bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Synthesis, Crystal Structure, and Characterization of a ­Congruent Melting Compound Magnesium Strontium Diborate MgSrB2O5
Authors: Guo Xinfeng , Wu Hongping , Pan Shilie , Yang Zhihua , Yu Hongwei , Zhang Bingbing , Han Jian , Zhang Fangyuan
Published: March 2014

A congruent melting compound MgSrB2O5 was synthesized by high temperature solution method from the MgO‐SrO‐B2O3 system, and the structure was determined by single‐crystal X‐ray diffraction methods. The compound crystallizes in the monoclinic system, with space group P21/c. The crystal structure is composed of isolated B2O5 units and MgO6 octahedra that are connected to form two‐dimensional [Mg2B4O10] layers stacking along the c axis. The layers are bridged by the Sr2+ cations to form a three‐dimensional framework. The IR spectrum and the thermal properties of MgSrB2O5 were also reported. Additionally, detailed structure comparisons between MgSrB2O5 and other borates, such as Mg2B2O5, Sr2B2O5 and SrCdB2O5 are carried out and the first‐principle theoretical studies are performed to aid the understanding of electronic structures and linear optical properties.
Primary Explosives
Authors: Mehta Neha , Oyler Karl , Cheng Gartung , Shah Akash , Marin John , Yee Kin
Published: March 2014

Primary explosives, unlike secondary explosives, show a very rapid transition from combustion (or deflagration) to detonation and are considerably sensitive to small stimuli, such as impact, friction, electrostatic discharge, and heat. Primary explosives generate either a large amount of heat or a shockwave, which makes the transfer of the detonation to a less sensitive propellant or secondary explosive possible.1 Primary explosives are key components in detonators and primers, which are the initiating elements to many military items such as small, medium, and large caliber munitions, mortars, artillery, warheads, etc. The two most common military primary explosives are lead azide and lead styphnate. Lead based compounds such as these have well‐established hazards to health and the environment. To overcome these concerns, in common U.S. Army detonators and primers lead azide was replaced with DBX‐1 [copper(I) nitrotetrazolate], recently developed by Pacific Scientific Energetic Materials Company and the U.S. Naval Surface Warfare Center at Indian Head. Further, in order to minimize the dangers to personnel and equipment associated with synthesizing and handling primary explosives, a dedicated, remote‐operated facility for the synthesis and testing of primary explosives has been developed.
Ionothermal Synthesis, Crystal Structure, and Chemical Bonding of the Niobium(IV) Complex Nb2(Se2)2(AlCl4)4
Authors: Müller Ulrike , Isaeva Anna , Ruck Michael
Published: March 2014

The reaction of selenium and NbCl5with arsenic in the Lewis‐acidic ionic liquid BMImCl·4.8AlCl3at 100 °C yielded dark‐red block‐shaped crystals of Nb2Se4(AlCl4)4, which immediately decompose when exposed to humid air. Arsenic takes the part of the reducing agent for niobium as well as selenium. The crystal structure was described in the monoclinic space groupP21/n(no. 14) witha= 898.0(1) pm,b= 991.3(1) pm,c= 1629.1(2) pm, andβ= 92.43(1)° at 296(1) K. The unit cell contains twoC2hsymmetric Nb2(Se2)2(AlCl4)4molecules. The latter consist of a central rectangular bipyramid [Nb2(Se2)2]4+and four η2‐coordinating AlCl4–tetrahedra. Diamagentism of the compound and DFT‐based real‐space bonding analysis imply a chemical bond between the niobium(IV) cations, which are 292.2(2) pm apart. Nb2Se4(AlCl4)4can be interpreted as the AlCl3adduct of NbSe2Cl2.
Impact of Spontaneous Hepatocellular Carcinoma Rupture on Recurrence Pattern and Long‐term Surgical Outcomes after Partial Hepatectomy
Authors: Lee Hyung Soon , Choi Gi Hong , Kang Dae Ryong , Han Kwang‐Hyub , Ahn Sang Hoon , Kim Do Young , Park Jun Yong , Kim Seung Up , Choi Jin Sub
Published: March 2014

Background

The clinical significance of spontaneous hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) rupture association with recurrence pattern and long‐term surgical outcomes remains under debate. We investigated the impact of spontaneous HCC rupture on recurrence pattern and long‐term surgical outcomes after partial hepatectomy.

Methods

From 2000 to 2012, 119 patients with diagnosed ruptured HCC were reviewed. To compare outcomes between staged hepatectomy in spontaneously ruptured HCC and hepatectomy in non‐ruptured HCC, we performed propensity score‐matching to adjust for significant differences in patient characteristics. Overall survival, disease‐free survival, and recurrence pattern were compared between the matched groups.

Results

Forty‐four patients with newly diagnosed ruptured HCC and Child A class were initially treated with transcatheter arterial embolization for hemostasis. Three patients underwent emergency laparotomy, 18 underwent staged hepatectomy, and 23 received transarterial chemoembolization (TACE) alone after transcatheter arterial embolization. Among the 23 patients treated with TACE alone, 10 had resectable tumors. The staged hepatectomy group shows significantly higher overall survival with TACE alone than the resectable tumor group (P < 0.001). After propensity score‐matching, overall survival, disease‐free survival, and recurrence pattern were not significantly different between the ruptured HCC with staged hepatectomy group and the non‐ruptured HCC with hepatectomy group. Peritoneal recurrence rates were similar at 14.3 % versus 10.0 %, respectively (P = 0.632).

Conclusions

Patients with spontaneously ruptured HCC with staged hepatectomy show comparable long‐term survival and recurrence pattern as patients with non‐ruptured HCC having similar tumor characteristics and liver functional status. Thus, spontaneous HCC rupture may not increase peritoneal recurrence and decrease long‐term survival after partial hepatectomy.
Sutureless Onlay Omental Patch for the Laparoscopic Repair of Perforated Peptic Ulcers
Authors: Wang Yu‐Chun , Hsieh Chi‐Hsun , Lo Hung‐Chieh , Su Li‐Ting
Published: March 2014

Background

Because the feasibility and safety of laparoscopic approaches for the treatment of perforated peptic ulcer (PPU) have been fully recognized, laparoscopic repair of PPU (LPPU) has become a widely accepted procedure. Following closure of a PPU, the rationale to add an omental patch is based on the assumptions that a patch may decrease the possibility of leakage and make the closure more secure. However, one of the often mentioned disadvantages of LPPU is that it requires a significantly longer operating time. The purpose of the present study was to evaluate the efficacy of LPPU with a sutureless onlay omental patch.

Methods

Over 60 months, 43 patients underwent LPPU with sutureless onlay omental patch, and another 64 patients underwent LPPU with sutured omental patch. Patient demographics, operation parameters, and surgical outcomes were analyzed retrospectively.

Results

All patients in both groups survived to the end of the study. There were no leaks in either group. The operating time and length of stay in the sutureless onlay omental patch group were significantly shorter than in the sutured omental patch group.

Conclusions

A sutureless onlay omental patch is as safe and effective as a sutured omental patch for the laparoscopic repair of PPU.
Prevention of Incisional Hernia in Midline Laparotomy with an Onlay Mesh: A Randomized Clinical Trial
Authors: Caro‐Tarrago A. , Olona Casas C. , Jimenez Salido A. , Duque Guilera E. , Moreno Fernandez F. , Vicente Guillen V.
Published: March 2014

Objective

Our objective was to evaluate the prevention of incisional hernia (IH) during the postoperative period of a midline laparotomy during elective surgery.

Material and methods

A controlled, prospective, randomized, and blind study was carried out. The patients in group A (mesh) were fitted with a polypropylene mesh, to reinforce the standard abdominal wall closure. The patients in group B (non‐mesh) underwent a standard abdominal wall closure and were not fitted with the mesh.

Results

In group A, 2/80 his were diagnosed, whereas in group B the number was 30/80. The Kaplan–Meier survival curves show that the likelihood of IH at 12 months is 1.5 % in group A compared with 35.9 % in group B (p < 0.0001), which means that the differences are statistically significant.

Conclusion

Fitting a prophylactic supra‐aponeurotic mesh prevents IH independently of other factors.
Intrahepatic Lymphatic Invasion but not Vascular Invasion is a Major Prognostic Factor after Resection of Colorectal Cancer Liver Metastases
Authors: Lupinacci Renato Micelli , Mello Evandro Sobrosa , Pinheiro Rafael S. , Marques Gilton , Coelho Fabrício Ferreira , Kruger Jaime Arthur Pirolla , Perini Marcos Vinícius , Herman Paulo
Published: March 2014

Background

Despite advances in diagnosis and surgical strategies, up to 70 % of patients will develop recurrence of the disease after resection of colorectal cancer liver metastases (CRCLM). The purpose of our study was to determine the frequency of four different mechanisms of intrahepatic dissemination, and to evaluate the impact of each mechanism on patient outcomes.

Methods

The medical records of 118 patients who underwent a first resection of CRCLM during the period between 2000 and 2010 were reviewed. Clinicopathologic variables and outcome parameters were examined. Resected specimens were submitted to routine histological evaluation, and immunohistochemical staining with D2‐40 (lymphatic vessels), CD34 (blood vessels), CK‐7 (biliary epithelium), and CK‐20 (CRC cells).

Results

The mean follow‐up after resection was 38 months. Tumor recurrence was observed in 76 patients, with a median interval of 13 months after resection. Overall survival and disease‐free survival (DFS) rates after hepatectomy were 62 and 56 %, and 26 and 24 % at 3 and 5 years, respectively. Intrahepatic microscopic invasion included portal venous in 49 patients, sinusoidal in 43 patients, biliary in 20 patients, and lymphatic in 33 patients. Intra‐hepatic lymphatic invasion was the only mechanism of dissemination independently associated with the risk of hepatic recurrence (odds ratio 2.75) and shorter DFS (p = 0.006).

Conclusion

Intrahepatic lymphatic invasion is a significant prognostic factor. Other mechanisms of invasion, although frequently observed, are not related to recurrence or survival, suggesting that the lymphatic system is the main route for dissemination of CRCLM. Furthermore, immunohistochemical detection of intrahepatic lymphatic invasion might be of value in clinical practice.
Reversibility of Thermal Transitions in Dilute Dioctadecyl‐Dimethyl‐Ammonium Bromide Vesicles
Authors: Feitosa Eloi , Adati Renata D.
Published: March 2014

Dioctadecyl‐dimethyl‐ammonium bromide (DODAB) vesicles can be characterized by their differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) thermograms comprised of two endotherms at Ts ≈ 36 °C and Tm ≈ 45 °C in the heating, ascribed respectively to the subgel‐to‐gel and gel‐to‐liquid crystalline transitions, and two exotherms at T′m ≈ 40 °C and T′s ≈ 16 °C in the cooling, ascribed respectively to the liquid crystalline‐to‐gel and gel‐to‐subgel transitions. It has been reported but not proved that the Tm‐transitions, the T′m‐transitions, the Ts‐transitions, and the T′s‐transitions are reverse to each other, displaying hystheresis ΔTm ≈ 5 °C and ΔTs ≈ 20–25 °C, respectively. By investigating the effects of the initial scanning temperature (Ti) on the transition enthalpies (ΔHm, ΔHs, ΔH′m and ΔH′s), we have seen that these transitions are the reverse to each other and display different kinetics.
Nitrooleate Mediates Nitric Oxide Synthase Activation in Endothelial Cells
Authors: Shin Eunju , Yeo Eunju , Lim Jihye , Chang Yun Hee , Park Haeryun , Shim Eugene , Chung Haeyon , Hwang Hye Jin , Chun Jiyeon , Hwang Jinah
Published: March 2014

Nitrated lipids such as nitrooleate (OLA‐NO2) can act as endogenous peroxisome proliferator‐activated receptor gamma (PPARγ) ligands to exert vascular protective effects. However, the molecular mechanisms regarding nitric oxide (NO) production and its regulation are not fully defined in the vasculature. Here, we show that OLA‐NO2 increased endothelial NO release by modulating activation of endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS) in endothelial cells. Treatment with OLA‐NO2 (3 μM) increased NO release in a time‐dependent manner. OLA‐NO2 decreased protein expression of eNOS and caveolin‐1 (Cav‐1) but increased heat shock protein 90 (Hsp90) expression. Immunoprecipitation analysis confirmed that OLA‐NO2 replaced eNOS/Cav‐1 with eNOS/Hsp90 interaction, resulting in increasing eNOS activity. OLA‐NO2 also induced eNOS phosphorylation at Ser633 and Ser1177 and eNOS dephosphorylation at Ser113 and Thr495. In addition, OLA‐NO2 induced phosphorylation of Akt and extracellular signal‐regulated protein kinase (ERK1/2), which might contribute to eNOS activation. Collectively, these results substantiate a new functional role for nitrated fatty acid, demonstrating that OLA‐NO2 exerts vascular protective effects by increasing NO bioavailability through eNOS phosphorylation/dephosphorylation and interaction with associated proteins such as Hsp90 and Cav‐1.
Mapping the Chemical Variability of Vegetable Lecithins
Authors: Nguyen Mai Tuyet , Van de Walle Davy , Petit Cécile , Beheydt Bram , Depypere Frédéric , Dewettinck Koen
Published: March 2014

There is an increasing interest in vegetable lecithins because of their broad usage in many food and cosmetic applications. In this research, the chemical variability of commercial lecithins from soy, sunflower and rapeseed were mapped. The acetone insoluble matter, total phospholipid content and their compositions were determined. Significant correlation coefficients were observed between phosphatidylcholine and phosphatidic acid (−0.84), phosphatidylethanolamine and phosphatidylinositol (−0.86), monounsaturated fatty acid and polyunsaturated fatty acid (−0.97). Principal component analysis was used to group the lecithins according to their sources. Rapeseed lecithin was found to be the most different product compared to soy and sunflower lecithin.
Modeling human cancer cachexia in colon 26 tumor‐bearing adult mice
Authors: Talbert Erin E. , Metzger Gregory A. , He Wei A. , Guttridge Denis C.
Published: March 2014

Background

Muscle wasting is a profound side effect of advanced cancer. Cancer‐induced cachexia decreases patient quality of life and is associated with poor patient survival. Currently, no clinical therapies exist to treat cancer‐induced muscle wasting. Although cancers commonly associated with cachexia occur in older individuals, the standard animal models used to elucidate the causes of cachexia rely on juvenile mice.

Methods

In an effort to better model human cancer cachexia, we determined whether cachectic features seen in young mice could be achieved in adult, pre‐sarcopenic mice following colon 26 (C‐26) tumor cell inoculation.

Results

Both young and adult mice developed similar‐sized tumors and progressed to cachexia with similar kinetics, as evidenced by losses in body mass, and adipose and skeletal muscle tissues. Proteolytic signaling, including proteasome and autophagy genes, was also increased in muscles from both young and adult tumor‐bearing animals. Furthermore, tumor‐associated muscle damage and activation of Pax7 progenitor cells was induced in both young and adult mice.

Conclusions

Although cancer cachexia generally occurs in older individuals, these data suggest that the phenotype and underlying mechanisms can be effectively modeled using the currently accepted protocol in juvenile mice.

Electronic supplementary material

The online version of this article (doi:10.1007/s13539‐014‐0141‐2) contains supplementary material.
Implicit attitudes and self‐concepts towards transgression and aggression: Differences between male community and offender adolescents, and associations with psychopathic traits
Authors: Suter Maya , Pihet Sandrine , de Ridder Jill , Zimmermann Grégoire , Stephan Philippe
Published: March 2014

Research suggests that implicit attitudes play a key role in the occurrence of antisocial behaviours. This study assessed implicit attitudes and self‐concepts related to aggression and transgression in community and offender adolescents, using a new set of Implicit Association Tests (IATs), and examined their association with of psychopathic traits. Thirty‐six offenders and 66 community adolescents performed 4 IATs assessing 1) implicit attitudes about a) aggression and b) transgression as good, and 2) implicit self‐concepts about a) aggression and b) transgression as self‐descriptive. They filled in self‐report questionnaires: the Youth Psychopathic Traits Inventory, the Child Behaviour Checklist, and explicit measures of their attitudes and self‐concepts towards transgression and aggression. Results showed few differences between community and offender adolescents on implicit attitudes and self‐concepts, and unexpected negative associations between some implicit attitudes and psychopathic traits, while the association was positive for the corresponding explicit attitudes. Possible explanations of these findings are discussed.
The Utility of and Risks Associated With the Use of Spontaneous Volunteers in Disaster Response: A Survey
Authors: Sauer Lauren M. , Catlett Christina , Tosatto Robert , Kirsch Thomas D.
Published: March 2014

Objective

The use of spontaneous volunteers (SV) is common after a disaster, but their limited training and experience can create a danger for the SVs and nongovernmental voluntary organizations (NVOs). We assessed the experience of NVOs with SVs during disasters, how they were integrated into the agency's infrastructure, their perceived value to previous responses, and liability issues associated with their use.

Methods

Of the 51 National Voluntary Organizations Active in Disasters organizations that were contacted for surveys, 24 (47%) agreed to participate.

Results

Of the 24 participating organizations, 19 (72%) had encountered SVs during a response, most (79%) used them regularly, and 68% believed that SVs were usually useful. SVs were always credentialed by 2 organizations, and sometimes by 6 (31%). One organization always performed background checks; 53% provided just-in-time training for SVs; 26% conducted evaluations of SV performance; and 21% provided health or workers compensation benefits. Two organizations reported an SV death; 42% reported injuries; 32% accepted legal liability for the actions of SVs; and 16% were sued because of actions by SVs.

Conclusions

The use of SVs is widespread, but NVOs are not necessarily structured to incorporate them effectively. More structured efforts to integrate SVs are critical to safe and effective disaster response. (Disaster Med Public Health Preparedness. 2014;8:65-69)
Autonomy, Freedom & Embodiment: Hegel's Critique of Contemporary Biologism
Authors: Westphal Kenneth R.
Published: March 2014

The apparent implications of the latest findings of the life sciences for our freedom and autonomy are both exciting and controversial: They undermine a common view of human freedom: a fundamentally Cartesian view. A superior account of our freedom was developed by Kant and Hegel. Key features of Hegel's account show that we can expect from the life sciences further insights into the biological basis of our freedom and autonomy, but not their repudiation. I begin with basic features of Cartesian self-transparency (II) and then review three findings of contemporary life sciences (III). I then detail key features of Hegel's anti-Cartesianism (IV), in order to formulate the basic question about our freedom posed by the claim that biology explains away human freedom (V). I criticize this biological determinism by drawing upon Hegel's account of human freedom as autonomy (VI), and comment briefly on biologism in moral theory (VII).
Closed-form shock solutions
Authors: Johnson B. M.
Published: March 2014

It is shown here that a subset of the implicit analytical shock solutions discovered by Becker and by Johnson can be inverted, yielding several exact closed-form solutions of the one-dimensional compressible Navier–Stokes equations for an ideal gas. For a constant dynamic viscosity and thermal conductivity, and at particular values of the shock Mach number, the velocity can be expressed in terms of a polynomial root. For a constant kinematic viscosity, independent of Mach number, the velocity can be expressed in terms of a hyperbolic tangent function. The remaining fluid variables are related to the velocity through simple algebraic expressions. The solutions derived here make excellent verification tests for numerical algorithms, since no source terms in the evolution equations are approximated, and the closed-form expressions are straightforward to implement. The solutions are also of some academic interest as they may provide insight into the nonlinear character of the Navier–Stokes equations and may stimulate further analytical developments.
Association between dietary carbohydrate intake quality and micronutrient intake adequacy in a Mediterranean cohort: the SUN (Seguimiento Universidad de Navarra) Project
Authors: Zazpe Itziar , Sánchez-Taínta Ana , Santiago Susana , de la Fuente-Arrillaga Carmen , Bes-Rastrollo Maira , Martínez J. Alfredo , Martínez-González Miguel Ángel
Published: March 2014

Epidemiological research confirms that the prevalence of suboptimal micronutrient intakes across Europe is an emerging concern in terms of public health. The aim of the present study was to investigate the association between a new index of carbohydrate (CHO) quality and micronutrient intake adequacy in the ‘Seguimiento Universidad de Navarra (SUN)’ cohort. The baseline assessment extended from 1999 to March 2012. We assessed 16 841 participants who completed a validated 136-item semi-quantitative FFQ at baseline. We created a new index to evaluate CHO quality for the following four criteria: dietary fibre intake; glycaemic index; whole grains:total grains ratio; solid CHO:total CHO ratio. The subjects were classified into quintiles according to this index. We evaluated the intakes of Zn, I, Se, Fe, Ca, K, P, Mg, Cr and vitamins B1, B2, B3, B6, B12, C, A, D, E and folic acid. The probability of intake adequacy was evaluated using the estimated average requirement cut-point approach and the probabilistic approach. Logistic regression analysis was used to assess the nutritional adequacy according to the CHO quality index (CQI). Participants in the highest quintile of CQI were found to have the lowest prevalence of inadequacy. A higher quality of CHO intake was found to be associated with a lower risk of nutritional inadequacy in comparison with the lowest quintile of CQI (adjusted OR 0·06, 95 % CI 0·02, 0·16;Pfor trend < 0·001). A higher CQI was found to be strongly associated with better micronutrient intake adequacy in the young Mediterranean cohort, stressing the importance of focusing nutritional education not only on CHO quantity, but also on quality.
Comparison of the long-term effects of high-fat v. low-fat diet consumption on cardiometabolic risk factors in subjects with abnormal glucose metabolism: a systematic review and meta-analysis
Authors: Schwingshackl Lukas , Hoffmann Georg
Published: March 2014

The aim of the present systematic review and meta-analysis was to examine the long-term effects ( ≥ 12 months) of high-fat (HF) v. low-fat (LF) diet consumption on the indicators of glycaemic control as well as cardiovascular risk factors in pre-diabetic and diabetic individuals. Literature search was carried out using the electronic databases MEDLINE, Embase and the Cochrane Trial Register until November 2013. Study-specific weighted mean differences (MD) were pooled using a random-effects model of the Cochrane software package Review Manager 5.1 and Stata 12.0 was used for meta-regressions. A total of fourteen trials met the inclusion criteria and a maximum of 1753 subjects were included in the meta-analysis. HF regimens were found to result in a significant decrease in TAG levels (MD − 0·19 mmol/l, 95 % CI − 0·23, − 0·14, P< 0·001; I2= 0 %, P= 0·58) and diastolic blood pressure (MD − 1·30 mmHg, 95 % CI − 1·73, − 0·87, P< 0·001; I2= 0 %, P= 0·60) and a significant increase in HDL-cholesterol levels (MD 0·05 mmol/l, 95 % CI 0·01, 0·08, P= 0·01; I2= 57 %, P= 0·01). In addition, MD in the reductions of fasting glucose levels ( − 0·41 mmol/l, 95 % CI − 0·74, − 0·08, P= 0·01; I2= 56 %, P= 0·02) were significantly high in patients with type 2 diabetes adhering to a HF diet. HF and LF diets might not be of equal value in the management of either pre-diabetes or type 2 diabetes, leading to emphasis being placed on the recommendations of HF diets.
Energy intake, growth rate and body composition of young Labrador Retrievers and Miniature Schnauzers fed different dietary levels of vitamin A
Authors: Brenten Thomas , Morris Penelope J. , Salt Carina , Raila Jens , Kohn Barbara , Brunnberg Leo , Schweigert Florian J. , Zentek Jürgen
Published: March 2014

Research in rodents has shown that dietary vitamin A reduces body fat by enhancing fat mobilisation and energy utilisation; however, their effects in growing dogs remain unclear. In the present study, we evaluated the development of body weight and body composition and compared observed energy intake with predicted energy intake in forty-nine puppies from two breeds (twenty-four Labrador Retriever (LAB) and twenty-five Miniature Schnauzer (MS)). A total of four different diets with increasing vitamin A content between 5·24 and 104·80 μmol retinol (5000–100 000 IU vitamin A)/4184 kJ (1000 kcal) metabolisable energy were fed from the age of 8 weeks up to 52 (MS) and 78 weeks (LAB). The daily energy intake was recorded throughout the experimental period. The body condition score was evaluated weekly using a seven-category system, and food allowances were adjusted to maintain optimal body condition. Body composition was assessed at the age of 26 and 52 weeks for both breeds and at the age of 78 weeks for the LAB breed only using dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry. The growth curves of the dogs followed a breed-specific pattern. However, data on energy intake showed considerable variability between the two breeds as well as when compared with predicted energy intake. In conclusion, the data show that energy intakes of puppies particularly during early growth are highly variable; however, the growth pattern and body composition of the LAB and MS breeds are not affected by the intake of vitamin A at levels up to 104·80 μmol retinol (100 000 IU vitamin A)/4184 kJ (1000 kcal).
Maternal high-fat diet consumption modulates hepatic lipid metabolism and microRNA-122 (miR-122) and microRNA-370 (miR-370) expression in offspring
Authors: Benatti R. O. , Melo A. M. , Borges F. O. , Ignacio-Souza L. M. , Simino L. A. P. , Milanski M. , Velloso L. A. , Torsoni M. A. , Torsoni A. S.
Published: March 2014

Maternal consumption of a high-fat diet (HFD) during pregnancy and lactation is closely related to hepatic lipid accumulation, insulin resistance and increased serum cytokine levels in offspring and into their adulthood. MicroRNA (miRNA) have been implicated in cholesterol biosynthesis and fatty acid metabolism. We evaluated the modulation of hepatic fatty acid synthesis (de novo), β-oxidation pathways, and miRNA-122 (miR-122) and miRNA-370 (miR-370) expression in recently weaned offspring (day 28) of mouse dams fed a HFD (HFD-O) or a standard chow (SC-O) during pregnancy and lactation. Compared with SC-O mice, HFD-O mice weighed more, had a larger adipose tissue mass and were more intolerant to glucose and insulin (P< 0·05). HFD-O mice also presented more levels of serum cholesterol, TAG, NEFA and hepatic IκB kinase and c-Jun N-terminal kinase phosphorylation compared with SC-O mice (P< 0·05). Protein levels of fatty acid synthase, acetyl-CoA carboxylase and 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl-CoA reductase were similar in HFD-O and SC-O mice, whereas expression levels of SCD1 mRNA and protein were more abundant in HFD-O mice than in SC-O mice (P< 0·05). Interestingly, mRNA expression levels of the β-oxidation-related genes ACADVL and CPT1 were decreased in HFD-O mice (P< 0·05). Furthermore, the expression of miR-122 was reduced but that of miR-370 was increased in HFD-O mice compared with that in SC-O mice (P< 0·05). Changes in hepatic lipid metabolism were accompanied by increased mRNA content of AGPAT1 and TAG deposition in HFD-O mice (P< 0·05). Taken together, the present results strongly suggest that maternal consumption of a HFD affects the early lipid metabolism of offspring by modulating the expression of hepatic β-oxidation-related genes and miRNA that can contribute to metabolic disturbances in adult life.
Genetic variation of the greenhouse whitefly,Trialeurodes vaporariorum(Hemiptera: Aleyrodidae), among populations from Serbia and neighbouring countries, as inferred fromCOIsequence variability
Authors: Prijović M. , Škaljac M. , Drobnjaković T. , Žanić K. , Perić P. , Marčić D. , Puizina J.
Published: March 2014

The greenhouse whiteflyTrialeurodes vaporariorumWestwood, 1856 (Hemiptera: Aleyrodidae) is an invasive and highly polyphagous phloem-feeding pest of vegetables and ornamentals.Trialeurodes vaporariorumcauses serious damage due to direct feeding and transmits several important plant viruses. Excessive use of insecticides has resulted in significantly reduced levels of susceptibility of variousT. vaporariorumpopulations. To determine the genetic variability within and among populations ofT. vaporariorumfrom Serbia and to explore their genetic relatedness with otherT. vaporariorumpopulations, we analysed the mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase I (COI) sequences of 16 populations from Serbia and six neighbouring countries: Montenegro (three populations), Macedonia (one population) and Croatia (two populations), for a total of 198 analysed specimens. A low overall level of sequence divergence and only five variable nucleotides and six haplotypes were found. The most frequent haplotype, H1, was identified in all Serbian populations and in all specimens from distant localities in Croatia and Macedonia. The COI sequence data that was retrieved from GenBank and the data from our study indicated that H1 is the most globally widespreadT. vaporariorumhaplotype. A lack of spatial genetic structure among the studiedT. vaporariorumpopulations, as well as two demographic tests that we performed (Tajima'sDvalue and Fu's Fs statistics), indicate a recent colonisation event and population growth. Phylogenetic analyses of the COI haplotypes in this study and otherT. vaporariorumhaplotypes that were retrieved from GenBank were performed using Bayesian inference and median-joining (MJ) network analysis. Two major haplogroups with only a single unique nucleotide difference were found: haplogroup 1 (containing the five Serbian haplotypes and those previously identified in India, China, the Netherlands, the United Kingdom, Morocco, Reunion and the USA) and haplogroup 3 (containing the single Serbian haplotype H3 and haplotypes from Costa Rica, the USA and Spanish Canary Islands). Collectively, our data indicate a rather limited value of COI as a genetic marker for discrimination between differentT. vaporariorumpopulations in the investigated area. Possible explanations for the observed lack of COI sequence variability, such as specific genetics of biological invasion and/or the influence of bacterial symbionts that manipulate insect reproduction, are discussed.
Paternal effects correlate with female reproductive stimulation in the polyandrous ladybirdCheilomenes sexmaculata
Authors: Mirhosseini M.A. , Michaud J.P. , Jalali M.A. , Ziaaddini M.
Published: March 2014

Components of male seminal fluids are known to stimulate fecundity and fertility in females of numerous insect species and paternal effects on offspring phenotype are also known, but no studies have yet demonstrated links between male effects on female reproduction and those on progeny phenotype. In separate laboratory experiments employing 10-day-old virgin females ofCheilomenes sexmaculata(F.), we varied male age and mating history to manipulate levels of male allomones and found that the magnitude of paternal effects on progeny phenotype was correlated with stimulation of female reproduction. Older virgin males remained in copula longer than younger ones, induced higher levels of female fecundity, and sired progeny that developed faster to yield heavier adults. When male age was held constant (13 days), egg fertility declined as a function of previous male copulations, progeny developmental times increased, and the adult weight of daughters declined. These results suggest that male epigenetic effects on progeny phenotype act in concert with female reproductive stimulation; both categories of effects increased as a consequence of male celibacy (factor accumulation), and diminished as a function of previous matings (factor depletion). Male factors that influence female reproduction are implicated in sexual conflict and parental effects may extend this conflict to offspring phenotype. Whereas mothers control the timing of oviposition events and can use maternal effects to tailor progeny phenotypes to prevailing or anticipated conditions, fathers cannot. Since females remate and dilute paternity in polyandrous systems, paternal fitness will be increased by linking paternal effects to female fecundity stimulation, so that more benefits accrue to the male's own progeny.
Dust acoustic shock waves in dusty plasma of opposite polarity with non-extensive electron and ion distributions
Authors: Zaghbeer S. K. , Salah H. H. , Sheta N. H. , El-Shewy E. K. , Elgarayhi A.
Published: March 2014

A theoretical investigation has been made of obliquely propagating nonlinear electrostatic shock structures. The reductive perturbation method has been used to derive the Korteweg-de Vries-Burger (KdV-Burger) equation for dust acoustic shock waves in a homogeneous system of a magnetized collisionless plasma comprising a four-component dusty plasma with massive, micron-sized, positively, negatively dust grains and non-extensive electrons and ions. The effect of dust viscosity coefficients of charged dusty plasma of opposite polarity and the non-extensive parameters of electrons and ions have been studied. The behavior of the oscillatory and monotonic shock waves in dusty plasma has been investigated. It has been found that the presence of non-extensive parameters significantly modified the basic properties of shock structures in space environments.
Egg mass ventilation by caridean shrimp: similarities to other decapods and insight into pheromone receptor location
Authors: Reinsel Kathleen A. , Pagel Kerry , Kissel Margaret , Foran Erin , Clare Anthony S. , Rittschof Dan
Published: March 2014

Egg clutch brooding and larval release behaviour are common among decapods and involve pheromone communication between the developing embryos and the brooding female. We tested caridean shrimps to determine whether their behaviour was similar to other decapods. In tests with aqueous extracts of crushed eggs and peptide pheromone mimic shrimps responded similarly to brachyurans and lobsters. The elongate body form of shrimps enabled us to focally stimulate body locations with the goal of determining the location of pheromone receptors. The receptors for the pheromones are likely located on the bases of the walking legs or on the gills, not on the pleopods, first walking legs, antennae or antennules. Shrimps are another example of organisms that use peptides generated by trypsin-like serine proteases as pheromones and signal molecules.
Control options forNeospora caninum– is there anything new or are we going backwards?
Authors: REICHEL MICHAEL P. , McALLISTER MILTON M. , POMROY WILLIAM E. , CAMPERO CARLOS , ORTEGA-MORA LUIS M. , ELLIS JOHN T.
Published: March 2014

Recent work has highlighted and enumerated the economic annual losses due toNeospora caninumabortions worldwide, which should provide strong motivation for the control of bovine neosporosis. However, with the recent withdrawal from sale of the only commercially available vaccine, control options forN. caninumhave become more restricted. While researchers continue to work on developing alternative efficacious vaccines, what are the control options presently available for the cattle industries? At the practical level, recommendations for ‘Test-and-cull’, or ‘not breeding from seropositive dams’ stand diametrically opposed to alternative options put forward that suggest a primary producer is better advised to keep those cows in the herd that are already seropositive, i.e. assumed to be chronically infected, and indeed those that have already aborted once. Treatment with a coccidiostat has been recommended as the only economically viable option, yet no such treatment has gained official, regulatory approval. Dogs are central to the life cycle ofN. caninumand have repeatedly been associated with infection and abortions in cattle by epidemiological studies. Knowledge and understanding of that pivotal role should be able to be put to use in control programmes. The present review canvasses the relevant literature for evidence for control options forN. caninum(some of them proven, many not) and assesses them in the light of the authors’ knowledge and experience with control ofN. caninum.
Mime, Music and Drama on the Eighteenth-Century Stage
Authors: Vallejos Juan Ignacio
Published: March 2014

Edward Nye is a dance historian who specializes in the eighteenth century and who is the author of many articles on the genre of ballet d'action, which became known in Europe during the second half of the century. His groundbreaking book, Mime, Music and Drama on the Eighteenth-Century Stage, examines ballet d'action both in its own context and as a broader aesthetic phenomenon. It is an enriching milestone in a body of work that Nye has been developing for a decade.1 The book, presented in two parts, first contains an analysis of the genre within what the author argues to be its proper intellectual and historical context, and goes on to study its critical relationship to theatrical technique, or—to use a term from its era—the poetics of ballet d'action.
Inside/Beside Dance Studies: A Conversation: Mellon Dance Studies in/and the Humanities
Authors: Clayton Michelle , Franko Mark , George-Graves Nadine , Lepecki André , Manning Susan , Ross Janice , Schneider Rebecca
Published: March 2014

In 2012, Susan Manning, Rebecca Schneider, and Janice Ross collaborated across their home institutions of Northwestern University, Brown University, and Stanford University, respectively, to found a research initiative interrogating the field of dance studies. This manifold project, Dance Studies in/and the Humanities, receives funding from the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation through 2015 and includes a series of public roundtable discussions. This conversation—abridged from the original event—took place during two such roundtables at Brown University in June 2013, and it features substantial contributions from scholars Michelle Clayton, Mark Franko, Nadine George-Graves, André Lepecki, Susan Manning, Janice Ross, and Rebecca Schneider. Speakers address what dance studies may need, want, or do in this current historical moment. Manning articulates her experience being “inside” and “beside” dance studies through teaching in an integrationist/assimilationist model that promotes dance as a subfield in humanities (and occasionally social science) departments. Franko asserts that dance studies formed as a result of an epistemological break in the 1980s and adds that interdisciplinary frameworks can also support this relatively new field.

Through embracing the partiality that comes with interdisciplinarity, Clayton encourages participants to investigate generative misunderstandings. Ross provides a comprehensive account of the crisis in the humanities, and Lepecki connects this crisis to the permanent state of war in the U.S. and emphasizes the importance of theory in dance studies. Falling short of Afro-pessimism, George-Graves calls for dance studies to infiltrate the upper echelons of higher education administration, and Schneider articulates post-structuralism's link to the Global South while calling for more scholarly representation from this area of the world. Through exploring possibilities for embodied knowledge, reenacting post-structuralism, and embracing partiality, these scholars address the expanding aperture of dance studies in a global economy. Topics identified for future discussion include decentering the whiteness of dance studies transnationally, exploring how dance studies methodologies are currently utilized in academia, and expanding dance studies beyond the American academy.
The Muse of Virtuosity: Desmond Richardson, Race, and Choreographic Falsetto
Authors: Osterweis Ariel
Published: March 2014

This article interrogates the status of virtuosity in dance through the co-constitutive paradigms of race, gender, and class, accounting for both the term's emergence in journalistic arts discourse and how “queer of color” critique refines its meaning in and for contemporary performance culture (Roderick Ferguson). Virtuosity operates at the supposed border between popular and “high” art, and “Soul” and the mechanical, defining the location of the virtuoso's potential transgression. Discourses of virtuosity in performance are linked to connotations of excess, and examining formal and sociocultural aspects of virtuosic dance reveals under-recognized heterogeneity generated by vernacular influences on high art. Founded in 1994 by Desmond Richardson (as muse) and Dwight Rhoden (as choreographer), Complexions Contemporary Ballet exemplifies how much of “Africanist” choreography resists performing “ontopolitical critique” through stillness, privileging speed, stylistic hybridity, and technical intricacy (Brenda Dixon Gottschild, André Lepecki). I propose and develop the term choreographic falsetto, likening Richardson's virtuosity to that of black “Post-Soul” singers such as Prince, on the one hand, and nineteenth-century virtuoso musicians and composers such as Liszt, on the other (Francesca Royster). Richardson performs queer black masculinity by exploiting hyperbolic technical skills typically reserved for women, expanding upon choreographic aesthetics initiated by George Balanchine, William Forsythe, Alvin Ailey, and Ulysses Dove. Calling upon Theodor Adorno and Max Weber's theories of virtuosity and charisma in music and religion (in addition to Ferguson, Royster, Gottschild, Lepecki, Thomas DeFrantz, Nathaniel Mackey, Joseph Roach, Susan Bernstein, and Gabriele Brandstetter), I account for a historically and cross-culturally prevalent (if relatively forgotten) aspect of virtuosity, namely its position at the meeting point of gender, religion, capitalism, and individualism.
Position and force tracking in nonlinear teleoperation systems under varying delays
Authors: Hashemzadeh Farzad , Tavakoli Mahdi
Published: March 2014

In this paper, a novel control scheme is proposed to guarantee position and force tracking in nonlinear teleoperation systems subject to varying communication delays. Stability and tracking performance of the teleoperation system are proved using a proposed Lyapunov–Krasovskii functional. To show its effectiveness, the teleoperation controller is simulated on a pair of planar 2-DOF (degree of freedom) robots and experimented on a pair of 3-DOF PHANToM Premium 1.5A robots connected via a communication channel with time-varying delays. Both the planar robots in simulations and the PHANToM robots in experiments possess nonlinear dynamics.
An Improved Optimal Method For Initial Alignment
Authors: Li Jingshu , Xu Jiangning , Chang Lubin , Zha Feng
Published: March 2014

A type of fixed integral interval sliding method for optimization-based alignment is proposed in this paper. The method is more reasonable and suitable than those in the references due to the appropriate treatment of the noise in the outputs of the Inertial Measurement Unit (IMU). The undesired sensor noise of sensors includes both random noise and bias. Our optimal alignment is based on an integrated form where the bias will be integrated during the process of alignment. In this respect, the length of the integrated data is a key factor in determining current attitude due to the ambivalent effect of integrating the sensor noise. If the length is too great the precision deteriorates due to the integration of bias. If the length is too small the precision also deteriorates because of the randomness of the noise. The validity of the method is verified by simulation and measured data.
Water cisterns as death traps for amphibians and reptiles in arid environments
Authors: GARCÍA-CARDENETE LUÍS , PLEGUEZUELOS JUAN M. , BRITO JOSÉ C. , JIMÉNEZ-CAZALLA FRANCISCO , PÉREZ-GARCÍA MARÍA T. , SANTOS XAVIER
Published: March 2014

Arid regions are increasingly being anthropogenically altered. In the north-western Sahara, a growing road network facilitates the use of habitats adjacent to roads. In regions where livestock is the traditional and main economic resource, local people are currently building numerous water cisterns for watering livestock, leading to an increase in the extent of pasturing of domestic livestock. Cisterns may attract desert vertebrates and act as death traps for species with already sparse populations in these arid areas. This paper is the first to examine the impact of cisterns as lethal traps for amphibians and reptiles in the Sahara, using a survey of 823 cisterns in south-western Morocco to identify and quantify species affected. Four amphibians and 35 reptiles were trapped in cisterns, some of which were listed as threatened. At least 459 017 individual amphibians and reptiles were trapped annually within the study area. The low productivity and low population densities of terrestrial vertebrates in this arid region suggest cisterns have a substantial impact upon amphibian and reptile species. As cistern construction is increasing, management actions are required to mitigate this impact on the herpetological community.
There is no correlation between sublineages and drug resistance ofMycobacterium tuberculosisBeijing/W lineage clinical isolates in Xinjiang, China
Authors: YUAN L. , HUANG Y. , MI L. G. , LI Y. X. , LIU P. Z. , ZHANG J. , LIANG H. Y. , LI F. , LI H. , ZHANG S. Q. , LI W. J.
Published: March 2014

The Beijing/W lineage strains are the major prevalent strains in China. The prevalence, mortality and drug-resistant rates of tuberculosis in Xinjiang, Northwestern China are higher than in other parts of the country. Our previous study results showed that the dominant strains ofMycobacterium tuberculosis(MTB) were ‘Beijing/W lineage’ MTB in Xinjiang; those strains had no significant correlation with drug resistance. We investigated whether the prevalence of ‘Beijing/W lineage’ sublineage strains was associated with drug resistance. We collected 478 sputum specimens from patients with pulmonary tuberculosis. Beijing/W strains and their sublineages were identified by distinguishing five specific large sequence polymorphisms, using polymerase chain reaction. All strains were subjected to a drug susceptibility test using the proportion method on Löwenstein–Jensen culture medium. In total, 379 clinical isolates of MTB were isolated and identified, 57·26% of these isolates were identified as Beijing/W strains, of which 11·06% isolates were in sublineage 105, 14·74% isolates in sublineage 207, 69·59% isolates in sublineage 181, and 4·61% isolates in sublineage 150. None of the isolates was in sublineage 142. Our data showed there were four sublineages of Beijing/W isolates in Xinjiang province, China. However, there were no correlations between drug resistance and the sublineages of Beijing/W strains.