bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Increasing river floods: fiction or reality?
Authors: Blöschl Günter , Gaál Ladislav , Hall Julia , Kiss Andrea , Komma Jürgen , Nester Thomas , Parajka Juraj , Perdigão Rui A. P. , Plavcová Lenka , Rogger Magdalena , Salinas José Luis , Viglione Alberto
Published: March 2015

There has been a surprisingly large number of major floods in the last years around the world, which suggests that floods may have increased and will continue to increase in the next decades. However, the realism of such changes is still hotly discussed in the literature. This overview article examines whether floods have changed in the past and explores the driving processes of such changes in the atmosphere, the catchments and the river system based on examples from Europe. Methods are reviewed for assessing whether floods may increase in the future. Accounting for feedbacks within the human‐water system is important when assessing flood changes over lead times of decades or centuries. It is argued that an integrated flood risk management approach is needed for dealing with future flood risk with a focus on reducing the vulnerability of the societal system. WIREs Water 2015, 2:329–344. doi: 10.1002/wat2.1079

This article is categorized under:

Science of Water > Water and Environmental Change

Science of Water > Water Quality
Morphogenesis of the somatic musculature in Drosophila melanogaster
Authors: Schulman Victoria K. , Dobi Krista C. , Baylies Mary K.
Published: March 2015

In Drosophila melanogaster, the somatic muscle system is first formed during embryogenesis, giving rise to the larval musculature. Later during metamorphosis, this system is destroyed and replaced by an entirely new set of muscles in the adult fly. Proper formation of the larval and adult muscles is critical for basic survival functions such as hatching and crawling (in the larva), walking and flying (in the adult), and feeding (at both larval and adult stages). Myogenesis, from mononucleated muscle precursor cells to multinucleated functional muscles, is driven by a number of cellular processes that have begun to be mechanistically defined. Once the mesodermal cells destined for the myogenic lineage have been specified, individual myoblasts fuse together iteratively to form syncytial myofibers. Combining cytoplasmic contents demands a level of intracellular reorganization that, most notably, leads to redistribution of the myonuclei to maximize internuclear distance. Signaling from extending myofibers induces terminal tendon cell differentiation in the ectoderm, which results in secure muscle‐tendon attachments that are critical for muscle contraction. Simultaneously, muscles become innervated and undergo sarcomerogenesis to establish the contractile apparatus that will facilitate movement. The cellular mechanisms governing these morphogenetic events share numerous parallels to mammalian development, and the basic unit of all muscle, the myofiber, is conserved from flies to mammals. Thus, studies of Drosophila myogenesis and comparisons to muscle development in other systems highlight conserved regulatory programs of biomedical relevance to general muscle biology and studies of muscle disease. WIREs Dev Biol 2015, 4:313–334. doi: 10.1002/wdev.180

This article is categorized under:

Establishment of Spatial and Temporal Patterns > Regulation of Size, Proportion, and Timing

Invertebrate Organogenesis > Flies

Vertebrate Organogenesis > Musculoskeletal and Vascular
Flux Synthesis and Crystal Structure Determination of the Colored Skutterudite Ir2Sn3Se3
Authors: Yan Wenjie , Pielnhofer Florian , Tragl Samuel A. , Weihrich Richard
Published: March 2015

The skutterudite (CoSb3) related crystal structure of Ir2Sn3Se3 = IrSn1.5Se1.5 is determined from single crystal data for the first time. High temperature solid state and flux reactions were applied to prepare powder and single crystals samples. Its crystal structure was refined from data of a fourfold twin crystal in space group R$\bar{3}$ (no. 148). It contains 24 formula units per unit cell [a = 12.6510(3) Å, c = 15.5236(6) Å, V = 2151.67(8) Å3] and represents the first single crystal determination of a colored skutterudite Ir2A3X3 = Ir(A, X)3 with heteroatomic [Sn2Se2] units and [Sn3Se3] coordination for Ir sites. The distorted Sn2Se2 rings show short and long Sn–Se distances. The obtained structure is isotypic to Ir2Sn3Te3 but differs from the cubic model estimated earlier for Ir2Sn3S3 (homoatomic Sn4 and S4 units). According to electronic band structure calculations Ir2Sn3Se3 is a low gap semiconductor (ΔE = 0.4 eV).
Homogentisate 1,2 dioxygenase is expressed in brain: implications in alkaptonuria
Authors: Bernardini Giulia , Laschi Marcella , Geminiani Michela , Braconi Daniela , Vannuccini Elisa , Lupetti Pietro , Manetti Fabrizio , Millucci Lia , Santucci Annalisa
Published: March 2015

Alkaptonuria is an ultra‐rare autosomal recessive disease developed from the lack of homogentisate 1,2‐dioxygenase (HGD) activity, causing an accumulation in connective tissues of homogentisic acid (HGA) and its oxidized derivatives in polymerized form. The deposition of ochronotic pigment has been so far attributed to homogentisic acid produced by the liver, circulating in the blood, and accumulating locally. In the present paper, we report the expression of HGD in the brain. Mouse and human brain tissues were positively tested for HGD gene expression by western blotting. Furthermore, HGD expression was confirmed in human neuronal cells that also revealed the presence of six HGD molecular species. Moreover, once cultured in HGA excess, human neuronal cells produced ochronotic pigment and amyloid. Our findings indicate that alkaptonuric brain cells produce the ochronotic pigment in loco and this may contribute to induction of neurological complications.
Characterization of G protein coupling mediated by the conserved D1343.49 of DRY motif, M2416.34, and F2516.44 residues on human CXCR1
Authors: Han Xinbing , Feng Yan , Chen Xinhua , Gerard Craig , Boisvert William A.
Published: March 2015

CXCR1, a receptor for interleukin‐8 (IL‐8), plays an important role in defending against pathogen invasion during neutrophil‐mediated innate immune response. Human CXCR1 is a G protein‐coupled receptor (GPCR) with its characteristic seven transmembrane domains (TMs). Functional and structural analyses of several GPCRs have revealed that conserved residues on TM3 (including the highly conserved Asp‐Arg‐Tyr (DRY) motif) and TM6 near intracellular loops contain domains critical for G protein coupling as well as GPCR activation. The objective of this study was to elucidate the role of critical amino acid residues on TM3 near intracellular loop 2 (i2) and TM6 near intracellular loop 3 (i3), including S1323.47 (Baldwin location), D1343.49, M2416.34, and F2516.44, in G protein coupling and CXCR1 activation. The results demonstrate that mutations of D1343.49 at DRY motif of CXCR1 (D134N and D134V) completely abolished the ligand binding and functional response of the receptor. Additionally, point mutations at positions 241 and 251 between TM6 and i3 loop generated mutant receptors with modest constitutive activity via Gα15 signaling activation. Our results show that D1343.49 on the highly conserved DRY motif has a distinct role for CXCR1 compared to its homologues (CXCR2 and KSHV‐GPCR) in G protein coupling and receptor activation. In addition, M2416.34 and F2516.44 along with our previously identified V2476.40 on TM6 are spatially located in a “hot spot” likely essential for CXCR1 activation. Identification of these amino acid residues may be useful for elucidating mechanism of CXCR1 activation and designing specific antagonists for the treatment of CXCR1‐mediated diseases.
Fundamental framework toward optimal design of product platform for industrial three-axis linear-type robots
Authors: Sawai Kana , Nomaguchi Yutaka , Fujita Kikuo
Published: March 2015

This paper discusses an optimization-based approach for the design of a product platform for industrial three-axis linear-type robots, which are widely used for handling objects in manufacturing lines. Since the operational specifications of these robots, such as operation speed, working distance and orientation, weight and shape of loads, etc., will vary for different applications, robotic system vendors must provide various types of robots efficiently and effectively to meet a range of market needs. A promising step toward this goal is the concept of a product platform, in which several key elements are commonly used across a series of products, which can then be customized for individual requirements. However the design of a product platform is more complicated than that of each product, due to the need to optimize the design across many products. This paper proposes an optimization-based fundamental framework toward the design of a product platform for industrial three-axis linear-type robots; this framework allows the solution of a complicated design problem and builds an optimal design method of fundamental features of robot frames that are commonly used for a wide range of robots. In this formulation, some key performance metrics of the robot are estimated by a reduced-order model which is configured with beam theory. A multi-objective optimization problem is formulated to represent the trade-offs among key design parameters using a weighted-sum form for a single product. This formulation is integrated into a mini–max type optimization problem across a series of robots as an optimal design formulation for the product platform. Some case studies of optimal platform design for industrial three-axis linear-type robots are presented to demonstrate the applications of a genetic algorithm to such mathematical models.
Negative Predictive Value of Excluding an Embedded Snake Foreign Body by Ultrasonography
Authors: Rushton William F. , Vakkalanka J. Priyanka , Moak James H. , Charlton Nathan P.
Published: March 2015

Objective

Numerous reputable sources for healthcare providers advocate routine imaging to rule out an embedded tooth or fang after a snake bite. The objective of this study was to determine whether these foreign bodies can be reliably excluded by bedside ultrasonography.

Methods

All emergency medicine (EM) residents and faculty at a single institution were invited to participate. Two sets of 5 ultrasound gel phantoms were prepared using a method previously validated to have the same density as human tissue. In the first set of 5 phantoms, 1 snake fang was embedded to simulate a retained foreign body. Similarly, in the second set of 5 phantoms, 1 snake tooth was also embedded. Participants were asked to identify the presence or absence of a foreign body in each phantom using bedside ultrasonography. Year of training and confidence in excluding a snake foreign body were also recorded.

Results

Each participant ( n = 27) performed ultrasound imaging on 10 phantoms for a total of 270 samples. Range of experience included postgraduate year 1 (25.9%), postgraduate year 2 (29.6%), postgraduate year 3 (33.3%), and graduates of EM residency (11.1%). The sensitivity and negative predictive value for ruling out an embedded fang was 92.6% and 98.1%, respectively. The sensitivity and negative predictive value for ruling out an embedded tooth was 77.8% and 93.7%, respectively. Among all the phantoms, there was a sensitivity of 85.2% and a negative predictive value of 96%.

Conclusion

Bedside ultrasonography performed by an EM physician is a feasible option to rule out embedded foreign bodies after a snake bite if imaging is warranted.
Making Sense of Inconsistencies in Psycho-Educational Assessment: A Case Report
Authors: Gilmore Linda , Miller Robyn , Ward Heather
Published: March 2015

The case is presented of an 8-year-old boy who was referred for psycho-educational assessment because of difficulties with writing. The article provides an example of the way in which a case unfolds as further assessment data become available, and describes a number of challenging aspects of the assessment process. In this case, dilemmas arose when test results were inconsistent at different time points, and when the results were inconsistent with clinical observations. The case report illustrates the ways in which practitioners can collaborate to make sense of such discrepancies, with each contributing a slightly different perspective or set of skills that, in combination, assist to better understand a child's difficulties.
Stakeholders’ Perceptions of School Counselling in Singapore
Authors: Low Poi Kee
Published: March 2015

This article reports on a qualitative study that set out to understand stakeholders’ perception of the school counselling service in Singapore. Using semi-structured interviews, this study explored the perceptions of three main stakeholder groups, namely teachers and counsellors working within the schools and those working in the communities. Altogether, 19 interviews were conducted. Two key theme areas were uncovered. First, the stakeholders observed and expected differing levels of confidentiality for information obtained during counselling. This presented a barrier for cooperation between the stakeholders. Second, stakeholders, while keen to ensure students’ families were served appropriately, held different ideas of how that could happen. No clear model of collaboration seemed to exist at the time of the study. Implications for practice were discussed.
The origins of asymmetric ties in friendship networks: From status differential to self-perceived centrality
Authors: AN WEIHUA , MCCONNELL WILL R.
Published: March 2015

Asymmetric ties make up a significant proportion of ties in friendship networks. But little is known about their origins. Prior research has suggested treating them either as “accidental” (e.g., resulting from constraints in name generators) or “aspirational” (i.e., the attempts of individuals to pursue relationships with higher status peers). In this paper, we show that self-perception can also explain the occurrence of asymmetric ties. We argue that under the general norm of reciprocity, actors with high self-perceived centrality will more likely send out ties to others than their counterparts. Supposing that outgoing ties are similarly reciprocated by peers, then actors with high self-perceived centrality will also entail more asymmetric ties. We test this idea along with the competing arguments using exponential random graph models (ERGMs) on network data collected from over 4,000 students in China. Consistent with previous findings, we find that asymmetric ties reflect status differences, but probably more strongly so for difference in individual status characteristics than difference in social positional status. More importantly, we find that students with high self-perceived centrality are about twice as likely to send asymmetric ties as their peers. Last, we examine the implications of our findings for future network research.
Effect of a protein-free diet in the development of food allergy and oral tolerance in BALB/c mice
Authors: Paula-Silva Josiely , Santiago Andrezza Fernanda , Oliveira Rafael Pires , Rosa Magda Luciana Paula , Carvalho Claudia Rocha , Amaral Joana Ferreira , Faria Ana Maria Caetano
Published: March 2015

The aim of the present study was to investigate the effect of a protein-free diet in the induction of food allergy and oral tolerance in BALB/c mice. The experimental model used was mice that were fed, since weaning up to adulthood, a balanced diet in which all dietary proteins were replaced by amino acid diet (Aa). The absence of dietary proteins did not prevent the development of food allergy to ovalbumin (OVA) in these mice. However, Aa-fed mice produced lower levels of IgE, secretory IgA and cytokines. In addition, when compared with mice from control group, Aa-fed mice had a milder aversive reaction to the allergen measured by consumption of OVA-containing solution and weight loss during food allergy development. In addition, mice that did not have dietary proteins in their diets were less susceptible to induction of oral tolerance. One single oral administration was not enough to suppress specific serum Ig and IgG1 levels in the Aa-fed group, although it was efficient to induce suppression in the control group. The present results indicate that the stimulation by dietary proteins alters both inflammatory reactivity and regulatory immune reactivity in mice probably due to their effect in the maturation of the immune system.
Potential adaptation strategies for rainfed soybean production in the south-eastern USA under climate change based on the CSM-CROPGRO-Soybean model
Authors: BAO Y. , HOOGENBOOM G. , McCLENDON R. W. , PAZ J. O.
Published: March 2015

Due to the potential impact of climate change and climate variability on rainfed production systems, both farmers and policy makers will have to rely more on short- and long-term yield projections. The goal of this study was to develop a procedure for calibrating the Cropping System Model (CSM)-CROPGRO-Soybean model for six cultivars, to determine the potential impact of climate change on rainfed soybean for five locations in Georgia, USA, and to provide recommendations for potential adaptation strategies for soybean production in Georgia and other south-eastern states. The Genotype Coefficient Calculator (GENCALC) software package was applied for calibration of the soybean cultivar coefficients using variety trial data. The root mean square error (RMSE) between observed and simulated grain yield ranged from 201 to 413 kg/ha for the six cultivars. Generally, the future climate scenarios showed an increase in temperature which caused a decrease in the number of days to maturity for all varieties and for all locations. This will benefit late-planted soybean production slightly, while the increase in precipitation and carbon dioxide (CO2) concentration will result in a yield increase. This was the highest for Calhoun and Williamson and ranged from 31 to 49% for the climate change projections for 2050. However, a large reduction in precipitation caused a decrease in yield for Midville, especially based on the climate scenarios of the Global Climate Models (GCMs) Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation's model CSIRO-Mk3.0 and Geophysical Fluid Dynamics Laboratory's model GFDL-CM2.1. Overall, Calhoun, Williamson, Plains and Tifton will probably be more suitable for rainfed soybean production over the next 40 years than Midville. Farmers might shift to a later planting date, around 5 June, for the locations that were evaluated in the present study to avoid potential heat and drought stress during the summer months. The cultivars AG6702, AGS758RR and S80-P2 could be selected for rainfed soybean production since they had the highest rainfed yields among the six cultivars. In general, the present study showed that there are crop management options for soybean production in Georgia and the south-eastern USA that are adapted for the potential projected climate change conditions.
Multipoint observations of plasma phenomena made in space by Cluster
Authors: Goldstein M. L. , Escoubet P. , Hwang K.-Joo , Wendel D. E. , Viñas A.-F. , Fung S. F. , Perri S. , Servidio S. , Pickett J. S. , Parks G. K. , Sahraoui F. , Gurgiolo C. , Matthaeus W. , Weygand J. M.
Published: March 2015

Plasmas are ubiquitous in nature, surround our local geospace environment, and permeate the universe. Plasma phenomena in space give rise to energetic particles, theaurora, solar flares and coronal mass ejections, as well as many energetic phenomena in interstellar space. Although plasmas can be studied in laboratory settings, it is often difficult, if not impossible, to replicate the conditions (density, temperature, magnetic and electric fields, etc.) of space. Single-point space missions too numerous to list have described many properties of near-Earth and heliospheric plasmas as measured bothin situand remotely (seehttp://www.nasa.gov/missions/#.U1mcVmeweRYfor a list of NASA-related missions). However, a full description of our plasma environment requires three-dimensional spatial measurements. Cluster is the first, and until data begin flowing from the Magnetospheric Multiscale Mission (MMS), the only mission designed to describe the three-dimensional spatial structure of plasma phenomena in geospace. In this paper, we concentrate on some of the many plasma phenomena that have been studied using data from Cluster. To date, there have been more than 2000 refereed papers published using Cluster data but in this paper we will, of necessity, refer to only a small fraction of the published work. We have focused on a few basic plasma phenomena, but, for example, have not dealt with most of the vast body of work describing dynamical phenomena in Earth's magnetosphere, including the dynamics of current sheets in Earth's magnetotail and the morphology of the dayside high latitude cusp. Several review articles and special publications are available that describe aspects of that research in detail and interested readers are referred to them (see for example, Escoubet et al. 2005Multiscale Coupling of Sun-Earth Processes, p. 459, Keith et al. 2005Sur. Geophys.26, 307–339, Paschmann et al. 2005Outer Magnetospheric Boundaries: Cluster Results, Space Sciences Series of ISSI. Berlin: Springer, Goldstein et al. 2006Adv. Space Res.38, 21–36, Taylor et al. 2010The Cluster Mission: Space Plasma in Three Dimensions, Springer, pp. 309–330 and Escoubet et al. 2013Ann. Geophys.31, 1045–1059).
The Pre-History of Religious Exclusionism in Contemporary Pakistan:Khatam-e-Nubuwwat1889–1953
Authors: KAMRAN TAHIR
Published: March 2015

During the late nineteenth-century colonial era in India, theKhatam-e-Nubuwwat(Finality of the Prophethood) assumed remarkable salience as a theme for religious debate among Muslim sects. The controversies around the establishment of the Ahmadiya sect in 1889 brought the issue ofKhatam-e-Nubuwwatto the centre stage of religious polemic ormunazara.Tense relations continued between Ahmadiya and Sunnis, in particular, though the tension remained confined to the domain of religious polemic. However, immediately after Pakistan's creation, theKhatam-e-Nubuwwatsqueezed itself out of the epistemic confines of the ‘theological’ and entered the realm of the ‘political’.Majlis-Tahafuz-i-Khatam-e-Nubuwwat(the Association for the Safety of the Finality of the Prophethood) grew out of the almost-defunctMajlis-i-Ahrar-i-Islamon 13 January 1949, with the principal objective of excluding the Ahmadiya sect from the Islamic fold.1This article seeks to reveal how theKhatam-e-Nubuwwathas impinged upon the course of Pakistani politics from 1949 onwards as an instrument of religious exclusion, peaking in 1953. The pre-history of religious exclusion, which had 1889 as a watershed—the year when the Ahmadiya sect took a definitive shape—thus forms the initial part of the article.
New Spirituality, Politics of Self-empowerment, Citizenship, and Democracy in Contemporary India
Authors: GOOPTU NANDINI
Published: March 2015

India has seen a recent upsurge in spiritual practices promoted by an entrepreneurial breed of leaders and organizations. Their primary preoccupation is not to preach religious faith and belief or to promote ritual practice, but to provide guidance on psychological and physical well-being, happiness, and a healthy lifestyle. They offer strategies for healing and re-energizing, and advocate self-management and self-development as tools of both material advancement and mental contentment. Spiritual practices emphasize individual agency, personal empowerment, and reliance on one's own ‘inner’ resources, and valorize the autonomous, self-governed citizen as the protagonist of a modern and modernizing nation. While being reminiscent of the sacralization of everyday life and the rise of the ‘self-ethic’ in New Age spiritual movements in the West, Hindu versions of new spirituality in India draw upon religious traditions and construct a narrative of laicization of the esoteric and people-centric spirituality, consonant with the prevalent democratic zeitgeist. This article explores the implications of these developments for political subjectivity, religious identity, and notions of citizenship and democracy.
Why is the equilibrium notion essential for a unified institutional theory? A friendly remark on the article by Hindriks and Guala
Authors: AOKI MASAHIKO
Published: March 2015

This short commentary basically supports the unified approach to institutions of Hindriks and Guala (2014). First, using a flow diagram over the two-by-two boxes in the space spanned by the collective-individual dimension and the behavior (play)-cognitive (belief) dimension, it argues that the classical game theory and the so-called institution-as-rule theory are both incomplete and that they should be regarded as complementary for an integrated theory of institution as a process. However, the substantive forms of institutions ought to be linguistic representations (i.e. rules and ideas) that summarize equilibrium states of play of the societal game so as to mediate them to be incorporated into minds of players as collective intentionality (i.e. shared beliefs). From this perspective this note also supports the authors’ argument to unpack the ‘Y’ term in Searle's notion of constitutive rule (that is, the regulative rule) and submit it to be based on a neo-Hegelian notion of mutual recognition (i.e. equilibrium).
Money
Authors: Lonergan Eric
Published: March 2015

Over the past year, we have seen banks tumble, City firms collapse and the advent of the worst financial crisis since the 1930s. At the heart of these events lies the pursuit of money. But just what is this thing that seems so powerful and omnipresent and yet is physically worthless  a piece of paper, or a digit on a computer screen? How does it work? And, more importantly, how far can we control the power it has over our lives? Eric Lonergan explores our complex relationship with money. In a provocative and insightful analysis, Lonergan argues that few things seem to matter more to us, but few things are as poorly understood. Economists have long worked with the theory that our relationship to money is rational, but not all our reactions to it make sense. Lonergan shows that many of our views about money, credit and saving are little better than prejudices. The same social and emotional forces that affect quant traders in the worlds financial markets can be seen in the mania of Pokémon card trading in the school playground. This fascinating book reveals the tension between moneys capacity to assist us in our lives and its propensity to cause instability and to distort our values. We are limited in our ability to control moneys power, says Lonergan, but only by understanding money better, and thinking about it less, may we get on with enjoying what we have.
Love
Authors: Milligan Tony
Published: March 2015

Does love conquer all? Is it a many splendored thing? Or is it, as Schopenhauer thought, just natures way of duping us into producing the next generation? Whats good about being in the grip of a delusion that requires a ridiculously inflated estimation of the subject of our affections? How can the grasping, selfish, egocentric behaviour that intimate love brings be a subject worthy of poets? Philosopher Tony Milligan brings his keen analytical skills to bear on our need to love and be loved. Along the way, filial, parental and friendship love are discussed, but the main focus of his attention is the sexualised, intimate love that can exist between partners, and which has been idolized for millennia. Milligan explores how the nature of love and our experience of it is inextricably bound up with our own notions of self and self-doubt. He considers the place of intimacy, togetherness, and sexual desire in love and uses the notions of loss, irreplaceability and shared history to illustrate the nature of love. Anyone who has lived and loved will find Milligans exploration illuminating and insightful.
Geschlechtseffekte bei Intelligenz- und Gedächtnisleistungen
Authors: Lepach Anja C. , Reimers Wiebke , Pauls Franz , Petermann Franz , Daseking Monika
Published: March 2015

Diese Studie untersucht die Zusammenhänge von Intelligenz- und Gedächtnisleistungen in der Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale-IV und der Wechsler Memory Scale-IV unter Berücksichtigung des Geschlechts (N = 137 Gesunde, 63 w/74 m). Ein Vorteil der weiblichen Testpersonen im verbalen episodischen Gedächtnis sowie in einzelnen Aufgaben zur Verarbeitungsgeschwindigkeit konnte beobachtet werden. Die männlichen Testpersonen schnitten in den Untertests Allgemeines Wissen und Visuelle Puzzles besser ab. Wie gut Gedächtnisleistungen Intelligenzleistungen erklären beziehungsweise vorhersagen, ist aufgrund unserer Ergebnisse nicht nur abhängig von den Aufgaben, sondern auch vom Geschlecht.
Einsatz von Dolmetschern im Rahmen der versicherungs-psychiatrischen Begutachtung
Authors: Schleifer Roman , Dittmann Volker , Ebner Gerhard , Seifritz Erich , Liebrenz Michael
Published: March 2015

Unzureichende Sprachkenntnisse und Kommunikationsschwierigkeiten stellen eine grosse Herausforderung für Migranten in verschiedenen Bereichen des Gesundheitswesens dar und können nicht nur zu Verzögerungen in der Behandlung und zu schlechteren Therapieergebnissen, sondern auch zu Schwierigkeiten im Rahmen der Klärung von Anspruchsvoraussetzungen für Versicherungs- und Sozialleistungen führen. Dabei sind besonders im Rahmen der Einschätzung der Arbeitsfähigkeit im IV-Verfahren Kliniker aller Fachgebiete, besonders aber Psychiater, darauf angewiesen, ein möglichst differenziertes Verständnis der anamnestischen Angaben zu entwickeln, um das Funktionsniveau eines Exploranden einschätzen zu können. Im klinischen Kontext kommen deshalb verschiedene Formen von Sprachmittlung zum Einsatz. Der vorliegende Mini-Review soll die rechtlichen, formellen und klinisch-praktischen Aspekte des Einsatzes von Dolmetschern im Rahmen der medizinischen Abklärungen von Arbeitsunfähigkeiten bei Exploranden mit unzureichenden Sprachkenntnissen beleuchten.
One-Year High Fat Diet Affects Muscle-But Not Brain Mitochondria
Authors: Jørgensen Tenna , Grunnet Niels , Quistorff Bjørn
Published: March 2015

It is well known that few weeks of high fat (HF) diet may induce metabolic disturbances and mitochondrial dysfunction in skeletal muscle. However, little is known about the effects of long-term HF exposure and effects on brain mitochondria are unknown. Wistar rats were fed either chow (13E% fat) or HF diet (60E% fat) for 1 year. The HF animals developed obesity, dyslipidemia, insulin resistance, and dysfunction of isolated skeletal muscle mitochondria: state 3 and state 4 were 30% to 50% increased ( P < 0.058) with palmitoyl carnitine (PC), while there was no effect with pyruvate as substrate. Adding also succinate in state 3 resulted in a higher substrate control ratio (SCR) with PC, but a lower SCR with pyruvate ( P < 0.05). The P/O2 ratio was lower with PC ( P < 0.004). However, similar tests on isolated brain mitochondria from the same animal showed no changes with the substrates relevant for brain (pyruvate and 3-hydroxybutyrate). Thus, long-term HF diet was associated with obesity, dyslipidemia, insulin resistance, and significantly altered mitochondrial function in skeletal muscle. Yet, brain mitochondria were unaffected. We suggest that the relative isolation of the brain due to the blood-brain barrier may play a role in this strikingly different phenotype of mitochondria from the two tissues of the same animal.
Enhanced Parenchymal Arteriole Tone and Astrocyte Signaling Protect Neurovascular Coupling Mediated Parenchymal Arteriole Vasodilation in the Spontaneously Hypertensive Rat
Authors: Iddings Jennifer A , Kim Ki Jung , Zhou Yiqiang , Higashimori Haruki , Filosa Jessica A
Published: March 2015

Functional hyperemia is the regional increase in cerebral blood flow upon increases in neuronal activity which ensures that the metabolic demands of the neurons are met. Hypertension is known to impair the hyperemic response; however, the neurovascular coupling mechanisms by which this cerebrovascular dysfunction occurs have yet to be fully elucidated. To determine whether altered cortical parenchymal arteriole function or astrocyte signaling contribute to blunted neurovascular coupling in hypertension, we measured parenchymal arteriole reactivity and vascular smooth muscle cell Ca2+ dynamics in cortical brain slices from normotensive Wistar Kyoto (WKY) and spontaneously hypertensive (SHR) rats. We found that vasoconstriction in response to the thromboxane A2 receptor agonist U46619 and basal vascular smooth muscle cell Ca2+ oscillation frequency were significantly increased in parenchymal arterioles from SHR. In perfused and pressurized parenchymal arterioles, myogenic tone was significantly increased in SHR. Although K+-induced parenchymal arteriole dilations were similar in WKY and SHR, metabotropic glutamate receptor activation-induced parenchymal arteriole dilations were enhanced in SHR. Further, neuronal stimulation-evoked parenchymal arteriole dilations were similar in SHR and WKY. Our data indicate that neurovascular coupling is not impaired in SHR, at least at the level of the parenchymal arterioles.
Dexamethasone Potentiates in Vitro Blood-Brain Barrier Recovery after Primary Blast Injury by Glucocorticoid Receptor-Mediated Upregulation of ZO-1 Tight Junction Protein
Authors: Hue Christopher D , Cho Frances S , Cao Siqi , Bass Cameron R “Dale” , Meaney David F , Morrison Barclay
Published: March 2015

Owing to the frequent incidence of blast-induced traumatic brain injury (bTBI) in recent military conflicts, there is an urgent need to develop effective therapies for bTBI-related pathologies. Blood-brain barrier (BBB) breakdown has been reported to occur after primary blast exposure, making restoration of BBB function and integrity a promising therapeutic target. We tested the hypothesis that treatment with dexamethasone (DEX) after primary blast injury potentiates recovery of an in vitro BBB model consisting of mouse brain endothelial cells (bEnd.3). DEX treatment resulted in complete recovery of transendothelial electrical resistance and hydraulic conductivity 1 day after injury, compared with 3 days for vehicle-treated injured cultures. Administration of RU486 (mifepristone) inhibited effects of DEX, confirming that barrier restoration was mediated by glucocorticoid receptor signaling. Potentiated recovery with DEX treatment was accompanied by stronger zonula occludens (ZO)-1 tight junction immunostaining and expression, suggesting that increased ZO-1 expression was a structural correlate to BBB recovery after blast. Interestingly, augmented ZO-1 protein expression was associated with specific upregulation of the α+ isoform but not the α− isoform. This is the first study to provide a mechanistic basis for potentiated functional recovery of an in vitro BBB model because of glucocorticoid treatment after primary blast injury.
RB loss in resistant EGFR mutant lung adenocarcinomas that transform to small-cell lung cancer
Authors: Niederst Matthew J. , Sequist Lecia V. , Poirier John T. , Mermel Craig H. , Lockerman Elizabeth L. , Garcia Angel R. , Katayama Ryohei , Costa Carlotta , Ross Kenneth N. , Moran Teresa , Howe Emily , Fulton Linnea E. , Mulvey Hillary E. , Bernardo Lindsay A. , Mohamoud Farhiya , Miyoshi Norikatsu , VanderLaan Paul A. , Costa Daniel B. , Jänne Pasi A. , Borger Darrell R. , Ramaswamy Sridhar , Shioda Toshi , Iafrate Anthony J. , Getz Gad , Rudin Charles M. , Mino-Kenudson Mari , Engelman Jeffrey A.
Published: March 2015

Tyrosine kinase inhibitors are effective treatments for non-small-cell lung cancers (NSCLCs) with epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) mutations. However, relapse typically occurs after an average of 1 year of continuous treatment. A fundamental histological transformation from NSCLC to small-cell lung cancer (SCLC) is observed in a subset of the resistant cancers, but the molecular changes associated with this transformation remain unknown. Analysis of tumour samples and cell lines derived from resistant EGFR mutant patients revealed that Retinoblastoma (RB) is lost in 100% of these SCLC transformed cases, but rarely in those that remain NSCLC. Further, increased neuroendocrine marker and decreased EGFR expression as well as greater sensitivity to BCL2 family inhibition are observed in resistant SCLC transformed cancers compared with resistant NSCLCs. Together, these findings suggest that this subset of resistant cancers ultimately adopt many of the molecular and phenotypic characteristics of classical SCLC.
Total synthesis of clostrubin
Authors: Yang Ming , Li Jian , Li Ang
Published: March 2015

Clostrubin is a potent antibiotic against methicillin- and vancomycin-resistant bacteria that was isolated from a strictly anaerobic bacterium Clostridium beijerinckii in 2014. This polyphenol possesses a fully substituted arene moiety on its pentacyclic scaffold, which poses a considerable challenge for chemical synthesis. Here we report the first total synthesis of clostrubin in nine steps (the longest linear sequence). A desymmetrization strategy is exploited based on the inherent structural feature of the natural product. Barton–Kellogg olefination forges the two segments together to form a tetrasubstituted alkene. A photo-induced 6π electrocyclization followed by spontaneous aromatization constructs the hexasubstituted B ring at a late stage. In total, 200 mg of clostrubin are delivered through this approach.
Mobile dune fixation by a fast-growing clonal plant: a full life-cycle analysis
Authors: Li Shou-Li , Yu Fei-Hai , Werger Marinus J. A. , Dong Ming , During Heinjo J. , Zuidema Pieter A.
Published: March 2015

Desertification is a global environmental problem and arid dunes with sparse vegetation are especially vulnerable to desertification. One way to combat desertification is to increase vegetation cover by planting plant species that can realize fast population expansion, even in harsh environments. To evaluate the success of planted species and provide guidance for selecting proper species to stabilize active dunes, demographic studies in natural habitats are essential. We studied the life history traits and population dynamics of a dominant clonal shrub Hedysarum laeve in Inner-Mongolia, northern China. Vital rates of 19057 ramets were recorded during three annual censuses (2007–2009) and used to parameterize Integral Projection Models to analyse population dynamics. The life history of H. laeve was characterized by high ramet turnover and population recruitment entirely depended on clonal propagation. Stochastic population growth rate was 1.32, suggesting that the populations were experiencing rapid expansion. Elasticity analysis revealed that clonal propagation was the key contributor to population growth. The capacity of high clonal propagation and rapid population expansion in mobile dunes makes H. laeve a suitable species to combat desertification. Species with similar life-history traits to H. laeve are likely to offer good opportunities for stabilizing active dunes in arid inland ecosystems.
Satellite-based estimates of groundwater depletion in the Badain Jaran Desert, China
Authors: Jiao Jiu Jimmy , Zhang Xiaotao , Wang Xusheng
Published: March 2015

Despite prevailing dry conditions, groundwater-fed lakes are found among the earth's tallest sand dunes in the Badain Jaran Desert, China. Indirect evidence suggests that some lakes are shrinking. However, relatively few studies have been carried out to assess the regional groundwater conditions and the fate of the lakes due to the remoteness and severity of the desert environment. Here we use satellite information to demonstrate an ongoing slow decrease in both lake level and groundwater storage. Specifically, we use Ice, Cloud and land Elevation Satellite altimetry data to quantify water levels of the lakes and show overall decreases from 2003 to 2009. We also use water storage changes from the Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment and simulated soil and water changes from the Global Land Data Assimilation System to demonstrate long-term groundwater depletion in the desert. Rainfall increase driven by climate change has increased soil water and groundwater storage to a certain degree but not enough to compensate for the long-term decline. If countermeasures are not taken to control the pumping, many lakes will continue to shrink, causing an ecological and environmental disaster in the fragile desert oases.
The coelacanth rostral organ is a unique low-resolution electro-detector that facilitates the feeding strike
Authors: Berquist Rachel M. , Galinsky Vitaly L. , Kajiura Stephen M. , Frank Lawrence R.
Published: March 2015

The cartilaginous and non-neopterygian bony fishes have an electric sense typically comprised of hundreds or thousands of sensory canals distributed in broad clusters over the head. This morphology facilitates neural encoding of local electric field intensity, orientation and polarity, used for determining the position of nearby prey. The coelacanth rostral organ electric sense, however, is unique in having only three paired sensory canals with distribution restricted to the dorsal snout, raising questions about its function. To address this, we employed magnetic resonance imaging methods to map electrosensory canal morphology in the extant coelacanth, Latimeria chalumnae and a simple dipole ‘rabbit ears’ antennae model with toroidal gain function to approximate their directional sensitivity. This identified a unique focal region of electrosensitivity directly in front of the mouth and is the first evidence of a low-resolution electro-detector that solely facilitates prey ingestion.
Superpersistent currents and whispering gallery modes in relativistic quantum chaotic systems
Authors: Xu Hongya , Huang Liang , Lai Ying-Cheng , Grebogi Celso
Published: March 2015

Persistent currents (PCs), one of the most intriguing manifestations of the Aharonov-Bohm (AB) effect, are known to vanish for Schrödinger particles in the presence of random scatterings, e.g., due to classical chaos. But would this still be the case for Dirac fermions? Addressing this question is of significant value due to the tremendous recent interest in two-dimensional Dirac materials. We investigate relativistic quantum AB rings threaded by a magnetic flux and find that PCs are extremely robust. Even for highly asymmetric rings that host fully developed classical chaos, the amplitudes of PCs are of the same order of magnitude as those for integrable rings, henceforth the term superpersistent currents (SPCs). A striking finding is that the SPCs can be attributed to a robust type of relativistic quantum states, i.e., Dirac whispering gallery modes (WGMs) that carry large angular momenta and travel along the boundaries. We propose an experimental scheme using topological insulators to observe and characterize Dirac WGMs and SPCs and speculate that these features can potentially be the base for a new class of relativistic qubit systems. Our discovery of WGMs in relativistic quantum systems is remarkable because, although WGMs are common in photonic systems, they are relatively rare in electronic systems.
Biologically inspired band-edge laser action from semiconductor with dipole-forbidden band-gap transition
Authors: Wang Cih-Su , Liau Chi-Shung , Sun Tzu-Ming , Chen Yu-Chia , Lin Tai-Yuan , Chen Yang-Fang
Published: March 2015

A new approach is proposed to light up band-edge stimulated emission arising from a semiconductor with dipole-forbidden band-gap transition. To illustrate our working principle, here we demonstrate the feasibility on the composite of SnO2 nanowires (NWs) and chicken albumen. SnO2 NWs, which merely emit visible defect emission, are observed to generate a strong ultraviolet fluorescence centered at 387 nm assisted by chicken albumen at room temperature. In addition, a stunning laser action is further discovered in the albumen/SnO2 NWs composite system. The underlying mechanism is interpreted in terms of the fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET) from the chicken albumen protein to SnO2 NWs. More importantly, the giant oscillator strength of shallow defect states, which is served orders of magnitude larger than that of the free exciton, plays a decisive role. Our approach therefore shows that bio-materials exhibit a great potential in applications for novel light emitters, which may open up a new avenue for the development of bio-inspired optoelectronic devices.
A weighted relative difference accumulation algorithm for dynamic metabolomics data: long-term elevated bile acids are risk factors for hepatocellular carcinoma
Authors: Zhang Weijian , Zhou Lina , Yin Peiyuan , Wang Jinbing , Lu Xin , Wang Xiaomei , Chen Jianguo , Lin Xiaohui , Xu Guowang
Published: March 2015

Dynamic metabolomics studies can provide a systematic view of the metabolic trajectory during disease development and drug treatment and reveal the nature of biological processes at metabolic level. To extract important information in a systematic time dimension rather than at isolated time points, a weighted method based on the means and variations along the time points was proposed and first applied to previously published rat model data. The method was subsequently extended and applied to prospective metabolomics data analysis of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Permutation was employed for noise filtering and false discovery rate (FDR) was used for parameter optimization during the feature selection. Long-term elevated serum bile acids were identified as risk factors for HCC development.
Prevention of exercised induced cardiomyopathy following Pip-PMO treatment in dystrophic mdx mice
Authors: Betts Corinne A. , Saleh Amer F. , Carr Carolyn A. , Hammond Suzan M. , Coenen-Stass Anna M. L. , Godfrey Caroline , McClorey Graham , Varela Miguel A. , Roberts Thomas C. , Clarke Kieran , Gait Michael J. , Wood Matthew J. A.
Published: March 2015

Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) is a fatal neuromuscular disorder caused by mutations in the Dmd gene. In addition to skeletal muscle wasting, DMD patients develop cardiomyopathy, which significantly contributes to mortality. Antisense oligonucleotides (AOs) are a promising DMD therapy, restoring functional dystrophin protein by exon skipping. However, a major limitation with current AOs is the absence of dystrophin correction in heart. Pip peptide-AOs demonstrate high activity in cardiac muscle. To determine their therapeutic value, dystrophic mdx mice were subject to forced exercise to model the DMD cardiac phenotype. Repeated peptide-AO treatments resulted in high levels of cardiac dystrophin protein, which prevented the exercised induced progression of cardiomyopathy, normalising heart size as well as stabilising other cardiac parameters. Treated mice also exhibited significantly reduced cardiac fibrosis and improved sarcolemmal integrity. This work demonstrates that high levels of cardiac dystrophin restored by Pip peptide-AOs prevents further deterioration of cardiomyopathy and pathology following exercise in dystrophic DMD mice.