bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Quantification of monomethylmercury in natural waters by direct ethylation: Interference characterization and method optimization
Authors: Mansfield Christopher R. , Black Frank J.
Published: February 2015

The accurate analysis of monomethylmercury (MMHg) in natural waters is critical to understanding the biogeochemical cycling of mercury. Direct ethylation has emerged as an effective method for measuring MMHg in seawater without distillation. We evaluated the method's utility in other natural waters, characterized potential interferences, and optimized the method in an attempt to overcome these. The ethylation of MMHg by sodium tetraethylborate (NaBEt4) in pure water was unaffected by pH over the range 2.5–5.5. However, ethylation becomes sensitive to pH with increasing salinity, with the optimal pH narrowing to 4.0–4.1. An increase in NaBEt4 concentration eventually results in a decrease in MMHg ethylation, which occurs at lower NaBEt4 concentrations with increasing salinity. A NaBEt4 concentration of 6 mg L−1 was optimal. There was no interference by environmentally relevant concentrations of major cations, anions, nor many trace metals. However, micromolar concentrations of Cu2+, Zn2+, Pb2+, and Fe2+ decreased MMHg recoveries, but these interferences were eliminated with ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid. Sulfide and thiols at concentrations of only 2 µM depressed MMHg recoveries. Attempts to remove sulfide or overcome the interference it caused were unsuccessful, so the method is currently limited to oxic waters. Addition of 1.2 M chloride eliminated the interference by even 20 µM thiols. Dissolved organic matter (DOM) interferes with direct ethylation, but 1.2 M NaCl increased MMHg recoveries to > 90% even at DOM concentrations > 17 mg OC L−1. The optimized method was used to measure MMHg in hundreds of oxic filtered and unfiltered fresh and saline natural waters; MMHg recoveries averaged 92% ± 6%. The average percent relative standard deviation was < 10% for samples (n = 266) analyzed in triplicate. Daily detection limits for a 30 mL sample are < 25 fM.
Differential requirements for β‐catenin in murine prostate cancer originating from basal versus luminal cells
Authors: Lu Tsai‐Ling , Chen Chun‐Ming
Published: February 2015

A driver mutation occurring in different cells of origin may impact cancer progression differently. Previously, we demonstrated higher invasiveness in Pten‐deficient prostate cancer (CaP) arising from basal cells compared to that arising from luminal cells in mice. Here, we show higher expression of epithelial–mesenchymal transition (EMT)‐inducing transcription factors and stem/progenitor properties in basal‐derived CaP compared to luminal‐derived CaP. We further explore the requirement for β‐catenin in basal and luminal prostate cells during CaP progression. Genetic ablation and pharmacological inhibition of β‐catenin specifically suppress basal‐derived CaP progression through reduction of stemness and cell proliferation and increased γH2Ax‐associated apoptosis. Lineage tracing revealed that loss of β‐catenin in basal cells impairs basal‐to‐luminal differentiation; conversely, β‐catenin loss is dispensable for luminal‐derived CaP progression. Our findings suggest that β‐catenin is required for basal‐derived normal luminal cells and cancer cells, but not for luminal derivatives. Although the cellular origin of CaP in patients cannot be easily determined at present, the results imply that β‐catenin inhibition is a potential therapeutic option for a subset of patients with basal‐derived CaP. Copyright © 2015 Pathological Society of Great Britain and Ireland. Published by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Recurrent genomic rearrangements in primary testicular lymphoma
Authors: Twa David DW , Mottok Anja , Chan Fong Chun , Ben‐Neriah Susana , Woolcock Bruce W , Tan King L , Mungall Andrew J , McDonald Helen , Zhao Yongjun , Lim Raymond S , Nelson Brad H , Milne Katy , Shah Sohrab P , Morin Ryan D , Marra Marco A , Scott David W , Gascoyne Randy D , Steidl Christian
Published: February 2015

Primary testicular diffuse large B cell lymphoma (PTL) is an aggressive malignancy that occurs in the immune‐privileged anatomical site of the testis. We have previously shown that structural genomic rearrangements involving the MHC class II transactivator CIITA and programmed death ligands (PDLs) 1 and 2 are frequent across multiple B cell lymphoma entities. Specifically in PTL, we found rearrangements in the PDL locus by fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH). However, breakpoint anatomy and rearrangement partners were undetermined, while CIITA rearrangements had not been reported previously in PTL. Here, we performed bacterial artificial chromosome capture sequencing on three archival, formalin‐fixed, paraffin‐embedded tissue biopsies, interrogating 20 known rearrangement hotspots in B cell lymphomas. We report novel CIITA, FOXP1 and PDL rearrangements involving IGHG4, FLJ45248, RFX3, SMARCA2 and SNX29. Moreover, we present immunohistochemistry data supporting the association between PDL rearrangements and increased protein expression. Finally, using FISH, we show that CIITA (8/82; 10%) and FOXP1 (5/74; 7%) rearrangements are recurrent in PTL. In summary, we describe rearrangement frequencies and novel rearrangement partners of the CIITA, FOXP1 and PDL loci at base‐pair resolution in a rare, aggressive lymphoma. Our data suggest immune‐checkpoint inhibitor therapy as a promising intervention for PTL patients harbouring PDL rearrangements. Copyright © 2015 Pathological Society of Great Britain and Ireland. Published by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Thickness and growth condition dependence of crystallinity in semipolar (20–21) GaN films grown on (22–43) patterned sapphire substrates
Authors: Takeuchi Shotaro , Uchiyama Toshiro , Arauchi Takuji , Hashimoto Yasuhiro , Nakamura Yoshiaki , Yamane Keisuke , Okada Narihito , Tadatomo Kazuyuki , Sakai Akira
Published: February 2015

We have investigated the crystalline morphology such as lattice plane curvature and lattice plane tilting in (20–21) GaN films on (22–43) patterned sapphire substrates (PSS) by using X‐ray rocking curve (XRC) measurements. The results of the symmetric XRC for the GaN (20–21) plane showed anisotropic lattice plane curvature between the [−1014] and [−12–10] directions. This is due to the large difference of the thermal expansion coefficient in the [0001] direction between GaN and sapphire. From the results of asymmetric XRC for the GaN (20–22) and (12–31) diffractions, it is found that lattice plane tilting is highly dependent on the film thickness and the growth condition. The −c‐plane‐suppressed growth process with tuning the V/III ratio for the (20–21) GaN films on the (22–43) PSS is very effective to suppress the generation of basal plane stacking faults as confirmed by TEM analysis.
Ab initio structural and electronic band‐structure study of MgSe
Authors: Elsayed Hannan , Olguín Daniel , Cantarero Andrés , Hernández‐Calderón Isaac
Published: February 2015

We present a careful and detailed ab initio study of the crystal structure and electronic band structure of different crystalline phases of MgSe. Calculations were performed using the full‐potential linear augmented plane wave method. To determine the crystal phase of the ground state of MgSe, we computed the total energy as a function of volume for the rock‐salt, zinc‐blende, wurtzite, and NiAs phases. From the optimized volume, and by using the Birch–Murnaghan equation of state the lattice parameters , the bulk moduli, and its first pressure derivative () for the different phases of MgSe were found. In our calculations, we have used the local density approach for the exchange–correlation part of the total energy. It was determined that in this approach the sequence of phase transformations under pressure is rock‐salt–NiAs–wurzite–zinc‐blende. However, we also found that under ambient conditions, the different studied phases for MgSe are energetically available. Using the modified Becke–Johnson exchange correlation potential, the calculated values of the bandgap were improved, and the results are comparable to existing experimental values for the zinc‐blende phase.
Radialgelenklager als Komponenten des Steuerstabsystems Meyer/Wunstorf
Authors: Näßl Andreas , Mensinger Martin , Liebelt Michael
Published: February 2015

Seit etwa Mitte der 70er Jahre stellt in Deutschland das Steuerstabsystem “Meyer/Wunstorf“ eine bewährte Konstruktion zur zwängungsfreien Längslagerung und Horizontalkraftabtragung insbesondere bei Eisenbahnbrücken dar. Horizontale Einwirkungen infolge Bremsen und Anfahren können damit auf beide Widerlager gleichmäßig verteilt werden. Im Gegensatz zu einseitig in Längsrichtung fest gelagerten Brücken werden auch temperaturbedingte Längenausdehnungen des Überbaus durch eine fiktive Verlagerung des Dehnungsnullpunkts in die Mitte der Brücke günstig auf beide Widerlagerseiten verteilt. Somit sind größere Spannweiten mit durchgehenden Gleisen, ohne Schienenauszüge, realisierbar. Die kinematische Steuerstabkonstruktion beinhaltet teils hochbelastete Gelenkbolzenverbindungen, für die im Bauwesen eher unübliche und bislang nicht geregelte sogenannte Radialgelenklager (RGL) zum Einsatz kommen, was derzeit Zustimmungen im Einzelfall (ZiE) und unternehmensinterne Genehmigungen (UiG) erfordert. Dieser Beitrag berichtet – neben einer kurzen Einführung in die Thematik – über die Ergebnisse von Dauerhaftigkeitsversuchen an RGL, welche 2014 vom Lehrstuhl für Metallbau der TU München im Zuge von Zustimmungsverfahren für aktuelle Projekte der Deutschen Bahn durchgeführt worden sind.

Radial spherical plain bearings as components of the control‐rod system Meyer/Wunstorf – Durability test results of radial spherical plain bearings exposed to cyclic loading. Since the mid‐70s in Germany the control‐rod system “Meyer/Wunstorf” is a proven design of a longitudinal bridge support system especially for railway bridges. Horizontal forces due to braking and acceleration can thus be evenly distributed to both abutments. In contrast to one‐sided longitudinal supported bridges also the temperature‐related linear expansion of the superstructure can be distributed equally to both abutments by realizing a fictitious zero point of strain in the middle of the bridge. Thus, larger spans with continuous rails, without rail expansions, can be built. The kinematic control‐rod design incorporates some highly loaded hinge pin connections for which so‐called radial spherical plain bearings (RGL) are used. For civil constructions these bearings are rather unusual, hitherto not regulated and currently requiring technical and corporate approvals for individual cases (ZiE/UiG). This paper reports – including a short introduction to the topic – on the results of durability tests on RGL, which have been carried out in 2014 by the Chair for Metal Structures of the TU München (Technical University of Munich) in the context of technical approvals for current projects of the Deutsche Bahn.
Cistus ladanifer L. Shrub is Rich in Saturated and Branched Chain Fatty Acids and their Concentration Increases in the Mediterranean Dry Season
Authors: Guerreiro Olinda , Alves Susana P. , Duarte Maria F. , Bessa Rui J. B. , Jerónimo Eliana
Published: February 2015

The Cistus ladanifer L. shrub is a widespread species of the Mediterranean region that is available as a feed source for ruminants all the year round, constituting a source of energy and nutrients when most of the vegetation is dry. However, there is no trustworthy information about the fatty acid composition of C. ladanifer, as well as no information about the seasonal and age related changes in their fatty acid composition. Thus, we collected the aerial parts of C. ladanifer plants of two age groups [young vs. older ones (2–6 years old)] during four consecutive seasons to characterize their fatty acid composition. The fatty acid composition of C. ladanifer is dominated by saturated fatty acids including the occurrence of two methyl branched chain fatty acids (BCFA), the iso‐19:0 and iso‐21:0, which as far as we know were detected for the first time in shrubs. Also, we demonstrated that several labdane type compounds might interfere with the fatty acid analysis of C. ladanifer. Marked seasonal changes in BCFA and polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) were found, suggesting that BCFA can replace PUFA in plant lipids at high environmental temperatures.
Delayed healing of gastric ulcer is associated with downregulation of connexin 32 in the gastric mucosa
Authors: Wang Shen‐Yung , Wang Horng‐Yuan , Wang Tsang‐En , Wang Hsueh‐Hsiao , Chang Wen‐Hsiung , Chu Cheng‐Hsin , Lin Shee‐Chan , Yeh Hung‐I , Shih Shou‐Chuan
Published: February 2015

Background/Aims

Most benign gastric ulcers are healed through suppression of gastric acid by a proton pump inhibitor (PPI). Despite prolonged use of a PPI, some gastric ulcers still do not heal. The primary goal of this study is to investigate the relationship between the expression of connexin 32 (Cx32), a major gap junction protein expressed in the gastric mucosa, and the healing response of gastric ulcers.

Methods

Patients with endoscopically verified gastric ulcer were treated with a standard dose of PPI for 12 weeks. Histological studies were performed to exclude malignancy. In total, 10 patients having endoscopically verified gastric ulcers with delayed healing at the end of the PPI course were included in this study. The control group consisted of 11 patients with gastric ulcers that healed normally. The expression of Cx32 in the gastric mucosa of the ulcer margin was analyzed by immunoblotting.

Results

Patients with gastric ulcer showing delayed healing had significantly reduced Cx32 expression in the gastric mucosa compared with the patients in whom the ulcers healed normally (i.e., controls). Age, sex, presence of duodenal ulcers, location and size of gastric ulcer, ulcer staging, Helicobacter pylori infection, use of nonsteroidal anti‐inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) and aspirin, smoking, and alcohol consumption were similar in both the control and delayed healing groups. H. pylori infection, use of NSAIDs, smoking, and alcohol consumption all had no significant impacts on the expression of Cx32. Age and expression of Cx32 were not correlated.

Conclusion

Downregulation of Cx32 in the gastric mucosa of the ulcer margin may predict delayed healing in patients with gastric ulcer following acid‐suppression therapy.
Wetting the bed at twenty‐one: Embarrassment as a private emotion
Authors: Krishna Aradhna , Herd Kelly B. , Aydınoğlu Nilüfer Z.
Published: February 2015

Embarrassment has been defined as a social emotion that occurs due to the violation of a social norm in public, which is appraised by others (what we call “public embarrassment”). We propose that embarrassment can also be felt when one violates a social norm in private, or when one appraises oneself and violates one's self‐concept (“private embarrassment”). We develop a typology of embarrassment with two underlying dimensions – social context (transgression in‐public or in‐private) and mechanism (appraisal by others or by the self). Of the four resulting categories, one fits with the dominant “social” view of embarrassment, whereas the other three have aspects of privacy. We generate triggers for public and private embarrassment and demonstrate their similarities in study 1. Study 2 (buying an incontinence drug) and study 3 (buying Viagra for impotence versus pleasure) replicate these similarities, and also exhibit differences in the experience of public and private embarrassment through accompanying physiological reactions, action tendencies, and behavioral consequences. Our aim is to expand the scope of embarrassment research to include private contexts and self‐appraisal.
Telomere fusion threshold identifies a poor prognostic subset of breast cancer patients
Authors: Simpson K. , Jones R.E. , Grimstead J.W. , Hills R. , Pepper C. , Baird D.M.
Published: February 2015

Telomere dysfunction and fusion can drive genomic instability and clonal evolution in human tumours, including breast cancer. Telomere length is a critical determinant of telomere function and has been evaluated as a prognostic marker in several tumour types, but it has yet to be used in the clinical setting. Here we show that high‐resolution telomere length analysis, together with a specific telomere fusion threshold, is highly prognostic for overall survival in a cohort of patients diagnosed with invasive ductal carcinoma of the breast (n = 120). The telomere fusion threshold defined a small subset of patients with an extremely poor clinical outcome, with a median survival of less than 12 months (HR = 21.4 (7.9–57.6), P < 0.0001). Furthermore, this telomere length threshold was independent of ER, PGR, HER2 status, NPI, or grade and was the dominant variable in multivariate analysis. We conclude that the fusogenic telomere length threshold provides a powerful, independent prognostic marker with clinical utility in breast cancer. Larger prospective studies are now required to determine the optimal way to incorporate high‐resolution telomere length analysis into multivariate prognostic algorithms for patients diagnosed with breast cancer.
Occupational Therapy Workforce in the United States: Forecasting Nationwide Shortages
Authors: Lin Vernon , Zhang Xiaoming , Dixon Pamela
Published: February 2015

Background

As the baby boomer generation retires in growing numbers, the demand for occupational therapists specializing in geriatrics will be particularly strong. Currently, there is evidence that a workforce shortage exists in the field of occupational therapy (OT), and few studies have been published in this area to systematically examine the status of the OT workforce.

Objective

To examine current and future OT job surplus/shortage trends within the United States.

Design

Forecast models and grading methodology were developed to evaluate individual state OT job shortages from 2008 to 2030.

Setting

Not applicable.

Participants

Not applicable.

Main Outcome Measurements

OT shortages, OT shortage ratios, and a report card were generated and compared among the 50 states in the United States.

Results

On the basis of current trends, demand for OT services will outpace the supply of occupational therapists within the United States. Shortages are expected to increase for all 50 states through 2030. The number of states with a grade D or below will increase from 3 in 2010, to 18 in 2020, to 37 in 2030, respectively. By 2030, the 3 states with the greatest shortage ratios will be Arizona, Hawaii, and Utah. The 3 states with the largest OT shortages (the number of OT jobs) will be California, Florida, and Texas. States in the northeast are projected to have the smallest shortages whereas states in the south and west are projected to have the largest shortages.

Conclusion

This study serves to provide health care professionals, policy makers, and stakeholders with a means of assessing current and future OT needs. Discussion of the issues surrounding OT shortages and ongoing assessment of supply and demand must ensue to mitigate the projected shortages.
Decadal to millennial-scale solar forcing of Last Glacial Maximum climate in the Estancia Basin of Central New Mexico
Authors: Menking Kirsten M.
Published: February 2015

Lacustrine sediments from the Estancia Basin of central New Mexico reveal decadal to millennial oscillations in the volume of Lake Estancia during Last Glacial Maximum (LGM) time. LGM sediments consist of authigenic carbonates, detrital clastics delivered to the lake in stream flow pulses, and evaporites that precipitated in mudflats exposed during lake lowstands and were subsequently blown into the lake. Variations in sediment mineralogy thus reflect changes in hydrologic balance and were quantified using Rietveld analysis of X-ray diffraction traces. Radiocarbon dates on ostracode valve calcite allowed the construction of mineralogical time series for the interval ~ 23,600 to ~ 18,300 ka, which were subjected to spectral analysis using REDFIT (Schulz and Mudelsee, 2002). Dominant periods of ~ 900, ~ 375, and ~ 265 yr are similar to cycles in Holocene14C production reported for a variety of tree ring records, suggesting that the Lake Estancia sediments record variations in solar activity during LGM time. A prominent spectral peak with a period of ~ 88 yr appears to reflect the solar Gleissberg cycle and may help, along with the ~ 265 yr cycle, to explain an ongoing mystery about how Lake Estancia was able to undergo abrupt expansions without overflowing its drainage basin.
Temperature dependence of parametric instabilities in the context of the shock-ignition approach to inertial confinement fusion
Authors: Weber S. , Riconda C.
Published: February 2015

The role of the coronal electron plasma temperature for shock-ignition conditions is analysed with respect to the dominant parametric processes: stimulated Brillouin scattering, stimulated Raman scattering, two-plasmon decay (TPD), Langmuir decay instability (LDI) and cavitation. TPD instability and cavitation are sensitive to the electron temperature. At the same time the reflectivity and high-energy electron production are strongly affected. For low plasma temperatures the LDI plays a dominant role in the TPD saturation. An understanding of laser–plasma interaction in the context of shock ignition is an important issue due to the localization of energy deposition by collective effects and hot electron production. This in turn can have consequences for the compression phase and the resulting gain factor of the implosion phase.
Aragonite bias, and lack of bias, in the fossil record: lithological, environmental, and ecological controls
Authors: Foote Michael , Crampton James S. , Beu Alan G. , Nelson Campbell S.
Published: February 2015

Macroevolutionary and macroecological studies must account for biases in the fossil record, especially when questions concern the relative abundance and diversity of taxa that differ in preservation and sampling potential. Using Cenozoic marine mollusks from a temperate setting (New Zealand), we find that much of the long-term temporal variation in gastropod versus bivalve occurrences is correlated with the stage-level sampling probabilities of aragonitic versus calcitic taxa. Average sampling probabilities are higher for calcitic species, but this contrast is time-varying in a predictable way, being concentrated in stages with widespread carbonate deposition.

To understand these results fully, we link them with analyses at the level of individual point occurrences. Doing so reveals that aragonite bias is effectively absent in terrigenous clastic sediments. In limestones, by contrast, calcitic species have at least twice the odds of sampling as aragonitic species. This result is most pronounced during times of widespread carbonate deposition, where the difference in the per-collection odds of sampling species is a factor of eight. During carbonate-rich intervals, calcitic taxa also have higher odds of sampling in clastics. At first glance this result may suggest simple preservational bias against aragonite. However, comparing relative odds of aragonitic versus calcitic sampling with absolute sampling rates shows that the positive calcite bias during carbonate-rich times reflects higher than average occurrence rates for calcitic taxa (rather than lower rates for aragonitic taxa) and that the negative aragonite bias in limestones reflects lower than average occurrence rates for aragonitic taxa (rather than higher rates for calcitic taxa).

Our results therefore indicate a time-varying interplay of two main factors: (1) taphonomic loss of aragonitic species in carbonate sediments, with no substantial bias in terrigenous clastics; and (2) an ecological preference of calcitic taxa for environments characteristic of periods with pervasive carbonate deposition, irrespective of lithology per se.
A simple way to improve multivariate analyses of paleoecological data sets
Authors: Alroy John
Published: February 2015

Multivariate methods such as cluster analysis and ordination are basic to paleoecology, but the messy nature of fossil occurrence data often makes it difficult to recover clear patterns. A recently described faunal similarity index based on the Forbes coefficient improves results when its complement is employed as a distance metric. This index involves adding terms to the Forbes equation and ignoring one of the counts it employs (that of species found in neither of the samples under consideration). Analyses of simulated data matrices demonstrate its advantages. These matrices include large and small samples from two partially overlapping species pools. In a cluster analysis, the widely used Dice coefficient and the Euclidean distance metric both create groupings that reflect sample size, the Simpson index suggests large differences that do not exist, and the corrected Forbes index creates groupings based strictly on true faunal overlap. In a principal coordinates analysis (PCoA) the Forbes index almost removes the sample-size signal but other approaches create a second axis strongly dominated by sample size. Meanwhile, species lists of late Pleistocene mammals from the United States capture biogeographic signals that standard ordination methods do recover, but the adjusted Forbes coefficient spaces the points out more sensibly. Finally, when biome-scale lists for living mammals are added to the data set and extinct species are removed, correspondence analysis misleadingly separates out the biome lists, and PCoA based on the Dice coefficient places them to the edge of the cloud of fossil assemblage data points. PCoA based on the Forbes index places them in more reasonable positions. Thus, only the adjusted Forbes index is able to recover true biological patterns. These results suggest that the index may be useful in analyzing not only paleontological data sets but any data set that includes species lists having highly variable lengths.
Mutation load under additive fitness effects
Authors: BERGEN ANDREW C.
Published: February 2015

Under the traditional mutation load model based on multiplicative fitness effects, the load in a population is 1−e−U, whereUis the genomic deleterious mutation rate. Because this load becomes high under largeU, synergistic epistasis has been proposed as one possible means of reducing the load. However, experiments on model organisms attempting to detect synergistic epistasis have often focused on a quadratic fitness model, with the resulting general conclusion being that epistasis is neither common nor strong. Here, I present a model of additive fitness effects and show that, unlike multiplicative effects, the equilibrium frequency of an allele under additivity is dependent on the average absolute fitness of the population. The additive model then results in a load ofU/(U +1), which is much lower than 1−e−Ufor largeU. Numerical iterations demonstrate that this analytic derivation holds as a good approximation under biologically relevant values of selection coefficients andU. Additionally, regressions ontoDrosophilamutation accumulation data suggest that the common method of inferring epistasis by detecting large quadratic terms from regressions is not always necessary, as the additive model fits the data well and results in synergistic epistasis. Furthermore, the additive model gives a much larger reduction in load than the quadratic model when predicted from the same data, indicating that it is important to consider this additive model in addition to the quadratic model when inferring epistasis from mutation accumulation data.
4-Nitrobenzaldehyde thiosemicarbazone: a new compound derived from S-(-)-limonene that induces mitochondrial alterations in epimastigotes and trypomastigotes of Trypanosoma cruzi
Authors: BRITTA ELIZANDRA APARECIDA , SCARIOT DÉBORA BOTURA , FALZIROLLI HUGO , DA SILVA CLEUZA CONCEIÇÃO , UEDA-NAKAMURA TÂNIA , DIAS FILHO BENEDITO PRADO , BORSALI REDOUANE , NAKAMURA CELSO VATARU
Published: February 2015

Trypanosoma cruzi is the causative agent of Chagas’ disease, a parasitic disease that remains a serious health concern with unsatisfactory treatment. Drugs that are currently used to treat Chagas’ disease are partially effective in the acute phase but ineffective in the chronic phase of the disease. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the antitrypanosomal activity and morphological, ultrastructural and biochemical alterations induced by a new molecule, 4-nitrobenzaldehyde thiosemicarbazone (BZTS), derived from S-(-)-limonene against epimastigote, trypomastigote and intracellular amastigote forms of T. cruzi. BZTS inhibited the growth of epimastigotes (IC50 = 9·2 μm), intracellular amastigotes (IC50 = 3·23 μm) and inhibited the viability of trypomastigotes (EC50 = 1·43 μm). BZTS had a CC50 of 37·45 μm in LLCMK2 cells. BZTS induced rounding and distortion of the cell body and severely damaged parasite mitochondria, reflected by extensive swelling and disorganization in the inner mitochondrial membrane and the presence of concentric membrane structures inside the organelle. Cytoplasmic vacuolization, endoplasmic reticulum that surrounded organelles, the loss of mitochondrial membrane potential, and increased mitochondrial O2•ˉ production were also observed. Our results suggest that BZTS alters the ultrastructure and physiology of mitochondria, which could be closely related to parasite death.
Comparative evaluation of three surveillance systems for infectious equine diseases in France and implications for future synergies
Authors: AMAT J. P. , HENDRIKX P. , TAPPREST J. , LEBLOND A. , DUFOUR B.
Published: February 2015

It is necessary to assess surveillance systems for infectious animal diseases to ensure they meet their objectives and provide high-quality health information. Each system is generally dedicated to one disease and often comprises various components. In many animal industries, several surveillance systems are implemented separately even if they are based on similar components. This lack of synergy may prevent optimal surveillance. The purpose of this study was to assess several surveillance systems within the same industry using the semi-quantitative OASIS method and to compare the results of the assessments in order to propose improvements, including future synergies. We have focused on the surveillance of three major equine diseases in France. We have identified the mutual and specific strengths and weaknesses of each surveillance system. Furthermore, the comparative assessment has highlighted many possible synergies that could improve the effectiveness and efficiency of surveillance as a whole, including the implementation of new joint tools or the pooling of existing teams, tools or skills. Our approach is an original application of the OASIS method, which requires minimal financial resources and is not very time-consuming. Such a comparative evaluation could conceivably be applied to other surveillance systems, other industries and other countries. This approach would be especially relevant to enhance the efficiency of surveillance activities when resources are limited.
CHANCE, PROVIDENCE, AND IMPERIAL ENNUI IN ALFRED DOMETT’SRANOLF AND AMOHIA: A SOUTH-SEA DAY-DREAM
Authors: Roberts Hugh
Published: February 2015

“I have read your poems– you can do anything” wrote Robert Browning to his close friend Alfred Domett on May 22, 1842, shortly after the latter had emigrated to New Zealand (Browning, Domett and Arnould 35). If this was in part friendly overpraise of Domett's verse, it was also a prognostication as to the effect of emigration. The idea (which also underlies Browning's poetic treatment of Domett's departure in the figure of Waring who “gave us all the slip”) was that “partial retirement and stopping the ears against the noise outside” would open up the possibility of something startlingly new: the little I, or anybody, can do as it is, comes of themgoing to New Zealand. . . . What I meant to say was – that only in your present condition of life, so far as I can see, is there any chance of your being able to find out . . . (sic) what is wanted, and how to supply the want when you precisely find it (35).
CIVILIZING HAWAII: ISABELLA BIRD BISHOP IN THE SANDWICH ISLANDS
Authors: Stearns Precious McKenzie
Published: February 2015

Nineteenth-century male European travel writerssometimes romanticize their destinations and dream they have arrived in untouched lands. The Hawaii Isabella Bird visited, however, was not an idyllic land, forgotten by time. Early in the nineteenth century, steamships crossed the Pacific, carrying goods and people from the United States, Australia, New Zealand, China, and Japan. The trade in sandalwood and fur brought many foreign steamships into Hawaii (Kuykendall 15). It was not uncommon for American missionaries to arrive in Hawaii via whaling ships that stopped in Hawaii (Kuykendall 16, 41). Hawaii, with its position between mainland America and Asia, was a valuable and strategic piece of property. Isabella Bird Bishop's 1875 travel memoirThe Hawaiian Archipelago: Six months Among the Palm Groves, Coral Reefs, and Volcanoes of the Sandwich Islandscomments on the political situation the Sandwich Islands (Hawaii) faced in the nineteenth century.
THE CHINESE LANGUAGE IN THE SATURDAY REVIEW: A CASE STUDY IN SINOPHOBIA’S SCHOLARLY ROOTS
Authors: Peak Anna
Published: February 2015

A drastic shift in British perceptions of China took place between the beginning and end of the nineteenth century. Up through the first decades of the nineteenth century, China and its ideals as well as its art and aesthetic were widely admired. Yet by the end of the century, the discourse surrounding China had become very different: no longer were the Chinese admired for their art or their morals; instead, they were castigated as amoral, pitiless, inscrutable liars. Why and how this change took place has not yet been explored in part because scholars have tended to focus on either the beginning of the nineteenth century or the beginning of the twentieth, rather than on the years between these periods. Yet those years saw the rise of sinology, which became established as a field of scholarship in precisely the period (from roughly 1870 to 1901) that has so far been neglected. This scholarship, highly specialized though it might seem (and was), was not confined to the Ivory Tower; it made its way to the educated, upper-middle-class reading public through periodicals. If we look at what British periodicals were teaching their readers about China and the Chinese language during this gap period, we can see – perhaps surprisingly – a concerted and earnest effort being made to avoid assumptions that the Chinese need British help and to avoid pro-Christian judgments, in favor of an attempt to learn the workings of the Chinese language as the first step towards understanding the Chinese on their own terms. What scholars learn and what periodicals teach about the Chinese language, however, leads these very same would-be enlightened people, in the end, to see the Chinese as cunning children incapable of complex thought or basic feeling, and therefore incapable of progress or morality. In other words, the increasing British prejudice against the Chinese originated to an important degree in the work of the first scholars of sinology, rather than in the fears of the ignorant or the culturally-marginalized. Examining this process challenges a paradigm dominant in postcolonial studies, in which modern scholars decry the supremacy of Western systems while problematically replicating a narrative in which the concept of Western systemic supremacy is not challenged and the existence of non-Western systems is not acknowledged. In the case of China, the complexity of its written and spoken language systems helped frustrate Western efforts at colonization, and this systemic resistance to Western domination was constructed by Western scholars in such a way as to create and justify sinophobia.
The psychiatrist’s duty to protect
Authors: Knoll James L.
Published: February 2015

Responding to the California Supreme Court’s decision and its related legal obligations in Tarasoff v. Regents of Univ. of California over 30 years ago has become a standard part of mental health practice. This case influenced legal requirements governing therapists’ duty to protect third parties in nearly every state in the country. The final ruling in Tarasoff emphasized that therapists have a duty to protect individuals who are being threatened with bodily harm by their patients.

This article will provide a brief overview and update on duty to protect legal requirements. Clinical guidelines for addressing threats and the duty to protect will be discussed, along with risk management approaches. The article will conclude with a sample vignette illustrating these principles.
Problemstellungen und Herausforderungen eines Lebensendes zuhause für den behandelnden Arzt
Authors: Marthy Sibylle
Published: February 2015

Palliativpflege und ein Lebensende zuhause sind immer noch eine Herausforderung für den behandelnden Hausarzt. Ihr Erfolg ist abhängig von zahlreichen Faktoren, darunter die Situation des Kranken, sein soziales und familiäres Umfeld, das Vorhandensein ausgebildeter Vetreter verschiedener Gesundheitsberufe und das Engagement des Arztes. Jenseits medizintechnischer Kompetenzen nimmt er eine zentrale Rolle in der Koordination eines interdisziplinären Teams ein, die regelmässig an die Entwicklung des Kranken angepasst wird. Der gefühlsbestimmte Einfluss, der auf die trauernden Angehörigen nach der Begleitung eines Lebensendes zuhause hinterlassen wird, wird oft vom Arzt unterschätzt.
Synthesis and characterization of ZnS with controlled amount of S vacancies for photocatalytic H2 production under visible light
Authors: Wang Gang , Huang Baibiao , Li Zhujie , Lou Zaizhu , Wang Zeyan , Dai Ying , Whangbo Myung-Hwan
Published: February 2015

Controlling amount of intrinsic S vacancies was achieved in ZnS spheres which were synthesized by a hydrothermal method using Zn and S powders in concentrated NaOH solution with NaBH4 added as reducing agent. These S vacancies efficiently extend absorption spectra of ZnS to visible region. Their photocatalytic activities for H2 production under visible light were evaluated by gas chromatograph and the midgap states of ZnS introduced by S vacancies were examined by density functional calculations. Our study reveals that the concentration of S vacancies in the ZnS samples can be controlled by varying the amount of the reducing agent NaBH4 in the synthesis and the prepared ZnS samples exhibit photocatalytic activity for H2 production under visible-light irradiation without loading noble metal. This photocatalytic activity of ZnS increases steadily with increasing the concentration of S vacancies until the latter reaches an optimum value. Our density functional calculations show that S vacancies generate midgap defect states in ZnS, which lead to visible-light absorption and responded.
A novel mechanism of post-translational modulation of HMGA functions by the histone chaperone nucleophosmin
Authors: Arnoldo Laura , Sgarra Riccardo , Chiefari Eusebio , Iiritano Stefania , Arcidiacono Biagio , Pegoraro Silvia , Pellarin Ilenia , Brunetti Antonio , Manfioletti Guidalberto
Published: February 2015

High Mobility Group A are non-histone nuclear proteins that regulate chromatin plasticity and accessibility, playing an important role both in physiology and pathology. Their activity is controlled by transcriptional, post-transcriptional and post-translational mechanisms. In this study we provide evidence for a novel modulatory mechanism for HMGA functions. We show that HMGAs are complexed in vivo with the histone chaperone nucleophosmin (NPM1), that this interaction requires the histone-binding domain of NPM1 and that NPM1 modulates both DNA-binding affinity and specificity of HMGAs. By focusing on two human genes whose expression is directly regulated by HMGA1, the Insulin receptor (INSR) and the Insulin-like growth factor-binding protein 1 (IGFBP1) genes, we demonstrated that occupancy of their promoters by HMGA1 was NPM1-dependent, reflecting a mechanism in which the activity of these cis-regulatory elements is directly modulated by NPM1 leading to changes in gene expression. HMGAs need short stretches of AT-rich nucleosome-free regions to bind to DNA. Therefore, many putative HMGA binding sites are present within the genome. Our findings indicate that NPM1, by exerting a chaperoning activity towards HMGAs, may act as a master regulator in the control of DNA occupancy by these proteins and hence in HMGA-mediated gene expression.
Cross-talk between signaling pathways: The link between plant secondary metabolite production and wounding stress response
Authors: Jacobo-Velázquez Daniel A. , González-Agüero Mauricio , Cisneros-Zevallos Luis
Published: February 2015

Plants subjected to wounding stress produce secondary metabolites. Several of these metabolites prevent chronic diseases and can be used as colorants, flavors and as antimicrobials. This wound-induced production of plant secondary metabolites is mediated by signaling-molecules such as reactive oxygen species (ROS), ethylene (ET) and jasmonic acid (JA). However, their specific role and interactions that modulate the wound-respond in plants is not fully understood. In the present study, a subtractive cDNA library was generated, to better understand the global response of plants to wounding stress. Carrot (Daucus carota) was used as a model system for this study. A total of 335 unique expressed sequence tags (ESTs) sequences were obtained. ESTs sequences with a putative identity showed involvement in stress-signaling pathways as well as on the primary and secondary metabolism. Inhibitors of ROS biosynthesis, ET action and JA biosynthesis alone and in combination were applied to wounded-carrots in order to determine, based on relative gene expression data, the regulatory role of ET, JA and ROS on the wound-response in plants. Our results demonstrate that ROS play a key role as signaling-molecules for the wound-induced activation of the primary and secondary metabolism whereas ET and JA are essential to modulate ROS levels.
ATP Exhibits Antimicrobial Action by Inhibiting Bacterial Utilization of Ferric Ions
Authors: Tatano Yutaka , Kanehiro Yuichi , Sano Chiaki , Shimizu Toshiaki , Tomioka Haruaki
Published: February 2015

ATP up-regulates macrophage antimycobacterial activity in a P2X7-dependent manner, but little is known about whether ATP directly exhibits antimicrobial effects against intracellular mycobacteria. In this study, we found that ATP inhibited the growth of various bacteria, including Staphylococcus, Pseudomonas and mycobacteria, without damaging bacterial surface structures. Using gene technology, we newly established an enterobactin-deficient (entB−) mutant from ATP-resistant Klebsiella pneumoniae and found the recovery of ATP susceptibility in the enterobactin-deleted mutant. Therefore, ATP's antibacterial activity is attributable to its iron-chelating ability. Since ATP distributed in the cytosol of macrophages at high concentrations, ATP appears to augment macrophage's antimicrobial activity by directly attacking intracytosolic and intra-autophagosomal pathogens. Furthermore, ATP exhibited combined effects with some antimicrobials against methicillin-resistant S. aureus (MRSA) and M. intracellulare, suggesting its usefulness as an adjunctive drug in the chemotherapy of certain intractable infections.
Mass spectrometry based molecular profile dissects the complexity of traditional Chinese medicine
Authors: Liu Wenhu , Guo Xiaojuan , Li Qiang , Xu Guang , Feng Mengpei , Guan Tianbing , Yan Leyu , Nie Wenna , Parker Tony , Lv Haitao
Published: February 2015

Mass spectrometry driven molecular profiles for systematically dissecting the chemical complexity of traditional Chinese medicine.
Engineering DNA scaffolds for delivery of anticancer therapeutics
Authors: Sun Wujin , Gu Zhen
Published: February 2015

DNA scaffolds with programmability in size, shape and surface chemistry have been engineered for the delivery of various anticancer therapeutics.
A detailed analysis of the mechanism of a carbocationic triple shift rearrangement
Authors: Ortega Daniela E. , Gutiérrez-Oliva Soledad , Tantillo Dean J. , Toro-Labbé Alejandro
Published: February 2015

The mechanism of a carbocationic triple shift rearrangement is analyzed within the conceptual framework of the reaction force.
Kinetics of aggregation in liquids with dispersed nanoparticles
Authors: Jeżewski Wojciech
Published: February 2015

The process of attaching molecules of liquid media by dispersed nanoparticles is modeled and numerically studied.
Diffusion-influenced reactions in a hollow nano-reactor with a circular hole
Authors: Piazza Francesco , Traytak Sergey D.
Published: February 2015

The problem of diffusion to a reactive sphere inside a cavity through a hole is solved for arbitrary aperture values.
Elucidating the enhancement in optical properties of low band gap polymers by tuning the structure of alkyl side chains
Authors: Lu Jing , Yao Yao , Shenai Prathamesh M. , Chen Lipeng , Zhao Yang
Published: February 2015

Quantum chemistry calculations in combination with MD simulations reveal the influence of alkyl side groups on electronic and optical properties of polymers.
Selective ion-permeable membranes by insertion of biopores into polymersomes
Authors: Lomora Mihai , Itel Fabian , Dinu Ionel Adrian , Palivan Cornelia G.
Published: February 2015

Biomimetic polymersomes with an ion-selective membrane were successfully engineered by insertion of ionomycin, without affecting their final architecture.
Nano- and micro-sized rare-earth carbonates and their use as precursors and sacrificial templates for the synthesis of new innovative materials
Authors: Kaczmarek Anna M. , Van Hecke Kristof , Van Deun Rik
Published: February 2015

Rare-earth carbonate nano- and micro-materials are reviewed, focusing on factors that influence the morphology and luminescence, as well as their applications as precursors and sacrificial templates for other materials.
Optical chirality sensing using macrocycles, synthetic and supramolecular oligomers/polymers, and nanoparticle based sensors
Authors: Chen Zhan , Wang Qian , Wu Xin , Li Zhao , Jiang Yun-Bao
Published: February 2015

Recent advances in four classes of non-small-molecule based chirality sensors are reviewed.
Synthesis of sulfonamide conjugates of Cu(ii), Ga(iii), In(iii), Re(v) and Zn(ii) complexes: carbonic anhydrase inhibition studies and cellular imaging investigations
Authors: Dilworth Jonathan R. , Pascu Sofia I. , Waghorn Philip A. , Vullo Daniela , Bayly Simon R. , Christlieb Martin , Sun Xin , Supuran Claudiu T.
Published: February 2015

New sulfonamides and their metal complexes are reported, with a focus on porphyrin derivatives for simultaneous cellular optical imaging, radiolabelling and Carbonic Anhydrase inhibition capabilities.
New NIR-emissive tetranuclear Er(iii) complexes with 4-hydroxo-2,1,3-benzothiadiazolate and dibenzoylmethanide ligands: synthesis and characterization
Authors: Sukhikh Taisiya S. , Bashirov Denis A. , Kuratieva Natalia V. , Smolentsev Anton I. , Bogomyakov Artem S. , Burilov Vladimir A. , Mustafina Asia R. , Zibarev Andrey V. , Konchenko Sergey N.
Published: February 2015

Two new Er complexes were prepared and studied.
Lignocellulose pretreatment technologies affect the level of enzymatic cellulose oxidation by LPMO
Authors: Rodríguez-Zúñiga Ursula Fabiola , Cannella David , Giordano Roberto de Campos , Giordano Raquel de Lima Camargo , Jørgensen Henning , Felby Claus
Published: February 2015

Sugarcane bagasse, corn stover, and wheat straw are among the most available resources for the production of cellulosic ethanol.
A green procedure for direct oxidation of organic halides to aldehydes and ketones catalyzed by a molybdate-based catalyst
Authors: Bayat Ahmad , Shakourian-Fard Mehdi , Ramezanpour Shaghayegh , Mahmoodi Hashemi Mohammad
Published: February 2015

The direct oxidation of various primary and secondary halides to the corresponding aldehydes and ketones using 30% H2O2 as a green oxidant has been investigated using a molybdate-based heterogeneous magnetic catalyst.