bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Association of nosocomial infections with delayed cerebral ischemia in aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage
Authors: Foreman Paul M. , Chua Michelle , Harrigan Mark R. , Fisher Winfield S. , Vyas Nilesh A. , Lipsky Robert H. , Walters Beverly C. , Tubbs R. Shane , Shoja Mohammadali M. , Griessenauer Christoph J.
Published: February 2016

OBJECTIVE

Delayed cerebral ischemia (DCI) is a recognized complication of aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage (aSAH) that contributes to poor outcome. This study seeks to determine the effect of nosocomial infection on the incidence of DCI and patient outcome.

METHODS

An exploratory analysis was performed on 156 patients with aSAH enrolled in the Cerebral Aneurysm Renin Angiotensin System study. Clinical and radiographic data were analyzed with univariate analysis to detect risk factors for the development of DCI and poor outcome. Multivariate logistic regression was performed to identify independent predictors of DCI.

RESULTS

One hundred fifty-three patients with aSAH were included. DCI was identified in 32 patients (20.9%). Nosocomial infection (odds ratio [OR] 3.5, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.09–11.2, p = 0.04), ventriculitis (OR 25.3, 95% CI 1.39–458.7, p = 0.03), aneurysm re-rupture (OR 7.55, 95% CI 1.02–55.7, p = 0.05), and clinical vasospasm (OR 43.4, 95% CI 13.1–143.4, p < 0.01) were independently associated with the development of DCI. Diagnosis of nosocomial infection preceded the diagnosis of DCI in 15 (71.4%) of 21 patients. Patients diagnosed with nosocomial infection experienced significantly worse outcomes as measured by the modified Rankin Scale score at discharge and 1 year (p < 0.01 and p = 0.03, respectively).

CONCLUSIONS

Nosocomial infection is independently associated with DCI. This association is hypothesized to be partly causative through the exacerbation of systemic inflammation leading to thrombosis and subsequent ischemia.
Transcranial magnetic resonance–guided focused ultrasound for temporal lobe epilepsy: a laboratory feasibility study
Authors: Monteith Stephen , Snell John , Eames Mathew , Kassell Neal F. , Kelly Edward , Gwinn Ryder
Published: February 2016

OBJECTIVE

In appropriate candidates, the treatment of medication-refractory mesial temporal lobe epilepsy (MTLE) is primarily surgical. Traditional anterior temporal lobectomy yields seizure-free rates of 60%–70% and possibly higher. The field of magnetic resonance–guided focused ultrasound (MRgFUS) is an evolving field in neurosurgery. There is potential to treat MTLE with MRgFUS; however, it has appeared that the temporal lobe structures were beyond the existing treatment envelope of currently available clinical systems. The purpose of this study was to determine whether lesional temperatures can be achieved in the target tissue and to assess potential safety concerns.

METHODS

Cadaveric skulls with tissue-mimicking gels were used as phantom targets. An ablative volume was then mapped out for a “virtual temporal lobectomy.” These data were then used to create a target volume on the InSightec ExAblate Neuro system. The target was the amygdala, uncus, anterior 20 mm of hippocampus, and adjacent parahippocampal gyrus. This volume was approximately 5cm3. Thermocouples were placed on critical skull base structures to monitor skull base heating.

RESULTS

Adequate focusing of the ultrasound energy was possible in the temporal lobe structures. Using clinically relevant ultrasound parameters (power 900 W, duration 10 sec, frequency 650 kHz), ablative temperatures were not achieved (maximum temperature 46.1°C). Increasing sonication duration to 30 sec demonstrated lesional temperatures in the mesial temporal lobe structures of interest (up to 60.5°C). Heating of the skull base of up to 24.7°C occurred with 30-sec sonications.

CONCLUSIONS

MRgFUS thermal ablation of the mesial temporal lobe structures relevant in temporal lobe epilepsy is feasible in a laboratory model. Longer sonications were required to achieve temperatures that would create permanent lesions in brain tissue. Heating of the skull base occurred with longer sonications. Blocking algorithms would be required to restrict ultrasound beams causing skull base heating. In the future, MRgFUS may present a minimally invasive, non-ionizing treatment of MTLE.
Neuroprotective effects of thymoquinone against spinal cord ischemia-reperfusion injury by attenuation of inflammation, oxidative stress, and apoptosis
Authors: Gökce Emre Cemal , Kahveci Ramazan , Gökce Aysun , Cemil Berker , Aksoy Nurkan , Sargon Mustafa Fevzi , Kısa Üçler , Erdoğan Bülent , Güvenç Yahya , Alagöz Fatih , Kahveci Ozan
Published: February 2016

OBJECTIVE

Ischemia-reperfusion (I/R) injury of the spinal cord following thoracoabdominal aortic surgery remains the most devastating complication, with a life-changing impact on the patient. Thymoquinone (TQ), the main constituent of the volatile oil from Nigella sativa seeds, is reported to possess strong antioxidant, antiinflammatory, and antiapoptotic properties. This study investigated the effects of TQ administration following I/R injury to the spinal cord.

METHODS

Thirty-two rats were randomly allocated into 4 groups. Group 1 underwent only laparotomy. For Group 2, aortic clip occlusion was introduced to produce I/R injury. Group 3 was given 30 mg/kg of methylprednisolone intraperitoneally immediately after the I/R injury. Group 4 was given 10 mg/kg of TQ intraperitoneally for 7 days before induction of spinal cord I/R injury, and administration was continued until the animal was euthanized. Locomotor function (Basso, Beattie, and Bresnahan scale and inclined plane test) was assessed at 24 hours postischemia. Spinal cord tissue samples were harvested to analyze tissue concentrations of malondialdehyde, nitric oxide, tumor necrosis factor–α, interleukin-1, superoxide dismutase, glutathione-peroxidase, catalase, and caspase-3. In addition, histological and ultrastructural evaluations were performed.

RESULTS

Thymoquinone treatment improved neurological outcome, which was supported by decreased levels of oxidative products (malondialdehyde and nitric oxide) and proinflammatory cytokines (tumor necrosis factor–α and interleukin-1), increased activities of antioxidant enzymes (superoxide dismutase, glutathione-peroxidase, and catalase), as well as reduction of motor neuron apoptosis. Light microscopy and electron microscopy results also showed preservation of tissue structure in the treatment group.

CONCLUSIONS

As shown by functional, biochemical, histological, and ultrastructural analysis, TQ exhibits an important protective effect against I/R injury of the spinal cord.
Ectopic ganglion in cauda equina: case report
Authors: Conner Andrew K. , Fung Kar-Ming , Peterson Jo Elle G. , Glenn Chad A. , Martin Michael D.
Published: February 2016

Macroscopic ectopic or heterotopic ganglionic tissue within the cauda equina is a very rare pathological finding and is usually associated with spinal dysraphism. However, it may mimic genuine neoplasms of the cauda equina. The authors describe a 29-year-old woman with a history of back pain, right leg pain, and urinary incontinence in whom imaging demonstrated an enhancing mass located in the cauda equina at the L1–2 interspace. The patient subsequently underwent biopsy and was found to have a focus of ectopic ganglionic tissue that was 1.3 cm in greatest dimension.

To the authors' knowledge, ectopic or heterotopic ganglionic tissue within the cauda equina in a patient without evidence of spinal dysraphism has never been reported. This patient presented with imaging and clinical findings suggestive of a neoplasm, and an open biopsy proved the lesion to be ectopic ganglionic tissue. The authors suggest that ectopic ganglionic tissue be added to the list of differential diagnoses of a space-occupying lesion arising from the cauda equina.
Results of spinal accessory to suprascapular nerve transfer in 110 patients with complete palsy of the brachial plexus
Authors: Bertelli Jayme Augusto , Ghizoni Marcos Flávio
Published: February 2016

OBJECTIVE

Transfer of the spinal accessory nerve to the suprascapular nerve is a common procedure, performed to reestablish shoulder motion in patients with total brachial plexus palsy. However, the results of this procedure remain largely unknown.

METHODS

Over an 11-year period (2002–2012), 257 patients with total brachial plexus palsy were operated upon in the authors' department by a single surgeon and had the spinal accessory nerve transferred to the suprascapular nerve. Among these, 110 had adequate follow-up and were included in this study. Their average age was 26 years (SD 8.4 years), and the mean interval between their injury and surgery was 5.2 months (SD 2.4 months). Prior to 2005, the suprascapular and spinal accessory nerves were dissected through a classic supraclavicular L-shape incision (n = 29). Afterward (n = 81), the spinal accessory and suprascapular nerves were dissected via an oblique incision, extending from the point at which the plexus crossed the clavicle to the anterior border of the trapezius muscle. In 17 of these patients, because of clavicle fractures or dislocation, scapular fractures or retroclavicular scarring, the incision was extended by detaching the trapezius from the clavicle to expose the suprascapular nerve at the suprascapular fossa. In all patients, the brachial plexus was explored and elbow flexion reconstructed by root grafting (n = 95), root grafting and phrenic nerve transfer (n = 6), phrenic nerve transfer (n = 1), or third, fourth, and fifth intercostal nerve transfer. Postoperatively, patients were followed for an average of 40 months (SD 13.7 months).

RESULTS

Failed recovery, meaning less than 30° abduction, was observed in 10 (9%) of the 110 patients. The failure rate was 25% between 2002 and 2004, but dropped to 5% after the staged/extended approach was introduced. The mean overall range of abduction recovery was 58.5° (SD 26°). Comparing before and after distal suprascapular nerve exploration (2005–2012), the range of abduction recovery was 45° (SD 25.1°) versus 62° (SD 25.3°), respectively (p = 0.002). In patients who recovered at least 30° of abduction, recovery of elbow flexion to at least an M3 level of strength increased the range of abduction by an average of 13° (p = 0.01). Before the extended approach, 2 (7%) of 29 patients recovered active external rotation of 20° and 120°. With the staged/extended approach, 32 (40%) of 81 recovered some degree of active external rotation. In these patients, the average range of motion measured from the thorax was 87° (SD 40.6°).

CONCLUSIONS

In total palsies of the brachial plexus, using the spinal accessory nerve for transfer to the suprascapular nerve is reliable and provides some recovery of abduction for a large majority of patients. In a few patients, a more extensive approach to access the suprascapular nerve, including, if necessary, dissection in the suprascapular fossa, may enhance outcomes.
Russell Meyers (1905–1999): pioneer of functional and ultrasonic neurosurgery
Authors: Abel Taylor J. , Walch Timothy , Howard Matthew A.
Published: February 2016

Advances in functional neurosurgery, including neuromodulation and more recently ultrasonic ablation of basal ganglia structures, have improved the quality of life for patients with debilitating movement disorders. What is little known, however, is that both of these neurosurgical advances, which remain on the cutting edge, have their origin in the pioneering work of Russell Meyers, whose contributions are documented in this paper. Meyers' published work and professional correspondence are reviewed, in addition to documents held by the Department of Neurosurgery at the University of Iowa. Meyers was born in Brooklyn, New York, and received his neurosurgical training at hospitals in New York City under Jefferson Browder. In 1939, a chance encounter with a young woman with damaged bilateral ventral striata convinced Meyers that the caudate could be resected to treat Parkinsonism without disrupting consciousness. Shortly thereafter, he performed the first caudate resection for postencephalitic Parkinsonism. In 1946, Meyers became the first chairman of neurosurgery at the State University of Iowa (now the University of Iowa), which led to the recruitment of 8 faculty members and the training of 18 residents during his tenure (1946–1963). Through collaboration with the Fry brothers at the University of Illinois, Meyers performed the first stereotactic ultrasonic ablations of deep brain structures to treat tremor, choreoathetosis, dystonia, intractable pain, and hypothalamic hamartoma. Meyers left academic neurosurgery in 1963 for reasons that are unclear, but he continued clinical neurosurgery work for several more years. Despite his early departure from academic medicine, Meyers' contributions to functional neurosurgery provided a lasting legacy that has improved the lives of many patients with movement disorders.
Influence of rare earth metals on structure and performance of Ni2P/MCM-41 hydrodesulfurisation catalysts
Authors: Song Hua , Gong Jing , Song Hua-Lin , Li Feng , Wang Yuan-Yuan , Jin Zai-Shun
Published: February 2016

A series of rare-earth-modified M-Ni2P/MCM-41 (M=Pr, Nd, Ce, La, Y) catalysts has been prepared by means of a temperature-programmed reduction method. The prepared catalysts were characterised by X-ray diffraction, N2-adsorption specific surface area measurements, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and CO uptake. The effects of rare earth metals on catalyst activity for hydrodesulfurisation (HDS) of dibenzothiophene (DBT) were studied. The results showed that the addition of rare earth metals increases the surface area and pore volume of the catalysts. Rare earth metals can promote formation of the Ni2P phase and induce a better Ni2P dispersion but they do not change the mechanism of HDS of DBT. Pr-Ni2P/MCM-41 exhibited the highest HDS activity. At reaction temperature of 300 °C, pressure of 3.0 MPa, hydrogen/oil volume ratio of 500, and weight hourly space velocity(WHSV) of 6.0 h−1, the addition of Pr increased the conversion of HDS of DBT by 16.7%.
Hume and Utilitarianism: Another Look at an Age-Old Question
Authors: Reichlin Massimo
Published: February 2016

The discussion on the relationship between Hume and utilitarianism has been lively for many decades. To contribute to this discussion, I identify four main features of a utilitarian view: a) a consequentialist theory of the right, b) a hedonist theory of the good, c) some kind of impartiality in evaluating consequences, and d) an essentially prescriptive, rather than merely explicative, attitude. I then show that, first, although he borrowed the word ‘utility’ from Hume, Bentham did not consider Hume as a utilitarian and, second, that Hume's ethics does not really endorse any of the four main tenets of utilitarianism, either in the Treatise or in the Enquiry. I thus conclude that, notwithstanding recent interpretations to the contrary, Hume was no utilitarian in any substantial sense.
Narrative and History in Hume's Moral Epistemology
Authors: Frykholm Erin
Published: February 2016

Hume's moral epistemology, focusing on the elevation of character tratis, requires what in contemporary terms is a narrative structure. The moral significance of an action can only be understood when considered in relation to an agent's past actions, beliefs, intentions, social environment and situation. Three features of Hume's writings support this claim: his accounts of moral evidence, of the object of moral evaluation, and of the value of history. Without recognizing the role of narrative, the standard view of Hume's moral epistemology is incomplete. Recognizing this, Hume's History of England can be read as an exercise of moral evaluation.
Thomas Reid on Causation and Scientific Explanation
Authors: Barrantes Manuel , Durán Juan M.
Published: February 2016

We argue that there is no tension between Reid's description of science and his claim that science is based on the principles of common sense. For Reid, science is rooted in common sense since it is based on the (common sense) idea that fixed laws govern nature. This, however, does not contradict his view that the scientific notions of causation and explanation are fundamentally different from their common sense counterparts. After discussing these points, we dispute with Cobb's ( Cobb 2010 ) and Benbaji's ( Benbaji 2003 ) interpretations of Reid's views on causation and explanation. Finally, we present Reid's views from the perspective of the contemporary debate on scientific explanation.
Maclaurin on Occasionalism: A Reply to Ablondi
Authors: Connolly Patrick J.
Published: February 2016

In a recent article Fred Ablondi compares the different approaches to occasionalism put forward by two eighteenth-century Newtonians, Colin Maclaurin and Andrew Baxter. The goal of this short essay is to respond to Ablondi by clarifying some key features of Maclaurin's views on occasionalism and the cause of gravitational attraction. In particular, I explore Maclaurin's matter theory, his views on the explanatory limits of mechanism, and his appeals to the authority of Newton. This leads to a clearer picture of the way in which Maclaurin understood gravitational attraction and the workings of nature.
A Study in Four Colours: The Case of the Chameleon Detective
Authors: Krawczyk-Żywko Lucyna
Published: February 2016

Sherlock Holmes, one of the world's most famous detectives, is skilled at disguising himself and adjusting to different circumstances and yet remaining himself. Few literary characters lose so little in the process of adaptation, be it cinematic or literary, and I propose calling him a cultural chameleon: regardless of the palette and colour against which he is positioned – warm (scarlet and pink), cold (emerald), or black – he remains a brilliant sleuth. This paper compares four titles and four colours: A Study in Scarlet (1887), the first of the long-running series of texts by Doyle, and three instances of Holmes's adaptability to twenty-first century standards and expectations: ‘A Study in Emerald’ (2003), an award-winning short story by Neil Gaiman, ‘A Study in Pink’ (2010), the first episode of the BBC series Sherlock, and ‘A Study in Black’ (2012–13), a part of the Watson and Holmes comics series. Each background highlights different aspects of the detective's personality, but also sheds light on his approach to crime and criminals.
London's Dispossessed: Questioning the Neo-Victorian Politics of Neoliberal Austerity in Richard Warlow'sRipper Street
Authors: McWilliam David
Published: February 2016

The moral justification for the rollback of benefits and services under the austerity programme unleashed by George Osborne since 2010, when he was first appointed Chancellor of the Exchequer by British Prime Minister David Cameron, is predicated on a neoliberal ideology that views unemployment and poverty as stemming from personal failings rather than the ways in which the free market has shaped British society since the election of Margaret Thatcher in 1979. By using Charles Murray's neo-Victorian argument that the welfare state has created a work-shy, antisocial ‘underclass’, neoliberal politicians and journalists have mythologised the Victorian era as one of discipline and stability, providing a model for the sort of society we should aspire once more to be. This article argues that Richard Warlow's television series, Ripper Street (2012 –), in showing the socio-economic causes of crime in late-Victorian London and the need for collective action and state intervention to alleviate them, challenges the construction of the era used to justify neoliberal austerity. It does so through what Ann Heilmann and Mark Llewellyn characterise as one of the defining features of neo-Victorian fiction: its ability to demonstrate the ‘quasi-fictiveness of the Victorians to our own period’, implicitly drawing parallels between the progressive zeal of nineteenth-century social reformers and the anti-austerity movement today.
The Transformed Beast:Penny Dreadful, Adaptation, and the Gothic
Authors: Poore Benjamin
Published: February 2016

After only one eight-part season, the television series Penny Dreadful, a Showtime/Sky Atlantic co-production, had already become an international success with an active and vocal fanbase. Yet the relationship of the show (which was created and written by John Logan) to the Victorian serial fiction genre, penny dreadfuls, is an oblique one, and worth unpicking. The first part of this article focuses on the task of teasing out the connections between Penny Dreadful and the penny dreadful genre, arguing that the show's title performs significant cultural work in positioning itself in relation to Victorian fiction and in relation to modern television. In the second part of the essay, I explore how Penny Dreadful works as an adaptation, using Kamilla Elliott's insights into the contradictory and overlapping concepts of adaptation in Rethinking the Novel/Film Debate. Finally, the essay considers Penny Dreadful as a reflection – and, it is argued, an appropriation – of contemporary media fandom.
Agro-Morphological Evaluation of Rice (Oryza sativa L.) for Seasonal Adaptation in the Sahelian Environment
Authors: Ndour Daba , Diouf Diaga , Bimpong Isaac , Sow Abdoulaye , Kanfany Ghislain , Manneh Baboucarr
Published: February 2016

In the Sahel zone of West Africa that extends from Senegal to Chad, temperatures can vary from less than 15 °C to 25 °C from November to February. These low temperatures affect the growth, development and yield of rice plants, and therefore constitute a major constraint to rice production in the Sahel. In order to identify rice varieties tolerant to cold stress at different developmental stages, a diverse set of 224 rice germplasm was evaluated for yield and yield-related traits in Ndiaye, Senegal, using three different sowing dates. The first sowing date (October 2010), was chosen so as to expose the rice plants to cold stress at the reproductive stage while the rice crop planted at the second sowing date (January 2011) experienced cold stress at the vegetative stage. The third sowing date (July 2011) was the normal planting date for irrigated rice in the Sahel and it served as the control date when the crop does not experience any cold stress throughout its growth cycle. Among the data collected, significant genetic variation was detected and genotype-by-environment interaction was also significant for the traits. At the vegetative stage, cold stress reduced tillering and plant vigor and delayed flowering but increased yield, whereas at the reproductive stage, aside from delaying flowering, cold stress also inhibited panicle exsertion and reduced panicle length, spikelet fertility, grain filling and strongly reduced yields. Principal Component Analysis and correlation analysis using agro-morphological traits helped to identify genotypes that were tolerant to cold stress at either the vegetative or the reproductive stage and the traits associated with high yield under cold stress at each of these stages. Our results can be used to develop cold tolerant rice varieties adapted to double cropping in the Sahelian zone of West Africa.
Evaluation of Strategies to Reducing Traction Energy Consumption of Metro Systems Using an Optimal Train Control Simulation Model
Authors: Su Shuai , Tang Tao , Wang Yihui
Published: February 2016

Increasing attention is being paid to the energy efficiency in metro systems to reduce the operational cost and to advocate the sustainability of railway systems. Classical research has studied the energy-efficient operational strategy and the energy-efficient system design separately to reduce the traction energy consumption. This paper aims to combine the operational strategies and the system design by analyzing how the infrastructure and vehicle parameters of metro systems influence the operational traction energy consumption. Firstly, a solution approach to the optimal train control model is introduced, which is used to design the Optimal Train Control Simulator(OTCS). Then, based on the OTCS, the performance of some important energy-efficient system design strategies is investigated to reduce the trains’ traction energy consumption, including reduction of the train mass, improvement of the kinematic resistance, the design of the energy-saving gradient, increasing the maximum traction and braking forces, introducing regenerative braking and timetable optimization. As for these energy-efficient strategies, the performances are finally evaluated using the OTCS with the practical operational data of the Beijing Yizhuang metro line. The proposed approach gives an example to quantitatively analyze the energy reduction of different strategies in the system design procedure, which may help the decision makers to have an overview of the energy-efficient performances and then to make decisions by balancing the costs and the benefits.
Cholesterol Promotes Interaction of the Protein CLIC1 with Phospholipid Monolayers at the Air–Water Interface
Authors: Hossain Khondker , Al Khamici Heba , Holt Stephen , Valenzuela Stella
Published: February 2016

CLIC1 is a Chloride Intracellular Ion Channel protein that exists either in a soluble state in the cytoplasm or as a membrane bound protein. Members of the CLIC family are largely soluble proteins that possess the intriguing property of spontaneous insertion into phospholipid bilayers to form integral membrane ion channels. The regulatory role of cholesterol in the ion-channel activity of CLIC1 in tethered lipid bilayers was previously assessed using impedance spectroscopy. Here we extend this investigation by evaluating the influence of cholesterol on the spontaneous membrane insertion of CLIC1 into Langmuir film monolayers prepared using 1-palmitoyl-2-oleoylphosphatidylcholine, 1-palmitoyl-2-oleoyl-sn-glycero-3-phospho-ethanolamine and 1-palmitoyl-2-oleoyl-sn-glycero-3-phospho-L-serine alone or in combination with cholesterol. The spontaneous membrane insertion of CLIC1 was shown to be dependent on the presence of cholesterol in the membrane. Furthermore, pre-incubation of CLIC1 with cholesterol prior to its addition to the Langmuir film, showed no membrane insertion even in monolayers containing cholesterol, suggesting the formation of a CLIC1-cholesterol pre-complex. Our results therefore suggest that CLIC1 membrane interaction involves CLIC1 binding to cholesterol located in the membrane for its initial docking followed by insertion. Subsequent structural rearrangements of the protein would likely also be required along with oligomerisation to form functional ion channels.
The Diels-Alder Cycloaddition Reaction of Substituted Hemifullerenes with 1,3-Butadiene: Effect of Electron-Donating and Electron-Withdrawing Substituents
Authors: Mojica Martha , Méndez Francisco , Alonso Julio
Published: February 2016

The Diels-Alder (DA) reaction provides an attractive route to increase the number of six member rings in substituted Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons (PAHs). The density functional theory (DFT) B3LYP method has been used in this work to inquire if the substitution of H over the edge of triindenetriphenylene (pristine hemifullerene 1) and pentacyclopentacorannulene (pristine hemifullerene 2), could improve the DA cycloaddition reaction with 1,3-butadiene. The substituents tested include electron-donating (NH2, OMe, OH, Me, i-Pr) and electron-withdrawing groups (F, COOH, CF3, CHO, CN, NO2). The electronic, kinetic and thermodynamic parameters of the DA reactions of the substituted hemifullerenes with 1,3-butadiene have been analyzed. The most promising results were obtained for the NO2 substituent; the activation energy barriers for reactions using this substituent were lower than the barriers for the pristine hemifullerenes. This leads us to expect that the cycloadditions to a starting fullerene fragment will be possible.
The Deep Correlation between Energy Metabolism and Reproduction: A View on the Effects of Nutrition for Women Fertility
Authors: Fontana Roberta , Torre Sara
Published: February 2016

In female mammals, mechanisms have been developed, throughout evolution, to integrate environmental, nutritional and hormonal cues in order to guarantee reproduction in favorable energetic conditions and to inhibit it in case of food scarcity. This metabolic strategy could be an advantage in nutritionally poor environments, but nowadays is affecting women’s health. The unlimited availability of nutrients, in association with reduced energy expenditure, leads to alterations in many metabolic pathways and to impairments in the finely tuned inter-relation between energy metabolism and reproduction, thereby affecting female fertility. Many energetic states could influence female reproductive health being under- and over-weight, obesity and strenuous physical activity are all conditions that alter the profiles of specific hormones, such as insulin and adipokines, thus impairing women fertility. Furthermore, specific classes of nutrients might affect female fertility by acting on particular signaling pathways. Dietary fatty acids, carbohydrates, proteins and food-associated components (such as endocrine disruptors) have per se physiological activities and their unbalanced intake, both in quantitative and qualitative terms, might impair metabolic homeostasis and fertility in premenopausal women. Even though we are far from identifying a “fertility diet”, lifestyle and dietary interventions might represent a promising and invaluable strategy to manage infertility in premenopausal women.
Infectious Mononucleosis Triggers Generation of IgG Auto-Antibodies against Native Myelin Oligodendrocyte Glycoprotein
Authors: Kakalacheva Kristina , Regenass Stephan , Wiesmayr Silke , Azzi Tarik , Berger Christoph , Dale Russell , Brilot Fabienne , Münz Christian , Rostasy Kevin , Nadal David , Lünemann Jan
Published: February 2016

A history of infectious mononucleosis (IM), symptomatic primary infection with the Epstein Barr virus, is associated with the development of autoimmune diseases and increases the risk to develop multiple sclerosis. Here, we hypothesized that immune activation during IM triggers autoreactive immune responses. Antibody responses towards cellular antigens using a HEp-2 based indirect immunofluorescence assay and native myelin oligodendrocyte glycoprotein (MOG) using a flow cytometry-based assay were determined in 35 patients with IM and in 23 control subjects. We detected frequent immunoglobulin M (IgM) reactivity to vimentin, a major constituent of the intermediate filament family of proteins, in IM patients (27/35; 77%) but rarely in control subjects (2/23; 9%). IgG autoantibodies binding to HEp-2 cells were absent in both groups. In contrast, IgG responses to native MOG, present in up to 40% of children with inflammatory demyelinating diseases of the central nervous system (CNS), were detectable in 7/35 (20%) patients with IM but not in control subjects. Normalization of anti-vimentin IgM levels to increased total IgM concentrations during IM resulted in loss of significant differences for anti-vimentin IgM titers. Anti-MOG specific IgG responses were still detectable in a subset of three out of 35 patients with IM (9%), even after normalization to increased total IgG levels. Vimentin-specific IgM and MOG-specific IgG responses decreased following clinical resolution of acute IM symptoms. We conclude from our data that MOG-specific memory B cells are activated in subset of patients with IM.
Le conseil constitutionnel et la chasse (à propos de la décision n° 2000-434 DC du Conseil constitutionnel du 20 juillet 2000)
Authors: Azoulay Loïc
Published: February 2016

L'étude est un commentaire de la décision du Conseil constitutionnel relative à la loi du 26 juillet 2000 relative à la chasse. L'occasion est ainsi donnée d'étudier la place et la fonction du contrôle constitutionnel à l'égard d'un véritable « problème de société ». A partir de cette étude de cas, la conclusion est double et contradictoire. D'une part, le Conseil démontre son souci de protéger l'intégrité de la procédure parlementaire sans pour autant sacrifier l'efficacité de la politique cynégétique. Mais, d'autre part, le Conseil révèle les limites de sa capacité à résoudre les conflits de droits et d'intérêts en matière d'environnement. Faute d'une réorganisation du contrôle constitutionnel, il en résulte un déséquilibre des règles de la délibération politique au détriment des règles de la délibération sociale et le risque d'une instrumentalisation du contentieux sur les questions d'environnement.
WARACS: Wrappers to Automate the Reconstruction of Ancestral Character States
Authors: Gruenstaeudl Michael
Published: February 2016

Premise of the study:

Reconstructions of ancestral character states are among the most widely used analyses for evaluating the morphological, cytological, or ecological evolution of an organismic lineage. The software application Mesquite remains the most popular application for such reconstructions among plant scientists, even though its support for automating complex analyses is limited. A software tool is needed that automates the reconstruction and visualization of ancestral character states with Mesquite and similar applications.

Methods and Results:

A set of command line–based Python scripts was developed that (a) communicates standardized input to and output from the software applications Mesquite, BayesTraits, and TreeGraph2; (b) automates the process of ancestral character state reconstruction; and (c) facilitates the visualization of reconstruction results.

Conclusions:

WARACS provides a simple tool that streamlines the reconstruction and visualization of ancestral character states over a wide array of parameters, including tree distribution, character state, and optimality criterion.
Influence of calcium on ceramide-1-phosphate monolayers
Authors: Oliveira Joana S L , Brezesinski Gerald , Hill Alexandra , Gericke Arne
Published: February 2016

Ceramide-1-phosphate (C1P) plays an important role in several biological processes, being identified as a key regulator of many protein functions. For instance, it acts as a mediator of inflammatory responses. The mediation of the inflammation process happens due to the interaction of C1P with the C2 domain of cPLA2α, an effector protein that needs the presence of submicromolar concentrations of calcium ions. The aim of this study was to determine the phase behaviour and structural properties of C1P in the presence and absence of millimolar quantities of calcium in a well-defined pH environment. For that purpose, we used monomolecular films of C1P at the soft air/liquid interface with calcium ions in the subphase. The pH was varied to change the protonation degree of the C1P head group. We used surface pressure versus molecular area isotherms coupled with other monolayer techniques as Brewster angle microscopy (BAM), infrared reflection–absorption spectroscopy (IRRAS) and grazing incidence X-ray diffraction (GIXD). The isotherms indicate that C1P monolayers are in a condensed state in the presence of calcium ions, regardless of the pH. At higher pH without calcium ions, the monolayer is in a liquid-expanded state due to repulsion between the negatively charged phosphate groups of the C1P molecules. When divalent calcium ions are added, they are able to bridge the highly charged phosphate groups, enhancing the regular arrangement of the head groups. Similar solidification of the monolayer structure can be seen in the presence of a 150 times larger concentration of monovalent sodium ions. Therefore, calcium ions have clearly a strong affinity for the phosphomonoester of C1P.
Directional Processing and Noise Reduction in Hearing Aids: Individual and Situational Influences on Preferred Setting
Authors: Neher Tobias , Wagener Kirsten C. , Fischer Rosa-Linde
Published: February 2016

Background:A better understanding of individual differences in hearing aid (HA) outcome is a prerequisite for more personalized HA fittings. Currently, knowledge of how different user factors relate to response to directional processing (DIR) and noise reduction (NR) is sparse.Purpose:To
extend a recent study linking preference for DIR and NR to pure-tone average hearing thresholds (PTA) and cognitive factors by investigating if (1) equivalent links exist for different types of DIR and NR, (2) self-reported noise sensitivity and personality can account for additional variability
in preferred DIR and NR settings, and (3) spatial target speech configuration interacts with individual DIR preference.Research Design:Using a correlational study design, overall preference for different combinations of DIR and NR programmed into a commercial HA was assessed in a complex
speech-in-noise situation and related to PTA, cognitive function, and different personality traits.Study Sample:Sixty experienced HA users aged 60‐82 yr with controlled variation in PTA and working memory capacity took part in this study. All of them had participated in the earlier
study, as part of which they were tested on a measure of “executive control” tapping into cognitive functions such as working memory, mental flexibility, and selective attention.Data Collection and Analysis:Six HA settings based on unilateral (within-device) or bilateral
(across-device) DIR combined with inactive, moderate, or strong single-microphone NR were programmed into a pair of behind-the-ear HAs together with individually prescribed amplification. Overall preference was assessed using a free-field simulation of a busy cafeteria situation with either
a single frontal talker or two talkers at ±30° azimuth as the target speech. In addition, two questionnaires targeting noise sensitivity and the “Big Five” personality traits were administered. Data were analyzed using multiple regression analyses and repeated-measures
analyses of variance with a focus on potential interactions between the HA settings and user factors.Results:Consistent with the earlier study, preferred HA setting was related to PTA and executive control. However, effects were weaker this time. Noise sensitivity and personality did
not interact with HA settings. As expected, spatial target speech configuration influenced preference, with bilateral and unilateral DIR “winning” in the single- and two-talker scenario, respectively. In general, participants with higher PTA tended to more strongly prefer bilateral
DIR than participants with lower PTA.Conclusions:Although the current study lends some support to the view that PTA and cognitive factors affect preferred DIR and NR setting, it also indicates that these effects can vary across noise management technologies. To facilitate more personalized
HA fittings, future research should investigate the source of this variability.
THE GOULD’S BELT VERY LARGE ARRAY SURVEY. V. THE PERSEUS REGION
Authors: Pech Gerardo , Loinard Laurent , Dzib Sergio A. , Mioduszewski Amy J. , Rodríguez Luis F. , Ortiz-León Gisela N. , Rivera Juana L. , Torres Rosa M. , Boden Andrew F. , Hartman Lee , Kounkel Marina A. , Evans II Neal J. , Briceño Cesar , Tobin John , Zapata Luis A.
Published: February 2016

We present multiepoch, large-scale (∼2000 arcmin2), fairly deep (∼16 μJy), high-resolution (∼1″) radio observations of the Perseus star-forming complex obtained with the Karl G. Jansky Very Large Array at frequencies of 4.5 and 7.5 GHz. These observations were mainly focused on the clouds NGC 1333 and IC 348, although we also observed several fields in other parts of the Perseus complex. We detect a total of 206 sources, 42 of which are associated with young stellar objects (YSOs). The radio properties of about 60% of the YSOs are compatible with a nonthermal radio emission origin. Based on our sample, we find a fairly clear relation between the prevalence of nonthermal radio emission and evolutionary status of the YSOs. By comparing our results with previously reported X-ray observations, we show that YSOs in Perseus follow a Güdel–Benz relation with κ = 0.03, consistent with other regions of star formation. We argue that most of the sources detected in our observations but not associated with known YSOs are extragalactic, but provide a list of 20 unidentified radio sources whose radio properties are consistent with being YSO candidates. Finally, we also detect five sources with extended emission features that can clearly be associated with radio galaxies.
AN APPARENT PRECESSING HELICAL OUTFLOW FROM A MASSIVE EVOLVED STAR: EVIDENCE FOR BINARY INTERACTION
Authors: Lau R. M. , Hankins M. J. , Herter T. L. , Morris M. R. , Mills E. A. C. , Ressler M. E.
Published: February 2016

Massive, evolved stars play a crucial role in the metal enrichment, dust budget, and energetics of the interstellar medium; however, the details of their evolution are uncertain because of their rarity and short lifetimes before exploding as supernovae. Discrepancies between theoretical predictions from single-star evolutionary models and observations of massive stars have evoked a shifting paradigm that implicates the importance of binary interaction. We present mid- to far-infrared observations from the Stratospheric Observatory for Infrared Astronomy of a conical “helix” of warm dust (∼180 K) that appears to extend from the Wolf–Rayet star WR102c. Our interpretation of the helix is a precessing, collimated outflow that emerged from WR102c during a previous evolutionary phase as a rapidly rotating luminous blue variable. We attribute the precession of WR102c to gravitational interactions with an unseen compact binary companion whose orbital period can be constrained to 800 days < P < 1400 days from the inferred precession period, τ

p
 ∼ 1.4 × 104 yr, and limits imposed on the stellar and orbital parameters of the system. Our results concur with the range of orbital periods (P ≲ 1500 days) where spin-up via mass exchange is expected to occur for massive binary systems.
ENTROPY-VORTEX WAVES IN NON-ADIABATIC FLOWS
Authors: Ibáñez S. Miguel H.
Published: February 2016

The Ertel theorem on the vorticity along the flow of adiabatic fluids is generalized for non-adiabatic flows. Several limiting cases are analyzed and the results are applied to flows behind different hydrodynamics fronts, particularly to thermal fronts (heat and cooling fronts). An important conclusion of the present analysis is that vorticity is inherent in the condensation’s (or hot spots) formation by thermal instabilities in plasma flows. Implications for several astrophysical plasmas are outlined.
SPECTRA, EMISSION YIELDS, CROSS SECTIONS, AND KINETIC ENERGY DISTRIBUTIONS OF HYDROGEN ATOMS FROM H2
–
EXCITATION BY ELECTRON IMPACT
Authors: Liu Xianming , Shemansky Donald E. , Yoshii Jean , Johnson Paul V. , Malone Charles P. , Ajello Joseph M.
Published: February 2016

Electron-impact excitation of H2 triplet states plays an important role in the heating of outer planet upper thermospheres. The

state is the third ungerade triplet state, and the

–

emission is the largest cascade channel for the

state. Accurate energies of the

(v, J) levels are calculated from an ab initio potential energy curve. Radiative lifetimes of the

(v, J) levels are obtained by an accurate evaluation of the

–

transition probabilities. The emission yields are determined from experimental lifetimes and calculated radiative lifetimes and are further verified by comparing experimental and synthetic

–

spectra at 20 eV impact energy. Spectral analysis revealed that multipolar components beyond the dipolar term are required to model the

–

excitation, and significant cascade excitation occurs at the

(v = 0,1) levels. Kinetic energy (E

k
) distributions of H atoms produced via predissociation of the

state and the

−

−

cascade dissociative emission are obtained. Predissociation of the

state produces H atoms with an average E

k
of 2.3 ± 0.4 eV/atom, while the E

k
distribution of the

−

−

channel is similar to that of the

–

−

channel and produces H(1s) atoms with an average E

k
of 1.15 ± 0.05 eV/atom. On average, each H2 excited to the

state in an H2-dominated atmosphere deposits 3.3 ± 0.4 eV into the atmosphere, while each H2 directly excited to the

state gives 2.2–2.3 eV to the atmosphere. The spectral distribution of the calculated

–

continuum emission due to the

–

excitation is significantly different from that of direct

excitation.
Watching and tweeting: Youngsters’ responses to media representations of resistance
Authors: Torrego Alba , Gutiérrez-Martín Alfonso
Published: February 2016

There has been considerable debate about the potential of social media to promote new democratic practices and active citizenship. However, the participation of young people in social networks seems to go in a more playful than ideological direction. This article discusses youngsters’ activity in Twitter simultaneously with the television viewing of two films: «V for Vendetta» and «The Hunger Games». As both films address social and political issues, we intend to identify whether youngsters referred to ideological issues in tweets generated during their viewing, and whether these tweets lead to joint reflection on the current social situation. 1,400 tweets posted during the broadcasts of the films in Spanish TV in 2014 were collected for this purpose. The encoding of messages is carried out following a «coding and counting» approach, typical of the studies of Computer-mediated communication. Then messages are classified based on their content. The results obtained indicate that messages about the social and political content of the films are almost non-existent, since young people prefer to comment on other aspects of the films or their lives. The conclusions have a bearing on the importance of considering popular culture, for its social and political implications, as a motive for reflection, and the importance of boosting a critical media education.

Mucho se ha hablado del potencial de las redes sociales para fomentar nuevas prácticas democráticas y de ciudadanía activa. Sin embargo, la participación de los jóvenes parece ir en una dirección más lúdica que ideológica. Se analizan sus intervenciones en Twitter como parte de la situación de visionados de dos películas en televisión: «V de Vendetta» y «Los juegos del hambre». Como en ambas se abordan temas sociales y políticos, a través del análisis de los tuits generados durante su visionado se pretende identificar si en ellos se hace referencia a cuestiones ideológicas y si estas sirven de revulsivo para la reflexión conjunta sobre la situación social y política actual. Para ello, se recogen 1.400 tuits escritos durante las emisiones en cadenas españolas de las dos películas en 2014. Se procede a la codificación de los mensajes siguiendo el enfoque «coding y counting», propio de los estudios de comunicación mediada por ordenador, y se clasifican los mensajes según su contenido. Los resultados obtenidos indican que los mensajes sobre el contenido social y político de los filmes son casi inexistentes puesto que los jóvenes prefieren comentar otros aspectos de las películas o de sus vidas. Las conclusiones alcanzadas tras este análisis inciden en la importancia de considerar la cultura popular, por sus implicaciones sociales y políticas, como motivo de reflexión, y de potenciar una educación mediática capacitadora.