bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Designed Synthesis of Natural DNA as a Main Chain-based Brush-shaped Copolymer
Authors: Song Yingying , Yao Yanhuan , Jin Susu , Tang Yating , Huang Yapeng , Chen Haiyang , Wang Ying , Mi Huaifeng 
Published: March 2015

Abstract
A type of brush-shaped copolymer with natural DNA as the main chain is synthesized. Multiple alkyne groups are introduced onto the phosphate backbone of natural DNA via an O–H insertion reaction, thus rendering the DNA sequence reactive for the subsequent grafting with azide-terminated poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG-N3) by click reaction. This is the first synthesis of natural DNA as a main chain brush-shaped copolymer. The resulting novel copolymer may have potential for electrochemical DNA biosensors and gene delivery.
Structure and Magnetic Properties of a Sulfate-bridged Tetracosanuclear Manganese Cluster
Authors: Kuramochi Satoshi , Newton Graham N , Shiga Takuya , Oshio Hiroki 
Published: March 2015

Abstract
A sulfate-bridged tetracosanuclear manganese cluster, (Et3NH)2[{Mn8(L)4(µ4-O)2(SO4)2(H2O)3}3(SO4)] (1) (H3L = N-(2-hydroxyethyl)-2-hydroxybenzylideneimine-3-carboxylic acid) was synthesized by the reaction of a Schiff-base ligand H3L and manganese acetate in the presence of sulfuric acid. The tetracosanuclear manganese cluster is composed of three octanuclear manganese units, which include four ligands, two µ4-oxo ions, and two capping sulfate ions. The cluster shows antiferromagnetic interactions between the manganese ions.
“The Right to Make Choices”: The National Resource Center for Supported Decision-Making
Authors: Blanck Peter , Martinis Jonathan G. 
Published: March 2015

Abstract
Research shows that self-determination and the right to make life choices are key elements for a meaningful and independent life. Yet, older adults and people with disabilities are often placed in overly broad and restrictive guardianships, denying them their right to make daily life choices about where they live and who they interact with, their finances, and their health care. Supported decision-making (SDM)—where people use trusted friends, family members, and professionals to help them understand the situations and choices they face, so they may make their own decisions—is a means for increasing self-determination by encouraging and empowering people to make decisions about their lives to the maximum extent possible. This article examines the implications of overly broad guardianship and the potential for supported decision-making to address such circumstances. It introduces the National Resource Center for Supported Decision-Making as one means to advance the use of supported decision-making and increase self-determination.
Digitizing diagnosis: a review of mobile applications in the diagnostic process
Authors: Jutel Annemarie , Lupton Deborah 
Published: March 2015

Abstract
An increasing number of smartphone and software applications (“apps”) have been developed and marketed to assist in the process of diagnosis, yet little attention has been paid to their content, claims, potential risks, limitations or benefits of their use. This study sought to describe and catalogue available diagnosis apps and explore their impact on the diagnostic process. We undertook a content analysis of the app descriptions and developers’ websites using the descriptions provided for 131 medical diagnosis smartphone apps that were available in the Google Play and Apple App stores. Each app was reviewed for its content and approach, and its claims to medical authority. Four major categories of apps were identified: 1. apps for diagnosing; 2. diagnosis coding apps; 3. books, journals, or other publications in app format; 4. apps for medical education. Our analysis found that while these apps provide access to medical information previously widely not available to lay users and offered a convenient diagnostic tool for practitioners, many failed to describe the evidence base underpinning, or any other credential supporting, their design and use. These apps potentially shift how diagnosis operates, reconfiguring disease concepts and lay-professional relations. However they also raise the risk of conflict of interest and presenting inaccurate information. Further research is required into how these apps are used, the implications for medical practice and the impact on doctor-patient relationship.
Normal spirometric standards in young adult Indian population
Authors: Nayak Prakash Kumar , Satpathy Sudeep , Manjareeka Magna , Samanta Priyadarshini , Mishra Jayanti , Pradhan Bipin Bihari 
Published: March 2015

Abstract

Background: The appropriateness of spirometric reference value depends on all its features matching those of the person being assessed, like ethnicity, environment, nutrition, absence of disease, measurement protocol, as well as equipment used. The present study determines the lung function parameters in normal young healthy Indians and derives reliable prediction formulae for Indian population.

Methods: Computerized spirometry was done in 298 nonsmoking medical students of both genders studying in MKCG Medical College, Berhampur. All the data were statistically analyzed, and prediction equations for the young Indian population were derived.

Results: All the lung parameters showed significant gender difference. Height showed the greatest effect on the predicted value of FEV1 and FVC in males and females. Height has the greatest effect on the predicted value of FEV1% in females, whereas weight has the least effect. We formulated univariate and multivariate regression models for prediction of lung parameters in the young Indian adults. The predicted values of pulmonary function parameters for men were 4%–17% higher than most studies, except for Kashmiri population where it was 9% lower. For females, lung parameters were 1%–29% higher in comparison to study groups in other Indian studies. The lung parameters for males were found to be lower than Iranian and Caucasian population study, but higher than Pakistani population. For females, lung parameters were 3%–8% lower than Iranian and Caucasian population, but higher in comparison to Pakistani population.

Conclusions: The computed regression norms may be used to predict the spirometric values in young Indian population of similar age group as the study population.
The Role of Angiopoietine-2 in the Diagnosis and Prognosis of Sepsis
Authors: Szederjesi Janos , Almasy Emoke , Lazar Alexandra , HuȚanu Adina , Georgescu Anca 
Published: March 2015

Abstract

Introduction: Angiopoietin-2 (ANG-2) is a new biomarker whose blood-serum values increase in sepsis and its expression is elevated in line with the severity of the degree of inflammation. The aim of this study was to identify the diagnostic role of ANG-2 in patients with non-surgical sepsis addmitted to an intensive care unit.

Material and methods: This was a prospective randomized study including 74 patients admitted in the Clinic of Intensive Care of the County Clinical Emergency Hospital Tirgu Mure., divided into two groups: Group S: patients with sepsis (n=40, 54%) and Group C: control, without sepsis (n=34, 46%). ANG-2 levels were determined in both groups.

Results: From the Group S, 14 patients (35%) had positive haemocultures. ANG-2 values varied between 1 and 43 ng/mL, with an average of 6.0 ng/mL in patients without sepsis and 10.38 ng/mL in patients with sepsis (p=0.021). A positive correlation between ANG-2 and SAPS II, SOFA and APACHE II severity scores was demonstrated, as was a positive correlation between serum levels of ANG-2 and procalcitonine. ANG-2 had a 5.71% specificity and 74.36% sensitivity for diagnosis of sepsis.

Conclusions: ANG-2 serum levels were elevated in sepsis, being well correlated with PCT values and prognostic scores. ANG-2 should be considered as a useful biomarker for the diagnosis and the prognosis of this pathology.
“The Subject Escapes Me”: Spellbinding Lecturers and (In-)Attentive Audiences in Late-Victorian Serialized Sensation Fiction
Authors: Zwierlein Anne-Julia 
Published: March 2015

Abstract
This essay investigates the late-Victorian competition between oral and print mass cultures by focusing on the example of the popular lecture. It situates fictional lecturing scenes in the historical contexts of increased literacy rates and the explosion of mass print culture as well as elitist fears about political inclusiveness after the 1867 Reform Act. My lecturing scenes are taken from Wilkie Collins’s sensation novel Armadale (1866) and sensationalist fiction serialized between 1862 and 1895 in three penny fiction weeklies, Bow Bells, the London Reader, and the London Journal, all of which targeted (female) lower-middle and middle-class readers. I attend to the scenes’ metafictional resonances and ironic remediations of orality in print, reading them as offering valuable reflections on ongoing changes in the nineteenth-century mediascape. Such staged lecturer-audience interactions can be shown to be engaged with a vital topic of late-nineteenth-century psychology: the problem of attention, closely tied to the development of ‘modern’ constructions of subjectivity. Attention in these sensationalist narratives is modelled as a physiological affect, and states of deep attention or fascination are shown to be uncannily indistinguishable from hypnotic trance or sleep. Investigating how the texts negotiate the anonymous urban mass culture of the late nineteenth century, the essay thus also demonstrates how fictional lecture performances model pressing late-Victorian political concerns about democracy and authority, class and gender. While Victorian conservative critics had for a long time accused sensation fiction of having an illegitimate impact on (female) readers’ bodies and nerves, my fictional examples of charismatic oral performances, by revealing the speakers’ techniques of attraction and audience manipulation, also debate whether suggestibility is indeed a feature of the lower classes and women – or, paradoxically, indexical of upper-class cultivation.
Assessment of the Poisson Ratio Effect on Low Cycle Fatigue (LCF) Behavior of Shear-Cracking Mode Materials
Authors: Abed Ghassan , Lee Yung-Li , Quigley John , Zhang Wensheng 
Published: March 2015

Abstract
This paper evaluates the effect of different Poisson's ratios and an equivalent Poisson's ratio formula on the crack initiation angle and life estimation by using the three shear-strain based fatigue damage models (Brown–Miller, Fatemi–Socie, and Liu's Virtual Energy) on strain-controlled biaxial cyclic loading tests of specific tubular material specimens. The four shear failure mode materials studied were Inconel 718, 304L stainless steel, normalized 1050, and quenched/tempered 1050 steels. This study was motivated by the fact that for all the strain-controlled fatigue testing, the induced transverse strain was not measured, but assumed to be a negative product of the axial strain and the Poisson ratio, where the axial strain was known and given, and the Poisson ratio was either assumed to be a constant or a variable represented by a function of elastic and plastic equivalent strains. Therefore, the assumption of a Poisson's ratio in the transverse strain calculation was assessed in this study. It is concluded that the use of different Poisson's ratios in the three fatigue damage models would have some effects on the crack angle prediction, depending on the material type, and little effect on the fatigue life estimation for all materials investigated in this study.
Study of the Effects of Various Geometrical and Loading Parameters on the Fracture Resistance Behaviour of a Reactor-Grade Pressure Vessel Steel in the Upper Shelf as Well as DBTT Regime
Authors: Samal M. K. , Seidenfuss M. 
Published: March 2015

Abstract
Unlike mechanical properties, the fracture resistance behaviour of ductile materials depends upon the state of stress existing ahead of the growing crack-tip. For ductile materials, the fracture resistance, expressed in terms of J–R curve, goes on changing with crack growth. The J–R curves are influenced by the specimen geometry, size, crack-depth, and loading and boundary conditions, etc. Another complicacy arises in the ductile-to-brittle transition temperature regime, where the fracture toughness exhibits considerable scatter and dependency upon temperature. For structural integrity analysis of safety-critical components, fracture resistance data are required in the upper-shelf as well as in the transition regime in order to account for the design-basis postulated accidental loading conditions. It may not always be possible to carry out fracture tests on real-life components due to several limitations, including those of irradiation environment apart from the prohibitive cost and time required for the tests. Finite element (FE) analysis of the components with postulated cracks and loading conditions offer an impressive alternative to safety-analysts. In this work, experiments were conducted on two different types of fracture mechanics specimens not only in the upper-shelf but also in the transition regime. The effect of crack-depth on the fracture behaviour was studied using shallow-cracked and deep-cracked specimens. The size effect was studied using specimens with different thickness values. The effect of specimen geometry and loading condition was studied using a compact-tension and a single-edged-notched-bend specimen. For the FE analysis, nonlocal Rousselier’s damage model was used. We extensively studied the effects of several variables on the fracture toughness of a ferritic pressure vessel steel, which have not received much attention in the literature. Extensive experiments were conducted to verify the numerical simulation results of nonlocal damage models.
Synthesis and Characterization of Ca and Na Zeolites (Non-Pozzolanic Materials) Obtained From Fly Ash–Ca(OH)2 Interaction
Authors: Koshy Nevin , Jha Bhagwanjee , Kadali Srinivas , Singh D. N. 
Published: March 2015

Abstract
The conventional method for alkali activation of fly ash utilizes Ca(OH)2 and NaOH for the formation of pozzolanic material and fly ash zeolites, respectively. Sodium-based fly ash zeolites (say, Na-zeolite) mostly employ NaOH (the high-grade mineralizer and alkali) for activation of fly ash before its application as an absorbent. However, the Na-zeolites as absorbents (in agro- and aqua-culture) result in sodicity (i.e., excess of Na, present as impurity in the zeolite), which in turn reduces their holding capacity of moisture, nutrient [i.e., nitrogen, phosphorous, and potassium (NPK fertilizers)], microorganisms (viz., microbial spores), or heavy metals and negatively affect the growth of plant and aquatic life. To resolve such problems, the present study is focused on synthesis of agro-grade blend (dominated by Ca-zeolite) of zeolites by using Ca(OH)2 as major alkali and two well-established mineralizers, NaOH and NaCl, used in the trace quantity. To monitor activation of the fly ash in two different conditions, the synthesis of zeolites could be carried out by employing (1) conventional (the open hydrothermal system), and (2) autoclaving (the closed hydrothermal system) methods. The main attributes that control the entire study include temperature and reaction times for both methods. In addition, the present study demonstrates (1) effectiveness of Ca(OH)2 in creation of blend of zeolites with considerable cation exchange capacity when an optimum chemical composition (comparable to a pure agro- and aqua-grade zeolite 4A), and (2) suitability of the conventional hydrothermal method over autoclave method in synthesizing the blend of Ca- and Na-zeolites possessing a cation exchange capacity up to 394 meq/100 g. The formation of needle/star/spherule/small cube-shaped crystals (i.e., Na-P1, the Na-zeolite) and prismatic/cuboidal shaped crystals (i.e., heulandite, the Ca-zeolite), confirms suitability of the end product as a good sorbent and manure.
Computational Study in Effects of Nail- and Plate-Implants on the Treatment of Pertrochanteric and Intertrochanteric Fractures
Authors: Chen Yunyun , Wang Guodong , Zhou Dongsheng , Liang Hong 
Published: March 2015

Abstract
This research is to evaluate and identify the most suitable implants for the treatment of trochanteric fractures. Using finite element analysis method (FEM), we developed trochanteric-fractured 3D models based on Arbeitsgemeinschaftfür Osteosynthesefragen (AO) classification. Three types of trochanteric fractured models were assembled with four different implants leading to 12 models. The trochanteric fractures were identified as 31-A1.1, 31-A2.1, and 31-A3.1 fracture fixed with short proximal femur nail antirotation (PFNA), long PFNA, dynamic hip screw (DHS), and PF-locking compression plate 4.5/5.0. The assembled models were calculated and analyzed using the FEM. The simulation illustrated the von Mises stress distribution and displacement on 12 models. The intramedullary nail implant is superior to the external plate. Short PFNA and DHS are suitable to fix pertrochanteric fractures; long PFNA is considered a priority to treat intertrochanteric fractures.
The serum inhibin B concentration and reference ranges in normozoospermia
Authors: Barbotin Anne-Laure , Ballot Caroline , Sigala Julien , Ramdane Nassima , Duhamel Alain , Marcelli François , Rigot Jean-Marc , Dewailly Didier , Pigny Pascal , Mitchell Valerie 
Published: March 2015

ObjectiveAlthough an inhibin B assay may be useful in the assessment of testicular function in a number of genital conditions, reliable reference ranges are still lacking. The present study sought to establish the reference range for serum inhibin B by applying the updated Gen II assay.DesignThis prospective study included 818 men referred for semen analysis: 377 were normozoospermic (reference group) and 441 presented at least one abnormal semen parameter (case group).MethodsSemen parameters were interpreted according to the 2010 World Health Organization manual and David's modified classification for normal morphology. The inhibin B concentration was determined with the current ELISA.ResultsIn the reference group, the 2.5th percentile for inhibin B was 92 pg/ml and the 97.5th percentile for FSH was 7.8 IU/l. In the overall population, an inhibin B level <92 pg/ml was associated with increased odds ratio (OR; 95% CI) for oligozoospermia (16.93 (9.82–29.18), P<0.0001), asthenozoospermia (4.87 (2.88–8.10), P<0.0001), and teratozoospermia (2.20 (1.31–3.68), P=0.0026). The combination of a FSH >7.8 IU/l and an inhibin B <92 pg/ml was associated with greater OR for oligozoospermia (98.74 (23.99–406.35), P<0.0001) than for each hormone considered separately.ConclusionsA new reference range for serum inhibin B was established by the use of updated immunoassay. The correlations between hormone levels and semen parameters highlighted the importance of establishing these values with respect to the spermogram. When combined with FSH assay, the inhibin B range may be of value in the evaluation of spermatogenesis in a number of male genital conditions.
Screening for mutations in 17β-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase and androgen receptor in women presenting with partially virilised 46,XY disorders of sex development
Authors: Phelan Niamh , Williams Emma L , Cardamone Stefanie , Lee Marilyn , Creighton Sarah M , Rumsby Gill , Conway Gerard S 
Published: March 2015

Context and objectiveThe precise diagnosis of partially virilised women with 46,XY disorders of sex development (DSD) is often obscure. In practice, this group often comes under the poorly defined, clinically based label of partial androgen insensitivity syndrome (PAIS). In a previous study, we found that 5α-reductase 2 (SRD5A2) mutations occurred in 43% of women in this subgroup. We expand this work to include biochemical and genetic screening for 17β-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase (HSD17B3) and androgen receptor (AR) mutations.MethodsAnalysis of serum androgens (androstenedione and testosterone) and genetic analyses for HSD17B3 and AR were performed in 42 women from 36 pedigrees with partially virilised 46,XY DSD in whom SRD5A2 deficiency had been excluded by urine steroid profiling.ResultsOut of 36 unrelated women, 14 (38%) were found to have HSD17B3 mutations and one (2.7%) to have an AR defect. Six novel pathogenic HSD17B3 mutations were identified: three splice site mutations and three missense changes. Seven patients with HSD17B3 deficiency tested before gonadectomy had basal testosterone/androstenedione (T/A) ratio <0.8 (sensitivity 100% and specificity 91%).ConclusionsHSD17B3 deficiency is prevalent in the adolescent and adult 46,XY female DSD population and is often associated with lesser degrees of virilisation compared with those with 5α-reductase deficiency. This diagnosis should be considered for individuals labelled as PAIS, particularly, but not exclusively, those who present with virilisation at puberty or primary amenorrhoea. Before gondadectomy, T/A ratio is useful to aid diagnosis, but after gonadectomy sequencing of HSD17B3 must be performed to confirm the diagnosis.
Screening of dry eye disease in visual display terminal workers during occupational health examinations: The Moriguchi study
Authors: Kawashima Motoko , Yamatsuji Motoko , Yokoi Norihiko , Fukui Masaki , Ichihashi Yoshiyuki , Kato Hiroaki , Nishida Mitsuko , Uchino Miki , Kinoshita Shigeru , Tsubota Kazuo 
Published: March 2015

Screening of dry eye disease in visual display terminal workers during occupational health examinations: The Moriguchi study: Motoko Kawashima, et al. Department of Ophthalmology, Keio University School of MedicinePurposeThe aim of this study was to estimate the prevalence of dry eye disease (DED) in Japanese visual display terminal (VDT) workers and identify simple methods for screening DED during occupational health examinations.MethodsThis study involved 369 (331 men and 38 women; mean age, 44.4 [8.8] years) workers engaged in PC development with approximately 6 hours of VDT use daily. The participants completed questionnaires on dry eye and physical symptoms affecting QoL, and their ability to keep their eyes open for 10 seconds was tested for DED screening. They also underwent assessment of conjunctival and corneal vital staining with lissamine green and fluorescein, measurement of tear film breakup time, and Schirmer's test for DED diagnosis. Sensitivity, specificity, and positive predictive value of the screening methods were assessed.ResultsThe DED group included 218 (definite, 14; probable, 204) participants. They had markedly high frequencies of 11 dry eye symptoms, especially ocular fatigue (OR, 17.1; 95% CI, 9.9 to 29.7) and dry sensation (OR, 8.2; 95% CI, 3.6 to 18.4), and were more often unable to keep their eyes open for 10 s. With either ocular fatigue or dry sensation as the cutoff criterion, the sensitivity, specificity, and positive predictive value were 89.9, 66.9, and 79.7%, respectively.ConclusionsApproximately 60% of the VDT workers were diagnosed with DED on the basis of diverse eye symptoms affecting their ability to work. The dry eye symptom questionnaire and 10‐s eye‐opening test are simple, noninvasive, and inexpensive methods for screening DED during occupational health examinations.