bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The structure and folding of kink turns in RNA
Authors: Lilley David M. J.
Published: September 2012

The kink turn (k‐turn) is a widespread structural motif that introduces a tight kink into the axis of double‐stranded RNA, with an included angle ∼60°. A standard k‐turn comprises a three‐nucleotide bulge followed on the 3′ side by a G•A pair, an A•G pair, and usually further non‐Watson–Crick pairs. The kinked conformation may be stabilized by three processes. These are the addition of metal ions, the binding of proteins such as the L7Ae family, and by the formation of tertiary interactions. The structure is characterized by specific A‐minor interactions with the adenine nucleobases of the G•A pairs, and some very well‐conserved hydrogen bonds involving 2′‐hydroxyl groups. We can identify two classes of k‐turns, that differ in the manner of the hydrogen bonding at the adenine of the bulge‐distal G•A pair. WIREs RNA 2012. doi: 10.1002/wrna.1136

This article is categorized under:

RNA Structure and Dynamics > RNA Structure, Dynamics, and Chemistry

RNA Interactions with Proteins and Other Molecules > Protein–RNA Recognition

Regulatory RNAs/RNAi/Riboswitches > Riboswitches
Clinical Assessment of Axillary Lymph Nodes and Tumor Size in Breast Cancer Compared with Histopathological Examination: A Population‐Based Analysis of 2,537 Women
Authors: Majid Shabaz , Tengrup Ingrid , Manjer Jonas
Published: September 2012

Background

The clinical assessment of axillary lymph nodes status and tumor size is important for the management of patients with breast cancer. The first goal of this study was to determine the accuracy of axillary lymph node status in relation to the presence of metastases as revealed by histopathological examination. The second goal was to compare the tumor size as assessed by physical examination, with the size obtained by histopathological examination.

Methods

This study was based on a consecutive series of 2,537 patients diagnosed with breast cancer in Malmö, Sweden, between 1987 and 2002. These patients had available information in the South Swedish Breast Cancer Group registry, corresponding to 97 %. The axillary lymph nodes status was compared with the results of the histopathological examination for the presence of metastases. Tumor size by physical examination was compared with the tumor size after histopathological examination.

Results

There were 674 women with axillary lymph nodes metastases according to histological examination; only 206 of these cases had palpable lymph nodes at clinical examination. The sensitivity was 30 % and the specificity 93 %. There were 812 tumors measured to be larger than 20 mm according to histopathological examination, but only 665 of these tumors were considered larger than 20 mm by clinical examination. This corresponded to a sensitivity of 81 % and a specificity of 80 %.

Conclusions

We conclude that the possibility of axillary metastases estimated by clinical examination is subjected to a large proportion of false‐positive and false‐negative results. Similarly, tumor size estimated by clinical examination is subject to under‐ and overestimation in comparison to histopathological examination.
Novel permittivity test for determination of yeast surface charge and flocculation abilities
Authors: Kregiel Dorota , Berlowska Joanna , Szubzda Bronisław
Published: September 2012

Yeast flocculation has been found to be important in many biotechnological processes. It has been suggested that flocculation is promoted by decreasing electrostatic repulsion between cells. In this study, we used an unconventional rapid technique—permittivity test—for determination of the flocculation properties and surface charge values of three industrial yeast strains with well-known flocculation characteristics: Saccharomyces cerevisiae NCYC 1017 (brewery, ale), S. pastorianus NCYC 680 (brewery, lager), and Debaryomyces occidentalis LOCK 0251 (unconventional amylolytic yeast). The measurements of permittivity were compared with the results from two classical methods for determination of surface charge: Alcian blue retention and Sephadex DEAE attachment. The permittivity values for particular strains correlated directly with the results of Alcian blue retention (r = 0.9). The results also confirmed a strong negative relationship between the capacitance of yeast suspensions and their flocculation abilities. The highest permittivity was noted for the ale strain NCYC 1017, with weak flocculation abilities, and the lowest for the flocculating lager yeast NCYC 680. This paper is the first to describe the possibility of using a rapid permittivity test to evaluate the surface charge of yeast cells and their flocculation abilities. This method is of practical value in various biotechnological industries where flocculation is applied as a major method of cell separation.
Miglustat‐induced intestinal carbohydrate malabsorption is due to the inhibition of α‐glucosidases, but not β‐galactosidases
Authors: Amiri Mahdi , Naim Hassan Y.
Published: September 2012

Miglustat is an oral medication that has approved indication for type I Gaucher disease and Niemann pick disease type C. Usually treatment with Miglustat is associated with occurrence of gastrointestinal side effects similar to carbohydrate maldigestion symptoms. Here, we studied the direct influence of Miglustat on the enzymatic function of the major disaccharidases of the intestinal epithelium. Our findings show that an immediate effect of Miglustat is its interference with carbohydrate digestion in the intestinal lumen via reversible inhibition of disaccharidases that cleave α‐glycosidically linked carbohydrates. Higher non physiological concentrations of Miglustat can partly affect lactase activity. We further show that the inhibition of the disaccharidases function by Miglustat is mainly competitive and does not occur via alteration of the enzyme folding.
A novel congenital disorder of glycosylation type without central nervous system involvement caused by mutations in the phosphoglucomutase 1 gene
Authors: Pérez Belén , Medrano Celia , Ecay Maria Jesus , Ruiz‐Sala Pedro , Martínez‐Pardo Mercedes , Ugarte Magdalena , Pérez‐Cerdá Celia
Published: September 2012

Recent years have seen great advances in our knowledge of congenital disorders of glycosylation (CDG), a clinically and biochemically heterogeneous group of genetic diseases caused by defects in the synthesis (CDG‐I) or processing (CDG‐II) of glycans that form glycoconjugates. This paper reports a new subtype of non‐neurological CDG involving the impaired cytoplasmic biosynthesis of nucleotide sugars needed for glycan biosynthesis. A patient presented with muscle fatigue, elevated creatine kinase, growth hormone deficiency, and first branchial arch syndrome. These findings, together with the abnormal type II plasma transferrin isoform profile detected, was compatible with a CDG. Functional testing and clinical analyses suggested a deficiency in the interconversion of glucose‐1‐phosphate and glucose‐6‐phosphate catalyzed by phosphoglucomutase (PGM1), a defect previously described as glycogenosis type XIV (GSDXIV, MIM 612934). PGM1 activity in patient‐derived fibroblasts was significantly reduced, as was the quantity of immunoreactive PGM1 protein (Western blot assays). Mutation analysis of PGM1 and subsequent functional analysis investigating transient expression of PGM1 in immortalized patient fibroblasts, followed by ex vivo splicing assays using minigenes, allowed the characterization of two novel pathogenic mutations: c.871G>A (p.Gly291Arg) and c.1144 + 3A>T. The latter represents a severe splicing mutation leading to the out‐of‐frame skipping of exon 7 and the formation of a truncated protein (p.Arg343fs). MALDI mass spectra of permethylated protein N‐glycans from the patient's serum suggested a marked hypoglycosylation defect. The present findings confirm that, in addition to a rare muscular glycolytic defect, PGM1 deficiency causes a non‐neurological disorder of glycosylation.
Normal rates of whole‐body fat oxidation and gluconeogenesis after overnight fasting and moderate‐intensity exercise in patients with medium‐chain acyl‐CoA dehydrogenase deficiency
Authors: Huidekoper Hidde H. , Ackermans Mariëtte T. , Koopman René , van Loon Luc J. C. , Sauerwein Hans P. , Wijburg Frits A.
Published: September 2012

Background

Impairments in gluconeogenesis have been implicated in the pathophysiology of fasting hypoglycemia in medium‐chain acyl‐CoA dehydrogenase deficiency. However, whole body glucose and fat metabolism have never been studied in vivo.

Methods

Stable isotope methodology was applied to compare fat and glucose metabolism between four adult patients with MCADD and four matched controls both at rest and during 1.5 h of moderate‐intensity exercise. Additionally, intramyocellular lipid and glycogen content and intramyocellular acylcarnitines were assessed in muscle biopsies collected prior to and immediately after cessation of exercise.

Results

At rest, plasma FFA turnover was significantly higher in patients with MCADD, whereas the plasma FFA concentrations did not differ between patients and controls. Blood glucose kinetics did not differ between groups both at rest and during exercise. Palmitate and FFA turnover, total fat and carbohydrate oxidation rates, the use of muscle glycogen and muscle derived triglycerides during exercise did not differ between patients and controls. Plasma FFA oxidation rates were significantly lower in patients at the latter stages of exercise. Free carnitine levels in muscle were lower in patients, whereas no differences were detected in muscle acetylcarnitine levels.

Conclusions

Whole‐body or skeletal muscle glucose and fat metabolism were not impaired in adult patients with MCADD. This implies that MCADD is not rate limiting for energy production under the conditions studied. In addition, patients with MCADD have a higher FFA turnover rate after overnight fasting, which may stimulate ectopic lipid deposition and, as such, make them more susceptible for developing insulin resistance.
A novel proteasome inhibitor acting in mitochondrial dysfunction, ER stress and ROS production
Authors: Maria Durvanei Augusto , de Souza Jean Gabriel , Morais Katia L. P. , Berra Carolina Maria , Zampolli Hamilton de Campos , Demasi Marilene , Simons Simone Michaela , de Freitas Saito Renata , Chammas Roger , Chudzinski-Tavassi Ana Marisa
Published: September 2012

In cancer-treatment, potentially therapeutic drugs trigger their effects through apoptotic mechanisms. Generally, cell response is manifested by Bcl-2 family protein regulation, the impairment of mitochondrial functions, and ROS production. Notwithstanding, several drugs operate through proteasome inhibition, which, by inducing the accumulation and aggregation of misfolded or unfolded proteins, can lead to endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress. Accordingly, it was shown that Amblyomin-X, a Kunitz-type inhibitor identified in the transcriptome of the Amblyomma cajennense tick by ESTs sequence analysis of a cDNA library, obtained in recombinant protein form, induces apoptosis in murine renal adenocarcinoma (RENCA) cells by: inducing imbalance between pro- and anti-apoptotic Bcl-2 family proteins, dysfunction/mitochondrial damage, production of reactive oxygen species (ROS), caspase cascade activation, and proteasome inhibition, all ER-stress inductive. Moreover, there was no manifest action on normal mouse-fibroblast cells (NHI3T3), suggesting an Amblyomin-X tumor-cell selectivity. Taken together, these evidences indicate that Amblyomin-X could be a promising candidate for cancer therapy.
Secondary School Students’ Epistemic Insight into the Relationships Between Science and Religion—A Preliminary Enquiry
Authors: Billingsley Berry , Taber Keith , Riga Fran , Newdick Helen
Published: September 2012

A number of previous studies have shown that there is a widespread view among young people that science and religion are opposed. In this paper, we suggest that it requires a significant level of what can be termed “epistemic insight” to access the idea that some people see science and religion as compatible while others do not. To explore this further, we draw on previous work to devise a methodology to discover students’ thinking about apparent contradictions between scientific and religious explanations of the origins of the universe. In our discussion of the findings, we highlight that students’ epistemic insight in this context does seem in many cases to be limited and we outline some of the issues emerging from the study that seem to boost or limit students’ progress in this area.
Enhanced phosphoserine insertion during Escherichia coli protein synthesis via partial UAG codon reassignment and release factor 1 deletion
Authors: Heinemann Ilka U. , Rovner Alexis J. , Aerni Hans R. , Rogulina Svetlana , Cheng Laura , Olds William , Fischer Jonathan T. , Söll Dieter , Isaacs Farren J. , Rinehart Jesse
Published: September 2012

Genetically encoded phosphoserine incorporation programmed by the UAG codon was achieved by addition of engineered elongation factor and an archaeal aminoacyl‐tRNA synthetase to the normal Escherichia coli translation machinery (Park et al., 2011) Science 333, 1151) [2]. However, protein yield suffers from expression of the orthogonal phosphoserine translation system and competition with release factor 1 (RF‐1). In a strain lacking RF‐1, phosphoserine phosphatase, and where seven UAG codons residing in essential genes were converted to UAA, phosphoserine incorporation into GFP and WNK4 was significantly elevated, but with an accompanying loss in cellular fitness and viability.
Transcriptional repression of TWIST1 gene by Prospero‐related homeobox 1 inhibits invasiveness of hepatocellular carcinoma cells
Authors: Chang Tsung-Ming , Hung Wen-Chun
Published: September 2012

Prospero‐related homeobox 1 (PROX1) is important for liver development and down‐regulation of this transcription factor in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is associated with poor prognosis. We find that PROX1 expression is inversely correlated with the expression of epithelial–mesenchymal regulator TWIST1 in HCC cell lines and tumor tissues. We demonstrate that PROX1 directly binds to proximal promoter of TWIST1 gene to repress its transcription and inhibits its downstream target gene AKT2 expression which leads to reduction of cell migration and invasion. Moreover, PROX1 attenuates lung metastasis of HCC in vivo. These results support an anti‐metastatic role of PROX1 via inhibiting TWIST1.
Glutathione promotes prostaglandin H synthase (cyclooxygenase)‐dependent formation of malondialdehyde and 15(S)‐8‐iso‐prostaglandin F2α
Authors: Tsikas Dimitrios , Suchy Maria-Theresia , Niemann Jonas , Tossios Paschalis , Schneider Yessica , Rothmann Sabine , Gutzki Frank-Mathias , Frölich Jürgen C. , Stichtenoth Dirk O.
Published: September 2012

Prostaglandin (PG) H synthases (PGHS) or cyclooxygenases (COX) catalyse the peroxidation of arachidonic acid (AA) to PGG2 and PGH2 which are further converted to a series of prostaglandins and thromboxane A2. Here, we report that GSH promotes concomitant formation of the current oxidative stress biomarkers malondialdehyde (MDA) and 15(S)‐8‐iso‐prostaglandin F2α from AA via PGHS. This illustrates an uncommon interplay of enzymatic and chemical reactions to produce species that are considered to be exclusively produced by free‐radical‐catalysed reactions. We propose mechanisms for the PGHS/AA/GSH‐dependent formation of MDA, 15(S)‐8‐iso‐prostaglandin F2α and other F2‐isoprostanes. These mechanisms are supported by clinical observations.
The FKBP families of higher plants: Exploring the structures and functions of protein interaction specialists
Authors: Gollan Peter J. , Bhave Mrinal , Aro Eva-Mari
Published: September 2012

The FK506‐binding proteins (FKBPs) are known both as the receptors for immunosuppressant drugs and as prolyl isomerase (PPIase) enzymes that catalyse rotation of prolyl bonds. FKBPs are characterised by the inclusion of at least one FK506‐binding domain (FKBd), the receptor site for proline and the active site for PPIase catalysis. The FKBPs form large and diverse families in most organisms, with the largest FKBP families occurring in higher plants. Plant FKBPs are molecular chaperones that interact with specific protein partners to regulate a diversity of cellular processes. Recent studies have found that plant FKBPs operate in intricate and coordinated mechanisms for regulating stress response and development processes, and discoveries of new interaction partners expand their cellular influences to gene expression and photosynthetic adaptations. This review presents an examination of the molecular and structural features and functional roles of the higher plant FKBP family within the context of these recent findings, and discusses the significance of domain conservation and variation for the development of a diverse, versatile and complex chaperone family.
2′‐OH of mRNA are critical for the binding of its codons at the 40S ribosomal P site but not at the mRNA entry site
Authors: Graifer Dmitri , Zhigailov Andrey , Ven'yaminova Aliya , Malygin Alexey , Iskakov Bulat , Karpova Galina
Published: September 2012

The roles of 2′‐OH groups in the binding of mRNA to human ribosomes were studied using site‐directed cross‐linking. We found that both mRNA and mDNA analogues bearing a cross‐linker can modify ribosomal proteins (rps) S3e and S2e at the mRNA entry site independently on tRNA presence, but only mRNA analogues were capable of a tRNAPhe‐dependent binding to human ribosomes and cross‐linking to rpS26e in the mRNA binding centre. Thus, 2′‐OH groups of mRNA are unimportant for binding at the entry site but they are crucial for codon–anticodon interactions at the P site, implying the existence of mRNA‐ribosome contacts that do not occur in bacteria.
Central angiotensin II‐induced Alzheimer‐like tau phosphorylation in normal rat brains
Authors: Tian Minjie , Zhu Donglin , Xie Wei , Shi Jingping
Published: September 2012

Growing evidence suggests that Alzheimer disease (AD) origins in vascular lesions. As the crucial mediator of vascular pathology, angiotensin II‐induced significant amyloid production in our laboratory, although amyloid neurotoxicity depended on phosphorylated tau (p‐tau) in recent studies. In the present study, p‐tau levels were significantly elevated by central angiotensin II via glycogen synthase kinase 3β (GSK 3β) and other tau kinases. Moreover, angiotensin II‐induced cognitive impairment and tau phosphorylation was attenuated by losartan and a GSK 3β inhibitor. These findings implicate Ang II as a crucial mediator of AD pathology and a link between cardiovascular events and AD.
Success of Initial and Repeated Medial Branch Neurotomy for Zygapophysial Joint Pain: A Systematic Review
Authors: Smuck Matthew , Crisostomo Ralph A. , Trivedi Kavita , Agrawal Divya
Published: September 2012

Objectives

To review the duration of pain relief after initial and repeated radiofrequency neurotomy (RFN) for cervical and lumbar zygapophysial joint pain.

Methods

We searched PubMed to identify all articles that met review criteria for in‐depth analysis, synthesis, and review.

Results

Data from 16 articles are reported in this review, including 8 cervical studies, 7 lumbar studies, and 1 study of both cervical and lumbar treatment. Overall, methodology and design quality of cervical studies exceeded that of lumbar studies. For initial cervical RFN, average range duration of >50% pain relief was 7.3‐8.6 months. Repeated cervical RFN was successful 67%‐95% of the time when the first RFN procedure was successful. When the first RFN procedure was unsuccessful, repeated RFN was successful 0%‐67% of the time. The average range duration of pain relief after successful repeated RFN was 6.0‐12.7 months. For initial lumbar RFN, the average duration of >50% pain relief was 9.0 months. Repeated lumbar RFN was successful 33%‐85% of the time when the first RFN procedure was successful. The average duration of pain relief after successful repeated lumbar RFN was 11.6 months.

Conclusions

The results of this review indicate that pain relief after initial RFN generally ends after 7‐9 months and that repeating RFN is likely to provide additional pain relief if initial RFN was successful. Results are similar between cervical and lumbar spine studies.
Dynamics ofm= 0 andm= 1 modes and of streamwise vortices in a turbulent axisymmetric mixing layer
Authors: Davoust S. , Jacquin L. , Leclaire B.
Published: September 2012

The near field of a Reynolds number$R{e}_{0} = 2. 14\ensuremath{\times} 1{0}^{5} $and low-Mach-number cylindrical jet has been investigated by means of a high-speed stereo PIV setup that provides the spatio-temporal velocity field in a transverse plane, two diameters downstream of the jet exit. Proper orthogonal decomposition (POD) and spatio-temporal correlations are used to identify some of the main dynamical features of this flow. We show that the flow is dominated by streamwise vortices whose production and spatial organization can be related to$m= 0$and$m= 1$perturbations, and to the mean shear of the mixing layer. A dynamical scenario is proposed which describes this interaction, in accordance with our observations.
Linear stability analysis of cylindrical Rayleigh–Bénard convection
Authors: Wang Bo-Fu , Ma Dong-Jun , Chen Cheng , Sun De-Jun
Published: September 2012

The instabilities and transitions of flow in a vertical cylindrical cavity with heated bottom, cooled top and insulated sidewall are investigated by linear stability analysis. The stability boundaries for the axisymmetric flow are derived for Prandtl numbers from 0.02 to 1, for aspect ratio $A$ ($A= H/ R= \mathrm{height} / \mathrm{radius} $) equal to 1, 0.9, 0.8, 0.7, respectively. We found that there still exists stable non-trivial axisymmetric flow beyond the second bifurcation in certain ranges of Prandtl number for $A= 1$, $0. 9$ and 0.8, excluding the $A= 0. 7$ case. The finding for $A= 0. 7$ is that very frequent changes of critical mode (azimuthal Fourier mode) of the second bifurcation occur when the Prandtl number is changed, where five kinds of steady modes $m= 1, 2, 8, 9, 10$ and three kinds of oscillatory modes $m= 3, 4, 6$ are presented. These multiple modes indicate different flow structures triggered at the transitions. The instability mechanism of the flow is explained by kinetic energy transfer analysis, which shows that the radial or axial shear of base flow combined with buoyancy mechanism leads to the instability results.
Eating patterns are associated with biomarkers in a selected population of university students and employees
Authors: Hernes Sigrunn , Cabo Rona N. , Mansoor Mohammad Azam , Haugen Margaretha
Published: September 2012

The association between diet and CVD cannot be assigned to a single nutrient, but rather to a set of nutrients and non-nutrients, and eating pattern analyses have become an important tool in investigation of this relationship. Our objective was to investigate eating patterns in relation to nutrient intake and serum concentration of folate, vitamin B12 and TAG in ninety-five healthy adult participants. Dietary information was collected by an FFQ, and eating patterns were obtained by principal components analyses of thirty-three food groups. Three eating patterns were extracted, a sweet eating pattern identified by intakes of cakes, snacks, sugar-sweetened drinks and chocolates; a prudent eating pattern identified by vegetables, fruits and olive oil; and a traditional food pattern identified by red meat, lean fish and cheese. Blood samples were collected in the morning after an overnight fast. Linear regression analyses adjusted for age, BMI and smoking showed a negative association between the sweet eating pattern scores and the serum concentration of folate (β = −2·31 (95 % CI −4·14, −0·45)) and a positive association with serum concentration of TAG (β = 0·35 (95 % CI 0·12, 0·57)). The prudent eating pattern scores were positively associated with the serum concentration of folate (β = 1·69 (95 % CI 0·44, 2·92)). In conclusion, a sweet eating pattern was associated with risk factors for CVD, whereas a prudent eating pattern was associated with protective factors.
Democracy's Dignity
Authors: OBER JOSIAH
Published: September 2012

Dignity, as equal high standing characterized by nonhumiliation and noninfantilization, is democracy's third core value. Along with liberty and equality, it is a necessary condition for collective self-governance. Dignity enables robust exercise of liberty and equality while resisting both neglectful libertarianism and paternalistic egalitarianism. The civic dignity required for democracy is specified through a taxonomy of incompletely and fully moralized forms of dignity. Distinctive features of different regimes of dignity are modeled by simple games and illustrated by historical case studies. Unlike traditional meritocracy and universal human dignity, a civic dignity regime is theoretically stable in a population of self-interested social agents. It is real-world stable because citizens are predictably well motivated to defend those threatened with indignity and because they have resources for effective collective action against threats to dignity. Meritocracy and civic dignity are not inherently liberal, but may persist within a liberal democracy committed to universal human dignity.
Using population genetic methods to identify the origin of an invasive population and to diagnose cryptic subspecies ofTelchin licus(Lepidoptera: Castniidae)
Authors: Silva-Brandão K.L. , Almeida L.C. , Moraes S.S. , Cônsoli F.L.
Published: September 2012

Telchin licus, the giant sugarcane borer, is an important pest species of sugarcane in northeast Brazil. Four subspecies ofTelchin licusare recognized in Brazil based on their geographic distribution and subtle differences in wing colour pattern. Some taxa are morphologically indistinguishable, and their accurate identification is key to their efficient control. Mitochondrial genes sequences (cytochrome oxidaseI and subunit 6 of thenicotinamide adenine dinucleotide dehydrogenase) were applied to delimit taxonomic entities ofT. licus, and to infer the origin of a newly established population in the state of São Paulo. The molecular data indicated that specimens sampled at different regions in Brazil are morphologically cryptic but genetically isolated entities, and at least three subspecies were assigned to the sampled localities. These data also suggested that the population collected from the state of São Paulo must have a common origin with populations from northeast Brazil, which corroborate the hypothesis that ornamental plants infested with larvae ofT. licusmight have been transported from the northeast to the southeast regions.
A Chain of Murder in the Slave Trade: A Wider Context of theZongMassacre
Authors: Krikler Jeremy
Published: September 2012

This article seeks to explore from a new angle the massacre associated with the slave shipZong– that is, the murder of around 130 slaves at sea in 1781. Hitherto, the massacre has been looked at largely in terms of the law, particularly insurance law, and the commercial logic of the British slave trade. This article gives due weight to the overriding concerns of commerce in theZongatrocity, but it also explains it in terms of the culture and context of the selection of captives for the slave trade, a process in which ships' surgeons were prominent. It argues that this process habituated surgeons and captains – the Master of theZongwas both – to the possibility of death (at the hands of African controllers) of the captives they deemed unfit for the Atlantic slave trade. The article proposes that in the slave trade, medical expertise became yoked to the fateful decision of whether or not to accord commodity value to the captive. Where the surgeons decided to deny commodity value to a captive in the trade, he or she suffered “commercial death”, which was all too often followed by death itself.
Monopolizing the Property of Skill: A Prosopographic Analysis of a Finnish Ironworks Community
Authors: Marttila Juuso
Published: September 2012

This article examines the survival of artisan labour structures and their property of skill in a case where neither a guild nor a union was present. Both of these institutions have traditionally been given as explanations for the survival of artisan labour structures and their property of skill. By using a prosopographic analysis of a Finnish ironworks community, this article follows a locally monopolized property of skill from 1880 to 1950. This monopoly was based on an informal apprenticeship system and the control of human capital, and was tied tightly to a closed network of smiths and their families. It was able to function in full force without the backing of any formal institutions as long as favourable local circumstances and the means and motivation to maintain it existed. Family relationships and social networks of smiths, together with the acceptance of patronage, functioned as an alternative to trade unions and guilds as primary strategic resources resorted to by smith households.
“These Indians Are Apparently Well to Do”: The Myth of Capitalism and Native American Labor
Authors: Parham Vera
Published: September 2012

In many histories of Native Americans it seems that the original inhabitants of the Americas have become obscured in the national mythology of colonization. People who do not fit into the liberal capitalist notion of individualism and economic development simply vanish from the annals of history. Even histories focused specifically on Native Americans cover relatively little of Indian responses to capitalist development. Yet, in the Pacific north-west, the story is not written so simply; Native Americans responded creatively and eagerly to new economic systems through participation in wage labor and the development of business ventures. This response allowed indigenous people in the region to prosper while protecting culture and tradition.
Foreclosure Stories: Neoliberal Suffering in the Great Recession
Authors: LAWSON ANDREW
Published: September 2012

This article examines how the foreclosure crisis has been represented in a range of narrative genres: the reportage of Paul Reyes's Exiles in Eden: Life among the Ruins of Florida's Great Recession (2010), Michael Moore's documentary film Capitalism: A Love Story (2009), and Paul Auster's novel Sunset Park (2010).These narratives attempt to contextualize the human beings caught in the center of the subprime mortgage storm, but in the process each of them runs up against an opacity or obscurity, a crisis of representation. The article argues that underlying the financial crisis is an inability to recognize and comprehend deeply embedded structures of inequality, a failure common to both the financial system and the wider culture. Drawing on recent accounts of the techniques of credit scoring and mortgage securitization in the disciplines of business history, accounting, financial management, and human geography, the article concludes that subprime mortgage lending involved social relations of supremacy and subordination, as well as representational strategies which identified individuals solely in terms of credit risk, while failing to grasp the conditions of poverty and disadvantage which constituted them as a class.
Morphogenesis and morphology of Certesia quadrinucleata (Protozoa: Ciliophora) from Japan
Authors: Hu Xiaozhong
Published: September 2012

The morphogenesis and morphology of the marine benthic ciliate Certesia quadrinucleata collected from seawater in Nagasaki Mie Port, Japan, were investigated using microscopic observation of live and protargol-stained specimens. In terms of its morphology, the current isolate possesses diagnostic features of the genus and the species: a row of left marginal cirri, a prominent paroral membrane, 11 frontoventral cirri scattered in frontoventral area, five highly developed transverse cirri, four macronuclear nodules, five dorsal kineties and a caudally located contractile vacuole. Its morphogenesis belongs to the ‘Certesia’ subtype, and main events can be summarized as follow: (1) the oral primordium in the opisthe develops de novo in a subcortical pouch; (2) the old paroral membrane is completely replaced by the new one in the proter, but the parental adoral zone of membranelles is wholly inherited; (3) five streaks of cirral anlagen are formed in a primary mode for the proter and the opisthe, which gives rise to cirri in the pattern of 3:3:3:3:3 from left to right; (4) the leftmost frontoventral cirrus develops de novo on the cell surface in both dividers, and has no connection with the undulating membrane anlage; and (5) the anlagen for marginal cirri and dorsal kineties occur intrakinetally. Current observations confirm the separation of Certesiidae from other euplotids at the familial level.
Bacteriology during the expeditions of the heroic age of Antarctic exploration
Authors: Guly H.R.
Published: September 2012

During the heroic age of Antarctic exploration, nine expeditions are recorded as performing bacteriological research, but for only six were the results published and for one of these, the publication only relates to a single sample. Most of those doing the research were medically qualified though the majority of the research related to the bacteriology of snow, air, seawater and the contents of the alimentary tracts of Antarctic animals rather than clinical bacteriology. This paper discusses the research aims, the difficulties encountered and the broad results.
A randomized, prospective pilot study of patient expectancy and antidepressant outcome
Authors: Rutherford B. R. , Marcus S. M. , Wang P. , Sneed J. R. , Pelton G. , Devanand D. , Duan N. , Roose S. P.
Published: September 2012

Background

This study is a randomized, prospective, investigation of the relationships between clinical trial design, patient expectancy and the outcome of treatment with antidepressant medication.

Method

Adult out-patients with major depressive disorder (MDD) were randomized to either placebo-controlled (PC, 50% probability of receiving active medication) or comparator (COMP, 100% probability of receiving active medication) administration of antidepressant medication. Independent-samples t tests and analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) were used to determine whether the probability of receiving active medication influenced patient expectancy and to compare medication response in the PC v. COMP conditions. We also tested the correlations between baseline expectancy score and final improvement in depressive symptoms across study groups.

Results

Subjects randomized to the COMP condition reported greater expectancy of improvement compared to subjects in the PC condition (t = 2.60, df = 27, p = 0.015). There were no statistically significant differences in the analyses comparing antidepressant outcomes between subjects receiving medication in the COMP condition and those receiving medication in the PC condition. Higher baseline expectancy of improvement was correlated with lower final depression severity scores (r = 0.53, p = 0.021) and greater improvement in depressive symptoms over the course of the study (r = 0.44, p = 0.058).

Conclusions

The methods described represent a promising way of subjecting patient expectancy to scientific study. Expectancy of improvement is affected by the probability of receiving active antidepressant medication and seems to influence antidepressant response.
Biophysical and computational fragment-based approaches to targeting protein–protein interactions: applications in structure-guided drug discovery
Authors: Winter Anja , Higueruelo Alicia P. , Marsh May , Sigurdardottir Anna , Pitt Will R , Blundell Tom L.
Published: September 2012

Drug discovery has classically targeted the active sites of enzymes or ligand-binding sites of receptors and ion channels. In an attempt to improve selectivity of drug candidates, modulation of protein–protein interfaces (PPIs) of multiprotein complexes that mediate conformation or colocation of components of cell-regulatory pathways has become a focus of interest. However, PPIs in multiprotein systems continue to pose significant challenges, as they are generally large, flat and poor in distinguishing features, making the design of small molecule antagonists a difficult task. Nevertheless, encouragement has come from the recognition that a few amino acids – so-called hotspots – may contribute the majority of interaction-free energy. The challenges posed by protein–protein interactions have led to a wellspring of creative approaches, including proteomimetics, stapled α-helical peptides and a plethora of antibody inspired molecular designs. Here, we review a more generic approach: fragment-based drug discovery. Fragments allow novel areas of chemical space to be explored more efficiently, but the initial hits have low affinity. This means that they will not normally disrupt PPIs, unless they are tethered, an approach that has been pioneered by Wells and co-workers. An alternative fragment-based approach is to stabilise the uncomplexed components of the multiprotein system in solution and employ conventional fragment-based screening. Here, we describe the current knowledge of the structures and properties of protein–protein interactions and the small molecules that can modulate them. We then describe the use of sensitive biophysical methods – nuclear magnetic resonance, X-ray crystallography, surface plasmon resonance, differential scanning fluorimetry or isothermal calorimetry – to screen and validate fragment binding. Fragment hits can subsequently be evolved into larger molecules with higher affinity and potency. These may provide new leads for drug candidates that target protein–protein interactions and have therapeutic value.
Local responses to global English: perceptions of English in Taiwan
Authors: Lin Han-Yi
Published: September 2012

English language policy in Taiwan has undergone major changes at the beginning of the twenty-first century. The national policy of promoting English and the extension of English-language education at the elementary level has inevitably had a great impact on Taiwan's education system and the status of English in Taiwan (see Chern, 2003; Hung, 2003; Chen, 2006). While the global spread of English has been taking place via national policy and cultural institutions such as schools, a relevant question is how the spread of English is perceived and what responses are made by individuals in Taiwan.
The statistics of English in China
Authors: Wei Rining , Su Jinzhi
Published: September 2012

In the mid-1980s, Crystal (1985) lamented that there were no reliable figures available for the number of learners to whom English is taught as a foreign language in many regions of the world, and that ‘China has always been excluded from the statistical reviews, because of the shortage of information from inside the country’ (Crystal, 1985: 9). More recently, Bolton (2008: 6) similarly notes that because of ‘the absence of accurate language surveys’ academics have to make educated guesses regarding the total number of those learning/knowing English. The figure of the total English learners/users in China has been estimated to be somewhere between 200 and 350 million (cf. Bolton, 2003: 48; Kachru, 1997; McArthur, 2003; Zhao & Campbell, 1995; Graddol, 2006: 95). Fortunately, a national language survey in China conducted at the turn of the century does provide some hard statistics on the number of English language learners/users in the world's most populous country, and also sheds some light on the realities of use of English and English proficiency among the Chinese people.
‘Practical’ English and the crisis of English studies
Authors: Qu Weiguo
Published: September 2012

Perhaps there is no better illustration of Bourdieu's view that language can be converted to political or economic power (1991) than the success of the New Oriental School, which started as an English teaching organization, with the motto ‘Language is power’, mainly to prepare Chinese students for the TOFEL and the GRE tests. They have been so successful that they have now expanded into a full-scale educational institution, with English as its key component. Also, many people in China have prospered through English, including the world-famous teacher Li Yang, who achieved phenomenal success with his ‘Crazy English’ method, whose approach pushes a language-as-power message. In addition, the prosperity of the publishing houses selling English materials, the huge number of the teachers, and the enormous English-learning population in China all seem to contribute to the belief that English can enrich anyone who can find a way to capitalize on the language. However, despite the booming success of various English training agencies, it is ironic that English departments at Chinese universities now face an unprecedented crisis for survival. One major reason for this is that the recent craze for English in China has been accompanied by a parallel and steep decline of interest in the study of English as a ‘major’ at university level. In this article, I will address the problems that English departments in universities have in their response to the practical turn in English studies, with reference to the teaching of writing to English majors in particular.
Exploring pronunciation features of Yunnan English
Authors: Ao Ran , Low Ee Ling
Published: September 2012

The English language has gone through cycles of prominence and decline in China since it arrived on Chinese shores in 1637 for the purposes of trade (Adamson, 2002). Since then the language has evolved in China from the stage when it was regarded as a language spoken by ‘barbarians’ (Adamson, 2002) in the 1700s to the present day which sees an unprecedented surge of enthusiasm for the language. This significant change in the attitudes of the Chinese people towards English has accelerated since China's open door policy gathered steam in the early 1990s. Conservative estimates place the number of people learning English in China at about 200 million. A recent estimate by Crystal (2008) suggests that the number of English speakers in China has, in fact, doubled, with the widespread enthusiasm for English generated by driving forces such as China's entry into the World Trade Organisation (WTO), the hosting of the Beijing Olympic Games, international tourism, foreign investment, the development of Western China, and the China-ASEAN Free Trade Area (CAFTA) launched on January 1, 2010.
The Peculiar Politics of Energy
Authors: Florini Ann
Published: September 2012

Imagine that you could wave a magic wand and provide everyone in the world with easy access to clean and affordable energy. In one stroke you would make the world a far cleaner, richer, fairer, and safer place. Suddenly, a billion and a half of the world's poorest people could discover what it is like to turn on an electric light in the evening. The looming threat posed by climate change would largely disappear. From the South China Sea to the Middle East to the Arctic, geopolitical tensions over energy resources would fade away. Human health would benefit, too, as vaccines and perishable foods could be refrigerated the world over. And many of the world's most corrupt government officials could no longer enrich themselves by bleeding their countries dry of revenues from fossil fuel sales.
Post-discharge mortality in patients hospitalized with MRSA infection and/or colonization
Authors: SHARMA A. , ROGERS C. , RIMLAND D. , STAFFORD C. , SATOLA S. , CRISPELL E. , GAYNES R.
Published: September 2012

Methicillin-resistantStaphylococcus aureus(MRSA) infection is known to increase in-hospital mortality, but little is known about its association with long-term health. Two hundred and thirty-seven deaths occurred among 707 patients with MRSA infection at the time of hospitalization and/or nasal colonization followed for almost 4 years after discharge from the Atlanta Veterans Affairs Medical Center, USA. The crude mortality rate in patients with an infection and colonization (23·57/100 person-years) was significantly higher than the rate in patients with only colonization (15·67/100 person-years,P = 0·037). MRSA infection, hospitalization within past 6 months, and histories of cancer or haemodialysis were independent risk factors. Adjusted mortality rates in patients with infection were almost twice as high compared to patients who were only colonized: patients infected and colonized [hazard ratio (HR) 1·93, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1·31–2·84]; patients infected but not colonized (HR 1·96, 95% CI 1·22–3·17). Surviving MRSA infection adversely affects long-term mortality, underscoring the importance of infection control in healthcare settings.
Housing tenure and older people
Authors: Connolly Sheelah
Published: September 2012

Housing tenure takes a variety of forms, the most common of which are rental and owner-occupation. Currently, in the United Kingdom (UK), approximately 70% of older people live in owner-occupier properties, with the majority of the remainder renting from a public or private landlord. Research has consistently shown higher levels of morbidity and mortality among renters compared with owner-occupiers. However, it is unclear whether this is due to tenure acting as a proxy for other indicators of socio-economic status, such as income, which directly influences health, or whether other characteristics associated with tenure, including housing quality and location, explain the association. Untangling these competing influences of tenure on health is important, as it may provide clues on tackling health inequalities at older ages. Tenure too, appears to be related to the risk of long-stay care admission, with owner-occupiers significantly less likely to leave their home than renters; more work is required to identify why this is the case, as it may provide some insights on facilitating ageing in place.
Antiphons for the Adoration of the Cross Replica
Authors: BROCKETT CLYDE W.
Published: September 2012

This article traces the history of chants associated with the Adoration of a replica of the cross. It describes the development of an antiphon series for Good Friday afternoon found in Ordines Romani XXVII–XXXIII and selected northern French, German, Aquitanian, Spanish and Italian sources dating from the eighth into the twelfth century. Using illustrative tables, rubrics and facsimiles, the study compares liturgical features of the Adoratio crucis with its related Offices of the cross, the Exaltatio and Inventio, in a survey of the principal titles' texts and melodies.
Les doubles hoqués et les motés: Guillaume de Machaut's Hoquetus David
Authors: HARTT JARED C.
Published: September 2012

Guillaume de Machaut's Hoquetus David represents the only extant hocket of the Ars Nova. Although the Hoquetus is among Machaut's most commercially recorded compositions, it has received relatively little scholarly attention: while Daniel Leech-Wilkinson has focused on its rhythmic characteristics and Anne Walters Robertson on its possible raison d'être, many of the Hoquetus's unusual musical features remain unexplored. In Part I of this article, I compare the Hoquetus with Machaut's motets, as well as with thirteenth-century double hockets, in order to shed light on several of the work's anomalies. In Part II, I turn to matters of syntax, concentrating on Machaut's use of the dissonant seventh. I discuss and illustrate Machaut's surprisingly frequent use of the seventh to fifth progression in several passages from the Hoquetus, his motets and the Messe de nostre dame, and in turn demonstrate that the progression indeed constitutes a salient element of his compositional praxis. In Part III, I briefly address the question of method of performance. By inspecting the vocal ranges and melodic activity of the Hoquetus itself, I demonstrate that the Hoquetus David is indeed conducive for vocal performance, and in turn speculate how it might be performed despite its lack of text.