bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Synthesis and characterization of hyperbranched amphiphilic block copolymers prepared via self‐condensing RAFT polymerization
Authors: Rikkou‐Kalourkoti Maria , Elladiou Marios , Patrickios Costas S.
Published: March 2015

Four families of hyperbranched amphiphilic block copolymers of styrene (Sty, less polar monomer) and 2‐vinylpyridine (2VPy, one of the two more polar monomers) or 4‐vinylpyridine (4VPy, the other polar monomer) were prepared via self‐condensing vinyl reversible addition‐fragmentation chain transfer polymerization (SCVP‐RAFT). Two families contained 4VPy as the more polar monomer, one of which possessing a Sty‐b‐4VPy architecture, and the other possessing the reverse block architecture. The other two families bore 2VPy as the more polar monomer and had either a 2VPy‐b‐Sty or a Sty‐b‐2VPy architecture. Characterization of the hyperbranched block copolymers in terms of their molecular weights and compositions indicated better control when the VPy monomers were polymerized first. Control over the molecular weights of the hyperbranched copolymers was also confirmed with the aminolysis of the dithioester moiety at the branching points to produce linear polymers with number‐average molecular weights slightly greater than the theoretically expected ones, due to recombination of the resulting thiol‐terminated linear polymers. The amphiphilicity of the hyperbranched copolymers led to their self‐assembly in selective solvents, which was probed using atomic force microscopy and dynamic light scattering, which indicated the formation of large spherical micelles of uniform diameter. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Polym. Sci., Part A: Polym. Chem. 2015, 53, 1310–1319
Synthesis and characterization of thermoplastic elastomers with polyisobutylene and polyalloocimene blocks
Authors: Gergely Attila L. , Puskas Judit E.
Published: March 2015

This article presents the synthesis and characterization of diblock, triblock, and tetrablock copolymers of alloocimene (Allo), a terpene from renewable resources, and isobutylene (IB) using the recently reported two‐phase living carbocationic system. The addition of a second Allo increment to diblocks of Allo and IB yielded triblock and tetrablock structures. The block copolymers showed thermoplastic elastomeric (TPE) properties. It is demonstrated that the unusual behavior of diblocks exhibiting TPE properties is due to the strain‐induced crystallization of the polyisobutylene block. The polyalloocimene blocks can be cured, making this material a potential replacement of halobutyl rubber without halogen content. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Polym. Sci., Part A: Polym. Chem. 2015, 53, 1567–1574
Polymer coating of graphene oxide via reversible addition–fragmentation chain transfer mediated emulsion polymerization
Authors: Huynh Vien T. , Nguyen Duc , Such Christopher H. , Hawkett Brian S.
Published: March 2015

This work describes a versatile method to encapsulate graphene oxide (GO) with polymers using reversible addition‐fragmentation chain transfer (RAFT) mediated emulsion polymerization. A living low molecular weight anionic macro‐RAFT statistical copolymer of sodium styrene sulfonate, acrylic acid, and butyl acrylate (BA) was synthesized using 2‐{[(butylsulfanyl)carbonothioyl] sulfanyl} propanoic acid as the chain transfer agent. GO was dispersed in water by pretreating the surface with poly(allylamine hydrochloride) (PAH), before being stabilized by the addition of the anionic macro‐RAFT copolymer. PAH was used to facilitate the adsorption of the macro‐RAFT copolymer to the GO surface via electrostatic attraction between opposite charges. The dispersed GO sheets were encapsulated with polymer by the free radical emulsion polymerization of methyl methacrylate and BA under starved fed conditions. The polymer shells encapsulating the GO sheets were formed by the chain extension of the adsorbed living macro‐RAFT copolymer. TEM, SEM, FTIR, and AFM were used to confirm the presence of the polymer layer on the surface of the GO. The thickness of the polymer coating can be adjusted by controlling the amount of monomer fed into the system. Partial polymer coatings of the GO could be achieved by varying the amount of PAH. The encapsulated GO was found to be easily dispersed in both aqueous and organic solvents over a range of polarities. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Polym. Sci., Part A: Polym. Chem. 2015, 53, 1413–1421
RAFT radical copolymerization of beta‐pinene with maleic anhydride and aggregation behaviors of their copolymer in aqueous solution
Authors: Wang Yi , Ai Qianxiang , Lu Jiang
Published: March 2015

RAFT copolymerization of beta‐pinene and maleic anhydride was successfully achieved for the first time, using 1‐phenylethyl dithiobenzoate as chain transfer agent in a mixed solvent of tetrehydrofuran and 1.4‐dioxane (1:9, v/v) at a feed molar ratio of beta‐pinene to maleic anhydride as 3:7, and the alternating copolymer was prepared with predetermined molecular weight and narrow molecular weight distribution. Furthermore, using former alternating copolymer as a macro‐RAFT agent, block copolymer poly(beta‐pinene‐alt‐maleic anhydride)‐b‐polystyrene was synthesized in a chain extending with styrene. Hydrolysis of this block copolymer under acidic conditions formed a new amphiphilic block copolymers poly(beta‐pinene‐alt‐maleic acid)‐b‐polystyrene whose self‐assembly behaviors in aqueous solution at different pH were investigated through SEM and DLS. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Polym. Sci., Part A: Polym. Chem. 2015, 53, 1422–1429
Synthesis of biodegradable conjugated polymers with controlled backbone flexibility
Authors: Vokatá Tereza , Twomey Megan , Mendez Eladio , Moon Joong Ho
Published: March 2015

A series of flexible, highly bright fluorescent poly(p‐phenyleneethynylene)s (PPEs) was prepared by employing a disulfide containing nonconjugated monomer at various ratios under Sonogashira reaction conditions. PPEs with flexible linkers exhibited fluorescence properties comparable to those of a fully conjugated PPE when less than 50% of flexible monomers were incorporated into the backbone. To evaluate the self‐assembly properties of PPEs, a series of conjugated polymer nanoparticles (CPNs) was fabricated by treating PPEs with organic acids followed by dialysis. CPNs containing linkers exhibited different complexation behavior with polysaccharides, warranting further investigation into how flexibility and biodegradability of CPNs influence their cellular interaction and entry. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Polym. Sci., Part A: Polym. Chem. 2015, 53, 1403–1412
Crystallization measurements via ultrasonic velocity: Study of poly(lactic acid) parts
Authors: Zhao Peng , Peng Yiyan , Yang Weimin , Fu Jianzhong , Turng Lih‐Sheng
Published: March 2015

Crystallization has significant effects on the physical and mechanical properties of polymer products; therefore, crystallization measurements are important for understanding and predicting polymer products' properties. However, traditional crystallization measurement methods have disadvantages in practical applications because they can be destructive, offline, unsafe, and expensive. Recently, ultrasonic technology has shown great potential as a nondestructive, online, real‐time, and environmentally friendly measurement method for polymer characterization. In this study, a novel measurement method based on ultrasonic technology was proposed to study the crystallization characteristics of poly(lactic acid) (PLA) parts. An annealing process was employed to produce PLA parts with different degrees of crystallinity. A new ultrasonic water immersion method was used to measure the ultrasonic velocities of these annealed PLA parts. It has been found that the plot of the inverse ultrasonic velocity versus the degree of crystallinity shows good linearity over the whole crystallinity range for all three annealing temperatures. The linear relationship between the inverse of the ultrasonic velocity and the crystallinity observed in this study could provide a nondestructive method for investigating the degree of crystallinity of polymers, which can be implemented both offline and online. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Polym. Sci., Part B: Polym. Phys. 2015, 53, 700–708
Molecular profiling of ETS and non‐ETS aberrations in prostate cancer patients from northern India
Authors: Ateeq Bushra , Kunju Lakshmi P. , Carskadon Shannon L. , Pandey Swaroop K. , Singh Geetika , Pradeep Immanuel , Tandon Vini , Singhai Atin , Goel Apul , Amit Sonal , Agarwal Asha , Dinda Amit K. , Seth Amlesh , Tsodikov Alexander , Chinnaiyan Arul M. , Palanisamy Nallasivam
Published: March 2015

BACKGROUND

Molecular stratification of prostate cancer (PCa) based on genetic aberrations including ETS or RAF gene‐rearrangements, PTEN deletion, and SPINK1 over‐expression show clear prognostic and diagnostic utility. Gene rearrangements involving ETS transcription factors are frequent pathogenetic somatic events observed in PCa. Incidence of ETS rearrangements in Caucasian PCa patients has been reported, however, occurrence in Indian population is largely unknown. The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence of the ETS and RAF kinase gene rearrangements, SPINK1 over‐expression, and PTEN deletion in this cohort.

METHODS

In this multi‐center study, formalin‐fixed paraffin embedded (FFPE) PCa specimens (n = 121) were procured from four major medical institutions in India. The tissues were sectioned and molecular profiling was done using immunohistochemistry (IHC), RNA in situ hybridization (RNA‐ISH) and/or fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH).

RESULTS

ERG over‐expression was detected in 48.9% (46/94) PCa specimens by IHC, which was confirmed in a subset of cases by FISH. Among other ETS family members, while ETV1 transcript was detected in one case by RNA‐ISH, no alteration in ETV4 was observed. SPINK1 over‐expression was observed in 12.5% (12/96) and PTEN deletion in 21.52% (17/79) of the total PCa cases. Interestingly, PTEN deletion was found in 30% of the ERG‐positive cases (P = 0.017) but in only one case with SPINK1 over‐expression (P = 0.67). BRAF and RAF1 gene rearrangements were detected in ∼1% and ∼4.5% of the PCa cases, respectively.

CONCLUSIONS

This is the first report on comprehensive molecular profiling of the major spectrum of the causal aberrations in Indian men with PCa. Our findings suggest that ETS gene rearrangement and SPINK1 over‐expression patterns in North Indian population largely resembled those observed in Caucasian population but differed from Japanese and Chinese PCa patients. The molecular profiling data presented in this study could help in clinical decision‐making for the pursuit of surgery, diagnosis, and in selection of therapeutic intervention. Prostate 75:1051–1062, 2015. © 2015 The Authors. The Prostate, published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Delay from biopsy to radical prostatectomy influences the rate of adverse pathologic outcomes
Authors: Berg William T. , Danzig Matthew R. , Pak Jamie S. , Korets Ruslan , RoyChoudhury Arindam , Hruby Gregory , Benson Mitchell C. , McKiernan James M. , Badani Ketan K.
Published: March 2015

BACKGROUND

We sought to determine maximum wait times between biopsy diagnosis and surgery for localized prostate cancer, beyond which the rate of adverse pathologic outcomes is increased.

METHODS

We retrospectively reviewed 4,610 patients undergoing radical prostatectomy between 1990 and 2011. Patients were stratified by biopsy Gleason score and PSA value. For each stratification, χ2 analysis was used to determine the smallest 15‐day multiple of surgical delay (e.g., 15, 30, 45…180 days) for which adverse pathologic outcomes were significantly more likely after the time interval than before. Adverse outcomes were defined as positive surgical margins, upgrading from biopsy, upstaging, seminal vesicle invasion, or positive lymph nodes.

RESULTS

Two thousand two hundred twelve patients met inclusion criteria. Median delay was 64 days (mean 76, SD 47). One thousand six hundred seventy‐five (75.7%), 537 (24.3%), and 60 (2.7%) patients had delays of <=90, >90, and >180 days, respectively. Twenty‐six percent were upgraded on final pathology and 23% were upstaged. The positive surgical margin rate was 24.2% and the positive lymph node rate was 1.1%. Significant increases in the proportion of adverse pathological outcomes were found beyond 75 days in the overall cohort (P = 0.03), 150 days for patients with Gleason <=6, and PSA 0–10 (P = 0.038), 60 days for patients with Gleason 7 and PSA >20 (P = 0.032), and 30 days for patients with Gleason 8–10 and PSA 11–20 (0.041).

CONCLUSION

In low‐risk disease, there is a considerable but not unlimited surgical delay which will not adversely impact the rate of adverse pathologic features found. In higher risk disease, this time period is considerably shorter. Prostate 75:1085–1091, 2015. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Solar signals in CMIP‐5 simulations: the ozone response
Authors: Hood L. L. , Misios S. , Mitchell D. M. , Rozanov E. , Gray L. J. , Tourpali K. , Matthes K. , Schmidt H. , Chiodo G. , Thiéblemont R. , Shindell D. , Krivolutsky A.
Published: March 2015

A multiple linear regression statistical method is applied to model data taken from the Coupled Model Intercomparison Project, phase 5 (CMIP‐5) to estimate the 11‐year solar cycle responses of stratospheric ozone, temperature, and zonal wind during the 1979–2005 period. The analysis is limited to the six CMIP‐5 models which resolve the stratosphere (high‐top models) and which include interactive ozone chemistry. All simulations assumed a conservative 11‐year solar spectral irradiance (SSI) variation based on the Naval Research Laboratory model. These model responses are then compared to corresponding observational estimates derived from two independent satellite ozone profile datasets and from ERA‐Interim reanalysis meteorological data. The models exhibit a range of 11‐year responses with three models (CESM1‐WACCM, MIROC‐ESM‐CHEM and MRI‐ESM1) yielding substantial solar‐induced ozone changes in the upper stratosphere which compare favourably with available observations. The remaining three models do not, apparently because of differences in the details of their radiation and photolysis rate codes. During winter in both hemispheres, the three models with stronger upper‐stratospheric ozone responses produce relatively strong latitudinal gradients of ozone and temperature in the upper stratosphere which are associated with accelerations of the polar night jet under solar maximum conditions. This behaviour is similar to that found in the satellite ozone and ERA‐Interim data, except that the latitudinal gradients tend to occur at somewhat higher latitudes in the models. The sharp ozone gradients are dynamical in origin and assist in radiatively enhancing the temperature gradients, leading to a stronger zonal wind response. These results suggest that simulation of a realistic solar‐induced variation of upper‐stratospheric ozone, temperature and zonal wind in winter is possible for at least some coupled climate models even if a conservative SSI variation is adopted.
A pulsed pinhole atmospheric pressure interface for simplified mass spectrometry instrumentation with enhanced sensitivity
Authors: Wei Yongzheng , Bian Cunjuan , Ouyang Zheng , Xu Wei
Published: March 2015

Rationale

A proof‐of‐concept pulsed pinhole atmospheric pressure interface, namely PP‐API, was developed and characterized for mass spectrometry instrumentation.

Methods

The PP‐API was analyzed and optimized theoretically with respect to gas flow rate, opening force and dimensions. A PP‐API interfaced mass spectrometry system was then constructed and tested.

Results

As a discontinuous pressure interface, the PP‐API allows efficient ion transfer from atmosphere pressure ionization sources to ion traps directly. Both nano‐ESI and APCI ionization sources have been successfully integrated with the PP‐API interface for the detection of volatile, organic, peptide and polymer samples. The use of multiple ionization sources has also been demonstrated to enhance signal intensity, as well as avoid charge competitions in ionization sources.

Conclusions

With simplified geometry and high ion transfer efficiency, this PP‐API would enable miniaturized mass spectrometry systems with high sensitivity. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Importance of Informal Training for the Spread of Agricultural Technologies: Farmers as in‐Residence Extension Workers and Their Motivation for Sustainable Development
Authors: Yamada Hiroyuki , Shimamoto Daichi , Wakano Ayako
Published: March 2015

We report the importance of informal training in introducing new post‐harvest technologies in rice farming through informal contacts by exploring answers from both in‐residence extension workers ('key farmers') and ordinary farmers in rural Cambodia. We use survey data collected in Cambodian villages between December 2012 and January 2013. While in‐residence extension workers are well motivated and informal training plays a crucial role, lack of an appropriate financial incentive for the key farmers might hamper the sustainability of the project. We also emphasize that any intervention for rural development must avoid social exclusion and nepotism. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd and ERP Environment
Early Transplantation of Mesenchymal Stem Cells After Spinal Cord Injury Relieves Pain Hypersensitivity Through Suppression of Pain-Related Signaling Cascades and Reduced Inflammatory Cell Recruitment
Authors: Watanabe Shuji , Uchida Kenzo , Nakajima Hideaki , Matsuo Hideaki , Sugita Daisuke , Yoshida Ai , Honjoh Kazuya , Johnson William E.B. , Baba Hisatoshi
Published: March 2015

Bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells (BMSC) modulate inflammatory/immune responses and promote motor functional recovery after spinal cord injury (SCI). However, the effects of BMSC transplantation on central neuropathic pain and neuronal hyperexcitability after SCI remain elusive. This is of importance because BMSC-based therapies have been proposed for clinical treatment. We investigated the effects of BMSC transplantation on pain hypersensitivity in green fluorescent protein (GFP)-positive bone marrow-chimeric mice subjected to a contusion SCI, and the mechanisms of such effects. BMSC transplantation at day 3 post-SCI improved motor function and relieved SCI-induced hypersensitivities to mechanical and thermal stimulation. The pain improvements were mediated by suppression of protein kinase C-γ and phosphocyclic AMP response element binding protein expression in dorsal horn neurons. BMSC transplants significantly reduced levels of p-p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase and extracellular signal-regulated kinase (p-ERK1/2) in both hematogenous macrophages and resident microglia and significantly reduced the infiltration of CD11b and GFP double-positive hematogenous macrophages without decreasing the CD11b-positive and GFP-negative activated spinal-microglia population. BMSC transplants prevented hematogenous macrophages recruitment by restoration of the blood-spinal cord barrier (BSCB), which was associated with decreased levels of (a) inflammatory cytokines (tumor necrosis factor-α, interleukin-6); (b) mediators of early secondary vascular pathogenesis (matrix metallopeptidase 9); (c) macrophage recruiting factors (CCL2, CCL5, and CXCL10), but increased levels of a microglial stimulating factor (granulocyte–macrophage colony-stimulating factor). These findings support the use of BMSC transplants for SCI treatment. Furthermore, they suggest that BMSC reduce neuropathic pain through a variety of related mechanisms that include neuronal sparing and restoration of the disturbed BSCB, mediated through modulation of the activity of spinal-resident microglia and the activity and recruitment of hematogenous macrophages. Stem Cells  2015;33:1902–1914
Concise Review: Making Stem Cells Retinal: Methods for Deriving Retinal Pigment Epithelium and Implications for Patients With Ocular Disease
Authors: Leach Lyndsay L. , Clegg Dennis O.
Published: March 2015

Stem cells provide a potentially unlimited source of cells for treating a plethora of human diseases. Regenerative therapies for retinal degenerative diseases are at the forefront of translation to the clinic, with stem cell-derived retinal pigment epithelium (RPE)-based treatments for age-related macular degeneration (AMD) already showing promise in human patients. Despite our expanding knowledge of stem cell biology, methods for deriving cells, including RPE have remained inefficient. Thus, there has been a push in recent years to develop more directed approaches to deriving cells for therapy. In this concise review, we summarize recent efforts that have been successful in improving RPE derivation efficiency by directing differentiation from human pluripotent stem cells using developmental cues important for normal RPE specification and maturation in vivo. In addition, potential obstacles for clinical translation are discussed. Finally, we review how derivation of RPE from human induced pluripotent stem cells (hiPSCs) provides in vitro models for studying mechanisms of retinal disease and discovering new avenues for treatment. Stem Cells  2015;33:2363–2373
What Research Says About Text Complexity and Learning to Read
Authors: Allington Richard L. , McCuiston Kimberly , Billen Monica
Published: March 2015

The CCSS framework indicates more difficult texts are to be used with students. However, the rationale for increasing text difficulty, decreasing text difficulty, is unsupported by the research that shows texts have been increasing in difficulty for at least 50 years. Oral reading accuracy is a traditional method of estimating text difficulty. For 70 years oral reading accuracy of at least 95% accuracy has been the accepted standard. The research available suggest that this traditional level of accuracy is supported by the evidence as optimal for developing reading proficiency.
The flame‐retardance polylactide nanocomposites with nano attapulgite coated by resorcinol bis(diphenyl phosphate)
Authors: Ju Yaqing , Wang Tongwen , Huang Ying , Zhou Lu , Yang Yuanyuan , Liao Fenghui , Wang Xinlong
Published: March 2015

The nano attapulgite (ATP) coated by flame‐retardant resorcinol bis(diphenyl phosphate) (RDP) was prepared, and the modification effects were analyzed by scanning electron microscopy plus energy dispersive spectrometer, Fourier‐transform infrared spectra, the contact angles, and thermal gravimetry analysis. The results showed that RDP was adsorbed and formed a uniform layer on the surface of nano ATP with a content of about 25 wt%. The prepared polylactide (PLA) nanocomposites with the RDP‐coated nano ATP showed good mechanical properties, and the tensile strength of the nanocomposites containing 30 wt% of the RDP‐coated nano ATP reached 76.9 MPa in comparison with 66.2 MPa of pure PLA. The limiting oxygen index of the prepared PLA composites containing 30 wt% of the RDP‐coated nano ATP was about 24.5% and V‐0 rating was attained compared with 20.5% and with no rating of pure PLA. After the burning of the flame‐retardant PLA composites, a compact and coherent charred layer was formed; the flame‐retardance mechanism is discussed in detail. J. VINYL ADDIT. TECHNOL., 22:506–513, 2016. © 2015 Society of Plastics Engineers
Syntheses and Crystal Structures of [M(H2O)6](C16H11O4SO3)2·2H2O (M= Zn, Mg, Co)
Authors: Ding Ru , Wei Tao , Wang Qiu‐Ya , Wang Tao , Zhang Zun‐Ting
Published: March 2015

Sodium 5‐hydroxy‐4′‐methoxyisoflavone‐3′‐sulfonate was synthesized by sulfonation of pallidiflorin and assembled with ZnII, MgII, and CoIIto form [Zn(H2O)6](C16H11O4SO3)2·2H2O (1), [Mg(H2O)6](C16H11O4SO3)2·2H2O (2), and [Co (H2O)6](C16H11O4SO3)2·2H2O (3). In the crystal structures of1–3, [M(H2O)6]2+, C16H11O4SO3–, and H2O form intermolecular and intramolecular hydrogen bonds. The hydrogen bonds, π–π stacking interactions, and electrostatic interactions between the cations and anions link compounds1–3into three‐dimensional structures. The thermal stabilities of1–3were also investigated.
Syntheses, Crystal Structures, and Luminescent Properties of ZnII/CdII Coordination Polymers with Different Interpenetrating Networks
Authors: Du Jie
Published: March 2015

ZnII and CdII coordination polymers with dicarboxylate and imidazole‐containing ligands, namely, [Cd (2,3‐PDC)(L)]n (1) and {[Zn(3,4‐PDC) (L)0.5]·H2O}n (2), [2,3‐H2PDC = 2,3‐pyridine dicarboxylate, 3,4‐H2PDC = 3,4‐pyridine dicarboxylate, and L = 1,4‐bis(2‐methylimidazol‐3‐ium‐1‐yl)biphenyl], were prepared and characterized by elemental analysis, IR spectroscopy, and X‐ray diffraction. Complex 1 shows a three‐dimensional (3D) structure with threefold interpenetrating diamond topology. Complex 2 features a 3D framework with twofold interpenetrating dmc topology. Moreover, the luminescent properties of complexes 1 and 2 were also investigated.
Bone Mesenchymal Stem Cells with Growth Factors Successfully Treat Nonunions and Delayed Unions
Authors: Desai Pingal , Hasan Saad Mumtaz , Zambrana Lester , Hegde Vishal , Saleh Anas , Cohn Matthew R. , Lane Joseph M.
Published: March 2015

Background

While the gold standard of treatment of nonunion is open autologous bone grafting, studies have shown that injecting bone marrow aspirate concentrates (BMAC) is effective in treating tibial nonunions with fracture gaps less than 5 mm.

Questions/Purposes

We aim to demonstrate that combining BMAC with osteoinductive agents can effectively treat delayed or nonunion regardless of fracture gap size, nonunion site, or osteoinductive agent used.

Methods

In this non-randomized retrospective-prospective cohort study, 49 patients with tibial nonunion met the inclusion criteria and underwent BMAC injection with demineralized bone matrix (DBM) and/or recombinant human bone morphogenic protein-2 (rhBMP-2). Radiologic healing of the fracture was the primary outcome. Patients were followed until radiographic union was achieved or another procedure was performed. Radiographic healing was defined as bridging of three out of four cortices on anteroposterior and lateral films.

Results

There was no difference in the healing rate ( p = 0.81) between patients with fracture gaps less than and greater than 5 mm. On multivariate analysis, the use of rhBMP-2 was associated with a lower healing rate compared to DBM ( p = 0.036). Patients who underwent early intervention (within 6 months of fixation) had higher union rates ( p = 0.04).

Conclusion

This study shows that percutaneous BMAC injection combined with either DBM and/or rhBMP-2 is a safe and effective treatment for delayed or nonunion regardless of the fracture gap size or fracture site. DBM may be superior to rhBMP-2 in this procedure.
Using Sterol Substitution to Probe the Role of Membrane Domains in Membrane Functions
Authors: Kim JiHyun , London Erwin
Published: March 2015

Ordered membrane lipid domains rich in sphingolipids and sterols (“lipid rafts”) are thought to be important in many biological processes. However, it is often difficult to distinguish domain‐dependent biological functions from ones that have a specific dependence on sterol, e.g. are dependent upon a protein with a function that is dependent upon its binding to sterol. Removing cholesterol and replacing it with various sterols with varying abilities to form membrane domains or otherwise alter membrane properties has the potential to help distinguish these cases. This review describes this strategy, and how it has been applied by various investigators to understand cellular functions.
Transfer of care and offload delay: continued resistance or integrative thinking?
Authors: Schwartz Brian
Published: March 2015

The disciplines of paramedicine and emergency medicine have evolved synchronously over the past four decades, linked by emergency physicians with expertise in prehospital care. Ambulance offload delay (OD) is an inevitable consequence of emergency department overcrowding (EDOC) and compromises the care of the patient on the ambulance stretcher in the emergency department (ED), as well as paramedic emergency medical service response in the community. Efforts to define transfer of care from paramedics to ED staff with a view to reducing offload time have met with resistance from both sides with different agendas. These include the need to return paramedics to serve the community versus the lack of ED capacity to manage the patient. Innovative solutions to other system issues, such as rapid access to trauma teams, reducing door-to-needle time, and improving throughput in the ED to reduce EDOC, have been achieved by involving all stakeholders in an integrative thinking process. Only by addressing this issue in a similar integrative process will solutions to OD be realized.
SEX RATIOS, POLYGYNY, AND THE VALUE OF WOMEN IN MARRIAGE––A BECKERIAN APPROACH
Authors: Grossbard Shoshana
Published: March 2015

Gary Becker's theories of marriage were mentioned as one of the reasons why he was awarded the Nobel prize in economics in 1992 and were emphasized by Becker: his first article on the family published in a major journal (Becker 1973) is a theory of marriage and the chapters on marriage in his influentialTreatise on the Family(Becker 1981, 1991) come first. Becker's theoretical models of marriage all view marriages as small non-profit firms engaged in household production, thereby featuring one of the basic tenets of theNew Home Economicsthat Becker pioneered with Jacob Mincer while both were at Columbia University in the 1960s (see Becker 1960, 1965; Mincer 1962, 1963).
GARY BECKER AND THE ART OF ECONOMICS
Authors: Siow Aloysius
Published: March 2015

Gary Becker, an American economist, died on May 3, 2014, at the age of 83. His major contribution was the systematic application of economics to the analysis of social issues. He used economics to study discrimination, criminal behavior, human capital, marriage, fertility and other social issues.
BECKER AND THE DEMOGRAPHIC TRANSITION
Authors: Lee Ronald
Published: March 2015

It was a different era when Gary Becker did his groundbreaking work on the economics of fertility, during the years from the late 1950 through the early 1990s. There was great concern then about the “population explosion” due to sustained high fertility in the developing world after mortality declined following World War II. In 1968, Paul Ehrlich published “The Population Bomb” predicting disaster and mass starvation due to rapid population growth: “The battle to feed all of humanity is over. In the 1970s, the world will undergo famines – hundreds of millions of people are going to starve to death. . . .” Robert McNamara, then the President of the World Bank, in 1984 said “Short of thermonuclear war itself, population growth is the gravest issue the world faces over the decades immediately ahead. If we do not act, the problem will be solved by famine, riots, insurrection and war.”
Improving Educational Planning for Students With Severe Disabilities: An Evaluation of School-Based Professional Learning
Authors: Stephenson Jennifer , Carter Mark
Published: March 2015

The components of quality educational planning for students with moderate and severe intellectual disability are well established, but schools and special educators may not always achieve a desirable standard. This article reports on the change in quality of documentation related to individual planning and programming over a span of 4 years in a special school enrolling high-school-aged students with moderate to severe intellectual disability. The school implemented a program of professional learning, led by school staff, directed at improving planning and programming. There were significant changes in the quality of short-term goals and documentation of teaching programs. There was an increase in the quality of long-term goals but this did not reach significance. Instructional objectives were introduced in the final year of the study, and were not part of previous documentation. There was no evidence of implementation of formal monitoring procedures over the time span of the study. The difficulties observed and the changes as a result of the professional learning reflect those reported elsewhere in the literature, and demonstrate that a school commitment to improving program quality can have positive results.
Crossbows and imperial craft organisation: the bronze triggers of China's Terracotta Army
Authors: Li Xiuzhen Janice , Bevan Andrew , Martinón-Torres Marcos , Rehren Thilo , Cao Wei , Xia Yin , Zhao Kun
Published: March 2015

The Terracotta Army that protected the tomb of the Chinese emperor Qin Shihuang offers an evocative image of the power and organisation of the Qin armies who unified China through conquest in the third century BC. It also provides evidence for the craft production and administrative control that underpinned the Qin state. Bronze trigger mechanisms are all that remain of crossbows that once equipped certain kinds of warrior in the Terracotta Army. A metrical and spatial analysis of these triggers reveals that they were produced in batches and that these separate batches were thereafter possibly stored in an arsenal, but eventually were transported to the mausoleum to equip groups of terracotta crossbowmen in individual sectors of Pit 1. The trigger evidence for large-scale and highly organised production parallels that also documented for the manufacture of the bronze-tipped arrows and proposed for the terracotta figures themselves.
The discovery of the school of gladiators at Carnuntum, Austria
Authors: Neubauer Wolfgang , Gugl Christian , Scholz Markus , Verhoeven Geert , Trinks Immo , Löcker Klaus , Doneus Michael , Saey Timothy , Meirvenne Marc Van
Published: March 2015

Sophisticated techniques of archaeological survey, including airborne imaging spectroscopy, electromagnetic induction and ground-penetrating radar, are opening up new horizons in the non-invasive exploration of archaeological sites. One location where they have yielded spectacular results is Carnuntum in Austria, on the south bank of the Danube, capital of the key Roman province of Pannonia. Excavations in the late nineteenth and twentieth centuries revealed many of the major elements of this extensive complex, including the legionary fortress and the civilian town or municipium. Excavation, however, is no longer the only way of recovering and recording the details of these buried structures. In 2011, a combination of non-invasive survey methods in the area to the south of the civilian town, where little was visible on the surface, led to the dramatic discovery of remains interpreted as a gladiatorial school, complete with individual cells for the gladiators and a circular training arena. The combination of techniques has led to the recording and visualisation of the buried remains in astonishing detail, and the impact of the discovery is made all the greater by the stunning reconstruction images that the project has generated.
The olive tree-ring problematic dating
Authors: Cherubini Paolo , Lev-Yadun Simcha
Published: March 2015

We are glad to see that our paper has stimulated a lively debate, and we acknowledge the appreciation of our work by Bietak, Kuniholm and MacGillivray as well as that of those who oppose our hypothesis (Bruins & van der Plicht, Friedrich et al., all above). The enigma of the dating of the Santorini eruption is a long-lasting one, and because of its bearing on the dating of several eastern Mediterranean civilisations, has attracted significant attention. The potentially great importance of the Santorini olive branch used by Friedrich et al. (2006) was that it came from the site itself, and possibly belonged to the destruction layer. As such, the sincere and serious attempt to date it made by Friedrich et al. (2006) should be appreciated. Unfortunately, large olive branches may exist as dead limbs for a very long time and thus represent earlier periods.
Vikings go multi-media
Authors: Wienberg Jes
Published: March 2015

The temporary exhibition ‘Viking’ was on show at the National Museum of Denmark in Copenhagen from 22 June–17 November 2013, and will be on display in London from March–June 2014 and Berlin from September 2014–January 2015. The exhibition is accompanied by a catalogue, titled Viking, edited by Gareth Williams, Peter Pentz & Matthias Wemhoff.
New research at Riņņukalns, a Neolithic freshwater shell midden in northern Latvia
Authors: Bērziņš Valdis , Brinker Ute , Klein Christina , Lübke Harald , Meadows John , Rudzīte Mudīte , Schmölcke Ulrich , Stümpel Harald , Zagorska Ilga
Published: March 2015

The prehistoric shell middens of Atlantic Europe consist of marine molluscs, but the eastern Baltic did not have exploitable marine species. Here the sole recorded shell midden, at Riņņukalns in Latvia, is on an inland lake and is formed of massive dumps of freshwater shells. Recent excavations indicate that they are the product of a small number of seasonal events during the later fourth millennium BC. The thickness of the shell deposits suggests that this was a special multi-purpose residential site visited for seasonal aggregations by pottery-using hunter-gatherer communities on the northern margin of Neolithic Europe.
Parchmarks at Stonehenge, July 2013
Authors: Banton Simon , Bowden Mark , Daw Tim , Grady Damian , Soutar Sharon
Published: March 2015

Despite being one of the most intensively explored prehistoric monuments in western Europe, Stonehenge continues to hold surprises. The principal elements of the complex are well known: the outer bank and ditch, the sarsen circle capped by lintels, the smaller bluestone settings and the massive central trilithons. They represent the final phase of Stonehenge, the end product of a complicated sequence that is steadily being refined (most recently in Darvill et al. ‘Stonehenge remodelled’, Antiquity 86 (2012): 1021–40). Yet Stonehenge in its present form is incomplete—some of the expected stones are missing—and it has sometimes been suggested that it was never complete; that the sarsen circle, for example, was only ever finished on the north-eastern side, facing the main approach along the Avenue. A chance appearance of parchmarks, however, provides more evidence.
Neolithic foundations in the Karama valley, West Sulawesi, Indonesia
Authors: Anggraeni  , Simanjuntak Truman , Bellwood Peter , Piper Philip
Published: March 2015

Excavations at three open-air sites in the Karama valley of West Sulawesi have revealed similar suites of ceramics and overlapping chronologies. The pottery from the basal layers at Minanga Sipakko and Kamassi resembles that of the Philippines and Taiwan, and suggests the settlement of migrants from those areas, consistent with the theory of Austronesian expansion. The absence of the flaked lithic technology typical of earlier Sulawesi populations indicates that these two sites do not represent the indigenous adoption of Neolithic features. The Karama valley evidence underlines the importance, in the quest for the earliest farmers, of research at open-air sites close to agriculturally suitable land, while indigenous populations may have continued for some time to occupy remote caves and rockshelters.
The socioeconomic status of Iron Age metalworkers: animal economy in the ‘Slaves’ Hill', Timna, Israel
Authors: Sapir-Hen Lidar , Ben-Yosef Erez
Published: March 2015

The popular image of metalworking sites in desert settings envisages armies of slaves engaged in back-breaking labour. This is in conflict with ethnographic evidence indicating that skilled specialist metalworkers are often accorded high social status. This study approaches that contradiction directly by studying the remains of domesticated food animals from domestic and industrial contexts at Timna in southern Israel. The authors demonstrate that the higher-value meat cuts come from industrial contexts, where they were associated with the specialist metalworkers, rather than the ‘domestic’ contexts occupied by lower status workers engaged in support roles. It is suggested that the pattern documented here could also have been a feature of early metalworking sites in other times and places.
A new late Pleistocene archaeological sequence in South America: the Vale da Pedra Furada (Piauí, Brazil)
Authors: Boëda Eric , Clemente-Conte Ignacio , Fontugne Michel , Lahaye Christelle , Pino Mario , Felice Gisele Daltrini , Guidon Niède , Hoeltz Sirlei , Lourdeau Antoine , Pagli Marina , Pessis Anne-Marie , Viana Sibeli , Da Costa Amélie , Douville Eric
Published: March 2015

The date of the first settlement of the Americas remains a contentious subject. Previous claims for very early occupation at Pedra Furada in Brazil were not universally accepted (see Meltzeret al.1994). New work at the rockshelter of Boqueirão da Pedra Furada and at the nearby open-air site of Vale da Pedra Furada have however produced new evidence for human occupation extending back more than 20 000 years. The argument is supported by a series of14C and OSL dates, and by technical analysis of the stone tool assemblage. The authors conclude that the currently accepted narrative of human settlement in South America will have to be re-thought. The article is followed by a series of comments, rounded off by a reply from the authors.
Contextualising the birth of Mediterranean Archaeoseismology
Authors: Jusseret Simon
Published: March 2015

Archaeoseismology, investigating the effects of earthquakes on archaeological remains, has developed in recent decades into a flourishing multidisciplinary effort bringing together archaeologists, historians, geologists, seismologists, architects and engineers. Initially focusing on historical archaeological contexts in theMediterranean (cf. Stiros & Jones 1996), archaeoseismology—also known as earthquake archaeology (see Sintubin forthcoming for terminology)—has nowadays extended its traditional scope to prehistoric and historical cultures worldwide (see contributions in Sintubinet al.2010 and Silvaet al.2011 for recent examples).
Replacing starch with fat in the diet is more effective at enhancing overall performance in finisher than grower pigs
Authors: BROOKE G. , EDWARDS A. C. , PLUSKE J. R. , HOWARTH G. S. , CAMPBELL R. G. , DUNSHEA F. R.
Published: March 2015

The addition of supplementary fat to pig diets above current dietary recommendations has generally been viewed in a negative manner because it is considered that the surplus energy will be deposited into adipose tissue, and may therefore be detrimental to carcass value. The current study sought to investigate the effects of adding supplementary fat, in place of starch, to increase the energy density of male and female pig diets on growth performance and carcass quality. A total of 288 Large White × Landrace male and female pigs (boars and gilts) were randomly allocated to pens of 12 pigs each. The effects of (i) sex (gilts v. boars), (ii) added dietary fat level (as tallow; 0 v. 40 and 80 g/kg) and (iii) within added dietary fat level (40 v. 80 g fat/kg), were tested for a 5-week period (Period 1) (n = 4). These diets were formulated to contain 13·5, 14·3 and 15·2 MJ digestible energy/kg for 0, 40 and 80 g added fat/kg, respectively; the calculated standardized ileal digestible lysine content was kept constant at 8·8 g/kg of diet. Thereafter the experiment was designed to test for the same effects over a second 5-week period (Period 2), during which pigs from the initial three treatments were offered the diets with 0 and 40 g added fat/kg. Treatment effects were also assessed over the whole 10 weeks of the study. There was a positive linear effect of dietary fat supplementation in Period 1 on average daily weight gain, whereas dietary fat level in Period 1 had no effect on performance in Period 2, overall, or on carcass weight and P2 backfat thickness (i.e. thickness of fat at 65 mm down the left side from the midline, at the level of the head of the last rib) at 10 weeks. In contrast, supplementation of the diet with 40 g fat/kg during Period 2, regardless of the diet offered in Period 1, increased ADG in the second period and over the entire experiment. There were minimal effects of supplementary fat on feed intake in the entire experiment; however feed conversion ratio (FCR) was influenced by sex over the entire study and tended to be reduced by dietary fat supplementation in Period 2. The diet with 40 g added fat/kg fed in Period 2 increased carcass weight by an average of 2·8 kg and P2 backfat thickness by 1·2 mm. Collectively, the data from the current study suggest that dietary fat supplementation is more effective in finisher pigs than in grower pigs in terms of growth rate, FCR and carcass weight.
Sensitive growth stages and temperature thresholds in wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) for index-based crop insurance in the Indo-Gangetic Plains of India
Authors: VIJAYA KUMAR P. , RAO V. U. M. , BHAVANI O. , DUBEY A. P. , SINGH C. B. , VENKATESWARLU B.
Published: March 2015

High temperature stress at critical growth stages is a major risk factor for wheat in many wheat growing areas globally. Developing weather indices relating to yield reductions in wheat is an urgent requirement for weather-index-based crop insurance. The objectives of the present study were to: (i) identify critical phenological stage(s) for heat stress, (ii) quantify the impact of heat stress at critical growth stage(s) and (iii) work out thresholds of temperature for obtaining above average, average and below average yield of wheat. For achieving these objectives, 11 years’ experimental data for three cultivars (HD-2285, K-8804 and K-9107) under three sowing dates at the Kanpur Centre located in the Indo-Gangetic Plains of Uttar Pradesh, India were used. Among the eight phenological stages, the milk stage (growth stage 73) was identified as most sensitive for high maximum and minimum temperatures to adversely affect yield. The rate of yield reduction with unit increase in maximum and minimum temperatures (°C) was found to be highest in K-8804 and lowest in HD-2285. The optimum ranges of maximum temperature during anthesis, milk, dough and maturity stages are 19·7–21·9, 24·2–26·5, 26·1–28·8 and 29·5–30·8 °C, respectively and those for minimum temperature are 4·3–6·2, 8·3–9·7, 11·5–12·4 and 13·0–15·1 °C, respectively. The thresholds of temperature during critical stages and quantification of heat stress on yield will be of use in devising weather-index-based crop insurance products in wheat and also for breeding temperature-stress-resistant genotypes. This method of devising weather indices in the present study can be used in other crops and regions of the world as an adaptation strategy for climate change.
Non-axisymmetric local magnetostatic equilibrium
Authors: Candy J. , Belli E. A.
Published: March 2015

In this work we outline an approach to the problem of local equilibrium in non-axisymmetric configurations that adheres closely to Miller's original method for axisymmetric plasmas (Miller et al. 1998Phys. Plasmas5, 973). Importantly, this method is novel in that it allows not only specification of 3D shape, but also explicit specification of theshearin the 3D shape. A spectrally-accurate method for solution of the resulting nonlinear partial differential equations is also developed. We verify the correctness of the spectral method, in the axisymmetric limit, through comparisons with an independent numerical solution. Some analytic results for the two-dimensional case are given, and the connection to Boozer coordinates is clarified.
On the normal-mode frequency spectrum of kinetic magnetohydrodynamics
Authors: Ramos J. J.
Published: March 2015

This paper presents an explicit proof that, in the kinetic magnetohydrodynamics framework, the squared frequencies of normal-mode perturbations about a static equilibrium are real. This proof is based on a quadratic form for the square-integrable normal-mode eigenfunctions and does not rely on demonstrating operator self-adjointness. The analysis is consistent with the quasineutrality condition without involving any subsidiary constraint to enforce it, and does not require the assumption that all particle orbits be periodic. It applies to Maxwellian equilibria, spatially bounded by either a rigid conducting wall or by a plasma-vacuum interface where the density goes continuously to zero.