bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Effect of oxygen‐to‐metal ratio on densification behavior in the sintering process of PuO2 pellets
Authors: Uchida Teppei , Sunaoshi Takeo , Kato Masato
Published: December 2012

The effect of oxygen‐to‐metal (O/M) ratio on the sintering behavior of plutonium oxide pellets was evaluated from shrinkage measurements in isochronal heating from 973 K to 1923 K and isothermal heating at 1573 K and 1923 K. Air and Ar/H2 gas for which its P/P ratio was controlled using added moisture (H2/H2O) were used as measurement atmospheres. During isochronal heating, shrinkage began at lower temperature with increasing P/P ratio in the Ar/H2 gas atmosphere. On the other hand, shrinkage began at the lowest temperature, 1100K, in the air atmosphere and sintering in air was dominated by two mechanisms. During isothermal heating, the sintering mechanism was evaluated from the shrinkage ratio. In each atmosphere, sintering was dominated by a slow sintering mechanism. Grain growth did not progress in air and it depended on P/P ratio in the Ar/H2 gas atmosphere with added moisture. (© 2012 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)
Bourdieu's notion of cultural capital and its implications for the science curriculum
Authors: CLAUSSEN STEPHANIE , OSBORNE JONATHAN
Published: December 2012

This paper argues that Bourdieu's notion of cultural capital has significant value for identifying the “worth” of a science education. His notion of “embodied,” “objectified,” and “institutionalized” cultural capital is used as a theoretical lens to identify both the intrinsic value of scientific knowledge and its extrinsic value for future employment. This analysis suggests that science education misses three opportunities to establish its value to its students and the wider public. First, science education commonly has a poor understanding of the nature of embodied capital that it offers, failing to communicate the cultural achievement that science represents. Second, it fails to see itself as a means of developing the critical dispositions of mind, which are the hallmark of a scientist but also useful to all citizens. Third, given the policy emphasis on educating the next generation of scientists, it fails to exploit the one major element of cultural capital that science education is currently seen to offer by scientists, the public, and its students—that is the value that science qualifications have for future employment. Bourdieu's concept that the primary function of education is to sustain the culture and privilege of the dominant groups in society offers a lens that helps to identify how and why these apparent contradictions exist. Drawing on Bourdieu's ideas, we develop a perspective to critique current practice and identify the possible contributions science education might make to remediating social injustice.
Undoing decontextualization or how scientists come to understand their own data/graphs
Authors: ROTH WOLFF‐MICHAEL
Published: December 2012

The sciences have been so successful in the course of recent human history because the (mathematical) representations they use articulate laws and relations independent of contextual particulars and contingencies of concrete situations. This allows verification anywhere and at any time, and, therefore, the objectivity of scientific phenomena. Decontextualization, however, may make interpretation difficult even for scientists. This ethnographic study of a scientific lab investigating the absorption of light in the eyes of salmonid fish was designed to investigate the role of context in the understanding of data and graphs in science. Drawing on data from a 5‐year ethnographic study of laboratory science, I exhibit the effort scientists mobilize to learn by reconstructing the context from which their data have been abstracted. Without recontextualization, scientists struggle making sense of the study results that emerge from their work. Scientists require familiarity with the settings from which the data derive and with the entire transformation process that produce graphical representations to be able to interpret the data. This has considerable implications for teaching graphs and graphing and for using graph interpretation tasks. Rather than being a decontextualized basic process skill, graphing competency is a function of familiarity with both scientific object and the research process as a whole.
Seven myths of randomisation in clinical trials
Authors: Senn Stephen
Published: December 2012

I consider seven misunderstandings that may be encountered about the nature, purpose and properties of randomisation in clinical trials. Some concern the practical realities of clinical research on patients. Others are to do with the value and purpose of balance. Still others are to do with a confusion about the role of conditioning in valid statistical inference. I consider a simple game of chance involving two dice to illustrate some points about inference and then consider the seven misunderstandings in turn. I conclude that although one should not make a fetish of randomisation, when proposing alternatives to randomisation in clinical trials, one should be very careful to be precise about the exact nature of the alternative being considered if one is to avoid the danger of underestimating the advantages that randomisation can offer. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Anisotropy of Retained Austenite Stability during Transformation to Martensite in a TRIP‐Assisted Steel
Authors: Emadoddin Esmaeil , Akbarzadeh Abbas , Petrov Roumen , Zhao Lie
Published: December 2012

Retained austenite as a key constituent in final microstructure plays an important role in TRansformation Induced Plasticity (TRIP) steels. The volume fraction, carbon concentration, size, and morphology of this phase are the well‐known parameters which effects on the rate of transformation of retained austenite to martensite and the properties of steel, are studied by many researchers. Of the transformation of retained austenite to martensite under strain in a TRIP steel is studied in this paper. The experimental results show that the transformation rate of retained, austenite with similar characteristics, to martensite in differently processed TRIP steel samples, exhibits an anisotropic behavior. This phenomenon implies a kind of variant selection of martensitic reaction of retained austenite under strain and is explained by ferrite texture developed in steel.
Linguistic multicriteria decision making for energy systems: building the ‘RE2S’ framework
Authors: Doukas Haris
Published: December 2012

Linguistic multicriteria decision‐making aid methods are explored, with different linguistic representation and computational models. These methods, been only recently used in energy‐related applications, use linguistic variables in a finite and totally ordered scale. Building on these methods, the ‘RE2S’ integrated framework for renewable energy policy support, is presented and its pilot appraisal is discussed. This review claims that the presented extensions of the Linguistic Ordered Weighted Averaging and TOPSIS methods, based on the 2‐tuple representation model and the Gödels transformation, can support energy policy problems, narrowing the differences between energy policy‐makers thinking, reasoning, representation, and computing.

This article is categorized under:

Energy Systems Economics > Economics and Policy

Energy Policy and Planning > Economics and Policy
Methodological issues when analysing the role of physical activity in gastric cancer prevention: a critical review
Authors: Ayán C. , Cancela J. , Molina A. , Fernández T. , Martín V.
Published: December 2012

The beneficial effect of physical activity (PA) has been confirmed in several types of cancer (especially colon and breast tumours). However, the role of PA as a risk factor directly related to the incidence of gastric cancer is still open to doubt. This is in part due to the fact that most studies have not considered gastric sub-site or histology of oesophageal cancer, as well as the different approaches used in order to measure PA. Indeed, some studies have tried to link gastric cancer to PA intensity and timing, whereas others have focused on a specific PA type such as recreational, occupational or sporting activity. Furthermore, most of them do not use validated questionnaires, and others create a PA index and employ different unit measures (metabolic equivalents, hours/week, times per week, etc.), which makes it difficult to compare its findings. Under these circumstances, this brief critical review aims to explore and show all the methodological issues that need to be taken into account in order to objectify the link between PA and gastric cancer, as well as provide alternative solutions to these matters.
REEXAMINING EFFECTS OF FORM-FOCUSED INSTRUCTION ON L2 PRONUNCIATION DEVELOPMENT
Authors: Saito Kazuya
Published: December 2012

The present study examines whether and to what degree providing explicit phonetic information (EI) at the beginning of form-focused instruction (FFI) on second language pronunciation can enhance the generalizability and magnitude of FFI effectiveness by increasing learners’ ability to notice a new phone. Participants were 49 Japanese learners of English in English as a foreign language setting. Whereas the control group (n= 14) received meaning-oriented lessons without any focus on form, the experimental groups received 4 hr of FFI treatment designed to encourage them to practice the target feature of an English /ɹ/ in meaningful discourse. Instructors provided EI (i.e., multiple exposure to an exaggerated model pronunciation of /ɹ/ and rule presentation on the relevant articulatory configurations) to the FFI+EI group (n= 17) but not to the FFI-only group (n= 18). Their pre- and posttest performance was acoustically analyzed according to various lexical, task, and following vowel conditions. The results of the ANOVAs showed that (a) the FFI-only group demonstrated moderate improvement with medium effects (e.g., change from hybrid exemplars to poor exemplars), particularly in familiar lexical contexts, and (b) the FFI+EI group not only demonstrated considerable improvement with large effects (e.g., change from hybrid exemplars to good exemplars) but also generalized the instructional gains to unfamiliar lexical contexts beyond the instructional materials.
THE ROLE OF NATIVE LANGUAGE PHONOLOGY IN THE PRODUCTION OF L2 CONTRASTS
Authors: Eckman Fred , Iverson Gregory K.
Published: December 2012

We present findings of an investigation into the acquisition of the English /s/–/ʃ/ contrast by native speakers of Korean and Japanese. Both of these languages have the phones [s] and [ʃ], and both languages exhibit a pattern—or motivate a rule—whereby /s/ is realized as [ʃ] before the vowel [i] and the glide [j]—that is, high front vocoids. The crucial difference, and the focus of this study, is that in Korean [s] and [ʃ] are allophones of /s/, whereas in Japanese the two sounds arguably instantiate different phonemes. We present production data showing that the differences in the functioning of [s] and [ʃ] in the second language learner’s native language have different consequences for the acquisition patterns and the error types produced in the learning of this contrast.
HOUSEHOLD ORGANIZATION AND THE DYNAMICS OF STATE EXPANSION: THE LATE CLASSIC–TERMINAL CLASSIC TRANSFORMATION AT XUENKAL, YUCATAN, MEXICO
Authors: Manahan T. Kam , Ardren Traci , Olvera Alejandra Alonso
Published: December 2012

While changing views of the sociopolitical history of the northern Maya lowlands now recognize that Chichen Itza's emergence as a major polity on an unprecedented scale occurred during the Terminal Classic period, rather than the Early Postclassic period, the ramifications of significant chronological overlap between Chichen Itza's rise and the demise of neighboring polities have been largely unexplored. The ancient Maya center of Xuenkal, located in the Cupul region about 45 km northeast of Chichen Itza, is one of the few known interior sites to contain substantial (and discrete) Cehpech and Sotuta occupations. The Proyecto Arqueológico Xuenkal (PAX) was initiated in 2004 to elucidate Chichen Itza's role in the history of the Cupul region and what role local Xuenkal elites may have played in negotiating regional political dynamics. As with many surrounding centers, it appears that Xuenkal's occupational history reached its zenith with the Late Classic–Terminal Classic Cehpech ceramic sphere. However, unlike neighboring sites associated with Cehpech, such as Ek' Balam or Yaxuna, Xuenkal also contained a substantial Sotuta settlement concentrated within the site core during the Terminal Classic period. These populations adapted into an evolving regional economy by dramatically increasing household production as compared to Late Classic groups. While Sotuta households were tightly integrated into Chichen Itza's regional economy, evidence for their direct state control is not readily apparent. We suggest that the relationship between Chichen Itza and regional communities was more dynamic than current models contend, and that Chichen Itza's political machinations across the peninsula must be considered in local contexts that varied across households, communities, and regions.
THE YABNAL-MOTUL CERAMIC COMPLEX OF THE LATE CLASSIC PERIOD AT CHICHEN ITZA
Authors: de Heredia Puente Eduardo J. Pérez
Published: December 2012

Our understanding of the history of ancient Chichen Itza has been advanced significantly in recent years by the Instituto Nacional de Antropología e Historia's Chichen Itza Archaeological Project. One important advance has been the definition of a new ceramic complex for the site of Yabnal, which dates to the Late Classic period, and corresponds to the Motul ceramic complex of Mayapan. The majority of materials used to define the Yabnal complex come from recent excavation of terraces and platforms distributed throughout the entire area occupied by Chichen Itza in its heyday, but also includes finds in association with the construction and use of buildings with rooms such as the substructure of the Temple of the Initial Series. The most important ceramic materials include complete and restorable vessels obtained from sealed contexts. The Yabnal ceramic complex displays a variety of local and imported wares, similar to those found elsewhere in the northern plains, with the Slate Ware group proving possibly the most important. Ceramic Slate Ware is a high-quality ceramic characterized by the frequent use of volcanic ash as temper, and demonstrates a deeply rooted tradition in northern Yucatan, spanning roughly 600 years. Although most recent discussion of ceramics at Chichen Itza has focused on the Terminal Classic and Postclassic periods, this study examines the early Yabnal ceramic complex of the Late Classic period with a focus on the site, its chronology, and the important implications this ceramic complex has for the general history of the northern plains.
A singular thermodynamically consistent temperature at the origin of the anomalous behavior of liquid water
Authors: Mallamace Francesco , Corsaro Carmelo , Stanley H. Eugene
Published: December 2012

The density maximum of water dominates the thermodynamics of the system under ambient conditions, is strongly P-dependent and disappears at a crossover pressure Pcross ~ 1.8 kbar. We study this variable across a wide area of the T–P phase diagram. We consider old and new data of both the isothermal compressibility KT(T, P) and the coefficient of thermal expansion αP(T, P). We observe that KT(T) shows a minimum at T* ~ 315±5 K for all the studied pressures. We find the behavior of αP to also be surprising: all the αP(T) curves measured at different P cross at T*. The experimental data show a “singular and universal expansivity point” at T* ~ 315 K and αP(T*) ≃ 0.44 10−3 K−1. Unlike other water singularities, we find this temperature to be thermodynamically consistent in the relationship connecting the two response functions.
Accurate prediction of secondary metabolite gene clusters in filamentous fungi
Authors: Andersen Mikael R. , Nielsen Jakob B. , Klitgaard Andreas , Petersen Lene M. , Zachariasen Mia , Hansen Tilde J. , Blicher Lene H. , Gotfredsen Charlotte H. , Larsen Thomas O. , Nielsen Kristian F. , Mortensen Uffe H.
Published: December 2012

Biosynthetic pathways of secondary metabolites from fungi are currently subject to an intense effort to elucidate the genetic basis for these compounds due to their large potential within pharmaceutics and synthetic biochemistry. The preferred method is methodical gene deletions to identify supporting enzymes for key synthases one cluster at a time. In this study, we design and apply a DNA expression array for
Aspergillus nidulans
in combination with legacy data to form a comprehensive gene expression compendium. We apply a guilt-by-association–based analysis to predict the extent of the biosynthetic clusters for the 58 synthases active in our set of experimental conditions. A comparison with legacy data shows the method to be accurate in 13 of 16 known clusters and nearly accurate for the remaining 3 clusters. Furthermore, we apply a data clustering approach, which identifies cross-chemistry between physically separate gene clusters (superclusters), and validate this both with legacy data and experimentally by prediction and verification of a supercluster consisting of the synthase AN1242 and the prenyltransferase AN11080, as well as identification of the product compound nidulanin A. We have used
A. nidulans
for our method development and validation due to the wealth of available biochemical data, but the method can be applied to any fungus with a sequenced and assembled genome, thus supporting further secondary metabolite pathway elucidation in the fungal kingdom.
Murine Guanylate Binding Protein 2 (mGBP2) controlsToxoplasma gondiireplication
Authors: Degrandi Daniel , Kravets Elisabeth , Konermann Carolin , Beuter-Gunia Cornelia , Klümpers Verena , Lahme Sarah , Rasch Eva , Mausberg Anne K. , Beer-Hammer Sandra , Pfeffer Klaus
Published: December 2012

IFN-γ orchestrates the host response against intracellular pathogens. Members of the guanylate binding proteins (GBP) comprise the most abundant IFN-γ–induced transcriptional response. mGBPs are GTPases that are specifically up-regulated by IFN-γ, other proinflammatory cytokines, toll-like receptor agonists, as well as in response toListeria monocytogenesandToxoplasma gondiiinfection. mGBP2 localizes at the parasitophorous vacuole (PV) ofT. gondii; however, the molecular function of mGBP2 and its domains inT. gondiiinfection is not known. Here, we show that mGBP2 is highly expressed in several cell types, including T and B cells after stimulation. We provide evidence that the C-terminal domain is sufficient and essential for recruitment to theT. gondiiPV. Functionally, mGBP2 reducesT. gondiiproliferation because mGBP2-deficient cells display defects in the replication control ofT. gondii. Ultimately, mGBP2-deficient mice reveal a marked immune susceptibility toT. gondii. Taken together, mGBP2 is an essential immune effector molecule mediating antiparasitic resistance.
IL-33 drives biphasic IL-13 production for noncanonical Type 2 immunity against hookworms
Authors: Hung Li-Yin , Lewkowich Ian P. , Dawson Lucas A. , Downey Jordan , Yang Yanfen , Smith Dirk E. , Herbert De'Broski R.
Published: December 2012

Parasitic helminths are a major cause of chronic human disease, affecting more than 3 billion people worldwide. Host protection against most parasitic helminths relies upon Type 2 cytokine production, but the mechanisms that regulate interleukin (IL) 4 and 13 production from CD4
+
T helper 2 cells (T
H
2) and innate lymphoid type 2 cells (ILC2s) remain incompletely understood. The epithelial cell-derived cytokines IL-25 and IL-33 promote Type 2 responses, but the extent of functional redundancy between these cytokines is unclear and whether Type 2 memory relies upon either IL-25 or IL-33 is unknown. Herein, we demonstrate a pivotal role for IL-33 in driving primary and anamnestic immunity against the rodent hookworm
Nippostrongylus brasiliensis
. IL-33–deficient mice have a selective defect in ILC2–derived IL-13 during both primary and secondary challenge infections but generate stronger canonical CD4
+
T helper 2 cells responses (IL-4, IgE, mast cells, and basophils) than WT controls. Lack of IL-13 production in IL-33–deficient mice impairs resistin-like molecule beta (RELMβ) expression and eosinophil recruitment, which are two mechanisms that eliminate
N. brasiliensis
parasites from infected hosts. Thus, IL-33 is requisite for IL-13 but not IL-4–driven Type 2 responses during hookworm infection.
Competing and noncompeting activities of miR-122 and the 5′ exonuclease Xrn1 in regulation of hepatitis C virus replication
Authors: Li You , Masaki Takahiro , Yamane Daisuke , McGivern David R. , Lemon Stanley M.
Published: December 2012

Hepatitis C virus (HCV) replication is dependent on microRNA 122 (miR-122), a liver-specific microRNA that recruits Argonaute 2 to the 5′ end of the viral genome, stabilizing it and slowing its decay both in cell-free reactions and in infected cells. Here we describe the RNA degradation pathways against which miR-122 provides protection. Transfected HCV RNA is degraded by both the 5′ exonuclease Xrn1 and 3′ exonuclease exosome complex, whereas replicating RNA within infected cells is degraded primarily by Xrn1 with no contribution from the exosome. Consistent with this, sequencing of the 5′ and 3′ ends of RNA degradation intermediates in infected cells confirmed that 5′ decay is the primary pathway for HCV RNA degradation. Xrn1 knockdown enhances HCV replication, indicating that Xrn1 decay and the viral replicase compete to set RNA abundance within infected cells. Xrn1 knockdown and miR-122 supplementation have equal, redundant, and nonadditive effects on the rate of viral RNA decay, indicating that miR-122 protects HCV RNA from 5′ decay. Nevertheless, Xrn1 knockdown does not rescue replication of a viral mutant defective in miR-122 binding, indicating that miR-122 has additional yet uncharacterized function(s) in the viral life cycle.
Joint analysis of stressors and ecosystem services to enhance restoration effectiveness
Authors: Allan J. David , McIntyre Peter B. , Smith Sigrid D. P. , Halpern Benjamin S. , Boyer Gregory L. , Buchsbaum Andy , Burton G. A. , Campbell Linda M. , Chadderton W. Lindsay , Ciborowski Jan J. H. , Doran Patrick J. , Eder Tim , Infante Dana M. , Johnson Lucinda B. , Joseph Christine A. , Marino Adrienne L. , Prusevich Alexander , Read Jennifer G. , Rose Joan B. , Rutherford Edward S. , Sowa Scott P. , Steinman Alan D.
Published: December 2012

With increasing pressure placed on natural systems by growing human populations, both scientists and resource managers need a better understanding of the relationships between cumulative stress from human activities and valued ecosystem services. Societies often seek to mitigate threats to these services through large-scale, costly restoration projects, such as the over one billion dollar Great Lakes Restoration Initiative currently underway. To help inform these efforts, we merged high-resolution spatial analyses of environmental stressors with mapping of ecosystem services for all five Great Lakes. Cumulative ecosystem stress is highest in near-shore habitats, but also extends offshore in Lakes Erie, Ontario, and Michigan. Variation in cumulative stress is driven largely by spatial concordance among multiple stressors, indicating the importance of considering all stressors when planning restoration activities. In addition, highly stressed areas reflect numerous different combinations of stressors rather than a single suite of problems, suggesting that a detailed understanding of the stressors needing alleviation could improve restoration planning. We also find that many important areas for fisheries and recreation are subject to high stress, indicating that ecosystem degradation could be threatening key services. Current restoration efforts have targeted high-stress sites almost exclusively, but generally without knowledge of the full range of stressors affecting these locations or differences among sites in service provisioning. Our results demonstrate that joint spatial analysis of stressors and ecosystem services can provide a critical foundation for maximizing social and ecological benefits from restoration investments.
Proteasome inhibition rescues clinically significant unstable variants of the mismatch repair protein Msh2
Authors: Arlow Tim , Scott Kristan , Wagenseller Aubrey , Gammie Alison
Published: December 2012

MSH2
is required for DNA mismatch repair recognition in eukaryotes. Deleterious mutations in human
MSH2
account for approximately half of the alleles associated with a common hereditary cancer syndrome. Previously, we characterized clinically identified
MSH2
missense mutations, using yeast as a model system, and found that the most common cause of defective DNA mismatch repair was low levels of the variant Msh2 proteins. Here, we show that increased protein turnover is responsible for the reduced cellular levels. Increasing gene dosage of more than half of the missense alleles fully restored function. A titration experiment revealed that raising the expression level of one variant to less than wild-type levels restored mismatch repair, suggesting that overexpression is not always required to regain function. We found that the ubiquitin-mediated proteasome degradation pathway is the major mechanism for increased turnover of the Msh2 variants and identified the primary ubiquitin ligase as San1. Deletion of San1 restored protein levels for all but one variant, but did not elevate wild-type Msh2 levels. The unstable variants interacted with San1, whereas wild-type Msh2 did not. Additionally,
san1
Δ suppressed the mismatch repair defect of unstable variants. Of medical significance, the clinically approved drug Bortezomib partially restored protein levels and mismatch repair function for low-level variants and reversed the resistance to cisplatin, a common chemotherapeutic. Our results provide the foundation for an innovative therapeutic regime for certain mismatch-repair-defective cancers that are refractory to conventional chemotherapies.
Engineering antigens for in situ erythrocyte binding induces T-cell deletion
Authors: Kontos Stephan , Kourtis Iraklis C. , Dane Karen Y. , Hubbell Jeffrey A.
Published: December 2012

Antigens derived from apoptotic cell debris can drive clonal T-cell deletion or anergy, and antigens chemically coupled ex vivo to apoptotic cell surfaces have been shown correspondingly to induce tolerance on infusion. Reasoning that a large number of erythrocytes become apoptotic (eryptotic) and are cleared each day, we engineered two different antigen constructs to target the antigen to erythrocyte cell surfaces after i.v. injection, one using a conjugate with an erythrocyte-binding peptide and another using a fusion with an antibody fragment, both targeting the erythrocyte-specific cell surface marker glycophorin A. Here, we show that erythrocyte-binding antigen is collected much more efficiently than free antigen by splenic and hepatic immune cell populations and hepatocytes, and that it induces antigen-specific deletional responses in CD4
+
and CD8
+
T cells. We further validated T-cell deletion driven by erythrocyte-binding antigens using a transgenic islet β cell-reactive CD4
+
T-cell adoptive transfer model of autoimmune type 1 diabetes: Treatment with the peptide antigen fused to an erythrocyte-binding antibody fragment completely prevented diabetes onset induced by the activated, autoreactive CD4
+
T cells. Thus, we report a translatable modular biomolecular approach with which to engineer antigens for targeted binding to erythrocyte cell surfaces to induce antigen-specific CD4
+
and CD8
+
T-cell deletion toward exogenous antigens and autoantigens.
Disrupted and transgenic
urate oxidase
alter urate and dopaminergic neurodegeneration
Authors: Chen Xiqun , Burdett Thomas C. , Desjardins Cody A. , Logan Robert , Cipriani Sara , Xu Yuehang , Schwarzschild Michael A.
Published: December 2012

Urate is the end product of purine metabolism in humans, owing to the evolutionary disruption of the gene encoding urate oxidase (UOx). Elevated urate can cause gout and urolithiasis and is associated with cardiovascular and other diseases. However, urate also possesses antioxidant and neuroprotective properties. Recent convergence of epidemiological and clinical data has identified urate as a predictor of both reduced risk and favorable progression of Parkinson’s disease (PD). In rodents, functional UOx catalyzes urate oxidation to allantoin. We found that
UOx
KO mice with a constitutive mutation of the gene have increased concentrations of brain urate. By contrast,
UOx
transgenic (Tg) mice overexpressing the enzyme have reduced brain urate concentrations. Effects of the complementary
UOx
manipulations were assessed in a mouse intrastriatal 6-hydroxydopamine (6-OHDA) model of hemiparkinsonism.
UOx
KO mice exhibit attenuated toxic effects of 6-OHDA on nigral dopaminergic cell counts, striatal dopamine content, and rotational behavior. Conversely, Tg overexpression of
UOx
exacerbates these morphological, neurochemical, and functional lesions of the dopaminergic nigrostriatal pathway. Together our data support a neuroprotective role of endogenous urate in dopaminergic neurons and strengthen the rationale for developing urate-elevating strategies as potential disease-modifying therapy for PD.
The principle of morphosyntactic subsystem integrity in language contact
Authors: Seifart Frank
Published: December 2012

This paper describes a case of non-lexical borrowing in the Northwest Amazonian language Resígaro (Arawakan), which has borrowed from the unrelated Bora language entire paradigms of noun class, gender, and number markers, as well as associated bound grammatical roots, while all other morphosyntactic subsystems of Resígaro are virtually unaffected. To account for this case of massive morphological borrowing (and others that have previously been described), this paper proposes the Principle of Morphosyntactic Subsystem Integrity (PMSI), which predicts that in situations where various grammatical morphemes are borrowed, these tend to be morphosyntactically interrelated, rather than being random collections of forms or sets of forms that are best described by well-known borrowability hierarchies, e.g. lexical before grammatical morphemes or derivational before inflectional markers.
Su(m)imasen and gomen nasai
Authors: Sandu Roxana
Published: December 2012

This paper investigates Japanese apology expressions, particularly the co-occurrence of su(m)imasen and gomen nasai with various linguistic devices (i.e. adverbs, interjections, conjunctions, etc.) in social interactions. Differing from previous research, the present research focuses on (1) the linguistic devices co-occurring with the apology expression, (2) their relation to the interactional functions the expressions serve in situated contexts, (3) their roles within discourse and the effect they produce, and (4) the way the speaker expresses his or her emotional attitude through these linguistic devices. To this end, data was collected from Japanese television dramas, and the linguistic devices marking su(m)imasen and gomen nasai, adverbial forms and interjections that were most encountered were examined. The analysis revealed that the co-occurrences with the apology expressions do influence or change the entire meaning of the utterance.
Se in the interlanguage of Portuguese speakers
Authors: Thompson Amy S.
Published: December 2012

The struggle of L1 English learners of Spanish with the clitic se has been documented (Montrul, 2000; Toth, 2000; Zyzik, 2006), but there have not been studies to document the use of the Spanish se by L1 Portuguese speakers. Although Portuguese is structurally similar to Spanish in many ways, including the existence of se, this clitic has subtle usage differences in the two languages. In Spanish, Whitley (2002) and Zyzik (2006) have identified seven different categories of se; Portuguese has fewer uses and applies it less frequently (Azevedo, 2005; Cunha &Cintra, 2001; Scherre, 2005). The current study, which is a modified replication of Zyzik (2004), examines the use of se by L1 Brazilian Portuguese (BP) students of Spanish. These northeastern Brazilian students narrated a short story from the picture book Pancakes for Breakfast (DePaola, 1978) and then performed a stimulated recall task. Using this data, correct uses of se, omissions of se in obligatory contexts, and overgeneralizations of se by the L1 BP participants were analyzed. In addition, the participants’ noticing of errors with se was also examined through an analysis of the stimulated recall, and the results indicate that the participants did not notice any of their errors with the clitic se. The results also indicate that positive L1 transfer can partially account for the L1 Portuguese speakers’ interlanguage; however, factors other than L1 transfer need to be considered when discussing interlanguage development.
LECT2 protects mice against bacterial sepsis by activating macrophages via the CD209a receptor
Authors: Lu Xin-Jiang , Chen Jiong , Yu Chao-Hui , Shi Yu-Hong , He Yu-Qing , Zhang Rui-Cheng , Huang Zuo-An , Lv Ji-Neng , Zhang Shun , Xu Lei
Published: December 2012

Leukocyte cell–derived chemotaxin 2 (LECT2) is a multifunctional cytokine and reduced plasma levels were found in patients with sepsis. However, precise functions and mechanisms of LECT2 remain unclear. The aim of the present study was to determine the role of LECT2 in modulating immune responses using mouse sepsis models. We found that LECT2 treatment improved outcome in mice with bacterial sepsis. Macrophages (MΦ), but not polymorphonuclear neutrophils, mediated the beneficial effect of LECT2 on bacterial sepsis. LECT2 treatment could alter gene expression and enhance phagocytosis and bacterial killing of MΦ in vitro. CD209a was identified to specifically interact with LECT2 and mediate LECT2-induced MΦ activation. CD209a-expressing MΦ was further confirmed to mediate the effect of LECT2 on sepsis in vivo. Our data demonstrate that LECT2 improves protective immunity in bacterial sepsis, possibly as a result of enhanced MΦ functions via the CD209a receptor. The modulation of MΦ functions by LECT2 may serve as a novel potential treatment for sepsis.
A linkage analysis toolkit for studying allosteric networks in ion channels
Authors: Sigg Daniel
Published: December 2012

A thermodynamic approach to studying allosterically regulated ion channels such as the large-conductance voltage- and Ca2+-dependent (BK) channel is presented, drawing from principles originally introduced to describe linkage phenomena in hemoglobin. In this paper, linkage between a principal channel component and secondary elements is derived from a four-state thermodynamic cycle. One set of parallel legs in the cycle describes the “work function,” or the free energy required to activate the principal component. The second are “lever operations” activating linked elements. The experimental embodiment of this linkage cycle is a plot of work function versus secondary force, whose asymptotes are a function of the parameters (displacements and interaction energies) of an allosteric network. Two essential work functions play a role in evaluating data from voltage-clamp experiments. The first is the conductance Hill energy WH[g], which is a “local” work function for pore activation, and is defined as kT times the Hill transform of the conductance (G-V) curve. The second is the electrical capacitance energy WC[q], representing “global” gating charge displacement, and is equal to the product of total gating charge per channel times the first moment (VM) of normalized capacitance (slope of Q-V curve). Plots of WH[g] and WC[q] versus voltage and Ca2+ potential can be used to measure thermodynamic parameters in a model-independent fashion of the core gating constituents (pore, voltage-sensor, and Ca2+-binding domain) of BK channel. The method is easily generalized for use in studying other allosterically regulated ion channels. The feasibility of performing linkage analysis from patch-clamp data were explored by simulating gating and ionic currents of a 17-particle model BK channel in response to a slow voltage ramp, which yielded interaction energies deviating from their given values in the range of 1.3 to 7.2%.
Assessment of Organizational Measures to Prevent Nosocomial Tuberculosis in Health Facilities of 4 Sub-Saharan Countries in 2010
Authors: Robert Jérôme , Affolabi Dissou , Awokou Fantché , Nolna Désiré , Philippe Manouan Bilé Adou , Acho Yapo Blaise , Gninafon Martin , Trebucq Arnaud
Published: December 2012

Background.

The prevention of tuberculosis (TB) transmission in healthcare settings is a major issue, particularly because of the interaction between human immunodeficiency virus and TB and the emergence of multidrug-resistant TB.

Setting.

Healthcare facilities involved in TB management in 4 African countries (Benin, Cameroon, Cote d'Ivoire, and Togo).

Methods.

A questionnaire was developed by representatives of the 4 countries to evaluate the organizational measures implemented in facilities involved in TB management. On-site visits were performed between July 2010 and July 2011.

Results.

A total of 115 facilities, including 10 university hospitals and 92 basic management units, were visited. None had a TB infection control plan, and only 5.2% provided education for staff about nosocomial TB. Overall, 48.3% of the facilities performed triage of suspected TB cases on hospital arrival or admission, 89.6% provided education for TB cases on cough etiquette, 20.0% segregated smear-positive TB cases, and 15.7% segregated previously treated cases. A total of 15.5% of the facilities registered TB among staff, for a global prevalence rate of 348 cases per 100,000 staff members.

Conclusion.

This survey identified simple and mostly costless administrative measures to be urgently implemented at the local level to prevent nosocomial TB, such as staff education, triage on admission, and segregation of previously treated patients.
Characterization of Fecal Microbiota of Children With Diarrhea in 2 Locations in Colombia
Authors: Solano‐Aguilar Gloria , Fernandez Karem P. , Ets Hillevi , Molokin Aleksey , Vinyard Bryan , Urban Joseph F. , Gutierrez Maria Fernanda
Published: December 2012

Objectives:

Diarrhea is a leading cause of mortality and morbidity in children younger than 5 years in impoverished regions of the world. Our aim was to compare the fecal microbiota of healthy children with that of children with clinical diarrhea in a population from a tropical highland in Colombia, South America. Our hypothesis was that a reduced prevalence of inherent Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium species would be associated with enteric viral and bacterial pathogens.

Methods:

Children between 1 and 5 years of age from 2 different locations were evaluated for presence of clinical diarrhea. Nucleic acid, isolated from fecal samples, was used to determine by molecular protocols the abundance of inherent bacterial species and presence of enteric pathogens compared with clinically healthy children. The effect of host demographic factors on incidence of diarrhea was also analyzed.

Results:

The composition of the fecal microbiota was affected by host demographic factors: age, health status, location, and sex. In partial support of our hypothesis, the relative abundance of commensal Bifidobacterium and Lactobacillus species was inversely correlated with incidence of diarrhea regardless of location.

Conclusions:

Our results suggested that changes in fecal microbiota composition of children with clinical diarrhea are associated with certain demographic factors that should be considered before designing a prophylactic intervention. Delivery of certain Lactobacillus species and Bifidobacterium species or a diet rich in bifidogenic components that promote growth of Bifidobacterium species could provide a prophylactic effect to ameliorate the effect of diarrhea in children at risk.
The ticking tail: daily oscillations in mRNA poly(A) tail length drive circadian cycles in protein synthesis
Authors: Gotic Ivana , Schibler Ueli
Published: December 2012

In this issue of Genes & Development, Kojima and colleagues (pp. 2724–2736) examined the impact of mRNA poly(A) tail length on circadian gene expression. Their study demonstrates how dynamic changes in transcript poly(A) tail length can lead to rhythmic protein expression, irrespective of whether mRNA accumulation is circadian or constitutive.
Psychological management: changing qualities of the ideal manager in Finland 1949‐2009
Authors: Varje Pekka , Turtiainen Jussi , Väänänen Ari
Published: December 2012

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to study the historical emergence of psychological management in Finnish working life from the viewpoint of recruitment process by examining the changing qualities of the ideal manager in Finland in the post‐Second World War era.

Design/methodology/approach

The study is conducted through an analysis of 1,305 manager position job advertisements in the major Finnish newspaper Helsingin Sanomat between 1949 and 2009.

Findings

The average number of references to personal skills and traits in manager position job advertisements grew from 0.7 to 3.8 between 1949 and 2009, and by the end of the 1990s exceeded the average number of references to technical and cognitive skills. During the same period, intrinsic job benefits largely replaced extrinsic benefits in job advertisements. The results suggest that the anthropocentric management of personalities and subjectivities was gradually introduced to Finnish organizations over a period of several decades. The complex historical process, deeply interlinked with organizational and societal developments, resulted in a highly multi‐dimensional ideal manager of 2009.

Originality/value

The study offers original knowledge regarding the emergence of psychological management, and sharpens the picture of changing management ideals in a national context.
Shifts in corporate accountability reflected in socially responsible reporting: a historical review
Authors: Morf Duffy , Flesher Dale L. , Hayek Mario , Pane Stephanie , Hayek Caroline
Published: December 2012

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to analyze how social power and pressures over the past century have shifted the audience towards which organizations find themselves accountable, as reflected in their social responsibility reporting.

Design/methodology/approach

The authors use historical analysis to analyze qualitatively the annual reports of prominent US organizations between the 1900s to the early 2000s. Adopting an integrationist perspective, the authors ground their research in stakeholder theory and reviewed passages in annual reports identifying the audiences of socially responsible organizational initiatives.

Findings

The study revealed that the degree and focus of corporate accountability shifted over the course of the 1900s, and that this change was due to shifts in influence and power stemming from different stakeholders. During the early 1900s, organizations were more concerned with pleasing internal stakeholders (i.e. employees); however, economic and social events shifted this attention towards external stakeholder groups (i.e. the environment) during the latter part of the century. More recent events fueled social pressures, resulting in legislation and social reporting guidelines during the first decade of the twenty‐first century.

Practical implications

Organizations will continue to be held accountable as new stakeholder groups emerge and different social movements and economic changes transpire, exerting more pressure on organizations to be socially responsible. Furthermore, organizations need to remain current on social reporting guidelines, as these increasingly become the means of communication with multiple stakeholder groups. In summary, findings suggest that organizations would benefit by staying abreast of economic and social cues when developing their socially responsible initiatives and reporting.

Originality/value

The unique contribution of this paper is to identify how economic and social events place pressure on organizations and shift organizational attention through an accountability mechanism, resulting in changes in the focus of social responsibility reporting.
Proposed vector candidate: Leptotrombidium palpale for Shimokoshi type Orientia tsutsugamushi
Authors: Seto Junji , Suzuki Yu , Otani Katsumi , Qiu Yongjin , Nakao Ryo , Sugimoto Chihiro , Abiko Chieko
Published: December 2012

To identify the vector species for Shimokoshi type Orientia tsutsugamushi, a survey of larval trombiculid mites was conducted in Yamagata Prefecture, Japan from April to May 2012. In all, 2889 larval trombiculid mites were obtained from 21 Apodemus speciosus rodent hosts, 2600 of which were morphologically classified into eight species in three genera. After screening of O. tsutsugamushi DNA in individual larval trombiculid mites using real‐time PCR targeting the 16S ribosomal RNA gene, serotype‐specific nested PCRs targeting the 56 kDa protein gene were performed, followed by sequencing analysis. As a result, Shimokoshi type O. tsutsugamushi DNA was identified from 3 (1.9%) of 157 Leptotrombidium palpale. This is the first study to identify Shimokoshi type O. tsutsugamushi DNA in L. palpale. The results indicate that L. palpale is a possible vector for Shimokoshi type O. tsutsugamushi.
Credibility Attributes and Investor Perceptions of Non‐GAAP Earnings Exclusions
Authors: Entwistle Gary M. , Feltham Glenn D. , Mbagwu Chima
Published: December 2012

Recent empirical evidence suggests that investors focus more on non‐GAAP (Generally Accepted Accounting Principles) than on traditional GAAP earnings because non‐GAAP earnings are believed to proxy for a firm's ongoing profitability, a measure useful for valuation. Managers determine these non‐GAAP earnings by excluding certain items from their GAAP income. However, because these non‐GAAP earnings are both unaudited and may be disclosed by a firm to manage investors’ perceptions as opposed to inform, investors must infer the credibility of the disclosure through observable firm attributes. In this study we examine whether firms with stronger credibility attributes (corporate governance, higher‐quality auditors, and higher historical information quality) will be perceived as providing more credible non‐GAAP exclusions than those with weaker attributes. Our expectation is that the market reaction to non‐GAAP earnings exclusions of firms with stronger credibility attributes will be greater than for those with weaker attributes. Our results support our expectation.