bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Effects of Uptake of Hydroxyapatite Nanoparticles into Hepatoma Cells on Cell Adhesion and Proliferation
Authors: Yin Meizhen , Yin Yixia , Han Yingchao , Dai Honglian , Li Shipu
Published: March 2014

Hydroxyapatite nanoparticles (nano‐HAPs) were prepared by homogeneous precipitation, and size distribution and morphology of these nanoparticles were determined by laser particle analysis and transmission electron microscopy, respectively. Nano‐HAPs were uniformly distributed, with rod‐like shapes sizes ranging from 44.6 to 86.8 nm. Attached overnight, suspended, and proliferating Bel‐7402 cells were repeatedly incubated with nano‐HAPs. Inverted microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, and fluorescence microscopy were used to observe the cell adhesion and growth, the culture medium containing nano‐HAPs, the cell ultrastructure, and intracellular Ca2+ labeled with a fluo‐3 calcium fluorescent probe. The results showed that nano‐HAPs inhibited proliferation of Bel‐7402 cells and, caused an obvious increase in the concentration of intracellular Ca2+, along with significant changes in the cell ultrastructure. Moreover, nano‐HAPs led suspended cells and proliferating cells after trypsinized that did not attach to the bottom of the culture bottle died. Nano‐HAPs continuously entered these cells. Attached, suspended, and proliferating cells endocytosed nano‐HAPs, and nanoparticle‐filled vesicles were in the cytoplasm. Therefore, hepatoma cellular uptake of nano‐HAPs through endocytosis was very active and occurred continuously. Nano‐HAPs affected proliferation and adhesion of hepatoma cells probably because uptake of nano‐HAPs blocked integrin‐mediated cell adhesion, which may have potential significance in inhibiting metastatic cancer cells to their target organ.
Degradation of Methylene Blue Using Biologically Synthesized Silver Nanoparticles
Authors: Vanaja M. , Paulkumar K. , Baburaja M. , Rajeshkumar S. , Gnanajobitha G. , Malarkodi C. , Sivakavinesan M. , Annadurai G.
Published: March 2014

Nowadays plant mediated synthesis of nanoparticles has great interest and achievement due to its eco-benign and low time consuming properties. In this study silver nanoparticles were successfully synthesized by usingMorinda tinctorialeaf extract under different pH. The aqueous leaf extract was added to silver nitrate solution; the color of the reaction medium was changed from pale yellow to brown and that indicates reduction of silver ions to silver nanoparticles. Thus synthesized silver nanoparticles were characterized by UV-Vis spectrophotometer. Dispersity and morphology was characterized by scanning electron microscope (SEM); crystalline nature and purity of synthesized silver nanoparticles were revealed by X-ray diffraction (XRD) and energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX). FTIR spectrum was examined to identify the effective functional molecules responsible for the reduction and stabilization of silver nanoparticles synthesized by leaf extract. The photocatalytic activity of the synthesized silver nanoparticles was examined by degradation of methylene blue under sunlight irradiation. Green synthesized silver nanoparticles were effectively degrading the dye nearly 95% at 72 h of exposure time.
Association between Circulating Endothelial Cells and Carotid Atherosclerosis in Patients Receiving Maintenance Hemodialysis
Authors: Kun-ying Zhang , Hui-lan Liu , Xiao-feng Duan , Guo-gang Li
Published: March 2014

Accelerated atherosclerosis is the major cause of mortality in maintenance hemodialysis (MHD) patients, and endothelial injury associated with MHD might contribute strongly to pathogenesis. The current study was designed to explore possible associations between circulating endothelial cells (CECs) and intima-media thickness of common carotid artery (CCA-IMT) as an indicator of carotid atherosclerosis. Sixty-two MHD patients and 26 age- and sex-matched healthy volunteers were recruited. The number of CECs was determined in peripheral blood using multiparametric flow cytometry. CCA-IMT and presence of plaques in the common carotid arteries were assessed with ultrasound. Laboratory tests results and the demographics were recorded. The finding indicated that numbers of CECs were higher in patients before hemodialysis (predialysis) compared with numbers in controls (P= 0.045). CCA-IMT was also significantly higher in patients than in controls (P< 0.01). A positive relationship was observed between predialysis CECs numbers and CCA-IMT (P< 0.01) in MHD patients. In multiple linear regression analysis, the relationship between the predialysis CECs level and CCA-IMT remained the same even if adjusting for confounding effects. Accordingly, the investigation indicates that the CECs level is positively associated with CCA-IMT in our hemodialysis patients. CECs might be an important marker to the severity of carotid atherosclerosis in MHD patients.
Fabrication and Characteristics of MacroporousTiO2Photocatalyst
Authors: Yi Guiyun , Xing Baolin , Jia Jianbo , Zhao Liwei , Wu Yuanfeng , Zeng Huihui , Chen Lunjian
Published: March 2014

Macroporous TiO2photocatalyst was synthesized by a facile nanocasting method using polystyrene (PS) spherical particles as the hard template. The synthesized photocatalyst was characterized by transmission electron microscope (TEM), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), thermogravimetry-differential thermogravimetry (TG-DTG), X-ray diffraction (XRD), and N2-sorption. TEM, SEM, and XRD characterizations confirmed that the macroporous TiO2photocatalyst is composed of anatase phase. The high specific surface area of 87.85 m2/g can be achieved according to the N2-sorption analysis. Rhodamine B (RhB) was chosen as probe molecule to evaluate the photocatalytic activity of the TiO2catalysts. Compared with the TiO2materials synthesized in the absence of PS spherical template, the macroporous TiO2photocatalyst sintered at 500°C exhibits much higher activity on the degradation of RhB under the UV irradiation, which can be assigned to the well-structured macroporosity. The macroporous TiO2material presents great potential in the fields of environmental remediation and energy conversion and storage.
A Stochastic and Optimized Energy Efficient Clustering Protocol for Wireless Sensor Networks
Authors: Kim Kyung Tae , Youn Hee Yong
Published: March 2014

Wireless sensor network consisting of a large number of small sensors of low-power transceiver is effective for gathering data in a variety of environments. Since the network is built with low-cost sensor nodes of limited battery power, it is a challenging task to design an efficient routing scheme maximizing the network lifetime. In this paper, we propose a new clustering protocol reducing the energy taken for routing, and thus extending the network lifetime. The proposed scheme is based on a newly developed model of optimal number of clusters in the network with which the energy consumption can be minimized. It also includes a method of cluster-head rotation inside each cluster, which avoids the clustering operation during normal operation and evenly distributes the load among the nodes. The performance of the proposed scheme is compared with the clustering-based routing protocols, Low-Energy Adaptive Clustering Hierarchy (LEACH), LEACH-Centralized (LEACH-C), and Adaptive and Energy Efficient Clustering (AEEC) algorithm. Simulation results show that it significantly reduces energy consumption and improves network lifetime. It is thus expected to be effective for large-scale semantic sensor web.
An Adaptive Learning Rate for RBFNN Using Time-Domain Feedback Analysis
Authors: Ali Syed Saad Azhar , Moinuddin Muhammad , Raza Kamran , Adil Syed Hasan
Published: March 2014

Radial basis function neural networks are used in a variety of applications such as pattern recognition, nonlinear identification, control and time series prediction. In this paper, the learning algorithm of radial basis function neural networks is analyzed in a feedback structure. The robustness of the learning algorithm is discussed in the presence of uncertainties that might be due to noisy perturbations at the input or to modeling mismatch. An intelligent adaptation rule is developed for the learning rate of RBFNN which gives faster convergence via an estimate of error energy while giving guarantee to thel2stability governed by the upper bounding via small gain theorem. Simulation results are presented to support our theoretical development.
Treatment of Rheumatoid Arthritis with Marine and Botanical Oils: An 18‐Month, Randomized, and Double‐Blind Trial
Authors: Reed George W. , Leung Katherine , Rossetti Ronald G. , VanBuskirk Susan , Sharp John T. , Zurier Robert B.
Published: March 2014

Objective. To determine whether a combination of borage seed oil rich in gamma linolenic acid (GLA) and fish oil rich in eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) is superior to either oil alone for treatment of rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Methods. Patients were randomized into a double‐blind, 18‐month trial. Mixed effects models compared trends over time in disease activity measures. Results. No significant differences were observed in changes in disease activity among the three randomized groups. Each group exhibited significant reductions in disease activity (DAS28) at 9 months (fish: −1.56[−2.16, −0.96], borage: −1.33[−1.83, −0.84], combined: −1.18[−1.83, −0.54]) and in CDAI (fish: −16.95[−19.91, −13.98], borage: −11.20[−14.21, −8.19], and combined: −10.31[−13.61, −7.01]). There were no significant differences in change of RA medications among the three groups. Reduced disease activity in study patients was similar to matched patients from an RA registry, and reduction in DMARD use was greater (P < 0.03) in study patients. Conclusion. All 3 treatment groups exhibited similar meaningful clinical responses after 9 months, improvements which persisted for 18 months, and a response similar to matched patients from an RA registry. Study patients were able to reduce DMARD therapy given in combination with TNF antagonists to a greater extent than registry patients.
Structural Lightweight Concrete Production by Using Oil Palm Shell
Authors: Rahman Sobuz Habibur , Hasan Noor Md. Sadiqul , Tamanna Nafisa , Islam Md. Saiful
Published: March 2014

Conventional building materials are widely used in a developing country like Malaysia. This type of material is costly. Oil palm shell (OPS) is a type of farming solid waste in the tropical region. This paper aims to investigate strength characteristics and cost analysis of concrete produced using the gradation of OPS 0–50% on conventional coarse aggregate with the mix proportions 1 : 1.65 : 2.45, 1 : 2.5 : 3.3, and 1 : 3.3 : 4.2 by the weight of ordinary Portland cement, river sand, crushed stone, and OPS as a substitution for coarse aggregate. The corresponding w/c ratios were used: 0.45, 0.6, and 0.75, respectively, for the defined mix proportions. Test results indicate that compressive strength of concrete decreased as the percentage of the OPS increased in each mix ratio. Other properties of OPS concrete, namely, modulus of rupture, modulus of elasticity, splitting tensile strength, and density, were also determined and compared to the corresponding properties of conventional concrete. Economic analysis also indicates possible cost reduction of up to 15% due to the use of OPS as coarse aggregate. Finally, it is concluded that the use of OPS has great potential in the production of structural lightweight concrete.
Energy Efficient Source Location Privacy Protecting Scheme in Wireless Sensor Networks Using Ant Colony Optimization
Authors: Zhou Liming , Wen Qiaoyan
Published: March 2014

Wireless sensor networks consist of various sensors with limited power, which collect different useful and privately relevant information. We pay attention to some issues related to sensor's location privacy. Ant colony optimization provides a natural and intrinsic way of exploration of search space for preserving sensor's location privacy. In this paper, we focus on protecting the sensor's location by introducing suitable modifications to sensor routing to make it difficult for an eavesdropper to find the original location. And we propose an energy efficient preserving sensor's location privacy based on ant colony optimization scheme, which is a flexible routing strategy to protect the sensor's location. Simulation results show that our strategy can efficiently reduce the chance of packets being detected and prolong the network lifetime. And the adversary can find it difficult to find the exact location of the source node.
Photocatalytic Degradation of Rhodamine B Dye over Novel Porous TiO2-SnO2Nanocomposites Prepared by Hydrothermal Method
Authors: Wang Yan , Yan Zhaoli , Wang Xiaodong
Published: March 2014

The photocatalytic degradation of Rhodamine B dye was successfully carried out under UV irradiation over porous TiO2-SnO2nanocomposites with various molar ratios of Ti/Sn (4–12) synthesized by hydrothermal method using polystyrene microspheres as template. The combination of TiO2with SnO2can obtain high quantum yield of TiO2, and then achieve the high photocatalytic activity. And its porous structure can provide large surface area, leading to more adsorption and fast transfer of dye pollutant. Structural and textural features of the samples were investigated by X-ray diffraction (XRD), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), and N2sorption techniques. Both adsorption and UV irradiation contribute to decolorization of about 100% of Rhodamine B dye over the sample TiSn10 after 30 min of the photocatalytic reaction, while the decomposition of Rhodamine B dye is only 62% over pure titania (Degussa P25).
Development of Fatigue Life Improvement Technology of Butt Joints Using Friction Stir Processing
Authors: Park Jeong-Ung , An GyuBaek , Kim Heung-ju , Choi Jae-hyouk
Published: March 2014

Burr grinding, tungsten inert gas (TIG) dressing, ultrasonic impact treatment, and peening are used to improve fatigue life in steel structures. These methods improve the fatigue life of weld joints by hardening the weld toe, improving the bead shape, or causing compressive residual stress. This study proposes a new postweld treatment method improving the weld bead shape and metal structure at the welding zone using friction stir processing (FSP) to enhance fatigue life. For that, a pin-shaped tool and processing condition employing FSP has been established through experiment. Experimental results revealed that fatigue life improves by around 42% compared to as-welded fatigue specimens by reducing the stress concentration at the weld toe and generating a metal structure finer than that of flux-cored arc welding (FCAW). Hot-spot stress, structural stress, and simplified calculation methods cannot predict the accurate stress at the weld toe in case the weld toe has a smooth curvature as in the case of the FSP specimen. On the contrary, a finite element calculation could reasonably predict the stress concentration factor for the FSP specimen because it considers not only the bead profile but also the weld toe profile.
Advanced Glycation End Products Play Adverse Proinflammatory Activities in Osteoporosis
Authors: Sanguineti Roberta , Puddu Alessandra , Mach François , Montecucco Fabrizio , Viviani Giorgio Luciano
Published: March 2014

Osteoporosis is a major public health burden that is expected to further increase as the global population ages. In the last twenty years, advanced glycation end products (AGEs) have been shown to be critical mediators both in the pathogenesis and development of osteoporosis and other chronic degenerative diseases related to aging. The accumulation of AGEs within the bone induces the formation of covalent cross-links with collagen and other bone proteins which affects the mechanical properties of tissue and disturbs bone remodelling and deterioration, underlying osteoporosis. On the other hand, the gradual deterioration of the immune system during aging (defined as immunosenescence) is also characterized by the generation of a high level of oxidants and AGEs. The synthesis and accumulation of AGEs (both localized within the bone or in the systemic circulation) might trigger a vicious circle (in which inflammation and aging merged in the word “Inflammaging”) which can establish and sustain the development of osteoporosis. This narrative review will update the molecular mechanisms/pathways by which AGEs induce the functional and structural bone impairment typical of osteoporosis.
Human Rhomboid Family-1 Suppresses Oxygen-Independent Degradation of Hypoxia-Inducible Factor-1α in Breast Cancer
Authors: Zhou Zhuan , Liu Fangfang , Zhang Zhi-Song , Shu Feifei , Zheng Yangyang , Fu Li , Li Lu-Yuan
Published: March 2014

Intermittent oxygen deficiency in cancers promotes prolonged inflammation, continuous angiogenesis, and increased drug resistance. Hypoxia-inducible factor-1 (HIF1) has a pivotal role in the regulation of cellular responses to oxygen deficiency. The α-subunit of HIF1 (HIF1α) is degraded in normoxia but stabilized in hypoxia. However, the molecular mechanism that controls oxygen-independent degradation of HIF1α has remained elusive. Human rhomboid family-1 (RHBDF1) is a member of a large family of nonprotease rhomboids whose function is basically unknown. We report here that RHBDF1 expression in breast cancer is highly elevated and is strongly correlated with escalated disease progression, metastasis, poor prognosis, and poor response to chemotherapy. We show that RHBDF1 interaction with the receptor of activated protein-C kinase-1 (RACK1) in breast cancer cells prevents RACK1-assisted, oxygen-independent HIF1α degradation. In addition, we show that the HIF1α-stabilizing activity of RHBDF1 diminishes when the phosphorylation of a tyrosine residue on the RHBDF1 molecule is inhibited. These findings are consistent with the view that RHBDF1 is a critical component of a molecular switch that regulates HIF1α stability in cancer cells in hypoxia and that RHBDF1 is of potential value as a new target for cancer treatment. Cancer Res; 74(10); 2719–30. ©2014 AACR.
Global Gene Repression by the Steroid Receptor Coactivator SRC-1 Promotes Oncogenesis
Authors: Walsh Claire A. , Bolger Jarlath C. , Byrne Christopher , Cocchiglia Sinead , Hao Yuan , Fagan Ailis , Qin Li , Cahalin Aoife , McCartan Damian , McIlroy Marie , O'Gaora Peadar , Xu Jianming , Hill Arnold D. , Young Leonie S.
Published: March 2014

Transcriptional control is the major determinant of cell fate. The steroid receptor coactivator (SRC)-1 enhances the activity of the estrogen receptor in breast cancer cells, where it confers cell survival benefits. Here, we report that a global analysis of SRC-1 target genes suggested that SRC-1 also mediates transcriptional repression in breast cancer cells. Combined SRC-1 and HOXC11 ChIPseq analysis identified the differentiation marker, CD24, and the apoptotic protein, PAWR, as direct SRC-1/HOXC11 suppression targets. Reduced expression of both CD24 and PAWR was associated with disease progression in patients with breast cancer, and their expression was suppressed in metastatic tissues. Investigations in endocrine-resistant breast cancer cell lines and SRC-1−/−/PyMT mice confirmed a role for SRC-1 and HOXC11 in downregulation of CD24 and PAWR. Through bioinformatic analysis and liquid chromatography/mass spectrometry, we identified AP1 proteins and Jumonji domain containing 2C (JMD2C/KDM4C), respectively, as members of the SRC-1 interactome responsible for transcriptional repression. Our findings deepen the understanding of how SRC-1 controls transcription in breast cancers. Cancer Res; 74(9); 2533–44. ©2014 AACR.
Comparative Functional Analysis of DPYD Variants of Potential Clinical Relevance to Dihydropyrimidine Dehydrogenase Activity
Authors: Offer Steven M. , Fossum Croix C. , Wegner Natalie J. , Stuflesser Alexander J. , Butterfield Gabriel L. , Diasio Robert B.
Published: March 2014

Dihydropyrimidine dehydrogenase (DPD) is the initial and rate-limiting enzyme of the uracil catabolic pathway, being critically important for inactivation of the commonly prescribed anti-cancer drug 5-fluorouracil (5-FU). DPD impairment leads to increased exposure to 5-FU and, in turn, increased anabolism of 5-FU to cytotoxic nucleotides, resulting in more severe clinical adverse effects. Numerous variants within the gene coding for DPD, DPYD, have been described, although only a few have been demonstrated to reduce DPD enzyme activity. To identify DPYD variants that alter enzyme function, we expressed 80 protein-coding variants in an isogenic mammalian system and measured their capacities to convert 5-FU to dihydro-fluorouracil, the product of DPD catabolism. The M166V, E828K, K861R, and P1023T variants exhibited significantly higher enzyme activity than wild-type DPD (120%, P = 0.025; 116%, P = 0.049; 130%, P = 0.0077; 138%, P = 0.048, respectively). Consistent with clinical association studies of 5-FU toxicity, the D949V substitution reduced enzyme activity by 41% (P = 0.0031). Enzyme activity was also significantly reduced for 30 additional variants, 19 of which had <25% activity. None of those 30 variants have been previously reported to associate with 5-FU toxicity in clinical association studies, which have been conducted primarily in populations of European ancestry. Using publicly available genotype databases, we confirmed the rarity of these variants in European populations but showed that they are detected at appreciable frequencies in other populations. These data strongly suggest that testing for the reported deficient DPYD variations could dramatically improve predictive genetic tests for 5-FU sensitivity, especially in individuals of non-European descent. Cancer Res; 74(9); 2545–54. ©2014 AACR.
Reis-Bücklers Corneal Dystrophy: A Reappraisal Using in vivo and ex vivo Imaging Techniques
Authors: Liang Qingfeng , Pan Zhiqiang , Sun Xuguang , Baudouin Christophe , Labbé Antoine
Published: March 2014

Purpose: To characterize the phenotype of Reis-Bücklers corneal dystrophy (RBCD) using in vivo and ex vivo imaging techniques. Methods: Five RBCD patients with penetrating keratoplasty (PK) were enrolled. Before surgery, all patients underwent a complete ophthalmological examination including slitlamp biomicroscopy, in vivo confocal microscopy (IVCM) and anterior segment (AS) optical coherence tomography (OCT). After PK, corneal buttons were examined by light and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). Correlations between in vivo and ex vivo images were analyzed. Results: In all cases, irregular geographic-like subepithelial gray-white opacities were observed in the central and mid-peripheral cornea. AS-OCT images of the cornea of all patients revealed hyperreflective homogeneous and continuous deposits concentrated at the level of Bowman's layer and anterior stroma. Using IVCM, a highly reflective irregular amorphous material was observed from intermediate epithelial cells to the anterior stroma. Sparse deposits of highly reflective material were also detected in the posterior stroma. TEM showed in all specimens basal epithelial cells containing small vesicles with rod-shaped dense material. Conclusions: IVCM and AS-OCT may be a useful adjunct to biomicroscopy for the diagnosis and management of RBCD. The correlations between the different in vivo and ex vivo imaging techniques emphasize the hypothesis of an epithelial origin for RBCD.
Fibrosis Marker Syndecan-1 and Outcome in Patients With Heart Failure With Reduced and Preserved Ejection Fraction
Authors: Tromp Jasper , van der Pol Atze , Klip IJsbrand T. , de Boer Rudolf A. , Jaarsma Tiny , van Gilst Wiek H. , Voors Adriaan A. , van Veldhuisen Dirk J. , van der Meer Peter
Published: March 2014

Background—

Syndecan-1 is a member of the proteoglycan family involved in cell–matrix interactions. Experimental studies showed that syndecan-1 is associated with inflammation in acute myocardial infarction and remodeling. The goal of this study was to explore the role of syndecan-1 in human heart failure (HF).

Methods and Results—

We analyzed plasma syndecan-1 levels in 567 patients with chronic HF. Primary end point was a composite of all-cause mortality and rehospitalization for HF at 18 months. Mean age was 71.0±11.0 years, 38% was women, and mean left ventricular ejection fraction was 32.5±14.0%. Median syndecan-1 levels were 20.1 ng/mL (interquartile range, 13.9–27.7 ng/mL). Patients with higher syndecan-1 levels were more often men, had higher N-terminal probrain-type natriuretic peptide levels, and worse renal function. Multivariable regression analyses showed a positive correlation between syndecan-1 levels and markers of fibrosis and remodeling but no correlation with inflammation markers. Interaction analysis revealed an interaction between left ventricular ejection fraction and syndecan-1 (
P
=0.047). A doubling of syndecan-1 was associated with an increased risk of the primary outcome in patients with HF with preserved ejection fraction (hazard ratio, 2.10; 95% confidence interval, 1.14–3.86;
P
=0.017) but not in patients with HF with reduced ejection fraction (hazard ratio, 0.95; 95% confidence interval, 0.71–1.27;
P
=0.729). Finally, syndecan-1 enhanced risk classification in patients with HF with preserved ejection fraction when added to a prediction model with established risk factors.

Conclusions—

In patients with HF, syndecan-1 levels correlate with fibrosis biomarkers pointing toward a role in cardiac remodeling. Syndecan-1 was associated with clinical outcome in patients with HF with preserved ejection fraction but not in patients with HF with reduced ejection fraction.
Incremental Prognostic Value of Myocardial Fibrosis in Patients With Non–Ischemic Cardiomyopathy Without Congestive Heart Failure
Authors: Masci Pier Giorgio , Doulaptsis Constantinos , Bertella Erika , Del Torto Alberico , Symons Rolf , Pontone Gianluca , Barison Andrea , Droogné Walter , Andreini Daniele , Lorenzoni Valentina , Gripari Paola , Mushtaq Saima , Emdin Michele , Bogaert Jan , Lombardi Massimo
Published: March 2014

Background—

We conducted a prospective longitudinal study to investigate the yet unknown clinical significance of myocardial fibrosis in patients with non–ischemic cardiomyopathy without history of congestive heart failure (CHF).

Methods and Results—

At 3 tertiary referral centers, 228 patients with non–ischemic cardiomyopathy without history of CHF were studied with cardiovascular magnetic resonance for late gadolinium enhancement (LGE) detection and quantification and prospectively followed up for a median of 23 months. The end point was a composite of cardiac death, onset of CHF, and aborted sudden cardiac death. LGE was detected in 61 (27%) patients. Thirty-one of 61 (51%) patients with LGE reached combined end point when compared with 18 of 167 (11%) patients without LGE (hazard ratio, 5.10 [2.78–9.36];
P
<0.001). Patients with LGE had greater risk of developing CHF than patients without LGE (hazard ratio, 5.23 [2.61–10.50];
P
<0.001) and higher rate of aborted sudden cardiac death (hazard ratio, 8.31 [1.66–41.55];
P
=0.010). Multivariate analysis showed that LGE was associated with high likelihood of composite end point independent of other prognostic determinants, including age; duration of cardiomyopathy; and left ventricular volumes, mass, and ejection fraction (hazard ratio, 4.02 [2.08–7.76];
P
<0.001). Improvement χ
2
analysis disclosed that LGE addition to models, including clinical data alone or in combination with parameters of left ventricular remodeling and function, yielded an improvement in outcome prediction (
P
<0.001). Addition of LGE to age and left ventricular ejection fraction improved risk stratification for composite end point (net reclassification improvement, 29.6%) and onset of CHF (net reclassification improvement, 25.4%; both
P
<0.001).

Conclusions—

In patients with non–ischemic cardiomyopathy without history of CHF, myocardial fibrosis is a strong and independent predictor of outcome, providing incremental prognostic information and improvement in risk stratification beyond clinical data and degree of left ventricular dysfunction.
Humans With Atherosclerosis Have Impaired ABCA1 Cholesterol Efflux and Enhanced High-Density Lipoprotein Oxidation by Myeloperoxidase
Authors: Shao Baohai , Tang Chongren , Sinha Abhishek , Mayer Philip S. , Davenport George D. , Brot Nathan , Oda Michael N. , Zhao Xue-Qiao , Heinecke Jay W.
Published: March 2014

Rationale:

The efflux capacity of high-density lipoprotein (HDL) with cultured macrophages associates strongly and negatively with coronary artery disease status, indicating that impaired sterol efflux capacity might be a marker—and perhaps mediator—of atherosclerotic burden. However, the mechanisms that contribute to impaired sterol efflux capacity remain poorly understood.

Objective:

Our aim was to determine the relationship between myeloperoxidase-mediated oxidative damage to apolipoprotein A-I, the major HDL protein, and the ability of HDL to remove cellular cholesterol by the ATP-binding cassette transporter A1 (ABCA1) pathway.

Methods and Results:

We quantified both site-specific oxidation of apolipoprotein A-I and HDL’s ABCA1 cholesterol efflux capacity in control subjects and subjects with stable coronary artery disease or acute coronary syndrome. Subjects with coronary artery disease and acute coronary syndrome had higher levels of chlorinated tyrosine 192 and oxidized methionine 148 compared with control subjects. In contrast, plasma levels of myeloperoxidase did not differ between the groups. HDL from the subjects with coronary artery disease and acute coronary syndrome was less able to accept cholesterol from cells expressing ABCA1 compared with HDL from control subjects. Levels of chlorinated tyrosine and oxidized methionine associated inversely with ABCA1 efflux capacity and positively with atherosclerotic disease status. These differences remained significant after adjusting for HDL-cholesterol levels.

Conclusions:

Our observations indicate that myeloperoxidase may contribute to the generation of dysfunctional HDL with impaired ABCA1 efflux capacity in humans with atherosclerosis. Quantification of chlorotyrosine and oxidized methionine in circulating HDL might be useful indicators of the risk of cardiovascular disease that are independent of HDL-cholesterol.
Neural Substrates of the Development of Cognitive Control in Children Ages 5–10 Years
Authors: Sheridan Margaret , Kharitonova Maria , Martin Rebecca E. , Chatterjee Aparna , Gabrieli John D. E.
Published: March 2014

Cognitive conflict detection and resolution develops with age across childhood and likely supports age-related increases in other aspects of cognitive and emotional development. Little is known about the neural correlates of conflict detection and resolution in early childhood. In the current study, we investigated age-related change in neural recruitment during a blocked spatial-incompatibility task (Simon task) in children ages 5–10 years using fMRI. Cortical thickness was measured using structural MRI. Across all children, there was greater activation in right prefrontal and bilateral parietal cortices for incompatible than compatible conditions. In older children, compared with younger children, there was decreased activation and decreased gray matter thickness in the medial PFC. Thickness and activation changes across age were associated within participants, such that thinner cortex was associated with less activation in the rostral ACC. These findings suggest that developmental change in medial PFC activation supports performance on cognitive control tasks in early childhood.
On the Relationship Between Method and the Object of Study When Studying Religion
Authors: Warner Cameron David
Published: March 2014

Abstract

If a discipline is defined by the object of its study, then the definition of the object of study has a priori paramount importance. Studies of the evolution of the study of religion show that researchers have been unable to escape their own socio-political contexts. I begin with a brief consideration of the evolution of superstition as a means to gain perspective on the evolution of the study of religion and definitions of religion and as a cautionary note to both the contextual study of religion and the cognitive-evolutionary (ce) study of religion. I then continue with an overview of our conference, “Researching Religion: Methodological Debates in Anthropology and the Study of Religion,” at Aarhus University, and the seven articles published in this special double issue ofNumen. Taken together, they reflect and address an international rupture between the contextual and thecestudy of religion, and point towards productive avenues for future research.
Ethics as Piety
Authors: Keane Webb
Published: March 2014

Abstract

This article is meant as a contribution to a larger project about the relations between religion and ethics. It sketches out some approaches to the following questions: assuming that what we call “religion” and “ethics” are in principle distinct from each other, what is the conceptual relationship between them? What are the historical pathways along which the two often seem to converge? What are the social implications of that convergence where it occurs? And when they converge, what remainder escapes the conflation of these two? As a way of opening up these questions, this article compares two recent studies from the anthropology of religion, Joel Robbins’ ethnography of new evangelical Christians in Melanesia, and Charles Hirschkind’s study of a Muslim piety movement in Cairo. The comparison centers on how monotheistic religious traditions tend to objectify ethics in ways that render them cognitively explicit and thus expose them to pressures toward rationalization, generalization, and abstraction. But these traditions also expect ethics to guide everyday life, in all its concrete particularity, with potentially paradoxical consequences. These paradoxes seem to be one source of the restless urgency of those revival movements that identify ethics with piety.
Bellah’s Religion in Human Evolution: A Post-Review
Authors: Stausberg Michael
Published: March 2014

Abstract

This essay is a “post-review,” that is, it surveys some forty book notes, reviews, and comments on Robert Bellah’s Religion in Human Evolution (2011). Because of its unusual breadth in scope the book has received praise as a magnum opus. Main issues of critical contention include the work’s minimal engagement with other evolutionary approaches in the study of religion\s, the relevance of its evolutionary perspective for the chapters on the Axial Age, and the concept of the Axial Age.
Parental Disputes, Religious Upbringing and Welfare in English Law and the ECHR
Authors: Langlaude Sylvie
Published: March 2014

Abstract

This article assesses the position of English law concerning parental disputes about the religious upbringing of children. Despite the strong emphasis on both parents being able to direct their child’s religious upbringing, courts have interpreted the child’s welfare to restrict the exposure of the child to parental religious beliefs or practices in some circumstances: preserving the child’s future choice of religion, the physical integrity of the child, the child’s contact and relationship with both parents, the child’s educational choices, and the child’s relationship with both parents’ religious community. It is suggested that courts should have a wide understanding of welfare and should be wary to prohibit parents teaching their minority beliefs. This article also compares the position of the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR) and suggests that, despite the stronger emphasis by the ECtHR on parental rights, English law is generally not that much at odds with the ECtHR.
On Guard at BAMlag: Representations of Guards in the 1930s Gulag Press
Authors: Thomas Alun
Published: March 2014

The 1930s saw a dramatic escalation in the size and scope of the Soviet Union’s system of penal labour camps, the Gulag. Through analyses of memoir and other sources, the experiences of the Gulag’s prisoners at this time have been the subject of a great deal of scholarly investigation. Yet the guards who watched over these prisoners have received considerably less attention.

Newspapers printed for the VOKhR guards in the mid-1930s offer some information on their readers’ everyday duties and their status, both inside the Gulag and as citizens of the USSR. Publications taken from one particularly large camp responsible for the construction of the Baikal-Amur railway (BAMlag) depict guards as self-disciplined, industrious soldiers engaged in a war for economic and social development. But the specific dynamics and changing circumstances of the Soviet penal system at this time created an unusual contrast between newspapers printed for the guards and those printed for the prisoners of BAMlag. While the criticism levelled at prisoners by their own newspaper was often mitigated by a rehabilitative discourse, the guards were judged as full members of Soviet society, often harshly. However, the precise implications of this were rendered ambiguous by the indeterminate position of the Gulag itself at this point in Soviet history.
Three new species of Monochaetum (Melastomataceae) from Colombia
Authors: Alvear Marcela , Almeda Frank
Published: March 2014

Three new species of Monochaetum (Melastomataceae: Melastomeae) are described from Colombia. Monochaetum carbonoi, known only from the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta, is characterized by its overall pubescence of smooth and unbranched trichomes, prominent flap-like scars on the inflorescence nodes, calyx lobes that are deciduous after anthesis, glabrous hypanthia, dimorphic stamens, and sessile, oblong-ovate bracteoles. Monochaetum longicaudatum, known from only one population on the eastern flank of the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta, and one population in the Central Cordillera of the Andes (Nevado del Ruíz and Santa Isabel area), is characterized by its dense and congested inflorescences, abaxial foliar surface with dense, long and divergent trichomes, ovate to ovate-elliptic petals with a broadly acute apex, deciduous calyx lobes, long filaments and appendages on the antesepalous stamens, and its long setulose style. Monochaetum perijensis, known only from the Serranía de Perijá in the northern Cordillera Oriental of the Andes, is characterized by leaves that are basally nerved, glabrous hypanthia, ciliate petals, and persistent calyx lobes that are oblong and acute apically. Each species is illustrated, compared with presumed relatives, and provided with a conservation assessment using IUCN guidelines.
Hugo Zapałowicz’s species of Iris and Gladiolus (Iridaceae): Typification of his names
Authors: Zhygalova Svitlana Leonidovna , Olshanskyi Igor Grygorovych
Published: March 2014

Iridaceae Jussieu (1789: 57) includes more than 60 genera and about 800 species (Goldblatt & Manning 2008) widely distributed in tropical, subtropical, and temperate regions, and especially numerous in Africa south of the Sahara, the eastern Mediterranean, western and eastern Asia, and Central and South America (Takhtajan 2009). Ten genera and about 100 species occur in Europe, some of which were described from  Europe. We have reviewed the Herbarium of the Władysław Szafer Institute of Botany PAS (KRAM). Consequently, we here lectotypify two Iridaceae taxa described by H. Zapałowicz.
New Nipponentomon species from northern Asia (Protura: Acerentomata, Nipponentomidae)
Authors: BU YUN , WU DONG HUI , SHRUBOVYCH JULIA , YIN WENYING
Published: March 2014

Nipponentomon imadatei sp. nov. from Northeast China and Nipponentomon taiga sp. nov. from Siberia, Russia are de-scribed. Nipponentomon heterothrixi Yin & Xie is redescribed based on type materials and lectotype and paralectotypes are designed for the species. Nipponentomon bidentatum and N. nippon are reported for the first time from China. Nippo-nentomon imadatei sp. nov. is characterized by a short labrum, absence of seta P1a on tergite VII and presence of three A-setae on sternites IV–VI. It is similar to N. jaceki from the Russian Far East, but differs in the shape of the comb, shape of seta β1 on the foretarsus, length of sensillum e on the foretarsus, and in chaetotaxy on tergite I and sternites IV–VI. Nipponentomon taiga sp. nov. is characterized by a short labrum, presence of seta P2a' on nota, seta P0a on tergite I, seta P1a on tergites I–VII, and absence of seta P3a on tergites II–VII. It is similar to N. heterothrixi, but differs in absence of seta d6 on the head, shape of accessory setae on tergites VI and VII, long and setiform seta β1, and shorter sensilla c, e, g, a' and c' on the foretarsus than in sensilla in N. heterothrixi and in the porotaxy. A key for the world species of the genus is provided and the porotaxy of five species is reported in detail.
Phylogenetic relationships of the South American ground beetle subgenus Chilioperyphus Jeannel (Coleoptera: Carabidae: Trechinae: Bembidiini: Bembidion Latreille)
Authors: MADDISON DAVID R. , TOLEDANO LUCA , SALLENAVE SOLEDAD , ROIG-JUÑENT SERGIO
Published: March 2014

The boundaries and relationships of the ground beetle group Chilioperyphus Jeannel (a subgenus of the cosmopolitan genus Bembidion Latreille) are examined using DNA and morphological data. DNA sequence data from seven genes (six nuclear and one mitochondrial) indicates that Chilioperyphus (as newly defined) is monophyletic, and is related to the subgenera Antiperyphanes Jeannel and Plocamoperyphus Jeannel, within the South American Antiperyphanes Complex. Chilioperyphus includes two described species, B. mendocinum Jensen-Haarup and B. orregoi Germain. Bembidion cassinense Roig-Juñent and Gianuca as well as Bembidion cuyanum Roig-Juñent and Scheibler, formerly placed in subgenus Chilioperyphus, are transferred to subgenus Antiperyphanes. Bembidion cuyanum is considered a junior synonym of B. hirtipes Jeannel. The male genitalia of Chilioperyphus is unique in having a very long flagellum that is folded twice, allowing it to fit much of its length within the walls of the median lobe. However, the brush sclerite and basal part of the flagellum are not contained within the median lobe, as they extend anterior to its base.
Atmospheric Tides in the Latest Generation of Climate Models*
Authors: Covey Curt , Dai Aiguo , Lindzen Richard S. , Marsh Daniel R.
Published: March 2014

For atmospheric tides driven by solar heating, the database of climate model output used in the most recent assessment report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) confirms and extends the authors’ earlier results based on the previous generation of models. Both the present study and the earlier one examine the surface pressure signature of the tides, but the new database removes a shortcoming of the earlier study in which model simulations were not strictly comparable to observations. The present study confirms an approximate consistency among observations and all model simulations, despite variation of model tops from 31 to 144 km. On its face, this result is surprising because the dominant (semidiurnal) component of the tides is forced mostly by ozone heating around 30–70-km altitude. Classical linear tide calculations and occasional numerical experimentation have long suggested that models with low tops achieve some consistency with observations by means of compensating errors, with wave reflection from the model top making up for reduced ozone forcing. Future work with the new database may confirm this hypothesis by additional classical calculations and analyses of the ozone heating profiles and wave reflection in Coupled Model Intercomparison Project (CMIP) models. The new generation of models also extends CMIP's purview to free-atmosphere fields including the middle atmosphere and above.
ENSO Asymmetry in CMIP5 Models
Authors: Zhang Tao , Sun De-Zheng
Published: March 2014

The El Niño–La Niña asymmetry is evaluated in 14 coupled models from phase 5 of the Coupled Model Intercomparison Project (CMIP5). The results show that an underestimate of ENSO asymmetry, a common problem noted in CMIP3 models, remains a common problem in CMIP5 coupled models. The weaker ENSO asymmetry in the models primarily results from a weaker SST warm anomaly over the eastern Pacific and a westward shift of the center of the anomaly. In contrast, SST anomalies for the La Niña phase are close to observations.

Corresponding Atmospheric Model Intercomparison Project (AMIP) runs are analyzed to understand the causes of the underestimate of ENSO asymmetry in coupled models. The analysis reveals that during the warm phase, precipitation anomalies are weaker over the eastern Pacific, and westerly wind anomalies are confined more to the west in most models. The time-mean zonal winds are stronger over the equatorial central and eastern Pacific for most models. Wind-forced ocean GCM experiments suggest that the stronger time-mean zonal winds and weaker asymmetry in the interannual anomalies of the zonal winds in AMIP models can both be a contributing factor to a weaker ENSO asymmetry in the corresponding coupled models, but the former appears to be a more fundamental factor, possibly through its impact on the mean state. The study suggests that the underestimate of ENSO asymmetry in the CMIP5 coupled models is at least in part of atmospheric origin.
On the Transfer Function between Surface Fields and the Geostrophic Stream Function in the Mediterranean Sea
Authors: Isern-Fontanet Jordi , Shinde Mahesh , González-Haro Cristina
Published: March 2014

The real transfer function and the phase shift between sea surface height (SSH) and sea surface buoyancy (SSB) were estimated from the output of a realistic eddy-resolving model of the Mediterranean Sea circulation. The analysis of their temporal evolution unveiled the existence of a clear seasonal cycle closely related to that of the mixed layer depth. The phase shifts between SSH and SSB attain their minimum for deep mixed layers, which is different from zero. Besides, the spectral slope of the transfer function at scales shorter than 100 km fluctuates between k−1 and k−2. For deep mixed layers, it is close to k−1, as predicted by the surface quasigeostrophic (SQG) solution. At longer wavelengths, it is approximately constant under the different environmental conditions in all of the subbasins analyzed with the exception of the Gulf of Lions. The capability to observe sea surface temperature (SST) from satellites motivated the extension of this analysis to SST and SSH. Results showed a similar qualitative behavior but with larger phase shifts. In spite of the presence of a phase shift, even for deep mixed layers, results revealed that it is still possible to reconstruct surface dynamics from SST using a transfer function, provided that the mixed layer is deep enough. For the present study, a threshold value of 70 m was enough to identify the appropriate environmental conditions. In addition, the results revealed that a precise estimation of the transfer function significantly improves the reconstruction of the flow in comparison with the application of the classical SQG solution.
Annual Cycle in Southern Tropical Indian Ocean Bottom Pressure
Authors: Piecuch Christopher G. , Ponte Rui M.
Published: March 2014

The seasonal monsoon drives a dynamic response in the southern tropical Indian Ocean, previously observed in baroclinic Rossby wave signatures in annual sea level and thermocline depth anomalies. In this paper, monthly mass grids based on Release-05 Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment (GRACE) data are used to study the annual cycle in southern tropical Indian Ocean bottom pressure. To interpret the satellite data, a linear model of the ocean’s response to wind forcing—based on the theory of vertical normal modes and comprising baroclinic and barotropic components—is considered. The model is evaluated using stratification from an ocean atlas and winds from an atmospheric reanalysis. Good correspondence between model and data is found over the southern tropical Indian Ocean: the model explains 81% of the annual variance in the data on average between 10° and 25°S. Model solutions suggest that, while the annual baroclinic Rossby wave has a seafloor signature, the annual cycle in the deep sea generally involves important barotropic dynamics, in contrast to the response in the upper ocean, which is largely baroclinic.