bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Validation of a self‐administered instrument to measure adherence to anticholinergic drugs in women with overactive bladder
Authors: Andy Uduak U. , Harvie Heidi S. , Smith Ariana L. , Propert Kathleen J. , Bogner Hillary R. , Arya Lily A. 
Published: April 2014

AimTo validate a self‐administered instrument, the Medication Adherence Self‐Report Inventory (MASRI) for measuring adherence to anti‐cholinergic medication for overactive bladder (OAB).MethodsProspective study in 131 women with OAB treated with fesoterodine. Adherence was measured at 8 and 12 weeks using an interviewer administered brief medication questionnaire (BMQ) that assesses barriers to adherence (criterion standard), the MASRI, and pill count. Construct, concurrent and discriminant validity of the MASRI was assessed. We hypothesized that women who were non‐adherent as measured by the MASRI would be more likely to have a belief barrier than women who were adherent to medication.ResultsWomen diagnosed as non‐adherent by the MASRI were more likely to report a belief barrier to taking medication as compared to adherent women at 8 weeks (80% vs. 38%,P < 0.001) and at 12 weeks (70% vs. 40%,P = 0.003). Significant correlations were noted between adherence rates measured by the MASRI and the BMQ at 8 weeks (r = 0.87,P < 0.001) and 12 weeks (r = 0.90,P < 0.001). Moderate correlation was noted between the adherence rate as measured by the MASRI and pill count at 8 weeks (r = 0.49,P = 0.02) but not at 12 weeks (r = 0.05,P = 0.87). The MASRI correctly identified 93% and 96% of non‐adherent women at 8 and 12 weeks, respectively. Sensitivity, specificity, and positive likelihood ratio of the MASRI for predicting non‐adherence was 91%, 82%, and 5.1 at 8 weeks and 90%, 85% and 6.1 at 12 weeks.ConclusionsThe MASRI is a valid self‐administered tool for measuring adherence to anti‐cholinergic medication in women with OAB.Neurourol. Urodynam. 34:424–428, 2015. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Scurvy‐related Morbidity and Death among Christopher Columbus' Crew at La Isabela, the First European Town in the New World (1494–1498): An Assessment of the Skeletal and Historical Information
Authors: Tiesler V. , Coppa A. , Zabala P. , Cucina A. 
Published: April 2014

AbstractThis article explores the living conditions and specifically the possible etiologies of subperiosteal reactions among those seafarers who did not survive Christopher Columbus' second voyage to the Americas and died at La Isabela, the first permanent European settlement in the New World, which is located in the present‐day Dominican Republic. The town was founded in 1494 by Christopher Columbus (1451–1506) and occupied for only 4 years. This study analyses the macroscopic and histological evidence of the skeletal series excavated from this contact cemetery, which is presently curated at the Museo del Hombre Dominicano. Twenty of the 27 systematically scored individuals reveal subperiosteal bone accretions, and in at least 15 individuals, these accretions appear bilaterally. The morphology, distribution and healing stages of the majority of these lesions provide new, direct evidence suggesting severe adult scurvy, a condition caused by sustained vitamin C deprivation, which was common among seafarers before the 18th century. The historical context surrounding the individuals' death at the European contact settlement and the conditions and duration of Christopher Columbus' second transatlantic voyage to the New World represent key elements in the interpretation of these lesions. In this case, the evidence also corroborates the known failure of Columbus' crew to exploit the locally available foods rich in vitamin C. Scurvy probably contributed significantly to the outbreak of sickness and collective death within the first months of La Isabela's settlement, an aspect that inflects the current discussion about the degree of virulence of New World infections that decimated the European newcomers, who we conclude to have been already debilitated and exhausted by scurvy and general malnutrition. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Synthesis of polydiphenylamine with tunable size and shape via emulsion polymerization
Authors: Permpool Tharaporn , Sirivat Anuvat , Aussawasathien Darunee 
Published: April 2014

AbstractThe emulsion polymerization process was used in the synthesis of polydiphenylamine (PDPA) to obtain new morphologies, and the effects of surfactant types − anionic, cationic, non‐ionic − and surfactant concentrations were investigated with the roles of a template and a dopant. Scanning electron microscopy images indicated differentPDPAmorphologies depending on the surfactant type. The new morphological structures of the obtained PDPA were leaf‐like, coral‐reef‐like and red‐blood‐cell‐like, which have not been synthesized or seen before. The agglomeration of each nanoparticle is in the range of 50 nm to 500 nm depending on the surfactant type. The structure characterizations carried out by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, X‐ray diffractometry andUV−visible spectroscopy confirm the incorporation of surfactant in thePDPA. The electrical conductivity values of thePDPAwith surfactants are higher than that without a surfactant by four orders of magnitude and are consistent with the resultant smaller particle sizes and narrower optical band gap as calculated fromUV−visible data. To induce higher electrical conductivity ofPDPA, various dopants were used. However, the thermal stability of thePDPAis lower than that of conventional microscopicPDPA(cPDPA) due to the larger surface area ofPDPAwhich can decompose more easily. © 2014 Society of Chemical Industry
Synthesis and microphase separation of polystyrene‐b‐polylactide block copolymers aimed at preparation of ordered nanoparticle/block copolymer hybrid materials
Authors: Hou Xiaodong , Li Qiaobo , Cao Amin 
Published: April 2014

AbstractA new nanoparticle/block copolymer (NP/BCP) hybrid material combining the unique properties of BCP poly(styrene)‐b‐poly(d‐lactide) (PS‐b‐PDLA) and inorganic NP quantum dots CdSe was developed. A systematic study on the microphase separation of a series of PS‐b‐PDLAs by small‐angle X‐ray scattering showed that the degree of order of the separated microdomains depended on the initial state of the BCP and the measurement temperature and can be improved through isothermal crystallization of PDLA, thermal annealing and shear field etc. Incorporating a small amount of NPs into the BCP matrix can improve the mobility of the polymer chains and thus promote self‐assembly of the BCP, which leads to hierarchically ordered structures. Excess NPs, however, cannot be completely incorporated into the PDLA domains, resulting in the phase transformation of the BCP, destruction of the ordered structure and even macroscopic phase separation due to the aggregation of NPs. An important observation is that stereocomplexation between PDLA and poly(l‐lactide) could provide a driving force to promote microphase separation of the BCP. The strategy presented in the current work has potential applications for developing highly ordered NP/BCP hybrid materials. © 2014 Society of Chemical Industry
Condensed Phase Behavior in the Combustion of Ammonium Dinitramide
Authors: Fujisato Koji , Habu Hiroto , Hori Keiichi 
Published: April 2014

AbstractThis paper reports on the thermal and combustion behaviors of ammonium dinitramide (ADN). The thermal behavior is measured by a pressure thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) at pressures below 8 MPa. The burning rates of pure ADN and ADN/ammonium nitrate (AN) mixtures are measured in the range 0.2–12 MPa, and the burning temperature profiles are obtained using thermocouples with diameters of 5 and 25 μm. This report mainly focuses on the condensed‐phase behavior in the vicinity of a burning surface. The temperature profiles are complicated because the ADN decomposition and AN dissociation compete during the condensed phase, and the bubbles of the decomposition gas and gas‐phase flame also affect the surface temperature. AN addition helps to understand the effects of AN during the condensed phase, and it was shown that the burning temperature rises to the critical temperature of AN. Based on these experimental results, the pressure dependency of the burning rates is also discussed.
Assessment of differences in the conformational flexibility of hepatitis B virus core‐antigen and e‐antigen by hydrogen deuterium exchange‐mass spectrometry
Authors: Bereszczak Jessica Z. , Watts Norman R. , Wingfield Paul T. , Steven Alasdair C. , Heck Albert J. R. 
Published: April 2014

AbstractHepatitis B virus core‐antigen (capsid protein) and e‐antigen (an immune regulator) have almost complete sequence identity, yet the dimeric proteins (termed Cp149d and Cp(−10)149d, respectively) adopt quite distinct quaternary structures. Here we use hydrogen deuterium exchange‐mass spectrometry (HDX‐MS) to study their structural properties. We detect many regions that differ substantially in their HDX dynamics. Significantly, whilst all regions in Cp(−10)149d exchange by EX2‐type kinetics, a number of regions in Cp149d were shown to exhibit a mixture of EX2‐ and EX1‐type kinetics, hinting at conformational heterogeneity in these regions. Comparison of the HDX of the free Cp149d with that in assembled capsids (Cp149c) indicated increased resistance to exchange at the C‐terminus where the inter‐dimer contacts occur. Furthermore, evidence of mixed exchange kinetics were not observed in Cp149c, implying a reduction in flexibility upon capsid formation. Cp(−10)149d undergoes a drastic structural change when the intermolecular disulphide bridge is reduced, adopting a Cp149d‐like structure, as evidenced by the detected HDX dynamics being more consistent with Cp149d in many, albeit not all, regions. These results demonstrate the highly dynamic nature of these similar proteins. To probe the effect of these structural differences on the resulting antigenicity, we investigated binding of the antibody fragment (Fab E1) that is known to bind a conformational epitope on the four‐helix bundle. Whilst Fab E1 binds to Cp149c and Cp149d, it does not bind non‐reduced and reduced Cp(−10)149d, despite unhindered access to the epitope. These results imply a remarkable sensitivity of this epitope to its structural context.
Vaccine for human contraception targeting sperm Izumo protein and YLP12 dodecamer peptide
Authors: Naz Rajesh K. 
Published: April 2014

AbstractThere is an urgent need to develop a better method of contraception which is non‐steroidal and reversible to control world population explosion and unintended pregnancies. Contraceptive vaccines (CV), especially targeting sperm‐specific proteins, can provide an ideal contraceptive modality. Sperm‐specific proteins can induce an immune response in women as well as men, thus can be used for CV development in both sexes. In this article, we will review two sperm‐specific proteins, namely Izumo protein and YLP12 dodecamer peptide. Gene‐knockout studies indicate that Izumo protein is essential for sperm–egg membrane fusion. Vaccination with Izumo protein or its cDNA causes a significant reduction in fertility of female mice. The antibodies to human Izumo inhibit human sperm penetration assay. Recently, our laboratory found that a significant percentage of infertile women have antibodies to Izumo protein. The second sperm‐specific protein is YLP12, a peptide mimetic sequence present on human sperm involved in recognition and binding to the human oocyte zona pellucida. Vaccination with YLP12 or its cDNA causes long‐term, reversible contraception, without side effects, in female mice. Infertile, but not fertile, men and women have antibodies to YLP12 peptide. Our laboratory has isolated, cloned, and sequenced cDNA encoding human single chain variable fragment (scFv) antibody from infertile men which reacts with YLP12 peptide. The human YLP12 scFv antibody may provide a novel passive immunocontraceptive, the first of its kind. In conclusion, sperm‐specific Izumo protein and YLP12 peptide can provide exciting candidates for antisperm CV development.
Clinical presentation of prostate cancer in Black South Africans
Authors: Tindall Elizabeth A. , Monare L. Richard , Petersen Desiree C. , van Zyl Smit , Hardie Rae‐Anne , Segone Alpheus M. , Venter Philip A. , Bornman M.S. Riana , Hayes Vanessa M. 
Published: April 2014

BACKGROUNDCompared with White Americans, Black American men are at a significant increased risk of presenting with prostate cancer (PCa) and associated mortality, suggesting a link to African‐ancestry. However, PCa status within Africa is largely unknown. We address the clinical presentation of PCa within Black South African men.METHODSOver 1,000 participants with or without PCa have enrolled in the Southern African Prostate Cancer Study (SAPCS). Using genome‐wide profiling we establish a unique within Africa population substructure. Adjusting for age, clinical variables were assessed, compared against Black Americans and between rural and urban localities while addressing potential socio‐demographic confounders.RESULTSWe report a significant difference in the distribution of prostate specific antigen (PSA) levels skewed towards higher PSA levels in the PCa cases (83.0% present with a PSA ≥ 20 µg/L; median PSA = 98.8 µg/L) relative to men with no detectable PCa (18.5% present with a PSA ≥ 20 µg/L; median PSA = 9.1 µg/L). Compared with Black Americans, Black South Africans presented with significantly more aggressive disease defined by Gleason score >7 (17% and 36%, respectively) and PSA ≥ 20 µg/L (17.2% and 83.2%, respectively). We report exasperated disease aggression defined by Gleason score >7 (P = 0.0042) and poorly differentiated tumor grade (P < 0.0001) within rural versus urban localities.CONCLUSIONBlack South African men present with higher PSA levels and histopathological tumor grade compared with Black Americans, which is further escalated in men from rural localities. Our data suggests that lack of PSA testing may be contributing to an aggressive PCa disease phenotype within South African men. Prostate 74:880–891, 2014. © 2014 The Authors. Prostate published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Assessment of fully automated antibody homology modeling protocols in molecular operating environment
Authors: Maier Johannes K. X. , Labute Paul 
Published: April 2014

ABSTRACTThe success of antibody‐based drugs has led to an increased demand for predictive computational tools to assist antibody engineering efforts surrounding the six hypervariable loop regions making up the antigen binding site. Accurate computational modeling of isolated protein loop regions can be quite difficult; consequently, modeling an antigen binding site that includes six loops is particularly challenging. In this work, we present a method for automatic modeling of the FV region of an immunoglobulin based upon the use of a precompiled antibody x‐ray structure database, which serves as a source of framework and hypervariable region structural templates that are grafted together. We applied this method (on common desktop hardware) to the Second Antibody Modeling Assessment (AMA‐II) target structures as well as an experimental specialized CDR‐H3 loop modeling method. The results of the computational structure predictions will be presented and discussed. Proteins 2014; 82:1599–1610. © 2014 The Authors. Proteins published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
CoFeCu electroplated nanowire arrays: Role of composition and annealing on structure and magnetic properties
Authors: Bran Cristina , Palmero Ester M. , del Real Rafael P. , Vazquez Manuel 
Published: April 2014

CoxFe100−x and CoxFe95−xCu5, with 30 < x < 90, arrays of nanowire, around 20 nm in diameter and about 5 μm long, have been prepared by electrodeposition filling the self‐assembled nanopores of anodic alumina templates. These samples were later thermally annealed for 2 h in the range of temperatures up to 600 °C. Crystalline anisotropy was confirmed to exhibit bcc cubic structure with [110] texture in as‐prepared state. First structural changes are observed after annealing at 450 °C when a refinement of such cubic phase is observed. Annealing at higher temperatures promotes the appearance of Co and Fe oxides. Small addition of Cu to CoFe alloys induces only limited variations in the magnetic properties for as‐prepared samples. Nevertheless, the presence of small Cu content promotes a significant magnetic hardening in comparison with the effect observed in CoFe nanowires. From the temperature dependence of magnetic properties in as‐prepared and annealed samples we conclude a complex contribution of various anisotropy energy terms coming from the annealing and from the presence of Cu.The presence of Cu in small amount induces significant changes in the magnetic properties of annealed CoFeCu nanowires.
The ICON (ICOsahedral Non‐hydrostatic) modelling framework of DWD and MPI‐M: Description of the non‐hydrostatic dynamical core
Authors: Zängl Günther , Reinert Daniel , Rípodas Pilar , Baldauf Michael 
Published: April 2014

AbstractThis article describes the non‐hydrostatic dynamical core developed for the ICOsahedral Non‐hydrostatic (ICON) modelling framework. ICON is a joint project of the German Weather Service (DWD) and the Max Planck Institute for Meteorology (MPI‐M), targeting a unified modelling system for global numerical weather prediction (NWP) and climate modelling. Compared with the existing models at both institutions, the main achievements of ICON are exact local mass conservation, mass‐consistent tracer transport, a flexible grid nesting capability and the use of non‐hydrostatic equations on global domains. The dynamical core is formulated on an icosahedral‐triangular Arakawa C grid. Achieving mass conservation is facilitated by a flux‐form continuity equation with density as the prognostic variable. Time integration is performed with a two‐time‐level predictor–corrector scheme that is fully explicit, except for the terms describing vertical sound‐wave propagation. To achieve competitive computational efficiency, time splitting is applied between the dynamical core on the one hand and tracer advection, physics parametrizations and horizontal diffusion on the other hand. A sequence of tests with varying complexity indicates that the ICON dynamical core combines high numerical stability over steep mountain slopes with good accuracy and reasonably low diffusivity. Preliminary NWP test suites initialized with interpolated analysis data reveal that the ICON modelling system already achieves better skill scores than its predecessor at DWD, the operational hydrostatic Global Model Europe (GME), and at the same time requires significantly fewer computational resources.
Redefining Neighborhoods Using Common Destinations: Social Characteristics of Activity Spaces and Home Census Tracts Compared
Authors: Jones Malia , Pebley Anne R. 
Published: April 2014

AbstractResearch on neighborhood effects has focused largely on residential neighborhoods, but people are exposed to many other places in the course of their daily lives—at school, at work, when shopping, and so on. Thus, studies of residential neighborhoods consider only a subset of the social-spatial environment affecting individuals. In this article, we examine the characteristics of adults’ “activity spaces”—spaces defined by locations that individuals visit regularly—in Los Angeles County, California. Using geographic information system (GIS) methods, we define activity spaces in two ways and estimate their socioeconomic characteristics. Our research has two goals. First, we determine whether residential neighborhoods represent the social conditions to which adults are exposed in the course of their regular activities. Second, we evaluate whether particular groups are exposed to a broader or narrower range of social contexts in the course of their daily activities. We find that activity spaces are substantially more heterogeneous in terms of key social characteristics, compared to residential neighborhoods. However, the characteristics of both home neighborhoods and activity spaces are closely associated with individual characteristics. Our results suggest that most people experience substantial segregation across the range of spaces in their daily lives, not just at home.
RISK ANALYSIS OF ANNUITY CONVERSION OPTIONS IN A STOCHASTIC MORTALITY ENVIRONMENT
Authors: Kling Alexander , Ruß Jochen , Schilling Katja 
Published: April 2014

AbstractWhile extensive literature exists on the valuation and risk management of financial guarantees embedded in insurance contracts, both the corresponding longevity guarantees and interactions between financial and longevity guarantees are often ignored. The present paper provides a framework for a joint analysis of financial and longevity guarantees, and applies this framework to different annuity conversion options in deferred unit-linked annuities. In particular, we analyze and compare different versions of so-called guaranteed annuity options and guaranteed minimum income benefits with respect to the value of the option and the resulting risk for the insurer. Furthermore, we examine whether and to what extent an insurance company is able to reduce the risk by typical risk management strategies. The analysis is based on a combined stochastic model for both financial market and future survival probabilities. We show that different annuity conversion options have significantly different option values, and that different risk management strategies lead to a significantly different risk for the insurance company.
Ali A. Mazrui, the Postcolonial Theorist
Authors: Adem Seifudein 
Published: April 2014

Abstract:The primary goal of this article is to examine why Ali A. Mazrui is a relatively obscure figure in postcolonial theory despite the outstanding contributions he has made to it. It argues that the explanation can be found in the nature of postcolonial theory itself, and in Mazrui’s perceived ideology and cultural identity. The article, then, introduces Mazrui’s theory of the “triple heritage,” his most innovative and, possibly, most enduring contribution to scholarship. It also explains the specificity of Mazrui’s brand of postcolonial theory as well as the complexity and breadth of his thinking about Africa in general.
Julius Nyerere, Ujamaa, and Political Morality in Contemporary Tanzania
Authors: Fouéré Marie-Aude 
Published: April 2014

Abstract:Since the 2000s, Tanzania has witnessed the return in the public sphere of a reconfigured version of Ujamaa as a set of moral principles embodied in the figure of the first president of Tanzania, Julius Kambarage Nyerere. The persisting traces of Nyerere and Ujamaa are not so evident in actual political practices or economic policies, but rather in collective debates about politics and morality—in short, in contemporary imaginaries of the nation. Contributing to a long-standing discussion of the moral stature of Tanzania’s “father of the nation,” the article explores how and why a shared historical memory of Nyerere is being built or contested to define, mediate, and construct Tanzanian conceptions of morality, belonging, and citizenship in the polis today.
Radio Call-In Shows on Intimate Issues in Benin: “Crossroads of Sentiments”
Authors: Grätz Tilo 
Published: April 2014

Abstract:The article focuses on the growing prevalence of radio call-in shows in the Republic of Benin that discuss topics such as sexuality and intimacy that are taboo in other settings. The popularity of this emerging format exemplifies current processes of appropriation of electronic media in West Africa, including its impact on contemporary public communication. The article argues that the current public prominence of these programs corresponds to considerable shifts in the media landscape that are enabled by a variety of factors, including an increasing expertise among presenters and technicians and the influence of mobile phones.