bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Strain‐specific nuclear genetic background differentially affects mitochondria‐related phenotypes in Saccharomyces cerevisiae
Authors: Montanari Arianna , Francisci Silvia , Fazzi D'Orsi Mario , Bianchi Michele Maria
Published: April 2014

In the course of our studies on mitochondrial defects, we have observed important phenotypic variations in Saccharomyces cerevisiae strains suggesting that a better characterization of the genetic variability will be essential to define the relationship between the mitochondrial efficiency and the presence of different nuclear backgrounds. In this manuscript, we have extended the study of such relations by comparing phenotypic assays related to mitochondrial functions of three wild‐type laboratory strains. In addition to the phenotypic variability among the wild‐type strains, important differences have been observed among strains bearing identical mitochondrial tRNA mutations that could be related only to the different nuclear background of the cells. Results showed that strains exhibited an intrinsic variability in the severity of the effects of the mitochondrial mutations and that specific strains might be used preferentially to evaluate the phenotypic effect of mitochondrial mutations on carbon metabolism, stress responses, and mitochondrial DNA stability. In particular, while W303‐1B and MCC123 strains should be used to study the effect of severe mitochondrial tRNA mutations, D273‐10B/A1 strain is rather suitable for studying the effects of milder mutations.
Data‐driven modeling reconciles kinetics of ERK phosphorylation, localization, and activity states
Authors: Ahmed Shoeb , Grant Kyle G , Edwards Laura E , Rahman Anisur , Cirit Murat , Goshe Michael B , Haugh Jason M
Published: April 2014

The extracellular signal‐regulated kinase (ERK) signaling pathway controls cell proliferation and differentiation in metazoans. Two hallmarks of its dynamics are adaptation of ERK phosphorylation, which has been linked to negative feedback, and nucleocytoplasmic shuttling, which allows active ERK to phosphorylate protein substrates in the nucleus and cytosol. To integrate these complex features, we acquired quantitative biochemical and live‐cell microscopy data to reconcile phosphorylation, localization, and activity states of ERK. While maximal growth factor stimulation elicits transient ERK phosphorylation and nuclear translocation responses, ERK activities available to phosphorylate substrates in the cytosol and nuclei show relatively little or no adaptation. Free ERK activity in the nucleus temporally lags the peak in nuclear translocation, indicating a slow process. Additional experiments, guided by kinetic modeling, show that this process is consistent with ERK's modification of and release from nuclear substrate anchors. Thus, adaptation of whole‐cell ERK phosphorylation is a by‐product of transient protection from phosphatases. Consistent with this interpretation, predictions concerning the dose‐dependence of the pathway response and its interruption by inhibition of MEK were experimentally confirmed.
Periodic mRNA synthesis and degradation co‐operate during cell cycle gene expression
Authors: Eser Philipp , Demel Carina , Maier Kerstin C , Schwalb Björn , Pirkl Nicole , Martin Dietmar E , Cramer Patrick , Tresch Achim
Published: April 2014

During the cell cycle, the levels of hundreds of mRNAs change in a periodic manner, but how this is achieved by alterations in the rates of mRNA synthesis and degradation has not been studied systematically. Here, we used metabolic RNA labeling and comparative dynamic transcriptome analysis (cDTA) to derive mRNA synthesis and degradation rates every 5 min during three cell cycle periods of the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae. A novel statistical model identified 479 genes that show periodic changes in mRNA synthesis and generally also periodic changes in their mRNA degradation rates. Peaks of mRNA degradation generally follow peaks of mRNA synthesis, resulting in sharp and high peaks of mRNA levels at defined times during the cell cycle. Whereas the timing of mRNA synthesis is set by upstream DNA motifs and their associated transcription factors (TFs), the synthesis rate of a periodically expressed gene is apparently set by its core promoter.
A new numerical approach to the hyperstatic reaction method for segmental tunnel linings
Authors: Do Ngoc Anh , Dias Daniel , Oreste Pierpaolo , Djeran‐Maigre Irini
Published: April 2014

This paper proposes a numerical approach to the hyperstatic reaction method (HRM) for the analysis of segmental tunnel linings. The influence of segmental joints has been considered directly using a fixity ratio that is determined on the basis of the rotational stiffness. The parameters necessary for the calculation are presented. A specific implementation has been developed using a FEM framework. This code is able to consider the three‐dimensional (3D) effect of segment joints in successive rings on the tunnel lining behaviour. The present HRM allows one to take an arbitrary distribution of segment joints along the tunnel boundary into consideration. In addition, the rotational stiffness of segment joints has been simulated using nonlinear behaviour, as it is closer to the true behaviour of a joint than linear or bilinear behaviour.

The numerical results of three hypotheses on ring interaction, which allow the 3D effect of a segmental tunnel lining to be taken into account, have been compared with data obtained from the shield‐driven tunnel of the Bologna–Florence high‐speed railway line project. The numerical results presented in the paper show that the proposed HRM can be used to effectively estimate the behaviour of a segmental tunnel lining. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Urinary incontinence in frail elderly persons: Report from the 5th International Consultation on Incontinence
Authors: Wagg Adrian , Gibson William , Ostaszkiewicz Joan , Johnson Theodore , Markland Alayne , Palmer Mary H. , Kuchel George , Szonyi George , Kirschner‐Hermanns Ruth
Published: April 2014

Background

Evidence based guidelines for the management of frail older persons with urinary incontinence are rare. Those produced by the International Consultation on Incontinence represent an authoritative set of recommendations spanning all aspects of management.

Aims

To update the recommendations of the 4th ICI.

Materials and Methods

A series of systematic reviews and evidence updates were performed by members of the working group in order to update the 2009 recommendations. The resulting guidelines were presented at the 2012 meeting of the European Associatioon of Urology.

Results

Along with the revision of the treatment algorithm and accompanying text. There have been significant advances in several areas including pharmacological treatment of overactive bladder.

Discussion

The committee continue to notes the relative paucity of data concerning frail older persons and draw attention to knowledge gaps in this area. Neurourol. Urodynam. 34:398–406, 2015. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Conformational Dynamics of DNA G‐Quadruplex in Solution Studied by Kinetic Capillary Electrophoresis Coupled On‐line with Mass Spectrometry
Authors: Mironov Gleb G. , Okhonin Victor , Khan Nasrin , Clouthier Christopher M. , Berezovski Maxim V.
Published: April 2014

G‐quadruplex‐forming DNA/RNA sequences play an important role in the regulation of biological functions and development of new anticancer and anti‐aging drugs. In this work, we couple on‐line kinetic capillary electrophoresis with mass spectrometry (KCE‐MS) to study conformational dynamics of DNA G‐quadruplexes in solution. We show that peaks shift and its widening in KCE can be used for measuring rate and equilibrium constants for DNA–metal affinity interactions and G‐quadruplex formation; and ion mobility mass spectrometry (IM‐MS) provides information about relative sizes, absolute molecular masses and stoichiometry of DNA complexes. KCE‐MS separates a thrombin‐binding aptamer d[GGTTGGTGTGGTTGG] from mutated sequences based on affinity to potassium, and reveals the apparent equilibrium folding constant (KF≈150 μm), folding rate constant (kon≈1.70×103 s−1 m−1), unfolding rate constant (koff≈0.25 s−1), half‐life time of the G‐quadruplex (t1/2≈2.8 s), and relaxation time (τ≈3.9 ms at physiological 150 mm [K+]). In addition, KCE‐MS screens for a GQ‐stabilizing/‐destabilizing effect of DNA binding dyes and an anticancer drug, cisplatin.
Effects of walker gender and observer gender on biological motion walking direction discrimination
Authors: Yang Xiaoying , Cai Peng , Jiang Yi
Published: April 2014

The ability to recognize the movements of other biological entities, such as whether a person is walking toward you, is essential for survival and social interaction. Previous studies have shown that the visual system is particularly sensitive to approaching biological motion. In this study, we examined whether the gender of walkers and observers influenced the walking direction discrimination of approaching point‐light walkers in fine granularity. The observers were presented a walker who walked in different directions and were asked to quickly judge the walking direction (left or right). The results showed that the observers demonstrated worse direction discrimination when the walker was depicted as male than when the walker was depicted as female, probably because the observers tended to perceive the male walkers as walking straight ahead. Intriguingly, male observers performed better than female observers at judging the walking directions of female walkers but not those of male walkers, a result indicating perceptual advantage with evolutionary significance. These findings provide strong evidence that the gender of walkers and observers modulates biological motion perception and that an adaptive perceptual mechanism exists in the visual system to facilitate the survival of social organisms.
A new research trend in social neuroscience: Towards an interactive‐brain neuroscience
Authors: Liu Tao , Pelowski Matthew
Published: April 2014

The ability to flexibly modulate our behaviors in social contexts and to successfully interact with other persons is a fundamental, but pivotal, requirement for human survival. Although previous social neuroscience research with single individuals has contributed greatly to our understanding of the basic mechanisms underlying social perception and social emotions, much of the dynamic nature of interactions between persons remains beyond the reach of single‐brain studies. This has led to a growing argument for a shift to the simultaneous measurement of the brain activity of two or more individuals in realistic social interactions—an approach termed “hyperscanning.” Although this approach offers important promise in unlocking the brain's role in truly social situations, there are multiple procedural and theoretical questions that require review and analysis. In this paper we discuss this research trend from four aspects: hyperscanning apparatus, experimental task, quantification method, and theoretical interpretation. We also give four suggestions for future research: (a) electroencephalography and near‐infrared spectroscopy are useful tools by which to explore the interactive brain in more ecological settings; (b) games are an appropriate method to simulate daily life interactions; (c) transfer entropy may be an important method by which to quantify directed exchange of information between brains; and (d) more explanation is needed of the results of interbrain synchronization itself.
Low‐Magnetization Magnetic Microcapsules: A Synergistic Theranostic Platform for Remote Cancer Cells Therapy and Imaging
Authors: Zhang Wei , Deng Lin , Wang Guangchao , Guo Xianrong , Li Qiujin , Zhang Jianfei , Khashab Niveen M.
Published: April 2014

Multifunctional magnetic microcapsules (MMCs) for the combined cancer cells hyperthermia and chemotherapy in addition to MR imaging are successfully developed. A classical layer‐by‐layer technique of oppositely charged polyelectrolytes (poly(allylamine hydrochloride) (PAH) and poly(4‐styrene sulfonate sodium) (PSS)) is used as it affords great controllability over the preparation together with enhanced loading of the chemotherapeutic drug (doxorubicin, DOX) in the microcapsules. Superparamagnetic iron oxide (SPIOs) nanoparticles are layered in the system to afford MMC1 (one SPIOs layer) and MMC2 (two SPIOs layers). Most interestingly, MMC1 and MMC2 show efficient hyperthermia cell death and controlled DOX release although their magnetic saturation value falls below 2.5 emu g−1, which is lower than the 7–22 emu g−1 reported to be the minimum value needed for biomedical applications. Moreover, MMCs are pH responsive where a pH 5.5 (often reported for cancer cells) combined with hyperthermia increases DOX release predictably. Both systems prove viable when used as T2 contrast agents for MR imaging in HeLa cells with high biocompatibility. Thus, MMCs hold a great promise to be used commercially as a theranostic platform as they are controllably prepared, reproducibly enhanced, and serve as drug delivery, hyperthermia, and MRI contrast agents at the same time.
Simulation of the impact of reversible adsorption on the response time of interdigitated electrode arrays
Authors: Krause Kay J. , Kätelhön Enno , Offenhäusser Andreas , Wolfrum Bernhard
Published: April 2014

We simulate the amperometric response time of an interdigitated electrode array with respect to reversible adsorption of redox active molecules at the electrode surface. When neighboring electrodes are biased to potentials below and above the redox potential of the species under investigation, molecules can participate in repetitive reactions leading to an amplification of the Faradaic current. During collisions between molecules and electrodes, the molecules may undergo reversible adsorption. We simulate the behavior of this redox cycling process by using a discrete random walk model, which mimics the diffusive pathway of the molecules. Adsorption probabilities are implemented via the boundary conditions at the electrodes. Using this simulation, we investigate the effect of reversible adsorption on the response time of the interdigitated electrode array.
Planar and 3D interdigitated electrodes for biosensing applications: The impact of a dielectric barrier on the sensor properties
Authors: Bäcker M. , Kramer F. , Huck C. , Poghossian A. , Bratov A. , Abramova N. , Schöning M. J.
Published: April 2014

Planar and three‐dimensional (3D) interdigitated electrodes (IDE) with electrode digits separated by an insulating barrier of different heights were electrochemically characterized and compared in terms of their sensing properties. Due to the impact of the surface resistance, both types of IDE structures display a non‐linear behavior in low‐ionic strength solutions. The experimental data were fitted to an electrical equivalent circuit and interpreted taking into account the surface‐charge‐governed properties. The effect of a charged polyelectrolyte layer electrostatically assembled onto the sensor surface on the surface resistance in solutions with different KCl concentration is studied. In case of the same electrode footprint, 3D‐IDEs show a larger cell constant and a higher sensitivity to molecular adsorption than that of planar IDEs. The obtained results demonstrate the potential of 3D‐IDEs as a new transducer structure for a direct label‐free sensing of charged molecules.
The role of the interface in a Ti‐based metallic glass matrix composite with in situ dendrite reinforcement
Authors: Wang Y. S. , Hao G. J. , Zhang Y. , Lin J. P. , Song L. , Qiao J. W.
Published: April 2014

Many in situ metallic glass matrix (MGM) composites have been developed as promising engineering materials having distinguished properties because of sharing virtues of high strength of metallic glasses and large plasticity of crystal phase, for example, Ti47Zr19Be15V12Cu7 MGM composites (the yield strength: 1600 MPa, the fracture strength: 3024 MPa and the total strain 32.6%). Although the toughening mechanisms in these materials have been investigated, the role of the interface bridging the ductile dendrite and the glass phase is still unclear. To this aim, specimens of the as‐received and after compression of this Ti‐based MGM composite were investigated to by using the transmission electron microscopy and the high‐resolution transmission electron microscopy. The results of the microstructure investigation indicated that the interface in the composite consists of a nanosized transform layer with an approximate width of 4 nm. During plastic deformation, the interface either suppresses plastic deformation caused by dislocations on the dendrite side or initiates nucleation of multiple shear bands throughout nanocrystallization on the glass phase side nearby the interface, which is favorable for the plastic deformation of the material. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Differentiating diterpene resin acids using ToF‐SIMS and principal component analysis: new tools for assessing the geochemistry of amber
Authors: Sodhi Rana N. S. , Mims Charles A. , Goacher Robyn E. , McKague Bruce , Wolfe Alexander P.
Published: April 2014

Amber is a polymerized plant resin having remarkable preservation potential in the geological record. Numerous analytical techniques have been applied to the study of amber organic chemistry in order to extract paleobotanical information. However, only exploratory work has been conducted using time‐of‐flight secondary ion mass spectrometry (ToF‐SIMS), despite its immense potential due to the high mass resolution and range that can be analyzed concurrently. Detailed assessments of ion fragmentation patterns are prerequisite, given that amber is comprised of a challenging range of terpenoids, carboxylic acids, alcohols, and associated esters. In recent work, we demonstrated the applicability and efficiency of ToF‐SIMS as a tool to investigate amber chemical composition. However, only two diterpene resin acid standards were considered in this preliminary study, namely abietic acid and communic acid. We now extend this work by documenting the ToF‐SIMS spectra of ten additional diterpene resin acids and ask whether ToF‐SIMS analysis can distinguish subtle differences within a larger set of diterpenoids. Both positive and negative ToF‐SIMS spectra were produced, although negative polarity appears particularly promising for differentiating diterpene resin acids. Principal component analysis (PCA) was used to distill the data and verified that purified diterpenes have distinct ToF‐SIMS spectra that can be applied to amber chemotaxonomy as well as to the analysis of modern resins of known botanical origin. While this work is pertinent to the study of the composition and histories of ambers, the mass spectra of the 12 diterpene standards could prove valuable to any system where diterpenoid chemistry plays a role. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Evaluation of an induction‐assisted friction stir welding technique for super duplex stainless steels
Authors: Álvarez Ana I. , García Miguel , Pena Gloria , Sotelo Jose , Verdera David
Published: April 2014

The microstructure changes and the mechanical properties of a friction stir welded (FSW) super duplex stainless steel (GX2CrNiMoN26‐7‐4) were analyzed. A PCBN tool was used to weld 5‐mm‐thick plates at a constant rotational speed of 300 rpm, at 100 and 200 mm/min, under two different conditions: conventional FSW and Induction‐Assisted FSW (IA‐FSW). Preheating technique allows welding with a reduction in forge forces close to 31% at the same welding speed, or doubling speed (200 mm/min) at the same axial force, obtaining sound welds. No sigma phase was detected in the welds, and the clear grain size reduction led to an increase in mean hardness value and the tensile strength of the stir zone. Ferrite percentage was found to be between 50 and 70% through the welds. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Influence of bioactive linker molecules on protein adsorption
Authors: Killian Manuela S. , Schmuki Patrik
Published: April 2014

When protein coatings are used in surgical implants, for sensors or in food applications, it is important to be aware of the influence of the immobilization method onto the protein‐coating performance. In this manuscript, we report on the effect of several bioactive linker molecules on a protein immobilized on a TiO2 surface. Particularly, the protein adsorption, orientation and functionality, which are directly related to the tertiary structure of the molecule, were investigated.

The protein horseradish peroxidase was immobilized on a TiO2 substrate via a range of linker molecules for biomolecule attachment. The chosen linkers can immobilize the proteins in a random fashion via free NH2‐groups or COOH‐groups. Protein coverage was quantified with XPS, while Time‐of‐flight secondary ion mass spectrometry (ToF‐SIMS) provided information about protein orientation as well as changes in the tertiary structure in relation to the respective linker system. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Quantitative analysis of lipids with argon gas cluster ion beam secondary ion mass spectrometry
Authors: Fujii Makiko , Nakagawa Shunichirou , Seki Toshio , Aoki Takaaki , Matsuo Jiro
Published: April 2014

Ar gas cluster ion beam (Ar‐GCIB) SIMS has been developed as one of the powerful tools used for analyzing organic materials because of the high secondary ion yield of large organic molecules due to ‘soft’ sputtering mechanism of this technique. However, for practical analysis of complex biological samples, high quantitative accuracy is strongly required besides high sensitivity. In this study, some pure and compound lipid samples were measured with our originally equipped Ar‐GCIB SIMS apparatus with the aim of determining the quantitative accuracy of this technique. It was found that the detection limit of the Ar‐GCIB SIMS apparatus was lower than 0.1%. In addition, there was almost no matrix effect between the organic substances of similar chemical structures. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Identifying Employee Turnover Risks Using Modified Quality Function Deployment
Authors: Wang Xin , Wang Li , Xu Xiaobo , Ji Ping
Published: April 2014

Employee turnover is costly in terms of direct costs and indirect costs faced by organizations. Thus, researchers have investigated turnover for more than two decades. Different methods have been proposed to identify employee turnover risk. However, reducing and preventing employee turnover is still one of the biggest challenges to organizations. Quality function deployment (QFD) method is a systems approach to quality engineering. Employee turnover risk identification mainly involves employee turnover risk factors modelling, identifying risk factors' index, and determining index weights. In this paper, we propose a multi‐level employee turnover risk identification model using modified QFD method. This study contributes to the QFD and employee turnover research literature and provides practical guidance to business practitioners. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Right and left kurtosis measures: large sample estimation and an application to financial returns
Authors: Fiori Anna Maria , Beltrami Davide
Published: April 2014

Although the standard fourth moment coefficient is routinely computed as “the kurtosis” of a distribution, the measure is not easily interpreted and has been a subject of considerable debate in statistical literature. The financial community has recently joined in the debate, calling for more robust estimators of kurtosis in distributions of stock market returns. For these reasons, we here consider alternative measures of right and left kurtosis, which arise from a recent characterization of kurtosis as inequality at either side of the median. Based on Gini's coefficient of concentration, the new measures apply to both symmetric and asymmetric distributions, their interpretation is clear and they are consistent with common risk perceptions of investors and risk managers. In this contribution, we show that the theory of L‐statistics provides a natural framework for the construction of empirical estimators of the proposed measures and the derivation of their asymptotic properties under mild moment requirements. A real data example illustrates the potential of these estimators in financial contexts, in which the existence of higher moments is still an open question. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd
Sampling freshwater turtle populations using hoop nets: Testing potential biases
Authors: Mali Ivana , Brown Donald J. , Ferrato Jacqueline R. , Forstner Michael R. J.
Published: April 2014

The baited hoop‐net is one of the most heavily used sampling tools for monitoring freshwater turtle populations. In the past several years, we have published a series of studies that tested potential biases associated with this sampling method. For this paper, we used a new experiment to directly test the influence of trap‐mouth opening size on both captures and escapes. We also summarized the results from previous studies to direct future research on this topic and provide a useful guide for managers and researchers using this sampling device. In our experiment during May 2013 in Texas, USA, we found that traps with larger mouth‐openings were more efficient at capturing turtles, while escapes were minimal for both mouth sizes. Thus, at least within the boundaries we tested here, increasing mouth‐opening size is an effective way to increase captures without introducing biases caused by differential escape probabilities. © 2014 The Wildlife Society.
Phase I and pharmacokinetic study of trabectedin, a DNA minor groove binder, administered as a 24-h continuous infusion in Japanese patients with soft tissue sarcoma
Authors: Ueda Takafumi , Kakunaga Shigeki , Ando Masashi , Yonemori Kan , Sugiura Hideshi , Yamada Kenji , Kawai Akira
Published: April 2014

Background Trabectedin is a novel anticancer agent used to treat soft tissue sarcoma (STS). This phase I study of trabectedin was performed to determine the recommended dose for phase II studies in Japanese patients with STS. Methods Patients who had STS refractory to, or who could not tolerate, anthracycline-based chemotherapy were enrolled. The starting dose of trabectedin was 0.9 mg/m2, given as a 24-h continuous infusion every 21 days. The dose was escalated to 1.2 mg/m2 and then to 1.5 mg/m2, using a “3 + 3” cohort expansion design. Plasma samples were collected for pharmacokinetic analysis. Results Fifteen patients received 1 of 3 dose levels of trabectedin. Dose-limiting toxicity occurred in two of three patients at 1.5 mg/m2: 1 had a grade 3 increase in creatine phosphokinase and grade 3 anorexia, and the other had grade 4 platelet count decreased. Frequent grade 3 or 4 adverse events (AEs) included elevations of alanine aminotransferase and aspartate aminotransferase and decrease in neutrophil count. The frequency and severity of AEs were clearly greater at 1.5 mg/m2 than at the lower doses. Pharmacokinetic analysis showed that the area under the concentration-time curve at a dose of 1.2 mg/m2 was adequate to produce antitumor activity. A partial response was obtained in three patients with translocation-related sarcomas (1 each with myxoid liposarcoma, synovial sarcoma, and extraskeletal Ewing sarcoma). Conclusions The recommended dose of trabectedin for phase II studies is 1.2 mg/m2 in Japanese patients with STS. Trabectedin may be especially effective against translocation-related sarcomas.
A New Anionic Oxalamide Lauryl Succinate Sodium Sulfonate Gemini Surfactant: Microwave‐Assisted Synthesis and Surface Activities
Authors: Chen Hong , Zhu Baowei
Published: April 2014

An anionic Gemini surfactant, oxalamide lauryl succinate sodium sulfonate, was synthesized successfully through amidation, esterification and sulfonation reactions under microwave irradiation conditions by using maleic anhydride, ethylenediamine, lauryl alcohol, sodium sulfite as the starting materials. The best reaction conditions for synthesize the target product were obtained by single factor and orthogonal optimization methods. FTIR, elemental analysis and 1H‐NMR analysis were used to confirm the chemical structure of the surfactant. The critical micelle concentration (CMC) in aqueous solution, surface tension, emulsification capacity and foaming power were determined. The critical micelle concentration and γCMC are respectively equal to 3.5 × 10−4 mol L−1 and 21.5 mN m−1. It was found that microwave‐assisted synthesis is an efficient means of preparation of this anionic Gemini surfactant with shorter times and higher yields.
In‐Situ Formation of Viscoelastic Wormlike Micelles in Mixtures of Non‐Surface‐Active Compounds
Authors: Zhang Yongmin , Zhou Dapeng , Feng Yujun
Published: April 2014

Viscoelastic fluids based on surfactant self‐assembled wormlike micelles have been in focus over the past decade. In this work, we report wormlike micellar solutions formed in situ by simply mixing two non‐surface‐active compounds, N‐(3‐(dimethylamino)propyl)palmitamide (C16AMPM) and salicylic acid (HSal), without specialized organic synthesis of a surfactant. In the absence of HSal, C16AMPM is poorly soluble in pure water; after introducing HSal, C16AMPM is protonated into quaternary ammonium, behaving like a cationic surfactant with a low critical micellar concentration (0.25 mM) and a small area per molecule, which favors the formation of long cylindrical wormlike micelles. Above the overlapping concentration (~28 mM), the wormlike micelles formed entangle each other into viscoelastic networks, enhancing the viscosity by several orders of magnitude. In contrast to the worms formed by a single ultra‐long‐chain surfactant, the current system shows the advantages of a smaller flow activation energy and end‐cap energy, simpler formulation and lower cost, which make it more suitable for practical use.
Establishment of a mast cell line, NCL‐2, without Kit mutation, derived from NC mouse bone marrow
Authors: Hiragun Takaaki , Yanase Yuhki , Okabe Tsutomu , Hiragun Makiko , Kawai Mikio , Hide Michihiro
Published: April 2014

Immortal mast cell lines, such as RBL‐2H3 and HMC‐1 cells, are commonly utilized to investigate the function of mast cells. However, they are tumor cells carrying a gain‐of‐function mutation of Kit. We established an immortal mast cell line without Kit mutation, NCL‐2, derived from NC mouse bone marrow. NCL‐2 cells could be maintained without additional growth factors and thus could respond to exogenous growth signals. Moreover, NCL‐2 cells expressed FcεRI and KIT, and release histamine and LTB4 in response to antigen stimulation. This cell line could be a useful tool to analyze proliferation, differentiation, and function of normal mast cells.
Community‐based prenatal screening for postpartum depression in a South African township
Authors: Hung Kristin J. , Tomlinson Mark , le Roux Ingrid M. , Dewing Sarah , Chopra Mickey , Tsai Alexander C.
Published: April 2014

Objective

To assess the feasibility of using community health workers to administer short or ultra‐short screening instruments during routine community‐based prenatal outreach for detecting probable depression at 12 weeks postpartum.

Methods

During pregnancy and at 12 weeks postpartum, the 10‐item Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS‐10) was administered to 249 Xhosa‐speaking black African women living in Khayelitsha, South Africa. We compared the operating characteristics of the prenatal EPDS‐10, as well as 4 short and ultra‐short subscales, with the criterion standard of probable postpartum depression.

Results

Seventy‐nine (31.7%) women were assessed as having probable postpartum depression. A prenatal EPDS‐10 score of 13 or higher had 0.67 sensitivity and 0.67 specificity for detecting probable postpartum depression. Briefer subscales performed similarly.

Conclusion

Community health workers successfully conducted community‐based screening for depression in a resource‐limited setting using short or ultra‐short screening instruments. However, overall feasibility was limited because prenatal screening failed to accurately predict probable depression during the postpartum period.
Synchronous bladder and prostate cancers in the specimens of radical cystoprostatectomy: A multicenter retrospective analysis
Authors: Özgür Berat Cem , Köseoğlu Ersin , Arık Ali İhsan , Sarıcı Haşmet , Bilgin Övünç , Yücetürk Cem Nedim , Özer Elif , Güven Eşref Oğuz , Telli Onur , Atan Ali , Eroğlu Muzaffer
Published: April 2014

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the features of prostate cancer that have been incidentally detected in radical cystoprostatectomy specimens of bladder cancer patients. The researchers of the current study retrospectively evaluated the data from 119 men who underwent radical cystoprostatectomy at four referral institutions in Ankara, Turkey. Of the 21 prostate cancer patients, 17 (81%) were aged ≥60 years; 10 (47.6%) had clinically significant diseases; three had a Gleason score of 6, three had a Gleason score of 7, three had a Gleason score of 8, one had a positive surgical margin along with extracapsular invasion of the tumor and a high Gleason score, and three patients had a tumor volume of ≥0.5 cm3, of which two also had a high Gleason score. Patients were followed‐up for a mean of 29 ± 10.2 months; the overall survival was 96.6% (n = 115) during that period. Preoperative digital rectal examination and prostate‐specific antigen values did not differ between the benign and prostate cancer groups. There was no survival advantage in the insignificant prostate cancer and benign prostate groups. No additional benefit for predicting prostate cancer was found with digital rectal examination and prostate‐specific antigen tests, although some clinicians advised such. In patients aged < 60 years, organ‐sparing cystectomy seems reasonable. In prostate‐sparing surgery, candidates who are aged >60 years, the preoperative work‐up may routinely include prostate biopsy, especially the apex. Preoperative findings of multifocality of bladder cancers and the presence of carcinoma in situ have the risk of prostatic involvement.
Habsburg Government and Intermediary Authority under Joseph II (1780–90): The Estates of Lower Austria in Comparative Perspective
Authors: Godsey William D.
Published: April 2014

On October 18, 1783, a cortege of gala carriages escorted by liveried attendants, lackeys, and trumpeters drew up in the main courtyard of theHofburg, the Imperial palace in Vienna. Received with military honors, it bore a deputation of the Lower Austrian Estates led byLandmarschallCount Johann Anton Pergen and that included a dozen representatives of the four orders (prelates, lords, knights, and townsmen) that composed the diet. The group ascended into the ceremonial apartments to be welcomed by the Imperial grand chamberlain, who announced its arrival. The emperor's appearance in the audience chamber prompted a short address by Pergen, to whom Joseph II then personally handed his government's annual tax demand. As his mother the Empress Maria Theresa had sometimes done on these occasions, he took advantage of Estates' attendance to raise a matter of special concern. He exhorted them “avec beaucoup de noblesse” to consider ways of revising the provincial cadastre that underlay the system of direct taxation. This prefigured one of the reign's celebrated initiatives that culminated in the great tax and peasant labor reform of 1789. Joseph's participation in a court function that dated back to the middle years of the previous reign and that was rooted in a much older ritual in which the Lower Austrian Estates hadin corporereceived the tax request out of the monarch's own hands largely conformed to later Theresan practice. But this would be the last time that he observed the rite. In the following year, his absence from Vienna prevented its occurrence, and in 1785 he did away with it altogether.
An evaluation of antigen capture assays for detecting active filarial antigens
Authors: Ravishankaran R. , Radhika N.S. , Ansel Vishal L. , Meenakshisundaram S. , Karande A.A. , Kaliraj P.
Published: April 2014

Lymphatic filariasis is a parasitic disease of tropical countries. This is a disfiguring and painful disease contracted in childhood, but the symptoms become apparent only in later years. Diagnosis of filarial infection is very crucial for the management of the disease. The main objective of this study was to develop a filarial antigen-based immunological assay for the diagnosis and surveillance of the disease. Monoclonal and polyclonal antibodies were raised to the recombinant protein Brugia malayi vespid allergen homologue (VAH). Capture enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) was standardized utilizing various combinations of antibodies and evaluated with serum samples of endemic normal (EN, n= 110), microfilaraemic (MF, n= 65), chronic pathology (CP, n= 45) and non-endemic normal (NEN, n= 10) individuals. Of the 230 samples tested, VAH capture assay detected circulating antigen in 97.91% of bancroftian and 100% of brugian microfilaraemic individuals, and 5% of endemic normal individuals, comparable to the earlier reported SXP-1 antigen detection assay. However, the combination of VAH and SXP-1 (VS) capture ELISA was found to be more robust, detecting 100% of microfilaraemic individuals and with higher binding values. Thus an antigen capture immunoassay has been developed, which can differentiate active infection from chronic infection by detecting circulating filarial antigens in clinical groups of endemic areas.
A review on bovine besnoitiosis: a disease with economic impact in herd health management, caused byBesnoitia besnoiti(Franco and Borges, )
Authors: CORTES HELDER , LEITÃO ALEXANDRE , GOTTSTEIN BRUNO , HEMPHILL ANDREW
Published: April 2014

Bovine besnoitiosis is caused by the largely unexplored apicomplexan parasiteBesnoitia besnoiti. In cows, infection during pregnancy often results in abortion, and chronically infected bulls become infertile. Similar to other apicomplexansB. besnoitihas acquired a largely intracellular lifestyle, but its complete life cycle is still unknown, modes of transmission have not been entirely resolved and the definitive host has not been identified. Outbreaks of bovine besnoitiosis in cattle were described in the 1990s in Portugal and Spain, and later several cases were also detected in France. More cases have been reported recently in hitherto unaffected countries, including Italy, Germany, Switzerland, Hungary and Croatia. To date, there is still no effective pharmaceutical compound available for the treatment of besnoitiosis in cattle, and progress in the identification of novel targets for intervention through pharmacological or immunological means is hampered by the lack of molecular data on the genomic and transcriptomic level. In addition, the lack of an appropriate small animal laboratory model, and wide gaps in our knowledge on the host-parasite interplay during the life cycle of this parasite, renders vaccine and drug development a cost- and labour-intensive undertaking.
Coercive family process and early-onset conduct problems from age 2 to school entry
Authors: Smith Justin D. , Dishion Thomas J. , Shaw Daniel S. , Wilson Melvin N. , Winter Charlotte C. , Patterson Gerald R.
Published: April 2014

The emergence and persistence of conduct problems (CPs) during early childhood is a robust predictor of behavior problems in school and of future maladaptation. In this study we examined the reciprocal influences between observed coercive interactions between children and caregivers, oppositional and aggressive behavior, and growth in parent report of early childhood (ages 2–5) and school-age CPs (ages 7.5 and 8.5). Participants were drawn from the Early Steps multisite randomized prevention trial that includes an ethnically diverse sample of male and female children and their families (N= 731). A parallel-process growth model combining latent trajectory and cross-lagged approaches revealed the amplifying effect of observed coercive caregiver–child interactions on children's noncompliance, whereas child oppositional and aggressive behaviors did not consistently predict increased coercion. The slope and initial levels of child oppositional and aggressive behaviors and the stability of caregiver–child coercion were predictive of teacher-reported oppositional behavior at school age. Families assigned to the Family Check-Up condition had significantly steeper declines in child oppositional and aggressive behavior and moderate reductions in oppositional behavior in school and in coercion at age 3. Results were not moderated by child gender, race/ethnicity, or assignment to the intervention condition. The implications of these findings are discussed with respect to understanding the early development of CPs and to designing optimal strategies for reducing problem behavior in early childhood with families most in need.
Unforgettable 1956? The PCI and the Crisis of Communism in Italy
Authors: IANDOLO ALESSANDRO
Published: April 2014

The Italian left has always perceived 1956 as an extraordinary year, because of the succession of international events that supposedly shocked many Italian militants and convinced them to abandon communism and the Italian Communist Party. On the contrary, this article claims that the real reasons for the crisis of communism in Italy had little to do with international events and must be found instead in the momentous economic and social changes that Italy was experiencing at the time. Unforgettable 1956 was therefore only a moment in a longer-term process that was destined to change communism in Italy. The article is based on previously unused documents now available at the Italian Communist Party Archive.
Managing the Postcolony: Minority Politics in Montpellier,c.1960–c.2010
Authors: CHABAL EMILE
Published: April 2014

Using the case study of Montpellier, this article explores the relationship between local political actors and postcolonial minorities since the end of the Algerian War – particularly, the city's pied-noir, harki, Moroccan and Jewish populations. It examines the discourses used to secure the electoral allegiances of these groups and the myriad ways in which they laid claim to certain civic and political spaces. It employs diverse oral, archival and audio-visual sources to demonstrate how postcolonial minorities have gained important concessions from local authorities and how identity politics has developed under the Fifth Republic, despite France's strong republican tradition.
Population Politics, Power and the Problem of Modernity in Stephen Kotkin'sMagnetic Mountain
Authors: ROSENBERG CLIFFORD
Published: April 2014

Did population policy under Stalin differ, in any fundamental respect, from those of inter-war France or other Western countries? In a radical rethinking of the Soviet experience, Stephen Kotkin said no.Magnetic Mountainmoved the field of Soviet history past an increasingly sterile cold war standoff between the so-called new social history and the totalitarian school. With the social history generation, Kotkin insisted on seeing the Soviet project from the perspective of ordinary people, subject to the same kind of forces that applied throughout Europe. He had no truck with ideas like oriental despotism or Russian exceptionalism, but, with the totalitarian school, he took ideology seriously, presenting everyday life and high politics within a single analytical frame. To do so, he drew eclectically on a range of theoretical perspectives, above all on the work of the late Michel Foucault. Foucault often implied that Auschwitz and the Gulag were the logical outcome of the Enlightenment project, but his primary goal was to illuminate the corrosive, coercive nature of liberal reform efforts in Western Europe, to puncture their claims to universality. The vast bulk of his corpus avoided the twentieth century. Kotkin, by contrast, used Foucault's perspective directly on the Soviet system itself.
The electrocardiogram in Down syndrome
Authors: Caro Milagros , Conde Diego , Pérez-Riera Andrés R. , de Almeida Adail P. , Baranchuk Adrian
Published: April 2014

Down syndrome is the most common chromosomal abnormality, with an incidence of one case in every 650 live births. It is strongly associated with heart disease, which constitutes the main cause of mortality during the first 2 years of life in this population. Most of the cardiac abnormalities in patients with Down syndrome can be suspected by analysing the surface 12-lead ECG. The purpose of this systematic review was to analyse all available published material on surface ECG and cardiac rhythm and conduction abnormalities in patients with Down syndrome to facilitate the search to the clinical cardiologist and paediatrician.
GREEN SPENDING REFORMS, GROWTH, AND WELFARE WITH ENDOGENOUS SUBJECTIVE DISCOUNTING
Authors: Vella Eugenia , Dioikitopoulos Evangelos V. , Kalyvitis Sarantis
Published: April 2014

This paper studies optimal fiscal policy, in the form of taxation and the allocation of tax revenues between infrastructure and environmental investment, in a general-equilibrium growth model with endogenous subjective discounting. A green spending reform, defined as a reallocation of government expenditures toward the environment, can procure a double dividend by raising growth and improving environmental conditions, although the environment does not impact the production technology. Also, endogenous Ramsey fiscal policy eliminates the possibility of an “environmental and economic poverty trap.” In contrast to the case of exogenous discounting, green spending reforms are the optimal response of the Ramsey government to a rise in the agents' environmental concerns.
Design and implementation of Butler matrix-based beam-forming networks for low sidelobe level electronically scanned arrays
Authors: Fakoukakis Fanourios E. , Kaifas Theodoros N. , Vafiadis Elias E. , Kyriacou George A.
Published: April 2014

In this work, the design, fabrication, and testing of low sidelobe level (SLL) Butler matrix-based beamformers is presented. The paper is divided in two parts. The first part deals with the conventional technique of simultaneous excitation of input ports. The second part introduces some novel modified low SLL Butler matrices, as an alternative advantageous design choice. Circuit architecture makes use of asymmetric branch line couplers able to provide high values of output power division ratios. Radiation patterns with SLLs far lower than −23 dB are achieved, without the use of any additional circuitry, in opposition to the case of simultaneous port excitation. Apart from SLL reduction, the switched line-phase shifter technique is applied in order to increase the number of radiated beams and improve scanning coverage. The beamformers are suitable for interference suppressing point-to-multipoint ground communications, satellite and radar/EW/SIGINT systems. Several microstrip circuit prototypes are designed, fabricated, and tested, whereas extended simulation and measurements results are adduced.
Competition and constraint drove Cope's rule in the evolution of giant flying reptiles
Authors: Benson Roger B. J. , Frigot Rachel A. , Goswami Anjali , Andres Brian , Butler Richard J.
Published: April 2014

The pterosaurs, Mesozoic flying reptiles, attained wingspans of more than 10 m that greatly exceed the largest birds and challenge our understanding of size limits in flying animals. Pterosaurs have been used to illustrate Cope’s rule, the influential generalization that evolutionary lineages trend to increasingly large body sizes. However, unambiguous examples of Cope’s rule operating on extended timescales in large clades remain elusive, and the phylogenetic pattern and possible drivers of pterosaur gigantism are uncertain. Here we show 70 million years of highly constrained early evolution, followed by almost 80 million years of sustained, multi-lineage body size increases in pterosaurs. These results are supported by maximum-likelihood modelling of a comprehensive new pterosaur data set. The transition between these macroevolutionary regimes is coincident with the Early Cretaceous adaptive radiation of birds, supporting controversial hypotheses of bird–pterosaur competition, and suggesting that evolutionary competition can act as a macroevolutionary driver on extended geological timescales.