bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Perception-action dissociation generalizes to the size-inertia illusion
Authors: Platkiewicz Jonathan , Hayward Vincent
Published: January 2014

Two objects of similar visual aspects and of equal mass, but of different sizes, generally do not elicit the same percept of heaviness in humans. The larger object is consistently felt to be lighter than the smaller, an effect known as the “size-weight illusion.” When asked to repeatedly lift the two objects, the grip forces were observed to adapt rapidly to the true object weight while the size-weight illusion persisted, a phenomenon interpreted as a dissociation between perception and action. We investigated whether the same phenomenon can be observed if the mass of an object is available to participants through inertial rather than gravitational cues and if the number and statistics of the stimuli is such that participants cannot remember each individual stimulus. We compared the responses of 10 participants in 2 experimental conditions, where they manipulated 33 objects having uncorrelated masses and sizes, supported by a frictionless, air-bearing slide that could be oriented vertically or horizontally. We also analyzed the participants' anticipatory motor behavior by measuring the grip force before motion onset. We found that the perceptual illusory effect was quantitatively the same in the two conditions and observed that both visual size and haptic mass had a negligible effect on the anticipatory gripping control of the participants in the gravitational and inertial conditions, despite the enormous differences in the mechanics of the two conditions and the large set of uncorrelated stimuli.
Assessing the Detection Capacity of Microarrays as Bio/Nanosensing Platforms
Authors: Lee Ju Seok , Song Joon Jin , Deaton Russell , Kim Jin-Woo
Published: January 2014

Microarray is one of the most powerful detection systems with multiplexing and high throughput capability. It has significant potential as a versatile biosensing platform for environmental monitoring, pathogen detection, medical therapeutics, and drug screening to name a few. To date, however, microarray applications are still limited to preliminary screening of genome-scale transcription profiling or gene ontology analysis. Expanding the utility of microarrays as a detection tool for various biological and biomedical applications requires information about performance such as the limits of detection and quantification, which are considered as an essential information to decide the detection sensitivity of sensing devices. Here we present a calibration design that integrates detection limit theory and linear dynamic range to obtain a performance index of microarray detection platform using oligonucleotide arrays as a model system. Two different types of limits of detection and quantification are proposed by the prediction or tolerance interval for two common cyanine fluorescence dyes, Cy3 and Cy5. Besides oligonucleotide, the proposed method can be generalized to other microarray formats with various biomolecules such as complementary DNA, protein, peptide, carbohydrate, tissue, or other small biomolecules. Also, it can be easily applied to other fluorescence dyes for further dye chemistry improvement.
Validation of a Thin-Layer Chromatography for the Determination of Hydrocortisone Acetate and Lidocaine in a Pharmaceutical Preparation
Authors: Dołowy Małgorzata , Kulpińska-Kucia Katarzyna , Pyka Alina
Published: January 2014

A new specific, precise, accurate, and robust TLC-densitometry has been developed for the simultaneous determination of hydrocortisone acetate and lidocaine hydrochloride in combined pharmaceutical formulation. The chromatographic analysis was carried out using a mobile phase consisting of chloroform + acetone + ammonia (25%) in volume composition 8 : 2 : 0.1 and silica gel 60F254plates. Densitometric detection was performed in UV at wavelengths 200 nm and 250 nm, respectively, for lidocaine hydrochloride and hydrocortisone acetate. The validation of the proposed method was performed in terms of specificity, linearity, limit of detection (LOD), limit of quantification (LOQ), precision, accuracy, and robustness. The applied TLC procedure is linear in hydrocortisone acetate concentration range of3.75÷12.50 μg·spot−1, and from1.00÷2.50 μg·spot−1for lidocaine hydrochloride. The developed method was found to be accurate (the value of the coefficient of variation CV [%] is less than 3%), precise (CV [%] is less than 2%), specific, and robust. LOQ of hydrocortisone acetate is 0.198 μg·spot−1and LOD is 0.066 μg·spot−1. LOQ and LOD values for lidocaine hydrochloride are 0.270 and 0.090 μg·spot−1, respectively. The assay value of both bioactive substances is consistent with the limits recommended by Pharmacopoeia.
SLSMP: Time Synchronization and Localization Using Seawater Movement Pattern in Underwater Wireless Networks
Authors: Kim Sungryul , Yoo Younghwan
Published: January 2014

Time synchronization and localization in underwater environment are challenging due to high propagation delay, time measurement error, and node mobility. Although synchronization and localization depend on each other and have the similar process, they have been usually handled separately. In this paper, we suggest time synchronization and localization based on the semiperiodic property of seawater movement, called SLSMP. Firstly, we analyze error factors in time synchronization and localization and then propose a method to handle those errors. For more accurate synchronization, SLSMP controls the transmission instant by exploiting the pattern of seawater movement and node deployment. Then SLSMP progressively decreases the localization errors by applying the Kalman filter or averaging filter. Finally, INS (inertial navigation system) is adopted to relieve localization error caused by node mobility and error propagation problem. The simulation results show that SLSMP reduces time synchronization error by 2.5 ms and 0.56 ms compared with TSHL and MU-Sync, respectively. Also localization error is lessened by 44.73% compared with the single multilateration.
Expression of Recombinant Human Alpha-Lactalbumin in the Milk of Transgenic Goats Using a Hybrid Pomoter/Enhancer
Authors: Yuan Yu-Guo , An Liyou , Yu Baoli , Song Shaozheng , Zhou Feng , Zhang Liqing , Gu Yinyin , Yu Minghui , Cheng Yong
Published: January 2014

To improve nutrient content of goat milk, we describe the construction of a vector (pBLAC) containing a hybrid goatβ-lactoglobulin (BLG) promoter/cytomegalovirus (CMV) enhancer. We also describe the generation of transgenic goats expressing rhLA by somatic cell nuclear transfer (SCNT). Of 334 one-cell stage embryos derived from three transgenic cell lines and 99 embryos derived from non-transgenic (NT) cells surgically transferred to the oviducts of 37 recipients, two recipients delivered two kids (2%) from the non-transfected line and five recipients delivered six kids (1.8%) from transgenic cell lines, three of which died within 2 days. Compared to the NT donor cells, transfection of donor cells does not negatively affect the development of nuclear transfer embryos into viable transgenic offspring. However, the clone efficiency in cell line number 1 was lower than that in numbers 2 and 3, and in the NT lines (0.9% versus 1.9% 2.4% and 2%;P<0.05). Two transgenic cloned goats expressed rhLA in the milk at 0.1–0.9 mg/mL. The mammary gland-specific expression vector pBLAC with hybrid BLG/CMV can drive the hLA gene to expressin vitroandin vivo. These data establish the basis for use of a hybrid promoter/enhancer strategy to produce rhLA transgenic goats.
Bench to Bed Evidences for Pharmacokinetic and Pharmacodynamic Interactions Involving Oseltamivir and Chinese Medicine
Authors: Chang Qi , Wo Siukwan , Ngai Karry L. K. , Wang Xiaoan , Fok Benny , Ngan Teresa M. , Wong Vivian T. , Chan Thomas Y. K. , Lee Vincent H. L. , Tomlinson Brian , Chan Paul K. S. , Chow Moses S. S. , Zuo Zhong
Published: January 2014

Oseltamivir (OA), an ethyl ester prodrug of oseltamivir carboxylate (OC), is clinically used as a potent and selective inhibitor of neuraminidase. Chinese medicines have been advocated to combine with conventional drug for avian influenza. The current study aims to investigate the potential pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic interactions of a Chinese medicine formula, namely, Yin Qiao San and Sang Ju Yin (CMF1), commonly used for anti‐influenza in combination with OA in both rat and human, and to reveal the underlined mechanisms. It was found that although Cmax , AUC and urinary recovery of OC, as well as metabolic ratio (AUCOC/AUCOA), were significantly decreased in a dose‐dependent manner following combination use of CMF1 and OA in rat studies (P < 0.01), such coadministration in 14 healthy volunteers only resulted in a trend of minor decrease in the related parameters. Further mechanistic studies found that although CMF1 could reduce absorption and metabolism of OA, it appears to enhance viral inhibition of OA (P < 0.01). In summary, although there was potential interaction between OA and CMF1 found in rat studies, its clinical impact was expected to be minimal. The coadministration of OA and CMF1 at the clinical recommended dosages is, therefore, considered to be safe.
Spherical Pendulum Small Oscillations for Slewing Crane Motion
Authors: Perig Alexander V. , Stadnik Alexander N. , Deriglazov Alexander I.
Published: January 2014

The present paper focuses on the Lagrange mechanics-based description of small oscillations of a spherical pendulum with a uniformly rotating suspension center. The analytical solution of the natural frequencies’ problem has been derived for the case of uniform rotation of a crane boom. The payload paths have been found in the inertial reference frame fixed on earth and in the noninertial reference frame, which is connected with the rotating crane boom. The numerical amplitude-frequency characteristics of the relative payload motion have been found. The mechanical interpretation of the terms in Lagrange equations has been outlined. The analytical expression and numerical estimation for cable tension force have been proposed. The numerical computational results, which correlate very accurately with the experimental observations, have been shown.
Effect of Swimming on Clinical Functional Parameters and Serum Biomarkers in Healthy and Osteoarthritic Dogs
Authors: Nganvongpanit Korakot , Tanvisut Sikhrin , Yano Terdsak , Kongtawelert Prachya
Published: January 2014

This study aimed to determine whether swimming could improve function of osteoarthritic joints in canine hip OA. Fifty-five dogs were categorized into three groups. The OA with swimming group (OA-SW;n=22), the healthy (non-OA;n=18) with swimming group (H-SW), and the healthy (non-OA;n=15) without swimming group (H-NSW). All animals were allowed to swim for a total of 8 weeks (2-day period, 3 cycles of swimming for 20 minutes, and resting period for 5 minutes in each cycle). Three ml of blood was collected every 2 weeks for evaluation of the levels of biomarkers for OA, including chondroitin sulfate epitope WF6 (CS-WF6) and hyaluronan (HA). Clinical evaluation of the OA-SW group found that most parameters showed improvement (P<0.01) at week 8 compared to pretreatment, while pain on palpation was improved (P<0.01) at week 6. The relative level of serum CS-WF6 in the OA-SW group was found to be significantly different (P<0.01) at weeks 6 and 8 compared with the preexercise. The levels of serum HA of the H-SW group in weeks 2–8 were significantly (P<0.01) higher than preexercise. Conclusion, swimming over 2-day period, 8 weeks continually, can improve the function of OA joint.
The Functional Role of MnSOD as a Biomarker of Human Diseases and Therapeutic Potential of a New Isoform of a Human Recombinant MnSOD
Authors: Borrelli Antonella , Schiattarella Antonietta , Bonelli Patrizia , Tuccillo Franca Maria , Buonaguro Franco Maria , Mancini Aldo
Published: January 2014

Reactive oxygen species (ROS) are generated as a consequence of metabolic reactions in the mitochondria of eukaryotic cells. This work describes the role of the manganese superoxide dismutase (MnSOD) as a biomarker of different human diseases and proposes a new therapeutic application for the prevention of cancer and its treatment. The paper also describes how a new form of human MnSOD was discovered, its initial application, and its clinical potentials. The MnSOD isolated from a human liposarcoma cell line (LSA) was able to kill cancer cells expressing estrogen receptors, but it did not have cytotoxic effects on normal cells. Together with its oncotoxic activity, the recombinant MnSOD (rMnSOD) exerts a radioprotective effect on normal cells irradiated with X-rays. The rMnSOD is characterized by the presence of a leader peptide, which allows the protein to enter cells: this unique property can be used in the radiodiagnosis of cancer or chemotherapy, conjugating radioactive substances or chemotherapic drugs to the leader peptide of the MnSOD. Compared to traditional chemotherapic agents, the drugs conjugated with the leader peptide of MnSOD can selectively reach and enter cancer cells, thus reducing the side effects of traditional treatments.
High Bulk Modulus of Ionic Liquid and Effects on Performance of Hydraulic System
Authors: Kambic Milan , Kalb Roland , Tasner Tadej , Lovrec Darko
Published: January 2014

Over recent years ionic liquids have gained in importance, causing a growing number of scientists and engineers to investigate possible applications for these liquids because of their unique physical and chemical properties. Their outstanding advantages such as nonflammable liquid within a broad liquid range, high thermal, mechanical, and chemical stabilities, low solubility for gases, attractive tribological properties (lubrication), and very low compressibility, and so forth, make them more interesting for applications in mechanical engineering, offering great potential for new innovative processes, and also as a novel hydraulic fluid. This paper focuses on the outstanding compressibility properties of ionic liquid EMIM-EtSO4, a very important physical chemically property when IL is used as a hydraulic fluid. This very low compressibility (respectively, very high Bulk modulus), compared to the classical hydraulic mineral oils or the non-flammable HFDU type of hydraulic fluids, opens up new possibilities regarding its usage within hydraulic systems with increased dynamics, respectively, systems’ dynamic responses.
HMGB1 Is Involved in the Protective Effect of the PPARαAgonist Fenofibrate against Cardiac Hypertrophy
Authors: Jia Zhankui , Xue Rui , Liu Gangqiong , Li Ling , Yang Jinjian , Pi Guofu , Ma Shengli , Kan Quancheng
Published: January 2014

High mobility group box 1 (HMGB1) is a ubiquitous nuclear DNA-binding protein whose function is dependent on its cellular location. Extracellular HMGB1 is regarded as a delayed mediator of proinflammatory cytokines for initiating and amplifying inflammatory responses, whereas nuclear HMGB1 has been found to prevent cardiac hypertrophy and heart failure. Because fenofibrate, a peroxisome proliferator-activated receptorα(PPARα) agonist, has shown both protective effects against cardiac hypertrophy and inhibitory effects against inflammation, the potential modulation of HMGB1 expression and secretion by fenofibrate is of great interest. We herein provide evidence that fenofibrate modulates basal and LPS-stimulated HMGB1 expression and localization in addition to secretion of HMGB1 in cardiomyocytes. In addition, administration of fenofibrate to mice prevented the development of cardiac hypertrophy induced by thoracic transverse aortic constriction (TAC) while increasing levels of nuclear HMGB1. Altogether, these data suggest that fenofibrate may inhibit the development of cardiac hypertrophy by regulating HMGB1 expression, which provides a new potential strategy to treat cardiac hypertrophy.
Dental Calculus Is Associated with Death from Heart Infarction
Authors: Söder Birgitta , Meurman Jukka H. , Söder Per-Östen
Published: January 2014

Objectives. We studied whether the amount of dental calculus is associated with death from heart infarction in the dental infection—atherosclerosis paradigm.Materials. Participants were 1676 healthy young Swedes followed up from 1985 to 2011. At the beginning of the study all subjects underwent oral clinical examination including dental calculus registration scored with calculus index (CI). Outcome measure was cause of death classified according to WHO International Classification of Diseases. Unpairedt-test, Chi-square tests, and multiple logistic regressions were used.Results. Of the 1676 participants, 2.8% had died during follow-up. Women died at a mean age of 61.5 years and men at 61.7 years. The difference in the CI index score between the survivors versus deceased patients was significant by the year 2009 (P<0.01). In multiple regression analysis of the relationship between death from heart infarction as a dependent variable and CI as independent variable with controlling for age, gender, dental visits, dental plaque, periodontal pockets, education, income, socioeconomic status, and pack-years of smoking, CI score appeared to be associated with 2.3 times the odds ratio for cardiac death.Conclusions. The results confirmed our study hypothesis by showing that dental calculus indeed associated statistically with cardiac death due to infarction.
Extracts of Cistanche deserticola Can Antagonize Immunosenescence and Extend Life Span in Senescence‐Accelerated Mouse Prone 8 (SAM‐P8) Mice
Authors: Zhang Ke , Ma Xu , He Wenjun , Li Haixia , Han Shuyan , Jiang Yong , Wu Hounan , Han Li , Ohno Tomohiro , Uotsu Nobuo , Yamaguchi Kohji , Ma Zhizhong , Tu Pengfei
Published: January 2014

The senescence accelerated mouse prone 8 substrain (SAM‐P8), widely accepted as an animal model for studying aging and antiaging drugs, was used to examine the effects of dietary supplementation with extracts of Cistanche deserticola (ECD) which has been used extensively in traditional Chinese medicine because of its perceived ability to promote immune function in the elderly. Eight‐month‐old male SAM‐P8 mice were treated with ECD by daily oral administrations for 4 weeks. The results showed that dietary supplementation of 150 mg/kg and 450 mg/kg of ECD could extend the life span measured by Kaplan‐Meier survival analysis in dose‐dependent manner. Dietary supplementation of SAM‐P8 mice for 4 weeks with 100, 500, and 2500 mg/kg of ECD was shown to result in significant increases in both naive T and natural killer cells in blood and spleen cell populations. In contrast, peripheral memory T cells and proinflammatory cytokine, IL‐6 in serum, were substantially decreased in the mice that ingested 100 and 500 mg/kg of ECD daily. Additionally, Sca‐1 positive cells, the recognized progenitors of peripheral naive T cells, were restored in parallel. Our results provide clear experimental support for long standing clinical observational studies showing that Cistanche deserticola possesses significant effects in extending life span and suggest this is achieved by antagonizing immunosenescence.
Influence of Rare Earth Doping on Microstructure and Luminescence Behaviour of Sodium Sulphate
Authors: Vidya Y. S. , Lakshminarasappa B. N.
Published: January 2014

Na2SO4, Na2SO4: Li, and Na2SO4: Li, Eu, Dy phosphors were prepared by using slow evaporation technique followed by subsequent calcination at 400°C for 4 h. Doping with Li+ ion stabilized the thenardite phase of host matrix, while codoping with RE3+ stabilized the phase transformation from stable thenardite to metastable mirabilite crystal structure. The microstructure and morphology were studied by using scanning electron microscopy and transmission electron microscopy. The thermoluminescence studies revealed that isovalent doping of Li+ served as a quencher and addition of codopant introduces the additional trap sites in the host matrix. The room temperature emission spectra of Li-doped, RE3+-codoped, and undoped Na2SO4 were studied under ultraviolet radiation. For pure Na2SO4 the two peaks which appeared are at 364 and 702 nm, respectively. The emission intensities of RE3+-codoped samples increase with increase in dopant concentration.
Computational Analysis of Transcriptional Circuitries in Human Embryonic Stem Cells Reveals Multiple and Independent Networks
Authors: Wang Xiaosheng , Guda Chittibabu
Published: January 2014

It has been known that three core transcription factors (TFs), NANOG, OCT4, and SOX2, collaborate to form a transcriptional circuitry to regulate pluripotency and self-renewal of human embryonic stem (ES) cells. Similarly, MYC also plays an important role in regulating pluripotency and self-renewal of human ES cells. However, the precise mechanism by which the transcriptional regulatory networks control the activity of ES cells remains unclear. In this study, we reanalyzed an extended core network, which includes the set of genes that are cobound by the three core TFs and additional TFs that also bind to these cobound genes. Our results show that beyond the core transcriptional network, additional transcriptional networks are potentially important in the regulation of the fate of human ES cells. Several gene families that encode TFs play a key role in the transcriptional circuitry of ES cells. We also demonstrate that MYC acts independently of the core module in the regulation of the fate of human ES cells, consistent with the established argument. We find that TP53 is a key connecting molecule between the core-centered and MYC-centered modules. This study provides additional insights into the underlying regulatory mechanisms involved in the fate determination of human ES cells.
Structural, Optical, and Compactness Characteristics of NanocrystallineCaNb2O6Synthesized through an Autoigniting Combustion Method
Authors: Mathai K. C. , Vidya S. , John Annamma , Solomon Sam , Thomas J. K.
Published: January 2014

Nanoparticles of calcium metaniobate compound are prepared by an autoigniting combustion technique and its structural, optical, and dielectric properties are investigated. The X-ray diffraction, Fourier-transform Raman, and infrared studies reveal that calcium metaniobate possesses phase pure orthorhombic columbite structure with space group of Pbcn. The average particle size of the as-prepared nanoparticles obtained from both the Scherrer formula and transmission electron microscopy is ~37 nm. The optical band gap calculated from Tauc's Plot is 3.25 eV. Photoluminescence studies reveal that Calcium metaniobate can be used as an idealphotoluminarmaterial. The powders are pelletised and sintered at an optimized temperature of1350∘Cin a short duration of two hours, yielding a high density. The morphology of the sintered pellet is further examined using scanning electron microscopy. The dielectric constant and loss factor values measured at 5 MHz for a well-sintered Calcium metaniobate pellet are found to be 27.6 and5.3×10−4respectively, at room temperature.
Incremental Activation Detection for Real-Time fMRI Series Using Robust Kalman Filter
Authors: Li Liang , Yan Bin , Tong Li , Wang Linyuan , Li Jianxin
Published: January 2014

Real-time functional magnetic resonance imaging (rt-fMRI) is a technique that enables us to observe human brain activations in real time. However, some unexpected noises that emerged in fMRI data collecting, such as acute swallowing, head moving and human manipulations, will cause much confusion and unrobustness for the activation analysis. In this paper, a new activation detection method for rt-fMRI data is proposed based on robust Kalman filter. The idea is to add a variation to the extended kalman filter to handle the additional sparse measurement noise and a sparse noise term to the measurement update step. Hence, the robust Kalman filter is designed to improve the robustness for the outliers and can be computed separately for each voxel. The algorithm can compute activation maps on each scan within a repetition time, which meets the requirement for real-time analysis. Experimental results show that this new algorithm can bring out high performance in robustness and in real-time activation detection.
Homogenization Models for a Simple Dielectric-Composite Slab upon Oblique Incidence
Authors: Qi Jiaran , Qiu Jinghui , Han Chongzhi
Published: January 2014

Four different models are applied to effectively describe a geometrically simple dielectric-composite slab. The corresponding model parameters, when the oblique incidence is taken into account, are retrieved based on the transmission and reflection data and compensated with the nonmagnetic assumption. The scattering parameters of each model with derived parameters for various angles of incidence are then analytically calculated using the forward propagation matrix method and compared with the simulated scattering parameters from the real composite slab. According to these comparisons, it is shown that spatial dispersion makes it challenging to achieve angle-independent parameters for the applied four models. Moreover, when a stratified model is employed to describe the composite slab of our interest under oblique incidence, the boundary layers need to be anisotropic.
Crystallographic Analysis of Ground and Space Thermostable T1 Lipase Crystal Obtained via Counter Diffusion Method Approach
Authors: Mohamad Aris Sayangku Nor Ariati , Thean Chor Adam Leow , Mohamad Ali Mohd Shukuri , Basri Mahiran , Salleh Abu Bakar , Raja Abd. Rahman Raja Noor Zaliha
Published: January 2014

Three-dimensional structure of thermostable lipase is much sought after nowadays as it is important for industrial application mainly found in the food, detergent, and pharmaceutical sectors. Crystallization utilizing the counter diffusion method in space was performed with the aim to obtain high resolution diffracting crystals with better internal order to improve the accuracy of the structure. Thermostable T1 lipase enzyme has been crystallized in laboratory on earth and also under microgravity condition aboard Progress spacecraft to the ISS in collaboration with JAXA (Japanese Aerospace Exploration Agency). This study is conducted with the aims of improving crystal packing and structure resolution. The diffraction data set for ground grown crystal was collected to 1.3 Å resolution and belonged to monoclinicC2space group with unit cell parametersa=117.40 Å,b=80.95 Å, andc=99.81 Å, whereas the diffraction data set for space grown crystal was collected to 1.1 Å resolution and belonged to monoclinicC2space group with unit cell parametersa=117.31 Å,b=80.85 Å, andc=99.81 Å. The major difference between the two crystal growth systems is the lack of convection and sedimentation in microgravity environment resulted in the growth of much higher quality crystals of T1 lipase.
A Constraint Programming Method for Advanced Planning and Scheduling System with Multilevel Structured Products
Authors: Peng Yunfang , Lu Dandan , Chen Yarong
Published: January 2014

This paper deals with the advanced planning and scheduling (APS) problem with multilevel structured products. A constraint programming model is constructed for the problem with the consideration of precedence constraints, capacity constraints, release time and due date. A new constraint programming (CP) method is proposed to minimize the total cost. This method is based on iterative solving via branch and bound. And, at each node, the constraint propagation technique is adapted for domain filtering and consistency check. Three branching strategies are compared to improve the search speed. The results of computational study show that the proposed CP method performs better than the traditional mixed integer programming (MIP) method. And the binary constraint heuristic branching strategy is more effective than the other two branching strategies.
Women’s Education, Family Planning, or Both? Application of Multistate Demographic Projections in India
Authors: Jiang Leiwen , Hardee Karen
Published: January 2014

Is education the best contraceptive? Using the multistate human capital projection model, our analysis shows that the projected changes in India population vary depending on investments in education and helping women reduce unwanted fertility rates, that investments in both education and helping women in each education category—but particularly less educated women—meet their wanted fertility will have the largest impacts on India’s population projections, and that the impact from investment in reducing unwanted fertility will be much more immediate and significant than only investments in education. Our analysis also reveals that an increasing education transition rate in India will not only help to achieve a population age structure that is favorable for economic growth, but also result in a larger share of skilled labor force that help to achieve higher economic growth rate. More importantly, investment in girls’ education and achieving gender equality in education will be the most effective measure to increase India’s population education level and improve its overall values of human capital.
Identification, Cloning, and Expression of L-Amino Acid Oxidase from MarinePseudoalteromonassp. B3
Authors: Yu Zhiliang , Zhou Ning , Qiao Hua , Qiu Juanping
Published: January 2014

L-amino acid oxidase (LAAO) is attracting more attentions due to its broad and important biological functions. Recently, an LAAO-producing marine microorganism (strain B3) was isolated from the intertidal zone of Dinghai sea area, China. Physiological, biochemical, and molecular identifications together with phylogenetic analysis congruously suggested that it belonged to the genusPseudoalteromonas. Therefore, it was designated asPseudoalteromonassp. B3. Its capability of LAAO production was crossly confirmed by measuring the products of H2O2, a-keto acids, andNH4+in oxidization reaction. Two rounds of PCR were performed to gain the entire B3-LAAO gene sequence of 1608 bps in length encoding for 535 amino acid residues. This deduced amino acid sequence showed 60 kDa of the calculated molecular mass, supporting the SDS-PAGE result. Like most of flavoproteins, B3-LAAO also contained two conserved typical motifs, GG-motif andβαβ-dinucleotide-binding domain motif. On the other hand, its unique substrate spectra and sequence information suggested that B3-LAAO was a novel LAAO. Our results revealed that it could be functionally expressed inE. coliBL21(DE3) using vectors, pET28b(+) and pET20b(+). However, compared with the native LAAO, the expression level of the recombinant one was relatively low, most probably due to the formation of inclusion bodies. Several solutions are currently being conducted in our lab to increase its expression level.
microRNAs miR-27a and miR-27b Directly Regulate Liver Dihydropyrimidine Dehydrogenase Expression through Two Conserved Binding Sites
Authors: Offer Steven M. , Butterfield Gabriel L. , Jerde Calvin R. , Fossum Croix C. , Wegner Natalie J. , Diasio Robert B.
Published: January 2014

Dihydropyrimidine dehydrogenase (DPD, encoded by DPYD) is the rate-limiting enzyme in the uracil catabolic pathway and has a pivotal role in the pharmacokinetics of the commonly prescribed anticancer drug 5-fluorouracil (5-FU). Deficiency of DPD, whether due to inadequate expression or deleterious variants in DPYD, has been linked to severe toxic responses to 5-FU. Little is known about the mechanisms governing DPD expression in the liver. In this report, we show increased accumulation of RNA-induced silencing complex (RISC) proteins on DPYD mRNA in cells overexpressing the highly homologous microRNAs (miRNA) miR-27a and miR-27b. These miRNAs were shown to repress DPD expression through two conserved recognition sites in DPYD. The IC50 of 5-FU for HCT116 cells overexpressing miR-27a or miR-27b was 4.4 μmol/L (both), significantly lower than that for cells expressing a nontargeting (scramble) control miRNA (14.3 μmol/L; P = 3.3 × 10−5 and P = 1.5 × 10−7, respectively). Mouse liver DPD enzyme activity was inversely correlated with expression levels of miR-27a (R2 = 0.49; P = 0.0012) and miR-27b (R2 = 0.29; P = 0.022). A common variant in the hairpin loop region of hsa-mir-27a (rs895819) was also shown to be associated with elevated expression of the miR-27a in a panel of cell lines (P = 0.029) and in a transgenic overexpression model (P = 0.0011). Furthermore, rs895819 was associated with reduced DPD enzyme activity (P = 0.028) in a cohort of 40 healthy volunteers. Taken together, these results suggest that miR-27a and miR-27b expression may be pharmacologically relevant modulators of DPD enzyme function in the liver. Furthermore, our data suggest that rs895819 may be a potential risk allele for 5-FU sensitivity. Mol Cancer Ther; 13(3); 742–51. ©2014 AACR.
Molecular Imaging in Sporadic Alzheimer's Disease Populations and Those Genetically at Risk
Authors: Nordberg Agneta
Published: January 2014

The time course and order of the pathological-physiological processes in Alzheimer's disease (AD) are still under investigation and it is expected that molecular imaging will provide important insight into early brain pathology. Multi-tracer positron emission tomography studies visualizing fibrillar amyloid, inflammatory changes including astrocytosis and activation of microglia as well as cerebral glucose metabolism indicate that AD pathological processes are initiated and ongoing decades before the onset of cognitive symptoms. Therefore, prevention might be a new promising target for AD therapy.
Brain Signature of Working Memory for Sentence Structure: Enriched Encoding and Facilitated Maintenance
Authors: Bonhage Corinna E. , Fiebach Christian J. , Bahlmann Jörg , Mueller Jutta L.
Published: January 2014

Sentences are easier to memorize than ungrammatical word strings, a phenomenon known as the sentence superiority effect. Yet, it is unclear how higher-order linguistic information facilitates verbal working memory and how this is implemented in the neural system. The goal of the current fMRI study was to specify the brain mechanisms underlying the sentence superiority effect during encoding and during maintenance in working memory by manipulating syntactic structure and working memory load. The encoding of sentence material, as compared with the encoding of ungrammatical word strings, recruited not only inferior frontal (BA 47) and anterior temporal language-related areas but also the medial-temporal lobe, which is not classically reported for language tasks. During maintenance, it was sentence structure as contrasted with ungrammatical word strings that led to activation decrease in Broca's area, SMA, and parietal regions. Furthermore, in Broca's area, an interaction effect revealed a load effect for ungrammatical word strings but not for sentences. The sentence superiority effect, thus, is neurally reflected in a twofold pattern, consisting of increased activation in classical language as well as memory areas during the encoding phase and decreased maintenance-related activation. This pattern reflects how chunking, based on sentential syntactic and semantic information, alleviates rehearsal demands and thus leads to improved working memory performance.
Prestimulus Oscillations in the Alpha Band of the EEG Are Modulated by the Difficulty of Feature Discrimination and Predict Activation of a Sensory Discrimination Process
Authors: Roberts Daniel M. , Fedota John R. , Buzzell George A. , Parasuraman Raja , McDonald Craig G.
Published: January 2014

Recent work has demonstrated that the occipital–temporal N1 component of the ERP is sensitive to the difficulty of visual discrimination, in a manner that cannot be explained by simple differences in low-level visual features, arousal, or time on task. These observations provide evidence that the occipital–temporal N1 component is modulated by the application of top–down control. However, the timing of this control process remains unclear. Previous work has demonstrated proactive, top–down modulation of cortical excitability for cued spatial attention or feature selection tasks. Here, the possibility that a similar top–down process facilitates performance of a difficult stimulus discrimination task is explored. Participants performed an oddball task at two levels of discrimination difficulty, with difficulty manipulated by modulating the similarity between target and nontarget stimuli. Discrimination processes and cortical excitability were assessed via the amplitude of the occipital–temporal N1 component and prestimulus alpha oscillation of the EEG, respectively. For correct discriminations, prestimulus alpha power was reduced, and the occipital–temporal N1 was enhanced in the hard relative to the easy condition. Furthermore, within the hard condition, prestimulus alpha power was reduced, and the occipital–temporal N1 was enhanced for correct relative to incorrect discriminations. The generation of ERPs contingent on relative prestimulus alpha power additionally suggests that diminished alpha power preceding stimulus onset is related to enhancement of the occipital–temporal N1. As in spatial attention, proactive control appears to enhance cortical excitability and facilitate discrimination performance in tasks requiring nonspatial, feature-based attention, even in the absence of competing stimulus features.
Double-Diffusive Recipes. Part I: Large-Scale Dynamics of Thermohaline Staircases
Authors: Radko T. , Bulters A. , Flanagan J. D. , Campin J.-M.
Published: January 2014

Three-dimensional dynamics of thermohaline staircases are investigated using a series of basin-scale staircase-resolving numerical simulations. The computational domain and forcing fields are chosen to reflect the size and structure of the North Atlantic subtropical thermocline. Salt-finger transport is parameterized using the flux-gradient formulation based on a suite of recent direct numerical simulations. Analysis of the spontaneous generation of thermohaline staircases suggests that thermohaline layering is a product of the gamma instability, associated with the variation of the flux ratio with the density ratio . After their formation, numerical staircases undergo a series of merging events, which systematically increase the size of layers. Ultimately, the system evolves into a steady equilibrium state with pronounced layers 20–50 m thick. The size of the region occupied by thermohaline staircases is controlled by the competition between turbulent mixing and double diffusion. Assuming, in accordance with observations, that staircases form when the density ratio is less than the critical value of , the authors arrive at an indirect estimate of the characteristic turbulent diffusivity in the subtropical thermocline.
Observations of Upper-Tropospheric Influence on a Monsoon Trough over the Western North Pacific
Authors: Geng Biao , Yoneyama Kunio , Shirooka Ryuichi
Published: January 2014

This study examined the synoptic evolution and internal structure of a monsoon trough in association with the deep equatorward intrusion of a midlatitude upper trough in the western North Pacific Ocean in June 2008. The study was based on data from routine synoptic observations and intensive observations conducted on board the research vessel Mirai at 12°N, 135°E. The monsoon trough was first observed to extend southeastward from the center of a tropical depression. It then moved northward, with its eastern edge moving faster and approaching a surface low pressure cell induced by the upper trough. The distinct northward migration caused the monsoon trough to become oriented from the southwest to the northeast. The monsoon trough merged with the surface low pressure cell and extended broadly northeastward. The passage of the monsoon trough over the Mirai was accompanied by lower pressure, higher air and sea surface temperature, and minimal rainfall. The monsoon trough extended upward to nearly 500 hPa and sloped southward with height. It was overlain by northwesterly winds, negative geopotential height and temperature anomalies, and extremely dry air in the upper troposphere. Precipitation systems were weak and scattered near the monsoon trough but were intense and extensive south of the surface monsoon trough, where intense low-level convergence and upper-level divergence caused deep and vigorous upward motion. It appears that the upper trough exerted important impacts on the development of both the monsoon trough and associated precipitation, which are discussed according to the observational results.
FEM model of butt cold welding
Authors: Iordachescu M. , Iordachescu D. , Scutelnicu E. , Ocaña J. L.
Published: January 2014

Butt cold pressure welding is a solid state manufacturing process with several important applications, but with a gap in its fundamentals. This paper presents a new approach of the research in the field, bringing both theoretical and practical original contributions to the knowledge and creating the bases for the development of new processes addressing modern materials. First, an overview of finite element method (FEM) used in butt cold welding is presented. Correlation between stresses and material deformation is further addressed. Original indicators related to cold welding process initiation are introduced: critical deformation, welding critical stress and welding critical radius. The paper brings an original interpretation of cold welding process based on FEM model and on microstructural considerations. Results of mechanical tests and of macro- and microscopic analysis are provided to validate the model.
Fitting Probability Distribution Functions to Saturation Crack Spacing Distribution in Substrate Plastic Straining Test for Thin Films and Coatings
Authors: Ogwu A. A. , Colleran P. , Maguire P. , Lemoine P. , McLaughlin J.
Published: January 2014

Various approximations involving computer simulation, and the ab initio assumption of a suitable probability distribution prior to simulation, have been suggested in the literature for determining the critical crack spacing at saturation in the substrate plastic straining test for films or coatings on metallic substrates, i.e when the detachment of films from substrate occurs. An experimental investigation of silicon modified DLC films on steel substrates (304 stainless and mild steel) has employed a simple statistical procedure which reveals a very good match between the saturation crack spacing frequency distribution and the two parameter Weibull distribution function. This allows faster determination of the mean crack spacing distribution and eliminates the need for a further computer simulation stage in the analysis as is currently adopted in the literature. The approach reported is simpler and is applicable to the treatment of crack spacing frequency distributions matching other probability functions.
Kazantzakis’ religious vision
Authors: Bien Peter
Published: January 2014

Although Kazantzakis had a profound religious vision that may even be compatible in some ways with Christianity, he makes certain Christians extraordinarily angry. The most recent incident involved Martin Scorsese’s 1988 film of The Last Temptation. Rev. Bill Bright of the Campus Crusade for Christ offered to buy the master print of the film for $10,000,000 so that he could burn it. When the distributor refused and the film opened, a moviegoer attempting to see the picture in New York City had to run a gauntlet of Catholic monks on their knees praying for his soul and Protestant fundamentalists haranguing him about damnation, for which he would surely qualify if her merely entered the theatre. But this was only the most recent incident. In the 1950s the same novel, plus some pages of Kapetán Mihális, inspired the Greek Orthodox Church to prosecute Kazantzakis and attempt to excommunicate him. Kazantzakis responded: ‘You gave me your curse, holy Fathers. I give you a blessing: May your conscience be as clear as mine, and may you be as moral and religious as I am. The same novel was placed on the Vatican’s Index of Forbidden Books. And when it appeared in the United States in 1960, it moved Protestant fundamentalists in California to insist that it be removed from libraries — a tactic that turned the book into a best seller. But the Greek Orthodox Church’s opposition goes back much further. Bishop Athanasios of Syros, in a memorandum to the Church’s Synod in 1928, condemned Kazantzakis’ major philosophical work, Askitikì, plus some journalistic articles, as anti-religious, quoting — as did Bill Bright — isolated passages out of context, for example: ‘God … is not the kindly family-man we thought. He is cruel, he does not care about individuals.’ And when Kazantzakis dared in the same year in a public lecture in Athens to suggest that if we want to understand what faith is we should look to Russia rather than the Church, he was subpoenaed by the public prosecutor for insulting the state and disturbing civil tranquility.
Cavafy’s Byzantium
Authors: Ekdawi Sarah
Published: January 2014

Cavafy’s interest in Byzantium dates from a very early stage in his poetic career. In fact, the Byzantine empire appears to have been the first historical period to attract the self-styled ‘historian-poet’s’ attention. Some of Cavafy’s earliest historical poems and many of the poems of his maturity bear witness to this, and several of his early prose writings are also indicative of his keen interest in the period. In June 1882, shortly before and during his family’s temporary removal to Constantinople, Cavafy began to keep a journal called ‘Constantinopoliad. An Epic’. Ten years later, he wrote a newspaper article on the Byzantine poets, . The reason for Cavafy’s early and enduring interest in the Byzantine period, especially Middle and Late Byzantium, may well be connected with the fact that Cavafy had family roots in Constantinople. A second factor is that, for a Greek of the Diaspora, Late Antiquity, when the centre of Hellenism was no longer Athens, held a particular fascination. Cavafy was able, by means of Byzantium, to lay claim to an elevated genealogy, both for himself (as a descendant of the Phanariots) and for his poetry, as central to (through being descended from) the poetic tradition of Byzantine Egypt, rather than peripheral to the Modern Athenian School.
‘Supplied for the journey to heaven’: a moment of West-East cultural exchange: ceramic chalices from Byzantine graves
Authors: Ivison Eric A.
Published: January 2014

This paper discusses the historical significance of goblets, here identified as chalices, which were found in late Byzantine graves. Comparable goblets are known from other Byzantine burials, but they are absent from the funerary record prior to the thirteenth century. The practice of placing chalices in graves is found in the Latin West, however, where it was restricted to clergy. This paper proposes that the custom of funerary chalices was adopted by Byzantine clergy in emulation of their Latin counterparts, but that it was assimilated into existing Orthodox practice to meet specific hierarchical and eschatological needs.
Literary histories in verse: fathers and sons of modern Greek poetry
Authors: Vogiatzoglou Athina
Published: January 2014

This paper examines a distinctive example of literary criticism in verse: Palamas’ poem ‘Oi πατέρες’ from the collection Βωμοί (1915). The poem is shown to be, contrary to its recent critical reception, a concise literary history in verse and a highly authoritative poetic and ideological canon which distils pithily the literary views of the demoticist Palamas of the second decade of the twentieth century. The paper also examines the dialogue of the poem with Alexandras Soutsos’ similar poetic effort in Έπιστολή προς τον βασιλέα της Ελλάδος Όθωνα’ (1833), as well as the reception of ‘Oi πατέρες’ by one of Palamas’ most important poetic heirs, Yorgos Seferis.