bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Large magnetocaloric effects of RFeSi (R = Tb and Dy) compounds for magnetic refrigeration in nitrogen and natural gas liquefaction
Authors: Zhang H. , Sun Y. J. , Niu E. , Yang L. H. , Shen J. , Hu F. X. , Sun J. R. , Shen B. G.
Published: November 2013

Magnetic properties and magnetocaloric effect (MCE) of intermetallic RFeSi (R = Tb and Dy) compounds have been investigated systematically. The RFeSi compounds undergo a second-order magnetic transition from ferromagnetic to paramagnetic states with the variation of temperature. The Curie temperatures determined from magnetization measurements are 110 K and 70 K for TbFeSi and DyFeSi, respectively, which are quite close to the liquefaction temperatures of natural gas (111 K) and nitrogen (77 K). Both compounds exhibit nearly same large MCE around their respective ordering temperatures. For a low magnetic field change of 1 T, the maximum values of magnetic entropy change −ΔSM and adiabatic temperature change ΔTad are 5.3 J/kg K and 2.1 K for TbFeSi, 4.8 J/kg K and 1.7 K for DyFeSi, respectively. Furthermore, a composite material based on (Tb1−xDyx)FeSi compounds is designed theoretically by using a numerical method, and it exhibits a constant −ΔScom of ∼1.4 J/kg K for a field change of 1 T in the wide temperature range of 67–108 K, satisfying the requirement of Ericsson-cycle magnetic refrigeration over the liquefaction temperatures of nitrogen and natural gas.
Root hydraulics in salt-stressed wheat
Authors: Fricke Wieland , Bijanzadeh Ehsan , Emam Yahya , Knipfer Thorsten
Published: November 2013

The aim of the present study was to test whether salinity, which can impact through its osmotic stress component on the ability of plants to take up water, affects root water transport properties (hydraulic conductivity) in bread wheat (Triticum aestivum L). Hydroponically grown plants were exposed to 100 mM NaCl when they were 10–11 days old. Plants were analysed during the vegetative stage of development when they were 15–17 days old and the root system consisted entirely of seminal roots, and when they were 22–24 days old, by which time adventitious roots had developed. Root hydraulic conductivity (Lp) was determined through exudation experiments (osmotic Lp) on individual roots and the entire plant root system, and through experiments involving intact, transpiring plants (hydrostatic Lp). Salt stress caused a general reduction (40–80%) in Lp, irrespective of whether individual seminal and adventitious roots, entire root systems or intact, transpiring plants were analysed. Osmotic and hydrostatic Lp were in the same range. The data suggest that most radial root water uptake in wheat grown in the presence and absence of NaCl occurs along a pathway that involves the crossing of membranes. As wheat plants develop, a nonmembraneous (apoplast) pathway contributes increasingly to radial water uptake in control but not in NaCl-stressed plants.
Remedial strategy of algal proliferation in a regulated river system by integrated hydrological control: an evolutionary modelling framework
Authors: Hong Dong-Gyun , Jeong Kwang-Seuk , Kim Dong-Kyun , Joo Gea-Jae
Published: November 2013

We simulated water-quality measures in a regulated river system (the lower Nakdong River) under simultaneous discharge control at upriver dams and an estuarine barrage with the goal of reducing phytoplankton biomass (chlorophyll a concentration). We used genetic programming (GP) to create a rule-set-based predictive model for the chlorophyll a concentration based on 16 years (1994–2009) of meteorological, hydrological, and limnological data. The rule-set model used eight variables, including water temperature, dam and estuarine barrage discharge, phosphate and silica concentrations, and accurately predicted the phytoplankton biomass (determination coefficients, r2, for training and test data were 0.52 and 0.45, respectively). According to sensitivity and scenario analyses, a larger water volume resulting from increased discharge from upriver dams and decreased discharge from an estuarine barrage would reduce chlorophyll a concentrations at the study site. This result provided ample evidence that simultaneous manipulation of dam and estuarine discharge rates could effectively increase river flow and flush aggregated algal populations downstream. Additionally, we considered that even small increases in river flow could play a role in diluting phytoplankton biomass during the dry winter season when estuarine discharge remains low. These two hydrological mechanisms could be used as selective strategies for water-resource management.
The narrative construction va + infinitive in Contemporary French
Authors: Bres Jacques , Labeau Emmanuelle
Published: November 2013

In Old and Middle French (12th–16th centuries), va [“goes”] + inf was used in narrations in the past. A similar usage seems to have reappeared and be spreading today. However, the old construction combined with past tenses whereas the new one is found only with forms anchored in present and future. We argue that the contemporary construction derives not from the old one, but from a metanarrative construction. On the basis of its future interpretation, va + inf aids the organization of the narration, announcing subsequent events through a hypernymic process. The periphrasis thus approaches a narrative value by projecting the time of events onto that of narration. With the disappearance of all deictic markers, the go-periphrases are no longer hypernyms: they appear on the same temporal line of events as the neighboring situations and are understood as fully completed.
Comparing Implicit and Synaesthetic Number–Space Associations: Visuospatial and Verbal Spatial–Numerical Associations of Response Codes
Authors: Jonas Clare N. , Spiller Mary Jane , Jansari Ashok , Ward Jamie
Published: November 2013

In the theory of the mental number line, number, and space are implicitly associated, giving rise to the spatial–numerical association of response codes (SNARC) effect, in which smaller numbers are more readily associated with the left side of space and larger numbers with the right, during a parity judgement task. Others, however, have argued that the SNARC effect is flexible and better explained by verbal rather than spatial associations. A few single-case studies on the SNARC effect have tested number–space synaesthetes, who make explicit associations between number and space. Here, we present data from experiments conducted on groups of synaesthetes and nonsynaesthetes on the classic SNARC parity judgement task with lateralized response keys and a modified version in which they responded to labels appearing on screen. Synaesthetes’ behaviour was expected to differ from nonsynaesthetes’ behaviour due to the explicit, fixed nature of their number–space associations, but both experiments show the two groups behaving in the same way, indicating that parity judgement tasks may not be tapping the same representation of number that gives rise to synaesthetic number–space experiences.
To Pass or not to Pass: More a Question of Body Orientation than Visual Cues
Authors: Bourrelly A. , Vercher J.-L. , Bringoux L.
Published: November 2013

This study investigated the influence of pitch body tilt on judging the possibility of passing under high obstacles in the presence of an illusory horizontal self-motion. Seated subjects tilted at various body orientations were asked to estimate the possibility of passing under a projected bar (i.e., a parking barrier), while imagining a forward whole-body displacement normal to gravity. This task was performed under two visual conditions, providing either no visual surroundings or a translational horizontal optic flow that stopped just before the barrier appeared. The results showed a main overestimation of the possibility of passing under the bar in both cases and most importantly revealed a strong influence of body orientation despite the visual specification of horizontal self-motion by optic flow (i.e., both visual conditions yielded a comparable body tilt effect). Specifically, the subjective passability was proportionally deviated towards the body tilt by 46% of its magnitude when facing a horizontal optic flow and 43% without visual surroundings. This suggests that the egocentric attraction exerted by body tilt when referring the subjective passability to horizontal self-motion still persists even when anchoring horizontally related visual cues are displayed. These findings are discussed in terms of interaction between spatial references. The link between the reliability of available sensory inputs and the weight attributed to each reference is also addressed.
Processive acceleration of actin barbed-end assembly by N-WASP
Authors: Khanduja Nimisha , Kuhn Jeffrey R.
Published: November 2013

Neuronal Wiskott–Aldrich syndrome protein (N-WASP)–activated actin polymerization drives extension of invadopodia and podosomes into the basement layer. In addition to activating Arp2/3, N-WASP binds actin-filament barbed ends, and both N-WASP and barbed ends are tightly clustered in these invasive structures. We use nanofibers coated with N-WASP WWCA domains as model cell surfaces and single-actin-filament imaging to determine how clustered N-WASP affects Arp2/3-independent barbed-end assembly. Individual barbed ends captured by WWCA domains grow at or below their diffusion-limited assembly rate. At high filament densities, however, overlapping filaments form buckles between their nanofiber tethers and myosin attachment points. These buckles grew ∼3.4-fold faster than the diffusion-limited rate of unattached barbed ends. N-WASP constructs with and without the native polyproline (PP) region show similar rate enhancements in the absence of profilin, but profilin slows barbed-end acceleration from constructs containing the PP region. Increasing Mg2+to enhance filament bundling increases the frequency of filament buckle formation, consistent with a requirement of accelerated assembly on barbed-end bundling. We propose that this novel N-WASP assembly activity provides an Arp2/3-independent force that drives nascent filament bundles into the basement layer during cell invasion.
The Benefits of Spatially Differentiated Regulation: The Response to Acid Rain by U.S. States Prior to the Acid Rain Program
Authors: Perino Grischa , Talavera Olena
Published: November 2013

Location is a crucial driver of both the marginal abatement and damage costs of sulfur dioxide emissions by U.S. coal‐fired power plants. Before the start of the Acid Rain Program in 1995, old boilers were subject to emission rate standards set by individual states. We investigate how individual states adjusted their sulfur regulation laws in response to acid rain, and whether they accounted for differences in marginal abatement costs, vulnerability to agricultural damages, special industry interests, or inter‐state externalities. The welfare gain compared to a uniform reduction in emission rate standards is estimated to be $21 million (in 1995 dollars) annually.
PhosphoNetworks: a database for human phosphorylation networks
Authors: Hu Jianfei , Rho Hee-Sool , Newman Robert H. , Zhang Jin , Zhu Heng , Qian Jiang
Published: November 2013

Summary: Phosphorylation plays an important role in cellular signal transduction. Current phosphorylation-related databases often focus on the phosphorylation sites, which are mainly determined by mass spectrometry. Here, we present PhosphoNetworks, a phosphorylation database built on a high-resolution map of phosphorylation networks. This high-resolution map of phosphorylation networks provides not only the kinase–substrate relationships (KSRs), but also the specific phosphorylation sites on which the kinases act on the substrates. The database contains the most comprehensive dataset for KSRs, including the relationships from a recent high-throughput project for identification of KSRs using protein microarrays, as well as known KSRs curated from the literature. In addition, the database also includes several analytical tools for dissecting phosphorylation networks. PhosphoNetworks is expected to play a prominent role in proteomics and phosphorylation-related disease research.

Availability and implementation:  http://www.phosphonetworks.org

Contact:  jiang.qian@jhmi.edu
CheNER: chemical named entity recognizer
Authors: Usié Anabel , Alves Rui , Solsona Francesc , Vázquez Miguel , Valencia Alfonso
Published: November 2013

Motivation: Chemical named entity recognition is used to automatically identify mentions to chemical compounds in text and is the basis for more elaborate information extraction. However, only a small number of applications are freely available to identify such mentions. Particularly challenging and useful is the identification of International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry (IUPAC) chemical compounds, which due to the complex morphology of IUPAC names requires more advanced techniques than that of brand names.

Results: We present CheNER, a tool for automated identification of systematic IUPAC chemical mentions. We evaluated different systems using an established literature corpus to show that CheNER has a superior performance in identifying IUPAC names specifically, and that it makes better use of computational resources.

Availability and implementation: http://metres.udl.cat/index.php/9-download/4-chener, http://chener.bioinfo.cnio.es/

Contact: miguel.vazquez@cnio.es

Supplementary information: Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online.
ClockstaR: choosing the number of relaxed-clock models in molecular phylogenetic analysis
Authors: Duchêne Sebastián , Molak Martyna , Ho Simon Y. W.
Published: November 2013

Summary: Relaxed molecular clocks allow the phylogenetic estimation of evolutionary timescales even when substitution rates vary among branches. In analyses of large multigene datasets, it is often appropriate to use multiple relaxed-clock models to accommodate differing patterns of rate variation among genes. We present ClockstaR, a method for selecting the number of relaxed clocks for multigene datasets.

Availability: ClockstaR is freely available for download at http://sydney.edu.au/science/biology/meep/software/.

Contact:  sebastian.duchene@sydney.edu.au

Supplementary information:  Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online.
α-Actinin-3 deficiency alters muscle adaptation in response to denervation and immobilization
Authors: Garton F.C. , Seto J.T. , Quinlan K.G.R. , Yang N. , Houweling P.J. , North K.N.
Published: November 2013

Homozygosity for a common null polymorphism (R577X) in the ACTN3 gene results in the absence of the fast fibre-specific protein, α-actinin-3 in ∼16% of humans worldwide. α-Actinin-3 deficiency is detrimental to optimal sprint performance and benefits endurance performance in elite athletes. In the general population, α-actinin-3 deficiency is associated with reduced muscle mass, strength and fast muscle fibre area, and poorer muscle function with age. The Actn3 knock-out (KO) mouse model mimics the human phenotype, with fast fibres showing a shift towards slow/oxidative metabolism without a change in myosin heavy chain (MyHC) isoform. We have recently shown that these changes are attributable to increased activity of the calcineurin-dependent signalling pathway in α-actinin-3 deficient muscle, resulting in enhanced response to exercise training. This led us to hypothesize that the Actn3 genotype influences muscle adaptation to disuse, irrespective of neural innervation. Separate cohorts of KO and wild-type mice underwent 2 weeks immobilization and 2 and 8 weeks of denervation. Absence of α-actinin-3 resulted in reduced atrophic response and altered adaptation to disuse, as measured by a change in MyHC isoform. KO mice had a lower threshold to switch from the predominantly fast to a slower muscle phenotype (in response to immobilization) and a higher threshold to switch to a faster muscle phenotype (in response to denervation). We propose that this change is mediated through baseline alterations in the calcineurin signalling pathway of Actn3 KO muscle. Our findings have important implications for understanding individual responses to muscle disuse/disease and training in the general population.
Fibroblast Growth Factor Receptor Two (FGFR2) Regulates Uterine Epithelial Integrity and Fertility in Mice
Authors: Filant Justyna , DeMayo Franco J. , Pru James K. , Lydon John P. , Spencer Thomas E.
Published: November 2013

Fibroblast growth factors (FGFs) and their receptors (FGFRs) regulate luminal epithelial (LE) cell proliferation in the adult mouse uterus. This study tested the hypothesis that FGFR2 has a biological role in postnatal development and function of the uterus by conditionally deletingFgfr2 after birth using progesterone receptor (Pgr)-Cre mice. AdultFgfr2 mutant female mice were initially subfertile and became infertile with increasing parity. No defects in uterine gland development were observed in conditionalFgfr2 mutant mice. In the adult,Fgfr2 mutant mice possessed a histologically normal reproductive tract with the exception of the uterus. The LE of theFgfr2 mutant uterus was stratified, but no obvious histological differences were observed in the glandular epithelium, stroma, or myometrium. Within the stratified LE, cuboidal basal cells were present and positive for basal cell markers (KRT14 and TRP63). Nulliparous bredFgfr2 mutants contained normal numbers of blastocysts on Day 3.5 postmating, but the number of embryo implantation sites was substantially reduced on Day 5.5 postmating. These results support the idea that loss of FGFR2 in the uterus after birth alters its development, resulting in LE stratification and peri-implantation pregnancy loss.
Clinical utility of loop-mediated isothermal amplification for rapid diagnosis of Mycoplasma pneumoniae in children
Authors: Aizawa Yuta , Oishi Tomohiro , Tsukano Shinya , Taguchi Tetsuo , Saitoh Akihiko
Published: November 2013

Loop-mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP) is a cost-effective and rapid method for identifying Mycoplasma pneumoniae (MP). We investigated the utility of the LAMP assay in diagnosing MP pneumonia among children in a clinical setting. In this prospective study, the cause of community-acquired pneumonia was evaluated in 111 patients for whom MP was the suspected pathogen. All participants were patients at a city hospital in Japan between April 2012 and September 2012. Throat swabs for the LAMP assay were obtained at admission, and paired serum samples to measure antibody titres to MP by particle agglutination were obtained at admission and during convalescence. Overall, 45 of 111 (41 %) patients had a fourfold or greater increase in MP titres and received a diagnosis of MP pneumonia. Among them, 43 (96 %) patients (median age, 9 years) were positive on the LAMP assay and had a fourfold or greater increase in MP titres. The median interval from fever onset to collection of throat swabs was 7 days (range, 4–10 days). As compared with paired serum titres, the LAMP assay enabled quicker diagnosis of MP (median interval, 13 vs. 7 days), thereby allowing early initiation of appropriate antimicrobial therapy.
Nanotechnology: emerging tools for biology and medicine
Authors: Wong Ian Y. , Bhatia Sangeeta N. , Toner Mehmet
Published: November 2013

Historically, biomedical research has been based on two paradigms. First, measurements of biological behaviors have been based on bulk assays that average over large populations. Second, these behaviors have then been crudely perturbed by systemic administration of therapeutic treatments. Nanotechnology has the potential to transform these paradigms by enabling exquisite structures comparable in size with biomolecules as well as unprecedented chemical and physical functionality at small length scales. Here, we review nanotechnology-based approaches for precisely measuring and perturbing living systems. Remarkably, nanotechnology can be used to characterize single molecules or cells at extraordinarily high throughput and deliver therapeutic payloads to specific locations as well as exhibit dynamic biomimetic behavior. These advances enable multimodal interfaces that may yield unexpected insights into systems biology as well as new therapeutic strategies for personalized medicine.
α-Catenin interacts with APC to regulate β-catenin proteolysis and transcriptional repression of Wnt target genes
Authors: Choi Seung H. , Estarás Conchi , Moresco James J. , Yates John R. , Jones Katherine A.
Published: November 2013

Mutation of the adenomatous polyposis coli (APC) tumor suppressor stabilizes β-catenin and aberrantly reactivates Wnt/β-catenin target genes in colon cancer. APC mutants in cancer frequently lack the conserved catenin inhibitory domain (CID), which is essential for β-catenin proteolysis. Here we show that the APC CID interacts with α-catenin, a Hippo signaling regulator and heterodimeric partner of β-catenin at cell:cell adherens junctions. Importantly, α-catenin promotes β-catenin ubiquitylation and proteolysis by stabilizing its association with APC and protecting the phosphodegron. Moreover, β-catenin ubiquitylation requires binding to α-catenin. Multidimensional protein identification technology (MudPIT) proteomics of multiple Wnt regulatory complexes reveals that α-catenin binds with β-catenin to LEF-1/TCF DNA-binding proteins in Wnt3a signaling cells and recruits APC in a complex with the CtBP:CoREST:LSD1 histone H3K4 demethylase to regulate transcription and β-catenin occupancy at Wnt target genes. Interestingly, tyrosine phosphorylation of α-catenin at Y177 disrupts binding to APC but not β-catenin and prevents repression of Wnt target genes in transformed cells. Chromatin immunoprecipitation studies further show that α-catenin and APC are recruited with β-catenin to Wnt response elements in human embryonic stem cells (hESCs). Knockdown of α-catenin in hESCs prevents the switch-off of Wnt/β-catenin transcription and promotes endodermal differentiation. Our findings indicate a role for α-catenin in the APC destruction complex and at Wnt target genes.
N′-[(E)-5-Bromo-2-hydroxy-3-methoxybenzylidene]benzohydrazide monohydrate
Authors: Emmanuel Jessy , Sithambaresan M. , Kurup M. R. Prathapachandra
Published: November 2013

The title compound, C15H13BrN2O3·H2O, exists in anEconformation with respect to the azomethane C=N double bond. The benzene and phenyl rings form dihedral angles of 0.46 (2) and 4.90 (3)°, respectively with the central C(=O)N2C unit. An intramolecular O—H...N hydrogen bond occurs. In the crystal, some hydrazide molecules are replaced by molecules of the 6-bromo isomer. The Br atom from this admixture was refined to give a partial occupancy of 0.0443 (19). A supramolecular network is built in the lattice by means of intermolecular N—H...O and two O—H...O interactions together with non-classical C—H...O interactions involving the lattice water molecule stacking the molecules along theb-axis direction.
(Z)-3-(1-Chloroprop-1-enyl)-2-methyl-1-phenylsulfonyl-1H-indole
Authors: Umadevi M. , Saravanan V. , Yamuna R. , Mohanakrishnan A. K. , Chakkaravarthi G.
Published: November 2013

In the title compound, C18H16ClNO2S, the indole ring system forms a dihedral angle of 75.07 (8)° with the phenyl ring. The molecular structure is stabilized by a weak intramolecular C—H...O hydrogen bond. In the crystal, molecules are linked by weak C—H...O hydrogen bonds, forming a chain along [10-1]. C—H...π interactions are also observed, leading to a three-dimensional network.
Incidence of Legionella and heterotrophic bacteria in household rainwater tanks in Azumino, Nagano prefecture, Japan
Authors: Kobayashi Michiko , Oana Kozue , Kawakami Yoshiyuki
Published: November 2013

Many administrative agencies in Japan are encouraging installation of household rainwater‐storage tanks for more effective use of natural rainwater. Water samples were collected periodically from 43 rainwater tanks from 40 households and tested for the presence of Legionella species and the extent of heterotrophic bacteria in Azumino city, Nagano prefecture, Japan. PCR assays indicated the presence of Legionella spp. in 12 (30%) of the 43 tank water samples. Attempts were made to identify correlations between PCR positive samples, topography, pH, chemical oxygen demand (COD), atmospheric temperature and the numbers of heterotrophic bacteria. Between June and October, 2012, the numbers of heterotrophic bacteria in rainwater tanks and the values of COD positively correlated with the presence of Legionella species. In most of the Legionella‐positive cases, heterotrophic bacterial cell counts were >104 CFU/mL. Moreover, Legionella species were less frequently detected when the COD value was >5 mg KMnO4/L. Therefore, at least in Azumino, Japan between June and October 2012, both heterotrophic bacterial counts and COD values may be considered index parameters for the presence of Legionella cells in rainwater tanks. Much more accumulation of such data is needed to verify the accuracy of these findings.
Halomonas sulfidaeris‐dominated microbial community inhabits a 1.8 km‐deep subsurface Cambrian Sandstone reservoir
Authors: Dong Yiran , Kumar Charu Gupta , Chia Nicholas , Kim Pan‐Jun , Miller Philip A. , Price Nathan D. , Cann Isaac K. O. , Flynn Theodore M. , Sanford Robert A. , Krapac Ivan G. , Locke Randall A. , Hong Pei‐Ying , Tamaki Hideyuki , Liu Wen‐Tso , Mackie Roderick I. , Hernandez Alvaro G. , Wright Chris L. , Mikel Mark A. , Walker Jared L. , Sivaguru Mayandi , Fried Glenn , Yannarell Anthony C. , Fouke Bruce W.
Published: November 2013

A low‐diversity microbial community, dominated by the γ‐proteobacterium Halomonas sulfidaeris, was detected in samples of warm saline formation porewater collected from the Cambrian Mt. Simon Sandstone in the Illinois Basin of the North American Midcontinent (1.8 km/5872 ft burial depth, 50°C, pH 8, 181 bars pressure). These highly porous and permeable quartz arenite sandstones are directly analogous to reservoirs around the world targeted for large‐scale hydrocarbon extraction, as well as subsurface gas and carbon storage. A new downhole low‐contamination subsurface sampling probe was used to collect in situ formation water samples for microbial environmental metagenomic analyses. Multiple lines of evidence suggest that this H. sulfidaeris‐dominated subsurface microbial community is indigenous and not derived from drilling mud microbial contamination. Data to support this includes V1‐V3 pyrosequencing of formation water and drilling mud, as well as comparison with previously published microbial analyses of drilling muds in other sites. Metabolic pathway reconstruction, constrained by the geology, geochemistry and present‐day environmental conditions of the Mt. Simon Sandstone, implies that H. sulfidaeris‐dominated subsurface microbial community may utilize iron and nitrogen metabolisms and extensively recycle indigenous nutrients and substrates. The presence of aromatic compound metabolic pathways suggests this microbial community can readily adapt to and survive subsurface hydrocarbon migration.
Changing Patterns in the Allocation of Savings, Investments and Debts within Couple Relationships
Authors: Kan Man Yee , Laurie Heather
Published: November 2013

Using data from the British Household Panel Study (BHPS) from 1995 to 2005 we examine the nature of the allocation of savings, investments and debts between heterosexual couple members, how these vary by individual and household characteristics, and how these patterns vary over a ten-year time horizon. We find savings are more commonly held in joint names than investments or debts and there is evidence of an increasing independence in financial arrangements between couple members throughout the period 1995 to 2005. Controlling for age and other factors, cohabitation reduces the likelihood of shared financial arrangements. Both partners' labour market income affects the likelihood of having any savings or investments for both men and women but as men's labour income increases, the likelihood of men having jointly held savings and investments with their female partner reduces. Psychological well-being is improved where individuals have any savings or investments either solely or jointly held with their partner.
Out of the body: embodiment and its vicissitudes
Authors: Connolly Angela
Published: November 2013

Body‐mind dualism and the consequent neglect of the body of the analyst can have important negative effects on the analytical process leading all too often to misinterpretations of the analysand's verbal and non‐verbal communications and to disturbances of analytical temporality. This is intensified when we are dealing with individuals where disembodiment and states of psychic deadness are central features. The paper explores the philosophical roots of the idea of a disembodied mind and the way in which this impacts our relationship with the world. While André Green's concept of the dead mother and disturbances in the sense of self‐agency have been held to play an important role in states of psychic deadness, I suggest that it is rather disturbances in the sense of body ownership and of the body image which are more central. The paper then discusses the particular kinds of countertransference that can be evoked in the analyst when we find ourselves dealing with this type of patient and suggests how we can use our embodied countertransference to become aware of and elaborate our own feelings of deadness in order to overcome the loss of temporality that is characteristic of such states. This is illustrated with reference to my work with a young man with a masochistic perversion and a severe disturbance of the body image with an accompanying profound sense of psychic deadness.
James Astor in conversation with Warren Colman
Authors: Astor James , Colman Warren
Published: November 2013

In this interview with Warren Colman, James Astor speaks about his development as a Jungian analyst from his own experience of personal analysis in the 1960s to his recent retirement from clinical practice. The discussion covers his long association with Michael Fordham, the child analytic training at the SAP, the infant observation seminars with Fordham and Gianna Henry through which Fordham was able to make new discoveries about infant development, his experience of supervision with Donald Meltzer and the development of his own thinking through a series of papers on the analytic process, supervision and the relation between language and truth. The interview concludes with reflections about the legacy of Michael Fordham and the future of analytic work.
The safety of combined sedation with propofol plus fentanyl for endoscopy screening and endoscopic variceal ligation in cirrhotic patients
Authors: MAO Wei , WEI Xiu Qing , TAO Jin , ZHEN Feng Ping , WEN Zhuo Fu , WU Bin
Published: November 2013

Objective

We aimed to investigate the safety of combined sedation with propofol plus fentanyl in patients with liver cirrhosis during screening esophagogastroduodenoscopy (SEGD) and a secondary prophylaxis for esophageal varices, endoscopic gastrointestinal ligation (EVL).

Methods

A total of 309 patients with liver cirrhosis were enrolled and divided into the sedated SEGD group (n = 83), the sedated EVL group (n = 137) and the conscious EVL group (n = 89), respectively, and 100 participants with no liver diseases who underwent endoscopy for gastritis were regarded as the sedated control group. Patients in the sedated groups were administrated with propofol plus fentanyl during the endoscopic procedures and their minimal hepatic encephalopathy and sedation‐related complications, including aspiration, hypoxia, hypotension and bradycardia, were evaluated and compared. The assessments of patient satisfaction and patient cooperation in the sedated and the conscious EVL groups were conducted.

Results

The incidences of complications during the endoscopic procedures were not significantly different among the sedated groups (20.5% in the sedated SEGD group, 22.6% in the sedated EVL group and 19.0% in the sedated control group). No minimal hepatic encephalopathy was induced in the sedated groups. More patients in the sedated EVL group were satisfactory with the procedure compared with the conscious EVL group, as evaluated by both endoscopists and the cirrhotic patients.

Conclusions

A combined sedation with propofol plus fentanyl is safe for EVL as well as for SEGD in cirrhotic patients. Sedation might make it easier for endoscopists to perform procedures and might be more acceptable for cirrhotic patients.
Vegetation dynamics under variable conditions in the famous sandy steppe of southern Tunisia
Authors: Attia Wassim , Tarhouni Mohamed , Ouled Belgacem Azaiez , Gammar Omar , Khatteli Houcine
Published: November 2013

During last decades, the natural vegetation cover in southern Tunisia, mainly dominated by dwarf and sparse shrub, was continuously disturbed under various human activities especially on sandy soil (easily eroded). The ecological characteristics (soil structure and texture, vegetation, topography…) of sandy steppes, with Rhanterium suaveolens Desf., enhanced their sharp decline. This study aims to investigate the vegetation status of two R. suaveolens steppes (R: protected; r: degraded) under different conditions in five sites belonging to southern Tunisia using the quadrat point method and some ecological indicators. Main results show that vegetation cover is related to climatic conditions. Plant density is mainly affected by rainfall and human activities. The annual and perennial density and cover are high during the rainy season (spring) compared with the dry one (fall). The degraded steppes (r) are mainly dominated by annual plants but the protected steppes (R) contain more perennials. This work can be very useful for the sustainable sandy steppes management under different stress and human disturbances in dry area. It presents a great national and international importance (economic, social, nature conservation…) such as job creation and limiting rural exodus.
Fertility and sexual function in long‐term survivors of haematological malignancy: using patient‐reported outcome measures to assess a neglected area of need in the late effects clinic
Authors: Greaves Paul , Sarker Shah‐Jalal , Chowdhury Kashfia , Johnson Rachel , Matthews Janet , Matthews Rebecca , Smith Matthew , Korszun Ania , Gribben John G. , Lister T. Andrew
Published: November 2013

Problems of sexual function and fertility in long‐term survivors (≥5 years) of haematological malignancy are often neglected in clinic. Our centre carried out a questionnaire study in this population addressing patient‐perceived fertility and sexual function. 718 patients responded (56% of those invited; 39% Hodgkin, 45% non‐Hodgkin lymphoma, 16% acute leukaemia). Respondent women were more likely to remain childless than a normal control population. Self‐reported infertility was more likely in men than women [odds ratio (OR) 1·77, P = 0·001]. Myeloablative therapy increased the likelihood of childlessness (OR 2·48, P = 0·004). Few attended fertility support services (12%). 24% of men banked sperm and 29% of these used the sample, of which 46% resulted in successful pregnancy. Fertility clinic attendance and sperm storage was more likely post‐1990 (OR 4·05, P < 0·001; OR 5·05, P < 0·001 respectively). Reporting a negative impact of cancer on sexual function was more common in women than men (OR 2·20, P < 0·001), and increased with current age and age at diagnosis (by 3–4% per year, P ≤ 0·001) but decreased with longer follow‐up (by 2%/year, P = 0·005). Patients on anti‐depressants and those reporting cancer‐related body change/appearance concerns more frequently reported a negative impact (P < 0·04 and P < 0·03 respectively). These self‐reported outcomes confirm literature findings, suggest improvement over time, but highlight a need for involvement of support services.
A model of advertising format competition: on the use of celebrities in ads
Authors: Clark C. Robert , Horstmann Ignatius J.
Published: November 2013

We develop a model that endogenizes both advertising format – ads with or without celebrity endorsements – and the endorsement fee. Marketing studies suggest that celebrities enhance brand recall and perception of product value. In our model, ads featuring celebrities occur when the product market is large – endorsements are likely for products sold nationally – and when products are sufficiently similar that the persuasive character of advertising looms large in demand – running shoes, beauty products, soft drinks, for example. Celebrity endorsement fees are increasing in market size and in the degree of similarity of the products being advertised.
Default and liquidity regimes in the bond market during the 2002–2012 period
Authors: Dionne Georges , Chun Olfa Maalaoui
Published: November 2013

Using a real‐time random regime shift technique, we identify and discuss two different regimes in the dynamics of credit spreads during 2002–2012: a liquidity regime and a default regime. Both regimes contribute to the patterns observed in credit spreads. The liquidity regime seems to explain the predictive power of credit risk on the 2007–2009 NBER recession, whereas the default regime drives the persistence of credit spreads over the same recession. Our results complement the recent dynamic structural models as well as monetary and credit supply effects models by empirically supporting two important patterns in credit spreads: the persistence and the predictive ability toward economic downturns.
OX40L blockade and allergen‐induced airway responses in subjects with mild asthma
Authors: Gauvreau G. M. , Boulet L.‐P. , Cockcroft D. W. , FitzGerald J. M. , Mayers I. , Carlsten C. , Laviolette M. , Killian K. J. , Davis B. E. , Larché M. , Kipling C. , Dua B. , Mosesova S. , Putnam W. , Zheng Y. , Scheerens H. , McClintock D. , Matthews J. G. , O'Byrne P. M.
Published: November 2013

Background

The OX40/OX40L interaction contributes to an optimal T cell response following allergic stimuli and plays an important role in the maintenance and reactivation of memory T effector cells.

Objective

We tested whether treatment with an anti‐OX40L monoclonal antibody (MAb) would inhibit allergen‐induced responses in subjects with asthma.

Methods

Twenty‐eight mild, atopic asthmatic subjects were recruited for a double‐blind, randomized, placebo‐controlled, parallel‐group trial (ClinicalTrials.gov identifier NCT00983658) to compare blockade of OX40L using a humanized anti‐OX40L MAb to placebo‐administered intravenously in 4 doses over 3 months. Allergen inhalation challenges were carried out 56 and 113 days after the first dose of study drug. The primary outcome variable was the late‐phase asthmatic response. Other outcomes included the early‐phase asthmatic response, airway hyperresponsiveness, serum IgE levels, blood and sputum eosinophils, safety and tolerability.

Results

Treatment with anti‐OX40L MAb did not attenuate the early‐ or late‐phase asthmatic responses at days 56 or 113 compared with placebo. In the anti‐OX40L MAb treatment group, total IgE was reduced 17% from pre‐dosing levels, and sputum eosinophils decreased 75% by day 113 (both P = 0.04). There was no effect of anti‐OX40L MAb on airway hyperresponsiveness or blood eosinophils. The frequency of AEs was similar in both groups.

Conclusion and Clinical Relevance

Pharmacological activity of anti‐OX40L MAb was observed by decreases in serum total IgE and airway eosinophils at 16 weeks post‐dosing, but there was no effect on allergen‐induced airway responses. It is possible that the treatment duration or dose of antibody was insufficient to impact the airway responses.
Self‐reported symptoms and health service use in adolescence in persons who later develop psychotic disorders: A prospective case‐control study
Authors: Bratlien Unni , Øie Merete , Haug Elisabeth , Møller Paul , Andreassen Ole A. , Lien Lars , Melle Ingrid
Published: November 2013

Aim

To investigate self‐reported psychiatric and somatic symptoms and health service use at age 16 in persons who later developed a psychotic disorder compared with a control group from the same geographical areas.

Method

Responses concerning psychiatric or somatic health and health service use from Norwegian youth studies in a cohort of 15‐ and 16‐year‐olds in three Norwegian counties (N = 11 101, 90% response rate) were gathered. The questionnaire responses from persons later identified with a lifetime diagnosis of DSM‐IV (Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fourth Edition) psychotic disorders (n = 30) (confirmed psychosis, CP) were compared with responses from the rest of the group (population control, PC) (n = 11 067). Follow‐up analyses were made for cases with a confirmed onset of a psychotic disorder after the time of the survey (n = 21).

Results

The main significant differences between the CP and PC groups were more self‐reported anxiety, depression and ‘feeling in need of treatment for eating disorders’ at age 16 in the CP group. The rate of self‐reported eating disorder symptoms alone reached the level of statistical significance in the follow‐up analyses. The CP group did not use available health services to a markedly greater extent than the control group.

Conclusion

We found that, in comparison with others, youths who were later identified with a psychotic disorder reported more symptoms at age 16.
“Reaching Out to the People”: The Cultural Production of Mental Health Professionalism in the South Indian Public Sphere
Authors: Chua Jocelyn Lim
Published: November 2013

Although a significant body of scholarship has examined medical discourse in clinical and other institutional settings, far less has been studied in regard to the discursive activity of health professionals in the public sphere. This line of inquiry is particularly relevant in Kerala, south India, where, for reasons including felt obligation, the political economy of allopathic mental health care, and desires for social prestige, many psychologists and psychiatrists actively engage the public as lecturers, authors, and guests of television and radio programs alongside their clinical work. Ethnographic attention to discursive activity in the public sphere reveals how these experts blur the boundaries between clinical and popular registers of speech and forge alternative ethical sensibilities and values that challenge institutionally prescribed ideas of clinical professionalism. They do so in ways that can attract reprobation and accusations of quackery among critical peers who hold competing ideas of where, how, and to whom mental health professionals “should” speak.
Revisions in real time: Spanish heritage language learners' writing processes in English and Spanish
Authors: Elola Idoia , Mikulski Ariana
Published: November 2013

This study presents data about the types of revisions and amount of time spent revising paragraph‐length comparison essays in English and Spanish for 12 Spanish‐as‐a‐heritage‐language learners who were enrolled in a third‐year Spanish course. Although most participants made revisions to both surface features and meaning in both languages, students devoted more time to meaning revisions and overall (surface and meaning) revisions when writing in English. The finding that revision behaviors were essentially the same in both English and Spanish suggests cross‐linguistic transfer.
Traditional fermented sausage ‘Nem chua’ as a source of yeast biocatalysts efficient for the production of the aroma compound γ‐decalactone
Authors: Do Thi Thuy Le , Vu Nguyen Thanh , Phan‐Thi Hanh , Cao‐Hoang Lan , Ta Thi Minh Ngoc , Waché Yves , Nguyen Thi Hoai Tram
Published: November 2013

The yeast ecosystem of Nem chua, a Vietnamese traditional fermented sausage naturally rich in medium‐chain‐length lipid‐derived flavouring compounds, was investigated to select biocatalysts able to produce the C10‐fatty acid‐derived aroma compound γ‐decalactone. The total number of yeast was about 5 × 104 to 4 × 105 CFU g−1, and eighty four different species were identified from morphological, physiological and 26S rDNA characteristics, with Candida sake and Candida haemulonii being found in all samples. Six strains able to produce γ‐decalactone from castor oil were selected, of which three Yarrowia lipolytica strains were able to produce between 1 and 2 g L−1 in our study. The strains produced the same amount from the acyl substrate under the form of ester or free fatty acid. Every strain degraded the product at the end of the culture. These high productions make them good candidates for industrial processes and confirm that traditional fermented foods are interesting bioresources for biocatalysts.
Nurse burnout: Personal and environmental factors as predictors
Authors: Wang Shanshan , Liu Yanhui , Wang Linlin
Published: November 2013

The aim of this study is to investigate the level of burnout of clinical nurses and to examine the influence of personal and environmental factors on nurse burnout. A total of 717 full‐time nurses from six hospitals in Tianjin, China, completed five questionnaires: a demographic questionnaire, the Maslach Burnout Inventory, the General Self‐Efficacy Scale, the Practice Environment Scale of the Nursing Work Index and the Nurse Job Stressor Scale. The participants had moderate levels of emotional exhaustion (mean score 23.95 ± 11.11) and depersonalization (mean score 7.90 ± 6.58) and a high level of reduced personal accomplishment (mean score 27.51 ± 10.96). Both personal and environmental factors were correlated with nurse burnout; however, personal factors played bigger roles in predicting personal accomplishment, whereas environmental factors played bigger roles in predicting emotional exhaustion and depersonalization. In order to reduce nurse job burnout effectively, administrators should pay more attention to the improvement of nurses' self‐efficacy and professional nursing practice environment and the reduction of stressors.
Localized non‐conventional renal cell carcinoma: Prediction of clinical outcome according to histology
Authors: Kim Sung Han , Yang Hyung‐Kook , Moon Kyung Chul , Lee Eun‐Sik
Published: November 2013

Objective

A wide variety of parameters have been investigated in the prognostic significance of non‐conventional clear cell renal cell carcinoma. Aim of the present study was to compare its clinical outcome and to determine the independent prognostic factors according to the histology.

Methods

This retrospective study enrolled localized non‐conventional clear cell renal cell carcinomas (T1a–T4N0M0), including Xp11.2 translocation (Xp11.2t), all surgically treated in a single institution between 1988 and 2011. The study statistically analyzed the clinicopathological parameters to compare the prognostic outcomes among the different histological subtypes of non‐conventional clear cell renal cell carcinoma and to define any independent prognostic factors.

Results

A total of 374 cases were examined, including 126 papillary (33.7%), 164 chromophobe (43.9%), eight collecting duct (2.1%), 40 unclassified (10.7%), 16 Xp11.2t (4.3%), seven mucinous tubular and spindle cell (1.8%) renal cell carcinomas and 13 oncocytomas (3.5%). The mean follow up was 56.4 months, with s mean tumor size of 4.9 ± 3.4 cm. The 4‐year recurrence‐free survival, overall survival and cancer‐specific survival were inversely related to the increase of pathological T stages (P < 0.001). For histological type other than 13 oncocytomas and seven mucinous tubular and spindle cell renal cell carcinomas, the chromophobe showed the best prognosis of survival, followed by papillary, Xp11.2t, unclassified and collecting duct renal cell carcinomas, in this order. All survival rates were significantly different, as according to the histology (P = 0.009). The significant prognostic factors were preoperative body mass index (hazard ratio 0.76), serum albumin (hazard ratio 0.64), T stage (hazard ratio 2.28), the sarcomatoid differentiation (hazard ratio 33.45) and lymphovascular invasion (hazard ratio 12.40) in pathology (P < 0.05).

Conclusions

Different non‐conventional clear cell renal cell carcinoma subtypes have significantly different clinical characteristics of prognosis with many suggestive predictive factors of survival.