bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Gender dysphoria
Authors: Bockting Walter
Published: November 2014

Gender dysphoria refers to a discomfort with one's gender assigned at birth. Many transsexual and transgender individuals experience some degree of gender dysphoria at some point in their lives; if strong and persistent, they may meet criteria for a diagnosis of gender dysphoria as described in DSM‐5. While this diagnosis remains controversial, as it is perceived by some as psychopathologizing this experience, it also can facilitate access to health care (medical and psychological evaluation, counseling, psychotherapy, hormone therapy, surgery) that has been shown to be very effective at alleviating gender dysphoria. Access to such care has been limited, but is rapidly improving worldwide due to the application of a human rights approach to transgender health.
Dimensional analysis of a novel low‐pressure device for the production of size‐tunable nanoemulsions
Authors: Souilem Ines , Serra Christophe A. , Muller René , Holl Yves , Bouquey Michel , Sutter Christophe
Published: November 2014

A novel low pressure device was used to generate nanoemulsions of methyl methacrylate. This device is based on a strong elongational flow known to be more efficient than the shear flow for dispersive mixing. The influence of process parameters (pressure drop number of cycles, number and size of holes) and composition parameters (monomer fraction, surfactant concentration, etc) on droplet size has shown that the average droplet size can be tailored in the range 30–200 nm by adjusting these parameters. The objective of the present paper is to find correlations that relate the obtained droplet size to the studied process and composition parameters. This model is based on a dimensional analysis using the Buckingham theorem in order to determine appropriate dimensionless numbers. This approach represents a first step for scaling up the device besides giving a set of parameters allowing to achieve a given droplet size. © 2014 American Institute of Chemical Engineers AIChE J, 61: 23–30, 2015
Increased body mass in infancy and early toddlerhood in Angelman syndrome patients with uniparental disomy and imprinting center defects
Authors: Brennan Marie‐Luise , Adam Margaret P. , Seaver Laurie H. , Myers Angela , Schelley Susan , Zadeh Neda , Hudgins Louanne , Bernstein Jonathan A.
Published: November 2014

The diagnosis of Angelman syndrome (AS) is based on clinical features and genetic testing. Developmental delay, severe speech impairment, ataxia, atypical behavior and microcephaly by two years of age are typical. Feeding difficulties in young infants and obesity in late childhood can also be seen. The NIH Angelman‐Rett‐Prader‐Willi Consortium and others have documented genotype–phenotype associations including an increased body mass index in children with uniparental disomy (UPD) or imprinting center (IC) defects. We recently encountered four cases of infantile obesity in non‐deletion AS cases, and therefore examined body mass measures in a cohort of non‐deletion AS cases. We report on 16 infants and toddlers (ages 6 to 44 months; 6 female, and 10 male) with severe developmental delay. Birth weights were appropriate for gestational age in most cases, >97th% in one case and not available in four cases. The molecular subclass case distribution consisted of: UPD (n = 2), IC defect (n = 3), UPD or IC defect (n = 3), and UBE3A mutation (n = 8). Almost all (7 out of 8) UPD, IC and UPD/IC cases went on to exhibit >90th% age‐ and gender‐appropriate weight for height or BMI within the first 44 months. In contrast, no UBE3A mutation cases exhibited obesity or pre‐obesity measures (percentiles ranged from <3% to 55%). These findings demonstrate that increased body mass may be evident as early as the first year of life and highlight the utility of considering the diagnosis of AS in the obese infant or toddler with developmental delay, especially when severe. Although a mechanism explaining the association of UPD, and IC defects with obesity has not been identified, recognition of this correlation may inform investigation of imprinting at the PWS/AS locus and obesity. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
A laboratory exercise for visible gel filtration chromatography using fluorescent proteins
Authors: Zhang Wenqiang , Cao Yibin , Xu Lishan , Gong Jufang , Sun Meihao
Published: November 2014

Gel filtration chromatography (GFC) separates molecules according to size and is one of the most widely used methods for protein purification. Here, red fluorescent protein (RFP), green fluorescent protein (GFP), yellow fluorescent protein (YFP), cyan fluorescent protein (CFP), and/or their fusion proteins were prokaryotically expressed, purified, and used in a laboratory exercise to intuitively demonstrate GFC. Different bands, corresponding to RFP, RFP‐CFP (RC), YFP‐RFP‐YFP (YRY), and pyruvate kinase II‐GFP (PKG) were well separated on a Superdex 200 column from a 0.5‐mL sample. Increasing the sample volume and changing the chromatographic resin to Sephadex G‐100 resulted in lower resolution separation. Students enjoyed identifying combinations of colored proteins and found this exercise helpful for understanding the factors that affect GFC resolution. © 2014 by The International Union of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, 43(1):33–38, 2015.
Development of new multifunctional terpolymer sorbent for proteomics applications
Authors: Najam‐ul‐Haq Muhammad , Saeed Adeela , Jabeen Fahmida , Hussain Dilshad , Khan Naseem , Shabir Maryam , Raza Nadeem , Ashiq Muhammad Naeem , Malana Muhammad Aslam , Zafar Zafar Iqbal
Published: November 2014

Determination of the availability of phases for specific separations is an important task achieved by a separation chemist. This becomes vital when the complex samples like biofluids are dealt with in proteome science. The work presented here involves the synthesis and application of terpolymeric sorbent with different functionalizations adopted for the selective enrichment of biomolecules of interest from biological fluids. Synthesis of terpolymer was carried out by the radical polymerization of monomers: methyl acrylate, acrylic acid and vinyl acetate with diethylene glycol dimethacrylate as cross‐linking agent, benzoyl peroxide as initiator and chloroform as a porogenic solvent. Characterization was done through Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy and nitrogen adsorption porosimetry. The polymer was further modified to immobilized metal ion affinity chromatographic material, with immobilized Fe3+/La3+ ions that allowed phosphopeptide enrichment from tryptic digests of standard proteins as well as milk, egg yolk and human serum. Sensitivity of enrichment down to 50 fmol was achieved in the presence of complex protein background as bovine serum albumin. Hydrophobicity was introduced through octadecyl amine, which provides comparable results to ZipTip C18/C4 for desalting of complex mixtures of all caseins. Analysis of the enriched content was performed by Matrix Assisted Laser Desorption Ionization Mass Spectrometry (MALDI‐MS). Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Detection of pyridaben residue levels in hot pepper fruit and leaves by liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry: effect of household processes
Authors: Kim Sung‐Woo , Abd El‐Aty A. M. , Rahman Md. Musfiqur , Choi Jeong‐Heui , Choi Ok‐Ja. , Rhee Gyu‐Seek , Chang Moon‐Ik , Kim Heejung , Abid Morad D. N. , Shin Sung Chul , Shim Jae‐Han
Published: November 2014

Following quick, easy, cheap, effective, rugged and safe (QuEChERS) and LC/MS/MS analysis, pyridaben residual levels were determined in unprocessed and processed hot pepper fruit and leaves. The linearities were satisfactory with determination coefficients (R2) in excess of 0.995 in processed and unprocessed pepper fruit and leaves. Recoveries at various concentrations were 79.9–105.1% with relative standard deviations ≤15%. The limits of quantitation of 0.003–0.012 mg/kg were very low compared with the maximum residue limits (2–5 mg/kg) set by the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety, Republic of Korea. The effects of various household processes, including washing, blanching, frying and drying under different conditions (water volume, blanching time and temperature) on residual concentrations were evaluated. Both washing and blanching (in combination with high water volume and time factor) significantly reduced residue levels in hot pepper fruit and leaves compared with other processes. In sum, the developed method was satisfactory and could be used to accurately detect residues in unprocessed and processed pepper fruit and leaves. It is recommended that pepper fruit/leaves be blanched after washing before being consumed to protect consumers from the negative health effects of detected pesticide residues. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Ergothioneine Biosynthetic Methyltransferase EgtD Reveals the Structural Basis of Aromatic Amino Acid Betaine Biosynthesis
Authors: Vit Allegra , Misson Laëtitia , Blankenfeldt Wulf , Seebeck Florian P.
Published: November 2014

Ergothioneine is an N‐α‐trimethyl‐2‐thiohistidine derivative that occurs in human, plant, fungal, and bacterial cells. Biosynthesis of this redox‐active betaine starts with trimethylation of the α‐amino group of histidine. The three consecutive methyl transfers are catalyzed by the S‐adenosylmethionine‐dependent methyltransferase EgtD. Three crystal structures of this enzyme in the absence and in the presence of N‐α‐dimethylhistidine and S‐adenosylhomocysteine implicate a preorganized array of hydrophilic interactions as the determinants for substrate specificity and apparent processivity. We identified two active site mutations that change the substrate specificity of EgtD 107‐fold and transform the histidine‐methyltransferase into a proficient tryptophan‐methyltransferase. Finally, a genomic search for EgtD homologues in fungal genomes revealed tyrosine and tryptophan trimethylation activity as a frequent trait in ascomycetous and basidomycetous fungi.
Meningeal involvement in multiple myeloma
Authors: Laribi Kamel , Mellerio Charles , Baugier Alix , Ghnaya Habib , Denizon Nathalie , Besançon Anne , Laly Margot , Jadeau Christelle
Published: November 2014

Key Clinical Message

A patient with multiple myeloma with a mass in the nasopharyngeal was diagnosed. He received melphalan autograft and radiotherapy, and obtained complete remission. He relapsed 3 months later, with meningeal involvement and without systemic relapse. He received intrathecal and systemic chemotherapy, without neurological improvement and died 4 weeks after relapse.
Soft‐tissue tumor of the perineum: an exceptional case of bilateral perineal myoma
Authors: Ben Haj Hassine Mohamed A. , Arfaoui Ramzi , Siala Haythem , Trabelsi Hela , Rachdi Radhouane
Published: November 2014

Key Clinical Message

Perineal myomas in female are exceptional. We report the second case in literature of perineal myomas. It is a case of bilateral perineal myomas lifting the skin occurring in a female patient of 49 years old. She was operated by perineal incisions. Histopathology confirmed the fibromatous nature without signs of malignancy.
Thyrotoxic hypokalemic periodic paralysis in an African male: a case report
Authors: Belayneh Dereje K. , Kellerth Thomas
Published: November 2014

Key Clinical Message

Thyrotoxic hypokalemic periodic paralysis is a rare manifestation of thyrotoxicosis and is rarely reported in non‐Asian populations. A 26‐year‐old Ethiopian male who presented with recurrent flaccid tetraparesis, hypokalemia, and hyperthyroidism is reported here. Thyroid function should be routinely checked in patients with acute or recurrent hypokalemic paralysis.
Vulval cancer and HPV vaccination in recurrent disease
Authors: Gustafson L. W. , Gade Melina , Blaakær Jan
Published: November 2014

Key Clinical Message

A woman diagnosed with a recurrent vulval carcinoma after initial treatment with radiochemotherapy is presented. After three additional relapses she was vaccinated with Gardasil. She has had no relapses in her vulvar area for 39 months and an overall progression‐free survival of almost 24 months.
Stroke After Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement: Incidence, Risk Factors, Prognosis, and Preventive Strategies
Authors: Mastoris Ioannis , Schoos Mikkel M. , Dangas George D. , Mehran Roxana
Published: November 2014

The first transcatheter aortisc valve replacement (TAVR) was performed in 2002, and has been proven beneficial in inoperable and high‐risk patients for open heart surgery. Stroke occurrence after TAVR, both periprocedure and at follow‐up, has not been well described. We sought to review incidence, pathophysiology, predictors, prognosis, and current preventive strategies of cerebrovascular accidents (CVAs) after TAVR. Studies were selected from a Medline search if they contained clinical outcomes data after TAVR. Acute and subacute CVAs after TAVR have been reported in 3% to 6% of patients. Approximately 45% of CVAs occur within 2 days after TAVR; 28% between 3 and 10 days; 4% between 10 and 30 days; and 10.5% occur from 1 month to 2 years. Clinically silent cerebral embolisms have been reported, with an incidence greatly exceeding that of overt CVAs. Underlying pathophysiologic mechanisms for CVAs can be broadly categorized into embolic and nonembolic causes, as well as procedural and postprocedural (early and late). Important predictors of early CVAs are small aortic valve area, atrial fibrillation, and balloon postdilation, whereas late CVAs are mostly influenced by chronic atrial fibrillation, prior cerebrovascular disease, and transapical approach. Following stroke, patients exhibit increased morbidity and mortality. A multilevel approach for the prevention of CVAs includes improved interventional techniques, embolic protection devices, antithrombotic treatment, close monitoring, and aggressive management of modifiable risk factors. Technology advances notwithstanding stroke morbidity and mortality remains steady. The significance of silent cerebral embolism on prognosis remains uncertain, and optimal medical treatment during and after TAVR should be further investigated.
The Influence of Type 2 Diabetes on Left Atrial Remodeling
Authors: Tadic Marijana , Cuspidi Cesare
Published: November 2014

The influence of type 2 diabetes mellitus on cardiac remodeling has been evaluated for decades; however, the majority of investigations were focused only on the left ventricle. The impact of diabetes on the left atrial (LA) function is less researched. LA enlargement has been shown as an independent predictor of cardiovascular morbidity and mortality in the general and diabetic population; however, LA dysfunction has been proven to be an independent predictor only in the general population. There are not much follow‐up data about the influence of diabetes on LA function. New echocardiographic techniques, such as 2‐dimensional speckle tracking imaging, provide more accurate, sensitive, and reliable information about LA function than traditional, volumetric methods. The aim of this review was to summarize the most recent reports about the influence of diabetes on LA function, as well as to discuss the possible mechanisms and potential clinical implications of the relationship between diabetes and LA remodeling.
Acute Heart Failure: Acute Cardiorenal Syndrome and Role of Aggressive Decongestion
Authors: Hanna Elias B. , Hanna Deschamps Eliana
Published: November 2014

Congestion and acute renal dysfunction are at the center of acute heart failure (HF) syndromes. Acute cardiorenal syndrome, which refers to worsening of renal function in a patient with acute HF syndrome, is partly related to venous congestion and high renal afterload. Aggressive decongestion improves renal and myocardial flow and ventricular loading conditions, potentially resulting in reduced HF progression, rehospitalization, and mortality. High‐dose diuretic therapy remains the mainstay therapy. Ultrafiltration and inotropic therapy are useful in the subgroup of patients with a low‐output state and diuretic resistance.
Organocatalytic Domino Michael–Heterocyclization Reaction of α,β‐Unsaturated Aldehydes and α‐Cyano Ketones: Synthesis of Enantioenriched 4,5,6‐Trisubstituted 3,4‐Dihydropyranones
Authors: Guevara‐Pulido James O. , Andrés José M. , Pedrosa Rafael
Published: November 2014

α,β‐Unsaturated aldehydes with aliphatic, electron‐poor aromatic, or electron‐withdrawing substituents at the β position easily react with different ketones leading to enantioenriched hemiacetals, which were further oxidized to give 4,5,6‐trisubstituted‐3,4‐dihydropyranones in good yields and with excellent enantioselectivities. The behavior of the ketones is dependent on the α substituent of the carbonyl group, and a fine‐tuning of the pKa values is necessary to obtain good results.
Concise Synthesis of Tetrazole–Ketopiperazines by Two Consecutive Ugi Reactions
Authors: Zarganes‐Tzitzikas Tryfon , Patil Pravin , Khoury Kareem , Herdtweck Eberhardt , Dömling Alexander
Published: November 2014

A concise route for the synthesis of the novel compound class tetrazole–diketopiperazines was developed. The approach involves the use of two multicomponent reactions: the Ugi tetrazole four‐component reaction (4CR) and the classical intramolecular Ugi 4CR. The tetrazole–diketopiperazines comprise analogs of and are bioisosteric to bioactive diketopiperazines, which thus draws attention for novel bioactive compound design. This scaffold was produced to fill the screening deck of the European lead factory.
Vehicle effects on seismic response of a simple‐span bridge during shake tests
Authors: Shaban Nefize , Caner Alp , Yakut Ahmet , Askan Aysegul , Karimzadeh Naghshineh Ali , Domanic Arman , Can Gizem
Published: November 2014

Presence of vehicles on a bridge has been observed many times during past earthquakes. Although in practice, the engineers may or may not include the live load contribution to seismic weight in design, current bridge design codes do not specify a certain guideline. A very limited research has been conducted to address this issue from design point of view. The focus of this research is to experimentally assess the effect of a vehicle on the seismic response of a bridge through a large‐scale model. In this scope, a 12‐meter long bridge, having a one lane deck with concrete slab on steel girders, has been shaken under five different ground motions obtained from recent earthquakes that occurred in Turkey, in its transverse direction, both with and without a vehicle on top of the deck. The measured results have indicated that top slab transverse acceleration and bearing displacements can reduce up to 18.7% in presence of a vehicle during seismic tests, which is an indication of reduction in substructure forces. The main reason for the reduction in seismic response of the bridge in the presence of live load can be ascribed to the increase in damping of the system due to mass damper‐like action induced by the vehicle. This beneficial effect cannot be observed in vertical seismic response. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Credit‐Implied Equity Volatility—Long‐Term Forecasts and Alternative Fear Gauges
Authors: Byström Hans
Published: November 2014

This study discusses how to compute and forecast long‐term stock return volatilities, typically with a five‐year horizon or longer, using credit derivatives, and how such volatilities can be used in different areas ranging from the valuation of employee stock options and other long‐term derivatives to the construction of market‐based fear gauges in selected countries or market segments. In the empirical part of the paper I focus on the European financial sector and find the credit‐implied volatilities and fear gauges to behave well. The forecasting accuracy of the credit‐implied volatilities is found to be better than that of horizon‐matched historical volatilities. © 2014 The Authors. Journal of Futures Markets Published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Jrl Fut Mark 35:753–775, 2015
Amphibian skull evolution: The developmental and functional context of simplification, bone loss and heterotopy
Authors: Schoch Rainer R.
Published: November 2014

Despite their divergent morphology, extant and extinct amphibians share numerous features in the timing and spatial patterning of dermal skull elements. Here, I show how the study of these features leads to a deeper understanding of morphological evolution. Batrachians (salamanders and frogs) have simplified skulls, with dermal bones appearing rudimentary compared with fossil tetrapods, and open cheeks resulting from the absence of other bones. The batrachian skull bones may be derived from those of temnospondyls by truncation of the developmental trajectory. The squamosal, quadratojugal, parietal, prefrontal, parasphenoid, palatine, and pterygoid form rudimentary versions of their homologs in temnospondyls. In addition, failure to ossify and early fusion of bone primordia both result in the absence of further bones that were consistently present in Paleozoic tetrapods. Here, I propose a new hypothesis explaining the observed patterns of bone loss and emargination in a functional context. The starting observation is that jaw‐closing muscles are arranged in a different way than in ancestors from the earliest ontogenetic stage onwards, with muscles attaching to the dorsal side of the frontal, parietal, and squamosal. The postparietal and supratemporal start to ossify in a similar way as in branchiosaurids, but are fused to neighboring elements to form continuous attachment areas for the internal adductor. The postfrontal, postorbital, and jugal fail to ossify, as their position is inconsistent with the novel arrangement of adductor muscles. Thus, rearrangement of adductors forms the common theme behind cranial simplification, driven by an evolutionary flattening of the skull in the batrachian stem. J. Exp. Zool. (Mol. Dev. Evol.) 322B: 619–630, 2014. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Thelike it or notproposition: Implications of societal characteristics for the cultural expertise and personal values of organization members
Authors: Peterson Mark F. , Barreto Tais Siqueira
Published: November 2014

Extensive statistical discussion about societal and individual levels of analysis continues in international organizational behavior (IOB). This discussion can be improved by drawing from other social science fields, particularly anthropology, sociology, and experimental psychology. We use such literature to develop acultural expertise and personal valuesor “like it or not” proposition about the implications that societal culture has for individuals. This proposition suggests that a society's culture strongly shapes its members' cognitive structures and moderately influences its members' support for the society's prevailing value orientation. We use the family of individualism and collectivism values to illustrate the differences and relationships between levels of analysis. We conclude by reconsidering how to study societal culture and psychological dimensions in IOB. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Shorter term duration, online lab component revolutionized remedial math success rates
Authors: Gomez Cynthia
Published: November 2014

Adult learners at open‐enrollment institutions often arrive lacking basic college readiness. They may have been out of school for many years, so their academic skills may be rusty, or they may simply have failed to acquire a sufficient degree of knowledge in core subjects during previous schooling. As a result, they are not ready to enroll in college‐level courses.
Program faces falling local demand for graduates
Authors: Hope Joan
Published: November 2014

This monthly feature highlights common problems encountered by adult program leaders — with solutions provided by readers.
Personal experience as adult learner, business acumen lead to program improvement
Authors: Gomez Cynthia
Published: November 2014

Each time Christina Trombley returned to college to further her education, new career opportunities opened up.
Mechanical Behavior of Nanostructured and Microstructured Explosives
Authors: Pichot Vincent , Risse Benedikt , Mory Julien , Nicollet Christelle , Schnell Fabien , Comet Marc , Spitzer Denis
Published: November 2014

Nanostructured hexolites (40/60), (60/40), (80/20) and microstructured hexolite (60/40) powders are pressed by uniaxial compression to obtain explosive charges. This kind of composition is often used for the synthesis of detonation nanodiamonds. The morphology, density and cohesion of the resulting pellets are analyzed in the light of the different used compression parameters. This study allows optimizing the compression parameters to obtain well suited explosive charges from nanostructured explosive components. A good cohesion of the nanostructured explosive pellets could be obtained with increasing the temperature used for the compression. Another very important point is that the nanostructuring of the composites is maintained for every compression.
Spaced Armor Effects on Shaped Charge Jet Penetration
Authors: Liu Bei‐bei , Huang Zheng‐xiang , Zu Xu‐dong , Xiao Qiang‐qiang , Jia Xin
Published: November 2014

Spaced armor has a simple structure and is easily produced with low cost. Previous authors calculated how a jet penetrates spaced armor; but, this study provides both a theoretical calculation method describing the interaction of a jet with spaced armor and experimental data which agree well with the theoretical values. The effects of several factors were explored using LS‐DYNA such as the distance between the first plate and the second plate as well as layer thickness on the interaction between the jet and the target. A method for simulating the protection afforded by spaced armor and supporting the design of spaced armor is presented.
Enhancement of Creep Properties of TATB‐Based Polymer‐Bonded Explosive Using Styrene Copolymer
Authors: Lin Congmei , Liu Jiahui , Huang Zhong , Gong Feiyan , Li Yubin , Pan Liping , Zhang Jianhu , Liu Shijun
Published: November 2014

In order to investigate the effects of binder component on the creep properties of polymer‐bonded explosive (PBX), three‐point bending creep behaviors of 1,3,5‐triamino‐2,4,6‐trinitrobenzene (TATB)‐based PBX and its styrene copolymer modified formulation were studied by dynamic mechanical analyzer. The experimental results showed that owing to the addition of reinforcing agent (styrene copolymer) with high glass transition temperature and high mechanical strength, the creep resistance performance of the modified formulation was improved with reduced creep strain and constant creep rate and prolonged creep failure time. A six‐element mechanical model was applied to simulate the creep behaviors of TATB‐based PBX and its modified formulation. The constitutive equation of creep curves under different conditions were obtained by nonlinear fit. The predicted theoretical results coincided quite well with the experimental data.
Jörg Schlaich at 80
Authors: Bögle Annette , Kurrer Karl‐Eugen
Published: November 2014

The Stuttgart School was the first movement to combine the style of and training in architecture, taught and supported at the Stuttgart College of Technology. The Stuttgart School of Building Design is losing visibility just as the profile of architects in society is rising. However, a thoroughgoing analysis of its particular qualities is overdue, especially in the context of creative construction engineering. For example, Bill Baker (*1953), a Structural and Civil Engineering Partner at Skidmore, Owings & Merrill LLP (SOM), Chicago, USA and winner of the 2009 Fritz Leonhardt prize, has described the creative approach as a key element in (civil engineering) training at the University of Stuttgart. Towards the end of the 20th century, the Stuttgart School of Building Design was greatly influenced by Jörg Schlaich (*17th October 1934), whose working, teaching and research methods also helped inspire the creative approach praised above.
Double Oxidative Dehalogenation of 2,5‐Bis(diisopropylphosphoryl)‐3,6‐difluoro‐1,4‐hydroquinone leading to Formation of New Copper Quinonoid Complexes
Authors: Entzminger Paul D. , Cawker Natalie C. , Graveson Amanda N. , Erickson Alexander N. , Valente Edward J. , Urnezius Eugenijus
Published: November 2014

Open air reactions of 2,5‐bis(diisopropylphosphoryl)‐3,6‐difluoro‐1,4‐hydroquinone with (bipy)Cu(CH3COO)2 or (bipy)CuCl2 in wet methanol proceeded with oxidative dehalogenation of the ligand and the formation of bimetallic complexes supported by 2,5‐bis(diisopropylphosphoryl)‐3,6‐dioxy‐1,4‐quinonate. The coordination mode of the bridging ligand towards (bipy)Cu(X) fragments depends on the nature of the anionic ligand (X = acetate or chloride). Thus, in bimetallic complex 2 [bis((2,2′‐bipyridyl)copper(η2‐acetate))‐μ‐(η2(O,O)‐2,5‐bis(diisopropylphosphoryl)‐3,6‐dioxy‐1,4‐quinonate] the ligand coordinates two (bipy)Cu(acetate) fragments into the [O,O] chelation pockets of the tetraoxolene core. In bimetallic complex 3 [bis((2,2′‐bipyridyl)copper(chloride))‐μ‐(η2(O,(P=O))‐2,5‐bis(diisopropylphosphoryl)‐3,6‐dioxy‐1,4‐quinonate] the ligand coordinates the (bipy)CuCl fragments into its [O,(P=O)] pockets. Coordination chemistry was briefly explored by subjecting complex 3 to ligand‐substitution reactions by reacting it with AgBF4 and with carboxylate and carbonate salts. Complexes 4 [bis((aqua)(dimethylformamide)(2,2′‐bipyridyl)copper)‐μ‐(η2(O,(P=O))‐2,5‐bis(diisopropylphosphoryl)‐3,6‐dioxy‐1,4‐quinonate) di‐tetrafluoroborate] and 5 [bis(aqua)(2,2'‐bipyridyl)copper‐(η2(O,O)‐3,6‐bis(diisopropylphosphoryl)‐4,5‐dioxy‐1,2‐quinonate] were obtained during these investigations. Compounds 2–5 were characterized by single‐crystal X‐ray diffraction, elemental analyses, and by spectroscopic and magnetic measurements.
Crystal Structures and Polymorphism of Nickel and Copper Coordination Polymers with Pyridine Ligands
Authors: Krysiak Yaşar , Fink Lothar , Bernert Thomas , Glinnemann Jürgen , Kapuscinski Martin , Zhao Haishuang , Alig Edith , Schmidt Martin U.
Published: November 2014

The crystal structures of a series of pyridine coordination polymers [MIICl2(C5H5N)x]n (M = Ni, Cu), prepared via thermal decomposition are reported. [NiCl2(C5H5N)4] (1) decomposes stepwise via [NiCl2(C5H5N)2]n (2), [NiCl2(C5H5N)]n (3), and [NiCl2(C5H5N)2/3]n (4), to NiCl2 with increasing temperature. The thermal decomposition of [CuCl2(C5H5N)2]n (5), progresses via two polymorphs of [CuCl2(C5H5N)]n (6a and 6b), and [CuCl2(C5H5N)2/3]n (7), to CuCl2. The compounds 3, 4, and 7 were prepared as pure phases. All crystal structures were determined by X‐ray powder diffraction. Notably, the crystal structures of the polymorphs 6a and 6b were determined from powder diffraction data of a mixture of both phases. Crystal structures of [MIICl2(C5H5N)x]n with the same x, but different metal atoms (Ni, Cu) are homeotypic, compounds 4 and 7 are isotypic. Compounds with x = 1 (3, 6a, 6b) are composed of polymeric octahedra double chains 1∞[MCl3/3Cl2/2(C5H5N)] and in case of x = 2/3 (4, 7) of triple chains. The Jahn‐Teller distortion in the copper compounds was observable with the pair distribution function (PDF) analysis.
Hypoxia reduces MAX expression in endothelial cells by unproductive splicing
Authors: Kemmerer Katrin , Weigand Julia E.
Published: November 2014

The MYC–MAX–MXD network is involved in the regulation of cell differentiation and proliferation. Hypoxia affects the expression levels of several members of this network, but changes specific to MAX expression have so far not been shown. We found that in endothelial cells, hypoxia induces alternative splicing of MAX, thereby increasing the expression of two MAX isoforms that differ from the wild type in their 3′ end. Isoform C is degraded by nonsense‐mediated decay and isoform E encodes a highly unstable protein. The instability of isoform E is conferred by 36 isoform‐specific amino acids, which have the capacity to destabilize heterologous proteins. Both splicing events are therefore unproductive and serve the purpose to downregulate the wild type protein.
Assessment of in‐utero venlafaxine induced, ROS‐mediated, apoptotic neurodegeneration in fetal neocortex and neurobehavioral sequelae in rat offspring
Authors: Singh Manish , Singh K.P. , Shukla Shubha , Dikshit Madhu
Published: November 2014

Venlafaxine (VEN), a serotonin and noradrenaline reuptake inhibitor is being used as a drug of choice for treating clinical depression even during pregnancy. It is an important therapeutic option in the treatment of perinatal depression, but the effects of VEN on fetus and the newborn are uncertain. Therefore, present study was undertaken to investigate the safety of in‐utero exposure to VEN in terms of developmental neurotoxicity and neurodegenerative potential by using prenatal rat model. The selected doses of VEN (25, 40 and 50 mg/kg) were administered to pregnant rats from GD 5 to 19 through oral gavage. The fetal brains were dissected and processed for histopathological measurements of neocortical thickness that showed significant reduction. Considering vulnerability of immature brain to free radical injury, VEN exposed neocortices were tested for reactive oxygen species (ROS) levels which were significantly increased. As ROS play important role in the initiation of apoptotic mechanisms, we explored for in situ detection of apoptosis by confocal microscopy that showed enhanced apoptosis including chromatin condensation which was further reconfirmed by electron microscopy. Substantially increased levels of pro‐apoptotic protein Bax and decreased levels of anti‐apoptotic protein Bcl2 as shown by western blotting also supported the increased neuro‐apoptotic degeneration. For further correlation of these findings, prenatally VEN exposed young‐adult rat offspring were assessed for open field exploratory behavior that showed increased anxiety‐like and stereotypic responses indicating disturbed neurobehavioral pattern. The study concludes that prenatal VEN exposure may primarily enhance ROS generation that plays a key role in regulating release of proapoptotic factors from mitochondria and thereby enhancing apoptotic neurodegeneration that affect proliferation, migration and differentiation of cells, resulting in neuronal deficits manifested as long term neurobehavioral impairments.
Protein arginine methyltransferase 5 is a key regulator of the MYCN oncoprotein in neuroblastoma cells
Authors: Park Ji Hyun , Szemes Marianna , Vieira Gabriella Cunha , Melegh Zsombor , Malik Sally , Heesom Kate J. , Von Wallwitz-Freitas Laura , Greenhough Alexander , Brown Keith W. , Zheng Y. George , Catchpoole Daniel , Deery Michael J. , Malik Karim
Published: November 2014

Approximately half of poor prognosis neuroblastomas (NBs) are characterized by pathognomonic MYCN gene amplification and MYCN over‐expression. Here we present data showing that short‐interfering RNA mediated depletion of the protein arginine methyltransferase 5 (PRMT5) in cell‐lines representative of NBs with MYCN gene amplification leads to greatly impaired growth and apoptosis. Growth suppression is not apparent in the MYCN‐negative SH‐SY5Y NB cell‐line, or in two immortalized human fibroblast cell‐lines. Immunoblotting of NB cell‐lines shows that high PRMT5 expression is strongly associated with MYCN‐amplification (P < 0.004, Mann–Whitney U‐test) and immunohistochemical analysis of primary NBs reveals that whilst PRMT5 protein is ubiquitously expressed in the cytoplasm of most cells, MYCN‐amplified tumours exhibit pronounced nuclear PRMT5 staining. PRMT5 knockdown in MYCN‐overexpressing cells, including the SHEP‐21N cell‐line with inducible MYCN expression leads to a dramatic decrease in MYCN protein and MYCN‐associated cell‐death in SHEP‐21N cells. Quantitative gene expression analysis and cycloheximide chase experiments suggest that PRMT5 regulates MYCN at a post‐transcriptional level. Reciprocal co‐immunoprecipitation experiments demonstrated that endogenous PRMT5 and MYCN interact in both SK‐N‐BE(2)C and NGP cell lines. By using liquid chromatography – tandem mass spectrometry (LC‐MS/MS) analysis of immunoprecipitated MYCN protein, we identified several potential sites of arginine dimethylation on the MYCN protein. Together our studies implicate PRMT5 in a novel mode of MYCN post‐translational regulation and suggest PRMT5 plays a major role in NB tumorigenesis. Small‐molecule inhibitors of PRMT5 may therefore represent a novel therapeutic strategy for neuroblastoma and other cancers driven by the MYCN oncogene.
Australian training for contemporary airway management of obstructive sleep apnoea in ENT surgery: current status and future recommendations
Authors: Mackay S , Holmes S , Jones A
Published: November 2014

Background:

The identification and treatment of adult obstructive sleep apnoea and other sleep-related breathing issues demands nuanced clinical judgement to determine if surgery is appropriate and which surgery should be performed. No study to date has evaluated the sleep medicine curriculum from the perspective of the Australian ENT surgical trainee, or addressed potential strategies for improving levels of surgical skill and knowledge in this field.

Methods:

A cross-sectional survey was used to assess knowledge of sleep surgery in trainees enlisted with the Australian Society of Otolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery. After a cadaver dissection workshop on the latest reconstructive surgical techniques in adult OSA, a second survey was used to assess changes in the likelihood of applying techniques.

Results:

Overall, trainee confidence, knowledge and exposure to sleep-disordered breathing cases averaged below 50 per cent. The cadaver dissection workshop achieved consistent improvements in all areas assessed.

Conclusion:

Low confidence and lack of exposure to sleep surgery cases for ENT trainees supports a broadening of the Australian Society of Otolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery curriculum. This paper outlines possible ways to improve this situation.
AN INTERNET-BASED METHOD TO ELICIT EXPERTS’ BELIEFS FOR BAYESIAN PRIORS: A CASE STUDY IN INTRACRANIAL STENT EVALUATION
Authors: Pibouleau Leslie , Chevret Sylvie
Published: November 2014

Rationale: Bayesian methods provide an interesting approach to assessing an implantable medical device (IMD) that has evolved through successive versions because they allow for explicit incorporation of prior knowledge into the analysis. However, the literature is sparse on the feasibility and reliability of elicitation in cases where expert beliefs are used to form priors.

Objectives: To develop an Internet-based method for eliciting experts’ beliefs about the success rate of an intracranial stenting procedure and to assess their impact on the estimated benefit of the latest version.

Study Design and Setting: The elicitation questionnaire was administered to a group of nineteen experts. Elicited experts’ beliefs were used to inform the prior distributions of a Bayesian hierarchical meta-analysis model, allowing for the estimation of the success rate of each version. RESULTS: Experts believed that the success rate of the latest version was slightly higher than that of the previous one (median: 80.8 percent versus 75.9 percent). When using noninformative priors in the model, the latest version was found to have a lower success rate (median: 83.1 percent versus 86.0 percent), while no difference between the two versions was detected with informative priors (median: 85.3 percent versus 85.6 percent).

Conclusions: We proposed a practical method to elicit experts’ beliefs on the success rates of successive IMD versions and to explicitly combine all available evidence in the evaluation of the latest one. Our results suggest that the experts were overoptimistic about this last version. Nevertheless, the proposed method should be simplified and assessed in larger, representative samples.
SUBSET HYPOTHESES TESTING AND INSTRUMENT EXCLUSION IN THE LINEAR IV REGRESSION
Authors: Tchatoka Firmin Doko
Published: November 2014

This paper explores the sensitivity of plug-in subset tests to instrument exclusion in structural models. Identification-robust statistics based on the plug-in principle have been developed for testing hypotheses specified on subsets of the structural parameters. However, their robustness to instrument exclusion has not been investigated. This paper proposes an analysis of the asymptotic distributions of the limited information maximum likelihood (LIML) estimator and plug-in statistics when potential instruments are omitted. Our results provide several new insights and extensions of earlier studies. We show that the exclusion of instruments can eliminate the first-stage, thus weakening identification and invalidating the plug-in subset inference. However, when instrument omission does not affect LIML consistency, it preserves the plug-in subset test validity, although LIML is no longer asymptotically efficient. Unlike the instrumental variable (IV) estimator, the LIML estimator of the identified linear combination of the nuisance parameter is not asymptotically a Gaussian mixture, even without instrument exclusion.
The use of referring expressions in narratives by Mandarin heritage language children and the role of language environment factors in predicting individual differences
Authors: JIA RUITING , PARADIS JOHANNE
Published: November 2014

This study investigated the referring expressions used for first mentions of participants and entities in narratives by Mandarin heritage language (HL) and monolingual children. Referring expressions for first mentions in Mandarin comprise lexical, morphological and syntactic devices. Results showed that HL children used less adequate referring expressions for first mentions than the monolinguals, mainly due to overgeneralization of classifiers and lack of vocabulary knowledge. However, HL children did not differ from monolinguals in their use of relative clauses and post-verbal NP placement to mark first mentions. These results suggest that incomplete acquisition of the HL may vary across different linguistic subdomains (Montrul, 2008); specifically, domains requiring a great deal of input to acquire, such as vocabulary and the large repertoire of classifier morphemes, might be more vulnerable in HL speakers than syntax. Mixed modeling analyses revealed that older age of arrival, higher maternal education levels and a rich and diverse Mandarin environment at home predicted stronger narrative outcomes, also pointing to an important role for input in HL acquisition.
Fe65 Ser228 is phosphorylated by ATM/ATR and inhibits Fe65–APP-mediated gene transcription
Authors: Jowsey Paul A. , Blain Peter G.
Published: November 2014

Fe65 binds the amyloid precursor protein (APP) and regulates the secretase-mediated processing of APP into several proteolytic fragments, including amyloid β-peptides (Aβ) and APP intracellular domain (AICD). Aβ accumulation in neural plaques is a pathological feature of Alzheimer's disease (AD) and AICD has important roles in the regulation of gene transcription (in complex with Fe65). It is therefore important to understand how Fe65 is regulated and how this contributes to the function and/or processing of APP. Studies have also implicated Fe65 in the cellular DNA damage response with knockout mice showing increased DNA strand breaks and Fe65 demonstrating a gel mobility shift after DNA damage, consistent with protein phosphorylation. In the present study, we identified Fe65 Ser228 as a novel target of the ATM (ataxia telangiectasia mutated) and ATR (ataxia-telangiectasia- and Rad3-related protein) protein kinases, in a reaction that occurred independently of APP. Neither phosphorylation nor mutation of Ser228 affected the Fe65–APP complex, though this was markedly decreased after UV treatment, with a concomitant decrease in the protein levels of APP in cells. Finally, mutation of Ser228 to alanine (thus blocking phosphorylation) caused a significant increase in Fe65–APP transcriptional activity, whereas phosphomimetic mutants (S228D and S228E) showed decreased transcriptional activity. These studies identify a novel phosphorylation site within Fe65 and a novel regulatory mechanism for the transcriptional activity of the Fe65–APP complex.
Group Position-Dependent Structurally Diverse Coordination Compounds Based on Isomeric Ligands
Authors: Zou Jian Hua , Zhu Jian Nan , Cui Han Jie , Wang Zhong , Zhu Da Liang , Tian He , Zhang Fei Fei , Wang Jing , Li Qiao Yun , Yang Gao Wen
Published: November 2014

Two isomeric ligands Htzpya and Hpytza (Htzpya = 3-(5-tetrazolyl)pyridine-1-acetic acid, Hpytza = 5-(3-pyridyl)tetrazole-2-acetic acid) have been selected to react with DyCl3·6H2O or PrCl3·6H2O under hydrothermal conditions, resulting in the formation of four new coordination compounds, mononuclear [Dy(tzpya)2(H2O)5]Cl·4H2O (1), dinuclear [Pr2(tzpya)2(H2O)12]Cl4·2H2O (2), and two one-dimensional polymers [Dy(pytza)2Cl(H2O)2]n (3) and [Pr(pytza)2Cl(H2O)2]n (4), whose structures are controlled by the different positions of the carboxylate group. These compounds were characterized by elemental analysis, infrared spectroscopy, thermogravimetric analysis, and single-crystal X-ray diffraction. Compounds 1–4 are self-assembled to form three-dimensional network structures by hydrogen bonding interactions. Furthermore, the luminescence properties were also investigated at room temperature in the solid state.
Avoid violence, rioting, and outrage; approach celebration, delight, and strength: Using large text corpora to compute valence, arousal, and the basic emotions
Authors: Westbury Chris , Keith Jeff , Briesemeister Benny B. , Hofmann Markus J. , Jacobs Arthur M.
Published: November 2014

Ever since Aristotle discussed the issue in Book II of his Rhetoric, humans have attempted to identify a set of “basic emotion labels”. In this paper we propose an algorithmic method for evaluating sets of basic emotion labels that relies upon computed co-occurrence distances between words in a 12.7-billion-word corpus of unselected text from USENET discussion groups. Our method uses the relationship between human arousal and valence ratings collected for a large list of words, and the co-occurrence similarity between each word and emotion labels. We assess how well the words in each of 12 emotion label sets—proposed by various researchers over the past 118 years—predict the arousal and valence ratings on a test and validation dataset, each consisting of over 5970 items. We also assess how well these emotion labels predict lexical decision residuals (LDRTs), after co-varying out the effects attributable to basic lexical predictors. We then demonstrate a generalization of our method to determine the most predictive “basic” emotion labels from among all of the putative models of basic emotion that we considered. As well as contributing empirical data towards the development of a more rigorous definition of basic emotions, our method makes it possible to derive principled computational estimates of emotionality—specifically, of arousal and valence—for all words in the language.
Independent Co-option of a Tailed Bacteriophage into a Killing Complex inPseudomonas
Authors: Hockett Kevin L. , Renner Tanya , Baltrus David A.
Published: November 2014

Competition between microbes is widespread in nature, especially among those that are closely related. To combat competitors, bacteria have evolved numerous protein-based systems (bacteriocins) that kill strains closely related to the producer. In characterizing the bacteriocin complement and killing spectra for the model strainP. syringaeB728a, we discovered its activity was not linked to any predicted bacteriocin, but is derived from a prophage. Instead of encoding an active prophage, this region encodes a bacteriophage-derived bacteriocin, termed an R-type syringacin. The R-type syringacin is striking in its convergence with the well-studied R-type pyocin ofP. aeruginosain both chromosomal synteny and molecular function. Genomic alignment, amino acid percent sequence identity, and phylogenetic inference all support a scenario where the R-type syringacin has been co-opted independently of the R-type pyocin. Moreover, the presence of this region is conserved among several otherPseudomonasspecies, and thus is likely important for intermicrobial interactions throughout this important genus.