bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Conservation of Protists: The Krauthügel Pond in Austria
Authors: Cotterill Fenton , Augustin Hannes , Medicus Reinhard , Foissner Wilhelm
Published: May 2013

Although constituting more than 100,000 described species, protists are virtually ignored within the arena of biodiversity conservation. One reason is the widespread belief that the majority of protists have cosmopolitan distributions, in contrast to the highly hetereogenous biogeography of the “mega-Metazoa”. However, modern research reveals that about one third of the known protists have restricted distributions, which endorses their conservation, at least in special cases. Here, we report what probably ranks as the first successful conservation intervention focused directly on known protist diversity. It is justified by unique species, type localities, and landscape maintenance as evidence for legislation. The protected habitat comprises an ephemeral pond, which is now a “Natural Monument” for ciliated protozoa. This wetland occupies a natural depression on the Krauthügel (“cabbage hill”) south of the fortress of Salzburg City. When filled, the claviform pond has a size of ~30 × 15 m and a depth rarely surpassing 30 cm. Water is present only for some days or weeks, depending on heavy and/or prolonged rain. The pond occupied an agricultural field where root and leafy vegetables were cultivated for possibly more than 200 years. In the 1960s, this area became a grassland utilized as an autumn pasture, but was abandoned in the 1990s. Repeated sampling between 1982 and 2012 recovered a total of at least 150 ciliate taxa, of which 121 were identified to species level. Eight species were new to science, and an additional 10 poorly known species were reinvestigated and neotypified with populations from the Krauthügel pond. Both endemism and type localities justify the argument that the “integrative approach” in biodiversity and conservation issues should include protists and micro-metazoans. We argue that Krauthügel holds a unique reference node for biodiversity inventories to obtain the baseline knowledge—which is the prerequisite to monitor ecosystem integrity—and detect and evaluate impacts of natural and anthropogenic disturbances.
Quantifying Morphological Computation
Authors: Zahedi Keyan , Ay Nihat
Published: May 2013

The field of embodied intelligence emphasises the importance of the morphology and environment with respect to the behaviour of a cognitive system. The contribution of the morphology to the behaviour, commonly known as morphological computation, is well-recognised in this community. We believe that the field would benefit from a formalisation of this concept as we would like to ask how much the morphology and the environment contribute to an embodied agent’s behaviour, or how an embodied agent can maximise the exploitation of its morphology within its environment. In this work we derive two concepts of measuring morphological computation, and we discuss their relation to the Information Bottleneck Method. The first concepts asks how much the world contributes to the overall behaviour and the second concept asks how much the agent’s action contributes to a behaviour. Various measures are derived from the concepts and validated in two experiments that highlight their strengths and weaknesses.
Exploring Ventilation Efficiency in Poultry Buildings: The Validation of Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) in a Cross-Mechanically Ventilated Broiler Farm
Authors: Bustamante Eliseo , García-Diego Fernando-Juan , Calvet Salvador , Estellés Fernando , Beltrán Pedro , Hospitaler Antonio , Torres Antonio
Published: May 2013

Broiler production in modern poultry farms commonly uses mechanical ventilation systems. This mechanical ventilation requires an amount of electric energy and a high level of investment in technology. Nevertheless, broiler production is affected by periodic problems of mortality because of thermal stress, thus being crucial to explore the ventilation efficiency. In this article, we analyze a cross-mechanical ventilation system focusing on air velocity distribution. In this way, two methodologies were used to explore indoor environment in livestock buildings: Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) simulations and direct measurements for verification and validation (V&V) of CFD. In this study, a validation model using a Generalized Linear Model (GLM) was conducted to compare these methodologies. The results showed that both methodologies were similar in results: the average of air velocities values were 0.60 ± 0.56 m s−1 for CFD and 0.64 ± 0.54 m s−1 for direct measurements. In conclusion, the air velocity was not affected by the methodology (CFD or direct measurements), and the CFD simulations were therefore validated to analyze indoor environment of poultry farms and its operations. A better knowledge of the indoor environment may contribute to reduce the demand of electric energy, increasing benefits and improving the thermal comfort of broilers.
Effect of Carboxylmethyl Cellulose Coating and Osmotic Dehydration on Freeze Drying Kinetics of Apple Slices
Authors: Rahimi Jamshid , Singh Ashutosh , Adewale Peter , Adedeji Akinbode , Ngadi Michael , Raghavan Vijaya
Published: May 2013

The effect of different concentrations of sugar solution (hypertonic) (30%, 45% and 60% w/v) and carboxyl methyl cellulose (CMC) (0%, 1% and 2% w/v) coating on freeze drying of apple slices was studied. In total, nine treatments with respect to concentrations of hypertonic solution and coating layer were prepared to analyze their influence on the physical and chemical properties of freeze dried apple slices. It was observed that increase in the sugar solution concentration, decreased the moisture content of the apple slices significantly impacting its water activity, texture and sugar gain. Application of different concentrations of CMC coating had no significant effect on the properties of dried apple slices. A significant change was observed for color of CMC coated freeze dried apple slices pretreated with 60% sugar solution. Drying kinetics of pretreated apple slices were fitted by using two drying models, Newton’s and Page’s. Page’s model showed higher R-square and lower root mean square error (RSME) compared to Newton’s model.
Food Quality Improvement of Soy Milk Made from Short-Time Germinated Soybeans
Authors: Jiang Susu , Cai Weixi , Xu Baojun
Published: May 2013

The objectives of this study were to develop soy milk with improved food quality and to enhance the functional attributes by incorporating short-time germination into the processing. Changes in trypsin inhibitor activity (TIA), phytic acid content and total phenolic content (TPC) in soy milk produced from soybeans germinated within 72 h were investigated to determine the optimum germination condition. Results from the present research showed significant (p < 0.05) improvement of TPC in cooked germinated soybean milk, while both the TIA and phytic acid content were decreased significantly (p < 0.05). In the subsequent evaluation on the quality attributes under the optimum germination condition, soy milk made from 28 h-germinated soybeans presented enhanced nutritional value and comparable physicochemical properties to conventional soy milk. The current approach provides a feasible and convenient way for soy-based product innovation in both household and industrial settings.
A Higher Prevalence Rate of Campylobacter in Retail Beef Livers Compared to Other Beef and Pork Meat Cuts
Authors: Noormohamed Aneesa , Fakhr Mohamed
Published: May 2013

The objectives of this study were to determine the prevalence of Campylobacter jejuni and Campylobacter coli in retail beef, beef livers, and pork meats purchased from the Tulsa (OK, USA) area and to further characterize the isolates obtained through antimicrobial susceptibility testing. A total of 97 chilled retail beef (50 beef livers and 47 other cuts), and 100 pork samples were collected. The prevalence of Campylobacter in beef livers was 39/50 (78%), while no Campylobacter was isolated from the other beef cuts. The prevalence in pork samples was 2/100 (2%). A total of 108 Campylobacter isolates (102 beef livers isolates and six pork isolates) were subjected to antimicrobial resistance profiling against sixteen different antimicrobials that belong to eight different antibiotic classes. Of the six pork Campylobacter coli isolates, four showed resistance to all antimicrobials tested. Among the beef liver isolates, the highest antibiotic resistances were to tetracyclines and β-lactams, while the lowest resistances were to macrolides, aminoglycosides, lincosamides, and phenicols. Resistances to the fluoroquinolone, macrolide, aminoglycoside, tetracycline, b-lactam, lincosamide, and phenicol antibiotic classes were significantly higher in Campylobacter coli than Campylobacter jejuni isolates. Multidrug Resistance (MDR) among the 102 Campylobacter (33 Campylobacter jejuni and 69 Campylobacter coli) beef liver isolates was significantly higher in Campylobacter coli (62%) than Campylobacter jejuni (39%). The high prevalence of Campylobacter in retail beef livers and their antimicrobial resistance raise concern about the safety of these retail products.
Analysis of Conformational Motions and Residue Fluctuations for Escherichia coli Ribose-Binding Protein Revealed with Elastic Network Models
Authors: Li Hai , Cao Zan , Zhao Li , Wang Ji
Published: May 2013

The ribose-binding protein (RBP) is a sugar-binding bacterial periplasmic protein whose function is associated with a large allosteric conformational change from an open to a closed conformation upon binding to ribose. The open (ligand-free) and closed (ligand-bound) forms of RBP have been found. Here we investigate the conformational motions and residue fluctuations of the RBP by analyzing the modes of motion with two coarse-grained elastic network models, the Gaussian Network Model (GNM) and Anisotropic Network Model (ANM). The calculated B-factors in both the calculated models are in good agreement with the experimentally determined B-factors in X-ray crystal structures. The slowest mode analysis by GNM shows that both forms have the same motion hinge axes around residues Ser103, Gln235, Asp264 and the two domains of both structures have similar fluctuation range. The superposition of the first three dominant modes of ANM, consisting of the rotating, bending and twisting motions of the two forms, accounts for large rearrangement of domains from the ligand-free (open) to ligand-bound (closed) conformation and thus constitutes a critical component of the RBP’s functions. By analyzing cross-correlations between residue fluctuation and the difference-distance plot, it is revealed that the conformational change can be described as a rigid rotation of the two domains with respect to each other, whereas the internal structure of the two domains remains largely intact. The results directly indicate that the dominant dynamic characteristics of protein structures can be captured from their static native state using coarse-grained models.
Intra-Species Bacterial Quorum Sensing Studied at Single Cell Level in a Double Droplet Trapping System
Authors: Bai Yunpeng , Patil Santoshkumar , Bowden Steven , Poulter Simon , Pan Jie , Salmond George , Welch Martin , Huck Wilhelm , Abell Chris
Published: May 2013

In this paper, we investigated the intra-species bacterial quorum sensing at the single cell level using a double droplet trapping system. Escherichia coli transformed to express the quorum sensing receptor protein, LasR, were encapsulated in microdroplets that were positioned adjacent to microdroplets containing the autoinducer, N-(3-oxododecanoyl)-L-homoserine lactone (OdDHL). Functional activation of the LasR protein by diffusion of the OdDHL across the droplet interface was measured by monitoring the expression of green fluorescent protein (GFP) from a LasR-dependent promoter. A threshold concentration of OdDHL was found to induce production of quorum-sensing associated GFP by E. coli. Additionally, we demonstrated that LasR-dependent activation of GFP expression was also initiated when the adjacent droplets contained single E. coli transformed with the OdDHL synthase gene, LasI, representing a simple quorum sensing circuit between two droplets.
Bacterial Growth Kinetics under a Novel Flexible Methacrylate Dressing Serving as a Drug Delivery Vehicle for Antiseptics
Authors: Forstner Christina , Leitgeb Johannes , Schuster Rupert , Dosch Verena , Kramer Axel , Cutting Keith , Leaper David , Assadian Ojan
Published: May 2013

A flexible methacrylate powder dressing (Altrazeal®) transforms into a wound contour conforming matrix once in contact with wound exudate. We hypothesised that it may also serve as a drug delivery vehicle for antiseptics. The antimicrobial efficacy and influence on bacterial growth kinetics in combination with three antiseptics was investigated in an in vitro porcine wound model. Standardized in vitro wounds were contaminated with Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA; ATCC 33591) and divided into six groups: no dressing (negative control), methacrylate dressing alone, and combinations with application of 0.02% Polyhexamethylene Biguanide (PHMB), 0.4% PHMB, 0.1% PHMB + 0.1% betaine, 7.7 mg/mL Povidone-iodine (PVP-iodine), and 0.1% Octenidine-dihydrochloride (OCT) + 2% phenoxyethanol. Bacterial load per gram tissue was measured over five days. The highest reduction was observed with PVP-iodine at 24 h to log10 1.43 cfu/g, followed by OCT at 48 h to log10 2.41 cfu/g. Whilst 0.02% PHMB resulted in a stable bacterial load over 120 h to log10 4.00 cfu/g over 120 h, 0.1% PHMB + 0.1% betaine inhibited growth during the first 48 h, with slightly increasing bacterial numbers up to log10 5.38 cfu/g at 120 h. These results indicate that this flexible methacrylate dressing can be loaded with various antiseptics serving as drug delivery system. Depending on the selected combination, an individually shaped and controlled antibacterial effect may be achieved using the same type of wound dressing.
Transcriptional Profiling of Swine Lung Tissue after Experimental Infection with Actinobacillus pleuropneumoniae
Authors: Zuo Zhicai , Cui Hengmin , Li Mingzhou , Peng Xi , Zhu Ling , Zhang Ming , Ma Jideng , Xu Zhiwen , Gan Meng , Deng Junliang , Li Xuewei , Fang Jing
Published: May 2013

Porcine pleuropneumonia is a highly contagious respiratory disease that causes great economic losses worldwide. In this study, we aimed to explore the underlying relationship between infection and injury by investigation of the whole porcine genome expression profiles of swine lung tissues post-inoculated with experimentally Actinobacillus pleuropneumoniae. Expression profiling experiments of the control group and the treatment group were conducted using a commercially available Agilent Porcine Genechip including 43,603 probe sets. Microarray analysis was conducted on profiles of lung from challenged versus non-challenged swine. We found 11,929 transcripts, identified as differentially expressed at the p ≤0.01 level. There were 1188 genes annotated as swine genes in the GenBank Data Base. GO term analysis identified a total of 89 biological process categories, 82 cellular components and 182 molecular functions that were significantly affected, and at least 27 biological process categories that were related to the host immune response. Gene set enrichment analysis identified 13 pathways that were significantly associated with host response. Many proinflammatory-inflammatory cytokines were activated and involved in the regulation of the host defense response at the site of inflammation; while the cytokines involved in regulation of the host immune response were suppressed. All changes of genes and pathways of induced or repressed expression not only led to a decrease in antigenic peptides presented to T lymphocytes by APCs via the MHC and alleviated immune response injury induced by infection, but also stimulated stem cells to produce granulocytes (neutrophils, eosinophils, and basophils) and monocyte, and promote neutrophils and macrophages to phagocytose bacterial and foreign antigen at the site of inflammation. The defense function of swine infection with Actinobacillus pleuropneumoniae was improved, while its immune function was decreased.
Evaluation of the Effect of Different Doses of Low Energy Shock Wave Therapy on the Erectile Function of Streptozotocin (STZ)-Induced Diabetic Rats
Authors: Liu Jing , Zhou Feng , Li Guang-Yong , Wang Lin , Li Hui-Xi , Bai Guang-Yi , Guan Rui-Li , Xu Yong-De , Gao Ze-Zhu , Tian Wen-Jie , Xin Zhong-Cheng
Published: May 2013

To investigate the therapeutic effect of different doses of low energy shock wave therapy (LESWT) on the erectile dysfunction (ED) in streptozotocin (STZ) induced diabetic rats. SD rats (n = 75) were randomly divided into 5 groups (normal control, diabetic control, 3 different dose LESWT treated diabetic groups). Diabetic rats were induced by intra-peritoneal injection of STZ (60 mg/kg) and rats with fasting blood glucose ≥ 300 mg/dL were selected as diabetic models. Twelve weeks later, different doses of LESWT (100, 200 and 300 shocks each time) treatment on penises were used to treat ED (7.33 MPa, 2 shocks/s) three times a week for two weeks. The erectile function was evaluated by intracavernous pressure (ICP) after 1 week washout period. Then the penises were harvested for histological study. The results showed LESWT could significantly improve the erectile function of diabetic rats, increase smooth muscle and endothelial contents, up-regulate the expression of α-SMA, vWF, nNOS and VEGF, and down- regulate the expression of RAGE in corpus cavernosum. The therapeutic effect might relate to treatment dose positively, and the maximal therapeutic effect was noted in the LESWT300 group. Consequently, 300 shocks each time might be the ideal LESWT dose for diabetic ED treatment.
Response Surface Methodology for Ultrasound-Assisted Extraction of Astaxanthin from Haematococcus pluvialis
Authors: Zou Tang-Bin , Jia Qing , Li Hua-Wen , Wang Chang-Xiu , Wu Hong-Fu
Published: May 2013

Astaxanthin is a novel carotenoid nutraceutical occurring in many crustaceans and red yeasts. It has exhibited various biological activities including prevention or amelioration of cardiovascular disease, gastric ulcer, hypertension, and diabetic nephropathy. In this study, ultrasound-assisted extraction was developed for the effective extraction of astaxanthin from Haematococcus pluvialis. Some parameters such as extraction solvent, liquid-to-solid ratio, extraction temperature, and extraction time were optimized by single-factor experiment and response surface methodology. The optimal extraction conditions were 48.0% ethanol in ethyl acetate, the liquid-to-solid ratio was 20:1 (mL/g), and extraction for 16.0 min at 41.1 °C under ultrasound irradiation of 200 W. Under optimal conditions, the yield of astaxanthin was 27.58 ± 0.40 mg/g. The results obtained are beneficial for the full utilization of Haematococcus pluvialis, which also indicated that ultrasound-assisted extraction is a very useful method for extracting astaxanthin from marine life.
CASMI—The Small Molecule Identification Process from a Birmingham Perspective
Authors: Allwood J. , Weber Ralf , Zhou Jiarui , He Shan , Viant Mark , Dunn Warwick
Published: May 2013

The Critical Assessment of Small Molecule Identification (CASMI) contest was developed to provide a systematic comparative evaluation of strategies applied for the annotation and identification of small molecules. The authors participated in eleven challenges in both category 1 (to deduce a molecular formula) and category 2 (to deduce a molecular structure) related to high resolution LC-MS data. For category 1 challenges, the PUTMEDID_LCMS workflows provided the correct molecular formula in nine challenges; the two incorrect submissions were related to a larger mass error in experimental data than expected or the absence of the correct molecular formula in a reference file applied in the PUTMEDID_LCMS workflows. For category 2 challenges, MetFrag was applied to construct in silico fragmentation data and compare with experimentally-derived MS/MS data. The submissions for three challenges were correct, and for eight challenges, the submissions were not correct; some submissions showed similarity to the correct structures, while others showed no similarity. The low number of correct submissions for category 2 was a result of applying the assumption that all chemicals were derived from biological samples and highlights the importance of knowing the origin of biological or chemical samples studied and the metabolites expected to be present to define the correct chemical space to search in annotation processes.
Evaluation of Different Normalization and Analysis Procedures for Illumina Gene Expression Microarray Data Involving Small Changes
Authors: Johnstone Daniel , Riveros Carlos , Heidari Moones , Graham Ross , Trinder Debbie , Berretta Regina , Olynyk John , Scott Rodney , Moscato Pablo , Milward Elizabeth
Published: May 2013

While Illumina microarrays can be used successfully for detecting small gene expression changes due to their high degree of technical replicability, there is little information on how different normalization and differential expression analysis strategies affect outcomes. To evaluate this, we assessed concordance across gene lists generated by applying different combinations of normalization strategy and analytical approach to two Illumina datasets with modest expression changes. In addition to using traditional statistical approaches, we also tested an approach based on combinatorial optimization. We found that the choice of both normalization strategy and analytical approach considerably affected outcomes, in some cases leading to substantial differences in gene lists and subsequent pathway analysis results. Our findings suggest that important biological phenomena may be overlooked when there is a routine practice of using only one approach to investigate all microarray datasets. Analytical artefacts of this kind are likely to be especially relevant for datasets involving small fold changes, where inherent technical variation—if not adequately minimized by effective normalization—may overshadow true biological variation. This report provides some basic guidelines for optimizing outcomes when working with Illumina datasets involving small expression changes.
Interactive Effect of Salicylic Acid on Some Physiological Features and Antioxidant Enzymes Activity in Ginger (Zingiber officinale Roscoe)
Authors: Ghasemzadeh Ali , Jaafar Hawa
Published: May 2013

The effect of foliar salicylic acid (SA) applications (10−3 and 10−5 M) on activities of nitrate reductase, guaiacol peroxidase (POD), superoxide dismutases (SOD), catalase (CAT) and proline enzymes and physiological parameters was evaluated in two ginger varieties (Halia Bentong and Halia Bara) under greenhouse conditions. In both varieties, tested treatments generally enhanced photosynthetic rate and total dry weight. Photosynthetic rate increases were generally accompanied by increased or unchanged stomatal conductance levels, although intercellular CO2 concentrations of treated plants were typically lower than in controls. Lower SA concentrations were generally more effective in enhancing photosynthetic rate and plant growth. Exogenous application of SA increased antioxidant enzyme activities and proline content; the greatest responses were obtained in plants sprayed with 10–5 M SA, with significant increases observed in CAT (20.1%), POD (45.2%), SOD (44.1%) and proline (43.1%) activities. Increased CAT activity in leaves is naturally expected to increase photosynthetic efficiency and thus net photosynthesis by maintaining a constant CO2 supply. Our results support the idea that low SA concentrations (10–5 M) may induce nitrite reductase synthesis by mobilizing intracellular NO3− and can provide protection to nitrite reductase degradation in vivo in the absence of NO3–. Observed positive correlations among proline, SOD, CAT and POD activities in the studied varieties suggest that increased SOD activity was accompanied by increases in CAT and POD activities because of the high demands of H2O2 quenching.
Synthesis of Micheliolide Derivatives and Their Activities against AML Progenitor Cells
Authors: Ma Wei-Wei , Shi Qian-Qian , Ding Ya-Hui , Long Jing , Zhang Quan , Chen Yue
Published: May 2013

Micheliolide (MCL) derivatives with etherification or esterification of the hydroxyl group at the C4 position were synthesized and evaluated for their activities against different acute myelogenous leukemia (AML) cell lines. These derivatives demonstrated comparable activities against AML cell lines HL-60 and doxorubicin resistant cell line HL-60/A. As to multi-drug resistant AML progenitor cells KG-1a, MCL and some of its derivatives maintained significant activities, and only 1.1–2.7 fold activity reductions were observed when compared with the activities against HL-60, while doxorubicin showed 20-fold activity reduction. Our study demonstrated that the C4 hydroxyl group of MCL might not only be a suitable position for structural modifications, but also be a starting point for the design of appropriate molecular probes to explore the specific targets in the progenitor cell line KG-1a.
An Efficient Synthesis of Aldohexose-Derived Piperidine Nitrones: Precursors of Piperidine Iminosugars
Authors: Zhao Hui , Zhao Wen-Bo , Zhu Jian-She , Jia Yue-Mei , Yu Chu-Yi
Published: May 2013

D-Glucopyranose-derived and L-idopyranose-derived piperidine nitrones were synthesized in good overall yields through six-step reaction sequence starting from readily available 2,3,4,6-tetra-O-benzyl-D-glucopyranose. The method is efficient and could be general for the synthesis of aldohexose-derived piperidine nitrones which are precursors of piperidine iminosugars.
Substituted 3-Benzylcoumarins as Allosteric MEK1 Inhibitors: Design, Synthesis and Biological Evaluation as Antiviral Agents
Authors: Wang Chao , Zhang Hao , Xu Fengrong , Niu Yan , Wu Yun , Wang Xin , Peng Yihong , Sun Jing , Liang Lei , Xu Ping
Published: May 2013

In order to find novel antiviral agents, a series of allosteric MEK1 inhibitors were designed and synthesized. Based on docking results, multiple optimizations were made on the coumarin scaffold. Some of the derivatives showed excellent MEK1 binding affinity in the appropriate enzymatic assays and displayed obvious inhibitory effects on the ERK pathway in a cellular assay. These compounds also significantly inhibited virus (EV71) replication in HEK293 and RD cells. Several compounds showed potential as agents for the treatment of viral infective diseases, with the most potent compound 18 showing an IC50 value of 54.57 nM in the MEK1 binding assay.
Effects of Eicosapentaenoic Acid and Docosahexaenoic Acid on Uncoupling Protein 3 Gene Expression in C2C12 Muscle Cells
Authors: Lee Mak-Soon , Kim In-Hwan , Kim Yangha
Published: May 2013

Uncoupling protein 3 (UCP3) is a mitochondrial membrane transporter that is expressed mainly in skeletal muscle where it plays an important role in energy expenditure and fat oxidation. In this study, we investigated the effects of eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) on UCP3 gene expression in C2C12 muscle cells. EPA and DHA up-regulated UCP3 mRNA level in a dose-dependent manner and similarly increased UCP3 promoter activity in C2C12 muscle cells. To determine whether AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) signaling may also directly regulate UCP3 expression, 5′-amino-4-imidazolecarboxamide-ribonucleoside (AICAR), an AMP analog that activates AMPK, was treated in C2C12 muscle cells. AICAR showed additive effects with EPA or DHA on the UCP3 promoter activation. These results indicate that EPA and DHA directly regulate the gene expression of UCP3, potentially through AMPK-mediated pathway in C2C12 muscle cells.
The Relationship between Dietary Fatty Acids and Inflammatory Genes on the Obese Phenotype and Serum Lipids
Authors: Joffe Yael , Collins Malcolm , Goedecke Julia
Published: May 2013

Obesity, a chronic low-grade inflammatory condition is associated with the development of many comorbidities including dyslipidemia. This review examines interactions between single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNP) in the inflammatory genes tumor necrosis alpha (TNFA) and interleukin-6 (IL-6) and dietary fatty acids, and their relationship with obesity and serum lipid levels. In summary, dietary fatty acids, in particular saturated fatty acids and the omega-3 and omega-6 polyunsaturated fatty acids, impact the expression of the cytokine genes TNFA and IL-6, and alter TNFα and IL-6 production. In addition, sequence variants in these genes have also been shown to alter their gene expression and plasma levels, and are associated with obesity, measures of adiposity and serum lipid concentrations. When interactions between dietary fatty acids and TNFA and IL-6 SNPs on obesity and serum lipid were analyzed, both the quantity and quality of dietary fatty acids modulated the relationship between TNFA and IL-6 SNPs on obesity and serum lipid profiles, thereby impacting the association between phenotype and genotype. Researching these diet–gene interactions more extensively, and understanding the role of ethnicity as a confounder in these relationships, may contribute to a better understanding of the inter-individual variability in the obese phenotype.
Genome-Wide Association Study of Serum Selenium Concentrations
Authors: Gong Jian , Hsu Li , Harrison Tabitha , King Irena , Stürup Stefan , Song Xiaoling , Duggan David , Liu Yan , Hutter Carolyn , Chanock Stephen , Eaton Charles , Marshall James , Peters Ulrike
Published: May 2013

Selenium is an essential trace element and circulating selenium concentrations have been associated with a wide range of diseases. Candidate gene studies suggest that circulating selenium concentrations may be impacted by genetic variation; however, no study has comprehensively investigated this hypothesis. Therefore, we conducted a two-stage genome-wide association study to identify genetic variants associated with serum selenium concentrations in 1203 European descents from two cohorts: the Prostate, Lung, Colorectal, and Ovarian (PLCO) Cancer Screening and the Women’s Health Initiative (WHI). We tested association between 2,474,333 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) and serum selenium concentrations using linear regression models. In the first stage (PLCO) 41 SNPs clustered in 15 regions had p < 1 × 10−5. None of these 41 SNPs reached the significant threshold (p = 0.05/15 regions = 0.003) in the second stage (WHI). Three SNPs had p < 0.05 in the second stage (rs1395479 and rs1506807 in 4q34.3/AGA-NEIL3; and rs891684 in 17q24.3/SLC39A11) and had p between 2.62 × 10−7 and 4.04 × 10−7 in the combined analysis (PLCO + WHI). Additional studies are needed to replicate these findings. Identification of genetic variation that impacts selenium concentrations may contribute to a better understanding of which genes regulate circulating selenium concentrations.
A Diet Pattern with More Dairy and Nuts, but Less Meat Is Related to Lower Risk of Developing Hypertension in Middle-Aged Adults: The Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities (ARIC) Study
Authors: Weng Lu-Chen , Steffen Lyn , Szklo Moyses , Nettleton Jennifer , Chambless Lloyd , Folsom Aaron
Published: May 2013

Dietary intake among other lifestyle factors influence blood pressure. We examined the associations of an ―a priori‖ diet score with incident high normal blood pressure (HNBP; systolic blood pressure (SBP) 120–139 mmHg, or diastolic blood pressure (DBP) 80–89 mmHg and no antihypertensive medications) and hypertension (SBP ≥ 140 mmHg, DBP ≥ 90 mmHg, or taking antihypertensive medication). We used proportional hazards regression to evaluate this score in quintiles (Q) and each food group making up the score relative to incident HNBP or hypertension over nine years in the Atherosclerosis Risk of Communities (ARIC) study of 9913 African-American and Caucasian adults aged 45–64 years and free of HNBP or hypertension at baseline. Incidence of HNBP varied from 42.5% in white women to 44.1% in black women; and incident hypertension from 26.1% in white women to 40.8% in black women. Adjusting for demographics and CVD risk factors, the ―a priori‖ food score was inversely associated with incident hypertension; but not HNBP. Compared to Q1, the relative hazards of hypertension for the food score Q2–Q5 were 0.97 (0.87–1.09), 0.91 (0.81–1.02), 0.91 (0.80–1.03), and 0.86 (0.75–0.98); ptrend = 0.01. This inverse relation was largely attributable to greater intake of dairy products and nuts, and less meat. These findings support the 2010 Dietary Guidelines to consume more dairy products and nuts, but suggest a reduction in meat intake.
Reset Tree-Based Optical Fault Detection
Authors: Lee Dong-Geon , Choi Dooho , Seo Jungtaek , Kim Howon
Published: May 2013

In this paper, we present a new reset tree-based scheme to protect cryptographic hardware against optical fault injection attacks. As one of the most powerful invasive attacks on cryptographic hardware, optical fault attacks cause semiconductors to misbehave by injecting high-energy light into a decapped integrated circuit. The contaminated result from the affected chip is then used to reveal secret information, such as a key, from the cryptographic hardware. Since the advent of such attacks, various countermeasures have been proposed. Although most of these countermeasures are strong, there is still the possibility of attack. In this paper, we present a novel optical fault detection scheme that utilizes the buffers on a circuit’s reset signal tree as a fault detection sensor. To evaluate our proposal, we model radiation-induced currents into circuit components and perform a SPICE simulation. The proposed scheme is expected to be used as a supplemental security tool.
On the Selection of Non-Invasive Methods Based on Speech Analysis Oriented to Automatic Alzheimer Disease Diagnosis
Authors: López-de-Ipiña Karmele , Alonso Jesus-Bernardino , Travieso Carlos , Solé-Casals Jordi , Egiraun Harkaitz , Faundez-Zanuy Marcos , Ezeiza Aitzol , Barroso Nora , Ecay-Torres Miriam , Martinez-Lage Pablo , Lizardui Unai
Published: May 2013

The work presented here is part of a larger study to identify novel technologies and biomarkers for early Alzheimer disease (AD) detection and it focuses on evaluating the suitability of a new approach for early AD diagnosis by non-invasive methods. The purpose is to examine in a pilot study the potential of applying intelligent algorithms to speech features obtained from suspected patients in order to contribute to the improvement of diagnosis of AD and its degree of severity. In this sense, Artificial Neural Networks (ANN) have been used for the automatic classification of the two classes (AD and control subjects). Two human issues have been analyzed for feature selection: Spontaneous Speech and Emotional Response. Not only linear features but also non-linear ones, such as Fractal Dimension, have been explored. The approach is non invasive, low cost and without any side effects. Obtained experimental results were very satisfactory and promising for early diagnosis and classification of AD patients.
Sialorrhea: Anatomy, Pathophysiology and Treatment with Emphasis on the Role of Botulinum Toxins
Authors: Lakraj Amanda , Moghimi Narges , Jabbari Bahman
Published: May 2013

Sialorrhea or excessive drooling is a major issue in children with cerebral palsy and adults with neurodegenerative disorders. In this review, we describe the clinical features, anatomy and physiology of sialorrhea, as well as a review of the world literature on medical treatment using Yale University’s search engine; including but not limited to Medline and Erasmus. Level of drug efficacy is defined according to the guidelines of American Academy of Neurology. Current medical management is unsatisfactory. Topical agents (scopolamine and tropicamide) and oral agents (glyccopyrolate) combined render a level B evidence (probably effective); however, this treatment is associated with troublesome side effects. Double-blind and placebo-controlled studies of botulinum toxin (BoNT) provide a level A evidence for type B (two class I studies; effective and established) and both overall and individual B level of evidence for OnabotulinumtoxinA (A/Ona) and AbobotulinumtoxinA (A/Abo); these are probably effective. For IncobotulinumtoxinA (A/Inco), the level of evidence is U (insufficient) due to lack of blinded studies. Side effects are uncommon; transient and comparable between the two types of toxin. A clinical note at the end of this review comments on fine clinical points. Administration of BoNTs into salivary glands is currently the most effective way of treating sialorrhea.
Design and synthesis of tag-free photoprobes for the identification of the molecular target for CCG-1423, a novel inhibitor of the Rho/MKL1/SRF signaling pathway
Authors: Bell Jessica L , Haak Andrew J , Wade Susan M , Sun Yihan , Neubig Richard R , Larsen Scott D
Published: May 2013

CCG-1423 and related analogues represent a new class of inhibitors of Rho/MKL1/SRF-mediated gene transcription, a pathway that has been implicated in both cancer and fibrosis. The molecular target for these compounds is unknown. To facilitate its identification, a series of tag-free photoaffinity probes was designed and synthesized, each one containing a photoactivatable group and an acetylenic end group for subsequent attachment to a fluorescent tag using click chemistry. All were confirmed to maintain biological activity in a cell-based assay for inhibition of SRE-Luc expression. The functional activity of the most potent probe 24 was further confirmed in an assay for PC-3 cell migration. Photolysis of 24 in intact PC-3 cells followed by cell lysis, click ligation of a fluorescent dye, and gel electrophoresis revealed specific labeling of a single 24 kDa band that could be blocked with an active competitor. Future work will focus on identifying the labeled protein(s).
L'exigence d'une gouvernance mondiale
Authors: Zerah Dov
Published: May 2013

Faut-il avoir peur de la mondialisation ? Passer de 7 à 9-10 milliards d’habitants d’ici 2050, place l’humanité face un défi immense. Les risques auxquels la planète est confrontée – risques systémiques, géographiques et liés à la mondialisation elle-même – ne peuvent être maîtrisés que par davantage d’organisation et de coordination entre États. Pour relever ces risques, la communauté internationale doit édicter de nouvelles règles de gestion collective. Une nouvelle gouvernance mondiale est nécessaire.
Tensions sur les marchés agricoles : un jeu à double face
Authors: Pouch Thierry
Published: May 2013

Depuis les années 1990, le thème de la rivalité entre les nations s’est installé dans les débats traitant de la mondialisation. S’agissant des aspects agricoles et alimentaires de cette mondialisation, il est souvent fait référence aux stratégies agressives développées par les principales économies exportatrices de produits agricoles et alimentaires. L’article entend mettre au jour les tensions les rivalités qui émergent du comportement des puissances importatrices de produits agricoles et alimentaires. Au travers des exemples de la Chine et des pays d’Afrique du Nord, il est montré en quoi un rapport de forces s’est instauré pour capter les disponibilités alimentaires mondiales.
Puissance et géographie au XXI e siècle
Authors: Buhler Pierre
Published: May 2013

Loin de se dissoudre dans la mondialisation, la géographie continue de dessiner les lignes de force de la puissance. Même si le nerf de celle-ci, l’économie, s’affranchit de plus en plus du territoire, les ressources du sol et du sous-sol d’une part, les voies de communication d’autre part sont en revanche irréductiblement tributaires de la géographie. Leur contrôle est au cœur des démarches de la puissance, au premier chef de celle des États-Unis.
Fragilité et bienveillance, les deux enjeux clés du management
Authors: Samuel Frère
Published: May 2013

La pression économique est devenue telle que la quête du bonheur par la satisfaction des besoins matériels aboutit à une impasse. Il faut réinventer notre monde en se guidant sur deux notions clés : la fragilité et la bienveillance.
La relativité des pratiques d'analyse et de prise d'une décision risquée en question : les cas des banques françaises implantées en Bulgarie
Authors: Raytcheva Stela , Said Karim
Published: May 2013

Ce papier se propose de comparer les modes d’analyse et de prise d’une décision risquée dans le cadre d’octroi de crédit de deux banques françaises et leurs filiales bulgares. Nos résultats confirment l’hypothèse de « cross-vergence » internationale des modes d’octroi de crédit. Si certaines pratiques occidentales managériales et de traitement du risque semblent aisément transférables d’un pays à un autre, il s’avère que des différences socioculturelles subsistent et impactent le comportement des acteurs locaux. Il ressort ainsi de notre recherche que les différences de pratiques entre le pays d’origine et le pays d’implantation peuvent s’expliquer tant par des différences en termes de développement de l’environnement institutionnel et économique, que par les valeurs individuelles face au risque propres aux employés des filiales bulgares.
Comprendre les comportements non éthiques du consommateur : les apports de la théorie de la neutralisation
Authors: Divard Ronan
Published: May 2013

L’article porte sur la théorie de la neutralisation, qui permet aux individus de gérer les divergences entre attitudes et comportements en évitant ou limitant la dissonance cognitive qui pourrait en résulter. Cette théorie apparaît particulièrement pertinente pour mieux comprendre les importants écarts souvent constatés entre les préoccupations éthiques affichées par les individus et leurs comportements d’achat et de consommation. Cet article vise à analyser de manière structurée les recherches en la matière et à ouvrir de nouvelles perspectives.
L'image du magasin : définition, effets, mesure et perspectives de recherche
Authors: Bèzes Christophe
Published: May 2013

Les magasins peuvent être analysés en mobilisant des concepts qui paraissent souvent interchangeables : image, qualité, atmosphère, personnalité ou expérience. Cette revue de littérature montre que ces concepts sont liés mais bien distincts. L’étude d’image semble plus particulièrement appropriée pour expliquer la sélection d’un magasin, dans le cadre d’achats planifiés et à partir de critères essentiellement cognitifs.
Les effets de l'image du magasin sur le capital marque : une étude à travers les circuits de magasin
Authors: Kaswengi Joseph
Published: May 2013

Le but de cet article est d’examiner l’association l’image du magasin et le capital marque. Un échantillon des données de panel et d’enquête constitué de 1867 ménages, 11 magasins sur une période de 6 ans est étudié. Les résultats montrent que les dimensions de l’image du magasin sont associées au capital marque. Cependant, cette influence varie en fonction des circuits de magasin. Plus précisément, l’image accès est le plus important déterminant du capital marque dans les supermarchés et les hypermarchés bien qu’elle explique mieux le capital marque dans les supermarchés que les hypermarchés. Tandis que le rôle de l’image service est moins pertinent dans les supermarchés, celui de l’image prix est moins important dans les hypermarchés.
Les formes de résistance parentale à la consommation enfantine et au kids marketing
Authors: Nabec Lydiane
Published: May 2013

Cet article explore les motivations et les manifestations de la résistance parentale à la consommation enfantine et au kids marketing à partir d’une étude qualitative réalisée dans le domaine des jouets. Trois formes de résistance parentale sont identifiées - « engagée », « nostalgique » ou « situationnelle » - avec plusieurs manifestations. Il en découle des implications stratégiques pour les marques sur le marché des jouets.
Wage Bargaining, Vertical Differentiation and Intra-Industry Trade Liberalization
Authors: Bacchiega Emanuele
Published: May 2013

Cet article évalue les effets de la libéralisation des échanges entre deux industries qui ont différentes dotations de main-d’œuvre qualifiée. La main-d’œuvre qualifiée est nécessaire pour la production des variantes de qualité élevée d’un bien différencié verticalement. Les dotations main-d’œuvre qualifiée, par conséquent, minent le schéma de spécialisation des industries ainsi que la structure des marchés, tant pour le marché des biens finaux que pour le marché du travail. Nous analysons comment l’intégration économique ou bénéficie ou porte préjudice aux agents dans les industries en étudiant les liens entre les marchés du travail et des produits et montrons que des pertes bilatérales suivantes l’ouverture du commerce peuvent émerger à l’équilibre. Classification JEL : L13, J51, F16.
Firm Dynamics and Employment Adjustment: Multinational vs Domestic Firms
Authors: Blanchard Pierre , Dhyne Emmanuel , Fuss Catherine , Mathieu Claude
Published: May 2013

La crise économique et financière actuelle a causé de nombreuses pertes d’emploi, à la suite de différents mécanismes d’ajustement dans les entreprises domestiques et les multinationales. Ces mécanismes s’opèrent soit au travers de fermetures d’unités de production, soit de réductions d’effectifs par des entreprises qui continuent à opérer. Cet article évalue l’importance de ces deux processus en comparant les multinationales et les entreprises domestiques belges au cours de la période précédant la crise (1997-2008). L’analyse économétrique réalisée utilise des données individuelles d’entreprises. Nos résultats font apparaître que les multinationales ont tendance à quitter plus fréquemment le marché local que les entreprises domestiques présentant des caractéristiques comparables. Par ailleurs, les multinationales en activité sont confrontées à des coûts d’ajustement de l’emploi des travailleurs en col blanc qui sont environ deux fois moins élevés que ceux supportés par les entreprises domestiques. Nos résultats suggèrent donc que les multinationales sont plus flexibles tant sur le plan de la localisation que de l’ajustement de l’emploi. Toutefois, le processus d’ajustement a pu jouer dans l’autre sens. En effet, avant la crise, les multinationales étrangères ont créé en moyenne plus d’emplois que leurs concurrentes domestiques. Classification JEL : F23, J23.
L'organisation publique de la concurrence est-elle source d'efficience ? L'aide à domicile
Authors: Gallois Florence
Published: May 2013

Une analyse en termes de régimes de prix du secteur de l’aide à domicile montre que le système de prise en charge de la dépendance constitue une variable clé de la crise des structures historiques. Alors que la régulation concurrentielle actuelle en est une cause majeure, les solutions proposées par les pouvoirs publics s’orientent paradoxalement vers le renforcement d’une concurrence au nom de l’efficience du système et ce au détriment de la qualité des services.
La Responsabilité sociale de l'entreprise comme forme de justification : quels impacts sur le travail ?
Authors: Nadel Simon
Published: May 2013

Cet article vise à appréhender les liens qui unissent la Responsabilité sociale de l’entreprise (RSE), considérée comme forme contemporaine de la justification de la rentabilité de l’entreprise, et de l’évolution des formes de travail. Des entretiens semi-directifs réalisés auprès de différents acteurs appuieront notre propos, en soulignant l’impact de cette RSE sur l’activité et l’organisation du travail.
Les relations familiales, apports à l'analyse économique des transplantations d'organes
Authors: Sambuc Cléa
Published: May 2013

L’objectif de cet article est de souligner la nécessité de tenir compte, dans l’analyse économique des transplantations, des relations familiales. En nous appuyant sur les débats économiques concernant l’introduction des prix, nous montrerons que les conclusions de ces analyses pourraient être remises en cause dès lors que la notion de famille est réintroduite.