bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Prognostic significance of the worst grade in hepatocellular carcinoma with heterogeneous histologic grades of differentiation
Authors: Han Dai Hoon , Choi Gi Hong , Kim Kyung Sik , Choi Jin Sub , Park Young Nyun , Kim Seung Up , Park Jun Yong , Ahn Sang Hoon , Han Kwang‐Hyub
Published: March 2013

Background and Aim

Although tumor differentiation is a known prognostic factor after the treatment of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), there have not been any studies on the prognostic significance of tumor differentiation in HCC with heterogeneous histologic grades. In this study, we attempted to ascertain whether the major or the worst grade in mixed histologic type HCC determines the prognosis after liver resection.

Methods

From January 1996 to March 2010, a total of 724 patients underwent curative resection of HCC at Yonsei University Health System, Korea. Of those, we excluded 99 patients who had total necrosis because of previous treatment. Among the remaining 625 patients, we compared the homogeneous moderately differentiated group (HG2, n = 241), mixed histologic grades with the worst component as poorly differentiated group (M2, n = 142), and homogeneous poorly differentiated group (HG3, n = 156). The clinicopathologic features, disease‐free survival (DFS) and overall survival (OS) in each group were analyzed.

Results

The DFS and OS were significantly lower in M2 than in HG2 (P = 0.004 and 0.025, respectively) whereas those of M2 were not significantly different from HG3. There were no significant differences in the clinicopathologic features of each group except that microvascular invasion was more frequently observed in M2 than in HG2. On multivariate analysis, being in the worst histologic group (M2 and HG3) was an independent poor prognostic factor for DFS and OS (P = 0.028 and < 0.001, respectively).

Conclusions

In patients with advanced histologic grade, the worst histologic grade may determine the prognosis after curative resection of HCC.
Living with coeliac disease: a grounded theory study
Authors: Rose C. , Howard R.
Published: March 2013

Background

Coeliac disease can be controlled only through adherence to a gluten‐free diet. This diet is highly restrictive and can be challenging to maintain. It has been linked with elevated levels of psychological distress, including depression, anxiety and social phobia.

Methods

Narratives on living with coeliac disease were written by 130 adult members of Coeliac UK (mean age 52.7 years; mean time since diagnosis 10.2 years; 67% sample female; 28% male). Qualitative analysis using grounded theory methods identified five key categories: living with widespread ignorance; social invisibility; creating a coeliac community; a changed identity; grief – and accepting the trade‐off.

Results

A psychosocial model of living with coeliac disease was constructed from the findings, the central category of which was the changed identity of those diagnosed with the condition. Grief was experienced in relation to a loss of the former diet, changed personal and social identities, loss of social confidence and loss of social activities. Grief was generally mitigated over time as adjustments were made to changes in identity and lifestyle. Creating (or becoming part of) a coeliac community was a strategy enabling those with coeliac disease to re‐establish their identities and increase social recognition and acceptance of the condition.

Conclusions

Gluten‐free living entails a substantial restriction of food choice. The losses and changes entailed impact on the personal and social identities of those living with coeliac disease, and on the behaviour of others towards them. Psychosocial interventions focussed on facilitating coping and adjustment may benefit those experiencing difficulties.
From synaptic spines to nuclear signaling: nuclear and synaptic actions of the amyloid precursor protein
Authors: Octave Jean‐Noël , Pierrot Nathalie , Ferao Santos Susana , Nalivaeva Natalia N. , Turner Anthony J.
Published: March 2013

Despite intensive studies of the secretase‐mediated processing of the amyloid precursor protein (APP) to form the amyloid β‐peptide (Aβ), in relation to Alzheimer's disease (AD), no new therapeutic agents have reached the clinics based on reducing Aβ levels through the use of secretase inhibitors or immunotherapy. Furthermore, the normal neuronal functions of APP and its various metabolites still remain under‐investigated and unclear. Here, we highlight emerging areas of APP function that may provide new insights into synaptic development, cognition, and gene regulation. By modulating expression levels of endogenous APP in primary cortical neurons, the frequency and amplitude of calcium oscillations is modified, implying a key role for APP in maintaining neuronal calcium homeostasis essential for synaptic transmission. Disruption of this homeostatic mechanism predisposes to aging and AD. Synaptic spine loss is a feature of neurogeneration resulting in learning and memory deficits, and emerging evidence indicates a role for APP, probably mediated via one or more of its metabolites, in spine structure and functions. The intracellular domain of APP (AICD) has also emerged as a key epigenetic regulator of gene expression controlling a diverse range of genes, including APP itself, the amyloid‐degrading enzyme neprilysin, and aquaporin‐1. A fuller understanding of the physiological and pathological actions of APP and its metabolic network could provide new opportunities for therapeutic intervention in AD.
Nurture: Effects of Intrauterine Position on Behaviour
Authors: Kawata Mitsuhiro
Published: March 2013

Fetuses positioned next to littermates of the opposite sex may develop different sexually related traits and aggressive behaviour in later life. These effects of intrauterine position are due to hormonal transfer between fetuses. Testosterone from a male fetus that crosses the fetal membrane of an adjacent female fetus can affect molecular events in the female including modification of the steroid hormone receptors in hypothalamic neurons. The intrauterine environment may also account for the variability of laboratory animals and newborn human twins.
Three Hundred and Seventy Seven Ways of Being – Sexualness of the Citizen in India
Authors: Khanna Akshay
Published: March 2013

The High Court of Delhi recently declared that Section 377 of the Indian Penal Code, a colonial anti‐sodomy law that effectively criminalised homosexuality, violates rights guaranteed by the Constitution of India. This has been the first juridical recognition of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender folk as citizens and also the first time that the juridical subject has been ascribed a “sexuality”. “Sexuality”, in other words, has been identified as an aspect of personhood, the “self” that the subject refers to. And yet, same‐sex desire in India is not contained within discrete bodies, much less so within bodies presumed in bio‐medical or juridical discourses as “sexuality types”. This recognition lies at the centre of the Queer movement which made the ascription of sexuality to the juridical subject in the first place. Based on ethnographic fieldwork related to the litigation, this paper argues that the juridical register requires demands for rights to articulate in terms of subjectivity and personhood, and examines the ways in which this disjuncture came to be managed by the movement. The paper examines theoretical approaches to subjectivity and argues for a conceptual distinction between the idea of the “subject” and the “self”. Subjectivity, it is argued, is better understood in terms of forms of (legal) legibility, bringing our focus onto the political‐economic, historical and cultural conditions under which these forms come to be performed as embodiments‐in‐the‐world.
The Self at a Time of War in Northern Sri Lanka
Authors: Thiranagama Sharika
Published: March 2013

The article takes one young Tamil woman, Vasantha, and her account of growing up in the northern war zone of Jaffna in Sri Lanka. Vasantha's narrative and her adolescence, like others of her generation, was framed by living at the margins of the Sri Lankan state (though under its bombardment) and under the control of a repressive quasi‐state actor, the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE). In this article, I twin Vasantha's fashioning of her life‐story with a meditation on the ways in which the Sri Lankan war, specifically LTTE control over Tamil lives, has come to ambivalently frame and produce particular understandings of selfhood, articulations of collectivity and individuality. Here, I argue that individuation takes many different forms, and, specifically, that the ruptures of war produces individuation in unexpected ways. I take Vasantha's story to explicate the experiences of young people in northern Sri Lanka, and, as an illustration of the contraction and expansion of particular possibilities of selfhood in the midst of political.
A Longitudinal Analysis of Adolescent Smoking: Using Smoking Status to Differentiate the Influence of Body Weight Measures
Authors: Hong Traci , Johnson Carolyn
Published: March 2013

BACKGROUND

Previous research has reported mixed results on the association between body weight measures (ie, perception of weight and weight loss goal) and cigarette smoking prevalence—and how these associations vary by sex and race. This longitudinal study assessed the relationship between these 2 body weight measures and smoking prevalence by smoking status (ie, nonsmoker, former smoker, smoker).

METHODS

Panel data of adolescents (N = 1592) from Louisiana schools completed survey interviews in the 9th grade and again in the 12th grade. Three separate ordinary least squares (OLS) regression analyses were conducted based on respondents' smoking status in the 9th grade: nonsmoker, former smoker, and smoker. The dependent variable, smoking prevalence was assessed in the 12th grade.

RESULTS

Among nonsmokers, weight loss goal was associated with smoking in the 12th grade. Among former smokers, the association between weight loss goal and smoking varied by sex. Girls who reported the goal to lose weight smoked more than their male counterparts. In contrast, among those who did not have the goal of losing weight, boys smoked more than girls. Among adolescents who were already smokers in the 9th grade, weight loss goal was not significantly associated with smoking prevalence.

CONCLUSION

Differences in the association between weight‐related variables and smoking prevalence may be attributed, in part, to smoking status. School‐based smoking interventions should target nonsmokers and female former smokers who desire weight loss.
Schoolbag Weight Limit: Can It Be Defined?
Authors: Dockrell Sara , Simms Ciaran , Blake Catherine
Published: March 2013

BACKGROUND

Carrying a schoolbag is a daily activity for most children and much research has been conducted in an effort to identify a safe load limit for children to carry in their schoolbags. Despite this, there is still no consensus about guideline weight and other factors associated with carrying a schoolbag. The objective of this article is to review the literature on schoolbags with particular emphasis on the load limit guidelines and schoolbag‐related musculoskeletal pain, and to suggest directions for school health and future research.

METHODS

Science Direct, PubMed, AMED, CINAHL, OVID, EMBASE, and Scopus were searched for peer‐reviewed articles using combinations of the following key words: schoolbag, backpack, rucksack, knapsack, satchel, book bag, book pack and included combinations of children, pain, gait, and posture. Article references were also checked for further citations. All are in English, with the exception of one which is in German but is widely cited.

RESULTS

There are conflicting findings in the literature. The recommended load limit for schoolchildren to carry varies from 5% to 20% of their body weight, and the evidence linking backpack weight and back pain is inconclusive.

CONCLUSIONS

The shortcomings in the current literature should be addressed so that evidence‐based guidelines can be provided to schoolchildren, parents, and teachers. It is suggested that general guidance may be more appropriate than a single load limit guideline.
Changes in longer consultations for children in general practice
Authors: Freed Gary L , Spike Neil A , Sewell Jillian R , Moran Lauren M , Britt Helena , Valenti Lisa , Brooks Peter
Published: March 2013

Aim

To determine if the duration of general practitioner (GP) consultations, or the proportional distribution of item numbers associated with longer consultations, with children has changed in association with the demographic changes in Australia.

Method

Secondary data analysis of Medicare claims from 1996 to 2010, which were stratified by patient age and visit type as designated by billing item number, and of the Bettering the Evaluation of Care and Health (BEACH) database was conducted. The Medicare data that were analysed were changes in overall proportion and absolute numbers of longer consultations for children from 1996 to 2010, while the BEACH data that were analysed were changes in the average duration of visits for children and the proportion of visits by children for chronic conditions.

Results

Despite the increase in the population of children, and the increasing numbers of children with chronic illness, the absolute number of longer consultations for children has decreased over the time period studied. Further, the proportion of all longer consultations that are being provided to children has diminished. For those consultations that do occur, the GPs are not spending any more time with children in 2010 than they did in consultations in 2000.

Conclusions

There have been significant changes in the patterns of longer consultations provided to children by GPs. Efforts to ensure that children receive primary care for chronic conditions and preventive care must now take on a greater urgency for the health‐care system.
IL28B genotype and the expression of ISGs in normal liver
Authors: Raglow Zoe , Thoma‐Perry Carly , Gilroy Richard , Wan Yu‐Jui Y.
Published: March 2013

Background & Aims

Both polymorphisms in the IL28B gene locus and ISG expression levels are associated with the outcome of hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection. The two are also interrelated, although the mechanism is unknown. Favourable CC genotype at rs12979860 expresses lower baseline ISG levels and responds better to treatment than unfavourable CT and TT genotypes. Little is known about this relationship in normal, uninfected liver. This study sought to explore this relationship.

Methods

Normal human liver specimens (64) and HCV positive human liver specimens (95) were genotyped for IL28B rs12979860 C > T. mRNA levels of ISGs and other relevant genes were studied by qPCR.

Results

Most studied ISGs had significantly different expression by IL28B genotype in normal liver. CC genotype expressed the highest levels, CT intermediate and TT the lowest. This is opposite to the pattern seen in HCV patients. Principal component analysis of IL28B genotype and ISG expression further revealed a distinct set of genes correlated with the C allele (ISG15, HTATIP2, LGALS3BP, IRF2 and BCL2) and T allele (IFNα, β, γ, λ3 and CD80).

Conclusion

A subset of ISGs was found to be differentially expressed in normal liver by IL28B genotype. This suggests a relationship between IL28B genotype and gene expression before HCV infection.
Different changes in mitochondrial apoptotic pathway in lymphocytes and granulocytes in cirrhotic patients with sepsis
Authors: Precone Vincenza , Stornaiuolo Gianfranca , Amato Annamaria , Brancaccio Giuseppina , Nardiello Salvatore , Gaeta Giovanni B.
Published: March 2013

Background & Aims

Apoptosis regulates leucocyte response during bacterial infections. This study explored leucocyte apoptotic pathway in cirrhotic patients with or without infections or sepsis.

Methods

In cirrhotic patients with bacterial infection or sepsis, the expression of Caspase 9, Bcl‐2 family proteins, which comprises pro‐apoptotic molecules, such as Bax, and anti‐apoptotic molecules, such as Bcl‐2 and Bcl‐xL, were measured in peripheral lymphocytes and granulocytes. Regulatory microRNAs MIR‐15 and MIR‐16 were also measured.

Results

This study enrolled 80 patients with cirrhosis, of whom 28 had no evidence of infections, 32 had bacterial infections and 20 had sepsis; reference values were obtained from 10 age‐matched healthy subjects. An over‐expression of Caspase‐9 and pro‐apoptotic protein Bax was found in lymphocytes of cirrhotic patients with infection or sepsis as compared with non‐infected cases (P = 0.05 and 0.0001, respectively), while anti‐apoptotic proteins Bcl‐2 and Bcl‐xL were downregulated. In granulocytes, lowest expression of pro‐apoptotic protein Bax occurred in septic patients, while in cirrhotics with infections anti‐apoptotic Bcl‐2 and Bcl‐xL were upregulated. Eight patients died; the survivors had less derangements in Bax, Bcl‐2 and BcL‐xL expression than non‐survivors. The pro‐apoptotic miRNA, MIR‐15 and MIR‐16, were upregulated in cirrhotics with bacterial infections.

Conclusions

Overall, the data show in lymphocytes, and not in granulocytes, an activation of the pro‐apoptotic pathway in cirrhotic patients with bacterial infections, which correlates with the severity of the infection and the outcome.
Trapping of oxidized LDL in lysosomes of Kupffer cells is a trigger for hepatic inflammation
Authors: Bieghs Veerle , Walenbergh Sofie M. A. , Hendrikx Tim , van Gorp Patrick J. , Verheyen Fons , Olde Damink Steven W. , Masclee Ad A. , Koek Ger H. , Hofker Marten H. , Binder Christoph J. , Shiri‐Sverdlov Ronit
Published: March 2013

Background & Aims

Non‐alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) is characterized by steatosis and inflammation. The transition from steatosis towards NASH represents a key step in pathogenesis, as it will set the stage for further severe liver damage. Under normal conditions, lipoproteins that are endocytosed by Kupffer cells (KCs) are easily transferred from the lysosomes into the cytoplasm. Oxidized LDL (oxLDL) that is taken up by the macrophages in vitro is trapped within the lysosomes, while acetylated LDL (acLDL) is leading to normal lysosomal hydrolysis, resulting in cytoplasmic storage. We have recently demonstrated that hepatic inflammation is correlated with lysosomal trapping of lipids. So far, a link between lysosomal trapping of oxLDL and inflammation was not established. We hypothesized that lysosomal trapping of oxLDL in KCs will lead to hepatic inflammation.

Methods

Ldlr−/− mice were injected with LDL, acLDL and oxLDL and sacrificed after 2, 6 and 24 h.

Results

Electron microscopy of KCs demonstrated that after oxLDL injection, small lipid inclusions were present inside the lysosomes after all time points and were mostly pronounced after 6 and 24 h. In contrast, no lipid inclusions were present inside KCs after LDL or acLDL injection. Hepatic expression of several inflammatory genes and scavenger receptors was higher after oxLDL injections compared with LDL or acLDL.

Conclusions

These data suggest that trapping of oxLDL inside lysosomes of KCs in vivo is causally linked to increased hepatic inflammatory gene expression. Our novel observations provide new bases for prevention and treatment of NASH.
Since turtles cannot talk: what beak movement sensors can tell us about the feeding ecology of neritic loggerhead turtles, Caretta caretta
Authors: Hochscheid Sandra , Travaglini Andrea , Maffucci Fulvio , Hays Graeme C. , Bentivegna Flegra
Published: March 2013

Understanding the role that consumers play in an ecosystem requires knowledge about food selection and intake rates. However, such basic data are often difficult to obtain, particularly for marine animals that are not easy to observe. To overcome this problem, a beak movement sensor was employed on a free‐ranging loggerhead turtle in a neritic foraging habitat at the Domitian littoral (SW Italy). In combination with gastrointestinal content analysis from six turtles found dead in the same area we sought to identify which beak movement patterns were associated with which prey type, and to quantify the ingestion of the various prey types. Brachyuran crabs (100% occurrence), in particular Liocarcinus vernalis, and small molluscs (66% occurrence) were found most frequently in the stomach and intestine of the turtles. Beak movements revealed average ingestion rates of (mean ± SE) 0.27 ± 0.13 food items per minute and that feeding occurred predominantly during dives >4 m and during early morning and evening. Interestingly, the time spent feeding amounted to only 2.2% of the total observation time, whereas feeding‐associated dives added up to just above 10% of the total time. We thus established that loggerhead turtles in this area are specialised on brachyuran crabs, on which they prey with high success during the short time dedicated to foraging. This information strengthens our knowledge about turtle–prey and turtle–habitat interactions, which are essential data to delineate the role that turtles play in this and similar marine ecosystems. Moreover, since the same area is also intensively used by the regional bottom trawl fishery, our results have important conservation implications, because they clearly show the time of day and water depths for which fishing activity should be regulated to reduce the number of turtles that are currently being incidentally caught in this area.
Optimization of TaDREB3 gene expression in transgenic barley using cold‐inducible promoters
Authors: Kovalchuk Nataliya , Jia Wei , Eini Omid , Morran Sarah , Pyvovarenko Tatiana , Fletcher Stephen , Bazanova Natalia , Harris John , Beck‐Oldach Kontanze , Shavrukov Yuri , Langridge Peter , Lopato Sergiy
Published: March 2013

Constitutive over‐expression of the TaDREB3 gene in barley improved frost tolerance of transgenic plants at the vegetative stage of plant development, but leads to stunted phenotypes and 3‐ to 6‐week delays in flowering compared to control plants. In this work, two cold‐inducible promoters with contrasting properties, the WRKY71 gene promoter from rice and the Cor39 gene promoter from durum wheat, were applied to optimize expression of TaDREB3. The aim of the work was to increase plant frost tolerance and to decrease or prevent negative developmental phenotypes observed during constitutive expression of TaDREB3. The OsWRKY71 and TdCor39 promoters had low‐to‐moderate basal activity and were activated by cold treatment in leaves, stems and developing spikes of transgenic barley and rice. Expression of the TaDREB3 gene, driven by either of the tested promoters, led to a significant improvement in frost tolerance. The presence of the functional TaDREB3 protein in transgenic plants was confirmed by the detection of strong up‐regulation of cold‐responsive target genes. The OsWRKY71 promoter–driven TaDREB3 provides stronger activation of the same target genes than the TdCor39 promoter. Analysis of the development of transgenic plants in the absence of stress revealed small or no differences in plant characteristics and grain yield compared with wild‐type plants. The WRKY71–TaDREB3 promoter–transgene combination appears to be a promising tool for the enhancement of cold and frost tolerance in crop plants but field evaluation will be needed to confirm that negative development phenotypes have been controlled.
A Fiberoptic (Photodynamic Therapy Type) Device with a Photosensitizer and Singlet Oxygen Delivery Probe Tip for Ovarian Cancer Cell Killing
Authors: Bartusik Dorota , Aebisher David , Ghogare Ashwini , Ghosh Goutam , Abramova Inna , Hasan Tayyaba , Greer Alexander
Published: March 2013

A portable “fiber optic‐based sensitizer delivery” (FOSD) device has been developed and studied. Before there might be success in photodynamic therapy (PDT) and antibacterial ambitions, an understanding of basic factors on device performance was needed. Thus, the device was examined for the localized delivery of sensitizer molecules in ovarian cancer cells and production of high concentrations of singlet oxygen for their eradication in vitro. The device tip releases stored pheophorbide by attack of singlet oxygen from sensitized oxygen gas delivered through the hollow fiber using 669 nm laser light. The performance of the device was enhanced when configured with a fluorosilane tip by virtue of its Teflon‐like property compared with a conventional glass tip (greater sensitizer quantities were photoreleased and laterally diffused, and greater amounts of ovarian OVCAR‐5 cancer cells were killed). No cell damage was observed at 2.2 N of force applied by the probe tip itself, an amount used for many of the experiments described here.
The Dynamics Simulation and Quantum Calculation Investigation About Luminescence Mechanism of Coelenteramide
Authors: Li Zuo‐Sheng , Zhao Xi , Zou Lu‐Yi , Ren Ai‐Min
Published: March 2013

The dynamics simulation and quantum chemical calculation are employed to investigate spectrum properties of deprotonation process of coelenteramide and two final states neutral state and phenolate anion. According to the calculation results, theoretical evidence supporting the luminescence mechanism hypothesis is proposed in a significant bioluminescence process. In vivo of marine bioluminescent organisms, if the protein motion provides the conditions for the deprotonation of coelenteramide in some protein molecules, the phenolate anion is completely deprotonated coelenteramide as an emitter in these protein molecules and emits fluorescence assigned to the lower energy peak. And in another emitter in which the condition of deprotonation is not met, the fluorescence is produced by the neutral state of coelenteramide and assigned to the higher energy peak. The energy difference decreases gradually when the proton of coelenteramide gradually approaches to His22. For phenolate anion and neutral state, electronic cloud distributions between their each frontier molecular orbitals HOMO and LUMO have high overlapping volume. The molecular electrostatic potential indicates that for phenolate anion, the oxygen atom after deprotonation has greater electron density, which is good for formation hydrogen bonds with amino acids in the environment.
Introduction to Special Issue on POM Research on Emerging Markets
Authors: Iyer Ananth , Lee Hau L. , Roth Aleda
Published: March 2013

This special issue presents production and operations management research papers from emerging markets worldwide, focusing on their unique contexts, institutions and markets. Collectively, they offer insights into the unique operations management strategies and practices that firms face in emerging markets. The magnitude and pace of change is staggering. As a result, execution and managing growth in these emerging markets represents both huge operational and supply chain risks, and simultaneously vast opportunities. We are confident that these papers stimulate new operations management research while highlighting the effective use of different research methodologies. We welcome you to enjoy this special issue of POMS. We express our deep gratitude to editorial team for their support. We especially wish to thank the authors for their contributions to this special issue.
Blood pressure and pain sensitivity in children and adolescents
Authors: Drouin Sammantha , McGrath Jennifer J.
Published: March 2013

Elevated blood pressure is associated with diminished pain sensitivity. While this finding is well established in adults, it is less clear when the relation between blood pressure and pain sensitivity emerges across the life course. Evidence suggests this phenomenon may exist during childhood. Children (N = 309; 56% boys) aged 10–15 years and their parents participated. Blood pressure readings were taken during a resting baseline. Maximum pain intensity was rated using a visual analogue scale (rated 0–10) in response to a finger prick pain induction. Parent‐measured resting blood pressure was inversely associated with boys' pain ratings only. Cross‐sectionally, lower pain ratings were related to higher SBP, univariately. Longitudinally, pain ratings predicted higher DBP, even after controlling for covariates. Determining when and how the relation between blood pressure and pain sensitivity emerges may elucidate the pathophysiology of hypertension.
Microbial mats implicated in the generation of intrastratal shrinkage (‘synaeresis’) cracks
Authors: Harazim Dario , Callow Richard H. T. , Mcilroy Duncan
Published: March 2013

Intrastratal shrinkage (often termed ‘synaeresis’) cracks are commonly employed as diagnostic environmental indicators for ancient salinity‐stressed, transitional fluvial‐marine or marginal‐marine depositional environments. Despite their abundance and use in facies interpretations, the mechanism of synaeresis crack formation remains controversial, and widely accepted explanations for their formation have hitherto been lacking. Sedimentological, ichnological, petrographic and geochemical study of shallow marine mudstone beds from the Ordovician Beach Formation of Bell Island, Newfoundland, has revealed that crack development (cf. synaeresis cracks) on the upper surface of mudstone beds is correlated with specific organic, geochemical and sedimentological parameters. Contorted, sinuous, sand‐filled cracks are common at contacts between unbioturbated mudstone and overlying sandstone beds. Cracks are absent in highly bioturbated mudstone, and are considered to pre‐date firmground assemblages of trace fossils that include Planolites and Trichophycus. The tops of cracked mudstone beds contain up to 2·1 wt% total organic carbon, relative to underlying mudstone beds that contain around 0·5 wt% total organic carbon. High‐resolution carbon isotope analyses reveal low δ13Corg values (−27·6‰) on bed tops compared with sandy intervals lacking cracks (−24·4 to −24·9‰). Cracked mudstone facies show evidence for microbial matgrounds, including microbially induced sedimentary structures on bedding planes and carbonaceous laminae and tubular carbonaceous microfossils in thin section. Non‐cracked mudstone lacks evidence for development of microbial mats. Microbial mat development is proposed as an important prerequisite for intrastratal shrinkage crack formation. Both microbial mats and intrastratal shrinkage cracks have broad palaeoenvironmental distributions in the Precambrian and early Phanerozoic. In later Phanerozoic strata, matgrounds are restricted to depositional environments that are inhospitable to burrowing and surface‐grazing macrofauna. Unless evidence of synaeresis (i.e. contraction of clay mineral lattices in response to salinity change) can be independently demonstrated, the general term ‘intrastratal shrinkage crack’ is proposed to describe sinuous and tapering cracks in mudstone beds.
Field‐expedient screening and injury risk algorithm categories as predictors of noncontact lower extremity injury
Authors: Lehr M. E. , Plisky P. J. , Butler R. J. , Fink M. L. , Kiesel K. B. , Underwood F. B.
Published: March 2013

In athletics, efficient screening tools are sought to curb the rising number of noncontact injuries and associated health care costs. The authors hypothesized that an injury prediction algorithm that incorporates movement screening performance, demographic information, and injury history can accurately categorize risk of noncontact lower extremity (LE) injury. One hundred eighty‐three collegiate athletes were screened during the preseason. The test scores and demographic information were entered into an injury prediction algorithm that weighted the evidence‐based risk factors. Athletes were then prospectively followed for noncontact LE injury. Subsequent analysis collapsed the groupings into two risk categories: Low (normal and slight) and High (moderate and substantial). Using these groups and noncontact LE injuries, relative risk (RR), sensitivity, specificity, and likelihood ratios were calculated. Forty‐two subjects sustained a noncontact LE injury over the course of the study. Athletes identified as High Risk (n = 63) were at a greater risk of noncontact LE injury (27/63) during the season [RR: 3.4 95% confidence interval 2.0 to 6.0]. These results suggest that an injury prediction algorithm composed of performance on efficient, low‐cost, field‐ready tests can help identify individuals at elevated risk of noncontact LE injury.
Experimentally Determined Stresses Associated with Elliptical Holes Using Polar Coordinates
Authors: Khaja A. A. , Rowlands R. E.
Published: March 2013

Abstract:  This paper determines the individual components of stress experimentally in a finite tensile plate containing an elliptical hole using a series representation of an Airy stress function in terms of polar coordinates. The Airy coefficients are evaluated from measured temperature information. As well as satisfying force equilibrium, the thermoelastic results are substantiated independently using strain gages and finite element analysis. Employing real, rather than the commonly used complex, variables can be easier for such problems, avoids inconveniences associated with conformal mapping and the concept is applicable to experimental analysis of arbitrarily shaped and/or loaded cut‐outs.
The role of the cytoskeleton and associated proteins in determination of the plant cell division plane
Authors: Rasmussen Carolyn G. , Wright Amanda J. , Müller Sabine
Published: March 2013

In plants, as in all eukaryotic organisms, microtubule‐ and actin‐filament based structures play fundamental roles during cell division. In addition to the mitotic spindle, plant cells have evolved a unique cytoskeletal structure that designates a specific division plane before the onset of mitosis via formation of a cortical band of microtubules and actin filaments called the preprophase band. During cytokinesis, a second plant‐specific microtubule and actin filament structure called the phragmoplast directs vesicles to create the new cell wall. In response to intrinsic and extrinsic cues, many plant cells form a preprophase band in G2, then the preprophase band recruits specific proteins to populate the cortical division site prior to disassembly of the preprophase band in prometaphase. These proteins are thought to act as a spatial reminder that actively guides the phragmoplast towards the cortical division site during cytokinesis. A number of proteins involved in determination and maintenance of the plane of cell division have been identified. Our current understanding of the molecular interactions of these proteins and their regulation of microtubules is incomplete, but advanced imaging techniques and computer simulations have validated some early concepts of division site determination.
Re‐specifying geographical quantification: problems of order in street interviews
Authors: Strebel Ignaz
Published: March 2013

This paper deals with quantitative geography, adopting the perspective of ethnomethodology. Rather than deliver another definition or critique of quantitative geography, it examines activities through which quantification is locally produced and accomplished as phenomena that can be accounted for as a form of scientific and geographical order. It begins by discussing how geography has examined quantification as a problem of how data move between the field of investigation and a so‐called centre of calculation, thereby overlooking the many practices that contribute to its epistemic configuration. To empirically document instances of quantification as a locally organised accomplishment, it then turns to video‐recorded street interviews that were carried out in the course of a European research project on the sense of well‐being felt by users of urban open spaces. Analysis of interview conduct reveals that the adequacy and relevancy of the questionnaire is not given per se, but is produced in the encounter between the interviewer and the passer‐by respondent.
Hirota–Sato Formalism on Some Nonlinear Waves Equations
Authors: Ali Noor Aslinda , Abdul Aziz Zainal
Published: March 2013

This article demonstrates that Hirota’s direct method or scheme for solving nonlinear waves equation is linked to Sato theory, and eventually resulted in the Sato equation. This theoretical framework or simply the Hirota–Sato formalism also reveals that the τ – function, which underlies the analytic form of soliton solutions of theses physically significant nonlinear waves equations, shall acts as the key function to express the solutions of Sato equation. From representation theory of groups, it is shown that the τ – function in the bilinear forms of Hirota scheme are closely connected to the Plucker relations in Sato theory. Thus Hirota–Sato formalism provides a deeper understanding of soliton theory from a unified viewpoint. The Kadomtsev–Petviashvili (KP), Korteweg–de Vries (KdV) and Sawada–Kotera equations are used to verify this framework.
Four Projections CMOS Linear Image Sensor Tomographic Image Reconstruction
Authors: Ramli Norhafizah , Mohd Sobani Siti Syazalina
Published: March 2013

This study focused on developing software for image reconstruction system of optical image data obtained from four projections of CMOS linear image sensors by using MATLAB. Four projections of collimated light beams at least must be used in order to avoid aliasing and smear effect that may be appeared on the reconstructed image obtained. The image reconstruction is based on linear back-projection method where transpose matrix, and pseudo-inverse matrix are used to solve inverse matrix problems in MATLAB. Results were compared between both inverse problem calculation methods selected. It was discovered that transpose matrix method performs better than pseudo–inverse matrix for a high resolution images. A graphical user interface has been implemented, it is capable to reconstruct image from raw data collected from sensor. Reconstruction results demonstrated in most cases are able to produce an adequate image for further analysis by user.
A Localized Wnt Signal Orients Asymmetric Stem Cell Division in Vitro
Authors: Habib Shukry J. , Chen Bi-Chang , Tsai Feng-Chiao , Anastassiadis Konstantinos , Meyer Tobias , Betzig Eric , Nusse Roel
Published: March 2013

Stem cells orient cell division and generate a distinct cell fate based on position relative to the Wnt source.
Probing an Extrasolar Planet
Authors: Marley Mark S.
Published: March 2013

High-resolution spectroscopic observations of the atmosphere of an exoplanet provide constraints on its origin.

[Also see Report by

Konopacky
et al.

]
Two Revolutions in Learning
Authors: Singer Susan R. , Bonvillian William B.
Published: March 2013

The dazzling promise of affordable, high-quality, globally accessible online courses has renewed attention to learning and teaching. The opportunity to realize the full potential of so-called MOOCs (massively open online courses) may reside in a parallel, yet often unconnected, revolution in learning. Applying our understanding of undergraduate learning to online environments will build their educational value, while the scale and speed of data generation from MOOCs can accelerate research on learning. Approached iteratively, the outcomes can be transformative.
A More Modest Climate Agenda for Obama's Second Term?
Authors: Kintisch Eli
Published: March 2013

The White House science council has outlined steps U.S. President Barack Obama could take to address the causes and consequences of global warming.
Antibody Responses to Natural Rattlesnake Envenomation and a Rattlesnake Toxoid Vaccine in Horses
Authors: Gilliam Lyndi L. , Carmichael Robert C. , Holbrook Todd C. , Taylor Jennifer M. , Ownby Charlotte L. , McFarlane Dianne , Payton Mark E.
Published: March 2013

Antivenom antibody titers following administration of rattlesnake venom for antivenom production in horses are well documented; however, antivenom antibody titers following natural rattlesnake envenomation in horses are not. Antibody titers produced in response to the commercially available rattlesnake venom vaccine are also not published. Our study objectives were to measure antivenom antibody titers in rattlesnake-bitten horses and compare them to titers in horses vaccinated with the rattlesnake venom vaccine. Additionally, titers were compared in pregnant versus nonpregnant horses to assess the affect of pregnancy on vaccine response and were measured pre- and postsuckle in foals of vaccinated mares to detect passive transfer of vaccine immunoglobulins. Blood samples were collected from16 rattlesnake-bitten horses. Thirty-six horses (11 pregnant mares, 12 nonpregnant mares, 13 geldings) were vaccinated using aCrotalus atroxvenom toxoid vaccine. Blood was collected before administering each vaccination and 30 days following the third vaccination. Blood was collected from foals of vaccinated mares pre- and postsuckle. All serum was assayed for anti-Crotalus atroxvenom antibodies using an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Rattlesnake-bitten horses had higher (P= 0.001) titers than vaccinated horses. There was no significant difference between titers in vaccinated pregnant versus nonpregnant horses. One mare had a positive titer at foaling, and the foals had positive postsuckle titers. Antivenom antibody titer development was variable following natural envenomation and vaccination, and vaccine-induced titers were lower than natural envenomation titers. Further studies are required to determine if natural or vaccine antivenom antibody titers reduce the effects of envenomation.
Performance of Two Commercial Assays for Detecting Hepatitis E Virus RNA in Acute or Chronic Infections
Authors: Abravanel Florence , Chapuy-Regaud Sabine , Lhomme Sébastien , Dubois Martine , Peron Jean-Marie , Alric Laurent , Rostaing Lionel , Kamar Nassim , Izopet Jacques
Published: March 2013

We assessed the performance of the Ceeram and Altona assays, the first two commercially available hepatitis E virus (HEV) RNA assays, using serial dilutions of 4 HEV-positive reference samples (genotypes 3a, 3c, 3e, and 3f). Both assays provided good analytical sensitivity and high reproducibility for detecting genotype 3 HEV RNA.
Immunological Hallmarks of JC Virus Replication in Multiple Sclerosis Patients on Long-Term Natalizumab Therapy
Authors: Hendel-Chavez Houria , de Goër de Herve Marie-Ghislaine , Giannesini Claire , Mazet Anne-Aurélie , Papeix Caroline , Louapre Céline , Chardain Audrey , Boutarfa Nassima , Théaudin Marie , Adams David , Gasnault Jacques , Stankoff Bruno , Taoufik Yassine
Published: March 2013

Progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy (PML) is the main adverse effect of natalizumab. Detectable JC virus-specific effector memory T-cell (TEM) responses may indicate ongoing JCV replication. We detected JCV-specific TEM responses in blood of patients with multiple sclerosis (MS) treated with natalizumab, including 2 patients with PML. The frequency of detection of these responses increased with the time on natalizumab. Thus, a subset of MS patients exhibit immunological hallmarks of JCV replication during prolonged natalizumab therapy.
Characteristics of the Cellular Receptor Influence the Intracellular Fate and Efficiency of Virus Infection
Authors: Krueger Robin L. , Albritton Lorraine M.
Published: March 2013

The intracellular fate of internalized virus-receptor complexes is suspected of influencing the efficiency of virus infection. However, direct evidence of a link between infection and the fate of internalized virus has been difficult to obtain. To directly address this question, we generated human 293 cell lines stably expressing comparable cell surface levels of three different members of the somatostatin receptor family (SSTR) which have natural differences in intracellular trafficking. Utilizing a glycoprotein that recognizes SSTR, we found that distinctive receptor subtype-specific destinations correlated with observable differences in the level of infection. Infection via SSTR-2 and -3 is restricted at a point after receptor binding and endocytosis but prior to penetration into the host cytoplasm. In contrast, entry via SSTR-5 featured a slower internalization with greater dependence on cholesterol. Quantitative real-time PCR showed that virus bound to SSTR-5 was directed to an intracellular environment that allowed near-wild-type (WT) levels of penetration, possibly due to a more favorable complement of host cell proteases, whereas SSTR-2 and -3 directed virions to a degradative compartment in which cytosol penetration was less efficient. Taken together, the results support that the superior receptor capacity of SSTR-5 results from its internalization into a cellular compartment that is more favorable to the cytoplasmic penetration of viral cores and reverse transcription. They suggest that the intracellular destination of internalized complexes is an important characteristic of a virus receptor and may have exerted a selective pressure on the choice of an entry receptor during evolution of viral glycoproteins.
A Tyrosine-to-Histidine Switch at Position 18 of the Ross River Virus E2 Glycoprotein Is a Determinant of Virus Fitness in Disparate Hosts
Authors: Jupille Henri J. , Medina-Rivera Melisa , Hawman David W. , Oko Lauren , Morrison Thomas E.
Published: March 2013

Arthritogenic alphaviruses are human pathogens maintained in nature through alternating replication in vertebrates and mosquitoes. Using chimeric viruses, we previously reported that replacement of the PE2 coding region of the T48 strain of Ross River virus (RRV-T48) with that from the attenuated DC5692 strain, which differ by 7 amino acids, resulted in an attenuated disease phenotype in a mouse model of RRV-induced rheumatic disease. Here, we demonstrate that introduction of one of these amino acid differences, a tyrosine (Y)-to-histidine (H) change at position 18 of the E2 glycoprotein (E2 Y18H), into the RRV-T48 genetic background was sufficient to generate a virus that caused dramatically less severe musculoskeletal disease in mice. The attenuated phenotype of RRV-T48 E2 Y18H was associated with reduced viral loads in musculoskeletal tissues, reduced viremia, and less efficient virus spread. Consistent with these findings, RRV-T48 E2 Y18H replicated less well in mammalian cells
in vitro
due to significantly reduced PFU released per infected cell. In contrast, RRV-T48 E2 Y18H replicated more efficiently than RRV-T48 in C6/36 mosquito cells. Competition studies confirmed that RRV-T48 E2 Y18H had a fitness advantage in mosquito cells and a fitness disadvantage in mammalian cells. Interestingly, all sequenced Ross River viruses encode either a tyrosine or a histidine at E2 position 18, and this holds true for other alphaviruses in the Semliki Forest antigenic complex. Taken together, these findings suggest that a tyrosine-to-histidine switch at E2 position 18 functions as a regulator of RRV fitness in vertebrate and invertebrate cells.
The uncovered story of leiomyosarcoma of the cervix: a rare case report and review of literature
Authors: Dhull Anil Kumar , C Adarsh , Kaushal Vivek , Marwah Nisha
Published: March 2013

Sarcomas of the uterine cervix are uncommon tumours arising from uterine cervix constituting less than 1% of all cervical malignancies. Leiomyosarcoma of uterine cervix is extremely rare. Combined modality of treatment including surgery, radiotherapy and chemotherapy should be used in these patients to achieve better survival. We present a rare case of leiomyosarcoma of uterine cervix presented with bleeding per vaginam and bulky cervical mass. Simple hysterectomy was carried out and operative findings revealed a large growth arising from the anterior cervical lip. Diagnosis in this case was made by subjecting the resected specimen to histopathological and immunohistochemical analysis. Postoperatively patient received adjuvant combination chemotherapy (VAC) followed by radiotherapy. Patient is asymptomatic without any evidence of tumour recurrence after 6 months of follow-up.