bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
First-Order Structure Function Analysis of Statistical Scale Invariance in the AIRS-Observed Water Vapor Field
Authors: Pressel Kyle G. , Collins William D.
Published: April 2012

The power-law scale dependence, or scaling, of first-order structure functions of the tropospheric water vapor field between 58°S and 58°N is investigated using observations from the Atmospheric Infrared Sounder (AIRS). Power-law scale dependence of the first-order structure function would indicate that the water vapor field exhibits statistical scale invariance. Directional and directionally independent first-order structure functions are computed to assess the directional dependence of derived first-order structure function scaling exponents (H) for a range of scales from 50 to 500 km. In comparison to other methods of assessing statistical scale invariance, the methodology used here requires minimal assumptions regarding the homogeneity of the spatial distribution of data within regions of analysis. Additionally, the methodology facilitates the evaluation of anisotropy and quantifies the extent to which the structure functions exhibit scale invariance.

The spatial and seasonal dependence of the computed scaling exponents are explored. Minimum scaling exponents at all levels are shown to occur proximate to the equator, while the global maximum is shown to occur in the middle troposphere near the tropical–subtropical margin of the winter hemisphere.

From a detailed analysis of AIRS maritime scaling exponents, it is concluded that the AIRS observations suggest the existence of two scaling regimes in the extratropics. One of these regimes characterizes the statistical scale invariance the free troposphere with H approximately = 0.55 and a second that characterizes the statistical scale invariance of the boundary layer with H approximately = ⅓.
Identification and Management of Behavioral/Mental Health Problems in Primary Care Pediatrics
Authors: Davis Deborah Winders , Honaker Sarah M. , Jones V. Faye , Williams P. Gail , Stocker Frederick , Martin Elaine
Published: April 2012

This study describes the experiences of and barriers for pediatricians in Kentucky in providing behavioral/mental health (B-MH) services in primary care settings. These data will serve as a foundation for improving service delivery. An online survey was completed by 70 pediatricians. Descriptive data are presented. More than 90% of the respondents said that they saw at least one patient a month with 1 of 10 specific B-MH diagnoses. Physicians’ comfort with diagnosing and treating disorders varied widely by diagnosis, age-group, and drug classification. Major barriers to providing optimal care were inaccessibility of mental health professionals for consultation and referral, lack of communication, and lack of knowledge. Respondents were more likely to favor consultation and co-location models over an integration model of care delivery. Overall, the authors found that pediatricians are dealing with patients with B-MH problems for which they may not have been adequately trained. Communication and collaboration needs were identified.
Psychiatric advance statements: An Indian experience
Authors: Kumar TC Ramesh , John Sujit , Gopal Subhashini , Mohan Greeshma , Joseph Jainey ,   PAS study group, Rangaswamy Thara
Published: April 2012

Background:

The psychiatric advance statement (PAS) is a document that outlines the preferences of patients in their future treatment. Formulating and writing a PAS has not been studied in low- and middle-income (LAMI) countries.

Aim:

To study the feasibility of writing a PAS in an Indian population.

Methods:

Patients’ diagnosed with schizophrenia or schizoaffective psychosis attending the outpatient clinic at the Schizophrenia Research Foundation (SCARF) or its community centres in 2011 were screened using the study criteria. After obtaining informed consent, stratified sampling was used to derive the final sample.

Results:

Most patients consented to participate in the study (122/123 patients). Following interviews with research assistants, 93 patients were assessed to have the capacity to write a PAS and 92 completed one. The patients were mostly able to complete the PAS on their own. Major themes included choice of treatment facility, type of treatment and nomination of others to take decisions on their behalf. A third of the sample were either from rural areas or not exclusively urban. At the time of the study, about 45% of the sample was rated as being symptomatic.

Conclusion:

Psychotic patients with a long-term illness, a third of them from non-urban areas, were able to write a valid PAS.
The Bases of Elite Social Behaviour: Patterns of Club Affiliation among Members of the House of Lords
Authors: Bond Matthew
Published: April 2012

This article examines the relationship between club affiliations by members of the House of Lords and their political and social backgrounds. The odds of being a club member and the networks of association created by clubs are positively associated with ascriptive, educational, occupational and political variables. The communities created by clubs augment inequalities in Lords’ representativeness. The evidence is incompatible with arguments that the British political elite is unified or that clubs integrate functionally differentiated groupings. The evidence is consistent, however, with clubs offering social unity to elites with vested interests in traditional status structures. A British establishment is still evident in the club community.
The Hoover Index of Population Concentration and the Demographic Components of Change
Authors: Rogerson Peter A. , Plane David A.
Published: April 2012

The Hoover Index is the most widely used measure for assessing the concentration or deconcentration tendencies of a country’s evolving population distribution. In this article, the authors propose alternative variants of the index designed to explore the influences of the various demographic components of change (birth, deaths, net domestic, and net international migration) on settlement dynamics. These decompositions can also be applied to examine the differential contributions of various race and ethnicity groups to overall trends. Using U.S. Census Bureau county population estimates, the authors deploy their approaches to examine the nature of deconcentration trends evidenced for the decadal periods 1990–1999 and 2000–2009.
“Technological Change and Professional Control in the Professoriate”
Authors: Johnson David R.
Published: April 2012

Scholarship on technological change in academe suggests that the adoption of instructional technologies will erode professional control. Researchers have documented the pervasiveness of new technologies, but neither demonstrate how technological change is experienced by faculty nor collect data that permit assessment of consequences for professional control. Drawing on a sample of interviews with forty-two professors at three research-intensive universities, this research makes two contributions to existing research. First, in contrast to existing depictions of technological change in higher education, the findings reveals that academics perceive instructional technologies to have limited value in enhancing education and that technology use is rarely motivated by pedagogical innovation. Second, the study suggests that a relationship between technological change and “unbundling” of the academic role may be overstated. These data indicate that technological change threatens professional autonomy through exclusion from decision-making processes, increased workloads, and delimited teaching and research roles.
Teacher Attitudes Toward Subject-Specific Acceleration
Authors: Rambo Karen E. , McCoach D. Betsy
Published: April 2012

Despite the research supporting acceleration, some teachers are still hesitant to recommend acceleration for advanced students. The Teacher Attitudes Toward Subject-Specific Acceleration (TATSSA) instrument was designed to uncover the factors that influence teacher decisions to recommend students for subject-specific acceleration. First, we describe the creation of the TATSSA and initial instrument validation process. Then we examine the validity of the established measurement model and explore the construct validity of the TATSSA. Scores on the TATSSA predicted teacher intent to recommend acceleration, were related to teacher past recommendation behavior, and discriminated between groups known to be more or less likely to accelerate. The most important findings were that teacher self-efficacy toward recommending acceleration was universally important in predicting teacher acceleration attitudes and behavior, administrative support of acceleration was critical, and teachers appeared to give more weight to potential negative outcomes of acceleration than positive ones.
Methods for evaluating information sources: An annotated catalogue
Authors: Hjørland Birger
Published: April 2012

The article briefly presents and discusses 12 different approaches to the evaluation of information sources (for example a Wikipedia entry or a journal article): (1) the checklist approach; (2) classical peer review; (3) modified peer review; (4) evaluation based on examining the coverage of controversial views; (5) evidence-based evaluation; (6) comparative studies; (7) author credentials; (8) publisher reputation; (9) journal impact factor; (10) sponsoring: tracing the influence of economic, political, and ideological interests; (11) book reviews and book reviewing; and (12) broader criteria. Reading a text is often not a simple process. All the methods discussed here are steps on the way on learning how to read, understand, and criticize texts. According to hermeneutics it involves the subjectivity of the reader, and that subjectivity is influenced, more or less, by different theoretical perspectives. Good, scholarly reading is to be aware of different perspectives, and to situate oneself among them.
Durkheim, Wittgenstein and the Norms of Thought
Authors: Keucheyan Razmig
Published: April 2012

In their respective fields of philosophy and sociology, Ludwig Wittgenstein and E´mile Durkheim are known for having associated two types of norms usually considered to be distinct: social norms and cognitive norms. They shared the same idea that the rules which govern the activity of the mind – for examples the laws of logic – are fundamentally linked to those which subtend social activity. For Wittgenstein and Durkheim, cognitive norms are thus a type of social norm.

The objective of this article is to compare the way in which Wittgenstein and Durkheim thematise the relationship between social norms and cognitive norms. It begins by clarifying the author’s understanding of ‘‘cognitive norms’’. It then presents Durkheim’s and Wittgenstein’s analyses of these norms, and it finally attempts to define some of the similarities and differences existing between their approaches to this problem.
States of Violence and Infatuation in Politics: The Idea of Right at the Heart of Their Excesses
Authors: Douailler Stéphane
Published: April 2012

The idea of the political state as a cluster of stability amidst chaos entails an inflation of legal ties that bind the immoderation of the chaos through an immoderate set of laws. This paper suggests an examination of the opposite approach, one attempted by Alexandre Kojève during the Second World War: an investigation of the practice of disassociation. By presenting four loose figures (the judge, the leader, the father, the master) in his book La notion d’autorité, Kojève pursued his quest for a disinterested operator in Esquisse d’une phénoménologie du droit, where he described its emergence out of the void created by anthropogenic desire in the natural world. As an outcome of this approach, history-laden figures such as the judge, leader, father or master, are replaced by the admission and promotion of the random human being. The quest for other figures starts here: the paper evokes, for example, the case of the misanthrope.
Science and Philosophy
Authors: Parrini Paolo
Published: April 2012

Paolo Parrini discusses here the links between science and philosophy from an epistemological viewpoint, addressing the problem by distinguishing between its historical and theoretical dimensions. He discusses the necessary link between formal epistemology and history, and in this frame identifies different areas of intersection between science and philosophy.
Optimization of sol–gel coatings on the surface of ammonium polyphosphate and its application in epoxy resin
Authors: Qu Hongqiang , Hao Jianwei , Wu Weihong , Zhao Xiaowei , Jiang Subin
Published: April 2012

Surface-modified ammonium polyphosphate was prepared by a sol–gel method using tetraethoxysilane and methyltriethoxysilane as precursors. The reaction conditions were optimized in order to decrease the water solubility of the ammonium polyphosphate. Then, modified ammonium polyphosphate and ammonium polyphosphate were used as flame retardants for an epoxy resin to constitute an intumescent flame-retardant system. The combustion behavior and the water resistance of epoxy resin and epoxy resin–containing ammonium polyphosphate or modified ammonium polyphosphate were investigated by limiting oxygen index and UL-94 test. The results show that the water resistance of epoxy resin and modified ammonium polyphosphate composites was greatly improved. The water contact angle of the modified ammonium polyphosphate reached 138°, for which the results show that there are a lot of hydrophobic groups on the surface of ammonium polyphosphate. And then the properties of the modified ammonium polyphosphate and the chemical bonding of the surface elements in the modified ammonium polyphosphate were analyzed using a Fourier transform infrared spectrophotometer, scanning electron microscopy analysis, and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. The results show that both tetraethoxysilane and methyltriethoxysilane hydrolyze and condense to form a dense layer structure on the surface of ammonium polyphosphate and can react with the hydroxyl groups on the surface of ammonium polyphosphate and form a new Si–O–P bond.
Single-cell protein as an alternative food for zebrafish, Danio rerio: a toxicological assessment
Authors: Şişman Turgay , Gür Özlem , Doğan Nesli , Özdal Murat , Algur Ömer Faruk , Ergon Tülay
Published: April 2012

Single-cell protein (SCP) refers to the dried cells of microorganisms. The aim of this research was to evaluate the nutrional characteristics and possible toxic effects of the SCP of Trichoderma harzianum. First, T. harzianum was grown on whey filtrate agar medium and the obtained SCP was analysed. It was rich in both total protein (34.21%) and ash (4.78%). Furthermore, the biomass contained all the essential amino acids, and the amino acid concentrations were very close to the FAO reference protein levels. Second, we exposed zebrafish ( Danio rerio) embryos to diluted SCP at various concentrations for 96 hours postfertilization (hpf). Compared with the control group, we did not observe any developmental abnormalities, delayed hatching, and lethal effects on zebrafish embryos (96 hpf) found in the SCP group. To test diet effects on spawning success and growth of embryos, adult zebrafish were fed on SCP and flake feed diets for 10 weeks. The number of laid eggs, wet weight and diameter of eggs, and the percentages of hatched eggs from fish fed the flake diet and SCP diet were not significantly different from each other. Also, larval length and weight were not significantly affected by diets. Finally, SCP did not cause any toxic effect on zebrafish adults and their offsprings and could be useful as fish food or food additive.
Averting Current and Future Special Education Faculty Shortages
Authors: West Jane E. , Hardman Michael L.
Published: April 2012

The federal government plays an indispensable role in preparing special education personnel to become teacher educators in higher education. The 2011 Special Education Faculty Needs Assessment study documents a continued supply–demand imbalance of special education faculty. It also documents effectiveness and impact of the Office of Special Education Program’s leadership (doctoral) preparation initiative. To prevent diminished academic improvement for students with disabilities, recommendations are provided to strengthen the federal role as the nation moves forward to abate a pending special education faculty of unprecedented magnitude. A rationale and strategy for continued federal investment during challenging budget times are presented.
Active vibration control in milling flexible workpieces
Authors: Parus Arkadiusz , Powałka Bartosz , Marchelek Krzysztof , Domek Stefan , Hoffmann Marcin
Published: April 2012

During milling of flexible workpieces a regenerative chatter vibration may become a critical factor that limits productivity. It is shown in this paper that a selection of cutting parameters based on a stability lobes diagram may not always be a remedy for low productivity due to increased forced vibration level. Additionally, other factors such as tool wear may limit the selection of stable spindle speeds. This paper presents an active control system that counteracts the development of chatter vibration. The proposed active control system employs Linear Quadratic Gaussian (LQG) algorithm and piezoelectric actuator to suppress vibration during cutting. The Kalman filter is used to estimate the state of the system required by LQG algorithm. The active control introduces damping into the system, thereby raising the critical depth of cut and reducing forced vibration amplitude. It enables stable cutting under a much wider range of cutting parameters than for the uncontrolled system. Cutting tests are performed to demonstrate an effectiveness of the control system. Practical issues limiting applications of the proposed technique are discussed.
Investigation of compressor correction quantities for automotive applications
Authors: Leufven Oskar , Eriksson Lars
Published: April 2012

Turbo performance is represented using maps, measured for one set of inlet conditions. Corrections are then applied to scale the performance to other inlet conditions. A turbo compressor for automotive applications experiences large variations in inlet conditions, and the use of two-stage charging increases these variations. The variations are the motivation for analysing the correction quantities and their validity. A novel surge-avoidance strategy is found in the correction equations, where the result is that a reduction in inlet pressure can increase the surge margin of eight studied maps. The method for investigating the applicability of the strategy is general.

An experimental analysis of the applicability of the commonly used correction factors, used when estimating compressor performance for varying inlet conditions, is presented. A set of experimental measurements from an engine test cell and from a gas stand shows a small but clearly measurable trend, with decreasing compressor pressure ratio for decreasing compressor inlet pressure. A method is developed, enabling measurements to be analysed with modified corrections.

An adjusted shaft speed correction quantity is proposed, also incorporating the inlet pressure in the shaft speed correction. The resulting decrease in high-altitude engine performance, due to compressor limitations, is quantified and shows a reduction in altitude of 200–600 m, for when engine torque has to be reduced due to limited compressor operation.
Control of vascular access device associated bloodstream infection in a large London teaching hospital
Authors: O’Connor Ita , Wilks Mark , Hennessy Enid , Millar Michael
Published: April 2012

We describe a quality improvement programme used in a large teaching hospital trust to reduce the number of hospital acquired blood stream infections (HA-BSI) relating to vascular devices. Our strategy included the appointment of a lead nurse whose role was to engage with clinicians, to develop guidelines, to standardise and facilitate good practice, to train to uniform standards, and to retain local ownership, while working to avoid risk compensation. Information was gathered using our laboratory data search system, as well as observation and audit of vascular access device practice. Vascular access device training became part of all induction and update programmes for clinical staff.The results showed a significant and sustained decline in frequency of patient episodes of HA-BSI. The numbers of patients from whom coagulase-negative staphylococci, Staphylococcus aureus, Enterococcus spp., Klebsiella and Enterobacter spp. were isolated in any given month all declined significantly. The numbers of patients with positive blood cultures with Escherichia coli did not decline. The improvement has been sustained for more than 3.5 years. This study shows that when standardisation, facilitation and education are developed with stakeholder involvement, it is possible to achieve a sustained reduction in the incidence of vascular device associated infections.
Who Can Buy Happiness?
Authors: Soto Christopher J. , Luhmann Maike
Published: April 2012

The present research tested whether the Big Five personality dimensions—extraversion, agreeableness, conscientiousness, neuroticism, and openness to experience—moderate the effects of income on life satisfaction. The authors analyzed data from three large-sample, nationally representative, longitudinal studies: the British Household Panel Survey, the German Socio-Economic Panel Study, and the Household Income and Labour Dynamics in Australia Survey. Neuroticism consistently moderated the effects of both stable between-person income differences and within-person income fluctuations on life satisfaction. Specifically, income predicted satisfaction more strongly for highly neurotic individuals than for their emotionally stable peers. These findings illustrate that the effects of life circumstances on subjective well-being can vary considerably across individuals, depending on their basic personality traits.
Challenges in estimating percent inclusion of alternatively spliced junctions from RNA-seq data
Authors: Kakaradov Boyko , Xiong Hui Yuan , Lee Leo J , Jojic Nebojsa , Frey Brendan J
Published: April 2012

Transcript quantification is a long-standing problem in genomics and estimating the relative abundance of alternatively-spliced isoforms from the same transcript is an important special case. Both problems have recently been illuminated by high-throughput RNA sequencing experiments which are quickly generating large amounts of data. However, much of the signal present in this data is corrupted or obscured by biases resulting in non-uniform and non-proportional representation of sequences from different transcripts. Many existing analyses attempt to deal with these and other biases with various task-specific approaches, which makes direct comparison between them difficult. However, two popular tools for isoform quantification, MISO and Cufflinks, have adopted a general probabilistic framework to model and mitigate these biases in a more general fashion. These advances motivate the need to investigate the effects of RNA-seq biases on the accuracy of different approaches for isoform quantification. We conduct the investigation by building models of increasing sophistication to account for noise introduced by the biases and compare their accuracy to the established approaches.

We focus on methods that estimate the expression of alternatively-spliced isoforms with the percent-spliced-in (PSI) metric for each exon skipping event. To improve their estimates, many methods use evidence from RNA-seq reads that align to exon bodies. However, the methods we propose focus on reads that span only exon-exon junctions. As a result, our approaches are simpler and less sensitive to exon definitions than existing methods, which enables us to distinguish their strengths and weaknesses more easily. We present several probabilistic models of of position-specific read counts with increasing complexity and compare them to each other and to the current state-of-the-art methods in isoform quantification, MISO and Cufflinks. On a validation set with RT-PCR measurements for 26 cassette events, some of our methods are more accurate and some are significantly more consistent than these two popular tools. This comparison demonstrates the challenges in estimating the percent inclusion of alternatively spliced junctions and illuminates the tradeoffs between different approaches.
Implementation and evaluation of a new TCP loss recovery architecture
Authors: Kang Moonsoo , Park Hosung , Mo Jeonghoon
Published: April 2012

In this article, we propose a novel loss recovery algorithm of transmission control protocol (TCP) using packet transmission order, which shows a steady loss recovery ability even though packet loss rate increases. This leads to a significant throughput increase of TCP with heavy packet loss. We have verified the performance increase of the new TCP under various environments such as a wireless network, and multimedia transmission through simulation. Moreover, we implemented the proposed idea in Linux and conducted some experiments in a real environment. Even though the experiment results did not perfectly agree with the simulation results, we obtained a similar throughput increase to that of the simulation.
Identification of hamster inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) promoter sequences that influence basal and inducible iNOS expression
Authors: Saldarriaga Omar A , Travi Bruno L , Choudhury Goutam Ghosh , Melby Peter C
Published: April 2012

The low expression of iNOS in hamsters is related to a region of the proximal promoter that lacks an NF-IL6 binding element.

IFN-γ/LPS-activated hamster (Mesocricetus auratus) macrophages express significantly less iNOS (NOS2) than activated mouse macrophages, which contributes to the hamsterˈs susceptibility to intracellular pathogens. We determined a mechanism responsible for differences in iNOS promoter activity in hamsters and mice. The HtPP (1.2 kb) showed low basal and inducible promoter activity when compared with the mouse, and sequences within a 100-bp region (−233 to −133) of the mouse and hamster promoters influenced this activity. Moreover, within this 100 bp, we identified a smaller region (44 bp) in the mouse promoter, which recovered basal promoter activity when swapped into the hamster promoter. The mouse homolog (100-bp region) contained a cis-element for NF-IL-6 (−153/−142), which was absent in the hamster counterpart. EMSA and supershift assays revealed that the hamster sequence did not support the binding of NF-IL-6. Introduction of a functional NF-IL-6 binding sequence into the hamster promoter or its alteration in the mouse promoter revealed the critical importance of this transcription factor for full iNOS promoter activity. Furthermore, the binding of NF-IL-6 to the iNOS promoter (−153/−142) in vivo was increased in mouse cells but was reduced in hamster cells after IFN-γ/LPS stimulation. Differences in the activity of the iNOS promoters were evident in mouse and hamster cells, so they were not merely a result of species-specific differences in transcription factors. Thus, we have identified unique DNA sequences and a critical transcription factor, NF-IL-6, which contribute to the overall basal and inducible expression of hamster iNOS.
Smac mimetic enables the anticancer action of BCG-stimulated neutrophils through TNF-α but not through TRAIL and FasL
Authors: Jinesh G. Goodwin , Chunduru Srinivas , Kamat Ashish M
Published: April 2012

Smac mimetic overcomes resistance of bladder cancer cells to BCG-stimulated neutrophils through TNF-α.

BCG, the current gold standard immunotherapy for bladder cancer, exerts its activity via recruitment of neutrophils to the tumor microenvironment. Many patients do not respond to BCG therapy, indicating the need to understand the mechanism of action of BCG-stimulated neutrophils and to identify ways to overcome resistance to BCG therapy. Using isolated human neutrophils stimulated with BCG, we found that TNF-α is the key mediator secreted by BCG-stimulated neutrophils. RT4v6 human bladder cancer cells, which express TNFR1, CD95/Fas, CD95 ligand/FasL, DR4, and DR5, were resistant to BCG-stimulated neutrophil conditioned medium but effectively killed by the combination of conditioned medium and Smac mimetic. rhTNF-α and rhFasL, but not rhTRAIL, in combination with Smac mimetic, generated signature molecular events similar to those produced by BCG-stimulated neutrophils in combination with Smac mimetic. However, experiments using neutralizing antibodies to these death ligands showed that TNF-α secreted from BCG-stimulated neutrophils was the key mediator of anticancer action. These findings explain the mechanism of action of BCG and identified Smac mimetics as potential combination therapeutic agents for bladder cancer.
Stable and dynamic microtubules coordinately determine and maintain Drosophila bristle shape
Authors: Bitan Amir , Rosenbaum Ido , Abdu Uri
Published: April 2012

Within interphase cells, microtubules (MTs) are organized in a cell-specific manner to support cell shape and function. Here, we report that coordination between stable and dynamic MTs determines and maintains the highly elongated bristle cell shape. By following MT-decorating hooks and by tracking EB1 we identified two MT populations within bristles: a stable MT population polarized with their minus ends distal to the cell body, and a dynamic MT population that exhibits mixed polarity. Manipulating MT dynamics by Klp10A downregulation demonstrates that MTs can initiate new shaft extensions and thus possess the ability to determine growth direction. Actin filament bundling subsequently supports the newly formed shaft extensions. Analysis of ik2 mutant bristles, established by elongation defects in the Drosophila ikkε homolog, led to the observation that stable and dynamic MT orientation and polarized organization are important for proper bristle elongation. Thus, we demonstrate for the first time that coordination between stable and dynamic MT sets that are axially organized yet differently polarized drives cell elongation.
Timing of anaphase-promoting complex activation in mouse oocytes is predicted by microtubule-kinetochore attachment but not by bivalent alignment or tension
Authors: Lane Simon I. R. , Yun Yan , Jones Keith T.
Published: April 2012

Homologous chromosome segregation errors during meiosis I are common and generate aneuploid embryos. Here, we provide a reason for this susceptibility to mis-segregation by live cell imaging of mouse oocytes. Our results show that stable kinetochore-microtubule attachments form in mid-prometaphase, 3-4 hours before anaphase. This coincided with the loss of Mad2 from kinetochores and with the start of anaphase-promoting complex/cyclosome (APC/C)-mediated cyclin B1 destruction. Therefore, the spindle assembly checkpoint (SAC) ceased to inhibit the APC/C from mid-prometaphase. This timing did not coincide with bivalent congression in one-third of all oocytes examined. Non-aligned bivalents were weakly positive for Mad2, under less tension than congressed bivalents and, by live-cell imaging, appeared to be in the process of establishing correct bi-orientation. The time from when the APC/C became active until anaphase onset was affected by the rate of loss of CDK1 activity, rather than by these non-aligned bivalents, which occasionally persisted until anaphase, resulting in homolog non-disjunction. We conclude that, in oocytes, a few erroneous attachments of bivalent kinetochores to microtubules do not generate a sufficient SAC ‘wait anaphase’ signal to inhibit the APC/C.
A New Multicolor Fluorescence In Situ Hybridization Probe Set Directed Against Human Heterochromatin
Authors: Bucksch Maria , Ziegler Monika , Kosayakova Nadezda , Mulatinho Milene V. , Llerena Juan C. , Morlot Susanne , Fischer Wolfgang , Polityko Anna D. , Kulpanovich Anna I. , Petersen Michael B. , Belitz Britta , Trifonov Vladimir , Weise Anja , Liehr Thomas , Hamid Ahmed B.
Published: April 2012

A new multicolor fluorescence in situ hybridization (mFISH) probe set is presented, and its possible applications are highlighted in 25 clinical cases. The so-called heterochromatin-M-FISH (HCM-FISH) probe set enables a one-step characterization of the large heterochromatic regions within the human genome. HCM-FISH closes a gap in the now available mFISH probe sets, as those do not normally cover the acrocentric short arms; the large pericentric regions of chromosomes 1, 9, and 16; as well as the band Yq12. Still, these regions can be involved in different kinds of chromosomal rearrangements such as translocations, insertions, inversions, amplifications, and marker chromosome formations. Here, examples are given for all these kinds of chromosomal aberrations, detected as constitutional rearrangements in clinical cases. Application perspectives of the probe set in tumors as well as in evolutionary cytogenetic studies are given.
An Image Analysis Method for the Precise Selection and Quantitation of Fluorescently Labeled Cellular Constituents
Authors: Agley Chibeza C. , Velloso Cristiana P. , Lazarus Norman R. , Harridge Stephen D. R.
Published: April 2012

The accurate measurement of the morphological characteristics of cells with nonuniform conformations presents difficulties. We report here a straightforward method using immunofluorescent staining and the commercially available imaging program Adobe Photoshop, which allows objective and precise information to be gathered on irregularly shaped cells. We have applied this measurement technique to the analysis of human muscle cells and their immunologically marked intracellular constituents, as these cells are prone to adopting a highly branched phenotype in culture. Use of this method can be used to overcome many of the long-standing limitations of conventional approaches for quantifying muscle cell size in vitro. In addition, wider applications of Photoshop as a quantitative and semiquantitative tool in immunocytochemistry are explored.
Cisplatin Nephrotoxicity Involves Mitochondrial Injury with Impaired Tubular Mitochondrial Enzyme Activity
Authors: Zsengellér Zsuzsanna K. , Ellezian Lena , Brown Dan , Horváth Béla , Mukhopadhyay Partha , Kalyanaraman Balaraman , Parikh Samir M. , Karumanchi S. Ananth , Stillman Isaac E. , Pacher Pál
Published: April 2012

Cisplatin is a widely used antineoplastic agent. However, its major limitation is dose-dependent nephrotoxicity whose precise mechanism is poorly understood. Recent studies have suggested that mitochondrial dysfunction in tubular epithelium contributes to cisplatin-induced nephrotoxicity. Here the authors extend those findings by describing the role of an important electron transport chain enzyme, cytochrome c oxidase (COX). Immunohistochemistry for COX 1 protein demonstrated that, in response to cisplatin, expression was mostly maintained in focally damaged tubular epithelium. In contrast, COX enzyme activity in proximal tubules (by light microscopy) was decreased. Ultrastructural analysis of the cortex and outer stripe of the outer medulla showed decreased mitochondrial mass, disruption of cristae, and extensive mitochondrial swelling in proximal tubular epithelium. Functional electron microscopy showed that COX enzyme activity was decreased in the remaining mitochondria in the proximal tubules but maintained in distal tubules. In summary, cisplatin-induced nephrotoxicity is associated with structural and functional damage to the mitochondria. More broadly, using functional electron microscopy to measure mitochondrial enzyme activity may generate mechanistic insights across a spectrum of renal disorders.
Der SA-Führer Hans Ramshorn
Authors: Schmidt Daniel
Published: April 2012

Vorspann

Das rechtsradikale Milieu, das sich nach dem Ersten Weltkrieg in Deutschland etablierte, ist uns in seinen Vorstellungen und seinem Lebensgefühl ziemlich fremd geworden. Die Erforschung seiner heterogenen Ideologien hat diese Distanz eher noch verstärkt. Unbeantwortet aber bleibt damit die Frage, warum ausgerechnet diese weltanschaulichen Entwürfe so viele Anhänger finden und sich letzten Endes durchsetzen konnten. Eine der überzeugendsten Antworten auf diese Frage bietet noch immer der biographische Ansatz. Das wilde, unkonventionelle und in mancherlei Hinsicht extreme Leben des Hans Ramshorn scheint geradezu prädestiniert dazu. Es lässt sich immer auch als Schnittpunkt verstehen, in dem sich viele überindividuelle Zeittendenzen – politische und militärische, ideologische und gesellschaftliche – überkreuzten und bündelten.
Törekvéseink a pancreasresectiókat követő sebészi szövődmények csökkentésére
Authors: Kelemen Dezső , Papp Róbert , Baracs József , Horváth Örs Péter
Published: April 2012

Absztrakt

Bevezetés: A pancreasresectiókat követő sebészi szövődmények közül a leggyakoribbak a pancreasfistula és a meglassult gyomorürülés. A szerzők célja e komplikációk alakulásának elemzése volt saját gyakorlatukban. Anyag és mód-szerek: A 14 éves periódus során malignus pancreas- vagy periampullaris tumor miatt radikális műtéten átesett 287 beteg főbb klinikai adatait vizsgálták. Leggyakoribb a pancreas-adenocarcinoma volt, ami a pancreas feji részére lokalizálódott. Legtöbbször pylorusmegtartásos pancreatoduodenectomiára került sor. A kezdeti időszakban a rekonstrukció során pancreatogastrostomiát vagy kétrétegű pancreatojejunostomiát végeztek, valamint retrocolicus duodeno-, illetve gastrojejunostomiát. A későbbiekben áttértek az egyrétegű implantációs pancreatojejunostomiára és az antecolicus rekonstrukcióra, az utóbbit Braun-anastomosisszal kiegészítve. Eredmények: A posztoperatív időszakban 39%-ban fordult elő szövődmény, 5,6%-ban történt reoperáció, az operatív mortalitás 3,8% volt. Az egyrétegű pancreatojejunalis anastomosis alkalmazását követően a pancreasfistula aránya 5,9%-ra csökkent, ami a pancreatogastrostoma utáni 17,6%-hoz képest szignifikáns különbség. Az antecolicus rekonstrukció eredményeként a meglassult gyomorürülés gyakorisága 10,2%-ról 2,1%-ra csökkent, az eltérés statisztikailag szignifikáns. Következtetések: A 14 év során végrehajtott műtéttechnikai változtatások következtében a pancreasfistula és a meglassult gyomorürülés előfordulása jelentősen csökkent, ami a sebészi módszerek állandó fejlesztésének szükségességére hívja fel a figyelmet.
Lead Sulfide Quantum Dot Synthesis, Deposition, and Temperature Dependence Studies of the Stokes Shift
Authors: Wang Joanna S. , Ullrich Bruno , Brown Gail J.
Published: April 2012

We investigated the temperature dependence of the Stokes shift of PbS quantum dots (diameter 4.7 nm) deposited from solution on glass using a specially designed apparatus. By measuring the thermal alteration of the optical absorbance and photoluminescence in the range of 5 K – 300 K, we demonstrate that the Stokes shift shrinks from 135 meV at 5 K to 62 meV at 300 K. Extrapolation of the data presented predict an elimination temperature of the Stokes shift of about 460 K, corresponding to the thermal energy of the sum of prominent PbS phonon energies.
Host Resistance and Parasite Virulence inStriga–Host Plant Interactions: A Shifting Balance of Power
Authors: Timko Michael P. , Huang Kan , Lis Karolina E.
Published: April 2012

The witchweeds, members of the genusStriga, are noxious and persistent pests in farmers' fields and serious constraints to crop productivity throughout Africa, India, and Southeast Asia. Among the primary hosts forStrigaare the major cereals (maize, sorghum, rice, and millet) and grain legumes (cowpea) that are important food staples worldwide. The negative impact of parasitic plants on crop productivity increases globally each year, and their potential for affecting domestic agriculture looms larger as the movement of seed resources expands on a global scale. At the present time there is a limited understanding of howStrigaand other parasitic plants select a suitable host and overcome the innate defense responses of the host in order to complete their life-cycle. In the grasses most reported resistance toStrigaappears to be polygenic with a large genotype by environment interaction. In contrast, resistance toS. gesnerioidesin cowpea is conferred by single dominant genes functioning in a race-specific manner suggesting that a gene-for-gene mechanism similar to effector-triggered immunity (ETI) described in other host–pathogen interactions is likely operating in these parasite-host associations. A hallmark of ETI is the direct or indirect recognition of parasite-derived avirulence (Avr) factors and other effectors that interfere with plant innate immunity by host sensors (or R proteins) leading to activation of defense responses. The recent cloning and functional characterization of a race-specific R gene from cowpea encoding a canonical coiled-coil (CC)-nucleotide binding site (NBS)-leucine-rich repeat (LRR) type R-protein opens the door for further exploration of the mechanism of host resistance and provides a focal point for studies aimed at uncovering the molecular and genetic factors underlying parasite virulence and host selection. The potential for the development of novel strategies for parasite control and eradication based on parasite virulence factors is discussed.
Small Broomrape (Orobanche minor) in Oregon and the 3 Rs: Regulation, Research, and Reality
Authors: Mallory-Smith Carol , Colquhoun Jed
Published: April 2012

Small broomrape is a federally listed noxious weed that was first identified in Oregon in 1923. Between 1923 and 1997, there were only six reports of the species in Oregon. Small broomrape is a holoparasitic weed that attaches to the root of its host and can lead to crop failure depending on the level of infestation. Small broomrape was identified in a red clover field in Oregon in 1998. In 2000 and 2001, the Oregon Department of Agriculture surveyed red and white clover fields in Oregon for the presence of small broomrape; 15 infested fields were identified in 2000 and 22 in 2001. The source of the small broomrape seed was not identified although there was speculation that small broomrape seed may have been contaminated clover seed stock. In 2000, a quarantine was established for small broomrape in red clover seed. Research identified effective, easy to implement management strategies for small broomrape including the use of false host crops and imazamox. In 2003, the ODA amended the quarantine to eliminate the mandatory seed sampling and testing and the requirement of reporting infested fields and seed lots. In 2011, there are still populations of small broomrape present in red clover fields in Oregon.
Multiple Resistance to Glyphosate and Pyrithiobac in Palmer Amaranth (Amaranthus palmeri) from Mississippi and Response to Flumiclorac
Authors: Nandula Vijay K. , Reddy Krishna N. , Koger Clifford H. , Poston Daniel H. , Rimando Agnes M. , Duke Stephen O. , Bond Jason A. , Ribeiro Daniela N.
Published: April 2012

Greenhouse and laboratory studies were conducted to confirm and quantify glyphosate resistance, quantify pyrithiobac resistance, and investigate interaction between flumiclorac and glyphosate mixtures on control of Palmer amaranth from Mississippi. The GR50(herbicide dose required to cause a 50% reduction in plant growth) values for two glyphosate-resistant biotypes, C1B1 and T4B1, and a glyphosate-susceptible (GS) biotype were 1.52, 1.3, and 0.09 kg ae ha−1glyphosate, respectively. This indicated that the C1B1 and T4B1 biotypes were 17- and 14-fold resistant to glyphosate, respectively, compared with the GS biotype. The C1B1 and T4B1 biotypes were also resistant to pyrithiobac, an acetolactate synthase (ALS) inhibitor, with GR50values of 0.06 and 0.07 kg ai ha−1, respectively. This indicated that the C1B1 and T4B1 biotypes were 7- and 8-fold, respectively, more resistant to pyrithiobac compared with the GS biotype, which had a GR50value of 0.009 kg ha−1. Flumiclorac was antagonistic to glyphosate by reducing glyphosate translocation. The C1B1 and T4B1 absorbed less glyphosate 48 h after treatment (HAT) compared with the GS biotype. The majority of the translocated glyphosate accumulated in the shoot above the treated leaf (that contains the apical meristem) in the GS biotype and in the shoot below the treated leaf in the resistant biotypes, C1B1 and T4B1, by 48 HAT. The C1B1 biotype accumulated negligible shikimate levels, whereas the T4B1 and GS biotypes recorded elevated levels of shikimate. Metabolism of glyphosate to aminomethylphosphonic acid was not detected in either of the resistant biotypes or the susceptible GS biotype. The above results confirm multiple resistance to glyphosate and pyrithiobac in Palmer amaranth biotypes from Mississippi and indicate that resistance to glyphosate is partly due to reduced absorption and translocation of glyphosate.
Corrosion of heat-treated steel bars in concrete synthetic pore solution
Authors: Poursaee Amir , Saremi Mohsen
Published: April 2012

In this paper, the effect of different surface treatments on the corrosion resistance in concrete synthetic pore solution is investigated. The results show that, if carburising accompanies normalising, the corrosion resistance of the steel bar will increase without having a negative impact on its mechanical properties.
Influence of superplasticiser and mixing procedure on properties of styrene–acrylic ester latex modified mortars
Authors: Li Jinmei , Zhong Shiyun , Zhang Congcong
Published: April 2012

The influence of different superplasticisers and mixing procedures of latex on the properties of styrene–acrylic ester latex-modified mortars (LMM) was studied. The results indicate that the water-reducing effect of latex in LMM with naphthalene formaldehyde condensate superplasticiser (NF) is 27% higher than that in LMM with polycarboxylic superplasticiser, which demonstrates that more polymer particles are free in pores (not adsorbed by cement grains) and act as ball bearing in LMM with NF. The mixing procedure of latex influences the microstructure and mechanical properties of LMM. LMM added latex and water simultaneously (LMM-S) show higher compressive, flexural and adhesive strength at later stage than LMM added latex later than water (LMM-L). The scanning electronic microscopy observation results also illustrate that more polymer particles are adsorbed by cement grains in LMM-S than in LMM-L.
Withdrawn: Effects of Cr2O3 nanoparticles on properties of SCC with GGBFS binder
Authors: Nazari Ali , Riahi Shadi
Published: April 2012

Withdrawn due to redundant publication (self-plagiarism).
Quality Improvement With Pay-for-Performance Incentives in Integrated Behavioral Health Care
Authors: Unützer Jürgen , Chan Ya-Fen , Hafer Erin , Knaster Jessica , Shields Anne , Powers Diane , Veith Richard C.
Published: April 2012

Objectives. We evaluated a quality improvement program with a pay-for-performance (P4P) incentive in a population-focused, integrated care program for safety-net patients in 29 community health clinics.

Methods. We used a quasi-experimental design with 1673 depressed adults before and 6304 adults after the implementation of the P4P program. Survival analyses examined the time to improvement in depression before and after implementation of the P4P program, with adjustments for patient characteristics and clustering by health care organization.

Results. Program participants had high levels of depression, other psychiatric and substance abuse problems, and social adversity. After implementation of the P4P incentive program, participants were more likely to experience timely follow-up, and the time to depression improvement was significantly reduced. The hazard ratio for achieving treatment response was 1.73 (95% confidence interval = 1.39, 2.14) after the P4P program implementation compared with pre-program implementation.

Conclusions. Although this quasi-experiment cannot prove that the P4P initiative directly caused improved patient outcomes, our analyses strongly suggest that when key quality indicators are tracked and a substantial portion of payment is tied to such quality indicators, the effectiveness of care for safety-net populations can be substantially improved.