bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Neuroprotective efficacy of aminopropyl carbazoles in a mouse model of Parkinson disease
Authors: De Jesús-Cortés Héctor , Xu Pin , Drawbridge Jordan , Estill Sandi Jo , Huntington Paula , Tran Stephanie , Britt Jeremiah , Tesla Rachel , Morlock Lorraine , Naidoo Jacinth , Melito Lisa M. , Wang Gelin , Williams Noelle S. , Ready Joseph M. , McKnight Steven L. , Pieper Andrew A.
Published: October 2012

We previously reported the discovery of P7C3, an aminopropyl carbazole having proneurogenic and neuroprotective properties in newborn neural precursor cells of the dentate gyrus. Here, we provide evidence that P7C3 also protects mature neurons in brain regions outside of the hippocampus. P7C3 blocks 1-methyl-4-phenyl-1,2,3,6-tetrahydropyridine (MPTP)-mediated cell death of dopaminergic neurons in the substantia nigra of adult mice, a model of Parkinson disease (PD). Dose–response studies show that the P7C3 analog P7C3A20 blocks cell death with even greater potency and efficacy, which parallels the relative potency and efficacy of these agents in blocking apoptosis of newborn neural precursor cells of the dentate gyrus. P7C3 and P7C3A20 display similar relative effects in blocking 1-methyl-4-phenylpyridinium (MPP
+
)-mediated death of dopaminergic neurons in
Caenorhabditis elegans
, as well as in preserving
C. elegans
mobility following MPP
+
exposure. Dimebon, an antihistaminergic drug that is weakly proneurogenic and neuroprotective in the dentate gyrus, confers no protection in either the mouse or the worm models of PD. We further demonstrate that the hippocampal proneurogenic efficacy of eight additional analogs of P7C3 correlates with their protective efficacy in MPTP-mediated neurotoxicity. In vivo screening of P7C3 analogs for proneurogenic efficacy in the hippocampus may thus provide a reliable means of predicting neuroprotective efficacy. We propose that the chemical scaffold represented by P7C3 and P7C3A20 provides a basis for optimizing and advancing pharmacologic agents for the treatment of patients with PD.
Assessment of morphometry of pulmonary acini in mouse lungs by nondestructive imaging using multiscale microcomputed tomography
Authors: Vasilescu Dragoş M. , Gao Zhiyun , Saha Punam K. , Yin Leilei , Wang Ge , Haefeli-Bleuer Beatrice , Ochs Matthias , Weibel Ewald R. , Hoffman Eric A.
Published: October 2012

Establishing the 3D architecture and morphometry of the intact pulmonary acinus is an essential step toward a more complete understanding of the relationship of lung structure and function. We combined a special fixation method with a unique volumetric nondestructive imaging technique and image processing tools to separate individual acini in the mouse lung. Interior scans of the parenchyma at a resolution of 2 µm enabled the reconstruction and quantitative study of whole acini by image analysis and stereologic methods, yielding data characterizing the 3D morphometry of the pulmonary acinus. The 3D reconstructions compared well with the architecture of silicon rubber casts of mouse acini. The image-based segmentation of individual acini allowed the computation of acinar volume and surface area, as well as estimation of the number of alveoli per acinus using stereologic methods. The acinar morphometry of male C57BL/6 mice age 12 wk and 91 wk was compared. Significant increases in all parameters as a function of age suggest a continuous change of the lung morphometry, with an increase in alveoli beyond what has been previously viewed as the maturation phase of the animals. Our image analysis methods open up opportunities for defining and quantitatively assessing the acinar structure in healthy and diseased lungs. The methods applied here to mice can be adjusted for the study of similarly prepared human lungs.
Disrupting galectin-1 interactions with N-glycans suppresses hypoxia-driven angiogenesis and tumorigenesis in Kaposi’s sarcoma
Authors: Croci Diego O. , Salatino Mariana , Rubinstein Natalia , Cerliani Juan P. , Cavallin Lucas E. , Leung Howard J. , Ouyang Jing , Ilarregui Juan M. , Toscano Marta A. , Domaica Carolina I. , Croci María C. , Shipp Margaret A. , Mesri Enrique A. , Albini Adriana , Rabinovich Gabriel A.
Published: October 2012

Kaposi’s sarcoma (KS), a multifocal vascular neoplasm linked to human herpesvirus-8 (HHV-8/KS-associated herpesvirus [KSHV]) infection, is the most common AIDS-associated malignancy. Clinical management of KS has proven to be challenging because of its prevalence in immunosuppressed patients and its unique vascular and inflammatory nature that is sustained by viral and host-derived paracrine-acting factors primarily released under hypoxic conditions. We show that interactions between the regulatory lectin galectin-1 (Gal-1) and specific target N-glycans link tumor hypoxia to neovascularization as part of the pathogenesis of KS. Expression of Gal-1 is found to be a hallmark of human KS but not other vascular pathologies and is directly induced by both KSHV and hypoxia. Interestingly, hypoxia induced Gal-1 through mechanisms that are independent of hypoxia-inducible factor (HIF) 1α and HIF-2α but involved reactive oxygen species–dependent activation of the transcription factor nuclear factor κB. Targeted disruption of Gal-1–N-glycan interactions eliminated hypoxia-driven angiogenesis and suppressed tumorigenesis in vivo. Therapeutic administration of a Gal-1–specific neutralizing mAb attenuated abnormal angiogenesis and promoted tumor regression in mice bearing established KS tumors. Given the active search for HIF-independent mechanisms that serve to couple tumor hypoxia to pathological angiogenesis, our findings provide novel opportunities not only for treating KS patients but also for understanding and managing a variety of solid tumors.
Distinct cellular pathways select germline-encoded and somatically mutated antibodies into immunological memory
Authors: Kaji Tomohiro , Ishige Akiko , Hikida Masaki , Taka Junko , Hijikata Atsushi , Kubo Masato , Nagashima Takeshi , Takahashi Yoshimasa , Kurosaki Tomohiro , Okada Mariko , Ohara Osamu , Rajewsky Klaus , Takemori Toshitada
Published: October 2012

One component of memory in the antibody system is long-lived memory B cells selected for the expression of somatically mutated, high-affinity antibodies in the T cell–dependent germinal center (GC) reaction. A puzzling observation has been that the memory B cell compartment also contains cells expressing unmutated, low-affinity antibodies. Using conditional Bcl6 ablation, we demonstrate that these cells are generated through proliferative expansion early after immunization in a T cell–dependent but GC-independent manner. They soon become resting and long-lived and display a novel distinct gene expression signature which distinguishes memory B cells from other classes of B cells. GC-independent memory B cells are later joined by somatically mutated GC descendants at roughly equal proportions and these two types of memory cells efficiently generate adoptive secondary antibody responses. Deletion of T follicular helper (Tfh) cells significantly reduces the generation of mutated, but not unmutated, memory cells early on in the response. Thus, B cell memory is generated along two fundamentally distinct cellular differentiation pathways. One pathway is dedicated to the generation of high-affinity somatic antibody mutants, whereas the other preserves germ line antibody specificities and may prepare the organism for rapid responses to antigenic variants of the invading pathogen.
Common and Specific Protein Accumulation Patterns in Different Albino/Pale-Green Mutants Reveals Regulon Organization at the Proteome Level
Authors: Motohashi Reiko , Rödiger Anja , Agne Birgit , Baerenfaller Katja , Baginsky Sacha
Published: October 2012

Research interest in proteomics is increasingly shifting toward the reverse genetic characterization of gene function at the proteome level. In plants, several distinct gene defects perturb photosynthetic capacity, resulting in the loss of chlorophyll and an albino or pale-green phenotype. Because photosynthesis is interconnected with the entire plant metabolism and its regulation, all albino plants share common characteristics that are determined by the switch from autotrophic to heterotrophic growth. Reverse genetic characterizations of such plants often cannot distinguish between specific consequences of a gene defect from generic effects in response to perturbations in photosynthetic capacity. Here, we set out to define common and specific features of protein accumulation in three different albino/pale-green plant lines. Using quantitative proteomics, we report a common molecular phenotype that connects the loss of photosynthetic capacity with other chloroplast and cellular functions, such as protein folding and stability, plastid protein import, and the expression of stress-related genes. Surprisingly, we do not find significant differences in the expression of key transcriptional regulators, suggesting that substantial regulation occurs at the posttranscriptional level. We examine the influence of different normalization schemes on the quantitative proteomics data and report all identified proteins along with their fold changes and P values in albino plants in comparison with the wild type. Our analysis provides initial guidance for the distinction between general and specific adaptations of the proteome in photosynthesis-impaired plants.
Precision of fit of implant‐supported screw‐retained 10‐unit computer‐aided‐designed and computer‐aided‐manufactured frameworks made from zirconium dioxide and titanium: an in vitro study
Authors: Katsoulis Joannis , Mericske‐Stern Regina , Rotkina Lolita , Zbären Christoph , Enkling Norbert , Blatz Markus B.
Published: October 2012

Objective

To analyze the precision of fit of implant‐supported screw‐retained computer‐aided‐designed and computer‐aided‐manufactured (CAD/CAM) zirconium dioxide (ZrO) frameworks.

Materials and methods

Computer‐aided‐designed and computer‐aided‐manufactured ZrO frameworks (NobelProcera™) for a screw‐retained 10‐unit implant‐supported reconstruction on six implants (FDI positions 15, 13, 11, 21, 23, 25) were fabricated using a laser (ZrO‐L, N = 6) and a mechanical scanner (ZrO‐M, N = 5) for digitizing the implant platform and the cuspid‐supporting framework resin pattern. Laser‐scanned CAD/CAM titanium (TIT‐L, N = 6) and cast CoCrW‐alloy frameworks (Cast, N = 5) fabricated on the same model and designed similar to the ZrO frameworks were the control. The one‐screw test (implant 25 screw‐retained) was applied to assess the vertical microgap between implant and framework platform with a scanning electron microscope. The mean microgap was calculated from approximal and buccal values. Statistical comparison was performed with non‐parametric tests.

Results

No statistically significant pairwise difference was observed between the relative effects of vertical microgap between ZrO‐L (median 14 μm; 95% CI 10–26 μm), ZrO‐M (18 μm; 12–27 μm) and TIT‐L (15 μm; 6–18 μm), whereas the values of Cast (236 μm; 181–301 μm) were significantly higher (P < 0.001) than the three CAD/CAM groups. A monotonous trend of increasing values from implant 23 to 15 was observed in all groups (ZrO‐L, ZrO‐M and Cast P < 0.001, TIT‐L P = 0.044).

Conclusions

Optical and tactile scanners with CAD/CAM technology allow for the fabrication of highly accurate long‐span screw‐retained ZrO implant‐reconstructions. Titanium frameworks showed the most consistent precision. Fit of the cast alloy frameworks was clinically inacceptable.
TMF criteria for Lost Foam Casting aluminum alloys
Authors: TABIBIAN S. , CHARKALUK E. , CONSTANTINESCU A. , SZMYTKA F. , OUDIN A.
Published: October 2012

The purpose of this paper is to define a thermo‐mechanical fatigue criterion in order to predict the failure of aluminum alloys components issued with the lost foam casting process and used in particular in the automotive industry. The microstructure of the studied materials (A356–A319 aluminum alloys) is clearly affected by the lost foam casting process which can directly affect the mechanical properties, the damage mechanisms and the fatigue failure of specimens and components. The major problem in defining a predictive fatigue criterion in this case is the fact that it should be applicable for the component which is submitted to complex multiaxial thermo‐mechanical loadings. Since many years, energy‐based criteria have been used to predict fatigue failure of this class of materials. Then, different energy‐based criteria are tested in order to take into account different types of triaxiality and mean stress effects corrections. The fatigue lifetime results predicted by both of them show a good agreement with experimental results.
Olig2‐positive cells in glioneuronal tumors show both glial and neuronal characters: The implication of a common progenitor cell?
Authors: Matsumura Nozomi , Yokoo Hideaki , Mao Ying , Yin Wang , Nakazato Yoichi
Published: October 2012

Glioneuronal tumors (GNTs) are rare neoplasms consisting of both glial and neuronal components. Among the GNTs, dysembryoplastic neuroepithelial tumors (DNTs), papillary glioneuronal tumors (PGNTs), and rosette‐forming glioneuronal tumors of the fourth ventricle (RGNTs) share the character of being mainly composed of small round Olig2‐positive tumor cells. Using immunohistochemistry and fluorescence in situ hybridization, we examined a series of 35 GNT cases (11 DNTs, 15 PGNTs and 9 RGNTs) on the characteristics of Olig2‐positive tumor cells. Histologically, Olig2‐positive cells showed small round forms in most GNTs; however, there were a small number of Olig2‐positive cells with neuronal morphology only in a PGNT case. These cells expressed both glial and neuronal markers by double immunostaining. With regard to labeling indices and intensity, only PGNT cells expressed neuronal markers, including α‐internexin and neurofilament. These findings also suggest that some Olig2‐positive PGNT cells may show neuronal differentiation. In GNTs, a considerable number of Olig2‐positive cells showed immunopositivity for cyclin D1 and/or platelet‐derived growth factor receptor alpha (PDGFRα), which are markers for oligodendrocyte progenitor cells. These immunostainings were particularly strong in DNTs. In RGNTs, Olig2‐positive cells formed “neurocytic rosettes”. Furthermore, they were also immunopositive for glial markers, including GFAP, PDGFRα and cyclin D1. These findings indicate the heterogeneous characteristics of Olig2‐positive cells in GNTs, and some of them also exhibited neuronal features. So it is possible that a part of Olig2‐positive GNT cells have characteristics similar to those of progenitor cells.
Ethnographic study of a good death among elderly Japanese Americans
Authors: Hattori Keiko , Ishida Dianne N.
Published: October 2012

Most humans desire a good death, but the nursing literature on culture‐specific responses to older life, especially on issues of death and dying among Japanese Americans, is still limited. The pattern of beliefs about a good death held by elderly Japanese Americans living in Hawaii was explored. A qualitative study using ethnography and in‐depth interviewing was employed. Eighteen healthy and active elderly participants were interviewed, and data analyzed using ethnography to extract categories and themes, and four supplementary interviews with experts were held for triangulation of the data. Four themes emerged, however, in this paper, the predominate one, not being a burden to family, was discussed. The participants believed burdening someone in their culture has an extremely negative implication. Sufficient preparation for older life and death, family support, friends support, and finance were their strategies to avoid being a burden. Nurses need to understand that the concept of good death is unique to every culture. Such knowledge will help them to plan and provide appropriate end‐of‐life care, and will reduce the risk of living wills being ignored.
In Defense of Prenatal Genetic Interventions
Authors: Murphy Timothy F.
Published: October 2012

Jürgen Habermas has argued against prenatal genetic interventions used to influence traits on the grounds that only biogenetic contingency in the conception of children preserves the conditions that make the presumption of moral equality possible. This argument fails for a number of reasons. The contingency that Habermas points to as the condition of moral equality is an artifact of evolutionary contingency and not inviolable in itself. Moreover, as a precedent for genetic interventions, parents and society already affect children's traits, which is to say there is moral precedent for influencing the traits of descendants. A veil‐of‐ignorance methodology can also be used to justify prenatal interventions through its method of advance consent and its preservation of the contingency of human identities in a moral sense. In any case, the selection of children's traits does not undermine the prospects of authoring a life since their future remains just as contingent morally as if no trait had been selected. Ironically, the prospect of preserving human beings as they are – to counteract genetic drift – might even require interventions to preserve the ability to author a life in a moral sense. In light of these analyses, Habermas' concerns about prenatal genetic interventions cannot succeed as objections to their practice as a matter of principle; the merits of these interventions must be evaluated individually.
Hub‐and‐Spoke Student Blogging and Advantages for Classroom Discussion
Authors: Walatka Todd
Published: October 2012

This essay argues for a particular form of student blogging as a powerful tool for generating and sustaining student engagement and conversation. After a brief discussion of pedagogical principles, “hub‐and‐spoke” blogging is presented as a means to facilitate a more student and discussion‐centered classroom. Based upon recent research and the author's experience, blogging is shown to have a significant impact on both student and instructor preparation for class and to positively shape instructional time.
GLOBAL MEDIA CITIES IN TRANSNATIONAL MEDIA NETWORKS
Authors: HOYLER MICHAEL , WATSON ALLAN
Published: October 2012

This paper considers an alternative dimension of world city network formation, driven by transnational media corporations rather than advanced producer services. Through an empirical analysis of the office networks of leading media corporations, the paper measures the integration of global media cities into the world city network in 2011. An interlocking network model is employed to determine the connectedness of cities within media networks, and a principal components analysis used to identify six media fields that represent the locational strategies of transnational media corporations. The results highlight the regionality of global corporate media strategies, which are firmly anchored in the major home markets of North America, Europe and Japan but reach out to other world regions through strategically positioned media cities.
A Universal neighbourhood rough sets model for knowledge discovering from incomplete heterogeneous data
Authors: Jing Siyuan , She Kun , Ali Shahzad
Published: October 2012

Neighbourhood rough set theory has proven already, as an efficient tool for knowledge discovering from heterogeneous data. However, some types of the data are incomplete and noisy in practical environments, such as signal analysis, fault diagnosis etc. To solve this problem, a universal neighbourhood rough sets model (variable precision tolerance neighbourhood rough sets [VPTNRS] model) is proposed based on a tolerance neighbourhood relation and the probabilistic theory. The proposed model can be inducing a family of much more comprehensive information granules to characterize arbitrary concepts in complex universe. In this paper, we discussed the properties of the model as well as some important relevant theorems are also introduced and proved. Furthermore, a heuristic heterogeneous feature selection algorithm is given based on the model. The experimental results with 10 choices University of California Irvine (UCI) standard data sets showed that the universal model performed well both in feature selection and classification, especially in incomplete environment.
THE CONTINUING MODESTY OF HISTORY
Authors: Ermarth Elizabeth Deeds
Published: October 2012

The critique of conventional historical writing has been emergent for a century—it is not the work of a few—and it has immense practical implications for Western society, perhaps especially in English‐speaking countries. Involved are such issues as the decline of representation, the nature of causality, the definitions of identity or time or system, to name only a few. Conventional historians are quite right to consider this a challenge to everything they assume in order to do their work. The challenge is, why do that particular work at all? Understandably, historians have consolidated, especially in North America where empiricism and the English language prevail. But even there, and certainly elsewhere, and given the changes in knowledge and social order during the past century at least, the critique of conventional historical method is unavoidable. Too bad historians aren't doing more to help this effort, and by historians I don't mean the most of us who think constantly in terms of historical causality as we learned it from the nineteenth century and our teachers; by “historians” I mean the experts who continue to teach the young. A major roadblock to creative discussion is the fact that problems such as those just mentioned all exceed disciplinary boundaries, so investigation that does not follow suit cannot grasp the problem, much less respond to it creatively. Of course everyone is “for” interdisciplinary work, but most professional organizations, publications, and institutions do not encourage it, despite lip service to the contrary. Interdisciplinary work involves more than the splicing activity that is all too familiar in academic curricula. Crossing out of one's realm of “expertise” requires a kind of humility that does not always sort well with the kind of expertise fostered by professional organizations, publications, and institutions. And even the willing have trouble with the heady atmosphere outside the professional bubble. In such conditions key terms (“language,”“discourse,”“relativism,”“modernity,”“postmodernity,”“time,”“difference”) are pushed here and pushed there without gaining the focus that would lead to currency until finally the ostensible field of play resembles a gigantic traffic jam like the one that opens the film Fellini Roma. Discussion of these issues leads in the end to Borges and his story, ‘The Modesty of History,” from which the title of this essay is borrowed.
Congenital Cutaneous Hemangioma Causing Cardiac Failure: A Case Report and Review of the Literature
Authors: Weitz Nicole A. , Lauren Christine T. , Starc Thomas J. , Kandel Jessica J. , Bateman David A. , Morel Kimberly D. , Meyers Philip M. , Kadenhe‐Chiweshe Angela , Wu June K. , Garzon Maria C.
Published: October 2012

We present a case of a large congenital hemangioma (CH) on the neck causing cardiac failure and thrombocytopenia in a female neonate. A trial of medical therapy with corticosteroids and propranolol was attempted, but the patient ultimately underwent definitive treatment with embolization and surgical resection with a positive outcome. A review of the English language literature revealed 16 previously reported cases of CHs complicated by congestive heart failure. This series supports known demographic features of CHs, including a lack of gender discrepancy and a predilection to affect the head and neck. These CHs are rarely diagnosed in utero; most patients present with a mass at birth. Cardiac failure is identified prenatally or in the first days of life. A mild to moderate thrombocytopenia and coagulopathy, which is likely transient and distinct from classic Kasabach‐Merritt phenomenon, accompanies many of these cases. There is a 30% associated mortality rate. Both medical and interventional treatment modalities have been reported. Steroids are the most commonly used medication, but without any clear benefit. We hypothesize that, based on its possible mechanisms of action,propranolol may be a more effective treatment for CHs requiring treatment. As surgical intervention may be necessary, we recommend a multidisciplinary approach to treating patients with problematic CHs.
Herbal Treatment of Headache
Authors: Levin Morris
Published: October 2012

Herbal (botanical) therapy has been used as treatment for headache disorders for millennia. Botanical therapy can be divided into 3 categories: oral, topical, and “aromatherapy.” In this article, the options in these categories and the evidence supporting their use are discussed. Unfortunately, evidence is sparse for most herbal treatments, in large part due to a paucity of funding for the type of studies needed to assess their efficacy. Butterbur and feverfew are the 2 herbal oral preparations best studied, and they seem to have real potential to help many patients with migraine and perhaps other headache types. Patients most appropriate for trials of herbal therapy include those who have been refractory to pharmaceutical and other modes of therapy, patients who have had intolerable side effects from pharmaceutical medications, and patients willing to participate in controlled comparative studies. As for mechanisms behind botanical treatments, the lack of funding for studying these agents will continue to retard progress in this area as well, but hopefully the future will bring more concentrated efforts in this field.
Risk Stratification With Opioid Therapy
Authors: Kulich Ronald J. , Stone Melissa
Published: October 2012

The use of chronic opioid therapy for persistent headache remains controversial because of limited supporting data and potential risks. In addition to possible individual risks for the patient, society risks associated with diversion and substance abuse are well documented. Few studies directly address risk stratification for opioid therapy where a diagnosis of headache is present, making it necessary to extrapolate from other pain research when developing recommendations for screening and patient management. Considering the historical framework of opioid prescribing, relevant studies assessing risk stratification of chronic opioid therapy are reviewed. Specific risk factors that may lead to a problematic course with chronic opioid therapy are outlined. Both clinical experience and the limited empirical research underscore the need for multiple assessment tools and ongoing patient monitoring in the evaluation of these risk factors.
Experimental early‐life febrile seizures induce changes in GABAAR‐mediated neurotransmission in the dentate gyrus
Authors: Swijsen Ann , Avila Ariel , Brône Bert , Janssen Daniel , Hoogland Govert , Rigo Jean‐Michel
Published: October 2012

Purpose:  Febrile seizures (FS), the most frequent seizure type during childhood, have been linked to temporal lobe epilepsy (TLE) in adulthood. Yet, underlying mechanisms are still largely unknown. Altered γ‐aminobutyric acid (GABA)ergic neurotransmission in the dentate gyrus (DG) circuit has been hypothesized to be involved. This study aims at analyzing whether experimental FS change inhibitory synaptic input and postsynaptic GABAAR function in dentate granule cells.

Methods:  We applied an immature rat model of hyperthermia (HT)–induced FS. GABAAR‐mediated neurotransmission was studied using whole‐cell patch‐clamp recordings from dentate granule neurons in hippocampal slices within 6–9 days post‐HT.

Key Findings:  Frequencies of spontaneous inhibitory postsynaptic currents (sIPSCs) were reduced in HT rats that had experienced seizures, whereas sIPSC amplitudes were enhanced. Whole‐cell GABA responses revealed a doubled GABAAR sensitivity in dentate granule cells from HT animals, compared to that of normothermic (NT) controls. Analysis of sIPSCs and whole‐cell GABA responses showed similar kinetics in postsynaptic GABAARs of HT and NT rats. quantitative real‐time polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) experiments indicated changes in DG GABAAR subunit expression, which was most pronounced for the α3 subunit.

Significance:  The data support the hypothesis that FS persistently alter neuronal excitability.
Exploratory Analysis of Polygons Distributed with Overlap
Authors: Sadahiro Yukio
Published: October 2012

Spatial analysis often treats a set of polygons distributed with overlap in a region. Daily variation of the market area of a supermarket is represented by a set of overlapping polygons in geographic information systems and analyzed to grasp consumers' purchase behavior. The distribution of ethnic groups is also represented as a set of polygons, and relations among these polygons are discussed in cultural geography. To assist the exploratory analysis of polygons, this article proposes a new method of analyzing the relations among polygons. The method permits us to understand the entire structure of the relations among polygons and to detect local spatial patterns in these relations. The Hasse diagram and its extension are introduced to describe the topological structure of polygons. These tools are effective especially for describing hierarchical relations among polygons. The extension of the Hasse diagram also provides a means of classifying polygons, which is useful for discussing similarities and differences among them. The method is employed to analyze the results of an experiment in environmental psychology. Discussion focuses on technical soundness of and empirical findings obtained with the method.

En análisis espacial, es común representar y analizar conjuntos de polígonos con traslapes en una región. La variación diaria de la zona de mercado de un supermercado, por ejemplo, es representada por medio de un conjunto de polígonos traslapados en un Sistema de Información Geográfico (GIS), el cual es analizado para comprender el comportamiento de compra de consumidores. La distribución de los grupos étnicos también es representada como un conjunto de polígonos, mientras que las relaciones entre dichos polígonos es abordado con conceptos de geografía cultural. Para apoyar al análisis exploratorio de los polígonos como éstos, los autores proponen un nuevo método de análisis de las relaciones entre polígonos. El método permite comprender toda la estructura de las relaciones entre polígonos y detectar patrones espaciales locales en estas relaciones. Los autores utilizan el diagrama de Hasse y proponen ciertas ampliaciones al método para describir la estructura topológica de polígonos. Estas herramientas son efectivas especialmente para la descripción de las relaciones jerárquicas entre los polígonos. La ampliación del diagrama de Hasse también proporciona un método para clasificar polígonos que es útil para tratar de similitudes y diferencias entre ellos. El método propuesto es empleado para analizar los resultados de un experimento en psicología ambiental. La discusión se centra en la solidez técnica y en los resultados empíricos obtenidos con el método.

空间分析通常将同个区域的一组多边形分布的图层进行叠加。在GIS系统中对一组超市市场区日常变化的多边形进行叠加分析可掌握消费者的购买行为。种族分布同样可由一组多边形表征，并可在文化地理学框架下进行这些多边形要素间的相关性分析。为支持多边形的探索性分析，本文提出了一种用于分析多边形间关系的新方法。该方法有助于理解多边形间关系的整体结构，并可探测局部空间格局。Hasse图及其扩展用于描述多边形的拓扑结构，对描述图层的层次关系尤为有效。Hasse图的扩展也提供了多边形分类的手段，这对于讨论它们之间的异同性是十分有效。最后，将该方法用于环境心理学试验结果的分析，讨论主要侧重于技术的合理性分析及从该方法得到的经验认识。
Biased oviposition and biased survival together help resolve a fig–wasp conflict
Authors: Wang Hui , Ridley Jo , Dunn Derek W. , Wang Ruiwu , Cook James M. , Yu Douglas W.
Published: October 2012

We report evidence that helps resolve two competing explanations for stability in the mutualism between Ficus racemosa fig trees and the Ceratosolen fusciceps wasps that pollinate them. The wasps lay eggs in the tree's ovules, with each wasp larva developing at the expense of a fig seed. Upon maturity, the female wasps collect pollen and disperse to a new tree, continuing the cycle. Fig fitness is increased by producing both seeds and female wasps, whereas short‐term wasp fitness increases only with more wasps, thereby resulting in a conflict of interests. We show experimentally that wasps exploit the inner layers of ovules first (the biased oviposition explanation), which is consistent with optimal‐foraging theory. As oviposition increases, seeds in the middle layer are replaced on a one‐to‐one basis by pollinator offspring, which is also consistent with biased oviposition. Finally, in the outer layer of ovules, seeds disappear but are only partially replaced by pollinator offspring, which suggests high wasp mortality (the biased survival or ‘unbeatable seeds’ explanation). Our results therefore suggest that both biased oviposition and biased survival ensure seed production, thereby stabilizing the mutualism. We further argue that biased oviposition can maintain biased survival by selecting against wasp traits to overcome fig defenses. Finally, we report evidence suggesting that F. racemosa balances seed and wasp production at the level of the tree. Because figs are probably selected to allocate equally to male and female function, a 1:1 seed:wasp ratio suggests that fig trees are in control of the mutualism.
Regional effects as important determinants of local diversity in both marine and terrestrial systems
Authors: Cornell Howard V. , Harrison Susan P.
Published: October 2012

Community ecologists have struggled to create unified theories across diverse ecosystems, but it has been difficult to acertain whether marine and terrestrial communities differ in the mechanisms responsible for structure and dynamics. One apparent difference between marine and terrestrial ecology is that the influence of regional processes on local populations and communities is better established in the marine literature. We examine three potential explanations: 1) influential early studies emphasized local interactions in terrestrial communities and regional dispersal in marine communities. 2) regional‐scale processes are actually more important in marine than in terrestrial communities. 3) recruitment from a regional species pool is easier to study in marine than terrestrial communities. We conclude that these are interrelated, but that the second and especially the third explanations are more important than the first. We also conclude that in both marine and terrestrial systems, there are ways to improve our understanding of regional influences on local community diversity. In particular, we advocate examining local vs regional diversity relationships at localities within environmentally similar regions that differ in their diversity either because of their sizes or their varying degrees of isolation from a species source.
Dominant network interactions are not correlated with resource availability: a case study using mistletoe host interactions
Authors: Blick R. A. J. , Burns K. C. , Moles A. T.
Published: October 2012

Network theory in ecology has been central to understanding species co‐occurrence patterns, specialization and community stability. However, network theory has traditionally focused on the ‘higher’ trophic level where exploitation of network ‘partners’ (i.e. individual interactions in response to resource availability) have remained underappreciated. In this study we tested how clumping and host availability influenced mistletoe–host interactions in a semi‐arid woodland, central Australia. We used a hierarchical approach that evaluated individual interactions by modifying the traditional randomization technique to simulate clumping and host exploitation. Using published literature we then compared our results with mistletoes from other genera. We found that mistletoes clump on fewer trees than predicted, even though interaction strength was no different from random expectations, and we found no evidence that common trees were heavily infected as predicted by the host availability hypothesis. The rate of host exploitation (measured as the proportion of trees infected) in semi‐arid Australia is similar to that for mistletoe genera in other parts of the world. We hypothesize that specific host trees act as a focal point for infection that facilitates the spread and overall population size of mistletoes. Overall our results indicate that resources, such as the number of trees in a mistletoe network, are less important than clumping of individual plants. We suggest that exploitation of available resources may play a similar role in other networks that extend beyond antagonistic relationships such as parasite or herbivore interactions.
Systematic review and meta‐analysis of studies involving telehome monitoring‐based telenursing for patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease
Authors: Kamei Tomoko , Yamamoto Yuko , Kajii Fumiko , Nakayama Yuki , Kawakami Chiharu
Published: October 2012

Aim

This systematic review evaluated the effects of telehome monitoring‐based telenursing (THMTN) on health outcomes and use of healthcare services and compared them with the effects of conventional treatment in patients with severe and very severe chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).

Methods

An extensive published work search of several databases was performed in May and October 2011. Randomized controlled trials and non‐randomized controlled clinical trials were evaluated. Parameters included hospitalization rate, number of visits to the emergency department, exacerbations, mean number of hospitalizations, mean duration of bed days of care, mortality, and health‐related quality of life by the duration of THMTN and COPD severity. A random effects model was applied. Risk ratio and mean difference were calculated. Heterogeneity was assessed using the I2 statistic.

Results

Nine original articles involving 550 participants were identified in the meta‐analysis. THMTN decreased hospitalization rates, emergency department visits, exacerbations, mean number of hospitalizations, and mean duration of bed days of care in severe and very severe COPD patients. Hospitalization rates and emergency department visits were comparable between patients undergoing THMTN of different durations. In addition, THMTN had no effect on mortality.

Conclusion

THMTN significantly decreases the use of healthcare services; however, it does not affect mortality in severe and very severe COPD patients.
Fumagillin‐induced aseptic meningoencephalitis in a kidney transplant recipient with microsporidiosis
Authors: Audemard A. , Le Bellec M.L. , Carluer L. , Dargère S. , Verdon R. , Castrale C. , Lobbedez T. , Hurault de Ligny B.
Published: October 2012

Microsporidiosis is an opportunistic infection in organ transplant recipients and patients with other cellular immunodeficiency. Fumagillin is an effective treatment against Enterocytozoon bieneusi, one of the two main species causing the microsporidiosis involved in human diseases. We report the first case, to our knowledge, of a probable drug‐induced aseptic meningoencephalitis, after administration of fumagillin in a kidney transplant recipient with microsporidiosis.
Blood pressure and water regulation: understanding sex hormone effects within and between men and women
Authors: Wenner Megan M. , Stachenfeld Nina S.
Published: October 2012

Abstract  Cardiovascular disease remains the leading cause of death for both men and women. Hypertension is less prevalent in young women compared with young men, but menopausal women are at greater risk for hypertension compared with men of similar age. Despite these risks, women do not consistently receive first line treatment for the early stages of hypertension, and the greater morbidity in menopause reflects this neglect. This review focuses on ovarian hormone effects on the cardiovascular and water regulatory systems that are associated with blood pressure control in women. The study of ovarian hormones within young women is complex because these hormones fluctuate across the menstrual cycle, and these fluctuations can complicate conclusions regarding sex differences. To better isolate the effects of oestrogen and progesterone on the cardiovascular and water regulation systems, we developed a model to transiently suppress reproductive function followed by controlled hormone administration. Sex differences in autonomic regulation of blood pressure appear related to ovarian hormone exposure, and these hormonal differences contribute to sex differences in hypertension and orthostatic tolerance. Oestrogen and progesterone exposure are also associated with plasma volume expansion, and a leftward shift in the osmotic operating point for body fluid regulation. In young, healthy women, the shift in osmoregulation appears to have only a minor effect on overall body water balance. Our overarching conclusion is that ovarian hormone exposure is the important underlying factor contributing to differences in blood pressure and water regulation between women and men, and within women throughout the lifespan.
Quantifying Ca2+ release and inactivation of Ca2+ release in fast‐ and slow‐twitch muscles
Authors: Barclay C. J.
Published: October 2012

Key points

Calcium ions initiate muscle contraction and are an important determinant of the force and energy cost of contraction.

Existing estimates of the amount of calcium released into mammalian muscle cells are uncertain and existing descriptions of the effects of prior stimulation on calcium release are inconsistent.

Calcium release was quantified by measuring the amount of ATP used to pump Ca2+ back to its pre‐release storage site.

Calcium release was greater in fast‐ than slow‐twitch muscle, was reduced immediately following a stimulus and recovered with a time course that depended on muscle type and temperature.

Ca2+ release and inactivation in fast‐twitch muscle resembles that of amphibian muscle but that of slow‐twitch muscle is distinctive in exhibiting a slower and less temperature‐sensitive reversal.

Abstract  The aims of this study were to quantify the Ca2+ release underlying twitch contractions of mammalian fast‐ and slow‐twitch muscle and to comprehensively describe the transient inactivation of Ca2+ release following a stimulus. Experiments were performed using bundles of fibres from mouse extensor digitorum longus (EDL) and soleus muscles. Ca2+ release was quantified from the amount of ATP used to remove Ca2+ from the myoplasm following stimulation. ATP turnover by crossbridges was blocked pharmacologically (N‐benzyl‐p‐toluenesulphonamide for EDL, blebbistatin for soleus) and muscle heat production was used as an index of Ca2+ pump ATP turnover. At 20°C, Ca2+ release in response to a single stimulus was 34 and 84 μmol (kg muscle)−1 for soleus and EDL, respectively, and increased with temperature (30°C: soleus, 61 μmol kg−1; EDL, 168 μmol kg−1). Delivery of another stimulus within 100 ms of the first produced a smaller Ca2+ release. The maximum magnitude of the decrease in Ca2+ release was greater in EDL than soleus. Ca2+ release recovered with an exponential time course which was faster in EDL (mean time constant at 20°C, 32.1 ms) than soleus (65.6 ms) and faster at 30°C than at 20°C. The amounts of Ca2+ released and crossbridge cycles performed are consistent with a scheme in which Ca2+ binding to troponin‐C allowed an average of ∼1.7 crossbridge cycles in the two muscles.
Interaction of the Echinocandin Caspofungin with Amphotericin B or Voriconazole against Aspergillus Biofilms
In Vitro
Authors: Liu Weixia , Li Lijuan , Sun Yi , Chen Wei , Wan Zhe , Li Ruoyu , Liu Wei
Published: October 2012

Aspergillus
biofilms were prepared from 22 strains of
Aspergillus
spp. via a 96-well plate-based method. Using a broth microdilution checkerboard technique with the XTT [2,3-bis-(2-methoxy-4-nitro-5-sulfophenyl)-2H-tetrazolium-5-carboxanilide] colorimetric assay, we demonstrated a synergistic antifungal activity against 18 of 22
Aspergillus
biofilm strains with a combination of caspofungin and amphotericin B and against 13 of 22 strains with a combination of caspofungin and voriconazole. We did not observe antagonism.
Exacerbation of Influenza Virus Infections in Mice by Intranasal Treatments and Implications for Evaluation of Antiviral Drugs
Authors: Smee Donald F. , von Itzstein Mark , Bhatt Beenu , Tarbet E. Bart
Published: October 2012

Compounds lacking oral activity may be delivered intranasally to treat influenza virus infections in mice. However, intranasal treatments greatly enhance the virulence of such virus infections. This can be partially compensated for by giving reduced virus challenge doses. These can be 100- to 1,000-fold lower than infections without such treatment and still cause equivalent mortality. We found that intranasal liquid treatments facilitate virus production (probably through enhanced virus spread) and that lung pneumonia was delayed by only 2 days relative to a 1,000-fold higher virus challenge dose not accompanied by intranasal treatments. In one study, zanamivir was 90 to 100% effective at 10 mg/kg/day by oral, intraperitoneal, and intramuscular routes against influenza A/California/04/2009 (H1N1) virus in mice. However, the same compound administered intranasally at 20 mg/kg/day for 5 days gave no protection from death although the time to death was significantly delayed. A related compound, Neu5Ac2en (
N
-acetyl-2,3-dehydro-2-deoxyneuraminic acid), was ineffective at 100 mg/kg/day. Intranasal zanamivir and Neu5Ac2en were 70 to 100% protective against influenza A/NWS/33 (H1N1) virus infections at 0.1 to 10 and 30 to 100 mg/kg/day, respectively. Somewhat more difficult to treat was A/Victoria/3/75 virus that required 10 mg/kg/day of zanamivir to achieve full protection. These results illustrate that treatment of influenza virus infections by the intranasal route requires consideration of both virus challenge dose and virus strain in order to avoid compromising the effectiveness of a potentially useful antiviral agent. In addition, the intranasal treatments were shown to facilitate virus replication and promote lung pathology.
Enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli Prevents Host NF-κB Activation by Targeting IκBα Polyubiquitination
Authors: Wang Xiaogang , Hardwidge Philip R.
Published: October 2012

The NF-κB pathway regulates innate immune responses to infection. NF-κB is activated after pathogen-associated molecular patterns are detected, leading to the induction of proinflammatory host responses. As a countermeasure, bacterial pathogens have evolved mechanisms to subvert NF-κB signaling. EnterotoxigenicEscherichia coli(ETEC) causes diarrheal disease and significant morbidity and mortality for humans in developing nations. The extent to which this important pathogen subverts innate immune responses by directly targeting the NF-κB pathway is an understudied topic. Here we report that ETEC secretes a heat-stable, proteinaceous factor that blocks NF-κB signaling normally induced by tumor necrosis factor (TNF), interleukin-1β, and flagellin. Pretreating intestinal epithelial cells with ETEC supernatant significantly blocked the degradation of the NF-κB inhibitor IκBα without affecting IκBα phosphorylation. Data from immunoprecipitation experiments suggest that the ETEC factor functions by preventing IκBα polyubiquitination. Inhibiting clathrin function blocked the activity of the secreted ETEC factor, suggesting that this yet-uncharacterized activity may utilize clathrin-dependent endocytosis to enter host cells. These data suggest that ETEC evades the host innate immune response by directly modulating NF-κB signaling.