bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Persistence of nematic liquid crystalline phase in a polyfluorene‐based organic semiconductor: A high pressure study
Authors: Guha Suchismita , Knaapila Matti , Moghe Dhanashree , Konôpková Zuzana , Torkkeli Mika , Fritsch Martin , Scherf Ullrich
Published: June 2014

The role of high pressure on a low molecular weight nematic liquid crystalline organic semiconductor, ethyl‐hexyl substituted polyfluorene (PF2/6) is investigated using photoluminescence (PL), Raman scattering, and X‐ray scattering studies at pressures from 1 to 8 GPa. The PL and the Raman data under pressure are consistent with each other with no abrupt changes in the pressure coefficients of PL or Raman peaks. The PL energies redshift and broaden, consistent with both enhanced intra‐ and interchain interactions. The Raman peak positions yield pressure coefficients similar to other phenyl based π‐conjugated polymers. The broadening of a doublet peak in the 1135 cm−1 region indicates a more planar backbone conformation with increasing pressure. X‐ray scattering indicates that the torsion angle between adjacent repeats reduces with increasing pressure and reverts back with decompression. The intermolecular structure is weakly ordered (frozen nematic) and essentially maintained with increasing pressure, in contrast to a high molecular weight PF2/6. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Polym. Sci., Part B: Polym. Phys. 2014, 52, 1014–1023
Polyenylcyclopropane carboxylic esters with high insecticidal activity
Authors: Ferroni Claudia , Bassetti Lucio , Borzatta Valerio , Capparella Elisa , Gobbi Carlotta , Guerrini Alberto , Varchi Greta
Published: June 2014

BACKGROUND

Pyrethroids are synthetic derivatives of naturally occurring pyrethrum. These molecules are widely used in agriculture for ant, fly and mosquito control and for lawn and garden care. Pyrethroids are the optically active esters of 2,2‐dimethyl‐3‐(2‐methylpropenyl)‐cyclopropane carboxylic acid, also known as chrysanthemic acid. However, their intense use has resulted in the development of resistance in many insect species. Herein, specific structural modifications of the pyrethroid scaffold and their effect on insecticidal activity, especially on resistant pests strains, are reported.

RESULTS

The exposure to (1R)‐trans‐(E/Z)‐2,3,5,6‐tetrafluorobenzyl‐3‐(buta‐1,3‐dienyl)‐2,2‐dimethyl cyclopropanecarboxylate and its diastereomers produced 100% mortality in yellow fever mosquitoes (Aedes aegypti), house mosquitoes (Culex quinquefasciatus) and houseflies (Musca domestica). Moreover, this compound provided complete knockdown within 15 min of exposure against cockroaches (Blattella germanica) and maintained an excellent knockdown activity at 10 days after treatment.

CONCLUSION

Novel pyrethroid derivatives obtained from 2,2‐dimethyl‐3‐(2‐methylpropenyl)‐cyclopropanecarboxylic acid are described. These derivatives display high insecticidal activity, a wide spectrum of action and no toxicity towards mammalians. The proposed synthetic procedures are highly efficient and inexpensive, and therefore suitable for industrial scale‐up. © 2014 Society of Chemical Industry
The Lived Experiences of Migrants in Detention
Authors: Lietaert Ine , Broekaert Eric , Derluyn Ilse
Published: June 2014

The detention and deportation of (undocumented) non‐citizens has become one of the political priorities in the realisation of states' internal migration control. The increase in detention and deportation of migrants raises questions about these practices' implicit functions and their impact on the migrants subjected to detention. This paper aims to contribute to our understanding of the contemporary expansion of immigration detention by focusing on detained migrants' lived experiences and perspectives on detention practices. On the basis of interviews with 31 detainees in Belgian detention centres, we explore how migrants' self‐perceptions relate to current legal and societal discourses. By referring to their connections with the host country through material, familial or emotional ties, the interviewees strongly oppose their detention and upcoming deportation. Thereby, they bring the (contested) experience of belonging firmly to the centre of this paper, referring to the connection between ‘body’ and ‘place’. They also point to the large and growing gap between their lived experiences on the one hand and the realities and political discourses of (legal) belonging on the other. In addition, detainees' lived experiences shed light onto the burden and consequences of lacking citizenship, and, simultaneously, demonstrate how individuals try to assert alternative, identity‐based claims, and/or deny – or at least avoid – the idea of deportation. We hereby hypothesise that this denial, as also the growing gap between detainees' own perspectives and policy and public discourses might have a major impact on migrants' wellbeing and their reintegration processes back ‘home’. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Dye‐enhanced imaging of mammalian cells with SIMS
Authors: Bloom Anna , Winograd Nicholas
Published: June 2014

A major limitation of SIMS studies of cells is the limited number of molecules available for detection. This study examines the possibility of utilizing a molecular tag that is easily identifiable using SIMS and does not interfere with the mass spectra of commonly identified cellular components, to aid in the visualization of specific cellular organelles. Here, a fluorescent, nuclear stain (Hoechst 33342) was used to allow for verification of the staining protocols prior to SIMS analysis. The stain was successfully chemically imaged within the nuclear region of a glutaraldehyde‐fixed bovine aortic endothelial cell. The ability to chemically map a larger variety of organelles and cellular components will allow for further possible study of a greater number of biological pathways and processes, as well as make cell–drug studies more feasible using SIMS. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
ToF‐SIMS data analysis for complex plant tissue samples using multivariate analysis and G‐SIMS
Authors: Aoyagi Satoka , Kodani Noriko , Yano Akira , Asao Toshiki , Iwai Hideo , Kudo Masahiro
Published: June 2014

Recently, controlled production of plants to enhance specific ingredients, such as sinigrin in Wasabi effective for antibacterial and anticancer, in the plants has become more important in order to use the ingredients efficiently. It is, however, difficult to develop a plant production method for controlling the sinigrin amount, because the sinigrin production mechanism is not clear. Therefore, it is crucial to evaluate distribution and metabolic pathways of sinigrin and related molecules in the wasabi tissue. Because time‐of‐flight (ToF)‐SIMS provides molecular distributions of insulation samples including plant tissues on a submicron scale, it is useful for such a purpose. On the other hand, interpretation of intricate ToF‐SIMS spectra of complex samples is often difficult. Recently, multivariate analysis techniques, such as principal component analysis and multivariate curve resolution, successfully applied into a variety of scientific fields have been also introduced into ToF‐SIMS data. Moreover, gentle secondary ion mass spectrometry (G‐SIMS), developed for analyzing static‐SIMS spectra in terms of the degree of fragmentation, has recently been applied to various samples. In this study, sections of Wasabi petioles were evaluated with ToF‐SIMS and the data analysis techniques to clarify the distribution of sinigrin molecule in the wasabi tissue. A combination of multivariate analysis and G‐SIMS worked effectively to interpret the complex ToF‐SIMS data of the plant tissue. As a result, the detailed distribution of sinigrin in the plant tissue was indicated by ToF‐SIMS and the data analysis techniques. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Structural optimization of grading rings on composite insulators on 500‐kV compact transmission lines
Authors: Xie Tianxi , Peng Zongren , Zhou Zhicheng , Tao Fengbo , Liu Yang
Published: June 2014

Serious corona discharges occur on some grading rings of 500‐kV compact transmission lines in China owing to defects in the structural design. The noise of the corona is heard clearly even 50 m away from the tower. In order to solve this problem, we have optimized the structure of the grading rings to suppress the corona. In this study, the grading rings that had serious corona discharges were identified and observed with an ultraviolet imager (UVI), and the electric field (E‐field) distributions of the grading rings were calculated by means of the three‐dimensional finite element method. Based on an analysis of the areas on the grading ring where excessive high E‐field magnitudes were observed, we optimized the structures of the grading rings to improve the field distributions on their surfaces. Based on the optimization suggestions, new grading rings were manufactured to replace the old ones. UVI observations showed that the new grading rings could effectively prevent the occurrence of corona discharge. © 2014 Institute of Electrical Engineers of Japan. Published by John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
A parametric assessment approach to solving facility‐location problems with fuzzy demands
Authors: Lin Pei‐Chun , Watada Junzo , Wu Berlin
Published: June 2014

In real‐world applications, sometimes randomness and fuzziness may coexist. In facility‐location problems, the data expressed in natural language may contain vague information. We discuss the uncertainty included in demands in facility‐location problems. The uncertain demand is called fuzzy demand in this paper. In the facility‐location model, the parameters of fuzzy demand are determined by calculating the estimated expected value of the fuzzy demand, which is obtained by using the estimated parameters of the underlying probability distribution function of the fuzzy data. Moreover, we propose a defuzzification formula of the fuzzy demand called the realization of fuzzy demand. The defuzzification formula of fuzzy demand comprises the upper bound and the lower bound of the fuzzy demand. Moreover, the error of the fuzzy demand is assessed as the mean absolute percentage error of the fuzzy demand. Empirical studies show that we can solve real‐life location problems by using the defuzzification formula of fuzzy demand and get higher profit in our facility‐location model than by using conventional methods. © 2014 Institute of Electrical Engineers of Japan. Published by John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Synthesis and Protonation Studies of Molybdenum(0) Bis(di­nitrogen) Complexes Supported by Diphosphine Ligands ­Containing Pendant Amines
Authors: Labios Liezel A. , Weiss Charles J. , Egbert Jonathan D. , Lense Sheri , Bullock R. Morris , Dougherty William G. , Kassel W. Scott , Mock Michael T.
Published: June 2014

A series of molybdenum bis(dinitrogen) complexes of the formula trans‐[Mo(N2)2(PEtNRPEt)2] (PEtNRPEt = Et2PCH2N(R)CH2PEt2; R = phenyl (1), 2,6‐difluorobenzyl (2), 3,5‐difluorobenzyl (3), CH2CH2NMe2 (4), CH2‐o‐Py (5)] were synthesized and characterized by NMR and IR spectroscopy, and X‐ray crystallography. Protonation studies with stoichiometric amounts of triflic acid (HOTf) were performed, and the protonated products were characterized by NMR and in situ IR spectroscopic methods. Products formed in the stepwise protonation reactions included, for example, a mixture of the seven‐coordinate molybdenum bis(dinitrogen) hydride, trans‐[Mo(H)(N2)2(PEtNPhPEt)2]+ [1H]+, and the Mo‐hydrazido triflate complex, trans‐[Mo(NNH2)(OTf)(PEtNPhPEt)2]+ [1(NNH2)]+. Complex 2, with more basic pendant amines, can be protonated up to three times, affording the highly‐charged molecule, trans‐[Mo(H)(N2)2(PEtN2,6‐F2‐Bn(H)PEt)2)]3+ [2H(PN(H)P)2]3+.
Destructive Effect of an α‐Particle on TEX
Authors: Türker Lemi
Published: June 2014

By computational studies it was found that interaction of an α‐particle with TEX (an explosive molecule having a cage structure) disturbs the molecular skeleton dramatically. As the α‐particle exerts its positive electrostatic field, the C–C bond between the dioxalane rings present in TEX breaks down forming the dication of TEX. The calculation were done within the constraints of the density functional theory at the level of B3LYP using various bases sets, mainly 6‐31++G(d,p).
Parkinsonism and inborn errors of metabolism
Authors: Garcia‐Cazorla A. , Duarte S. T.
Published: June 2014

Parkinsonism is a frequent neurological syndrome in adulthood but is very rare in childhood. Early forms of Parkinsonism have many distinctive features as compared to Parkinsonism in adults. In fact, rather than Parkinsonism, the general concept “hypokinetic‐rigid syndrome” (HRS) is more accurate in children. In general, the terms “dystonia‐parkinsonism”, “parkinsonism‐plus”, or “parkinsonism‐like” are preferred to designate these forms of paediatric HRS. Inborn errors of metabolism (IEM) constitute an important group amongst the genetic causes of Parkinsonism at any age. The main IEM causing Parkinsonism are metal‐storage diseases, neurotransmitter defects, lysosomal storage disorders and energy metabolism defects. IEM should not be neglected as many of them represent treatable causes of Parkinsonism. Here we review IEMs causing this neurological syndrome and propose diagnostic approaches depending on the age of onset and the associated clinical and neuroimaging features.
Effectiveness of enzyme replacement therapy in adults with late‐onset Pompe disease: results from the NCS‐LSD cohort study
Authors: Anderson L. J. , Henley W. , Wyatt K. M. , Nikolaou V. , Waldek S. , Hughes D. A. , Lachmann R. H. , Logan S.
Published: June 2014

Objectives

To determine the effectiveness of enzyme replacement therapy (ERT) for adults with late‐onset Pompe disease.

Design

A longitudinal cohort study including prospective and retrospective clinical outcome data. Age‐ and gender‐adjusted treatment effects were estimated using generalised linear mixed models. Treated patients contributed data before and during treatment. Untreated patients contributed natural history data.

Participants

Consenting adults (N = 62) with a diagnosis of late‐onset Pompe disease who attended a specialist treatment centre in England. This cohort represented 83 % of all patients in the UK with a confirmed diagnosis of this rare condition. At study entry, all but three patients were receiving ERT (range of treatment duration, 0 to 3.1 years).

Outcome measures

Percent predicted forced vital capacity (%FVC); ventilation dependency; mobility; 6 min walk test (6MWT); muscle strength and body mass index (BMI).

Results

An association was found between time on ERT and significant increases in the distance walked in the 6MWT (p < 0.001) and muscle strength scores (p < 0.001). Improvements in both these measures were seen over the first 2 years of treatment with ERT. No statistically significant relationship was found between time on ERT and respiratory function or in BMI.

Conclusions

These data provide some further evidence of the effectiveness of ERT in adults with late‐onset Pompe disease.

Synopsis

The results of this longitudinal cohort study of 62 adults with late‐onset Pompe disease, provide further evidence on the effectiveness of ERT in this rare condition.
Compartment Syndrome: Diagnosis, Management, and Unique Concerns in the Twenty-First Century
Authors: Garner Matthew R. , Taylor Samuel A. , Gausden Elizabeth , Lyden John P.
Published: June 2014

Background

Compartment syndrome is an elevation of intracompartmental pressure to a level that impairs circulation. While the most common etiology is trauma, other less common etiologies such as burns, emboli, and iatrogenic injuries can be equally troublesome and challenging to diagnose. The sequelae of a delayed diagnosis of compartment syndrome may be devastating. All care providers must understand the etiologies, high-risk situation, and the urgency of intervention.

Questions/Purposes

This study was conducted to perform a comprehensive review of compartment syndrome discussing etiologies, risk stratification, clinical progression, noninvasive and invasive monitoring, documentation, medical-legal implication, and our step-by-step approach to compartment syndrome prevention, detection, and early intervention.

Methods

A literature search was performed using the PubMed Database and the following search terms: “Compartment syndrome AND Extremity,” “Compartment syndrome AND Gluteal,” and Compartment syndrome AND Paraspinal.” A total of 2,068 articles were identified. Filters allowed for the exclusion of studies not printed in English (359) and those focusing on exertional compartment syndrome (84), leaving a total of 1,625 articles available for review.

Results

The literature provides details regarding the etiologies, risk stratification, clinical progression, noninvasive and invasive monitoring, documentation, medical-legal implication, and our step-by-step approach to compartment syndrome prevention, detection, and early intervention. The development and progression of compartment syndrome is multifactorial, and as complexity of care increases, the opportunity for the syndrome to be missed is increased. Recent changes in the structure of in-hospital medical care including resident work hour restrictions and the incorporation of midlevel providers have increased the frequency of “signouts” or “patient handoffs” which present opportunities for the syndrome to be mismanaged.

Conclusion

The changing dynamics of the health care team have prompted the need for a more explicit algorithm for managing patients at risk for compartment syndrome to ensure appropriate conveyance of information among team members.
The Synergism of Biochemical Components Controlling Lipid Oxidation in Lamb Muscle
Authors: Ponnampalam Eric N. , Norng Sorn , Burnett Viv F. , Dunshea Frank R. , Jacobs Joe L. , Hopkins David L.
Published: June 2014

Lipid oxidation of M. longissimus lumborum in fresh or vacuum packaged (aged) lamb meat stored at 3 °C for 0 or 4 weeks, respectively and displayed under refrigerated conditions for a further 4 days was assessed by measuring the concentration of malondialdehyde (MDA) in meat using the thiobarbituric acid reactive substances procedure. The effects of vitamin E, heme iron and polyunsaturated fatty acids (n‐6 and n‐3) on lipid oxidation were examined. Results showed a strong positive relationship between heme iron, n‐6 and n‐3 fatty acids and lipid oxidation when vitamin E was below 2.95 mg/kg muscle. When lipid oxidation was related to vitamin E concentration and the other three variables, respectively, any increase in heme iron or n‐6 or n‐3 fatty acids concentration did not influence lipid oxidation. Management of diet to elevate muscle vitamin E concentration above 3.45 mg/kg muscle is beneficial to maintain the level of lipid oxidation below 2.4 mg MDA/kg muscle in meat stored for up to 4 weeks. This demonstrates that vitamin E concentration in muscle has a greater influence on controlling lipid oxidation in muscle tissues than do heme iron or polyunsaturated fatty acids.
Father–daughter relationship and the severity of eating disorders
Authors: Horesh N. , Sommerfeld E. , Wolf M. , Zubery E. , Zalsman G.
Published: June 2014

Background:

Mother–daughter relationship was the focus of studies on the development of eating disorders (ED) for many years. This study aimed to examine the association between the father–daughter relationship and ED and depressive symptoms.

Methods:

Fifty-three women diagnosed with ED were compared to a psychiatric control group (n= 26) and to healthy participants (n= 60) regarding their perception of their fathers and the relationship with them. Assessments were done using the Parental Bonding Instrument, the Eating Disorders Questionnaire, the Body Shape Questionnaire, the Eating Attitude Test, and the Beck Depression Inventory as well as narrative-based methods.

Results:

Fathers’ negative attributes were significantly associated with ED and depressive symptom. Two profiles of father–daughter relationship were found, the “caring and benevolent” relationship and the “overprotective and avoidant” one. In the latter, patients displayed significantly higher levels of food-restraint, more concerns about eating and about their body shape and appearance, and higher levels of depression.

Discussion:

Negative perception of the father's parenting style as well as the quality of the relationship with him are crucial for the understanding of the development and persistence of ED. Therapeutic programs for ED should focus not only on the relationship with the mother but must also address the relationship with the father.
Links between sleep and body mass index in bipolar disorders: An exploratory study
Authors: Boudebesse C. , Geoffroy P.-A. , Henry C. , Germain A. , Scott J. , Lajnef M. , Leboyer M. , Bellivier F. , Etain B.
Published: June 2014

Study objectives:

Obesity and excess bodyweight are highly prevalent in individuals with bipolar disorders (BD) and are associated with adverse consequences. Multiple factors may explain increased bodyweight in BD including side effects of psychotropic medications, and reduced physical activity. Research in the general population demonstrates that sleep disturbances may also contribute to metabolic burden. We present a cross-sectional study of the associations between body mass index (BMI) and sleep parameters in patients with BD as compared with healthy controls (HC).

Methods:

Twenty-six French outpatients with remitted BD and 29 HC with a similar BMI completed a 21-day study of sleep parameters using objective (actigraphy) and subjective (PSQI: Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index) assessments.

Results:

In BD cases, but not in HC, higher BMI was significantly correlated with lower sleep efficiency (P = 0.009) and with several other sleep parameters: shorter total sleep time (P = 0.01), longer sleep onset latency (P = 0.05), higher fragmentation index (P = 0.008), higher inter-day variability (P = 0.05) and higher PSQI total score (P = 0.004).

Conclusions:

The findings suggest a link between a high BMI and several sleep disturbances in BD, including lower sleep efficiency. Physiological mechanisms in BD cases may include an exaggeration of phenomena observed in non-clinical populations. However, larger scale studies are required to clarify the links between metabolic and sleep-wake cycle disturbances in BD.
Separation of zinc‐dependent and zinc‐independent events during early LPS‐stimulated TLR4 signaling in macrophage cells
Authors: Wan Ying , Petris Michael J. , Peck Scott C.
Published: June 2014

Free zinc is required for proper lipopolysaccharide (LPS)‐stimulated signaling, but potential sites of action in the pathway have not been defined. In this work, we provide in vitro and ex vivo evidence that zinc is not required for phosphorylation or ubiquitylation of IRAK1, a kinase functioning early in the TLR4 pathway. However, degradation of ubiquitylated IRAK1 occurred via a zinc‐dependent, proteasome‐independent pathway. These results provide evidence of a novel site of action for zinc during TLR4‐mediated inflammatory responses.
Characterization of the contractile P2Y14 receptor in mouse coronary and cerebral arteries
Authors: Haanes Kristian Agmund , Edvinsson Lars
Published: June 2014

Extracellular UDP‐glucose can activate the purinergic P2Y14 receptor. The aim of the present study was to examine the physiological importance of P2Y14 receptors in the vasculature. The data presented herein show that UDP‐glucose causes contraction in mouse coronary and basilar arteries. The EC50 values and immunohistochemistry illustrated the strongest P2Y14 receptor expression in the basilar artery. In the presence of pertussis toxin, UDP‐glucose inhibited contraction in coronary arteries and in the basilar artery it surprisingly caused relaxation. After organ culture of the coronary artery, the EC50 value decreased and an increased staining for the P2Y14 receptor was observed, showing receptor plasticity.
Neuronal circuits and computations: Pattern decorrelation in the olfactory bulb
Authors: Friedrich Rainer W. , Wiechert Martin T.
Published: June 2014

Neuronal circuits in the olfactory bulb transform odor‐evoked activity patterns across the input channels, the olfactory glomeruli, into distributed activity patterns across the output neurons, the mitral cells. One computation associated with this transformation is a decorrelation of activity patterns representing similar odors. Such a decorrelation has various benefits for the classification and storage of information by associative networks in higher brain areas. Experimental results from adult zebrafish show that pattern decorrelation involves a redistribution of activity across the population of mitral cells. These observations imply that pattern decorrelation cannot be explained by a global scaling mechanism but that it depends on interactions between distinct subsets of neurons in the network. This article reviews insights into the network mechanism underlying pattern decorrelation and discusses recent results that link pattern decorrelation in the olfactory bulb to odor discrimination behavior.
The optimal setting of complex fractionated atrial electrogram software in substrate ablation for atrial fibrillation
Authors: Namino Fuminori , Iriki Yasuhisa , Maenosono Ryuichi , Ichiki Hitoshi , Okui Hideki , Yoshimura Akino , Oketani Naoya , Matsushita Masakaze , Ohishi Mitsuru , Hashiguchi Teruto
Published: June 2014

Background

Complex fractionated atrial electrogram (CFAE)‐targeted catheter ablation (CFAE ablation) requires a high rate of atrial fibrillation (AF) termination to provide good outcomes. We determined the optimal settings of CFAE software.

Methods

In our 430 consecutive patients, AF was terminated in 97 (234/242) and 79% (149/188) of patients with paroxysmal and persistent AF, respectively, by CFAE ablation combined with (31%) or without (69%) pulmonary vein isolation, occasionally with nifekalant infusion. We analyzed 109 consecutive patients who underwent CFAE ablation to determine the optimal settings for comparing subjective versus objective decisions by the CFAE software on CARTO3. We compared three settings: the default setting (0.05–0.15 mV, 50–120 ms) and two modified settings (#1: 0.05–0.30 mV, 40–70 ms, #2: 0.05–0.13 mV, 10–20 ms). We retrospectively analyzed 11,425 points during left atrial mapping before ablation and 10,306 points that were subjectively detected and ablated as CFAE points. An interval confidence level ≥6 denoted a site with CFAE.

Results

With the default setting, the accuracy, sensitivity, specificity, positive productive value, and negative productive values were 67, 42, 77, 48, and 73%, respectively. With modified setting #1, the values were 78, 55, 87, 74, and 77%, respectively, versus 64, 82, 60, 53, and 91%, respectively, for modified setting #2.

Conclusion

These data suggest that setting #1 was generally superior to the default setting, whereas setting #2 was optimal for excluding areas not requiring ablation. The optimal CFAE software setting was a voltage of 0.05–0.30 mV and an interval parameter of 40–70 ms.
BRCA2 inhibition enhances cisplatin‐mediated alterations in tumor cell proliferation, metabolism, and metastasis
Authors: Rytelewski Mateusz , Tong Jessica G. , Buensuceso Adrian , Leong Hon S. , Maleki Vareki Saman , Figueredo Rene , Di Cresce Christine , Wu Sherry Y. , Herbrich Shelley M. , Baggerly Keith A. , Romanow Larissa , Shepherd Trevor , Deroo Bonnie J. , Sood Anil K. , Chambers Ann F. , Vincent Mark , Ferguson Peter J. , Koropatnick James
Published: June 2014

Tumor cells have unstable genomes relative to non‐tumor cells. Decreased DNA integrity resulting from tumor cell instability is important in generating favorable therapeutic indices, and intact DNA repair mediates resistance to therapy. Targeting DNA repair to promote the action of anti‐cancer agents is therefore an attractive therapeutic strategy. BRCA2 is involved in homologous recombination repair. BRCA2 defects increase cancer risk but, paradoxically, cancer patients with BRCA2 mutations have better survival rates. We queried TCGA data and found that BRCA2 alterations led to increased survival in patients with ovarian and endometrial cancer. We developed a BRCA2‐targeting second‐generation antisense oligonucleotide (ASO), which sensitized human lung, ovarian, and breast cancer cells to cisplatin by as much as 60%. BRCA2 ASO treatment overcame acquired cisplatin resistance in head and neck cancer cells, but induced minimal cisplatin sensitivity in non‐tumor cells. BRCA2 ASO plus cisplatin reduced respiration as an early event preceding cell death, concurrent with increased glucose uptake without a difference in glycolysis. BRCA2 ASO and cisplatin decreased metastatic frequency in vivo by 77%. These results implicate BRCA2 as a regulator of metastatic frequency and cellular metabolic response following cisplatin treatment. BRCA2 ASO, in combination with cisplatin, is a potential therapeutic anti‐cancer agent.
Torsional Instability of an Elastic Flat Plate due to Hydrodynamic Loads
Authors: Armandei M. , Fernandes A. C.
Published: June 2014

The present work studies the torsional instability of an elastic structure due to hydrodynamic loads into the water current. The structure applied here is a rectangular flat plate with an elastic axis in its mid-chord length. The elasticity in the structure is provided by torsion spring. The flat plate has only one degree of freedom which is rotation in pure yaw about its axis. Through the free vibration experiments, it is observed that as the current speed exceeds a critical velocity, the flat plate becomes unstable. Two different chord lengths are tested and the instability occurs for a chord base range of Reynolds number, 0.75 × 105< Rec< 1.5 × 105. As a result of the instability, the flat plate begins to yaw about the elastic axis. The hydrodynamic moment acting on the flat plate is modeled by means of the flutter derivatives. As an identification technique to extract flutter derivatives, a curve fitting scheme called General Least-Square (GLS) theory is applied on the results of the free vibration experiments. The results confirm that the structure becomes dynamically unstable due to the hydrodynamic moment applied on it beyond the critical velocity. The super-critical Hopf bifurcation is also discussed in the light of the analysis.
Relationship between stearoyl-CoA desaturase 1 gene expression, relative protein abundance, and its fatty acid products in bovine tissues
Authors: Rezamand Pedram , Watts Jason S , Yavah Katherine M , Mosley Erin E , Ma Liying , Corl Benjamin A , McGuire Mark A
Published: June 2014

Stearoyl-CoA desaturase 1 (SCD1) greatly contributes to the unsaturated fatty acids present in milk and meat of cattle. The SCD1 enzyme introduces a double bond into certain saturated fatty acyl-CoAs producing monounsaturated fatty acids (MUFA). The SCD1 enzyme also has been shown to be active in the bovine mammary gland convertingt11 18 : 1 (vaccenic acid) toc9t11 conjugated linoleic acid (CLA). The objective of this study was to determine any association between the gene expression ofSCD1 and occurrence of its products (c9 14 : 1,c9 16 : 1,c9 18 : 1, andc9t11 18 : 2) in various bovine tissues. Tissue samples were obtained from lactating Holstein cows (n=28) at slaughter, frozen in liquid nitrogen and stored at −80 °C. Total RNA was extracted and converted to complementary DNA for quantitative real time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) analysis of theSCD1 gene. Extracted lipid was converted to fatty acid methyl esters and analysed by GC. Tissues varied in expression ofSCD1 gene with mammary, cardiac, intestinal adipose, and skeletal muscle expressing greater copy number as compared with lung, large intestine, small intestine and liver (371, 369, 328, 286, 257, 145, 73, and 21 copies/ng RNA, respectively). Tissues with high mRNA expression ofSCD1 contained greater SCD1 protein whereas detection of SCD1 protein in tissues with lowSCD1 mRNA expression was very faint or absent. Across tissues, the desaturase indices forc9 18 : 1 (r=0·24) and sum of SCD products (r=0·20) were positively correlated withSCD1 gene expression (P<0·01 for both). Within each tissue, the relationship betweenSCD1 gene expression and the desaturase indices varied. No correlation was detected betweenSCD1 expression and desaturase indices in the liver, large and small intestines, lung, cardiac or skeletal muscles. Positive correlations, however, were detected betweenSCD1 expression and the desaturase indices in intestinal adipose tissue (P<0·02 for all) except 14 : 1, whereas onlyc9 18 : 1,c9t11 18 : 2 and sum of all desaturase indices were positively correlated withSCD1 expression in mammary tissue (P⩽0·03). Overall, the relationship betweenSCD1 gene expression and occurrence of its products seems to be tissue specific.
CHARACTERIZATIONS OF OPTIMAL POLICIES IN A GENERAL STOPPING PROBLEM AND STABILITY ESTIMATING
Authors: Gordienko Evgueni , Novikov Andrey
Published: June 2014

We consider an optimal stopping problem for a general discrete-time process X1, X2, …, Xn, … on a common measurable space. Stopping at time n (n = 1, 2, …) yields a reward Rn(X1, …, Xn) ≥ 0, while if we do not stop, we pay cn(X1, …, Xn) ≥ 0 and keep observing the process. The problem is to characterize all the optimal stopping times τ, i.e., such that maximize the mean net gain:
$$E(R_\tau(X_1,\dots,X_\tau)-\sum_{n=1}^{\tau-1}c_n(X_1,\dots,X_n)).$$
We propose a new simple approach to stopping problems which allows to obtain not only sufficient, but also necessary conditions of optimality in some natural classes of (randomized) stopping rules.

In the particular case of Markov sequence X1, X2, … we estimate the stability of the optimal stopping problem under perturbations of transition probabilities.
Signals for color and achromatic contrast in the goldfish inner retina
Authors: BURKHARDT DWIGHT A.
Published: June 2014

A moving stimulus paradigm was designed to investigate color contrast encoding in the retina. Recently, this paradigm yielded suggestive evidence for color contrast encoding in zebrafish but the significance and generality remain uncertain since the properties of color coding in the zebrafish inner retina are largely unknown. Here, the question of color contrast is pursued in the goldfish retina where there is much accumulated evidence for retinal mechanisms of color vision and opponent color-coding, in particular. Recordings of a sensitive local field potential of the inner retina, the proximal negative response, were made in the intact, superfused retina in the light-adapted state. Responses to color contrast and achromatic contrast were analyzed by comparing responses to a green moving bar on greenversusred backgrounds. The quantitative form of the irradiance/response curves was distinctly different under a range of conditions in 32 retinas, thereby providing robust evidence for red–green color contrast. The color contrast is based on successive contrast, occurs in the absence of overt color opponency, and clearly differs from previous findings in the goldfish retina for simultaneous color contrast mediated by color-opponent neurons. The form of the irradiance/response curves suggests that successive color contrast is particularly important when achromatic contrast is low, as often occurs in natural environments. The present results provide a parallel with the well-known principle of human color vision, first proposed by Kirschmann as the third law of color contrast, and may also have implications for the evolution of vertebrate color vision.
Gastrointestinal Symptoms and Food/Nutrition Concerns after the Great East Japan Earthquake in March 2011: Survey of Evacuees in a Temporary Shelter
Authors: Inoue Tomoko , Nakao Atsunori , Kuboyama Kazutoshi , Hashimoto Atsunori , Masutani Motomaru , Ueda Takahiro , Kotani Joji
Published: June 2014

On March 11, 2011, a 9.1 magnitude earthquake occurred in the eastern Pacific Ocean off the coast of northern Japan. A resulting tsunami struck the Japan Pacific coast, causing >20,000 deaths, injuries and missing persons.

Survivors’ post-tsunami health and nutritional status were surveyed one month after the disaster in a school shelter in Ishinomaki City. Hyogo College of Medicine's disaster relief team observations and survivors’ questionnaires were used to assess the disaster's effects on survivors’ lifestyles and gastrointestinal symptoms while residing in temporary shelters. Of 236 disaster evacuees 9-88 years of age (mean age 52 years), 23% lost weight and 28% reported decreased food intake one month after the earthquake. Up to 25% of the participants presented with gastrointestinal symptoms, including constipation (10%), appetite loss (6.4%), vomiting (6.4%), and nausea (2.1%). Although the victims preferred more vegetables (44%) or fruit (33%), most food aid received, such as rice balls or bread, was carbohydrate-based, possibly because of easy provision and abundance in emergency food pantries. The authors asked the volunteers and the Japan Self-Defense Forces to provide a more balanced diet, including vegetables and fruit. Consumption of imbalanced diets may have caused more gastrointestinal symptoms for the survivors. Because of the victims’ hesitation to request more balanced diets, and because of poorly controlled existing chronic disease and mental stress, professional public health providers should assure emergency food nutrition after disasters.

InoueT, NakaoA, KuboyamaK, HashimotoA, MasutaniM, UedaT, KotaniJ. Gastrointestinal symptoms and Food/Nutrition concerns after the great east japan earthquake in March 2011: survey of evacuees in a temporary shelter. Prehosp Disaster Med. 2014;29(3):1-4.
THE SQUAB AND THE IDLER: A COSMOPOLITAN – COLONIAL DIALOGUE IN THECALCUTTA STARBETWEEN WILLIAM THACKERAY AND JAMES HUME
Authors: Simons Gary
Published: June 2014

The first English language newspaperin India began publication in 1780; by 1857, almost two hundred papers and periodicals had appeared – and many had quickly disappeared. An 1839 article in theCalcutta Literary Gazettepartially attributed this high mortality rate to a lack of talented writers and to a desire among colonists for news from England:

There is not here as there is in London, a class of professional literati, always ready to prepare a certain supply of matter. . . . [T]he London paying system has been introduced, but the writer whose contributions are worth paying for, are a very small body. . . . To all the drawbacks already mentioned we must mention another of no trifling influence; we allude to the disposition in our countrymen to look homewards for their literature. (Chanda xviii-xxi)

Indeed, English newspapers of the time featured the contributions of literati such as Charles Dickens, Benjamin Disraeli, George Eliot, Leigh Hunt, Douglas Jerrold, Henry Mayhew, and William Makepeace Thackeray, but of these figures only Thackeray wrote purposely for an Indian periodical.
TROUBLING CONJUGAL LOYALTIES: THE FIRST INDIAN NOVEL IN ENGLISH AND THE TRANSIMPERIAL FRAMEWORK OF SENSATION
Authors: Banerjee Sukanya
Published: June 2014

Bankim Chandra Chatterjee(1838–94) is widely recognized as one of the preeminent novelists of nineteenth-century India. A literary forerunner of the much-celebrated Rabindranath Tagore, he authored fourteen Bengali novels which set the benchmark for Bengal's foray into novelistic territory. Bankim acquired national and international repute over the course of his lifetime, and not only were his novels translated into other Indian languages over the course of the nineteenth century, but translations of his work also appeared in Russia from as early as the 1870s (Novikova ii). While Bankim's fame rests on the strength of his Bengali writings multiply translated as they were, his first novel,Rajmohan's Wife(1864), was written in English. Interestingly,Rajmohan's Wife, usually considered the first Indian novel in English, is now seldom read, a neglect replicating the scant attention that the novel garnered when it was first serialized in the 1860s.
Achievements and future challenges for environment and development economics
Authors: Hassan Rashid
Published: June 2014

Addressing the challenge of ecological limits to economic growth and protection of the commons has been the central focus of scholarly research and policy debate in the world of EDE over the past two decades. Notable progress has been realized on a number of fronts but big challenges remain. Advances in the theory and practice of sustainable development, moving away from income measures such as GDP and promoting inclusive wealth as the right indicator of change in wellbeing and sustainability for the evaluation of economic performance and associated progress with the development and use of natural resources and environmental accounts represent one major example. Another important example is the ecosystem services (ES) approach of the millennium ecosystem assessment that has now become the main framework widely adopted as the basis for the characterization, valuation and evaluation of tradeoffs among the multiple services of ecosystems impacted by the pursuit of economic growth. Together with progress in the science and economics of addressing climate change, these advances moved the EDE focus from micro- to macro-environmental economics management issues. Major manifestations of progress on these fronts include: the emphasis on the green economy for ‘the future we want’ at Rio+20 and the intended move beyond the millennium development goals (MDGs) to redirect future efforts of the international community towards new sustainable development goals (SDGs) and targets; global consensus and support for establishing an Intergovernmental Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES); and efforts to better define planetary boundaries.
Effects of international climate policy for India: evidence from a national and global CGE model
Authors: Weitzel Matthias , Ghosh Joydeep , Peterson Sonja , Pradhan Basanta K.
Published: June 2014

In order to significantly reduce global carbon emissions, it is necessary also to control CO2 emissions in fast growing emerging economies such as India. The question is how the Indian economy would be affected by including the country in an international climate regime. In this analysis we soft-link a global and a single-country computable general equilibrium model in order to be able to capture distributional issues as well as international repercussions. We analyze different options of transferring revenues from domestic carbon taxes and international transfers to different household types and the effects of different assumptions on exchange rates on transfer payments. Our results show (i) that welfare effects can differ significantly for different household types, which is generally ignored in analyses with global models, and (ii) that these effects are significantly influenced by international price repercussions and by accounting for transfers from international permit sales which is generally ignored in single-country models.
Language switch costs in sentence comprehension depend on language dominance: Evidence from self-paced reading
Authors: BULTENA SYBRINE , DIJKSTRA TON , VAN HELL JANET G.
Published: June 2014

This study investigated two prominent issues in the comprehension of language switches. First, how does language switching direction affect switch costs in sentence context? Second, are switch costs modulated by L2 proficiency and cross-linguistic activation? We conducted a self-paced reading task involving sentences that switched between participants’ L1 Dutch and L2 English. The cognate status of the main verb was manipulated to examine the influence of co-activation on intra-sentential switch costs. The reading times indicated the influence of switch direction: a cost was observed for switches into L2 but not for switches into L1, and the magnitude of the costs was correlated with L2 proficiency, indicating that switch costs in language comprehension depend on language dominance. Verb cognates did not yield a cognate facilitation effect nor did they influence the magnitude of switch costs in either direction. The results are interpreted in terms of an activation account explaining lexical comprehension based on L2 proficiency.
Dietary patterns and whole grain cereals in the Scandinavian countries – differences and similarities. The HELGA project
Authors: Engeset Dagrun , Hofoss Dag , Nilsson Lena M , Olsen Anja , Tjønneland Anne , Skeie Guri
Published: June 2014

Objective

To identify dietary patterns with whole grains as a main focus to see if there is a similar whole grain pattern in the three Scandinavian countries; Denmark, Sweden and Norway. Another objective is to see if items suggested for a Nordic Food Index will form a typical Nordic pattern when using factor analysis.

Setting

The HELGA study population is based on samples of existing cohorts: the Norwegian Women and Cancer Study, the Swedish Västerbotten cohort and the Danish Diet, Cancer and Health study. The HELGA study aims to generate knowledge about the health effects of whole grain foods.

Subjects

The study included a total of 119 913 participants.

Design

The associations among food variables from FFQ were investigated by principal component analysis. Only food groups common for all three cohorts were included. High factor loading of a food item shows high correlation of the item to the specific diet pattern.

Results

The main whole grain for Denmark and Sweden was rye, while Norway had highest consumption of wheat. Three similar patterns were found: a cereal pattern, a meat pattern and a bread pattern. However, even if the patterns look similar, the food items belonging to the patterns differ between countries.

Conclusions

High loadings on breakfast cereals and whole grain oat were common in the cereal patterns for all three countries. Thus, the cereal pattern may be considered a common Scandinavian whole grain pattern. Food items belonging to a Nordic Food Index were distributed between different patterns.
Timed soft concurrent constraint programs: An interleaved and a parallel approach
Authors: BISTARELLI STEFANO , GABBRIELLI MAURIZIO , MEO MARIA CHIARA , SANTINI FRANCESCO
Published: June 2014

We propose a timed and soft extension of Concurrent Constraint Programming. The time extension is based on the hypothesis ofbounded asynchrony: The computation takes a bounded period of time and is measured by a discrete global clock. Action prefixing is then considered as the syntactic marker that distinguishes a time instant from the next one. Supported by soft constraints instead of crisp ones,tellandaskagents are now equipped with a preference (or consistency) threshold, which is used to determine their success or suspension. In this paper, we provide a language to describe the agents' behavior, together with its operational and denotational semantics, for which we also prove the compositionality and correctness properties. After presenting a semantics using maximal parallelism of actions, we also describe a version for their interleaving on a single processor (with maximal parallelism for time elapsing). Coordinating agents that need to take decisions on both preference values and time events may benefit from this language.