bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Introduction: Special Issue on Cathodoluminescence
Authors: Stevens-Kalceff Marion , MacRae Colin , Wight Scott
Published: December 2012

Cathodoluminescence (CL) microanalysis provides high-sensitivity spectra and high-resolution images associated with impurity and structural defects at the nanoscale and from luminescent materials including minerals, semiconductor, and dielectric/insulating materials. Cathodoluminescence is the non-incandescent emission of light (photons) emitted from materials excited by an electron beam. CL photons (UV-VIS-NIR) are produced as a result of electronic transitions between the conduction and valence band and may also involve electronic transitions associated with defect levels within the band gap. Microscopic defects such as imperfections and impurities influence the optical, electrical, and mechanical properties of scientifically and technologically important materials. CL microanalysis is therefore a useful microanalytical technique for characterizing these properties with high sensitivity and spatial resolution. CL image resolution can range from sub-10 nm to microns, dependent on experimental arrangement (STEM-CL, SEM-CL, optical CL microscopy), electron beam parameters, specimen configuration, carrier diffusion, etc. The sensitivity of CL microanalysis is dependent on the specimen and, in the absence of self-absorption and competitive recombination centers, can be several magnitudes more sensitive than X-ray microanalysis. In particular, quantitative CL microanalysis of trace impurity concentrations while challenging has recently been shown to be possible for a range of minerals.
AMP-Dependent Hypothermia Affords Protection from Ischemic Brain Injury
Authors: Muzzi Mirko , Blasi Francesco , Chiarugi Alberto
Published: December 2012

In light of the relevance of therapeutic hypothermia to stroke treatment, we investigated whether 5′-adenosine monophosphate (AMP)-dependent cooling affords protection from ischemic brain injury. We show that hypothermia by AMP is because of adenosine A1 receptor (A1R) activation and is not invariantly associated with hypotension. Inhibition of ecto-5′-nucleotidase-dependent constitutive degradation of brain extracellular AMP by methylene-ADP (AMPCP) also suffices to prompt A1R-dependent hypothermia without hypotension. Both intraischemic and postischemic hypothermia by AMP or AMPCP reduce infarct volumes and mortality of mice subjected to transient middle cerebral artery occlusion. Data disclose that AMP-dependent hypothermia is of therapeutic relevance to treatment of brain ischemia.
Effects of the lipid environment, cholesterol and bile acids on the function of the purified and reconstituted human ABCG2 protein
Authors: Telbisz Ágnes , Özvegy-Laczka Csilla , Hegedűs Tamás , Váradi András , Sarkadi Balázs
Published: December 2012

The human ABCG2 multidrug transporter actively extrudes a wide range of hydrophobic drugs and xenobiotics recognized by the transporter in the membrane phase. In order to examine the molecular nature of the transporter and its effects on the lipid environment, we have established an efficient protocol for the purification and reconstitution of the functional protein. We found that the drug-stimulated ATPase and the transport activity of ABCG2 are fully preserved by applying excess lipids and mild detergents during solubilization, whereas a detergent-induced dissociation of the ABCG2 dimer causes an irreversible inactivation. By using the purified and reconstituted protein we demonstrate that cholesterol is an essential activator, whereas bile acids are important modulators of ABCG2 activity. Both wild-type ABCG2 and its R482G mutant variant require cholesterol for full activity, although they exhibit different cholesterol sensitivities. Bile acids strongly decrease the basal ABCG2-ATPase activity both in the wild-type ABCG2 and in the mutant variant. These data reinforce the results for the modulatory effects of cholesterol and bile acids of ABCG2 investigated in a complex cell membrane environment. Moreover, these experiments open the possibility to perform functional and structural studies with a purified, reconstituted and highly active ABCG2 multidrug transporter.
Physics Nobel honors pioneers in quantum optics
Authors: Smart Ashley G.
Published: December 2012

David Wineland used light to manipulate trapped atoms, and Serge Haroche used atoms to manipulate trapped light.
NOAA consolidates its climate-modeling network
Authors: Matthews Jermey N. A.
Published: December 2012

Research at neighboring Earth sciences institutes is expected to feed into NOAA’s new Center for Weather and Climate Prediction.
Risky business: A study of physics entrepreneurship
Authors: Butler Orville R. , Anderson R. Joseph
Published: December 2012

Physicists who work at startup companies create and improve marketable technologies. But their goals are not always aligned with those of the funders who pay the bills.
Multistructural hot spot characterization with FTProd
Authors: Votapka Lane , Amaro Rommie E.
Published: December 2012

Summary: Computational solvent fragment mapping is typically performed on a single structure of a protein to identify and characterize binding sites. However, the simultaneous analysis of several mutant structures or frames of a molecular dynamics simulation may provide more realistic detail about the behavior of the sites. Here we present a plug-in for Visual Molecular Dynamics that streamlines the comparison of the binding configurations of several FTMAP-generated structures.

Availability: FTProd is a freely available and open-source plug-in that can be downloaded at http://amarolab.ucsd.edu/ftprod

Contact:  ramaro@ucsd.edu

Supplementary Information:  Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online
The use of the relationships between environmental factors and benthic macrofaunal distribution in the establishment of a baseline for coastal management
Authors: Dutertre Mickaël , Hamon Dominique , Chevalier Claire , Ehrhold Axel
Published: December 2012

Dutertre, M., Hamon D., Chevalier C., and Ehrhold, A. 2013. The use of the relationships between environmental factors and benthic macrofaunal distribution in the establishment of a baseline for coastal management – ICES Journal of Marine Science, 70: 294–308. Relationships between benthic macrofauna and natural abiotic factors were studied along the coastal fringe of South Brittany, situated north of the Gulf of Biscay on the French Atlantic continental shelf. Within the framework of the REBENT network, sediment characteristics, depth, and macrofaunal abundance were determined for 95 stations spread over five subtidal sectors, using a combination of seabed acoustic remote sensing systems and grab sampling. The physico-chemical properties of the water column and the hydrodynamic conditions were generated by validated three-dimensional environmental models which take into account variations over shorter temporal scales. Multivariate analyses ranked 16 natural abiotic variables according to the significance of their influence on the macrofauna. Together these variables explained 51% of spatial variation in the macrofauna, with morpho-sedimentological and hydrological factors contributing 22% and 26%, respectively. The outputs from validated three-dimensional environmental models appear to be useful interpretational tools for benthic ecology studies, especially in estuarine and coastal ecosystems with high environmental variability due to regular freshwater inputs. Ten major species assemblages were identified using biological and physical characteristics. The results provide important baseline knowledge for future ecosystem and resource management.
Mutation accumulation and fitness in mutator subpopulations ofEscherichia coli
Authors: Maharjan Ram P. , Liu Bin , Li Yang , Reeves Peter R. , Wang Lei , Ferenci Thomas
Published: December 2012

Bacterial populations in clinical and laboratory settings contain a significant proportion of mutants with elevated mutation rates (mutators). Mutators have a particular advantage when multiple beneficial mutations are needed for fitness, as in antibiotic resistance. Nevertheless, high mutation rates potentially lead to increasing numbers of deleterious mutations and subsequently to the decreased fitness of mutators. To test how fitness changed with mutation accumulation, genome sequencing and fitness assays of nineEscherichia coli mutYmutators were undertaken in an evolving chemostat population at three time points. Unexpectedly, the fitness in members of the mutator subpopulation became constant despite a growing number of mutations over time. To test if the accumulated mutations affected fitness, we replaced each of the known beneficial mutations with wild-type alleles in a mutator isolate. We found that the other 25 accumulated mutations were not deleterious. Our results suggest that isolates with deleterious mutations are eliminated by competition in a continuous culture, leaving mutators with mostly neutral mutations. Interestingly, the mutator–non-mutator balance in the population reversed after the fitness plateau of mutators was reached, suggesting that the mutator–non-mutator ratio in populations has more to do with competition between members of the population than the accumulation of deleterious mutations.
Visual habitat geometry predicts relative morph abundance in the colour-polymorphic ornate rainbowfish
Authors: Hancox Daniel , Wilson Robbie S. , White Craig R.
Published: December 2012

During colour signalling in aquatic environments, the colour of the ambient light, the background against which signals are viewed and signal transmission through the environment can all have profound impacts on the efficacy of a given signal. In colour-polymorphic species, where alternative morphs persist owing to a balance in the natural and sexual selection for each, changes to the visual context can have large effects on the local success and relative abundance of competing phenotypes. The ornate rainbowfish,
Rhadinocentrus ornatus
, is composed of populations that vary in the relative frequency of red and blue individuals, and inhabit sites that vary in water transmittance from clear (white) to heavily tannin-stained (red-shifted). Using spectroradiometry, we measured the downwelling and sidewelling irradiance, bank radiance and water transmittance of 10
R. ornatus
habitats. We found that the relative local abundance of each morph was predicted not by water transmittance but by chromatic differences between the vertical (downwelling light) and horizontal (bank colour) components of the habitat. This visual habitat geometry should increase contrast between the colour signal and background, with large potential to influence the strength of natural and sexual selection in this system.
Opsin switch reveals function of the ultraviolet cone in fish foraging
Authors: Novales Flamarique Iñigo
Published: December 2012

Although several studies have shown that ultraviolet (UV) wavelengths are important in naturally occurring, visually guided behaviours of vertebrates, the function of the UV cone in such behaviours is unknown. Here, I used thyroid hormone to transform the UV cones of young rainbow trout into blue cones, a phenomenon that occurs naturally as the animal grows, to test whether the resulting loss of UV sensitivity affected the animal's foraging performance onDaphnia magna, a prey zooplankton. The distances and angles at which prey were located (variables that are known indicators of foraging performance) were significantly reduced for UV knock-out fish compared with controls. Optical measurements and photon-catch calculations revealed that the contrast ofDaphniawas greater when perceived by the visual system of control versus that of thyroid-hormone-treated fish, demonstrating that the UV cone enhanced the foraging performance of young rainbow trout. Because most juvenile fishes have UV cones and feed on zooplankton, this finding has wide implications for understanding the visual ecology of fishes. The enhanced target contrast provided by UV cones could be used by other vertebrates in various behaviours, including foraging, mate selection and communication.
Comparison of species and trait‐based approaches for describing sagebrush steppe response to range management
Authors: Kachergis Emily , Rocca Monique E. , Fernandez‐Gimenez Maria E.
Published: December 2012

Question

Is valuable information lost when plant trait group composition is used, rather than species composition, to describe plant community response to range management?

Location

Elkhead Watershed, Colorado, US.

Methods

Current model‐building efforts use species composition to define changes in ecosystem state, but plant traits may offer a faster and more broadly applicable alternative. We (1) compare states defined by species composition to those defined by trait‐based groups of differing complexity and (2) determine how management and environmental site characteristics relate to species‐ and trait group‐defined states. We sampled 72 plots with different grazing and chemical shrub treatment histories on two soil types. We measured plant species composition in each plot and categorized species into trait groups using three classification schemes, which represented increasing numbers of traits and levels of classification complexity. The classifications employed easily measured traits that affect plant response to range management: life form, life history, resprouting ability, height, vegetative reproduction and N‐fixation. Using hierarchical cluster analysis, we identified states with similar species or trait group composition. We explored relationships between each set of potential states and management history and environmental factors using logistic regression.

Results

Trait‐based group composition and species composition identified many of the same potential states and responses to grazing and chemical shrub treatment. Relationships between species and trait group composition and management and environmental characteristics differed on the two soil types. Species composition was sensitive to more different management practices, on average, than trait group composition. Trait group composition revealed some relationships to management and environmental drivers that were not detected using species composition.

Conclusion

This study confirms that species composition is a more sensitive indicator of sagebrush steppe response to range management, and some information is lost with a trait‐based approach. However, traits also add to depth of understanding by revealing additional community patterns related to different drivers. Using the most complex trait grouping scheme that is feasible in a particular study, and also looking for patterns based on simpler trait groups, will provide the most complete understanding of sagebrush steppe response to range management.
HbA1c as a diagnostic tool for diabetes and pre‐diabetes: the Bangladesh experience
Authors: Bhowmik B. , Diep L. M. , Munir S. B. , Rahman M. , Wright E. , Mahmood S. , Afsana F. , Ahmed T. , Khan A. K. A. , Hussain A.
Published: December 2012

Aims

To evaluate HbA1c as a tool for the diagnosis of diabetes and pre‐diabetes (impaired glucose tolerance and/or impaired fasting glucose) and to identify the optimal cut‐off values suitable for a Bangladeshi population.

Methods

In this cross‐sectional survey in a rural community, 2293 randomly selected individuals aged ≥ 20 years without prior history of diabetes were included. HbA1c and other clinical covariates necessary for the diagnosis of diabetes were recorded. Diabetes and pre‐diabetes were defined according to the World Health Organization 1999 criteria. The receiver operating characteristic curve was used to determine the performance of HbA1c.

Results

The prevalences of diabetes and pre‐diabetes were 7.9 and 8.6%, respectively. Based on receiver operating characteristic curve analysis, an HbA1c cut‐off value of ≥ 42 mmol/mol (≥ 6.0%) gave an optimal sensitivity of 86.2% and specificity of 93.3%, with an area under the curve of 0.949 to predict diabetes using the oral glucose tolerance test as the gold standard; a cut‐off value of ≥ 38 mmol/mol (≥ 5.6%) gave an optimal sensitivity of 68.0% and specificity of 66.4%, with an area under the curve of 0.714 to predict pre‐diabetes. In subjects at high risk of diabetes, HbA1c ≥ 42 mmol/mol (≥ 6.0%) showed higher sensitivity than fasting plasma glucose ≥ 7.0 mmol/l, 2‐h plasma glucose ≥ 11.1 mmol/l and HbA1c ≥ 48 mmol/mol (≥ 6.5%).

Conclusions

An HbA1c cut‐off value of ≥ 42 mmol/mol (≥ 6.0%) was highly sensitive and specific in diagnosing diabetes mellitus. This optimal cut‐off level may be suitable as a diagnostic criterion for diabetes in a Bangladeshi population.
Preventive Evolutionary Medicine of Cancers
Authors: Hochberg Michael E. , Thomas Frédéric , Assenat Eric , Hibner Urszula
Published: December 2012

Evolutionary theory predicts that once an individual reaches an age of sufficiently low Darwinian fitness, (s)he will have reduced chances of keeping cancerous lesions in check. While we clearly need to better understand the emergence of precursor states and early malignancies as well as their mitigation by the microenvironment and tissue architecture, we argue that lifestyle changes and preventive therapies based in an evolutionary framework, applied to identified high‐risk populations before incipient neoplasms become clinically detectable and chemoresistant lineages emerge, are currently the most reliable way to control or eliminate early tumours. Specifically, the relatively low levels of (epi)genetic heterogeneity characteristic of many if not most incipient lesions will mean a relatively limited set of possible adaptive traits and associated costs compared to more advanced cancers, and thus a more complete and predictable understanding of treatment options and outcomes. We propose a conceptual model for preventive treatments and discuss the many associated challenges.
Infection control professionals' information‐seeking preferences
Authors: Mortensen Heidi J. , Alexander Jeffrey L. , Nehrenz Guy M. , Porter Cynthia
Published: December 2012

Objectives

The aims of this study were to: 1) establish whether infection control professionals (ICPs) who had access to and utilised medical librarian services for evidence‐based medicine (EBM) research perceived this assistance to be useful and 2) to establish whether ICPs who used electronic or hard copy resources for EBM research perceived that those resources had a significant impact on their work.

Methods

Convenience sampling was used to collect quantitative data via a questionnaire. Study participants were members of South‐west and Western chapters of the Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology. There were 264 questionnaires distributed in this study; 179 participants completed the questionnaire. The response rate for eligible respondents was 59.5% (157).

Results

Results indicated 56.7% (51) of the ICPs with librarian access reported requesting assistance from their work facility librarian. In reference to locating infection control information, 77.9% (95), 87.3% (124) and 93.3% (138) of ICPs found textbooks, journals and the Internet ‘very useful’ or ‘useful’, respectively.

Conclusion

Study results indicated ICPs who used the assistance of medical librarians and/or hard copy or electronic resources for EBM research perceived such sources to be valuable for obtaining infection control information.
16th IHIW: Extending the number of resources and bioinformatics analysis for the investigation of HLA rare alleles
Authors: Gonzalez‐Galarza F. F. , Mack S. J. , Hollenbach J. , Fernandez‐Vina M. , Setterholm M. , Kempenich J. , Marsh S. G. E. , Jones A. R. , Middleton D. ,   the HLA Rare Allele Consortium
Published: December 2012

Continuing a project presented at the 15th International HLA and Immunogenetics Workshop (IHIWS) on the rarity of HLA alleles, we sought to expand the number of data sources and bioinformatics tools available in the Allele Frequencies Net Database website (AFND, www.allelefrequencies.net). In this 16th IHIWS Rare Alleles project, HLA alleles described in the latest IMGT/HLA Database (release 3.8.0) were queried against different sources including data from registries (stem cell) and from 74 different laboratories around the world. We demonstrated that approximately 40% of the alleles officially named in the IMGT/HLA Database have been reported only once across all different sources. To facilitate the large‐scale analysis of rare alleles, we have produced an online tool called the Rare Allele Detector that simplifies the detection of alleles that are considered to be ‘very rare’, ‘rare’ or ‘frequent’. Tools and associated data can be accessed via the www.allelefrequencies.net website.
Early Development of Prosocial Behavior: Current Perspectives
Authors: Brownell Celia A.
Published: December 2012

Prosocial behavior first appears in the second year of life. How can prosociality so early in life be explained? One possibility is that infants possess specialized cognitive and/or social capacities that drive its emergence. A second possibility is that prosocial behavior emerges out of infants' shared activities and relationships with others. These possibilities have motivated a number of current explanatory efforts, with a focus on two complementary questions. First, what is evolutionarily prepared in the very young child and how does it give rise to prosocial behavior? Second, how do proximal mechanisms, including social experiences, contribute to the early development of prosociality? The papers in this special issue represent some of the most recent work on these questions. They highlight a diverse array of new methods and bring them to bear on the nature and development of early prosocial understanding and behavior.
Feasibility of spiral enteroscopy in Japanese patients: Study in two tertiary hospitals
Authors: Yamada Atsuo , Watabe Hirotsugu , Oka Shiro , Kogure Hirofumi , Imagawa Hiroki , Kobayashi Yuka , Suzuki Hirobumi , Watari Ikue , Aoyama Taiki , Isayama Hiroyuki , Yamaji Yutaka , Fujishiro Mitsuhiro , Tanaka Shinji , Koike Kazuhiko
Published: December 2012

Background and Aim

Despite recent advances in enteroscopy, such as balloon enteroscopy, accessing the small intestine remains challenging. Spiral enteroscopy is a novel technique in which an endoscope is fitted with a rotating overtube that has a soft spiral fin at the tip. Whereas spiral enteroscopy is beginning to be carried out in Western countries, it is not common in many Asian countries. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the efficacy and safety of spiral enteroscopy in Japanese patients.

Methods

We prospectively conducted spiral enteroscopy in patients with suspected or known small bowel disease. All procedures were carried out using a spiral overtube. The main outcome measurements of the study were diagnosis rate, endoscopic intervention rate, and complication rate.

Results

Thirty‐two patients underwent spiral enteroscopy. Spiral enteroscopy diagnosed 16 patients (50%) with small intestinal lesions, including six malignant lymphomas (19%), three erosions or ulcers (9%), three polyps (9%), two angioectasias (6%), one carcinoma (3%), and one submucosal tumor (3%). Additionally, four patients underwent endoscopic interventions (13%). Mallory‐Weiss syndrome occurred in one patient (3%). No perforation occurred in any patient (0%).

Conclusions

Our initial experience of spiral enteroscopy suggests that it can be introduced safely, but it is relatively invasive and technically demanding. More experience is needed to conduct spiral enteroscopy easily and safely.
THE CONFLATING EFFECTS OF EDUCATION AND FINANCIAL COMPETITION IN AN OVERLAPPING GENERATIONS‐GROWTH MODEL WITH NELSON–PHELPS HUMAN CAPITAL*
Authors: ROBERTS MARK A.
Published: December 2012

The Nelson–Phelps concept of human capital, determining the speed at which a new technology may be implemented, is considered within an AK, overlapping‐generations model, where finance firms act as local monopolies in the loan market but as monopsonistic price‐takers in the deposit market. Households also vote for taxes earmarked for public investment in education and, thence, the subsequent level of human capital. A concentrated financial market structure, despite directly lowering economic growth, may indirectly raise it through provoking a political economy response of voting for higher taxes for greater levels of Nelson–Phelps human capital.
Colonies, copper, and the market for inventive activity in England and Wales, 1680–1730
Authors: Zahedieh Nuala
Published: December 2012

Between 1680 and 1730 the English and Welsh copper industry rose from the dead and by the mid‐eighteenth century it had become Europe's leading copper producer. The revival followed the extension of sugar cultivation in England's colonies and the creation of a strong new demand for copper, which was reflected in rising exports and rising prices. Buoyant demand created a favourable market for the inventive activity needed to cut costs in the native industry, which encouraged investment in a systematic programme of research and development and culminated in important breakthroughs in smelting and mining technologies which transformed the non‐ferrous metal industries. The story provides an insight into how the economic context shaped the way useful knowledge was produced and consumed. Colonial expansion not only provided England with additional resources overseas but also encouraged the reallocation of human and financial capital to make better use of slack resources at home. Empire and technical change intersected with positive consequences for economic growth.
Verification of Real‐Time PCR Methods for Qualitative and Quantitative Testing of Genetically Modified Organisms
Authors: Del Gaudio S. , Cirillo A. , Di Bernardo G. , Galderisi U. , Cipollaro M.
Published: December 2012

This article reports the experience of a university laboratory in accreditation of molecular biology methods for genetically modified (GM) organisms detection according to the International Organization for Standardization (ISO)/International Electrotechnical Commission 17025 standard. Verification studies were performed for one screening (35S promoter), one construct‐specific (p35S/Chloroplast Transit Peptides‐5‐enolpyruvylshikimate‐3‐phosphate synthase [CTP‐EPSPS]) and one event‐specific (Bt11 maize) real‐time polymerase chain reaction methods. Our procedures were performed as described in the ISO 21570 2005, except for the analysis done through a DNA Engine Opticon 2 MJ research instrument. The following method–performance characteristics were evaluated: amplification efficiency, linearity, dynamic range, limit of detection, limit of quantification, precision and trueness. Comparison of the performance results obtained for quantitative methods with the values of inter‐laboratory ring trials, coordinated by the European Union Reference Laboratory for GM Food and Feed, confirmed that the laboratory is able to fulfill the published criteria.

Practical Applications

This article illustrates the experience of a university laboratory with the International Organization for Standardization/International Electrotechnical Commission 17025 accreditation for genetically modified organisms testing. In‐house verification has been carried out for one screening (35S promoter), one construct‐specific (p35S/Chloroplast Transit Peptides‐5‐enolpyruvylshikimate‐3‐phosphate synthase [CTP‐EPSPS]) and one event‐specific (Bt11 maize) real‐time polymerase chain reaction methods. We reported for the first time validation data obtained through a DNA Engine Opticon 2 MJ Research instrument. The described experimental procedure could represent a pattern for researchers interested in setting up verification of validated methods for genetically modified organism quantitative and qualitative testing.
Effects of tobacco on cytokine expression from human endothelial cells
Authors: Allam E , DelaCruz K , Ghoneima A , Sun J , Windsor LJ
Published: December 2012

Objective

To investigate the effects of nicotine and cigarette smoke condensate (CSC) exposure on cytokine expression from human endothelial cells in order to identify one possible mechanism that smoking plays in the pathogenesis of both periodontal disease (PDD) and cardiovascular disease (CVD).

Methods

Human endothelial cells (HUVECs) were exposed to different concentrations of nicotine and CSC to examine the effects that they have on cell proliferation and cytotoxicity. Non‐toxic levels were then used to examine cytokine expression using cytokine protein arrays.

Results

Exposure to nicotine caused significant down‐regulation in the expression of IL‐10 (P = 0.046), growth‐regulated oncogene (GRO)α (P = 0.036), MCP‐1 (P = 0.046), and GMCSF (P = 0.004) compared with the control untreated HUVECs. Exposure to CSC caused significant down‐regulation in the expression of GRO (P = 0.04), GROα (P = 0.01), IL‐6 (P = 0.03), and MCP‐1 (P = 0.04) compared with the control untreated HUVECs.

Conclusions

Exposure of HUVECs to nicotine or CSC affects the levels of cytokine expression including reduction in anti‐inflammatory and chemoattractant cytokines. This may subsequently affect the host defensive mechanisms of the tissues. The action of toxic chemicals in tobacco smoke on endothelial cells is a potential pathogenic mechanism that may in part explain the association between tobacco, PDD, and CVD.
Contributions of Fluid to Rocking–Bulging Interaction of Rectangular Tanks Whose Walls Are Rigid and Bottom Plate Rectilinearly Uplifts
Authors: Taniguchi Tomoyo
Published: December 2012

At the event of severe earthquakes, the tank rocking response appears subsequent to the tank bulging response. A spring-mass-rigid body combined model was proposed for analyzing the tank response and the required quantities for the model have been rigorously defined based on the mathematical solution of fluid pressure on the tank accompanying the tank response of interest. To date, the apparent density of fluid for the rocking and the bulging responses and the effective mass of those are available for this purpose. However, observations revealed that the interaction between the rocking response and the bulging response is stimulated by the effective mass of fluid for the rocking–bulging interaction that is understood as a part of the effective mass of fluid for the tank bulging response that is also under the action of the rotational inertia. Therefore, regarding a ratio of the apparent density of fluid for the tank rocking response to the original density of fluid as the intensity of a contribution of fluid to the tank rocking response, the apparent density of fluid for the rocking–bulging interaction is defined intuitively and conveniently. The effective mass of fluid for the rocking–bulging interaction is subsequently defined. The distribution of the apparent density of fluid for the rocking–bulging interaction inside the tank is drawn for a combination of the various aspects of tank and the ratios of the uplift width of the tank bottom. The ratios of the effective mass of fluid for the rocking–bulging interaction to the total mass of fluid of the tank as well as the ratios of the arm length to the centroid of the effective mass of that to the tank geometry are also depicted by the same manner.
SCF-Mediated Degradation of p100 (NF-κB2): Mechanisms and Relevance in Multiple MyelomaA Presentation from the Sixth International Conference on SUMO, Ubiquitin and UBL proteins: Implications for Human Diseases, MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas, 8 to 11 February 2012.
Authors: Busino Luca , Millman Scott E. , Pagano Michele
Published: December 2012

Ubiquitin-mediated degradation of an inhibitor of noncanonical NF-κB signaling promotes cell survival.
Driving a Wedge into Acute Allergic Responses
Authors: Collier Joel H.
Published: December 2012

A new strategy for stripping immunoglobulin E from mast cells has potential as a therapy for anaphylaxis-inducing allergic reactions.
An empirical model of seasonal depth-dependent fish assemblage structure to predict the species composition of mixed catches
Authors: Benoît Hugues P.
Published: December 2012

Reliable catch statistics are essential for assessing fishing impacts on individual stocks. However, fisheries that capture a mixture of stocks or species for which catch statistics are not disaggregated pose a challenge. Nonetheless, catch composition can be inferred given information on fishing date and location and a prevalent role of season and habitat in structuring fish assemblage composition. Here, a harmonic regression model for multinomial data, intended to predict the species composition of catches based on season and depth, is developed using bottom-trawl survey data. Model development was motivated by the need to quantify catches of individual skate (Rajidae) species in fisheries for which landing and discard data are only reliable at the family level. The model was validated by applying it to flatfishes (Pleuronectidae), whose catches are generally reliably and consistently disaggregated by species. The predicted species composition of flatfish matched the composition observed in fishery catches well. The present approach should be applicable to other well-surveyed ecosystems where assemblage composition is structured by one or more key environmental variables of known spatial distribution.
Nuclear and cytoplasmic genetic diversity reveals long-term population decline inAbies semenovii, an endemic fir of central Asia
Authors: Semerikova Svetlana A. , Lascoux Martin , Semerikov Vladimir L.
Published: December 2012

The genus Abies is one of the largest conifer genera and many of the marginal species remain poorly characterized. Abies semenovii B. Fedtsch. is a rare mountain fir species from central Asia, and its species status is still disputed. We used both nuclear (allozymes and AFLP) and chloroplastic (cpSSR) markers to show that A. semenovii deserves to be considered as a species and that its low genetic diversity justifies more a proactive conservation policy. First, A. semenovii was significantly differentiated from the Siberian fir Abies sibirica Ledeb. and we did not detect gene flow between the two species. Second, A. semenovii has a very low nuclear genetic diversity, suggesting a prolonged restricted effective population size. Abies semenovii had low cpSSR diversity too but the identification of seven closely related haplotypes suggests that these mutations accumulated recently during a phase of population expansion. This agrees well with the palynological record and is in contrast with the situation observed in another rare Eurasian fir endemic to Kamchatka, Abies gracilis Kom., which was devoid of variation in cpSSRs but that also had a more substantial nuclear marker diversity than A. semenovii, thereby suggesting a more recent but less severe population bottleneck.
AN OVERVIEW OF p-SENSITIVE k-ANONYMITY MODELS FOR MICRODATA ANONYMIZATION
Authors: TRUTA TRAIAN MARIUS , CAMPAN ALINA , SUN XIAOXUN
Published: December 2012

In this paper, we present an overview of p-sensitive k-anonymity models including the basic model, the extended p-sensitive k-anonymity, the constrained p-sensitive k-anonymity, and the (p+, α)-sensitive k-anonymity. Existing properties of these models are reviewed and illustrated, and new properties regarding the maximum number of QI-clusters are discussed and proved. This paper includes a review of related anonymity models and a very brief summary of existing algorithms for the family of p-sensitive k-anonymity models.
Recon
Authors: Fryer Daniel , Sun Kuei , Mahmood Rahat , Cheng Tinghao , Benjamin Shaun , Goel Ashvin , Brown Angela Demke
Published: December 2012

File system bugs that corrupt metadata on disk are insidious. Existing reliability methods, such as checksums, redundancy, or transactional updates, merely ensure that the corruption is reliably preserved. Typical workarounds, based on using backups or repairing the file system, are painfully slow. Worse, the recovery may result in further corruption.

We present Recon, a system that protects file system metadata from buggy file system operations. Our approach leverages file systems that provide crash consistency using transactional updates. We define declarative statements called consistency invariants for a file system. These invariants must be satisfied by each transaction being committed to disk to preserve file system integrity. Recon checks these invariants at commit, thereby minimizing the damage caused by buggy file systems.

The major challenges to this approach are specifying invariants and interpreting file system behavior correctly without relying on the file system code. Recon provides a framework for file-system specific metadata interpretation and invariant checking. We show the feasibility of interpreting metadata and writing consistency invariants for the Linux ext3 file system using this framework. Recon can detect random as well as targeted file-system corruption at runtime as effectively as the offline e2fsck file-system checker, with low overhead.
Nicotine-induced epithelial-mesenchymal transition via Wnt/β-catenin signaling in human airway epithelial cells
Authors: Zou Weifeng , Zou Yimin , Zhao Zhuxiang , Li Bing , Ran Pixin
Published: December 2012

Epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) has been proposed to be a mechanism in airway remodeling, which is a characteristic of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Studies have shown that cigarette smoke and nicotine are factors that induce Wnt/β-catenin activation, which is a pathway that has also been implicated in EMT. The main aim of this study was to test whether human bronchial epithelial cells are able to undergo EMT in vitro following nicotine stimulation via the Wnt3a/β-catenin signaling pathway. We show that nicotine activates the Wnt3a signal pathway, which leads to the translocation of β-catenin into the nucleus and activation of β-catenin/Tcf-dependent transcription in the human bronchial epithelial cell (HBEC) line. This accumulation was accompanied by an increase in smooth muscle actin, vimentin, matrix metalloproteinases-9, and type I collagen expression as well as downregulation of E-cadherin, which are typical characteristics of EMT. We also noted that the release of TGF-β1 from these cells was stimulated by nicotine. Knockdown of Wnt3a with small interfering RNA (siRNA) prevented these effects, implying that β-catenin activation in these responses is Wnt3a dependent. Furthermore, specific knockdown of TGF-β1 with TGF-β1 siRNA partially prevented nicotine-induced EMT, suggesting that TGF-β1 has a role in nicotine-mediated EMT in HBECs. These results suggest that HBECs are able to undergo EMT in vitro upon nicotine stimulation via the Wnt3a/β-catenin signaling pathway.
Themes and Variations in ER/SR Calcium Release Channels: Structure and Function
Authors: Stathopulos Peter B. , Seo Min-duk , Enomoto Masahiro , Amador Fernando J. , Ishiyama Noboru , Ikura Mitsuhiko
Published: December 2012

Calcium (Ca2+) release from reticular stores is a vital regulatory signal in eukaryotes. Recent structural data on large NH2-terminal regions of IP3Rs and RyRs and their tetrameric arrangement in the full-length context reveal striking mechanistic similarities in Ca2+release channel function. A common ancestor found in unicellular genomes underscores the fundamentality of these elements to Ca2+release channels.
Pedunculated Cecal Lipoma Causing Colo-Colonic Intussusception: A Rare Case Report
Authors: Atmatzidis Stefanos , Chatzimavroudis Grigoris , Patsas Aristidis , Papaziogas Basilis , Kapoulas Spiros , Kalaitzis Stelios , Ananiadis Ananias , Makris John , Atmatzidis Konstantinos
Published: December 2012

Colonic lipomas are uncommon nonepithelial neoplasms that are typically sessile, asymptomatic and incidentally found during endoscopy, surgery, or autopsy. We present a very rare case of a 34-year-old female patient with symptomatic pedunculated cecal lipoma causing intermittent colo-colonic intussusception. Despite adequate imaging studies, definite preoperative diagnosis was not established and the patient underwent exploratory laparotomy. Intraoperatively, intussusception of the cecum into the ascending colon was found and right hemicolectomy was performed. Macroscopic assessment of the resected specimen showed the presence of a giant cecal pedunculated polypoid tumor with features of lipoma, causing intussusception. Histopathological examination confirmed the diagnosis of pedunculated cecal lipoma.
A Stability Result for Stochastic Differential Equations Driven by Fractional Brownian Motions
Authors: Saussereau Bruno
Published: December 2012

We study the stability of the solutions of stochastic differential equations driven by fractional Brownian motions with Hurst parameter greater than half. We prove that when the initial conditions, the drift, and the diffusion coefficients as well as the fractional Brownian motions converge in a suitable sense, then the sequence of the solutions of the corresponding equations converge in Hölder norm to the solution of a stochastic differential equation. The limit equation is driven by the limit fractional Brownian motion and its coefficients are the limits of the sequence of the coefficients.
Operational Risks in Financial Sectors
Authors: Karam E. , Planchet F.
Published: December 2012

A new risk was born in the mid-1990s known as operational risk. Though its application varied by institutions—Basel II for banks and Solvency II for insurance companies—the idea stays the same. Firms are interested in operational risk because exposure can be fatal. Hence, it has become one of the major risks of the financial sector. In this study, we are going to define operational risk in addition to its applications regarding banks and insurance companies. Moreover, we will discuss the different measurement criteria related to some examples and applications that explain how things work in real life.
Mechanical Behavior of Nanostructured Hybrids Based on Poly(Vinyl Alcohol)/Bioactive Glass Reinforced with Functionalized Carbon Nanotubes
Authors: Mansur H. S. , Pereira M. M. , Costa H. S. , Mansur A. A. P.
Published: December 2012

This study reports the synthesis and characterization of novel tridimensional porous hybrids based on PVA combined with bioactive glass and reinforced by chemically functionalized carbon nanotubes (CNT) for potential use in bone tissue engineering. The functionalization of CNT was performed by introducing carboxylic groups in multiwall nanotubes. This process aimed at enhancing the affinity of CNTs with the water‐soluble PVA polymer derived by the hydrogen bonds formed among alcohol (PVA) and carboxylic groups (CNT–COOH). In the sequence, the CNT–COOH (0.25 wt%) were used as the nanostructure modifier for the hybrid system based on PVA associated with the bioactive glass (BaG). The mechanical properties of the nanostructured hybrids reinforced with CNT–COOH were evaluated by axial compression tests, and they were compared to reference hybrid. The averaged yield stresses of macroporous hybrids were (2.3 ± 0.9) and (4.4 ± 1.0) MPa for the reference and the CNT reinforced materials, respectively. Moreover, yield strain and Young′s modulus were significantly enhanced by about 30% for the CNT–COOH hybrids. Hence, as far as the mechanical properties are concerned, the results have clearly showed the feasibility of utilizing these new hybrids reinforced with functionalized CNT in repairing cancellous bone tissues.
Retroperitoneal Urinoma Spontaneously Drained in the Scrotum Repaired with Gracilis Muscle Flap: A Case Report
Authors: Altobelli Emanuela , Bove Alfredo Maria , Sergi Federico , Buscarini Maurizio
Published: December 2012

Aim.To report a unique case of retroperitoneal urinoma extending to the scrotum through the spermatic cord and successfully treated with nephrostomy, drainage, and gracilis muscle flap.
Erosive Pustular Dermatosis of the Scalp Induced by Imiquimod
Authors: Corradin Maria Teresa , Forcione Marina , Giulioni Erika , Fiorentino Renzo , Ferrazzi Anna , Alaibac Mauro
Published: December 2012

Erosive pustular dermatosis of the scalp (EPDS) is a rare condition characterized by sterile pustules, erosions, and crusted lesions on the scalp of elderly patients. This inflammatory disorder has an unknown origin and it could develop into areas of alopecia that tend to be atrophic. An 84-year-old Caucasian man presented with a several months history of painful erythematous erosions and crusts on his scalp. The lesions appeared after treatment with imiquimod cream for actinic keratoses. Previous therapies included topical antibiotics and topical steroids. Physical examination revealed the presence of extensive erosions and crusts on the scalp, with minute pustules on the sides. The clinical features and the medical history led us to the diagnosis of EPDS. Treatment with systemic steroid was administered with improvement observed after ten days. The clinical manifestations of EPDS completely resolved after 2 months, without clinical relapses.
New Jacobi Elliptic Function Solutions for the Zakharov Equations
Authors: Zhao Yun-Mei
Published: December 2012

A generalized (G′/G)‐expansion method is proposed to seek the exact solutions of nonlinear evolution equations. Being concise and straightforward, this method is applied to the Zakharov equations. As a result, some new Jacobi elliptic function solutions of the Zakharov equations are obtained. This method can also be applied to other nonlinear evolution equations in mathematical physics.
Chlorotoxin Fused to IgG-Fc Inhibits Glioblastoma Cell Motility via Receptor-Mediated Endocytosis
Authors: Kasai Tomonari , Nakamura Keisuke , Vaidyanath Arun , Chen Ling , Sekhar Sreeja , El-Ghlban Samah , Okada Masashi , Mizutani Akifumi , Kudoh Takayuki , Murakami Hiroshi , Seno Masaharu
Published: December 2012

Chlorotoxin is a 36-amino acid peptide derived from Leiurus quinquestriatus (scorpion) venom, which has been shown to inhibit low-conductance chloride channels in colonic epithelial cells. Chlorotoxin also binds to matrix metalloproteinase-2 and other proteins on glioma cell surfaces. Glioma cells are considered to require the activation of matrix metalloproteinase-2 during invasion and migration. In this study, for targeting glioma, we designed two types of recombinant chlorotoxin fused to human IgG-Fcs with/without a hinge region. Chlorotoxin fused to IgG-Fcs was designed as a dimer of 60 kDa with a hinge region and a monomer of 30 kDa without a hinge region. The monomeric and dimeric forms of chlorotoxin inhibited cell proliferation at 300 nM and induced internalization in human glioma A172 cells. The monomer had a greater inhibitory effect than the dimer; therefore, monomeric chlorotoxin fused to IgG-Fc was multivalently displayed on the surface of bionanocapsules to develop a drug delivery system that targeted matrix metalloproteinase-2. The target-dependent internalization of bionanocapsules in A172 cells was observed when chlorotoxin was displayed on the bionanocapsules. This study indicates that chlorotoxin fused to IgG-Fcs could be useful for the active targeting of glioblastoma cells.