bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Solvent Design Methodology to Recycle Chamber Parts and Recover Platinum by Highly Selective Wet Treatment for Ni–Pt Sputtering System
Authors: Futase Takuya , Sabae Yoshichika , Tanimoto Hisanori
Published: November 2013

In this paper, we describe a methodology of solvent design for selective removal of nickel–platinum (Ni–Pt) alloy film deposited on the surface of stainless-steel (SUS) chamber parts, based on electrochemistry. Several removal treatments were compared, such as sandblast-based physical treatment, pre sprayed aluminum lift-off treatment, and a newly proposed dilute-acid treatment. When using dilute acid with a redox potential between 0.75–0.85 V for Ni–Pt removal, no obvious damage was observed on the chamber parts after the treatment. The recycled parts were adequately worked in the sputtering chamber for mass production without causing the particle problem. Furthermore, we acquired losses of only 1.1% for platinum recovery efficiency in the Ni–Pt sputtering system.
Generic Mapping Tools: Improved Version Released
Authors: Wessel Paul , Smith Walter H. F. , Scharroo Remko , Luis Joaquim , Wobbe Florian
Published: November 2013

Generic Mapping Tools (GMT) is an open‐source software package for the analysis and display of geoscience data, helping scientists to analyze, interpolate, filter, manipulate, project, and plot time series and gridded data sets. The GMT toolbox includes about 80 core and 40 supplemental program modules sharing a common set of command options, file structures, and documentation. Its power to process data and produce publication‐quality graphic presentations has made it vital to a large scientific community that now includes more than 25,000 individual users. GMT's website (http://gmt.soest.hawaii.edu/) exceeds 20,000 visits per month, and server logs show roughly 2000 monthly downloads.
Project Asks What's in the Water After Fracking at Depth
Authors: Brantley Susan L. , Pollak Jon , Vidic Radisav D.
Published: November 2013

Clean drinking water is taken for granted in the United States, but what about groundwater and the water in streams, creeks, and lakes?
Be a Part of AGU in 2014
Authors: Burman Robert
Published: November 2013

As the end of the year approaches, remember the many reasons to renew your AGU membership dues for 2014: As an AGU member, you can participate in AGU meetings at special member rates, access Eos, enjoy a 35% discount off the list price of AGU and Wiley books, and be recognized for your work (and recognize others) through AGU's honors and recognition programs.
Direct observation of an interaction in magnetosphere
Authors: Balcerak Ernie
Published: November 2013

Researchers have now directly observed an interaction between poloidal waves, a type of ultralow‐frequency oscillation of the Earth's geomagnetic fields, and ions in the ring current, a band of charged particles drifting around Earth in the magnetosphere above the equator. This so‐called drift resonance wave‐particle interaction has been studied theoretically, and some modes of the interaction (in particular the second harmonics, similar to higher‐frequency vibrations of a vibrating string) have been reported in spacecraft observations, but the first fundamental mode resonances of this interaction had not been clearly observed.
Nonmigrating diurnal tides observed in global thermospheric winds
Authors: Lieberman R. S. , Oberheide J. , Talaat E. R.
Published: November 2013

Nonmigrating diurnal tides between 90 and 270 km are inferred from Upper Atmosphere Research Satellite (UARS) wind imaging interferometer (WINDII) winds. This study represents the first known effort to directly analyze tidal wave number structure and propagation direction in winds observed over this altitude range. Prominent diurnal tides include an eastward propagating wave number 3, a zonally symmetric tide, and a westward propagating wave number 2. UARS High Resolution Doppler Imager winds between 60 and 100 km were analyzed identically and show excellent consistency with WINDII tides. Observed tides were compared with tidal fits to Hough Mode Extensions. WINDII tides are generally damped more slowly above 120 km than fitted tides, and the zonally symmetric tide indicates a thermospheric source not captured by Hough Mode Extensions. Our study provides additional confirmation that tides act as direct coupling agents between the troposphere and the thermosphere (and F region), in addition to their role in the E region dynamo.
Validation of operational seasonal rainfall forecast in Ethiopia
Authors: Korecha Diriba , Sorteberg Asgeir
Published: November 2013

Operational rainfall forecasts using the analog method have been issued in Ethiopia since 1987. We evaluate the performance of the forecast system for February–May and June–September rainy seasons over the period 1999–2011. Verification is performed using rainfall data obtained from Ethiopian meteorological stations covering eight homogeneous rainfall regions used in the forecasts. The results reveal that forecasts issued by the National Meteorological Agency (NMA) of Ethiopia, for the past 12 years have a weak positive skill for all eight regions compared with climatology. In terms of ranked probability skill scores, the values are all lower than 10% indicating that the forecast skill is modest. The results further suggest that the forecasting system has bias toward forecasting near‐normal conditions and has problems in capturing below average events. In contrast, the forecast has some positive skills in ranking the wet years of February–May season, particularly over the regions where there is high seasonal rainfall variability with significantly positive rank correlations for the above average years. For the main season, however, the forecast is not able to rank wet years or dry years. The extreme low and high rainfall events are mostly missed by the forecast scheme. The results indicate rather low forecast skill for extreme rainfall events in both seasons. Generally, the results indicate that NMA's forecasts have low but positive skill as it is common with results from other forecasting systems for the Greater Horn of Africa region. The underforecasting of dry events is the most serious shortcoming of the system.
TMCO1 deficiency causes autosomal recessive cerebrofaciothoracic dysplasia
Authors: Alanay Yasemin , Ergüner Bekir , Utine Eda , Haçarız Orçun , Kiper Pelin Ozlem Simsek , Taşkıran Ekim Zihni , Perçin Ferda , Uz Elif , Sağıroğlu Mahmut Şamil , Yuksel Bayram , Boduroglu Koray , Akarsu Nurten Ayse
Published: November 2013

Cerebrofaciothoracic dysplasia (CFT) (OMIM #213980) is a multiple congenital anomaly and intellectual disability syndrome involving the cranium, face, and thorax. The characteristic features are cranial involvement with macrocrania at birth, brachycephaly, various CT/MRI findings including hypoplasia of corpus callosum, enlargement of septum pellicidum, and diffuse hypodensity of the grey matter, flat face, hypertelorism, cleft lip and cleft palate, low‐set, posteriorly rotated ears, short neck, and multiple costal and vertebral anomalies. The underlying genetic defect remains unknown. Using combination of homozygosity mapping and whole‐exome sequencing, we identified a homozygous nonsense founder mutation, p.Arg87Ter (c.259 C>T), in the human transmembrane and coiled‐coil domains protein 1 (TMCO1) in four out of five families of Turkish origin. The entire critical region on chromosome 1q24 containing TMCO1 was excluded in the fifth family with characteristic findings of CFT providing evidence for genetic heterogeneity of CFT spectrum. Another founder TMCO1 mutation has recently been reported to cause a unique genetic condition, TMCO1‐defect syndrome (OMIM #614132). TMCO1‐defect syndrome shares many features with CFT. This study supports the fact that “TMCO1‐defect syndrome,” initially thought to represent a distinct disorder, indeed belongs to the genetically heterogeneous CFT dysplasia spectrum. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Serum pharmacochemistry combined with multiple data processing approach to screen the bioactive components and their metabolites in Mutan Cortex by ultra‐performance liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry
Authors: Liu Jian‐hua , Sun Hui , Zhang Ai‐hua , Yan Guang‐li , Han Ying , Xue Chang‐song , Zhou Xiao‐hang , Shi Hui , Wang Xi‐jun
Published: November 2013

Root cortex of Paeonia suffruticosa Andrews (Paeoniaceae), known as Moutan Cortex (MC), is known to have anti‐allergic and anti‐inflammatory properties. However, the constituents absorbed into blood after oral administration of MC remain unknown. A sensitive and rapid method by ultra‐high‐pressure liquid chromatography–electrospray ionization–quadrupole‐time‐of‐flight mass spectrometry (UPLC‐ESI‐Q‐TOF‐MS) technology and the MetaboLynxTM software combined with multiple data processing approach (Mdpa) was established to investigate the absorbed constituents in rats after oral administration of MC, providing unique high‐throughput capabilities for drug metabolism study. A hyphenated electrospray ionization and quadrupole‐time‐of‐flight analyzer was used for the determination of accurate mass of the fragment ion in negative mode, with excellent MS mass accuracy and enhanced data acquisition. This rapid automated analysis method was successfully applied for screening and identification of the constituents absorbed and metabolized studies of MC after oral administration to rats. A total of 46 peaks were obtained from MC, 41 of which were tentatively characterized. In the VIP‐plot of orthogonal partial least‐squares discriminant analysis, 23 interesting ions in serum samples were extracted, and 16 parent components and seven metabolites were detected in vivo. The integrative serum pharmacochemistry technique, UPLC‐ESI‐Q‐TOF‐MS, and Mdpa method were successfully applied for rapid discovery of multiple components from MC. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Impact of Atherosclerosis Detection by Carotid Ultrasound on Physician Behavior and Risk‐Factor Management in Asymptomatic Hypertensive Subjects
Authors: Hong Sung‐Jin , Chang Hyuk‐Jae , Song Kijun , Hong Geu‐Ru , Park Seung Woo , Kang Hyun‐Jae , Kim Eung Ju , Kim Dong‐Soo , Jeong Myung‐Ho
Published: November 2013

Background

There are limited data regarding the impact of atherosclerosis detection by carotid ultrasound (CUS) on physician prevention efforts and risk‐factor management for cardiovascular disease.

Hypothesis

Atherosclerosis detection by CUS in asymptomatic hypertensive patients would lead to physician prevention efforts, including target low‐density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL‐C) level and prescription. Also, it may improve risk‐factor management.

Methods

A total of 347 asymptomatic hypertensive subjects (age 61 ± 8 years, 189 men) were prospectively recruited from 22 hospitals. Prior to CUS, physicians were surveyed regarding target LDL‐C level. After CUS, patients were classified into positive CUS (n = 182) and negative CUS (n = 165) groups based on CUS results. Physicians were resurveyed to assess whether the initial target LDL‐C goals were changed. At 6 months, cardiovascular risk‐factor modification status was reassessed.

Results

The proportion of lowered target LDL‐C levels was significantly larger in the positive CUS group than in the negative CUS group (52% vs 23%, P < 0.001). These results were observed even in subjects who had low and moderate risk according to National Cholesterol Education Program–Adult Treatment Panel III guidelines. Lipid‐lowering agents were similarly added or switched to another class in both groups (7% in the positive CUS group vs 11% in the negative CUS group, P = 0.153). LDL‐C was significantly decreased in the positive CUS group (Δ = −24 ± 38 mg/dL, P < 0.001), whereas it was not significantly decreased in the negative CUS group (Δ = −6 ± 31 mg/dL, P = 0.105).

Conclusions

Atherosclerosis detection by CUS lowered physicians' target LDL‐C level and improved cardiovascular risk management in terms of LDL‐C reduction.
Patterns of response and progression in patients with BRAF‐mutant melanoma metastatic to the brain who were treated with dabrafenib
Authors: Azer Mary W. F . , Menzies Alexander M. , Haydu Lauren E. , Kefford Richard F. , Long Georgina V.
Published: November 2013

BACKGROUND

Dabrafenib has activity in patients with brain metastases, but little is known of the relative efficacy of treatment within and outside the brain. This study sought to examine the intracranial (IC) and extracranial (EC) patterns of response and progression in patients with active melanoma brain metastases treated with dabrafenib.

METHODS

Clinicopathologic parameters were collected on patients with active brain metastases enrolled in the phase 1 and 2 studies of dabrafenib at a single institution. RECIST (Response Evaluation Criteria In Solid Tumors) response and progression‐free survival (PFS) were prospectively assessed by disease site (IC versus EC). Treatments received after disease progression were also assessed.

RESULTS

A total of 23 patients were studied. Response rates were similar in IC (78%) and EC (90%) sites (P = .416). IC and EC response was concordant in 71% of patients. Median site‐specific PFS was identical in both IC and EC sites (23.6 weeks, P = .465), and exceeded whole‐body PFS determined by RECIST (16.3 weeks). Of 20 patients with progressive disease (PD), 6 had IC PD only, 6 had EC PD only, and 8 had PD in both sites. In those with isolated intracranial PD, 5 of 6 underwent local therapy to the brain and continued on dabrafenib longer than 30 days.

CONCLUSIONS

IC and EC melanoma metastases respond similarly to dabrafenib. There is no dominant site or pattern of disease progression in patients with brain metastases treated with dabrafenib. Salvage local therapy is possible in most patients after IC disease progression, with ongoing dabrafenib treatment possible in a subset of patients. Cancer 2014;120:530–536. © 2013 American Cancer Society.
Localization Microscopy using Noncovalent Fluorogen Activation by Genetically Encoded Fluorogen‐Activating Proteins.
Authors: Yan Qi , Schwartz Samantha L. , Maji Suvrajit , Huang Fang , Szent‐Gyorgyi Chris , Lidke Diane S. , Lidke Keith A. , Bruchez Marcel P.
Published: November 2013

The noncovalent equilibrium activation of a fluorogenic malachite green dye and its cognate fluorogen‐activating protein (FAP) can produce a sparse labeling distribution of densely tagged genetically encoded proteins, enabling single molecule detection and super‐resolution imaging in fixed and living cells. These sparse labeling conditions are achieved by control of the dye concentration in the milieu, and do not require any photoswitching or photoactivation. The labeling is achieved by using physiological buffers and cellular media, in which additives and switching buffers are not required to obtain super‐resolution images. We evaluate the super‐resolution properties and images obtained from a selected FAP clone fused to actin, and show that the photon counts per object are between those typically reported for fluorescent proteins and switching‐dye pairs, resulting in 10–30 nm localization precision per object. This labeling strategy complements existing approaches, and may simplify multicolor labeling of cellular structures.
Synergistic effects of the invasive Chinese tallow (Triadica sebifera) and climate change on aquatic amphibian survival
Authors: Saenz Daniel , Fucik Erin M. , Kwiatkowski Matthew A.
Published: November 2013

Changes in climate and the introduction of invasive species are two major stressors to amphibians, although little is known about the interaction between these two factors with regard to impacts on amphibians. We focused our study on an invasive tree species, the Chinese tallow (Triadica sebifera), that annually sheds its leaves and produces leaf litter that is known to negatively impact aquatic amphibian survival. The purpose of our research was to determine whether the timing of leaf fall from Chinese tallow and the timing of amphibian breeding (determined by weather) influence survival of amphibian larvae. We simulated a range of winter weather scenarios, ranging from cold to warm, by altering the relative timing of when leaf litter and amphibian larvae were introduced into aquatic mesocosms. Our results indicate that amphibian larvae survival was greatly affected by the length of time Chinese tallow leaf litter decomposes in water prior to the introduction of the larvae. Larvae in treatments simulating warm winters (early amphibian breeding) were introduced to the mesocosms early in the aquatic decomposition process of the leaf litter and had significantly lower survival compared with cold winters (late amphibian breeding), likely due to significantly lower dissolved oxygen levels. Shifts to earlier breeding phenology, linked to warming climate, have already been observed in many amphibian taxa, and with most climate models predicting a significant warming trend over the next century, the trend toward earlier breeding should continue if not increase. Our results strongly suggest that a warming climate can interact with the effects of invasive plant species, in ways we have not previously considered, to reduce the survival of an already declining group of organisms.
The Effects of Electron‐Donating Substituents on [Ir(bpy)Cp*Cl]+: Water Oxidation versus Ligand Oxidative Modifications
Authors: Zhang Teng , deKrafft Kathryn E. , Wang Jin‐Liang , Wang Cheng , Lin Wenbin
Published: November 2013

A series of [Ir(bpy)Cp*Cl]Cl (bpy: 2,2′‐bipyridine; Cp*: pentamethylcyclopentadienyl) complexes with 4,4′‐ and 6,6′‐substituents on the bipyridine ring were synthesized and used for water oxidation both electrochemically and with chemical oxidants. Under electrochemical water‐oxidation reaction (WOR) conditions at pH = 1, blue films were observed to deposit on the electrode surfaces for all of the complexes, without the detection of oxygen. For chemically driven WORs, three oxidants with different overpotentials and electron‐transfer kinetics led to very different behaviors. [Ru(bpy)3]3+ was shown to slowly oxidize the ligands without generating oxygen at pH = 3.7. With NaIO4 as the oxidant at neutral pH, oxygen generation was observed, but ligand oxidation was also seen for the complexes with electron‐donating substituents such as –OMe or –OH groups. With Ce4+ as the oxidant at pH = 1, a competition between water oxidation and ligand decomposition existed; less ligand decomposition was observed for catalysts that are more active for WOR. These results indicate the intricate nature of molecule water‐oxidation catalysts and their complex behaviors that are highly sensitive to water‐oxidation conditions.
Intrinsic Reason for the Morphology Dependence of Luminescent Behavior: A Case Study with GdVO4:Eu3+ Nanocrystals
Authors: Yang Liusai , Li Guangshe , Zhao Minglei , Zheng Jing , Luo Dong , Zheng Yunlong , Li Liping
Published: November 2013

Rare‐earth orthovanadates, a kind of prototypical host, have received extensive attentions owing to their important applications. Although there has been great progress in the control of morphologies and optimzation of properties, the intrinsic reasons for the morphology dependence of their luminescence are still unclear. In this work, we chose GdVO4:Eu3+ as a model compound to study. By varying the surfactant dose involved under mild hydrothermal conditions, several distinct morphologies, such as nanorods, nanowafers, nanoparticles, and snowballs were prepared. Depending on the morphologies and residual surfactant content, surface cationic nonstoichiometry and defects, especially for unstable VO4 groups, were demonstrated to exist in GdVO4:Eu3+ nanocrystals. The first experimental evidence for the relationship between surface defect states and luminescent emission of GdVO4:Eu3+ nanocrystals is presented.
Synthesis and Structures of Mixed‐Valence Oxido‐Bridged Diruthenium Complexes Bearing Ethylbis(2‐pyridylmethyl)amine
Authors: Suzuki Tomoyo , Matsuya Kazuhiro , Kawamoto Tatsuya , Nagao Hirotaka
Published: November 2013

Trihalogenoruthenium(III) complexes bearing an ethylbis(2‐pyridylmethyl)amine (ebpma) ligand, fac‐[RuIIIX3(ebpma)] (X = Cl, Br), were reduced by zinc in acetone that contained halogeno acid to afford a reddish‐orange solution. Two kinds of dinuclear complexes were synthesized from the solution. After removing the remaining zinc and adding counterions such as PF6– and BF4– with water, the solution was allowed to stand under air until the color of the solution changed. New oxido‐bridged dinuclear complexes of mixed‐valence RuIII–RuIV [{RuIII,IVX2(ebpma)}2(μ‐O)]Y (X = Cl, Y = PF6, [1]PF6; Y = BF4, [1]BF4; X = Br, Y = PF6, [2]PF6; Y = BF4, [2]BF4), which showed a similar framework to the reported water oxidation catalysts, were obtained as deep‐colored solids. In the reaction without addition of extra water, a different mixed‐valence dinuclear complex of RuII–RuIII [{RuII,III(ebpma)}2(μ‐Cl)3]2+, for which the metal centers were triply bridged by three chlorides, was formed. The synthetic procedures are useful for the development of multinuclear frameworks that function as molecular catalysts for redox reactions such as water oxidation.
Inactivation of the tumor suppressor WTX in a subset of pediatric tumors
Authors: Akhavanfard Sara , Vargas Sara O. , Han Moonjoo , Nitta Mai , Chang Clarice B. , Le Long P. , Fazlollahi Ladan , Nguyen Quan , Ma Yunqing , Cosper Arjola , Dias‐Santagata Dora , Han Jae Y. , Bergethon Kristin , Borger Darrell R. , Ellisen Leif W. , Pomeroy Scott L. , Haber Daniel A. , Iafrate A. John , Rivera Miguel N.
Published: November 2013

WTX is a tumor suppressor gene expressed during embryonic development and inactivated in 20–30% of cases of Wilms tumor, the most common pediatric kidney cancer. WTX has been implicated in several cellular processes including Wnt signaling, WT1 transcription, NRF2 degradation, and p53 function. Given that WTX is widely expressed during embryonic development and has been recently shown to regulate mesenchymal precursor cells in several organs, we tested for the potential involvement of WTX in a panel of pediatric tumors and adult sarcomas. A total of 353 tumors were screened for WTX deletions by fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH). Discrete somatic WTX deletions were identified in two cases, one hepatoblastoma and one embryonal rhabdomyosarcoma, and confirmed by array comparative genomic hybridization. Direct sequencing of the full WTX open reading frame in 24 hepatoblastomas and 21 embryonal rhabdomyosarcomas did not identify additional mutations in these tumor types. The presence of WTX mRNA was confirmed in hepatoblastomas and embryonal rhabdomyosarcomas without WTX deletions by RNA‐in situ hybridization. Notably, tumors with evidence of WTX inactivation, Wilms tumor, hepatoblastoma and rhabdomyosarcoma, are primitive tumors that resemble undifferentiated precursor cells and are linked to overgrowth syndromes. These results indicate that WTX inactivation occurs in a wider variety of tumor types than previously appreciated and point to shared pathogenic mechanisms between a subset of pediatric malignancies. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
A General Framework for Association Tests With Multivariate Traits in Large‐Scale Genomics Studies
Authors: He Qianchuan , Avery Christy L. , Lin Dan‐Yu
Published: November 2013

Genetic association studies often collect data on multiple traits that are correlated. Discovery of genetic variants influencing multiple traits can lead to better understanding of the etiology of complex human diseases. Conventional univariate association tests may miss variants that have weak or moderate effects on individual traits. We propose several multivariate test statistics to complement univariate tests. Our framework covers both studies of unrelated individuals and family studies and allows any type/mixture of traits. We relate the marginal distributions of multivariate traits to genetic variants and covariates through generalized linear models without modeling the dependence among the traits or family members. We construct score‐type statistics, which are computationally fast and numerically stable even in the presence of covariates and which can be combined efficiently across studies with different designs and arbitrary patterns of missing data. We compare the power of the test statistics both theoretically and empirically. We provide a strategy to determine genome‐wide significance that properly accounts for the linkage disequilibrium (LD) of genetic variants. The application of the new methods to the meta‐analysis of five major cardiovascular cohort studies identifies a new locus (HSCB) that is pleiotropic for the four traits analyzed.
Statistical Testing of Shared Genetic Control for Potentially Related Traits
Authors: Wallace Chris
Published: November 2013

Integration of data from genome‐wide single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) association studies of different traits should allow researchers to disentangle the genetics of potentially related traits within individually associated regions. Formal statistical colocalisation testing of individual regions requires selection of a set of SNPs summarising the association in a region. We show that the SNP selection method greatly affects type 1 error rates, with published studies having used methods expected to result in substantially inflated type 1 error rates. We show that either avoiding variable selection and instead testing the most informative principal components or integrating over variable selection using Bayesian model averaging can help control type 1 error rates. Application to data from Graves' disease and Hashimoto's thyroiditis reveals a common genetic signature across seven regions shared between the diseases, and indicates that in five of six regions associated with Graves' disease and not Hashimoto's thyroiditis, this more likely reflects genuine absence of association with the latter rather than lack of power. Our examination, by simulation, of the performance of colocalisation tests and associated software will foster more widespread adoption of formal colocalisation testing. Given the increasing availability of large expression and genetic association datasets from disease‐relevant tissue and purified cell populations, coupled with identification of regulatory sequences by projects such as ENCODE, colocalisation analysis has the potential to reveal both shared genetic signatures of related traits and causal disease genes and tissues.
TGFβ Inducible Early Gene-1 Plays an Important Role in Mediating Estrogen Signaling in the Skeleton
Authors: Hawse John R , Pitel Kevin S , Cicek Muzaffer , Philbrick Kenneth A , Gingery Anne , Peters Kenneth D , Syed Farhan A , Ingle James N , Suman Vera J , Iwaniec Urszula T , Turner Russell T , Spelsberg Thomas C , Subramaniam Malayannan
Published: November 2013

TGFβ Inducible Early Gene-1 (TIEG1) knockout (KO) mice display a sex-specific osteopenic phenotype characterized by low bone mineral density, bone mineral content, and overall loss of bone strength in female mice. We, therefore, speculated that loss of TIEG1 expression would impair the actions of estrogen on bone in female mice. To test this hypothesis, we employed an ovariectomy (OVX) and estrogen replacement model system to comprehensively analyze the role of TIEG1 in mediating estrogen signaling in bone at the tissue, cell, and biochemical level. Dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA), peripheral quantitative computed tomography (pQCT), and micro-CT analyses revealed that loss of TIEG1 expression diminished the effects of estrogen throughout the skeleton and within multiple bone compartments. Estrogen exposure also led to reductions in bone formation rates and mineralizing perimeter in wild-type mice with little to no effects on these parameters in TIEG1 KO mice. Osteoclast perimeter per bone perimeter and resorptive activity as determined by serum levels of CTX-1 were differentially regulated after estrogen treatment in TIEG1 KO mice compared with wild-type littermates. No significant differences were detected in serum levels of P1NP between wild-type and TIEG1 KO mice. Taken together, these data implicate an important role for TIEG1 in mediating estrogen signaling throughout the mouse skeleton and suggest that defects in this pathway are likely to contribute to the sex-specific osteopenic phenotype observed in female TIEG1 KO mice. © 2014 American Society for Bone and Mineral Research.
Commitment to nutritional endoderm in Eleutherodactylus coqui involves altered nodal signaling and global transcriptional repression
Authors: Chatterjee Suman , Elinson Richard P.
Published: November 2013

The vegetal cells of a Xenopus laevis embryo commit to mesendoderm via the Nodal‐signaling pathway. In the direct developing frog Eleutherodactylus coqui, mesendoderm is specified at the marginal zone of the early gastrula, and vegetal core cells transform into nutritional endoderm. Nutritional endoderm, a novel tissue, consists of transient, yolky cells that provide nutrition but remain undifferentiated. We report a dual regulation for the generation of nutritional endoderm. First, differential expressions of the Nodal‐signal transducers Smad2 and Smad4 were observed during early gastrulation between the marginal zone and the vegetal core cells. Although EcSmad2 RNA as well as total and activated Smad2 protein were detected in the vegetal core, Smad4 protein was expressed less in vegetal core during early gastrulation. Only 12% and 50% of vegetal core cells were positive for nuclear Smad2 and Smad4 signals respectively compared to 100% of marginal zone cells. These results suggest a signaling disruption in the vegetal core. Second, vegetal core cells were transcriptionally repressed. At the blastula stage, both marginal zone and vegetal core cells were transcriptionally silent, but during early gastrulation, only marginal zone cells became transcriptionally active. This indicates the occurrence of a mid‐blastula transition in the marginal zone by early gastrulation, but global transcriptional repression persisted in the vegetal core and its derivative, nutritional endoderm, throughout development. We have described a novel mechanism, which prevents differentiation of the vegetal core through differential Nodal‐signaling and global transcriptional repression. J. Exp. Zool. (Mol. Dev. Evol.) 322B: 27–44, 2014. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Looking for biological factors to predict the risk of active cytomegalovirus infection in non‐immunosuppressed critically ill patients
Authors: Bravo Dayana , Clari María A. , Aguilar Gerardo , Belda Javier , Giménez Estela , Carbonell José A. , Henao Liliana , Navarro David
Published: November 2013

The identification of non‐immunosuppressed critically ill patients most at risk for developing cytomegalovirus (CMV) reactivation is potentially of great clinical relevance. The current study was aimed at determining (i) whether single nucleotide polymorphisms in the genes coding for chemokine receptor 5 (CCR5), interleukin‐10 IL‐10), and monocyte chemoattractant protein‐1 (MCP‐1) have an impact on the incidence rate of active CMV infection, (ii) whether serum levels of CMV‐specific IgGs are associated with the risk of CMV reactivation, and (iii) whether detection of CMV DNA in saliva precedes that in the lower respiratory tract or the blood compartment. A total of 36 out of 78 patients (46%) developed an episode of active CMV infection. The incidence rate of active CMV infection was not significantly associated with any single nucleotide polymorphisms. A trend towards a lower incidence of active CMV infection (P = 0.06) was noted in patients harboring the IL10 C/C genotype. Patients carrying the CCR5 A/A genotype had high CMV DNA loads in tracheal aspirates. The serum levels of CMV IgGs did not differ significantly between patients with a subsequent episode of active CMV infection (median, 217 IU/mL) or without one (median, 494 IU/mL). Detection of CMV DNA in saliva did not usually precede that in plasma and/or tracheal aspirates. In summary, the analysis of single nucleotide polymorphisms in the IL10 and CCR5 genes might help to determine the risk of active CMV infection or the level of CMV replication within episodes, respectively, in non‐immunosuppressed critically ill patients. J. Med. Virol. 86:827–833, 2014. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Full‐length genome characterization and genetic relatedness analysis of hepatitis A virus outbreak strains associated with acute liver failure among children
Authors: Vaughan Gilberto , Forbi Joseph C. , Xia Guo‐Liang , Fonseca‐Ford Maureen , Vazquez Roberto , Khudyakov Yury E. , Montiel Sonia , Waterman Steve , Alpuche Celia , Gonçalves Rossi Livia Maria , Luna Norma
Published: November 2013

Clinical infection by hepatitis A virus (HAV) is generally self‐limited but in some cases can progress to liver failure. Here, an HAV outbreak investigation among children with acute liver failure in a highly endemic country is presented. In addition, a sensitive method for HAV whole genome amplification and sequencing suitable for analysis of clinical samples is described. In this setting, two fatal cases attributed to acute liver failure and two asymptomatic cases living in the same household were identified. In a second household, one HAV case was observed with jaundice which resolved spontaneously. Partial molecular characterization showed that both households were infected by HAV subtype IA; however, the infecting strains in the two households were different. The HAV outbreak strains recovered from all cases grouped together within cluster IA1, which contains closely related HAV strains from the United States commonly associated with international travelers. Full‐genome HAV sequences obtained from the household with the acute liver failure cases were related (genetic distances ranging from 0.01% to 0.04%), indicating a common‐source infection. Interestingly, the strain recovered from the asymptomatic household contact was nearly identical to the strain causing acute liver failure. The whole genome sequence from the case in the second household was distinctly different from the strains associated with acute liver failure. Thus, infection with almost identical HAV strains resulted in drastically different clinical outcomes. J. Med. Virol. 86:202–208, 2014. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Tropical Ulcer on a Human Tibia from 5000 Years Ago in Northern Italy
Authors: Micheletti Cremasco M. , Merlo F. , Fulcheri E. , Rothschild B. M.
Published: November 2013

The term tropical ulcer, as applied to bone pathology, describes the specific pathologic phenomenon of the presence of a well‐defined osteomatous shelf formation on the anteromedial aspect of the tibia. Despite the appellation ‘tropical,’ this pathology is not geographically limited to tropical regions, although it has not previously been reported from continental Europe. Observations of a 4583 BP burial from the Tanaro River area of Northern Italy represent the first such case. Dating of the site to the time of climate change at the end of the first Glacial suggests that hot–warm, humid conditions may have allowed the occurrence of this bone pathology, the first observed in continental Europe. A second explanation is the possible migration of an individual to Italy from an area that is more conventionally considered tropical. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Cluster secondary ion mass spectrometry microscope mode mass spectrometry imaging
Authors: Kiss András , Smith Donald F. , Jungmann Julia H. , Heeren Ron M. A.
Published: November 2013

RATIONALE

Microscope mode imaging for secondary ion mass spectrometry is a technique with the promise of simultaneous high spatial resolution and high‐speed imaging of biomolecules from complex surfaces. Technological developments such as new position‐sensitive detectors, in combination with polyatomic primary ion sources, are required to exploit the full potential of microscope mode mass spectrometry imaging, i.e. to efficiently push the limits of ultra‐high spatial resolution, sample throughput and sensitivity.

METHODS

In this work, a C60 primary source was combined with a commercial mass microscope for microscope mode secondary ion mass spectrometry imaging. The detector setup is a pixelated detector from the Medipix/Timepix family with high‐voltage post‐acceleration capabilities. The system's mass spectral and imaging performance is tested with various benchmark samples and thin tissue sections.

RESULTS

The high secondary ion yield (with respect to 'traditional' monatomic primary ion sources) of the C60 primary ion source and the increased sensitivity of the high voltage detector setup improve microscope mode secondary ion mass spectrometry imaging. The analysis time and the signal‐to‐noise ratio are improved compared with other microscope mode imaging systems, all at high spatial resolution.

CONCLUSIONS

We have demonstrated the unique capabilities of a C60 ion microscope with a Timepix detector for high spatial resolution microscope mode secondary ion mass spectrometry imaging. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Depth profiling organic/inorganic interfaces by argon gas cluster ion beams: sputter yield data for biomaterials, in‐vitro diagnostic and implant applications
Authors: Cumpson Peter J. , Portoles Jose F. , Barlow Anders J. , Sano Naoko , Birch Mark
Published: November 2013

Argon gas cluster ion beam sources are likely to become much more widely available on XPS and SIMS instruments in the next few years. Much attention has been devoted to their ability to depth profile organic materials with minimum damage. What has not been the focus of attention (possibly because it has been very difficult to measure) is the large ratio of sputter yield for organic materials compared with inorganic materials using these sources and the special opportunities this presents for studies of organic/inorganic interfaces. Traditional depth profiling by monatomic argon ions introduces significant damage into the organic overlayer, and because sputter rates in both organic and inorganic are similar for monatomic ions the interface is often ‘blurred’ due to knock‐on and other damage mechanisms. We have used a quartz crystal technique to measure the total sputter yield for argon cluster ions in a number of materials important in medical implants, biomaterials and diagnostic devices, including polymethyl methacrylate, collagen, hydroxyapatite, borosilicate glass, soda lime glass, silicon dioxide and the native oxides on titanium and stainless steel. These data fit a simple semi‐empirical equation very well, so that the total sputter yield can now be estimated for any of them for the entire range of cluster ion energy typical in XPS or SIMS. On the basis of our total sputter yield measurements, we discuss three useful ‘figures‐of‐merit’ for choosing the optimum cluster ion energy to use in depth profiling organic/inorganic samples. For highest selectivity in removing the organic but not the inorganic material the energy‐per‐atom in the cluster should be below 6 eV. A practical balance between selectivity and reasonably rapid depth profiling is achieved by choosing a cluster ion energy having between around 3 and 9 eV energy‐per‐atom. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Brefeldin A Limits N‐Hexanoylsphingosine‐Induced Accumulation of Natural Ceramide via the Salvage Pathway by Enhancing Glucosylation
Authors: Spinedi Angelo
Published: November 2013

Cells actively metabolize exogenously administered N‐hexanoylsphingosine (C6‐Cer) to natural (i.e. long‐chain) ceramide (LC‐Cer) via the sphingosine (Sph) salvage pathway, namely via C6‐Cer deacylation and Sph reacylation with a long‐chain fatty acid. Based on the observation that the mycotoxin brefeldin A (BFA), a Golgi complex disassembler, impairs C6‐Cer‐evoked LC‐Cer accumulation, it has been hypothesized that the integrity of the above‐mentioned organelle might be necessary for C6‐Cer processing via the salvage pathway and that BFA might block the phenomenon at the step short‐chain ceramide deacylation. The present study shows that BFA indeed attenuates C6‐Cer‐evoked LC‐Cer accumulation in human neurotumor CHP‐100 cells: evidence is however provided that the phenomenon is not due to impaired synthesis of LC‐Cer, but to its enhanced conversion to glucosylceramide. The possibility is discussed that this outcome might be a consequence of the BFA well‐established property to induce the merging of the cis‐Golgi region with endoplasmic reticulum, namely the compartments in which glucosylceramide synthase and ceramide synthases have been reported to reside.
Synthesis and Characterization of Novel Diol, Diacid and Di‐isocyanate from Oleic Acid
Authors: Raghunanan Latchmi , Yue Jin , Narine Suresh S.
Published: November 2013

Novel linear diol 2, diacid 3, and diisocyanate 4 with functional groups located at each end of the chain have been produced from oleic acid via a diester precursor. All the compounds were fully characterized by IR, 1H NMR, 13C NMR and Mass Spectrometry. These unbranched terminally‐functionalized compounds are important monomers for the manufacture of biodegradable thermoplastic polyurethanes and polyesters. The general synthetic scheme should also prove useful for the syntheses of diols, diacids and diisocyanates from any unsaturated fatty acid.
Permeability characteristics of cell‐membrane pores induced by ostreolysin A/pleurotolysin B, binary pore‐forming proteins from the oyster mushroom
Authors: Schlumberger Sébastien , Kristan Katarina Črnigoj , Ota Katja , Frangež Robert , Molgό Jordi , Sepčić Kristina , Benoit Evelyne , Maček Peter
Published: November 2013

Proteins from the oyster mushroom, 15 kDa ostreolysin A (OlyA), and 59 kDa pleurotolysin B (PlyB) with a membrane attack complex/perforin (MACPF) domain, damage cell membranes as a binary cytolytic pore‐forming complex. Measurements of single‐channel conductance and transmembrane macroscopic current reveal that OlyA/PlyB form non‐selective ion‐conducting pores with broad, skewed conductance distributions in N18 neuroblastoma and CHO‐K1 cell membranes. Polyethylene‐glycol 8000 (hydrodynamic radius of 3.78 nm) provides almost complete osmotic protection against haemolysis, which strongly suggests a colloid‐osmotic type of erythrocyte lysis. Our data indicate that OlyA/PlyB form transmembrane pores of varied sizes, as other pore‐forming proteins with a MACPF domain.
Nationalism and the Rule of Law
Authors: Rangelov Iavor
Published: November 2013

The relationship between nationalism and the rule of law has been largely neglected by scholars although separately they have often captured public discourse and have emerged as critical concepts. This book provides the first systematic account of this relationship. It develops an analytical framework for understanding the interactions of nationalism and the rule of law by focusing on the domains of citizenship, transitional justice and international justice. The book engages these insights further in a detailed empirical analysis of three case studies from the former Yugoslavia. The author argues that while the tensions and contradictions between nationalism and the rule of law have become more apparent in the post-Cold War era, they can also be harnessed for productive purposes. In exploring the role of law in managing and transforming nationalism, the book emphasises the deliberative character of legal processes and offers an original perspective on the power of international law to reshape public discourse, politics, and legal orders.
The Severed Head and the Grafted Tongue
Authors: Palmer Patricia
Published: November 2013

Severed heads emblemise the vexed relationship between the aesthetic and the atrocious. During the Elizabethan conquest of Ireland, colonisers such as Edmund Spenser, Sir John Harington and Sir George Carew wrote or translated epic romances replete with beheadings even as they countenanced - or conducted - similar deeds on the battlefield. This study juxtaposes the archival record of actual violence with literary depictions of decapitation to explore how violence gets transcribed into art. Patricia Palmer brings the colonial world of Renaissance England face to face with Irish literary culture. She surveys a broad linguistic and geographical range of texts, from translations of Virgil's Aeneid to the Renaissance epics of Ariosto and Ercilla and makes Irish-language responses to conquest and colonisation available in readable translations. In doing so, she offers literary and political historians access not only to colonial brutality but also to its ethical reservations, while providing access to the all-too-rarely heard voices of the dispossessed.
Johannis de Trokelowe et Henrici de Blaneforde chronica et annales
Authors: Trokelowe John de , Blaneforde Henry de
Published: November 2013

Between 1863 and 1876, the Rolls Series published several works from or about the abbey of St Albans, edited by Henry Thomas Riley (1816–78) under the rubric 'Chronica Monasterii S. Albani'. This volume of source material for the thirteenth and fourteenth centuries, some of it unique, appeared in 1866. It contains texts from several important manuscripts, recording state and church affairs, warfare and diplomacy, and benefactions to the abbey. Recent research suggests that the author of the 1307–23 annals, attributed to John de Trokelowe, was William Rishanger (who appears elsewhere in the Rolls Series); Trokelowe was probably a scribe, while Henry de Blaneforde is named as the continuator. Evidence also exists that the anonymous account of the period 1392–1406 in this volume is in fact part of Thomas Walsingham's Chronica majora, other sections of which were edited separately by Riley. The Latin texts are accompanied by English side-notes.
Ypodigma Neustriae
Authors: Walsingham Thomas
Published: November 2013

Between 1863 and 1876, the Rolls Series published several works from or about the abbey of St Albans, edited by Henry Thomas Riley (1816–78) under the rubric 'Chronica Monasterii S. Albani', several of them by Thomas Walsingham (c.1340–c.1422), who supervised the scriptorium at St Albans until 1394 and wrote in Latin on subjects including history, classics and music. This edition of Thomas' last historical work appeared in 1876. A digest of mainly English history from the ninth century to 1419, it contains a dedication to Henry V that emphasises his dynasty's Norman origins and his recent reconquest of Normandy, the 'Neustria' of the title. It contains records of sea and land battles, conspiracies and heresies, weather events and comets, and fascinating details including the appearance of a dolphin in the Thames in 1392 and a state visit to England by the Emperor of Constantinople.
Nobility and Kingship in Medieval England
Authors: Spencer Andrew M.
Published: November 2013

Nobility and Kingship in Medieval England is a major new account of the relationship between Edward I and his earls, and of the role of the English nobility in thirteenth-century governance. Re-evaluating crown-noble relations of the period, Spencer challenges traditional interpretations of Edward's reign, showing that his reputed masterfulness has been overplayed and that his kingship was far subtler, and therefore more effective, than this stereotype would suggest. Drawing from key earldoms such as Lincoln, Lancaster, Cornwall and Warenne, the book reveals how nobles created local followings and exercised power at a local level as well as surveying the political, governmental, social and military lives of the earls, prompting us to rethink our perception of their position in thirteenth-century politics. Adopting a powerful revisionist perspective, Spencer presents a major new statement about thirteenth-century England; one which will transform our understanding of politics and kingship in the period.