bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Cdk5/p35 is required for motor coordination and cerebellar plasticity
Authors: He Xiaojuan , Ishizeki Masato , Mita Naoki , Wada Seitaro , Araki Yoshifumi , Ogura Hiroo , Abe Manabu , Yamazaki Maya , Sakimura Kenji , Mikoshiba Katsuhiko , Inoue Takafumi , Ohshima Toshio
Published: May 2014

Previous studies have implicated the role of Purkinje cells in motor learning and the underlying mechanisms have also been identified in great detail during the last decades. Here we report that cyclin‐dependent kinase 5 (Cdk5)/p35 in Purkinje cell also contributes to synaptic plasticity. We previously showed that p35−/− (p35 KO) mice exhibited a subtle abnormality in brain structure and impaired spatial learning and memory. Further behavioral analysis showed that p35 KO mice had a motor coordination defect, suggesting that p35, one of the activators of Cdk5, together with Cdk5 may play an important role in cerebellar motor learning. Therefore, we created Purkinje cell‐specific conditional Cdk5/p35 knockout (L7‐p35 cKO) mice, analyzed the cerebellar histology and Purkinje cell morphology of these mice, evaluated their performance with balance beam and rota‐rod test, and performed electrophysiological recordings to assess long‐term synaptic plasticity. Our analyses showed that Purkinje cell‐specific deletion of Cdk5/p35 resulted in no changes in Purkinje cell morphology but severely impaired motor coordination. Furthermore, disrupted cerebellar long‐term synaptic plasticity was observed at the parallel fiber‐Purkinje cell synapse in L7‐p35 cKO mice. These results indicate that Cdk5/p35 is required for motor learning and involved in long‐term synaptic plasticity.

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Purkinje cells play an important role in motor learning, the underlying mechanisms of which have been studied during the last two decades. We report here that the ablation of Cdk5/p35 in Purkinje cells impairs motor coordination, along with deficits in the cerebellar synaptic plasticity, which gives new insights into the mechanism of synaptic plasticity in Purkinje cells.
Serum Th1, Th2 and Th17 cytokine profiles and alpha‐enolase levels in recurrent aphthous stomatitis
Authors: Ozyurt Kemal , Çelik Ahmet , Sayarlıoglu Mehmet , Colgecen Emine , Incı Rahime , Karakas Tuba , Kelles Mehmet , Cetin Gozde Y.
Published: May 2014

Background

All aspects of aetiopathogenesis of recurrent aphthous stomatitis (RAS) have not been elucidated. RAS and Behçet's disease (BD) have clinical and immunological characteristics in common. Although T17 cytokines and alpha‐enolase have been shown to play effective roles in BD and many other autoinflammatory diseases recently, their roles in RAS have not been studied extensively. In the present study, we investigated levels of several Th1, Th2 and Th17 pathways related cytokines and alpha‐enolase to elucidate pathogenesis of RAS and to obtain data about possible treatment alternatives for the condition.

Methods

Serum interleukin‐1, interleukin‐13, interleukin‐17, interleukin‐18, interferon gamma and alpha‐enolase levels in 24 patients with RAS, 30 patients with BD and 20 healthy controls were measured.

Results

Serum interleukin‐1, interleukin‐13, interleukin‐17, interleukin‐18, interferon gamma and alpha‐enolase levels were higher in patients with RAS and patients with BD than in healthy controls (P < 0.005).

Conclusion

Like Th1 and Th2 cells, Th17 cells were found to be effective in pathogenesis of RAS. In addition, alpha‐enolase, the levels of which were high, may play an important role in etio‐pathogenesis of RAS. Further studies to be designed in the light of these findings are required to shed light on pathogenesis and treatment of the condition.
THE DYNAMICS OF MICROINSURANCE DEMAND IN DEVELOPING COUNTRIES UNDER LIQUIDITY CONSTRAINTS AND INSURER DEFAULT RISK
Authors: Liu Yanyan , Myers Robert J.
Published: May 2014

We study the dynamics of microinsurance demand by risk‐averse agents who can borrow and lend subject to a liquidity constraint, and also perceive a risk of insurer default. Liquidity constraints and perceived insurer default both reduce the demand for insurance, possibly leading to nonparticipation. We also evaluate an alternative insurance design that allows agents to delay premium payment until the end of the insured period when income is realized and indemnities are paid. We show this alternative design increases insurance take‐up by relaxing the liquidity constraint and ameliorating concerns about insurer default. We also investigate the value of delayed premium payment, and the importance of the associated problem of reneging if the insured event does not occur, under a range of conditions.
SECTORAL CHANGE AND UNEMPLOYMENT DURING THE GREAT RECESSION, IN HISTORICAL PERSPECTIVE
Authors: Simon Curtis
Published: May 2014

I examine the effect of sectoral change on U.S. state unemployment during the Great Recession. Of the 4.1 percentage point increase in mean state unemployment between 2007 and 2009, increased structural change explains 0.6–1.18 percentage points, and increased estimated effects of structural change 0.8–2.7 percentage points. Despite the role of housing in the recession, neither construction nor any other one sector can account for the results. Although the pace and role of structural change had returned to normal levels after the Great Recession, their effects persisted, raising mean state unemployment by 0.9–2.3 percentage points in 2011.
Determining diatom ecotones and their relationship to terrestrial ecoregion designations in the central Canadian Arctic Islands
Authors: Antoniades Dermot , Douglas Marianne S. V. , Michelutti Neal , Smol John P.
Published: May 2014

Ecotones are key areas for the detection of global change because many are predicted to move with shifts in climate. Prince of Wales Island, in the Canadian Arctic Archipelago, spans the transition between mid‐ to high‐Arctic ecoregions. We analyzed limnological variables and recent diatom assemblages from its lakes and ponds to determine if assemblages reflected this ecotone. Limnological gradients were short, and water chemistry explained 20.0% of diatom variance in a redundancy analysis (RDA), driven primarily by dissolved organic carbon, Ca and SO4. Most taxa were small, benthic forms; key taxa such as planktonic Cyclotella species were restricted to the warmer, southern portion of the study area, while benthic Staurosirella were associated with larger, ice‐dominated lakes. Nonetheless, there were no significant changes in diatom assemblages across the mid‐ to high‐Arctic ecoregion boundary. We combined our data set with one from nearby Cornwallis Island to expand the study area and lengthen its environmental gradients. Within this expanded data set, 40.6% of the diatom variance was explained by a combination of water chemistry and geographic variables, and significant relationships were revealed between diatom distributions and key limnological variables, including pH, specific conductivity, and chl‐a. Using principal coordinates analysis, we estimated community turnover with latitude and applied piecewise linear regression to determine diatom ecotone positions. A pronounced transition was present between Prince of Wales Island and the colder, more northerly Cornwallis Island. These data will be important in detecting any future northward ecotone movement in response to predicted Arctic climate warming in this highly sensitive region.
Biodiversity of soil cyanobacteria in the hyper‐arid Atacama Desert, Chile
Authors: Patzelt Dominik J. , Hodač Ladislav , Friedl Thomas , Pietrasiak Nicole , Johansen Jeffrey R.
Published: May 2014

The cyanobacterial diversity of soils of the Atacama Desert (Chile) was investigated using 16S rRNA gene cloning/sequencing directly from soil samples and 16S rRNA gene sequencing from unialgal cultures. Within the hyper‐arid Atacama Desert, one of the driest parts of the world, 10 sites with differing altitude and distance to the shore were sampled along a total air‐line distance (from south to north) of ~1,100 km. Filamentous cyanobacteria belonging to Nostocophycideae and Synechococcophycideae were present. Oscillatoriophycideae exhibited the highest species richness among the subclasses of cyanobacteria, and included mostly filamentous species along with some coccoids (e.g., Chroococcidiopsis). Thirty species‐level phylotypes could be recognized using a cut‐off of 99% 16S rRNA sequence similarity within the 22 genera defined at 97% 16S rRNA sequence similarity. Eight of the 30 taxa could be detected by both clonal and culture sequences. Five taxa were observed only in cultures, whereas the cloning approach revealed 17 additional taxa, which might be in the collection but unsequenced, hard‐to‐cultivate, or entirely unculturable species using standard cultivation media. The Atacama Desert soils have a high diversity of phylotypes, among which are likely both new genera and new species awaiting characterization and description.
Trichocytes in Lithophyllum kotschyanum and Lithophyllum spp. (Corallinales, Rhodophyta) from the NW Indian Ocean
Authors: Basso Daniela , Caragnano Annalisa , Rodondi Graziella
Published: May 2014

The current diagnosis of the genus Lithophyllum includes absent or rare trichocyte occurrence. After examining holotype material, single trichocytes have been revealed to occur abundantly in Lithophyllum kotschyanum Unger, and in freshly collected specimens of Lithophyllum spp. from the Red Sea, Gulf of Aden and Socotra Island (Yemen). Trichocyte occurrence is not considered a diagnostic character at specific or supraspecific levels in the Lithophylloideae, and the ecological significance of trichocyte formation is discussed. The generitype species, L. incrustans Philippi, does not show trichocytes nor do many other Lithophyllum species from diverse geographic localities, but the presence of abundant trichocytes in other congeneric taxa requires emendation of the genus diagnosis. Therefore, the diagnosis of Lithophyllum is here emended by eliminating the adjective “rare” in the sentence concerning trichocyte occurrence, as follows: “Trichocytes present or absent, if present occurring singly.”
An attachment‐based model of therapeutic change processes in the treatment of personality disorder among male forensic inpatients
Authors: Willmot Phil , McMurran Mary
Published: May 2014

Purpose

This study explores the processes of change during treatment among male forensic inpatients with primary diagnoses of personality disorder.

Method

Fifty patients in a high secure personality disorder treatment service completed a checklist about how they had changed during treatment and the factors that had caused that change.

Results

The results support a limited reparenting attachment‐based model of therapeutic change. Self‐reported levels of change were highly correlated with measures of patient functioning, though significant levels of change did not occur until the later stages of treatment.

Conclusions

The behaviour of therapists was particularly important throughout treatment, though participants in the final stage of therapy reported that the behaviour of other staff was as important as that of therapists, suggesting that, by this stage of treatment they are able to extend their range of supportive and therapeutic relationships.
Land use change alters functional gene diversity, composition and abundance in Amazon forest soil microbial communities
Authors: Paula Fabiana S. , Rodrigues Jorge L. M. , Zhou Jizhong , Wu Liyou , Mueller Rebecca C. , Mirza Babur S. , Bohannan Brendan J. M. , Nüsslein Klaus , Deng Ye , Tiedje James M. , Pellizari Vivian H.
Published: May 2014

Land use change in the Amazon rainforest alters the taxonomic structure of soil microbial communities, but whether it alters their functional gene composition is unknown. We used the highly parallel microarray technology GeoChip 4.0, which contains 83 992 probes specific for genes linked nutrient cycling and other processes, to evaluate how the diversity, abundance and similarity of the targeted genes responded to forest‐to‐pasture conversion. We also evaluated whether these parameters were reestablished with secondary forest growth. A spatially nested scheme was employed to sample a primary forest, two pastures (6 and 38 years old) and a secondary forest. Both pastures had significantly lower microbial functional genes richness and diversity when compared to the primary forest. Gene composition and turnover were also significantly modified with land use change. Edaphic traits associated with soil acidity, iron availability, soil texture and organic matter concentration were correlated with these gene changes. Although primary and secondary forests showed similar functional gene richness and diversity, there were differences in gene composition and turnover, suggesting that community recovery was not complete in the secondary forest. Gene association analysis revealed that response to ecosystem conversion varied significantly across functional gene groups, with genes linked to carbon and nitrogen cycling mostly altered. This study indicates that diversity and abundance of numerous environmentally important genes respond to forest‐to‐pasture conversion and hence have the potential to affect the related processes at an ecosystem scale.
Replication fork inhibition in seqA mutants of Escherichia coli triggers replication fork breakage
Authors: Rotman Ella , Khan Sharik R. , Kouzminova Elena , Kuzminov Andrei
Published: May 2014

SeqA protein negatively regulates replication initiation in Escherichia coli and is also proposed to organize maturation and segregation of the newly replicated DNA. The seqA mutants suffer from chromosomal fragmentation; since this fragmentation is attributed to defective segregation or nucleoid compaction, two‐ended breaks are expected. Instead, we show that, in SeqA's absence, chromosomes mostly suffer one‐ended DNA breaks, indicating disintegration of replication forks. We further show that replication forks are unexpectedly slow in seqA mutants. Quantitative kinetics of origin and terminus replication from aligned chromosomes not only confirm origin overinitiation in seqA mutants, but also reveal terminus under‐replication, indicating inhibition of replication forks. Pre‐/post‐labelling studies of the chromosomal fragmentation in seqA mutants suggest events involving single forks, rather than pairs of forks from consecutive rounds rear‐ending into each other. We suggest that, in the absence of SeqA, the sister‐chromatid cohesion ‘safety spacer’ is destabilized and completely disappears if the replication fork is inhibited, leading to the segregation fork running into the inhibited replication fork and snapping the latter at single‐stranded DNA regions.
Adapting to new threats: the generation of memory by CRISPR‐Cas immune systems
Authors: Heler Robert , Marraffini Luciano A. , Bikard David
Published: May 2014

Clustered, regularly interspaced, short palindromic repeats (CRISPR) loci and their associated genes (cas) confer bacteria and archaea with adaptive immunity against phages and other invading genetic elements. A fundamental requirement of any immune system is the ability to build a memory of past infections in order to deal more efficiently with recurrent infections. The adaptive feature of CRISPR‐Cas immune systems relies on their ability to memorize DNA sequences of invading molecules and integrate them in between the repetitive sequences of the CRISPR array in the form of ‘spacers’. The transcription of a spacer generates a small antisense RNA that is used by RNA‐guided Cas nucleases to cleave the invading nucleic acid in order to protect the cell from infection. The acquisition of new spacers allows the CRISPR‐Cas immune system to rapidly adapt against new threats and is therefore termed ‘adaptation’. Recent studies have begun to elucidate the genetic requirements for adaptation and have demonstrated that rather than being a stochastic process, the selection of new spacers is influenced by several factors. We review here our current knowledge of the CRISPR adaptation mechanism.
Deletion of the cyclic di‐AMP phosphodiesterase gene (cnpB) in Mycobacterium tuberculosis leads to reduced virulence in a mouse model of infection
Authors: Yang Jun , Bai Yinlan , Zhang Yang , Gabrielle Vincent D. , Jin Lei , Bai Guangchun
Published: May 2014

Tuberculosis (TB) remains a major cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide. The pathogenesis by the causative agent, Mycobacterium tuberculosis, is still not fully understood. We have previously reported that M. tuberculosis Rv3586 (disA) encodes a diadenylate cyclase, which converts ATP to cyclic di‐AMP (c‐di‐AMP). In this study, we demonstrated that a protein encoded by Rv2837c (cnpB) possesses c‐di‐AMP phosphodiesterase activity and cleaves c‐di‐AMP exclusively to AMP. Our results showed that in M. tuberculosis, deletion of disA abolished bacterial c‐di‐AMP production, whereas deletion of cnpB significantly enhanced the bacterial c‐di‐AMP accumulation and secretion. The c‐di‐AMP levels in both mutants could be corrected by expressing the respective gene. We also found that macrophages infected with ΔcnpB secreted much higher levels of IFN‐β than those infected with the wild type (WT) or the complemented mutant. Interestingly, mice infected with M. tuberculosis ΔcnpB displayed significantly reduced inflammation, less bacterial burden in the lungs and spleens, and extended survival compared with those infected with the WT or the complemented mutant. These results indicate that deletion of cnpB results in attenuated virulence, which is correlated with elevated c‐di‐AMP levels.
Brassinosteroid nuclear signaling recruits HSP90 activity
Authors: Samakovli Despina , Margaritopoulou Theoni , Prassinos Constantinos , Milioni Dimitra , Hatzopoulos Polydefkis
Published: May 2014

Heat shock protein 90 (HSP90) controls a number of developmental circuits, and serves a sophisticated and highly regulatory function in signaling pathways. Brassinosteroids (BRs) control many aspects of plant development.

Genetic, physiological, cytological, gene expression, live cell imaging, and pharmacological approaches provide conclusive evidence for HSP90 involvement in Arabidopsis thalianaBR signaling.

Nuclear‐localized HSP90s translocate to cytoplasm when their activity is blocked by the HSP90 inhibitor geldanamycin (GDA). GDA treatment promoted the export of BIN2, a regulator of BR signaling, from the nucleus into the cytoplasm, indicating that active HSP90 is required to sustain BIN2 in the nucleus. HSP90 nuclear localization was inhibited by brassinolide (BL). HSP90s interact with BIN2 in the nucleus of untreated cells and in the cytoplasm of BL‐treated cells, showing that the site‐specific action of HSP90 on BIN2 is controlled by BRs. GDA and BL treatments change the expression of a common set of previously identified BR‐responsive genes. This highlights the effect of active HSP90s on the regulation of BR‐responsive genes. Our observations reveal that HSP90s have a central role in sustaining BIN2 nuclear function.

We propose that BR signaling is mediated by HSP90 activity and via trafficking of BIN2–HSP90 complexes into the cytoplasm.
Effect of pH on elementary steps of dopachrome conversion from first‐principles calculation
Authors: Kishida Ryo , Ushijima Yohei , Saputro Adhitya G. , Kasai Hideaki
Published: May 2014

Dopachrome conversion, in which dopachrome is converted into 5,6‐dihydroxyindole (DHI) or 5,6‐dihydroxyindole‐2‐carboxylic acid (DHICA) upstream of eumelanogenesis, is a key step in determining the DHI/DHICA monomer ratio in eumelanin, which affects the antioxidant activity. Although the ratio of DHI/DHICA formed and the conversion rate can be regulated depending on pH, the mechanism is still unclear. To clarify the mechanism, we carried out first‐principles calculations. The results showed the kinetic preference of proton rearrangement to form quinone methide intermediate via β‐deprotonation. We also identified possible pathways to DHI/DHICA from the quinone methide. The DHI formation can be achieved by spontaneous decarboxylation after proton rearrangement from carboxyl group to 6‐oxygen. α‐Deprotonation, which leads to DHICA formation, can also proceed with a significantly reduced activation barrier compared with that of the initial dopachrome. Considering the rate of the proton rearrangements in a given pH, we conclude that the conversion is suppressed at acidic pH.
MC1R, the cAMP pathway, and the response to solar UV: extending the horizon beyond pigmentation
Authors: García‐Borrón Jose C. , Abdel‐Malek Zalfa , Jiménez‐Cervantes Celia
Published: May 2014

The melanocortin 1 receptor (MC1R) is a G protein‐coupled receptor crucial for the regulation of melanocyte proliferation and function. Upon binding melanocortins, MC1R activates several signaling cascades, notably the cAMP pathway leading to synthesis of photoprotective eumelanin. Polymorphisms in the MC1R gene are a major source of normal variation of human hair color and skin pigmentation, response to ultraviolet radiation (UVR), and skin cancer susceptibility. The identification of a surprisingly high number of MC1R natural variants strongly associated with pigmentary phenotypes and increased skin cancer risk has prompted research on the functional properties of the wild‐type receptor and frequent mutant alleles. We summarize current knowledge on MC1R structural and functional properties, as well as on its intracellular trafficking and signaling. We also review the current knowledge about the function of MC1R as a skin cancer, particularly melanoma, susceptibility gene and how it modulates the response of melanocytes to UVR.
Usefulness of the tri‐axial accelerometer for assessing balance function in children
Authors: Eguchi Ryota , Takada Satoshi
Published: May 2014

Background

The aim of this study was to verify whether the tri‐axial accelerometer can be used for quantitatively evaluating balance function in children.

Methods

In total, 198 participants, including 172 healthy children aged 3–11 years (87 boys, 85 girls) and 26 young adults aged 21–24 years (seven men, 19 women), were enrolled in this study. The participants undertook three types of balance tasks: quiet standing with eyes open and closed, one‐leg standing on the dominant leg and non‐dominant leg, and walking on the floor and a balance beam. We derived the root mean square from participants' accelerations measured by the tri‐axial accelerometer.

Results

We found that for quiet standing, one‐leg standing, and walking tasks, postural sway decreased with age. Girls controlled their posture better than boys of the same age on all tasks. There was a significant sex difference in quiet standing for children aged 8–9 years. Furthermore, sex differences existed in one‐leg standing for children aged 5–11 years. A mild positive correlation was observed between static and dynamic balance.

Conclusions

The tri‐axial accelerometer is a useful quantitative tool for evaluating both static and dynamic balance function in children. Thus, it has the potential to be used clinically for diagnosis and rehabilitation.
Correlation between hyperglycemia and retinopathy of prematurity
Authors: Ahmadpour‐Kacho Mousa , Jashni Motlagh Alireza , Rasoulinejad Seyed Ahmad , Jahangir Tahereh , Bijani Ali , Zahed Pasha Yadollah
Published: May 2014

Background

Several risk factors are attributed to retinopathy of prematurity (ROP). This study was done to determine any association between hyperglycemia and ROP in premature infants.

Methods

In a retrospective case–control analysis, all infants with a gestational age (GA) < 34 weeks and a birthweight (BW) < 2000 g admitted and treated in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit at Amirkola Children's Hospital, Iran, during March 2007–September 2010 were included. Hyperglycemia was defined as a plasma glucose level of >150 mg/dL during the hospital stay. The duration of being hyperglycemic was also recorded. All of these neonates were examined for ROP by a retinologist unaware of group assignment. The difference in the ROP incidence and also the severity of ROP was compared between the hyperglycemic and non‐hyperglycemic infants. Matching was done for GA, BW, and also Clinical Risk Index for Babies score. The data were analyzed by t‐test, χ2‐test and logistic regression test and a P < 0.05 was considered significant.

Results

In total, 155 neonates were examined. Seventy (45.2%) of them developed ROP but 85 (54.8%) did not show any evidence of ROP. The frequency of hyperglycemia in patients with ROP was 33 (47.2%), but in those without ROP, hyperglycemia occurred in five (5.9%) (P = 0.0001). The severity of ROP showed no significant differences between the two groups (P = 0.35). The logistic regression for GA and BW showed a significant correlation between hyperglycemia and ROP (P = 0.0001).

Conclusions

Hyperglycemia is an important risk factor for ROP that can be prevented along with other risk factors by accurate supervision.
Recurrence of idiopathic focal segmental glomerulosclerosis after kidney transplantation: Experience of a Korean tertiary center
Authors: Lee Se Eun , Min Sang Il , Kim Yon Su , Ha JongWon , Ha Il‐ Soo , Cheong Hae Il , Kim Sang Joon , Choi Yong , Kang Hee Gyung
Published: May 2014

FSGS is the second most common cause of idiopathic NS in children. It often progresses to ESRD and commonly recurs after KT. To investigate the risk factors and the prognosis of recurrence in pediatric idiopathic FSGS in Korea, retrospective review of 43 KT in 38 children with idiopathic FSGS of last two decades was conducted. The patients presented at the median age of 5.1 yr (range 1.1–13.8 yr) and received KT 5.7 yr later (range 1.3–17.6 yr). FSGS recurred in 20 allografts immediately after transplantation, only in those who presented with NS but not in those who presented with AUA. The risk factors for recurrence were age of onset >5 yr and progression to ESRD within six yr but not sooner than 18 months. CR was achieved in 13 patients with FSGS recurrence and sustained in nine without subsequent relapse over a median of six and a half yr (0.6–20.7 yr). Pediatric idiopathic FSGS presenting with NS recurred in more than half of patients after transplantation. Interestingly, more rapid progression within less than 18 months did not predict recurrence. To identify high‐risk patients of recurrence, an international cooperative study would be necessary.
Gross hematuria as a sign of acute rejection
Authors: Winnicki Erica , Nguyen Stephanie , Butani Lavjay
Published: May 2014

In the contemporary era of potent immunosuppressive regimens, previously encountered signs of renal allograft rejection such as fever and hematuria are rarely encountered. We report a teenager with severe recurrent acute humoral and cellular rejection whose presenting feature was gross hematuria with the presence of blood clots in the urine. We want to highlight that severe rejection even in the setting of modern immunosuppressive drugs can present as gross hematuria. Contrary to conventional wisdom that gross hematuria with the presence of blood clots in the urine is indicative of pathology in the renal collecting system, a parenchymal disease process should also be considered in renal transplant recipients.
Hemorrhage requiring surgical intervention among children on pulsatile ventricular assist device support
Authors: Byrnes Jonathan W. , Frazier Elizabeth , Tang Xinyu , Eble Brian , McKamie Alyssa , Gomez Alberto , Imamura Michiaki , Prodhan Parthak
Published: May 2014

Bleeding complications are a source of morbidity after Berlin EXCOR VAD implantation yet remain poorly characterized. We evaluated our experience to describe the bleeding complications among pediatric VAD recipients. We hypothesized that those with bleeding requiring exploration had abnormal coagulation profile compared with those without bleeding. The retrospective study included 43 consecutive patients with end‐stage heart failure supported on pediatric mechanical cardiac support as a bridge to transplantation. Day‐/event‐based analysis on factors below associated with (i) bleeding and (ii) bleeding in next 48 h. Cases with bleeding were compared with day‐matched patients without bleeding complications. Among 43 subjects bleeding occurred in 47% of cases, which necessitated exploration or chest tube placement. Twenty of 34 interventions for bleeding occurred in the first seven post‐operative days. No differences in coagulation parameters or use of antiplatelet agents were noted among those who had bleeding vs. those who did not. Our results indicate that (i) re‐bleeding requiring re‐exploration was common, (ii) most of the bleeding occurred early post‐implantation, (iii) there were no differences in coagulation parameters or the use of antiplatelet agents within 48 h of bleeding compared with those who did not bleed on each successive post‐operative day.
Opportunism in Distribution Networks: The Role of Network Embeddedness and Dependence
Authors: Dong Maggie Chuoyan , Liu Zhiqiang , Yu Yimin , Zheng Jin‐Hui
Published: May 2014

Prior research documents the value of network relationships to firm behavior but is relatively silent on how networks influence opportunism in distribution channels. Focusing on a common type of distribution networks in which multiple distributors serve a single, dominant supplier, this study moves beyond a dyadic view to examine how a focal distributor's relational and structural embeddedness in such a distribution network influences its opportunism toward the dominant supplier. In particular, we postulate that a distributor's relational embeddedness in the network curbs its opportunism, whereas its network centrality, as a form of structural embeddedness in the network, promotes its opportunism. Moreover, we propose that relational embeddedness magnifies the role of a focal distributor's dependence on the supplier in suppressing the distributor's opportunism, whereas network centrality buffers such a role. We first empirically test these hypotheses using data collected from car dealers in China; the results provide support for the hypotheses. We then develop an analytical model to validate and further explain the underlying mechanisms of the network effects. Our analytical results not only validate the empirical results but also provide guidance for managers on controlling opportunism in distribution networks.
Linking Process Quality and Resource Usage: An Empirical Analysis
Authors: Andritsos Dimitrios A. , Tang Christopher S.
Published: May 2014

Motivated by an increasing adoption of evidence‐based medical guidelines in the delivery of medical care, we examine whether increased adherence to such guidelines (typically referred to as higher process quality) is associated with reduced resource usage in the course of patient treatment. In this study, we develop a sample of US hospitals and use cardiac care as our context to empirically examine our questions. To measure a patient's resource usage, we use the total length of stay, which includes any additional inpatient stay necessitated by unplanned readmissions within thirty days after initial hospitalization. We find evidence that higher process quality, and more specifically its clinical (as opposed to its administrative) dimensions, are associated with a reduction in resource usage. Moreover, the standardization of care that is achieved via the implementation of medical guidelines, makes this effect more pronounced in less focused environments: higher process quality is more beneficial when the cardiac department's patient population is distributed across a wider range of medical conditions. We explore the implications of these findings for process‐oriented pay‐for‐performance programs, which tie the reimbursement of hospitals to their adherence to evidence‐based medical guidelines.
Quality Risk Ratings in Global Supply Chains
Authors: Zhou Zach Zhizhong , Johnson M. Eric
Published: May 2014

Extended enterprises face many challenges in managing the product quality of their suppliers. Consequently characterizing the quality risk posed by value‐chain partners has become increasingly important. There have been several recent efforts to develop frameworks for rating the quality risk posed by suppliers. We develop an analytical model to examine the impact of such quality ratings on suppliers, manufacturers, and social welfare. While it might seem that quality ratings would benefit high‐quality suppliers and hurt low‐quality suppliers, we show that this is not always the case. We find that such quality ratings can hurt both types of suppliers or benefit both, depending on the market conditions. We also find that quality ratings do not always benefit the most demanding manufacturers who desire high‐quality suppliers. Finally, we find that social welfare is not always improved by risk ratings. These results suggest that public policy initiatives addressing risk ratings must be carefully considered.
Neoliberalism for the Common Good? Public Value Governance and the Downsizing of Democracy
Authors: Dahl Adam , Soss Joe
Published: May 2014

This article raises a set of cautions regarding public value governance along two dimensions. First, it questions the common claim that public value governance poses a direct challenge to the economistic logic of neoliberalism. Second, although public value is often presented as a democratizing agenda, leading works sidestep foundational questions of power and conflict and advance prescriptions that are at odds with important democratic values. Without attending to these problems, the public value concept risks producing a new variant of neoliberal rationality, extending and strengthening the de‐‐democratizing, market‐oriented project that its proponents seek to overturn.
Deprivation and the Dimensionality of Welfare: A Variable‐Selection Cluster‐Analysis Approach
Authors: Caruso Germán , Sosa‐Escudero Walter , Svarc Marcela
Published: May 2014

We approach the problems of measuring the dimensionality of welfare and that of identifying the multidimensionally poor, by first finding the poor using the original space of attributes, and then reducing the welfare space. The starting point is the notion that the “poor” constitutes a group of individuals that are essentially different from the “non‐poor” in a truly multidimensional framework. Once this group has been identified through a clustering procedure, we propose reducing the dimension of the original welfare space using recent blinding methods for variable selection. We implement our approach to the case of Latin America based on the Gallup World Poll, which contains ample information on many dimensions of welfare.
The Hunger of Old Women in Rural Tanzania: Can Subjective Data Improve Poverty Measurement?
Authors: Osberg Lars
Published: May 2014

On average, women in Tanzania are slightly less likely than men to say that they are “always/often without enough food to eat”—but this masks a much higher rate of self‐reported food deprivation among elderly rural women. Official Tanzanian poverty statistics are, however, based on a methodology which presumes equal sharing per equivalent adult within the household. This paper combines subjective and objective micro‐data from Tanzania's 2007 Household Budget Survey and 2007 Views of the People Survey. By imputing individual consumption based on the relative probability of self‐reported food deprivation, it provides an example of the possible importance of one type of intra‐household inequality—i.e., the hunger of old women—for poverty measurement. Implications include the complexity of gendered intra‐household inequality and the importance of “technical” poverty measurement choices for public policy priorities, such as old age pensions.
A universal protocol for the combined isolation of metabolites, DNA, long RNAs, small RNAs, and proteins from plants and microorganisms
Authors: Valledor Luis , Escandón Mónica , Meijón Mónica , Nukarinen Ella , Cañal María Jesús , Weckwerth Wolfram
Published: May 2014

Here, we describe a method for the combined metabolomic, proteomic, transcriptomic and genomic analysis from one single sample as a major step for multilevel data integration strategies in systems biology. While extracting proteins and DNA, this protocol also allows the separation of metabolites into polar and lipid fractions, as well as RNA fractionation into long and small RNAs, thus allowing a broad range of transcriptional studies. The isolated biomolecules are suitable for analysis with different methods that range from electrophoresis and blotting to state‐of‐the‐art procedures based on mass spectrometry (accurate metabolite profiling, shot‐gun proteomics) or massive sequencing technologies (transcript analysis). The low amount of starting tissue, its cost‐efficiency compared with the utilization of commercial kits, and its performance over a wide range of plant, microbial, and algal species such as Chlamydomonas, Arabidopsis, Populus, or Pinus, makes this method a universal alternative for multiple molecular isolation from plant tissues.
Glycosylinositol phosphorylceramides from Rosa cell cultures are boron‐bridged in the plasma membrane and form complexes with rhamnogalacturonan II
Authors: Voxeur Aline , Fry Stephen C.
Published: May 2014

Boron (B) is essential for plant cell‐wall structure and membrane functions. Compared with its role in cross‐linking the pectic domain rhamnogalacturonan II (RG‐II), little information is known about the biological role of B in membranes. Here, we investigated the involvement of glycosylinositol phosphorylceramides (GIPCs), major components of lipid rafts, in the membrane requirement for B. Using thin‐layer chromatography and mass spectrometry, we first characterized GIPCs from Rosa cell culture. The major GIPC has one hexose residue, one hexuronic acid residue, inositol phosphate, and a ceramide moiety with a C18 trihydroxylated mono‐unsaturated long‐chain base and a C24 monohydroxylated saturated fatty acid. Disrupting B bridging (by B starvation in vivo or by treatment with cold dilute HCl or with excess borate in vitro) enhanced the GIPCs' extractability. As RG‐II is the main B‐binding site in plants, we investigated whether it could form a B‐centred complex with GIPCs. Using high‐voltage paper electrophoresis, we showed that addition of GIPCs decreased the electrophoretic mobility of radiolabelled RG‐II, suggesting formation of a GIPC–B–RG‐II complex. Last, using polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis, we showed that added GIPCs facilitate RG‐II dimerization in vitro. We conclude that B plays a structural role in the plasma membrane. The disruption of membrane components by high borate may account for the phytotoxicity of excess B. Moreover, the in‐vitro formation of a GIPC–B–RG‐II complex gives the first molecular explanation of the wall–membrane attachment sites observed in vivo. Finally, our results suggest a role for GIPCs in the RG‐II dimerization process.
ABA signaling is necessary but not sufficient for RD29B transcriptional memory during successive dehydration stresses in Arabidopsis thaliana
Authors: Virlouvet Laetitia , Ding Yong , Fujii Hiroaki , Avramova Zoya , Fromm Michael
Published: May 2014

Plants subjected to a prior dehydration stress were seen to have altered transcriptional responses during a subsequent dehydration stress for up to 5 days after the initial stress. The abscisic acid (ABA) inducible RD29B gene of Arabidopsis thaliana was strongly induced after the first stress and displayed transcriptional memory with transcript levels nine‐fold higher during the second dehydration stress. These increased transcript levels were due to an increased rate of transcription and are associated with an altered chromatin template during the recovery interval between the dehydration stresses. Here we use a combination of promoter deletion/substitutions, mutants in the trans‐acting transcription factors and their upstream protein kinases, and treatments with exogenous ABA or dehydration stress to advance our understanding of the features required for transcriptional memory of RD29B. ABA Response Elements (ABREs) are sufficient to confer transcriptional memory on a minimal promoter, although there is a context effect from flanking sequences. Different mutations in Snf1 Related Protein Kinase 2 (SnRK2) genes positively and negatively affected the response, suggesting that this effect is important for transcriptional memory. Although exogenous ABA treatments could prime transcriptional memory, a second ABA treatment was not sufficient to activate transcriptional memory. Therefore, we concluded that transcriptional memory requires ABA and an ABA‐independent factor that is induced or activated by a subsequent dehydration stress and directly or indirectly results in a more active RD29B chromatin template. These results advance our knowledge of the cis‐ and trans‐acting factors that are required for transcriptional memory of RD29B.
Function and expression of sulfonylurea, adrenergic, and glucagon‐like peptide 1 receptors in isolated porcine islets
Authors: Kelly Amy C. , Steyn Leah V. , Kitzmann Jenna P. , Anderson Miranda J. , Mueller Kate R. , Hart Nathaniel J. , Lynch Ronald M. , Papas Klearchos K. , Limesand Sean W.
Published: May 2014

The scarcity of human cadaveric pancreata limits large‐scale application of islet transplantation for patients with diabetes. Islets isolated from pathogen‐free pigs provide an economical and abundant alternative source assuming immunologic barriers are appropriate. Membrane receptors involved in insulin secretion that also have potential as imaging targets were investigated in isolated porcine islets. Quantitative (q)PCR revealed that porcine islets express mRNA transcripts for sulfonylurea receptor 1 (Sur1), inward rectifying potassium channel (Kir6.2, associated with Sur1), glucagon‐like peptide 1 receptor (GLP1R), and adrenergic receptor alpha 2A (ADRα2A). Receptor function was assessed in static incubations with stimulatory glucose concentrations, and in the presence of receptor agonists. Glibenclamide, an anti‐diabetic sulfonylurea, and exendin‐4, a GLP‐1 mimetic, potentiated glucose‐stimulated insulin secretion >2‐fold. Conversely, epinephrine maximally reduced insulin secretion 72 ± 9% (P < 0.05) and had a half maximal inhibitory concentration of 60 nm in porcine islets (95% confidence interval of 45–830 nm). The epinephrine action was inhibited by the ADRα2A antagonist yohimbine. Our findings demonstrate that porcine islets express and are responsive to both stimulatory and inhibitory membrane localized receptors, which can be used as imaging targets after transplantation or to modify insulin secretion.
Aquaporin 3 knockdown suppresses tumour growth and angiogenesis in experimental non‐small cell lung cancer
Authors: Xia Hui , Ma Yong‐Fu , Yu Chang‐Hai , Li Ying‐Jie , Tang Jian , Li Jing‐Bo , Zhao Ying‐Nan , Liu Yang
Published: May 2014

New Findings

What is the central question of this study?

Aquaporins have been shown to play an important role in tumour development. It is not known whether short‐hairpin RNA targeting aquaporin 3 (AQP3) shows antitumour effects in experimental non‐small cell lung cancer (NSCLC).

What is the main finding and its importance?

Knockdown of AQP3 suppressed tumour growth and reduced angiogenesis in human NSCLS xenografts. Aquaporin 3 could thus be envisaged as a novel therapeutic target for NSCLC.

Non‐small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) is one of the most common diseases encountered in medical oncology practice. The aim of the present study was to test the antitumour effects of short‐hairpin RNA targeting aquaporin 3 (AQP3) in experimental NSCLC. Expression of AQP3 was suppressed in human A549 and H1299 NSCLC cell lines by short‐hairpin RNA‐mediated silencing. Therapeutic effects were assessed by examining tumorigenicity using a subcutaneous xenograft mouse model of NSCLC. Aquaporin 3 knockdown inhibited tumour growth and prolonged survival of mice with tumours. Aquaporin 3 knockdown suppressed tumour proliferation, marked by enhanced expression of p53, an increased ratio of cleaved caspase 3 to pro‐caspase 3 and reduced expression of proliferating cell nuclear antigen and B‐cell lymphoma‐2 (bcl‐2). Aquaporin 3 knockdown inhibited tumour angiogenesis, marked by decreased CD31 immunostaining and reduced expression of hypoxia‐inducible factor‐2α and vascular endothelial growth factor. Aquaporin 3 knockdown reduced cellular glycerol content and suppressed mitochondrial ATP formation. Aquaporin 3 knockdown in vitro significantly suppressed activities of matrix metalloproteinases MMP2 and MMP9, reduced AKT phosphorylation and decreased cell invasiveness of A549 and H1299 cells. In conclusion, AQP3 knockdown suppressed tumour growth and reduced angiogenesis in human NSCLS xenografts. Aquaporin 3 could thus be envisaged as a novel therapeutic target for NSCLC.
Performance Analysis of Oil Lubricated Foil Bearing With Flexible Supported Back Spring Structure—Part II: Comparison of Predictions and Measured Test Data
Authors: Zhang Guanghui , Liang Xie , Wang Yu , Liu Zhansheng
Published: May 2014

As described in Part I (Zhang et al., “Performance Analysis of Oil Lubricated Foil Bearing With Flexible Supported Back Spring Structure—Part I: Model Development and Numerical Investigation”, ASME J. Eng. Gas Turbines Power, 136(11), p. 112501), a new type of multileaf oil lubricated foil bearing with flexible supported back spring structure was proposed and the characteristics were obtained by theoretical analysis and numerical simulation. Until now, nearly no paper about the modeling method and experimental verification for this type foil bearing published. So it is necessary to study the performance of this kind bearing by experiments. The experimental rig for the static and dynamic characteristics of the bearing was installed and the experiments were carried out. The stiffness of the back supported spring was measured. By employing the dynamic coefficients identification algorithm for oil foil bearing, the data acquisition delay was compensated. The load capacity, stiffness coefficients and damping coefficients were obtained. The load capacity resulting from the experiment was coincided with the theoretical simulation well. The stiffness and damping coefficients from the experiments had the similar tendency with those from the theoretical analysis. The stiffness coefficients obtained from experiments were coincided well with the numerical simulation results, and the difference of damping coefficients was a little bigger.
Doing Topology Optimization Explicitly and Geometrically—A New Moving Morphable Components Based Framework
Authors: Guo Xu , Zhang Weisheng , Zhong Wenliang
Published: May 2014

In the present work, we intend to demonstrate how to do topology optimization in an explicit and geometrical way. To this end, a new computational framework for structural topology optimization based on the concept of moving morphable components is proposed. Compared with the traditional pixel or node point-based solution framework, the proposed solution paradigm can incorporate more geometry and mechanical information into topology optimization directly and therefore render the solution process more flexibility. It also has the great potential to reduce the computational burden associated with topology optimization substantially. Some representative examples are presented to illustrate the effectiveness of the proposed approach.