tumors to convert glucose to lactate as a method for the selective intracellular acidification of cancer cells and for the potentiation of the activity of nitrogen‐mustard antineoplastic agents. We performed this study to evaluate whether the induction of hyperglycemia (26 mM) could enhance the effects of lonidamine (LND, 100 mg/kg; intraperitoneally) on the induction of intracellular acidification, bioenergetic decline and potentiation of the activity of melphalan (LPAM) against DB‐1 melanoma xenografts in mice. Intracellular pH (pHi), extracellular pH (pHe) and bioenergetics (β‐nucleoside triphosphate to inorganic phosphate ratio, β‐NTP/Pi) were reduced by 0.7 units (p < 0.001), 0.3 units (p > 0.05) and 51.4% (p < 0.05), respectively. The therapeutic response to LPAM (7.5 mg/kg; intravenously) + LND (100 mg/kg; intraperitoneally) was reduced by about a factor of three under hyperglycemic conditions relative to normoglycemia, producing a growth delay of 7.76 days (tumor doubling time, 5.31 days; cell kill, 64%) compared with LND alone of 1.70 days and LPAM alone of 0.29 days. Under normoglycemic conditions, LND plus LPAM produced a growth delay of 17.75 days, corresponding to a cell kill of 90% at the same dose for each of these agents. The decrease in tumor cell kill under hyperglycemic conditions correlates with an increase in tumor ATP levels resulting from increased glycolytic activity. However, hyperglycemia substantially increases lactic acid production in tumors by a factor of approximately six (p < 0.05), but hyperglycemia did not increase the effects of LND on acidification of the tumor, most probably because of the strong buffering action of carbon dioxide (the pKa of carbonic acid is 6.4). Therefore, this study demonstrates that the addition of glucose during treatment with LND diminishes the activity of this agent. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Prestressed polymeric matrix composites: Longevity aspects
Authors: Fancey Kevin S. , Fazal Adnan
Published: February 2015

Elastically prestressed polymeric matrix composites (EPPMCs) are produced by stretching fibers (e.g., glass) within the composite during matrix curing. The resulting prestress can enhance mechanical performance, without increasing section dimensions or weight. Viscoelastically prestressed polymeric matrix composites (VPPMCs) can provide similar benefits, these being produced by subjecting polymeric fibers (e.g., nylon 6,6) to a creep load, which is released prior to molding. Although VPPMCs offer simplified processing and flexibility in product geometry, long‐term viscoelastic activity within the prestressing fibers is sensitive to time‐temperature limitations. In this study, nylon 6,6 fiber‐polyester resin samples were subjected to accelerated ageing. Using time‐temperature superposition, the samples were maintained at 70°C for 2,298 h, representing a 20‐fold ageing increase over previous work. Subsequent Charpy impact testing (at 20°C) demonstrated that the VPPMC samples absorbed ∼40% more energy than corresponding control (unstressed) counterparts; i.e., no deterioration in impact performance was observed, over a duration equivalent to ∼25 years at 50°C. In contrast, the longevity of EPPMCs remains unknown, but it is suggested that progressive localized matrix creep at the fiber‐matrix interface regions may cause a deterioration in elastically generated prestress with time and/or elevated ambient temperatures. POLYM. COMPOS., 37:2092–2097, 2016. © 2015 Society of Plastics Engineers
Mechanical, thermal, and viscoelastic response of novel in situ CTBN/POSS/epoxy hybrid composite system
Authors: Konnola Raneesh , Parameswaranpillai Jyotishkumar , Joseph Kuruvilla
Published: February 2015

The present study focuses on the preparation of a novel hybrid epoxy nanocomposite with glycidyl polyhedral oligomeric silsesquioxane (POSS) as nanofiller, carboxyl terminated poly(acrylonitrile‐co‐butadiene) (CTBN) as modifying agent and diglycidyl ether of bisphenol A (DGEBA) as matrix polymer. The reaction between DGEBA, CTBN, and glycidyl POSS was carefully monitored and interpreted by using Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). An exclusive mechanism of the reaction between the modifier, nanofiller, and the matrix is proposed herein, which attempts to explains the chemistry behind the formation of an intricate network between POSS, CTBN, and DGEBA. The mechanical properties, such as tensile strength, and fracture toughness, were also carefully examined. The fracture toughness increases for epoxy/CTBN, epoxy/POSS, and epoxy/CTBN/POSS hybrid systems with respect to neat epoxy, but for hybrid composites toughening capability of soft rubber particles is lost by the presence of POSS. Field emission scanning electron micrographs (FESEM) of fractured surfaces were examined to understand the toughening mechanism. The viscoelastic properties of epoxy/CTBN, epoxy/POSS, and epoxy/CTBN/POSS hybrid systems were analyzed using dynamic mechanical thermal analysis (DMTA). The storage modulus shows a complex behavior for the epoxy/POSS composites due to the existence of lower and higher crosslink density sites. However, the storage modulus of the epoxy phase decreases with the addition of soft CTBN phase. The Tg corresponding to epoxy‐rich phase was evident from the dynamic mechanical spectrum. For hybrid systems, the Tg is intermediate between the epoxy/rubber and epoxy/POSS systems. Finally, TGA (thermo gravimetric analysis) studies were employed to evaluate the thermal stability of prepared blends and composites. POLYM. COMPOS., 37:2109–2120, 2016. © 2015 Society of Plastics Engineers
Melting and crystallization behaviors, morphology, and mechanical properties of β‐polypropylene/polypropylene‐graft‐maleic anhydride/calcium sulfate whisker composites
Authors: Dou Qiang , Duan Jiawei
Published: February 2015

The melting and crystallization behaviors, morphology, and mechanical properties of polypropylene (PP)/surface‐treated calcium sulfate (CaSO4) whisker (T‐CSW), β‐PP/T‐CSW, and β‐PP/polypropylene‐graft‐maleic anhydride (PP‐g‐MAH)/T‐CSW composites had been investigated via differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), wide angle X‐ray diffraction (WAXD), polarized light microscopy (PLM), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and mechanical tests. We found that T‐CSW was an α‐nucleating agent and increased the crystallization temperatures of PP, but PP‐g‐MAH and high loadings of T‐CSW had weakly negative effects on the crystallization rates of PP. The T‐CSW restrained the formation of β‐spherulites, and the spherulitic size decreased in the composites. PP‐g‐MAH improved the compatibility and adhesion between T‐CSW and the matrix. The notched impact strength was improved, and the tensile strength was enhanced at low levels of T‐CSW, while the flexural modulus was weakened for β‐PP/T‐CSW and β‐PP/PP‐g‐MAH/T‐CSW composites versus PP/T‐CSW composites. POLYM. COMPOS., 37:2121–2132, 2016. © 2015 Society of Plastics Engineers
Ternary nanocomposites: Curing, morphology, and mechanical properties of epoxy/thermoplastic/organoclay systems
Authors: Sánchez‐Cabezudo M. , Prolongo M.G. , Salom C. , García del Cid M.A. , Masegosa R.M.
Published: February 2015

The influence of two organically modified montmorillonites on the curing, morphology and mechanical properties of epoxy/poly(vinyl acetate)/organoclay ternary nanocomposites was studied. The organoclays and poly(vinyl acetate) (PVAc) provoked contrary effects on the epoxy curing reaction. Ternary nanocomposites developed different morphologies depending on the PVAc content, that were similar to those observed in the epoxy/PVAc binary blends. The organoclays were only located in the epoxy phase independently of the morphology. All nanocomposites showed intercalated structures with similar clay interlayer distances. Both PVAc and organoclays lowered the Tg of the epoxy phase, the presence of clays did not influence the Tg of the PVAc phase. The addition of the organoclays to the epoxy improved stiffness but lowered ductility while the adition of PVAc improved toughness although reduced stiffness of epoxy thermoset. Ternary nanocomposites exhibited optimal properties that combine the favourable effects of the clay and the thermoplastic. POLYM. COMPOS., 37:2184–2195, 2016. © 2015 Society of Plastics Engineers
Curing processes simulation of complex shape carbon fiber reinforced composite components produced by vacuum infusion
Authors: Belov D.A. , Makarenko I.V. , Dunaev A.V. , Babkin A.V. , Solopchenko A.V. , Yablokova M.Y. , Kepman A.V. , Tretyakov A.V. , Ulyanov A.V. , Gromashev A.G.
Published: February 2015

Thermal processes of carbon fiber‐reinforced composite parts curing cycle were studied experimentally and by mathematical simulation. Flat panel, T‐stringer, and five‐stringer detail based on tetrafunctional MY721 epoxy resin were investigated. Application of standard curing cycle (heating followed by isothermal exposure at 180°C) leads to the overheating of 28°C in flat panel and of 30°C in T‐stringer of 24 mm thickness. The model considers the vacuum bag with auxiliary materials as separate layers. This approach allows to simulate the shifting of thermal field to the vacuum bag side. Simulation results show good agreement with the experimentally observed temperature fields. The model helps to optimize the curing cycle to reduce the local overheating. The same temperature regime could be used for all three geometries. Therefore, the optimization can be carried out only for the simple‐shape parts to save the calculation time and simplify experiments at the stage of model testing. POLYM. COMPOS., 37:2252–2259, 2016. © 2015 Society of Plastics Engineers
Polyimide Film Surface Modification by Nanosecond High Voltage Pulse Driven Electrical Discharges in Water
Authors: Miron Camelia , Hulubei Camelia , Sava Ion , Quade Antje , Steuer Anna , Weltmann Klaus‐Dieter , Kolb Juergen F.
Published: February 2015

Nanosecond high voltage pulses of 10 ns duration were used to generate pulsed discharges in distilled water for surface modifications of the aromatic and partially aromatic polyimides. Optical emission spectroscopy has shown the formation of excited speciesin plasma due to water dissociation and ionization. Molecular bands of hydrogen, oxygen, and nitrogen have dominated the emission spectra. The reactive species are likely to be responsible for the observed surface modifications of polymer films which were investigated by FTIR, AFM, XPS, and static contact angle measurements. The surface hydrophobicity of the polyimide films increased with treatment time. The mechanism of surface modification of polyimides treated by nanosecond pulsed discharges was different from previously described interactions with plasmas that were generated with microsecond voltage pulses. Nanosecond high voltage pulses have induced an increase of the unsaturated bondings on the polyimide surface, while the segregation of CF3 groups at the film surface was responsible for the increased surface hydrophobicity when discharges were generated with microsecond high voltage pulses.
An extensive study of transformation of the diatomics Hamiltonian operator from laboratory‐ to body‐fixed frame
Authors: Islampour Reza , Miralinaghi Mahsasadat
Published: February 2015

Transformation of the diatomics Hamiltonian operator from the laboratory‐ to body‐fixed frame has been performed in great mathematical details by two methods: the method in which the transformation is performed directly using the chain rule of differentiation and the method in which the generalized form of multidimensional Laplacian operator is used as the starting point. To investigate the influence of the electronic spins on the motion of the molecule, the electronic spin variables are defined in the two frames and included in the transformations. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Bound and scattering states for a hyperbolic‐type potential in view of a new developed approximation
Authors: Aydoğdu Oktay , Yanar Hilmi
Published: February 2015

A new developed approximation is used to obtain the arbitrary l‐wave bound and scattering state solutions of Schrödinger equation for a particle in a hyperbolic‐type potential. For bound state, the energy eigenvalue equation and unnormalized wave functions in terms of Jacobi polynomials are achieved using the Nikiforov–Uvarov (NU) method. Besides, energy eigenvalues are calculated numerically for some states and compared with those given in the literature to check accuracy of our results. For scattering state, the wave function is found in terms of hypergeometric functions. Furthermore, scattering amplitude and phase shifts are achieved using scattering solutions. Also it is shown that the energy eigenvalue equation obtained from analytic property of scattering amplitude is same with one obtained using NU method. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Databases and Web Tools for Cancer Genomics Study
Authors: Yang Yadong , Dong Xunong , Xie Bingbing , Ding Nan , Chen Juan , Li Yongjun , Zhang Qian , Qu Hongzhu , Fang Xiangdong
Published: February 2015

Publicly-accessible resources have promoted the advance of scientific discovery. The era of genomics and big data has brought the need for collaboration and data sharing in order to make effective use of this new knowledge. Here, we describe the web resources for cancer genomics research and rate them on the basis of the diversity of cancer types, sample size, omics data comprehensiveness, and user experience. The resources reviewed include data repository and analysis tools; and we hope such introduction will promote the awareness and facilitate the usage of these resources in the cancer research community.
Injury Patterns at Isle Royale National Park: An Epidemiologic Review of Injuries and Illnesses Sustained in a Remote Environment
Authors: Saxon Kathleen D. , White Jenna M.B. , Eddy Mary M. , Albertus Daniel L. , Bassin Benjamin S.
Published: February 2015

Objective

Isle Royale National Park is a remote island in northern Lake Superior that attracts 16,000 visitors annually. The epidemiology of injuries and illnesses sustained by Isle Royale׳s visitors has not been previously studied. The purpose of this study is to examine these data and evaluate them for injury patterns.

Methods

This is a retrospective observational study examining the epidemiology of injuries and illnesses sustained during the period from 2008 to 2012. Incident reports completed by park rangers were reviewed and the data sorted according to time of year, time of day, type of medical encounter, and whether the patient was stable, unstable, or required transport.

Results

Two hundred and seventy patient care reports were obtained from the National Park Service. Sixty-four percent of encounters occurred in July and August, and most patients sought care in the afternoon. Care was provided by park rangers, the majority of whom were trained to the level of emergency medical technician. Fifty-eight percent of cases were trauma related, and 20% of all cases were evacuated.

Conclusions

The majority of incidents were trauma related. The majority of the rangers on the island are trained to the level of emergency medical technician-B and appear to offer appropriate care to the island’s many visitors, utilizing the National Park Service treatment protocols and comprehensive medical kits. In addition, access to advanced medical care is readily available by air and water evacuation.
Injury Trends in Rock Climbers: Evaluation of a Case Series of 911 Injuries Between 2009 and 2012
Authors: Schöffl Volker , Popp Dominik , Küpper Thomas , Schöffl Isabelle
Published: February 2015

Objective

Rock climbing is a widely performed sport. This prospective single-institution study evaluated the demographics of climbing-related injuries to improve our comprehension of current injury characteristics.

Methods

During a 4-year period, 836 patients with a total of 911 independent climbing injuries were prospectively evaluated using a standard questionnaire and examination protocol.

Results

Of all injuries, 833 were on the upper extremities, 58 on the lower. Seventeen injuries were Union International des Associations d’Alpinisme (UIAA) grade 1 injuries, 881 were grade 2, and 13 were grade 3. No higher UIAA graded injuries occurred. Overall, 380 were acute injuries (359 were seen in clinic, 21 were seen through the emergency department), and 531 were overstrain injuries (all seen in clinic). Finger injuries accounted for 52% of all injuries, the shoulder being the second most frequent location. Pulley injuries were the most frequent finger injuries. Of 20 injured young climbers under the age of 15 years, 14 had an epiphyseal fracture (all epiphyseal fractures: mean age 14 years, range 12 to 15 years). Male climbers were significantly older ( P < .05), had more climbing years ( P < .05), and were climbing at a higher climbing level ( P < .01). Older, more experienced climbers had significantly more overstrain injuries than acute injuries ( P < .05).

Conclusions

When comparing this study with our previous study from 1998 to 2001, there are some notable differences. Although pulley injuries are still the most common climbing injury, there are now more A4 pulley injuries than A2. Shoulder injuries are becoming more common, as are epiphyseal fractures among young climbers. It is important to understand current patterns of climbing injuries so that health providers can target interventions appropriately.
The Effect of Acetazolamide on Saccadic Latency at 3459 Meters
Authors: Faull Olivia K. , Robertson Josephine , Thomas Owen , Bradwell Arthur R. , Antoniades Chrystalina A. , Pattinson Kyle T.S.
Published: February 2015

Objective

The effect of altitude on brain function is not yet well understood, nor is the influence of height and speed of ascent. Additionally, the relationship between acute mountain sickness (AMS) symptoms and brain function at altitude is unclear. We hypothesized that a deterioration from baseline measures of brain function occurs after rapid, mechanical ascent to 3459 m and would be less pronounced in persons taking acetazolamide.

Methods

In this double blind, randomized, placebo-controlled study, 20 healthy volunteers (14 men, 6 women; mean age [±SD] 43 ± 16 years) were alternately allocated to acetazolamide 250 mg or to placebo, taken every 12 hours commencing 3 days before ascent. Prosaccadic and antisaccadic eye movements, heart rate, arterial saturation, and Lake Louise AMS scores were assessed at sea level and 15 to 22 hours after ascent to 3459 m.

Results

Arterial oxygen saturation was significantly lower in the placebo group compared to the acetazolamide group at altitude (Wilcoxon signed-rank test, median [interquartile range]: acetazolamide vs placebo: 92% [5] vs 85% [5]; P = .007), with no differences in prosaccadic latency, heart rate, or Lake Louise score. No differences in saccadic latencies from baseline to altitude were observed in the placebo group, whereas prosaccadic latencies were significantly longer at altitude with acetazolamide (altitude vs baseline: 153 ms [41] vs 176 ms [52], P = .008).

Conclusions

Brain function, measured by saccadic eye movements, appears to be unimpaired after rapid ascent to 3459 m. Although acetazolamide improves oxygen saturations, it may worsen prosaccades, possibly indicating adverse effects of acetazolamide on brain function at moderate altitude.
The diversity and biogeography of late Pleistocene birds from the lowland Neotropics
Authors: Steadman David W. , Oswald Jessica A. , Rincόn Ascanio D.
Published: February 2015

The Neotropical lowlands sustain the world's richest bird communities, yet little that we know about their history is based on paleontology. Fossils afford a way to investigate distributional shifts in individual species, and thus improve our understanding of long-term change in Neotropical bird communities. We report a species-rich avian fossil sample from a late Pleistocene tar seep (Mene de Inciarte) in northwestern Venezuela. A mere 175 identified fossils from Mene de Inciarte represent 73 species of birds, among which six are extinct, and eight others no longer occur within 100 km. These 14 species consist mainly of ducks (Anatidae), snipe (Scolopacidae), vultures/condors (Vulturidae), hawks/eagles (Accipitridae), and blackbirds (Icteridae). Neotropical bird communities were richer in the late Pleistocene than today; their considerable extinction may be related to collapse of the large mammal fauna at that time. The species assemblage at Mene de Inciarte suggests that biogeographic patterns, even at continental scales, have been remarkably labile over short geological time frames. Mene de Inciarte is but one of 300 + tar seeps in Venezuela, only two of which have been explored for fossils. We may be on the cusp of an exciting new era of avian paleontology in the Neotropics.
Preventing Central Line–Associated Bloodstream Infections: A Qualitative Study of Management Practices
Authors: Scheck McAlearney Ann , Hefner Jennifer L. , Robbins Julie , Harrison Michael I. , Garman Andrew
Published: February 2015

OBJECTIVE

To identify factors that may explain hospital-level differences in outcomes of programs to prevent central line–associated bloodstream infections.

DESIGN

Extensive qualitative case study comparing higher- and lower-performing hospitals on the basis of reduction in the rate of central line–associated bloodstream infections. In-depth interviews were transcribed verbatim and analyzed to determine whether emergent themes differentiated higher- from lower-performing hospitals.

SETTING

Eight US hospitals that had participated in the federally funded On the CUSP—Stop BSI initiative.

PARTICIPANTS

One hundred ninety-four interviewees including administrative leaders, clinical leaders, professional staff, and frontline physicians and nurses.

RESULTS

A main theme that differentiated higher- from lower-performing hospitals was a distinctive framing of the goal of “getting to zero” infections. Although all sites reported this goal, at the higher-performing sites the goal was explicitly stated, widely embraced, and aggressively pursued; in contrast, at the lower-performing hospitals the goal was more of an aspiration and not embraced as part of the strategy to prevent infections. Five additional management practices were nearly exclusively present in the higher-performing hospitals: (1) top-level commitment, (2) physician-nurse alignment, (3) systematic education, (4) meaningful use of data, and (5) rewards and recognition. We present these strategies for prevention of healthcare-associated infection as a management “bundle” with corresponding suggestions for implementation.

CONCLUSIONS

Some of the variance associated with CLABSI prevention program outcomes may relate to specific management practices. Adding a management practice bundle may provide critical guidance to physicians, clinical managers, and hospital leaders as they work to prevent healthcare-associated infections.

Infect Control Hosp Epidemiol 2015;00(0): 1–7
Asymptomatic fibrous dysplasia of the temporal bone
Authors: Kimitsuki T , Komune S
Published: February 2015

Introduction:

Fibrous dysplasia is a bone disorder of unknown origin in which normal bone is replaced with fibrotic tissue and disorganised bone trabeculae. The temporal bone is rarely affected. Because of the slowly progressive course of the disease, many mild cases may never be recognised and are found incidentally. We present a patient with fibrous dysplasia of the right temporal bone, who had few complaints.

Objective:

A 62-year-old man was incidentally found to have fibrous dysplasia of the temporal bone on routine computed tomography scan.

Method:

One case report.

Results:

Computed tomography showed a thickening of the right temporal bone with a ground-glass appearance. The 62-year-old man opted for watchful waiting.

Conclusion:

We have presented an asymptomatic fibrous dysplasia of the temporal bone. Mild cases may never be recognised and are found incidentally because of their slow progression.
Is there a role of adjuvant treatment for salivary duct carcinoma?
Authors: Nakashima T , Yasumatsu R , Toh S , Hashimoto K , Shinoto M , Nakamura K , Komune S
Published: February 2015

Objective:

To determine the clinical effect of post-operative radiotheraphy and systemic chemotherapy for the treatment of salivary duct carcinoma.

Study design:

Retrospective review.

Design:

The medical records of 26 patients treated by surgery with or without radiotheraphy and/or systemic chemotherapy for salivary duct carcinoma were retrospectively reviewed to investigate the role of post-operative adjuvant treatment for the patients' prognosis.

Results:

The overall three-year and five-year survival rates were 54 and 48.1 per cent, respectively. There was no correlation with the clinical stage and the patients' prognosis. The overall three-year survival of the patients with or without post-operative radiotheraphy was 64 and 33 per cent, respectively (p = 0.29). The overall three-year survival of the patients with or without post-operative chemotherapy was 53 and 56 per cent, respectively (p = 0.78).

Conclusion:

Post-operative adjuvant therapy did not improve the patients' overall prognosis with salivary duct carcinoma. Developing novel treatment modalities may be necessary to improve the prognosis of this aggressive disease.
Citizen Kane: The Everyday Ordeals and Self-Fashioned Citizenship of Wisconsin's “Lady Lawyer”
Authors: Black Joel E.
Published: February 2015

On the afternoon of Friday April 20, 1883, attorney Kate Kane doused Judge James Mallory with a glass of water in a Milwaukee courtroom. Kane's frustrations were deep. That morning Mallory had reassigned one of her clients to another attorney, despite the fact that this client had specifically requested Kane. This time it was to Peter J. Somers, who had recently worked for Mallory's re-election. After the incident, Kane would announce, “Judge Mallory has been trying to drive me out of this court; he has continuously insulted and misused me, but I bore it.” “Today,” she explained, “I wanted to insult Judge Mallory just where he had insulted me—in open court.” She succeeded; Mallory was furious. Wiping the water from his brow, the irate judge shouted, “Arrest that woman,” and cited Kane for contempt of court. She was immediately apprehended and hauled off to the local jail, where she would stew for days. “I shall stay here for ten years before I pay that fine,” Kane vowed, defiantly. The incident, which imperiled Kane's legal career in Milwaukee, also reveals critical tensions in women's claims on full citizenship that were reflected in battles over professional membership, legal and sexual equality, and political inclusion.
Zur Lage der Psychologie
Authors: Margraf Jürgen
Published: February 2015

Die Psychologie hat in Studium, Wissenschaft und Beruf messbare Fortschritte errungen, steht aber auch vor Herausforderungen. Trotz wachsenden gesellschaftlichen Bedarfs haben wir einen Studienplatzmangel, der auf Kosten unserer Nachbarländer geht. Gleichzeitig entstehen immer neue Studiengänge mit z. T. unklarem Gehalt außerhalb der klassischen Universitäten. Obwohl im Studium sehr gute Leistungen erbracht werden, bleiben der Bachelor-Master-Übergang und die ungenügenden Betreuungsverhältnisse kritisch. Während die Förderung der wissenschaftlichen Arbeit stabil ist, steigt die Publikationstätigkeit (überproportional bei englischsprachigen Arbeiten). Die Infrastruktur weist neben intensiver Einzelförderung auch Großforschungsprojekte und außeruniversitäre Institutionen unter psychologischer Leitung auf. Die Bedeutung der inzwischen nahezu flächendeckend aufgebauten Hochschulambulanzen als außergewöhnlicher Forschungsplattform ist noch nicht hinreichend erkannt. Obwohl die Zahl der Berufstätigen (104 000) deutlich höher ist, als bisher angenommen, ist die Erwerbssituation insgesamt sehr positiv. Die Arbeitslosigkeit ist außerordentlich gering (1,7 %) und mit 82 % arbeiten unsere Absolventen weitaus häufiger als die der Nachbardisziplinen im studierten Fach. Alle Quellen zeigen eindeutig, dass Psychologie ein fünfjähriges konsekutives Studium ist. Das deutlich größte Berufsfeld ist der klinische Bereich, gefolgt von Wirtschaft und einer breiten Palette anderer Einsatzgebiete. Eine negative Ausnahme ist die schwierige Lage der Psychologen während der Psychotherapieausbildung. Der Frauenanteil am akademischen Personal ist bei höher dotierten Stellen deutlich überproportional gestiegen. Die Entwicklung der DGPs verläuft mit steigenden Mitgliederzahlen und wachsender Professionalisierung weiter positiv. Zusätzliche Anstrengungen sind v. a. beim wissenschaftlichen Nachwuchs und Teildisziplinen mit nachlassender Mitgliedschaft erforderlich. Zu den großen Herausforderungen zählen negative Außeneinflüsse, Bedrohungen der Einheit unseres Faches und eine Fehlsteuerung durch fehlgeleiteten Wettbewerb. Analog zu Hochleistungssport oder Börse verstärken sich so auch die wissenschaftlichen Pendants zu Doping, Fouls und Bilanzbeschönigung. Auch in der Psychologie zeigt sich nun eine Steigerung der Artikel-Rückrufe um mehr als das Vierfache seit 1989. Neben fragwürdigen Forschungspraktiken ist eine unangemessene Ausrichtung am Mainstream, oft auch in Form eines falschen Fokus auf „Impact-starke” Themen, eine massive „Nebenwirkung”. Die systemischen Ursachen müssen angegangen werden, was ein Umdenken bei Teilen unserer Fachkultur und eine Besinnung auf die Stärken einer genuin psychologischen Wissenschaft erfordert. Die Zukunft der Psychologie muss kumulativ, kooperativ und brauchbar sein; Lehre, Forschung und Beruf benötigen eine starke proaktive Vertretung nach innen und nach außen. Wenn wir uns jedoch den Herausforderungen aktiv stellen, ist das Ganze nicht nur etwas anderes, sondern tatsächlich mehr als die Summe seiner Teile.
Toward hyperuniform disordered plasmonic nanostructures for reproducible surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy
Authors: De Rosa C. , Auriemma F. , Diletto C. , Di Girolamo R. , Malafronte A. , Morvillo P. , Zito G. , Rusciano G. , Pesce G. , Sasso A.
Published: February 2015

The self-assembling of gold nanoparticles directed by the phase separation of poly(styrene)-b-poly(methylmethacrylate) produces a homogeneous and isotropic nanostructure with excellent SERS spatial reproducibility.
Molecular assembly of alkyl chain-grafted poly(l-lysine) tuned by backbone chain length and grafted alkyl chain
Authors: Chen Bo-Yu , Huang Yun-Chiao , Jan Jeng-Shiung
Published: February 2015

Alkyl chain-grafted poly(l-lysine) vesicles with tunable molecular assembly were prepared by varying the polypeptide chain length and grafted alkyl chains.
Improved antifouling properties and blood compatibility of 3-methacryloxypropyl trimethoxysilane – based zwitterionic copolymer modified composite membranes via in situ post-crosslinking copolymerization
Authors: Xiang Tao , Lu Ting , Wang Rui , Wang Cheng , Sun Shu-Dong , He Hong-Bo , Zhao Chang-Sheng
Published: February 2015

In the present study, a new method to prepare stable antifouling and blood compatible membranes is developed, i.e., in situ post-crosslinking copolymerization.
Effectiveness of carbon nanotube–cobalt ferrite nanocomposites for the adsorption of rhodamine B from aqueous solutions
Authors: Oyetade Oluwaseun A. , Nyamori Vincent O. , Martincigh Bice S. , Jonnalagadda Sreekantha B.
Published: February 2015

Magnetic cobalt ferrite–carbon nanotube nanocomposites are effective and reusable adsorbents for remediation of wastewaters contaminated with dyes.
Comparison of the Toxicity of Wofasteril Peracetic Acid Formulations E400, E250, and Lspez to Daphnia magna, with Emphasis on the Effect of Hydrogen Peroxide
Authors: Liu Dibo , Straus David L , Pedersen Lars-Flemming , Meinelt Thomas
Published: February 2015

Commercial peracetic acid (PAA) formulations are acidic mixtures of PAA, hydrogen peroxide (H2O2), acetic acid, H2O, and stabilizers to maintain the equilibrium of the concentrations. Different PAA formulations show diverse PAA : H2O2 ratios, potentially leading to different toxicities at the same PAA concentration due to the different concentrations of H2O2 and stabilizers used. To confirm any potential differences in toxicity, we performed 24-h toxicity tests using Daphnia magna with three commercial PAA formulations (Wofasteril): E400, E250, and Lspez. The experiments were carried out in standard dilution water and with increased water hardness, salinity, or dissolved organic carbon to reflect various natural conditions. Results showed that the toxicity to Daphnia was greatest for Lspez, intermediate for E250, and lowest for E400. An E400 + H2O2 mixture, which possessed a composition theoretically identical to the E250 formulation, had toxic effects and 24-h LC50 values similar to those of E250. This indicates an additive effect of H2O2 on the toxicity of PAA formulations. Moreover, a significant positive correlation was found between Daphnia mortality and the 3-h concentration of total peroxide (PAA and H2O2), with an r-value higher than that of PAA alone. A significant negative correlation between the total peroxide : PAA molar ratio and the 24-h LC50 value was observed, indicating that the toxicity of PAA formulations to Daphnia is due to the combined effect of both PAA and H2O2.
AIDA: ab initio domain assembly for automated multi-domain protein structure prediction and domain–domain interaction prediction
Authors: Xu Dong , Jaroszewski Lukasz , Li Zhanwen , Godzik Adam
Published: February 2015

Motivation: Most proteins consist of multiple domains, independent structural and evolutionary units that are often reshuffled in genomic rearrangements to form new protein architectures. Template-based modeling methods can often detect homologous templates for individual domains, but templates that could be used to model the entire query protein are often not available.

Results: We have developed a fast docking algorithm ab initio domain assembly (AIDA) for assembling multi-domain protein structures, guided by the ab initio folding potential. This approach can be extended to discontinuous domains (i.e. domains with ‘inserted’ domains). When tested on experimentally solved structures of multi-domain proteins, the relative domain positions were accurately found among top 5000 models in 86% of cases. AIDA server can use domain assignments provided by the user or predict them from the provided sequence. The latter approach is particularly useful for automated protein structure prediction servers. The blind test consisting of 95 CASP10 targets shows that domain boundaries could be successfully determined for 97% of targets.

Availability and implementation: The AIDA package as well as the benchmark sets used here are available for download at http://ffas.burnham.org/AIDA/.

Contact:  adam@sanfordburnham.org

Supplementary information:  Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online.