bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Surface heparin treatment of the decellularized porcine heart valve: Effect on tissue calcification
Authors: Yang Min , Lin Yang‐Hua , Shi Wei‐Ping , Shi Hong‐Can , Gu Y. John , Shu Yu‐Sheng 
Published: November 2015

AbstractTissue calcification is a major cause of failure of bioprosthetic heart valves. Aim of this study was to examine whether surface heparin treatment of the decellularized porcine heart valve reduces tissue calcification. Fresh porcine aortic heart valves were dissected as tissue discs and divided into four groups. Group A: controls without treatment, Group B: decellularization only, Group C: decellularization and glutaraldehyde cross‐linking, Group D: decellularization and glutaraldehyde cross‐linking followed by surface heparin treatment. After implantation in New Zealand White rabbits for 60 days, the explanted heart valve discs from the different study groups underwent a series of histological examinations as well as determination of calcium content by the methyl thyme phenol blue colorimetric method. Results of the explanted heart valve discs for the Von Kossa staining demonstrated that in Group A the heart valve tissue was the most severely stained with black color, whereas in Group D there was hardly any area that was stained black after implantation indicating the least tissue calcification. Furthermore, the inflammatory cells identified by the Hematoxylin‐eosin staining appeared to be the least in Group D. The average tissue calcium content was highest in Group A (0.197 ± 0.115 μmol mg−1), modest in Group B (0.113 ± 0.041 μmol mg−1), and Group C (0.089 ± 0.049 μmol mg−1), and the lowest in Group D (0.019 ± 0.019 μmol mg−1, p < 0.05). These results suggest that surface heparin treatment tends to reduce tissue calcification of the dellellularized porcine heart valve in a rabbit intramuscular implantation model. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Biomed Mater Res Part B: Appl Biomater, 105B: 400–405, 2017.
Suppression of RAD21 Induces Senescence of MDA‐MB‐231 Human Breast Cancer Cells Through RB1 Pathway Activation Via c‐Myc Downregulation
Authors: Zhu Shan , Zhao Li , Li Yueyang , Hou Pingfu , Yao Ruosi , Tan Jiang , Liu Dongxu , Han Liping , Huang Baiqu , Lu Jun , Zhang Yu 
Published: November 2015

ABSTRACTCellular senescence impedes cancer progression by limiting uncontrolled cell proliferation. To identify new genetic events controlling senescence, we performed a small interfering RNA screening human cancer cells and identified a number of targets potentially involved in senescence of MDA‐MB‐231 human breast cancer cells. Importantly, we showed that knockdown of RAD21 resulted in the appearance of several senescent markers, including enhanced senescence‐associated β‐galactosidase activity and heterochromatin focus formation, as well as elevated p21 protein levels and RB1 pathway activation. Further biochemical analyses revealed that RAD21 knockdown led to the downregulation of c‐Myc and its targets, including CDK4, a negative regulator of RB1, and blockedRB1 phosphorylation (pRB1), and the RB1‐mediated transcriptional repression of E2F. Moreover, c‐Myc downregulation was partially mediated by proteasome‐dependent degradation within promyelocytic leukemia (PML) nuclear bodies, which were found to be highly abundant during RAD21 knockdown‐induced senescence. Exogenous c‐Myc reconstitution rescued cells from RAD21 silencing‐induced senescence. Altogether, data arising from this study implicate a novel function of RAD21 in cellular senescence in MDA‐MB‐231 cells that is mainly dependent onRB1 pathway activation via c‐Myc downregulation. J. Cell. Biochem. 117: 1359–1369, 2016. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
A Doubling Construction for 3‐Uniform Friendship Hypergraphs with the Universal Pairs Property
Authors: Cohen Nathann 
Published: November 2015

AbstractIn this note, we present a simple doubling construction for 3‐uniform friendship hypergraphs which generalizes the cubeconstructed hypergraphs from another study (L. Jørgensen and A. Sillasen, J Combin Designs (2014)). As a by‐product, we build point‐transitive 3‐uniform friendship hypergraphs of sizes and for all .
Noninvasive measurement of lower extremity muscle oxygen extraction fraction under cuff compression paradigm
Authors: Wang Chengyan , Zhang Rui , Zhang Xiaodong , Wang He , Zhao Kai , Jin Lixin , Zhang Jue , Wang Xiaoying , Fang Jing 
Published: November 2015

BackgroundTo demonstrate the feasibility of using a susceptibility‐based MRI technique with asymmetric spin‐echo (ASE) sequence to assess the lower extremity muscle oxygen extraction fraction (OEF) alternations under cuff compression paradigm.MethodsApproved by the local institutional human study committee, nine healthy young volunteers participated in this study. All the ASE scans were conducted using a 3 Tesla clinical MRI scanner during resting state (pre), 1–3 min (post1) and 3–5 min (post2) after a pressure of 50 mmHg above individual systolic blood pressure imposed on the thigh. Moreover, near‐infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) measurements were performed on the same day under the same cuff compression protocol to verify the accuracy of this susceptibility‐based method.ResultsIn all volunteers, the mean MRI based OEF in gastrocnemius (GAS) muscle increased significantly from 0.28 ± 0.02 (pre) to 0.31 ± 0.03 (post1, P < 0.05) and 0.31 ± 0.03 (post2, P < 0.05). In addition, mean OEF in soleus (SOL) muscle went up from 0.31 ± 0.01 (pre) to 0.33 ± 0.03 (post1, P = 0.14) and 0.37 ± 0.04 (post2, P < 0.05). For comparison, NIRS measured 1‐%HbO2 (percentage of deoxyhemoglobin concentration within total hemoglobin) in GAS rose significantly from 0.29 ± 0.03 (pre) to 0.31 ± 0.04 (post1, P < 0.05) and 0.31 ± 0.04 (post2, P < 0.05), which confirmed the accuracy of the MRI‐based OEF.ConclusionThis susceptibility‐based OEF quantification technique together with cuff compression paradigm could provide a noninvasive, quantifiable and effective tool for measuring skeletal muscle oxygenation. J. Magn. Reson. Imaging 2016;43:1148–1158.
Good relationships at work: The effects of Leader–Member Exchange and Team–Member Exchange on psychological empowerment, emotional exhaustion, and depression
Authors: Schermuly Carsten C. , Meyer Bertolt 
Published: November 2015

SummaryEmotional exhaustion and depression pose a threat to employees' psychological health. Social relationships at work are important potential buffers against these threats, but the corresponding psychological processes are still unclear. We propose that the subjective experience of high‐quality relationships with supervisors (i.e., Leader–Member Exchange [LMX]) is one of the protective factors against psychological health issues at work and that this effect is mediated by psychological empowerment. We tested these assumptions with two studies (one cross‐sectional and one time lagged) on diverse samples of employees from different organizations. The first study employed emotional exhaustion as the outcome measure; the second used depression. Results from both studies support the proposed process by showing that LMX positively affects empowerment, which negatively affects emotional exhaustion (Study 1) and depression (Study 2). Additionally, Study 2 also showed that Team–Member Exchange is as important as LMX for preventing psychological health issues among employees. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Using attenuation coefficients from optical coherence tomography as markers of vocal fold maturation
Authors: Garcia Jordan A. , Benboujja Fouzi , Beaudette Kathy , Guo Rong , Boudoux Caroline , Hartnick Christopher J. 
Published: November 2015

Objectives/HypothesisOptical coherence tomography (OCT) is a promising technology to noninvasively assess vocal fold microanatomy. The goal of this study was to develop a methodology using OCT to identify quantifiable markers of vocal fold development.Study DesignIn vivo study.MethodsA two‐step process was developed to reproducibly image the midmembranous vocal fold edge of 10 patients younger than 2 years and 10 patients between 11 and 16 years of age using OCT. An image analysis algorithm was implemented to extract OCT‐derived A‐lines for each patient. These A‐lines were divided into three zones according to apparent changes in slope. Relative attenuation coefficients, or tissue‐ and system‐dependent parameters that describe the rate at which optical signal decays, were calculated for each zone.ResultsYoung patients had distinct relative attenuation coefficients in zone 1 (P < .0001), whereas zones 2 and 3 were indistinct (P = .1129). Older patients had distinct relative attenuation coefficients in zones 1, 2, and 3 (P < .0370). Between age groups, relative attenuation coefficients were different in zones 2 and 3 (P < .0001, P = .0315, respectively) and indistinct in zone 1 (P = .1438).ConclusionsRelative attenuation coefficients can be used as markers of vocal fold development. Differences in relative attenuation coefficients likely represent changes in extracellular matrix structure within the lamina propria and may become useful for guiding treatment of voice disorders in the pediatric population.Level of EvidenceNA Laryngoscope, 126:E218–E223, 2016
Assessment of exposure to MRI motion‐induced fields based on the International Commission on Non‐Ionizing Radiation Protection (ICNIRP) guidelines
Authors: Zilberti Luca , Bottauscio Oriano , Chiampi Mario 
Published: November 2015

PurposeThe goal of this study was to conduct an exposure assessment for workers moving through the stray stationary field of common MRI scanners, performed according to the recent International Commission on Non‐Ionizing Radiation Protection (ICNIRP) Guidelines, which aim at avoiding annoying sensory effects.Theory and MethodsThe analysis was performed through numerical simulations, using a high‐resolution anatomical model that moved along realistic trajectories in proximity to a tubular and open MRI scanner. Both dosimetric indexes indicated by ICNIRP (maximum variation of the magnetic flux density vector and exposure index for the motion‐induced electric field) were computed for three statures of the human model.ResultsA total of 51 exposure situations were analyzed. None of them exceeded the limit for the maximum variation of the magnetic flux density, whereas some critical cases were found when computing the induced electric field. In the latter case, the exposure indexes computed via Fourier transform and through an equivalent filter result to be consistent.ConclusionThe results suggest the adoption of some simple precautionary rules, useful when sensory effects experienced by an operator could reflect upon the patient's safety. Moreover, some open issues regarding the quantification of motion‐induced fields are highlighted, putting in evidence the need for clarification at standardization level. Magn Reson Med 76:1291–1300, 2016. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Cost‐based placement of vDPI functions in NFV infrastructures
Authors: Bouet Mathieu , Leguay Jérémie , Combe Théo , Conan Vania 
Published: November 2015

SummaryNetwork functions virtualization (NFV) is transforming how networks are operated and how network services are delivered. The network is more flexible and adaptable, and it can scale with traffic demands. To manage video traffic in the network, or acquire protection from cyber‐attacks, Deep Packet Inspection (DPI) is increasingly deployed at specific locations in the network. The virtual DPI (vDPI) engines can be dynamically deployed as software on commodity servers within emerging network functions virtualization infrastructures. For a network operator, deploying a set of vDPIs over the network is a matter of finding the appropriate placement that meets the traffic management or cyber‐security targets (such as the number of inspected flows) and operational cost constraints (licence fees, network efficiency or power consumption). In this work, we formulate the vDPI placement problem as a cost minimization problem. The cost captures the different objectives that the operator is pursuing. A placement of vDPIs on the network nodes realizes a trade‐off between these possibly conflicting goals. We cast the problem as a multi‐commodity flow problem and solve it as an integer linear program. We then devise a centrality‐based greedy algorithm and assess its validity by comparing it with the integer linear program optimal solution on a real dataset (GEANT network with 22 nodes and real traffic matrix). We further analyse the scalability of the heuristic by applying it to larger random networks of up to 300 nodes. The results show the network structure and the costs influence time performance. Finally, they demonstrate that the heuristic approximates the optimal on small and medium problem instances well. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
No Country for Old People: A Paleodemographic Analysis of Migration Dynamics in Early Andean States
Authors: Baitzel S. I. , Goldstein P. S. 
Published: November 2015

AbstractIn this paper, we present a paleodemographic interpretation of a complete mortuary population from the site of Rio Muerto (southern Peru) affiliated with the early Andean Tiwanaku state (A.D.500–1000). Although advances in biogeochemical paleomobility studies have revolutionized bioarchaeological approaches to certain aspects of migration, paleodemography continues to offer a valuable complementary perspective on migration and population dynamics. Notably, paleodemography, through reference to Uniformitarian age‐at‐death profiles, is uniquely equipped to identify age‐specific subgroups that are missing from the mortuary population. We argue that the marked absence of adult individuals in the M70B cemetery population is the result of the socially regulated movement of older adults or their remains from the state provinces back to the homeland. We suggest that the particular demographic composition of the Rio Muerto M70 cemetery population, when considered within its cultural context and compared to other available paleodemographic data, reveals potential patterns of adult return migration, and carries important implications for the political and social dynamics of early Andean state society. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
External Auditory Exostoses and its Relationship to Prehistoric Abalone Harvesting on Santa Rosa Island, California
Authors: Kuzminsky S. C. , Erlandson J. M. , Xifara T. 
Published: November 2015

AbstractBioarchaeological research among prehistoric Pacific Coast populations has shown that external auditory exostoses (EAE) are found in high frequencies. On California's northern Channel Islands archaeological research has demonstrated that there was an intense exploitation of red abalone (Haliotis rufescens), particularly between ~8000 and 3500 years ago. If the Island Chumash were free‐diving for red abalone in subtidal waters, EAE should be prevalent in prehistoric populations from Santa Rosa Island. We recorded the presence or absence, number, side and severity of EAE growths for 207 adult individuals from three time periods on Santa Rosa Island. Our results show that ~11% of the total population was affected, including 22.5% of males and ~3.4% of females. The incidence among females increases from 0% in the Early period, to 2.6% in the Middle period, and 6.8% in the Late period. Overall these are lower rates than those reported for other Channel Island and Pacific Coast sites. Given the relatively low percentage of Santa Rosa Islanders affected with EAE, red abalones may have been harvested primarily in shallow waters rather than the deeper subtidal zone. Our data suggest that gender differences in food procurement activities existed on Santa Rosa Island throughout prehistory, congruent with the argument that EAE is an activity‐induced pathology that occurs with prolonged exposure to cold water and wind conditions. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Jerusalem and Malaita: The Visions and Prophecies of George Umai of West Kwara'ae, Malaita, Solomon Islands
Authors: Brown Terry M. 
Published: November 2015

AbstractIn this paper I examine the visions and teachings of George Umai (c.1938–1998), an Anglican lay leader of West Kwara'ae, Malaita, Solomon Islands. In his prophecies, Umai traced Malaitans, Solomon Islanders, and many other Oceanic peoples to his ancestors who he claimed fled from Jerusalem to Malaita in CE62. According to Umai, they brought the Ark of the Covenant from the Jerusalem Temple to Kwara'ae, Malaita where they buried it. I examine Umai's vision of the Ark of the Covenant and its apocalyptic and theocratic significance for Malaita and the world. In Umai's visions, teachings, and practice, Malaitan, Jewish, and Christian genealogy, apocalypse, and theocracy came together in a distinctive ethno‐theology that paralleled similar and prefigured later religious movements in Malaita but was too idiosyncratic to sustain.
A normalization method for combination of laboratory test results from different electronic healthcare databases in a distributed research network
Authors: Yoon Dukyong , Schuemie Martijn J. , Kim Ju Han , Kim Dong Ki , Park Man Young , Ahn Eun Kyoung , Jung Eun‐Young , Park Dong Kyun , Cho Soo Yeon , Shin Dahye , Hwang Yeonsoo , Park Rae Woong 
Published: November 2015

AbstractPurposeDistributed research networks (DRNs) afford statistical power by integrating observational data from multiple partners for retrospective studies. However, laboratory test results across care sites are derived using different assays from varying patient populations, making it difficult to simply combine data for analysis. Additionally, existing normalization methods are not suitable for retrospective studies. We normalized laboratory results from different data sources by adjusting for heterogeneous clinico‐epidemiologic characteristics of the data and called this the subgroup‐adjusted normalization (SAN) method.MethodsSubgroup‐adjusted normalization renders the means and standard deviations of distributions identical under population structure‐adjusted conditions. To evaluate its performance, we compared SAN with existing methods for simulated and real datasets consisting of blood urea nitrogen, serum creatinine, hematocrit, hemoglobin, serum potassium, and total bilirubin. Various clinico‐epidemiologic characteristics can be applied together in SAN. For simplicity of comparison, age and gender were used to adjust population heterogeneity in this study.ResultsIn simulations, SAN had the lowest standardized difference in means (SDM) and Kolmogorov–Smirnov values for all tests (p < 0.05). In a real dataset, SAN had the lowest SDM and Kolmogorov–Smirnov values for blood urea nitrogen, hematocrit, hemoglobin, and serum potassium, and the lowest SDM for serum creatinine (p < 0.05).ConclusionSubgroup‐adjusted normalization performed better than normalization using other methods. The SAN method is applicable in a DRN environment and should facilitate analysis of data integrated across DRN partners for retrospective observational studies. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
EDOT‐diketopyrrolopyrrole copolymers for high bulk hole mobility and near infrared absorption
Authors: Mueller Christian J. , Singh Chetan R. , Thelakkat Mukundan 
Published: November 2015

ABSTRACTTo obtain novel low‐bandgap materials with tailored hole‐transport properties and extended absorption, electron rich 3,4‐ethylenedioxythiophene is introduced as a comonomer in diketopyrrolo[3,4‐c]pyrrole copolymers with different aryl flanking units. The polymers are characterized by absorption and photoluminescence spectroscopy, dynamic scanning calorimetry, cyclic voltammetry, and X‐ray diffraction. The charge transport properties of these new materials are studied carefully using an organic field effect transistor geometry where the charge carriers are transported over a narrow channel at the semiconductor/dielectric interface. These results are compared to bulk charge carrier mobilities using space‐charge limited current (SCLC) measurements, in which the charge carrier is transported through the complete film thickness of several hundred nanometers. Finally, charge carrier mobilities are correlated with the electronic structure of the compounds. We find that in particular the thiophene‐flanked copolymer PDPP[T]2‐EDOT is a very promising candidate for organic photovoltaics, showing an absorption response in the near infrared region with an optical bandgap of 1.15 eV and a very high bulk hole mobility of 2.9 × 10−4 cm2 V−1 s−1 as measured by SCLC. This value is two orders of magnitudes higher than SCLC mobilities reported for other polydiketopyrrolopyrroles and is in the range of the well‐known hole transporting polymer poly(3‐hexylthiophene). © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Polym. Sci., Part B: Polym. Phys. 2016, 54, 639–648
Economic evaluation of a psychological intervention for high distress cancer patients and carers: costs and quality‐adjusted life years
Authors: Chatterton Mary Lou , Chambers Suzanne , Occhipinti Stefano , Girgis Afaf , Dunn Jeffrey , Carter Rob , Shih Sophy , Mihalopoulos Cathrine 
Published: November 2015

AbstractObjectiveThis study compared the cost‐effectiveness of a psychologist‐led, individualised cognitive behavioural intervention (PI) to a nurse‐led, minimal contact self‐management condition for highly distressed cancer patients and carers.MethodsThis was an economic evaluation conducted alongside a randomised trial of highly distressed adult cancer patients and carers calling cancer helplines. Services used by participants were measured using a resource use questionnaire, and quality‐adjusted life years were measured using the assessment of quality of life – eight‐dimension – instrument collected through a computer‐assisted telephone interview. The base case analysis stratified participants based on the baseline score on the Brief Symptom Inventory. Incremental cost‐effectiveness ratio confidence intervals were calculated with a nonparametric bootstrap to reflect sampling uncertainty. The results were subjected to sensitivity analysis by varying unit costs for resource use and the method for handling missing data.ResultsNo significant differences were found in overall total costs or quality‐adjusted life years (QALYs) between intervention groups. Bootstrapped data suggest the PI had a higher probability of lower cost and greater QALYs for both carers and patients with high distress at baseline. For patients with low levels of distress at baseline, the PI had a higher probability of greater QALYs but at additional cost. Sensitivity analysis showed the results were robust.ConclusionsThe PI may be cost‐effective compared with the nurse‐led, minimal contact self‐management condition for highly distressed cancer patients and carers. More intensive psychological intervention for patients with greater levels of distress appears warranted. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.