bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Statistics for Biologists
Authors: Campbell Richard Colin
Published: March 2013

This is the third edition of a successful textbook, now with material added to illustrate the potential of computers for biologists. It is a lucid introduction to the principles and more elementary techniques of statistical reasoning, particularly as they are relevant to the biologist. Special attention is paid to the validity and use of statistical procedures, the interpretation of results, and the meanings of the conclusions which can then be drawn. The understanding of statistical methods is aided by full explanations of how calculations are built up. A particular feature of this edition is the inclusion, of new material to demonstrate the potential usefulness of computers in biological statistical analysis and to this end computer analyses of a selection of the examples are presented, using several different statistical languages. The examples are designed to guide and encourage the biologist to pursue the use of these languages further. The book assumes no mathematical training and uses a minimum of jargon and symbolism. It will be useful to any biologist, student or research worker who needs an introduction to statistical procedures.
Software Testing
Authors: Singh Yogesh
Published: March 2013

Software testing is conducted to provide stakeholders with information about the quality of a product under testing. The book, which is a result of the two decades of teaching experience of the author, aims to present testing concepts and methods that can be used in practice. The text will help readers to learn how to find faults in software before it is made available to users. A judicious mix of software testing concepts, solved problems and real-life case studies makes the book ideal for a basic course in software testing. The book will be a useful resource for senior undergraduate/graduate students of engineering, academics, software practitioners and researchers.
Study of polygonal water bells: inertia-dominated thin-film flows over microtextured surfaces
Authors: Dressaire Emilie , Courbin Laurent , Delancy Adrian , Roper Marcus , Stone Howard A.
Published: March 2013

Microtextured surfaces are commonly used to study complex hydrodynamic phenomena such as spreading and splashing of liquid droplets. However, although surface topography is known to modify near-surface flow, there is no theory able to quantitatively predict the dramatic changes in dynamics of liquid spreading and splashing. Here, we investigate experimentally water bells formed on micropatterned surfaces in order to characterize the hydrodynamics of inertia-dominated flows through regular porous layers. Water bells are self-suspended catenary-shaped liquid films created when a jet impinges on a horizontal disc called an impactor. We show that the presence of micrometre-sized posts regularly arranged on the impactor results in a decrease of the water bell radius and the loss of axisymmetry as open water bells adopt polygonal shapes. We introduce a simple model that captures the main features of the inertia-dominated flow and reveals the role of the hydrodynamic interactions between neighbouring posts. In addition to their applications for tunable jet atomization, these polygonal sheets provide a paradigmatic system for understanding inertia-dominated flow in porous media.
High-Resolution Steady-State Cerebral Blood Volume Maps in Patients with Central Nervous System Neoplasms Using Ferumoxytol, a Superparamagnetic Iron Oxide Nanoparticle
Authors: Varallyay Csanad G , Nesbit Eric , Fu Rongwei , Gahramanov Seymur , Moloney Brendan , Earl Eric , Muldoon Leslie L , Li Xin , Rooney William D , Neuwelt Edward A
Published: March 2013

Cerebral blood volume (CBV) measurement complements conventional magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) to indicate pathologies in the central nervous system (CNS). Dynamic susceptibility contrast (DSC) perfusion imaging is limited by low resolution and distortion. Steady-state (SS) imaging may provide higher resolution CBV maps but was not previously possible in patients. We tested the feasibility of clinical SS-CBV measurement using ferumoxytol, a nanoparticle blood pool contrast agent. SS-CBV measurement was analyzed at various ferumoxytol doses and compared with DSC-CBV using gadoteridol. Ninety nine two-day MRI studies were acquired in 65 patients with CNS pathologies. The SS-CBV maps showed improved contrast to noise ratios, decreased motion artifacts at increasing ferumoxytol doses. Relative CBV (rCBV) values obtained in the thalamus and tumor regions indicated good consistency between the DSC and SS techniques when the higher dose (510 mg) ferumoxytol was used. The SS-CBV maps are feasible using ferumoxytol in a clinical dose of 510 mg, providing higher resolution images with comparable rCBV values to the DSC technique. Physiologic imaging using nanoparticles will be beneficial in visualizing CNS pathologies with high vascularity that may or may not correspond with blood–brain barrier abnormalities.
On the Normalization of Cerebral Blood Flow
Authors: Guibert Romain , Fonta Caroline , Estève François , Plouraboué Franck
Published: March 2013

Cerebral blood flow (CBF) is the most common parameter for the quantification of brain's function. Literature data indicate a widespread dispersion of values that might be related to some differences in the measurement conditions that are not properly taken into account in CBF evaluation. Using recent high-resolution imaging of the complete cortical microvasculature of primate brain, we perform extensive numerical evaluation of the cerebral perfusion. We show that blood perfusion associated with intravascular tracers should be normalized by the surface of the voxel rather than by its volume and we consistently test this result on the available literature data.
BAK activation is necessary and sufficient to drive ceramide synthase-dependent ceramide accumulation following inhibition of BCL2-like proteins
Authors: Beverly Levi J. , Howell Lauren A. , Hernandez-Corbacho Maria , Casson Lavona , Chipuk Jerry E. , Siskind Leah J.
Published: March 2013

Determining mechanistic details about how drugs kill cancer cells is critical for predicting which cancers will respond to given therapeutic regimens and for identifying effective combinations of drugs that more potently kill cancer cells while sparing normal cells. The BCL2 family of proteins and bioactive sphingolipids are intricately linked during apoptotic cell death. In fact, many chemotherapeutic drugs are known to cause accumulation of the pro-apoptotic sphingolipid ceramide; however, the mechanism by which this occurs is not completely understood. In the present study we demonstrate that direct inhibition of anti-apoptotic BCL2 proteins with ABT-263 is sufficient to induce C16-ceramide synthesis in multiple cell lines, including human leukaemia and myeloma cells. ABT-263 activates CerS (ceramide synthase) activity only in cells expressing BAK or in cells capable of activating BAK. Importantly, recombinant BAK is sufficient to increase in vitro CerS activity in microsomes purified from Bak-KO (knockout) cells and activated BAK more potently activates CerS than inactive BAK. Likewise, ABT-263 addition to wild-type, but not Bak-deficient, microsomes increases CerS in vitro activity. Furthermore, we present a feed-forward model by which BAK activation of CerS by chemotherapeutic drugs leads to elevated ceramide levels that result in synergistic channel formation by ceramide (or one of its metabolites) and BAX/BAK.
Specific channels for electron energy dissipation in the adsorbed system
Authors: Cholach Alexander , Tapilin Vladimir
Published: March 2013

Elastic electron scattering by the adsorbate covered Pt(100) single crystal surface and density of states (DOS) calculations highlight two peculiar channels for the primary electron energy consumption via the conventional threshold core level excitation coupled with particular electron transitions. The first channel affects the substrate atoms and implies Pt DOS shake-off and shake-up transitions and multiple plasmon excitations; the second one includes shake-off processes in the adsorbed layer and enables the valence state structure of the adsorbed species. The mechanism of electron transitions assumes that one-dimensional DOS at the vacuum level, in addition to vacant DOS at the Fermi level, is an active spot for allocation of excited electrons. The observed phenomena are supposed to be the general regularity of electron-solid interaction and a useful tool for fingerprinting the adsorbed layer at molecular level.
Measurement of ionization in direct frequency comb spectroscopy
Authors: Lomsadze B. , Fehrenbach C. W. , DePaola B. D.
Published: March 2013

Direct frequency comb spectroscopy is currently one of the most precise techniques for studying the internal structure of atomic and molecular systems. In this technique, a train of ultrafast laser pulses excites states in the target system which then relax, emitting fluorescence. The measured fluorescence is then plotted as a function of the comb parameters. But according to recent theory, the ultrashort pulses from the comb laser can also significantly ionize the target. Here, we test this theory by measuring the ion signal from direct frequency comb spectroscopy. Furthermore, instead of actively controlling the frequency comb parameters, we allow them to drift passively, measuring them and the ion signal simultaneously. The experiments were found to be in satisfactory agreement with theory, and the passive comb approach was found to be functional, though not as convenient as the conventional actively locked comb.
A hybrid-exchange density functional study of Ca-doped LaMnO3
Authors: Korotana R. , Mallia G. , Gercsi Z. , Harrison N. M.
Published: March 2013

In this work, hybrid-exchange density functional theory calculations are carried out to determine the effects of A-site doping on the electronic and magnetic properties of the manganite series La1−xCaxMnO3. This study focuses on the nature of the ground state for an ordered Ca distribution. We show that the hybrid exchange functional, B3LYP, provides an accurate and consistent description of the electronic structure for LaMnO3 and La0.75Ca0.25MnO3. The magnetic ground states for the compositions studied are predicted correctly and comparisons have been made to available experimental data. This provides a basis for a first principles description of the magnetocaloric effect in La1−xCaxMnO3.
Review article: Fabrication of nanofluidic devices
Authors: Duan Chuanhua , Wang Wei , Xie Quan
Published: March 2013

Thanks to its unique features at the nanoscale, nanofluidics, the study and application of fluid flow in nanochannels/nanopores with at least one characteristic size smaller than 100 nm, has enabled the occurrence of many interesting transport phenomena and has shown great potential in both bio- and energy-related fields. The unprecedented growth of this research field is apparently attributed to the rapid development of micro/nanofabrication techniques. In this review, we summarize recent activities and achievements of nanofabrication for nanofluidic devices, especially those reported in the past four years. Three major nanofabrication strategies, including nanolithography, microelectromechanical system based techniques, and methods using various nanomaterials, are introduced with specific fabrication approaches. Other unconventional fabrication attempts which utilize special polymer properties, various microfabrication failure mechanisms, and macro/microscale machining techniques are also presented. Based on these fabrication techniques, an inclusive guideline for materials and processes selection in the preparation of nanofluidic devices is provided. Finally, technical challenges along with possible opportunities in the present nanofabrication for nanofluidic study are discussed.
Detection of low-concentration superparamagnetic nanoparticles using an integrated radio frequency magnetic biosensor
Authors: Devkota J. , Wang C. , Ruiz A. , Mohapatra S. , Mukherjee P. , Srikanth H. , Phan M. H.
Published: March 2013

Improving the sensitivity of existing biosensors for highly sensitive detection of magnetic nanoparticles as biomarkers in biological systems is an important and challenging task. Here, we propose a method of combining the magneto-resistance (MR), magneto-reactance (MX), and magneto-impedance (MI) effects to develop an integrated magnetic biosensor with tunable and enhanced sensitivity. A systematic study of the 7 nm Fe3O4 nanoparticle concentration dependence of MR, MX, and MI ratios of a soft ferromagnetic amorphous ribbon shows that these ratios first increase sharply with increase in particle concentration (0–124 nM) and then remain almost unchanged for higher concentrations (124 nM–1240 nM). The MX-based biosensor shows the highest sensitivity. With this biosensor, ∼2.1 × 1011 7 nm Fe3O4 nanoparticles can be detected over a detection area of 2.0 × 105 μm2, which is comparable to a superconducting quantum interference device biosensor that detects the presence of ∼1 × 108 11 nm Fe3O4 nanoparticles over a detection area of 6.8 × 104 μm2. The proposed biosensor can detect low and various concentrations of superparamagnetic nanoparticles (below 10 nm in size), which is of practical importance in biosensing applications.
Silicon knife-edge taper waveguide for ultralow-loss spot-size converter fabricated by photolithography
Authors: Takei R. , Suzuki M. , Omoda E. , Manako S. , Kamei T. , Mori M. , Sakakibara Y.
Published: March 2013

For ultralow-loss and polarization-insensitive spot-size converters (SSCs) on a silicon platform, we propose and demonstrate a silicon knife-edge taper waveguide with a gradual decrease in height as well as width toward the taper end. The taper was fabricated using a double-patterning method involving i-line stepper photolithography and angled sidewall dry-etching. The SSC, with the knife-edge taper covered with a polymer secondary core, exhibited mode conversion losses of 0.35 and 0.21 dB for transverse electric-like and transverse magnetic-like modes, respectively.
Main parameters influencing present solar electricity costs and their evolution (2012–2050)
Authors: Hernández-Moro J. , Martínez-Duart J. M. , Guerrero-Lemus R.
Published: March 2013

A mathematical model has been developed for the calculation of the future evolution of solar electricity costs, which is mainly based on the predicted cumulative installed power between 2012 and 2050. The model can be applied to both photovoltaic (PV) and concentrating solar power (CSP) technologies. According to our model, the equation giving the yearly cost evolution of the electricity depends on several input variables, among them are the cumulative installed capacity q(t), the solar resource, the cost of the systems, operation and maintenance costs, learning rate, lifetime of the systems, financial discount rates, etc. The specific values of q(t) are taken from the two main roadmaps contemplated by the International Energy Agency (IEA): the 2008 BLUE Maps for PV and CSP, and the 2010 Technology Roadmaps for PV and CSP. An important contribution of our model is that the results calculated for the evolution of costs, as well as the years in which grid parities are reached, show a significant dependence, not only on the particular values of q(t) in the targeted years but also on the specific curved time-paths followed in the q(t) vs t plane. Since our model calculates the cost evolution by means of a closed equation, it allows to directly plot the future yearly evolution of the cost of the electricity for any value of the independent variables.
Electrical stability enhancement of the amorphous In-Ga-Zn-O thin film transistor by formation of Au nanoparticles on the back-channel surface
Authors: Cho Byungsu , Lee Jaesang , Seo Hyungtak , Jeon Hyeongtag
Published: March 2013

We demonstrate a significant improvement in various electrical instabilities of amorphous indium gallium zinc oxide (a-IGZO) thin film transistor (TFT) by implanting Au nanoparticles (NPs) on the a-IGZO back-channel. This TFT showed the enhanced stability of threshold voltage (Vth) under ambient humidity, illumination stress, and a-IGZO thickness variation tests. Application of back-channel Au NPs to a-IGZO TFT is regarded to control the surface potential, to lead reversible carrier trap/injection, and to increase incident UV light absorption by local surface plasmon. Au NPs are formed by e-beam evaporation, and therefore, this technique can be applicable to the TFT manufacturing process.
PAPPA2 is increased in severe early onset pre-eclampsia and upregulated with hypoxia
Authors: Macintire Kate , Tuohey Laura , Ye Louie , Palmer Kirsten , Gantier Michael , Tong Stephen , Kaitu'u-Lino Tu'uhevaha J.
Published: March 2013

Severe early onset pre-eclampsia is a serious pregnancy complication, believed to arise as a result of persistent placental hypoxia due to impaired placentation. Pregnancy-associated plasma protein A2 (PAPPA2) is very highly expressed in the placenta relative to all other tissues. There is some evidence that PAPPA2 mRNA and protein are increased in association with pre-eclampsia. The aim of the present study was to characterise the mRNA and protein expression, as well as localisation, of PAPPA2 in an independent cohort of severe early onset pre-eclamptic placentas. We also examined whether exposing placental explants to hypoxia (1% oxygen) changed the expression of PAPPA2. Expression of PAPPA2 mRNA and protein was upregulated in severe early onset pre-eclamptic placentas compared with preterm controls and localised to the syncytiotrophoblast. Interestingly, protein localisation was markedly reduced in term placenta. Syncytialisation of BeWo cells did not change PAPPA2 expression. However, hypoxia upregulated PAPPA2 mRNA and protein expression in primary placental explants. Together, our data suggest that PAPPA2 may be upregulated in severe pre-eclampsia and, functionally, this may be mediated via increased placental hypoxia known to occur with this pregnancy disorder.
Identification of a pharmacologically tractable Fra-1/ADORA2B axis promoting breast cancer metastasis
Authors: Desmet Christophe J. , Gallenne Tristan , Prieur Alexandre , Reyal Fabien , Visser Nils L. , Wittner Ben S. , Smit Marjon A. , Geiger Thomas R. , Laoukili Jamila , Iskit Sedef , Rodenko Boris , Zwart Wilbert , Evers Bastiaan , Horlings Hugo , Ajouaou Abderrahrim , Zevenhoven John , van Vliet Martin , Ramaswamy Sridhar , Wessels Lodewyk F. A. , Peeper Daniel S.
Published: March 2013

Metastasis confronts clinicians with two major challenges: estimating the patient's risk of metastasis and identifying therapeutic targets. Because they are key signal integrators connecting cellular processes to clinical outcome, we aimed to identify transcriptional nodes regulating cancer cell metastasis. Using rodent xenograft models that we previously developed, we identified the transcription factor Fos-related antigen-1 (Fra-1) as a key coordinator of metastasis. Because Fra-1 often is overexpressed in human metastatic breast cancers and has been shown to control their invasive potential in vitro, we aimed to assess the implication and prognostic significance of the Fra-1–dependent genetic program in breast cancer metastasis and to identify potential Fra-1–dependent therapeutic targets. In several in vivo assays in mice, we demonstrate that stable RNAi depletion of Fra-1 from human breast cancer cells strongly suppresses their ability to metastasize. These results support a clinically important role for Fra-1 and the genetic program it controls. We show that a Fra-1–dependent gene-expression signature accurately predicts recurrence of breast cancer. Furthermore, a synthetic lethal drug screen revealed that antagonists of the adenosine receptor A
2B
(ADORA2B) are preferentially toxic to breast tumor cells expressing Fra-1. Both RNAi silencing and pharmacologic blockade of ADORA2B inhibited filopodia formation and invasive activity of breast cancer cells and correspondingly reduced tumor outgrowth in the lungs. These data show that Fra-1 activity is causally involved in and is a prognostic indicator of breast cancer metastasis. They suggest that Fra-1 activity predicts responsiveness to inhibition of pharmacologically tractable targets, such as ADORA2B, which may be used for clinical interference of metastatic breast cancer.
Digital Inequality
Authors: Hargittai Eszter , Hsieh Yuli Patrick
Published: March 2013

This chapter investigates the research on inequalities in society, and also considers the digital inequality beyond overly simplistic conceptions of access to technologies. Additionally, it describes how people's background characteristics relate to their web-use skills and what they do online. The social implications of differentiated Internet uses are covered. The theoretical perspectives presented point out various forms of inequality associated with information and communications technology (ICT) uses, and explore both the causes and consequences of digital inequalities from various research fields and traditions. It is noted that skills are not randomly distributed across the population, and that the social context of use refers to how people integrate digital media into their lives. Different types of online activities may have divergent implications for varying aspects of social capital. There are three possible outcomes of widespread digital media uses when it comes to social inequality.
Government and the Internet: Evolving Technologies, Enduring Research Themes
Authors: Henman Paul
Published: March 2013

This chapter addresses the research on governmental use of Internet and related digital information and communication technologies, a domain known as ‘e-Government’, and reviews the key concepts of e-Government. Next, it deals with the prehistory and evolution of Internet government, stressing the idea of developmental stages of online government and associated rankings. There is a progressive increase in e-Government sophistication. E-Government research in developing countries emphasises the very different economic, technological, and socio-cultural settings in which government operates, and has variously impacted public administration. Successful use of Web 2.0 technologies in e-participation in service delivery is apparent in the use of citizen feedback on local government services. In general, e-Government is a growing multidisciplinary field of study, with a distinct history to the broader church of Internet Studies. However, there are clear connections, overlaps, and similarities.
Sikh Traditions and Violence
Authors: Mahmood Cynthia Keppley
Published: March 2013

This chapter, which deals with the Sikh tradition within the context of the shifting sands of India's religious history, also discusses the reverence for certain Sikh gurus as being linked with martyrdom and violence, and relates this history of religious violence to the militant drive for a Sikh homeland—Khalistan—in recent decades. Sikhism is among the youngest of the global religions. The struggle for Khalistan was a resistance movement against the perceived injustices of the Indian state and a political movement aimed at sovereign rule, but it also provided an existential means of being a Sikh, independently of secular instrumental political goals. A conflation of “militancy” with “violence” in the Sikh tradition has resulted in a widespread misunderstanding of Sikhi in the modern world, has added to the unfortunate “Sikhs as terrorists” propaganda, and has distorted the theological message of the tradition. Many Sikhs have turned to their Holy Book to try to figure out when the kirpan is to be appropriately returned to its sheath.
African Traditional Religion and Violence
Authors: Wlodarczyk Nathalie
Published: March 2013

This chapter analyzes a wide range of African customs and legends. It demonstrates that African traditional religion offers notions of a thriving spirit world which provides “sacred warriors” ritualized protections and martial enhancements when defense of community is urgent. African traditional religion remains primarily an African phenomenon and, as a result, is tightly associated with the cultures and realities of the continent. The role of religion in motivating violence and its role in carrying out the violence are addressed. The Lord's Resistance Army has revealed that a spiritual agenda and rhetoric is not enough to win the support of the people. A proliferation of news stories and images from across Africa of persecuted albino communities, victims of ritual sacrifice or magically empowered rebels might give the impression that traditional religion and violence are more intertwined than ever.
The Religious Problem of Evil
Authors: Aho James
Published: March 2013

This chapter provides some of the answers as to how evil is experienced and why it exists. Evil explodes into the everyday world unasked and unwelcome, and has little underlying meaning other than in relation to culturally contrived notions of orderliness, goodliness, or legality. Three major reasons or rhetorics are routinely raised by evil-doers when called upon to account for their acts: arguments from affect, from custom, and from rationality. Human evil is always “reasonable” even if it seems at first glance to be crazy. Mankind becomes the occasion of evil; not out of craven malignity, but out of a yearning to triumph over evil. Albert Camus reported on the human response to “plague,” a metaphor for the evils he had just witnessed during the Second World War. However, he failed to determine exactly what a disillusioned grappling with evil might mean.
Just War and Legal Restraints
Authors: Kelsay John
Published: March 2013

This chapter offers an older notion of just war, particularly as it developed in relation to the changing place of Christianity in Europe and North America. The just war idea presents a way of thinking in which war itself is a kind of restraint. The norms of positive international law are determined with the hope that an appropriate set of institutions might transcend and thus govern the behavior of sovereign states, imposing the rule of law in cases where sovereign states (and their rulers) violate those norms intended “to save succeeding generations from the scourge of war.” The universality of norms is a project to be obtained by means of negotiation among sovereign states. The outline of just war presented reveals that the idea is a moving target, in which changes reflect the dynamic nature of social and political institutions.
Conflicts over Sacred Ground
Authors: Hassner Ron E.
Published: March 2013

This chapter argues that contested sacred sites pose indivisibility challenges which can drive even natural religious allies into violent conflict, and also outlines the multiple roots of conflicts over sacred sites based on the type of objective at stake: legitimacy, security, or profit. It then turns to investigate several aspects that characterize these disputes, regardless of cause. Sacred sites cannot be shared to the satisfaction of all parties involved. The characteristics of disputes over sacred places include cohesion, boundaries, and value. Leaders have pursued three primary strategies in order to avoid bloodshed: partition, scheduling, and exclusion. These approaches develop tensions that threaten to burst as soon as one of the claimants perceives a change in the balance of power. Religious leaders can introduce flexibility into the rules governing holy places and add a measure of harmony to contests over holy sites.
Violent Death in Religious Imagination
Authors: Kitts Margo
Published: March 2013

This chapter reviews the selected religious myths of violent death under three rubrics: when death is primordially wrong; when violent death is cosmically right; and when violent death, particularly in the form of suicide, is enshrined as martyrdom. A brief speculation on religious imagination and its peculiar obsessions is given. There are few themes in religious studies that justify a sweeping overview, but violent death is recurrent enough to be one of them. The biblical Chaoskampf theme needs death, rescue, and restoration. Two motifs that illustrate the violent deaths are the dema and the Chaoskampf. The first focuses on the victim, the other on the victor. The spectacle of violent death has concentrated individuals and mobs across traditions. Although the examples presented consider the mythology of violent death, the ritualistic display of violent death could have been treated in equal breadth.
Religion and Violence from a Psychological Perspective
Authors: Jones James W.
Published: March 2013

This chapter summarizes some of the methods and findings in religion and violence from a psychological perspective, reviewing Stanley Milgram's obedience to authority and Philip Zimbardo's prison experiment. There are important differences between Milgrim's and Zimbardo's experimental conditions and contemporary campaigns of religious terrorism. The theory of the origins of violence by Heinz Kohut highlights the role of a person's sense of self and any threats to it. It is indicated that universal religious themes such as purification or the search for reunion with the source of life or the longing for personal meaning and transformation can become colligated into destructive psychological motivations. The combination of powerful psychological motivations with profound spiritual desires gives the rhetoric of religious violence its appeal and power.
Religion and Violence from Christian Theological Perspectives
Authors: Kimball Charles
Published: March 2013

This chapter reviews the movement from pacifism to Just War and Crusade. It also tries to demonstrate the ways prominent Catholic and Protestant leaders have harshly used violent measures within their communities, and determines contemporary manifestations of these three approaches among twenty-first-century Christians. The Crusades constitute the third type of response to war and peace among Christians, joining the ongoing Just War and pacifist traditions. The Inquisition within the Catholic Church and the city-state of Geneva under John Calvin's leadership within the emerging Protestant movement are elaborated. These examples show how pervasive the use of violence in the name of religion had become. The Just Peacemaking Paradigm is the alternative to pacifism and Just War theory, an effort that tries to change the focus to initiatives which can help prevent war and foster peace.
Rheological Hardness Index for Assessing Hardness of Hexaploids and Durums
Authors: Haraszi Réka , Juhász Angela , Sissons Mike , Rakszegi Mariann , Tamás Laszlo , Anderssen Robert S.
Published: March 2013

Kernel hardness of cereal grains is a fundamental phenotype, and various protocols for its characterization have been proposed. Although, from different perspectives, each has proved useful, these methods do not directly address the rheological (fracturing) response of a grain when subjected to compression. Such information is hidden in the individual crush response profiles (iCRPs) obtained by measuring the response of individual grains to crushing on an SKCS 4100 device. Here, the appropriateness and utility of rheological phenotypes, based on single‐kernel measurements, are demonstrated by proposing and validating a new wheat grain hardness phenotype, the rheological hardness index (RHI). It is defined in terms of the rheological phenotype phases (RPPs) of the averaged CRPs (aCRPs) obtained by averaging a large number of iCRPs. The utility of RHI is illustrated by showing how it provides improved insight about the differences in brittleness and compactness of grains from different wheat varieties. This investigation highlights the opportunity that the RPP of the aCRPs represent for obtaining specific quantitative phenotypes for the study of hardness in cereal grains. In particular, successful plant breeding relies on segregating a breeding population into appropriate end‐use categories, for which RHI has a potential role to play.
Recurrent functional divergence of early tetrapod keratins in amphibian toe pads and mammalian hair
Authors: Vandebergh Wim , Maex Margo , Bossuyt Franky , Van Bocxlaer Ines
Published: March 2013

Amphibians have invaded arboreal habitats multiple times independently during their evolution. Adaptation to these habitats was nearly always accompanied by the presence or appearance of toe pads, flattened enlargements on tips of fingers and toes that provide adhesive power in these environments. The strength and elasticity of the toe pad relies on polygonal arrayed cells ending in nanoscale projections, which are densely packed with cytoskeletal proteins. Here, we characterized and determined the evolutionary origin of these proteins in the toe pad of the tree frogHyla cinerea. We created a subtracted cDNA library enriching genes that are expressed in the toe pad, but nowhere else in the toe. Our analyses revealed five alpha keratins as main structural proteins of the amphibian toe pad. Phylogenetic analyses show that these proteins belong to different keratin lineages that originated in an early tetrapod ancestor and in mammals evolved to become the major keratin types of hair. The ancestral keratins were probably already expressed in areas that required skin reinforcement in early tetrapods, and subsequently diverged to support fundamentally different adaptive structures in amphibians and mammals.
Hypoxia tolerance of common sole juveniles depends on dietary regime and temperature at the larval stage: evidence for environmental conditioning
Authors: Zambonino-Infante José L. , Claireaux Guy , Ernande Bruno , Jolivet Aurélie , Quazuguel Patrick , Sévère Armelle , Huelvan Christine , Mazurais David
Published: March 2013

An individual's environmental history may have delayed effects on its physiology and life history at later stages in life because of irreversible plastic responses of early ontogenesis to environmental conditions. We chose a marine fish, the common sole, as a model species to study these effects, because it inhabits shallow marine areas highly exposed to environmental changes. We tested whether temperature and trophic conditions experienced during the larval stage had delayed effects on life-history traits and resistance to hypoxia at the juvenile stage. We thus examined the combined effect of global warming and hypoxia in coastal waters, which are potential stressors to many estuarine and coastal marine fishes. Elevated temperature and better trophic conditions had a positive effect on larval growth and developmental rates; warmer larval temperature had a delayed positive effect on body mass and resistance to hypoxia at the juvenile stage. The latter suggests a lower oxygen demand of individuals that had experienced elevated temperatures during larval stages. We hypothesize that an irreversible plastic response to temperature occurred during early ontogeny that allowed adaptive regulation of metabolic rates and/or oxygen demand with long-lasting effects. These results could deeply affect predictions about impacts of global warming and eutrophication on marine organisms.
Invaders of pollination networks in the Galápagos Islands: emergence of novel communities
Authors: Traveset Anna , Heleno Ruben , Chamorro Susana , Vargas Pablo , McMullen Conley K. , Castro-Urgal Rocío , Nogales Manuel , Herrera Henri W. , Olesen Jens M.
Published: March 2013

The unique biodiversity of most oceanic archipelagos is currently threatened by the introduction of alien species that can displace native biota, disrupt native ecological interactions, and profoundly affect community structure and stability. We investigated the threat of aliens on pollination networks in the species-rich lowlands of five Galápagos Islands. Twenty per cent of all species (60 plants and 220 pollinators) in the pooled network were aliens, being involved in 38 per cent of the interactions. Most aliens were insects, especially dipterans (36%), hymenopterans (30%) and lepidopterans (14%). These alien insects had more links than either endemic pollinators or non-endemic natives, some even acting as island hubs. Aliens linked mostly to generalized species, increasing nestedness and thus network stability. Moreover, they infiltrated all seven connected modules (determined by geographical and phylogenetic constraints) of the overall network, representing around 30 per cent of species in two of them. An astonishingly high proportion (38%) of connectors, which enhance network cohesiveness, was also alien. Results indicate that the structure of these emergent novel communities might become more resistant to certain type of disturbances (e.g. species loss), while being more vulnerable to others (e.g. spread of a disease). Such notable changes in network structure as invasions progress are expected to have important consequences for native biodiversity maintenance.
Fe2(SO4)3·H2SO4·28H2O, a low-temperature water-rich iron(III) sulfate
Authors: Schmidt Horst , Hennings Erik , Zürner Philipp , Voigt Wolfgang
Published: March 2013

The title compound, diiron(III) trisulfate–sulfuric acid–water (1/1/28), has been prepared at temperatures between 235 and 239 K from acid solutions of Fe2(SO4)3. Studies of the compound at 100 and 200 K are reported. The analysis reveals the structural features of an alum, (H5O2)Fe(SO4)2·12H2O. The Fe(H2O)6unit is located on a centre of inversion at ({1 \over 2}, 0, {1 \over 2}), while the H5O2+cation is located about an inversion centre at ({1 \over 2}, {1 \over 2}, {1 \over 2}). The compound thus represents the first oxonium alum, although the unit cell is orthorhombic.
Di(phenylpropylamino)gossypol: a derivative of the dimeric natural product gossypol
Authors: Zelaya Carlos A. , Stevens Edwin D. , Dowd Michael K.
Published: March 2013

Di(phenylpropylamino)gossypol [systematic name: 2,2′-bis{1,6-dihydroxy-5-isopropyl-8-[(3-phenylpropylamino)methylidene]naphthalen-7-one}, C48H52N2O6, was formed by reaction of the dimeric natural product gossypol with 3-phenylpropylamine. The structure of this compound has its two naphthalene ring systems oriented approximately perpendicular to each other, and the two pendant phenylpropyl groups have different conformations. One of these side groups is considerably disordered at room temperature but less so at 120 K. The enantiomeric molecules form centrosymmetric dimers that are supported by intermolecular hydrogen bonds and by hydrophobic interactions between a pair of naphthalene rings. Two additional hydrogen bonds tie the dimer pairs into layers. Unlike gossypol and many gossypol Schiff base derivatives, the title compound crystallizes without the inclusion of solvent, which appears to occur because of the size and flexibility of its phenylpropyl pendent groups.
The inferior prognosis of adolescents with acute lymphoblastic leukaemia (ALL) is caused by a higher rate of treatment‐related mortality and not an increased relapse rate – a population‐based analysis of 25 years of the Austrian ALL‐BFM (Berlin‐Frankfurt‐Münster) Study Group
Authors: Pichler Herbert , Reismüller Bettina , Steiner Manuel , Dworzak Michael N. , Pötschger Ulrike , Urban Christian , Meister Bernhard , Schmitt Klaus , Panzer‐Grümayer Renate , Haas Oskar A. , Attarbaschi Andishe , Mann Georg ,   the Austrian ALL‐BFM (Berlin‐Frankfurt‐Münster) Study Group
Published: March 2013

Adolescents aged 15–18 years with acute lymphoblastic leukaemia (ALL) have been historically reported to have a poorer prognosis than younger children. We retrospectively analysed the characteristics and outcome of 67 adolescents included in a population‐based series of 1125 non‐infant cases that were enrolled into four Austrian ALL‐BFM (Berlin‐Frankfurt‐Münster) multicentre trials at paediatric institutions within a 25‐year period. Five‐year event‐free survival (EFS) and overall survival (OS) were 66 ± 6% and 76 ± 5% respectively, and thus lower than in younger children (83 ± 1%, 91 ± 1%; P < 0·001). This was not due to an increased cumulative incidence of relapse (CIR) (5‐year CIR: 19 ± 5% vs. 13 ± 1%; P = 0·284), but due to an increased incidence of treatment‐related death [5‐year cumulative incidence of death (CID): 15 ± 4% vs. 3 ± 0%; P < 0·001] as a first event. Furthermore, while 44/67 (66%) non‐high‐risk adolescents had favourable 5‐year EFS and OS rates (76 ± 7%, 89 ± 5%), 18/67 (27%) high‐risk adolescents had an inferior outcome (5‐year EFS: 56 ± 12%, OS 61 ± 11%, P < 0·05). Among the latter patients the CID was significantly higher than in younger high‐risk children (22 ± 10% vs. 6 ± 2%; P = 0·020). Given that adolescent age is an independent risk factor for death as a first event, this specific age group may need particular vigilance when receiving intense BFM‐type chemotherapy, as relapse‐free survival is similar to younger children.
Molecular characterization of 39 de novosSMC: contribution to prognosis and genetic counselling, a prospective study
Authors: Marle N. , Martinet D. , Aboura A. , Joly‐Helas G. , Andrieux J. , Flori E. , Puechberty J. , Vialard F. , Sanlaville D. , Fert Ferrer S. , Bourrouillou G. , Tabet A.C. , Quilichini B. , Simon‐Bouy B. , Bazin A. , Becker M. , Stora H. , Amblard S. , Doco‐Fenzy M. , Molina Gomes D. , Girard‐Lemaire F. , Cordier M.P. , Satre V. , Schneider A. , Lemeur N. , Chambon P. , Jacquemont S. , Fellmann F. , Vigouroux‐Castera A. , Molignier R. , Delaye A. , Pipiras E. , Liquier A. , Rousseau T. , Mosca A.L. , Kremer V. , Payet M. , Rangon C. , Mugneret F. , Aho S. , Faivre L. , Callier P.
Published: March 2013

Small supernumerary marker chromosomes (sSMCs) are structurally abnormal chromosomes that cannot be characterized by karyotype. In many prenatal cases of de novo sSMC, the outcome of pregnancy is difficult to predict because the euchromatin content is unclear. This study aimed to determine the presence or absence of euchromatin material of 39 de novo prenatally ascertained sSMC by array‐comparative genomic hybridization (array‐CGH) or single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) array. Cases were prospectively ascertained from the study of 65,000 prenatal samples [0.060%; 95% confidence interval (CI), 0.042–0.082]. Array‐CGH showed that 22 markers were derived from non‐acrocentric markers (56.4%) and 7 from acrocentic markers (18%). The 10 additional cases remained unidentified (25.6%), but 7 of 10 could be further identified using fluorescence in situ hybridization; 69% of de novo sSMC contained euchromatin material, 95.4% of which for non‐acrocentric markers. Some sSMC containing euchromatin had a normal phenotype (31% for non‐acrocentric and 75% for acrocentric markers). Statistical differences between normal and abnormal phenotypes were shown for the size of the euchromatin material (more or less than 1 Mb, p = 0.0006) and number of genes (more or less than 10, p = 0.0009). This study is the largest to date and shows the utility of array‐CGH or SNP array in the detection and characterization of de novo sSMC in a prenatal context.
Cancer risk with alemtuzumab following kidney transplantation
Authors: Puttarajappa C. , Yabes J. , Bei L. , Shah N. , Bernardo J. , McCauley J. , Basu A. , Tan H. , Shapiro R. , Unruh M. , Wu C.
Published: March 2013

Alemtuzumab has been employed for induction therapy in kidney transplantation with low rates of acute rejection and excellent graft and patient survival. Antibody induction therapy has been linked to increased vulnerability to cancer. Data regarding malignancy rates with alemtuzumab are limited. We studied 1350 kidney transplant recipients (between 2001 and 2009) at the University of Pittsburgh Starzl Transplant Institute, for post‐transplant de novo and recurrent malignancy, excluding non‐melanoma skin cancer, among patients receiving alemtuzumab, thymoglobulin, and no induction therapies. Of the 1350 patients, 1002 (74.2%) received alemtuzumab, 205 (15.2%) received thymoglobulin, and 122 (9%) received no induction therapy. After excluding cancers occurring within 60 d post‐transplantation, 43 (3.25%) malignancies were observed during a median follow‐up time of 4.0 yr. The incidence of malignancy was 5.4% (1.09 per 100 patient‐years [PY]) with thymoglobulin, 2.8% (0.74 per 100 PY) with alemtuzumab, and 3.3% (0.66 per 100 PY) with no induction (across all groups; p = 0.2342, thymoglobulin vs. alemtuzumab; p = 0.008). Thus, with the exception of non‐melanoma skin cancer which we did not evaluate, alemtuzumab induction was not associated with increased cancer incidence post‐kidney transplantation when compared to no induction therapy and was associated with lower cancer incidence when compared to thymoglobulin.
Diagnostic strategies of superficial Barrett's esophageal cancer for endoscopic submucosal dissection
Authors: Oyama Tsuneo
Published: March 2013

The indication of endoscopic submucosal dissection for Barrett's esophageal adenocarcinoma (BEA) is superficial BEA without lymph node metastasis. The characteristic endoscopic findings of superficial BEA are elevation, depression, and color change. Indigocarmine spreading is useful for the diagnosis of lateral extension. It is a simple and easy enhancement method. The observation of surface and vascular pattern by magnifying endoscopy with narrow‐band imaging is also useful for the diagnosis of lateral extension. The incidence of gastric cancer is high in Japan. The majority of early gastric cancer is detected by conventional endoscopy without random biopsy, or target biopsydiagnosis. The background mucosa of gastric cancer has gastritis, and the carcinogenesis based on inflammation is the same as early BEA. However, random biopsy remains the universal standard for early detection of Barrett's high‐grade dysplasia and superficial BEA. A surveillance system that does not use random biopsy can and should be established using high‐resolution endoscopy with target biopsy.
Transgenic Xenopus laevis for live imaging in cell and developmental biology
Authors: Takagi Chiyo , Sakamaki Kazuhiro , Morita Hitoshi , Hara Yusuke , Suzuki Makoto , Kinoshita Noriyuki , Ueno Naoto
Published: March 2013

The stable transgenesis of genes encoding functional or spatially localized proteins, fused to fluorescent proteins such as green fluorescent protein (GFP) or red fluorescent protein (RFP), is an extremely important research tool in cell and developmental biology. Transgenic organisms constructed with fluorescent labels for cell membranes, subcellular organelles, and functional proteins have been used to investigate cell cycles, lineages, shapes, and polarity, in live animals and in cells or tissues derived from these animals. Genes of interest have been integrated and maintained in generations of transgenic animals, which have become a valuable resource for the cell and developmental biology communities. Although the use of Xenopus laevis as a transgenic model organism has been hampered by its relatively long reproduction time (compared to Drosophila melanogaster and Caenorhabditis elegans), its large embryonic cells and the ease of manipulation in early embryos have made it a historically valuable preparation that continues to have tremendous research potential. Here, we report on the Xenopus laevis transgenic lines our lab has generated and discuss their potential use in biological imaging.