bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
A proteomics-based methodology to investigate the protein corona effect for targeted drug delivery
Authors: Pozzi D. , Caracciolo G. , Capriotti A. L. , Cavaliere C. , Piovesana S. , Colapicchioni V. , Palchetti S. , Riccioli A. , Laganà A.
Published: August 2014

Here we introduce a proteomics methodology based on nanoliquid-chromatography tandem mass spectrometry (nanoLC/MS-MS) to investigate the “protein corona effect for targeted drug delivery”.
Carbon electrodeposition in molten salts: electrode reactions and applications
Authors: Ijije Happiness V. , Lawrence Richard C. , Chen George Z.
Published: August 2014

Carbon dioxide can be electrochemically reduced to carbon in molten carbonate salts, promising affordable energy, materials and environmental explorations.
The effect of micellization-induced deprotonation on the associative behavior of a carboxyl modified Pluronic P85
Authors: Šturcová Adriana , Dybal Jiří , Zhigunov Alexander , Kotov Nikolay , Braunová Alena
Published: August 2014

Micellization of carboxyl-modified Pluronic® P85 can induce nanoscale charge formation and it can affect the macroscale process of gelation.
Self-Reported Spatial Hearing Abilities Across Different Cochlear Implant Profiles
Authors: Perreau Ann E. , Ou Hua , Tyler Richard , Dunn Camille
Published: August 2014

Purpose

The goal of this study was to determine how self-reported spatial hearing abilities differ across various cochlear implant (CI) profiles and to examine the degree of subjective benefit following cochlear implantation across different groups of CI users.

Method

This was a retrospective study of subjective spatial hearing ability of CI recipients. The subjects consisted of 99 unilateral CI users, 49 bilateral CI users, 32 subjects with a CI and contralateral hearing aid (bimodal users), and 37 short-electrode CI users. All subjects completed the Spatial Hearing Questionnaire (Tyler, Perreau, & Ji, 2009), a questionnaire assessing spatial hearing ability, after implantation, and a subset of the subjects completed the questionnaire pre- and postimplantation.

Results

Subjective spatial hearing ability was rated higher for the bilateral and short electrode CI users compared to the unilateral and bimodal users. There was no significant difference in subjective spatial hearing performance between the bilateral and short electrode CI users and the unilateral CI and bimodal users. A separate analysis of pre- and postimplant performance revealed that all CI groups reported significant improvements in spatial hearing ability after implantation.

Conclusion

This study suggests that there are substantial differences in perceived spatial hearing ability among unilateral and bimodal CI users compared with bilateral and short electrode CI users.
Team Collaboration: The Use of Behavior Principles for Serving Students With ASD
Authors: Donaldson Amy L. , Stahmer Aubyn C.
Published: August 2014

Purpose

Speech-language pathologists (SLPs) and behavior analysts are key members of school-based teams that serve children with autism spectrum disorders (ASD). Behavior analysts approach assessment and intervention through the lens of applied behavior analysis (ABA). ABA-based interventions have been found effective for targeting skills across multiple domains for children with ASD. However, some SLPs may be unfamiliar with the breadth of ABA-based interventions. The intent of this tutorial is to briefly introduce key ABA principles, provide examples of ABA-based interventions used within schools, and identify strategies for successful collaboration between behavior analysts and SLPs.

Method

This tutorial draws from empirical studies of ABA-based interventions for children with ASD within school settings, as well as discussions in the extant literature about the use of behavior principles by SLPs and strategies for interdisciplinary collaboration.

Conclusion

Given the prevalence of ASD at 1 in 68 children (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2014) and the high cost of serving these children within schools (an average cost of 286% over regular education; Chambers, Shkolnik, & Perez, 2003), the need for effective, comprehensive service provision and efficiency within interdisciplinary teams is paramount. Communication, mutual understanding, and recognition of common ground between SLPs and behavior analysts can lead to successful collaboration.
Design and test of a flexible electrochemical setup for measurements in aqueous electrolyte solutions at elevated temperature and pressure
Authors: Wiberg Gustav K. H. , Fleige Michael J. , Arenz Matthias
Published: August 2014

We present a detailed description of the construction and testing of an electrochemical cell allowing measurements at elevated temperature and pressure. The cell consists of a stainless steel pressure vessel containing the electrochemical glass cell exhibiting a three electrode configuration. The design of the working electrode is inspired by conventional rotating disk electrode setups. As demonstrated, the setup can be used to investigate temperature dependent electrochemical processes on polycrystalline platinum and also high surface area type electrocatalysts.
Design of the radiation shielding for the time of flight enhanced diagnostics neutron spectrometer at Experimental Advanced Superconducting Tokamak
Authors: Du T. F. , Chen Z. J. , Peng X. Y. , Yuan X. , Zhang X. , Gorini G. , Nocente M. , Tardocchi M. , Hu Z. M. , Cui Z. Q. , Xie X. F. , Ge L. J. , Hu L. Q. , Zhong G. Q. , Lin S. Y. , Wan B. N. , Li X. Q. , Zhang G. H. , Chen J. X. , Fan T. S.
Published: August 2014

A radiation shielding has been designed to reduce scattered neutrons and background gamma-rays for the new double-ring Time Of Flight Enhanced Diagnostics (TOFED). The shielding was designed based on simulation with the Monte Carlo code MCNP5. Dedicated model of the EAST tokamak has been developed together with the emission neutron source profile and spectrum; the latter were simulated with the Nubeam and GENESIS codes. Significant reduction of background radiation at the detector can be achieved and this satisfies the requirement of TOFED. The intensities of the scattered and direct neutrons in the line of sight of the TOFED neutron spectrometer at EAST are studied for future data interpretation.
Monte Carlo simulation of a Bonner sphere spectrometer for application to the determination of neutron field in the Experimental Advanced Superconducting Tokamak experimental hall
Authors: Hu Z. M. , Xie X. F. , Chen Z. J. , Peng X. Y. , Du T. F. , Cui Z. Q. , Ge L. J. , Li T. , Yuan X. , Zhang X. , Hu L. Q. , Zhong G. Q. , Lin S. Y. , Wan B. N. , Gorini G. , Li X. Q. , Zhang G. H. , Chen J. X. , Fan T. S.
Published: August 2014

To assess the neutron energy spectra and the neutron dose for different positions around the Experimental Advanced Superconducting Tokamak (EAST) device, a Bonner Sphere Spectrometer (BSS) was developed at Peking University, with totally nine polyethylene spheres and a SP9 3He counter. The response functions of the BSS were calculated by the Monte Carlo codes MCNP and GEANT4 with dedicated models, and good agreement was found between these two codes. A feasibility study was carried out with a simulated neutron energy spectrum around EAST, and the simulated “experimental” result of each sphere was obtained by calculating the response with MCNP, which used the simulated neutron energy spectrum as the input spectrum. With the deconvolution of the “experimental” measurement, the neutron energy spectrum was retrieved and compared with the preset one. Good consistence was found which offers confidence for the application of the BSS system for dose and spectrum measurements around a fusion device.
Microstrain in tetragonal lead-zirconate-titanate: The effect of pressure on the ionic displacements
Authors: Frantti J. , Fujioka Y. , Zhang J. , Zhu J. , Vogel S. C. , Zhao Y.
Published: August 2014

Piezoelectric materials respond to external stimuli by adjusting atomic positions. In solid-solutions, the changes occurring in atomic scale are very complex since the short- and long-range order are different. Standard methods used in diffraction data analysis fail to model the short-range order accurately. Pressure-induced cation displacements in ferroelectric Pb(Zr0.45Ti0.55)O3 perovskite oxide are modeled by starting from a short-range order. We show that the model gives the average structure correctly and properly describes the local structure. The origin of the microstrain in lead zirconate titanate is the spatially varying Zr and Ti concentration and atomic distances, which is taken into account in the simulation. High-pressure neutron powder diffraction and simulation techniques are applied for the determination of atomic positions and bond-valences as a function of pressure. Under hydrostatic pressure, the material loses its piezoelectric properties far before the transition to the cubic phase takes place. The total cation valence +6 is preserved up to 3.31 GPa by compensating the increasing B-cation valence by decreasing Pb-displacement from the high-symmetry position. At 3.31 GPa, Pb-displacement is zero and the material is no more ferroelectric. This is also the pressure at which the Pb-valence is minimized. The average structure is still tetragonal. The model for microstrain predicts that the transition occurs over a finite pressure range: Pb-displacements are spatially varying and follow the distribution of Zr and Ti ions.
Electron impact ionization of cycloalkanes, aldehydes, and ketones
Authors: Gupta Dhanoj , Antony Bobby
Published: August 2014

The theoretical calculations of electron impact total ionization cross section for cycloalkane, aldehyde, and ketone group molecules are undertaken from ionization threshold to 2 keV. The present calculations are based on the spherical complex optical potential formalism and complex scattering potential ionization contribution method. The results of most of the targets studied compare fairly well with the recent measurements, wherever available and the cross sections for many targets are predicted for the first time. The correlation between the peak of ionization cross sections with number of target electrons and target parameters is also reported. It was found that the cross sections at their maximum depend linearly with the number of target electrons and with other target parameters, confirming the consistency of the values reported here.
Multi-pulse operation of a super-radiant backward-wave oscillator
Authors: Bandurkin I. V. , Savilov A. V.
Published: August 2014

Theory of a backward-wave electron oscillator operating in the non-stationary regime of super-radiation of short powerful rf pulses is developed. It is shown that there exist multi-frequency regimes of generation of either two-peak or three-peak output signal with different characteristic frequencies in every peak. The use of such regimes allows increasing the duration, the peak power, and the total energy of the output super-radiation rf pulse.
A surface integral equation formulation for electromagnetic scattering from a conducting cylinder coated with multilayers of homogeneous materials
Authors: Sakr Ahmed A. , Soliman Ezzeldin A. , Abdelmageed Alaa K.
Published: August 2014

A surface integral equation formulation is presented for electromagnetic scattering by a conducting cylinder coated with multilayers of homogeneous materials. Each layer may have a nonunity relative permittivity and permeability. Both the TM and TE polarizations are considered. The surface equivalence principle is utilized to model the problem where each layer is replaced by equivalent surface currents residing on the enclosing boundaries. A systematic procedure is developed to generate a set of coupled integral equations for an arbitrary number of layers. The method of moments is invoked to convert these equations into a sparse matrix equation which can be solved using sparse matrix routines. Numerical results are presented to demonstrate the accuracy and efficiency of the proposed method. The performance of the method is compared with that of the volume-surface integral equation formulation where a great saving in memory storage and computation time is achieved.
Optical detection of spin-filter effect for electron spin polarimetry
Authors: Li X. , Tereshchenko O. E. , Majee S. , Lampel G. , Lassailly Y. , Paget D. , Peretti J.
Published: August 2014

We have monitored the cathodoluminescence (CL) emitted upon injection of free electrons into a hybrid structure consisting of a thin magnetic Fe layer deposited on a p-GaAs substrate, in which InGaAs quantum wells are embedded. Electrons transmitted through the unbiased metal/semiconductor junction recombine radiatively in the quantum wells. Because of the electron spin-filtering across the Fe/GaAs structure, the CL intensity, collected from the backside, is found to depend on the relative orientation between the injected electronic spin polarization and the Fe layer magnetization. The spin asymmetry of the CL intensity in such junction provides a compact optical method for measuring spin polarization of free electrons beams or of hot electrons in solid-state devices.
Significant population genetic structuring but a lack of phylogeographic structuring in the endemic Tasmanian tree frog (Litoria burrowsae)
Authors: Zhang Z. Y. , Cashins S. , Philips A. , Burridge C. P.
Published: August 2014

Conservation of frogs is of global concern, owing to declines resulting from habitat destruction, global climate change, and disease. Knowledge of genetic variation in frog species is therefore desirable for the identification of management units. Here we surveyed mitochondrial DNA sequence variation in the Tasmanian endemic hylid frog Litoria burrowsae, which is infected by chytrid fungus, Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis, and may be declining. Neither phylogeographic structure nor deep phylogenetic divergence was detected in the species, although its populations were highly differentiated with respect to haplotype frequencies. The low-haplotype diversity in L. burrowsae suggests a recent bottleneck in the species, and population genetic structuring may reflect isolation by distance as well as founder effects associated with range expansion. Three putative management units were identified that require verification based on nuclear DNA variation and adaptation to local environments.
Antibody-based delivery of IL4 to the neovasculature cures mice with arthritis
Authors: Hemmerle Teresa , Doll Fabia , Neri Dario
Published: August 2014

Significance

Disease-homing antibody–cytokine fusion proteins (immunocytokines) are considered as innovative biopharmaceutical agents for the therapy of cancer and chronic inflammatory conditions with the potential to modulate the activity of the immune system at the site of disease. The immunocytokine F8-IL4 was able to selectively localize to arthritic sites in vivo and exhibited a potent single-agent activity in the collagen-induced arthritis model in mice. Surprisingly, the combination treatment of F8-IL4 with dexamethasone cured 100% of treated mice with established arthritis. To our knowledge, this is the first report of durable and complete regressions in mice with established RA. These findings are of clinical significance as the F8 antibody recognizes its cognate antigen, the extra domain A of fibronectin, with comparable affinity in mouse and man.
Variable cooperativity in SNARE-mediated membrane fusion
Authors: Hernandez Javier M. , Kreutzberger Alex J. B. , Kiessling Volker , Tamm Lukas K. , Jahn Reinhard
Published: August 2014

Significance

The merging of lipid bilayer membranes, or membrane fusion, is a ubiquitous process in cellular trafficking in eukaryotic cells. The responsible proteins have long been known to be the soluble N-ethylmaleimide–sensitive factor attachment protein receptors (SNAREs); however, key mechanistic details regarding how they work remain elusive. Among them is the issue of cooperativity, which asks how many SNAREs are needed for fusion to take place. Hitherto, reports have addressed this question in terms of fixed numbers, providing a rather static picture of how SNAREs operate. Using an elaborate kinetic analysis, we provide strong biochemical evidence showing that cooperativity is highly variable and will depend on the energy barrier of the membrane fusion reaction in question, implying SNAREs are much more modular and dynamic than previously thought.
Neuraminidase-Inhibiting Antibody Response to H5N1 Virus Vaccination in Chronically Ill and Immunocompromised Patients
Authors: Fritz Richard , Hetzelt Nicole , Ilk Reinhard , Hohenadl Christine , van der Velden Maikel V. W. , Aichinger Gerald , Portsmouth Daniel , Kistner Otfried , Howard M. Keith , Barrett P. Noel , Kreil Thomas R.
Published: August 2014

Neuraminidase-inhibiting (NAi) antibodies have been reported to be an independent correlate of protection from influenza disease, but the NAi antibody response to influenza vaccination has never been assessed in chronically ill or immunocompromised participants. Using an enzyme-linked lectin assay, we demonstrated that 2 immunizations with a Vero cell culture-derived, whole-virus H5N1 A/Vietnam vaccine induces NAi antibodies in 94.3% of chronically ill and 83.8% of immunocompromised participants. A booster with a heterologous A/Indonesia H5N1 vaccine induced comparable NAi antibody titers in both groups and resulted in 100% seropositivity. These data support prepandemic H5N1 vaccination strategies for these highly vulnerable risk groups.
Study of negative and positive superhumps in ER Ursae Majoris
Authors: Ohshima Tomohito , Kato Taichi , Pavlenko Elena , Akazawa Hidehiko , Imamura Kazuyoshi , Tanabe Kenji , de Miguel Enrique , Stein William , Itoh Hiroshi , Hambsch Franz-Josef , Dubovsky Pavol A. , Kudzej Igor , Krajci Thomas , Baklanov Alex , Samsonov Denis , Antonyuk Oksana I. , Malanushenko Viktor , Andreev Maksim V. , Noguchi Ryo , Ogura Kazuyuki , Nomoto Takashi , Ono Rikako , Nakagawa Shin’ichi , Taniuchi Keisuke , Aoki Tomoya , Kawabata Miho , Kimura Hitoshi , Masumoto Kazunari , Kobayashi Hiroshi , Matsumoto Katsura , Shiokawa Kazuhiko , Shugarov Sergey Yu. , Katysheva Natalia , Voloshina Irina , Zemko Polina , Kasai Kiyoshi , Ruiz Javier , Maehara Hiroyuki , Virnina Natalia , Virtanen Jani , Miller Ian , Boitnott Boyd , Littlefield Colin , James Nick , Tordai Tamas , Robert Fidrich , Padovan Stefano , Miyashita Atsushi
Published: August 2014

We carried out photometric observations of the SU UMa-type dwarf nova ER UMa during 2011 and 2012, which showed the existence of persistent negative superhumps even during the superoutburst. We performed a two-dimensional period analysis of its light curves by using a method called “least absolute shrinkage and selection operator” (Lasso) and the “phase dispersion minimization” (PDM) analysis, and found that the period of negative superhumps systematically changed between a superoutburst and the next superoutburst. The trend of the period change can be interpreted as a reflection of the change of the disk radius. This change is in agreement with the one predicted by the thermal tidal instability model. The normal outburst during a supercycle showed a general trend that the rising rate to its maximum becomes slower as the next superoutburst is approaching. The change can be interpreted as the consequence of the increased gas-stream flow into the inner region of the disk as a result of the tilted disk. Some of superoutbursts were found to be triggered by a precursor normal outburst when the positive superhump appeared to develop. The positive and negative superhumps coexisted during the superoutburst. Positive superhumps were prominent only for four or five days after the supermaximum, while the signal of negative superhumps became stronger after the middle phase of the superoutburst plateau. A simple combination of the positive and negative superhumps was found to be insufficient for reproduction of the complex profile variation. We were able to detect the developing phase of positive superhumps (stage A superhumps) for the first time in ER UMa-type dwarf novae. Using the period of stage A superhumps, we obtained a mass ratio of 0.100(15), which indicates that ER UMa is on the ordinary evolutional track of cataclysmic variable stars.
Two sources of meaning in infant communication: preceding action contexts and act-accompanying characteristics
Authors: Liszkowski Ulf
Published: August 2014

How do infants communicate before they have acquired a language? This paper supports the hypothesis that infants possess social–cognitive skills that run deeper than language alone, enabling them to understand others and make themselves understood. I suggested that infants, like adults, use two sources of extralinguistic information to communicate meaningfully and react to and express communicative intentions appropriately. In support, a review of relevant experiments demonstrates, first, that infants use information from preceding shared activities to tailor their comprehension and production of communication. Second, a series of novel findings from our laboratory shows that in the absence of distinguishing information from preceding routines or activities, infants use accompanying characteristics (such as prosody and posture) that mark communicative intentions to extract and transmit meaning. Findings reveal that before infants begin to speak they communicate in meaningful ways by binding preceding and simultaneous multisensory information to a communicative act. These skills are not only a precursor to language, but also an outcome of social–cognitive development and social experience in the first year of life.
How arbitrary is language?
Authors: Monaghan Padraic , Shillcock Richard C. , Christiansen Morten H. , Kirby Simon
Published: August 2014

It is a long established convention that the relationship between sounds and meanings of words is essentially arbitrary—typically the sound of a word gives no hint of its meaning. However, there are numerous reported instances of systematic sound–meaning mappings in language, and this systematicity has been claimed to be important for early language development. In a large-scale corpus analysis of English, we show that sound–meaning mappings are more systematic than would be expected by chance. Furthermore, this systematicity is more pronounced for words involved in the early stages of language acquisition and reduces in later vocabulary development. We propose that the vocabulary is structured to enable systematicity in early language learning to promote language acquisition, while also incorporating arbitrariness for later language in order to facilitate communicative expressivity and efficiency.
Public Life as Tragedy
Authors: FRENCH RICHARD D.
Published: August 2014

Some of the most perceptive observers of public life have emphasised its tragic dimensions, not so much out of sympathy for politicians, but because the lens of tragedy offers a unique insight into the realities of the world of politics. Here I attempt to synthesise this tragic perspective by employing the comments of those best positioned to identify the salient features of public life, its primary dramatis personae. Politics occasionally provides us with the kind of spectacular catastrophe that journalists like to construe as tragedy. But our purpose is to evoke a different, more personal, less visible kind of tragedy: the small but malignant tragedies of self‐betrayal, of inflation of the ego and deflation of conscience, of helpless witness to injustice and misfortune, of status unaccompanied by power or efficacy, of the shrinking of aspiration to the scale of the practicable, of disillusion and, on occasion, of despair.
Voting on Europe: The Potential Pitfalls of a British Referendum
Authors: McCORMICK JOHN
Published: August 2014

As Britain prepares for a possible referendum on continued membership of the European Union, it is essential that more careful thought is paid to the dynamics of referendums. Polling data reveal the existence of a substantial knowledge deficit in the UK and other parts of the EU: large numbers of voters simply do not understand the EU. There is also reason to question the conventional view that voters can correct for such a deficit by using cues from opinion leaders and the media. The experience of recent referendums in other EU member states suggests that many voters will take part in the proposed British referendum without independent and informed knowledge of the issues at stake, that many will have been swayed by partisan elite opinion, and that many will decide on the basis of their views about domestic politics rather than their views about Europe.
The Quango Conundrum Revisited—Why the Government Still Needs a More Coherent Approach to Arm's‐Length Bodies
Authors: RUTTER JILL
Published: August 2014

There has been substantial reform of public bodies since the Coalition government was formed in 2010. But although numbers have been reduced, there has been no attempt to address the confused landscape—indeed, departments have interpreted criteria for what should be put at arm's length in different ways, introducing further complexity. A clearer link between function and form is needed. This would help address some of the blurred lines over accountability that we have seen in the recent rows over Ofsted and the Environment Agency.
Did Muhammad Ali foster industrialization in early nineteenth‐century Egypt?
Authors: Panza Laura , Williamson Jeffrey G.
Published: August 2014

Muhammad Ali, who ruled Egypt between 1805 and 1849, intervened in Egyptian markets in an attempt to foster industrialization, especially between 1812 and 1840. Like a modern marketing board, the state purchased agricultural commodities (cotton and wheat) at low prices and sold them on world markets at much higher prices, a policy equivalent to an export tax. Ali also replaced tax farming with his own land taxes. The revenues so derived were used in part to finance manufacturing investment and to build irrigation canals. In addition, Ali supplied flax and cotton at those cheap purchase prices to domestic textile manufacturing, thus subsidizing the industry. He also used non‐tariff barriers to exclude foreign competition from domestic markets. Were Ali's state‐led policies successful in fostering industry? The answer is no easier to extract from this phase of Egyptian history than from that of other poor countries at that time. This is because Egypt faced the same terms of trade boom typical of most poor commodity exporters, which was causing de‐industrialization everywhere else in the poor periphery. Ali picked a very difficult time to pursue his agenda, but we show that his policies were successful.
Omitting Lady Grace: The Provok'd Husband in Frances Burney's Camilla and The Wanderer
Authors: Havens Hilary
Published: August 2014

One of the most prominent scenes in Frances Burney's The Wanderer (1814) is the amateur theatrical performance of Sir John Vanbrugh and Colley Cibber's The Provok'd Husband (1728). This episode was recycled from a discarded fragment, which has not been previously discussed, from Burney's Camilla (1796). Ostensibly Burney uses these scenes to comment on the late eighteenth‐century private theatrical vogue, but her use of The Prokov'd Husband in both novels highlights her editorial practice as a writer of long fiction and, more significantly, her failure to espouse theories of realistic characterisation during the last years of her literary career.
Evaluating Industrial Relations Systems of OECD Countries from 1993 to 2005: A Two‐Dimensional Approach
Authors: Kim Dong‐One , Kim Yoon‐Ho , Voos Paula , Suzuki Hiromasa , Kim Young Doo
Published: August 2014

This article uses both cross‐sectional and longitudinal methods to evaluate the national industrial relations systems of 30 Organisation for Economic Co‐operation and Development (OECD) countries from 1993 to 2005. We adopt a pluralistic view of industrial relations that gives equal weight to efficiency and equity, along with a general systems model consisting of input, process and output. We rank each country in terms of a combined score of efficiency and equity. We find that the 30 OECD countries can be separated into three distinct groups (high on both equity and efficiency; high on efficiency but low on equity; moderate on equity and low on efficiency), and that these groups exhibit considerable stability over time.
Focal dysplasia of the cerebral cortex and infantile spasms associated with somatic 1q21.1‐q44 duplication including the AKT3 gene
Authors: Conti V. , Pantaleo M. , Barba C. , Baroni G. , Mei D. , Buccoliero A. M. , Giglio S. , Giordano F. , Baek S. T. , Gleeson J. G. , Guerrini R.
Published: August 2014

Somatic and germline duplications or activating mutations of AKT3 have been reported in patients with hemimegalencephaly and megalencephaly. We performed array comparative genomic hybridization on brain tissue and blood in 16 consecutive patients with symptomatic epilepsy due to focal or multilobar malformations of cortical development who underwent surgical treatment of epilepsy. One patient with infantile spasms and a dysplastic left frontal lobe harboured a somatic trisomy of the 1q21.1‐q44 chromosomal region, encompassing the AKT3 gene, in the dysplastic brain tissue but not in blood and saliva. Histopathology revealed severe cortical dyslamination, a thin cortex in the premotor area with microgyri and microsulci, immature neurons with disoriented dendrites and areas of cortical heterotopia in the sub‐cortical white matter. These cytoarchitectural changes are close to those defining type Ib focal cortical dysplasia. Immunohistochemistry in brain specimens showed hyperactivation of the PI3K/AKT/mTOR pathway. These findings indicate that AKT3 upregulation may cause focal malformations of cortical development. There appears to be an etiologic continuum between hemimegalencephaly and focal cortical dysplastic lesions. The extent of brain malformations due to AKT3 upregulation may be related to the embryonic stage when the post‐zygotic gene alteration occurs.
NGOs and Feminisms in Development: Interrogating the ‘Southern Women's NGO’
Authors: Narayanaswamy Lata
Published: August 2014

The inclusion by Northern stakeholders of a discursively constructed category of ‘Southern women's NGO’ – increasingly heralded as the ultimate organisational form of grounded, subaltern, collective action – has come to represent a signifier of commitments to gender equality, poverty reduction and/or social justice. Southern women's NGOs are frequently credited with the capacity to facilitate the inclusion of marginalised groups conventionally excluded from development's frame. This critical review argues that this essentialism derives firstly from the belief in the Southern NGO as a grounded, democratic and accessible organisational form well suited to reach and represent the diverse and disparate needs of the grassroots. Secondly, it reflects the tendency, despite an abundance of critical black, Third World and postcolonial feminist theory warning to the contrary, to cast ‘Southern women’ as a category of politicised agents who share trajectories of historical and contemporary oppression that allow them to transcend other axes of difference to achieve improved development outcomes. The discussion examines this tendency, and whether it has led to a wholesale belief in the capacity of both ‘Southern women’ and ‘Southern NGOs’ to reach as well as represent anti‐hegemonic, subaltern and thus alternative development paradigms. The analysis concludes with some brief reflections on both the discursive and practical implications of privileging the ‘Southern women's NGO’, expressed as a homogenous category, as a key interlocutor between the powerful and the marginalised in development.
Prognostic significance of MSI2 predicts unfavorable outcome in adult B‐acute lymphoblastic leukemia
Authors: Aly R. M. , Ghazy H. F.
Published: August 2014

Introduction

The Musashi‐2 gene (MSI2) is implicated in leukemogenesis, and high MSI2 expression has been associated with decreased survival in acute myeloid leukemia (AML) and acute lymphoid leukemia (ALL), suggesting its use as a new prognostic marker. We aimed to validate the prognostic significance of MSI2 in ALL.

Methods

MSI2 expression was measured by real‐time polymerase chain reaction in 140 adult B‐ALL patients and compared to controls.

Results

MSI2 expression level in patients was significantly higher when compared to the control group (P = 0.001). High MSI2 expression did not correlate with the clinical characteristics of patients. However, patients with high MSI2 expression had significantly lower incidence of complete remission (CR) (P = 0.03), inferior overall survival (P = 0.018), and shorter disease‐free survival (P = 0.001). Multivariate analysis revealed that high MSI2 expression was an independent prognostic factor for adult BCR‐ABL1‐negative B‐ALL patients.

Conclusion

These results confirm the association of MSI2 expression with outcome in adult B‐ALL and demonstrate the utility of MSI2 as a clinical prognostic biomarker.
Epigenetic changes of mesenchymal stem cells in three‐dimensional (3D) spheroids
Authors: Guo Ling , Zhou Ying , Wang Shan , Wu Yaojiong
Published: August 2014

Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) hold profound promise in tissue repair/regeneration. However, MSCs undergo remarkable spontaneous differentiation and aging during monolayer culture expansion. In this study, we found that 2–3 days of three‐dimensional (3D) spheroid culture of human MSCs (hMSCs) that had been expanded in monolayer for six passages increased their clonogenicity and differentiation potency to neuronal cells. Moreover, in accordance with these changes, the expression levels of miRNA which were involved in stem cell potency were changed and levels of histone H3 acetylation in K9 in promoter regions of Oct4, Sox2 and Nanog were elevated. Our results indicate that spheroid culture increases their multi‐potency and changes the epigenetic status of pluripotent genes in hMSCs.
Comparative Genomic Analysis of Integral Membrane Transport Proteins in Ciliates
Authors: Kumar Ujjwal , Saier Milton H.
Published: August 2014

Integral membrane transport proteins homologous to those found in the Transporter Classification Database (TCDB; www.tcdb.org) were identified and bioinformatically characterized by transporter class, family, and substrate specificity in three ciliates, Paramecium tetraurelia (Para), Tetrahymena thermophila (Tetra), and Ichthyophthirius multifiliis (Ich). In these three organisms, 1,326 of 39,600 proteins (3.4%), 1,017 of 24,800 proteins (4.2%), and 504 out of 8,100 proteins (6.2%) integral membrane transport proteins were identified, respectively. Thus, an inverse relationship was observed between the % transporters identified and the number of total proteins per genome reported. This surprising observation provides insight into the evolutionary process, giving rise to genome reduction following whole genome duplication (as in the case of Para) or during pathogenic association with a host organism (Ich). Of these transport proteins in Para and Tetra, about 41% were channels (more than any other type of organism studied), 31% were secondary carriers (fewer than most eukaryotes) and 26% were primary active transporters, mostly ATP‐hydrolysis driven (more than most other eukaryotes). In Ich, the number of channels was selectively reduced by 66%, relative to Para and Tetra. Para has four times more inorganic anion transporters than Tetra, and Ich has nonselectively lost most of these. Tetra and Ich preferentially transport sugars and monocarboxylates while Para prefers di‐ and tricarboxylates. These observations serve to characterize the transport proteins of these related ciliates, providing insight into their nutrition and metabolism.
Time, space, and events in language and cognition: a comparative view
Authors: Sinha Chris , Gärdenfors Peter
Published: August 2014

We propose an event‐based account of the cognitive and linguistic representation of time and temporal relations. Human beings differ from nonhuman animals in entertaining and communicating elaborate detached (as opposed to cued) event representations and temporal relational schemas. We distinguish deictically based (D‐time) from sequentially based (S‐time) representations, identifying these with the philosophical categories of A‐series and B‐series time. On the basis of cross‐linguistic data, we claim that all cultures employ both D‐time and S‐time representations. We outline a cognitive model of event structure, emphasizing that this does not entail an explicit, separate representation of a time dimension. We propose that the notion of an event‐independent, metric “time as such” is not universal, but a cultural and historical construction based on cognitive technologies for measuring time intervals. We critically examine claims that time is universally conceptualized in terms of spatial metaphors, and hypothesize that systematic space–time metaphor is only found in languages and cultures that have constructed the notion of time as a separate dimension. We emphasize the importance of distinguishing what is universal from what is variable in cultural and linguistic representations of time, and speculate on the general implications of an event‐based understanding of time.
Microsporidiosis in pediatric renal transplant patients in Cape Town, South Africa: Two case reports
Authors: Ladapo Taiwo A. , Nourse Peter , Pillay Komala , Frean John , Birkhead Monica , Poonsamy Bhavani , Gajjar Priya
Published: August 2014

Microsporidia are an emerging group of pathogens associated with life‐threatening opportunistic infections in immunocompromised hosts, particularly human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)‐infected individuals. There have, however, been recent reports of infection in adult solid organ transplant recipients. We report two cases in children, to our knowledge the first in the paediatric literature. Two 13‐yr‐old, HIV‐seronegative females received deceased donor renal transplants from the same donor. Both patients suffered acute cell‐mediated rejection and CMV infection reactivation, managed with intensified immunosuppression and ganciclovir. Pyrexia of unknown origin and intermittent diarrhea in both prompted extensive investigations. In both patients, numerous spores of a microsporidial species were demonstrated in renal tissue on biopsy and in the urine, using modified trichrome and quick‐hot Gram‐chromotrope staining. Electron microscopy and PCR confirmed Encephalitozoon cuniculi infections. Both patients were successfully treated with 400 mg twice daily of albendazole, with sustained clinical improvement. We recommend that microsporidiosis be considered in the differential diagnosis of pyrexia of unknown origin in severely immunocompromised pediatric solid organ transplant recipients, particularly when associated with diarrhea.
The Safe Passage Study: Design, Methods, Recruitment, and Follow‐Up Approach
Authors: Dukes Kimberly A. , Burd Larry , Elliott Amy J. , Fifer William P. , Folkerth Rebecca D. , Hankins Gary D.V. , Hereld Dale , Hoffman Howard J. , Myers Michael M. , Odendaal Hein J. , Signore Caroline , Sullivan Lisa M. , Willinger Marian , Wright Colleen , Kinney Hannah C. ,   PASS Research Network
Published: August 2014

Background

The Safe Passage Study is a large, prospective, multidisciplinary study designed to (1) investigate the association between prenatal alcohol exposure, sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS), and stillbirth, and (2) determine the biological basis of the spectrum of phenotypic outcomes from exposure, as modified by environmental and genetic factors that increase the risk of stillbirth, SIDS, and in surviving children, fetal alcohol spectrum disorders.

Methods

The results provided are based on an interim assessment of 6004 women enrolled, out of the 12 000 projected, from the Northern Plains, US, and Cape Town, South Africa, areas known to be of high risk for maternal drinking during pregnancy. Research objectives, study design, and descriptive statistics, including consent, recruitment, and retention information, are provided.

Results

Overall visit compliance is 87%, and includes prenatal, delivery/newborn, and postnatal contacts through 1 year post‐delivery. Pregnancy outcome ascertainment is 98% prior to medical chart review; less than 2% of women withdraw. Consent for the use of DNA and placental tissue exceed 94%, and consent to participate in the autopsy portion of the study is 71%.

Conclusions

The Safe Passage Study is the first multi‐site study of SIDS and stillbirth to integrate prospectively collected exposure information with multidisciplinary biological information in the same maternal and fetal/infant dyad using a common protocol. Essential components of the study design and its success are close ties to the community and rigorous systems and processes to ensure compliance with the study protocol and procedures.
Families, medical secrets and public health in early modern Venice
Authors: Crawshaw Jane Stevens
Published: August 2014

This article highlights women's contribution to public health in early modern Venice using the case study of Marieta Colochi and her family's medical secret. This medical cure operated as a dowry, an important object within female inheritance and was also sold to the Venetian Republic for a significant sum of money because of its apparent success in treating the plague. The city's Health Office employed family members to administer the treatment, including Marieta. Surviving texts describe her as a salaried doctor and the Health Office archive records the use of her medical services in Venice and across the territorial state. Marieta's attempt at election as an independent Health Office doctor failed but she continued to be employed alongside male members of her family. Her history suggests that the nature of record‐keeping for early modern public health, with its emphasis on office‐holding, may have obscured the contributions made by women. The family unit emerges as significant in a private and public sense: the Health Office authorities dealt with individual, skilled medical women by employing them within family relationships and provided opportunities for female employment in healthcare within institutions that were modelled on the family in a symbolic way. Viewing women's work through the lens of the family allows historians to acknowledge the gender hierarchies of early modern society whilst illuminating the valuable contributions which could be made by women to the healthcare of this period.
Government Capital, Intimate and Community Social Capital, and Food Security Status in Older Adults with Different Income Levels
Authors: Dean Wesley R. , Sharkey Joseph R. , Nalty Courtney C. , Xu Jin
Published: August 2014

Whether government‐based forms of food assistance such as the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), communal efforts including food pantries, aid from friends and family, or alternative means such as gardening are the appropriate means to reduce the prevalence of household food insecurity is a continuous source of policy contention. To inform this debate, we examine the relative importance of these forms of food assistance and acquisition to a sample of U.S. older adults from the 2010 Brazos Valley Health Assessment of central Texas households that have been stratified by income eligibility for SNAP, low‐income SNAP ineligibility, and above low income status. To identify how membership in these socioeconomic groups constrains household capacity to acquire sufficient food to maintain an adequate and healthy diet, we explore the varied associations of assets received from government; communal and intimate social networks; and alternative food sources such as gardening, hunting, and fishing with household food security across socioeconomic status, while examining the importance of place of residence on the use of capital assets. SNAP participation was the only specific capital asset associated with all levels of food insecurity for both SNAP‐eligible and ineligible low‐income groups, thus emphasizing the continued importance of food assistance among poverty‐level older adults.
Awareness, Attitudes, and Use of Crisis Hotlines among Youth At‐Risk for Suicide
Authors: Crosby Budinger Meghan , Cwik Mary F. , Riddle Mark A.
Published: August 2014

Crisis hotlines have been central to suicide prevention efforts; however, utilization among youth remains low. A sample of at‐risk youth was surveyed about their awareness, utilization, and attitudes toward local and national crisis hotlines. Youth reported low rates of awareness and utilization, yet expressed a strong interest in phone hotlines (41% vs. 59% for new media categories combined). Youth reported stigma, but that help‐seeking could be positively influenced by peers and adults in their support system. Implications include making crisis services available across several mediums and the importance of engaging trusted others in youth suicide awareness campaigns and prevention efforts.
Street‐level Perceptions of Procedural Rights for Young Unemployed People – A Comparative Study between Sweden and Australia
Authors: Ulmestig Rickard , Marston Greg
Published: August 2014

Two types of welfare states are compared in this article. Differences in procedural rights for young unemployed at the level of service delivery are analyzed. In Australia, rights are regulated through a rigid procedural justice system. The young unemployed within the social assistance system in Sweden encounter staff with high discretionary powers, which makes the legal status weak for the unemployed but, on the other hand, the system is more flexible. Despite the differences, there is striking convergence in how the young unemployed describe how discretionary power among street‐level staff affects their procedural rights. This result can be understood as a result of similar professional norms, work customs and occupational cultures of street‐level staff, and that there is a basic logic of conditionality in all developed welfare states where procedural rights are tightly coupled with responsibilities.
Class number calculation using Siegel functions
Authors: Fukuda T. , Komatsu K.
Published: August 2014

We propose a fast method of calculating the$\def \xmlpi #1{}\def \mathsfbi #1{\boldsymbol {\mathsf {#1}}}\let \le =\leqslant \let \leq =\leqslant \let \ge =\geqslant \let \geq =\geqslant \def \Pr {\mathit {Pr}}\def \Fr {\mathit {Fr}}\def \Rey {\mathit {Re}}p$-part of the class numbers in certain non-cyclotomic$\mathbb{Z}_p$-extensions of an imaginary quadratic field using elliptic units constructed by Siegel functions. We carried out practical calculations for$p=3$and determined$\lambda $-invariants of such$\mathbb{Z}_3$-extensions which were not known in our previous paper.
Examples of surfaces with real multiplication
Authors: Elsenhans Andreas-Stephan , Jahnel Jörg
Published: August 2014

We construct explicit$K3$surfaces over $\mathbb{Q}$having real multiplication. Our examples are of geometric Picard rank 16. The standard method for the computation of the Picard rank provably fails for the surfaces constructed.