bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Initial experience of 3 tesla apparent diffusion coefficient values in differentiating benign and malignant thyroid nodules
Authors: Ilica A. Turan , Artaş Hakan , Ayan Asli , Günal Armağan , Emer Ozdes , Kilbas Zafer , Meric Coskun , Atasoy Mehmet Mahir , Uzuner Ovsev
Published: November 2012

Purpose:

To evaluate the role of diffusion‐weighted magnetic resonance imaging (DWMRI) in differentiating benign and malignant thyroid nodules using a 3 Tesla (T) MRI scanner.

Materials and Methods:

Twenty‐eight nodules in 25 patients and 14 healthy control cases were included in the study. DWMRI was acquired with 6 b values with a 3T MRI scanner. The apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) values of the nodules were calculated from reconstructed ADC map images and were compared with the final histopathological diagnoses.

Results:

The mean ADC value of the benign nodules was 1548 ± 353.4 (×10−6 mm2/s), and the mean ADC of the malignant nodules was 814 ± 177.12 (×10−6 mm2/s). The normal thyroid tissue had a mean ADC value of 1323.43 ± 210.35 × 10−6 mm2/s (958–1689 × 10−6 mm2/s) in the healthy control group. The ADC values were significantly different among the three groups (P = 0.001). An ADC value of 905 × 10−6 mm2/s was determined to be the cutoff value for differentiating benign and malignant nodules, with 90% (55.5–98.3) sensitivity and 100% (81.3–100.0) specificity.

Conclusion:

This study suggests that the ADC values of nodules measured with a 3T MRI scanner could help in differentiating benign thyroid nodules from malignant nodules. J. Magn. Reson. Imaging 2013;37:1077–1082. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Short TE 7Li‐MRS confirms Bi‐exponential lithium T2 relaxation in humans and clearly delineates two patient subtypes
Authors: Port John D. , Rampton Karen E. , Shu Yunhong , Manduca Armando , Frye Mark A.
Published: November 2012

Purpose:

(i) To develop an MRS technique to measure 7Li levels in human brain in a reasonable scan time, (ii) to develop a technique to quantify 7Li T2 relaxation times as measured from human brain in patients taking lithium for the treatment of their bipolar disorder, and (iii) to confirm or refute the presence of bi‐exponential 7Li T2 relaxation in human brain.

Materials and Methods:

We modified a spin‐echo MRS pulse sequence to decrease its minimum echo time. With IRB approval, we performed lithium MRS with the modified pulse sequence on 13 euthymic bipolar patients stable on long‐term lithium to treat their disease.

Results:

We were able to achieve a total scan time per sample of 8:20; total scan time including imaging, calibration and MRS was approximately 1 h 15 min. We observed bi‐exponential T2 relaxation in the majority of patients, with an average short decay time of 5.3 ± 1.4 ms and an average long decay time of 68.2 ± 10.2 ms. However, in two patients we observed strongly mono‐exponential T2 relaxation with an average decay time of 47.4 ± 1.3 ms.

Conclusion:

7Li relaxation patterns may prove useful to distinguish between lithium‐responsive and lithium nonresponsive bipolar patients. J. Magn. Reson. Imaging 2013;37:1451–1459. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Hungry for Growth? Small and Medium‐sized Tourism Enterprise (SMTE) Business Ambitions, Knowledge Acquisition and Industry Engagement
Authors: King Brian Edward , Breen John , Whitelaw Paul A.
Published: November 2012

Differences are identified between the preferred information and learning channels of small and medium‐sized tourism enterprise (SMTE) proprietors, who have an interest in business operations (growers) or who have relatively less interest (lifestylers). Lifestylers sign up frequently to tourism industry associations, whereas growers have a tendency to join generic business groupings. The most common information for both groups is marketing related, and intensive use is made of online information to support day‐to‐day business operations. In aggregate, SMTE proprietors are avid information seekers, attaching importance to the advice provided from experienced and trusted sources. Growers proactively gather information about general management as well as tourism‐specific knowledge. Adopting a ‘one size fits all’ approach to providing information for the SMTE sector is unlikely to be effective. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Tandem mass spectrometry for characterization of covalent adducts of DNA with anticancer therapeutics
Authors: Silvestri Catherine , Brodbelt Jennifer S.
Published: November 2012

The chemotherapeutic activities of many anticancer and antibacterial drugs arise from their interactions with nucleic acid substrates. Some of these ligands interact with DNA in a way that causes conformational changes or damage to the nucleic acid targets, ultimately altering recognition by key DNA‐specific enzymes, interfering with DNA transcription or prohibiting replication, and terminating cell growth and proliferation. The design and synthesis of ligands that bind to nucleic acids remains a dynamic field in medicinal chemistry and pharmaceutical research. The quest for more selective and efficacious DNA‐interactive anticancer chemotherapeutics has likewise catalyzed the need for sensitive analytical methods that can provide structural information about the nature of the resulting DNA adducts and provide insight into the mechanistic pathways of the DNA/drug interactions and the impact on the cellular processes in biological systems. This review focuses on the array of tandem mass spectrometric strategies developed and applied for characterization of covalent adducts formed between DNA and anticancer ligands. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc., Mass Spec Rev 32:247–266, 2013
Diagnostic validity across racial and ethnic groups in the assessment of adolescent DSM‐IV disorders
Authors: Green Jennifer Greif , Gruber Michael J. , Kessler Ronald C. , Lin Julia Y. , Mclaughlin Katie A. , Sampson Nancy A. , Zaslavsky Alan M. , Alegria Margarita
Published: November 2012

We examine differential validity of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fourth Edition (DSM‐IV) diagnoses assessed by the fully‐structured Composite International Diagnostic Interview Version 3.0 (CIDI) among Latino, non‐Latino Black, and non‐Latino White adolescents in comparison to gold standard diagnoses derived from the Schedule for Affective Disorders and Schizophrenia for School‐age Children (K‐SADS). Results are based on the National Comorbidity Survey Replication Adolescent Supplement, a national US survey of adolescent mental health. Clinicians re‐interviewed 347 adolescent/parent dyads with the K‐SADS. Sensitivity and/or specificity of CIDI diagnoses varied significantly by ethnicity/race for four of ten disorders. Modifications to algorithms sometimes reduced bias in prevalence estimates, but at the cost of reducing individual‐level concordance. These findings document the importance of assessing fully‐structured diagnostic instruments for differential accuracy in ethnic/racial subgroups. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
The diverse functions of germline P‐granules in Caenorhabditis elegans
Authors: Voronina Ekaterina
Published: November 2012

P‐granules are conserved cytoplasmic organelles, similar to nuage, that are present in Caenorhabditis elegans germ cells. Based on the prevailing sterility phenotype of the component mutants, P‐granules have been seen as regulators of germ cell development and function. Yet, specific germline defects resulting from P‐granule failure vary, depending on which component(s) are inactivated, at which stage of development, as well as on the presence of stress factors during animal culture. This review discusses the unifying themes in many P‐granule functions, with the main focus on their role as organizing centers nucleating RNA regulation in the germ cell cytoplasm. Mol. Reprod. Dev. 80:624–631, 2013. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Gamma‐amino butyric acid and the A‐type receptor suppress decidualization of mouse uterine stromal cells by down‐regulating cyclin D3
Authors: Luo Wenping , Liu Zhenzhen , Tan Dongmei , Zhang Qian , Peng Hongying , Wang Yingxiong , Tan Yi
Published: November 2012

Uterine decidualization, characterized by stromal cell proliferation and differentiation into polyploid decidual cells, is critical to the establishment of pregnancy in mice, although the mechanism underlying this process remains poorly understood. This study is the first to investigate the expression of gamma‐amino butyric acid (GABA) and the GABA A‐type receptor π subunit (GABPR) in the early‐pregnancy mouse uterus and their roles in decidualization. The expression of GABRP was detected from Day 4 to 8 of pregnancy. The effects of GABA and GABA A‐type receptor on cell proliferation and apoptosis were investigated using the Cell Titer 96® AQueous One Solution Cell Proliferation Assay and flow cytometry. The levels of cyclin D3 protein were measured in cultured stromal cells artificially induced to undergo decidualization, and treated with GABA and a GABA A‐type receptor agonist or antagonist, respectively, at the same time. mRNA expression of gabrp in implantation sites was lower than that in inter‐implanted sites. GABA and GABRP protein were localized in the luminal and glandular epithelium, stromal cells, and decidual cells. In vitro, GABPR protein level was decreased in cultured stromal cells during the decidualization process. The addition of GABA and the GABA A‐type receptor agonist Muscimol inhibited stromal cell proliferation, promoted apoptosis, and arrested cells in S‐phase, followed by decreased expression of cyclin D3. These results show that in mice, GABA was actively involved in inhibiting stromal cell proliferation and suppresses decidualization progress through GABA A‐type receptors by down‐regulating cyclin D3 level. Mol. Reprod. Dev. 80: 59–69, 2013. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Würdige Preisträger
Authors: Beck‐Sickinger Annette
Published: November 2012

Der Chemienobelpreis 2012 geht an die US‐Amerikaner Robert J. Lefkowitz von der Duke University, Durham, sowie an Brian K. Kobilka von der Stanford University für ihre Untersuchungen zu G‐Protein‐gekoppelten Rezeptoren. Weshalb haben diese Rezeptoren eine solche Bedeutung? Und warum wurden gerade diese beiden Wissenschaftler ausgezeichnet?
Pionier der Agrikulturchemie
Authors: Schwenke Klaus Dieter
Published: November 2012

Als Pionier der Agrikulturchemie steht Carl Sprengel heute im Schatten von Justus von Liebig. Zu Unrecht — stammen doch viele originelle Ideen und Denkansätze von Sprengel; vor allem geht die Mineralstofflehre der Pflanzenernährung und das Minimumgesetz auf ihn zurück.
Wer bildet die Fachkräfte aus?
Authors: Schierloh Claudia
Published: November 2012

BASF richtet den Ausbildungsverbund neu aus — die Partnerbetriebe müssen umdenken.
Schutzschichten kontrollieren
Authors: Viefhaus Tillmann , Haug Peter , Massonne Hans‐Joachim
Published: November 2012

Ein konfokales Ramanmikroskop charakterisiert Eloxalschichten in situ und so schnell, dass es die Veränderung solcher Schichten bereits während des Produktionsprozesses zeigt. Dies eröffnet die Möglichkeit, den Prozess zu optimieren.
Keine Angst vor Geisterpeaks
Authors: Richrath Brigitte
Published: November 2012

Störpeaks aus Chromatogrammen zu eliminieren, ist besonders dann wichtig, wenn die Gehalte der Analyten präzise zu bestimmen sind, etwa in der Arzneimittelherstellung.
Observer‐based H ∞  control of discrete Markovian jump delay systems with random packet losses and multiplicative noises
Authors: Wen Shiping , Zeng Zhigang , Huang Tingwen , Bao Gang
Published: November 2012

This paper investigates the observer‐based H ∞  control problem for a class of mixed‐delay Markovian jump systems with random communication packet losses and multiplicative noises. The mixed delays comprise both discrete time‐varying delays and distributed delays, the random packet losses are described by a Bernoulli distributed white sequence that obeys a conditional probability distribution, and the multiplicative disturbances are in the form of a scalar Gaussian white noise with unit variance. In the presence of mixed delays, random packet losses and multiplicative noises, sufficient conditions for the existence of an observer‐based feedback controller are derived such that the closed‐loop control system is asymptotically mean‐square stable and preserves a guaranteed H ∞  performance. Then, a linear matrix inequality approach for designing such an observer‐based H ∞  controller is presented. Finally, a numerical example is provided to illustrate the effectiveness of the developed theoretical results. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Hydrocephalus, agenesis of the corpus callosum, and cleft lip/palate represent frequent associations in fetuses with Peters' plus syndrome and B3GALTL mutations. – Fetal PPS phenotypes, expanded by Dandy Walker cyst and encephalocele
Authors: Schoner Katharina , Kohlhase Juergen , Müller Annette M. , Schramm Thomas , Plassmann Margit , Schmitz Ralf , Neesen Juergen , Wieacker Peter , Rehder Helga
Published: November 2012

Objective

Fetal pathology aims to recognize syndromal patterns of anomalies for goal‐directed mutation analyses, genetic counseling, and early prenatal diagnosis in consecutive pregnancies. Here, we report on five fetuses with Peters' plus syndrome (PPS) from two distinct families aborted after prenatal ultrasound diagnosis of hydrocephaly.

Method

We performed fetal autopsies and molecular analyses.

Results

Among 44 fetuses with prenatally diagnosed hydrocephaly, four fetuses of 16 to 21 gestational weeks presented with additional cleft lip/palate and/or agenesis of the corpus callosum. Other features were growth retardation, hypertelorism, anomalies of the eyes, in part consistent with Peters' anterior chamber anomalies, mild brachymelia, brachydactyly, and also internal anomalies. Suspected PPS was confirmed by detection of B3GALTL mutation in these four fetuses and in one additional sib fetus, revealing homozygosity for the common c.660 + 1G > A donor splice site mutation in intron 8.

Conclusions

Autosomal‐recessive PPS has not yet been diagnosed prenatally. We want to alert ultrasonographers to the diagnosis of this disorder in growth‐retarded fetuses with (recurrent) hydrocephaly, agenesis of the corpus callosum, and cleft lip/palate and stress the more severe fetal manifestation, describing a first such case with additional Dandy–Walker cyst and occult meningoencephalocele. © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
International Student Migration: Mapping the Field and New Research Agendas
Authors: King Russell , Raghuram Parvati
Published: November 2012

Despite rapid growth in the student component of global migration flows, the study of international student migration/mobility (ISM) is a relatively neglected field in migration research. This special issue helps to address this lacuna. This introductory paper highlights the contradictions between international students as ‘desired’ because of their internationalism and fee contributions, and as ‘unwanted’ because of the politics of migration control especially in the context of the securitisation of study in the post 9/11 scenario. It argues that interrogating the terms ‘international’ and ‘students’ is critical to addressing the slipperiness that underlies these contradictions. Focusing on students per se ignores their multiple roles, as family members, actual or potential workers, or perhaps refugees and asylum‐seekers, while definitions of international students ignore the diversity of study that students undertake. After summarising the papers that follow, this paper concludes with an agenda for future research on ISM: greater theoretical insight drawing on the cognate field of mobility studies; more in‐depth ethnographic research on mobile students who recognise their multiple roles in knowledge diffusion and social reproduction; further research on ISM datasets and quantitative surveys, which employs statistical analysis; more attention paid to gender and race as they relate to ISM; and a stronger link to pedagogy and systems of higher education and knowledge production.

Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Low‐temperature electrophoretic deposition of Cu2‐xSe nanoparticles
Authors: Ting Chu‐Chi , Lee Wen‐Yuan
Published: November 2012

Cu1.95Se films were fabricated by electrophoresis deposition (EPD) with Cu1.95Se nanocrystals synthesized by the one‐pot solution‐phase process. The resistivity (7.64×10‐3 Ωcm), carrier concentration (1.07×1020 cm‐3), and mobility [7.62 cm2V‐1s‐1] of Cu1.95Se film fabricated at an EPD voltage of 30 V were an improvement on that of Cu1.95Se film fabricated at an EPD voltage of 70 V, den which can be attributed to the higher density (packing sity = 52.4%) of the film fabricated at 30 V. The EPD‐growth method has high potential for fabrication of non‐vacuum, room‐temperature‐grown Cu2‐xSe films (© 2012 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)
Investigation of local field effect of α‐NaYF4:Nd3+ nanocrystals
Authors: Xue Xiaojie , Suzuki Takenobu , Tong Hoang Tuan , Ohishi Yasutake
Published: November 2012

Pure α‐NaYF4: Nd3+ nanocrystals of various sizes from 6 nm to 18 nm were successfully synthesized by a solvothermal method. The monodispersed oleate‐capped nanocrystals were dispersed in several nonpolar solvents to obtain stable colloidal. Under the excitation by an 803 nm laser, luminescent decay curves of the colloidal were measured. The relationship between emission lifetimes of samples and effective refractive indices of solvents was studied for the local field correction factor. In the 18 nm sample, the real cavity model was preferable model. As the particle size decreased to 6 nm, the preferred model altered from the real cavity model to the virtual cavity model which might be derived from changing of polarizability density. (© 2012 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)
Fabrication and optical properties of Mn2+‐doped CdS/ZnS core/shell nanocrystals
Authors: Takada Masahiro , Ishizumi Atsushi , Yanagi Hisao
Published: November 2012

We have fabricated Mn2+‐doped CdS/ZnS core/shell nanocrystals (NCs) where Mn ions exist within ZnS shell layer, and have studied optical properties of the samples with different Mn concentrations. The exciton and Mn PL are clearly observed in the Mn2+‐doped CdS/ZnS core/shell NCs. The intensity of the exciton PL decreases with the Mn concentration, while that of the Mn PL increases. Furthermore, the Stokes shift of the exciton PL is suppressed by doping of the Mn ions. Our findings reveal that the Mn ions within the ZnS shell is excited by energy transfer from excitons of the CdS cores. (© 2012 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)
Traceable measurements of electrical conductivity and Seebeck coefficient of β‐Fe0.95Co0.05Si2 and Ge in the temperature range from 300 K to 850 K
Authors: Lenz E. , Haupt S. , Edler F. , Ziolkowski P. , Pernau H.‐F.
Published: November 2012

The paper describes a measuring system and a measuring method to measure the Seebeck coefficient and the electrical conductivity of different bulk materials. Some improvements of the original setup allow a reduction of the achievable relative measurement uncertainty regarding the Seebeck coefficient to a few percent. This is demonstrated by the results of Seebeck coefficient measurements of metallic and different semiconducting samples (© 2012 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)
Fabrication and characterization of semiconducting half‐Heusler YPtSb thin films
Authors: Shan Rong , Vilanova Enrique V. , Qin Juan , Casper Frederick , Fecher Gerhard H. , Jakob Gerhard , Felser Claudia
Published: November 2012

magnified image

The semiconducting half‐Heusler compound YPtSb has been predicted to convert into a topological insulator under the application of an appropriate degree of strain. In this study, p‐type semiconducting YPtSb thin films were prepared by magnetron co‐sputtering, using a specially designed target. YPtSb thin films grown on MgO (100) substrates at 600 °C showed a textured structure with the (111) plane parallel to the (001) plane of MgO. Electrical measurements showed that the resistivity of the YPtSb films decreases with increasing temperature, indicating semiconductor‐like behavior. The carrier density was as high as 1.15 × 1021 cm–3 at 300 K. The band gap of the YPtSb thin films was around 0.1–0.15 eV, which was in good agreement with the theoretical prediction and the value measured for bulk YPtSb. (© 2013 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)
Hair Growth Activity of Crataegus pinnatifida on C57BL/6 Mouse Model
Authors: Shin Heon‐Sub , Lee Jung‐Min , Park Sang‐Yong , Yang Jung‐Eun , Kim Ju‐Han , Yi Tae‐Hoo
Published: November 2012

Crataegus pinnatifida has a long history of use in traditional oriental herbal medicine to stimulating digestion and improving blood circulation. Based on nutrition of hair, the present study was conducted to assess the effect of C. pinnatifida extract on hair growth using mouse model and its mechanisms of action. The C. pinnatifida extract containing the contents of total polyphenol of 5.88□0.82 g gallic acid/100 g extract and proanthocyanidin of 9.15□1.58 mg cyaniding chloride/100 g extract was orally administered daily at a dosage of 50 mg/kg weight to the 7‐week‐old C57BL/6 mice in telogen. The C. pinnatifida extract promoted hair growth by inducing anagen phase in mice in telogen, reflected by color of skin, thickness of hair shaft, and density of hair. The ratio of anagento telogen was determined by shape of hair follicles in vertically sectioned slide and increased by oral administration of C. pinnatifida extract. The number and the size of hair follicles were also enlarged, indicating anagen phase induction. The proliferation of human dermal papilla cells (hDPC) was accelerated by addition of C. pinnatifida extract, which activated the signaling of mitogen‐activated protein kinases (Erk, p‐38, and JNK) and Akt. Moreover, the ratio of Bcl‐2/Bax as the determinant of cell fate was also raised in skin. These results suggest that the C. pinnatifida extract promotes hair growth by inducing anagen phase, which might be mediated by the activation of cellular signalings that enhance the survival of cultured hDPC and the increase of the ratio of Bcl‐2 to Bax that protects cells against cell death. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Operational implementation of a hybrid ensemble/4D‐Var global data assimilation system at the Met Office
Authors: Clayton A. M. , Lorenc A. C. , Barker D. M.
Published: November 2012

We describe the development and testing of the hybrid ensemble/4D‐Var global data assimilation system that was implemented operationally at the Met Office in July 2011, giving an average reduction of RMS errors of just under 1%. The scheme uses the extended control variable technique to implement a hybrid background error covariance that combines the standard climatological covariance with a covariance derived from the 23‐member operational ensemble MOGREPS‐G. Unique features of the Met Office scheme include application of a horizontal ‘anti‐aliasing’ filter to the ensemble error modes, a vertical localization scheme based uniquely on a modification of the climatological stream function covariance, and inflation of the climatological covariance to maintain the analysis fit to observations. Findings during development include a significantly greater impact of the scheme in 3D‐Var than 4D‐Var, a clear positive impact from the combination of the anti‐aliasing filter and vertical localization, and a relatively small sensitivity to full coupling of the ensemble and 4D‐Var systems. Supplementary experiments suggest that the ability of the ensemble to capture coherent ‘Errors of the Day’ is key to the improvements in forecast skill.

A particular problem encountered during development was significantly poorer tropical verification scores when measured against own analyses. In contrast, verification against independent (ECMWF) analyses gave scores that were much more consistent with those against observations.
Shape‐based similarity searching in chemical databases
Authors: Finn Paul W. , Morris Garrett M.
Published: November 2012

Shape similarity is a key concept and requirement for molecular recognition. As a result, much research has been undertaken to develop methods to represent molecular shape and to quantify the shape similarity between molecules. A great variety of shape descriptions and similarity comparison approaches have been developed, ranging from explicit representations using intersecting atom‐centered spheres and molecular superposition to abstract statistical representations that allow alignment‐free comparisons. Several of these methods have sufficient computational performance to allow shape similarity searches over extremely large compound databases as a ligand‐based virtual screening (VS) technique. As with other approaches to VS, the relative performance of shape similarity methods is dataset and problem specific, with each approach having its merits and limitations and no one approach showing a clear and consistent advantage over the others. Again, as with other VS approaches, most reports of performance are in the context of retrospective validation studies, which show competitive performance against target‐based and two‐dimensional methods. Prospective studies are rarer in the literature, but a number of successes have been reported. Intensive research continues in the search for improved representations of shape, partial shape matching, and approaches to address the challenges imposed by ligand and target flexibility. © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

This article is categorized under:

Computer and Information Science > Chemoinformatics
Paleontology and Evolution in the News
Authors: Horenstein Sidney
Published: November 2012

This paper is a review of recent media publications and journal articles about evolution and paleontology.
Why Is Infant Mortality Higher in Boys Than in Girls? A New Hypothesis Based on Preconception Environment and Evidence From a Large Sample of Twins
Authors: Pongou Roland
Published: November 2012

Infant mortality is higher in boys than girls in most parts of the world. This has been explained by sex differences in genetic and biological makeup, with boys being biologically weaker and more susceptible to diseases and premature death. At the same time, recent studies have found that numerous preconception or prenatal environmental factors affect the probability of a baby being conceived male or female. I propose that these environmental factors also explain sex differences in mortality. I contribute a new methodology of distinguishing between child biology and preconception environment by comparing male-female differences in mortality across opposite-sex twins, same-sex twins, and all twins. Using a large sample of twins from sub-Saharan Africa, I find that both preconception environment and child biology increase the mortality of male infants, but the effect of biology is substantially smaller than the literature suggests. I also estimate the interacting effects of biology with some intrauterine and external environmental factors, including birth order within a twin pair, social status, and climate. I find that a twin is more likely to be male if he is the firstborn, born to an educated mother, or born in certain climatic conditions. Male firstborns are more likely to survive than female firstborns, but only during the neonatal period. Finally, mortality is not affected by the interactions between biology and climate or between biology and social status.
Dementia and out‐of‐pocket spending on health care services
Authors: Delavande Adeline , Hurd Michael D. , Martorell Paco , Langa Kenneth M.
Published: November 2012

Background

High levels of out‐of‐pocket (OOP) spending for health care may lead patients to forego needed services and medications as well as hamper their ability to pay for other essential goods. Because it leads to disability and the loss of independence, dementia may put patients and their families at risk for high OOP spending, especially for long‐term care services.

Methods

We used data from the Aging, Demographics, and Memory Study, a nationally representative subsample (n = 743) of the Health and Retirement Study, to determine whether individuals with dementia had higher self‐reported OOP spending compared with those with cognitive impairment without dementia and those with normal cognitive function. We also examined the relationship between dementia and utilization of dental care and prescription medications—two types of health care that are frequently paid for OOP. Multivariate and logistic regression models were used to adjust for the influence of potential confounders.

Results

After controlling for demographics and comorbidities, those with dementia had more than three times the yearly OOP spending compared with those with normal cognition ($8216 for those with dementia vs. $2570 for those with normal cognition, P < .01). Higher OOP spending for those with dementia was mainly driven by greater expenditures on nursing home care (P < .01). Dementia was not associated with the likelihood of visiting the dentist (P = .76) or foregoing prescription medications owing to cost (P = .34).

Conclusions

Dementia is associated with high levels of OOP spending but not with the use of dental care or foregoing prescription medications, suggesting that excess OOP spending among those with dementia does not “crowd out” spending on these other health care services.
Alzheimer's disease pathology does not mediate the association between depressive symptoms and subsequent cognitive decline
Authors: Royall Donald R. , Palmer Raymond F.
Published: November 2012

Background

Depressive symptoms in nondemented individuals appear to hasten the progression from mild cognitive impairment to clinical Alzheimer's disease (AD) and double the risk of incident AD. However, the mechanism(s) by which depression might affect this risk has not been well established. The purpose of this analysis was to test the hypothesis that AD pathology mediates depression's apparent effect on the risk of dementia conversion using longitudinally collected psychometric testing and autopsy data from the Honolulu–Asia Aging Study.

Methods

Latent factor variables representing AD, cortical Lewy body (CLB), and ischemic neuropathology were tested as potential mediators of the association between the Center for Epidemiological Studies depression scale (CES‐D) score and the 10‐year prospective rate of cognitive decline, adjusted for baseline cognition, age, education, total number of medications, and brain weight at autopsy.

Results

CES‐D scores, neurofibrillary tangle counts, CLB counts, and ischemic lesions each made significant independent contributions to cognitive decline. However, CES‐D scores were not significantly associated with any pathological variable; thus the pathological variables were not mediators of the effect of CES‐D scores on cognitive decline.

Conclusions

Subsyndromal depressive symptoms are significantly associated with subsequent cognitive decline. Although the effect is relatively modest, it is stronger than that of amyloid‐related neuropathologies and independent of that of neurofibrillary tangles, cortical Lewy bodies, and ischemic lesions. Our results argue against the role of AD‐related neuropathology as a mediator of depression's effect on cognitive decline, but cannot rule out a significant mediation effect in a subset of cases, perhaps with more severe baseline depressive symptoms.
The synaptic proteome in Alzheimer's disease
Authors: Chang Rachel Yoon Kyung , Nouwens Amanda S. , Dodd Peter R. , Etheridge Naomi
Published: November 2012

Background

Synaptic dysfunction occurs early in Alzheimer's disease (AD) and is recognized to be a primary pathological target for treatment. Synapse degeneration or dysfunction contributes to clinical signs of dementia through altered neuronal communication; the degree of synaptic loss correlates strongly with cognitive impairment. The molecular mechanisms underlying synaptic degeneration are still unclear, and identifying abnormally expressed synaptic proteins in AD brain will help to elucidate such mechanisms and to identify therapeutic targets that might slow AD progression.

Methods

Synaptosomal fractions from human autopsy brain tissue from subjects with AD (n = 6) and without AD (n = 6) were compared using two‐dimensional differential in‐gel electrophoresis. AD pathology is region specific; human subjects can be highly variable in age, medication, and other factors. To counter these factors, two vulnerable areas (the hippocampus and the temporal cortex) were compared with two relatively spared areas (the motor and occipital cortices) within each group. Proteins exhibiting significant changes in expression were identified (≥20% change, Newman‐Keuls P value < .05) using either matrix‐assisted laser desorption ionization time‐of‐flight or electrospray ionisation quadrupole‐time of flight mass spectrometry.

Results

Twenty‐six different synaptic proteins exhibited more than twofold differences in expression between AD and normal subjects. These proteins are involved in regulating different cellular functions, including energy metabolism, signal transduction, vesicle transport, structure, and antioxidant activity.

Conclusion

Comparative proteome analysis uncovered markers of pathogenic mechanisms involved in synaptic dysfunction.
Validation of energy requirement references for exclusively breast-fed infants
Authors: Nielsen Susan B. , Wells Jonathan C. K. , Fewtrell Mary S. , Eaton Simon , Grinham James , Reilly John J.
Published: November 2012

In paediatric practice, mean reference energy requirements for groups are often used to predict individual infant energy requirements. References from the FAO/WHO/United Nations University are based on infants not fed according to the current infant feeding recommendations. The objective of the present study was to measure total energy expenditure (TEE) and determine energy requirements using criterion methods, and validate the use of TEE prediction equation and mean energy requirement references for predicting individual TEE and energy requirements, respectively, in infants who were exclusively breast-fed (EBF) to 6 months of age. EBF infants were included from Greater Glasgow for measurements at 3·5 (n36) and 6 (n33) months of age. TEE was measured using doubly labelled water and energy requirements were determined using the factorial approach. TEE and energy requirements were also predicted using equations based on body weight. Relationships between criterion methods and predictions were assessed using correlations. Pairedttests and Bland–Altman plots were used to assess agreement. At the population level, predicted and measured TEE were similar. The energy requirement reference significantly underestimated energy requirements by 7·2 % at 3·5 months at the population level, but there was no bias at 6 months. Errors at individual levels were large and energy requirements were underestimated to a larger extent for infants with higher energy requirements. This indicates that references presently used in clinical practice to estimate energy requirements may not fully account for the different growth pattern of EBF infants. More studies in infants EBF to 6 months of age are needed to understand how growth of EBF infants influences energy requirements.
Militarized Masculinities: Shaped and Reshaped in Colonial South-East Punjab
Authors: CHOWDHRY PREM
Published: November 2012

This paper offers a gendered perspective to British domination in India through the British Indian Army—which in many ways was central to their entire structure of economic and political domination in India. Locating its understanding drawn from the political economy of south-east Punjab, it argues that the designated martial castes and military recruitment structurally and ideologically identified with and privileged those trends of existing masculinities in this region which suited their power structure and empire building. It was a constellation of marital caste status, land ownership, dominant caste syndrome and good bodily physique or physical strength that ideologically came to connect and configure dominant masculinity in colonial Punjab. An Army profession fully supported it. During the two world wars it emerged as the militarized masculinity, amply supported by legal and administrative measures introduced or apparently adopted in deference to certain popular cultural practices. The associated economic and political privileges turned ‘loyalty’ into an inherent and special ingredient of ‘masculinity’ which the nationalists had to confront and deal with till such times that it came to be firmly linked with nationalism and patriotism.
Assessing your mood online: acceptability and use of Moodscope
Authors: Drake G. , Csipke E. , Wykes T.
Published: November 2012

Background

Moodscope is an entirely service-user-developed online mood-tracking and feedback tool with built-in social support, designed to stabilize and improve mood. Many free internet tools are available with no assessment of acceptability, validity or usefulness. This study provides an exemplar for future assessments.

Method

A mixed-methods approach was used. Participants with mild to moderate low mood used the tool for 3 months. Correlations between weekly assessments using the Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9) and the Generalized Anxiety Disorder Assessment (GAD-7) with daily Moodscope scores were examined to provide validity data. After 3 months, focus groups and questionnaires assessed use and usability of the tool.

Results

Moodscope scores were correlated significantly with scores on the PHQ-9 and the GAD-7 for all weeks, suggesting a valid measure of mood. Low rates of use, particularly toward the end of the trial, demonstrate potential problems relating to ongoing motivation. Questionnaire data indicated that the tool was easy to learn and use, but there were concerns about the mood adjectives, site layout and the buddy system. Participants in the focus groups found the tool acceptable overall, but felt clarification of the role and target group was required.

Conclusions

With appropriate adjustments, Moodscope could be a useful tool for clinicians as a way of initially identifying patterns and influences on mood in individuals experiencing low mood. For those who benefit from ongoing mood tracking and the social support provided by the buddy system, Moodscope could be an ongoing adjunct to therapy.
Liberalism in the Turkish context and its historiography: past and present
Authors: Özavcı Hilmi Ozan
Published: November 2012

This essay seeks to rehistoricise the birth of liberalism in Turkey with the aim of bringing an alternative interpretation to its historiography and throwing some light upon its characteristics, past and present. In contrast to recent comments on liberalism in the Turkish context, it argues that there is an intellectual background of the liberal tradition in Turkey, and that understanding the characteristics of this background requires (1) the mapping out and examination of the key concepts used by liberal writers in the context of the general political lexicon of their times and (2) an intellectual excavation tracing the mostly western European origins of the ideas of Turkish liberals. This leads to the conclusion that early republicans in Turkey embraced a version of liberalism that has not been identified in previous attempts to historicise liberal Turkish thought.
Excavating a memory: the British in Georgia
Authors: Everill Paul
Published: November 2012

This paper describes the discovery of a sherd of mid 19th century British pottery during excavations at the site of Nokalakevi, in Samegrelo, western Georgia in 2002. The transfer-printed design on the sherd, though only partially surviving, was clearly identified as representing Horse Guards Parade, London. Standard archaeological practice might have seen the sherd, a modern artefact retrieved from the topsoil, discarded, as having no archaeological significance. However its true significance was to lie in its instigation of a period of research, discussion and reflection on the recent history of Anglo-Georgian relations. Unbeknown to the British archaeologists, from 1918 to 1920 British troops were garrisoned across the southern Caucasus in an attempt to support the Whites against Red and Nationalist armies. It is a peacekeeping action that is remembered negatively in modern Georgia and almost forgotten in Britain. This paper provides an historical outline of those events and urges a reconsideration of the value of archaeological finds, to recognise that their real significance might transcend capital and perhaps sometimes even archaeology. In cases such as this, the decision not to discard an apparently insignificant artefact can provide access to forgotten pasts, and force us to think critically about our own recent history.
Ageing towards 21 as a risk factor for Young Adult Suicide in the UK and Ireland
Authors: Malone K. M. , Quinlivan L. , Grant T. , Kelleher C. C.
Published: November 2012

Aims.

Youth and young adult suicide has increasingly appeared on international vital statistics as a rising trend of concern in age-specific mortality over the past 50 years. The reporting of suicide deaths in 5-year age bands, which has been the international convention to date, may mask a greater understanding of year-on-year factors that may accelerate or ameliorate the emergence of suicidal thoughts, acts and fatal consequences. The study objective was to identify any year-on-year period of increased risk for youth and young adult suicide in the UK and Ireland.

Methods.

Collation and examination of international epidemiological datasets on suicide (aged 18–35) for the UK and Ireland 2000–2006 (N = 11 964). Outcome measures included the age distribution of suicide mortality in international datasets from the UK and Ireland, 2000–2006.

Results.

An accelerated pattern of risk up to the age of 20 for the UK and Ireland which levels off moderately thereafter was uncovered, thus identifying a heretofore unreported age-related epidemiological transition for suicide.

Conclusions.

The current reporting of suicide in 5-year age bands may conceal age-related periods of risk for suicide. This may have implications for suicide prevention programmes for young adults under age 21.
Strong correlation between the drag coefficient and the shape of the wind sea spectrum over a broad range of wind speeds
Authors: Takagaki Naohisa , Komori Satoru , Suzuki Naoya , Iwano Koji , Kuramoto Takenori , Shimada Satoshi , Kurose Ryoichi , Takahashi Keiko
Published: November 2012

Momentum transfer across the wind‐driven breaking air‐water interface under strong wind conditions was experimentally investigated using a high‐speed wind‐wave tank together with field measurements at normal wind speeds. An eddy correlation method was utilized to measure roughness length and drag coefficient from wind velocity components measured by laser Doppler and phase Doppler anemometers. As a result, a new model for the roughness length and drag coefficient was proposed for predicting momentum transfer across the sea surface under both normal and strong wind conditions using the universal relationship between energy and significant frequency of wind waves normalized by the roughness length. The model shows that the roughness length and drag coefficient are uniquely determined at all wind speeds by energy and significant frequency of wind waves, and they can be given againstU10only from the measurements of the wave parameters and one‐point mean air velocity in the logarithmic law region.
A novel method for purification of polymerizable tubulin with a high content of the acetylated isotype
Authors: Carbajal Agustín , Chesta María E. , Bisig C. Gastón , Arce Carlos A.
Published: November 2012

Tubulin can be acetylated/deacetylated on Lys40 of the α-subunit. Studies of the post-translational acetylation/deacetylation of tubulin using biochemical techniques require tubulin preparations that are enriched in AcTubulin (acetylated tubulin) and (for comparison) preparations lacking AcTubulin. Assembly–disassembly cycling of microtubules gives tubulin preparations that contain little or no AcTubulin. In the present study we demonstrated that this result is owing to the presence of high deacetylating activity in the extracts. This deacetylating activity in rat brain homogenates was inhibited by TSA (Trichostatin A) and tubacin, but not by nicotinamide, indicating that HDAC6 (histone deacetylase 6) is involved. TSA showed no effect on microtubule polymerization or depolymerization. We utilized these properties of TSA to prevent deacetylation during the assembly–disassembly procedure. The effective inhibitory concentration of TSA was 3 μM in the homogenate and 1 μM in the subsequent cycling steps. By comparison with immunopurified AcTubulin, we estimated that ~64% of the tubulin molecules in the three cycled preparations were acetylated. The protein profiles of these tubulin preparations, as assessed by SDS/PAGE and Coomassie Blue staining, were identical to that of a preparation completely lacking AcTubulin obtained by assembly–disassembly cycles in the absence of TSA. The tyrosination state and in vitro assembly–disassembly kinetics were the same regardless of the degree of acetylation.
Studying Cyborgs: Re-Examining Internet Studies as Human Subjects Research
Authors: Schultze Ulrike , Mason Richard O
Published: November 2012

Virtual communities and social networks assume and consume more aspects of people's lives. In these evolving social spaces, the boundaries between actual and virtual reality, between living individuals and their virtual bodies, and between private and public domains are becoming ever more blurred. As a result, users and their presentations of self, as expressed through virtual bodies, are increasingly entangled. Consequently, more and more Internet users are cyborgs. For this reason, the ethical guidelines necessary for Internet research need to be revisited. We contend that the IS community has paid insufficient attention to the ethics of Internet research. To this end, we develop an understanding of issues related to online human subjects research by distinguishing between a disembodied and an entangled view of the Internet. We outline a framework to guide investigators and research ethics committees in answering a key question in the age of cyborgism: When does a proposed Internet study deal with human subjects as opposed to digital material?
Monolithic polymer microlens arrays with antireflective nanostructures
Authors: Jung Hyukjin , Jeong Ki-Hun
Published: November 2012

This work reports a novel method for fabricating monolithic polymer microlens arrays with antireflective nanostructures (AR-MLAs) at wafer level. The antireflective nanostructures (ARS) were fabricated by etching the curved surface of polymer microlens with a metal annealed nanoisland mask. The effective refractive index of ARS was controlled with the etch profile of nanostructures to reduce the mismatch in refractive indices at air-lens interface. The reflectance of AR-MLAs decreases below 4% from 490 nm to 630 nm in wavelength. The lens transmission significantly increases by 67% across the visible spectrum by minimizing the reflection and absorption, compared to that of MLAs without ARS.
Group-theoretical derivation of angular momentum eigenvalues in spaces of arbitrary dimensions
Authors: Friedmann Tamar , Hagen C. R.
Published: November 2012

The spectrum of the square of the angular momentum in arbitrary dimensions is derived using only group theoretical techniques. This is accomplished by application of the Lie algebra of the noncompact group O(2, 1).