bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
The Role of Adrenal Scintigraphy in the Diagnosis of Subclinical Cushing’s Syndrome and the Prediction of Post‐surgical Hypoadrenalism
Authors: Ricciato Maria Pia , Di Donna Vincenzo , Perotti Germano , Pontecorvi Alfredo , Bellantone Rocco , Corsello Salvatore M. 
Published: March 2014

AbstractBackgroundManagement of subclinical Cushing’s syndrome (SCS) remains controversial; it is not possible to predict which patients would benefit from adrenalectomy. In the present study we aimed to evaluate the role of adrenocortical scintigraphy (ACS) in the management of patients with SCS.MethodsThe medical records of 33 consecutive patients with adrenal “incidentaloma” and proven or suspected SCS who underwent 131I‐19‐iodocholesterol ACS between 2004 and 2010 were reviewed. Sixteen underwent laparoscopic adrenalectomy (surgical group—S‐group) and 17 were medically managed (medical group—M‐group). Follow‐up evaluation was obtained by outpatient consultation.ResultsOverall 25 patients (15 in the S‐group and 10 in the M‐group) had concordant unilateral uptake at ACS (ACS+). In the S‐group, the mean follow‐up duration was 30.9 ± 16.1 months and, irrespective of the presence of hormonal diagnosis of SCS, in patients who were ACS+ adrenalectomy resulted in a significant increase in HDL cholesterol and decreases in body mass index, glycemia, and blood pressure (BP). One patient reduced antihypertensive medication and three others were able to discontinue it altogether. Prolonged postoperative hypoadrenalism (PH) occurred in 14 patients in the S‐group. The overall accuracy in predicting PH was 93.7 % for ACS and 68.7 % for laboratory findings. In the M‐group, the mean follow‐up duration was 31.5 ± 26.3 months and no patient developed overt Cushing’s syndrome, although ACS+ patients experienced a worsening in glycemia and diastolic BP.ConclusionsAdrenal scintigraphy seems the most accurate diagnostic test for SCS. It is able to predict the metabolic outcome and the occurrence of PH, identifying the patients who could benefit from adrenalectomy irrespective of hormonal diagnosis.
Informing the Gestalt: An Ethical Framework for Allocating Scarce Federal Public Health and Medical Resources to States During Disasters
Authors: Knebel Ann R. , Sharpe Virginia A. , Danis Marion , Toomey Lauren M. , Knickerbocker Deborah K. 
Published: March 2014

AbstractDuring catastrophic disasters, government leaders must decide how to efficiently and effectively allocate scarce public health and medical resources. The literature about triage decision making at the individual patient level is substantial, and the National Response Framework provides guidance about the distribution of responsibilities between federal and state governments. However, little has been written about the decision-making process of federal leaders in disaster situations when resources are not sufficient to meet the needs of several states simultaneously. We offer an ethical framework and logic model for decision making in such circumstances. We adapted medical triage and the federalism principle to the decision-making process for allocating scarce federal public health and medical resources. We believe that the logic model provides a values-based framework that can inform the gestalt during the iterative decision process used by federal leaders as they allocate scarce resources to states during catastrophic disasters. (Disaster Med Public Health Preparedness. 2014;0:1–10)
Patterns of a creeping water-spout flow
Authors: Herrada Miguel , Shtern Vladimir 
Published: March 2014

AbstractThis paper explains a mechanism of eddy formation in a slow air–water motion, driven by the rotating top disk, in a vertical sealed cylinder. The numerical simulations reveal nine changes in the flow topology as water volume fraction $H_{w}$ varies from 0 to 1. At $H_{w}$ around 0.8, there are two large regions of the clockwise meridional circulation, one in air and one in water. These regions are separated by two small cells of the anticlockwise circulation adjacent to the interface near the sidewall in water and near the axis in air. The air cell is a thin layer and topologically is a bubble–ring for $0.745 < H_{w} < 0.785$. Alterations of this flow pattern are explored as (i) pressure increases, (ii) the bottom disk co-rotates and (iii) the top-disk rotation speeds up. This paper provides the physical reasoning behind the flow transformations; the results are of fundamental interest and can be utilized in bioreactors.
A microstructural approach to bed load transport: mean behaviour and fluctuations of particle transport rates
Authors: Ancey C. , Heyman J. 
Published: March 2014

AbstractThis paper concerns a model of bed load transport, which describes the advection and dispersion of coarse particles carried by a turbulent water stream. The challenge is to develop a microstructural approach that, on the one hand, yields a parsimonious description of particle transport at the microscopic scale and, on the other hand, leads to averaged equations at the macroscopic scale that can be consistently interpreted in light of the continuum equations used in hydraulics. The cornerstone of the theory is the proper determination of the particle flux fluctuations. Apart from turbulence-induced noise, fluctuations in the particle transport rate are generated by particle exchanges with the bed consisting of particle entrainment and deposition. At the particle scale, the evolution of the number of moving particles can be described probabilistically using a coupled set of reaction–diffusion master equations. Theoretically, this is interesting but impractical, as solving the governing equations is fraught with difficulty. Using the Poisson representation, we show that these multivariate master equations can be converted into Fokker–Planck equations without any simplifying approximations. Thus, in the continuum limit, we end up with a Langevin-like stochastic partial differential equation that governs the time and space variations of the probability density function for the number of moving particles. For steady-state flow conditions and a fixed control volume, the probability distributions of the number of moving particles and the particle flux can be calculated analytically. Taking the average of the microscopic governing equations leads to an average mass conservation equation, which takes the form of the classic Exner equation under certain conditions carefully addressed in the paper. Analysis also highlights the specific part played by a process we refer to ascollective entrainment, i.e. a nonlinear feedback process in particle entrainment. In the absence of collective entrainment the fluctuations in the number of moving particles are Poissonian, which implies that at the macroscopic scale they act as white noise that mediates bed evolution. In contrast, when collective entrainment occurs, large non-Poissonian fluctuations arise, with the important consequence that the evolution at the macroscopic scale may depart significantly that predicted by the averaged Exner equation. Comparison with experimental data gives satisfactory results for steady-state flows.
Spin-up of a two-component superfluid: self-consistent container feedback
Authors: van Eysden Cornelis A. , Melatos A. 
Published: March 2014

AbstractThe coupled dynamic response of a rigid container filled with a two-component superfluid undergoing Ekman pumping is calculated self-consistently. The container responds to the back-reaction torque exerted by the viscous component of the superfluid and an arbitrary external torque. The resulting motion is described by a pair of coupled integral equations for which solutions are easily obtained numerically. If the container is initially accelerated impulsively then set free, it relaxes quasi-exponentially to a steady state over multiple time scales, which are a complex combination of the Ekman number, superfluid mutual friction coefficients, the superfluid density fraction, and the varying hydrodynamic torque at different latitudes. The spin-down of containers with relatively small moments of inertia (compared with that of the contained fluid) depends weakly on the above parameters and occurs faster than the Ekman time. When the fluid components are initially differentially rotating, the container can ‘overshoot’ its asymptotic value before increasing again. When a constant external torque is applied, the superfluid components rotate differentially and non-uniformly in the long term. For an oscillating external torque, the amplitude and phase of the oscillation are most sensitive to the driving frequency for containers with relatively small moments of inertia. Applications to superfluid helium experiments and neutron stars are also discussed.
Healthcare Providers’ Views on Digital Smoking Cessation Interventions for Pregnant Women
Authors: Tombor Ildiko , Neale Joanne , Shahab Lion , Ruiz Milagros , West Robert 
Published: March 2014

Introduction: Digital smoking cessation aids may benefit pregnant smokers who do not wish to receive face-to-face behavioural support. Healthcare providers (HCPs) who interact with pregnant smokers may have valuable insights into their development and use.Aims: To explore HCPs’ views of using digital smoking cessation interventions with pregnant women in order to inform the design and delivery of digital smoking cessation interventions.Methods: Two structured focus groups were conducted with HCPs (n = 16) who provided smoking cessation support for pregnant women in England. Discussions covered participants’ general views about digital smoking cessation interventions, the potential of such interventions for smoking cessation support for pregnant smokers, and recommendations for future intervention development. Transcripts were analysed thematically.Results: HCPs identified a variety of ways in which digital interventions could benefit pregnant smokers, such as by providing anonymity, offering consistent quality of advice, and being available on demand. The identified limitations of digital smoking cessation interventions included lack of access among those most economically disadvantaged, the need for high levels of self-motivation, and lack of human contact. Addressing pregnant smokers’ negative perceptions of smoking cessation support, providing rewarding experiences, and tailoring the intervention to smokers’ level of confidence were among HCPs’ recommendations.Conclusions: HCPs indicated that digital interventions offer a range of potential benefits that could make them useful for pregnant smokers. Nonetheless, important limitations and recommendations regarding their design and delivery were identified and these need to be addressed in intervention development.
An analysis of monthly home range size in the critically endangered California CondorGymnogyps californianus
Authors: RIVERS JAMES W. , JOHNSON J. MATTHEW , HAIG SUSAN M. , SCHWARZ CARL. J. , BURNETT L. JOSEPH , BRANDT JOSEPH , GEORGE DANIEL , GRANTHAM JESSE 
Published: March 2014

SummaryCondors and vultures comprise the only group of terrestrial vertebrates in the world that are obligate scavengers, and these species move widely to locate ephemeral, unpredictable, and patchily-distributed food resources. In this study, we used high-resolution GPS location data to quantify monthly home range size of the critically endangered California CondorGymnogyps californianusthroughout the annual cycle in California. We assessed whether individual-level characteristics (age, sex and breeding status) and factors related to endangered species recovery program efforts (rearing method, release site) were linked to variation in monthly home range size. We found that monthly home range size varied across the annual cycle, with the largest monthly home ranges observed during late summer and early fall (July–October), a pattern that may be linked to seasonal changes in thermals that facilitate movement. Monthly home ranges of adults were significantly larger than those of immatures, but males and females used monthly home ranges of similar size throughout the year and breeding adults did not differ from non-breeding adults in their average monthly home range size. Individuals from each of three release sites differed significantly in the size of their monthly home ranges, and no differences in monthly home range size were detected between condors reared under captive conditions relative to those reared in the wild. Our study provides an important foundation for understanding the movement ecology of the California Condor and it highlights the importance of seasonal variation in space use for effective conservation planning for this critically endangered species.
Thickness Measurements Using Photonic Modes in Monochromated Electron Energy-Loss Spectroscopy
Authors: Yurtsever Aycan , Couillard Martin , Hyun Jerome K. , Muller David A. 
Published: March 2014

AbstractCharacteristic energies of photonic modes are a sensitive function of a nanostructures’ geometrical parameters. In the case of translationally invariant planar waveguides, the eigen-energies reside in the infrared to ultraviolet parts of the optical spectrum and they sensitively depend on the thickness of the waveguide. Using swift electrons and the inherent Cherenkov radiation in dielectrics, the energies of such photonic states can be effectively probed via monochromated electron energy-loss spectroscopy (EELS). Here, by exploiting the strong photonic signals in EELS with 200 keV electrons, we correlate the energies of waveguide peaks in the 0.5–3.5 eV range with planar thicknesses of the samples. This procedure enables us to measure the thicknesses of cross-sectional transmission electron microscopy samples over a 1–500 nm range and with best-case accuracies below ±2%. The measurements are absolute with the only requirement being the optical dielectric function of the material. Furthermore, we provide empirical formulation for rapid and direct thickness estimations for a 50–500 nm range. We demonstrate the methodology for two semiconducting materials, silicon and gallium arsenide, and discuss how it can be applied to other dielectrics that produce strong optical fingerprints in EELS. The asymptotic form of the loss function for two-dimensional materials is also discussed.
Introducing the new wideband small plate antennas with engraved voids to form new geometries based on CRLH MTM-TLs for wireless applications
Authors: Alibakhshi Mohammad 
Published: March 2014

In this paper, four new wideband small antennas based on the composite right/left-handed transmission line (CRLH-TL) structures are designed, tooled, and made. The proposed antennas are introduced with best in size, bandwidth, and radiation patterns. The physical size and the operational frequency of the antennas depend on size of the unit cells and the equivalent transmission line model parameters of the CRLH-TLs, including series inductance, series capacitance, shunt inductance, and shunt capacitance. To define characteristics of the antennas, the engraved J- and I-formed voids on the radiation patches are used. The physical sizes of the CRLH antennas are 0.45λ0 × 0.175λ0 × 0.02λ0, 0.428λ0 × 0.179λ0 × 0.041λ0, 0. 564λ0 × 0.175λ0 × 0.02λ0, and 0.556λ0 × 0.179λ0 × 0.041λ0 in terms of free-space wavelengths at the 7.5, 7.7, 7.5, and 7.7 GHz, respectively. These metamaterial antennas can be used for frequency bands from 7.5–16.8 GHz, 7.7–18.6 GHz, 7.25–17.8 GHz, and 7.8–19.85 GHz for VSWR < 2, which correspond to 74.4, 82.88, 84.23, and 87.16% practical bandwidths, respectively. Also, the ranges of the measured gains and radiation efficiencies of the recommended antennas are 0.1 dBi < G < 2.1 dBi and 20% < eff < 44.3%, and 0.8 dBi < G < 2.35 dBi and 23% < eff < 48.2%, for J-shaped antennas, whereas 0.1.15 dBi < G < 3.11 dBi and 30.24% < eff < 58.6%, and 1.2 dBi < G < 3.4 dBi and 32.4% < eff < 68.1% for I-shaped antennas, respectively.
Radiographic visualization of magma dynamics in an erupting volcano
Authors: Tanaka Hiroyuki K. M. , Kusagaya Taro , Shinohara Hiroshi 
Published: March 2014

AbstractRadiographic imaging of magma dynamics in a volcanic conduit provides detailed information about ascent and descent of magma, the magma flow rate, the conduit diameter and inflation and deflation of magma due to volatile expansion and release. Here we report the first radiographic observation of the ascent and descent of magma along a conduit utilizing atmospheric (cosmic ray) muons (muography) with dynamic radiographic imaging. Time sequential radiographic images show that the top of the magma column ascends right beneath the crater floor through which the eruption column was observed. In addition to the visualization of this magma inflation, we report a sequence of images that show magma descending. We further propose that the monitoring of temporal variations in the gas volume fraction of magma as well as its position in a conduit can be used to support existing eruption prediction procedures.
Health Outcomes with and without Use of Inotropic Therapy in Cardiac Surgery
Authors: Nielsen Dorthe Viemose , Hansen Malene Kærslund , Johnsen Søren Paaske , Hansen Mads , Hindsholm Karsten , Jakobsen Carl-Johan 
Published: March 2014

Abstract

Background:
Inotropes used to obtain short-term hemodynamic benefits in cardiac surgery may carry a risk of increased myocardial ischemia and adverse outcomes. This study investigated the association between intra- and postoperative use of inotropes and mortality and postoperative complications.

Methods:
A historic cohort study using prospective data from the Western Denmark Heart Registry on 6,005 consecutive cardiac surgery cases from three university hospitals. Propensity matching on pre- and intraoperative variables was used to identify a subgroup of patients receiving inotropic therapy (n = 1,170) versus comparable nonreceivers (n = 1,170) for outcome analysis.

Results:
Two thousand ninety-seven patients (35%) received inotropic therapy; 3,908 (65%) did not receive any inotropic or vasopressor support perioperatively. Among propensity-matched cohort including 2,340 patients 30-day mortality was 3.2% and 1-yr mortality was 7.6%. In the matched cohort, patients exposed to inotropes had a higher 30-day mortality (adjusted hazards ratio, 3.7; 95% CI, 2.1 to 6.5) as well as a higher 1-yr mortality rate (adjusted hazards ratio, 2.5; 95% CI, 1.8 to 3.5) compared with nonreceivers. Among propensity-matched, the following absolute events rates were observed: myocardial infarction 2.4%, stroke 2.8%, arrhythmia 35%, and renal replacement therapy 23.9%. Inotropic therapy was independently associated with postoperative myocardial infarction (adjusted odds ratio, 2.1; 95% CI, 1.4 to 3.0), stroke (adjusted odds ratio, 2.4; 95% CI, 1.4 to 4.3), and renal replacement therapy (adjusted odds ratio, 7.9; 95% CI, 3.8 to 16.4).

Conclusion:
Use of intra- and postoperative inotropes was associated with increased mortality and major postoperative morbidity.
Stimulation of 5‐HT4 receptor enhances differentiation of mouse induced pluripotent stem cells into neural progenitor cells
Authors: Ishizuka Toshiaki , Goshima Hazuki , Ozawa Ayako , Watanabe Yasuhiro 
Published: March 2014

SummaryActivation of serotonin (5‐hydroxytryptamine; 5‐HT) receptors plays a role in adult neurogenesis and differentiation of neural progenitor cells (NPC). Herein, we examined the involvement of 5‐HT receptors in the differentiation of mouse induced pluripotent stem (iPS) cells into NPC. To induce embryoid body (EB) formation, mouse iPS cells were cultured on ultralow‐attachment dishes. All‐trans retinoic acid (ATRA; 1 μmol/L) and/or 5‐HT (0.03 or 0.1 μmol/L) was added to the EB cultures for 4 days and then EB plated on gelatin‐coated plates were cultured for 7 or 14 days. Immunofluorescence staining revealed that mouse iPS cells expressed both 5‐HT2A and 5‐HT4 receptors and, to a lesser extent, 5‐HT1A receptors. Treatment with 5‐HT significantly enhanced the ATRA‐induced expression of nestin, a specific marker for NPC, and phosphorylation of cAMP response element‐binding protein (CREB). Pretreatment of EB cultures with either 1 μmol/L GR113808 (a selective 5‐HT4 receptor antagonist) or 1 μmol/L H89 (a protein kinase (PKA) inhibitor) significantly inhibited these effects of 5‐HT. These findings suggest that stimulation of 5‐HT4 receptors may enhance ATRA‐induced neural differentiation of mouse iPS cells through activation of PKA and CREB.
Introduction: Towards a Political Understanding of New Ruins
Authors: Martin Daryl 
Published: March 2014

AbstractThis debate section gathers together contributions from cultural historians, political geographers, urban sociologists and architectural writers on new forms of ruination in contemporary landscapes. Their case studies span examples of ruins in China, North America, Ireland and Ukraine, as well as reviewing cultural representations of ruined, remote and peripheral spaces in England and Greece. Many wider cultural representations of ruined landscapes are primarily visual; whilst these have great value in alerting wider publics to the debris of global capitalism, neoliberalism and state‐sanctioned processes of cultural imperialism, what is needed within academic contributions to the ruinology literature is a deeper understanding and articulation of the wider contexts within which ruination occurs. Therefore, several contributions supplement visual representations of ruination with ethnographic and first‐person accounts of places on the ground, whereas other contributions offer readings of ruined landscapes that are rich in political histories and policy details. Connections are made to wider contemporary debates around ‘forensic architecture’ and critical archaeologies of the present and recent past. What connects these contributions is a commitment to situating ruins within their historical, policy and social contexts, and working through ruination to open out political readings of landscape.
The Political Economy of Urban Ruins: Redeveloping Shanghai
Authors: Ren Xuefei 
Published: March 2014

AbstractThis essay analyzes the political economy of the urban ruins captured in Greg Girard's photo album Phantom Shanghai. Rather than being marginal, irrelevant or merely objects for nostalgia, the ruins of buildings produced by real estate speculation offer crucial insights into the workings of the urban political economy and reflect wider trends of urban governance. Examining how building ruins come about in the first place and how they are represented in visual media can help us better understand the processes of urbanization and place making, and the central role of destruction in contemporary Chinese urbanism. This essay illustrates this point by analyzing the economic function, political legitimation and cultural significance of demolitions and ruins in urban China.