bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
CARS and SHG microscopy to follow collagen production in living human corneal fibroblasts and mesenchymal stem cells in fibrin hydrogel 3D cultures
Authors: Mortati L. , Divieto C. , Sassi M. P.
Published: April 2012

Coherent anti‐Stokes Raman scattering (CARS) microscopy is used in conjunction with second harmonic generation (SHG) to follow the early stage of stem cell differentiation within a three‐dimensional (3D) scaffold. Formation of an extracellular matrix mainly composed of collagen is one of the first signs of human mesenchymal stem cell (hMSC) differentiation. This work shows that the multimodal CARS and SHG constitutes a powerful noninvasive, label‐free technique for monitoring collagen production in 3D cell cultures. Its simultaneous imaging of cell morphology and the distribution of the collagen produced by living cells during long‐term (4 weeks) experiment furnished important information about the cell‐scaffold interaction and the establishment of the extracellular matrix, while its very low collagen detection limit permitted mapping of even the small quantity produced in a few hours. This finding indicates that the multimodal CARS and SHG imaging can be proposed as a new way of monitoring the differentiation of stem cells by evaluating their production of collagen in both short and long‐term experiments. Further evidence is also provided of the efficacy of fibrin hydrogel as a scaffold autoinducing the differentiation stimulus in 3D human mesenchymal stem cell cultures. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
A Facile Route to Boronic Acid Functional Polymeric Microspheres via Epoxide Ring Opening
Authors: Vogt Andrew P. , Trouillet Vanessa , Greiner Alexandra M. , Kaupp Michael , Geckle Udo , Barner Leonie , Hofe Thorsten , Barner‐Kowollik Christopher
Published: April 2012

Boronic acid‐functionalized microspheres are prepared for the first time via mild epoxide ring opening based on porous cross‐linked polymeric microspheres (diameter ≈ 10 μm, porosity ≈ 1000 Å). Quantitative chemical analysis by XPS and EA evidences that there is a greater functionalization with boronic acid when employing a sequential synthetic method [1.7 atom% boron (XPS); 1.12 wt% nitrogen (EA)] versus a one‐pot synthetic method [0.2 atom% boron (XPS); 0.60 wt% nitrogen (EA)] yielding grafting densities ranging from approximately 2.5 molecules of boronic acid per nm2 to 1 molecule of boronic acid per nm2, respectively. Furthermore, the boronic acid‐functionalized microspheres are conjugated with a novel fluorescent glucose molecule demonstrating a homogeneous spatial distribution of boronic acid.
13C GIAO DFT calculation as a tool for configuration prediction of N–O group in saturated heterocyclic N‐oxides
Authors: Pohl Radek , Potmischil Francisc , Dračínský Martin , Vaněk Václav , Slavětínská Lenka , Buděšínský Miloš
Published: April 2012

Tropane, tropinone, pseudopelletierine and cocaine were oxidized in situ in a nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) tube providing mixtures of exo/endo N‐oxides. Observed 13C chemical shifts were correlated with values calculated by gauge‐including atomic orbitals density functional theory (DFT) OPBE/6‐31G* method using DFT B3LYP/6‐31G* optimized geometries. The same method of 13C chemical shift calculation was applied on series of methyl‐substituted 1‐methylpiperidines and their epimeric N‐oxides described in literature. The results show that using this undemanding calculation method enables assignment of configuration of N–O group in N‐epimeric saturated heterocyclic N‐oxides. The approach enables assigning of the configuration with high degree of certainty even if NMR data of only one isomer are available. An improved method of in situ oxidation of starting amines in an NMR tube is also described. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
A preconditioned MinRes solver for time‐periodic parabolic optimal control problems
Authors: Kollmann Markus , Kolmbauer Michael
Published: April 2012

This work is devoted to the multiharmonic analysis of parabolic optimal control problems in a time‐periodic setting. In contrast to previous approaches, we include the cases of different control and observation domains, the observation in certain energy spaces, and the presence of control constraints. In all these cases, we propose a new preconditioned MinRes solver for the frequency domain equations and show that this solver is robust with respect to the space and time discretization parameters as well as the involved ‘bad’ model parameters of the state equation. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Immersed finite element methods for parabolic equations with moving interface
Authors: He Xiaoming , Lin Tao , Lin Yanping , Zhang Xu
Published: April 2012

This article presents three Crank‐Nicolson‐type immersed finite element (IFE) methods for solving parabolic equations whose diffusion coefficient is discontinuous across a time dependent interface. These methods can use a fixed mesh because IFEs can handle interface jump conditions without requiring the mesh to be aligned with the interface. These methods will be compared analytically in the sense of accuracy and computational cost. Numerical examples are provided to demonstrate features of these three IFE methods. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Numer Methods Partial Differential Eq, 2013
Allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation in children with sickle cell disease
Authors: Locatelli Franco , Pagliara Daria
Published: April 2012

Allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (allo‐HSCT) represents the only curative treatment for sickle cell disease (SCD), being successful in around 85–90% of patients. Mortality and long‐term morbidity (including infertility, gonadal failure, and chronic graft‐vs.‐host disease) associated with conventional approaches curtail the number of patients who undergo allo‐HSCT. Recently, it has been demonstrated that cord blood is as effective as and possibly safer than bone marrow in pediatric patients with SCD. Likewise, transplant strategies based on the use of reduced‐intensity regimens and the induction of mixed chimerism have been explored to decrease allo‐HSCT short‐ and long‐term complications. Pediatr Blood Cancer 2012;59:372–376. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Protein hydrogen exchange: Testing current models
Authors: Skinner John J. , Lim Woon K. , Bédard Sabrina , Black Ben E. , Englander S. Walter
Published: April 2012

To investigate the determinants of protein hydrogen exchange (HX), HX rates of most of the backbone amide hydrogens of Staphylococcal nuclease were measured by NMR methods. A modified analysis was used to improve accuracy for the faster hydrogens. HX rates of both near surface and well buried hydrogens are spread over more than 7 orders of magnitude. These results were compared with previous hypotheses for HX rate determination. Contrary to a common assumption, proximity to the surface of the native protein does not usually produce fast exchange. The slow HX rates for unprotected surface hydrogens are not well explained by local electrostatic field. The ability of buried hydrogens to exchange is not explained by a solvent penetration mechanism. The exchange rates of structurally protected hydrogens are not well predicted by algorithms that depend only on local interactions or only on transient unfolding reactions. These observations identify some of the present difficulties of HX rate prediction and suggest the need for returning to a detailed hydrogen by hydrogen analysis to examine the bases of structure‐rate relationships, as described in the companion paper (Skinner et al., Protein Sci 2012;21:996–1005).
X‐interface is not the explanation for the slow disassembly of N‐cadherin dimers in the apo state
Authors: Vunnam Nagamani , Pedigo Susan
Published: April 2012

In spite of structural similarities Epithelial‐ (E‐) and Neural‐ (N‐) cadherins are expressed at two types of synapses and differ significantly in dimer disassembly kinetics. Recent studies suggested that the formation of an X‐dimer intermediate in E‐cadherin is the key requirement for rapid disassembly of the adhesive dimer (Harrison et al., Nat Struct Mol Biol 2010;17:348–357 and Hong et al., J Cell Biol 2011;192:1073–1083). The X‐interface in E‐cadherin involves three noncovalent interactions, none of which is conserved in N‐cadherin. Dimer disassembly is slow at low calcium concentration in N‐cadherin, which may be due to the differences in the X‐interface residues. To investigate the origin of the slow disassembly kinetics we introduced three point mutations into N‐cadherin to provide the opportunity for the formation of X‐interface interactions. Spectroscopic studies showed that the triple mutation did not affect the stability or the calcium‐binding affinity of the X‐enabled N‐cadherin mutant. Analytical size exclusion chromatography was used to assay for the effect of the mutation on the rate of dimer disassembly. Contrary to our expectation, the disassembly of dimers of the X‐enabled N‐cadherin mutant was as slow as seen for wild‐type N‐cadherin in the apo‐state. Thus, the differences in the X‐interface residues are not the origin of slow disassembly kinetics of N‐cadherin in the apo‐state.
Mycobacterium thermoresistibile as a source of thermostable orthologs of Mycobacterium tuberculosis proteins
Authors: Edwards Thomas E. , Liao Reiling , Phan Isabelle , Myler Peter J. , Grundner Christoph
Published: April 2012

The genus Mycobacterium comprises major human pathogens such as the causative agent of tuberculosis, Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb), and many environmental species. Tuberculosis claims ∼1.5 million lives every year, and drug resistant strains of Mtb are rapidly emerging. To aid the development of new tuberculosis drugs, major efforts are currently under way to determine crystal structures of Mtb drug targets and proteins involved in pathogenicity. However, a major obstacle to obtaining crystal structures is the generation of well‐diffracting crystals. Proteins from thermophiles can have better crystallization and diffraction properties than proteins from mesophiles, but their sequences and structures are often divergent. Here, we establish a thermophilic mycobacterial model organism, Mycobacterium thermoresistibile (Mth), for the study of Mtb proteins. Mth tolerates higher temperatures than Mtb or other environmental mycobacteria such as M. smegmatis. Mth proteins are on average more soluble than Mtb proteins, and comparison of the crystal structures of two pairs of orthologous proteins reveals nearly identical folds, indicating that Mth structures provide good surrogates for Mtb structures. This study introduces a thermophile as a source of protein for the study of a closely related human pathogen and marks a new approach to solving challenging mycobacterial protein structures.
Atomic structure of the nuclear pore complex targeting domain of a Nup116 homologue from the yeast, Candida glabrata
Authors: Sampathkumar Parthasarathy , Kim Seung Joong , Manglicmot Danalyn , Bain Kevin T. , Gilmore Jeremiah , Gheyi Tarun , Phillips Jeremy , Pieper Ursula , Fernandez‐Martinez Javier , Franke Josef D. , Matsui Tsutomu , Tsuruta Hiro , Atwell Shane , Thompson Devon A. , Emtage J. Spencer , Wasserman Stephen R. , Rout Michael P. , Sali Andrej , Sauder J. Michael , Almo Steven C. , Burley Stephen K.
Published: April 2012

The nuclear pore complex (NPC), embedded in the nuclear envelope, is a large, dynamic molecular assembly that facilitates exchange of macromolecules between the nucleus and the cytoplasm. The yeast NPC is an eightfold symmetric annular structure composed of ∼456 polypeptide chains contributed by ∼30 distinct proteins termed nucleoporins. Nup116, identified only in fungi, plays a central role in both protein import and mRNA export through the NPC. Nup116 is a modular protein with N‐terminal “FG” repeats containing a Gle2p‐binding sequence motif and a NPC targeting domain at its C‐terminus. We report the crystal structure of the NPC targeting domain of Candida glabrata Nup116, consisting of residues 882–1034 [CgNup116(882–1034)], at 1.94 Å resolution. The X‐ray structure of CgNup116(882–1034) is consistent with the molecular envelope determined in solution by small‐angle X‐ray scattering. Structural similarities of CgNup116(882–1034) with homologous domains from Saccharomyces cerevisiae Nup116, S. cerevisiae Nup145N, and human Nup98 are discussed. Proteins 2012; © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Bondpseudorotation, Jahn‐Teller, and pseudo‐Jahn‐Teller effects in the cyclopentadienyl cation and its pentahalogeno derivatives
Authors: Zou Wenli , Filatov Michael , Cremer Dieter
Published: April 2012

Multireference averaged quadratic coupled cluster (MRAQCC) (4,5)/cc‐pVTZ calculations predict that bond pseudorotation (BPR) in the first excited singlet state of the cyclopentadienyl cation (CPC) proceeds with a barrier of just 0.35 kcal/mol, where five dienylic forms present the minima and five allylic forms the transition states of the pseudorotation process. Vibrational and entropic corrections revert the order of stabilities and lead to a Δ G(298) of just 0.05 kcal/mol indicating that BPR is unhindered at room temperature. The description of the CPC ring in terms of curvilinear deformation coordinates (seven for C5, seven for X5, and three coupling coordinates) make it possible to explore both the six‐dimensional (6D) Jahn‐Teller and the 8D pseudo‐Jahn‐Teller space and assess the importance of Jahn–Teller and pseudo‐Jahn–Teller deformations of the CPC ring. The latter dominate the ring deformations along the BPR path. The only somewhat larger Jahn–Teller contribution results from a E‐symmetrical CCH bending motion. For the perhalogenated CPCs, the dominance of the pseudo‐Jahn–Teller effect increases, however, the total deformation of the D5h‐symmetrical ring decreases and thereby also the stabilization of the 1A1 forms along the BPR path. This leads to a reduction of the BPR barriers to just 0.14 kcal/mol for C5I. For all pentahalogeno CPCs, the dienylic form is more stable both at the energy and free energy level. The use of curvilinear deformation coordinates facilitates the understanding of the electronic features of cyclic (pseudo‐) Jahn–Teller systems. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Composite particles in quantum chemistry: From two‐electron bonds to cold atoms
Authors: Zoboki Tamás , Jeszenszki Péter , Surján Péeter R.
Published: April 2012

We review the problem of forming composite particles from elementary electrons. Simple pairs are treated first, followed by linear combinations including geminal type wave functions. The antisymmetrized product of strongly orthogonal geminals (APSG) theory can also be developed in this language, and the use of APSG as a reference state is discussed. The theory forming composite particles from more than two electrons is less elaborated, although this idea is routinely used in approximate models in the current literature. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Nonadditive effects on the stability of Be3: A benchmark CASSCF + averaged quadratic coupled cluster study of the equilateral and linear symmetrical configurations
Authors: Ramírez‐Solís Alejandro , Novaro Octavio
Published: April 2012

The optimized geometries and binding energies (BEs) for the linear and triangular isomers of the beryllium trimer have been recently studied through benchmark multireference averaged quadratic coupled clusters calculations using very large complete active space self‐consistent field (SCF). The largest augmented correlation‐consistent atomic basis set for Be was used (aug‐cc‐pV5Z). The BEs are 26.1 and 16.1 kcal/mol for the equilateral and linear isomers, and these were corrected to account for the basis set superposition errors (Amaro‐Estrada et al., J. Chem. Phys. 2011, 135, 104311). In the light of the very small (2.4 kcal/mol) BE of Be2, these large interaction energies for the trimers must be due to the nonadditive collective effects, which we set out to determine here using state‐of‐the‐art quantum chemical methods. The nonadditive three‐body corrections proved to be extremely large. In fact, their relative weight when divided by total BEs is about 94% for both isomers. We found that in this case, the two‐body and the three‐body terms go in the same direction, both contributing to the stabilization of the trimers, which yields the rather large BEs for both isomers. Considering that Be3 contains one trimer and three pairs, this would mean that for solid beryllium (where the total number of dimers and trimers become virtually the same), we may confirm the original assumption of Kolos et al. (Chem. Phys. Lett. 1976, 41, 431), to wit, that nonadditive effects for solid beryllium are conspicuously large. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Interoperable domain‐specific languages families for code generation
Authors: Malohlava Michal , Plasil Frantisek , Bures Tomas , Hnetynka Petr
Published: April 2012

This paper has been motivated by experience gained with specification and code generation of control elements for a software component platform and general‐purpose programming language like Java and C. The problem to be addressed is two‐fold: first, several domain‐specific languages (DSL) are to be employed to express different element concerns (architecture, deployment context, code pattern) and second, porting to another general‐purpose language should avoid modification of the specification and related code generation process as much as possible. In both respects, the classical template‐based code generation technique proved to be inflexible, requiring the code generator to be blurred with ad hoc encoded DSL facets. The paper addresses the problem by introducing the concept of interoperable DSL family. Each member of the family is built around its core language, which can be further specialized by embedding into a target programming language. Interoperability of these DSLs is achieved at the level of abstract syntax trees (ASTs) with help of queries. As a proof of the concept, we have implemented the queries via the AST transformation rules of the Stratego/XT framework. In the evaluation, we provide a comparison with the original template‐based implementation, which clearly indicates the DSL family and AST transformation benefits. We also provide examples of application areas where the concept of interoperable DSL family can be employed (and also indicate how this can be accomplished). Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Effects of partial replacement of commercial fillers by recycled poly(ethylene terephthalate) powder on the properties of natural rubber composites
Authors: Nabil Hayeemasae , Ismail Hanafi , Rashid Azura Abdul
Published: April 2012

Commercial fillers, including carbon black (N550), halloysite nanotubes (HNTs), and precipitated silica, were replaced by recycled poly(ethylene terephthalate) powder (R‐PET) in natural rubber (NR) composites. Five different compositions of NR/N550/R‐PET, NR/HNTs/R‐PET, and NR/silica/R‐PET compounds, i.e., 100/20/0, 100/15/5, 100/10/10, 100/5/15, and 100/0/20 parts per hundred rubber (phr), were prepared on a two‐roll mill. The curing behavior, tensile properties, and morphological characteristics of the natural rubber composites were investigated. The results indicated that the replacement of carbon black, HNTs, and silica by R‐PET decreased the tensile strength and tensile modulus, such that NR/silica/R‐PET composites showed the lowest effect, followed by NR/HNTs/R‐PET and NR/N550/R‐PET composites. The negative effect on these properties can be explained by the decrease of crosslink density. The curing results revealed that with the replacement of carbon black by R‐PET, the scorch time and cure time decreased, but that the NR/HNTs/R‐PET and NR/silica/R‐PET composites exhibited the opposite trend. Scanning electron microscopy investigation of tensile fracture surfaces confirmed that the co‐incorporation of N550/R‐PET improved the dispersion of R‐PET and enhanced the interaction between the fillers and NR matrix more than R‐PET and silica/R‐PET hybrid fillers. J. VINYL ADDIT. TECHNOL., 2012. © 2012 Society of Plastics Engineers
Resveratrol induces antioxidant defence via transcription factor Yap1p
Authors: Escoté Xavier , Miranda Merce , Menoyo Sandra , Rodríguez‐Porrata Boris , Carmona‐Gutiérrez Didac , Jungwirth Helmut , Madeo Frank , Cordero Ricardo R. , Mas Albert , Tinahones Francisco , Clotet Josep , Vendrell Joan
Published: April 2012

Resveratrol is a polyphenol suggested to play a protective role against ageing and age‐related diseases. We demonstrate that administering low‐doses of resveratrol causes ROS accumulation and transcriptional changes in yeast cells and human adipocytes. These changes in gene expression depend on the oxidative transcription factor Yap1p. In particular, resveratrol induces expression of Yap1p gene targets, such as TRX2, TRR1 or AHP1, in a Yap1p‐dependent mode. Under resveratrol treatment, Yap1p is phosphorylated and accumulated in the nucleus. Yap1p knockout causes resveratrol sensitivity, which totally depends on the presence of the C‐terminal region of Yap1p. Thus, resveratrol may enhance cellular lifespan by hormetic ROS accumulation, which leads to strengthening the cells' antioxidant capacity. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Impact of Anemia on Surgical Outcomes: Innovative Interventions in Resource‐poor Settings
Authors: Lagoo Janaka , Wilkinson Jeffrey , Thacker Julie , Deshmukh Mahesh , Khorgade Sunanandha , Bang Rani
Published: April 2012

Background

The aim of this work was to study the impact of anemia on surgical outcomes and the impact of instituting appropriate workup and treatment of anemia on surgical outcomes.

Methods

We conducted a case–control retrospective chart review of all hernia repair, hydrocele repair, and hysterectomy cases at the SEARCH Hospital in Gadchiroli, India, from January 2008 to April 2010, and included 340 male and 112 female surgical patients. We also performed a prospective assessment of the impact of the institution of appropriate workup and treatment of anemia on the surgical outcomes for all hernia repair, hydrocele repair, and hysterectomy cases at SEARCH from May 2010 to May 2011 and included 138 male and 76 female surgical patients.

Results

The retrospective arm of the study included 340 males and 112 females with a median age of 39 and 41 years, respectively. The mean hemoglobin values were 12.50 (range = 8.8–15.4) for men and 10.39 (range = 5.2–14.8) for women. Patients with anemia had (1) increased incidence of spinal headache after inguinal hernia repair (p = 0.0266) and (2) increased incidence of fever after total hysterectomy (p = 0.0070). There was no statistically significant correlation between anemia and other outcomes (all p > 0.05). The prospective arm of the study included 138 males and 76 females with a median age of 35 and 40, respectively. The mean hemoglobin values were 11.8 (range = 6.4–14.8) for men and 10.6 (range = 6.9–12.8) for women. There was no statistically significant correlation between anemia and any surgical outcomes (p > 0.05). The incidence of complications in both the retrospective and the prospective arm was compared according to increasing severity of anemia across genders. Overall, there was no statistically significant increase in complication rates with increasing severity of anemia (p > 0.05).

Conclusions

In the retrospective arm of this study, anemia was associated with increased incidence of spinal headache and fever. In the prospective arm of this study, there was no statistically significant correlation between anemia and any surgical outcome. The incidence of complications did not increase with the severity of anemia in either arm of the study. Further investigation is needed into the optimal management and treatment of anemia prior to surgery in resource‐poor settings.
Structural changes of corn stover lignin during acid pretreatment
Authors: Moxley Geoffrey , Gaspar Armindo Ribeiro , Higgins Don , Xu Hui
Published: April 2012

In this study, raw corn stover was subjected to dilute acid pretreatments over a range of severities under conditions similar to those identified by the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) in their techno-economic analysis of biochemical conversion of corn stover to ethanol. The pretreated corn stover then underwent enzymatic hydrolysis with yields above 70 % at moderate enzyme loading conditions. The enzyme exhausted lignin residues were characterized by 31P NMR spectroscopy and functional moieties quantified and correlated to enzymatic hydrolysis yields. Results from this study indicated that both xylan solubilization and lignin degradation are important for improving the enzyme accessibility and digestibility of dilute acid pretreated corn stover. At lower pretreatment temperatures, there is a good correlation between xylan solubilization and cellulose accessibility. At higher pretreatment temperatures, lignin degradation correlated better with cellulose accessibility, represented by the increase in phenolic groups. During acid pretreatment, the ratio of syringyl/guaiacyl functional groups also gradually changed from less than 1 to greater than 1 with the increase in pretreatment temperature. This implies that more syringyl units are released from lignin depolymerization of aryl ether linkages than guaiacyl units. The condensed phenolic units are also correlated with the increase in pretreatment temperature up to 180 °C, beyond which point condensation reactions may overtake the hydrolysis of aryl ether linkages as the dominant reactions of lignin, thus leading to decreased cellulose accessibility.
Genetic Counseling for Personal Genomic Testing: Optimizing Client Uptake of Post‐Test Telephonic Counseling Services
Authors: Levin Elissa , Riordan Sara , Klein Jana , Kieran Shannon
Published: April 2012

The field of genetic counseling faces a broad challenge: many potential clients may not be aware of the value and benefit of genetic counseling services, and therefore may not utilize those services. Navigenics is a personal genomic testing company that provides telephonic genetic counseling services for multifactorial diseases and pharmacogenetics. When first offered in 2008, utilization of the Navigenics genetic counseling service was less than expected. To explore the basis for under‐utilization and potential mechanisms for increasing uptake, Navigenics initiated a quality improvement study, in which three different methods of engaging clients in the uptake of genetic counseling services were assessed over the course of 1 year. Outcomes showed significant differences in uptake rates between methodologies (7.5%, 24.6%, and 60.1%), yielding an 8‐fold increase in service utilization when post‐test telephonic outreach to all clients was performed. Further, utilization spanned all risk levels based on client results, evidence that not only clients with high‐risk results were motivated to engage in the genetic counseling service. This research indicates that implementing strategies to educate clients about genetic counseling can positively impact client engagement and utilization of available services.
The Fatty Acid 8,11‐Diol Synthase of Aspergillus fumigatus is Inhibited by Imidazole Derivatives and Unrelated to PpoB
Authors: Jernerén Fredrik , Oliw Ernst H.
Published: April 2012

(8R)‐Hydroperoxy‐(9Z,12Z)‐octadecadienoic acid (8‐HPODE) is formed by aspergilli as an intermediate in biosynthesis of oxylipins with effects on sporulation. 8‐HPODE is transformed by separate diol synthases to (5S,8R)‐dihydroxy‐ and (8R,11S)‐dihydroxy‐(9Z,12Z)‐octadecadienoic acids (5,8‐ and 8,11‐DiHODE). The former is formed by the cytochrome P450 (P450) domain of 5,8‐linoleate diol synthase (5,8‐LDS or PpoA). Our aim was to characterize the 8,11‐diol synthase of Aspergillus fumigatus, which is prominent in many strains. The 8,11‐diol synthase was soluble and had a larger molecular size (>100 kDa) than most P450. Miconazole, ketoconazole, and 1‐benzylimidazole, classical inhibitors of P450, reduced the biosynthesis of 8,11‐DiHODE from 8‐HPODE (apparent IC50 values ~0.8, ~5, and ~0.6 μM, respectively), but did not inhibit the biosynthesis of 5,8‐DiHODE. Analysis of hydroperoxides of regioisomeric C18 and C20 fatty acids showed that the 8,11‐diol synthase was specific for certain hydroperoxides with R configuration. The suprafacial hydrogen abstraction and oxygen insertion at C‐11 of 8‐HPODE was associated with a small deuterium kinetic isotope effect (Hkcat/Dkcat ~1.5), consistent with P450‐catalyzed oxidation. The genome of A. fumigatus contains over 70 P450 sequences. The reaction mechanism, size, and solubility of 8,11‐diol synthase pointed to PpoB, a homologue of 5,8‐LDS, as a possible candidate of this activity. Gene deletion of ppoB of A. fumigatus strains AF:∆ku80 and J272 did not inhibit biosynthesis of 8,11‐DiHODE and recombinant PpoB appeared to lack diol synthase activity. We conclude that 8,11‐DiHODE is formed from 8‐HPODE by a soluble and substrate‐specific 8,11‐diol synthase with catalytic characteristics of class III P450.
The Long-Term Effects of Military Conscription on Mortality: Estimates From the Vietnam-Era Draft Lottery
Authors: Conley Dalton , Heerwig Jennifer
Published: April 2012

Research on the effects of Vietnam military service suggests that Vietnam veterans experienced significantly higher mortality than the civilian population at large. These results, however, may be biased by nonrandom selection into the military if unobserved background differences between veterans and nonveterans affect mortality directly. To generate unbiased estimates of exposure to conscription on mortality, the present study compares the observed proportion of draft-eligible male decedents born 1950–1952 to the (1) expected proportion of draft-eligible male decedents given Vietnam draft-eligibility cutoffs; and (2) observed proportion of draft-eligible decedent women. The results demonstrate no effect of draft exposure on mortality, including for cause-specific death rates. When we examine population subgroups—including splits by race, educational attainment, nativity, and marital status—we find weak evidence for an interaction between education and draft eligibility. This interaction works in the opposite direction of putative education-enhancing, mortality-reducing effects of conscription that have, in the past, led to concern about a potential exclusion restriction violation in instrumental variable (IV) regression models. We suggest that previous research, which has shown that Vietnam-era veterans experienced significantly higher mortality than nonveterans, might be biased by nonrandom selection into the military and should be further investigated.
Effectiveness of an educational video as an instrument to refresh and reinforce the learning of a nursing technique: a randomized controlled trial
Authors: Salina Loris , Ruffinengo Carlo , Garrino Lorenza , Massariello Patrizia , Charrier Lorena , Martin Barbara , Favale Maria Santina , Dimonte Valerio
Published: April 2012

The Undergraduate Nursing Course has been using videos for the past year or so. Videos are used for many different purposes such as during lessons, nurse refresher courses, reinforcement, and sharing and comparison of knowledge with the professional and scientific community. The purpose of this study was to estimate the efficacy of the video (moving an uncooperative patient from the supine to the lateral position) as an instrument to refresh and reinforce nursing techniques. A two-arm randomized controlled trial (RCT) design was chosen: both groups attended lessons in the classroom as well as in the laboratory; a month later while one group received written information as a refresher, the other group watched the video. Both groups were evaluated in a blinded fashion. A total of 223 students agreed to take part in the study. The difference observed between those who had seen the video and those who had read up on the technique turned out to be an average of 6.19 points in favour of the first (P < 0.05). The results of the RCT demonstrated that students who had seen the video were better able to apply the technique, resulting in a better performance. The video, therefore, represents an important tool to refresh and reinforce previous learning.
Suture Cost Savings in the OR
Authors: Walsh Susanna S.
Published: April 2012

Materials management personnel at a health care facility in Baltimore, Maryland, were stocking too much suture. They stocked suture requested by surgeons or recommended by suture company representatives, and, because the facility is a teaching institution, they stocked suture requested by residents. No master suture database was available to determine what was needed and what was not. As a result, some suture was rarely used, which cost the facility money and took up inventory space. In response, I created a list of the existing inventory and coordinated with the specialty surgical service coordinators to determine which suture was typically used and in what quantities. I used this information to create a master list, with the goal of eliminating the purchase of suture that was not on this list. I gave the staff members and surgeons two months to assess the list and determine whether the suggested suture was sufficient for their needs. I then asked the materials management personnel to order and maintain suture stock based on the master list. This process took approximately four months and shows how health care providers can take a high‐volume item, such as suture, and create cost‐saving processes that will serve surgeons' and patients' needs while reducing costs and streamlining stock.
Social Media Peer Communication and Impacts on Purchase Intentions: A Consumer Socialization Framework
Authors: Wang Xia , Yu Chunling , Wei Yujie
Published: April 2012

Consumer socialization through peer communication using social media websites has become an important marketing issue through the development and increasing popularity of social media. Guided by a socialization framework, this article investigates peer communication through social media websites; individual-level tie strength and group-level identification with the peer group as antecedents; and product attitudes and purchase decisions as outcomes. Survey data from 292 participants who engaged in peer communications about products through social media confirm that the two antecedents have positive influences on peer communication outcomes. Online consumer socialization through peer communication also affects purchasing decisions in two ways: directly (conformity with peers) and indirectly by reinforcing product involvement. In addition, consumer's need for uniqueness has a moderating effect on the influence of peer communication on product attitudes. These findings have significant theoretical and managerial implications.
“The Voice in the Picture”: Reversing the Angle in Vietnamese American War Memoirs
Authors: GRICE HELENA
Published: April 2012

Vietnam in the American consciousness is a confluence of images of conflict; where Vietnamese appear they are backdrop to displays of US heroism. There is another story, which Vietnam veteran and filmmaker Oliver Stone calls “the reverse angle, what the war was like from the perspective of the people living in Vietnam.” If America's memory of the conflict is dominated by US perspectives, this is also in images rather than in words. Pictures of monks immolating themselves and people scrambling to board US helicopters have produced a generation who know of Vietnam only through images. One of these images is a bombing mission which dropped napalm on some villagers. AP photographer Nick Ut captured a severely burned Kim Phuc running screaming in the streets; his photo won the Pulitzer Prize and became one of the most infamous images of conflict ever captured; her recently published life story is the reverse angle and, with similar texts by Le Ly Hayslip, Andrew X. Pham and Duong Van Mai Elliot, represents an emergent perspective, a counternarrative of Vietnam, and a new kind of American literature of peace. My essay explores the inscription of the Vietnamese American perspective on the conflict via life writing.
RELIGION, RELIGIOSITY AND PREMARITAL SEXUAL ATTITUDES OF YOUNG PEOPLE IN THE INFORMAL SETTLEMENTS OF NAIROBI, KENYA
Authors: GYIMAH STEPHEN OBENG , KODZI IVY , EMINA JACQUES , COFIE NICHOLAS , EZEH ALEX
Published: April 2012

Although attitudes to premarital sex may be influenced by several factors, the importance of religion to that discourse cannot be underestimated. By providing standards to judge and guide behaviour, religion provides a social control function such that religious persons are expected to act in ways that conform to certain norms. This study investigated the interconnectedness of several dimensions of religion and premarital sexual attitudes among young people in the informal settlements of Nairobi, Kenya. Using reference group as the theoretical base, it was found that those affiliated with Pentecostal/Evangelical faiths had more conservative attitudes towards premarital sex than those of other Christian faiths. Additionally, while a high level of religiosity was found to associate with more conservative views on premarital sex, the effect was more pronounced among Pentecostal groups. The findings are discussed in relation to programmes on adolescent sexuality.
Looking for the language of Athenian imperialism
Authors: Low Polly
Published: April 2012

Conventional portrayals of Athenian imperialism, heavily influenced by Thucydides, tend to assume that the Athenians thought of, and described, their imperialistic actions in frank, even brutal, terms. This article seeks to challenge that assumption by exploring two sets of fifth-century Athenian epigraphical material: documents which contain the phrase ‘the cities which the Athenians rule’, and inscriptions imposing regulations on allied states which are erected at the ally's expense. In both cases, it is argued that if these apparently overtly aggressive documents are considered in an epigraphic rather than a Thucydidean context, they reveal the existence of a more subtle, nuanced and diplomatic approach to imperial politics.
The lexicon of love: Longus and Philetasgrammatikos
Authors: Whitmarsh Tim
Published: April 2012

This article offers a fresh approach to the well-known questions surrounding the identification of Longus' character Philetas with the Hellenistic poet Philetas or Philitas. Noting that the poet was famed in antiquity also for his critical writing, particularly his lexicographical work theataktoi glôssai, it argues that the fictional characters Daphnis and Chloe consult Philetas for, among other things, a lexical definition oferôs.
Divine justice and cosmic order in early Greek Epic
Authors: Allan William
Published: April 2012

This article examines the ethical and theological universe of the Homeric epics, and shows that the patterns of human and divine justice which they deploy are also to be found throughout the wider corpus of early Greek hexameter poetry. Although most scholars continue to stress the differences between theIliadandOdysseywith regard to divine justice, these come not (as is often alleged) from any change in the gods themselves but from theOdyssey'speculiar narrative structure, with its focus on one hero and his main divine patron and foe. Indeed, the action of theIliadembodies a system of norms and punishments that is no different from that of theOdyssey. Values such as justice are shown to be socially constituted in each epic on both the divine and human planes, and each level, it is argued, displays not only a hierarchy of power (and the resulting tensions), but also a structure of authority. In addition, the presentation of the gods in the wider hexameter corpus of Hesiod, the Epic Cycle and the Homeric Hymns is analysed, revealing a remarkably coherent tradition in which the possibility of divine conflict is combined with an underlying cosmic order. Finally, consideration of Near Eastern myths relating cosmic order to justice brings out the distinctiveness of the Greek system as a whole and, in particular, of the way it uses the divine society under Zeus's authority as a comprehensive explanatory model of the world.
Melody and word accent relationships in ancient Greek musical documents: the Pitch Height Rule
Authors: Cosgrove Charles H. , Meyer Mary C.
Published: April 2012

It has long been known from the extant ancient Greek musical documents that some composers correlated melodic contour with word accents. Up to now, the evidence of this compositional technique has been judged impressionistically. In this article a statistical method of interpretation through computer simulation is set forth and applied to the musical texts, focusing on the convention of correlating a word's accent with the highest pitch level in the melody for that word: the Pitch Height Rule. The results provide a sounder basis for judging evidence for the operation of this convention in specific pieces and a sharper delineation of its use in the history of ancient Greek music. The ‘rule’ was used by at least some composers from the late second century BC through the second century AD, but there is no certainty that it was used before or after this period. In some cases where previous scholars have discovered the rule's operation, statistical analysis casts doubt. Of special interest is the showing that one piece long judged as offering no evidence of the use of the rule probably displays an inversion or parody of the rule for rhetorical-musical effect.
Xenophon and the alternative to realist foreign policy:Cyropaedia3.1.14–31
Authors: Lendon J.E.
Published: April 2012

The dialogue Xenophon stages atCyropaedia3.1.14–31 constitutes a sophisticated theoretical treatment of Greek foreign-policy motivations and methods, and offers an implicit rebuttal to Thucydides' realist theses about foreign relations. Comparison of this passage to the historians and Attic orators suggests that Xenophon was attempting to systematize conventional Greek conceptions: the resulting theoretical system, in whichhybrisis regarded as the main obstacle to interstate quiet, and control of other states depends not only upon fear but upon superior excellence and the management of reciprocity, is likely to approach closer than Thucydides' theses to mainstream classical Greek thinking about foreign relations.
Evans, Mackenzie, and the history of the Palace at Knossos
Authors: Momigliano Nicoletta
Published: April 2012

At Knossos Mackenzie seems again to have performed the duties that we would now designate as those of the site supervisor. But the exact nature of his responsibilities, the limits of his authority and the personal relationship between him and Evans are something of an enigma. The problem has important scientific implications in view of the controversy that has developed since 1962 about the dependability of some aspects of Evan's publications. The conundrum, in short, concerns the exact roles that the two men played in the gradual evolution of theories from the moment of discovery of crucial evidence until the final arguments and conclusions appeared in definitive publications.
ON AUGMENTED HEGY TESTS FOR SEASONAL UNIT ROOTS
Authors: Castro Tomás del Barrio , Osborn Denise R. , Taylor A.M. Robert
Published: April 2012

In this paper we extend the large-sample results provided for the augmented Dickey–Fuller test by Said and Dickey (1984,Biometrika71, 599–607) and Chang and Park (2002,Econometric Reviews21, 431–447) to the case of the augmented seasonal unit root tests of Hylleberg, Engle, Granger, and Yoo (1990,Journal of Econometrics44, 215–238), inter alia. Our analysis is performed under the same conditions on the innovations as in Chang and Park (2002), thereby allowing for general linear processes driven by (possibly conditionally heteroskedastic) martingale difference innovations. We show that the limiting null distributions of thet-statistics for unit roots at the zero and Nyquist frequencies and jointF-type statistics are pivotal, whereas those of thet-statistics at the harmonic seasonal frequencies depend on nuisance parameters that derive from the lag parameters characterizing the linear process. Moreover, the rates on the lag truncation required for these results to hold are shown to coincide with the corresponding rates given in Chang and Park (2002); in particular, ano(T1/2) rate is shown to be sufficient.
THE ANALYSIS OF SINGLETONS IN GENERALIZED BIRTHDAY PROBLEMS
Authors: Koot Matthijs R. , Mandjes Michel
Published: April 2012

This paper describes techniques to characterize the number of singletons in the setting of the generalized birthday problem, that is, the birthday problem in which the birthdays are non-uniformly distributed over the year. Approximations for the mean and variance presented which explicitly indicate the impact of the heterogeneity (expressed in terms of the Kullback–Leibler distance with respect to the homogeneous distribution). Then an iterative scheme is presented for determining the distribution of the number of singletons. The approximations are validated by experiments with demographic data.
The use of videoconferencing to support multimodal interaction in an online language classroom
Authors: Hampel Regine , Stickler Ursula
Published: April 2012

The introduction of virtual learning environments has made new tools available that have the potential to support learner communication and interaction, thus aiding second language acquisition both from a psycholinguistic and a sociocultural point of view. This article focuses on the use of videoconferencing in the context of a larger exploratory study to find out how interaction was influenced by the affordances of the environment. Taking a mainly qualitative approach, the authors analysed the written and spoken interaction in recorded videoconferencing sessions, alongside examining some quantitative data to reveal participation patterns. Exploring language learning interaction in a synchronous online medium allows us to show how this is a process mediated by interaction with experts and peers as well as by the artefacts used (e.g., technology) and how learners use and combine multiple modes to make meaning. Our findings illustrate how an online videoconferencing environment with its multiple modalities can be used in language teaching, how teachers and learners adapt to the multimodal online environment and how new patterns of communication emerge in the process.
Exploiting a corpus of business letters from a phraseological, functional perspective
Authors: Flowerdew Lynne
Published: April 2012

This paper illustrates how a freely available online corpus has been exploited in a module on teaching business letters covering the following four speech acts (functions) commonly found in business letters: invitations, requests, complaints and refusals. It is proposed that different strategies are required for teaching potentially non-face-threatening (invitations, requests) and face-threatening (complaints, refusals) speech acts.

The hands-on pedagogic activities follow the ‘guided inductive approach’ advocated by Johansson (2009) and draw on practices and strategies covered in the literature on using corpora in language learning and teaching,viz. the need for ‘pedagogic mediation’, and the ‘noticing’ hypothesis from second language acquisition studies.