bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Noninvasive Prenatal Testing/Noninvasive Prenatal Diagnosis: the Position of the National Society of Genetic Counselors
Authors: Devers Patricia L. , Cronister Amy , Ormond Kelly E. , Facio Flavia , Brasington Campbell K. , Flodman Pamela
Published: January 2013

The 1997 discovery of free fetal DNA in maternal plasma launched clinical researchers’ efforts to establish a reliable method for non‐invasive prenatal testing for fetal genetic conditions. Various methods, including, but not limited to, massively parallel sequencing (MPS) and selective analysis of cell‐free fetal DNA in maternal plasma, have recently been developed as highly sensitive and specific noninvasive screening tools for common fetal chromosome aneuploidies. Incorporating these new noninvasive technologies into clinical practice will impact the current prenatal screening paradigm for fetal aneuploidy, in which genetic counseling plays an integral role. The National Society of Genetic Counselors (NSGC) currently supports Noninvasive Prenatal Testing/Noninvasive Prenatal Diagnosis (NIPT/NIPD) as an option for patients whose pregnancies are considered to be at an increased risk for certain chromosome abnormalities. NSGC urges that NIPT/NIPD only be offered in the context of informed consent, education, and counseling by a qualified provider, such as a certified genetic counselor. Patients whose NIPT/NIPD results are abnormal, or who have other factors suggestive of a chromosome abnormality, should receive genetic counseling and be given the option of standard confirmatory diagnostic testing.
Delivering Genetic Education and Genetic Counseling for Rare Diseases in Rural Brazil
Authors: Acosta A. X. , Abé‐Sandes K. , Giugliani R. , Bittles A. H.
Published: January 2013

Brazil is the largest country in Latin America, with an ethnically diverse, Portuguese‐speaking and predominantly Roman Catholic population of some 194 million. Universal health care is provided under the Federal Unified Health System (Sistema Único de Saúde) but, as in many other middle and low income countries, access to medical genetics services is limited in rural and remote regions of the country. Since there is no formally recognized Genetic Counseling profession, genetic counseling is provided by physicians, trained either in medical genetics or a related clinical discipline. A comprehensive medical genetics program has been established in Monte Santo, an inland rural community located in the state of Bahia in Northeast Brazil, with high prevalences of a number of autosomal recessive genetic disorders, including non‐syndromic deafness, phenyketonuria, congenital hypothyroidism and mucopolysaccharidosis VI (Maroteaux‐Lamy syndrome). Genetic education, counseling and treatment are locally provided, with a neonatal screening program for MPSVI currently under trial.
Mixed Micellization and Mixed Monolayer Formation of Sodium Cholate and Sodium Deoxycholate in Presence of Hydrophobic Salts Under Physiological Conditions
Authors: Najar Muzaffar Hussain , Chat Oyais Ahmad , Dar Aijaz Ahmad , Rather Ghulam Mohammad
Published: January 2013

Mixed micellization and mixed monolayer formation of two bile salts namely sodium cholate (NaC) and sodium deoxycholate (NaDC), in the presence of sodium chloride (NaCl) and three hydrophobic salts including sodium acetate (NaAc), sodium butanoate (NaBu) and sodium hexanoate (NaHx) in 10 mM phosphate buffer (pH 6.5) at 37 °C were investigated by means of surface tension measurements. The experimental results were utilized to evaluate various parameters like critical micellar concentration (CMC), micellar and monolayer interaction parameter (β and βσ), micellar and monolayer mole fractions (X and Z), activity coefficients of two bile salts in mixed micelles and monolayer (f and f(σ)), surface excess (Γmax) and minimum surface area per molecule of bile salt (Amin). Mixed micelles and mixed monolayer were found to show slight non‐ideality and both these phenomena have been found to be affected differently in the presence of various additive salts with NaHx showing larger effects. Higher efficiency of NaHx in affecting both phenomena has been attributed to its appreciable hydrophobicity and surface activity, thus showing stronger interactions with bile salt molecules.
Optimal location of controllers for the one-dimensional wave equation
Authors: Privat Yannick , Trélat Emmanuel , Zuazua Enrique
Published: January 2013

In this paper, we consider the homogeneous one-dimensional wave equation defined on

(0,\pi )

. For every subset

\omega \subset [0,\pi ]

of positive measure, every

T \geq 2\pi

, and all initial data, there exists a unique control of minimal norm in

L^{2}(0,T;L^{2}(\omega ))

steering the system exactly to zero. In this article we consider two optimal design problems. Let

L \in (0,1)

. The first problem is to determine the optimal shape and position of
ω
in order to minimize the norm of the control for given initial data, over all possible measurable subsets
ω
of

[0,\pi ]

of Lebesgue measure
Lπ
. The second problem is to minimize the norm of the control operator, over all such subsets. Considering a relaxed version of these optimal design problems, we show and characterize the emergence of different phenomena for the first problem depending on the choice of the initial data: existence of optimal sets having a finite or an infinite number of connected components, or nonexistence of an optimal set (relaxation phenomenon). The second problem does not admit any optimal solution except for

L = 1/ 2

. Moreover, we provide an interpretation of these problems in terms of a classical optimal control problem for an infinite number of controlled ordinary differential equations. This new interpretation permits in turn to study modal approximations of the two problems and leads to new numerical algorithms. Their efficiency will be exhibited by several experiments and simulations.
Pointwise bounds and blow-up for nonlinear polyharmonic inequalities
Authors: Taliaferro Steven D.
Published: January 2013

We obtain results for the following question where

m⩾1

and

n⩾2

are integers.

Question.
For which continuous functions

f:[0,\infty) \rightarrow [0,\infty)

does there exist a continuous function

\varphi :(0,1)\rightarrow (0,\infty )

such that every

C^{2m}

nonnegative solution

u(x)

of

0⩽−\mathrm{\Delta }^{m}u⩽f(u)\quad \text{in }B_{2}(0) \setminus \{0\} \subset \mathbb{R}^{n}

satisfies

u(x) = O\left(\varphi \left(|x|\right)\right)\quad\text{as }x\rightarrow 0,

and what is the optimal such

φ

when one exists?

Nous obtenons des résultats pour la question suivante, avec

m⩾1

et

n⩾2

entiers.

Question.
Pour quelles fonctions continues

f:[0,\infty) \rightarrow [0,\infty)

existe-t-il une fonction continue

\varphi :(0,1)\rightarrow (0,\infty )

telle que chaque solution

C^{2m}

non-negative

u(x)

de

0⩽−\mathrm{\Delta }^{m}u⩽f(u)\quad \text{dans }B_{2}(0) \setminus \{0\} \subset \mathbb{R}^{n}

satisfasse à

u(x) = O\left(\varphi \left(|x|\right)\right)\quad \text{lorsque }x\rightarrow 0,

et quelle est la meilleure de ces fonctions

φ

quand elle existe ?
On the three-dimensional finite Larmor radius approximation: The case of electrons in a fixed background of ions
Authors: Han-Kwan Daniel
Published: January 2013

This paper is concerned with the analysis of a mathematical model arising in plasma physics, more specifically in fusion research. It directly follows, Han-Kwan (2010) [18], where the three-dimensional analysis of a Vlasov–Poisson equation with finite Larmor radius scaling was led, corresponding to the case of ions with massless electrons whose density follows a linearized Maxwell–Boltzmann law. We now consider the case of electrons in a background of fixed ions, which was only sketched in Han-Kwan (2010) [18]. Unfortunately, there is evidence that the formal limit is false in general. Nevertheless, we formally derive from the Vlasov–Poisson equation a fluid system for particular monokinetic data. We prove the local in time existence of analytic solutions and rigorously study the limit (when the inverse of the intensity of the magnetic field and the Debye length vanish) to a new anisotropic fluid system. This is achieved thanks to Cauchy–Kovalevskaya type techniques, as introduced by Caflisch (1990) [7] and Grenier (1996) [14]. We finally show that this approach fails in Sobolev regularity, due to multi-fluid instabilities.
Mixing actions of the Heisenberg group
Authors: DANILENKO ALEXANDRE I.
Published: January 2013

Mixing (of all orders) rank-one actions $T$ of the Heisenberg group ${H}_{3} ( \mathbb{R} )$ are constructed. The restriction of $T$ to the center of ${H}_{3} ( \mathbb{R} )$ is simple and commutes only with $T$. Mixing Poisson and mixing Gaussian actions of ${H}_{3} ( \mathbb{R} )$ are also constructed. A rigid weakly mixing rank-one action $T$ is constructed such that the restriction of $T$ to the center of ${H}_{3} ( \mathbb{R} )$ is not isomorphic to its inverse.
‘Never a credible weapon’: nuclear cultures in British government during the era of the H-bomb
Authors: MAGUIRE RICHARD
Published: January 2013

This article explores British ‘nuclear culture’ by examining how individuals and groups within British government tried to comprehend nuclear weapons after the advent of the hydrogen bomb in 1952. It argues that thinking about nuclear weaponry was not uniform, and there was no monolithic ‘nuclear culture’ in government. Instead, political and social habits interacted with Cold War experience to create views of the nuclear weapon – nuclear cultures – that varied across government to create a diverse, and shifting, set of ideas – nuclear cultures – about what the nuclear weapon meant in British hands, and the role it played in providing military power and political influence.
‘The family that feared tomorrow’: British nuclear culture and individual experience in the late 1950s
Authors: HOGG JONATHAN
Published: January 2013

Journalistic representations of a suicide pact in 1957 encapsulated wider popular assumptions on, and anxieties over, nuclear technology. Through an exploration of British nuclear culture in the late 1950s, this article suggests that knowledge of nuclear danger disrupted broader conceptions of self, nationhood and existence in British life. Building on Hecht's use of the term ‘nuclearity’, the article offers an alternative definition of the term whereby nuclearity is understood to mean the collection of assumptions held by individual citizens on the dangers of nuclear technology: assumptions that were rooted firmly in context and which circulated in, and were shaped by, national discourse. The article will argue that nuclearity was an active component in the formation of British identity by the late 1950s. The article is intended as a starting point for extended reflections on the ways in which nuclearity can add to our understanding of individual experience, nuclear anxiety and Cold War culture in post-war Britain.
Atoms for the people: the Atomic Scientists' Association, the British state and nuclear education in the Atom Train exhibition, 1947–1948
Authors: LAUCHT CHRISTOPH
Published: January 2013

This article concerns the Atom Train travelling exhibition that the chief body of the British nuclear scientists' movement, the Atomic Scientists' Association (ASA), organized in collaboration with government offices and private industry in 1947–1948. It argues that the exhibition marked an important moment within post-war British nuclear culture where nuclear scientists shared aspects of their nuclear knowledge with the British public, while simultaneously clashing with the interests of the emerging British national security state in the early Cold War.
Biofortified cassava increases β-carotene and vitamin A concentrations in the TAG-rich plasma layer of American women
Authors: La Frano Michael R. , Woodhouse Leslie R. , Burnett Dustin J. , Burri Betty J.
Published: January 2013

Biofortification of cassava with the provitamin A carotenoid β-carotene is a potential mechanism for alleviating vitamin A deficiency. Cassava is a staple food in the African diet, but data regarding the human bioavailability of β-carotene from this food are scarce. The objective of the present study was to evaluate provitamin A-enhanced cassava as a source of β-carotene and vitamin A for healthy adult women. The study was a randomised, cross-over trial of ten American women. The subjects consumed three different porridges separated by 2 week washout periods. Treatment meals (containing 100 g cassava) included: biofortified cassava (2 mg β-carotene) porridge with added oil (15 ml peanut or rapeseed oil, 20 g total fat); biofortified cassava porridge without added oil (6 g total fat); unfortified white cassava porridge with a 0·3 mg retinyl palmitate reference dose and added oil (20 g total fat). Blood was collected six times from − 0·5 to 9·5 h post-feeding. TAG-rich lipoprotein (TRL) plasma was separated by ultracentrifugation and analysed using HPLC with coulometric array electrochemical detection. The AUC for retinyl palmitate increased after the biofortified cassava meals were fed (P< 0·05). Vitamin A conversion was 4·2 (sd3·1) and 4·5 (sd3·1) μg β-carotene:1 μg retinol, with and without added oil, respectively. These results show that biofortified cassava increases β-carotene and retinyl palmitate TRL plasma concentrations in healthy well-nourished adult women, suggesting that it is a viable intervention food for preventing vitamin A deficiency.
Flavanone metabolites decrease monocyte adhesion to TNF-α-activated endothelial cells by modulating expression of atherosclerosis-related genes
Authors: Chanet Audrey , Milenkovic Dragan , Claude Sylvain , Maier Jeanette A. M. , Kamran Khan Muhammad , Rakotomanomana Njara , Shinkaruk Svitlana , Bérard Annie M. , Bennetau-Pelissero Catherine , Mazur Andrzej , Morand Christine
Published: January 2013

Flavanones are found specifically and abundantly in citrus fruits. Their beneficial effect on vascular function is well documented. However, little is known about their cellular and molecular mechanisms of action in vascular cells. The goal of the present study was to identify the impact of flavanone metabolites on endothelial cells and decipher the underlying molecular mechanisms of action. We investigated the impact of naringenin and hesperetin metabolites at 0·5, 2 and 10 μm on monocyte adhesion to TNF-α-activated human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVEC) and on gene expression. Except hesperetin-7-glucuronide and naringenin-7-glucuronide (N7G), when present at 2 μm, flavanone metabolites (hesperetin-3′-sulphate, hesperetin-3′-glucuronide and naringenin-4′-glucuronide (N4′G)) significantly attenuated monocyte adhesion to TNF-α-activated HUVEC. Exposure of both monocytes and HUVEC to N4′G and N7G at 2 μm resulted in a higher inhibitory effect on monocyte adhesion. Gene expression analysis, using TaqMan Low-Density Array, revealed that flavanone metabolites modulated the expression of genes involved in atherogenesis, such as those involved in inflammation, cell adhesion and cytoskeletal organisation. In conclusion, physiologically relevant concentrations of flavanone metabolites reduce monocyte adhesion to TNF-α-stimulated endothelial cells by affecting the expression of related genes. This provides a potential explanation for the vasculoprotective effects of flavanones.
Innovations in national nutrition surveys
Authors: Stephen Alison M. , Mak Tsz Ning , Fitt Emily , Nicholson Sonja , Roberts Caireen , Sommerville Jill
Published: January 2013

The aim of this paper is to describe innovations taking place in national nutrition surveys in the UK and the challenges of undertaking innovations in such settings. National nutrition surveys must be representative of the overall population in characteristics such as socio-economic circumstances, age, sex and region. High response rates are critical. Dietary assessment innovations must therefore be suitable for all types of individuals, from the very young to the very old, for variable literacy and/or technical skills, different ethnic backgrounds and life circumstances, such as multiple carers and frequent travel. At the same time, national surveys need details on foods consumed. Current advances in dietary assessment use either technological innovations or simplified methods; neither lend themselves to national surveys. The National Diet and Nutrition Survey (NDNS) rolling programme, and the Diet and Nutrition Survey of Infants and Young Children (DNSIYC), currently use the 4-d estimated diary, a compromise for detail and respondent burden. Collection of food packaging enables identification of specific products. Providing space for location of eating, others eating, the television being on and eating at a table, adds to eating context information. Disaggregation of mixed dishes enables determination of true intakes of meat and fruit and vegetables. Measurement of nutritional status requires blood sampling and processing in DNSIYC clinics throughout the country and mobile units were used to optimise response. Hence, innovations in national surveys can and are being made but must take into account the paramount concerns of detail and response rate.
Frugivorous bats drink nutrient- and clay-enriched water in the Amazon rain forest: support for a dual function of mineral-lick visits
Authors: Ghanem Simon J. , Ruppert Hans , Kunz Thomas H. , Voigt Christian C.
Published: January 2013

In Central Amazonia, large mammals create water-filled puddles when consuming soil. These mineral licks are visited by pregnant and lactating frugivorous bats; possibly for two reasons. Frugivorous bats could supplement their mineral-depleted fruit diet by drinking salty water, or they could buffer dietary plant secondary compounds by consuming soil. We analysed bat fruits from Ecuador and showed that they are depleted in elemental concentrations (Na, K, P) compared with similar fruits collected from Costa Rica, where no mineral licks occur (n = 32). Analyses of water from Ecuador revealed that water samples from six mineral licks contained more physiologically relevant elements (Na, K, Mg, Ca) than four samples from river and stream water control sites (Mann–WhitneyU-test). In support of the nutrient supplement hypothesis, we observed bats drinking mineral-enriched water at these licks (video observation). Furthermore, blood collected from 68 bats differed in composition with respect to physiologically relevant minerals (Na, K, Mg, Fe) from that of frugivorous bats captured at control sites. To test whether frugivorous bats also consumed clay for detoxification, we checked for soil tracer elements in 31 faecal samples. Soil tracers are insoluble in water and, thus, are not included in a strict fruit diet. Bats from mineral licks showed higher aluminium soil tracer concentrations in their faeces than bat species that never visit licks, suggesting that frugivorous bats take up clay material at mineral licks. Our results provide evidence that frugivorous bats ingest soluble mineral nutrients and insoluble soil by consuming soil-enriched water at mineral licks, thus supporting the hypothesis that frugivorous bats of western Amazonia may derive a dual benefit from drinking water from mineral licks.
Induction of longevity in primed seeds
Authors: Bruggink G.T. , Ooms J.J.J. , van der Toorn P.
Published: January 2013

Priming of seeds is generally intended to reduce time to germination, often leading to improved emergence. However, as a negative side effect, priming reduces longevity of seeds. We studied the possibilities to obtain primed seeds with reduced time to germination but with longevity similar to that of untreated seeds. For several species tested we found that the desired longevity could be obtained by keeping the seeds, after a priming treatment, under a mild water and / or temperature stress for a period of several hours to days. Time to germination did not increase again due to such a treatment. Optimal duration and degree of water stress were strongly temperature dependent. The methods applied to obtain primed seeds without loss of longevity are very similar to those used to induce desiccation tolerance in germinated seeds.
Enhancing the Tissue Donor Pool through Donation after Death in the Field
Authors: Shiroff Adam M. , Gale Stephen C. , Merlin Mark A. , Crystal Jessica S. , Linger Matt , Shah Anar D. , Beaumont Erin , Lustiger Elie , Tabakin Erica , Gracias Vicente H.
Published: January 2013

Introduction

Tissue transplantation is an important adjunct to modern medical care and is used daily to save or improve patient lives. Tissue allografts include bone, tendon, corneas, heart valves and others. Increasing utilization may lead to tissue shortages, and tissue procurement organizations continue to explore ways to expand the cadaveric donor pool. Currently more than half of all deaths occur outside the acute care setting.

Hypothesis

Many who suffer prehospital deaths might be eligible for non-organ tissue donation.

Methods

A retrospective review of electronic prehospital medical records was conducted from May 1, 2008 through December 31, 2009. All prehospital deaths were included irrespective of cause. Once identified, additional medical history was obtained from prehospital, inpatient, and emergency department records. Age, medical history, and time of death were compared to exclusion criteria for four tissue procurement organizations (MTF, LifeNet, LifeCell, EyeBank). After analysis, percentages of eligible donors were calculated.

Results

Over 50,000 prehospital records were reviewed; 432 subjects died in the field and were eligible for analysis. Ages ranged from four to 103 years of age; the average was 68.3 (SD = 20.1) years. After exclusion for age, medical conditions, and time of death, 185 unique patients (42.8%) were eligible for donation to at least one of the four tissue procurement organizations (range 11.6%-34.3%).

Conclusions

After prehospital death, many individuals may be eligible for tissue donation. These findings suggest that future prospective studies exploring tissue donation after prehospital death are indicated. These studies should aim to clarify eligibility criteria, create protocols and infrastructure, and explore the ethical implications of expanding tissue donation to include this population.

ShiroffAM, GaleSC, MerlinMA, CrystalJS, LingerM, ShahAD, BeaumontE, LustigerE, TabakinE, GraciasVH. Enhancing the tissue donor pool through donation after death in the field. Prehosp Disaster Med. 2013;28(2):1-4.
2012 HES PRESIDENTIAL ADDRESS DOES THE VICTOR ENJOY THE SPOILS? PAUL SAMUELSON AS HISTORIAN OF ECONOMICS
Authors: MIROWSKI PHILIP
Published: January 2013

This Presidential Address revisits Paul Samuelson’s views on the history of science and history of economics, with the advantage of archival evidence from his papers now deposited at Duke. It suggests he was not impressed with historians in general; but also, that his faith in the orthodox neoclassical profession failed him towards the end of his life, when those in the profession started to treat him the way that he had treated the historians.
OIKONOMIA REDEFINED
Authors: LESHEM DOTAN
Published: January 2013

The paper argues that oikonomia was defined by the ancient Greek philosophers as a sphere in which man, when faced with excessive means, acquires a theoretical and practical prudent disposition in order to comply with his needs and so as to generate a man-made surplus that is to be found outside economy’s boundaries. In order to extricate this meaning, I focus on how the following categories are presented in ancient texts dedicated to the study of the oikonomia in its meaning of household management: i) oikonomia’s form of knowledge; ii) the essence of wealth and its end; and iii) the origin of the excess that appears in the economic sphere.
Irony and Empathy in Children with Traumatic Brain Injury
Authors: Dennis Maureen , Simic Nevena , Agostino Alba , Taylor H. Gerry , Bigler Erin D. , Rubin Kenneth , Vannatta Kathryn , Gerhardt Cynthia A. , Stancin Terry , Yeates Keith Owen
Published: January 2013

Social communication involves influencing what other people think and feel about themselves. We use the term conative theory of mind (ToM) to refer to communicative interactions involving one person trying to influence the mental and emotional state of another, paradigmatic examples of which are irony and empathy. This study reports how children with traumatic brain injury (TBI) understand ironic criticism and empathic praise, on a task requiring them to identify speaker belief and intention for direct conative speech acts involving literal truth, and indirect speech acts involving either ironic criticism or empathic praise. Participants were 71 children in the chronic state of a single TBI and 57 age- and gender-matched children with orthopedic injuries (OI). Group differences emerged on indirect speech acts involving conation (i.e., irony and empathy), but not on structurally and linguistically identical direct speech acts, suggesting specific deficits in this aspect of social cognition in school-age children with TBI. Deficits in children with mild-moderate TBI were less widespread and more selective than those of children with more severe injuries. Deficits in understanding the social, conative function of indirect speech acts like irony and empathy have widespread and deep implications for social function in children with TBI. (JINS, 2013, 19, 1–11)
Leaders, Followers, and Laggards: Adoption of the Us Conference of Mayors Climate Protection Agreement in California
Authors: Wang Rui
Published: January 2013

Limited quantitative research has been devoted to voluntary climate actions at the local level. It is unclear why some cities act as leaders in the fight against climate change, some act as followers, while others remain laggards. This study tests hypotheses about local climate proactiveness to mitigate climate change. Applying a survival analysis to California cities' adoption of the US Conference of Mayors Climate Protection Agreement, I examine the association between cities' adoption of the agreement, a range of cities' characteristics, and the behavior of neighboring jurisdictions. The results suggest important roles of the overall capacity of a local jurisdiction, its staff capacity with relevant expertise, average household income level, and voter preferences. Study results also suggest the importance of local traffic conditions and the positive peer effect.
Institutional Entrepreneurship in Hostile Settings: Health and Social Care Partnerships in Scotland, 2002–05
Authors: Forbes Tom
Published: January 2013

Using institutional entrepreneurship theory, I examine the emergence of a novel partnership model in Scotland between 2002 and 2005 to deliver health and social care services. Utilising a qualitative methodology based on interviews and secondary data, I investigate how health and social care managers in a large urban city area acted as institutional entrepreneurs. By engaging in institutional work at a microlevel, mesolevel, and macrolevel, these managers overcame institutional pressure to implement a centrally mandated partnership model advocated by the then Scottish Executive. The study suggests that institutional entrepreneurship is a specific form of change management that can provide unique insights into the political and negotiative processes involved in implementing divergent change in the face of local and national resistance and offers guidance to policy makers and practitioners in framing and implementing change initiatives.
The Implications for Governance of Migration Linked to Environmental Change: Key Findings and New Research Directions
Authors: Geddes Andrew , Adger W Neil , Arnell Nigel W , Black Richard , Thomas David S G
Published: January 2013

With this paper we draw conclusions from the contributions to this theme issue that all explored the links between environmental change, migration, and governance. We have three objectives. The first is to identify key themes emerging from each of the papers and to consider their significance. The second is to specify overarching implications of the work gathered in this theme issue. The third is to identify areas where future research would be beneficial in further enhancing understanding of the links between environmental change, migration, and governance in the context of adaptation.
Flexibility in the Self-Assembly of Silver Complexes: Coordination Polymers from Multi-Armed Pyridylmethyleneoxy Ligands
Authors: Steel Peter J. , Fitchett Christopher M.
Published: January 2013

The syntheses of new silver complexes of five isomeric bis(pyridylmethyleneoxy)benzenes, differing in the position of substitution on the benzene and pyridine rings, and three isomeric 1,3,5-tris(pyridylmethyleneoxy)benzenes, differing in the position of substitution on the pyridine ring, are described. The structures of six of these complexes were characterised using X-ray crystallography, showing the formation of coordination polymers for 3-pyridyl- and 4-pyridyl-armed ligands and discrete complexes for 2-pyridyl-armed ligands. The precise nature of the structure was further determined by the relative orientation of the pyridine rings in each case.
Internally focalized narration from a linguistic point of view
Authors: Klauk Tobias , Köppe Tilmann , Onea Edgar
Published: January 2013

Most definitions of the narratological notion of internal focalization are cast in terms of what the text represents, namely some character and her point of view. In being thus couched in representational terms, definitions of internal focalization do not mention any linguistic surface properties of the respective text. In this paper, we search for a way to specify the relation between linguistic surface properties and internal focalization. We start by giving a standard narratological account of internal focalization that is fully couched in representational terms. In the next section, we develop a brief but precise theory of linguistic perspective that operates on the text surface. This theory and our linguistic take on internal focalization then rest on the idea of shifted indexical expressions. Our account makes a clear empirical prediction in claiming that the interpretation of an internally focalized sentence will contain variables which will all be bound by the perspective holder. We thus conclude that internal focalization implies linguistic perspective in the sense that the focal character is always the linguistic perspective holder. Hence, our account states a necessary condition for internal focalization in linguistic terms.
The right word in the left place
Authors: Manin Dmitrii Yurievich
Published: January 2013

This work describes a large-scale empirical study that quantifies two aspects of lexical foregrounding in literary texts: the unpredictability (unexpectedness) and constrainedness (irreplaceability) of individual words in context. The data are generated by a Web-based literary game where players guess words in fragments of real texts. The results shed new light on the nature of the distinction between poetry and prose and on the role of formal constraints in poetry. In particular, traditional poetry tends to have higher constrainedness than prose and comparable unpredictability, while avant-garde poetry is characterized by higher unpredictability than prose and comparable constrainedness.
Elevated polar ejection forces stabilize kinetochore–microtubule attachments
Authors: Cane Stuart , Ye Anna A. , Luks-Morgan Sasha J. , Maresca Thomas J.
Published: January 2013

Chromosome biorientation promotes congression and generates tension that stabilizes kinetochore–microtubule (kt-MT) interactions. Forces produced by molecular motors also contribute to chromosome alignment, but their impact on kt-MT attachment stability is unclear. A critical force that acts on chromosomes is the kinesin-10–dependent polar ejection force (PEF). PEFs are proposed to facilitate congression by pushing chromosomes away from spindle poles, although knowledge of the molecular mechanisms underpinning PEF generation is incomplete. Here, we describe a live-cell PEF assay in which tension was applied to chromosomes by manipulating levels of the chromokinesin NOD (no distributive disjunction; Drosophila melanogaster kinesin-10). NOD stabilized syntelic kt-MT attachments in a dose- and motor-dependent manner by overwhelming the ability of Aurora B to mediate error correction. NOD-coated chromatin stretched away from the pole via lateral and end-on interactions with microtubules, and NOD chimeras with either plus end–directed motility or tip-tracking activity produced PEFs. Thus, kt-MT attachment stability is modulated by PEFs, which can be generated by distinct force-producing interactions between chromosomes and dynamic spindle microtubules.
A twofold interwoven two-dimensional→two-dimensional (2-D→2-D) cluster–organic network based on the [Cu2I2] cluster and the 4,4′-(diazenediyl)dipyridine ligand: poly[[μ2-4,4′-(diazenediyl)dipyridine]-μ2-iodido-copper(I)]
Authors: Huang Wenjiang , Zhang Jinfang , Li Jianghua , Zhang Chi
Published: January 2013

In the polymeric title compound, [CuI(C10H8N4)]n, the CuIatom is in a four-coordinated tetrahedral geometry, formed by two I atoms and two pyridine N atoms from two different 4,4′-(diazenediyl)dipyridine (4,4′-azpy) ligands. Two μ2-I atoms link two CuIatoms to form a planar rhomboid [Cu2I2] cluster located on an inversion centre, where the distance between two CuIatoms is 2.7781 (15) Å and the Cu—I bond lengths are 2.6290 (13) and 2.7495 (15) Å. The bridging 4,4′-azpy ligands connect the [Cu2I2] clusters into a two-dimensional (2-D) double-layered grid-like network [parallel to the (10\overline{2}) plane], with a (4,4)-connected topology. Two 2-D grid-like networks interweave each other by long 4,4′-azpy bridging ligands to form a dense 2-D double-layered network. To the best of our knowledge, this interwoven 2-D→2-D network is observed for the first time in [Cu2I2]–organic compounds.
Long‐term efficacy of psoriasis vulgaris treatments: Analysis of treatment with topical corticosteroid and/or vitamin D3 analog, oral cyclosporin, etretinate and phototherapy over a 35‐year period, 1975–2010
Authors: Akasaka Emiko , Mabuchi Tomotaka , Manabe Yasuaki , Yahagi Eiichiro , Yamada‐Hiruma Azusa , Yamaoka Hanako , Kojima Tomoko , Kato Masayuki , Ikoma Norihiro , Ozawa Akira , Haruki Yasuo
Published: January 2013

Various therapies have been tried for psoriasis. In Japan, biologics began to be used for psoriasis treatment in January 2010. Their clinical efficacy is well known, but biologics cannot be used in all psoriasis patients for reasons such as side‐effects and cost. It is necessary to evaluate the effect of long‐term psoriasis treatment, but there have been no reports evaluating long‐term treatment. Therefore, the outcomes of patients who had been treated at the Tokai University Hospital for more than 5 years, before biological agents were released, were examined. Three categories, classified by initial severity, changes in severity by method of treatment and background characteristics, were investigated. In conclusion, cases of long‐term treatment with a combination of topical corticosteroid and topical vitamin D3 analog or oral cyclosporin were found to be effective therapies. Patients with a history of diabetes mellitus or cardiovascular disease of psoriasis were likely to be treatment resistant.
Uncovering the links between foraging and breeding regions in a highly mobile mammal
Authors: Russell Deborah J. F. , McConnell Bernie , Thompson David , Duck Callan , Morris Chris , Harwood John , Matthiopoulos Jason
Published: January 2013

The annual cycle of many animals is characterized by the need to satisfy different life history priorities, often requiring seasonal movements. For such species, investigating carry‐over effects (such as the year‐long drivers of breeding success) and managing protected areas effectively, relies on quantifying these movements. Here, we model the seasonal movements of the UK population of grey seals Halichoerus grypus and show how insights from the model can improve its management.

We fit a hidden process model to two types of information – regional population redistribution and individual movements – to estimate the seasonal transition probabilities of breeding female grey seals among four regions around the UK.

We found that between 21% and 58% of females used different regions for breeding and foraging.

For our study period, we detected an increase in the breeding performance of animals that foraged in the Hebrides and South‐East Coast.

Grey seal Special Areas of Conservation (SACs) were designed to encompass a significant proportion of the UK breeding population: ˜40% of the breeding females in our study area. Of the females breeding on SACs, only 15% breed in Northern Scotland, but up to 50% forage there. Our results indicate that, by only considering the breeding distribution of females that breed in SACs, the impact of anthropogenic activities on nearby SACs may be overestimated, whereas impacts on remote SACs may be underestimated.

Synthesis and applications. By quantifying the link between the foraging and breeding distributions of grey seals, management of breeding populations can be focused on the foraging regions where the resources necessary for reproduction are acquired. The construction of marine developments is dependent on demonstrating that they will not have an adverse effect on the integrity of Special Areas of Conservation (SACs), and we have shown that this requires consideration of the seasonal transition probabilities estimated in this study. Our specific results provide support for management strategies that jointly consider SACs and Marine Protected Areas (MPAs). More generally, we prescribe combinations of data on population size, breeding performance and individual movement that can enable our framework to be applied to seasonally migrating species.
Nitric oxide signalling is involved in diarylheptanoid‐induced increases in femoral arterial blood flow in ovariectomized rats
Authors: Chaturapanich Ganyapong , Yamthed Rungsima , Piyachaturawat Pawinee , Chairoungdua Arthit , Suvitayavat Wisuda , Kongsaktrakoon Boontium , Suksamrarn Apichart , Pholpramool Chumpol
Published: January 2013

The mechanisms by which the hexane extract of Curcuma comosa increases femoral blood flow (FBF) in ovariectomized rats are not known. Thus, the aim of the present study was to investigate the acute effects and modes of action of the diarylheptanoid (3R)‐1,7‐diphenyl‐(4E,6E)‐4,6‐heptadien‐3‐ol (D3), a phyto‐oestrogen isolated from C. comosa, on FBF in ovariectomized rats.

On Day 7 after ovariectomy, rats were injected once intra‐arterially with D3 (100, 200, 400 and 800 μg/kg), 17β‐oestradiol (E2; 1, 2, 4 and 8 μg/kg) or vehicle. In some experiments, rats were injected with NG‐nitro‐l‐arginine methyl ester (l‐NAME; 10 mg/kg) 120 min after 800 μg/kg D3 or 4 μg/kg E2. In other experiments, rats were injected with 10 mg/kg l‐NAME, 900 μg/kg 1H‐[1,2,4]oxadiazolo[4,3‐a]quinoxalin‐1‐one (ODQ) or 900 μg/kg ICI 182 780 30 min prior to the injection of 800 μg/kg D3 or 4 μg/kg E2. Mean arterial blood pressure (mABP) and FBF were recorded using a pressure transducer and a laser Doppler flow meter, respectively.

Both D3 and E2 dose‐dependently increased FBF without changing mABP or heart rate. The EC50 at 120 min for D3 and E2 was 195.8 and 1.8 μg/kg, respectively. In addition, D3 and E2 dose‐dependently decreased femoral vascular resistance (FVR). The EC50 of D3 was about 100‐fold greater than that of E2. The effects of D3 and E2 on FBF and FVR were diminished by intravenous injection of 10 mg/kg l‐NAME. Furthermore, 30 min pretreatment with l‐NAME (10 mg/kg), ODQ (900 μg/kg) or ICI 182 780 (900 μg/kg) blocked the effects of D3 and E2 on FBF and FVR.

The results of the present study suggest that the phyto‐oestrogen D3 increases FBF in ovariectomized rats via oestrogen receptor and nitric oxide–guanylyl cyclase signalling, which, in turn, relaxes femoral vascular resistance.
Outcomes of pregnancy following postpartum haemorrhage
Authors: Fullerton G , Danielian PJ , Bhattacharya S
Published: January 2013

Objective

To assess the outcomes of pregnancy following postpartum haemorrhage (PPH) in the first pregnancy.

Design

Cohort study.

Setting

Aberdeen Maternity Hospital, Scotland, UK.

Population

All women with first deliveries recorded in the Aberdeen Maternity and Neonatal Databank (AMND) between 1986 and 2005.

Methods

All women identified from the AMND were classified into exposed and unexposed cohorts, according to whether or not they had PPH in their first delivery. They were then linked to any records of a second pregnancy.

Main outcome measures

Any second pregnancy, time to second pregnancy, early or late pregnancy loss, and prevalence of PPH in the second pregnancy.

Results

Out of 34 334 women, 10% had a PPH in their first pregnancy. There was no statistically significant difference in the time to a second pregnancy, nor in the outcome of that second pregnancy, between women who had experienced a PPH in their first pregnancy and women who had not. For women with a caesarean delivery, there was a significant reduction in the proportion conceiving again, comparing the exposed and unexposed cohorts.

Conclusions

From this cohort study we can conclude that if a PPH occurs in a first pregnancy, there is no delay in achieving a second pregnancy, and no detrimental effect on the outcome of that pregnancy. Significantly fewer women conceive a second pregnancy if they have a caesarean section in their first pregnancy that is complicated by PPH.
Growth temperatures of archaeal communities can be estimated from the guanine‐plus‐cytosine contents of 16S rRNA gene fragments
Authors: Kimura Hiroyuki , Mori Kousuke , Yamanaka Toshiro , Ishibashi Jun‐Ichiro
Published: January 2013

Prokaryote growth temperatures in environmental samples are difficult to measure because it is hard to culture viable prokaryotes in natural environments. We comprehensively surveyed growth temperatures and 16S rRNA sequences of prokaryotes to estimate their growth temperatures based on guanine‐plus‐cytosine contents (PGC) of their 16S rRNA sequences. We focused on archaea because of the wide range of growth temperatures within this group. Their minimum (Tmin), optimum (Topt) and maximum (Tmax) growth temperatures correlated strongly with PGC of their 16S rRNA genes. Linear regression equations were established to approximate Tmin, Topt and Tmax from PGC. We also established a linear regression equation for calculating PGC of 16S rRNA genes based on the melting temperatures (Tm) of PCR fragments, without using a clone library or sequencing. Environmental samples were obtained from a wide variety of microbial natural habitats. Tm of archaeal 16S rRNA genes amplified by real‐time PCR were determined by melting curve analysis. Based on those values, PGC of 16S rRNA genes and mean Tmin, Topt and Tmax were calculated using the linear regression equations. These temperatures correlated strongly with the in situ temperatures. Tmax agreed particularly well with these temperatures, suggesting many archaea live at their maximum growth temperatures.
Extinction debt at different spatial scales
Authors: Hanski Ilkka
Published: January 2013

Read the Feature Paper: Mapping the potential extinction debt of butterflies in a modern city: implications for conservation priorities in urban landscapes

Other Commentaries on this paper: Setting conservation priorities when what you see is not what you get

Response from the authors: From ecological pessimism to conservation chance: reviving living dead in changing landscapes
Prevalence and Prognostic Value of Conduction Disturbances at the Time of Diagnosis of Cardiac AL Amyloidosis
Authors: Boldrini Michele , Salinaro Francesco , Mussinelli Roberta , Raimondi Ambra , Alogna Alessio , Musca Francesco , Palladini Giovanni , Merlini Giampaolo , Perlini Stefano
Published: January 2013

Background and purpose

To evaluate the prevalence and the prognostic implications of conduction delays in a large cohort of cardiac AL patients.

Methods

Echo Doppler and 12‐lead ECG were collected in 344 consecutive patients in whom diagnosis of AL amyloidosis was concluded between 2008 and 2010. Patients were subdivided according to the presence (n = 240) or absence (n = 104) of cardiac involvement.

Results

When compared with patients without myocardial involvement, cardiac AL was associated with prolonged PQ, QRS, QT and QTc intervals (P < 0.05), and with higher prevalence of intraventricular blocks (27.5% vs. 16.5%, P < 0.05), that was associated with higher wall thickness, worse diastolic and regional systolic function, higher NT‐proBNP values (all P < 0.05), and higher mortality (P = 0.0001; median follow‐up: 402 days).

Conclusion

Intraventricular conduction delays have a negative prognostic impact in patients with cardiac AL amyloidosis. Their presence should not be overlooked in the diagnostic workup, prompting a more accurate cardiological support.
Sinus Bradycardia and Sinus Pauses Immediately after Electrical Cardioversion of Persistent Atrial Fibrillation—What Do They Mean?
Authors: Poçi Dritan , Abrahamsson Britt‐Marie , Edvardsson Nils , Bergfeldt Lennart
Published: January 2013

Background

To determine the role of sinus bradyarrhythmia (SB) immediately after electrical cardioversion of persistent atrial fibrillation (AF) on the short‐term recurrence rate and long‐term pacemaker need and all‐cause mortality.

Methods

SB defined as sinus bradycardia (sinus rate <40 bpm for ≥2 consecutive cycles) and/or sinus pauses (>2 s), were recorded during 5 minutes immediately after successful DC cardioversion in 140 consecutive patients with persistent AF.

Results

SB was observed during the first minute of SR in 31 patients (22%). Sinus bradycardia was present in 27 patients, sinus pauses in 16 (>3 s in 10) patients, and both in 12 patients. Compared to patients without SB, the mean heart rate during the first minute after cardioversion was lower, 57 ± 13 versus 63 ± 11 bpm; P < 0.05, while the mean heart rates during the subsequent 4 minutes were not statistically significantly different. The AF recurrence rates were not significantly different at 1 week (45% vs. 40%), or at 3 months (68% vs. 53%) in patients with or without SB. After a mean follow‐up of 86 ± 6 months the pacemaker implantation rate was 10% versus 11% (NS) and an all‐cause mortality of 26 versus 18% (NS).

Conclusions

SB immediately after electrical cardioversion of persistent AF had no significant impact on the 3‐month AF recurrence rate, the long‐term need for pacemaker or all‐cause mortality.