bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Use of inhaled iloprost in children with pulmonary hypertension
Authors: Moreno‐Galdó Antonio , Torrent‐Vernetta Alba , de Mir Messa Inés , Amigo Sandra Rovira , Piña Ferran Gran , Gartner Silvia , Brotons Dimpna Albert 
Published: April 2014

SummaryPulmonary hypertension (PH) in children is a serious disorder, for which the major goal of treatment is to prevent progressive vascular remodeling, and improve clinical status and survival. Iloprost is approved for the treatment of PH in adults; however, few studies have evaluated its effects in children. The objective of this study is to analyze the long‐term effects of inhaled iloprost treatment in children with PH. A retrospective study was conducted in patients treated with iloprost between 2000 and 2012. Patients with left–right cardiac shunt and persistent PH of the newborn were excluded. The cohort comprised 22 patients (15 females) with a median age of 2.6 years. Twelve patients had pulmonary arterial hypertension including idiopathic (n = 6), hereditary (n = 2) and associated (congenital heart disease [n = 3], and schistosomiasis [n = 1]). One patient had pulmonary veno‐occlusive disease, six patients had PH secondary to lung disease and three had multifactorial PH. Median mean pulmonary arterial pressure was 55 mmHg and median pulmonary vascular resistance was 15.5 Wood units. Good tolerability was observed, with the exception of one case of recurring abdominal pain. PH resolved in two patients, with functional capacity improvement in 10 patients and stabilization in three patients. The clinical condition of six patients deteriorated; two died, and two received lung transplants. In conclusion, the results of this uncontrolled study showed that iloprost was effective and well tolerated in children. However, further research is needed to support this study, as PH is a serious condition that can require organ transplantation or result in death. Pediatr Pulmonol. 2015; 50:370–379. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
The left‐hand behaviour of polymer composites with Fe‐based microwires
Authors: Qin F. X. , Luo Y. , Peng H. X. , Tang J. , Ipatov M. , Zhukova V. , Zhukov A. , Gonzalez J. 
Published: April 2014

AbstractIn the present paper, we deal with the electromagnetic properties of Fe‐rich microwire polymer meta‐composites prepared by embedding glass‐coated Fe‐based microwires into the E‐glass prepreg matrices in a parallel fashion. The free‐space measurement shows that a transmission window was created by adjusting the wire spacing below 7mm, which indicates that double negative index had been obtained. The correlation between the left‐handed feature with the local dielectric response has been established. The ‘natural' double negative behaviour is attributed to the intrinsic domain structure of Fe‐based ferromagnetic wires. (© 2014 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)
Output‐based H2 optimal controllers for a class of discrete‐time stochastic linear systems with periodic coefficients
Authors: Dragan Vasile , Morozan Toader , Stoica Adrian‐Mihail 
Published: April 2014

SummaryThe aim of the paper is to present a design procedure of the optimal controller minimizing the H2‐type norm of discrete‐time stochastic linear systems with periodic coefficients simultaneously affected by a nonhomogeneous but periodic Markov chain and state and control multiplicative white noise perturbations. Firstly, two H2‐type norms for the linear stochastic systems under consideration were introduced. These H2‐type norms may be viewed as measures of the effect of the additive white noise perturbations on the regulated output of the considered system. Before deriving of the state space representation of the optimal controller, some useful formulae of the two H2‐type norms were obtained. These formulae are expressed in terms of periodic solutions of some suitable linear equations and are derived in the absence of some additional assumptions regarding the Markov chain other than the periodicity of the sequence of the transition probability matrices. Further, it is shown that the optimal H2 controller depends on the stabilizing solutions of some specific systems of coupled Riccati equations, which generalize the well‐known control and filtering equations from linear time invariant case. For the readers convenience, the paper presents iterative numerical algorithms for the computations of the stabilizing solutions of these Riccati type systems. The theoretical developments are illustrated by numerical examples. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
TET2 Deficiency Inhibits Mesoderm and Hematopoietic Differentiation in Human Embryonic Stem Cells
Authors: Langlois Thierry , da Costa Reis Monte-Mor Barbara , Lenglet Gaëlle , Droin Nathalie , Marty Caroline , Le Couédic Jean-Pierre , Almire Carole , Auger Nathalie , Mercher Thomas , Delhommeau François , Christensen Jesper , Helin Kristian , Debili Najet , Fuks François , Bernard Olivier A. , Solary Eric , Vainchenker William , Plo Isabelle 
Published: April 2014

Abstract
Ten-eleven-translocation 2 (TET2) belongs to the TET protein family that catalyzes the conversion of 5-methylcytosine into 5-hydroxymethylcytosine and plays a central role in normal and malignant adult hematopoiesis. Yet the role of TET2 in human hematopoietic development remains largely unknown. Here, we show that TET2 expression is low in human embryonic stem cell (ESC) lines and increases during hematopoietic differentiation. shRNA-mediated TET2 knockdown had no effect on the pluripotency of various ESCs. However, it skewed their differentiation into neuroectoderm at the expense of endoderm and mesoderm both in vitro and in vivo. These effects were rescued by reintroducing the targeted TET2 protein. Moreover, TET2-driven differentiation was dependent on NANOG transcriptional factor. Indeed, TET2 bound to NANOG promoter and in TET2-deficient cells the methylation of the NANOG promoter correlated with a decreased in NANOG expression. The altered differentiation resulting from TET2 knockdown in ESCs led to a decrease in both the number and the cloning capacities of hematopoietic progenitors. These defects were due to an increased apoptosis and an altered gene expression profile, including abnormal expression of neuronal genes. Intriguingly, when TET2 was knockdown in hematopoietic cells, it increased hematopoietic development. In conclusion, our work suggests that TET2 is involved in different stages of human embryonic development, including induction of the mesoderm and hematopoietic differentiation. Stem Cells 2014;32:2084–2097
Using sightability‐adjusted brood‐pair ratios to estimate waterfowl productivity
Authors: Pagano Anthony M. , Amundson Courtney L. , Pieron Matthew R. , Arnold Todd W. , Kimmel Timothy C. 
Published: April 2014

ABSTRACTHistorically, biologists used brood‐pair ratios (BPRs) as an index to waterfowl productivity to help guide management decisions and evaluate conservation practices. However, BPRs are biased by imperfect detection probabilities, especially for broods. We conducted roadside surveys for breeding waterfowl pairs on 7–8 study sites in the springs of 2006–2008 in northeastern North Dakota, USA. Later each year, we conducted replicate counts of broods on the same wetlands and used mark–recapture methods to estimate sightability‐adjusted BPRs (SA‐BPRs). Traditional roadside brood surveys detected only 30–45% of the available broods, depending on species. We explored the potential for using SA‐BPRs to measure hen success (i.e., the probability a female hatches ≥1 egg across all nesting attempts) for mallards (Anas platyrhynchos) and other upland‐nesting dabbling ducks (Anas spp.). We found that SA‐BPRs explained 40% of the variation in hen success over 5 species of dabbling ducks, and we were able to detect an effect of predator reduction on hen success in combined dabblers, but not in mallards alone. However, we found no relationship between SA‐BPRs and mallard fledging rates (hen success × initial brood size × duckling survival). Our results suggest that SA‐BPRs can provide a cost‐effective alternative to traditional measures of productivity such as nesting success, but not to measures of duckling survival. Nevertheless, SA‐BPRs may be useful in areas where traditional measures of waterfowl productivity are logistically or financially challenging. © 2014 The Wildlife Society.
Surgical Treatment of Endemic Goiter in a Nonhospital Setting without General Anesthesia in Africa
Authors: Gil J. , Rodríguez J. M. , Gil E. , Balsalobre M. D. , Hernández Q. , Gonzalez F. M. , García J. A. , Torregrosa N. , Tortosa J. A. , Diallo A. B. , Parrilla P. 
Published: April 2014

AbstractBackgroundEndemic goiter remains a serious public health problem and 75 % of people affected live in underdeveloped countries where treatment is difficult for various reasons. The aim of this article is to report our experience in African countries with the management and surgical treatment of endemic goiter, performed in a nonhospital setting and without general anesthesia in the context of a collaborative development project by experienced endocrine surgeons.MethodsFifty‐six black African patients with a goiter were studied. Those in poor general health, the elderly, patients with either small goiters or clinical hyperthyroidism, and those presenting with an acute episode of malaria were excluded from the study. Cervical epidural anesthesia with spontaneous ventilation was used and a partial thyroidectomy was performed. The technique used, its immediate complications, and early and late follow‐up were analyzed.ResultsSurgery was performed on 31 patients with grades 3 and 4 goiter without mortality and a morbidity rate of 11.9 %, with 97 % of all complications being minor. There were no instances of dysphonia or symptomatic hypocalcemia and the mean stay was 1.57 days (range 1.25–1.93). Follow‐up in the first year was 71 % and no case of severe or recurrent hypothyroidism was detected.ConclusionsSurgery without general anesthesia performed in a nonhospital setting in underdeveloped countries in patients with goiter is a viable option with good results and low morbidity.
Living Independently as an Ethnic Minority Elder: A Relational Perspective on the Issues of Aging and Ethnic Minorities
Authors: Shin Jung-hye 
Published: April 2014

AbstractThis study examines the residential experiences of Korean ethnic elders in affordable housing in the greater Chicago area, focusing on how patterns of social relationships that evolved around a geographical location and its urban infrastructure enabled the elders to achieve their desire for residential independence. Based on the theoretical concept of activity settings and social capital, the study suggests an integrated theoretical model where social capital is understood as an embedded asset of an activity setting. Methodologically, this study uses a combined method of qualitative interviews with 138 Korean elders in affordable housing in the greater Chicago area and a geographic analysis of their social relationships in order to present associations among social relationships, urban infrastructures, and the shared value of independence within their residential communities. The study findings indicate that the elders mobilized ethnic businesses, urban infrastructures, and the collective efficacy of groups to achieve the shared goal of maintaining residential independence. In each community, a cultural broker acted as an important bridge between the community of ethnic minorities and the larger social networks coexisting within the community boundary. The relational perspective as a potent ground for understanding and further solving the issues of aging and ethnicity is highlighted.
Antioxidant Stability in Vegetable Oils Monitored by the ASTM D7545 Method
Authors: Machado Y. L. , Dantas Neto A. A. , Fonseca J. L. C. , Dantas T. N. C. 
Published: April 2014

AbstractThe PetroOXY method was used to evaluate the kinetics of oxidation of two edible vegetable oils, extracted from moringa and passion fruit. This method, which uses pure oxygen at 700 kPa is effective and fast and our experiments were carried out at temperatures 110–140 °C with BHA antioxidant additive concentration ranging from 0 to 500 ppm. Moringa and passion fruit oils followed first‐order kinetics although, in the case of passion fruit oil, mathematical approximations in the first‐order kinetic expression resulted in a final equation that could also be interpreted as deriving from zero‐order kinetics. The higher stability of moringa oil was characterized by an activation enthalpy ca. 50 % higher than the one related to passion fruit oil.
Health Care Workers’ Knowledge and Confidence in Personal Protective Equipment During the H1N1 Pandemic in Israel
Authors: Schwartz Dagan , Shapira Stav , Bar-Dayan Yaron 
Published: April 2014

AbstractObjectivesHealthcare workers (HCW) are at increased risk of infection during pandemics. HCW personal protective equipment (PPE) use has been shown to lower infection rates among HCW and patients. However, low compliance and misuse are frequent. Since future outbreaks are unavoidable, this issue needs to be addressed.MethodsA validated questionnaire was distributed to 617 HCWs (nurses and physicians) in 21 hospitals and 40 primary care clinics in Israel at the peak of the A/H1N1 pandemic.ResultsPPE confidence was higher among HCWs with higher tested and self-perceived knowledge. Confidence was also higher among nurses compared with physicians and among employees in hospitals compared with those in primary care clinics. Experience treating A/H1N1 patients was related to higher self-perceived knowledge and PPE confidence.ConclusionsHigh levels of PPE knowledge were significantly correlated to HCWs’ confidence in PPE and may help increase PPE usage and reduce absenteeism. (Diaster Med Public Health Preparedness. 2014;0:1-8)
DEGENERATIONS OF COMPLEX DYNAMICAL SYSTEMS
Authors: DE MARCO LAURA , FABER XANDER 
Published: April 2014

AbstractWe show that the weak limit of the maximal measures for any degenerating sequence of rational maps on the Riemann sphere ${\hat{{\mathbb{C}}}} $ must be a countable sum of atoms. For a one-parameter family $f_t$ of rational maps, we refine this result by showing that the measures of maximal entropy have a unique limit on $\hat{{\mathbb{C}}}$ as the family degenerates. The family $f_t$ may be viewed as a single rational function on the Berkovich projective line $\mathbf{P}^1_{\mathbb{L}}$ over the completion of the field of formal Puiseux series in $t$, and the limiting measure on $\hat{{\mathbb{C}}}$ is the ‘residual measure’ associated with the equilibrium measure on $\mathbf{P}^1_{\mathbb{L}}$. For the proof, we introduce a new technique for quantizing measures on the Berkovich projective line and demonstrate the uniqueness of solutions to a quantized version of the pullback formula for the equilibrium measure on $\mathbf{P}^1_{\mathbb{L}}$.
Distribution, status, and conservation of Camellia changii Ye (Theaceae), a Critically Endangered plant endemic to southern China
Authors: Ren Hai , Jian Shuguang , Chen Yongju , Liu Hong , Zhang Qianmei , Liu Nan , Xu Yi , Luo Jian 
Published: April 2014

AbstractThe distribution of the endemic threatened plant Camellia changii Ye (Family Theaceae) is restricted to a small area in southern China, and little else is known about its status in the wild. To provide information for the conservation of C. changii we investigated its distribution, population size and structure, and habitat, and assessed its conservation status. Surveys confirmed that the species grows in a narrow band along both sides of a 4 km long segment of a stream in Ehuangzhang Nature Reserve, under the discontinuous canopy of a secondary evergreen broadleaved forest on well-drained, acidic sandy loam soil. We found a total of 1,039 individuals of C. changii. The population has a high flowering rate but a low seed-setting rate. The population appears to be in decline because no seedlings and few young plants were evident. Our findings indicate that C. changii should be categorized as Critically Endangered on the IUCN Red List. We have recommended an integrated species-conservation plan for the species that includes patrolling the Ehuangzhang Nature Reserve to prevent plant removal, establishing an ex situ living collection that contains the entire wild genetic diversity (accomplished by grafting of short cuttings from all wild individuals), facilitating propagation for commercial use, and implementing reintroduction to augment the wild population.
Changes in plastochromanol-8 and tocopherols during germination in Ethiopian mustard lines with contrasting tocopherol levels
Authors: García-Navarro Elena , Pérez-Vich Begoña , Velasco Leonardo 
Published: April 2014

AbstractPlastochromanol-8 and tocopherols are natural antioxidants with vitamin E activity that protect seeds and plants from oxidative damage. Whereas α-tocopherol is predominant in photosynthetic tissues, γ-tocopherol is more abundant in seeds. Ethiopian mustard (Brassica carinata A. Braun) seeds contain varying levels of both tocopherol forms. The objective of this research was to study changes in plastochromanol-8 and tocopherol contents during seed germination in Ethiopian mustard lines with contrasting seed tocopherol levels, and to evaluate their influence on seed germination and seedling growth. Cotyledons and radicles of seven lines with contrasting seed tocopherol levels and a control line were sampled periodically until 120 h after sowing (HAS) under light and dark conditions, and were analysed for plastochromanol-8 and tocopherol contents. The main factors genotype, tissue, light and HAS were significant for all the traits, excepting the light effect for total tocopherol content. Most of the lines showed a gradual decrease in γ-tocopherol that was nearly completely replaced by α-tocopherol at 120 HAS. However, line BCT-4, with high γ-tocopherol content in seeds, exhibited unusually high γ-tocopherol content in cotyledons and radicles during the whole sampling period. Light treatment and initial seed tocopherol levels had no influence on germination percentage. Despite significant differences for seedling development among genotypes, no clear association between seedling development and seed tocopherols was observed. The results revealed that the unusual presence of high γ-tocopherol levels in cotyledons and radicles of line BCT-4 did not have an effect on seedling growth.
Which Language Declines More? Longitudinal versus Cross-sectional Decline of Picture Naming in Bilinguals with Alzheimer’s Disease
Authors: Ivanova Iva , Salmon David P. , Gollan Tamar H. 
Published: April 2014

AbstractIn this study, we investigated dual-language decline in non-balanced bilinguals with probable Alzheimer’s disease (AD) both longitudinally and cross-sectionally. We examined patients’ naming accuracy on the Boston Naming Test (BNT: Kaplan et al., 1983) over three testing sessions (longitudinal analysis) and compared their performance to that of matched controls (cross-sectional analysis). We found different longitudinal and cross-sectional patterns of decline: Longitudinally, the non-dominant language seemed to decline more steeply than the dominant language, but, cross-sectionally, differences between patients and controls were larger for the dominant than for the non-dominant language, especially at the initial testing session. This differential pattern of results for cross-sectional versus longitudinal decline was supported by correlations between decline measures and BNT item characteristics. Further studies will be needed to better characterize the nature of linguistic decline in bilinguals with AD; however, these results suggest that representational robustness of individual lexical representations, rather than language membership, might determine the time course of decline for naming in bilinguals with AD. (JINS, 2014, 20, 1–13)
Systemisch orientierte Interventionen in der Lerntherapie
Authors: Robering Nicole 
Published: April 2014

In diesem Artikel soll anhand von konkreten Sequenzen aus der lerntherapeutischen Arbeit speziell mit Kindern und Jugendlichen (und zum Teil auch Erwachsenen) mit verfestigten Lernstörungen bzw. bereits mehrjährig bestehender LRS/Legasthenie aufgezeigt werden, welche Möglichkeiten sich durch systemische Haltungen und Interventionen für die lerntherapeutische Arbeit ergeben. Diese systemisch orientierten Interventionsmöglichkeiten in der Lerntherapie werden entlang der Markierungspunkte „Diagnostik – Entwickeln von Hypothesen“ und „Arbeit an konkreten Rechtschreibphänomenen“ dargestellt. Die hier vorgestellten systemischen Interventionsmöglichkeiten bieten im Rahmen dieses Artikels nur einen kleinen Einblick in eine systemische Lerntherapie, wollen aber den Leser zu einer Auseinandersetzung mit systemischen Interventionen in der Lerntherapie anregen.
Orally active microtubule-targeting agent, MPT0B271, for the treatment of human non-small cell lung cancer, alone and in combination with erlotinib
Authors: Tsai A-C , Wang C-Y , Liou J-P , Pai H-C , Hsiao C-J , Chang J-Y , Wang J-C , Teng C-M , Pan S-L 
Published: April 2014

AbstractMicrotubule-binding agents, such as taxanes and vinca alkaloids, are used in the treatment of cancer. The limitations of these treatments, such as resistance to therapy and the need for intravenous administration, have encouraged the development of new agents. MPT0B271 (N-[1-(4-Methoxy-benzenesulfonyl)-2,3-dihydro-1H-indol-7-yl]-1-oxy-isonicotinamide), an orally active microtubule-targeting agent, is a completely synthetic compound that possesses potent anticancer effects in vitro and in vivo. Tubulin polymerization assay and immunofluorescence experiment showed that MPT0B271 caused depolymerization of tubulin at both molecular and cellular levels. MPT0B271 reduced cell growth and viability at nanomolar concentrations in numerous cancer cell lines, including a multidrug-resistant cancer cell line NCI/ADR-RES. Further studies indicated that MPT0B271 is not a substrate of P-glycoprotein (P-gp), as determined by flow cytometric analysis of rhodamine-123 (Rh-123) dye efflux and the calcein acetoxymethyl ester (calcein AM) assay. MPT0B271 also caused G2/M cell-cycle arrest, accompanied by the up-regulation of cyclin B1, p-Thr161 Cdc2/p34, serine/threonine kinases polo-like kinase 1, aurora kinase A and B and the downregulation of Cdc25C and p-Tyr15 Cdc2/p34 protein levels. The appearance of MPM2 and the nuclear translocation of cyclin B1 denoted M phase arrest in MPT0B271-treated cells. Moreover, MPT0B271 induced cell apoptosis in a concentration-dependent manner; it also reduced the expression of Bcl-2, Bcl-xL, and Mcl-1 and increased the cleavage of caspase-3 and -7 and poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP). Finally, this study demonstrated that MPT0B271 in combination with erlotinib significantly inhibits the growth of the human non-small cell lung cancer A549 cells as compared with erlotinib treatment alone, both in vitro and in vivo. These findings identify MPT0B271 as a promising new tubulin-binding compound for the treatment of various cancers.