bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
A new class of powerful and informative simultaneous confidence intervals
Authors: Brannath Werner , Schmidt Sylvia
Published: April 2014

Step‐down tests uniformly improve single‐step tests with regard to power and the average number of rejected hypotheses. However, when extended to simultaneous confidence intervals (SCIs), the resulting SCIs often provide no additional information to the sheer hypothesis test. We speak, in this case, of a non‐informative rejection. Non‐informative rejections are particularly problematic in clinical trials with multiple treatments, where an informative rejection is required to obtain useful estimates of the treatment effects. The extension of single‐step tests to confidence intervals does not have this deficiency. As a consequence, step‐down tests, when extended to SCIs, do not uniformly improve single‐step tests with regard to informative rejections. To overcome this deficiency, we suggest the construction of a new class of simultaneous confidence intervals that uniformly improve the Bonferroni and Holm SCIs with regard to informative rejections. This can be achieved using a dual family of weighted Bonferroni tests, with the weights depending continuously on the parameter values. We provide a simple algorithm for these computations and show that the resulting lower confidence bounds have an attractive shrinkage property. The method is extended to union‐intersection tests, such as the Dunnett procedure, and is investigated in a comparative simulation study. We further illustrate the utility of the method with an example from a real clinical trial in which two experimental treatments are compared with an active comparator with respect to non‐inferiority and superiority. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Experimental Study of Phase Equilibria in CaO–SiO2–MgO–Al2O3–V2O3 Slags
Authors: Yang Yang , Teng Lidong , Seetharaman Seshadri
Published: April 2014

Thermodynamic data with regard to slags containing vanadium oxide are scarce and scattered. In the present study, the classic gas‐slag equilibrium technique has been adopted to investigate the phase relationships in the CaOSiO2MgOAl2O3V2O3 slags. The phase equilibria in the slag systems in the temperature range of 1773–1823 K (1500–1550 °C) at oxygen partial pressures of 10−5 Pa and 0.21 × 105 Pa were characterized. CaVO3 was precipitated in samples with basicity 1.5 and 1.8 treated in air at 1773 K (1550 °C) while all vanadium was dissolved in equilibrium phases in samples treated at oxygen partial pressure of 10−5 Pa. Vanadium distribution between the slags and solid Pt and phase compositions were analyzed using scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy dispersive spectrometer (EDS), and X‐ray diffractomer (XRD) techniques. The effects of temperature, oxygen partial pressure, and slag basicity on the phase compositions in the slags are presented. Activities of VO1.5 were also calculated using the value of vanadium activity in the Pt–V alloy.
DDX6 and its orthologs as modulators of cellular and viral RNA expression
Authors: Ostareck Dirk H. , Naarmann‐de Vries Isabel S. , Ostareck‐Lederer Antje
Published: April 2014

DDX6 (Rck/p54), a member of the DEAD‐box family of helicases, is highly conserved from unicellular eukaryotes to vertebrates. Functions of DDX6 and its orthologs in dynamic ribonucleoproteins contribute to global and transcript‐specific messenger RNA (mRNA) storage, translational repression, and decay during development and differentiation in the germline and somatic cells. Its role in pathways that promote mRNA‐specific alternative translation initiation has been shown to be linked to cellular homeostasis, deregulated tissue development, and the control of gene expression in RNA viruses. Recently, DDX6 was found to participate in mRNA regulation mediated by miRNA‐mediated silencing. DDX6 and its orthologs have versatile functions in mRNA metabolism, which characterize them as important post‐transcriptional regulators of gene expression. WIREs RNA 2014, 5:659–678. doi: 10.1002/wrna.1237

This article is categorized under:

RNA Interactions with Proteins and Other Molecules > RNA–Protein Complexes

RNA Interactions with Proteins and Other Molecules > Protein–RNA Interactions: Functional Implications

RNA Turnover and Surveillance > Regulation of RNA Stability
Defects of thiamine transport and metabolism
Authors: Brown Garry
Published: April 2014

Thiamine, in the form of thiamine pyrophosphate, is a cofactor for a number of enzymes which play important roles in energy metabolism. Although dietary thiamine deficiency states have long been recognised, it is only relatively recently that inherited defects in thiamine uptake, activation and the attachment of the active cofactor to target enzymes have been described, and the underlying genetic defects identified. Thiamine is transported into cells by two carriers, THTR1 and THTR2, and deficiency of these results in thiamine‐responsive megaloblastic anaemia and biotin‐responsive basal ganglia disease respectively. Defective synthesis of thiamine pyrophosphate has been found in a small number of patients with episodic ataxia, delayed development and dystonia, while impaired transport of thiamine pyrophosphate into the mitochondrion is associated with Amish lethal microcephaly in most cases. In addition to defects in thiamine uptake and metabolism, patients with pyruvate dehydrogenase deficiency and maple syrup urine disease have been described who have a significant clinical and/or biochemical response to thiamine supplementation. In these patients, an intrinsic structural defect in the target enzymes reduces binding of the cofactor and this can be overcome at high concentrations. In most cases, the clinical and biochemical abnormalities in these conditions are relatively non‐specific, and the range of recognised presentations is increasing rapidly at present as new patients are identified, often by genome sequencing. These conditions highlight the value of a trial of thiamine supplementation in patients whose clinical presentation falls within the spectrum of documented cases.
Use of sapropterin dihydrochloride in maternal phenylketonuria. A European experience of eight cases
Authors: Feillet François , Muntau Ania C. , Debray François‐Guillaume , Lotz‐Havla Amelie S. , Puchwein‐Schwepcke Alexandra , Fofou‐Caillierez Ma'atem Béatrice , van Spronsen Francjan , Trefz Fritz Friedrich
Published: April 2014

Sapropterin dihydrochloride (SD) is the first drug treatment for phenylketonuria (PKU), but due to the lack of data, its use in maternal PKU must be undertaken with caution as noted in the FDA and EMEA labels. We collected data from eight pregnancies in PKU women treated with SD and we analysed the phenotypes of these patients, their tetrahydrobiopterin (BH4) responsiveness, the indications for SD treatment, the efficacy (metabolic control, phenylalanine (Phe) tolerance and offspring outcome) and the safety data. Results showed that in the seven patients known to be responsive to BH4, the use of SD during pregnancy was efficient in terms of metabolic control and Phe tolerance. The indications for giving SD included the failure of the low‐Phe diet (n = 3), the fact that some of these women had never experienced the low Phe diet (n = 2), one unexpected pregnancy in a woman currently on SD and one pregnancy where the foetus was known to have PKU. The offspring of these seven pregnancies were all normal babies with normal birth measurements and outcomes. No side effect related to SD was observed in these seven cases. In the eighth case, SD was prescribed as a rescue treatment without previous knowledge of the BH4 responsiveness to a woman who was already 8 weeks pregnant without diet. The birth occurred at 33 weeks of gestational age with Potter syndrome (probably related to the absence of metabolic control during the first trimester) and the baby died in the first hours of life. In conclusion, the data presented here provides the first evidence that treatment with pharmacological doses of SD appears to be efficient and safe in women with PKU during pregnancy. Its use should, however, be restricted to those women previously identified to be clear responders to BH4.
Provision of Cardiovascular Genetic Counseling Services: Current Practice and Future Directions
Authors: Somers Allyson E. , Ware Stephanie M. , Collins Kathleen , Jefferies John L. , He Hua , Miller Erin M.
Published: April 2014

Cardiovascular genetic counseling has emerged as a specialty critical to the care of patients with heritable cardiovascular disease. Current strategies to meet the growing demand are not clear. We sought to characterize practice patterns of cardiac genetic counseling by developing a novel survey distributed to the National Society of Genetic Counselors (NSGC) Listserv to assess clinical practice, cardiovascular training, and education. Descriptive statistics were used to summarize clinical practice; Fisher's exact test and the Cochran‐Armitage trend test were used to compare the practice of cardiovascular genetic counselors (CVGCs) to those who did not identify cardiology as a specialty (non‐CVGCs). A total of 153 individuals completed the survey. Of the 105 participants who reported seeing a cardiac genetics patient, 42 (40 %) identified themselves as a CVGC. The most common conditions for which genetic counseling was provided were hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) (71 % of participants), dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM) (61 %), long QT syndrome (LQTS) (56 %), and genetic syndromes with cardiovascular disease (55 %). CVGCs were significantly more confident than non‐CVGCs in providing genetic counseling for seven cardiovascular diseases (2.3 × 10−6 ≤ p ≤ 0.021). Eighty‐six percent of genetic counselors sought additional education related to cardiovascular genetics and listed online courses as the most desirable method of learning. These data suggest a growing interest in cardiovascular genetic counseling and need for additional training resources among the NSGC membership.
Interdisciplinary Education for Genetic Counselors: Developing the Concept and Assessing the Need in Australasia
Authors: Mann Kirsty J. , Taylor Jessica A. , James Paul A. , Gaff Clara
Published: April 2014

Interdisciplinary teams are increasingly common in healthcare as a means of improving patient care and there is consensus in the literature that a formalized framework of interdisciplinary education for health professionals is an advantageous means of professional development. To our knowledge no such application to genetic counseling has been reported. Prompted by limited direct exposure to the oncology processes discussed during genetic counseling sessions, two genetic counselors completed an interdisciplinary education exercise by observing various oncology settings. As intended we gained a deeper understanding of the: (1) Roles of other health professionals within the oncology interdisciplinary team, (2) Patient experience of cancer screening and treatment, and (3) Clinical processes relevant to cancer genetic counselors’ discussions. In addition, further benefits resulted from (4) Insight into how patients and referring providers utilize the FCC within wider oncology care and (5) Strengthening of relationships between the FCC and other oncology‐related teams. The observation experience and resulting learnings are described in this paper. To investigate wider application of this novel initiative, a survey of Australasian genetic counselors was conducted, finding that genetic counselors mostly source knowledge about oncology procedures through indirect means and that, overall, anecdotal descriptions from patients were the most common information source (74 %). Over 95 % of respondents expected that interdisciplinary observations would be a beneficial part of their professional development and almost 90 % expected the program to be potentially feasible in their workplace. These findings indicate there is a role for interdisciplinary education to be considered as a formal continual learning tool for genetic counselors.
Gender Differences in the Expression and Cellular Localization of Lipin 1 in the Hearts of Fructose‐Fed Rats
Authors: Romić Snježana , Tepavčević Snežana , Žakula Zorica , Milosavljević Tijana , Kostić Milan , Petković Marijana , Korićanac Goran
Published: April 2014

To give new insight to alterations of cardiac lipid metabolism accompanied by a fructose‐rich diet (FRD), rats of both sexes were exposed to 10 % fructose in drinking water during 9 weeks. The protein level and subcellular localization of the main regulators of cardiac lipid metabolism, such as lipin 1, peroxisome proliferator‐activated receptor α (PPARα), peroxisome proliferator‐activated receptor γ coactivator‐1 α (PGC‐1α), carnitine palmitoyltransferase I (CPTI), and CD36 were studied. Caloric intake in fructose‐fed rats (FFR) of both sexes was increased. Circulating triacylglyceroles (TAG) and non‐esterified fatty acids were increased in male FFR, while females increased visceral adiposity and blood TAG. Total expression of lipin 1 in cardiac cell lysate and its cytosolic and microsomal level were increased in the hearts of male FFR. PPARα and PGC‐1α content were decreased in the nuclear extract. In addition, cardiac deposition of TAG in male FFR was elevated, as well as inhibitory phosphorylation of insulin receptor substrate 1 (IRS‐1). In contrast, in female FFR, lipin 1 level was increased in nuclear extract only, while overall CPTI expression and phosphorylation of IRS‐1 at serine 307 were decreased. The results of our study suggest that fructose diet causes gender‐dependent alterations in cardiac lipid metabolism. Potentially detrimental effects of FRD seem to be limited to male rats. Most of the observed changes might be a consequence of elevated expression and altered localization of lipin 1. Increased inhibitory phosphorylation of IRS‐1 is possible link between cardiac lipid metabolism and insulin resistance in FFR.
Endothelial nitric oxide synthase‐enhancing G‐protein coupled receptor antagonist inhibits pulmonary artery hypertension by endothelin‐1‐dependent and endothelin‐1‐independent pathways in a monocrotaline model
Authors: Liu Chung‐Pin , Dai Zen‐Kong , Huang Chein‐Heng , Yeh Jwu‐Lai , Wu Bin‐Nan , Wu Jiunn‐Ren , Chen Ing‐Jun
Published: April 2014

This study investigates whether endothelin‐1 (ET‐1) mediates monocrotaline (MCT)‐induced pulmonary artery hypertension (PAH) and right ventricular hypertrophy (RVH), and if so, whether the G‐protein coupled receptor antagonist KMUP‐1 (7‐{2‐[4‐(2‐chlorobenzene)piperazinyl]ethyl}‐1,3‐dimethylxanthine) inhibits ET‐1‐mediated PA constriction and the aforementioned pathological changes. In a chronic rat model, intraperitoneal MCT (60 mg/kg) induced PAH and increased PA medial wall thickening and RV/left ventricle + septum weight ratio on Day 21 after MCT injection. Treatment with sublingual KMUP‐1 (2.5 mg/kg/day) for 21 days prevented these changes and restored vascular endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS) immunohistochemical staining of lung tissues. Western blotting analysis demonstrated that KMUP‐1 enhanced eNOS, soluble guanylate cyclase, and protein kinase G levels, and reduced ET‐1 expression and inactivated Rho kinase II (ROCKII) in MCT‐treated lung tissue over long‐term administration. In MCT‐treated rats, KMUP‐1 decreased plasma ET‐1 on Day 21. KMUP‐1 (3.6 mg/kg) maximally appeared at 0.25 hours in the plasma and declined to basal levels within 24 hours after sublingual administration. In isolated PA of MCT‐treated rats, compared with control and pretreatment with l‐NG‐nitroarginine methyl ester (100 μM), KMUP‐1 (0.1–100 μM) inhibited ET‐1 (0.01 μM)‐induced vasoconstriction. Endothelium‐denuded PA sustained higher contractility in the presence of KMUP‐1. In a 24‐hour culture of smooth muscle cells (i.e., PA smooth muscle cells or PASMCs), KMUP‐1 (0.1–10 μM) inhibited RhoA‐ and ET‐1‐induced RhoA activation. KMUP‐1 prevented MCT‐induced PAH, PA wall thickening, and RVH by enhancing eNOS and suppressing ET‐1/ROCKII expression. In vitro, KMUP‐1 inhibited ET‐1‐induced PA constriction and ET‐1‐dependent/independent RhoA activation of PASMCs. In summary, KMUP‐1 attenuates ET‐1‐induced/ET‐1‐mediated PA constriction, and could thus aid in the treatment of PAH caused by MCT.
Wavelet-based adaptive simulations of three-dimensional flow past a square cylinder
Authors: De Stefano Giuliano , Vasilyev Oleg V.
Published: April 2014

The wavelet-based eddy capturing approach is extended to three-dimensional bluff body flows, where the flow geometry is enforced through Brinkman volume penalization. The wavelet-collocation/volume-penalization combined method is applied to the simulation of vortex shedding flow behind an isolated stationary prism with square cross-section. Wavelet-based direct numerical simulation is conducted at low supercritical Reynolds number, where the wake develops fundamental three-dimensional flow structures, while wavelet-based adaptive large-eddy simulation supplied with the one-equation localized dynamic kinetic-energy-based model is performed at moderately high Reynolds number. The present results are in general agreement with experimental findings and numerical solutions provided by classical non-adaptive methods. This study demonstrates that the proposed hybrid methodology for modelling bluff body flows is feasible, accurate and efficient.
Observations of turbulent secondary flows in a rough-wall boundary layer
Authors: Barros Julio M. , Christensen Kenneth T.
Published: April 2014

The characteristics of a turbulent boundary layer overlying a complex roughness topography were explored with stereo particle-image velocimetry measurements in the wall-normal–spanwise $(y\mbox{--}z)$ plane. The roughness under consideration was replicated from a turbine blade damaged by deposition of foreign materials containing a broad range of topographical scales arranged in a highly irregular manner. The single-point turbulence statistics displayed strong spanwise heterogeneity, in particular spanwise-alternating low- and high-momentum flow pathways in the mean flow marked by enhanced Reynolds stresses and turbulent kinetic energy. The spanwise regions between high- and low-momentum flow pathways were occupied by swirling motions, suggesting the generation and sustainment of turbulent secondary flows due to the spanwise heterogeneity of the complex roughness under consideration. Similar observations were recently reported for more ordered spanwise roughness transitions by Nugroho, Hutchins & Monty (Intl J. Heat Fluid Flow vol. 41, 2013, pp. 90–102) and Willingham et al. (Phys. Fluids vol. 26, 2014, 025111).
Party, Ideology, and Deficits: Provincial Fiscal Policy and the Cameron Thesis, 1966–2009
Authors: Simon Christopher A. , Tatalovich Raymond
Published: April 2014

In a 1985 publication David Cameron reported that historically leftist governments had governed with smaller deficits than rightist governments. The party ideology variable was incorporated into a large body of subsequent research, mainly by economists, to study the growth of public spending and indebtedness. Most agreed with Cameron; some did not. Virtually all studies focused on western European nations (but not subnational governments). This study analyzes provincial deficits or surpluses over the period 1966 to 2009 and determines that rightist parties, despite controls for economic and other political variables, have lower budgetary deficits, a finding which contradicts Cameron but is consistent with five previous studies of provincial spending in Canada.
Sinonasal symptoms in adults with ear disease
Authors: Yin B-S , Miah M S , Hussain S S M
Published: April 2014

Background:

The association between eustachian tube dysfunction and middle-ear effusion is well established. Studies have also demonstrated pathological changes affecting the middle-ear mucosa associated with chronic sinonasal inflammation. No previous studies have evaluated symptoms related to sinonasal inflammatory disease in different ear diseases.

Objective:

To assess the presence of sinonasal symptoms in ear diseases using the Dundee Rhinogram.

Methods:

Data were collected prospectively in the period February–October 2011. Sinonasal symptoms were graded using the Dundee Rhinogram. Student'st-test analyses were performed to identify any statistically significant associations.

Results:

In total, 164 patients were assessed. There was a statistically significant association between sinonasal symptoms and mucosal middle-ear diseases (p < 0.005). The mean sinonasal symptoms score for mucosal middle-ear disease patients was 5.94 (range, 0–32).

Conclusion:

Assessment of sinonasal symptoms is paramount in patients presenting with an ear symptom; inflammatory sinonasal disease treatment may become necessary in the management of middle-ear mucosal disease for better patient outcome.
The politics of civil service reform in the Democratic Republic of Congo
Authors: Moshonas Stylianos
Published: April 2014

Civil service reform is an important element of governance reforms, but has received limited attention in the literature pertaining to the Democratic Republic of Congo. This article examines Congo's aborted CSR process from 2003 to 2008. Through a detailed exploration of some of the project's components (the design phase, the census, and the workings of the structures charged with implementation), analysed through a framework attentive to the tensions between democratisation and liberalisation, the political logics that have pervaded and affected implementation outcomes are reconstituted. These logics, it is argued, are deeply embedded in the context of democratic transition/post-2006 elections, which donors have played no small part in shaping. The ambiguity of donors towards CSR, bemoaning the absence of governmental commitment but all too prone to tolerate administrative neglect, suggests that it may have been irrelevant for the disbursement of aid, and ultimately accommodating for the Congolese authorities.
The bureaucratic making of national culture in North-Western Ghana
Authors: N'guessan Konstanze
Published: April 2014

In this article I explore the making of national culture through bureaucratic routines in the Centre for National Culture in Wa, North-Western Ghana. I focus on an aspect of bureaucracy that is usually left aside: the productivity and creativity of bureaucratic routines. State, nation and culture are not fixed entities, but have to be constantly produced through processes of negotiation and meaning-making and through the continual reproduction of their boundaries and the categories that determine what is to be promoted or preserved. Bureaucratic routines and administrative processes are analysed as practices objectifying and nationalising culture and naturalising the boundaries and categories created through the cultural officers' practices.
Trade networks in West Africa: a social network approach
Authors: Walther Olivier J.
Published: April 2014

To date, most of the literature on trade networks in West Africa has considered networks in a metaphorical way. The aim of this paper is to go one step further by showing how social network analysis may be applied to the study of regional trade in West Africa. After a brief review of the literature, this exploratory paper investigates two main issues related to regional trade. We start by discussing how recent developments in regional trade in West Africa have contributed to challenging the social structure of traders. We then discuss the changes that have affected the spatiality of regional trade by looking at the influence of spatial location and geographic scale on traders' abilities to trade. In both cases, we argue that the value of social network analysis in exploring how traders have progressively adapted to social and spatial changes in economic activities has been greatly underestimated. Our discussion is illustrated with the case of two trade networks located between Niger, Benin and Nigeria.
Crystal structure of morimotoite from Ice River, Canada
Authors: Antao Sytle M.
Published: April 2014

The crystal structure of a morimotoite garnet, ideally Ca3(Ti4+Fe2+)Si3O12, from the Ice River alkaline complex, British Columbia, Canada was refined by the Rietveld method, space group $Ia\overline 3 d$, and monochromatic synchrotron high-resolution powder X-ray diffraction (HRPXRD) data. Electron-microprobe analysis indicates a homogeneous sample with a formula {Ca2.91Mg0.05Mn2+0.03}Σ3[Ti1.09Fe3+0.46Fe2+0.37Mg0.08]Σ2(Si2.36Fe3+0.51Al0.14)Σ3O12. The HRPXRD data show a two-phase intergrowth. The reduced χ2 and overall R(F2) Rietveld refinement values are 1.572 and 0.0544, respectively. The weight percentage, unit-cell parameter (Å), distances (Å), and site occupancy factors (sofs) for phase-1 are as follows: 76.5(1)%, a = 12.156 98(1) Å, average  = 2.4383, Ti–O = 2.011(1), Si–O = 1.693(1) Å, Ca(sof) = 0.943(2), Ti(sof) = 0.966(2), and Si(sof) = 1.095(3). The corresponding values for phase-2 are 23.5(1)%, a = 12.160 67(2) Å, average  = 2.452, Ti–O = 1.988(3), Si–O = 1.704(3) Å, Ca(sof) = 1.063(7), Ti(sof) = 1.187(7), and Si(sof) = 1.220(8). The two phases cause strain that arises from structural mismatch and gives rise to low optical anisotropy. Because the two phases are structurally quite similar, a refinement using a single-phase model with anisotropic displacement parameters shows no unusual displacement ellipsoid for the O atom that requires a “split O-atom position”, as was done in previous studies.
INTERNATIONAL TRADE AND INDUSTRIALIZATION WITH NEGATIVE POPULATION GROWTH
Authors: Sasaki Hiroaki
Published: April 2014

This paper builds a small-open-economy nonscale-growth model with negative population growth and investigates the relationship between trade patterns and per capita consumption growth. Under free trade, if the population growth rate is negative and its absolute value is small, the home country becomes an agricultural country. Then the long-run growth rate of per capita consumption is positive and depends on the world population growth rate. On the other hand, if the population growth rate is negative and its absolute value is large, the home country becomes a manufacturing country. Then the long-run growth rate of per capita consumption is positive and depends on both the home country and the world population growth rates. Moreover, the home country is better off under free trade than under autarky in terms of per capita consumption growth irrespective of whether the population growth is positive or negative.
Coping, psychopathology, and quality of life in cancer patients under palliative care
Authors: Sorato Daniela B. , Osório Flávia L.
Published: April 2014

Objective:

To assess hopelessness, anxiety, depression, and quality of life in cancer patients undergoing palliative treatment by comparing their scores at the onset of treatment and one month later and by assessing possible correlations with coping strategies.

Method:

Participants included 85 patients of both genders (56.5% female) diagnosed with advanced cancer who did not have curative therapeutic options who were assessed with self-applied instruments (the Beck Hopelessness Scale, the European Organization for the Research and Treatment of Cancer Quality of Life Core Questionnaire–Cancer 30, the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale, and the Coping Strategies Inventory by Folkman and Lazarus) at two timepoints: first before their appointment with doctors and other professionals in their first visit to the palliative care outpatient clinic (PCOC) and then as soon as patients arrived at the PCOC for their first medical follow-up visit (approximately 30 days after the first appointment).

Results:

The scores for hopelessness, anxiety, and depression remained stable (p= 0.24). The results were the same for the quality-of-life (QoL) variables, except for the fatigue and pain scores, which decreased (p= 0.01), and social impairment, which increased (p= 0.03). Analysis of the correlations between the coping mechanisms used after the onset of palliative treatment showed that confronting coping, seeking social support, and positive reappraisal were inversely correlated with hopelessness. Seeking social support, planful problem solving, and positive reappraisal were inversely correlated with indicators of depression. In contrast, use of the escape–avoidance strategy and reduced use of the planful problem-solving strategy were associated with increased anxiety.

Significance of results:

The employment of problem-focused coping strategies exerted a positive impact on the end-of-life process and, above all, protected patients from the negative experiences associated with psychiatric symptoms, thus enabling them to look for alternative solutions for experiencing the end-of-life process in a more well-adjusted manner.
VIRGIL'S CARTHAGINIANS ATAEN. 1.430–6: CYCLOPES IN BEES’ CLOTHING
Authors: Giusti Elena
Published: April 2014

Virgil's poetry has long been recognised as delving into a poetics of comparison which employs sudden shifts from the miniature to the gigantic. So too have Virgilian similes long been singled out as a privileged locus where complex inter- and intra-textual allusions serve to highlight the primary role that these similes play in the narrative and poetic context of Virgil's work. Along these lines, this paper addresses one such simile atAene.d1.430–6, where the Tyrians building Carthage are compared to busy bees working at their hive. The paper explores the impact that the recognition of the simile's inter- and intra-textual connections may have on the interpretation of the scene of Aeneas’ arrival at Carthage, and on certain long-debated aspects of the poem as a whole.
Does the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire – self report yield invariant measurements across different nations? Data from the International Child Mental Health Study Group
Authors: Stevanovic D. , Urbán R. , Atilola O. , Vostanis P. , Singh Balhara Y. P. , Avicenna M. , Kandemir H. , Knez R. , Franic T. , Petrov P.
Published: April 2014

Aims.

This study evaluated the measurement invariance of the strengths and difficulties questionnaire (SDQ) self-report among adolescents from seven different nations.

Methods.

Data for 2367 adolescents, aged 13–18 years, from India, Indonesia, Nigeria, Serbia, Turkey, Bulgaria and Croatia were available for a series of factor analyses.

Results.

The five-factor model including original SDQ scales emotional symptoms, conduct problems, hyperactivity–inattention problems, peer problems and prosocial behaviour generated inadequate fit degree in all countries. A bifactor model with three factors (i.e., externalising, internalising and prosocial) and one general problem factor yielded adequate degree of fit in India, Nigeria, Turkey and Croatia. The prosocial behaviour, emotional symptoms and conduct problems factor were found to be common for all nations. However, originally proposed items loaded saliently on other factors besides the proposed ones or only some of them corresponded to proposed factors in all seven countries.

Conclusions.

Due to the lack of a common acceptable model across all countries, namely the same numbers of factors (i.e., dimensional invariance), it was not possible to perform the metric and scalar invariance test, what indicates that the SDQ self-report models tested lack appropriate measurement invariance across adolescents from these seven nations and it needs to be revised for cross-country comparisons.
Disparities in mental health care provision to immigrants with severe mental illness in Italy
Authors: Rucci P. , Piazza A. , Perrone E. , Tarricone I. , Maisto R. , Donegani I. , Spigonardo V. , Berardi D. , Fantini M. P. , Fioritti A.
Published: April 2014

Aim.

To determine whether disparities exist in mental health care provision to immigrants and Italian citizens with severe mental illness in Bologna, Italy.

Methods.

Records of prevalent cases on 31/12/2010 with severe mental illness and ≥1 contact with Community Mental Health Centers in 2011 were extracted from the mental health information system. Logistic and Poisson regressions were carried out to estimate the probability of receiving rehabilitation, residential or inpatient care, the intensity of outpatient treatments and the duration of hospitalisations and residential care for immigrant patients compared to Italians, adjusting for demographic and clinical covariates.

Results.

The study population included 8602 Italian and 388 immigrant patients. Immigrants were significantly younger, more likely to be married and living with people other than their original family and had a shorter duration of contact with mental health services. The percentages of patients receiving psychosocial rehabilitation, admitted to hospital wards or to residential facilities were similar between Italians and immigrants. The number of interventions was higher for Italians. Admissions to acute wards or residential facilities were significantly longer for Italians. Moreover, immigrants received significantly more group rehabilitation interventions, while more social support individual interventions were provided to Italians.

Conclusions.

The probability of receiving any mental health intervention is similar between immigrants and Italians, but the number of interventions and the duration of admissions are lower for immigrants. Data from mental health information system should be integrated with qualitative data on unmet needs from the immigrants' perspective to inform mental health care programmes and policies.
The relationship between biogenetic attributions and desire for social distance from persons with schizophrenia and major depression revisited
Authors: Angermeyer M. C. , Daubmann A. , Wegscheider K. , Mnich E. , Schomerus G. , Knesebeck O. v. d.
Published: April 2014

Aims.

Previous population-based studies did not support the view that biological and genetic causal models help increase social acceptance of people with mental illness. However, practically all these studies used un-labelled vignettes depicting symptoms of the disorders of interest. Thus, in these studies the public's reactions to pathological behaviour had been assessed rather than reactions to psychiatric disorders that had explicitly been labelled as such. The question arises as to whether results would have been similar if respondents had been confronted with vignettes with explicit mention of the respective diagnosis.

Methods.

Analyses are based on data of a telephone survey in two German metropolises conducted in 2011. Case-vignettes with typical symptoms suggestive of depression or schizophrenia were presented to the respondents. After presentation of the vignette respondents were informed about the diagnosis.

Results.

We found a statistically significant association of the endorsement of brain disease as a cause with greater desire for social distance from persons with schizophrenia. In major depression, this relation was absent. With both disorders, there was no statistically significant association between the endorsement of hereditary factors as a cause and social distance.

Conclusions.

Irrespective of whether unlabelled or labelled vignettes are employed, the ascription to biological or genetic causes seems not to be associated with a reduction of the public's desire for social distance from people with schizophrenia or depression. Our results corroborate the notion that promulgating biological and genetic causal models may not help decrease the stigma surrounding these illnesses.
Small Vessel Disease and the Resting Functional Architecture of the Brain
Authors: Stevens Robert D , Hannawi Yousef , Sair Haris
Published: April 2014

Small vessel disease (SVD) is linked to cognitive impairment and dementia, yet little is known regarding functional activation in patients with SVD. Resting fMRI recordings suggest reduced connectivity in prefrontal, parietal and cingulate nodes and reciprocally increased connectivity in cerebellum, alterations which predicted neuropsychological test performance. Together with diffusion tensor tensor imaging studies, these data support of a model of disrupted connectivity as a systems-level approach to the cognitive disturbances seen in SVD.
The Contribution of Ketone Bodies to Basal and Activity-Dependent Neuronal Oxidation in Vivo
Authors: Chowdhury Golam MI , Jiang Lihong , Rothman Douglas L , Behar Kevin L
Published: April 2014

The capacity of ketone bodies to replace glucose in support of neuronal function is unresolved. Here, we determined the contributions of glucose and ketone bodies to neocortical oxidative metabolism over a large range of brain activity in rats fasted 36 hours and infused intravenously with [2,4- 13 C2]-D-β-hydroxybutyrate (BHB). Three animal groups and conditions were studied: awake ex vivo, pentobarbital-induced isoelectricity ex vivo, and halothane-anesthetized in vivo, the latter data reanalyzed from a recent study. Rates of neuronal acetyl-CoA oxidation from ketone bodies ( VaccoA-kbN) and pyruvate ( VpdhN), and the glutamate-glutamine cycle ( Vcyc) were determined by metabolic modeling of 13C label trapped in major brain amino acid pools. VacCoA-kbN increased gradually with increasing activity, as compared with the steeper change in tricarboxylic acid (TCA) cycle rate ( VtcaN), supporting a decreasing percentage of neuronal ketone oxidation: ˜100% (isoelectricity), 56% (halothane anesthesia), 36% (awake) with the BHB plasma levels achieved in our experiments (6 to 13 mM). In awake animals ketone oxidation reached saturation for blood levels > 17 mM, accounting for 62% of neuronal substrate oxidation, the remainder (38%) provided by glucose. We conclude that ketone bodies present at sufficient concentration to saturate metabolism provides full support of basal (housekeeping) energy needs and up to approximately half of the activity-dependent oxidative needs of neurons.
Bolus Arrival Time and Cerebral Blood Flow Responses to Hypercarbia
Authors: Donahue Manus J , Faraco Carlos C , Strother Megan K , Chappell Michael A , Rane Swati , Dethrage Lindsey M , Hendrikse Jeroen , Siero Jeroen CW
Published: April 2014

The purpose of this study was to evaluate how cerebral blood flow and bolus arrival time (BAT) measures derived from arterial spin labeling (ASL) MRI data change for different hypercarbic gas stimuli. Pseudocontinuous ASL (pCASL) was applied (3.0T; spatial resolution = 4 × 4 × 7 mm 3 ; repetition time/echo time ( TR/TE) = 3,600/11 ms) sequentially in healthy volunteers ( n = 12; age = 30±4 years) for separate experiments in which (i) normocarbic normoxia (i.e., room air), hypercarbic normoxia (i.e., 5% CO2/21% O2/74% N2), and hypercarbic hyperoxia (i.e., carbogen: 5% CO2/95% O2) gas was administered (12 L/minute). Cerebral blood flow and BAT changes were quantified using models that account for macrovascular signal and partial volume effects in all gray matter and regionally in cerebellar, temporal, occipital, frontal, and parietal lobes. Regional reductions in BAT of 4.6% to 7.7% and 3.3% to 6.6% were found in response to hypercarbic normoxia and hypercarbic hyperoxia, respectively. Cerebral blood flow increased by 8.2% to 27.8% and 3.5% to 19.8% for hypercarbic normoxia and hypercarbic hyperoxia, respectively. These findings indicate that changes in BAT values may bias functional ASL data and thus should be considered when choosing appropriate experimental parameters in calibrated functional magnetic resonance imaging or ASL cerebrovascular reactivity experiments that use hypercarbic gas stimuli.
Spin Hall voltages from a.c. and d.c. spin currents
Authors: Wei Dahai , Obstbaum Martin , Ribow Mirko , Back Christian H. , Woltersdorf Georg
Published: April 2014

In spin electronics, the spin degree of freedom is used to transmit and store information. To this end the ability to create pure spin currents—that is, without net charge transfer—is essential. When the magnetization vector in a ferromagnet–normal metal junction is excited, the spin pumping effect leads to the injection of pure spin currents into the normal metal. The polarization of this spin current is time-dependent and contains a very small d.c. component. Here we show that the large a.c. component of the spin currents can be detected efficiently using the inverse spin Hall effect. The observed a.c.-inverse spin Hall voltages are one order of magnitude larger than the conventional d.c.-inverse spin Hall voltages measured on the same device. Our results demonstrate that ferromagnet–normal metal junctions are efficient sources of pure spin currents in the gigahertz frequency range.
New di-ferrocenyl-ethynylpyridinyl triphenylphosphine copper halide complexes and related di-ferricenyl electro-crystallized materials
Authors: Shah Hakikulla H. , Al-Balushi Rayya A. , Al-Suti Mohammed K. , Khan Muhammad S. , Marken Frank , Sudlow Anna L. , Kociok-Köhn Gabriele , Woodall Christopher H. , Raithby Paul R. , Molloy Kieran C.
Published: April 2014

Three di-ferrocenyl-ethynylpyridinyl copper complexes have been synthesised and CV measurements made.
Extraction optimization using Box–Behnken design and method validation for ethanol in oral fluid
Authors: Santos Maíra Kerpel dos , Borille Bruna Tassi , Cruz Giuliano Netto Flores , Coppe Bruna Claudia , Comiran Eloisa , Kaiser Samuel , Fröehlich Pedro Eduardo , Limberger Renata Pereira
Published: April 2014

An optimization was proposed for the extraction of ethanol from oral fluid (OF) using the headspace (HS) technique, through experimental design and subsequent development and validation of an analytical method using HS-GC/FID and HS-GC/MS.
Precise patterning of the SEBS surface by UV lithography to evaluate the platelet function through single platelet adhesion
Authors: Ye Wei , Shi Qiang , Wong Shing-Chung , Hou Jianwen , Xu Xiaodong , Yin Jinghua
Published: April 2014

The micropatterned surface which was createdviaUV lithography with a photomask, was demonstrated to control single platelet adhesion, render platelets sensitive to proteins and enable assessment of the platelet function in the presence of antiplatelet agents through single platelet adhesion.
Long-range ordered graphite oxide liquid crystals
Authors: Tong Liping , Qi Wei , Wang Mengfan , Huang Renliang , Su Rongxin , He Zhimin
Published: April 2014

Liquid crystallinity of graphite oxide prepared without the aid of sonication was observed, which exhibited a spontaneous highly-ordered alignment.
Visible light induced fast synthesis of protein–polymer conjugates: controllable polymerization and protein activity
Authors: Li Xin , Wang Lei , Chen Gaojian , Haddleton David M. , Chen Hong
Published: April 2014

Visible light induced fast and controllable RAFT polymerization from protein as a novel method for preparing protein–polymer conjugates at ambient temperature.
Two and three dimensional network polymers for electrocatalysis
Authors: Filer Alan , Choi Hyun-Jung , Seo Jeong-Min , Baek Jong-Beom
Published: April 2014

2 and 3D network polymers have demonstrated properties and much potential for use in electrocatalytic systems.
A controlled spatial distribution of functional units in the two dimensional nanospace of layered silicates and titanates
Authors: Ogawa Makoto , Saito Kanji , Sohmiya Minoru
Published: April 2014

The effects of the spatial distribution of functional units in the interlayer space of intercalation compounds are discussed.
Assessing the performance of standard methods to predict the standard uncertainty of air quality data having incomplete time coverage
Authors: Brown Richard J. C. , Harris Peter M. , Cox Maurice G.
Published: April 2014

The validity of standardised equations to calculate the uncertainty arising from missing data during air quality studies is assessed.
Preparation of monodisperse microbubbles using an integrated embedded capillary T-junction with electrohydrodynamic focusing
Authors: Parhizkar Maryam , Stride Eleanor , Edirisinghe Mohan
Published: April 2014

A novel method combining the principles of microfluidics and electrohydrodynamics for the production of monodisperse microbubbles has been invented.
Hepcidin quantification: methods and utility in diagnosis
Authors: Konz T. , Montes-Bayón M. , Vaulont S.
Published: April 2014

Hepcidin is a peptide hormone playing a central role in iron metabolism and could become a useful diagnosis biomarker.
Cadmium–zinc exchange and their binary relationship in the structure of Zn-related proteins: a mini review
Authors: Tang Lu , Qiu Rongliang , Tang Yetao , Wang Shizhong
Published: April 2014

Here we give an overview of ongoing work on discovering the structural mechanisms of Cd–Zn exchange and the potentially diverse roles of Cd at Zn functional sites in proteins.
Cu2ZnSnS4 thin films: spin coating synthesis and photoelectrochemistry
Authors: Wang Jing , Zhang Peng , Song Xuefeng , Gao Lian
Published: April 2014

CZTS thin films possessing outstanding photoelectrochemical (PEC) efficiency and chemical stability have been prepared using a facile spin coating method and their properties can be further improved by surface modification of CdS and TiO2 layers.
The vicinal functionalization of olefins: a facile route to the direct synthesis of β-chlorohydrins and β-chloroethers
Authors: Swamy Peraka , Kumar Macharla Arun , Reddy Marri Mahender , Naresh Mameda , Srujana Kodumuri , Narender Nama
Published: April 2014

A general and green approach for the highly regio- and stereoselective synthesis of α-hydroxy-β-chloro and α-methoxy-β-chloro derivatives from olefins using inexpensive and industrially acceptable reagents is reported.
Facile and green synthesis of graphene
Authors: Vusa Chiranjeevi Srinivasa Rao , Berchmans Sheela , Alwarappan Subbiah
Published: April 2014

Herein, we report a simple, facile, green and cost effective strategy for the synthesis of graphene using naturally available anti-oxidants such as carotenoids present in vegetable (carrot, sweet potato, etc.) extracts.
Clerodane diterpenes from Polyalthia longifolia var. pendula protect SK-N-MC human neuroblastoma cells from β-amyloid insult
Authors: Wu Tung-Ho , Cheng Yung-Yi , Liou Jing-Ru , Way Tzong-Der , Chen Chao-Jung , Chen Yung-Husan , Kuo Sheng-Chu , El-Shazly Mohamed , Chang Fang-Rong , Wu Yang-Chang , Liaw Chih-Chuang
Published: April 2014

The n-hexane layer of Polyalthia longifolia methanolic extract showed neuroprotective activity, resulting in the isolation of three new clerodane diterpenes.
The improvement of hemostatic and wound healing property of chitosan by halloysite nanotubes
Authors: Liu Mingxian , Shen Yan , Ao Peng , Dai Libing , Liu Zhihe , Zhou Changren
Published: April 2014

The addition of halloysite nanotubes into chitosan sponges can simultaneously improve the mechanical, hemostatic and wound healing property of chitosan.
Multifunctional gadolinium-labeled silica-coated core/shell quantum dots for magnetic resonance and fluorescence imaging of cancer cells
Authors: Lin Babao , Yao Xiuzhong , Zhu Yihua , Shen Jianhua , Yang Xiaoling , Li Chunzhong
Published: April 2014

Multifunctional gadolinium-labeled silica-coated core/shell nanoparticles with high relaxivity and photoluminescence were synthesized for dual-modal contrast.
Synthesis and photochromic properties of benzofuran–phenanthrene and benzofuran–pyrene hybrids
Authors: Prakash Rao H. Surya , Vijjapu Satish
Published: April 2014

Iron(iii) chloride mediated condensation of phenanthrene-9,10-dione and pyrene-4,5-dione with cyclohexanone and its derivatives furnish benzofuran–phenanthrene and benzofuran–pyrene hybrids.
Illustrating consistency of different experimental approaches to probe the buried polymer/metal interface using sum frequency generation vibrational spectroscopy
Authors: Lu Xiaolin , Li Bolin , Zhu Peizhi , Xue Gi , Li Dawei
Published: April 2014

Sample geometries applied for SFG measurement to probe ordering of methyl groups at the buried PBMA/Ag interface.
Novel one-dimensional Bi2O3–Bi2WO6 p–n hierarchical heterojunction with enhanced photocatalytic activity
Authors: Peng Yin , Yan Mei , Chen Qing-Guo , Fan Cong-Min , Zhou Hai-Yan , Xu An-Wu
Published: April 2014

A novel Bi2O3–Bi2WO6 p–n junction photocatalyst exhibits high photocatalytic activity for the degradation of organic compounds under solar/visible light irradiation, which is ascribed to the effective separation of photogenerated electrons and holes by the internal electrostatic field in the junction region.