bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Incorporating water isoscapes in hydrological and water resource investigations
Authors: Bowen Gabriel J. , Good Stephen P. 
Published: February 2015

Water cycle science is confronted with the critical challenge of understanding sources, pathways, and processes that govern the availability of water and its interaction with biogeochemical cycles across a range of Earth systems. These problems are inherently spatial in nature, and require observational tools that can establish connectivity within the water cycle, quantify processes affecting water cycling across scales, and provide robust tests of hydrological models. Spatial analysis of water H and O isotope data has recently emerged as a valuable approach to such problems. Isotope distributions in hydrological systems are associated with variation in water sources, upstream processes that fractionate isotopes along transport trajectories, and local conditions that govern partitioning of water among pools and fluxes. Data products and models that represent spatiotemporal isotope distributions (isoscapes) provide a basis for using isotopes in quantitative spatial hydrology research. The potential of this work, as well as current limitations, is reflected in recent case studies focused on atmospheric, land surface, groundwater, and managed systems. Many of limitations, stemming from challenges associated with data availability and spatiotemporal resolution, should be reduced in the future as new sample networks, improved instrumentation, more sophisticated data analysis approaches, and enhanced data sharing emerge. These advances will increase the accessibility of isoscape applications and their relevance to a wide range of hydrological and water resource problems. WIREs Water 2015, 2:107–119. doi: 10.1002/wat2.1069This article is categorized under:

Science of Water > Hydrological Processes
Science of Water > Water Quality
Pseudoachalasia caused by a cholangiocarcinoma in the liver
Authors: Cheng Ken‐Sheng , Yu Cheng‐Ju , Chou Jen‐Wei 
Published: February 2015

SummaryPseudoachalasia, or secondary achalasia, caused by neoplasms is a rare entity. We describe a case of pseudoachalasia in an 80‐year‐old woman who presented with a 2‐month history of progressive dysphagia and postprandial vomiting. An esophagogram demonstrated a markedly dilated esophagus with a typical “bird‐beak” appearance of the gastroesophageal junction, indicative of achalasia. However, esophageal manometric study disclosed normal peristalsis of the esophagus, not suggestive of a typical feature of achalasia. Abdominal computed tomography scan demonstrated a hypovascular tumor in the left lobe of the liver, extending to the gastroesophageal junction and proximal lesser curve of the stomach. The patient underwent a palliative gastrostomy with a liver biopsy. Finally, cholangiocarcinoma was diagnosed based on the pathological findings. Despite its rarity, clinicians should be aware of this finding as a potential cause of dysphagia in elderly patients.
Effectiveness of A Clinical Protocol Implemented To Standardize Snakebite Management In Iran: Initial Evaluation
Authors: Monzavi Seyed Mostafa , Salarian Amir Ahmad , Khoshdel Ali Reza , Dadpour Bita , Afshari Reza 
Published: February 2015

Objective This study was designed to evaluate the effectiveness of a new protocol implemented to standardize snakebite management in Iran. Methods In this study, 27 patients treated according to the new protocol in 2012 (P+) were compared with 22 patients treated according to the previous modality in the year before implementation of the protocol (P–) in Mashhad Medical Toxicology Centre (MTC). Demographic characteristics and treatment details of all patients were recorded prospectively. Envenomation severity of each victim was assessed according to snakebite severity score (SSS). Results After implementation of the protocol, a smaller percentage of patients received antivenom (AV) therapy (78% vs 95%; P = .079). In spite of no significant difference in baseline severity of envenomation between the 2 groups (SSS [mean ± SD], 34.8 ± 18.1 vs 35.5 ± 17.4; P = .801), the P+ group received significantly fewer AV vials (8.4 ± 6.8 vs 12.1 ± 5.6 vials; P = .042) and had a significantly shorter length of hospital stay (2.2 ± 1.5 vs 3.2 ± 1.8 days; P = .027). Moreover, smaller proportion of P+ patients experienced recurrence of venom-induced effects; however, the difference was not significant (18.5% vs 36%; P = .159). The reduction in use of antiallergy treatments to prevent or treat acute hypersensitivity reactions approached statistical significance (41% vs 68%; P = .051). These findings denote a reduction in AV use of approximately 4 vials and a reduction in hospital stay of 1 day for each patient, which translates to approximately $196/patient in healthcare cost savings. Conclusions Implementation of a snakebite management protocol at MTC reduced overall antivenom usage, use of antiallergy interventions, and length of hospital stay.
Fine needle aspiration cytology versus frozen section in branchial cleft cysts
Authors: Begbie F , Visvanathan V , Clark L J 
Published: February 2015

AbstractBackground:Branchial cleft cysts occur because of a failure of involution of the second branchial cleft. However, as well-differentiated squamous cell carcinoma can mimic branchial cleft cysts, there is a lack of consensus on the appropriate management of cystic neck lumps.Objective:To report our experience of fine needle aspiration cytology and frozen section examination in the management of cystic neck lumps.Method:Retrospective case note review of patients managed in the Southern General Hospital, Scotland, UK.Results:The sensitivity of fine needle aspiration cytology and frozen section for detecting branchial cleft cysts was 75 per cent and 100 per cent respectively. Two patients who did not undergo intra-operative frozen section examination were either over- or under-treated, which is discussed.Conclusion:Adult patients subjected to surgical excision of a suspected branchial cyst should undergo intra-operative frozen section analysis regardless of clinical suspicion for malignancy. This part of management is critical to ensure patients are offered appropriate treatment.
USEOF EXPERT KNOWLEDGE ELICITATION TO ESTIMATE PARAMETERS IN HEALTH ECONOMIC DECISION MODELS
Authors: Hadorn David , Kvizhinadze Giorgi , Collinson Lucie , Blakely Tony 
Published: February 2015

Objectives:The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence and methods of expert knowledge elicitation (EKE) for specifying input parameters in health economic decision models (HEDM).Methods:We created two samples using the National Health System Economic Evaluations Database: (1) 100 randomly selected HEDM studies to determine prevalence of EKE and (2) sixty studies using a formal EKE process to determine methods used.Results:Fifty-seven (57 percent) of the random sample included at least one EKE-derived parameter. Of these, six (10 percent) used a formal expert process. Thirty-four studies from our second sample of sixty studies (57 percent) described at least one aspect of the process (e.g., elicitation method) with reasonable clarity. In approximately two-thirds of studies the external experts estimated parameters de novo; the remainder confirmed or modified initial estimates provided by authors, or the method was unclear. The majority of elicitations obtained point estimates only, although a few studies asked experts to estimate ranges of parameter values.Conclusions:The use of EKE for parameter estimation is common in HEDMs, although there is room for improvement in the methods used.
On cycle integrals of weakly holomorphic modular forms
Authors: BRINGMANN KATHRIN , GUERZHOY PAVEL , KANE BEN 
Published: February 2015

AbstractIn this paper, we investigate cycle integrals of weakly holomorphic modular forms. We show that these integrals coincide with the cycle integrals of classical cusp forms. We use these results to define a Shintani lift from integral weight weakly holomorphic modular forms to half-integral weight holomorphic modular forms.
Rapid spread of Clostridium difficile NAP1/027/ST1 in Chile confirms the emergence of the epidemic strain in Latin America
Authors: AGUAYO C. , FLORES R. , LÉVESQUE S. , ARAYA P. , ULLOA S. , LAGOS J. , HORMAZABAL J. C. , TOGNARELLI J. , IBÁÑEZ D. , PIDAL P. , DUERY O. , OLIVARES B. , FERNÁNDEZ J. 
Published: February 2015

SUMMARYClostridium difficile infection has gained importance in recent years as a result of the rapid spread of epidemic strains, including hypervirulent strains. This study reports the molecular epidemiology of C. difficile obtained from hospitalized patients in Chile. Seven hundred and nineteen isolates of toxigenic C. difficile from 45 hospitals across the country were characterized through toxin profile, pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE), and sequencing of the tcdC gene. In addition, polymerase chain reaction (PCR) ribotyping and multilocus sequence typing (MLST) were performed on a subset of selected strains. PFGE typing of 719 isolates of C. difficile produced 60 PFGE patterns (subtypes). Subtype 1 was predominant (79% of isolates) and related to the hypervirulent strain (NAP1). Subtype 1 showed 73% relatedness with nine other subtypes, which had a similar tcdC deletion. Subtype 1 corresponded to ribotype 027 and ST1. This report shows the wide dissemination of the hypervirulent strain NAP1/027/ST1 in Chile.
Sports and energy drink consumption are linked to health-risk behaviours among young adults
Authors: Larson Nicole , Laska Melissa N , Story Mary , Neumark-Sztainer Dianne 
Published: February 2015

AbstractObjectiveNational data for the USA show increases in sports and energy drink consumption over the past decade with the largest increases among young adults aged 20–34 years. The present study aimed to identify sociodemographic factors and health-risk behaviours associated with sports and energy drink consumption among young adults.DesignCross-sectional analysis of survey data from the third wave of a cohort study (Project EAT-III: Eating and Activity in Teens and Young Adults). Regression models stratified on gender and adjusted for sociodemographic characteristics were used to examine associations of sports and energy drink consumption with eating behaviours, physical activity, media use, weight-control behaviours, sleep patterns and substance use.SettingParticipants completed baseline surveys in 1998–1999 as students at public secondary schools in Minneapolis/St. Paul, Minnesota, USA and the EAT-III surveys online or by mail in 2008–2009.SubjectsThe sample consisted of 2287 participants (55 % female, mean age 25·3 years).ResultsResults showed 31·0 % of young adults consumed sports drinks and 18·8 % consumed energy drinks at least weekly. Among men and women, sports drink consumption was associated with higher sugar-sweetened soda and fruit juice intake, video game use and use of muscle-enhancing substances like creatine (P≤0·01). Energy drink consumption was associated with lower breakfast frequency and higher sugar-sweetened soda intake, video game use, use of unhealthy weight-control behaviours, trouble sleeping and substance use among men and women (P<0·05).ConclusionsHealth professionals should consider the clustering of sports and energy drink consumption with other unhealthy behaviours in the design of programmes and services for young adults.
Modelling the liquidity premium on corporate bonds
Authors: van Loon Paul R.F. , Cairns Andrew J.G. , McNeil Alexander J. , Veys Alex 
Published: February 2015

AbstractThe liquidity premium on corporate bonds has been high on the agenda of Solvency regulators owing to its potential relationship to an additional discount factor on long-dated insurance liabilities. We analyse components of the credit spread as a function of standard bond characteristics during 2003–2014 on a daily basis by regression analyses, after introducing a new liquidity proxy. We derive daily distributions of illiquidity contributions to the credit spread at the individual bond level and find that liquidity premia were close to zero just before the financial crisis. We observe the time-varying nature of liquidity premia as well as a widening in the daily distribution in the years after the credit crunch. We find evidence to support higher liquidity premia, on average, on bonds of lower credit quality. The evolution of model parameters is economically intuitive and brings additional insight into investors’ behaviour. The frequent and bond-level estimation of liquidity premia, combined with few data restrictions makes the approach suitable for ALM modelling, especially when future work is directed towards arriving at forward-looking estimates at both the aggregate and bond-specific level.
Diverse fungi associated with partial irregular heartwood of Dalbergia odorifera
Authors: Sun Sisheng , Zeng Xu , Zhang Dawei , Guo Shunxing 
Published: February 2015

AbstractDalbergia odorifera T. Chen is a medium-sized evergreen tree that produces purple-brown heartwood called JiangXiang in traditional Chinese medicine, the formation process of which takes several decades. In this study, a standard culture method was used to isolate fungi from the wounded and normal stems of D. odorifera aiming to investigate the difference between the two types of wood. To characterize the spatial colonisation of endophytic fungi, an anatomical study was undertaken using the two different types of wood of D. odorifera. A total of 320 wood segments were placed on PDA plates and 87 fungal isolates were obtained. Only two fungi were isolated from the healthy white wood tissue, whereas 85 fungi were found in the purple-brown wounded-wood tissues. The two isolates from 160 white healthy wood tissues were assigned to Bionectriaceae sp. and the rest in wounded wood tissues were analyzed to 12 fungal species, indicating both a high fungal diversity and colonization rate in the purple-brown wounded wood. There was a difference in fungal species composition between coloured and white wood samples collected from the same tree. Eutypa sp. was the most commonly isolated species in the purple-brown wounded wood.
Neurokinin B Administration Induces Hot Flushes in Women
Authors: Jayasena Channa N. , Comninos Alexander N. , Stefanopoulou Evgenia , Buckley Adam , Narayanaswamy Shakunthala , Izzi-Engbeaya Chioma , Abbara Ali , Ratnasabapathy Risheka , Mogford Julianne , Ng Noel , Sarang Zubair , Ghatei Mohammad A. , Bloom Stephen R. , Hunter Myra S. , Dhillo Waljit S. 
Published: February 2015

AbstractNeurokinin B (NKB) is a hypothalamic neuropeptide binding preferentially to the neurokinin 3 receptor. Expression of the gene encoding NKB is elevated in postmenopausal women. Furthermore, rodent studies suggest that NKB signalling may mediate menopausal hot flushes. However, the effects of NKB administration on hot flushes have not been investigated in humans. To address this, we performed a randomised, double-blinded, placebo-controlled, 2-way cross-over study. Ten healthy women were admitted to a temperature and humidity-controlled research unit. Participants received 30 minute intravenous infusions of NKB and vehicle in random order. Symptoms, heart rate, blood pressure, sweating and skin temperature were compared between NKB and vehicle in a double-blinded manner. Eight of ten participants experienced flushing during NKB infusion with none experiencing flushing during vehicle infusion (P = 0.0007). Significant elevations in heart rate (P = 0.0106 vs. pre-symptoms) and skin temperature measured using skin probe (P = 0.0258 vs. pre-symptoms) and thermal imaging (P = 0.0491 vs. pre-symptoms) characteristic of menopausal flushing were observed during hot flush episodes. Our findings provide evidence that NKB administration can cause hot flushes in women. Further studies are required to determine if pharmacological blockade of NKB signalling could inhibit hot flushes during the menopause and during treatment for sex-steroid dependent cancers.
Double minute amplification of mutant PDGF receptor α in a mouse glioma model
Authors: Zou Hongyan , Feng Rui , Huang Yong , Tripodi Joseph , Najfeld Vesna , Tsankova Nadejda M. , Jahanshahi Maryam , Olson Lorin E. , Soriano Philippe , Friedel Roland H. 
Published: February 2015

AbstractIn primary brain tumors, oncogenes are frequently amplified and maintained on extrachromosomal DNA as double minutes (DM), but the underlying mechanisms remain poorly understood. We have generated a mouse model of malignant glioma based on knock-in of a mutant PDGF receptor α (PDGFRα) that is expressed in oligodendrocyte precursor cells (OPCs) after activation by a Cre recombinase. In the tumor suppressor INK4/Arf−/− background, mutant animals frequently developed brain tumors resembling anaplastic human gliomas (WHO grade III). Besides brain tumors, most animals also developed aggressive fibrosarcomas, likely triggered by Cre activation of mutant PDGFRα in fibroblastic cell lineages. Importantly, in the brain tumors and cell lines derived from brain tumor tissues, we identified a high prevalence of DM Pdgfra gene amplification, suggesting its occurrence as an early mutational event contributing to the malignant transformation of OPCs. Amplicons extended beyond the Pdgfra locus and included in some cases neighboring genes Kit and Kdr. Our genetically defined mouse brain tumor model therefore supports OPC as a cell of origin for malignant glioma and offers an example of a defined temporal sequence of mutational events, thus providing an entry point for a mechanistic understanding of DM gene amplification and its functionality in gliomagenesis.
Computational Electromagnetic Analysis of Deformed Nanowires Using the Multilevel Fast Multipole Algorithm
Authors: Yılmaz Akif , Karaosmanoğlu Barışcan , Ergül Özgür 
Published: February 2015

AbstractWe consider computational analysis of deformed nanowires and their arrays using a full-wave simulation environment based on integral-equation formulations and the multilevel fast multipole algorithm (MLFMA). Without requiring any periodicity assumptions, MLFMA allows for fast and accurate simulations of complex nanowire structures with three-dimensional geometries and random deformations. We present the results of hundreds of simulations, where deformed nanowires are considered as isolated, as well as in array configurations and their scattering characteristics are compared to those of non-deformed ones. Based on the simulation results, we rigorously investigate common effects of deformations on scattering properties of nanowires and identify strong field enhancements in forward-scattering directions.
ZnO Nanocomposites Modified by Hydrophobic and Hydrophilic Silanes with Dramatically Enhanced Tunable Fluorescence and Aqueous Ultrastability toward Biological Imaging Applications
Authors: Li Shuying , Sun Zongzhao , Li Rui , Dong Minmin , Zhang Liyan , Qi Wei , Zhang Xuelin , Wang Hua 
Published: February 2015

AbstractMulticolor ZnO quantum dots (QDs) were synthesized and further modified with hydrophobic hexadecyltrimethoxysilane (HDS) and then hydrophilic aminopropyltriethoxysilane (APS) bilayers, resulting in amine-functionalized ZnO@HDS@APS nanocomposites with tunable fluorescence from blue to green yellow. Systematic investigations verify that the resulting ZnO@HDS@APS could display extremely high stability in aqueous media and unexpectedly, dramatically-enhanced fluorescence intensities, which are about 10-fold higher than those of bare ZnO QDs. The feasibility of the as-prepared ZnO nanocomposites for blood, cell and tissue imaging was preliminarily demonstrated, promising the wide bio-applications for cell or tissue imaging, proteome analysis, drug delivery and molecular labeling.
Effects of subconscious and conscious emotions on human cue–reward association learning
Authors: Watanabe Noriya , Haruno Masahiko 
Published: February 2015

AbstractLife demands that we adapt our behaviour continuously in situations in which much of our incoming information is emotional and unrelated to our immediate behavioural goals. Such information is often processed without our consciousness. This poses an intriguing question of whether subconscious exposure to irrelevant emotional information (e.g. the surrounding social atmosphere) affects the way we learn. Here, we addressed this issue by examining whether the learning of cue-reward associations changes when an emotional facial expression is shown subconsciously or consciously prior to the presentation of a reward-predicting cue. We found that both subconscious (0.027 s and 0.033 s) and conscious (0.047 s) emotional signals increased the rate of learning and this increase was smallest at the border of conscious duration (0.040 s). These data suggest not only that the subconscious and conscious processing of emotional signals enhances value-updating in cue–reward association learning, but also that the computational processes underlying the subconscious enhancement is at least partially dissociable from its conscious counterpart.
Impact of an elastic sphere with an elastic half space revisited: Numerical analysis based on the method of dimensionality reduction
Authors: Lyashenko I. A. , Popov V. L. 
Published: February 2015

AbstractAn impact of an elastic sphere with an elastic half space under no-slip conditions (infinitely large coefficient of friction) is studied numerically using the method of dimensionality reduction. It is shown that the rebound velocity and angular velocity, written as proper dimensionless variables, are determined by a function of only the ratio of tangential and normal stiffness ("Mindlin-ratio"). The obtained numerical results can be approximated by a simple analytical expression.
Organic Fluorescent Dyes Supported on Activated Boron Nitride: A Promising Blue Light Excited Phosphors for High-Performance White Light-Emitting Diodes
Authors: Li Jie , Lin Jing , Huang Yang , Xu Xuewen , Liu Zhenya , Xue Yanming , Ding Xiaoxia , Luo Han , Jin Peng , Zhang Jun , Zou Jin , Tang Chengchun 
Published: February 2015

AbstractWe report an effective and rare-earth free light conversion material synthesized via a facile fabrication route, in which organic fluorescent dyes, i.e. Rhodamine B (RhB) and fluorescein isothiocyanate (FITC) are embedded into activated boron nitride (αBN) to form a composite phosphor. The composite phosphor shows highly efficient Förster resonance energy transfer and greatly improved thermal stability and can emit at broad visible wavelengths of 500–650 nm under the 466 nm blue-light excitation. By packaging of the composite phosphors and a blue light-emitting diode (LED) chip with transparent epoxy resin, white LED with excellent thermal conductivity, current stability and optical performance can be realized, i.e. a thermal conductivity of 0.36 W/mk, a Commission Internationale de 1'Eclairage color coordinates of (0.32, 0.34) and a luminous efficiency of 21.6 lm·W−1. Our research opens the door toward to the practical long-life organic fluorescent dyes-based white LEDs.