bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Engineered bone tissue associated with vascularization utilizing a rotating wall vessel bioreactor
Authors: Nishi Masanori , Matsumoto Rena , Dong Jian , Uemura Toshimasa 
Published: August 2012

AbstractTissue‐engineered bone has attracted much attention as an alternative material for bone grafting; however, implantable bone tissue of an appropriate size and shape for clinical use has not yet been developed due to a lack of vascularization, which results in necrosis of the seeded cells in vivo. This is the first report of bone tissue engineering associated with vascularization by co‐culturing bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) with MSC‐derived endothelial cells (ECs) within a porous scaffold using a rotating wall vessel (RWV) bioreactor. MSC‐derived ECs were identified by immunofluorescence staining for von Willebrand factor (vWF) and by flow cytometry for CD31 expression. The tissue obtained was histochemically analyzed using toluidin blue, hematoxylin and eosin, anti‐osteopontin antibody, anti‐osteocalcin antibody, and tomato‐lectin stain. Results showed that bone tissue containing vascular‐like structures was generated. Three‐dimensional culture condition created by medium flow in the RWV vessel and the interaction of MSCs with MSC‐derived ECs might provide the cells an advantage in the construction of three‐dimensional bone tissue with blood vessels. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Biomed Mater Res Part A, 2013.
Addition of perfluorocarbons to alginate hydrogels significantly impacts molecular transport and fracture stress
Authors: White Joseph C. , Stoppel Whitney L. , Roberts Susan C. , Bhatia Surita R. 
Published: August 2012

AbstractPerfluorocarbons (PFCs) are used in biomaterial formulations to increase oxygen (O2) tension and create a homogeneous O2 environment in three‐dimensional tissue constructs. It is unclear how PFCs affect mechanical and transport properties of the scaffold, which are critical for robustness, intracellular signaling, protein transport, and overall device efficacy. In this study, we investigate composite alginate hydrogels containing a perfluorooctyl bromide (PFOB) emulsion stabilized with Pluronic® F68 (F68). We demonstrate that PFC addition significantly affects biomaterial properties and performance. Solution and hydrogel mechanical properties and transport of representative hydrophilic (riboflavin), hydrophobic (methyl and ethyl paraben), and protein (bovine serum albumin, BSA) solutes were compared in alginate/F68 composite hydrogels with or without PFOB. Our results indicate that mechanical properties of the alginate/F68/PFOB hydrogels are not significantly affected under small strains, but a significant decrease fracture stress is observed. The effective diffusivity Deff of hydrophobic small molecules decreases with PFOB emulsion addition, yet the Deff of hydrophilic small molecules remained unaffected. For BSA, the Deff increased and the loading capacity decreased with PFOB emulsion addition. Thus, a trade‐off between the desired increased O2 supply provided by PFCs and the mechanical weakening and change in transport of cellular signals must be carefully considered in the design of biomaterials containing PFCs. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Biomed Mater Res Part A, 2013.
Nano‐hydroxyapatite‐coated PEEK implants: A pilot study in rabbit bone
Authors: Barkarmo Sargon , Wennerberg Ann , Hoffman Maria , Kjellin Per , Breding Karin , Handa Paul , Stenport Victoria 
Published: August 2012

AbstractOsseointegration of surface‐modified polyetheretherketone (PEEK) implants was studied in vivo. A total of 18 cylinder‐shaped PEEK implants were inserted in the femurs of nine New Zealand rabbits; half were coated with nanocrystalline hydroxyapatite (nanoHA) and half were uncoated controls. Healing time was 6 weeks. Samples were retrieved with the implant and surrounding tissue, processed to cut and ground sections, and analyzed histomorphometrically. The implant surfaces were analyzed with optical interferometry, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), atomic force microscopy, and X‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). NanoHA‐coated PEEK surfaces had lower height deviation (Sa) than controls [mean ± SD: 0.41 μm (±0.14) vs. 0.96 μm (±0.28)]. SEM images showed the nanoHA crystals as a thin layer on the polymer surface. XPS analysis of the coated implants showed a Ca/P ratio of 1.67. Histomorphometry indicated that the nanoHA‐coated implants had more bone‐to‐implant contact [16% (±4.7) vs. 13% (±9.3)] and more bone area [52% (±9.5) vs. 45% (±11.9)]. We found no difference between smooth nanoHA‐coated cylinder‐shaped PEEK implants and uncoated controls. However, higher mean bone‐to‐implant contact indicated better osseointegration in the coated implants than in the uncoated controls. The large number of lost implants was interpreted as a lack of primary stability due to implant design. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Biomed Mater Res Part A, 2013.
Synthesis of galactosylated chitosan/5‐fluorouracil nanoparticles and its characteristics, in vitro and in vivo release studies
Authors: Cheng Mingrong , Han Jiang , Li Qing , He Bing , Zha Bingbing , Wu Jingbo , Zhou Runjiao , Ye Tao , Wang Wei , Xu Hongzhi , Hou Yiming 
Published: August 2012

AbstractBiodegradable polymer nanoparticle drug delivery systems are characterized by targeted drug delivery, improved pharmacokinetic and biodistribution, enhanced drug stability, and lowered side effects; these drug delivery systems are widely used for delivery of cytotoxic agents. The galactosylated chitosan (GC)/5‐fluorouracil (5‐FU) nanoparticle is a nanomaterial made by coupling GC, a polymer known to have the advantages described above, and 5‐FU. We found that when 5‐FU and GC were mixed at the mass ratio of 10:1, the nanoparticle reached a maximum encapsulation efficiency of 81.82% ± 5.32%, with a drug loading of 6.12% ± 1.36%, a particle size of 35.19 ± 9.50 nm, and a Zeta potential of +10.34 ± 1.43 mV. The GC/5‐FU nanoparticle is a sustained release system, whose anticancer effects were shown to be dose and time dependent, with a higher cytotoxicity to hepatic cancer than to other cell types. The distribution of GC/5‐FU in vivo revealed the greatest accumulation in the hepatic cancer tissues, with an 8.69‐, 23.35‐, 79.96‐, and 85.15‐fold increase when compared to normal liver tissue, kidney, heart and blood, respectively, suggesting that the hepatic cell was the target of the nanoparticles. In vivo experiments showed that GC/5‐FU can significantly inhibit tumor growth in an orthotropic liver cancer mouse model. GC/5‐FU treatment can significantly lower the tumor weight and increase the survival time of mice when compared to 5‐FU treatment alone. Flow cytometry revealed that compared to 5‐FU, GC/5‐FU caused higher rates of G0–G1 arrest and apoptosis in hepatic cancer cells. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Biomed Mater Res Part B: Appl Biomater, 2012.
Cycle Extensions in BIBD Block‐Intersection Graphs
Authors: Abueida Atif A. , Pike David A. 
Published: August 2012

AbstractA cycle C in a graph G is extendable if there is some other cycle in G that contains each vertex of C plus one additional vertex. A graph is cycle extendable if every non‐Hamilton cycle in the graph is extendable. A balanced incomplete block design, BIBD, consists of a set V of v elements and a block set of k‐subsets of V such that each 2‐subset of V occurs in exactly λ of the blocks of . The block‐intersection graph of a design is the graph having as its vertex set and such that two vertices of are adjacent if and only if their corresponding blocks have nonempty intersection. In this paper, we prove that the block‐intersection graph of any BIBD is cycle extendable. Furthermore, we present a polynomial time algorithm for constructing cycles of all possible lengths in a block‐intersection graph.
Hospital medicine in the internal medicine clerkship: Results from a national survey
Authors: Liston Beth W. , O'Dorisio Nathan , Walker Curt , Torre Dario , Papp Klara K. 
Published: August 2012

AbstractBACKGROUND:Hospital medicine is growing rapidly. This changing inpatient work force has had consequences on medical education, with an increasing hospitalist presence in resident and student training. Initially met with apprehension, there is growing literature to suggest that hospitalists are perceived to be more effective clinical teachers than non‐hospitalists. However, the extent to which hospitalists are involved in teaching Internal Medicine (IM) to medical students is not known.METHODS:In order to determine the role of hospitalists in medical student education within the United States and Canada, we queried clerkship directors in Internal Medicine as part of the 2010 annual Clerkship Directors in Internal Medicine (CDIM) survey. In June 2010, CDIM surveyed its North American institutional members, which represent 110 of 143 Departments of Medicine in the US and Canada.RESULTS:Eight‐two of 107 departments responded to the survey (77%). Seventy‐five (91%) indicated that hospitalists served as teaching attendings at their teaching hospital. In twenty‐two (27%) IM departments, 75% to 100% of students rotate with a hospitalist during their IM clerkships. Thirty‐three (42%) departments report that students are directly supervised by in‐house hospitalists during their nighttime call requirements. Sixty‐six (81%) indicated that academic hospitalists hold educational administrative positions. Hospitalists are significantly less likely to have additional clinical commitment as compared to non‐hospitalist teaching attendings (16% vs 53%, (χ = 33.1; P < 0.0001).CONCLUSIONS:Hospitalists are involved in medical student education in the large majority of Departments of Internal Medicine throughout the US and Canada, reflecting the growth of hospital medicine nationally. Journal of Hospital Medicine 2012; © 2012 Society of Hospital Medicine
Hospitalist‐led medicine emergency department team: Associations with throughput, timeliness of patient care, and satisfaction
Authors: Chadaga Smitha R. , Shockley Lee , Keniston Angela , Klock Nancy E. , Van Dyke Susan , Davis Quin , Chu Eugene S. 
Published: August 2012

AbstractBACKGROUND:Admitted patients boarding in the emergency department (ED) leads to hospital diversion. Active bed management and care for boarded patients can improve throughput. We developed a hospital medicine ED (HMED) team to participate in active bed management, and to care for boarded patients, to decrease diversion and improve throughput.METHODS:An HMED team was created to participate in active bed management and to care for boarded patients. The HMED team worked with the ED, nursing supervisors, and medical floors to manage inpatient beds. The primary outcome was percentage of hours of diversion attributed to lack of bed capacity. Secondary outcomes included the proportion of patients discharged within 8 hours of transfer to a medical floor, and the proportion of patients discharged from the ED. Promptness of clinical care was measured by rounding times. Satisfaction was obtained via survey.RESULTS:There was a relative reduction of diversion due to medicine bed capacity of 27% (4.5%–3.3%; P < 0.01), a relative reduction in the percentage of patients transferred to a medicine floor and discharged within 8 hours of 67% (1.5%–0.5%; P < 0.01), and a relative increase in the number of discharges from the ED of admitted medicine patients of 61% (4.9%–7.9%; P < 0.001). Boarded admitted patients were rounded upon 2 hours earlier (P < 0.0001) by the HMED team. Satisfaction with the HMED team was high.CONCLUSION:An HMED team can improve patient flow and decrease ED diversion while providing more timely care to patients boarded in the ED. Journal of Hospital Medicine 2012; © 2012 Society of Hospital Medicine
Early recognition of acutely deteriorating patients in non‐intensive care units: Assessment of an innovative monitoring technology
Authors: Zimlichman Eyal , Szyper‐Kravitz Martine , Shinar Zvika , Klap Tal , Levkovich Shiraz , Unterman Avraham , Rozenblum Ronen , Rothschild Jeffrey M. , Amital Howard , Shoenfeld Yehuda 
Published: August 2012

AbstractBACKGROUND:Continuous vital sign monitoring has the potential to detect early clinical deterioration. While commonly employed in the intensive care unit (ICU), accurate and noninvasive monitoring technology suitable for floor patients has yet to be used reliably.OBJECTIVE:To establish the accuracy of the Earlysense continuous monitoring system in predicting clinical deterioration.DESIGN:Noninterventional prospective study with retrospective data analysis.SETTING:Two medical wards in 2 academic medical centers.PATIENTS:Patients admitted to a medical ward with a diagnosis of an acute respiratory condition.INTERVENTION:Enrolled patients were monitored for heart rate (HR) and respiration rate (RR) by the Earlysense monitor with the alerts turned off.MEASUREMENTS:Retrospective analysis of vital sign data was performed on a derivation cohort to identify optimal cutoffs for threshold and 24‐hour trend alerts. This was internally validated through correlation with clinical events recognized through chart review.RESULTS:Of 113 patients included in the study, 9 suffered major clinical deterioration. Alerts were found to be infrequent (2.7 and 0.2 alerts per patient‐day for threshold and trend alert, respectively). For the threshold alerts, sensitivity and specificity in predicting deterioration was found to be 82% and 67%, respectively, for HR and 64% and 81%, respectively, for RR. For trend alerts, sensitivity and specificity were 78% and 90% for HR, and 100% and 64% for RR, respectively.CONCLUSIONS:The Earlysense monitor was able to continuously measure RR and HR, providing low alert frequency. The current study provides data supporting the ability of this system to accurately predict patient deterioration. Journal of Hospital Medicine 2012; © 2012 Society of Hospital Medicine
On the use of a spin‐echo based double inversion recovery acquisition for the measurement of cortical brain thickness
Authors: Nam Yoonho , Kim Eung Yeop , Kim Dong‐Hyun 
Published: August 2012

AbstractPurpose:To determine whether a spin‐echo‐based sequence, which are inherently insensitive to magnetic field inhomogeneity, can be used for brain cortical thickness measurement studies.Materials and Methods:By using a double inversion recovery (DIR) spin‐echo‐based sequence, cortical thickness estimates were performed from data acquired from seven healthy volunteers. The cortical thickness was also calculated from data acquired using an MPRAGE sequence and the Bland‐Altman analysis was performed for comparison of the two methods. The average signal and contrast to noise ratios (SNR, CNR) of the two methods were also calculated.Results:The bias over the entire brain between DIR and MPRAGE was 0.87 ± 0.08 mm. The bias calculated in the major regional lobes were temporal: 0.76 ± 0.09 mm, frontal: 0.89 ± 0.07 mm, parietal: 0.92 ± 0.10 mm, occipital: 0.75 ± 0.12 mm, and cingulate: 0.79 ± 0.10 mm. This thickness difference was due mainly to the boundary difference in the MPRAGE and DIR at the grey matter/cerebral spinal fluid (GM/CSF) regions. The mean SNR and CNR was CNRMPRAGE = 47.8 ± 8.4 and CNRDIR = 19.2 ± 2.9, SNRMPRAGE = 76.8 ± 10.5 and SNRDIR = 21.1 ± 2.8.Conclusion:The study suggests that cortical thickness measurements can be performed using a DIR spin‐echo sequence, which is inherently immune to main field inhomogeneity. Larger thickness measurements were consistently observed in DIR compared with MPRAGE. J. Magn. Reson. Imaging 2011;33:1218–1223. © 2011 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
FT‐Raman spectroscopy for quantitative analysis of salt efflorescences
Authors: Broggi Alessandra , Petrucci Elisabetta , Bracciale Maria Paola , Santarelli Maria Laura 
Published: August 2012

Salt crystallization in porous materials constitutes one of the major causes of decay of buildings and archeological sites. Depending on the environmental conditions, salts can crystallize inside the porous network (subflorescence or cryptoefflorescence) on the material surface (efflorescence or compact crust). Generally speaking, the salt deposits may comprise different inorganic ions (i.e. sodium or potassium sulphates, nitrates or chlorides), and they cause several damages, i.e. flaking, alveolar weathering, crumbling, loss of material or dissolution. In order to determine the nature and the concentration of salts, ionic chromatography (IC) is generally used. Although valuable, the IC analytical method presents a number of drawbacks, i.e. requires long sample preparation times, different sample dilutions, and the determined values are referred only to the ionic species (cations or anions). For a quick quantitative identification, the Raman spectroscopy appears more suitable, but a calibration of such analytical method is necessary. The present paper deals with the application of Fourier transform (FT)‐Raman spectroscopy to the study of soluble salts constituting the most diffuse efflorescences in monuments and archeological sites. The FT‐Raman calibration was set up by measuring the band integration area of each standard salt solution at the more intense and/or well‐resolved band. Twelve control mixtures were tested, and the calibration curve fitting was evaluated. The obtained results were compared with IC determinations performed on the same salt mixtures.The FT‐Raman spectroscopy demonstrated to be an easy approach to salt quantitative analyses, that in addition enables the direct identification of the nature of the analyzed samples. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Aerobic stability of distillers wet grains as influenced by temperature
Authors: Lehman R Michael , Rosentrater Kurt A 
Published: August 2012

AbstractBACKGROUND: The storability of distillers wet grains (DWG) influences the economic, energetic, and carbon balances of fuel ethanol production, yet there are limited published data on the deterioration of DWG following its production. We used biogenic CO2 production to assess the aerobic stability of DWG incubated at three temperatures (12 °C, 22 °C, 32 °C) and compared CO2 production over time to the appearance of mold and changes in DWG color parameters.RESULTS: CO2 production and mold colonization indicate that at temperatures near 12 °C, the aerobic stability of DWG was high and that it can be stored for at least a 10‐day period. At temperatures close to 22 °C, the onset of increased microbial activity and visible mold colonization occurred between 4 and 7 days and both activity and mold ratings were very high by the ninth day in all three experiments. At 32 °C, 2 days may be a more appropriate limit for storage.CONCLUSION: Temperature and time interact in a nonlinear fashion that permits the prediction of DWG stability boundaries. The simple visual appearance of mold appears to be a reasonable indicator that correlates well (r = 0.694) with CO2 production, a measure of the aerobic stability of DWG. Published 2012 by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Effects of illumination conditions on preferred viewing distance of portable liquid‐crystal television
Authors: Lee Der‐Song , Shen I‐Hsuan 
Published: August 2012

AbstractThis study explored the effect of TV size, light source, and ambient illumination on the preferred viewing distance of portable liquid‐crystal‐display televisions. Results showed that the mean preferred viewing distance was 1389 mm. TV size had significant effects on preferred viewing distance. The larger the screen size, the greater the preferred viewing distance, at around 6.7–14.7 times the width of the screen (W). Light sources revealed no significant effect on preferred viewing distance. The effect of ambient illumination on preferred viewing distance was significant. The higher the ambient illumination was, the longer the preferred viewing distance.
Guidelines for an improved quality of experience in 3‐D TV and 3‐D mobile displays
Authors: Xu Di , Coria Lino E. , Nasiopoulos Panos 
Published: August 2012

AbstractStereoscopic (3‐D) movies have become widely popular all over the world. In addition, 3‐D TVs and mobile devices have already been introduced to the consumer market. However, while some manufacturers are introducing 3‐D cameras and movie studios are using proprietary solutions, there are no guidelines for consistently capturing high‐quality stereoscopic content. In this paper, a comprehensive stereoscopic image and video database with content captured at various distances from the camera lenses and under different lighting conditions will be presented. Subjective tests to assess the perceived 3‐D quality of these videos and images, which were shown on displays of different sizes, have been conducted. In addition, the horizontal parallax of the content was adjusted to verify via subjective tests whether this change could increase the viewer's quality of experience. Finally, guidelines of acquisition distances between the cameras and the real scene will be published.
Fecal genotyping reveals demographic variation in river otters inhabiting a contaminated environment
Authors: Guertin Daniel A. , Ben‐David Merav , Harestad Alton S. , Elliott John E. 
Published: August 2012

AbstractThe deposition and accumulation of persistent contaminants into coastal systems can have lingering negative consequences for wildlife populations and their habitats. Using multi‐locus genotyping of non‐invasively collected feces, we assessed the effects of such pollution on reproduction, survival, genetic variability, and abundance of river otters (Lontra canadensis) along a gradient of urban–industrial development on southern Vancouver Island, British Columbia, Canada. Genetic analyses indicated a pattern consistent with small‐scale structuring, with individuals partitioned into 2 local subpopulations—those identified in the contaminated harbors of southern Vancouver Island and points west (Colwood/Harbors), and those inhabiting uncontaminated habitat east of the harbors (Oak Bay). Genetic and demographic analyses for the 2 clusters provide strong support for the conclusion that, despite contamination concerns, Colwood/Harbors river otters exhibited acceptable levels of survival and successfully reproduced (i.e., high levels of relatedness, high self‐recruitment, and high emigration). However, our data indicate that the Colwood/Harbors area constitutes lower quality habitat supporting lower densities of otters, especially during winter, and excess individuals produced in that region emigrate to other areas. Immigration into Colwood/Harbors, however, seems limited, possibly because of behavioral aversion of non‐habituated otters to anthropogenic disturbance associated with the harbors and limited optimal otter habitat. Our findings suggest that the effects of chronic contaminant exposure at the population level may be inadvertently mitigated through the behavioral decisions of individuals to avoid poor quality habitats. We conclude that populations of river otters can persist in and around locally contaminated sites if relatively less disturbed and contaminated habitats remain in the vicinity of the affected areas. © 2012 The Wildlife Society.