bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
A comprehensive review of adherence to diabetes and cardiovascular medications in Iran; implications for practice and research
Authors: Sarayani Amir , Jahangard-Rafsanjani Zahra , Hadjibabaie Molouk , Ahmadvand Alireza , Javadi Mohammadreza , Gholami Kheirollah 
Published: December 2013

AbstractTreatment of diseases such as diabetes mellitus and cardiovascular disorders are highly dependent on medications and particularly adherence to medications to achieve optimal pharmacotherapy outcomes. Several factors can affect a patient’s adherence including: knowledge and beliefs about their illness and medications, concomitant psychological disorders, type of therapeutic regimen, and lack of access to medicines. In Iran, a middle income country, essential medicines are highly available and affordable. However, adherence to medications has not been emphasized especially for patients with diabetes and cardiovascular diseases. In the present study, we reviewed the available literature on adherence to medications used to treat diabetes and cardiovascular disorders in Iran. We systematically searched Scopus, Web of Science, PubMed, CINAHL, Google Scholar, Scientific Information Database, and IranMedex using a highly sensitive protocol on July 2012. We retrieved 1003 citations; and two independent researchers screened them for relevant publications. Studies were included if they reported rate or determinants of adherence to diabetes mellitus and cardiovascular medications. Trials on improving interventions were also included. The quality of studies was assessed using appropriate guidelines. Fourteen studies were eligible for data extraction and review. The definition of adherence and the measurement tools used were unclear among studies. Methodological caveats including inappropriate sample size, sampling methods, inclusion/exclusion criteria, and high rate of loss to follow-up were also observed. Nevertheless, adherence rate was reported to be 62.8-86.3% for oral hypoglycemic medications and 38.8-60.0% for cardiovascular medicines. Forgetfulness, lack of knowledge about medical condition and prescribed medications, and concerns about medications efficacy and side effects were consistently reported as barriers to adherence. Patient education plus telephone or short message service follow-ups were reported to improve adherence to oral hypo-glycemic medications. We did not find any high quality trials on adherence to cardiovascular medicines. In conclusion, adherence to cardiovascular and diabetes medications is not assured in Iranian patients. Based on the available literature, patient education and reinforcement interventions are required to address this issue. Future studies should employ careful designs and standard tools for assessment of adherence to medications.
The National Institutes of Health Microphysiological Systems Program focuses on a critical challenge in the drug discovery pipeline
Authors: Sutherland Margaret L , Fabre Kristin M , Tagle Danilo A 
Published: December 2013

AbstractThe National Institutes of Health has partnered with the US Food and Drug Administration and the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency to accelerate the development of human microphysiological systems (MPS) that address challenges faced in predictive toxicity assessment and efficacy analysis of new molecular entities during the preclinical phase of drug development. Use of human MPS could provide better models for predicting the efficacy of new molecular entities in clinical trials. It is also anticipated that improvements in predicting drug toxicities early in the drug development process through the use of MPS or human organs-on-a-chip will decrease the need to withdraw new therapies from the market and minimize or eliminate deaths due to unidentified drug toxicities.
Biological vulnerability to depression: linked structural and functional brain network findings
Authors: Nixon N. L. , Liddle P. F. , Nixon E. , Worwood G. , Liotti M. , Palaniyappan L. 
Published: December 2013

BackgroundPatients in recovery following episodes of major depressive disorder (MDD) remain highly vulnerable to future recurrence. Although psychological determinants of this risk are well established, little is known about associated biological mechanisms. Recent work has implicated the default mode network (DMN) in this vulnerability but specific hypotheses remain untested within the high risk, recovered state of MDD.AimsTo test the hypothesis that there is excessive DMN functional connectivity during task performance within recovered-state MDD and to test for connected DMN cortical gyrification abnormalities.MethodA multimodal structural and functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) study, including task-based functional connectivity and cortical folding analysis, comparing 20 recovered-state patients with MDD with 20 matched healthy controls.ResultsThe MDD group showed significant task-based DMN hyperconnectivity, associated with hypogyrification of key DMN regions (bilateral precuneus).ConclusionsThis is the first evidence of connected structural and functional DMN abnormalities in recovered-state MDD, supporting recent hypotheses on biological-level vulnerability.
Multidimensional Treatment Foster Care for Adolescents in English care: randomised trial and observational cohort evaluation
Authors: Green J. M. , Biehal N. , Roberts C. , Dixon J. , Kay C. , Parry E. , Rothwell J. , Roby A. , Kapadia D. , Scott S. , Sinclair I. 
Published: December 2013

BackgroundChildren in care often have poor outcomes. There is a lack of evaluative research into intervention options.AimsTo examine the efficacy of Multidimensional Treatment Foster Care for Adolescents (MTFC-A) compared with usual care for young people at risk in foster care in England.MethodA two-arm single (assessor) blinded randomised controlled trial (RCT) embedded within an observational quasi-experimental case–control study involving 219 young people aged 11–16 years (trial registration: ISRCTN 68038570). The primary outcome was the Child Global Assessment Scale (CGAS). Secondary outcomes were ratings of educational attendance, achievement and rate of offending.ResultsThe MTFC-A group showed a non-significant improvement in CGAS outcome in both the randomised cohort (n= 34, adjusted mean difference 1.3, 95% CI −7.1 to 9.7,P= 0.75) and in the trimmed observational cohort (n= 185, adjusted mean difference 0.95, 95% CI −2.38 to 4.29,P= 0.57). No significant effects were seen in secondary outcomes. There was a possible differential effect of the intervention according to antisocial behaviour.ConclusionsThere was no evidence that the use of MTFC-A resulted in better outcomes than usual care. The intervention may be more beneficial for young people with antisocial behaviour but less beneficial than usual treatment for those without.
Reversal and Relapse of Hypogonadotropic Hypogonadism: Resilience and Fragility of the Reproductive Neuroendocrine System
Authors: Sidhoum Valerie F. , Chan Yee-Ming , Lippincott Margaret F. , Balasubramanian Ravikumar , Quinton Richard , Plummer Lacey , Dwyer Andrew , Pitteloud Nelly , Hayes Frances J. , Hall Janet E. , Martin Kathryn A. , Boepple Paul A. , Seminara Stephanie B. 
Published: December 2013

Context:
A subset of patients diagnosed with idiopathic hypogonadotropic hypogonadism (IHH) later achieves activation of their hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal axis with normalization of steroidogenesis and/or gametogenesis, a phenomenon termed reversal.

Objective:
The objective of this study was to determine the natural history of reversal and to identify associated phenotypes and genotypes.

Design, Setting, and Subjects:
This was a retrospective review of clinical, biochemical, and genetic features of patients with IHH evaluated at an academic medical center.

Main Outcome Measures:
History of spontaneous fertility, regular menses, testicular growth, or normalization of serum sex steroids, LH secretory profiles, brain imaging findings, and sequences of 14 genes associated with IHH were reviewed.

Results:
Of 308 patients with IHH, 44 underwent reversal. Time-to-event analysis estimated a lifetime incidence of reversal of 22%. There were no differences in the rates of cryptorchidism, micropenis, or partial pubertal development in patients with reversal vs IHH patients without reversal. Fifteen patients with reversal (30%) had Kallmann syndrome (IHH and anosmia); one had undetectable olfactory bulbs on a brain magnetic resonance imaging scan. Subjects with reversal were enriched for mutations affecting neurokinin B signaling compared with a cohort of IHH patients without reversal (10% vs 3%, P = .044), had comparable frequencies of mutations in FGFR1, PROKR2, and GNRHR, and had no mutations in KAL1. Five men did not sustain their reversal and again developed hypogonadotropism.

Conclusions:
Reversal of IHH may be more widespread than previously appreciated and occurs across a broad range of genotypes and phenotypes. Enrichment for mutations that disrupt neurokinin B signaling in patients who reversed indicates that, despite the importance of this signaling pathway for normal pubertal timing, its function is dispensable later in life. The occurrence of reversal in a patient with no olfactory bulbs demonstrates that these structures are not essential for normal reproductive function. Patients with IHH require lifelong monitoring for reversal and, if reversal occurs, subsequent relapse also may occur.
Preparation of Aqueous Carbon Material Suspensions by Aqueous Counter Collision
Authors: Kawano Yohei , Kondo Tetsuo 
Published: December 2013

Abstract
Aqueous dispersions of hyperhydrophobic fullerene C60, multiwalled carbon nanotubes, and graphite were prepared. This was achieved by the aqueous counter collision method, designed to fabricate nanofibers and nanoparticles. Dispersions of carbon materials could be prepared by collision from two high-speed water jets. The dispersed states of the materials differed significantly, presumably because of the different nanoscale configurations of the materials.
Theoretical Investigation of the Dependence of Exchange Interaction on Dihedral Angle between Two Aromatic Rings in a Wire Unit
Authors: Nishizawa Shohei , Hasegawa Jun-ya , Matsuda Kenji 
Published: December 2013

Abstract
The dependence of intramolecular exchange interaction on dihedral angle between two aromatic rings in a wire unit was investigated by using broken-symmetry UDFT (BS-UDFT) calculation. Biphenyl rings and 2,2′-bithiophene rings were used for molecular rods and nitronyl nitroxide and verdazyl were chosen as organic radical species. The exchange interaction was proportional to cos2 θ where θ is the dihedral angle between two aromatic rings. This result shows good agreement with the dependence of conductance on dihedral angle between two phenyl rings. Our calculation strongly suggests the similarity of molecular conductance and intramolecular exchange interaction and reinforced the existence of an electron-tunneling mechanism underlying two physical properties.
Redox-active Hydroxy-TEMPO Radical Immobilized in Nafion Layer for an Aqueous Electrolyte-based and Dye-sensitized Solar Cell
Authors: Kato Ryo , Kato Fumiaki , Oyaizu Kenichi , Nishide Hiroyuki 
Published: December 2013

Abstract
A hydrophilic nitroxide radical molecule, 4-hydroxy-2,2,6,6-tetramethylpiperidinoxyl (TEMPOL), was immobilized in a Nafion layer yielding a redox-active modified electrode which enhanced the reduction peak current: The modified electrode and the TEMPOL aqueous electrolyte were applied in a dye-sensitized solar cell to achieve a 2.1% conversion efficiency.
Rapid and inexpensive body fluid identification by RNA profiling-based multiplex High Resolution Melt (HRM) analysis
Authors: Hanson Erin K. , Ballantyne Jack 
Published: December 2013

Positive identification of the nature of biological material present on evidentiary items can be crucial for understanding the circumstances surrounding a crime. However, traditional protein-based methods do not permit the identification of all body fluids and tissues, and thus molecular based strategies for the conclusive identification of all forensically relevant biological fluids and tissues need to be developed. Messenger RNA (mRNA) profiling is an example of such a molecular-based approach. Current mRNA body fluid identification assays involve capillary electrophoresis (CE) or quantitative RT-PCR (qRT-PCR) platforms, each with its own limitations. Both platforms require the use of expensive fluorescently labeled primers or probes. CE-based assays require separate amplification and detection steps thus increasing the analysis time. For qRT-PCR assays, only 3-4 markers can be included in a single reaction since each requires a different fluorescent dye.To simplify mRNA profiling assays, and reduce the time and cost of analysis, we have developed single- and multiplex body fluid High Resolution Melt (HRM) assays for the identification of common forensically relevant biological fluids and tissues. The incorporated biomarkers include IL19 (vaginal secretions), IL1F7 (skin), ALAS2 (blood), MMP10 (menstrual blood), HTN3 (saliva) and TGM4 (semen). The HRM assays require only unlabeled PCR primers and a single saturating intercalating fluorescent dye (Eva Green). Each body-fluid-specific marker can easily be identified by the presence of a distinct melt peak. Usually, HRM assays are used to detect variants or isoforms for a single gene target. However, we have uniquely developed duplex and triplex HRM assays to permit the simultaneous detection of multiple targets per reaction. Here we describe the development and initial performance evaluation of the developed HRM assays. The results demonstrate the potential use of HRM assays for rapid, and relatively inexpensive, screening of biological evidence.
Cradle-to-Gate Life-Cycle Assessment of a Glued-Laminated Wood Product from Quebec's Boreal Forest
Authors: Laurent Achille-B , Gaboury Simon , Wells Jean-Robert , Bonfils Sibi , Boucher Jean-François , Sylvie Bouchard , D'Amours Sophie , Villeneuve Claude 
Published: December 2013

Abstract
The building sector is increasingly identified as being energy and carbon intensive. Although the majority of emissions are linked to energy usage during the operation part of a building's life cycle, choice of construction materials could play a significant role in reducing greenhouse gas emissions and other environmental end-point damages. Increasing the use of wood products in buildings may contribute to the solution, but their environmental impacts are difficult to assess and quantify because they depend on a variety of uncertain parameters. The present cradle-to-gate life-cycle analysis (LCA) focuses exclusively on a glued-laminated wood product (glulam) produced from North American boreal forests located in the province of Quebec, Canada. This study uses primary data to quantify the environmental impacts of all necessary stages of products' life cycle, from harvesting the primary resources, to manufacturing the transformed product into glulam. The functional unit is 1 m3 of glulam. This is the first study based on primary data pertaining to Quebec's boreal forest. Quebec's boreal glulam manufacturing was compared with two other LCAs on glulam in Europe and the United States. Our results show that Quebec's glulam has a significantly smaller environmental footprint than what is reported in the literature. From an LCA perspective, there is a significant advantage to producing glulam in Quebec, compared with the European and American contexts. The same holds true in regard to the four end-point damage categories.
Emissions from Biomass in a Rotary Dryer
Authors: Milota Michael R 
Published: December 2013

Abstract
Air emissions can be a limiting factor in obtaining the required permits to operate a plant when biomass is dried prior to further processing. Aged ponderosa pine, fresh ponderosa pine, Douglas-fir, and juniper were rotary dried to final moisture contents of 10 to 25 percent. The drum of the dryer was heated to temperatures of 200°C to 425°C. Total hydrocarbon emissions and the emission of various compounds were measured. While wood type strongly influenced emission levels, they were not strongly correlated with temperature or final moisture content. Total hydrocarbon emissions ranged from 0.10 to 0.25 g·kg−1 of ovendry biomass for aged material to 6.9 g·kg−1 for fresh material. Ethanol emissions averaged 7,621 and 2,591 mg·kg−1 for the fresh pine and the Douglas-fir, respectively, compared with less than 30 mg·kg−1 for the aged material. Acetic acid emissions were also greatest for the fresh pine.
Titanium Hafnium Oxide Alloy Films by a Novel Sub-Atomic Layer Sputtering Process for High Index and Graded Index Applications
Authors: Kobayashi Nobuhiko P. , Demaray R. Ernest , Zhang Junce , Norris Kate J. , Fryauf David M. , Díaz León Juan J. , Flores Amanda , Mullapdi Ravi , Arunagiri Tana , Lu Lai 
Published: December 2013

ABSTRACTWe studied physical properties of titanium hafnium oxide (TixHf1-xO2) alloy thin films deposited by pulsed DC reactive magnetron sputtering with AC substrate bias. Thin films of two end oxides, hafnium oxides (HfO2) and titanium oxides (TiO2), and their alloys TixHf1-xO2 with a range of compositions deposited with and without the substrate bias were compared to study the dependence of physical properties of the thin films on the substrate bias. Structural, chemical and optical properties of the thin films were analyzed to assess inter-relationship among these properties. Thin films deposited with the AC substrate bias consistently show much higher refractive index and significantly lower optical extinction coefficient than those of thin films deposited without the substrate bias suggesting that characteristic microstructures developed in these thin films are responsible for the differences in the optical properties.
Physicochemical and electrochemical properties of imidazolium ionic liquids: Cycling performance of low cost lithium ion batteries with LiFePO4 cathode
Authors: Srour Hassan. , Rouault Hélene. , Santini Catherine C. 
Published: December 2013

ABSTRACTThis manuscript reports investigation conducted on room temperature ionic liquids (RTILs) C1CnImNTf2/n=4, 6 in order to use it as electrolyte solvent in lithium ion battery. The ionic conductivity, viscosity, ion self-diffusion coefficients, and electrochemical stability in C1CnImNTf2 are presented. A solution of C1CnImNTf2/n=4, 6 containing 1.6 mol.L-1 of LiNTf2 has been used as the electrolyte in a Li-ion battery with graphite and LiFePO4 as respectively negative and positive active materials. [Li][C1C6Im][NTf2] shows the best cycling performance: a capacity up to 120 mAh.g-1 at C/10 rate at 25°C.
THE MECHANICAL PROPERTIES OF POROUS ALUMINUM USING FINITE ELEMENT METHOD SIMULATIONS AND COMPRESSION EXPERIMENTS
Authors: Larner Max , Dávila Lilian P. 
Published: December 2013

ABSTRACTLightweight porous metallic materials are generally created through specialized processing techniques. Their unique structure gives these materials interesting properties which allow them to be used in diverse structural and insulation applications. In particular, highly porous Al structures (Al foams) have been used in aircraft components and sound insulation; however due to the difficulty in processing and random nature of the foams, they are not well understood and thus they have not yet been utilized to their full potential. The objective of this project was to determine whether a relationship exists between the relative density (porous density/bulk density) and the mechanical properties of porous Al structures. For this purpose, a combination of computer simulations and experiments was pursued to better understand possible relationships. A Finite Element Method (FEM)-based software, COMSOL Multiphysics 4.3, was used to model the structure and to simulate the mechanical behavior of porous Al structures under compressive loads ranging from 1-100 MPa. From these simulated structures, the maximum von Mises stress, volumetric strain, and other properties were calculated. These simulation results were compared against data from compression experiments performed using the Instron Universal Testing Machine (IUTM) on porous Al specimens created via a computernumerically-controlled (CNC) mill. CES EduPack software, a materials design program, was also used to estimate the mechanical properties of porous Al and open cell foams for values not available experimentally, and for comparison purposes. This program allowed for accurate prediction of the mechanical properties for a given percent density foam, and also provided a baseline for the solid Al samples tested. The main results from experiments were that the Young’s moduli (E) for porous Al samples (55.8% relative density) were 15.9-16.6 GPa depending on pore diameter, which is in good agreement with the CES EduPack predictions; while the compressive strengths (σc) were 155-185 MPa, higher than those predicted by CES EduPack. The results from the FEM simulations using 3D models (55.8% relative density) revealed the onset of yielding at 13.5-14.0 MPa, which correlates well with CES EduPack data. Overall results indicated that a combination of experiments and FEM simulations can be used to calculate structure-property relationships and to predict yielding and failure, which may help in the pursuit of simulation-based design of metallic foams. In the future, more robust modeling and simulation techniques will be explored, as well as investigating closed cell Al foams and different porous geometries (nm to micron). This study can help to improve the current methods of characterizing porous materials and enhance knowledge about their properties for alternative energy applications, while promoting their design through integrated approaches.
The effect of reactive ion etching parameters on the electrical properties and the removal of residual organics in spin-coated colloidal ITO films
Authors: Joshi Salil M. , Gerhardt Rosario A. 
Published: December 2013

ABSTRACTSpheroidal colloidal indium tin oxide (ITO) nanoparticles, about 6 nm in diameter, were synthesized in-house and films were fabricated from them on glass substrates by spin coating. These films had high electrical resistivity due to the presence of organic capping ligands around each nanoparticle. Although high temperature annealing has been shown to reduce film resistivity by over eight orders of magnitude, lower temperature processing is desirable for applications like flexible electronics. Colloidal ITO films were subjected to a series of alternating RIE treatments in oxygen (5 minutes duration per cycle) and in argon (1 minute duration per cycle); and parameters such as gas pressure, RIE power and number of cycles were varied. These RIE treatments were found to reduce the film resistivity significantly. Among the parameters studied, gas pressure during RIE was found to be the most important parameter that determined the effectiveness of the treatment. Residual carbon content variation characterization done by XPS depth profiles also indicated similar trends.