bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Spectroscopic study of associated systems formed between water-soluble cationic porphyrins or their copper (II) complexes and nucleic building blocks
Authors: Makarska-Bialokoz Magdalena
Published: May 2013

The association process between two water soluble cationic porphyrins, 5,10,15,20-tetrakis[4-(trimethyl-ammonio)phenyl]-21H,23H-porphine tetra-p-tosylate (H2TTMePP) and 5,10,15,20-tetrakis(1-methyl-4-pyridyl)-21H,23H-porphine tetra-p-tosylate (H2TMePyP), as well as their Cu (II) complexes, with five series of nucleic agents has been studied using UV-VIS spectroscopy in aqueous solutions. During the titration with nucleic compounds the bathochromic effect of porphyrins absorption spectra can be observed as well as the hypochromicity of the Soret maximum. The association constants were calculated using a curve-fitting procedure (KAC of the order of magnitude of 103–105 mol−1). It has been shown that the interactions of H2TTMePP with nucleic agents are much stronger than interactions of H2TMePyP, which is most likely related to the kind and the size of the porphyrin substituent groups partaking in the process of stacking. The strength of the observed associated systems increases generally in a series: nucleic base
Cobalt electrodeposition onto polycrystalline gold from ammoniacal solutions
Authors: Mendoza-Huizar Luis , Rios-Reyes Clara
Published: May 2013

In the present work, the cobalt electrodeposition onto polycrystalline gold electrodes from aqueous solutions containing 0.01M CoSO4 + 1 M (NH4)2SO4 at pH=7 was analyzed. Linear voltammetry results suggested a change in the kinetic of the cobalt electrodeposition. In all cases, the nucleation rate (A), the number of active nucleation sites (N 0) and the saturation number of nuclei (N s ) values were potential dependent. The calculated Gibbs free energy (ΔG) for this system was 1.88×10−20 J nuclei−1 and the transfer coefficient for the Hydrogen Electroreduction Reaction (HER) was 0.47.
Individual-Level Responsiveness of the Original and Short-Form Postural Assessment Scale for Stroke Patients
Authors: Hsueh I-Ping , Chen Kuan-Lin , Chou Yeh-Tai , Wang Yen-Ho , Hsieh Ching-Lin
Published: May 2013

Background

The group-level responsiveness of the Postural Assessment Scale for Stroke Patients (PASS) is similar to that of the short-form PASS (SFPASS). This result is counterintuitive because the PASS has more items (12) and response levels (4) than does the SFPASS (5 items and 3 response levels).

Objective

The purpose of this study was to compare individual-level responsiveness between both measures to determine whether the SFPASS can detect change with as much sensitivity as the PASS.

Study Design and Setting

Two hundred fifty-one patients were assessed using the PASS at 14 and 30 days after stroke onset in a medical center.

Methods

The SFPASS scores were calculated from the patients’ responses on the PASS. Individual-level responsiveness was calculated on the basis of the value of minimal detectable change (MDC). If a patient’s change score was greater than the MDC of the PASS or SFPASS, his or her improvement was considered significant. The difference in the number of patients scoring greater than the MDC and the units of MDC (the MDC ratio) improved by the patients on both measures was examined.

Results

Fifty-three percent of the patients scored greater than the MDC of the PASS, whereas 43.0% of the patients scored greater than the MDC of the SFPASS. The difference was significant. The mean (±SD) MDC ratio of the PASS (1.8±1.7) was significantly higher than that of the SFPASS (1.2±1.3).

Limitations

The scores of the SFPASS were retrieved from those of the PASS, which limits the generalization of our findings.

Conclusions

The PASS has better individual-level responsiveness than does the SFPASS. To comprehensively report effects of clinical trials, future studies using the PASS should report the individual-level effect (eg, number of patients scoring greater than the MDC).
The First and Last Country: Some Notes on Writing and Living the Foreign
Authors: Connelly Karen
Published: May 2013

abstract

In this essay, Karen Connelly reflects on how travel to foreign places and learning foreign languages have played a role in her writing development. While the body is the first and last country for the writer, she makes her home in strangeness, remaining aware of the shape-shifting impact of empathy for others.
‘Implicated by the truth’
Authors: Connelly Karen , Kamboureli Smaro , McGregor Hannah
Published: May 2013

abstract

Karen Connelly’s poetry and prose has dealt extensively with her experience of living abroad and writing about foreign places – notably Thailand, Burma, France, Spain, and Greece. In this interview, she discusses how learning a foreign language offers her a point of entry into a new culture and transforms her sense of self as well as how her books – especially Touch the Dragon, One Room in a Castle, The Lizard Cage, and Burmese Lessons – engage with concepts of the foreign and the fraughtness of empathy.
Canadian Female Gothic on the Foreign Border: Margaret Atwood’sBodily Harmand Karen Connelly’sBurmese Lessons
Authors: Goldman Marlene
Published: May 2013

abstract

My essay analyzes why and how Atwood’s Bodily Harm and Connelly’s Burmese Lessons forge an identification of female and Canadian identity with the heroine of the Female Gothic who is eternally in need of rescue. In both works, empathy for the ‘other’ is mediated by the narratives’ fidelity to the Female Gothic which informs their depictions of the male foreigner as the seductive, menacing other. Although Bodily Harm’s and Burmese Lessons’s construction of white female identity as traumatized and silenced is ultimately rejected, both narratives adhere to the Gothic’s emphasis on the heroines’ battles against victimization and patriarchal control. Whereas Bodily Harm follows the logic of the Gothic, Burmese Lessons outlines an alternative biopolitical engagement with the foreign based on a recognition rather than a disavowal of the nonhuman animal within the human – a recognition that, while grounded in the Gothic, exceeds its opposition between powerful men and helpless women.
‘History’s Pulse Measured with Another Hand’: Precarity Archives and Translocal Citizen Witness in Dionne Brand’sInventory
Authors: Vellino Brenda Carr
Published: May 2013

abstract

Dionne Brand’s long poem Inventory (2006) calls for recognition of intersecting sites of embodied vulnerability within the state security regimes that render Arab bodies as collateral damage and the deportation regimes that produce undocumented workers, refugees, and asylum seekers as ‘the citizen’s other.’ Brand’s central strategy is the creation of juxtaposed precarity archives of disregarded bodies subject to violent death in Iraqi war zones and in transnational deportation zones. Foregrounding the meditated witness to international atrocities, Brand constructs a tenuous position of ethical accounting through four related strategies: creation of a post-identitarian yet embodied poetic subjectivity; interrogation of distanced witness passivity through the stance of translocal citizenship; mapping cross connections between zones of precarization; and producing affective intimacy based in the material vulnerability of the body as the foci for ‘ethically oppositional mourning’ (Spargo).
‘Throw yourself into the deep end’
Authors: Gibb Camilla , Kamboureli Smaro , McGregor Hannah
Published: May 2013

abstract

Camilla Gibb discusses how and why her creative impulse finds its inspiration elsewhere – in Ethiopia and England for her novel Sweetness in the Belly and Vietnam for her novel The Beauty of the Humanity Movement – the limits of the cultural appropriation debate, and the relationship between her training as anthropologist and her fiction writing.
Gendered Colonial Complicity and Postcolonial Desire: Daphne Marlatt’s ‘In the Month of Hungry Ghosts’
Authors: Beverley Andrea
Published: May 2013

abstract

First published in The Capilano Review in 1979, Daphne Marlatt’s ‘In the Month of Hungry Ghosts’ is a multigeneric text that emerged out of a trip that Marlatt took to visit her childhood home in Penang, Malaysia. This essay focuses on the narrator’s relationship to her surroundings in Penang, the representation of her memsahib mother, and the narrator’s desire to reconnect with her childhood caretaker. The narrator positions herself in relation to these two women to grapple with the legacies of the class and gender dynamics of her childhood household. She experiences a disquieting sense of colonial complicity as well as an anticolonial, feminist desire to articulate that complicity and to cultivate relationships that move beyond colonial scripts.
Successful surgical treatment of an inflammatory lesion associated with new-onset refractory status epilepticus
Authors: Juhász Csaba , Buth Amy , Chugani Diane C. , Kupsky William J. , Chugani Harry T. , Shah Aashit K. , Mittal Sandeep
Published: May 2013

New-onset refractory status epilepticus (NORSE) has high morbidity and mortality. The authors describe the successful surgical treatment of a 56-year-old man presenting with NORSE. Magnetic resonance imaging showed a left temporal lobe lesion suspicious for a low-grade tumor, while PET imaging with the alpha[11C]methyl-L-tryptophan (AMT) radiotracer showed increased cortical uptake extending beyond this lesion and partly overlapping with epileptogenic cortex mapped by chronic intracranial electroencephalographic monitoring. Resection of the epileptic focus resulted in long-term seizure freedom, and the nonresected portion of the PET-documented abnormality normalized. Histopathology showed reactive gliosis and inflammatory markers in the AMT-PET–positive cortex. Molecular imaging of neuroinflammation can be instrumental in the management of NORSE by guiding placement of intracranial electrodes or assessing the extent and severity of inflammation for antiinflammatory interventions.
Hemispherectomy: historical review and recent technical advances
Authors: Beier Alexandra D. , Rutka James T.
Published: May 2013

The surgical options available for intractable hemispheric epilepsy have evolved since their initial description in the early 20th century. Surgical techniques have advanced, as has the ability to predict good surgical outcomes with noninvasive diagnostics. The authors review the history of hemispherectomy and detail the novel imaging and surgical strategies used to confer seizure freedom.
Seizure control after subtotal lesional resection
Authors: Gump William C. , Skjei Karen L. , Karkare Shefali N.
Published: May 2013

Reports on seizure outcomes following surgery for lesional epilepsy consistently cite extent of resection as a significant predictor of outcome. Unfortunately, gross-total resection is not technically feasible in all cases of medically refractory tumor-associated epilepsy. Here, the authors present the case of a 4-year-old girl whose epilepsy was medically controlled after 1-stage electrocorticography-guided subtotal resection (STR) of a large diffuse protoplasmic astrocytoma. They also review the modern literature on epilepsy associated with brain tumors. Outcomes are compared with those following surgical treatment of focal cortical dysplasia and vascular lesions. Gross-total lesional resection shows significant superiority across pathologies and anatomical regions. Despite a considerable number of STRs yielding seizure freedom, other favorable treatment factors have not been defined. Although gross-total lesional resection, if possible, is clearly superior, tailored surgery may still offer patients a significant opportunity for a good outcome. Treatment factors yielding successful seizure control following STR remain to be fully elucidated.
Optogenetics in epilepsy
Authors: Bentley J. Nicole , Chestek Cindy , Stacey William C. , Patil Parag G.
Published: May 2013

Optogenetics, the use of light to stimulate or inhibit neural circuits via viral transduction of protein channels, has emerged as a possible method of treating epilepsy. By introducing viral vectors carrying algal-derived cation or anion channels, known as opsins, neurons that initiate or propagate seizures may be silenced. To date, studies using this technique have been performed in animal models, and current efforts are moving toward more sophisticated nonhuman primate models. In this paper, the authors present a brief overview of the development of optogenetics and review recent studies investigating optogenetic modification of circuits involved in seizures. Further developments in the field are explored, with an emphasis on how optogenetics may influence future neurosurgical interventions.
Correlation between magnetoencephalography-based “clusterectomy” and postoperative seizure freedom
Authors: Vadera Sumeet , Jehi Lara , Burgess Richard C. , Shea Katherine , Alexopoulos Andreas V. , Mosher John , Gonzalez-Martinez Jorge , Bingaman William
Published: May 2013

Object

During the presurgical evaluation of patients with medically intractable focal epilepsy, a variety of noninvasive studies are performed to localize the hypothetical epileptogenic zone and guide the resection. Magnetoencephalography (MEG) is becoming increasingly used in the clinical realm for this purpose. No investigators have previously reported on coregisteration of MEG clusters with postoperative resection cavities to evaluate whether complete “clusterectomy” (resection of the area associated with MEG clusters) was performed or to compare these findings with postoperative seizure-free outcomes.

Methods

The authors retrospectively reviewed the charts and imaging studies of 65 patients undergoing MEG followed by resective epilepsy surgery from 2009 until 2012 at the Cleveland Clinic. Preoperative MEG studies were fused with postoperative MRI studies to evaluate whether clusters were within the resected area. These data were then correlated with postoperative seizure freedom.

Results

Sixty-five patients were included in this study. The average duration of follow-up was 13.9 months, the mean age at surgery was 23.1 years, and the mean duration of epilepsy was 13.7 years. In 30 patients, the main cluster was located completely within the resection cavity, in 28 it was completely outside the resection cavity, and in 7 it was partially within the resection cavity. Seventy-four percent of patients were seizure free at 12 months after surgery, and this rate decreased to 60% at 24 months. Improved likelihood of seizure freedom was seen with complete clusterectomy in patients with localization outside the temporal lobe (extra–temporal lobe epilepsy) (p = 0.04).

Conclusions

In patients with preoperative MEG studies that show clusters in surgically accessible areas outside the temporal lobe, we suggest aggressive resection to improve the chances for seizure freedom. When the cluster is found within the temporal lobe, further diagnostic testing may be required to better localize the epileptogenic zone.
Case-specific protocol to reduce cerebrospinal fluid leakage after endonasal endoscopic surgery
Authors: Patel Kunal S. , Komotar Ricardo J. , Szentirmai Oszkar , Moussazadeh Nelson , Raper Daniel M. , Starke Robert M. , Anand Vijay K. , Schwartz Theodore H.
Published: May 2013

Object

Endoscopic transsphenoidal surgery is expanding in acceptance, yet postoperative CSF leak rates remain a concern. This study presents the Cornell closure protocol, which has yielded significantly lower postoperative CSF leak rates compared with prior reports, as an algorithm that can be used by centers having difficulty with CSF leak.

Methods

A single closure algorithm for endoscopic surgery has been used since January 2010 at Weill Cornell Medical College. A prospective database noting intraoperative CSF leak, closure technique, and postoperative CSF leak was reviewed. The authors used a MEDLINE search to identify similar studies and compared CSF leak rates to those of patients treated using the Cornell algorithm.

Results

The retrospective study of a prospectively acquired database included 209 consecutive patients. In 84 patients (40%) there was no intraoperative CSF leak and no postoperative CSF leak. In the 125 patients (60%) with an intraoperative CSF leak, 35 of them with high-flow leaks, there were 0 (0%) postoperative CSF leaks.

Conclusions

It is possible to achieve a CSF leak rate of 0% by using this closure protocol. With proper experience, endoscopic skull base surgery should not be considered to have a higher CSF leak rate than open transcranial or microscopic transsphenoidal surgery.
Clinical features of familial juvenile cases of moyamoya disease: analysis of patients treated in a single institute over a 28-year period
Authors: Mukawa Maki , Nariai Tadashi , Matsushima Yoshiharu , Ohno Kikuo
Published: May 2013

Object

The authors compared the clinical features between familial and sporadic cases of moyamoya disease (MMD) by retrospectively analyzing data on patients with MMD registered in the database of Tokyo Medical and Dental University over a period of 28 years.

Methods

In total, 383 patients with hospital records at Tokyo Medical and Dental University from 1980 to 2007 were registered into the database. The data on all of these patients were retrospectively reviewed to clarify the occurrence of familial cases. Clinical features of child or adolescent patients (< 20 years of age) with MMD were compared between familial and sporadic cases in a subgroup of patients who were registered after 1995, initially diagnosed using MR angiography, and assessed using an intelligence scale.

Results

Familial occurrence was observed in 59 patients (15.4%) in 40 pedigrees. The clinical features of juvenile patients were analyzed in 124 patients, 22 (17.7%) of whom had familial histories. In comparison with the sporadic cases, patients with familial histories were significantly younger at onset (4.7 vs 6.6 years old), had significantly more cortical infarction (59.1% vs 25.5%), and had significantly more stenoocclusive lesions in the posterior cerebral artery (45.4% vs 24.5%). The rate of patients with intellectual disturbance (intelligence quotient < 75) was significantly larger in the familial cases (47.4%) than in the sporadic cases (17.8%).

Conclusions

This survey of the clinical features of familial MMD suggests that patients with familial MMD had a more serious clinical course in childhood than the sporadic MMD cases.
Fungal Diversity in a Dark Oligotrophic Volcanic Ecosystem (DOVE) on Mount Erebus, Antarctica
Authors: Connell Laurie , Staudigel Hubert
Published: May 2013

Fumarolic Ice caves on Antarctica’s Mt. Erebus contain a dark oligotrophic volcanic ecosystem (DOVE) and represent a deep biosphere habitat that can provide insight into microbial communities that utilize energy sources other than photosynthesis. The community assembly and role of fungi in these environments remains largely unknown. However, these habitats could be relatively easily contaminated during human visits. Sixty-one species of fungi were identified from soil clone libraries originating from Warren Cave, a DOVE on Mt. Erebus. The species diversity was greater than has been found in the nearby McMurdo Dry Valleys oligotrophic soil. A relatively large proportion of the clones represented Malassezia species (37% of Basidomycota identified). These fungi are associated with skin surfaces of animals and require high lipid content for growth, indicating that contamination may have occurred through the few and episodic human visits in this particular cave. These findings highlight the importance of fungi to DOVE environments as well as their potential use for identifying contamination by humans. The latter offers compelling evidence suggesting more strict management of these valuable research areas.
Effects of Dispersal-Related Factors on Species Distribution Model Accuracy for Boreal Lake Ecosystems
Authors: Hallstan Simon , Johnson Richard , Sandin Leonard
Published: May 2013

Species distribution modeling is used in applied ecology; for example in predicting the consequences of global change. However, questions still remain about the robustness of model predictions. Here we estimate effects of landscape spatial configuration and organism flight ability—factors related to dispersal—on the accuracy of species distribution models. Distribution models were developed for 129 phytoplankton taxa, 164 littoral invertebrate taxa and 44 profundal invertebrate taxa sampled in 105 Swedish lakes, using six different modeling techniques (generalized linear models (GLM), multivariate adaptive regression splines (MARS), classification tree analysis (CTA), mixture discriminant analysis (MDA), generalized boosting models (GBM) and random forests (RF)). Model accuracy was not affected by dispersal ability (i.e., invertebrate flight ability), but the accuracy of phytoplankton assemblage predictions and, to a lesser extent, littoral invertebrate assemblages were related to ecosystem size and connectivity. Although no general pattern across species or spatial configuration was evident from our study, we recommend that dispersal and spatial configuration of ecosystems should be considered when developing species distribution models.
Non-Invasive Screening Tools for Down’s Syndrome: A Review
Authors: Sillence Kelly , Madgett Tracey , Roberts Llinos , Overton Timothy , Avent Neil
Published: May 2013

Down’s syndrome (DS) is the most common genetic cause of developmental delay with an incidence of 1 in 800 live births, and is the predominant reason why women choose to undergo invasive prenatal diagnosis. However, as invasive tests are associated with around a 1% risk of miscarriage new non-invasive tests have been long sought after. Recently, the most promising approach for non-invasive prenatal diagnosis (NIPD) has been provided by the introduction of next generation sequencing (NGS) technologies. The clinical application of NIPD for DS detection is not yet applicable, as large scale validation studies in low-risk pregnancies need to be completed. Currently, prenatal screening is still the first line test for the detection of fetal aneuploidy. Screening cannot diagnose DS, but developing a more advanced screening program can help to improve detection rates, and therefore reduce the number of women offered invasive tests. This article describes how the prenatal screening program has developed since the introduction of maternal age as the original “screening” test, and subsequently discusses recent advances in detecting new screening markers with reference to both proteomic and bioinformatic techniques.
Improving Science Assessments by Situating Them in a Virtual Environment
Authors: Ketelhut Diane , Nelson Brian , Schifter Catherine , Kim Younsu
Published: May 2013

Current science assessments typically present a series of isolated fact-based questions, poorly representing the complexity of how real-world science is constructed. The National Research Council asserts that this needs to change to reflect a more authentic model of science practice. We strongly concur and suggest that good science assessments need to consist of several key factors: integration of science content with scientific inquiry, contextualization of questions, efficiency of grading and statistical validity and reliability. Through our Situated Assessment using Virtual Environments for Science Content and inquiry (SAVE Science) research project, we have developed an immersive virtual environment to assess middle school children’s understanding of science content and processes that they have been taught through typical classroom instruction. In the virtual environment, participants complete a problem-based assessment by exploring a game world, interacting with computer-based characters and objects, collecting and analyzing possible clues to the assessment problem. Students can solve the problems situated in the virtual environment in multiple ways; many of these are equally correct while others uncover misconceptions regarding inference-making. In this paper, we discuss stage one in the design and assessment of our project, focusing on our design strategies for integrating content and inquiry assessment and on early implementation results. We conclude that immersive virtual environments do offer the potential for creating effective science assessments based on our framework and that we need to consider engagement as part of the framework.
Isolation and Fatty Acid Profile of Selected Microalgae Strains from the Red Sea for Biofuel Production
Authors: Pereira Hugo , Barreira Luísa , Custódio Luísa , Alrokayan Salman , Mouffouk Fouzi , Varela João , Abu-Salah Khalid , Ben-Hamadou Radhouan
Published: May 2013

The isolation of lipid-rich autochthonous strains of microalgae is a crucial stage for the development of a microalgae-based biofuel production plant, as these microalgae already have the necessary adaptations to withstand competition, predation and the temperatures observed at each production site. This is particularly important in extreme climates such as in Saudi Arabia. Resorting to fluorescence activated cell sorting (FACS) we screened for and isolated several microalgal strains from samples collected from the Red Sea. Relying on the fluorescence of BODIPY 505/515 (4,4-difluoro-1,3,5,7-tetramethyl-4-bora-3a,4a-diazasindacene) and growth performance, four promising candidates were identified and the total lipid content and fatty acid profile was assessed for biofuels production. Selected isolates were classified as chlorophytes, belonging to three different genera: Picochlorum, Nannochloris and Desmochloris. The lipid contents were assessed microscopically by means of BODIPY 505/515-associated fluorescence to detect intracellular lipid bodies, which revealed several lipid drops in all selected strains. This result was confirmed by lipid gravimetric determination, which demonstrated that all strains under study presented inner cell lipid contents ranging from 20% to 25% of the biomass dry weight. Furthermore, the fatty acid methyl esters profile of all strains seems ideal for biodiesel production due to a low degree of polyunsaturated fatty acid methyl esters and high amount of palmitic and oleic acids.
Molecular Expression of the Scribble Complex Genes, Dlg, Scrib and Lgl, in Silkworm, Bombyx mori
Authors: Qi Hai-Sheng , Liu Shu-Min , Li Sheng , Wei Zhao-Jun
Published: May 2013

The Scribble protein complex genes, consisting of lethal giant larvae (Lgl), discs large (Dlg) and scribble (Scrib) genes, are components of an evolutionarily conserved genetic pathway that links the cell polarity in cells of humans and Drosophila. The tissue expression and developmental changes of the Scribble protein complex genes were documented using qRT-RCR method. The Lgl and Scrib genes could be detected in all the experimental tissues, including fat body, midgut, testis/ovary, wingdisc, trachea, malpighian tubule, hemolymph, prothoracic gland and silk gland. The Dlg gene, mainly expressed only in testis/ovary, could not be detected in prothoracic gland and hemolymph. In fat body, there were two higher expression stages of the three genes. The highest peak of the expression of the Lgl and Scrib genes in wingdisc lay at the 1st day of the 5th instar, but the Dlg gene was at 3rd day of 5th instar. The above results indicate that Scribble complex genes are involved in the process of molting and development of the wingdisc in the silkworm. This will be useful in the future for the elucidation of the detailed biological function of the three genes Scrib, Dlg and Lgl in B. mori.
Optimization of Synthesis Parameters for Mesoporous Shell Formation on Magnetic Nanocores and Their Application as Nanocarriers for Docetaxel Cancer Drug
Authors: El-Toni Ahmed , Ibrahim Mohamed , Labis Joselito , Khan Aslam , Alhoshan Mansour
Published: May 2013

In this work, Fe3O4@SiO2 nanoparticles were coated with mesoporous silica shell by S−N+I− pathway by using anionic surfactant (S−) and co-structure directing agent (N+). The role of co-structure directing agent (CSDA) is to assist the electrostatic interaction between negatively charged silica layers and the negatively charged surfactant molecules. Prior to the mesoporous shell formation step, magnetic cores were coated with a dense silica layer to prevent iron oxide cores from leaching into the mother system under any acidic circumstances. However, it was found that both dense and mesoporous coating parameters affect the textural properties of the produced mesoporous silica shell (i.e., surface area, pore volume and shell thickness). The synthesized Fe3O4@SiO2@m-SiO2 (MCMSS) nanoparticles have been characterized by low-angle X-ray diffraction, transmission electron microscopy (TEM), and N2 adsorption-desorption analysis, and magnetic properties. The synthesized particles had dense and mesoporous silica shells of 8–37 nm and 26–50 nm, respectively. Furthermore, MCMSS possessed surface area of ca. 259–621 m2·g−1, and pore volume of ca. 0.216–0.443 cc·g−1. MCMSS showed docetaxcel cancer drug storage capacity of 25–33 w/w% and possessed control release from their mesochannels which suggest them as proper nanocarriers for docetaxcel molecules.
The Physiological Importance of Glucosinolates on Plant Response to Abiotic Stress in Brassica
Authors: Del Carmen Martínez-Ballesta María , Moreno Diego , Carvajal Micaela
Published: May 2013

Glucosinolates, a class of secondary metabolites, mainly found in Brassicaceae, are affected by the changing environment. This review is focusing on the physiological significance of glucosinolates and their hydrolysis products in the plant response to different abiotic stresses. Special attention is paid to the crosstalk between some of the physiological processes involved in stress response and glucosinolate metabolism, with the resulting connection between both pathways in which signaling mechanisms glucosinolate may act as signals themselves. The function of glucosinolates, further than in defense switching, is discussed in terms of alleviating pathogen attack under abiotic stress. The fact that the exogenous addition of glucosinolate hydrolysis products may alleviate certain stress conditions through its effect on specific proteins is described in light of the recent reports, but the molecular mechanisms involved in this response merit further research. Finally, the transient allocation and re-distribution of glucosinolates as a response to environmental changes is summarized.
Epidermal Stem Cells in Orthopaedic Regenerative Medicine
Authors: Li Jin , Zhen Gehua , Tsai Shin-Yi , Jia Xiaofeng
Published: May 2013

In the last decade, great advances have been made in epidermal stem cell studies at the cellular and molecular level. These studies reported various subpopulations and differentiations existing in the epidermal stem cell. Although controversies and unknown issues remain, epidermal stem cells possess an immune-privileged property in transplantation together with easy accessibility, which is favorable for future clinical application. In this review, we will summarize the biological characteristics of epidermal stem cells, and their potential in orthopedic regenerative medicine. Epidermal stem cells play a critical role via cell replacement, and demonstrate significant translational potential in the treatment of orthopedic injuries and diseases, including treatment for wound healing, peripheral nerve and spinal cord injury, and even muscle and bone remodeling.
Wharton’s Jelly-Derived Mesenchymal Stem Cells: Phenotypic Characterization and Optimizing Their Therapeutic Potential for Clinical Applications
Authors: Kim Dae-Won , Staples Meaghan , Shinozuka Kazutaka , Pantcheva Paolina , Kang Sung-Don , Borlongan Cesar
Published: May 2013

Wharton’s jelly (WJ) is a gelatinous tissue within the umbilical cord that contains myofibroblast-like stromal cells. A unique cell population of WJ that has been suggested as displaying the stemness phenotype is the mesenchymal stromal cells (MSCs). Because MSCs’ stemness and immune properties appear to be more robustly expressed and functional which are more comparable with fetal than adult-derived MSCs, MSCs harvested from the “young” WJ are considered much more proliferative, immunosuppressive, and even therapeutically active stem cells than those isolated from older, adult tissue sources such as the bone marrow or adipose. The present review discusses the phenotypic characteristics, therapeutic applications, and optimization of experimental protocols for WJ-derived stem cells. MSCs derived from WJ display promising transplantable features, including ease of sourcing, in vitro expandability, differentiation abilities, immune-evasion and immune-regulation capacities. Accumulating evidence demonstrates that WJ-derived stem cells possess many potential advantages as transplantable cells for treatment of various diseases (e.g., cancer, chronic liver disease, cardiovascular diseases, nerve, cartilage and tendon injury). Additional studies are warranted to translate the use of WJ-derived stem cells for clinical applications.
Synthesis of Isothianaphthene (ITN) and 3,4-Ethylenedioxy-Thiophene (EDOT)-Based Low-Bandgap Liquid Crystalline Conjugated Polymers
Authors: Wang Aohan , Kawabata Kohsuke , Goto Hiromasa
Published: May 2013

Copolymers, consisting of isothianaphthene and phenylene derivatives with liquid crystal groups, were synthesized via Migita-Kosugi-Stille polycondensation reaction. IR absorption, UV-vis optical absorption, and PL spectroscopy measurements were carried out. Thermotropic liquid crystallinity of the polymers with bandgap of ~2.5 eV was confirmed.
Microarray for Identification of the Chiropteran Host Species of Rabies Virus in Canada
Authors: Lung Oliver , Nadin-Davis Susan , Fisher Mathew , Erickson Anthony , Knowles M. , Furukawa-Stoffer Tara , Ambagala Aruna
Published: May 2013

Species identification through genetic barcoding can augment traditional taxonomic methods, which rely on morphological features of the specimen. Such approaches are especially valuable when specimens are in poor condition or comprise very limited material, a situation that often applies to chiropteran (bat) specimens submitted to the Canadian Food Inspection Agency for rabies diagnosis. Coupled with phenotypic plasticity of many species and inconclusive taxonomic keys, species identification using only morphological traits can be challenging. In this study, a microarray assay with associated PCR of the mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase subunit I (COI) gene was developed for differentiation of 14 bat species submitted to the Canadian Food Inspection Agency from 1985–2012 for rabies diagnosis. The assay was validated with a reference collection of DNA from 153 field samples, all of which had been barcoded previously. The COI gene from 152 samples which included multiple specimens of each target species were successfully amplified by PCR and accurately identified by the microarray. One sample that was severely decomposed failed to amplify with PCR primers developed in this study, but amplified weakly after switching to alternate primers and was accurately typed by the microarray. Thus, the chiropteran microarray was able to accurately differentiate between the 14 species of Canadian bats targeted. This PCR and microarray assay would allow unequivocal identification to species of most, if not all, bat specimens submitted for rabies diagnosis in Canada.
Isoferulic Acid, a New Anti-Glycation Agent, Inhibits Fructose- and Glucose-Mediated Protein Glycation in Vitro
Authors: Meeprom Aramsri , Sompong Weerachat , Chan Catherine , Adisakwattana Sirichai
Published: May 2013

The inhibitory activity of isoferulic acid (IFA) on fructose- and glucose-mediated protein glycation and oxidation of bovine serum albumin (BSA) was investigated. Our data showed that IFA (1.25–5 mM) inhibited the formation of fluorescent advanced glycation end products (AGEs) and non-fluorescent AGE [Nε-(carboxymethyl) lysine: CML], as well as the level of fructosamine. IFA also prevented protein oxidation of BSA indicated by decreasing protein carbonyl formation and protein thiol modification. Furthermore, IFA suppressed the formation of β-cross amyloid structures of BSA. Therefore, IFA might be a new promising anti-glycation agent for the prevention of diabetic complications via inhibition of AGEs formation and oxidation-dependent protein damage.
Remotely Sensed Empirical Modeling of Bathymetry in the Southeastern Caspian Sea
Authors: Gholamalifard Mehdi , Kutser Tiit , Esmaili-Sari Abbas , Abkar Ali , Naimi Babak
Published: May 2013

Remotely sensed imagery is proving to be a useful tool in estimating water depths in coastal zones. On the other hand, many coastal zone studies in the southern part of the Caspian Sea are only concerned with areas of shallow water and would benefit from easily updated bathymetric estimates. In this study, we tested three different methods for extracting bathymetry information from Landsat 5 data in the southeastern Caspian Sea, Iran. The first method used was a single band algorithm (SBA), utilizing either blue or red bands. The second method was principal components analysis (PCA), and the third method was the multi-layer perceptron (back propagation) neural network between visible bands and one output neuron (bathymetry). This latter MLP-ANNs method produced the best depth estimates (r = 0.94). The single band algorithm utilizing a red band also produced reasonably accurate results (r = 0.66), while the blue band algorithm and PCA did not perform (correlation between the estimated and measured depths 0.49 and 0.21, respectively). Furthermore, the shallow waters have negative influences on the accuracy of bathymetric modeling, thus the correction of data in these shallow waters is challenged by the presence of continental aerosols, bottom reflectance, and adjacency of land.
Radiometric Normalization of Temporal Images Combining Automatic Detection of Pseudo-Invariant Features from the Distance and Similarity Spectral Measures, Density Scatterplot Analysis, and Robust Regression
Authors: De Carvalho Osmar , Guimarães Renato , Silva Nilton , Gillespie Alan , Gomes Roberto , Silva Cristiano , De Carvalho Ana
Published: May 2013

Radiometric precision is difficult to maintain in orbital images due to several factors (atmospheric conditions, Earth-sun distance, detector calibration, illumination, and viewing angles). These unwanted effects must be removed for radiometric consistency among temporal images, leaving only land-leaving radiances, for optimum change detection. A variety of relative radiometric correction techniques were developed for the correction or rectification of images, of the same area, through use of reference targets whose reflectance do not change significantly with time, i.e., pseudo-invariant features (PIFs). This paper proposes a new technique for radiometric normalization, which uses three sequential methods for an accurate PIFs selection: spectral measures of temporal data (spectral distance and similarity), density scatter plot analysis (ridge method), and robust regression. The spectral measures used are the spectral angle (Spectral Angle Mapper, SAM), spectral correlation (Spectral Correlation Mapper, SCM), and Euclidean distance. The spectral measures between the spectra at times t1 and t2 and are calculated for each pixel. After classification using threshold values, it is possible to define points with the same spectral behavior, including PIFs. The distance and similarity measures are complementary and can be calculated together. The ridge method uses a density plot generated from images acquired on different dates for the selection of PIFs. In a density plot, the invariant pixels, together, form a high-density ridge, while variant pixels (clouds and land cover changes) are spread, having low density, facilitating its exclusion. Finally, the selected PIFs are subjected to a robust regression (M-estimate) between pairs of temporal bands for the detection and elimination of outliers, and to obtain the optimal linear equation for a given set of target points. The robust regression is insensitive to outliers, i.e., observation that appears to deviate strongly from the rest of the data in which it occurs, and as in our case, change areas. New sequential methods enable one to select by different attributes, a number of invariant targets over the brightness range of the images.
Mapping Rubber Plantations and Natural Forests in Xishuangbanna (Southwest China) Using Multi-Spectral Phenological Metrics from MODIS Time Series
Authors: Senf Cornelius , Pflugmacher Dirk , Van der Linden Sebastian , Hostert Patrick
Published: May 2013

We developed and evaluated a new approach for mapping rubber plantations and natural forests in one of Southeast Asia’s biodiversity hot spots, Xishuangbanna in China. We used a one-year annual time series of Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS), Enhanced Vegetation Index (EVI) and short-wave infrared (SWIR) reflectance data to develop phenological metrics. These phenological metrics were used to classify rubber plantations and forests with the Random Forest classification algorithm. We evaluated which key phenological characteristics were important to discriminate rubber plantations and natural forests by estimating the influence of each metric on the classification accuracy. As a benchmark, we compared the best classification with a classification based on the full, fitted time series data. Overall classification accuracies derived from EVI and SWIR time series alone were 64.4% and 67.9%, respectively. Combining the phenological metrics from EVI and SWIR time series improved the accuracy to 73.5%. Using the full, smoothed time series data instead of metrics derived from the time series improved the overall accuracy only slightly (1.3%), indicating that the phenological metrics were sufficient to explain the seasonal changes captured by the MODIS time series. The results demonstrate a promising utility of phenological metrics for mapping and monitoring rubber expansion with MODIS.
Bottom Rail on Top: The Shifting Sands of Sustainable Development Indicators as Tools to Assess Progress
Authors: Morse Stephen
Published: May 2013

The Human Development Index (HDI) is often employed to capture some of the more social concerns in sustainable development at the scale of the nation-state. The HDI is founded on three components; life expectancy, education and income per capita. To avoid a dominance of the income component, proxied by Gross Domestic Product (GDP) per capita per annum, it has been capped at a maximum level and transformed. Two methods for transforming the GDP/capita have been employed; the Atkinson transformation (1991 to 1998) and the Logarithmic transformation (all other years). The paper explores the impact that these transformations have had on the HDI rankings of 167 countries, by comparing the rank across two periods; 1991 to 1998 and 1999 to 2009. Results suggest that for the 167 countries in the dataset, the majority (65%) showed a high resilience to the transformations. For these countries, the use of the two alternatives does not alter the difference seen in the original ranking between the two periods. A significant proportion of countries had a medium (18%) and low (17%) resilience to the methodology for handling GDP/capita. For those countries the choice of methodology does matter in terms of their ranking, with some doing better and others worse relative to the original ranking. Consistency in methodology is desirable in order to avoid such misrepresentations but so is some flexibility to allow for new knowledge and experience. One can also question the value of the league table style of presentation so often employed with sustainable development indices given that change in rank for at least some countries is so vulnerable to shifts in methodology.
Current Understanding of the Role of the Brd4 Protein in the Papillomavirus Lifecycle
Authors: McBride Alison , Jang Moon
Published: May 2013

The Brd4 protein is an epigenetic reader that is central to regulation of cellular transcription and mitotic bookmarking. The transcription and replication proteins of many viruses interact with Brd4. We describe the multiple roles of Brd4 in the papillomavirus lifecycle.
ANALYSIS OF STABILIZED FINITE VOLUME METHOD FOR POISSON EQUATION
Authors: Zhang Tong , Huang Pengzhan , Xu Shunwei
Published: May 2013

In this work, we systematically analyze a stabilized finite volume method for the Poisson equation. On stating the convergence of this method, optimal error estimates in different norms are obtained by establishing the adequate connections between the finite element and finite volume methods. Furthermore, some super-convergence results are established by using L 2 -projection method on a coarse mesh based on some regularity assumptions for Poisson equation. Finally, some numerical experiments are presented to confirm the theoretical findings.
Modelos de endemicidad a lo largo de un gradiente altitudinal en Sierra Nevada (España) y Lefka Ori (Creta, Grecia)
Authors: Fernández-Calzado R. , Ghosn D. , Gottfried M. , Kazakis G. , Molero Mesa J. , Pauli H. , Merzouki A.
Published: May 2013

Objetivo: Las zonas de alta montaña en la región mediterránea europea son particularmente ricas en plantas vasculares endémicas. Nuestro objetivo es comparar los modelos altitudinales para la riqueza de plantas vasculares y la proporción de endemismos en dos regiones mediterráneas: Lefka Ori en la isla de Creta (Grecia) y Sierra Nevada en la Península Ibérica.
Localización: Sierra Nevada, Granada (España); Lefka Ori, Creta (Grecia).
Método: Los datos proceden de un muestreo estandarizado en varias cimas situadas a diferentes altitudes (GLORIA Multi-Summit approach; www.gloria.ac.at). El número de especies, tasas de endemicidad, y temperatura del suelo se compararon por medio de ANCOVA y regresión lineal.
Resultados: Las dos regiones objeto de análisis, aunque similares climáticamente, muestran patrones llamativamente diferentes: en Sierra Nevada, la proporción de plantas vasculares endémicas (especies restringidas a Sierra Nevada) muestra un incremento gradual desde la cima más baja a la más alta. En contraste, la proporción de endemismos restringidos a Creta no fue significativamente diferente entre las cuatro cimas de Lefka Ori. Las tendencias observadas en ambas regiones fueron en gran parte consistentes con la distribución de las especies endémicas obtenida de las floras para cada región.
Conclusiones principales: La posición geográfica de ambas regiones, por ejemplo. isla frente a continente, y la mayor elevación de Sierra Nevada se sugieren como las principales causas de las diferencias observadas.
El alto grado de endemicidad en los ambientes fríos de las zonas bioclimáticas superiores de las montañas mediterráneas evidencia una marcada vulnerabilidad a los impactos del cambio climático. Por lo tanto, el seguimiento continuado e intensivo de las especies de montaña alrededor de la cuenca mediterránea, debería considerarse como una tarea investigadora prioritaria.
Seguimiento de la diversidad de líquenes y cambio climático en Sierra Nevada (España)
Authors: Fernández Calzado M.ª R. , Casares Porcel M. , Blanco Houston J. , Molero Mesa J.
Published: May 2013

Los líquenes son organismos comunes en las zonas de alta montaña donde juegan un importante papel en el equilibrio de los ecosistemas. En los últimos años, el creciente interés por entender más acerca de sus interacciones con los factores abióticos ha motivado diversas investigaciones, algunas de las cuales han demostrado su valor como bioindicadores de las condiciones climáticas. En este contexto, centrándonos en los efectos del cambio climático en plantas vasculares de alta montaña y respaldados por el proyecto “Iniciativa para la investigación y el seguimiento global de los ambientes alpinos (GLORIA)”, se ha monitorizado por primera vez la diversidad de líquenes en Sierra Nevada con la intención de estudiar las posibles alteraciones que esta pueda sufrir causadas por el proceso de cambio climático.
El objetivo de este artículo es el de dar a conocer la experiencia de seguimiento en el macizo y aportar los primeros resultados procedentes del análisis, tanto de la biodiversidad como estadístico, de los datos de muestreo.