bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Small electrical metamaterial antenna based on coupled electric field resonator with enhanced bandwidth
Authors: Bala B.D. , Rahim M.K.A. , Murad N.A. 
Published: January 2014

A small electrical metamaterial (MTM) antenna, based on a modified electrical coupled resonator for bandwidth enhancement, is presented. The bandwidth enhancement is achieved using a modified electric coupled (MELC) resonator as the antenna's main radiating element. This modification is achieved using two strip lines placed below a conventional electric coupled (CELC) resonator. The measured impedance bandwidth at −10 dB is 20.7% at a resonance frequency of 2.62 GHz. The design is validated by experimental results, and the proposed antenna is suitable for worldwide interoperability for microwave access (WiMax) applications (2.5–2.69 GHz).
IFN-γ signaling maintains skin pigmentation homeostasis through regulation of melanosome maturation
Authors: Natarajan Vivek T. , Ganju Parul , Singh Archana , Vijayan Vinaya , Kirty Kritika , Yadav Shalini , Puntambekar Shraddha , Bajaj Sonali , Dani Prachi P. , Kar Hemanta K. , Gadgil Chetan J. , Natarajan Krishnamurthy , Rani Rajni , Gokhale Rajesh S. 
Published: January 2014

Significance
Skin tanning is a protective response of epidermal cells involving increased melanin formation. Overexposure to sun can cause sunburn and even skin cancer, and such conditions are partly attributable to the accumulation of toxic side products of melanin and its intermediates. In this study, we reveal the importance of key immune cytokine IFN-γ in pigmentation biology by studying cultured human melanocyte cells as well as mice and human disease models. We show that IFN-γ signaling regulates enzymes involved in melanin biosynthesis through a transcription factor IFN regulatory factor-1. Our study identifies a new mechanism of skin pigmentation homeostasis and proposes that strength and durability of local skin immune response may be decisive factors to delineate outcome between skin tanning and cancer.
Remote loading of preencapsulated drugs into stealth liposomes
Authors: Sur Surojit , Fries Anja C. , Kinzler Kenneth W. , Zhou Shibin , Vogelstein Bert 
Published: January 2014

Significance
Nanoliposomal packaging of chemotherapeutics can increase efficacy while reducing toxicity, but its use is currently limited due to inefficient loading strategies. We developed an active loading procedure by designing a transient chemical handle for ferrying such agents into preformed liposomes. We illustrate its use with two candidates that recently failed phase II studies. We were able to load both these drugs into liposomes with high efficiency and administer them to animals at substantially higher doses than previously possible, thereby simultaneously enhancing efficacy and reducing toxicity. This strategy should be applicable to many agents that are currently being developed to treat cancer or other diseases, and can “rescue” drugs that would otherwise fail at the final stages of the drug discovery process.
Antimicrobial Stewardship Program to Reduce Antiretroviral Medication Errors in Hospitalized Patients with Human Immunodeficiency Virus Infection
Authors: Sanders Jamie , Pallotta Andrea , Bauer Seth , Sekeres Jennifer , Davis Ramona , Taege Alan , Neuner Elizabeth 
Published: January 2014

Objective.Evaluate antimicrobial stewardship interventions targeted to reduce highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART)– or opportunistic infection (Ol)–related medication errors and increase error resolution.Design.Retrospective before-after study.Setting.Academic medical center.Patients.Inpatients who were prescribed antiretroviral therapy before the intervention (January 1, 2011, to October 31, 2011) and after the intervention (July 1, 2012, to December 31, 2012). Patients treated with lamivudine or tenofovir monotherapy for hepatitis B were excluded.Methods.Antimicrobial stewardship interventions included education, modification of electronic medication records, collaboration with the infectious diseases (ID) department, and prospective audit and review of HAART and OI regimens by an ID clinical pharmacist.Results.Data for 162 admissions from the preintervention period and 110 admissions from the postintervention period were included. The number of admissions with a medication error was significantly reduced after the intervention (81 [50%] of 162 admissions vs 37 (34%) of 110 admissions; P < .00)1. A total of 124 errors occurred in the preintervention group (mean no. of errors, 1.5 per admission), and 43 errors occurred in the postintervention group (mean no. of errors, 1.2 per admission). The most common error types were major drug interactions and dosing in the preintervention group and renal adjustment and OI-related errors in the postintervention group. A significantly higher error resolution rate was observed in the postintervention group (36% vs 74%; P < .001). After adjustment for potential confounders with logistic regression, admission in the postintervention group was independently associated with fewer medication errors (odds ratio, 0.4 [95% confidence interval, 0.24-0.77]; P = .005). Overall, presence of an ID consultant demonstrated a higher error resolution rate (32% without a consultation vs 68% with a consultation; P = .002).Conclusions.Multifaceted, multidisciplinary stewardship efforts reduced the rate and increased the overall resolution of HAART-related medication errors.
Activity of Commonly Used Antimicrobial Prophylaxis Regimens against Pathogens Causing Coronary Artery Bypass Graft and Arthroplasty Surgical Site Infections in the United States, 2006–2009
Authors: Berríos-Torres Sandra I. , Yi Sarah H. , Bratzler Dale W. , Ma Allen , Mu Yi , Zhu Liping , Jernigan John A. 
Published: January 2014

Background.Coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) and primary arthroplasty surgical site infection (SSI) rates are declining slower than other healthcare-associated infection rates. We examined antimicrobial prophylaxis (AMP) regimens used for these operations and compared their spectrum of activity against reported SSI pathogens.Methods.Pathogen distributions of CABG and hip/knee arthroplasty complex SSIs (deep and organ/space) reported to the National Healthcare Safety Network (NHSN) from 2006 through 2009 and AMP regimens (same procedures and time period) reported to the Surgical Care Improvement Project (SCIP) were analyzed. Regimens were categorized as standard (cefazolin or cefuroxime),β-lactam allergy (vancomycin or clindamycin with or without an aminoglycoside), and extended spectrum (vancomycin and/or an aminoglycoside with cefazolin or cefuroxime). AMP activity of each regimen was predicted on the basis of pathogen susceptibility reports and published spectra of antimicrobial activity.Results.There were 6,263 CABG and arthroplasty complex SSIs reported (680,489 procedures; 880 NHSN hospitals). Among 6,574 pathogens reported, methicillin-sensitiveStaphylococcus aureus(23%), methicillin-resistantS. aureus(18%), coagulase-negative staphylococci (17%), andEnterococcusspecies (7%) were most common. AMP regimens for 2,435,703 CABG and arthroplasty procedures from 3,330 SCIP hospitals were analyzed. The proportion of pathogens predictably susceptible to standard (used in 75% of procedures),β-lactam (12%), and extended-spectrum (8%) regimens was 41%–45%, 47%–96%, and 81%—96%, respectively.Conclusion.Standard AMP, used in three-quarters of CABG and primary arthroplasty procedures, has inadequate activity against more than half of SSI pathogens reported. Alternative strategies may be needed to prevent SSIs caused by pathogens resistant to standard AMP regimens.
Survey of North Carolina Hospital Policies Regarding Visitor Use of Personal Protective Equipment for Entering the Rooms of Patients under Isolation Precautions
Authors: Kang JaHyun , Weber David J. , Mark Barbara A. , Rutala William A. 
Published: January 2014

Objective.To explore the range of hospital policies for visitor use of personal protective equipment (PPE) when entering the room of patients under isolation precautions.Design.Survey using an online questionnaire.Setting.Acute care hospitals registered in the North Carolina Statewide Program for Infection Control and Epidemiology (SPICE).Methods.A total of 136 North Carolina hospitals were invited to participate in an online survey. The survey questionnaire was developed, reviewed, and pilot tested, and then it was distributed through SPICE listserv registered e-mail addresses. The survey was conducted from February 6 to March 30, 2012.Results.Among 93 respondent hospitals (response rate, 68.4%), 82 acute care hospitals (60.3%) were included in the analyses. Substantial variation was observed with regard to hospital policies for visitor PPE use when visiting patients under isolation precautions. A total of 71% of hospitals had a hospital visitor policy, and 96% of respondents agreed that hospitals should have a visitor policy. Only 14% of hospitals monitored visitor compliance with PPE. Reported compliance rates varied from “very low” to 97%. Many hospitals (28%) reported difficulties related to visitor compliance with isolation precautions, including hostility and refusal to comply.Conclusions.Our study results illuminated hospital policy variations for visitor isolation precautions. Reported problems with hospital visitor policies (eg, different policies across departments or facilities) suggest the need for standard guidelines and for enhanced public awareness about the importance of visitor compliance with isolation precautions.
Gevrey hypoellipticity for sums of squares with a non-homogeneous degeneracy
Authors: Bove Antonio , Tartakoff David 
Published: January 2014

In this paper we consider sums of squares of vector fields in

R

2

\mathbb {R}^2

satisfying Hörmander’s condition and with polynomial, but non-(quasi-)homoge- neous, coefficients. We obtain a Gevrey hypoellipticity index which we believe to be sharp. The general operator we consider is
\[

P
=

X
2

+

Y
2

+

∑

j
=
1

L

Z
j
2

,

P=X^2+Y^2+\sum _{j=1}^{L}Z_j^2,

\]
with
\[

X
=

D
x

,

Y
=

a

0

(
x
,
y
)

x

q
−
1

D
y

,

Z
j

=

a

j

(
x
,
y
)

x

p
j

−
1

y

k
j

D
y

,

X=D_x, \quad Y= a_{0}(x, y) x^{q-1}{D_y}, \quad Z_j= a_{j}(x, y) x^{p_j-1}y^{k_j}\,D_y,

\]
with

a

j

(
0
,
0
)
≠
0

a_{j}(0, 0) \neq 0

,

j
=
0
,
1
,
…
,
L

j = 0, 1, \ldots , L

and

q
>

p
j

,
{

k
j

}

q>p_j, \{k_j\}

arbitrary. The theorem we prove is that

P
P

is Gevrey-s hypoelliptic for

s
≥

1

1
−
T

,
T
=

max
j

q
−

p
j

q

k
j

.

s\geq \frac {1}{1-T}, T = \max _j \frac {q-p_j}{q k_j}.
Minfi: a flexible and comprehensive Bioconductor package for the analysis of Infinium DNA methylation microarrays
Authors: Aryee Martin J. , Jaffe Andrew E. , Corrada-Bravo Hector , Ladd-Acosta Christine , Feinberg Andrew P. , Hansen Kasper D. , Irizarry Rafael A. 
Published: January 2014

AbstractMotivation: The recently released Infinium HumanMethylation450 array (the ‘450k’ array) provides a high-throughput assay to quantify DNA methylation (DNAm) at ∼450 000 loci across a range of genomic features. Although less comprehensive than high-throughput sequencing-based techniques, this product is more cost-effective and promises to be the most widely used DNAm high-throughput measurement technology over the next several years.Results: Here we describe a suite of computational tools that incorporate state-of-the-art statistical techniques for the analysis of DNAm data. The software is structured to easily adapt to future versions of the technology. We include methods for preprocessing, quality assessment and detection of differentially methylated regions from the kilobase to the megabase scale. We show how our software provides a powerful and flexible development platform for future methods. We also illustrate how our methods empower the technology to make discoveries previously thought to be possible only with sequencing-based methods.Availability and implementation: http://bioconductor.org/packages/release/bioc/html/minfi.html.Contact: khansen@jhsph.edu; rafa@jimmy.harvard.eduSupplementary information: Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online.
Pure and Applied Consciousness in Valéry and Sartre
Authors: Webber Insook 
Published: January 2014

Abstract

To speak of the ‘death of the subject’ today might seem anachronistic, even irrelevant. There are flagrant signs, however, of the ‘return of the subject’ in contemporary French literature, suggesting its persistence. Besides, unprecedented innovations in philosophy and literature galvanized precisely by the death of the subject have not produced tangible changes in the world, except perhaps for the rhetoric of diversity. These observations oblige a return to the fundamental question: what is the subject, or, rather, what must the subject be in order for an authentic intersubjective rapport to be freshly conceivable? Long before the subject was declared ‘dead’ in the 1960s, two thinkers for whom this question was a central concern were Valéry and Sartre. Tracing their earliest conceptions of pure consciousness and of its application in the world, this article seeks to go beyond the usual opposition drawn between Sartrean
humanism
and Valéryan
inhumanism
. I argue that their strikingly similar conceptions of pure consciousness based on its dual characteristics — negativity and impersonality — bind the two thinkers, and that the notion of pure consciousness serves each as a theoretical foundation to envision the transformation of society by means, paradoxically, of the negation of human subjectivity.
Corps ‘Enferm’ et Démarche de la parole poétique dans les
congés
des poètes lépreux
Authors: Tanase Gabriela 
Published: January 2014

Résumé

Aspect frappant des
Congés d'Arras
de Jean Bodel et de Baude Fastoul, l'image du corps atteint de maladie reflète le processus de la création poétique. Les études consacrées à ces poètes arrageois n'ont pas manqué de révéler l'importance de la description des symptômes de la lèpre, comme la transformation de la voix, essentielle à la récitation, ou de la peau, suggérant le parchemin sur lequel le poème est inscrit. Le présent article propose de repenser néanmoins le lien entre élaboration poétique et lèpre à partir d'un motif sous-jacent aux
Congés
, à savoir l'évocation de la manière de se déplacer. La métamorphose effarante du corps, qui se répercute sur la démarche malaisée, concrétise la démarche de la parole poétique s'acheminant vers l'espoir du salut ou vers la certitude de la mort. Mais il est possible que cette dimension spirituelle des
Congés
ne tienne que de l'apparence et que les adieux des poètes lépreux relèvent de la parodie, d'autant plus qu'ils exploitent le
topos
des jeux de hasard, récurrent dans des créations littéraires satiriques ou ludiques. Les échos intertextuels, qui supposent aussi des détournements des motifs spécifiques à la lyrique troubadouresque, laissent alors deviner une conscience poétique se mouvant entre divers discours.
Suzaku observation of the symbiotic X-ray binary IGR J16194−2810
Authors: Kitamura Yuiko , Takahashi Hiromitsu , Fukazawa Yasushi 
Published: January 2014

Abstract
We observed IGR J16194−2810 in the low/hard state with the Suzaku X-ray satellite in 2009. The source is a Symbiotic X-ray Binary (SyXB) classified as a category of a Low-Mass X-ray Binary (LMXB), since the system is composed of an M-type giant and probably a neutron star (NS). We detected the 0.8–50 keV signal with the XIS and HXD-PIN. The 2–10 keV luminosity was L ∼ 7 × 1034 erg s−1 corresponding to ∼ 10−3LEdd, where LEdd is the Eddington luminosity of a 1.4 M⊙ NS and a source distance of 3.7 kpc is assumed. The luminosity is similar to those of past observations. The spectral analysis showed that there are two emission components below and above ∼ 2 keV. The hard emission component is represented by a Comptonized blackbody emission model with seed-photon temperature ∼ 1.0 keV and emission radius ∼ 700 m. The seed photon is considered to come from a small fraction of the NS surface. The soft component is reproduced by either a raw blackbody (∼ 0.4 keV, ∼ 1.7 km) or a Comptonized emission (∼ 0.1 keV, ∼ 75 km). We think that the origin is the emission from another part of the NS surface or the accreting stream. The physical parameters of the hard emission component of IGR J16194−2810 are compared with those of an SyXB (4U 1700+24) and two LMXBs (Aql X-1 and 4U 0614+091). This comparison reveals that these SyXBs in the low/hard state have a smaller radiation region (&lt; 1 km) on the NS surface with a higher seed-photon temperature (∼ 1 keV) than the comparison LMXBs.
Effect of High‐Pressure Processing on the Features of Wheat Milling By‐products
Authors: Marti Alessandra , Barbiroli Alberto , Bonomi Francesco , Brutti Andrea , Iametti Stefania , Marengo Mauro , Miriani Matteo , Pagani Maria Ambrogina 
Published: January 2014

ABSTRACTThe ability of high hydrostatic pressure processing to promote changes in both the structural properties of fiber and the interaction of fiber with water were addressed. Both coarse and fine bran from milling of common wheat were considered. Treatment‐induced morphological changes were most pronounced in fine bran, whereas treatment of coarse bran resulted in the largest change in water‐holding capacity. The significance of the process‐induced changes is discussed in terms of their practical relevance in the production of fiber‐enriched foods.
First Report of Grapevine Pinot gris virus Infecting Grapevine in Slovenia
Authors: Pleško I. Mavrič , Marn M. Viršček , Seljak G. , Žežlina I. 
Published: January 2014

Unusual virus-like symptoms were first observed in 2001 on grapevine cvs. Pinot gris and Sauvignonasse in vineyards from the western part of Slovenia. Symptomatic plants showed shortened internodes, poor leaf development, mottling, and deformations of leaves that resulted in poor growth of symptomatic plants. In 2003 and 2004, several samples were tested for Arabis mosaic virus, Cherry leafroll virus, Grapevine fanleaf virus, Raspberry bushy dwarf virus, Strawberry latent ringspot virus, Tomato black ring virus, Tomato ringspot virus, and Tobacco ringspot virus by DAS-ELISA, but none of them could be confirmed as the cause of the observed symptoms. During intensive visual inspections between 2002 and 2006, the symptoms were observed on most grapevine cultivars grown in the Primorska region but predominantly on the two previously mentioned cultivars. In Trentino, northern Italy, similar virus-like symptoms, i.e., chlorotic mottling, puckering and deformation of the leaves, reduced yield, and low quality of the berries were observed in grapevine plants cv. Pinot gris in 2003 and in cvs. Traminer and Pinot noir in 2009 (2). No common grapevine viruses could be associated with the disease. In 2012, a new trichovirus named Grapevine Pinot gris virus (GPGV) was found in Pinot gris plants using deep sequencing. The virus was also detected in symptomless plants (2). GPGV was later reported also from Korea causing inner necrosis of berries and poor fruit set in grapevine cv. Tamnara (1). In 2012, 42 leaf samples from mostly symptomatic grapevine plants of cvs. Pinot gris, Pinot noir, and Muscat blanc were collected at three locations in the Primorska region. Total RNA was extracted from leaves using the MagMAX Express magnetic particle processor with MagMAX-96 Total RNA Isolation Kit and Plant RNA Isolation Aid in Lysis Binding Solution Concentrate (all by Life Technologies, Grand Island, NY). DNA fragments of 1,049 bp corresponding to the movement protein gene were successfully amplified by RT-PCR from 40 samples using primers GPgV5619 and GPgV6668 (2). Amplification products from three plants were cloned into the pGEM-T Easy vector (Promega, Madison, WI) and sequenced. The sequences were deposited in the EBI database under the accession numbers HG738850 to 52. All the nucleotide sequences shared 97.4 to 97.6% identity with GPGV from Italy (sequence FR877530) and 97.1 to 98.2% amino acid identity within the translated region. To our knowledge, this is the first report of GPGV in Slovenia. The disease seems to be spreading extensively in the Primorska region, causing considerable economic losses, and in 2013 it was also observed in other regions of Slovenia. Since the virus could be found in symptomless plants in Italy and in Slovenia, its role in the development of the disease should be further investigated. References: (1) I. S. Cho et al. New Dis. Rep. 27:10, 2013. (2) A. Giampetruzzi et al. Virus Res. 163:262, 2012.
First Report of Impatiens Downy Mildew Caused by Plasmopara obducens in Alabama
Authors: Conner K. N. , Olive J. , Hagan A. K. , Zhang L. , Bloodworth M. E. 
Published: January 2014

During spring 2012, potted impatiens (Impatiens walleriana Hook.f.) plants with symptoms of a foliar disease were found in several commercial greenhouses in Mobile County, Alabama. Symptomatic leaves were chlorotic with no distinct lesions, and quickly wilted and abscised from erect green stems. In summer 2012 and 2013, numerous landscape impatiens plants with similar symptoms were observed in a large area from Mobile County north to Lee County, Alabama. A downy mildew was observed on the lower surfaces of symptomatic and abscised leaves from all locations. It consisted of hyaline, monopodial sporangiophores and ovoid, hyaline sporangia. Sporangiophores, which emerged from stomata, consisted of apical branches arranged at right angles to the supporting branches; they measured 69 to 90 μm long with individual branches measuring 7 to 14 μm long. Sporangia were borne on the tips of sporangiophore branches and measured 10 to 16.5 × 17 to 22.5 μm. No oospores were observed. In 2013, symptomatic plants were obtained from two separate locations in Alabama (Mobile and Tallapoosa counties). Total genomic DNA was extracted directly from symptomatic plant tissue and the large ribosomal subunit DNA was amplified by PCR using primers NL-1 and NL-4 (1). From both isolates, amplicons of 600 and 775 bp were obtained. DNA from each amplicon of both isolates was purified, sequenced, and the sequences were deposited in GenBank (Accession Nos. KF956518 to 21). The sequences of the 600-bp amplicons were 99% similar to that of I. walleriana (JX142135); the sequences of the 775-bp amplicons were 99% similar to Plasmopara obducens isolates from Florida (JX217746), Ohio (JX142134), Serbia (HQ246451), and the United Kingdom (AY587558). In pathogenicity tests, 10 potted impatiens plants, I. walleriana‘Super Elfin,’ were inoculated with a sporangial suspension (1 × 105 sporangia/ml washed from infected leaves) from the Mobile County isolate, by spraying until runoff. Controls were inoculated with sterile water. Plants were incubated in a moist chamber at 21°C for 48 h and then maintained in a greenhouse at 22 to 25°C until symptom development. All inoculated plants developed symptoms of downy mildew within 10 days. Microscopic examination of the symptomatic tissue revealed sporangiophores and sporangia similar to those observed in naturally infected plants. Control plants showed no symptoms. To our knowledge, this is the first report of downy mildew caused by P. obducens on impatiens in Alabama. This disease has been reported to have a significant economic impact for growers throughout the United States (2,3). Impatiens downy mildew is likely to be a recurring problem in Alabama. References: (1) K. O'Donnell. Curr. Genet. 22:213, 1992. (2) A. Palmateer et al. Plant Dis. 97:687, 2013. (3) S. Wegulo et al. Plant Dis. 88:909, 2004.