bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The role of cancer stem cells in the anti‐carcinogenicity of curcumin
Authors: Norris Leonie , Karmokar Ankur , Howells Lynne , Steward William P. , Gescher Andreas , Brown Karen
Published: July 2013

Many cancers contain cell subpopulations that display characteristics of stem cells. These cells are characterised by their ability to self‐renew, form differentiated progeny and develop resistance to chemotherapeutic strategies. Cancer stem cells may utilise many of the same signalling pathways as normal stem cells including Wnt, Notch and Hedgehog. The dietary agent curcumin exerts a plethora of anti‐carcinogenic effects both in vitro and in vivo, and can also inhibit many of the signalling pathways associated with stem cell biology. Emerging evidence suggests that curcumin can exert its anti‐carcinogenic activity via targeting cancer stem cells through the disruption of stem cell signalling pathways. In this review we summarise the ability of curcumin to interfere with signalling pathways Wnt, Hedgehog, Notch, Signal Transducers and Activator (STAT) and interleukin‐8, and report curcumin‐induced changes in function and properties of cancer stem cells. We present evidence that the effects of curcumin on cancer stem cells mediate, or contribute to, its anti‐carcinogenic activity.
Influences of rice hull in polyurethane foam on its sound absorption characteristics
Authors: Wang Yonghua , Zhang Chengchun , Ren Luquan , Ichchou Mohamed , Galland Marie‐Annick , Bareille Olivier
Published: July 2013

In this article, rice hull (RH) was used in the moulding of polyurethane (PU) foam system. The article analyzed the participation of RH in the chemical reaction of PU synthesis with Attenuated Total Reflection‐Fourier Transform Infrared spectroscopy method. Besides, the influence of RH on the formation of pore structure along with the acoustic performance such as sound impedance rate, acoustic reflection factor, sound absorption coefficient, and transmission loss of the products were studied with the Transfer Function Method. The results indicated that RH significantly influenced the uniformity of pore diameter in PU foam. As the content of RH increased, the sound absorption peak shifted toward lower frequency region. And the sound absorption coefficients increased till a threshold value of RH content. POLYM. COMPOS., 34:1847–1855, 2013. © 2013 Society of Plastics Engineers
Application of response surface methodology for modeling of reactive dye removal from solution using starch‐montmorillonite/polyaniline nanocomposite
Authors: Olad Ali , Azhar Fahimeh Farshi , Shargh Maryam , Jharfi Sanaz
Published: July 2013

In this study, starch‐montmorillonite/polyaniline (St‐MMT/PANI) nanocomposite was synthesized by chemical oxidative polymerization of aniline in the presence of St‐MMT nanocomposite dispersion. The prepared ternary nanocomposite was characterized using FTIR, XRD, and SEM techniques. Adsorption properties of the nanocomposite were investigated for removal of reactive blue (RB 194) as a model reactive dye from aqueous solution. Response surface methodology was employed for the modeling of adsorption capacity of the nanocomposite. A second‐order empirical relationship between adsorption capacity and independent variables (initial dye concentration, amount of the nanocomposite, and pH of the solution) was obtained. Pareto analysis for identification of the factors effect on the system revealed that initial dye concentration was the most effective parameter. The adsorption capacity value of reactive dye on St‐MMT/PANI nanocomposite was 91.74 mg g−1. Further investigations indicated that the adsorption experimental data were well fitted to the Langmuir isotherm and pseudo‐second‐order kinetic model. POLYM. ENG. SCI., 54:1595–1607, 2014. © 2013 Society of Plastics Engineers
Selective control over the lamellar thickness of one domain in thin binary blends of block copolymer films
Authors: Park Sang‐Byung , Zin Wang‐Cheol
Published: July 2013

Thin binary blends of poly(styrene‐b‐methyl methacrylate) (PS‐PMMA) block copolymers in films where the lamellar thickness of one domain is controlled while preserving the thickness of the other domain were demonstrated without microphase separation. One of the block copolymers used here was short and symmetric, and the other was long and asymmetric; the molecular weights of the PMMA block chains in the constituents were similar. A random copolymer brush was introduced and film thickness and composition of brush were adjusted to induce perpendicular orientation in thin film. As the blend composition of the long asymmetric block copolymer increased, the PS lamellar thickness increased from 15.8 to 25.1 nm, whereas the PMMA lamellar thickness remained constant at approximately 14 nm (the thickness decreased slightly from 14.0 to 13.3 nm). The domain spacing behavior in thin film was consistent in the bulk. These results were compared with the Birshtein, Zhulina, and Lyatskaya model and the theories for pure block copolymers in the strong segregation limit and in the intermediate segregation regime. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Polym. Sci., Part B: Polym. Phys. 2013, 51, 1393–1399
In silico and in vitro studies to elucidate the role of Cu2+ and galanthamine as the limiting step in the amyloid beta (1–42) fibrillation process
Authors: Hernández‐Rodríguez Maricarmen , Correa‐Basurto José , Benitez‐Cardoza Claudia G. , Resendiz‐Albor Aldo Arturo , Rosales‐Hernández Martha C.
Published: July 2013

The formation of fibrils and oligomers of amyloid beta (Aβ) with 42 amino acid residues (Aβ1–42) is the most important pathophysiological event associated with Alzheimer's disease (AD). The formation of Aβ fibrils and oligomers requires a conformational change from an α‐helix to a β‐sheet conformation, which is encouraged by the formation of a salt bridge between Asp 23 or Glu 22 and Lys 28. Recently, Cu2+ and various drugs used for AD treatment, such as galanthamine (Reminyl®), have been reported to inhibit the formation of Aβ fibrils. However, the mechanism of this inhibition remains unclear. Therefore, the aim of this work was to explore how Cu2+ and galanthamine prevent the formation of Aβ1–42 fibrils using molecular dynamics (MD) simulations (20 ns) and in vitro studies using fluorescence and circular dichroism (CD) spectroscopies. The MD simulations revealed that Aβ1–42 acquires a characteristic U‐shape before the α‐helix to β‐sheet conformational change. The formation of a salt bridge between Asp 23 and Lys 28 was also observed beginning at 5 ns. However, the MD simulations of Aβ1−42 in the presence of Cu2+ or galanthamine demonstrated that both ligands prevent the formation of the salt bridge by either binding to Glu 22 and Asp 23 (Cu2+) or to Lys 28 (galanthamine), which prevents Aβ1−42 from adopting the U‐characteristic conformation that allows the amino acids to transition to a β‐sheet conformation. The docking results revealed that the conformation obtained by the MD simulation of a monomer from the 1Z0Q structure can form similar interactions to those obtained from the 2BGE structure in the oligomers. The in vitro studies demonstrated that Aβ remains in an unfolded conformation when Cu2+ and galanthamine are used. Then, ligands that bind Asp 23 or Glu 22 and Lys 28 could therefore be used to prevent β turn formation and, consequently, the formation of Aβ fibrils.
Crystal structure of the N‐terminal domains of the surface cell antigen 4 of Rickettsia
Authors: Lee Jun Hyuck , Vonrhein Clemens , Bricogne Gerard , Izard Tina
Published: July 2013

The obligate intracellular, gram‐negative bacterium Rickettsia is the causative agent of spotted fevers and typhus in humans. Surface cell antigen (sca) proteins surround these bacteria. We recently reported the co‐localization of one of these proteins, sca4, with vinculin in cells at sites of focal adhesions and demonstrated that two vinculin binding sites directed the sca4/vinculin interaction. Here we report the 2.2 Å crystal structure of the conserved N‐terminal 38 kDa domain of sca4 from Rickettsia rickettsii. The structure reveals two subdomains. The first is an all‐helical domain that is folded in a fashion similar to the dimeric assembly chaperone for rubisco, namely RbcX. The following and highly conserved β‐strand domain lacks significant structural similarity with other known structures and to the best of our knowledge represents a new protein fold.
One contact for every twelve residues allows robust and accurate topology‐level protein structure modeling
Authors: Kim David E. , DiMaio Frank , Yu‐Ruei Wang Ray , Song Yifan , Baker David
Published: July 2013

A number of methods have been described for identifying pairs of contacting residues in protein three‐dimensional structures, but it is unclear how many contacts are required for accurate structure modeling. The CASP10 assisted contact experiment provided a blind test of contact guided protein structure modeling. We describe the models generated for these contact guided prediction challenges using the Rosetta structure modeling methodology. For nearly all cases, the submitted models had the correct overall topology, and in some cases, they had near atomic‐level accuracy; for example the model of the 384 residue homo‐oligomeric tetramer (Tc680o) had only 2.9 Å root‐mean‐square deviation (RMSD) from the crystal structure. Our results suggest that experimental and bioinformatic methods for obtaining contact information may need to generate only one correct contact for every 12 residues in the protein to allow accurate topology level modeling. Proteins 2014; 82(Suppl 2):208–218. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
The targets of CAPRI rounds 20–27
Authors: Janin Joël
Published: July 2013

Eight CAPRI prediction rounds with a total of 15 targets were held in the years 2010–2012. Only five of the targets were protein assemblies comparable with those of earlier CAPRI rounds. In one target, the solvent positions at the interface had to be predicted; another was a protein–polysaccharide complex. The remainders were designed complexes issued from protein engineering experiments, and the prediction concerned either their structure or the binding affinity of the designed ligand. Affinity prediction was a new experiment in CAPRI, and a challenge for its participants. It pushed the community into developing novel procedures and score functions that will improve the performance of docking methods, help designing binders, and yield better structure‐based estimates of the binding free energy of natural assemblies. Proteins 2013; 81:2075–2081. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Transport behaviour of boron delta‐doped diamond
Authors: Scharpf J. , Denisenko A. , Pakes C. I. , Rubanov S. , Bergmaier A. , Dollinger G. , Pietzka C. , Kohn E.
Published: July 2013

The electrical transport properties of two‐dimensional (2D) boron‐doped delta layers were investigated by a comprehensive analysis of physical, electrochemical and microscopic methods. The boron concentration profile was determined physically by elastic recoil detection (ERD) and compared to the doping (acceptor) profile extracted from capacitance–voltage (CV) measurements, giving a boron concentration of 2–4 × 1013 cm−2. Corresponding field effect transistor (FET) characteristics, based on the boron‐doped delta channel concept, measured in electrolyte, show good modulation behaviour but field effect mobilities in the range of 10−2–10−1 cm2 V−1 s−1 that are far below expected values. High‐resolution transmission electron microscopy (HR‐TEM) analysis was employed to shed new light on the transport behaviour of boron‐doped delta layers, revealing an inhomogeneous and interrupted morphology. Based on this finding, a hypothesis is proposed, modelling the delta layer transport behaviour via hopping and tunnelling processes between boron clusters.
Stable p‐type ZnO films obtained by lithium–nitrogen codoping method
Authors: He Shen , Chong‐Xin Shan , Ji‐Shan Liu , Bing‐Hui Li , Zhen‐Zhong Zhang , De‐Zhen Shen
Published: July 2013

By employing lithium and nitrogen codoping method, p‐type zinc oxide (ZnO) films have been prepared, and the p‐type conduction can maintain for 207 days. ZnO p–n junctions have been constructed based on the p‐type ZnO. Under the drive of continuous current, obvious emission has been observed from the p–n junctions, and the ZnO p–n junction light‐emitting devices (LEDs) can still work after placing in air ambient for 180 days.

Room temperature electroluminescence spectra of the p‐ZnO:(Li,N)/n‐ZnO structured LEDs under continuous current recorded intermittently for 180 days.
Advantages of using fecal samples for stable isotope analysis in bats: evidence from a triple isotopic experiment
Authors: Salvarina Ioanna , Yohannes Elizabeth , Siemers Björn M. , Koselj Klemen
Published: July 2013

RATIONALE

Stable isotope analysis in ecological studies is usually conducted on biomaterials, e.g. muscle and blood, that require catching the animals. Feces are rarely used for stable isotope analysis, despite the possibility of non‐invasive sampling and short‐term responsiveness to dietary changes. This promising method is neglected due to a lack of calibration experiments and unknown diet‐feces isotopic difference (Δdiet‐feces).

METHODS

To fill this gap, we simulated trophic changes occurring in nature when animals switch feeding habitats, e.g. by moving from freshwater to terrestrial systems, from cultivated areas to forests or changing distance from marine environments. In a controlled experiment, the diet of two bat species (Myotis myotis, Rhinolophus ferrumequinum) was altered to an isotopically distinct one. We measured stable nitrogen, carbon and the rarely used sulfur isotope in feces, and calculated Δdiet‐feces values.

RESULTS

The feces acquired the new dietary signature within 2–3 h from food ingestion; thus, they are suited for detecting recent and rapid dietary changes. The Δdiet‐feces (Δ) did not differ between species or diet (overall means ± standard deviation (sd)): Δ15N: 1.47 ± 1.51‰, Δ13C: –0.11 ± 0.80‰, Δ34S: 0.74 ± 1.10‰. Only Δ15N for M. myotis was significantly different from zero and only Δ13C differed among the days of the experiment.

CONCLUSIONS

Fecal stable isotopes can be now further applied in mammalian ecology. This includes a range of applications, such as studying changes in trophic level, resource or habitat use, on a short time‐scale. Such information is gaining importance for monitoring rapidly changing ecosystems under anthropogenic influence. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
The relationship between electrospray ionization behavior and cytotoxic activity of [MI(P)4]+‐type complexes (M = Cu, Ag and Au; P = tertiary phosphine)
Authors: Tisato Francesco , Crociani Laura , Porchia Marina , Bernardo Plinio Di , Endrizzi Francesco , Santini Carlo , Seraglia Roberta
Published: July 2013

RATIONALE

To try to find a correlation between the antiproliferative activity of a series of [MI(P)4]+ complexes (M = Cu, Ag and Au; P = tertiary phosphine) and their stability at micromolar concentration under mass spectrometric conditions.

METHODS

[MI(P)4]+ complexes were investigated by positive ion electrospray ionization mass spectrometry with multiple collisional experiments using an ion trap mass spectrometer.

RESULTS

The displacement of P from native [MI(P)4]+, previously described for the copper derivative, is common for the triad complexes leading to the formation of [M(P)3]+ and [M(P)2]+ adducts. Further dissociation of [M(P)2]+ depends on the nature of the metal (Cu ~ Ag > Au). More labile [Cu(P)2]+ and [Ag(P)2]+ are more cytotoxic against HCT‐15 human colon carcinoma cells compared to less labile [Au(P)2]+ species.

CONCLUSIONS

The dissociation of P ligand(s) from the [MI(P)4]+ complexes is the driving force for the triggering of the antiproliferative activity. The more favored is the displacement of P from the [M(P)2]+ active form, the more favored is in turn the possibility for the metal to interact with biological substrates related to cancer proliferation. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Adolescent adjustment in the context of life change: The supportive role of parental structure provision
Authors: Flamm Elizabeth S. , Grolnick Wendy S.
Published: July 2013

This study examined the associations among disruptive life events, supportive parenting practices, adolescent self‐perceptions, and emotional outcomes. One‐hundred and three 7th graders (68% minority, 32% European American) and their parents completed recent negative life events checklists. Parents also reported the total number of major transitions (changes in residences, schools, parent's romantic partners) that adolescents experienced since birth. Life events were related to lower adolescent‐reported perceptions of competence and control, higher adolescent‐reported depression and behavior problems, and higher parent‐reported conduct problems. Regression analyses supported a mediational model in which competence and control perceptions explained relations between adolescent life events and symptomatology. Parental structure—the provision of clear, consistent and predictable rules and expectations—was associated with more adaptive adolescent functioning, especially among girls. Regressions indicated that structure related to higher perceptions of competence and control and fewer behavioral problems, even after accounting for the risk associated with negative life events and transitions.
The hepatitis B x antigen anti‐apoptotic effector URG7 is localized to the endoplasmic reticulum membrane
Authors: Ostuni A. , Lara P. , Armentano M.F. , Miglionico R. , Salvia A.M. , Mönnich M. , Carmosino M. , Lasorsa F.M. , Monné M. , Nilsson I. , Bisaccia F.
Published: July 2013

Hepatitis B x antigen up‐regulates the liver expression of URG7 that contributes to sustain chronic virus infection and to increase the risk for hepatocellular carcinoma by its anti‐apoptotic activity. We have investigated the subcellular localization of URG7 expressed in HepG2 cells and determined its membrane topology by glycosylation mapping in vitro. The results demonstrate that URG7 is N‐glycosylated and located to the endoplasmic reticulum membrane with an Nlumen–Ccytosol orientation. The results imply that the anti‐apoptotic effect of URG7 could arise from the C‐terminal cytosolic tail binding a pro‐apoptotic signaling factor and retaining it to the endoplasmic reticulum membrane.
Institutionalized advisory systems: An analysis of member satisfaction of advice production and use across 9 strategic advisory councils in Flanders (Belgium)
Authors: Fobé Ellen , Brans Marleen , Vancoppenolle Diederik , Van Damme Jan
Published: July 2013

Policy-making in Flanders (Belgium) is traditionally characterized by a dense advisory system with a high number of advisory councils, firmly integrated into the policy-making process. Recently, the Flemish government has reshaped its strategic advisory council system, responding to concerns over growing advice competition. This reorganization was part of a broader reform aimed at increasing the efficiency and effectiveness of policies. In this article, we analyze the defining aspects of this new advisory council system, and explore members’ satisfaction about the advisory process and the use of advice by policy-makers. The latter can be considered a prerequisite for advice to contribute to policy-making. Our analysis is based on a 2009 survey with the members of the new strategic advisory councils (response 72.4%). The results show that reorganizing the advisory council system has not led to uniformity regarding council size, budget or membership constitution. And although satisfaction with the advisory process is generally high, the influence of the advice is perceived as low, which poses a challenge to neo-corporatist policy-making in Flanders.
Domestic Courts and the Content and Implementation of State Responsibility
Authors: WITTICH STEPHAN
Published: July 2013

This article examines the role of domestic courts in addressing questions of international law concerning the content and implementation of state responsibility. Practice shows that domestic courts only play a limited role in developing the international law of state responsibility. This is partly due to the limited number of cases decided by domestic courts. Furthermore, the practice of domestic courts is quite disparate, reducing their value in generating consistent practice. There is also a general inclination of domestic courts to apply remedies under municipal rather than international law, which reduces their significance as agents of international law. It is only in exceptional cases that domestic courts may contribute to clarifying controversial norms and support the further development of international law. Domestic courts may furthermore take on the task of fine-tuning international norms on state responsibility. Probably the most important role domestic courts may play in applying secondary rules of state responsibility is that of strengthening the effectiveness of the international legal system and its individual rules.
The Contribution of the Eichmann Trial to International Law
Authors: SCHABAS WILLIAM
Published: July 2013

The trial of Adolf Eichmann was poorly received by many contemporary observers, who felt that it bent the law beyond recognition in several key areas. With the renaissance of international criminal law in recent decades, the handling of difficult issues by the District Court of Jerusalem and the Supreme Court has been shown to fare rather well. The understanding of the relationship between crimes against humanity and genocide by the Israeli courts, and their response to the charge of retroactive criminality, to the consequences of the kidnapping, and to claims that the tribunal lacked impartiality, have also stood the test of time. Perhaps most important of all, the Eichmann decisions actually moved the law forward on the question of universal jurisdiction, effectively setting aside the narrow jurisdictional frame set by the 1948 Genocide Convention. Critics at the time of the judgments, possibly influenced by the famous but harsh commentary of Hannah Arendt, were much too negative in their assessments.
International Criminal Law: An Ideology Critique
Authors: KREVER TOR
Published: July 2013

The article engages in an ideology critique of international criminal-law texts and discourse, drawing on a theoretical framework developed by critical legal studies scholars in order to interrogate, in a different jurisprudential context, the assumptions undergirding contemporary international criminal-law (ICL) scholarship. It argues that the triumphalism surrounding ICL and its adequacy to deal with conflict and violence ignores the factors and forces – including specific international legal interventions in countries’ political economies – that shape or even help establish the environment from which such conflict and violence emanate. In uncritically celebrating ICL and equating it with a pacific international rule of law, ICL scholarship risks shaping passive acquiescence in the status quo and discouraging more throughgoing efforts to address the systemic forces underlying instances of violence, including political–economic forces shaped by international legal institutions.
Symptomkategorien der Zwangsstörung–spezifisch oder generalisiert?
Authors: Sartory Gudrun , Röper Gisela , Pietrowsky Reinhard , Cwik Jan , Zaudig Michael
Published: July 2013

Theoretischer Hintergrund: Die meisten diagnostischen Instrumente stellen bei Zwangsstörung, bzw. den Symptomkategorien Zwangsgedanken und -handlungen, in erster Linie den Schweregrad und nicht deren Generalisierung fest. Fragestellung: Sind Zwangsgedanken bzw. -handlungen situationsspezifisch oder generalisiert auf viele Bereiche? Methode: 142 Patienten mit Zwangsstörung und 21 gesunde Kontrollprobanden erhielten eine deutsche Version des VOCI, das Zwangssymptome in einer Anzahl von Situationen erfragt und die Subskalen der Y-BOCS, die den Schweregrad von Zwangshandlungen und –gedanken erheben. Patienten wurden mit den Kontrollprobanden hinsichtlich der Skalen verglichen. In der Gruppe der Patienten wurden die VOCI Items einer Faktorenanalyse unterzogen und die Faktorenscores mit dem Y-BOCS korreliert. Ergebnisse: Die Patienten unterschieden sich signifikant von den Kontrollprobanden hinsichtlich beider Zwangsfragebogen. Das 6-Faktorenmodell des deutschen VOCI entsprach dem der Originalfassung. Die Y-BOCS Subskalen waren nur moderat mit den entsprechenden VOCI Faktoren korreliert. Unter Patienten mit hoher Ausprägung der Y-BOCS befanden sich solche mit hohen (generalisierten), aber auch mit niedrigen (spezifischen) VOCI Faktorscores. Schlussfolgerungen: Die Ergebnisse lassen auf individuelle Unterschiede hinsichtlich der Spezifität oder Generalisierung der Symptomkategorien unter Zwangspatienten schließen.
Synthesis characterization and bulk-heterojunction photovoltaic applications of new naphtho[1,2-b:5,6-b′]dithiophene–quinoxaline containing narrow band gap D–A conjugated polymers
Authors: Dutta Pranabesh , Park Hanok , Lee Woo-Hyung , Kang In Nam , Lee Soo-Hyoung
Published: July 2013

New naphtho[1,2-b:5,6-b′]dithiophene–quinoxaline containing donor–acceptor conjugated copolymers with alkyl/alkoxy side chains positioned differently were developed and investigated for polymer solar cells.
Rethinking the Neoliberal Nexus of Education, Migration, and Institutions
Authors: Kwak Min-Jung
Published: July 2013

The rise of neoliberalism and economic globalization is identified as a significant factor contributing to macroscale structural changes in the political economy of migration and education in Korea and Canada. In this paper the empirical focus of analysis is on how nation-states have played important roles in shaping the market conditions of the international education industry under the structural changes brought about by neoliberalization. I pay particular attention to how different public institutions have become actively engaged in profit-generating activities through promoting and selling Canadian education. In so doing, I reconsider the implications of neoliberalism for the political economy of migration and international education. Drawing upon empirical evidence collected from fieldwork in Seoul and Vancouver, this paper aims to explore the complexities and locally specific outcomes of neoliberal projects. In relation to the rise of international education, this paper adds to the burgeoning literature that acknowledges that taken-for-granted views on neoliberalism are problematic and further highlights the role of public institutions as active facilitators in the process of market expansion.
Online healthy lifestyle support in the perinatal period: what do women want and do they use it?
Authors: Hearn Lydia , Miller Margaret , Fletcher Anna
Published: July 2013

Unhealthy weight gain and retention during pregnancy and postpartum is detrimental to mother and child. Although various barriers limit the capacity for perinatal health care providers (PHCPs) to offer healthy lifestyle counselling, they could guide women to appropriate online resources. This paper presents a project designed to provide online information to promote healthy lifestyles in the perinatal period. Focus groups or interviews were held with 116 perinatal women and 76 PHCPs to determine what online information perinatal women and PHCPs want, in what form, and how best it should be presented. The results indicated that women wanted smartphone applications (apps) linked to trustworthy websites containing short answers to everyday concerns; information on local support services; and personalised tools to assess their nutrition, fitness and weight. Suggestions for improvement in these lifestyle areas should be practical and tailored to the developmental stage of their child. PHCPs wanted evidence-based, practical information, presented in a simple, engaging, interactive form. The outcome was a clinically endorsed website and app that health professionals could recommend. Preliminary evaluation showed that 10.5% of pregnant women in Western Australia signed up to the app. Use of the app appeared to be equitable across urban and rural areas of low to middle socioeconomic status.
Human eIF4E promotes mRNA restructuring by stimulating eIF4A helicase activity
Authors: Feoktistova Kateryna , Tuvshintogs Enkhee , Do Angelie , Fraser Christopher S.
Published: July 2013

Elevated eukaryotic initiation factor 4E (eIF4E) levels frequently occur in a variety of human cancers. Overexpression of eIF4E promotes cellular transformation by selectively increasing the translation of proliferative and prosurvival mRNAs. These mRNAs possess highly structured 5′-UTRs that impede ribosome recruitment and scanning, yet the mechanism for how eIF4E abundance elevates their translation is not easily explained by its cap-binding activity. Here, we show that eIF4E possesses an unexpected second function in translation initiation by strongly stimulating eukaryotic initiation factor 4A (eIF4A) helicase activity. Importantly, we demonstrate that this activity promotes mRNA restructuring in a manner that is independent of its cap-binding function. To explain these findings, we show that the eIF4E-binding site in eukaryotic initiation factor 4G (eIF4G) functions as an autoinhibitory domain to modulate its ability to stimulate eIF4A helicase activity. Binding of eIF4E counteracts this autoinhibition, enabling eIF4G to stimulate eIF4A helicase activity. Finally, we have successfully separated the two functions of eIF4E to show that its helicase promoting activity increases the rate of translation by a mechanism that is distinct from its cap-binding function. Based on our results, we propose that maintaining a connection between eIF4E and eIF4G throughout scanning provides a plausible mechanism to explain how eIF4E abundance selectively stimulates the translation of highly structured proliferation and tumor-promoting mRNAs.
Reexpression of pyruvate kinase M2 in type 1 myofibers correlates with altered glucose metabolism in myotonic dystrophy
Authors: Gao Zhihua , Cooper Thomas A.
Published: July 2013

Myotonic dystrophy type 1 (DM1) is caused by expansion of CTG repeats in the 3′ UTR of the
DMPK
gene. Expression of CUG expansion (CUG
exp
) RNA produces a toxic gain of function by disrupting the functions of RNA splicing factors, such as MBNL1 and CELF1, leading to splicing changes associated with clinical abnormalities. Progressive skeletal muscle weakness and wasting is one of the most prominent clinical features in DM1; however, the underlying mechanisms remain unclear. Here we report that the embryonic M2 isoform of pyruvate kinase (PKM2), a key enzyme contributing to the Warburg effect in cancer, is significantly induced in DM1 tissue and mouse models owing to aberrant splicing. Expression of PKM2 in DM1 skeletal muscle is restricted to the type 1 fibers, which are particularly susceptible to wasting in DM1. Using antisense oligonucleotides to shift PKM splicing toward increased PKM2 expression, we observed increased glucose consumption with reduced oxidative metabolism in cell culture and increased respiratory exchange ratio in mice, suggesting defects in energy metabolism conferred by PKM2 expression. We propose that PKM2 expression induces changes in type 1 fibers associated with muscle atrophy and muscle weakness in DM1.
Myocardial ischaemia is associated with an elevated brain natriuretic pepide level even in the presence of left ventricular systolic dysfunction
Authors: Adnan Nadir M. , Dow Eleanor , Davidson John , Kennedy Norman , Lang Chim C. , Struthers Allan D.
Published: July 2013

Aims

Plasma BNP and high‐sensitivity cardiac troponin‐T (hs‐TnT) are elevated by both ischaemia and LV systolic dysfunction (LVSD). As a result, it is unknown whether BNP and/or hs‐TnT could be useful biomarkers to identify ischaemia in the presence of LVSD.

Methods and results

Three separate patient populations were studied. Study A (n = 500) involved consecutive patients undergoing clinically indicated myocardial perfusion scintigraphy, study B (n = 100) included patients with vascular disease but no known cardiac disease, and study C (n = 300) recruited primary prevention patients with controlled risk factors. Levels of BNP and hs‐TnT were measured prior to the stress testing to detect myocardial ischaemia. The prevalence of myocardial ischaemia was 28.2, 28, and 6.3% in study A, B, and C, respectively. For BNP, area under curve (AUC) values to identify ischaemia in the presence and absence of coincidental LVSD were: 0.73 vs. 0.63 (study A), 0.90 vs. 0.81 (study B), and 0.83 vs. 0.80 (study C). Equivalent figures for hs‐TnT were: 0.64 vs. 0.60 (study A), 0.75 vs. 0.68 (study B), and 0.53 vs. 0.68 (study C). BNP and hs‐cTnT, when combined together, performed better with an AUC of 0.75 vs. 0.65 (study A), 0.91 vs. 0.92 (study B), and 0.84 vs. 0.83 (study C).

Conclusion

In three separate populations a consistent finding is that BNP is increased further by myocardial ischaemia even in the presence of LVSD. A disproportionately high BNP for the degree of LVSD might be due to (unsuspected) ischaemia, and a disproportionately low BNP could be useful as a ‘rule out’ test for ischaemia even in the presence of LVSD.
Management of Anthracnose in Common Bean by Foliar Sprays of Potassium Silicate, Sodium Molybdate, and Fungicide
Authors: Polanco L. R. , Rodrigues F. A. , Moreira E. N. , Duarte H. S. S. , Cacique I. S. , Valente L. A. , Vieira R. F. , Paula Júnior T. J. , Vale F. X. R.
Published: July 2013

This study aimed to determine whether foliar sprays of potassium silicate (KSi), sodium molybdate (NaMo), or a combination of both (KSi + NaMo), with or without the fungicide azoxystrobin (Azox), could reduce anthracnose symptoms and, consequently increase yield. Two two-by-four factorial experiments, consisting of untreated or fungicide treated, as well as sprays of KSi, NaMo, KSi + NaMo, and no spray (control), were arranged in a randomized block design with three replications. Treatments were as follows: treatment 1, KSi spray; treatment 2, NaMo spray; treatment 3, KSi + NaMo spray; treatment 4, Azox spray; treatment 5, Azox + KSi spray; treatment 6, Azox + NaMo spray, treatment 7, Azox + KSi + NaMo spray; and treatment 8, control (no KSi, NaMo, or Azox). The KSi, NaMo, and Azox treatments were sprayed at the rates of 35 g/liter, 90 g/ha, and 120 g a.i./ha, respectively. The KSi was applied at 20, 27, 40, and 55 days after sowing (das). The NaMo was sprayed only at 27 das whereas the fungicide was sprayed at 27, 40, and 55 das. Plants were inoculated with Colletotrichum lindemuthianum at 23 das. Azox reduced the mean area under disease progress curve (AUDPC) by 63% and mean yield was increased by 150%. Similarly, the mean AUDPC was reduced by 29, 14, and 41% with KSi, NaMo, and KSi + NaMo sprays, respectively, while mean yield increased by 13, 20, and 47%, with KSi, NaMo, or KSi + NaMo sprays, respectively. The variables leaf area index (LAI), leaf area index duration (LAD), healthy leaf area duration (HAD), and radiation intercepted (RI) were not affected by KSi spray. The values for the variables LAI, healthy leaf area index (HLAI), LAD, HAD, RI, intercepted radiation of the healthy leaf area, and healthy leaf area absorption were significantly increased as a result of NaMo spray. The results of the present study support the novel possibility of using a foliar spray of KSi in association with NaMo to decrease anthracnose symptoms in bean plants and, consequently, achieve greater yield.
Residual Efficacy of Fungicides for Controlling Brown Patch on Creeping Bentgrass Fairways
Authors: Daniels John P. , Latin Richard
Published: July 2013

Residual efficacy of five fungicides (azoxystrobin, flutolanil, metconazole, polyoxin D, and pyraclostrobin) applied to creeping bentgrass (Agrostis stolonifera) maintained under golf course fairway conditions was determined using a bioassay method. During 2010 and 2011, six different field experiments were conducted. Each consisted of a single fungicide application followed by periodic (0, 3, 7, 10, 14, 17, and 21 days after application) turf sampling, inoculation of samples with an isolate of Rhizoctonia solani, and incubation in a controlled environment chamber for 48 h. For each sample date, fungicide efficacy was determined by measuring the extent of symptom expansion on fungicide treated and nontreated samples. Efficacy half-life values based on a two-parameter Weibull function were 3.1 to 14.0 days for the fungicides used in this study. Residual efficacy was further examined in 2011 by analyzing residues from creeping bentgrass verdure using liquid chromatography/time-of-flight mass spectrometry (LC/TOF-MS). Quantitative analysis from LC/TOF-MS revealed that fungicide residues were depleted rapidly following application to turfgrass and reinforced the precipitous decline in fungicide efficacy demonstrated by the bioassays. Regardless of fungicide, more than 90% of active ingredient applied was depleted from the verdure between 3 and 8 days after application, and more than 99% of fungicide was depleted at 17 days after application. This research provides a quantitative description of the temporal nature of loss of fungicide and fungicide protection from turf.
Comparison of Two Doses of Tranexamic Acid in Adults Undergoing Cardiac Surgery with Cardiopulmonary Bypass
Authors: Sigaut Stéphanie , Tremey Benjamin , Ouattara Alexandre , Couturier Roland , Taberlet Christian , Grassin-Delyle Stanislas , Dreyfus Jean-Francois , Schlumberger Sylvie , Fischler Marc
Published: July 2013

Background:

The optimal dose of tranexamic acid (TA) is still an issue. The authors compared two doses of TA during cardiac surgery in a multicenter, double-blinded, randomized study.

Methods:

Patients were stratified according to transfusion risk, then randomized to two TA doses: 10 mg/kg bolus followed by 1 mg·kg−1·h−1 infusion (low dose) until the end of surgery or 30 mg/kg bolus followed by 16 mg·kg−1·h−1 infusion (high dose). The primary endpoint was the incidence of blood product transfusion up to day 7. Secondary ones were incidences of transfusion for each type of blood product and amounts transfused, blood loss, repeat surgery, TA-related adverse events, and mortality.

Results:

The low-dose group comprised 284 patients and the high-dose one 285. The primary endpoint was not significantly different between TA doses (63% for low dose vs. 60% for high dose; P = 0.3). With the high dose, a lower incidence of frozen plasma (18 vs. 26%; P = 0.03) and platelet concentrate (15 vs. 23%; P = 0.02) transfusions, lower amounts of blood products (2.5 ± 0.38 vs. 4.1 ± 0.39; P = 0.02), fresh frozen plasma (0.49 ± 0.14 vs.1.07 ± 0.14; P = 0.02), and platelet concentrates transfused (0.50 ± 0.15 vs. 1.13 ± 0.15; P = 0.02), lower blood loss (590 ± 50.4 vs. 820 ± 50.7; P = 0.01), and less repeat surgery (2.5 vs. 6%; P = 0.01) were observed. These results are more marked in patients with a high risk for transfusion.

Conclusions:

A high dose of TA does not reduce incidence of blood product transfusion up to day 7, but is more effective than a low dose to decrease transfusion needs, blood loss, and repeat surgery.
Environmental enrichment promotes neural plasticity and cognitive ability in fish
Authors: Salvanes Anne Gro Vea , Moberg Olav , Ebbesson Lars O. E. , Nilsen Tom Ole , Jensen Knut Helge , Braithwaite Victoria A.
Published: July 2013

Different kinds of experience during early life can play a significant role in the development of an animal's behavioural phenotype. In natural contexts, this influences behaviours from anti-predator responses to navigation abilities. By contrast, for animals reared in captive environments, the homogeneous nature of their experience tends to reduce behavioural flexibility. Studies with cage-reared rodents indicate that captivity often compromises neural development and neural plasticity. Such neural and behavioural deficits can be problematic if captive-bred animals are being reared with the intention of releasing them as part of a conservation strategy. Over the last decade, there has been growing interest in the use of environmental enrichment to promote behavioural flexibility in animals that are bred for release. Here, we describe the positive effects of environmental enrichment on neural plasticity and cognition in juvenile Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar). Exposing fish to enriched conditions upregulated the forebrain expression of NeuroD1 mRNA and improved learning ability assessed in a spatial task. The addition of enrichment to the captive environment thus promotes neural and behavioural changes that are likely to promote behavioural flexibility and improve post-release survival.
Skull and limb morphology differentially track population history and environmental factors in the transition to agriculture in Europe
Authors: von Cramon-Taubadel Noreen , Stock Jay T. , Pinhasi Ron
Published: July 2013

The Neolithic transition in Europe was a complex mosaic spatio-temporal process, involving both demic diffusion from the Near East and the cultural adoption of farming practices by indigenous hunter–gatherers. Previous analyses of Mesolithic hunter–gatherers and Early Neolithic farmers suggest that cranial shape variation preserves the population history signature of the Neolithic transition. However, the extent to which these same demographic processes are discernible in the postcranium is poorly understood. Here, for the first time, crania and postcranial elements from the same 11 prehistoric populations are analysed together in an internally consistent theoretical and methodological framework. Results show that while cranial shape reflects the population history differences between Mesolithic and Neolithic lineages, relative limb dimensions exhibit significant congruence with environmental variables such as latitude and temperature, even after controlling for geography and time. Also, overall limb size is found to be consistently larger in hunter–gatherers than farmers, suggesting a reduction in size related to factors other than thermoregulatory adaptation. Therefore, our results suggest that relative limb dimensions are not tracking the same demographic population history as the cranium, and point to the strong influence of climatic, dietary and behavioural factors in determining limb morphology, irrespective of underlying neutral demographic processes.
Forest corridors maintain historical gene flow in a tiger metapopulation in the highlands of central India
Authors: Sharma Sandeep , Dutta Trishna , Maldonado Jesús E. , Wood Thomas C. , Panwar Hemendra Singh , Seidensticker John
Published: July 2013

Understanding the patterns of gene flow of an endangered species metapopulation occupying a fragmented habitat is crucial for landscape-level conservation planning and devising effective conservation strategies. Tigers (Panthera tigris) are globally endangered and their populations are highly fragmented and exist in a few isolated metapopulations across their range. We used multi-locus genotypic data from 273 individual tigers (Panthera tigris tigris) from four tiger populations of the Satpura–Maikal landscape of central India to determine whether the corridors in this landscape are functional. This 45 000 km2landscape contains 17% of India's tiger population and 12% of its tiger habitat. We applied Bayesian and coalescent-based analyses to estimate contemporary and historical gene flow among these populations and to infer their evolutionary history. We found that the tiger metapopulation in central India has high rates of historical and contemporary gene flow. The tests for population history reveal that tigers populated central India about 10 000 years ago. Their population subdivision began about 1000 years ago and accelerated about 200 years ago owing to habitat fragmentation, leading to four spatially separated populations. These four populations have been in migration–drift equilibrium maintained by high gene flow. We found the highest rates of contemporary gene flow in populations that are connected by forest corridors. This information is highly relevant to conservation practitioners and policy makers, because deforestation, road widening and mining are imminent threats to these corridors.
PYR/PYL/RCAR Abscisic Acid Receptors Regulate K+ and Cl− Channels through Reactive Oxygen Species-Mediated Activation of Ca2+ Channels at the Plasma Membrane of Intact Arabidopsis Guard Cells
Authors: Wang Yizhou , Chen Zhong-Hua , Zhang Ben , Hills Adrian , Blatt Michael R.
Published: July 2013

The discovery of the START family of abscisic acid (ABA) receptors places these proteins at the front of a protein kinase/phosphatase signal cascade that promotes stomatal closure. The connection of these receptors to Ca2+ signals evoked by ABA has proven more difficult to resolve, although it has been implicated by studies of the pyrbactin-insensitive pyr1/pyl1/pyl2/pyl4 quadruple mutant. One difficulty is that flux through plasma membrane Ca2+ channels and Ca2+ release from endomembrane stores coordinately elevate cytosolic free Ca2+ concentration ([Ca2+]i) in guard cells, and both processes are facilitated by ABA. Here, we describe a method for recording Ca2+ channels at the plasma membrane of intact guard cells of Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana). We have used this method to resolve the loss of ABA-evoked Ca2+ channel activity at the plasma membrane in the pyr1/pyl1/pyl2/pyl4 mutant and show the consequent suppression of [Ca2+]i increases in vivo. The basal activity of Ca2+ channels was not affected in the mutant; raising the concentration of Ca2+ outside was sufficient to promote Ca2+ entry, to inactivate current carried by inward-rectifying K+ channels and to activate current carried by the anion channels, both of which are sensitive to [Ca2+]i elevations. However, the ABA-dependent increase in reactive oxygen species (ROS) was impaired. Adding the ROS hydrogen peroxide was sufficient to activate the Ca2+ channels and trigger stomatal closure in the mutant. These results offer direct evidence of PYR/PYL/RCAR receptor coupling to the activation by ABA of plasma membrane Ca2+ channels through ROS, thus affecting [Ca2+]i and its regulation of stomatal closure.
Hospital service quality and its effects on patient satisfaction and behavioural intention
Authors: Amin Muslim , Zahora Nasharuddin Siti
Published: July 2013

Purpose

The purpose of this study is to investigate hospital service quality and its effect on patient satisfaction and behavioural intention.

Design/methodology/approach

A convenience sampling technique was used in this study. A total of 350 questionnaires were distributed and 216 were returned (61.7 per cent response rate).

Findings

The results confirm that the five dimensions – admission, medical service, overall service, discharge and social responsibility – are a distinct construct for hospital service quality. Each dimension has a significant relationship with hospital service quality. The findings of this study indicate that the establishment of higher levels of hospital service quality will lead customers to have a high level of satisfaction and behavioural intention.

Research limitations/implications

This research examined the concept of hospital service quality, patient satisfaction and behavioural intention from the perspective of patients. However, this study did not explore the perspective of service providers. This is a limitation in as much as it only considers the patients' view, which might be different from the providers' view.

Practical implications

The results indicate that managers should use the perceived service quality and customer satisfaction as mechanisms for exit strategy that will increase loyalty among the present customers.

Originality/value

This study will enable hospitals to have a better understanding of the effects of service quality, which will lead to patient satisfaction and behavioural intention in order to build long‐term relationships with their patients.