bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Advances in cellular and tissue engineering using layer‐by‐layer assembly
Authors: Shukla Anita , Almeida Bethany 
Published: April 2014

Layer‐by‐layer (LbL) assembly is a self‐assembly technique used to develop multilayer films based on complementary interactions between film components. These multilayer films have had a significant impact on the fields of cellular and tissue engineering. The aim of cellular engineering is to understand and control cell behavior, which not only impacts applications in regenerative medicine but also other biomedical therapies that rely on cell interactions with biomaterials, including treatments for autoimmune disorders and cancer. Tissue engineering approaches to tissue repair and regeneration utilize three‐dimensional biomaterial scaffolds that interact favorably with cells. Cellular engineering studies can better inform the design of these scaffolds. The ease of tuning the chemical and mechanical properties of LbL films, the ability to coat a variety of medically relevant substrates (including cell culture surfaces and scaffolds), and the wide range of species that can be incorporated into these films (ranging from proteins to small molecules) have led to the successful use of LbL assembly for a variety of cellular and tissue engineering applications. The films used in these biomedical applications can be divided into those that release therapeutics, often with controlled stimuli‐responsive release behavior, and those that act without releasing these agents.This article is categorized under:

Implantable Materials and Surgical Technologies > Nanomaterials and Implants
Implantable Materials and Surgical Technologies > Nanotechnology in Tissue Repair and Replacement
Should We Routinely Transfuse Platelet for Immune Thrombocytopenia Patients with Platelet Count Less Than 10 × 109/L Who Underwent Laparoscopic Splenectomy?
Authors: Cai Yunqiang , Liu Xubao , Peng Bing 
Published: April 2014

AbstractBackgroundLaparoscopic splenectomy (LS) is considered as the gold standard procedure for patients with immune thrombocytopenia (ITP). In many institutions, platelet counts less than 10 × 109/L contraindicate LS.ObjectiveThis study aimed to investigate the safety and feasibility of LS for ITP patients with platelet counts less than 10 × 109/L.MethodsA total of 88 cases of LS were performed for ITP patients from June 2010 to December 2012. The patients were prospectively divided into three groups based on their immediate preoperative platelet count: < 10 × 109/L (group 1); 10 × 109/L to 30 × 109/L (group 2); and > 30 × 109/L (group 3). We collected the patients’ demographic characteristics, perioperative details, and platelet count response to surgery.ResultsThe patients in the three groups had comparable demographic characteristics. Only one patient in group 1 required conversion (2.4 %). The patients in group 1 experienced more blood loss than those in group 3, but this was not statistically significant. There were no significant differences between group 2 and group 3 in terms of operating time and blood loss. No statistically significant differences were found between the three groups with regard to complications and postoperative hospital stay.ConclusionsIt is safe and feasible to perform LS in ITP patients with platelet count less than 10 × 109/L, without platelet transfusion. The indication for platelet transfusion during LS for ITP patients should be the bleeding manifestations due to thrombocytopenia other than low platelet count itself.
Analysis of Pseudomonas aeruginosa PAO1 Lipid A Changes During the Interaction with Model Organism, Caenorhabditis elegans
Authors: Vigneshkumar Balasubramanian , Radhakrishnan Srinivasan , Balamurugan Krishnaswamy 
Published: April 2014

AbstractLipopolysaccharide (LPS) is the main surface constituent of Gram‐negative bacteria. Lipid A, the hydrophobic moiety, outer monolayer of the outer cell membrane forms the major component of LPS. Immunogenic Lipid A is recognized by the innate immune system through the TLR 4/MD‐2 complex. Pseudomonas aeruginosa PAO1, a Gram‐negative bacterium is known to cause nosocomial infection and known for its adaptation to adverse environmental conditions. Pseudomonas aeruginosa can infect a broad host spectrum including Caenorhabditis elegans, a simple free living soil nematode. Here, we reveal that PAO1 modifies its Lipid A during the host interaction with C. elegans. The penta‐acylated form of Lipid A was identified by using matrix assisted laser desorption ionization–time of flight analysis and the β‐(1,6)‐linked disaccharide of glucosamine with phosphate groups, 2 and 2′ amide linked fatty acid chain and 3 and 3′ ester linked fatty acids were investigated for the modification using the non destructive 1H NMR, spin–lattice (T1) relaxation measurement, differential scanning calorimetry. T1 relaxation measurements showed that the 2 and 2′ amide linked fatty acid chain, –CH in the glucosamine disaccharide of PAO1 lipid A, in an exposed host had a different spin lattice relaxation time compared to an unexposed host and the findings were reconfirmed using in vitro human corneal epithelial cells cell lines. Furthermore, scanning electron microscope and confocal laser scanning microscopy analysis revealed that the P. aeruginosa PAO1 biofilm formation was disturbed in the exposed host condition. The daf‐12, daf‐16, tol‐1, pmk‐1, ins‐7 and ilys3 immune genes of C. elegans were examined with live bacterial and isolated lipid moiety infection and the expression was found to be highly specific. Overall, the present study revealed that PAO1 modified its 2 and 2′ amide linked fatty acid chain in the lipid A of PAO1 LPS during the exposed host condition.
Positive, Negative, or Null? The Effects of Maternal Incarceration on Children’s Behavioral Problems
Authors: Wildeman Christopher , Turney Kristin 
Published: April 2014

AbstractWe use data from the Fragile Families and Child Wellbeing Study to consider the effects of maternal incarceration on 21 caregiver- and teacher-reported behavioral problems among 9-year-old children. The results suggest three primary conclusions. First, children of incarcerated mothers are a disadvantaged group that exhibit high levels of caregiver- and teacher-reported behavioral problems. Second, after we adjust for selection, the effects of maternal incarceration on children’s behavioral problems are consistently null (for 19 of 21 outcomes) and rarely positive (1 of 21) or negative (1 of 21), suggesting that the poor outcomes of these children are driven by disadvantages preceding maternal incarceration rather than incarceration. These effects, however, vary across race/ethnicity, with maternal incarceration diminishing caregiver-reported behavioral problems among non-Hispanic whites. Finally, in models considering both maternal and paternal incarceration, paternal incarceration is associated with more behavioral problems, which is consistent with previous research and suggests that the null effects of maternal incarceration are not artifacts of our sample or analytic decisions.
ON THE OPTIMAL DIVIDEND PROBLEM FOR A SPECTRALLY POSITIVE LÉVY PROCESS
Authors: Yin Chuancun , Wen Yuzhen , Zhao Yongxia 
Published: April 2014

AbstractIn this paper we study the optimal dividend problem for a company whose surplus process evolves as a spectrally positive Lévy process before dividends are deducted. This model includes the dual model of the classical risk model and the dual model with diffusion as special cases. We assume that dividends are paid to the shareholders according to an admissible strategy whose dividend rate is bounded by a constant. The objective is to find a dividend policy so as to maximize the expected discounted value of dividends which are paid to the shareholders until the company is ruined. We show that the optimal dividend strategy is formed by a threshold strategy.
Turbulent flow in the bulk of Rayleigh–Bénard convection: aspect-ratio dependence of the small-scale properties
Authors: Kaczorowski Matthias , Chong Kai-Leong , Xia Ke-Qing 
Published: April 2014

AbstractGeometrical confinement of turbulent Rayleigh–Bénard convection (RBC) in Cartesian geometries is found to reduce the local Bolgiano length scale in the centre of the cell $L_{B,centre}$ and can therefore be used to study cascade processes in the bulk of RBC. The dependence of $L_{B,centre}$ versus $\varGamma $ suggests a cut-off to the local $L_B$, which depends on the Prandtl number $Pr$ and is of the order of the cell’s smallest dimension. It is also observed that geometrical confinement changes the topology of the flow, causing the turbulent kinetic energy dissipation rate and the temperature variance dissipation rate (averaged over the centre of the cell and normalized by their respective global averages) to exhibit a maximum at a certain $\varGamma $, which roughly coincides with the aspect ratio at which the viscous and thermal boundary layers of the two opposite lateral walls merge. As a result the mean heat flux through the core region also exhibits a maximum. Unlike in the cubic case, we find that geometrical confinement of the flow results in a local balance of the heat flux and the turbulent kinetic energy dissipation rate for $Pr= 4.38$ for all values of the Rayleigh number $Ra$ (up to $10^{10}$), while no balance is observed for $Pr= 0.7$. The need for very high bulk resolution to accurately resolve the gradients of the flow field at high $Ra$ is shown by analysing the second-order structure functions of the vertical velocity and temperature in the bulk of RBC. Under-resolution of the temperature field yields a large error in the dissipative range scaling, which is believed to be an effect of intermittently penetrating thermal plumes. The resolution contrast resulting from the requirement to resolve the thermal plumes and the homogeneous and isotropic background turbulence scales as $\delta _T / \langle \eta _k \rangle _{centre} \sim Ra^{0.1}$ and should therefore be taken into account when tackling very high $Ra$. In the case studied here, under-resolution can have a significant effect on the local heat flux through the centre of the cell.
VAKIFAS INTENT AND PRACTICE: CHARITY AND POOR RELIEF IN TURKEY
Authors: Isik Damla 
Published: April 2014

AbstractThrough ethnographic and archival research conducted in Istanbul and Izmir, this article examines the dynamics and regulation of charitable giving in contemporary Turkey. The article is based on interviews I conducted with the volunteers, employees, and aid recipients of three civil society organizations that rely on charitable giving to fund their projects, which center on helping the poor and providing aid during and after wars and other disasters. I document how religious ideals of anonymous charitable giving for the sake of giving, without expectation of return, are closely intertwined with anxiety over finding a worthy charitable association and recipient. In doing so, I focus onvakıfas both a concept and a practice that gives meaning to charitable giving in Turkey. The increasing desire to document, define, and categorize the deserving poor as a way to justify the intent to give and to receive goes against the anonymity and immediacy of giving, thus riddling intent with ethical contradictions. I argue that attention needs to be paid to the intent, practice, and various forms of giving, and not just to the effects and outcomes of charity.
An adaptive force reflection scheme for bilateral teleoperation
Authors: Chen Zhang , Liang Bin , Zhang Tao , Zhang Bo , Song Haitao 
Published: April 2014

SUMMARYIn this paper, an adaptive force reflection scheme is proposed for bilateral teleoperation. In order to achieve an ideal telepresence performance while keeping the system stable, the force reflection algorithm needs to take both the human force and the contact force into consideration. An observer based on the feature of the human operator is designed to estimate the force applied on the master device. The reflected force is calculated by performing the orthogonal decomposition of the contact force, and is adjusted adaptively according to the estimated human force. The direction of the reflected force becomes a key consideration in the design process, so the proposed approach has an advantage in the guiding contact task. Based on the small gain theorem, the master device with the force reflection scheme is proved to be input-to-output stable, and the derivation for stability criterion of the closed-loop teleoperation system is also given. The results of simulations and experiments on a 6-degree of freedom teleoperation system demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed scheme.
The shape control of tentacle arms
Authors: Ivanescu Mircea , Popescu Nirvana , Popescu Decebal 
Published: April 2014

SUMMARYThe paper discusses the shape control problem related to a class of hyper-redundant robot arms with continuum elements, i.e. tentacle arms. A spatial weighted technique for sensor measurements is used in order to facilitate the parameter estimation. The paper focuses on the shape control by using the curvature gradient a constant parameter along the segment arm. The conditions that ensure a constant curvature gradient for a class of tentacle arms characterized by elastic backbone are determined. A sensor network distributed along the robot arm is used for the shape control. The main parameters of the arm shape, curvature and curvature gradient or “shape” Jacobian for the control problem are estimated. Two measuring systems are used: a) a distributed angle sensor network and b) a curvature sensor placed at the end of the arm segment. The stability analysis and the resulting controllers are obtained using the concept of boundary geometric control and the weighted state control methods. The shape control algorithms for dynamic models with uncertain components are proposed. Numerical simulations and experimental results illustrate the effectiveness of the above mentioned algorithms.
Pre-earthquake Burden of Illness and Postearthquake Health and Preparedness in Veterans
Authors: Der-Martirosian Claudia , Riopelle Deborah , Naranjo Diana , Yano Elizabeth M. , Rubenstein Lisa V. , Dobalian Aram 
Published: April 2014

AbstractBackgroundDuring an earthquake, vulnerable populations, especially those with chronic conditions, are more susceptible to adverse, event-induced exacerbation of chronic conditions such as limited access to food and water, extreme weather temperatures, and injury. These circumstances merit special attention when health care facilities and organizations prepare for and respond to disasters.MethodsThis study explores the relationship between pre-earthquake burden of illness and postearthquake health-related and preparedness factors in the US. Data from a cohort of male veterans who were receiving care at the Sepulveda Veterans Affairs Medical Center (VAMC) in Los Angeles, California USA during the 1994 Northridge earthquake were analyzed.ResultsVeterans with one or more chronic conditions were more likely to report pain lasting two or more days, severe mental/emotional stress for more than two weeks, broken/lost medical equipment, having difficulty refilling prescriptions, and being unable to get medical help following the quake compared to veterans without chronic conditions. In terms of personal emergency preparedness, however, there was no association between burden of illness and having enough food or water for at least 24 hours after the earthquake.ConclusionThe relationship that exists between health care providers, including both individual providers and organizations like the US Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), and their vulnerable, chronically-ill patients affords providers the unique opportunity to deliver critical assistance that could make this vulnerable population better prepared to meet their postdisaster health-related needs. This can be accomplished through education about preparedness and the provision of easier access to medical supplies. Disaster plans for those who are burdened with chronic conditions should meet their social needs in addition to their psychological and physical needs.Der-MartirosianC,RiopelleD,NaranjoD,YanoE,RubensteinL,DobalianA.Pre-earthquake burden of illness and postearthquake health and preparedness in veterans.Prehosp Disaster Med.2014;29(3):1-7.
Highly Automated Electron Energy-Loss Spectroscopy Elemental Quantification
Authors: Narayan Raman D. , Weiss J. K. , Rez Peter 
Published: April 2014

AbstractA model-based fitting algorithm for electron energy-loss spectroscopy spectra is introduced, along with an intuitive user-interface. As with Verbeeck & Van Aert, the measured spectrum, rather than the single scattering distribution, is fit over a wide range. An approximation is developed that allows for accurate modeling while maintaining linearity in the parameters that represent elemental composition. Also, a method is given for generating a model for the low-loss background that incorporates plural scattering. Operation of the user-interface is described to demonstrate the ease of use that allows even nonexpert users to quickly obtain elemental analysis results.
Powers of the Likelihood Ratio Test and the Correlation Test Using Empirical Bayes Estimates for Various Shrinkages in Population Pharmacokinetics
Authors: Combes FP , Retout S , Frey N , Mentré F 
Published: April 2014

We compared the powers of the likelihood ratio test (LRT) and the Pearson correlation test (CT) from empirical Bayes estimates (EBEs) for various designs and shrinkages in the context of nonlinear mixed‐effect modeling. Clinical trial simulation was performed with a simple pharmacokinetic model with various weight (WT) effects on volume (V). Data sets were analyzed with NONMEM 7.2 using first‐order conditional estimation with interaction and stochastic approximation expectation maximization algorithms. The powers of LRT and CT in detecting the link between individual WT and V or clearance were computed to explore hidden or induced correlations, respectively. Although the different designs and variabilities could be related to the large shrinkage of the EBEs, type 1 errors and powers were similar in LRT and CT in all cases. Power was mostly influenced by covariate effect size and, to a lesser extent, by the informativeness of the design. Further studies with more models are needed.CPT Pharmacometrics Syst. Pharmacol. (2014) 4, e109; doi:10.1038/psp.2014.5; published online 9 April 2014
Oral administration of Lactobacillus gasseri SBT2055 is effective for preventing influenza in mice
Authors: Nakayama Yosuke , Moriya Tomohiro , Sakai Fumihiko , Ikeda Noriko , Shiozaki Takuya , Hosoya Tomohiro , Nakagawa Hisako , Miyazaki Tadaaki 
Published: April 2014

AbstractThe Lactobacillus gasseri SBT2055 (LG2055) is a probiotic lactic acid bacterium with properties such as bile tolerance and ability to improve the intestinal environment. In this study, we established that the oral administration of LG2055 exhibits efficacy to protect mice infected with the influenza virus A/PR8. The body weight losses were lower with the LG2055 administration after the PR8 virus infection. At 5 days after the infection, the virus titer was significantly decreased as was the amount of produced IL-6 in the lung tissue, the number of total cells in the bronchoalveolar lavage fluid was reduced by the LG2055 administration. The expression of the Mx1 and Oas1a genes, critical for the viral clearance in the lung tissues was increased by the pre-treatment with LG2055. These findings suggest that the LG2055 administration is effective for the protection against influenza A virus infection by the down-regulation of viral replication through the induction of antiviral genes expression.
Principal-teacher high-quality exchange indicators and student achievement: testing a model
Authors: Reza Zeinabadi Hassan 
Published: April 2014

Purpose– Research findings claim that indicators, representing high-quality exchanges between leaders and followers, are important predictors of organizational effectiveness. There is scarce evidence related to the role of these indicators in student achievement. The purpose of this paper is to test a hypothesized model including three important high-quality exchange indicators.Design/methodology/approach– Totally, 449 teachers from 166 elementary schools in Tehran provided data on trust in principal and procedural justice and 166 principals provided data on organizational citizenship behavior of teachers. Student achievement was calculated by averaging grade five students’ scores on district examinations in science and math. Data were collected in each school during regularly scheduled meetings and were analyzed using correlation analysis and structural equation modeling.Findings– The hypothesized model has an adequate fit to observed data, supporting the argument that principal-teacher high-quality exchanges provide positive outcomes in the form of student achievement.Originality/value– Since most studies on high-quality exchange indicators are limited to non-educational settings, this study extends this line of inquiry in public schools. It also contributes to school effectiveness literature by providing empirical evidence concerning the link between trust in principal, procedural justice, organizational citizenship behavior, and student achievement.
Leaders need to develop their willpower
Authors: Karp Tom 
Published: April 2014

Purpose
– The purpose of this paper is to investigate the importance of willpower in acts of leadership and, if significant, how a leader should develop his or her willpower in order to take a greater leadership role.

Design/methodology/approach
– The objectives are achieved by a conceptually grounded discussion of the topic, while the arguments are also built upon both a recent survey of leadership acts and on related theoretical material.

Findings
– Willpower governs acts of leadership. Willpower is a capability that has been found to be genetic, but which also is possible to develop by raised awareness, disciplined practice, and extending one's comfort zones by exposing oneself to challenges. Willpower is a mental capability, and if leaders develop their ability to focus their time and energy management, and become more aware of their feelings, they may improve their willpower. Additionally, their energy balance matters: taking care of basics including paying attention to nutrition and to resting, as well as taking up some form of physical/mental practice may have a positive impact on a leader's willpower.

Research limitations/implications
– Research on willpower and its impact on leadership are scarce, and more studies are obviously needed. Since this discussion is conceptual, added empirical research is required.

Practical implications
– Leadership must be exercised in organisations, and willpower is an important vehicle in this respect. The implication for practicing leaders is that they need to develop their willpower. This is a capability that most people can develop by raised awareness and disciplined practice, as well as by exposing themselves to challenging tasks aimed at extending their comfort zones.

Originality/value
– Some argue that willpower is a quality whose exercise suggests positive outcomes in many areas of life. In leadership research, however, willpower is a capacity that is less studied. Conclusions in the paper support the argument that willpower is important for leadership, and that this is a capacity leaders should pay more attention to and develop. The paper is of value to practicing leaders who want to further extend their leadership capabilities.