bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Thymectomy is safe for myasthenia gravis patients: Analysis of the NSQIP database
Authors: Alshaikh Jumana T. , Amdur Richard , Sidawy Anton , Trachiotis Gregory , Kaminski Henry J. 
Published: September 2015

ABSTRACTIntroduction: The aim of this study was to determine thymectomy‐associated morbidity and mortality outcomes among myasthenia gravis (MG) patients. Methods: Patients undergoing thymectomy were identified from the National Surgical Quality Improvement Program database from 2005 to 2012 using Current Procedural Terminology codes. Patient demographics, clinical characteristics, and postoperative outcomes were stratified by MG diagnosis. Logistic regression was used to identify predictors for morbidity outcomes. The chi‐square test was used to examine the association between MG diagnosis and surgical approach. Results: A total of 1,148 subjects underwent thymectomy, and 108 had MG. Compared with control subjects, MG patients had a more severe American Society of Anesthesiologists physical classification and frailty index score, greater corticosteroid usage, and a higher rate of reintubation. There were no deaths among MG patients. The majority of MG patients underwent transsternal thymectomy. Conclusion: Although patients with MG have a greater preoperative morbidity and a higher frequency of reintubation, thymectomy was found to be a safe procedure overall. Muscle Nerve 53: 370–374, 2016
A qualitative study of professional caregivers' perceptions of processes contributing to mealtime agitation in persons with dementia in nursing home wards and strategies to attain calmness
Authors: Bergland Ådel , Johansen Hilde , Sellevold Gerd Sylvi 
Published: September 2015

AbstractAimDescribe professional caregivers' perceptions of factors and processes contributing to mealtime agitation and strategies for attaining and maintaining calm mealtimes.DesignQualitative and descriptive.MethodsA convenience sample of professional caregivers working in two wards for residents with dementia was used. Data were collected during two focus‐group interviews and supplemented with field notes from six reflection groups. Thematic content analysis was conducted. Data collection occurred from 2010–2011.ResultsProfessional caregivers perceived agitation during mealtime as resulting from negative feelings in residents triggered by a lack of or negative social interaction, too much or ambiguous stimuli or demands exceeding residents' capacity. Strategies for attaining calm mealtimes involved thorough planning beforehand. During mealtime, professional caregivers focused on establishing a positive community around the table, helping residents focus on eating and continuously observing residents for subtle signals indicating that agitation was about to develop. The prerequisites to succeed with the strategies were knowledge of the residents' preferences and abilities, knowledge sharing within the team and awareness of one's own communication style. Thus, the professional caregivers operationalized person‐centred care in a mealtime context.
Thio‐bromo “Click,” post‐polymerization strategy for functionalizing ring opening metathesis polymerization (ROMP)‐derived materials
Authors: Ashok Kothapalli Venkata , Shetty Manasa , de los Santos Christopher , Hobbs Christopher E. 
Published: September 2015

ABSTRACTThe use of a thio‐bromo click strategy as an efficient postpolymerization tool is described. Norbornene derivatives bearing an α‐bromo ester could be polymerized using Grubbs 2nd generation initiator to provide α‐bromo ester‐containing homo‐and block copolymers that could be efficiently functionalized through reactions with various thiols. A one‐pot strategy was also used, in which up to four different thiols were reacted simultaneously. This chemistry could also be used as an efficient cross‐linking strategy to form ROMP‐based gels as well as a tool for terminal functionalization of polypropylene‐based oligomers. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Polym. Sci., Part A: Polym. Chem. 2016, 54, 179–185
SPSA‐NC: simultaneous perturbation stochastic approximation localization based on neighbor confidence
Authors: Azim Mohammad Abdul , Aung Zeyar , Xiao Weidong , Khadkikar Vinod , Jamalipour Abbas 
Published: September 2015

AbstractAccuracy is still the greatest challenge in the wireless sensor network localization efforts. Several diverse factors can give rise to localization errors. Modeling such diverse influencing factors to deliver a single, reasonably simple and practical solution is a difficult task. In order to address the problem of location inaccuracy, we propose a comparatively simple and ingenious approach, which is the simultaneous perturbation stochastic approximation (SPSA) localization engine. SPSA bypasses tedious modeling of the influencing factors where some of them are yet to be explored and random in nature. SPSA‐based localization estimates the non‐anchor node locations through minimizing the summation of estimated errors of all neighbors. However, the downside of SPSA is that it incurs errors in some specific relative neighborhood configurations often referred to as flip ambiguity. So, we further propose a solution to the flip ambiguity problem by implementing a constrained optimization with a penalty function method on the identified flip nodes. Most importantly, error propagation of the iterative localization algorithm is managed by incorporating a neighbor confidence matrix. We name this modified SPSA engine as simultaneous perturbation stochastic approximation by neighbor confidence (SPSA‐NC). Experimental results show that SPSA‐NC offers significantly better localization accuracy than its state‐of‐the‐art competitors, namely, simulated annealing and the ordinary SPSA. The SPSA‐NC program is available for downloading at http://www.dnagroup.org/SPSANC. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
The effect of different genome and cytoplasm on meiotic pairing in maize newly synthetic polyploids
Authors: Cheng Mingjun , Zheng Mingmin , Yang Shipeng , Li Yang , Dong Xingchun , Li Jing , Sun Rulong , Li Huaxiong , Zhou Shufeng , Wu Yuanqi , Rong Tingzhao , Tang Qilin 
Published: September 2015

Abstract
Allopolyploidization plays the special role in the evolution of many crops. Moreover, the evolution in early stage of some allopolyploidization events is predicted to be effected by nuclear-cytoplasmic interactions. Maize and teosintes are well model system for study of genetic recombination in allopolyploidization. In order to investigate the effects of genome organization and cytoplasm on genome evolution in newly synthesized allopolyploids (neoallopolyploids), a series of neoallopolyploids were produced by reciprocal crosses of maize and Zea perennis. By using dual-color genomic in situ hybridization, intra- and intergenomic meiosis pairing of these polyploids were quantified and compared with regard to its genome organization and cytoplasm background. In the four neoallopolyploids, the stability of maize genome is consistently lower than that of Z. perennis genome. Additional, the stability of maize genome is affected by genome ploidy. The cytoplasm, genome composition and their interaction do have the special role in chromosome paring and the meiosis behaviors in Zea allopolyploids vary significantly and showed non-diploidization. Z. perennis cytoplasm may give a relatively relaxed environment for maize genome.
Riparian land cover and land use effects on riverine epilithic fungal communities
Authors: Miura Aya , Urabe Jotaro 
Published: September 2015

AbstractAlthough fungi are important decomposers in lotic environments, few studies have investigated the spatial and temporal changes in epilithic fungal communities in rivers. If epilithic organisms grow using organic matter and nutrients ultimately discharge into rivers, it is likely that the taxonomic composition of epilithic fungal communities will change spatially depending on the land use and land cover (LULC) in the drainage area. To test this hypothesis, we examined the relationship between the taxonomic composition of fungi on cobbles and the LULC in the fall and in spring. The taxonomic composition of the epilithic fungi was significantly related to ambient water temperatures and concentrations of nutrients and dissolved organic carbon. Supporting our hypothesis, the taxonomic composition of the epilithic fungi differed largely among the reaches covered mainly by different forest types and land uses in both the fall and in spring. The results suggest that the quality of the dissolved organic matter differed among the catchment areas depending on the LULC. Further analyses indicated that the sum of the LULC and within‐river variables could explain 36.4 and 41.2 % of the spatial variation in the fungal taxonomic compositions in the fall and in spring, respectively. The LULC variables alone explained 16.1–18.7 % of the variations, and a similar percentage was found for within‐river variables. These results suggest that the organic matter from LULC was equally as important as physical and nutrient conditions in the ambient water for determining the community structure of epilithic fungi in rivers.
Elastohydrodynamic lubrication properties and friction behaviors of several ester base stocks
Authors: He Yifeng , Zolper Thomas J. , Liu Pinzhi , Zhao Yuzhen , He Xingliang , Shen Xuejin , Sun Hongwei , Duan Qinghua , Wang Qian 
Published: September 2015

Abstract
This paper reports a series of studies on the lubricant properties, elastohydrodynamic film thickness, and coefficients of friction of several commercially available ester base stocks, i.e., diisooctyl phthalate (DIOP), diisodecyl phthalate (DIDP), diisotridecyl phthalate (DITDP), diisooctyl sebacate (DOS), diisotridecyl sebacate (DTDS), trihydroxymethylpropyl trioleate (TMPTO), and pentaerythritol tetraoleate (PETO). The results include densities and viscosities from 303 to 398 K, and elastohydrodynamic lubricant film thicknesses and friction in the boundary, mixed and full-film lubrication regimes measured at several temperatures, loads, and speeds. These ester base stocks have different lubrication abilities owing to their chain lengths, geometric configurations, and molecular rigidity. This study provides quantitative insight into the use of ester-based lubricants for low friction through the entire lubrication regime (boundary to full film) by utilization of suitable type and size of the ester base stocks.
Cross-sectional and longitudinal comparisons of metabolic profiles between vegetarian and non-vegetarian subjects: a matched cohort study
Authors: Chiu Yen-Feng , Hsu Chih-Cheng , Chiu Tina H. T. , Lee Chun-Yi , Liu Ting-Ting , Tsao Chwen Keng , Chuang Su-Chun , Hsiung Chao A. 
Published: September 2015

AbstractSeveral previous cross-sectional studies have shown that vegetarians have a better metabolic profile than non-vegetarians, suggesting that a vegetarian dietary pattern may help prevent chronic degenerative diseases. However, longitudinal studies on the impact of vegetarian diets on metabolic traits are scarce. We studied how several sub-types of vegetarian diets affect metabolic traits, including waist circumference, BMI, systolic blood pressure (SBP), diastolic blood pressure, fasting blood glucose, total cholesterol (TC), HDL, LDL, TAG and TC:HDL ratio, through both cross-sectional and longitudinal study designs. The study used the MJ Health Screening database, with data collected from 1994 to 2008 in Taiwan, which included 4415 lacto-ovo-vegetarians, 1855 lacto-vegetarians and 1913 vegans; each vegetarian was matched with five non-vegetarians based on age, sex and study site. In the longitudinal follow-up, each additional year of vegan diet lowered the risk of obesity by 7 % (95 % CI 0·88, 0·99), whereas each additional year of lacto-vegetarian diet lowered the risk of elevated SBP by 8 % (95 % CI 0·85, 0·99) and elevated glucose by 7 % (95 % CI 0·87, 0·99), and each additional year of ovo-lacto-vegetarian diet increased abnormal HDL by 7 % (95 % CI 1·03, 1·12), compared with non-vegetarians. In the cross-sectional comparisons, all sub-types of vegetarians had lower likelihoods of abnormalities compared with non-vegetarians on all metabolic traits (P<0·001 for all comparisons), except for HDL and TAG. The better metabolic profile in vegetarians is partially attributable to lower BMI. With proper management of TAG and HDL, along with caution about the intake of refined carbohydrates and fructose, a plant-based diet may benefit all aspects of the metabolic profile.
A molecular framework for the identification of planthopper vectors (Hemiptera: Delphacidae) of central Argentina
Authors: Argüello Caro E.B. , Dumón A.D. , Mattio M.F , Alemandri V. , Truol G. 
Published: September 2015

AbstractPlanthoppers are important worldwide crop pests as well as vectors of numerous diseases. Different species transmit Mal de Río Cuarto virus, which causes the most economically important corn disease in central Argentina. Epidemiological studies rely on the accurate identification of the species present in the field. Presently, morphological identification of planthoppers requires taxonomic expertise and there are no taxonomic keys for females and nymphs. Nevertheless, no molecular protocols are available for accurate species identification of most frequent delphacid species from central Argentina. In this context, the aim of this study was to evaluate the utility of the cytochrome oxidase I gene (COI) as a DNA barcode and its digestion with restriction enzymes (Restriction Fragment Length Polymorphism, RFLP) for the identification of the most common species of planthoppers in central Argentina. We amplified and sequenced a 843 bp fragment of the COI gene of taxonomically identified specimens and evaluated its use as a DNA barcode. Restriction enzymes were also selected for digesting the COI fragment via RFLP. The high interspecific variability (20.79%; ± 2.32%) and low intraspecific divergence (0.12%; ± 0.17%) observed in the studied species, demonstrate the effectiveness of the COI gene for species identification of major vector delphacids affecting corn crops in Argentina. Moreover, the digestion of this COI gene fragment with Bfa I and Apo I enzymes allows a fast and cost-effective species identification method when numerous specimens need to be processed. Both molecular techniques developed here, allow the accurate identification of planthopper species at regional scale. These new tools would assist traditional identification of these insects, especially for aiding non-experts in morphological taxonomy.
THEMISTOCLES' TWO AFTERLIVES
Authors: McKechnie Paul 
Published: September 2015

‘All political lives…end in failure’, as Enoch Powell said; and Themistocles son of Neocles died twice. His first life ended with his ostracism in the late 470 s, after which he was dead to an Athens enthralled by Cimon; but he would not lie down. This article considers his two afterlives: one which ended about 459 in Magnesia on the Maeander, and the other which commenced in the fifth century but continues to resonate today. The examination, however, will be in reverse order, considering first the Themistocles who at Athens was written into what Tim Whitmarsh would call ‘the archive’, then drawing inferences from that literary afterlife to comment on Athenian politics in Themistocles’ years of ostracism, then exile.
A low-cost alternative for nasolaryngoscopy simulation training equipment: a randomised controlled trial
Authors: Johnston D I , Selimi V , Chang A , Smith M 
Published: September 2015

AbstractObjectives:Flexible nasolaryngoscopy is a key diagnostic procedure used in many specialities. Simulation-based teaching is beneficial for endoscopy training, but it is expensive. This study assessed whether an inexpensive simulation model is an effective training method for flexible nasolaryngoscopy.Methods:A three-armed, randomised, controlled trial was performed. One group received no simulation training, while two others were trained with either a high-cost or a low-cost model. All candidates then performed flexible nasolaryngoscopy on a volunteer. Their ability to perform this task was assessed by the patient discomfort score and time taken by a blinded expert.Results:Simulation-based teaching reduced patient discomfort and improved candidate skill level. Low-cost model training did not have a negative effect when compared with high-cost model training.Conclusion:Simulated flexible nasolaryngoscopy training may be more accessible with the use of an effective low-cost model.
How consistent are associations between stunting and child development? Evidence from a meta-analysis of associations between stunting and multidimensional child development in fifteen low- and middle-income countries
Authors: Miller Ann C , Murray Megan B , Thomson Dana R , Arbour Mary Catherine 
Published: September 2015

AbstractObjectiveDespite documented associations between stunting and cognitive development, few population-level studies have measured both indicators in individual children or assessed stunting’s associations with other developmental domains.DesignMeta-analysis using publicly available data from fifteen Multiple Indicator Cluster Surveys (MICS-4) to assess the association between stunting and development, controlling for maternal education, family wealth, books in the home, developmentally supportive parenting and sex of the child, stratified by country prevalence of breast-feeding (‘low BF’<90 %, ‘high BF’ ≥90 %). Ten-item Early Childhood Development Index (ECDI) scores assessed physical, learning, literacy/numeracy and socio-emotional developmental domains. Children on track in three or four domains were considered ‘on-track’ overall.SettingFifteen low- and middle-income countries.SubjectsPublically available data from 58 513 children aged 36–59 months.ResultsSevere stunting (height-for-age Z-score <−3) was negatively associated with on-track development (OR=0·75; 95 % CI 0·67, 0·83). Any stunting (Z-score <−2) was negatively associated with on-track development in countries with high BF prevalence (OR=0·82; 95 % CI 0·75, 0·89). Severe and any stunting were negatively associated with physical development (OR=0·77; 95 % CI 0·66, 0·89 and OR=0·82; 95 % CI 0·74, 0·91, respectively) and literacy/numeracy development in high BF countries (OR=0·45; 95 % CI 0·38, 0·53 and OR=0·59, 95 % CI 0·51, 0·68, respectively), but not low BF countries (OR=0·93; 95 % CI 0·70, 1·23 and OR=0·95, 95 % CI 0·79, 1·12, respectively). Any stunting was negatively associated with learning (OR=0·79; 95 % CI 0·72, 0·88). There was no clear association between stunting and socio-emotional development.ConclusionsStunting is associated with many but not all developmental domains across a diversity of countries and cultures. However, associations varied by country breast-feeding prevalence and developmental domain.
Development and initial evaluation of a novel 3D volumetric outlining system
Authors: Bridge Pete , Fielding Andrew , Pullar Andrew , Rowntree Pamela 
Published: September 2015

AbstractAimThe novel three-dimensional (3D) radiotherapy interactive outlining tool allows volumes to be created from a handful of points within axial, sagittal and coronal planes. 3D volumetric visualisation allows users to directly manipulate the resulting volume using innovative-sculpting tools. This paper discusses the development and initial evaluation of the software ahead of formal clinical testing.Materials and methodsUser feedback was collated as part of the software development phase to ensure clinical suitability, define user training strategies and identify best practice. A loosely structured format was adopted with leading descriptive questions aiming to generate suggestions for improvements and initiate further discussion.ResultsThe four participants reported great satisfaction and value in being able to use all three planes for outlining, although orientation in 3D was evidently a problem. All participants felt that the software was capable of producing acceptable outlines rapidly and that the multi-planar capability allowed for improved outlining of the prostate apex.FindingsMesh generation from a small number of points placed on a range of planes is a rapid and effective means of target delineation. Multi-slice volume sculpting and 3D orientation is challenging and may indicate a need for a paradigm shift in anatomy and computed tomography training.
Space: the Final Frontier for Law Firm Libraries
Authors: Speight Dunstan 
Published: September 2015

AbstractThe amount of physical space available is a vital issue for virtually all law libraries. In this article, Dunstan Speight, Library Manager at City law firm Berwin Leighton Paisner LLP, presents the issues involved in reducing and retaining library materials, to help library managers present a sound business case for maintaining the collection they need. Dunstan's experience is that of a law firm librarian, but it is hoped that much of what follows will also be relevant to librarians in other sectors.
Branding and Promoting Law Firm Libraries
Authors: Worley Loyita 
Published: September 2015

AbstractLoyita Worley discusses the need for librarians to promote library services more avidly within their organisations. She argues that providing a high quality information service to clients is not necessarily sufficient and that librarians need to give considerably more effort to promoting and branding their services, in the way that other teams in law firms already do. She looks at why librarians should brand, how they should do this and what they should brand. The perspective of the user is also taken into account and the importance of building trust and confidence with clients is identified as a key feature in the approach to branding and promotion.
Economic feasibility of mobile processing units for small-scale pasture poultry farmers
Authors: Angioloni Simone , Kostandini Genti , Alali Walid Q. , O'Bryan Corliss A. 
Published: September 2015

AbstractThe use of mobile processing units (MPUs) for pasture poultry is growing rapidly. This study compared the economic feasibility of MPUs to two processing alternatives, traditional stationary processing on-farm plants and off-farm processing facilities. Our study combined a survey of pasture poultry farmers in Georgia, Louisiana, and Arkansas with the published research. Our findings suggest that MPUs and traditional on-farm processing alternatives have a lower processing cost, but that they require a higher initial investment than the off-farm option. In addition, off-farm processing at the United States Department of Agriculture-inspected facility allows selling products for a higher price. We therefore expect, on average, a higher per-bird profit than with the other two options. However, the excess processing capacity of the MPU can make this option the most profitable.
Nuclear envelope-associated endosomes deliver surface proteins to the nucleus
Authors: Chaumet Alexandre , Wright Graham D. , Seet Sze Hwee , Tham Keit Min , Gounko Natalia V. , Bard Frederic 
Published: September 2015

AbstractEndocytosis directs molecular cargo along three main routes: recycling to the cell surface, transport to the Golgi apparatus or degradation in endolysosomes. Pseudomonas exotoxin A (PE) is a bacterial protein that typically traffics to the Golgi and then the endoplasmic reticulum before translocating to the cytosol. Here we show that a substantial fraction of internalized PE is also located in nuclear envelope-associated endosomes (NAE), which display limited mobility, exhibit a propensity to undergo fusion and readily discharge their contents into the nuclear envelope. Electron microscopy and protein trapping in the nucleus indicate that NAE mediate PE transfer into the nucleoplasm. RNAi screening further revealed that NAE-mediated transfer depends on the nuclear envelope proteins SUN1 and SUN2, as well as the Sec61 translocon complex. These data reveal a novel endosomal route from the cell surface to the nucleoplasm that facilitates the accumulation of extracellular and cell surface proteins in the nucleus.