bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The relative contribution of fast and slow sinking particles to ocean carbon export
Authors: Riley J. S. , Sanders R. , Marsay C. , Le Moigne F. A. C. , Achterberg E. P. , Poulton A. J.
Published: February 2012

Particulate organic carbon (POC) generated by primary production and exported to depth, is an important pathway for carbon transfer to the abyss, where it is stored over climatically significant timescales. These processes constitute the biological carbon pump. A spectrum of particulate sinking velocities exists throughout the water column, however numerical models often simplify this spectrum into suspended, fast and slow sinking particles. Observational studies suggest the spectrum of sinking speeds in the ocean is strongly bimodal with >85% POC flux contained within two pools with sinking speeds of <10 m day−1 and >350 m day−1. We deployed a Marine Snow Catcher (MSC) to estimate the magnitudes of the suspended, fast and slow sinking pools and their fluxes at the Porcupine Abyssal Plain site (48°N, 16.5°W) in summer 2009. The POC concentrations and fluxes determined were 0.2 μg C L−1 and 54 mg C m−2 day−1 for fast sinking particles, 5 μg C L−1 and 92 mg C m−2 day−1 for slow sinking particles and 97 μg C L−1 for suspended particles. Our flux estimates were comparable with radiochemical tracer methods and neutrally buoyant sediment traps. Our observations imply: (1) biomineralising protists, on occasion, act as nucleation points for aggregate formation and accelerate particle sinking; (2) fast sinking particles alone were sufficient to explain the abyssal POC flux; and (3) there is no evidence for ballasting of the slow sinking flux and the slow sinking particles were probably entirely remineralised in the twilight zone.
Honors
Authors: Anonymous
Published: February 2012

Marshall Shepherd, professor of geography in the University of Georgia's Franklin College of Arts and Sciences, Athens, began a 1‐year term as president‐elect of the American Meteorological Society (AMS) on 22 January. In 2013 he will assume the presidency of the society. Also, five AGU members recently were elected as AMS councilors, with terms expiring in 2015: José Fuentes, Department of Meteorology, Pennsylvania State University, University Park; Richard Johnson, Atmospheric Science Department, Colorado State University, Fort Collins;Christa Peters‐Lidard, Hydrological Sciences Branch at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, Md.; Wassila Thiaw, Climate Prediction Center, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Camp Springs, Md.; andChidong Zhang, Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Science, University of Miami, Miami, Fla.
Quantifying ice sheet flow characteristics
Authors: Balcerak Ernie
Published: February 2012

Advances have been made in describing ice sheet motion, but in situ rheology (characteristics that affect the flow) of the ice has been hard to measure in the field.Gillet‐Chaulet et al. show that they can measure ice rheology and strain rates in situ using a phase‐sensitive radar. They used the technique on the Greenland ice sheet to quantify the rheology there. The researchers were able to achieve sufficient resolution to measure a flow phenomenon known as the Raymond effect, in which the ice sheet shows horizontal variations of the vertical strain rate pattern, sometimes creating anticlines in radar‐detected stratigraphic layers that are known as Raymond arches. This effect is due to a highly viscous plug of nearly stagnant ice under an ice ridge. The study is, the researchers believe, the first direct confirmation of the Raymond effect. Their results suggest that laboratory ice studies do not capture the full range of ice flow that exists in nature, so additional field studies are needed. (Geophysical Research Letters, doi:10.1029/2011GL049843, 2011)
Predicting Maintenance or Achievement of Healthy Weight in Children: The Impact of Changes in Physical Fitness
Authors: Hruby Adela , Chomitz Virginia R. , Arsenault Lisa N. , Must Aviva , Economos Christina D. , McGowan Robert J. , Sacheck Jennifer M.
Published: February 2012

Physical fitness is often inversely associated with adiposity in children cross‐sectionally, but the effect of becoming fit or maintaining fitness over time on changes in weight status has not been well studied in children. We investigated the impact of changes in fitness over 1–4 years of follow‐up on the maintenance or achievement of healthy weight among 2,793 schoolchildren who were first measured as 1st to 7th graders. Students were classified as “fit” or “underfit” according to age‐ and gender‐specific norms in five fitness domains: endurance, agility, flexibility, upper body strength, and abdominal strength. Weight status was dichotomized by BMI percentile: “healthy weight” (<85th percentile) or “overweight/obese” (≥85th percentile). At baseline, of the 38.3% overweight/obese children, 81.9% (N = 875) were underfit. Underfit overweight students were more likely to achieve healthy weight if they achieved fitness (boys: odds ratio (OR) = 2.68, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 1.24–5.77; girls: OR = 4.67, 95%CI = 2.09–10.45). Initially fit overweight children (N = 194) were more likely to achieve healthy weight if they maintained fitness (boys: OR = 11.99, 95%CI = 2.18–65.89; girls: OR = 2.46, 95%CI = 1.04–5.83). Similarly, initially fit healthy‐weight children (N = 717) were more likely to maintain healthy weight if they maintained fitness (boys: OR 3.70, 95%CI = 1.40–9.78; girls: OR = 4.14, 95%CI = 1.95–8.78). Overweight schoolchildren who achieve or maintain physical fitness are more likely to achieve healthy weight, and healthy‐weight children who maintain fitness are more likely to maintain healthy weight. School‐based policies/practices that support physical fitness may contribute to obesity reduction and maintenance of healthy weight among schoolchildren.
FoxO limits microtubule stability and is itself negatively regulated by microtubule disruption
Authors: Nechipurenko Inna V. , Broihier Heather T.
Published: February 2012

Transcription factors are essential for regulating neuronal microtubules (MTs) during development and after axon damage. In this paper, we identify a novel neuronal function for Drosophila melanogaster FoxO in limiting MT stability at the neuromuscular junction (NMJ). foxO loss-of-function NMJs displayed augmented MT stability. In contrast, motor neuronal overexpression of wild-type FoxO moderately destabilized MTs, whereas overexpression of constitutively nuclear FoxO severely destabilized MTs. Thus, FoxO negatively regulates synaptic MT stability. FoxO family members are well-established components of stress-activated feedback loops. We hypothesized that FoxO might also be regulated by cytoskeletal stress because it was well situated to shape neuronal MT organization after cytoskeletal damage. Indeed, levels of neuronal FoxO were strongly reduced after acute pharmacological MT disruption as well as sustained genetic disruption of the neuronal cytoskeleton. This decrease was independent of the dual leucine zipper kinase–Wallenda pathway and required function of Akt kinase. We present a model wherein FoxO degradation is a component of a stabilizing, protective response to cytoskeletal insult.
On Ad Hoc Hypotheses
Authors: Hunt J. Christopher
Published: February 2012

In this article I review attempts to define the term “ad hoc hypothesis,” focusing on the efforts of, among others, Karl Popper, Jarrett Leplin, and Gerald Holton. I conclude that the term is unhelpful; what is “ad hoc” seems to be a judgment made by particular scientists not on the basis of any well-established definition but rather on their individual aesthetic senses. Further, a hypothesis considered ad hoc can apparently be retroactively declared non–ad hoc on the basis of subsequent data, rendering the term meaningless.
The Role of Randomness in Darwinian Evolution
Authors: Wagner Andreas
Published: February 2012

Historically, one of the most controversial aspects of Darwinian evolution has been the prominent role that randomness and random change play in it. Most biologists agree that mutations in DNA have random effects on fitness. However, fitness is a highly simplified scalar representation of an enormously complex phenotype. Challenges to Darwinian thinking have focused on such complex phenotypes. Whether mutations affect such complex phenotypes randomly is ill understood. Here I discuss three very different classes of well-studied molecular phenotypes in which mutations cause nonrandom changes, based on our current knowledge. What is more, this nonrandomness facilitates evolutionary adaptation. Thus, living beings may translate DNA change into nonrandom phenotypic change that facilitates Darwinian evolution.
Universality of local spectral statistics of random matrices
Authors: Erdős László , Yau Horng-Tzer
Published: February 2012

The Wigner-Dyson-Gaudin-Mehta conjecture asserts that the local eigenvalue statistics of large random matrices exhibit universal behavior depending only on the symmetry class of the matrix ensemble. For invariant matrix models, the eigenvalue distributions are given by a log-gas with potentialVVand inverse temperatureβ=1,2,4\beta = 1, 2, 4, corresponding to the orthogonal, unitary and symplectic ensembles. Forβ∉{1,2,4}\beta \notin \{1, 2, 4\}, there is no natural random matrix ensemble behind this model, but the statistical physics interpretation of the log-gas is still valid for allβ>0\beta > 0. The universality conjecture for invariant ensembles asserts that the local eigenvalue statistics are independent ofVV. In this article, we review our recent solution to the universality conjecture for both invariant and non-invariant ensembles. We will also demonstrate that the local ergodicity of the Dyson Brownian motion is the intrinsic mechanism behind the universality. Furthermore, we review the solution of Dyson’s conjecture on the local relaxation time of the Dyson Brownian motion. Related questions such as delocalization of eigenvectors and local version of Wigner’s semicircle law will also be discussed.
Evolution, revolution and heresy in the genetics of infectious disease susceptibility
Authors: Hill Adrian V. S.
Published: February 2012

Infectious pathogens have long been recognized as potentially powerful agents impacting on the evolution of human genetic diversity. Analysis of large-scale case–control studies provides one of the most direct means of identifying human genetic variants that currently impact on susceptibility to particular infectious diseases. For over 50 years candidate gene studies have been used to identify loci for many major causes of human infectious mortality, including malaria, tuberculosis, human immunodeficiency virus/acquired immunodeficiency syndrome, bacterial pneumonia and hepatitis. But with the advent of genome-wide approaches, many new loci have been identified in diverse populations. Genome-wide linkage studies identified a few loci, but genome-wide association studies are proving more successful, and both exome and whole-genome sequencing now offer a revolutionary increase in power. Opinions differ on the extent to which the genetic component to common disease susceptibility is encoded by multiple high frequency or rare variants, and the heretical view that most infectious diseases might even be monogenic has been advocated recently. Review of findings to date suggests that the genetic architecture of infectious disease susceptibility may be importantly different from that of non-infectious diseases, and it is suggested that natural selection may be the driving force underlying this difference.
Tracking human migrations by the analysis of the distribution of HLA alleles, lineages and haplotypes in closed and open populations
Authors: Vina Marcelo A. Fernandez , Hollenbach Jill A. , Lyke Kirsten E. , Sztein Marcelo B. , Maiers Martin , Klitz William , Cano Pedro , Mack Steven , Single Richard , Brautbar Chaim , Israel Shosahna , Raimondi Eduardo , Khoriaty Evelyne , Inati Adlette , Andreani Marco , Testi Manuela , Moraes Maria Elisa , Thomson Glenys , Stastny Peter , Cao Kai
Published: February 2012

The human leucocyte antigen (HLA) system shows extensive variation in the number and function of loci and the number of alleles present at any one locus. Allele distribution has been analysed in many populations through the course of several decades, and the implementation of molecular typing has significantly increased the level of diversity revealing that many serotypes have multiple functional variants. While the degree of diversity in many populations is equivalent and may result from functional polymorphism(s) in peptide presentation, homogeneous and heterogeneous populations present contrasting numbers of alleles and lineages at the loci with high-density expression products. In spite of these differences, the homozygosity levels are comparable in almost all of them. The balanced distribution of HLA alleles is consistent with overdominant selection. The genetic distances between outbred populations correlate with their geographical locations; the formal genetic distance measurements are larger than expected between inbred populations in the same region. The latter present many unique alleles grouped in a few lineages consistent with limited founder polymorphism in which any novel allele may have been positively selected to enlarge the communal peptide-binding repertoire of a given population. On the other hand, it has been observed that some alleles are found in multiple populations with distinctive haplotypic associations suggesting that convergent evolution events may have taken place as well. It appears that the HLA system has been under strong selection, probably owing to its fundamental role in varying immune responses. Therefore, allelic diversity in HLA should be analysed in conjunction with other genetic markers to accurately track the migrations of modern humans.
Retention of dental sealants placed on sound teeth and incipient caries lesions as part of a service‐learning programme in rural areas in Mexico
Authors: SOTO‐ROJAS ARMANDO E. , ESCOFFIÉ‐RAMÍREZ MAURICIO , PÉREZ‐FERRERA GLORIANA , GUIDO JOSEPH A. , MANTILLA‐RODRIGUEZ ANDRES A. , MARTINEZ‐MIER ESPERANZA A.
Published: February 2012

International Journal of Paediatric Dentistry 2012; 22: 451–458

Background.  Dental sealants are an effective treatment for the prevention and management of caries.

Objective.  To determine the retention of sealants placed in a rural setting in Mexico as part of an international service‐learning (ISL) programme and to determine associations between dental sealant’s retention and caries diagnosis at the time of sealant placement.

Methods.  Children aged 6–15 were examined for dental caries, received sealants by dental students as part of an ISL programme, and were re‐examined 4, 2, or 1 years after placement to assess sealant survival. Sealants were placed on permanent sound surfaces and enamel caries lesions [International Caries Assessment and Detection System (ICDAS) criteria]. Sealant survival was explored using Cochran–Mantel–Haenszel tests and multivariate prediction models.

Results.  219 (46%) of 478 (mean age = 10.53 SD = 5.11) children who had received sealants returned for a recall examination (mean age = 10.89 SD = 3.11). After 1–4 years, 96.4% to 60.6% of the sealants placed on sound teeth had survived, and for sealants placed on surfaces with enamel caries lesions (ICDAS 1–3), 94.2% to 55.6% had survived. Differences were not statistically significant.

Conclusions.  Sealants had survival rates comparable to those previously reported in the literature. Sealants placed on sound and enamel caries lesions had similar survival rates.
GP cooperative and emergency department: an exploration of patient flows
Authors: Huibers Linda , Thijssen Wendy , Koetsenruijter Jan , Giesen Paul , Grol Richard , Wensing Michel
Published: February 2012

Rationale, aims and objectives  In most countries, different health care providers are involved in emergency care. In the Netherlands, out‐of‐hours care is provided by general practitioner cooperatives (GPCs) and emergency departments (EDs). Our aim was to describe the flow of patients attending emergency care in these settings.

Method  A retrospective record review was performed, concerning patients who had visited a GPC or ED. Recorded information included urgency, diagnostic tests, and follow‐up contacts. Descriptive figures were determined for patient flows in GPC and ED for urgent contacts and non‐urgent contacts.

Results  We included 319 GPC contacts and 356 ED contacts, of which 78% were non‐urgent. The majority of GPC contacts were completed at the GPC without follow‐up; 37% of non‐urgent patients had a follow‐up contact, usually with primary care. Only 5% of non‐urgent GPC patients received diagnostic tests compared to 63% of non‐urgent ED patients (mostly X‐rays). The majority of non‐urgent ED patients (88%) had a follow‐up contact, usually at an outpatient clinic (67%). Most non‐urgent ED patients (83%) who received a diagnostic test also had an outpatient clinic follow‐up contact. Of urgent ED patients, the majority had a follow‐up contact (85%), mostly with an outpatient clinic (74%).

Conclusion  Although most out‐of‐hours care patients present non‐urgent health problems, at the ED they are more likely to receive diagnostic tests and follow‐up contacts. This may reflect differences in patient populations between the ED and GPC or suggest opportunities for improving efficiency of planning follow‐up contacts.
A structural motif is the recognition site for a new family of bacterial protein O‐glycosyltransferases
Authors: Charbonneau Marie‐Ève , Côté Jean‐Philippe , Haurat M. Florencia , Reiz Bela , Crépin Sébastien , Berthiaume Frédéric , Dozois Charles M. , Feldman Mario F. , Mourez Michael
Published: February 2012

The Escherichia coli Adhesin Involved in Diffuse Adherence (AIDA‐I) is a multifunctional protein that belongs to the family of monomeric autotransporters. This adhesin can be glycosylated by the AIDA‐associated heptosyltransferase (Aah). Glycosylation appears to be restricted to the extracellular domain of AIDA‐I, which comprises imperfect repeats of a 19‐amino‐acid consensus sequence and is predicted to form a β‐helix. Here, we show that Aah homologues can be found in many Gram‐negative bacteria, including Citrobacter rodentium. We demonstrated that an AIDA‐like protein is glycosylated in this species by the Aah homologue. We then investigated the substrate recognition mechanism of the E. coli Aah heptosyltransferase. We found that a peptide corresponding to one repeat of the 19‐amino‐acid consensus is sufficient for recognition and glycosylation by Aah. Mutagenesis studies suggested that, unexpectedly, Aah recognizes a structural motif typical of β‐helices, but not a specific sequence. In agreement with this finding, we observed that the extracellular domain of the Bordetella pertussis pertactin, a β‐helical polypeptide lacking the 19‐amino‐acid consensus sequence, could be glycosylated by Aah. Overall, our findings suggest that Aah represents the prototype of a new large family of bacterial protein O‐glycosyltransferases that modify various substrates recognized through a structural motif.
PPI therapy is equally effective in well‐defined non‐erosive reflux disease and in reflux esophagitis: a meta‐analysis
Authors: Weijenborg P. W. , Cremonini F. , Smout A. J. P. M. , Bredenoord A. J.
Published: February 2012

Background  Symptomatic response to proton pump inhibitor (PPI) therapy in patients with non‐erosive reflux disease (NERD) is often reported as lower than in patients with erosive reflux disease (ERD). However, the definition of NERD differs across clinical trials. This meta‐analysis aims to estimate the rate of symptom relief in response to PPI in NERD patients.

Methods  MEDLINE (1966–2010), Cochrane Comprehensive Trial Register (1997–2010) and EMBASE (1985–2010) databases were searched and manual searches from studies’ references were performed. Randomized clinical trials were selected that included patients with heartburn, and analyzed the effect of short‐term PPI treatment. The primary outcome of selected studies was defined as complete or partial heartburn relief. Two reviewers independently extracted data and assessed study quality of selected articles. Random effects models and meta‐regression were used to combine and analyze results.

Key Results  The pooled estimate of complete relief of heartburn after 4 weeks of PPI therapy in patients with ERD was 0.72 (95% CI 0.69–0.74) (32 studies), vs 0.50 (0.43–0.57) (eight studies) in empirically treated patients, 0.49 (0.44–0.55) (12 studies) in patients defined as non‐erosive by negative endoscopy, and 0.73 (0.69–0.77) (two studies) in patients defined as non‐erosive by both negative endoscopy and a positive pH‐test.

Conclusions & Inferences  In well‐defined NERD patients, the estimated complete symptom response rate after PPI therapy is comparable to the response rate in patients with ERD. The previously reported low response rate in studies with patients classified as NERD is likely the result of inclusion of patients with upper gastrointestinal symptoms that do not have reflux disease.
Assessing the potential of candidate DNA barcodes for identifying non‐flowering seed plants
Authors: Pang X. , Luo H. , Sun C.
Published: February 2012

In plants, matK and rbcL have been selected as core barcodes by the Consortium for the Barcode of Life (CBOL) Plant Working Group (PWG), and ITS/ITS2 and psbA‐trnH were suggested as supplementary loci. Yet, research on DNA barcoding of non‐flowering seed plants has been less extensive, and the evaluation of DNA barcodes in this division has been limited thus far. Here, we evaluated seven markers (psbA‐trnH, matK, rbcL, rpoB, rpoC1, ITS and ITS2) from non‐flowering seed plants. The usefulness of each region was assessed using four criteria: the success rate of PCR amplification, the differential intra‐ and inter‐specific divergences, the DNA barcoding gap and the ability to discriminate species. Among the seven loci tested, ITS2 produced the best results in the barcoding of non‐flowering seed plants. In addition, we compared the abilities of the five most‐recommended markers (psbA‐trnH, matK, rbcL, ITS and ITS2) to identify additional species using a large database of gymnosperms from GenBank. ITS2 remained effective for species identification in a wide range of non‐flowering seed plants: for the 1531 samples from 608 species of 80 diverse genera, ITS2 correctly authenticated 66% of them at the species level. In conclusion, the ITS2 region can serve as a useful barcode to discriminate non‐flowering seed plants, and this study will contribute valuable information for the barcoding of plant species.
Energy balance‐related behaviours associated with overweight and obesity in preschool children: a systematic review of prospective studies
Authors: te Velde S. J. , van Nassau F. , Uijtdewilligen L. , van Stralen M. M. , Cardon G. , De Craemer M. , Manios Y. , Brug J. , Chinapaw M. J. M. ,   ToyBox‐study group
Published: February 2012

The current review aimed to systematically identify dietary, physical activity and sedentary behaviours in preschool children (4–6 years of age) that are prospectively related to overweight or obesity later in childhood. Prospective studies published between January 1990 and June 2010 were selected from searches in PubMed, EMBASE, PsycINFO, CINAHL and Cochrane Library. Studies examining the prospective association between at least one relevant behaviour measured during preschool period (children aged 4–6 years at baseline) in relation to at least one anthropometric measurement at follow‐up (age <18 years) were included. Harvest plots were used to summarize the results and draw conclusions from the evidence.

Of the 8,718 retrieved papers, 23 papers reporting on 15 different study samples were included in this review. Strong evidence was found for an inverse association between total physical activity and overweight. Moderate evidence was observed for a positive association between television viewing and overweight. Because of the heterogeneity in the assessed dietary behaviours, insufficient evidence was found for an association between dietary intake or specific dietary behaviours and overweight. These results suggest that interventions aiming to prevent overweight among preschool children should focus on promotion of total physical activity and limitation of screen time and that further research is needed to establish whether and which dietary behaviours are important for obesity prevention in this age group. However, despite the lack of evidence for dietary behaviours from the present review, future interventions may already target specific dietary behaviours that are highly prevalent and for which there a clear rationale as well as preliminary evidence that these behaviours are associated with overweight.
Existing policies, regulation, legislation and ongoing health promotion activities related to physical activity and nutrition in pre‐primary education settings: an overview
Authors: Nethe A. , Dorgelo A. , Kugelberg S. , van Assche J. , Buijs G. , Yngve A. , de Henauw S. , Boskou G. , Manios Y. ,   ToyBox‐study group
Published: February 2012

Obesity prevention efforts for school‐aged children and adolescents are increasing in number. However, little has been done to address the problem in the preschool age. To address this age group, an evidence‐based preschool programme on physical activity (PA) and nutrition is developed within the ToyBox project. Environmental influencing factors such as policies and competitive health promotion activities could inhibit or induce a successful health promotion programme. This paper describes an overview of existing policies, legislation and/or regulations and health promotion activities in the preschool setting. Method: data were gathered on policies and activities aiming to improve healthy eating and PA of young children (age group 4–6 years) in Belgium‐Flanders, Bulgaria, Germany, Greece, Poland and Spain. A limited number of influencing policies, regulations and/or legislation exists; agenda setting of health promotion and policy evaluations in all relevant policy areas was lacking. Also, health promotion activities in preschool the setting did not exist in all six European countries and high‐quality preschool‐based health interventions existed in three of the six ToyBox countries.
Campaigning against the Cuts: Gender Equality Movements in Tough Times
Authors: ANNESLEY CLAIRE
Published: February 2012

The Coalition's economic strategy poses a significant threat to gender equality in the UK. In the absence of committed gender equality advocates in the government, campaigning is, again, from the outside. This article presents some of the new strategies developed by individuals and organisations such as the Women's Budget Group and the Fawcett Society to fight against the cuts and considers the effectiveness of their approaches.
Gender Matters in Politics
Authors: WAYLEN GEORGINA
Published: February 2012

Although often ignored by practitioners and academics alike, gender matters in both politics as a practice and politics as a subject of study. This article systematically demonstrates how both the practice and study of politics are gendered in ways that lead to an over‐representation of men. It also argues that both are intertwined in significant ways that need to be unravelled, but also that important changes have taken place in both over the last 30 years. The article goes on to highlight some of the challenges that remain and ends by outlining some of the key themes that should be an important part of an on‐going agenda to improve politics as a practice and as a discipline.
THE RESCUE DEFENCE OF CAPITAL PUNISHMENT
Authors: Aspenson Steve
Published: February 2012

Many political philosophers today think of justice as fundamentally about fairness, while those who defend capital punishment typically hold that justice is fundamentally about desert. In this paper I show that justice as fairness calls for capital punishment because the continued existence of murderers increases unfairness between themselves and their victims, increasing the harm to murdered persons. Rescuing murdered persons from increasing harm is prima facie morally required, and so capital punishment is a prima facie duty of society and sentencing judges.1
Automated 3D MRI volumetry reveals regional atrophy differences in Rasmussen encephalitis
Authors: Wagner Jan , Schoene‐Bake Jan‐Christoph , Bien Christian G. , Urbach Horst , Elger Christian E. , Weber Bernd
Published: February 2012

Purpose:  Rasmussen encephalitis is a chronic immune‐mediated disease leading to unilateral atrophy on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and progressive neurologic deficits. Until now, quantitative parameters describing the course of the disease on MRI require manual intervention and are, therefore, time‐consuming and observer‐dependent. Furthermore, regional atrophy differences cannot be evaluated with the previously published methods. In this study we present a fully automated volumetric approach applied to serial MRI scans of 12 patients with Rasmussen encephalitis.

Methods:  We retrospectively analyzed 12 patients with Rasmussen encephalitis with a disease onset between 2001 and 2008. All patients underwent a total of 66 serial MRI scans including a three‐dimensional T1 data set. The volumetric analysis was based on standard procedures of the freely available software FMRIB Software Library (FSL) and required about 45 min per scan. Furthermore, planimetric analyses were performed on 51 scans as described previously.

Key Findings:  The relative and absolute volume loss of the affected hemisphere was significantly higher compared to the unaffected hemisphere. Referring to regional atrophy differences our results show that the frontal lobe and the insula were preferentially involved in the atrophic process. The degree of hemispheric, parietal, and occipital atrophy was negatively correlated with the age at disease onset, indicating a more aggressive and outspread disease in young children compared to adolescents. Volumetric hemispheric ratio and planimetric hemispheric ratio correlated significantly, but planimetric hemispheric ratio underestimated the real degree of hemiatrophy, especially in patients with predominant affections outside the frontoinsular region.

Significance:  The volumetric analysis presented here offers a precise assessment of the disease progression in Rasmussen encephalitis in an observer‐independent and time‐efficient manner and gives an interesting insight into the course of the disease on MRI. The degree of atrophy evaluated with this method correlates with clinical parameters and is comparable to atrophy rates in patients receiving immunotherapy in preceding planimetric MRI studies.
Evaluation of Direct In Vivo Gene Transfer in an Equine Metacarpal IV Ostectomy Model Using an Adenoviral Vector Encoding the Bone Morphogenetic Protein‐2 and Protein‐7 Gene
Authors: Southwood Louise L. , Kawcak Christopher E. , Hidaka Chisa , Mcilwraith C. Wayne , Werpy Natasha , Macleay Jennifer , Frisbie David D.
Published: February 2012

Objective

To evaluate gene transfer in an equine metacarpal IV (MCIV) ostectomy model using adenoviral vectors encoding the human bone morphogenetic protein‐2 and protein‐7 gene (Ad‐BMP‐2/‐7).

Study Design

Experimental

Animals

Healthy adult horses (n = 15).

Methods

A plate stabilized, critical size 1.5 cm ostectomy was created in left and right MCIV. The ostectomy site was injected with either Ad‐green fluorescent protein (Ad‐GFP) or Ad‐hBMP‐2/‐7 at completion of surgery; the same treatment was assigned to both the left and right forelimb of each horse (n = 5 horses/group). Bone healing was evaluated radiographically every 2 weeks for 16 weeks. Horses in a pilot study (n = 5) were used as untreated controls for radiographic evaluation to 8 weeks. After euthanasia at 16 weeks bone healing was evaluated using dual energy X‐ray absorptiometry (DEXA) and histomorphometry. Data were analyzed using an ANOVA or Kruskal–Wallis test. Level of significance was P < .05.

Results

At 4 and 6 weeks, the Ad‐GFP group had a significantly lower percentage defect ossification compared with the untreated control group. There was no significant difference between untreated and Ad‐hBMP‐2/‐7 groups at any time point and no significant difference in bone healing radiographically, histologically, or using DEXA between any groups at 16 weeks.

Conclusions

Ad‐hBMP‐2/‐7 did not improve bone healing in horses at 16 weeks.
An assessment of thromboelastometry to monitor blood coagulation and guide transfusion support in liver transplantation
Authors: Blasi Annabel , Beltran Joan , Pereira Arturo , Martinez‐Palli Graciela , Torrents Abiguei , Balust Jaume , Zavala Elizabeth , Taura Pilar , Garcia‐Valdecasas Juan‐Carlos
Published: February 2012

BACKGROUND: Rotation thromboelastometry (TEM) has been proposed as a convenient alternative to standard coagulation tests in guiding the treatment of coagulopathy during orthotopic liver transplantation (OLT). This study was aimed at assessing the value of TEM in monitoring blood coagulation and guide transfusion support in OLT.

STUDY DESIGN AND METHODS: Standard coagulation and TEM (EXTEM and FIBTEM) tests were performed at four preestablished intraoperative time points in 236 OLTs and prospectively recorded in a dedicated database together with the main operative and transfusion data. Transfusion thresholds were based on standard coagulation tests. Spearman's rank correlation (ρ), linear regression, and receiver operating characteristic curves were used when appropriate.

RESULTS: EXTEM maximum clot firmness (MCFEXTEM) was the TEM variable that best correlated with the platelet (PLT) and fibrinogen levels (ρ = 0.62 and ρ = 0.69, respectively). MCFFIBTEM correlated with fibrinogen level (ρ = 0.70). EXTEM clot amplitude at 10 minutes (A10EXTEM) was a good linear predictor of MCFEXTEM (R2 = 0.93). The cutoff values that best predicted the transfusion threshold for PLTs and fibrinogen were A10EXTEM = 35 mm and A10FIBTEM = 8 mm. At these values, the negative and positive predictive accuracies of TEM to predict the transfusion thresholds were 95 and 27%, respectively.

CONCLUSION: A10EXTEM is an adequate TEM variable to guide therapeutic decisions during OLT. Patients with A10EXTEM of greater than 35 mm are unlikely to bleed because of coagulation deficiencies, but using A10EXTEM of not more than 35 mm as the sole transfusion criterion can lead to unnecessary utilization of PLTs and fibrinogen‐rich products.
Preparation and Characterization of Porous Bioglass® and PLLA Scaffolds for Tissue Engineering Applications
Authors: Mallick Kajal K. , Winnett James
Published: February 2012

Three‐dimensional porous scaffold network structures of Bioglass® and poly‐l‐lactide (PLLA) have been fabricated using camphene‐based freeze cast reticulation technique using polyurethane foam templates of appropriate structures and solvent extraction methods. Sublimation of camphene was controlled during freeze casting of Bioglass® slurries at −78°C. PLLA scaffolds were prepared by solvent extraction at temperatures between 25°C and −196°C. Both methods produced open, uniform and interconnected porous structures with 180–1100 μm and porosities of 80%–90% for Bioglass® and wide pore size ranges 150–600 μm with porosities up to 90% for PLLA scaffolds. PLLA scaffolds exhibited a strong dependence on freezing temperature and type of the solvent used. Camphene sublimation resulted in micropores of 1–10 μm, known to facilitate cell adhesion and proliferation. Compressive yield strength of 0.8 MPa close to the upper range of cancellous bone was achieved. The mean compressive strength of Bioglass® scaffolds compared favorably with the theoretical model of porosity variation with strength and was higher than reported values. A maximum of 25% shrinkage resulted, but the original foam template structure was accurately replicated within 4% experimental limit and the conformity was maintained even at high temperatures. The strut sizes of both type of scaffolds varied between 4‐10 μm. Surface crystallization up to 5 μm was evident at 900°C.
A Novel Pseudo‐Ion Approach in Classical MD Simulation: A Case Study on (U0.8Pu0.2)O2 Mixed Oxide
Authors: Basak Chandra Bhanu , Kolokol Alexander S.
Published: February 2012

In the present study a novel pseudo‐ion concept is introduced in the context of classical molecular dynamics simulation. It has been shown here that this approach can successfully predict the thermo‐physical and thermo‐mechanical properties of solid solution of two isostructural compounds. (U0.8Pu0.2)O2 mixed oxide is taken as the model system to demonstrate the proposed model. Various physical properties of (U0.8Pu0.2)O2 has been calculated which match the experimentally obtained data reasonably well.
Contribution of High‐b‐Value Diffusion‐Weighted Imaging in Determination of Brain Ischemia in Transient Ischemic Attack Patients
Authors: Purroy Francisco , Begue Robert , Quílez Alejandro , Sanahuja Jordi , Gil Maria Isabel
Published: February 2012

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

High‐b‐value diffusion‐weighted imaging (DWI) (b= 2,000 and b= 3,000 second/mm2) offers theoretical advantages over DWI examinations at b= 1,000 second/mm2 for detection of acute ischemic stroke. The purpose of this study was to determine whether high‐b‐value DWI are better than b= 1,000 images in TIA patients.

METHODS

We compared DWI obtained with 3 different b‐values (1,000, 2,000, and 3,000 second/mm2) and fluid‐attenuated inversion recovery (FLAIR) sequences in 75 consecutive TIA patients. DWI examinations were performed within 3.25 ± 1.5 days after the onset of symptoms. Presence of ischemic lesion, volume, lesion conspicuity, and lesion distinction were determined.

RESULTS

A total of 40 (53.3%) patients revealed ischemic acute lesions with b= 1,000 while 34 (45.3%) were positive on FLAIR. High‐b‐value DWI did not increase the sensitivity for the detection of acute brain ischemia. The median lesion value increased as the b‐value did: .17 mL (interquartile range [IQR] .12‐.78) at b= 1,000; .19 mL (IQR .13‐1.00) at b= 2,000; .29 mL (IQR .14‐1.02) at b= 3,000; and .12 mL (IQR .04‐.62 mL) on FLAIR (P < .001). As b‐value increased, we observed hyperintensities in white matter that could erroneously be considered as acute ischemia.

CONCLUSION

High‐b‐value DWI did not improve the conspicuity and distinction of the ischemic lesions.
E. Coli O157:H7 Population Reduction from Alfalfa Seeds with Malic Acid and Thiamine Dilauryl Sulfate and Quality Evaluation of the Resulting Sprouts
Authors: Fransisca Lilia , Park Hee Kyung , Feng Hao
Published: February 2012

Abstract:  It has been reported that washing seeds with a 20000 ppm Ca(OCl)2 solution as recommended by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration is unable to eliminate E. coli cells attached to seed surfaces, and the bacterial cells that have survived a sanitation wash can proliferate during sprouting to a high population. The objectives of this research were to examine the efficacy of malic acid (MA) and thiamine dilauryl sulfate (TDS) combined treatments on the inactivation of E. coli O157:H7 on alfalfa seeds, to study the growth of the remaining E. coli cells during sprouting, and to evaluate the sprout quality. When 10 g of inoculated alfalfa seeds were washed in a 10% MA‐1% TDS solution, a complete elimination of E. coli was achieved. The same result was observed by washing the seeds in a 20000 ppm Ca(OCl)2 solution. However, when the seed size was increased to 50 g while maintaining the same seed‐to‐sanitizer ratio, both the MA + TDS and the 20000 ppm chlorine washes failed to completely inactivate the E. coli cells on the seeds. Nevertheless, the 10% MA‐1% TDS solution was significantly more effective in E. coli count reduction compared to the 20000 ppm chlorine wash. The E. coli O157:H7 cells remaining on the seeds after treatments with both sanitizers grew up to 7 to 8 log CFU/g sprout after 96 h of sprouting. Under the treatment conditions used in this study, none of the treatments resulted in significant differences in germination rate, yield, or quality of the sprouts.

Practical Application:  The malic acid (MA) and thiamine dilauryl sulfate (TDS) combined treatment may provide a new solution to secure the microbial safety of seeds and sprouts. An important finding of this study is that seed sample size has a significant impact on the inactivation of E. coli O157:H7 on alfalfa seeds. The microbial inactivation results obtained in a laboratory set‐up cannot be directly applied to a large scale operation. A validation test on the large scale has to be performed to evaluate the efficacy of the sanitizer.
Anticoagulatory and Antiinflammatory Effects of Astaxanthin in Diabetic Rats
Authors: Chan Kung‐chi , Pen Pei‐Jain , Yin Mei‐chin
Published: February 2012

Abstract:  Astaxanthin at 0.01 or 0.05% of the diet was supplied to diabetic rats for 12 wk. Astaxanthin intake significantly increased its deposit in plasma, and retained glutathione content, reduced the production of reactive oxygen species, interleukin‐6, tumor necrosis factor‐α, and monocyte chemoattractant protein‐1 in blood and kidney of diabetic rats (P < 0.05). Astaxanthin treatments also significantly decreased plasma levels of C‐reactive protein and von Willebrand factor in diabetic rats (P < 0.05). Astaxanthin intake at 0.05% significantly diminished plasminogen activator inhibitor‐1 and factor VII activities, enhanced antithrombin‐III and protein C activities in circulation (P < 0.05). These results support that astaxanthin could attenuate diabetes associated coagulatory, oxidative, and inflammatory stress.
Cytokines and invertebrate immune responses
Authors: Ottaviani Enzo , Franchini Antonella , Cassanelli Stefano , Genedani Susanna
Published: February 2012

Summary— A profound interrelationship between cytokines and invertebrate (molluses) immune responses has been reported. Different cytokines (IL‐1α, IL‐2 and TNF‐α) significantly stimulate molluscan hemocyte motility, increasing phagocytic activity and provoking the induction of nitric oxide synthase. As far as cell motility is concerned, the response to different cytokines varied between species. These and other recently reported findings (Ottaviani et al (1994) FEBS Lett 351, 19–21; Ottaviani et al (1995) Biochem Biophys Res Commun 207, 288–292) suggest that cytokines are important, ancestral, and functionally conserved molecules, which have also maintained their pleiotropicity, redundancy in the mode of action, and high promiscuity of their receptors during evolution.
Increased expression of the molecular chaperone BiP GRP78 during the differentiation of a primitive eukaryote
Authors: Luján Hugo D , Mowatt Michael R , Conrad John T , Nash Theodore E
Published: February 2012

Summary— Giardia lamblia, a major cause of intestinal disease worldwide, is a parasitic protozoan that represents the earliest branch of the eukaryotic lineage. Trophozoites, which possess two nuclei but lack mitochondria, peroxisomes and a typical Golgi apparatus, colonize the small intestine of the vertebrate host where they may differentiate into infective cysts. Encystation is a regulated process characterized by the biosynthesis, secretion and formation of a protective extracellular cyst wall. In previous studies, we demonstrated the biogenesis of the Golgi apparatus during encystation and identified two leucine‐rich proteins (CWPs), which localize within encystation‐specific secretory granules before their incorporation into the cyst wall. Here, we used immunological, biochemical and molecular biological approaches to analyze the expression of BiP/GRP78, an endoplasmic reticulum (ER)‐resident chaperone, during the Giardia life cycle. A monoclonal antibody specific for Giardia BiP permitted the visualization of the ER of this protozoan and showed that BiP expression increased simultaneously with the increased expression of CWPs during encystation. However, in contrast to the 140‐fold increase in levels of CWP transcripts, the steady‐state level of BiP mRNA did not increase during encystation. Furthermore, potent inducers of BiP expression in higher eukaryotic cells, including agents that perturb the ER environment, did not affect BiP expression in Giardia. These results, when considered together with the profound changes that occur in the secretory pathway during Giardia encystation, indicate an important role for this molecular chaperone during the differentiation of this primitive eukaryote.
Astrocyte‐endothelial cell relationships during the establishment of the blood‐brain barrier in the chick embryo
Authors: Grange‐Messent Valérie , Raison Danièle , Bouchaud Claude
Published: February 2012

Summary— The blood‐brain barrier (BBB) preventing the passage of proteins is established at day 13 of development in the embryonic chick brain. We describe, as early as this stage, the existence of characteristic tight junctions between endothelial cells that is related to the time of appearance of the basal lamina. At earlier stages (E10, E12), when endothelial cells seem to be held back from the glio‐neural neuropile by fibroblast‐like cells identified by their appearance and position, the astrocyte plasma membranes already present a rare but characteristic molecular arrangement: the orthogonal arrays of particles (OAs). These OAs become progressively more abundant in astrocytic plasmalemmas contiguous to endothelial cells when these cells have been surrounded by the basal lamina since E15. The contact between astrocytes and basal lamina therefore seems to favor a high density of OAs, as has been shown in vertebrate astrocytes in contact with endothelial cells or leptomeninges. No correlation exists between the onset of the BBB and the time of appearance of OAs.
Towards an understanding of the structural and functional properties of MscL, a mechanosensitive channel in bacteria
Authors: Blount Paul , Sukharev Sergei I , Moe Paul C , Nagle Scott K , Kung Ching
Published: February 2012

Summary— Whether it be to sense a touch, arterial pressure, or an osmotic gradient across a cell membrane, essentially all living organisms require the capability of detecting mechanical force. Electrophysiological evidence has suggested that mechanosensitive ion channels play a major role in many systems where mechanical force is detected. But, despite their biological importance, determination of the most basic structural and functional features of mechanosensitive channels has only recently become possible. A gene called mscL, which was isolated from Escherichia coli, was the first gene shown to encode a mechanosensitive channel activity. This channel directly responds to tension in the membrane; no other proteins are required. MscL appears to be a homohexamer of a 136 amino acid polypeptide that is highly α helical, contains two transmembrane domains, and has both the amino and carboxyl termini in the cytoplasm. The study of the MscL protein remains, to date, one of the most viable options for understanding the structural and functional characteristics of a mechanosensitive channel.