bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
PIM-1 kinase interacts with the DNA binding domain of the vitamin D receptor: a further kinase implicated in 1,25-(OH)2D3 signaling
Authors: Maier Christina J , Maier Richard H , Rid Raphaela , Trost Andrea , Hundsberger Harald , Eger Andreas , Hintner Helmut , Bauer Johann W , Onder Kamil
Published: July 2012

Background

The vitamin D3 receptor (VDR) is responsible for mediating the pleiotropic and, in part, cell-type-specific effects of 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3 (calcitriol) on the cardiovascular and the muscle system, on the bone development and maintenance, mineral homeostasis, cell proliferation, cell differentiation, vitamin D metabolism, and immune response modulation.

Results

Based on data obtained from genome-wide yeast two-hybrid screenings, domain mapping studies, intracellular co-localization approaches as well as reporter transcription assay measurements, we show here that the C-terminus of human PIM-1 kinase isoform2 (amino acid residues 135–313), a serine/threonine kinase of the calcium/calmodulin-regulated kinase family, directly interacts with VDR through the receptor’s DNA-binding domain. We further demonstrate that PIM-1 modulates calcitriol signaling in HaCaT keratinocytes by enhancing both endogenous calcitriol response gene transcription (osteopontin) and an extrachromosomal DR3 reporter response.

Conclusion

These results, taken together with previous reports of involvement of kinase pathways in VDR transactivation, underscore the biological relevance of this novel protein-protein interaction.
Medication coaching program for patients with minor stroke or TIA: A pilot study
Authors: Sides Elizabeth G , Zimmer Louise O , Wilson Leslie , Pan Wenqin , Olson DaiWai M , Peterson Eric D , Bushnell Cheryl
Published: July 2012

Background

Patients who are hospitalized with a first or recurrent stroke often are discharged with new medications or adjustment to the doses of pre-admission medications, which can be confusing and pose safety issues if misunderstood. The purpose of this pilot study was to assess the feasibility of medication coaching via telephone after discharge in patients with stroke.

Methods

Two-arm pilot study of a medication coaching program with 30 patients (20 intervention, 10 control). Consecutive patients admitted with stroke or TIA with at least 2 medications changed between admission and discharge were included. The medication coach contacted intervention arm patients post-discharge via phone call to discuss risk factors, review medications and triage patients’ questions to a stroke nurse and/or pharmacist. Intervention and control participants were contacted at 3 months for outcomes. The main outcomes were feasibility (appropriateness of script, ability to reach participants, and provide requested information) and participant evaluation of medication coaching.

Results

The median lengths of the coaching and follow-up calls with requested answers to these questions were 27 minutes and 12 minutes, respectively, and participant evaluations of the coaching were positive. The intervention participants were more likely to have seen their primary care provider than were control participants by 3 months post discharge.

Conclusions

This medication coaching study executed early after discharge demonstrated feasibility of coaching and educating stroke patients with a trained coach. Results from our small pilot showed a possible trend towards improved appointment-keeping with primary care providers in those who received coaching.
Associations between fruit and vegetable intake, leisure-time physical activity, sitting time and self-rated health among older adults: cross-sectional data from the WELL study
Authors: Södergren Marita , McNaughton Sarah A , Salmon Jo , Ball Kylie , Crawford David A
Published: July 2012

Background

Lifestyle behaviours, such as healthy diet, physical activity and sedentary behaviour, are key elements of healthy ageing and important modifiable risk factors in the prevention of chronic diseases. Little is known about the relationship between these behaviours in older adults. The purpose of this study was to explore the relationship between fruit and vegetable (F&V) intake, leisure-time physical activity (LTPA) and sitting time (ST), and their association with self-rated health in older adults.

Methods

This cross-sectional study comprised 3,644 older adults (48% men) aged 55–65 years, who participated in the Wellbeing, Eating and Exercise for a Long Life (“WELL”) study. Respondents completed a postal survey about their health and their eating and physical activity behaviours in 2010 (38% response rate). Spearman’s coefficient (rho) was used to evaluate the relationship between F&V intake, LTPA and ST. Their individual and shared associations with self-rated health were examined using ordinal logistic regression models, stratified by sex and adjusted for confounders (BMI, smoking, long-term illness and socio-demographic characteristics).

Results

The correlations between F&V intake, LTPA and ST were low. F&V intake and LTPA were positively associated with self-rated health. Each additional serving of F&V or MET-hour of LTPA were associated with approximately 10% higher likelihood of reporting health as good or better among women and men. The association between ST and self-rated health was not significant in the multivariate analysis. A significant interaction was found (ST*F&V intake). The effect of F&V intake on self-rated health increased with increasing ST in women, whereas the effect decreased with increasing ST in men.

Conclusions

This study contributes to the scarce literature related to lifestyle behaviours and their association with health indicators among older adults. The findings suggest that a modest increase in F&V intake, or LTPA could have a marked effect on the health of older adults. Further research is needed to fully understand the correlates and determinants of lifestyle behaviours, particularly sitting time, in this age group.
Inhibition of Phosphodiesterase-4 (PDE4) activity triggers luminal apoptosis and AKT dephosphorylation in a 3-D colonic-crypt model
Authors: Tsunoda Toshiyuki , Ota Takeharu , Fujimoto Takahiro , Doi Keiko , Tanaka Yoko , Yoshida Yasuhiro , Ogawa Masahiro , Matsuzaki Hiroshi , Hamabashiri Masato , Tyson Darren R , Kuroki Masahide , Miyamoto Shingo , Shirasawa Senji
Published: July 2012

Background

We previously established a three-dimensional (3-D) colonic crypt model using HKe3 cells which are human colorectal cancer (CRC) HCT116 cells with a disruption in oncogenic KRAS, and revealed the crucial roles of oncogenic KRAS both in inhibition of apoptosis and in disruption of cell polarity; however, the molecular mechanism of KRAS-induced these 3-D specific biological changes remains to be elucidated.

Results

Among the genes that were upregulated by oncogenic KRAS in this model, we focused on the phosphodiesterase 4B (PDE4B) of which expression levels were found to be higher in clinical tumor samples from CRC patients in comparison to those from healthy control in the public datasets of gene expression analysis. PDE4B2 was specifically overexpressed among other PDE4 isoforms, and re-expression of oncogenic KRAS in HKe3 cells resulted in PDE4B overexpression. Furthermore, the inhibition of PDE4 catalytic activity using rolipram reverted the disorganization of HCT116 cells into the normal physiologic state of the epithelial cell polarity by inducing the apical assembly of ZO-1 (a tight junction marker) and E-cadherin (an adherens junction marker) and by increasing the activity of caspase-3 (an apoptosis marker) in luminal cavities. Notably, rolipram reduced the AKT phosphorylation, which is known to be associated with the disruption of luminal cavity formation and CRC development. Similar results were also obtained using PDE4B2-shRNAs. In addition, increased expression of PDE4B mRNA was found to be correlated with relapsed CRC in a public datasets of gene expression analysis.

Conclusions

These results collectively suggested that PDE4B is upregulated by oncogenic KRAS, and also that the inhibition of PDE4 catalytic activity can induce both epithelial cell polarity and luminal apoptosis in CRC, thus highlighting the utility of our 3-D culture (3 DC) model for the KRAS-induced development of CRC in 3-D microenvironment. Indeed, using this model, we found that PDE4B is a promising candidate for a therapeutic target as well as prognostic molecular marker in CRC. Further elucidation of the signaling network of PDE4B2 in 3 DC would provide a better understanding of CRC in vivo.
On Fibonacci functions with Fibonacci numbers
Authors: Han Jeong Soon , Kim Hee Sik , Neggers Joseph
Published: July 2012

In this paper we consider Fibonacci functions on the real numbers R, i.e., functions

f
:
R
→
R

such that for all

x
∈
R

,

f
(
x
+
2
)
=
f
(
x
+
1
)
+
f
(
x
)

. We develop the notion of Fibonacci functions using the concept of f-even and f-odd functions. Moreover, we show that if f is a Fibonacci function then

lim

x
→
∞

f
(
x
+
1
)

f
(
x
)

=

1
+

5

2

.

MSC:11B39, 39A10.
An expanded model of HIV cell entry phenotype based on multi-parameter single-cell data
Authors: Bozek Katarzyna , Eckhardt Manon , Sierra Saleta , Anders Maria , Kaiser Rolf , Kräusslich Hans-Georg , Müller Barbara , Lengauer Thomas
Published: July 2012

Background

Entry of human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) into the host cell involves interactions between the viral envelope glycoproteins (Env) and the cellular receptor CD4 as well as a coreceptor molecule (most importantly CCR5 or CXCR4). Viral preference for a specific coreceptor (tropism) is in particular determined by the third variable loop (V3) of the Env glycoprotein gp120. The approval and use of a coreceptor antagonist for antiretroviral therapy make detailed understanding of tropism and its accurate prediction from patient derived virus isolates essential. The aim of the present study is the development of an extended description of the HIV entry phenotype reflecting its co-dependence on several key determinants as the basis for a more accurate prediction of HIV-1 entry phenotype from genotypic data.

Results

Here, we established a new protocol of quantitation and computational analysis of the dependence of HIV entry efficiency on receptor and coreceptor cell surface levels as well as viral V3 loop sequence and the presence of two prototypic coreceptor antagonists in varying concentrations. Based on data collected at the single-cell level, we constructed regression models of the HIV-1 entry phenotype integrating the measured determinants. We developed a multivariate phenotype descriptor, termed phenotype vector, which facilitates a more detailed characterization of HIV entry phenotypes than currently used binary tropism classifications. For some of the tested virus variants, the multivariant phenotype vector revealed substantial divergences from existing tropism predictions. We also developed methods for computational prediction of the entry phenotypes based on the V3 sequence and performed an extrapolating calculation of the effectiveness of this computational procedure.

Conclusions

Our study of the HIV cell entry phenotype and the novel multivariate representation developed here contributes to a more detailed understanding of this phenotype and offers potential for future application in the effective administration of entry inhibitors in antiretroviral therapies.
Array CGH improves detection of mutations in the GALC gene associated with Krabbe disease
Authors: Tanner Alice K , Chin Ephrem L H , Duffner Patricia K , Hegde Madhuri
Published: July 2012

Background

Krabbe disease is an autosomal recessive lysosomal storage disorder caused by mutations in the GALC gene. The most common mutation in the Caucasian population is a 30-kb deletion of exons 11 through 17. There are few other reports of intragenic GALC deletions or duplications, due in part to difficulties detecting them.

Methods and results

We used gene-targeted array comparative genomic hybridization (CGH) to analyze the GALC gene in individuals with Krabbe disease in whom sequence analysis with 30-kb deletion analysis identified only one mutation. In our sample of 33 cases, traditional approaches failed to identify two pathogenic mutations in five (15.2%) individuals with confirmed Krabbe disease. The addition of array CGH deletion/duplication analysis to the genetic testing strategy led to the identification of a second pathogenic mutation in three (9.1%) of these five individuals. In all three cases, the deletion or duplication identified through array CGH was a novel GALC mutation, including the only reported duplication in the GALC gene, which would have been missed by traditional testing methodologies. We report these three cases in detail. The second mutation remains unknown in the remaining two individuals (6.1%), despite our full battery of testing.

Conclusions

Analysis of the GALC gene using array CGH deletion/duplication testing increased the two-mutation detection rate from 84.8% to 93.9% in affected individuals. Better mutation detection rates are important for improving molecular diagnosis of Krabbe disease, as well as for providing prenatal and carrier testing in family members.
Abrogated RANKL expression in properdin-deficient mice is associated with better outcome from collagen-antibody-induced arthritis
Authors: Dimitrova Petya , Ivanovska Nina , Belenska Lyudmila , Milanova Viktoriya , Schwaeble Wilhelm , Stover Cordula
Published: July 2012

Introduction

Properdin amplifies the alternative pathway of complement activation. In the present study, we evaluated its role in the development of collagen antibody-induced arthritis (CAIA).

Methods

Arthritis was induced by intraperitoneal injection of a collagen antibody cocktail into properdin-deficient (KO) and wild-type (WT) C57BL/6 mice. Symptoms of disease were evaluated daily. The degree of joint damage was assessed histologically and with immunostaining for bone-resorption markers. Phenotypes of cell populations, their receptor expression, and intracellular cytokine production were determined with flow cytometry. Osteoclast differentiation of bone marrow (BM) precursors was evaluated by staining for tartrate-resistant acid phosphatase (TRAP).

Results

Properdin-deficient mice developed less severe CAIA than did WT mice. They showed significantly improved clinical scores and downregulated expression of bone-resorption markers in the joints at day 10 of disease. The frequencies of Ly6G+CD11b+ cells were fewer in BM, blood, and synovial fluid (SF) of KO than of WT CAIA mice. The receptor activator of nuclear factor κB ligand (RANKL) was downregulated on arthritic KO neutrophils from BM and the periphery. Decreased C5a amounts in KO SF contributed to lower frequencies of CD5aR+-bearing neutrophils. In blood, surface C5aR was detected on KO Ly6G+ cells as a result of low receptor engagement. Circulating CD4+ T cells had an altered ability to produce interleukin (IL)-17 and interferon (IFN)-γ and to express RANKL. In KO CAIA mice, decreased frequencies of CD4+ T cells in the spleen were related to low CD86 expression on Ly6GhighCD11b+ cells. Arthritic KO T cells spontaneously secreted IFN-γ but not IL-17 and IL-6, and responded to restimulation with less-vigorous cytokine production in comparison to WT cells. Fewer TRAP-positive mature osteoclasts were found in KO BM cell cultures.

Conclusions

Our data show that the active involvement of properdin in arthritis is related to an increased proinflammatory cytokine production and RANKL expression on immune cells and to a stimulation of the RANKL-dependent osteoclast differentiation.
Reference and Monstrosity
Authors: Santorio Paolo
Published: July 2012

According to the orthodox account developed by Kaplan, indexicals like I, you, and now invariably refer to elements of the context of speech. This essay argues that the orthodoxy is wrong. I, you, and the like are shifted by certain modal operators and hence can fail to refer to elements of the context, for example, I can fail to refer to the speaker. More precisely, indexicals are syntactically akin to logical variables. They can be free, in which case they work, roughly, on the Kaplan model. But they can also be bound: this happens, in a systematic fashion, when they are in the scope of epistemic modals or attitude verbs. The new view has two interesting philosophical consequences. First, it vindicates a broadly Fregean perspective on referential expressions, essentially refuting the idea that indexicals are rigid designators. Second, it suggests a new picture of the interaction between context and linguistic meaning: compositional semantics does not need to look at the context and hence has no need for a context parameter.
Diachronic Dutch Book Arguments
Authors: Mahtani Anna
Published: July 2012

The Reflection Principle can be defended with a Diachronic Dutch Book Argument (DBA), but it is also defeated by numerous compelling counter-examples. It seems then that Diachronic DBAs can lead us astray. Should we reject them en masse—including Lewis’s Diachronic DBA for Conditionalization? Rachael Briggs’s “suppositional test” is supposed to differentiate between Diachronic DBAs that we can safely ignore (including the DBA for Reflection) and Diachronic DBAs that we should find compelling (including the DBA for Conditionalization). I argue that Brigg’s suppositional test is wrong: it sets the bar for coherence too high and places certain cases of self-doubt on the wrong side of the divide. Given that the suppositional test is unsatisfactory, we are left without any justification for discriminating between Diachronic DBAs and ought to reject them all—including the DBA for Conditionalization.
Spectral transmission of the principal-eye corneas of jumping spiders: implications for ultraviolet vision
Authors: Hu Zhiyong , Liu Fengxiang , Xu Xin , Chen Zhanqi , Chen Jian , Li Daiqin
Published: July 2012

Ultraviolet (UV) vision plays an important role in interspecific and intraspecific communication in many animals. However, UV vision and its adaptive significance have been investigated in only approximately 1% of more than 5000 species of jumping spiders (Araneae: Salticidae), renowned for their unique, complex eyes that support exceptional spatial acuity and visually based behaviour. To appreciate the adaptive significance of UV vision, it is important to establish whether salticids can perceive UV and whether the perception of UV varies with ecological factors such as light environment. In this study, we measured the UV-transmission properties of the principal-eye corneas of 128 salticid species. We found that the corneas of all measured species were able to transmit UV light, making the perception of UV possible. Three classes of corneal spectral transmission curves were identified; the majority of species had a Class II curve with a less-steep slope and a gradual onset of the transmission cut-off; all the remaining species had a Class I curve with a very steep slope and a sharp cut-off except for one species that had a Class III curve with an intermediate step, which appeared as a shoulder on the descending part of the transmission curve. The T50 cut-off transmission values (the wavelength at which 50% of the maximum transmission is reached) in salticid corneas vary with species and light habitat. The corneas of species inhabiting open bush had a higher relative transmission at short wavelengths in the UV than forest species. This is the first investigation of corneal transmission in spiders and suggests that UV perception is widespread in salticids.
Primiparous and multiparous females differ in mammary gland alveolar development: implications for milk production
Authors: Lang Shelley L. C. , Iverson Sara J. , Bowen W. Don
Published: July 2012

Mammary gland capacity is influenced by the number of secretory cells in the gland, the activity of those cells and the size and arrangement of the alveoli that they form. Although reproductive experience has been shown to affect the total number of secretory cells in the gland, its potential effect on the structural development of lobulo-alveolar tissues has not been directly investigated. To examine whether reproductive experience affects lobulo-alveolar development, we took mammary gland biopsies at early and peak lactation from primiparous and multiparous grey seal (Halichoerus grypus) females and used histological techniques to compare cell density, alveolar density and alveolar size within secretory lobules. Primiparous females had a significantly higher cell density compared with multiparous females throughout lactation, suggesting that primiparous females have smaller, less-developed secretory cells. Primiparous females had a significantly smaller average alveolar size compared with multiparous females throughout lactation. Although alveolar density was higher in primiparous females compared with multiparous females at early lactation, there was no significant difference between the groups at peak lactation. These results suggest that the mammary gland of primiparous females may have both a lower secretory capacity and a lower storage capacity on a relative basis than those of multiparous females and demonstrate, for the first time, that reproductive experience has a significant effect on both the rate and pattern of mammary gland alveolar development and, potentially, on a female's capacity for milk production.
Spectral tuning by selective chromophore uptake in rods and cones of eight populations of nine-spined stickleback (Pungitius pungitius)
Authors: Saarinen Pia , Pahlberg Johan , Herczeg Gábor , Viljanen Martta , Karjalainen Marika , Shikano Takahito , Merilä Juha , Donner Kristian
Published: July 2012

The visual pigments of rods and cones were studied in eight Fennoscandian populations of nine-spined stickleback (Pungitius pungitius). The wavelength of maximum absorbance of the rod pigment (λmax) varied between populations from 504 to 530 nm. Gene sequencing showed that the rod opsins of all populations were identical in amino acid composition, implying that the differences were due to varying proportions of chromophores A1 and A2. Four spectral classes of cones were found (two S-cones, M-cones and L-cones), correlating with the four classes of vertebrate cone pigments. For quantitative estimation of chromophore proportions, we considered mainly rods and M-cones. In four populations, spectra of both photoreceptor types indicated A2 dominance (population mean λmax=525–530 nm for rods and 535–544 nm for M-cones). In the four remaining populations, however, rod spectra (mean λmax=504–511 nm) indicated strong A1 dominance, whereas M-cone spectra (mean λmax=519-534 nm) suggested substantial fractions of A2. Quantitative analysis of spectra by three methods confirmed that rods and cones in these populations use significantly different chromophore proportions. The outcome is a shift of M-cone spectra towards longer wavelengths and a better match to the photic environment (light spectra peaking >560 nm in all the habitats) than would result from the chromophore proportions of the rods. Chromophore content was also observed to vary partly independently in M- and L-cones with potential consequences for colour discrimination. This is the first demonstration that selective processing of chromophore in rods and cones, and in different cone types, may be ecologically relevant.
Median fin function during the escape response of bluegill sunfish (Lepomis macrochirus). I: Fin-ray orientation and movement
Authors: Chadwell Brad A. , Standen Emily M. , Lauder George V. , Ashley-Ross Miriam A.
Published: July 2012

The fast-start escape response is critically important to avoid predation, and axial movements driving it have been studied intensively. Large median dorsal and anal fins located near the tail have been hypothesized to increase acceleration away from the threat, yet the contribution of flexible median fins remains undescribed. To investigate the role of median fins, C-start escape responses of bluegill sunfish (Lepomis macrochirus) were recorded by three high-speed, high-resolution cameras at 500 frames s−1 and the 3-D kinematics of individual dorsal and anal fin rays were analyzed. Movement and orientation of the fin rays relative to the body axis were calculated throughout the duration of the C-start. We found that: (1) timing and magnitude of angular displacement varied among fin rays based on position within the fin and (2) kinematic patterns support the prediction that fin rays are actively resisting hydrodynamic forces and transmitting momentum into the water. We suggest that regions within the fins have different roles. Anterior regions of the fins are rapidly elevated to increase the volume of water that the fish may interact with and transmit force into, thus generating greater total momentum. The movement pattern of all the fin rays creates traveling waves that move posteriorly along the length of the fin, moving water as they do so. Flexible posterior regions ultimately act to accelerate this water towards the tail, potentially interacting with vortices generated by the caudal fin during the C-start. Despite their simple appearance, median fins are highly complex and versatile control surfaces that modulate locomotor performance.
Transgenerational effects of microcystin-LR onDaphnia magna
Authors: Ortiz-Rodríguez Rafael , Dao Thanh Son , Wiegand Claudia
Published: July 2012

Anthropogenic and climate factors increase the frequency of problematic cyanobacterial blooms in freshwater. Among other toxins, some cyanobacteria produce microcystins (MCs), which inhibit phosphatases type 1 and type 2A and provokes oxidative stress. Toxic cyanobacteria affect the growth, survival and reproduction of zooplankton, particularly those from the genus Daphnia, which have a central position in pelagic food webs. However, one possibility to ameliorate effects is to biotransform MC via glutathione S transferase (GST) to a less toxic glutathione conjugate. This process was hypothesised to underlie the ability of Daphnia to withstand MC and to explain the enhanced tolerance of the offspring from mothers exposed to toxic cyanobacteria. Thus we conducted multigenerational experiments with D. magna, exposing the parental generation to MC for 1 or 7 days and determining the enzyme-mediated tolerance to MC in their offspring by assessing the acute effect of MC on biotransformation and antioxidant and metabolism enzymes, and through 21 day chronic tests on toxicity and growth. Seven days of exposure of the parental generation to MC induced higher activity of GST and malate dehydrogenase in the offspring and enabled them to increment the catalase activity when challenged with MC, whereas 1 day of exposure of the parental generation did not. Offspring from non-exposed and 1-day-exposed mothers suffered decreased survival when exposed to MC compared with offspring from 7-day-exposed mothers; survival was correlated with the elevated activity of GST, malate dehydrogenase and catalase, suggesting maternal transfer of activation factors. However, increased survival occurred at the expense of individual growth. These results suggest that transgenerational effects are provoked by MC in D. magna, which may explain the observed acquirement of enhanced tolerance over generations.
The skylight gradient of luminance helps sandhoppers in sun and moon identification
Authors: Ugolini Alberto , Galanti Giuditta , Mercatelli Luca
Published: July 2012

To return to the ecologically optimal zone of the beach, the sandhopper Talitrus saltator (Montagu) maintains a constant sea–land direction based on the sun and moon compasses. In this study, we investigated the role of the skylight gradient of luminance in sun and moon identification under natural and artificial conditions of illumination. Clock-shifted (inverted) sandhoppers tested under the sun (during their subjective night) and under the full moon (during their subjective day) exhibit orientation in accordance with correct identification of the sun and the moon at night. Tested in artificial conditions of illumination at night without the artificial gradient of luminance, the artificial astronomical cue is identified as the moon even when the conditions of illumination allow sun compass orientation during the day. When the artificial gradient of luminance is added, the artificial astronomical cue is identified as the sun. The role of the sky gradient of luminance in sun and moon identification is discussed on the basis of present and past findings.
Unpredictable food availability induces metabolic and hormonal changes independent of food intake in a sedentary songbird
Authors: Fokidis H. Bobby , des Roziers Matthieu Burin , Sparr Richard , Rogowski Christopher , Sweazea Karen , Deviche Pierre
Published: July 2012

Environments often vary with regard to their temporal resource availability, but little is understood concerning how resource predictability impacts animals. The adaptive regulation hypothesis suggests that organisms act to conserve their current energetic state during periods of diminished food access and recuperate their energetic reserves (fat and muscle) during periods of greater food availability. In contrast, the chronic stress hypothesis suggests that variation in access to food can induce a prolonged stress response, resulting in maladaptive usage of energy reserves and increased behavioral activity. To distinguish between these hypotheses we compared the behavioral, hormonal and metabolic responses of captive curve-billed thrashers, Toxostoma curvirostre, fed varying amounts each day (variable group) with those of birds fed a constant amount every day (constant feeding group). Birds of both groups consumed, on average, a similar total amount of food during the course of the study, but birds in the variable feeding group lost mass and increased their circulating initial levels of the stress hormone corticosterone, showed evidence for increased secretion of a hypothalamic stress peptide, vasotocin, used greater amounts of fat and protein energy reserves, and were more behaviorally active than birds in the constant feeding group. Overall, these findings support the chronic stress hypothesis and suggest that birds such as thrashers may be particularly susceptible to the perception of unpredictable variation in food supplies independent of actual energetic constraints.
Early life experience primes resistance to oxidative stress
Authors: Costantini David , Monaghan Pat , Metcalfe Neil B.
Published: July 2012

The extent to which early stress exposure is detrimental to Darwinian fitness may depend on its severity, with mild stress exposure actually having a stimulatory and, possibly, beneficial effect through a hormetic response to the stressful stimulus. We need to understand such hormetic processes to determine how the early environment can help shape a phenotype adapted to the conditions the organism is most likely to experience in its adult environment. Using the zebra finch (Taeniopygia guttata), we tested the hypothesis that individuals exposed to mild heat stress earlier in life will suffer less oxidative stress when faced with high heat stress in adulthood than will individuals either not pre-exposed to heat stress or exposed to high heat stress earlier in life. Our findings demonstrate that early life exposure to mild heat stress primes the system to better withstand oxidative stress when encountering heat stress as an adult. These findings point to a potential mechanism linking early life experiences to future Darwinian fitness.
Reducing ionizing radiation doses during cardiac interventions in pregnant women
Authors: Orchard Elizabeth , Dix Sarah , Wilson Neil , Mackillop Lucy , Ormerod Oliver
Published: July 2012

Background

There is concern over ionizing radiation exposure in women who are pregnant or of child-bearing age. Due to the increasing prevalence of congenital and acquired heart disease, the number of women who require cardiac interventions during pregnancy has increased. We have developed protocols for cardiac interventions in pregnant women and women of child-bearing age, aimed at substantially reducing both fluoroscopy duration and radiation doses.

Methods

Over five years, we performed cardiac interventions on 15 pregnant women, nine postpartum women and four as part of prepregnancy assessment. Fluoroscopy times were minimized by simultaneous use of intracardiac echocardiography, and by using very low frame rates (2/second) during fluoroscopy.

Results

The procedures most commonly undertaken were closure of atrial septal defect (ASD) or patent foramen ovale (PFO) in 16 women, coronary angiograms in seven, right and left heart catheters in three and two stent placements. The mean screening time for all patients was 2.38 minutes (range 0.48–13.7), the median radiation dose was 66 (8.9–1501) Gy/cm2. The median radiation dose to uterus was 1.92 (0.59–5.47) μGy, and the patient estimated dose was 0.24 (0.095–0.80) mSv.

Conclusions

Ionizing radiation can be used safely in the management of severe cardiac structural disease in pregnancy, with very low ionizing radiation dose to the mother and extremely low exposure to the fetus. With experience, ionizing radiation doses at our institution have been reduced.
Ordering Policies for Periodic-Review Inventory Systems with Quantity-Dependent Fixed Costs
Authors: Caliskan-Demirag Ozgun , Chen Youhua (Frank) , Yang Yi
Published: July 2012

We consider a stochastic periodic-review inventory control system in which the fixed cost depends on the order quantity. In particular, we investigate the optimal ordering policies under three fixed cost structures. The first structure is motivated by transportation and production contracts and considers two fixed costs: if the order size is within a specified limit C, then the fixed cost is K1; otherwise, it is K2, where K1 ≼ K2. The second structure contains multiple fixed costs in which the same incremental fixed cost K is incurred for any additional order quantity up to a given identical batch capacity C. In the third structure, in addition to the K incurred as in the previous case, a common fixed cost is charged for any nonzero order size. An example of the former case arises when an order is shipped with a homogeneous fleet of trucks with per-truck fixed costs. A situation in which a fixed administrative cost plus a quantity-dependent trucking cost is incurred for each shipment exemplifies the latter case. For the first cost structure, we separate the analysis according to the conditions (1) K1 ≼ K2 ≼ 2K1 and (2) K1 ≼ K2. Under condition (1), we introduce a new concept called C-(K1, K2)-convexity, which enables us to almost completely characterize the optimal ordering policy. Under the general condition (2), we utilize a modified notion to provide a partial characterization of the optimal policy and propose a heuristic policy that performs well under a wide variety of model parameters. For the second cost structure, we show that it is optimal to order an integer multiple of the batch capacity to raise the inventory level to a specified range or band of length C, and then to order an additional full or partial batch size depending on the cost function, with no ordering required above the band. We also characterize a similar optimal policy for the third cost structure. Using different techniques, our study extends or redevelops several existing results in the literature.
What is commitment? Women’s accounts of intimate attachment
Authors: Carter Julia
Published: July 2012

Commitment is a widely acknowledged concern among the general public as well as among academics and scholars. What commitment actually constitutes, however, is not easily defined. This article explores existing theories of commitment and how these fit in with the responses I found among young heterosexual women when asked what commitment meant to them. During the summer of 2008 I interviewed 23 women between the ages of 19 and 30 to discover their views regarding relationships, marriage and intimate commitment. Throughout discussions, certain defining features emerged as the most significant components to commitment in a romantic relationship. These include fidelity, love, longevity, social expectations and investments that are made within a relationship. In developing an account of commitment, it became apparent that certain of these factors pulled individuals into a relationship, while other factors pushed individuals together.
Questions of innocence and guilt: child abduction and the representation of mothers in post-war British cinema
Authors: Fink Janet
Published: July 2012

The figure of the missing child is a recurrent and highly visible feature of past and present culture, not only the concern of extensive reporting in the media but also a frequent motif in the cinema, theatre, popular fiction and autobiographical memoirs. This article is focused on the ways in which British feature films of the 1950s and 1960s portrayed the experiences of losing a child through kidnap or abduction, exploring in particular how mothers were represented. Through an examination of the complex and contradictory discourses through which motherhood and the maternal role were constituted in these films, the article considers what they reveal about the shifting meanings of the mother–child relationship and the dynamics of gender relations in the home and post-war society more generally. The films discussed are Lost (1956), Tomorrow at Ten (1962) and Séance on a Wet Afternoon (1964).
‘We have all moved on’: how grandparents cope with their adult child’s relationship breakdown
Authors: O’Dwyer Ciara , Doyle Martha , Moore Elena , Timonen Virpi
Published: July 2012

When a couple separate or divorce, they often turn to their parents for support, both for themselves and for their children. Yet, research examining the experience of relationship breakdown from the point of view of the parents of the separating couple is limited. Using qualitative data collected through in-depth interviews with 28 Irish grandparents, this article explores the impact of the process on grandparents and how they negotiated their role throughout and following the separation process. Participants who were more positive about the separation were those who adhered to the norms of obligation, non-interference and non-communication, yet who also managed to subtly interpret those norms in a way that allowed them to renegotiate their role within a changing family dynamic. These findings reveal the complexities of the role facing grandparents, but also highlight the potential for grandparents to play a key role in families affected by separation and divorce.
Direct Measurements of Sample Heating by a Laser-Induced Air Plasma in Pre-Ablation Spark Dual-Pulse Laser-Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy (LIBS)
Authors: Register Janna , Scaffidi Jonathan , Angel S. Michael
Published: July 2012

Direct measurements of temperature changes were made using small thermocouples (TC), placed near a laser-induced air plasma. Temperature changes up to ∼500 °C were observed. From the measured temperature changes, estimates were made of the amount of heat absorbed per unit area. This allowed calculations to be made of the surface temperature, as a function of time, of a sample heated by the air plasma that is generated during orthogonal pre-ablation spark dual-pulse (DP) LIBS measurements. In separate experiments, single-pulse (SP) LIBS emission and sample ablation rate measurements were performed on nickel at sample temperatures ranging from room temperature to the maximum surface temperature that was calculated using the TC measurement results (500 °C). A small, but real sample temperature-dependent increase in both SP LIBS emission and the rate of sample ablation was found for nickel samples heated up to 500 °C. Comparison of DP LIBS emission enhancement values for bulk nickel samples at room temperature versus the enhanced SP LIBS emission and sample ablation rates observed as a function of increasing sample temperature suggests that sample heating by the laser-induced air plasma plays only a minor role in DP LIBS emission enhancement.
Pattern Recognition Assisted Infrared Library Searching
Authors: Lavine Barry K. , Nuguru Kadambari , Mirjankar Nikhil , Workman Jerome
Published: July 2012

Pattern recognition methods have been used to develop search prefilters for infrared (IR) library searching. A two-step procedure has been employed. First, the wavelet packet tree is used to decompose each spectrum into wavelet coefficients that represent both the high and low frequency components of the signal. Second, a genetic algorithm for pattern recognition analysis is used to identify wavelet coefficients characteristic of functional group. Even in challenging trials involving carboxylic acids, compounds that possess both carbonyl and hydroxyl functionalities can be readily differentiated from carboxylic acids. The proposed search prefilters allow for the use of more sophisticated and correspondingly more time-consuming algorithms in IR spectral library matching because the size of the library can be culled down for a specific match using information from the search prefilter about the presence or absence of specific functional groups in the unknown.
Characterization of Woody and Herbaceous Biomasses Lignin Composition with 1064 nm Dispersive Multichannel Raman Spectroscopy
Authors: Lupoi Jason S. , Smith Emily A.
Published: July 2012

Biomass representing different classes of bioenergy feedstocks, including woody and herbaceous species, was measured with 1064 nm Raman spectroscopy. Pine, oak, poplar, kenaf, miscanthus, pampas grass, switchgrass, alfalfa, orchard grass, and red clover were included in this study. Spectral differences have been identified with an emphasis on lignin guaiacyl and syringyl monomer content and carotenoid compounds. The interpretation of the Raman spectra was correlated with 13C-nuclear magnetic resonance cross-polarization/magic-angle spinning spectra of select biomass samples. Thioacidolysis quantification of guaiacyl and syringyl monomer composition and the library of Raman spectra were used as a training set to develop a principal component analysis model for classifying plant samples and a principal component regression model for quantifying lignin guaiacyl and syringyl composition. Raman spectroscopy with 1064 nm excitation offers advantages over alternative techniques for biomass characterization, including low spectral backgrounds, higher spectral resolution, short analysis times, and nondestructive analyses.
Digital revolutions and digital delays: Electronic editions of renaissance literature
Authors: GIDDENS EUGENE
Published: July 2012

This article highlights some of the difficulties in producing electronic editions of early modern literature, especially the drama. It outlines the early expectations of promise towards such endeavours, and the subsequent disappointment that this promise has not been fully realised.
A model of selective cooperation with scholarly publishers and for-profit digital providers is proposed as a possible solution towards the delays and subsequent obscurity that haunts existing projects.
Andrew Motion: Authoring the self
Authors: HADLEY EDWARD
Published: July 2012

This article examines to what extent Andrew Motion has created his own reputation. As a biographer, Motion has re-written reputations and as a poet, he has more or less created a school of poetry he can call his own. The article attends to the poetic strategies he has employed that
both conceal and disclose elements from his own life and the limits of these tendencies. In addition, Motion's role as Poet Laureate is examined to discern the positive and negative effects this has had on his reputation; how he negotiated the politics of this position and how this figures
in his verse. Finally, The Poetry Archive, the online poetry repository co-founded by Motion, is considered with recourse to his reputation as Laureate and as a poet in his own right.
Tracking entities: Choreography as a cartographic process
Authors: Sweeney Rachel
Published: July 2012

'Tracking entities' is a cartographic essay that takes the idea of topographic exchange between place and body, exploring the relationship between sense, perception and corporeal memory. Underlying an enquiry into developing movement vocabulary in response to a particular terrain, the
terms 'proprioception', 'perception' and 'perspective' are examined here in relation to the site-based performance activities of ROCKface, directed by dancer/choreographers Rachel Sweeney and Marnie Orr. Using anatomy maps, poetic writings, cartographic documents and somatic descriptions,
this visual essay serves to distinguish ROCKface's choreographic approach in developing a physical approach to land driven by the interaction between dancer and environment where the focus remains on an application of physical and perceptual consciousness within site-based movement practice.
The role of sense perception in site-based performance practice is located here through a modern-day palimpsest where initial dance movements acquired in the immediate vicinity of working on site might subsequently be recreated through their inscription, or refinement, to be developed towards
distinct choreographic materials. Central to an enquiry into sense perception in contemporary performance practice is the ability of the dancer working in outdoor rural environments to interrelate different senses – in particular, the relation between visual and touch sensation –
through a process of physical synaesthesia. Brian Massumi’s term the ‘visceral gaze’ will be adopted to describe the deliberate anatomical re-mapping of proprioceptive faculties regarding kinaesthetic vision in seeking to distinguish a topography of the eye that proposes
an inversion of phenomenological processes operating between the seen and the felt within movement processes.
Manufacturable Polymeric Optical Waveguide based Bus Structures for Board Level Optical Interconnects
Authors: Dou Xinyuan , Wang Xiaolong , Lin Xiaohui , Chen Ray T.
Published: July 2012

In this paper, we studied the optimization of preparation for polymeric optical waveguide based bus structures with embedded 45 degree micro-mirrors by metallic hard mold method. The 45º facets on the metallic hard mold, which were used to create the 45 degree micro-mirrors, were studied by the atomic force microscopy (AFM). The surface roughness of the 45 degree facets was reduced from 70nm to be 2nm by a photopolymer coating step. High speed test on the waveguide shows the low loss and high Q-factor performance of the waveguide structures. A backplane bus with 10 Gbits/sec channel will be reported.
X-linked adrenoleukodystrophy in heterozygous female patients: women are not just carriers
Authors: Lourenço Charles Marques , Simão Gustavo Novelino , Santos Antonio Carlos , Marques Jr Wilson
Published: July 2012

X-linked adrenoleukodystrophy (X-ALD) is a recessive X-linked disorder associated with marked phenotypic variability. Female carriers are commonly thought to be normal or only mildly affected, but their disease still needs to be better described and systematized. OBJECTIVES: To review and systematize the clinical features of heterozygous women followed in a Neurogenetics Clinic. METHODS: We reviewed the clinical, biochemical, and neuroradiological data of all women known to have X-ADL. RESULTS: The nine women identified were classified into three groups: with severe and aggressive diseases; with slowly progressive, spastic paraplegia; and with mildly decreased vibratory sensation, brisk reflexes, and no complaints. Many of these women did not have a known family history of X-ALD. CONCLUSIONS: Heterozygous women with X-ADL have a wide spectrum of clinical manifestations, ranging from mild to severe phenotypes.