bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The reference frames in saccade adaptation
Authors: Zimmermann Eckart
Published: January 2013

Saccade adaptation is a mechanism that adjusts saccade landing positions if they systematically fail to reach their intended target. In the laboratory, saccades can be shortened or lengthened if the saccade target is displaced during execution of the saccade. In this study, saccades were performed from different positions to an adapted saccade target to dissociate adaptation to a spatiotopic position in external space from a combined retinotopic and spatiotopic coding. The presentation duration of the saccade target before saccade execution was systematically varied, during adaptation and during test trials, with a delayed saccade paradigm. Spatiotopic shifts in landing positions depended on a certain preview duration of the target before saccade execution. When saccades were performed immediately to a suddenly appearing target, no spatiotopic adaptation was observed. These results suggest that a spatiotopic representation of the visual target signal builds up as a function of the duration the saccade target is visible before saccade execution. Different coordinate frames might also explain the separate adaptability of reactive and voluntary saccades. Spatiotopic effects were found only in outward adaptation but not in inward adaptation, which is consistent with the idea that outward adaptation takes place at the level of the visual target representation, whereas inward adaptation is achieved at a purely motor level.
A sodium-activated potassium channel supports high-frequency firing and reduces energetic costs during rapid modulations of action potential amplitude
Authors: Markham Michael R. , Kaczmarek Leonard K. , Zakon Harold H.
Published: January 2013

We investigated the ionic mechanisms that allow dynamic regulation of action potential (AP) amplitude as a means of regulating energetic costs of AP signaling. Weakly electric fish generate an electric organ discharge (EOD) by summing the APs of their electric organ cells (electrocytes). Some electric fish increase AP amplitude during active periods or social interactions and decrease AP amplitude when inactive, regulated by melanocortin peptide hormones. This modulates signal amplitude and conserves energy. The gymnotiform Eigenmannia virescens generates EODs at frequencies that can exceed 500 Hz, which is energetically challenging. We examined how E. virescens meets that challenge. E. virescens electrocytes exhibit a voltage-gated Na+current ( INa) with extremely rapid recovery from inactivation (τrecov= 0.3 ms) allowing complete recovery of Na+current between APs even in fish with the highest EOD frequencies. Electrocytes also possess an inwardly rectifying K+current and a Na+-activated K+current ( IKNa), the latter not yet identified in any gymnotiform species. In vitro application of melanocortins increases electrocyte AP amplitude and the magnitudes of all three currents, but increased IKNais a function of enhanced Na+influx. Numerical simulations suggest that changing INamagnitude produces corresponding changes in AP amplitude and that KNachannels increase AP energy efficiency (10–30% less Na+influx/AP) over model cells with only voltage-gated K+channels. These findings suggest the possibility that E. virescens reduces the energetic demands of high-frequency APs through rapidly recovering Na+channels and the novel use of KNachannels to maximize AP amplitude at a given Na+conductance.
Characterizing the Statistical Properties of SAR Clutter by Using an Empirical Distribution
Authors: Gao Gui , Shi Gongtao , Zou Huanxin , Zhou Shilin
Published: January 2013

The performances on the applications of synthetic aperture radar (SAR) data strongly depend on the statistical characteristics of the pixel amplitudes or intensities. In this paper, a new empirical model, called simplyℋ𝒢o, has been proposed to characterize the statistical properties of SAR clutter data over the wide range of homogeneous, heterogeneous, and extremely heterogeneous returns of terrain classes. A particular case of theℋ𝒢odistribution is the well-known𝒢odistributions. We also derived analytically the estimators of the presentedℋ𝒢omodel by applying the “method of log cumulants” (MoLCs). The performance of the proposed model is verified by using some measured SAR images.
Introduction ofEucalyptusspp. into the United States with Special Emphasis on the Southern United States
Authors: Kellison R. C. , Lea Russ , Marsh Paul
Published: January 2013

Introduction ofEucalyptusspp. into the United States from Australia on a significant scale resulted from the gold rush into California in 1849. Numerous species were evaluated for fuel, wood products, and amenity purposes. The first recorded entry of eucalyptus into the southern United Stated was in 1878. Subsequent performance of selected species for ornamental purposes caused forest industry to visualize plantations for fiber production. That interest led the Florida Forestry Foundation to initiate species-introduction trials in 1959. The results were sufficiently promising that a contingent of forest products companies formed a cooperative to work with the USDA Forest Service, Lehigh Acres, FL, USA, on genetic improvement of selected species for fiber production. The Florida initiative caused other industrial forestry companies in the upper South to establish plantations regardless of the species or seed source. The result was invariably the same: failure. Bruce Zobel, Professor of Forestry, North Carolina State University, initiated a concerted effort to assess the potential worth of eucalyptus for plantation use. The joint industrial effort evaluated 569 sources representing 103 species over a 14-year period. The three levels of testing, screening, in-depth, and semioperational trials led to identification of some species and sources that offered promise for adaptation, but severe winter temperatures in late 1983 and early 1984 and 1985 terminated the project. Despite the failed attempt valuable silvicultural practices were ascertained that will be beneficial to other researchers and practitioners when attempts are again made to introduce the species complex into the US South.
Growth Analysis of Wronskians in terms of Slowly Changing Functions
Authors: Datta Sanjib Kumar , Biswas Tanmay , Ali Sultan
Published: January 2013

In the paper we establish some new results depending on the comparative growth properties of composite entire or meromorphic functions using generalised L∗-order and generalised L∗-type and Wronskians generated by one of the factors.
Closed Form Continued Fraction Expansions of Special Quadratic Irrationals
Authors: Fishman Daniel , Miller Steven J.
Published: January 2013

We derive closed form expressions for the continued fractions of powers of certain quadratic surds. Specifically, consider the recurrence relation with , , a positive integer, and (note that gives the Fibonacci numbers). Let . We find simple closed form continued fraction expansions for for any integer by exploiting elementary properties of the recurrence relation and continued fractions.
Phylogenetic, Molecular, and Biochemical Characterization of Caffeic Acid o-Methyltransferase Gene Family in Brachypodium distachyon
Authors: Wu Xianting , Wu Jiajie , Luo Yangfan , Bragg Jennifer , Anderson Olin , Vogel John , Gu Yong Q.
Published: January 2013

Caffeic acid o-methyltransferase (COMT) is one of the important enzymes controlling lignin monomer production in plant cell wall synthesis. Analysis of the genome sequence of the new grass model Brachypodium distachyon identified four COMT gene homologs, designated as BdCOMT1, BdCOMT2, BdCOMT3, and BdCOMT4. Phylogenetic analysis suggested that they belong to the COMT gene family, whereas syntenic analysis through comparisons with rice and sorghum revealed that BdCOMT4 on Chromosome 3 is the orthologous copy of the COMT genes well characterized in other grass species. The other three COMT genes are unique to Brachypodium since orthologous copies are not found in the collinear regions of rice and sorghum genomes. Expression studies indicated that all four Brachypodium COMT genes are transcribed but with distinct patterns of tissue specificity. Full-length cDNAs were cloned in frame into the pQE-T7 expression vector for the purification of recombinant Brachypodium COMT proteins. Biochemical characterization of enzyme activity and substrate specificity showed that BdCOMT4 has significant effect on a broad range of substrates with the highest preference for caffeic acid. The other three COMTs had low or no effect on these substrates, suggesting that a diversified evolution occurred on these duplicate genes that not only impacted their pattern of expression, but also altered their biochemical properties.
Numerical Simulation of Falling Liquid Film Flow on a Vertical Plane by Two-Phase Lattice Boltzmann Method
Authors: Hantsch Andreas , Gross Ulrich
Published: January 2013

Falling liquid film flow is widely used in many processes. Supplementary to experimental studies, Navier-Stokes-based models have been employed for describing film flow phenomena. These models are often disadvantageous since they are either strongly limited in their generality or need enormous computational resources. In this investigation, a new approach is proposed for modelling flow by lattice Boltzmann methods. Therefore, the well-known Shan-Chen model (Shan and Chen, 1993) has been employed to an isothermal falling liquid film. The validity of the implementation has been checked against some single-phase and two-phase reference cases. Test series have been conducted for three different Reynolds numbers without external disturbances and for one Reynolds number with sinusoidally pulsating inlet velocity. The computational results show that lattice Boltzmann methods are capable to model falling liquid film flow and that the flow morphology is in qualitatively good agreement with other numerical and experimental works.
Metabonomics-Based Study of Clinical Urine Samples in Suboptimal Health with Different Syndromes
Authors: Cui Hai-Zhen , Wang Li-Min , Zhao Xin , Liu Yue-Yun , Wang Shao-Xian , Li Xiao-Hong , Jiang You-Ming , Chen Jia-Xu
Published: January 2013

Objective. To explore the urinary biochemistry features of syndromes of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) such as syndrome of stagnation of liver Qi, spleen deficiency, liver Qi stagnation, and spleen deficiency (LSSDS) in sub-optimal health status (SHS).Methods. 12 cases for each syndrome group in SHS were selected, 12 subjects were used as a normal control group, and1H NMR detection was, respectively, carried out, and the data was corrected by the orthogonal signal correction (OSC) and then adopted a partial least squares (PLS) method for discriminate analysis.Results. The OSC-PLS (ctr) analysis results of the nuclear overhauser enhancement spectroscopy (NOESY) detection indicated that the syndromes in SHS could be differentiated, and there were significant differences in the levels of metabolites of the urine samples of the four groups; the biomarkers of LSSDS in SHS were found out. The contents of citric acid (2.54 and 2.66), trimethylamineoxide (3.26), and hippuric acid (3.98, 7.54, 7.58, 7.62, 7.66, 7.82, and 7.86) in the urine samples of LSSDS group were lower than that of the normal control group.Conclusion. There are differences in the1H-NMR metabolic spectrum of the urine samples of the four groups, and the specific metabolic products of the LSSDS in SHS can be identified from metabonomics analysis.
Psychrophilic Enzymes: From Folding to Function and Biotechnology
Authors: Feller Georges
Published: January 2013

Psychrophiles thriving permanently at near-zero temperatures synthesize cold-active enzymes to sustain their cell cycle. Genome sequences, proteomic, and transcriptomic studies suggest various adaptive features to maintain adequate translation and proper protein folding under cold conditions. Most psychrophilic enzymes optimize a high activity at low temperature at the expense of substrate affinity, therefore reducing the free energy barrier of the transition state. Furthermore, a weak temperature dependence of activity ensures moderate reduction of the catalytic activity in the cold. In these naturally evolved enzymes, the optimization to low temperature activity is reached via destabilization of the structures bearing the active site or by destabilization of the whole molecule. This involves a reduction in the number and strength of all types of weak interactions or the disappearance of stability factors, resulting in improved dynamics of active site residues in the cold. These enzymes are already used in many biotechnological applications requiring high activity at mild temperatures or fast heat-inactivation rate. Several open questions in the field are also highlighted.
Dynamics of the Methanogenic Archaea in Tropical Estuarine Sediments
Authors: Torres-Alvarado María del Rocío , Fernández Francisco José , Ramírez Vives Florina , Varona-Cordero Francisco
Published: January 2013

Methanogenesis may represent a key process in the terminal phases of anaerobic organic matter mineralization in sediments of coastal lagoons. The aim of the present work was to study the temporal and spatial dynamics of methanogenic archaea in sediments of tropical coastal lagoons and their relationship with environmental changes in order to determine how these influence methanogenic community. Sediment samples were collected during the dry (February, May, and early June) and rainy seasons (July, October, and November). Microbiological analysis included the quantification of viable methanogenic archaea (MA) with three substrates and the evaluation of kinetic activity from acetate in the presence and absence of sulfate. The environmental variables assessed were temperature, pH, Eh, salinity, sulfate, solids content, organic carbon, and carbohydrates. MA abundance was significantly higher in the rainy season (106–107 cells/g) compared with the dry season (104–106 cells/g), with methanol as an important substrate. At spatial level, MA were detected in the two layers analyzed, and no important variations were observed either in MA abundance or activity. Salinity, sulfate, solids, organic carbon, and Eh were the environmental variables related to methanogenic community. A conceptual model is proposed to explain the dynamics of the MA.
Interleukin-15 (IL-15) and Anti-C1q Antibodies as Serum Biomarkers for Ectopic Pregnancy and Missed Abortion
Authors: Daponte Alexandros , Deligeoroglou Efthimios , Pournaras Spyros , Hadjichristodoulou Christos , Garas Antonios , Anastasiadou Foteini , Messinis Ioannis E.
Published: January 2013

Given the present lack of clinically useful tests for the accurate diagnosis of ectopic pregnancy (EP), there is a need to select out those immunological factors measured in the maternal serum, as potential biomarkers. Our assumption was that C1q/anti-C1q antibody complexes and serum levels of interleukin-15 (IL-15) may play a role in differentiating abortions (MAs) and EPs and normal pregnancies. We assessed whether their measurement could set the diagnosis in a case control study at 6–8 weeks consisting of 60 women with failed early pregnancy (30 EPs, 30 MAs) and 33 women with intrauterine pregnancies. Normal pregnancies contain anti-C1q antibodies more frequently compared to women with failed pregnancies, the lowest levels being found in EPs, but this lacked statistical significance and anti-C1q could not serve as a marker. However EP pregnancies had elevated IL-15 levels that could statistically significantly differentiate them from MAs and IUPs. Furthermore, when assessing IL-15 for the clinically important differentiation between IUP and EP, we found at a cut-off of 16 pg/mL a negative predictive value of 99 with a sensitivity for diagnosing an EP of 92%. According to these results, serum IL-15 is a promising marker differentiating an MA from an EP.
Low Power Decoding of LDPC Codes
Authors: Ismail Mohamed , Ahmed Imran , Coon Justin
Published: January 2013

Wireless sensor networks are used in many diverse application scenarios that
require the network designer to trade off different factors. Two such factors of importance
in many wireless sensor networks are communication reliability and battery
life. This paper describes an efficient, low complexity, high throughput channel
decoder suited to decoding low-density parity-check (LDPC) codes. LDPC
codes have demonstrated excellent error-correcting ability such that a number of
recent wireless standards have opted for their inclusion. Hardware realisation of
practical LDPC decoders is a challenging area especially when power efficient solutions
are needed. Implementation details are given for an LDPC decoding algorithm,
termed adaptive threshold bit flipping (ATBF), designed for low complexity
and low power operation. The ATBF decoder was implemented in 90 nm CMOS at
0.9 V using a standard cell design flow and was shown to operate at 250 MHz achieving
a throughput of 252 Gb/s/iteration. The decoder area was 0.72 mm2 with a power
consumption of 33.14 mW and a very small energy/decoded bit figure of 1.3 pJ.
Treadmill Exercise Induces Hippocampal Astroglial Alterations in Rats
Authors: Bernardi Caren , Tramontina Ana Carolina , Nardin Patrícia , Biasibetti Regina , Costa Ana Paula , Vizueti Adriana Fernanda , Batassini Cristiane , Tortorelli Lucas Silva , Wartchow Krista Minéia , Dutra Márcio Ferreira , Bobermin Larissa , Sesterheim Patrícia , Quincozes-Santos André , de Souza Jaqueline , Gonçalves Carlos Alberto
Published: January 2013

Physical exercise effects on brain health and cognitive performance have been described. Synaptic remodeling in hippocampus induced by physical exercise has been described in animal models, but the underlying mechanisms remain poorly understood. Changes in astrocytes, the glial cells involved in synaptic remodeling, need more characterization. We investigated the effect of moderate treadmill exercise (20 min/day) for 4 weeks on some parameters of astrocytic activity in rat hippocampal slices, namely, glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP), glutamate uptake and glutamine synthetase (GS) activities, glutathione content, and S100B protein content and secretion, as well as brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) levels and glucose uptake activity in this tissue. Results show that moderate treadmill exercise was able to induce a decrease in GFAP content (evaluated by ELISA and immunohistochemistry) and an increase in GS activity. These changes could be mediated by corticosterone, whose levels were elevated in serum. BDNF, another putative mediator, was not altered in hippocampal tissue. Moreover, treadmill exercise caused a decrease in NO content. Our data indicate specific changes in astrocyte markers induced by physical exercise, the importance of studying astrocytes for understanding brain plasticity, as well as reinforce the relevance of physical exercise as a neuroprotective strategy.
Short- and Intermediate-Term Outcomes of Preterm Infants Receiving Positive Pressure Ventilation in the Delivery Room
Authors: O'Reilly Megan , Cheung Po-Yin , Aziz Khalid , Schmölzer Georg M.
Published: January 2013

Although recent advances in neonatal care have improved survival rates, rates of bronchopulmonary dysplasia remain unchanged. Although neonatologists are increasingly applying gentle ventilation strategies in the neonatal intensive care unit, the same emphasis has not been applied immediately after birth. A lung-protective strategy should start with the first breath to help in the establishment of functional residual capacity, facilitate gas exchange, and reduce volutrauma and atelectotrauma. This paper will discuss techniques and equipment during breathing assistance in the delivery room.
Domination Integrity of Splitting Graph of Path and Cycle
Authors: Vaidya Samir K. , Kothari Nirang J.
Published: January 2013

If is a dominating set of a connected graph then the domination integrity is
the minimum of the sum of two parameters, the number of elements in and the order
of the maximum component of . We investigate domination integrity of splitting
graph of path and cycle . This work is an effort to relate network expansion and
vulnerability parameter.
Evolutionary Algorithms for Robust Density-Based Data Clustering
Authors: Banerjee Amit
Published: January 2013

Density-based clustering methods are known to be robust against outliers in data; however, they are sensitive to user-specified parameters, the selection of which is not trivial. Moreover, relational data clustering is an area that has received considerably less attention than object data clustering. In this paper, two approaches to robust density-based clustering for relational data using evolutionary computation are investigated.
Does Microenvironment Contribute to the Etiology of Estrogen Receptor–Negative Breast Cancer?
Authors: Barcellos-Hoff Mary Helen
Published: January 2013

What dictates the prevalence of certain types of breast cancer, which are classified by markers, particularly estrogen receptor (ER), expression profiles such as basal or luminal, and genetic alterations such as HER2 amplification, in particular populations is not well understood. It is increasingly evident that microenvironment disruption is highly intertwined with cancer progression. Here, the idea that microenvironment shapes the course of carcinogenesis, and hence breast cancer subtype, is discussed. Aggressive, basal-like, ER-negative breast tumors occur in younger women, African-American women, women who carry BRCA1 mutation, and women exposed to ionizing radiation. Recent experimental studies using ionizing radiation, a well-documented environmental exposure, suggest that certain processes in the microenvironment strongly favor the development of ER-negative tumors. Understanding the contribution of tissue microenvironment during carcinogenesis could lead to prevention strategies that are personalized to age, agent, and exposure to reduce the risk of aggressive breast cancer. Clin Cancer Res; 19(3); 541–8. ©2012 AACR.
Intrapartum Heart Rate Ambiguity: A Comparison of Cardiotocogram and Abdominal Fetal Electrocardiogram with Maternal Electrocardiogram
Authors: Reinhard Joscha , Hayes-Gill Barrie R. , Schiermeier Sven , Hatzmann Hendrike , Heinrich Tomas M. , Louwen Frank
Published: January 2013

Objective/Aims: To investigate the presence of signal ambiguity of intrapartum fetal heart rate (FHR) monitoring during delivery by comparing simultaneous cardiotocogram (CTG), abdominal fetal electrocardiogram (ECG) with continuous maternal ECG. Methods: A total of 144 simultaneous CTG (Corometrics© 250 series), abdominal fetal ECG (Monica -AN24™) and maternal ECG (Monica AN24™) recordings were evaluated. Main Outcome Measures: When the FHR is within 5 bpm of the maternal heart rate (MHR) acquired from the ECG, it is classified as ‘MHR/FHR ambiguity'. Statistical analyses were performed with Fisher's exact test and the Wilcoxon signed-rank test. Results: Comparison of abdominal fetal ECG against CTG demonstrates significantly less ‘MHR/FHR ambiguity' in both the first stage (mean 0.70 vs. 1.22%, p < 0.001) and second stage of labour (mean 3.30 vs. 6.20%, p < 0.001). Conclusion: Intrapartum FHR monitoring in daily practice via the CTG modality provides significantly more ‘MHR/FHR ambiguity' than abdominal fetal ECG, which also provides additional information on the MHR.
Systolic, Diastolic and Mean Arterial Pressure at 30-33 Weeks in the Prediction of Preeclampsia
Authors: Lai Jonathan , Poon Leona C.Y. , Bakalis Spyros , Chiriac Roxana , Nicolaides Kypros H.
Published: January 2013

Objective: To investigate the potential value of measuring mean arterial pressure (MAP), systolic (sBP) and diastolic (dBP) blood pressure at 30-33 weeks' gestation in the prediction of preeclampsia (PE) developing at or after 34 weeks. Methods: Screening study in singleton pregnancies at 30-33 weeks' gestation including 4,294 that were unaffected by PE, gestational hypertension (GH) or delivery of small-for-gestational-age neonates (normal group), 145 that subsequently developed PE [37 cases requiring delivery at 34-37 weeks (intermediate PE) and 108 delivering at or after 38 weeks (late PE)] and 161 that developed GH. The a priori risks for intermediate and late PE from maternal demographic characteristics and medical history were determined. The a posteriori risks were calculated by combining the a priori risks with the likelihood ratios for MAP, sBP and dBP, which were calculated from fitted bivariate gaussian distributions. Results: The mean multiple of median MAP, sBP and dBP were significantly higher in the intermediate and late PE groups than in the normal group. In screening by a combination of maternal characteristics and MAP, the estimated detection rates of intermediate and late PE, at a false-positive rate of 10%, were 70.3 and 62.0%, respectively. The respective detection rates for sBP were 62.2 and 59.3% and for dBP were 62.2 and 57.4%. Conclusion: Combined testing by maternal characteristics and blood pressure at 30-33 weeks could effectively identify women at high risk for subsequent development of PE.
A Phase II Study of High-Dose Cetuximab plus Irinotecan in Colorectal Cancer Patients with KRAS Wild-Type Tumors Who Progressed after Standard Dose of Cetuximab plus Irinotecan
Authors: Fora Ahmad A. , McMahon Jeanne A. , Wilding Greg , Groman Adrienne , Ma Wen Wee , Romano Karen S. , Fakih Marwan G.
Published: January 2013

Objectives: We conducted a phase II clinical trial of high-dose cetuximab plus irinotecan in KRAS wild-type patients who progressed on standard-dose cetuximab plus irinotecan. Methods: Patients who progressed within 4 weeks from receiving a minimum of 6 weeks of standard-dose cetuximab plus irinotecan were included in this study. Cetuximab was administered at 500 mg/m2/week and irinotecan was administered at the same dose/schedule on which each individual patient had previously progressed. The study was closed early after having met its primary end point. Results: Twenty patients were treated. The regimen was found to be efficacious, with 9 patients achieving disease control lasting more than 12 weeks. The median progression-free survival and overall survival were 2.8 and 6.6 months, respectively. The toxicity profile was favorable, with the exception of grade 3–4 hypomagnesemia which was noted in 25% of patients. Conclusions: High-dose cetuximab plus irinotecan rechallenge can re-elicit clinical benefits in patients who have previously failed cetuximab plus irinotecan treatment. The clinical benefits are modest and may be related to cetuximab rechallenge rather than cetuximab dose escalation.
Pathophysiological Consequences of TAT-HKII Peptide Administration Are Independent of Impaired Vascular Function and Ensuing Ischemia
Authors: Nederlof Rianne , Xie Chaoqin , Eerbeek Otto , Koeman Anneke , Milstein Dan M.J. , Hollmann Markus W. , Mik Egbert G. , Warley Alice , Southworth Richard , Akar Fadi G. , Zuurbier Coert J.
Published: January 2013

Rationale:

We have shown that partial dissociation of hexokinase II (HKII) from mitochondria in the intact heart using low-dose transactivating transcriptional factor (TAT)-HKII (200 nmol/L) prevents the cardioprotective effects of ischemic preconditioning, whereas high-dose TAT-HKII (10 μmol/L) administration results in rapid myocardial dysfunction, mitochondrial depolarization, and disintegration. In this issue of
Circulation Research
, Pasdois et al argue that the deleterious effects of TAT-HKII administration on cardiac function are likely because of vasoconstriction and ensuing ischemia.

Objective:

To investigate whether altered vascular function and ensuing ischemia recapitulate the deleterious effects of TAT-HKII in intact myocardium.

Methods and Results:

Using a variety of complementary techniques, including mitochondrial membrane potential (Δψ
m
) imaging, high-resolution optical action potential mapping, analysis of lactate production, nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide epifluorescence, lactate dehydrogenase release, and electron microscopy, we provide direct evidence that refutes the notion that acute myocardial dysfunction by high-dose TAT-HKII peptide administration is a consequence of impaired vascular function. Moreover, we demonstrate that low-dose TAT-HKII treatment, which abrogates the protective effects of ischemic preconditioning, is not associated with ischemia or ischemic injury.

Conclusions:

Our findings challenge the notion that the effects of TAT-HKII are attributable to impaired vascular function and ensuing ischemia, thereby lending further credence to the role of mitochondria-bound HKII as a critical regulator of cardiac function, ischemia-reperfusion injury, and cardioprotection by ischemic preconditioning.
Percutaneous Coronary Intervention Versus Optimal Medical Therapy for Prevention of Spontaneous Myocardial Infarction in Subjects With Stable Ischemic Heart Disease
Authors: Bangalore Sripal , Pursnani Seema , Kumar Sunil , Bagos Pantelis G.
Published: January 2013

Background—

Contemporary studies have shown that spontaneous but not procedural myocardial infarction (MI) is related to subsequent mortality. Whether percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) reduces spontaneous (nonprocedural) MI is unknown.

Methods and Results—

PubMed, EMBASE, and Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL) were searched for randomized clinical trials until October 2012 comparing PCI with optimal medical therapy (OMT) for stable ischemic heart disease and reporting MI outcomes: spontaneous nonprocedural MI, procedural MI, and all MI, including procedure-related MI. Given the varying length of follow-up between trials, a mixed-effect Poisson regression meta-analysis was used. From 12 randomized clinical trials with 37 548 patient-years of follow-up, PCI compared with OMT alone was associated with a significantly lower incident rate ratio (IRR) for spontaneous nonprocedural MI (IRR=0.76; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.58–0.99) at the risk of a higher rate of procedural MI (IRR=4.11; 95% CI, 2.53–6.88) without any difference in the risk of all MI (IRR=0.96; 95% CI, 0.74–1.21). The point estimate for PCI versus OMT for all-cause mortality (IRR=0.88; 95% CI, 0.75–1.03) and cardiovascular mortality (IRR=0.70; 95% CI, 0.44–1.09) paralleled that for spontaneous nonprocedural MI (but not procedural or all nonfatal MI), although these were not statistically significant.

Conclusions—

PCI compared with OMT reduced spontaneous MI at the risk of procedural MI without any difference in all MI. Consistent with prior studies showing that spontaneous MI but not procedural MI is related to subsequent mortality, in the present report the point estimate for reduced mortality with PCI compared with OMT paralleled the prevention of spontaneous MI with PCI. Further studies are needed to determine whether these associations are causal.
Biocontrol potential of Lysobacter antibioticus HS124 against the root-knot nematode, Meloidogyne incognita, causing disease in tomato
Authors: Lee Yong Seong , Anees Muhammad , Hyun Hae Nam , Kim Kil Yong
Published: January 2013

Lysobacter antibioticus HS124 is an antagonistic bacterial strain that was previously isolated from the rhizosphere soil of pepper and showed an enhanced ability to produce lytic enzymes as well as an antibiotic that was identified as 4-hydroxyphenylacetic acid (4-HPAA). In the present study, nematicidal activity of the strain and 4-HPAA against the root-knot nematode, Meloidogyne incognita, causing disease in tomato was investigated in both in vitro and in vivo conditions. For this purpose, adding different concentrations of culture filtrate, crude extract collected from extraction with ethyl acetate and 4-HPAA, in 24-well plates containing ca 500 eggs or 300 second-stage juveniles (J2), significantly decreased the rate of nematode hatch and caused higher mortality of J2 compared with the control treatments. Nematicidal activity of the bacterial strain was further confirmed by conducting pot experiments in which tomato plants were inoculated with M. incognita and the HS124 culture (BC). The control pots were treated with commercial nematicide (CN, 5% Ethoprophos), tap water (TW) or the non-inoculated bacterial culture medium (BCM). In these pot experiments, results demonstrated a strong antagonistic potential of L. antibioticus HS124 against M. incognita where the disease was significantly reduced in the pots treated with BC as compared to TW or BCM. Furthermore, the shoot fresh weight was also increased significantly, which may be attributed to the disease control ability of the strain. Hence, L. antibioticus HS124 may be further developed as a potential biocontrol of root knot nematode in the field.
Traces of marine nematodes from 470 million years old Early Ordovician rocks in China
Authors: Baliński Andrzej , Sun Yuanlin , Dzik Jerzy
Published: January 2013

Cylindrical, mostly horizontal, burrows of 20-60 μm diam. and sinusoidal course, found in the middle part of the Early Ordovician (early Floian) Fenxiang Formation in the Hubei Province of China, represent the oldest record of activity by marine nematodes, preceding known nematode body fossils by 70 million years. The burrows are filled with secondarily oxidised pyrite framboids and clay mineral flakes, indicating low oxygen content in the mud and proving that the animals lined their burrows with organic matter, being bacteriovores and mud-eaters. The marine bottom environment enabling such a mode of life originated no earlier than the mid Early Cambrian (approximately 535 million years ago) owing to peristaltic bioturbation, mostly by nemathelminthans of priapulid affinities. Before the so-called ‘Agricultural Revolution’, the bottoms of shallow seas were covered with microbial mats preventing within-sediment animal life. This event imposes the lower time limit on the possible date of origin of nematodes.
Désert et ville dans la Correspondance de saint Jérôme
Authors: Canellis Aline
Published: January 2013

Abstract

Jerome travelled widely in East and West. Being a vir trilinguis, who was fluent in Greek and Latin and also knew Hebrew (and a few Syrian words), he was familiar with life in the desert and the cities. His letters make clear what living in the desert meant for him, and the same is true for life in the contemporary towns and cities. Thoroughly educated in classical and biblical culture, he pictures the desert and the city in a rather peculiar manner, by placing them in the history of Rome and Israel with the addition of exegetical interpretation.
Description of Chistyakovella insolita gen. nov., sp. nov., and redescription of the type species of Diplobodes, D. kanekoi Aoki, 1958 (Acari: Oribatida: Carabodidae)
Authors: ERMILOV SERGEY G. , AOKI JUN-ICHI , ANICHKIN ALEXANDER E.
Published: January 2013

A new oribatid mite genus, Chistyakovella gen. nov. (Carabodidae), with type species C. insolita sp. nov., is proposed and described from Southern Vietnam. It is clearly distinguished from other carabodid genera by the lamellae, which are touching medially. The new genus is most similar morphologically to Gibbicepheus Balogh, 1958 and Diplobodes Aoki, 1958, however it can be clearly distinguished from both genera by the position of interlamellar setae and the number of notogastral setae on the humeral regions of the notogaster. The type species of the genus Diplobodes, D. kanekoi Aoki, 1958, is redescribed from Japan. An identification key to known species of Diplobodes is presented.
Records of the hermit crab genus Pagurixus Melin, 1939 (Crustacea: Decapoda: Anomura: Paguridae) from Europa Island, western Indian Ocean, with descriptions of two new species
Authors: KOMAI TOMOYUKI , POUPIN JOSEPH
Published: January 2013

Three species of the pagurid hermit crab genus Pagurixus Melin, 1939, are reported from Europa Island in the Mozambique Strait, western Indian Ocean: P. haigae Komai & Osawa, 2007, P. annulus n. sp., and P. europa n. sp. Pagurixus haigae is recorded from the western Indian Ocean for the first time. Pagurixus annulus n. sp. and P. europa n. sp. are referred to the P. boninensis (Melin, 1939) species group and P. anceps (Forest, 1954) group, respectively. Diagnostic characters of these two new species are discussed.
A Spatial Filter Approach to Evaluating the Role of Convection on the Evolution of a Mesoscale Vortex
Authors: Creighton Glenn A. , Hart Robert E. , Cunningham Philip
Published: January 2013

A new spatial filter is proposed that exploits a spectral gap in power between the convective scale and the system (“vortex”) scale during tropical cyclone (TC) genesis simulations. Using this spatial separation, this study analyzes idealized three-dimensional numerical simulations of deep moist convection in the presence of a symmetric midlevel vortex to quantify and understand the energy cascade between the objectively defined convective scale and system scale during the early stages of tropical cyclogenesis. The simulations neglect surface momentum, heat, and moisture fluxes to focus on generation and enhancement of vorticity within the interior to more completely close off the energy budget and to be consistent for comparison with prior benchmark studies of modeled TC genesis.

The primary contribution to system-scale intensification comes from the convergence of convective-scale vorticity that is supplied by vortical hot towers (VHTs). They contribute more than the convergence of system-scale vorticity to the spinup of vorticity in these simulations by an order of magnitude. Analysis of the change of circulation with time shows an initial strengthening of the surface vortex, closely followed by a growth of the mid- to upper-level circulation. This evolution precludes any possibility of a stratiform precipitation–induced top-down mechanism as the primary contributor to system-scale spinup in this simulation. Instead, an upscale cascade of rotational kinetic energy during vortex mergers is responsible for spinup of the simulated mesoscale vortex. The spatial filter employed herein offers an alternative approach to the traditional symmetry–asymmetry paradigm, acknowledges the highly asymmetric evolution of the system-scale vortex itself, and may prove useful to future studies on TC genesis.
Coherence of Western Boundary Pressure at the RAPID WAVE Array: Boundary Wave Adjustments or Deep Western Boundary Current Advection?
Authors: Elipot Shane , Hughes Chris , Olhede Sofia , Toole John
Published: January 2013

This study investigates the coherence between ocean bottom pressure signals at the Rapid Climate Change programme (RAPID) West Atlantic Variability Experiment (WAVE) array on the western North Atlantic continental slope, including the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution Line W. Highly coherent pressure signals propagate southwestward along the slope, at speeds in excess of 128 m s−1, consistent with expectations of barotropic Kelvin-like waves. Coherent signals are also evidenced in the smaller pressure differences relative to 1000-m depth, which are expected to be associated with depth-dependent basinwide meridional transport variations or an overturning circulation. These signals are coherent and almost in phase for all time scales from 3.6 years down to 3 months. Coherence is still seen at shorter time scales for which group delay estimates are consistent with a propagation speed of about 1 m s−1 over 990 km of continental slope but with large error bounds on the speed. This is roughly consistent with expectations for propagation of coastally trapped waves, though somewhat slower than expected. A comparison with both Eulerian currents and Lagrangian float measurements shows that the coherence is inconsistent with a propagation of signals by advection, except possibly on time scales longer than 6 months.
Ties That Last
Authors: Dahlander Linus , McFarland Daniel A.
Published: January 2013

Using a longitudinal dataset of research collaborations over 15 years at Stanford University, we build a theory of intraorganizational task relationships that distinguishes the different factors associated with the formation and persistence of network ties. We highlight six factors: shared organizational foci, shared traits and interests, tie advantages from popularity, tie reinforcement from third parties, tie strength and multiplexity, and the instrumental returns from the products of ties. Findings suggest that ties form when unfamiliar people identify desirable and matching traits in potential partners. By contrast, ties persist when familiar people reflect on the quality of their relationship and shared experiences. The former calls for shallow, short-term strategies for assessing a broad array of potential ties; the latter calls for long-term strategies and substantive assessments of a relationship’s worth so as to draw extended rewards from the association. This suggests that organizational activities geared toward sustaining persistent intraorganizational task relationships need to be different from activities aimed at forging new ones.
Race, Ethnicity, and Judicial Discretion
Authors: Nowacki Jeffrey S.
Published: January 2013

Without question, discretion plays an important role in the criminal-sentencing process. Some of this discretion has resulted in racial and ethnic disparity in sentencing. Under the Sentencing Reform Act (1984), judicial discretion was constrained as a result of the Federal Sentencing Guidelines. For the 20 years that followed, for the most part, judges could only consider offense severity and offender criminal history when applying sentences. However, in 2005, the Federal Guidelines were made advisory following the United States v. Booker decision. This study evaluates the effects of this decision on sentence length. Using data from the Monitoring of Federal Criminal Sentences database, I estimate the effects of Booker, as well as race, ethnicity, and other variables on sentencing. Moreover, I use quantile regression models to examine whether the effects of those variables are consistent across the distribution of sentences. Implications are discussed.
Investigating Offending Consistency of Geographic and Environmental Factors Among Serial Sex Offenders
Authors: Deslauriers-Varin Nadine , Beauregard Eric
Published: January 2013

Crime linkage analysis constitutes a tool to help investigators prioritize suspects, but a scarcity of research and methodological issues limits our knowledge on behavioral consistency in sexual offenses. The current study identifies geographic and environmental factors that are useful in examining offending consistency across series of sexual assaults using different specialization coefficients. The current study draws on criminal career research and methodology as a way to improve the study of behavioral consistency. The sample includes 72 serial stranger sex offenders who have committed a total of 361 sexual assaults. Three methods are used (i.e., diversity index, forward specialization coefficient, and Jaccard’s coefficient) and reveal a high degree of offending consistency. All three methods also highlight promising factors to rely on for crime linkage of serial sexual offenses. Empirical and methodological implications for behavioral consistency research are discussed as well as practical implications for police investigations and crime linkage.
Weight Gain after Adenotonsillectomy Is More Common in Young Children
Authors: Smith David F. , Vikani Ami R. , Benke James R. , Boss Emily F. , Ishman Stacey L.
Published: January 2013

Objective

Adenotonsillectomy (TA), performed for obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) or recurrent tonsillitis (RT), has been associated with weight gain after surgery. The objective of this study was to look at a large population of children undergoing TA and the demographic factors that contribute to postoperative weight gain.

Study Design

Case series with retrospective chart review.

Setting

Tertiary, urban academic care center.

Subjects and Methods

Children undergoing TA at an academic center between 2008 and 2011 were included in this study. Demographic data (age, gender, race), OSA disease severity, preoperative and 3‐ to 6‐month postoperative normalized body mass index (BMI; z‐scores), and changes in z‐scores were compared.

Results

Complete weight data after TA were available for 115 children, 85 of whom underwent surgery for OSA. Mean age (7.2 ± 4.3 vs 7.3 ± 4.4 years, P =. 955) and gender distribution (38% female vs 50% male; P =. 323) were similar for the OSA and RT groups. However, children with OSA were more likely to be black (60% vs 33%) than RT patients (P =. 026). Overall, the preoperative BMI z‐score increased from 0.98 ± 1.50 to 1.21 ± 1.25 (P =. 0009) with no difference by surgical indication (P =. 58). Multiple linear regression analysis demonstrated that only age was significantly, and negatively, associated with changes in BMI z‐scores (P =. 015).

Conclusions

Similar to previous studies, children had weight gain after TA. In this analysis, younger age (≤6 years) was a significant predictor of postoperative weight gain. Future research should prospectively evaluate the association between weight gain and demographic factors in children undergoing TA, with special attention to the relationship with age.
End‐Organ Testing for Allergic Rhinitis with Fungi Is Poorly Correlated with Fungal Sensitivity
Authors: Agarwal Garima , Hernandez David , Citardi Martin J. , Fakhri Samer , Luong Amber
Published: January 2013

Objective

To evaluate optical rhinometry (ORM) using nasal provocation testing (NPT) as an objective tool to diagnose fungal allergic rhinitis (AR).

Study Design

Prospective.

Setting

Tertiary academic center.

Methods

We prospectively enrolled healthy controls (HCs) and subjects with a clinical history of AR and positive skin prick test to Alternaria or Aspergillus antigens. Baseline measurements with an optical and acoustic rhinometer (AcR) were taken, and all subjects underwent NPT with increasing concentrations of Alternaria and then Aspergillus in each nasal cavity. Optical density (OD), nasal mean cross‐sectional area (MCA), visual analog scale (VAS), and nasal allergen provocation scale (NAP) were measured after each provocation. A NAP score ≥3 was considered positive. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis was performed on measured parameters.

Results

Eleven HCs and 11 AR subjects were enrolled. Of the 8 AR patients with an Alternaria‐positive skin test, 50% had a positive NAP score (4/8) vs 0% in HCs (0/11, P =. 01). Although VAS could differentiate Alternaria‐sensitive patients from controls, change in OD and MCA could not. Of the 7 skin test–positive Aspergillus patients, 43% had a positive NAP score (3/7) vs 0% in HCs (0/11, P =. 02). The VAS and change in OD and MCA did not differentiate Aspergillus‐sensitive patients from controls.

Conclusion

In this study, fungal antigens caused irritation but did not elicit early phase changes in nasal patency or blood flow in fungal‐sensitive AR patients. The poor correlation of skin testing and objective nasal response to fungi argues against a pure IgE‐mediated immune response in the nasal cavity.
Secularization in Poland and Spain after the democratic transition: A cohort analysis
Authors: Requena Miguel , Stanek Mikolaj
Published: January 2013

The objective of this article is to determine the extent to which the evolution of religiosity in Spain and Poland in their post-democratic transition periods has been affected by the process of generational replacement. For Spain data are drawn from several surveys carried out by the Spanish Centre for Sociological Studies (CIS) between 1980 and 1996. For Poland the data come from the Polish General Social Survey and ISSP covering 1992–2008. Results show two radically different patterns of religious change. The fall in religious practice in Spain observed throughout the first 16 years after the political transition was due mostly to the inter-cohort change that affects each new generation born after 1950. In the case of Poland, post-transition change is less marked and due mainly to decline in religious practice on the individual level. The study also observes that the cohorts of Poles born during and after the fall of communism are significantly less religious than older cohorts.