bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Using structural neuroanatomy to identify trauma survivors with and without post-traumatic stress disorder at the individual level
Authors: Gong Q. , Li L. , Tognin S. , Wu Q. , Pettersson-Yeo W. , Lui S. , Huang X. , Marquand A. F. , Mechelli A.
Published: April 2013

Background

At present there are no objective, biological markers that can be used to reliably identify individuals with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). This study assessed the diagnostic potential of structural magnetic resonance imaging (sMRI) for identifying trauma-exposed individuals with and without PTSD.

Method

sMRI scans were acquired from 50 survivors of the Sichuan earthquake of 2008 who had developed PTSD, 50 survivors who had not developed PTSD and 40 healthy controls who had not been exposed to the earthquake. Support vector machine (SVM), a multivariate pattern recognition technique, was used to develop an algorithm that distinguished between the three groups at an individual level. The accuracy of the algorithm and its statistical significance were estimated using leave-one-out cross-validation and permutation testing.

Results

When survivors with PTSD were compared against healthy controls, both grey and white matter allowed discrimination with an accuracy of 91% (p < 0.001). When survivors without PTSD were compared against healthy controls, the two groups could be discriminated with accuracies of 76% (p < 0.001) and 85% (p < 0.001) based on grey and white matter, respectively. Finally, when survivors with and without PTSD were compared directly, grey matter allowed discrimination with an accuracy of 67% (p < 0.001); in contrast the two groups could not be distinguished based on white matter.

Conclusions

These results reveal patterns of neuroanatomical alterations that could be used to inform the identification of trauma survivors with and without PTSD at the individual level, and provide preliminary support to the development of SVM as a clinically useful diagnostic aid.
Religion after atheism
Authors: PENELHUM TERENCE
Published: April 2013

This article reflects critically on some of the claims of J. L. Schellenberg's trilogy and on the fundamental decisions lying behind them. Some of the latter are found to be tied to his earlier work on atheism in ways that can be questioned.
Syntactic generalization with novel intransitive verbs
Authors: KLINE MELISSA , DEMUTH KATHERINE
Published: April 2013

To understand how children develop adult argument structure, we must understand the nature of syntactic and semantic representations during development. The present studies compare the performance of children aged 2;6 on the two intransitive alternations in English: patient (Daddy is cooking the food/The food is cooking) and agent (Daddy is cooking). Children displayed abstract knowledge of both alternations, producing appropriate syntactic generalizations with novel verbs. These generalizations were adult-like in bothflexibilityandconstraint. Rather than limiting their generalizations to lexicalized frames, children produced sentences with a variety of nouns and pronouns. They also avoided semantic overgeneralizations, producing intransitive sentences that respected the event restrictions and animacy cues. Some generated semantically appropriate agent intransitives when discourse pressure favored patient intransitives, indicating a stronger command of the first alternation. This was in line with frequency distributions in child-directed speech. These findings suggest that children have early access to representations that permit flexible argument structure generalization.
Developing Freedom: Thomas Jefferson, the State, and Human Capability
Authors: Neem Johann N.
Published: April 2013

Thomas Jefferson is often invoked as an advocate of limited government and a defender of individual rights. This article argues that rights were Jefferson's starting place. Jefferson also believed that American citizens should have opportunities to develop the capabilities necessary to enjoy the full use of their rights. Rather than thinking about Jefferson as progovernment or antigovernment, this article concludes that we must understand the particular kind of government Jefferson desired, the ends he had in mind, and why and how those ends differed from his Federalist predecessors. A better understanding of Jefferson's statecraft not only offers a new perspective on the relationship between government and rights in Jefferson's thought but also how and why Jeffersonians in power used the state to promote individual freedom.
‘It's just a virus’ – viral illness in older people: prevention and management
Authors: Payne Ruth , Forde Donall , Vedio Alicia , Cope Alison , Pratt Gary , Tunbridge Anne
Published: April 2013

Many viral infections that cause minor illness in younger adults can lead to significant mortality and morbidity in older people, particularly as co-morbidities tend to accumulate with increased age. Respiratory and gastrointestinal viruses are ubiquitous and frequently cause outbreaks, with major impact on those in care homes or residential accommodation. Advances in medicine have opened the way for increased impact of the herpes viruses (varicella zoster virus, herpes simplex virus, Epstein–Barr virus and cytomegalovirus), as immune systems are manipulated. People are also leading more active lives in older age; human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) will be increasingly prevalent, as those living with HIV grow older in good health. In addition, new diagnoses of HIV, viral hepatitis and travel-related infections will present to those working in health care of older people. This review article of viral infections aims to highlight relevant pathology, with specific reference to management in older people.
On first-order algorithms forl1/nuclear norm minimization
Authors: Nesterov Yurii , Nemirovski Arkadi
Published: April 2013

In the past decade, problems related tol1/nuclear norm minimization have attracted much attention in the signal processing, machine learning and optimization communities. In this paper, devoted tol1/nuclear norm minimization as ‘optimization beasts’, we give a detailed description of two attractive first-order optimization techniques for solving problems of this type. The first one, aimed primarily at lasso-type problems, comprises fast gradient methods applied to composite minimization formulations. The second approach, aimed at Dantzig-selector-type problems, utilizes saddle-point first-order algorithms and reformulation of the problem of interest as ageneralized bilinear saddle-point problem. For both approaches, we give complete and detailed complexity analyses and discuss the application domains.
Haiti Disaster Tourism—A Medical Shame
Authors: Van Hoving Daniël J. , Wallis Lee A. , Docrat Fathima , Vries Shaheem De
Published: April 2013

The devastating Haiti earthquake rightly resulted in an outpouring of international aid. Relief teams can be of tremendous value during disasters due to natural hazards. Although nobly motivated to help, all emergency interventions have unintended consequences. In the immediate aftermath of the earthquake, many selfless individuals committed to help, but was this really all in the name of reaching out a helping hand? This case report illustrates that medical disaster tourism is alive and well.
Brief Mindfulness-Based Therapy for Chronic Tension-Type Headache: A Randomized Controlled Pilot Study
Authors: Cathcart Stuart , Galatis Nicola , Immink Maarten , Proeve Michael , Petkov John
Published: April 2013

Background:Mindfulness-based therapy (MBT) has been demonstrated to be effective for reducing chronic pain symptoms; however, the use of MBT for Chronic Tension-Type Headache (CTH) exclusively has to date not been examined. Typically, MBT for chronic pain has involved an 8-week program based on Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction. Recent research suggests briefer mindfulness-based treatments may be effective for chronic pain. Aims: To conduct a pilot study into the efficacy of brief MBT for CTH.Method:We conducted a randomized controlled trial of a brief (6-session, 3-week) MBT for CTH.Results:Results indicated a significant decrease in headache frequency and an increase in the mindfulness facet of Observe in the treatment but not wait-list control group.Conclusion:Brief MBT may be an effective intervention for CTH.
‘Let's Look at It Objectively’: Why Phenomenology Cannot be Naturalized
Authors: Moran Dermot
Published: April 2013

In recent years there have been attempts to integrate first-person phenomenology into naturalistic science. Traditionally, however, Husserlian phenomenology has been resolutely anti-naturalist. Husserl identified naturalism as the dominant tendency of twentieth-century science and philosophy and he regarded it as an essentially self-refuting doctrine. Naturalism is a point of view or attitude (a reification of the natural attitude into thenaturalistic attitude) that does not know that it is an attitude. For phenomenology, naturalism is objectivism. But phenomenology maintains that objectivity is constituted through the intentional activity of cooperating subjects. Understanding the role of cooperating subjects in producing the experience of the one, shared, objective world keeps phenomenology committed to a resolutely anti-naturalist (or ‘transcendental’) philosophy.
Kant and Kierkegaard on Freedom and Evil
Authors: Assiter Alison
Published: April 2013

Kant and Kierkegaard are two philosophers who are not usually bracketed together. Yet, for one commentator, Ronald Green, in his bookKierkegaard and Kant: The Hidden Debt, a deep similarity between them is seen in the centrality both accord to the notion of freedom. Kierkegaard, for example, in one of hisJournalentries, expresses a ‘passion’ for human freedom. Freedom is for Kierkegaard also linked to a paradox that lies at the heart of thought. InPhilosophical FragmentKierkegaard writes about the ‘paradox of thought’: ‘the paradox is the passion of thought […] the thinker without the paradox is like the lover without the passion.’
ECONOMIES OF SCALE IN BANKING, CONFIDENCE SHOCKS, AND BUSINESS CYCLES
Authors: Dressler Scott J. , Kersting Erasmus K.
Published: April 2013

Equilibrium indeterminacy due to economies of scale (ES) in financial intermediation is quantitatively examined in a monetary business-cycle environment. Financial intermediation provides deposits that serve as a substitute for currency to purchase consumption, and depositing decisions are susceptible to nonfundamental shocks to confidence. The analysis considers various assumptions on nominal rigidities and the timing of deposit decisions. The results suggest that indeterminacy arises for small ES, and the resulting confidence shocks qualitatively mimic monetary shocks. A calibration exercise concludes that U.S. economic volatility from this nonfundamental source has increased over time while volatility from fundamental sources has decreased.
Automated Detection and Quantification of Granular Cell Compartments
Authors: Mahboubi Hicham , Kodiha Mohamed , Stochaj Ursula
Published: April 2013

Many cellular processes are organized in a compartmentalized and dynamic fashion to ensure effective adaptation to physiological changes. Thus, in response to stress and disease, cells initiate protective mechanisms to restore homeostasis. Among these mechanisms are the arrest of translation and remodeling of ribonucleoprotein complexes into granular compartments in the cytoplasm, known as stress granules (SGs). To date, the analysis of SGs has relied on the manual demarcation and measurement of the compartment, making quantitative studies time-consuming, while preventing the efficient use of high-throughput technology. We developed the first fully automated, computer-based procedures that measure the association of fluorescent molecules with granular compartments. Our methods quantify automatically multiple granule parameters and generate data at the level of single cells or individual SGs. These techniques detect simultaneously in an automated fashion proteins and RNAs located in SGs. The effectiveness of our protocols is demonstrated by studies that reveal several of the unique biological and structural characteristics of SGs. In particular, we show that the type of stress determines granule size and composition, as illustrated by the concentration of poly(A)-RNA and a specific SG marker protein. Furthermore, we took advantage of the computer-based and automated methods to design assays suitable for high-throughput screening.
Cell Adhesion, Multicellular Morphology, and Magnetosome Distribution in the Multicellular Magnetotactic Prokaryote Candidatus Magnetoglobus multicellularis
Authors: Abreu Fernanda , Silva Karen Tavares , Leão Pedro , Guedes Iame Alves , Keim Carolina Neumann , Farina Marcos , Lins Ulysses
Published: April 2013

Candidatus Magnetoglobus multicellularis is an uncultured magnetotactic multicellular prokaryote composed of 17-40 Gram-negative cells that are capable of synthesizing organelles known as magnetosomes. The magnetosomes of Ca. M. multicellularis are composed of greigite and are organized in chains that are responsible for the microorganism's orientation along magnetic field lines. The characteristics of the microorganism, including its multicellular life cycle, magnetic field orientation, and swimming behavior, and the lack of viability of individual cells detached from the whole assembly, are considered strong evidence for the existence of a unique multicellular life cycle among prokaryotes. It has been proposed that the position of each cell within the aggregate is fundamental for the maintenance of its distinctive morphology and magnetic field orientation. However, the cellular organization of the whole organism has never been studied in detail. Here, we investigated the magnetosome organization within a cell, its distribution within the microorganism, and the intercellular relationships that might be responsible for maintaining the cells in the proper position within the microorganism, which is essential for determining the magnetic properties of Ca. M. multicellularis during its life cycle. The results indicate that cellular interactions are essential for the determination of individual cell shape and the magnetic properties of the organism and are likely directly associated with the morphological changes that occur during the multicellular life cycle of this species.
Parental Refusal of Consent for their Child's Medical Treatment: An Ethical, Professional and Legal Dilemma
Authors: King Liz
Published: April 2013

Parental refusal to consent for medical and surgical consent can present children's nurses with a professional dilemma and can potentially negatively impact the care provided for the both the paediatric patient and their family. With in this article, the legal, ethical and professional aspects associated with this dilemma are presented and discussed from the parental, child and nurse point of view.
Shoulder Operation Counselling in Day-Surgery Patients in Finland: Patients’ Perspective
Authors: Haapala Terhi , Palonen Mira , Åstedt-Kurki Päivi
Published: April 2013

The purpose of the study was to describe the day-surgery patients’ shoulder operation counselling from the patients’ perspective. The aim was to produce information for patient counselling on the day-surgery unit. For the study, nine patients who had shoulder operations as day-surgery patients were interviewed during spring 2012 using thematic interviews approximately one week after the operation. As a method of a qualitative study, inductive content analysis was used.

The results indicate that, as a result of counselling, patients experience feelings of safety and trust as long as they receive enough information and are included in decision making. Professional staff and a positive care environment promote the feeling of safety and trust. The results also demonstrate that lack of counselling and factors that affect the patients’ internalisation of the counselling leads to feelings of insecurity. The study showed that patients possess their own individual coping mechanisms, which support counselling.

With regard to counselling in relation to shoulder surgery the results produce new knowledge, as there is no previous research regarding patients’ experiences of counselling for shoulder surgery in the day-surgery setting in Finland. The results indicate that the patient's personal counselling experiences are wide ranging, and the findings call for a new approach when developing nursing care in the future.

Recommendations from this study produce information that can be incorporated into post-graduate nurses’ induction, training, and the results can also enhance written patient instructions.
Effect of Pre-warming on Reducing the Incidence of Inadvertent Peri-operative Hypothermia for Patients Undergoing General Anaesthesia: A Mini-review
Authors: Llewellyn Lucie
Published: April 2013

Objective:

This mini-review aims to assess the effect pre-warming has on reducing the incidence of inadvertent peri-operative hypothermia for patients undergoing general anaesthesia.

Method:

A search of the MEDLINE and EMBASE databases, as well as hand-searching through the reference lists of key articles, was undertaken. Articles were included on the basis that the studies were randomised controlled trials, undertaken on patients who were undergoing surgery under general anaesthesia and were pre-warmed for 60 minutes using forced-air warming systems. This resulted in two articles being critically appraised and reviewed using guidelines based on those given in Greenhalgh and Donald (2000).

Findings:

The results for both of these studies showed that statistically significant differences were seen in core body temperature, with analysis of variance used to test for the significant differences between the sample means. The findings were also clinically significant, as a small drop in temperature as a result of anaesthesia and surgery can lead to IPH, and with pre-warming this can be avoided.

Conclusion:

The studies that were used in this review both reported that pre-warming patients for 60 minutes pre-operatively had both a statistically significant and clinically significant effect. This means that patients should receive a period of pre-warming before surgery in addition to being warmed peri-operatively, in order to reduce any drop in potential temperature that can lead to IPH.
Actuarial Applications of Multivariate Two-Part Regression Models
Authors: Frees Edward W. , Jin Xiaoli , Lin Xiao
Published: April 2013

This paper synthesizes and extends the literature on multivariate two-part regression modelling, with an emphasis on actuarial applications. To illustrate the modelling, we use data from the US Medical Expenditure Panel Survey to explore expenditures that come in two parts. In the first part, zero expenditures correspond to no payments for health care services during a year. For the second part, a positive expenditure corresponds to the payment amount, a measure of utilization. Expenditures are multivariate, the five components being (i) office-based, (ii) hospital outpatient, (iii) emergency room, (iv) hospital inpatient, and (v) home health expenditures. Not surprisingly, there is a high degree of association among expenditure types and so we utilize models that account for these associations. These models include multivariate binary regressions for the payment type and generalized linear models with Gaussian copulas for payment amounts.

As anticipated, the strong associations among expenditure types allow us to establish significant model differences on an in-sample basis. Despite these strong associations, we find that commonly used statistical measures perform similarly on a held-out validation sample. In contrast, out-of-sample risk measures used by actuaries reveal differences in the association among expenditure types.
Continuously variable W-band phase shifters based on MEMS-actuated conductive fingers
Authors: Psychogiou Dimitra , Li Yunjia , Hesselbarth Jan , Peroulis Dimitrios , Hierold Christofer , Hafner Christian
Published: April 2013

This paper presents four continuously variable W-band phase shifters in terms of design, fabrication, and radiofrequency (RF) characterization. They are based on low-loss ridge waveguide resonators tuned by electrostatically actuated highly conductive rigid fingers with measured variable deflection between 0.3° and 8.25° (at a control voltage of 0–27.5 V). A transmission-type phase shifter based on a tunable highly coupled resonator has been manufactured and measured. It shows a maximum figure of merit (FOM) of 19.5°/dB and a transmission phase variation of 70° at 98.4 GHz. The FOM and the transmission phase shift are increased to 55°/dB and 134°, respectively, by the effective coupling of two tunable resonances at the same device with a single tuning element. The FOM can be further improved for a tunable reflective-type phase shifter, consisting of a transmission-type phase shifter in series with a passive resonator and a waveguide short. Such a reflective-type phase shifter has been built and tested. It shows a maximum FOM of 101°/dB at 107.4 GHz. Here, the maximum phase shift varied between 0° and 377° for fingers deflections between 0.3° and 8.25°.
When Body and Mind Are Talking
Authors: Häfner Michael
Published: April 2013

Recent research on so-called embodied cognitions strengthens the current view that the body and the mind cannot be separated in producing cognitions. But how and when does the body talk to the mind? Drawing on the notion that bodily processes are transformed into mental action through experiences, it is argued that embodied cognitions should be moderated by interindividual differences in the sensitivity to stimuli originating inside of the body, that is, by interoception. In line with these assumptions, two experiments demonstrate that the embodiment of weight and softness in value judgments and person impressions is moderated by interoception as assessed by a body-awareness questionnaire (Experiment 1) and a heartbeat perception task (Experiment 2). Taken together, these findings strongly speak to the notion that bodily processes and the experience thereof play an important role in embodiment, thereby extending previous research above and beyond the mere demonstration of body-mind interactions.
Auditory Distraction Compromises Random Generation
Authors: Marsh John E. , Sörqvist Patrik , Halin Niklas , Nöstl Anatole , Jones Dylan M.
Published: April 2013

Auditory distraction of random generation – a quintessentially executive control task – was explored in three experiments. Random number generation was impaired by the mere presence of irrelevant auditory sequences that comprise digits, but not letters, and then only if the digits were heard in a canonical order (1, 2, 3 … or 3, 2, 1 …), not in random order (Experiments 1 and 2). Random letter generation was impaired by irrelevant letters heard in alphabetical order (a, b, c …) and reversed alphabetical order (i, h, g …), but not by numbers in canonical order or letters in random order (Experiment 3). Attempting to ignore canonical sequences – with items that are members of the same category as the to-be-generated items – reduced the randomness of the generated sequence, by decreasing the tendency to change the direction of the produced sequence for random number generation, and by increasing resampling of responses for random letter generation. Like other selective attention tasks, the cost of distraction to random generation appears to stem from preventing habitual responses assuming the control of action.
GlgS, described previously as a glycogen synthesis control protein, negatively regulates motility and biofilm formation in Escherichia coli
Authors: Rahimpour Mehdi , Montero Manuel , Almagro Goizeder , Viale Alejandro M. , Sevilla Ángel , Cánovas Manuel , Muñoz Francisco J. , Baroja-Fernández Edurne , Bahaji Abdellatif , Eydallin Gustavo , Dose Hitomi , Takeuchi Rikiya , Mori Hirotada , Pozueta-Romero Javier
Published: April 2013

Escherichia coli glycogen metabolism involves the regulation of glgBXCAP operon expression and allosteric control of the GlgC [ADPG (ADP-glucose) pyrophosphorylase]-mediated catalysis of ATP and G1P (glucose-1-phosphate) to ADPG linked to glycogen biosynthesis. E. coli glycogen metabolism is also affected by glgS. Though the precise function of the protein it encodes is unknown, its deficiency causes both reduced glycogen content and enhanced levels of the GlgC-negative allosteric regulator AMP. The transcriptomic analyses carried out in the present study revealed that, compared with their isogenic BW25113 wild-type strain, glgS-null (ΔglgS) mutants have increased expression of the operons involved in the synthesis of type 1 fimbriae adhesins, flagella and nucleotides. In agreement, ΔglgS cells were hyperflagellated and hyperfimbriated, and displayed elevated swarming motility; these phenotypes all reverted to the wild-type by ectopic glgS expression. Also, ΔglgS cells accumulated high colanic acid content and displayed increased ability to form biofilms on polystyrene surfaces. F-driven conjugation based on large-scale interaction studies of glgS with all the non-essential genes of E. coli showed that deletion of purine biosynthesis genes complement the glycogen-deficient, high motility and high biofilm content phenotypes of ΔglgS cells. Overall the results of the present study indicate that glycogen deficiency in ΔglgS cells can be ascribed to high flagellar propulsion and high exopolysaccharide and purine nucleotides biosynthetic activities competing with GlgC for the same ATP and G1P pools. Supporting this proposal, glycogen-less ΔglgC cells displayed an elevated swarming motility, and accumulated high levels of colanic acid and biofilm. Furthermore, glgC overexpression reverted the glycogen-deficient, high swarming motility, high colanic acid and high biofilm content phenotypes of ΔglgS cells to the wild-type. As on the basis of the present study GlgS has emerged as a major determinant of E. coli surface composition and because its effect on glycogen metabolism appears to be only indirect, we propose to rename it as ScoR (surface composition regulator).
Influence of different concentrations of metabolisable energy at constant ratio to dietary protein, lysine, methionine, calcium and phosphorus on the performance of White Leghorn layers in the tropics
Authors: Rao S. V. Rama , Raju M. V. L. N. , Ravindran V. , Panda A. K.
Published: April 2013

An experiment was conducted to study the effect of nutrient density on the performance (21–72 weeks of age) of White Leghorn layers reared in an open-sided poultry house in the tropics. Six diets with graded levels (9.62–11.72 MJ/kg) of metabolisable energy (ME) with an increment of 0.42 MJ were formulated. Concentrations of crude protein, lysine, methionine, calcium and non-phytate phosphorus were kept constant to ME in all diets (15.9, 0.73, 0.35, 3.19 and 0.31 g/MJ ME, respectively). At 21 weeks of age, a total of 5280 birds was distributed randomly in 4-bird colony cages and 22 such cages in a row constituted one replicate. Each diet was fed ad libitum to 10 replicates from 21 to 72 weeks of age and performance parameters were recorded at 28-day intervals (period, 1–13). Egg production (EP) increased (P < 0.05) with increasing dietary ME and maximum response in EP was observed when dietary ME levels ranged between 10.93 and 11.69 MJ/kg during the majority of periods, while in periods 6, 7 and 8 (summer, 28−37°C), maximum EP was observed at higher ME levels in diet (11.64–11.69 MJ/kg diet). Feed intake (P < 0.01) decreased, feed efficiency (P < 0.01), egg mass (P < 0.01) and weight gain (P < 0.05) improved quadratically with increase in dietary ME concentration. Maximum feed efficiency was observed at 11.36 MJ ME/kg diet during 21–72 weeks of age. Egg shell defects were not influenced (P > 0.05) by dietary nutrient density. Mortality reduced quadratically with increase in dietary ME concentration and mortality was minimum at 11.64 MJ ME/kg diet. Based on results from the experiment it was concluded that White Leghorn layers (21–72 weeks of age) require 11.36 MJ ME/kg diet for maximum egg production, feed efficiency and egg mass with better liveability. The calculated intake of metabolisable energy, crude protein, lysine, methionine, calcium and non-phytate phosphorus in layers fed 11.30 MJ ME/kg diet was 1.157 MJ, 18.42 g, 865 mg, 409 mg, 3.68 g and 358 mg per bird per day, respectively.
Tapetal development and abiotic stress: a centre of vulnerability
Authors: Parish Roger W. , Phan Huy A. , Iacuone Sylvana , Li Song F.
Published: April 2013

Many self-fertilising crops are particularly sensitive to abiotic stress at the reproductive stage. In rice (Oryza sativa L.) and wheat (Triticum aestivum L.), for example, abiotic stress during meiosis and the young microspore stage indicates the tapetum is highly vulnerable and that the developmental program appears to be compromised. Tapetal hypertrophy can occur as a consequence of cold and drought stress, and programmed cell death (PCD) is delayed or inhibited. Since the correct timing of tapetal PCD is essential for pollen reproduction, substantial losses in grain yield occur. In wheat and rice, a decrease in tapetal cell wall invertase levels is correlated with pollen abortion and results in the amount of hexose sugars reaching the tapetum, and subsequently the developing microspores, being severely reduced (‘starvation hypothesis’). ABA and gibberellin levels may be modified by cold and drought, influencing levels of cell wall invertase(s) and the tapetal developmental program, respectively. Many genes regulating tapetal and microspore development have been identified in Arabidopsis thaliana (L.) Heynh. and rice and the specific effects of abiotic stresses on the program and pathways can now begin to be assessed.
Balancing salinity stress responses in halophytes and non-halophytes: a comparison between Thellungiella and Arabidopsis thaliana
Authors: Bartels Dorothea , Dinakar Challabathula
Published: April 2013

Salinity is one of the major abiotic stress factors that drastically reduces agricultural productivity. In natural environments salinity often occurs together with other stresses such as dehydration, light stress or high temperature. Plants cope with ionic stress, dehydration and osmotic stress caused by high salinity through a variety of mechanisms at different levels involving physiological, biochemical and molecular processes. Halophytic plants exist successfully in stressful saline environments, but most of the terrestrial plants including all crop plants are glycophytes with varying levels of salt tolerance. An array of physiological, structural and biochemical adaptations in halophytes make them suitable models to study the molecular mechanisms associated with salinity tolerance. Comparative analysis of plants that differ in their abilities to tolerate salinity will aid in better understanding the phenomenon of salinity tolerance. The halophyte Thellungiella salsuginea has been used as a model for studying plant salt tolerance. In this review, T. salsuginea and the glycophyte Arabidopsis thaliana are compared with regards to their biochemical, physiological and molecular responses to salinity. In addition recent developments are presented for improvement of salinity tolerance in glycophytic plants using genes from halophytes.
Intact sphingomyelin biosynthetic pathway is essential for intracellular transport of influenza virus glycoproteins
Authors: Tafesse Fikadu G. , Sanyal Sumana , Ashour Joseph , Guimaraes Carla P. , Hermansson Martin , Somerharju Pentti , Ploegh Hidde L.
Published: April 2013

Cells genetically deficient in sphingomyelin synthase-1 (SGMS1) or blocked in their synthesis pharmacologically through exposure to a serine palmitoyltransferase inhibitor (myriocin) show strongly reduced surface display of influenza virus glycoproteins hemagglutinin (HA) and neuraminidase (NA). The transport of HA to the cell surface was assessed by accessibility of HA on intact cells to exogenously added trypsin and to HA-specific antibodies. Rates of de novo synthesis of viral proteins in wild-type and SGMS1-deficient cells were equivalent, and HA negotiated the intracellular trafficking pathway through the Golgi normally. We engineered a strain of influenza virus to allow site-specific labeling of HA and NA using sortase. Accessibility of both HA and NA to sortase was blocked in SGMS1-deficient cells and in cells exposed to myriocin, with a corresponding inhibition of the release of virus particles from infected cells. Generation of influenza virus particles thus critically relies on a functional sphingomyelin biosynthetic pathway, required to drive influenza viral glycoproteins into lipid domains of a composition compatible with virus budding and release.
c-Myc phosphorylation by PKCζ represses prostate tumorigenesis
Authors: Kim Ji Young , Valencia Tania , Abu-Baker Shadi , Linares Juan , Lee Sang Jun , Yajima Tomoko , Chen Jing , Eroshkin Alexey , Castilla Elias A. , Brill Laurence M. , Medvedovic Mario , Leitges Michael , Moscat Jorge , Diaz-Meco Maria T.
Published: April 2013

Studies showing reduced PKCζ expression or enzymatic activity in different types of human cancers support the clinical relevance of PKCζ as a tumor suppressor. However, the in vivo role of PKCζ and its mechanisms of action in prostate cancer remain unclear. Here we demonstrate that the genetic inactivation of PKCζ in mice results in invasive prostate carcinoma in vivo in the context of phosphatase and tensin homolog deficiency. Bioinformatic analysis of human prostate cancer gene-expression sets revealed increased c-Myc transcriptional activity in PKCζ-inactive cells, which correlated with increased cell growth, invasion, and metastasis. Interestingly, PKCζ knockdown or the overexpression of a kinase-inactive mutant resulted in enhanced cell proliferation and invasion in vitro through increased c-Myc mRNA and protein levels and decreased Ser-373 phosphorylation of c-Myc. Analysis of prostate cancer samples demonstrated increased expression and decreased phosphorylation of c-Myc at Ser-373 in PKCζ knockout tumors. In vivo xenograft studies revealed that c-Myc phosphorylation by PKCζ is a critical event in the control of metastasis. Collectively, these results establish PKCζ as an important tumor suppressor and regulator of c-Myc function in prostate cancer.
Corepressor-dependent silencing of fetal hemoglobin expression by BCL11A
Authors: Xu Jian , Bauer Daniel E. , Kerenyi Marc A. , Vo Thuy D. , Hou Serena , Hsu Yu-Jung , Yao Huilan , Trowbridge Jennifer J. , Mandel Gail , Orkin Stuart H.
Published: April 2013

Reactivation of fetal hemoglobin (HbF) in adults ameliorates the severity of the common β-globin disorders. The transcription factor BCL11A is a critical modulator of hemoglobin switching and HbF silencing, yet the molecular mechanism through which BCL11A coordinates the developmental switch is incompletely understood. Particularly, the identities of BCL11A cooperating protein complexes and their roles in HbF expression and erythroid development remain largely unknown. Here we determine the interacting partner proteins of BCL11A in erythroid cells by a proteomic screen. BCL11A is found within multiprotein complexes consisting of erythroid transcription factors, transcriptional corepressors, and chromatin-modifying enzymes. We show that the lysine-specific demethylase 1 and repressor element-1 silencing transcription factor corepressor 1 (LSD1/CoREST) histone demethylase complex interacts with BCL11A and is required for full developmental silencing of mouse embryonic β-like globin genes and human γ-globin genes in adult erythroid cells in vivo. In addition, LSD1 is essential for normal erythroid development. Furthermore, the DNA methyltransferase 1 (DNMT1) is identified as a BCL11A-associated protein in the proteomic screen. DNMT1 is required to maintain HbF silencing in primary human adult erythroid cells. DNMT1 haploinsufficiency combined with BCL11A deficiency further enhances γ-globin expression in adult animals. Our findings provide important insights into the mechanistic roles of BCL11A in HbF silencing and clues for therapeutic targeting of BCL11A in β-hemoglobinopathies.
Traditional and Modified Soy Oils as Substitutes for Fish Oil in Feeds for Hybrid Striped Bass
Authors: Trushenski Jesse T. , Kanczuzewski Kenson L.
Published: April 2013

In order to assess the relative merits of different soy oils as alternatives to fish oil, we evaluated the production performance and fillet fatty acid profiles of hybrid Striped Bass fed feeds containing fish oil (FO) or 50:50 blends of fish oil and standard (STD SO), saturated fatty acid‐enriched (SFA SO), low alpha‐linolenic acid (LOW ALA SO), or hydrogenated (HYD SO) soy oil for 12 weeks (4 tanks/diet, 8 fish/tank; initial weight = 67.8 ± 0.2 g, grand mean ± SE). Weight gain (214 ± 5%) and specific growth rate (1.4 ± 0.0% body weight/d) were unaffected by diet. Although some differences were observed for feed conversion ratio, none of the soy‐fed groups were significantly different from the FO‐fed group (1.2 ± 0.0). Feeding the soy diets altered fillet fatty acid composition, but coefficient of distance values indicated the SFA SO (Djh = 3.9) and HYD SO (Djh = 9.1) feeds yielded fillet fatty acid profiles that were more similar to the FO control than the STD SO (Djh = 17.3) and LOW ALA SO (Djh = 17.6) feeds. All of the soy oils assessed were acceptable as partial substitutes for fish oil in hybrid Striped Bass feeds in terms of production performance; however, SFA SO appears more suitable for maintaining fillet fatty acid profile.
Ostracism and Stages of Coping
Authors: Wesselmann Eric D. , Williams Kipling D.
Published: April 2013

Ostracism—being ignored and excluded—is a painful event that many individuals experience. Williams (2009) proposed a temporal model of ostracism, arguing that reactions to ostracism change over time. Individuals have reflexive reactions to ostracism, characterized by immediate distress and threat to various basic needs. Next, ostracized individuals enter the reflective stage, in which they strive to recover basic needs satisfaction. Individuals only enter the resignation stage if they experience chronic ostracism. Research has focused on the first two stages, but the resignation stage remains largely unexplored. The goal of this chapter is to generate future directions for research on each of the stages of ostracism, particularly the resignation stage. We propose that individuals in the resignation stage may be more likely to engage in maladaptive behaviors (e.g., extreme violence), than individuals who are not in the resignation stage. We close this chapter by speculating on potential intervention techniques to help individuals in the resignation stage cope with chronic ostracism.
The Importance of Feeling Valued: Perceived Regard in Romantic Relationships
Authors: Cavallo Justin V. , Holmes John G.
Published: April 2013

Romantic relationships present people with unparalleled opportunity to fulfill fundamental intimacy goals. However, they also present the risk of experiencing social pain. Recent research has identified perceived regard—how much one feels valued by one’s romantic partner—as a critical moderator that determines when people set aside interpersonal risk in pursuit of connectedness or instead, forego intimacy to protect oneself from the threat of rejection. In the present chapter, we detail how chronic beliefs about perceived regard shape romantic outcomes by influencing relational cognition and self-regulation, particularly when interpersonal risk is salient. We also explore emerging research highlighting the mechanisms underlying these processes. Feeling valued is important to relationship well-being across all interpersonal contexts, but it is particularly critical in determining the longevity and quality of romantic bonds.
Rejection and Aggression: Explaining the Paradox
Authors: DeWall C. Nathan , Twenge Jean M.
Published: April 2013

How does social rejection influence aggression? The need to belong operates in a similar manner as other motivations. Hungry people work hard to get food. Out of work, people go out of their way to find employment. Social rejected do what they need to regain a sense of belonging. Yet rejected people often engage in behaviors that will result in further rejection, such as aggression. This chapter discusses a decade’s worth of experimental research on the relationship between social rejection and aggression, with an eye toward explaining why aggression occurs and how to prevent it.
Social Pain
Authors: Borsook Terry K. , MacDonald Geoff
Published: April 2013

The critical importance of social connectedness to human health and well-being is well established. There is now accumulating evidence that when a threat to this connectedness (i.e., social injury) occurs, a pain-like experience—social pain—can result. The first part of this chapter presents an up-to-date summary of animal and human brain imaging studies demonstrating an overlap in biological and neural systems mediating both social and physical pain. The second part reviews the literature examining the potential implications of this overlap, including the effect of reducing physical pain on social pain, the impact of social support on physical pain sensitivity, and the effects of socially painful events on physical pain perception. The chapter concludes with an exploration of what we believe are pressing issues and questions to be addressed in future research in the expanding field of social pain.
Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder and the Challenges of Social Exclusion
Authors: Mikami Amori Yee
Published: April 2013

Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is a prevalent diagnosis among school-age children and symptoms frequently persist into adolescence and adulthood. This chapter describes the high levels of social exclusion faced by individuals with ADHD. Distinctions are made between children and adults with this disorder, as well as between males and females, when possible. In addition, ways in which ADHD subtype and comorbidity impact social relationships are also considered. Reasons why individuals with ADHD tend to be excluded by their peers, and the effectiveness of existing interventions for social problems in ADHD, are next summarized. The chapter concludes with suggestions for future research directions, including speculation regarding ways to improve the treatment of social exclusion.
Attentional Retraining for Anxiety
Authors: Schmidt Norman B.
Published: April 2013

Cognitive models of psychopathology, particularly disorders involving anxiety symptoms, emphasize information processing biases in their development and maintenance. Research has consistently shown that anxious individuals (including patients with anxiety disorders) show an attentional bias in favor of threat cues (i.e., a threat bias). For example, patients with social anxiety disorder may show an attentional bias relating to signs of social rejection such as toward angry or disapproving faces. Recent evidence suggests that it is possible to modify patterns of attention allocation to threat and the resulting changes alter affective responses to stress. This chapter reviews the literature supporting the view that it is possible to modify attentional bias to threat cues, and such attentional “retraining” procedures may offer novel, efficacious treatments for those suffering from anxiety psychopathology.
Behavioral Mimicry as an Affiliative Response to Social Exclusion
Authors: Lakin Jessica L. , Chartrand Tanya L.
Published: April 2013

The nonconscious behavioral mimicry and social exclusion literatures are merged to explore whether mimicking the behaviors of others could be a possible affiliative behavior that follows social exclusion. Behavioral mimicry has been linked to liking, affiliation, and the development of rapport, and typically operates outside of conscious awareness, making it an especially attractive way to recover from the negative effects of rejection. Data consistent with this argument are reviewed, and future directions for a fruitful continued merging of these literatures are discussed.
In Vitro Translocation Experiments with RxLR-Reporter Fusion Proteins of Avr1b from Phytophthora sojae and AVR3a from Phytophthora infestans Fail to Demonstrate Specific Autonomous Uptake in Plant and Animal Cells
Authors: Wawra Stephan , Djamei Armin , Albert Isabell , Nürnberger Thorsten , Kahmann Regine , van West Pieter
Published: April 2013

Plant-pathogenic oomycetes have a large set of secreted effectors that can be translocated into their host cells during infection. One group of these effectors are the RxLR effectors for which it has been shown, in a few cases, that the RxLR motif is important for their translocation. It has been suggested that the RxLR-leader sequences alone are enough to translocate the respective effectors into eukaryotic cells through binding to surface-exposed phosphoinositol-3-phosphate. These conclusions were primary based on translocation experiments conducted with recombinant fusion proteins whereby the RxLR leader of RxLR effectors (i.e., Avr1b from Phytophthora sojae) were fused to the green fluorescent protein reporter-protein. However, we failed to observe specific cellular uptake for a comparable fusion protein where the RxLR leader of the P. infestans AVR3a was fused to monomeric red fluorescent protein. Therefore, we reexamined the ability of the reported P. sojae AVR1b RxLR leader to enter eukaryotic cells. Different relevant experiments were performed in three independent laboratories, using fluorescent reporter fusion constructs of AVR3a and Avr1b proteins in a side-by-side comparative study on plant tissue and human and animal cells. We report that we were unable to obtain conclusive evidence for specific RxLR-mediated translocation.
Leukocyte DNA Damage and Wound Infection after Nitrous Oxide Administration
Authors: Chen Yan , Liu Xiaodong , Cheng Christopher H. K. , Gin Tony , Leslie Kate , Myles Paul , Chan Matthew T. V.
Published: April 2013

Background:

Nitrous oxide inactivates methionine synthase and may lead to DNA damage and wound infection. By using single-cell gel electrophoresis (comet assay), the authors determined the effect of nitrous oxide on DNA damage in circulating leukocytes.

Methods:

In this double-blind, randomized controlled trial, 91 patients undergoing major colorectal surgery were randomized to receive 70% nitrous oxide (n = 31) or nitrous oxide-free anesthesia using 30 (n = 30) or 80% (n = 30) oxygen. Venous blood was collected before and 24 h after surgery. The primary outcome was extent of DNA damage, quantified as the percentage of DNA staining intensity in the comet tail using digital fluorescence microscopy. Incidence of postoperative wound infection was also recorded.

Results:

Nitrous oxide exposure was associated with a two-fold increase in the percentage of DNA intensity in tail (P = 0.0003), but not in the 30 (P = 0.181) or 80% oxygen groups (P = 0.419). There was a positive correlation between the duration of nitrous oxide exposure and extent of DNA damage, r = 0.33, P = 0.029. However, no correlation was observed in nitrous oxide-free patients. The proportions of postoperative wound infection, using the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention criteria, were 19.4% (6 of 31) in the 70% nitrous oxide group and 6.7% (2 of 30) in both the 30 and 80% oxygen groups, P = 0.21. An increase in DNA damage was associated with a higher risk of wound infection, adjusted odds ratio (95% CIs): 1.19 (1.07–1.34), P = 0.003.

Conclusions:

Nitrous oxide increased DNA damage compared with nitrous oxide-free anesthesia and was associated with postoperative wound infection.