bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Structural integrity during remanufacture of a topologically interlocked material
Authors: Mather Adam , Cipra Raymond , Siegmund Thomas
Published: March 2012

Purpose

Topologically interlocked materials are a class of materials in which individual unit elements interact with each other through contact only. Cracks and other defects occurring due to external loading are contained in the individual unit elements. Thus, topologically interlocked materials are damage tolerant and provide high structural integrity. The purpose of this paper is to investigate the concepts of remanufacturing in the context of a material for which the intended use is structural such that the material's structural integrity is of concern. In particular, the study is concerned with the mechanical behavior of a topologically interlocked material.

Design/methodology/approach

A topologically interlocked material based on tetrahedron unit elements is investigated experimentally. Manufacturing with aid of a robotically controlled end‐effector is demonstrated, and mechanical properties are determined for a plate configuration. A conceptual mechanical model for failure of topologically interlocked materials is developed and used to interpret the experimental results.

Findings

It is demonstrated that remanufacturing of the topologically interlocked material is possible with only a limited loss of material performance. The proposed model predicts trends in agreement with the experimental findings.

Research limitations/implications

While the model predictions are qualitatively in agreement with experiments, more detailed finite element models are needed to predict the material performance accurately. Experiments were conducted on a model material obtained from a 3D printer and should be verified on other solids.

Practical implications

The authors demonstrate that damage containment together with the absence of binders or adhesives enables reuse through remanufacturing without loss of structural integrity.

Social implications

Topologically interlocked materials emerge as attractive materials for sustainable engineering once their material performance are weighted with an environmental impact factor.

Originality/value

Remanufacturing experiments on a novel class of materials were conducted and a new model for the characterization of the structural integrity of topologically interlocked materials is proposed and successfully evaluated against experiments in at least qualitative form.
An analytical and hypothesis‐driven approach to elasmobranch movement studies
Authors: Papastamatiou Y. P. , Lowe C. G.
Published: March 2012

The study of elasmobranch movements has increased steadily since the early 1970s. A great deal is now known about the horizontal and vertical movements of many elasmobranch species over multiple spatial and temporal scales. These studies illustrate that many species share certain behaviours such as diel shifts in habitat (both horizontal and vertical), continuous yo‐yo bounce diving and in many cases, seasonal migrations. Hypothesis‐driven studies explaining these behaviours or utilizing an eco‐physiological predictive framework are, however, relatively rare. In this review, the descriptive and hypothesis‐driven studies of elasmobranch movements are discussed, in addition to some of the analytical tools that can be used to generate or test predictions. There are many tools and analytical techniques available which are not currently being utilized for most studies of elasmobranch movements. With the constant improvement in technology and statistical techniques, the development of hypothesis‐driven studies of elasmobranch movements should continue to increase.
Nuclear expression of N‐cadherin correlates with poor prognosis of nasopharyngeal carcinoma
Authors: Luo Wei‐Ren , Wu Ai‐Bing , Fang Wei‐Yi , Li Si‐Yi , Yao Kai‐Tai
Published: March 2012

Luo W‐R, Wu A‐B, Fang W‐Y, Li S‐Y & Yao K‐T (2012) Histopathology 61, 237–246

Nuclear expression of N‐cadherin correlates with poor prognosis of nasopharyngeal carcinoma

Aims:  To investigate the aberrant expression of N‐cadherin in nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) and its prognostic significance.

Methods and results:  Immunohistochemical staining for N‐cadherin protein was performed on tissue microarray (TMA) from 122 NPC patients. Cytoplasmic N‐cadherin was observed in 42.6% and nuclear N‐cadherin in 45.1% of NPC tissues. High expression of cytoplasmic and nuclear N‐cadherin was associated with a majority of the clinicopathological variables, including lymph node metastasis, distant metastasis and clinical stage. Cytoplasmic N‐cadherin was associated positively with nuclear N‐cadherin expression (P = 0.000). In univariate analysis, cytoplasmic N‐cadherin showed no significant impact on patient prognosis. In contrast, the overall survival was significantly shorter in patients with high nuclear N‐cadherin than those with low levels of staining (P = 0.002). A high expression of nuclear N‐cadherin predicted poorer survival in patients with late stage disease (P = 0.033), but not those with early tumour stage. In addition, multivariate analysis showed nuclear N‐cadherin to bean independent prognostic marker for NPC patients (P = 0.024).

Conclusions:  Nuclear N‐cadherin expression may represent a valuable prognostic marker in NPC patients, especially those with late stage disease.
The nature of innate and adaptive interleukin‐17A responses in sham or bacterial inoculation
Authors: Chong Deborah L. W. , Ingram Rebecca J. , Lowther Daniel E. , Muir Roshell , Sriskandan Shiranee , Altmann Daniel M.
Published: March 2012

Streptococcus pyogenes is the causative agent of numerous diseases ranging from benign infections (pharyngitis and impetigo) to severe infections associated with high mortality (necrotizing fasciitis and bacterial sepsis). As with other bacterial infections, there is considerable interest in characterizing the contribution of interleukin‐17A (IL‐17A) responses to protective immunity. We here show significant il17a up‐regulation by quantitative real‐time PCR in secondary lymphoid organs, correlating with increased protein levels in the serum within a short time of S. pyogenes infection. However, our data offer an important caveat to studies of IL‐17A responsiveness following antigen inoculation, because enhanced levels of IL‐17A were also detected in the serum of sham‐infected mice, indicating that inoculation trauma alone can stimulate the production of this cytokine. This highlights the potency and speed of innate IL‐17A immune responses after inoculation and the importance of proper and appropriate controls in comparative analysis of immune responses observed during microbial infection.
Rheological interactions of selected hydrocolloid–sugar–milk–emulsifier systems
Authors: BahramParvar Maryam , Razavi Seyed M. A.
Published: March 2012

Rheological properties of solutions containing different ratios and concentrations of three hydrocolloids, i.e., basil seed gum (BSG), guar gum and carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC) were investigated. In addition, the effect of sucrose, skim milk powder and emulsifier, as key ice cream constituents, on the rheological properties of selected hydrocolloids was studied. Power law model was used to describe the rheological properties. Results showed that flow behaviour index of selected hydrocolloids, without any additives, was in the range of 0.501–0.789, while consistency coefficient and apparent viscosity of samples varied from 0.052 to 0.750 Pa.sn, and 0.014 to 0.110 Pa.s, respectively. Addition of sucrose and emulsifier to hydrocolloids led to more viscous and more pseudoplastic solutions, whereas skim milk decreased viscosity and pseudoplasticity in some cases. BSG as a new source of hydrocolloid revealed promising results. Synergistic interactions between gums improved the viscosity of solutions, especially in the case of CMC and guar.
Testing edible mushrooms to inhibit the pancreatic lipase activity by an in vitro digestion model
Authors: Palanisamy Marimuthu , Gil‐Ramírez Alicia , Ruiz‐Rodríguez Alejandro , Marín Francisco R. , Reglero Guillermo , Soler‐Rivas Cristina
Published: March 2012

One of the strategies in prevention or treatment of obesity is altering metabolism of lipids by inhibition of dietary fat absorption. The extracts obtained with methanol, water and methanol:water (1:1) from 21 mushroom species were screened as potential sources of pancreatic lipase (PL) inhibitors using a standardised in vitro test. Lepiota procera methanol:water (1:1) extracts showed the highest inhibition activity closely followed by Grifola frondosa, Pleurotus eryngii and Lyophyllum shimeji. Other mushroom strains such as Morchella conica, Marasmius oreades, Lentinula edodes, Amanita ponderosa and Boletus edulis also showed a certain inhibitory activity. However, when the PL inhibitory activity was evaluated using an in vitro digestion model mimicking gut conditions, none of the selected mushroom extracts were able to inhibit PL activity. On the contrary, stimulation of the lipase activity levels was observed and it was not due to endogenous mushroom lipases activities.
The mediating effects of perceived parental teasing on relations of body mass index to depression and self‐perception of physical appearance and global self‐worth in children
Authors: Bang Kyung‐Sook , Chae Sun‐Mi , Hyun Myung‐Sun , Nam Hye Kyung , Kim Ji‐Soo , Park Kwang‐Hee
Published: March 2012

Aim.  To report a correlational study of the relation of body mass index to children’s perceptions of physical appearance and global self‐worth and depression, as mediated by their perceptions of parental teasing.

Background.  The relation between depression and self‐perception in children with obesity has been reported. Recently, parental factors were found to be related to childhood obesity. Little is known about the effects of perceived parental teasing on depression and self‐perception in children.

Design.  A descriptive correlational research design was used.

Methods.  Data were collected from 455 children in the fifth and sixth grades in four provinces of South Korea using self‐report questionnaires for measuring self‐perception of physical appearance and global self‐worth, depression and perceived parental teasing between October–December in 2009. The children’s weight and height information from school health records was used. Multiple regression analysis and the Sobel test were used to identify the mediating effect of perceived parental teasing.

Results.  Among the children, 20% were overweight or obese. Although children with obesity did not differ in the level of depression from their normal weight counterparts, they demonstrated lower perceived physical appearance and higher perceived parental teasing. The mediating effects of perceived parental teasing were found for the relations between body mass index and self‐perception of physical appearance and global self‐worth, and body mass index and depression, respectively.

Conclusion.  Obese children at risk of parental teasing should be identified to prevent their psychological problems. A well‐designed intervention study is necessary to examine the effects of psycho‐emotional interventions for obese children.
Radiation following long‐distance dispersal: the contributions of time, opportunity and diaspore morphology in Sicyos (Cucurbitaceae)
Authors: Sebastian Patrizia , Schaefer Hanno , Lira Rafael , Telford Ian R. H. , Renner Susanne S.
Published: March 2012

Aim  To infer the most plausible explanations for the presence of 14 species of the Neotropical cucurbit genus Sicyos on the Hawaiian Islands, two on the Galápagos Islands, two in Australia, and one in New Zealand.

Location  Neotropics, the Hawaiian and Galápagos archipelagos, Australia and New Zealand.

Methods  We tested long‐problematic generic boundaries in the tribe Sicyoeae and reconstructed the history of Sicyos using plastid and nuclear DNA sequences from 87 species (many with multiple accessions) representing the group’s generic and geographic diversity. Maximum likelihood and Bayesian approaches were used to infer relationships, divergence times, biogeographic history and ancestral traits.

Results  Thirteen smaller genera, including Sechium, are embedded in Sicyos, which when re‐circumscribed as a monophyletic group comprises 75 species. The 14 Hawaiian species of Sicyos descended from a single ancestor that arrived c. 3 million years ago (Ma), Galápagos was reached twice at c. 4.5 and 1 Ma, the species in Australia descended from a Neotropical ancestor (c. 2 Ma), and New Zealand was reached from Australia. Time since arrival thus does not correlate with Sicyos species numbers on the two archipelagos.

Main conclusions  A plausible mechanism for the four trans‐Pacific dispersal events is adherence to birds of the tiny hard fruit with retrorsely barbed spines found in those lineages that underwent long‐distance migrations. The Hawaiian clade has lost these spines, resulting in a lower dispersal ability compared with the Galápagos and Australian lineages, and perhaps favouring allopatric speciation.
How effective is high‐support community‐based step‐down housing for women in secure mental health care? A quasi‐experimental pilot study
Authors: BARR W. , BROWN A. , QUINN B. , McFARLANE J. , McCABE R. , WHITTINGTON R.
Published: March 2012

Accessible summary

In the past decade UK government policy has been to develop alternative care for women detained in secure psychiatric hospital.

This study evaluated the relative benefits of supportive accommodation, comparing female patients in community step‐down housing and a control group in secure hospital who were on the waiting list for a place in the houses.

The study provides evidence in favour of the further development of high‐support step‐down community housing for women in secure psychiatric care. This may provide greater personal freedom and enhanced relational security for the women concerned while also facilitating improvements in their psychological well‐being, with no increased risk to the women themselves or to the wider community.

We conclude that community reintegration rates could be improved further by the expanded development of step‐down community services for women in forensic psychiatric care.

In the past decade UK government policy has been to develop alternative care for women detained in secure psychiatric hospital. This study evaluated the relative benefits of community‐based step‐down housing. Comparisons were made between female patients in community step‐down housing and a control group in secure hospital who were on the waiting list for the houses. For each woman in the sample, a range of assessments was conducted on three separate occasions over a 12‐month period. We noted a gradual improvement over time in women in both settings. However, by the final assessment psychological well‐being and security needs were significantly better in the community group (P < 0.05). Although risks for violence and social functioning were also somewhat better in this group throughout the study, no statistically significant differences between the groups were found in these areas at any assessment time. This study has generated evidence in support of the further development of high‐support step‐down community housing for women in secure psychiatric care. This initiative may provide greater personal freedom and enhanced relational security for the women concerned while also facilitating improvements in their psychological well‐being, with no increased risk to the women themselves or to the wider community.
A rationale for a clinical supervision database for mental health nursing in the UK
Authors: SLOAN G. , GRANT A.
Published: March 2012

Accessible summary

Clinical supervision (CS) is a valuable resource for mental health nurses. Through guided reflection and supportive facilitation, the recipient of CS works towards developing their therapeutic practice.

In many parts of the UK, the implementation of CS does not equate to best practice. This provision undermines and thwarts the potential gains that effective CS can produce.

The development of a database of clinical supervisors may ensure that best practice guidelines are implemented.

Information about a database that focuses on clinical supervisors of psychological therapies, including its rational, clarifying the intention of CS, and criteria of supervisors, are described.

Clinical supervision (CS) is regarded as a valuable resource for mental health nursing. While there is considerable anecdotal reports of its implementation throughout the UK, these attempts are not without difficulty. A common tension reported in the literature relates to its provision being more akin to managerial supervision within a line‐management hierarchy which jars with its original intention and spirit. This paper will provide a discussion on the implementation of CS in mental health nursing in the UK, beginning with its suggested importance for the discipline. Following on from this, the rationale for a CS database and description of one NHS Board's attempts at developing a resource, initially focusing on clinical supervisors of psychological therapies, will be presented.
Escherichia coli low‐molecular‐weight penicillin‐binding proteins help orient septal FtsZ, and their absence leads to asymmetric cell division and branching
Authors: Potluri Lakshmi‐Prasad , de Pedro Miguel A. , Young Kevin D.
Published: March 2012

Escherichia coli cells lacking low‐molecular‐weight penicillin‐binding proteins (LMW PBPs) exhibit morphological alterations that also appear when the septal protein FtsZ is mislocalized, suggesting that peptidoglycan modification and division may work together to produce cell shape. We found that in strains lacking PBP5 and other LMW PBPs, higher FtsZ concentrations increased the frequency of branched cells and incorrectly oriented Z rings by 10‐ to 15‐fold. Invagination of these rings produced improperly oriented septa, which in turn gave rise to asymmetric cell poles that eventually elongated into branches. Branches always originated from the remnants of abnormal septation events, cementing the relationship between aberrant cell division and branch formation. In the absence of PBP5, PBP6 and DacD localized to nascent septa, suggesting that these PBPs can partially substitute for the loss of PBP5. We propose that branching begins when mislocalized FtsZ triggers the insertion of inert peptidoglycan at unusual positions during cell division. Only later, after normal cell wall elongation separates the patches, do branches become visible. Thus, a relationship between the LMW PBPs and cytoplasmic FtsZ ultimately affects cell division and overall shape.
Low castes have poor access to visceral leishmaniasis treatment in Bihar, India
Authors: Pascual Martínez F. , Picado A. , Roddy P. , Palma P.
Published: March 2012

Objectives  Bihar, the poorest state in India, concentrates most of the visceral leishmaniasis (VL) cases in the country. A large proportion of the poor rural communities where VL is endemic are marginalized by their socio‐economic status, intrinsically related to the caste system. In this study, we evaluated whether people from low socio‐economic strata had difficulties accessing VL treatment in Bihar. As a secondary outcome, we evaluated whether people delaying their VL treatment had poorer clinical indicators at admission.

Methods  Data on 2187 patients with VL treated by Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) in Vaishali district from July 2007 to December 2008 were analysed. Patients who reported having onset of symptoms ≥8 weeks before admission were defined as ‘late presenters’. Logistic regression models were used to evaluate whether low castes had higher risk to be ‘late presenters’ compared to the rest of castes and whether ‘late presenters’ had poorer indicators at admission (i.e. haemoglobin level, spleen size).

Results  After adjusting for age, gender and distance to VL treatment facility, Mushars (the lowest caste in Bihar) had twice the odds to be ‘late presenters’ compared to the rest of castes (OR 2.05, 95% CI: 1.24–2.38). Subjects that had VL symptoms for ≥8 weeks had a larger spleen and lower haemoglobin level than those that were treated earlier.

Conclusion  Low castes have poor access to VL treatment in Bihar, and late presenters have poorer clinical indicators at admission. These findings have implications at individual and community levels and should stimulate targeted VL control programmes to ensure that marginalized communities in Bihar are properly treated.
Cytomegalovirus disease and infection in lung transplant recipients in the setting of planned indefinite valganciclovir prophylaxis
Authors: Wiita A.P. , Roubinian N. , Khan Y. , Chin‐Hong P.V. , Singer J.P. , Golden J.A. , Miller S.
Published: March 2012

Background

The optimal method of both predicting and preventing cytomegalovirus (CMV) disease in lung transplant recipients remains unclear. In particular, the most appropriate duration of CMV prophylaxis post transplant is unresolved. We report herein our experience with a planned indefinite regimen of valganciclovir prophylaxis and monitoring of quantitative CMV load in bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) fluid.

Methods

We performed a single‐center observational study with both prospective and retrospective components. The included patients (n = 128) received a planned regimen of indefinite valganciclovir prophylaxis post transplant, regardless of donor (D)/recipient (R) CMV serostatus. Real‐time polymerase chain reaction assay for detection of CMV in BAL was prospectively performed over a 1‐year period. Clinical data were reviewed retrospectively; median follow‐up was 24.8 months (range 1–93 months).

Results

Sixty‐five patients (50.6%) discontinued valganciclovir prophylaxis, either temporarily or permanently, with a primary cause of mild leukopenia. Six cases of CMV disease were identified (4.7%), with no significant difference between those who were on continuous prophylaxis or not (4.6% vs. 4.9%; P = non‐significant [ns]). However, those who discontinued prophylaxis showed an increased incidence of laboratory‐detected CMV infection (40.7% vs. 12.7%; P = 0.001). High‐risk D+/R− patients did not demonstrate a significantly increased incidence of CMV disease (8.1% vs. 3.3% other serotypes; P = ns). Three patients (2.3%) developed valganciclovir‐resistant CMV disease. Molecular detection of CMV in BAL fluid was significantly more sensitive than shell vial culture. However, BAL CMV viral load was not predictive of subsequent disease development.

Conclusions

Extended valganciclovir prophylaxis for all lung transplant recipients led to a low incidence of CMV disease and resistance. In such low‐incidence populations, routine quantitation of CMV in BAL did not confer significant clinical benefit over non‐quantitative methods in prediction of CMV disease onset.
Post‐operative pain treatment in Denmark from 2000 to 2009: a nationwide sequential survey on organizational aspects
Authors: NIELSEN P. R. , CHRISTENSEN P. A. , MEYHOFF C. S. , WERNER M. U.
Published: March 2012

Background

In Denmark, the first acute pain service (APS) was introduced in 1993. An important objective became to facilitate implementation of accelerated post‐operative rehabilitation programmes (ACC) in selected procedures in abdominal, gynaecological and orthopaedic surgery. Therefore, it is of considerable interest to study the association between the developments of post‐operative pain management and the ACC by sequential analyses from 2000 to 2009.

Methods

In 2000, 2003, 2006 and 2009, a questionnaire was mailed to all Danish anaesthesiology departments. The headings of the questionnaire were demographics of responder departments, resources allocated to pain management methods, quality assessment methods, research activities and implementation of ACC.

Results

The responder rates varied between 80% and 94% (mean 88%) representing a mean number of anaesthetics of 340.000 per year. The number of APSs in the study period varied in university hospitals between 52% and 71% (P = 0.01), regional hospitals between 8% and 40% (P < 0.01), and local hospitals between 0% and 47% (P < 0.01). The prevalences of departments actively engaged in ACC were 40% in 2000, 54% in 2003, 73% in 2006 and 80% in 2009 (P < 0.01).

Conclusions

The study, spanning nearly a decade, illustrates that following an increase in number of APSs from 2000 to 2006, followed by a significant decline, a steadily increasing number of departments implemented ACC.
Red blood cell transfusion during septic shock in the ICU
Authors: PERNER A. , SMITH S. H. , CARLSEN S. , HOLST L. B.
Published: March 2012

Background

Transfusion of red blood cells (RBCs) remains controversial in patients with septic shock, but current practice is unknown. Our aim was to evaluate RBC transfusion practice in septic shock in the intensive care unit (ICU), and patient characteristics and outcome associated with RBC transfusion.

Methods

Prospective cohort study of all adult patients with septic shock (n = 164) in six general ICUs during a 3‐month period. Characteristics, other treatments, monitoring and outcome were compared in RBC‐transfused and ‐non‐transfused patients.

Results

Ninety‐nine patients (95% confidence interval 87–111) received a median 900 ml (interquartile range 490–1405) of RBC during septic shock in ICU. Among transfused patients, there were more females [49/99 (49%) vs. 22/65 (34%), P = 0.048] and surgical patients [39/99 (39%) vs. 14/65 (22%), P = 0.02] than among patients not transfused. Also, admission simplified acute physiology score II was higher and minimal haemoglobin levels (days 1–3) were lower in transfused patients compared with those not transfused. In contrast, age, markers of shock and severity organ failure assessment score on day 1 and 90‐day mortality did not differ between RBC‐transfused and ‐non‐transfused patients.

Conclusions

Most patients with septic shock received RBCs during shock, and these patients had higher disease severity and lower haemoglobin levels than those not transfused. In spite of this, mortality did not differ between groups neither in the unadjusted or adjusted analyses. However, neither the design nor the sample size allows us to make inferences about treatment effects, which underlines the need for large randomised, clinical trials on transfusion in septic shock.
Association of automated data collection and data completeness with outcomes of intensive care. A new customised model for outcome prediction
Authors: REINIKAINEN M. , MUSSALO P. , HOVILEHTO S. , UUSARO A. , VARPULA T. , KARI A. , PETTILÄ V. ,   FINNISH INTENSIVE CARE CONSORTIUM
Published: March 2012

Background

The Finnish Intensive Care Consortium coordinates a national intensive care benchmarking programme. Clinical information systems (CISs) that collect data automatically are widely used. The aim of this study was to explore whether the severity of illness‐adjusted hospital mortality of Finnish intensive care unit (ICU) patients has changed in recent years and whether the changes reflect genuine improvements in the quality of care or are explained by changes in measuring severity of illness.

Methods

We retrospectively analysed data collected prospectively to the database of the Consortium. During the years 2001–2008, there were 116,065 admissions to the participating ICUs. We excluded readmissions, cardiac surgery patients, patients under 18 years of age and those discharged from an ICU to another hospital's ICU. The study population comprised 85,547 patients. The Simplified Acute Physiology Score II (SAPS II) was used to measure severity of illness and to calculate standardised mortality ratios (SMRs, the number of observed deaths divided by the number of expected deaths).

Results

The overall hospital mortality rate was 18.4%. The SAPS II‐based SMRs were 0.74 in 2001–2004 and 0.64 in 2005–2008. The severity of illness‐adjusted odds of death were 24% lower in 2005–2008 than in 2001–2004. One fifth of this computational difference could be explained by differences in data completeness and the automation of data collection with a CIS.

Conclusion

The use of a CIS and improving data completeness do decrease severity‐adjusted mortality rates. However, this explains only one fifth of the improvement in measured outcomes of intensive care in Finland.
Production of Polyclonal Antibodies to the Recombinant Potato virus M (PVM) Non‐structural Triple Gene Block Protein 1 and Coat Protein
Authors: Cerovska Noemi , Moravec Tomas , Plchova Helena , Hoffmeisterova Hana , Dedic Petr
Published: March 2012

The genes encoding the coat protein (CP) and triple gene block protein 1 (TGBp1) of Potato virus M (PVM) were cloned into expression vector pET‐45b(+) (N‐terminal 6xHis tag) and expressed in E. coli Rosetta gami‐2(DE3). The purified recombinant antigens were used for raising polyclonal antibodies. The antibodies against recombinant CP were successfully used in Western blot analysis, plate‐trapped ELISA and DAS‐ELISA as a coating for PVM detection in infected potato leaf samples. The antibodies against recombinant non‐structural protein detected the TGBp1 only in Western blot analysis. This is the first report of the production of polyclonal antibodies against recombinant coat protein and TGBp1 of PVM and their use for detecting the virus.
Development and application of single nucleotide polymorphism markers in the polyploid Brassica napus by 454 sequencing of expressed sequence tags
Authors: Hu Zhiyong , Huang Shunmou , Sun Meiyu , Wang Hanzhong , Hua Wei
Published: March 2012

With 4 figures and 4 tables

Single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) are currently the important classes of genetic markers for major crop species. It has the abundant polymorphism, however, is not widely applicable for genetic linkage mapping. In this study, methods for developing SNP markers in polyploid rapeseed by incorporation of expressed sequence tag (EST) redundancy, quality index and lines information between parents in the absence of reference genomic sequence data are demonstrated. For the development of SNP markers, ESTs were generated from two rapeseed parents ZY036 and 51070. Putative SNPs were computationally identified using 201 190 high‐quality 454 ESTs from the two parents. A total of 655 putative SNPs were detected, among which transition changes accounted for 56% and transversion changes accounted for 44%. Of 50 randomly selected, putative SNPs 42 could be successfully validated, and six of these were successfully mapped in an F2 population from the two parents that were used for generating the EST libraries. These results demonstrate the usefulness of our approach for SNP marker development.
Dimethylformamide Improves the In vitro Characteristics of Thawed Stallion Spermatozoa Reducing Sublethal Damage
Authors: Morillo Rodriguez A , Balao da Silva C , Macías‐García B , Gallardo Bolaños JM , Tapia JA , Aparicio IM , Ortega‐Ferrusola C , Peña FJ
Published: March 2012

Contents

A total of 42 ejaculates were used in the experiment; six ejaculates per stallion, obtained from seven Pure Spanish stallions (PRE), were split and frozen in freezing media with different concentrations and combinations of cryoprotectant (CPA): (i) Cáceres (skim milk based extender) containing 2.5% glycerol (2.5GL), (ii) Cáceres containing 1.5% glycerol and 1.5% dimethylformamide (1.5%GL–1.5%DMFA), (iii) Cáceres extender supplemented with 1.5% glycerol and 2.5% dimethylformamide (1.5%GL–2.5%DMFA) and (iv) Cáceres extender supplemented with 4% dimethylformamide (4%DMFA). After at least 4 weeks of storage in liquid nitrogen (LN), straws were thawed and semen analysed by computer‐assisted sperm analysis and flow cytometry (membrane lipid architecture (Merocyanine 540), integrity and sublethal damage (YoPro‐1) and mitochondrial membrane potential (JC‐1)). After thawing, better results were observed in samples frozen in 4%DMFA or in combinations of 1.5%GL–2.5%DMFA, in fact total motility increased by 16% in the 4%DMFA group compared to 2.5%GL (P < 0.05). Also, there was an increment in the percentage of progressive motile sperm in the 1.5%GL–2.5%DMFA group (9.8% 2.5GL vs 19% in the 1.5%GL–2.5%DMFA group p < 0.05); also, samples frozen in the 4%DMFA group had more intact (YoPro‐1 negative) sperm post‐thawing, 29.3% in 2.5%GL vs 36.7% in 4%DMFA group (p < 0.05). Membrane lipid architecture was not affected by any of the cryoprotectants tested, while samples frozen in 4%DFMA had a lower percentage of mitochondria with lower membrane potential. It is concluded that DMFA improves the outcome of cryopreservation of stallion spermatozoa mainly reducing sublethal cryodamage.
Vitrification with DAP 213 and Cryotop of Ex Situ and In Situ Feline Cumulus–Oocyte Complexes
Authors: Alves AE , Kozel AC , Luvoni GC
Published: March 2012

Contents

This study was undertaken to compare cryotolerance, in terms of viability and resumption of meiosis after warming and culture (24 and 48 h), of ex situ (isolated) and in situ (enclosed in the ovarian tissue) feline cumulus–oocyte complexes (COCs) vitrified with DAP 213 (2 m DMSO, 1 m acetamide, 3 m propylene glycol) in cryotubes or Cryotop method. Ovaries were harvested from 49 pubertal queens. Of each pair of ovaries, one was dissected to release COCs randomly divided into three groups: fresh COCs (control), ex situ COCs vitrified with DAP 213 and Cryotop. The cortex of the other ovary was sectioned into small fragments (approximately 1.5 mm3) and randomly assigned to be vitrified by DAP 213 or Cryotop. After warming, ex situ and in situ (retrieved form vitrified ovarian tissue) COCs were matured in vitro. Viability of oocytes was highly preserved after warming and culture in all treatments. Proportions of oocytes surrounded by complete layers of viable cumulus cells were remarkably decreased (p < 0.00001) in both vitrification procedures compared to fresh oocytes. Resumption of meiosis occurred in all treatments. After 24 h of culture, results were similar in ex situ and in situ vitrified oocytes regardless of the vitrification protocol used (range 29–40%), albeit lower (p < 0.05) than those of fresh oocytes (65.8%). After 48 h of culture, ex situ oocytes vitrified with Cryotop achieved the rates of meiosis resumption similar to fresh oocytes (53.8% vs 67.5%; p > 0.05) and ex situ and in situ oocytes vitrified with DAP 213 showed similar rates of resumption of meiosis. These findings demonstrated that DAP 213 and Cryotop preserve the viability of ex situ and in situ oocytes, but cumulus cells are highly susceptible to vitrification. However, the capability to resume meiosis evidences that feline immature oocytes vitrified as isolated or enclosed in the ovarian cortex have comparable cryotolerance.
Transient expression of cellular retinol‐binding protein‐1 during cardiac repair after myocardial infarction
Authors: Yu Mengyue , Ishibashi‐Ueda Hatsue , Ohta‐Ogo Keiko , Gabbiani Giulio , Yamagishi Masakazu , Hayashi Kenshi , Hirota Seiichi , Bochaton‐Piallat Marie‐Luce , Hao Hiroyuki
Published: March 2012

Retinoic acid (RA) is a vitamin A derivative that exerts pleiotropic biological effects. Intracellular transport and metabolism of RA are regulated by cellular retinol‐binding proteins (CRBP). CRBP‐1 is transiently expressed in granulation tissue fibroblasts during wound healing; however, its role in cardiac remodeling remains unknown. A rat myocardial infarction (MI) model was established by ligation of the left coronary artery, and hearts were obtained at 3, 6, 15, 30 and 45 days after operation. Heart sections were examined immunohistochemically using anti‐vimentin, anti‐α‐smooth muscle actin (α‐SMA), anti‐matrix metalloproteinase (MMP)‐2, anti‐MMP‐9 and anti‐CRBP‐1 antibodies. Infarction involved 48.8 ± 3.6% of the left ventricle and was followed by an important cardiac remodeling. Vimentin‐positive fibroblastic cells including α‐SMA‐positive myofibroblasts expressed CRBP‐1 at 3‐, 6‐, and 15‐days after MI. Expression of CRBP‐1 reached a maximum at 6‐days after infarction. Thereafter, CRBP‐1 expression was dramatically decreased, showing a similar tendency to MMP expression. Human heart specimens of individuals with a recent myocardial infarction demonstrated presence of CRBP‐1‐positive fibroblasts by immunohistochemistry. We have demonstrated that CRBP‐1 is transiently expressed by fibroblasts during cardiac remodeling. Our results suggest that CRBP‐1 plays a role in ventricular remodeling after MI allegedly through its RA binding activity.
A view from the edge of the forest: recent progress in understanding the relationships of the insect orders
Authors: Yeates David K , Cameron Stephen L , Trautwein Michelle
Published: March 2012

Research over the last two decades has significantly increased our understanding of the evolutionary position of the insects among other arthropods, and the relationships among the insect Orders. Many of these insights have been established through increasingly sophisticated analyses of DNA sequence data from a limited number of genes. Recent results have established the relationships of the Holometabola, but relationships among the hemimetabolous orders have been more difficult to elucidate. A strong consensus on the relationships among the Palaeoptera (Ephemeroptera and Odonata) and their relationship to the Neoptera has not emerged with all three possible resolutions supported by different data sets. While polyneopteran relationships generally have resisted significant resolution, it is now clear that termites, Isoptera, are nested within the cockroaches, Blattodea. The newly discovered order Mantophasmatodea is difficult to place with the balance of studies favouring Grylloblattodea as sister‐group. While some studies have found the paraneopteran orders (Hemiptera, Thysanoptera, Phthiraptera and Psocoptera) monophyletic, evidence suggests that parasitic lice (Phthiraptera) have evolved from groups within the book and bark lice (Psocoptera), and may represent parallel evolutions of parasitism within two major louse groups. Within Holometabola, it is now clear that Hymenoptera are the sister to the other orders, that, in turn are divided into two clades, the Neuropteroidea (Coleoptera, Neuroptera and relatives) and the Mecopterida (Trichoptera, Lepidoptera, Diptera and their relatives). The enigmatic order Strepsiptera, the twisted wing insects, have now been placed firmly near Coleoptera, rejecting their close relationship to Diptera that was proposed some 15 years ago primarily based on ribosomal DNA data. Phylogenomic‐scale analyses are just beginning to be focused on the relationships of the insect orders, and this is where we expect to see resolution of palaeopteran and polyneopteran relationships. Future research will benefit from greater coordination between intra and inter‐ordinal analyses. This will maximise the opportunities for appropriate outgroup choice at the intraordinal level and provide the background knowledge for the interordinal analyses to span the maximum phylogenetic scope within groups.
Cigarette smoking as a target for potentiating outcomes for methamphetamine abuse treatment
Authors: BRENSILVER MATTHEW , HEINZERLING KEITH G. , SWANSON AIMEE‐NOELLE , TELESCA DONATELLO , FURST BENJAMIN A. , SHOPTAW STEVEN J.
Published: March 2012

Introduction and Aims. Cigarette smoking occurs frequently among individuals with methamphetamine (MA) dependence. Preclinical and clinical evidence has suggested that the common co‐abuse of MA and cigarettes represents a pharmacologically meaningful pattern.

Methods. The present study is a secondary analysis of a randomised, placebo‐controlled trial of bupropion treatment for MA dependence (bupropion n = 36; placebo n = 37). A hierarchical logistic modelling approach assessed the efficacy of bupropion for reducing MA use separately among smokers and non‐smokers. Among smokers, relations between cigarettes smoked and MA use were assessed.

Results. Smoking status did not affect treatment responsiveness in either the bupropion condition or the placebo condition. In the placebo condition, increased cigarette use was associated with an increased probability of MA use during the same time period. This effect was not observed in the bupropion condition.

Discussion and Conclusions. Initial smoking status did not impact treatment outcomes. Among smokers, results suggest that bupropion may dissociate cigarette and MA use. The effect was modest and a precise pharmacological mechanism remains elusive. Cholinergic systems may be relevant for MA use outcomes. Future studies should continue to assess the role of smoking in MA treatment outcomes.[Brensilver M, Heinzerling KG, Swanson A‐N, Telesca D, Furst BA, Shoptaw SJ. Cigarette smoking as a target for potentiating outcomes for methamphetamine abuse treatment. Drug Alcohol Rev 2013;32:96–99]
Socio‐economic disadvantage at the area level poses few direct barriers to smoking cessation for Australian smokers: Findings from the International Tobacco Control Australian cohort survey
Authors: PARTOS TIMEA R. , BORLAND RON , SIAHPUSH MOHAMMAD
Published: March 2012

Introduction. Area‐level indicators of socio‐economic variation are frequently included in models of individual health outcomes. Area disadvantage is linearly related to smoking prevalence, but its relation to cessation outcomes is less well understood.

Aims. To explore the relationship between area‐level disadvantage and prospective data on smoking cessation.

Design and Methods. The Australian cohort of the International Tobacco Control Four‐Country Survey (N = 3503) was used to prospectively examine the contribution of area‐level socio‐economic disadvantage to predicting three important smoking‐cessation outcomes: making a quit attempt, achieving 1 month abstinence and achieving 6 month abstinence from smoking, while controlling for individual‐level socio‐economic indicators and other individual‐level covariates related to smoking cessation.

Results. Only two independent associations were observed between socio‐economic disadvantage and cessation outcomes. Area‐level disadvantage was related to 1 month abstinence in a non‐linear fashion, and the individual experience of smoking‐induced deprivation was associated with a lower likelihood of making quit attempts.

Discussion. Despite the documented higher prevalence of smoking among the more disadvantaged and in more disadvantaged areas, socio‐economic disadvantage was not consistently related to making quit attempts, nor to medium‐term success. Nevertheless, indirect effects of disadvantage, like its impact on psychological distress, cannot be ruled out, and considering smokers' individual psychosocial circumstances is likely to aid cessation efforts.

Conclusion. Socio‐economic disadvantage, particularly at the area level, poses few direct barriers to smoking cessation.[Partos TR, Borland R, Siahpush M. Socio‐economic disadvantage at the area level poses few direct barriers to smoking cessation for Australian smokers: Findings from the International Tobacco Control Australian cohort survey. Drug Alcohol Rev 2012;31:653–663]
Lost in Translation: The Spirit of Rationalism in the Thought of Tkachev
Authors: OFFORD DEREK
Published: March 2012

I begin by offering a brief definition of the term “rationalism”, first in its strictly philosophical sense as denoting preference for the use of reason over other means of acquiring knowledge, and then in its broader sense as a term denoting patient reasoning, scepticism and reappraisal of received opinions. In this latter sense rationalism informed the critical movement in seventeenth‐ and eighteenth‐century European thought which challenged dogmatic theology, weakened ecclesiastical power and secularized culture. Next, I briefly examine the currency and characteristics of Russian rationalism, particularly as the radical intelligentsia of the 1860s understood the concept (which they often described as “realism”). I then turn to the work of Petr Tkachev, who is chiefly remembered as an émigré revolutionary strategist of the 1870s, an advocate of seizure of political power by a conspiratorial minority and therefore a possible forerunner of Lenin, but who was also a prolific writer on social and philosophical matters before he was arrested and imprisoned in 1869 in connection with the Nechaev affair. I focus on an article, “Essays from the History of Rationalism” and associated fragments, which were seized by the police in 1866 and which were not published in Tkachev's lifetime. Tkachev's article describes and discusses the history of religious dogmatism and persecution in medieval and early‐modern Europe. Scholars have often taken it to be a significant original work. In fact, I claim, it is heavily dependent on a contemporaneous book, the History of the Rise and Influence of the Spirit of Rationalism written by the Irish historian William Lecky. Tkachev did acknowledge his debt to Lecky, but not the extent or nature of the debt; indeed he distanced himself from Lecky. And yet he not only plagiarized the greater part of his article from Lecky (who wrote far more elegantly than Tkachev himself) but also drew from Lecky, no less than from Marx, his thesis that economic considerations underlie ideas and values, as well as the dense factual information for which he admitted Lecky was his source. In this respect Tkachev's article illustrates the derivative nature of Russian rationalism and also indicates the extent to which British influence was overtaking French and German influence in the radical intelligentsia in the 1860s. At the same time, Tkachev's “rationalism” lacks the broad humanism and toleration that infuses the spirit of rationalism as Lecky conceives of it. His article thus reveals the transformation and impoverishment of a European body of thought when it was transplanted to Russian soil and exemplifies features of the cast of mind of the pre‐revolutionary Russian radical intelligentsia on which Sergei Bulgakov remarked in a passage in his contribution to the Landmarks volume that I have taken as my starting point.
A PROOF OF THE IMPOSSIBILITY OF COMPLETING INFINITELY MANY TASKS
Authors: GWIAZDA JEREMY
Published: March 2012

In this article, I argue that it is impossible to complete infinitely many tasks in a finite time. A key premise in my argument is that the only way to get to 0 tasks remaining is from 1 task remaining, when tasks are done 1‐by‐1. I suggest that the only way to deny this premise is by begging the question, that is, by assuming that supertasks are possible. I go on to present one reason why this conclusion (that supertasks are impossible) is important, namely that it implies a new verdict on a decision puzzle propounded by Jeffrey Barrett and Frank Arntzenius.
ROBUST VIRTUE EPISTEMOLOGY AND EPISTEMIC ANTI‐INDIVIDUALISM
Authors: KALLESTRUP JESPER , PRITCHARD DUNCAN
Published: March 2012

According to robust virtue epistemology, knowledge is a cognitive achievement, where this means that the agent's cognitive success is because of her cognitive ability. One type of objection to robust virtue epistemology that has been put forward in the contemporary literature is that this view has problems dealing with certain kinds of testimonial knowledge, and thus that it is in tension with standard views in the epistemology of testimony. We build on this critique to argue that insofar as agents epistemically depend on third‐party members of their epistemic community as many social epistemologists contend, then there will be cases where two agents differ epistemically despite being virtue‐theoretic duplicates. This means that robust virtue epistemology, at least insofar as it is understood along standard lines such that it endorses epistemic individualism, is also in tension with a central commitment of contemporary social epistemology.