bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Anthocyanins, but not Anthocyanidins, from Bilberry (Vaccinium myrtillus L.) Alleviate Pruritus via Inhibition of Mast Cell Degranulation
Authors: Yamaura Katsunori , Ishiwatari Makiko , Yamamoto Masao , Shimada Maki , Bi Yuanyuan , Ueno Koichi
Published: November 2012

Abstract:  We have previously reported that bilberry anthocyanins exhibit an anti‐pruritic effect in a mouse model of allergic contact dermatitis. It has been reported that anthocyanins are particularly sensitive to thermal treatment and are easily hydrolyzed to anthocyanidins when exposed to high temperatures. The objective of this study was to compare the anti‐pruritic effect of anthocyanin‐rich quality‐controlled bilberry extract and anthocyanidin‐rich degraded extract using a mouse model of allergic contact dermatitis. BALB/c mice with allergic contact dermatitis induced by 4 weeks of repeated application of 2,4,6‐trinitro‐1‐chlorobenzene (TNCB) were administered Bilberon‐25 orally for 4 weeks after sensitization with TNCB. The effect of Bilberon‐25 on pruritus was evaluated by measurement of scratching behavior. RBL‐2H3 mast cells were used to investigate the effect of Bilberon‐25 on degranulation in 48/80‐stimulated mast cells. Compared with nonheated Bilberon‐25, the proportion of anthocyanins in heated Bilberon‐25 decreased, and the proportion of anthocyanidins was increased in heated‐time dependent manner. Treatment with non‐heated Bilberon‐25 significantly attenuated the TNCB‐induced increase in scratching behavior, whereas treatment with 2 h‐heated Bilberon‐25 did not. Moreover, 300 μg/mL nonheated Bilberon‐25 showed significant inhibition of degranulation in RBL‐2H3 mast cells, whereas 2 h‐heated Bilberon‐25 had no effect at any concentration studied. It is assumed that the inhibitory effect of bilberry anthocyanins on pruritus might be mediated, at least in part, by its inhibitory effect on mast cell degranulation. In conclusion, the anthocyanin‐rich but not anthocyanidin‐rich bilberry extract may be a useful dietary supplement for skin diseases involving pruritic symptoms, such as chronic allergic contact dermatitis, atopic dermatitis, and rhinitis.
Effect of Salt Reduction on Growth of Listeria monocytogenes in Meat and Poultry Systems
Authors: Harper Nigel M. , Getty Kelly J.K.
Published: November 2012

Abstract:  Reducing sodium in food could have an effect on food safety. The objective was to determine differences in growth of Listeria monocytogenes in meat and poultry systems with salt substitutes. For phase 1, fresh ground beef, pork, and turkey with NaCl, KCl, CaCl2, MgCl2, sea salt, or replacement salt added at 2.0% were inoculated with L. monocytogenes to determine growth/survival during 5 d at 4 °C to simulate a pre‐blend process. L. monocytogenes populations significantly decreased (0.41 log CFU/g) during the storage time in beef, but no differences (P > 0.05) were observed over time in pork or turkey. Salt type did not affect (P > 0.05) L. monocytogenes populations during pre‐blend storage. MgCl2 and NaCl allowed significant growth of aerobic populations during storage. For phase 2, emulsified beef and pork products were processed with 2% NaCl, KCl, sea salt, or a NaCl/KCl blend and post‐process surface‐inoculated with L. monocytogenes to determine growth/survival at 4 °C for 28 d. Pork products showed significantly greater L. monocytogenes population growth at all sampling times (0, 7, 14, 21, and 28 d) than beef products, but salt type had no effect on L. monocytogenes populations with sampling times pooled for data analysis. Although salt types had no impact on L. monocytogenes populations in preblend and emulsified meat products, pork and turkey preblends and emulsified pork had greater L. monocytogenes populations compared with beef products. These studies demonstrate that sodium may not affect the safety of preblends and emulsified meat and poultry products.

Practical Application:  odium reduction in food is an important topic because of sodium's unfavorable health effects. This research shows that reducing sodium in pre‐blends and emulsified meat and poultry products would have no effect on Listeria monocytogenes populations, but replacement of NaCl with MgCl2 may affect growth of aerobic populations.
Natural selection. V. How to read the fundamental equations of evolutionary change in terms of information theory
Authors: Frank S. A.
Published: November 2012

The equations of evolutionary change by natural selection are commonly expressed in statistical terms. Fisher's fundamental theorem emphasizes the variance in fitness. Quantitative genetics expresses selection with covariances and regressions. Population genetic equations depend on genetic variances. How can we read those statistical expressions with respect to the meaning of natural selection? One possibility is to relate the statistical expressions to the amount of information that populations accumulate by selection. However, the connection between selection and information theory has never been compelling. Here, I show the correct relations between statistical expressions for selection and information theory expressions for selection. Those relations link selection to the fundamental concepts of entropy and information in the theories of physics, statistics and communication. We can now read the equations of selection in terms of their natural meaning. Selection causes populations to accumulate information about the environment.
Nongenetic inheritance and the evolution of costly female preference
Authors: Bonduriansky R. , Day T.
Published: November 2012

In species where males provide neither direct benefits nor paternal care, it is typically assumed that female preferences are maintained by indirect selection reflecting genetic benefits to offspring of preferred males. However, it remains unclear whether populations harbour sufficient genetic variation in fitness to support costly female preferences – a problem called the ‘lek paradox’. Here, we ask whether indirect selection on female preferences can be maintained by nongenetic inheritance. We construct a general model that can be used to represent either genetic or nongenetic inheritance, depending on the choice of parameter values. Interestingly, we find that costly preference is most likely to evolve and persist when fitness depends on an environmentally induced factor that can be transmitted over a single generation only, such as an environment‐dependent paternal effect. Costly preference can also be supported when fitness depends on a highly mutable factor that can persist over multiple generations, such as an epigenetic mark, but the necessary conditions are more restrictive. Our findings show that nongenetic inheritance provides a plausible hypothesis for the maintenance of costly female preferences in species where males provide no direct benefits to females. Nongenetic paternal inheritance of fitness can occur in species lacking conventional forms of paternal care. Indeed, transmission of paternal condition via sperm‐borne nongenetic factors may be more likely to evolve than conventional forms of paternal investment because sperm‐borne effects are protected from cuckoldry. Our results furnish a novel example of an interaction between genetic and nongenetic inheritance that can lead to otherwise unexpected evolutionary outcomes.
Genotype‐by‐environment interactions for cuticular hydrocarbon expression in Drosophila simulans
Authors: Ingleby F. C. , Hosken D. J. , Flowers K. , Hawkes M. F. , Lane S. M. , Rapkin J. , Dworkin I. , Hunt J.
Published: November 2012

Genotype‐by‐environment interactions (G × Es) describe genetic variation for phenotypic plasticity. Recent interest in the role of these interactions in sexual selection has identified G × Es across a diverse range of species and sexual traits. Additionally, theoretical work predicts that G × Es in sexual traits could help to maintain genetic variation, but could also disrupt the reliability of these traits as signals of mate quality. However, empirical tests of these theoretical predictions are scarce. We reared iso‐female lines of Drosophila simulans across two axes of environmental variation (diet and temperature) in a fully factorial design and tested for G × Es in the expression of cuticular hydrocarbons (CHCs), a multivariate sexual trait in this species. We find sex‐specific environmental, genetic and G × E effects on CHC expression, with G × Es for diet in both male and female CHC profile and a G × E for temperature in females. We also find some evidence for ecological crossover in these G × Es, and by quantifying variance components, genetic correlations and heritabilities, we show the potential for these G × Es to help maintain genetic variation and cause sexual signal unreliability in D. simulans CHC profiles.
Trajectories of Reinforcement Sensitivity During Adolescence and Risk for Substance Use
Authors: Colder Craig R. , Hawk Larry W. , Lengua Liliana J. , Wiezcorek William , Eiden Rina Das , Read Jennifer P.
Published: November 2012

Developmental neuroscience models suggest that changes in responsiveness to incentives contribute to increases in adolescent risk behavior, including substance use. Trajectories of sensitivity to reward (SR) and sensitivity to punishment (SP) were examined and tested as predictors of escalation of early substance use in a community sample of adolescents (N = 765, mean baseline age 11.8 years, 54% female). SR and SP were assessed using a laboratory task. Across three annual assessments, SR increased, and rapid escalation was associated with increases in substance use. SP declined and was unrelated to substance use. Findings support contemporary views of adolescent brain development and suggest that early adolescent substance use is motivated by approach responses to reward, rather than failure to avoid potential aversive consequences.
Sea level, topography and island diversity: phylogeography of the Puerto Rican Red‐eyed Coquí, Eleutherodactylus antillensis
Authors: Barker Brittany S. , Rodríguez‐Robles Javier A. , Aran Vani S. , Montoya Ashley , Waide Robert B. , Cook Joseph A.
Published: November 2012

Quaternary climatic oscillations caused changes in sea level that altered the size, number and degree of isolation of islands, particularly in land‐bridge archipelagoes. Elucidating the demographic effects of these oscillations increases our understanding of the role of climate change in shaping evolutionary processes in archipelagoes. The Puerto Rican Bank (PRB) (Puerto Rico and the Eastern Islands, which comprise Vieques, Culebra, the Virgin Islands and associated islets) in the eastern Caribbean Sea periodically coalesced during glaciations and fragmented during interglacial periods of the quaternary. To explore population‐level consequences of sea level changes, we studied the phylogeography of the frog Eleutherodactylus antillensis across the archipelago. We tested hypotheses encompassing vicariance and dispersal narratives by sequencing mtDNA (c. 552 bp) of 285 individuals from 58 localities, and four nuDNA introns (totalling c. 1633 bp) from 173 of these individuals. We found low support for a hypothesis of divergence of the Eastern Islands populations prior to the start of the penultimate interglacial c. 250 kya, and higher support for a hypothesis of colonization of the Eastern Islands from sources in eastern Puerto Rico during the penultimate and last glacial period, when a land bridge united the PRB. The Río Grande de Loíza Basin in eastern Puerto Rico delineates a phylogeographic break. Haplotypes shared between the PRB and St. Croix (an island c. 105 km south‐east of this archipelago) likely represent human‐mediated introductions. Our findings illustrate how varying degrees of connectivity and isolation influence the evolution of tropical island organisms.
A geographic mosaic of evolutionary lineages within the insular endemic newt Euproctus montanus
Authors: Bisconti Roberta , Canestrelli Daniele , Salvi Daniele , Nascetti Giuseppe
Published: November 2012

Islands are hotspots of biodiversity, with a disproportionately high fraction of endemic lineages, often of ancient origin. Nevertheless, intra‐island phylogeographies are surprisingly scarce, leading to a scanty knowledge about the microevolutionary processes induced on island populations by Plio‐Pleistocene climatic oscillations, and the manner in which these processes contributed to shape their current genetic diversity. We investigated the phylogeography, historical demography and species distribution models of the Corsican endemic newt Euproctus montanus (north‐western Mediterranean). As for many island endemics, the continuous distribution of E. montanus throughout its range has hitherto been considered as evidence for a single large population, a belief that also guided the species' categorization for conservation purposes. Instead, we found a geographic mosaic of ancient evolutionary lineages, with five main clades of likely Pliocene origin (2.6–5.8 My), all but one restricted to northern Corsica. Moreover, the copresence between main lineages in the same population was limited to a single case. As also suggested by growing literature on intra‐island phylogeographic variation, it seems that the extensive use of simplifying assumption on the population structure and historical demography of island populations—both in theoretical and applicative studies—should be carefully reconsidered, a claim that is well exemplified by the case presented here.
Emerging role for RNA‐based regulation in plant immunity
Authors: Staiger Dorothee , Korneli Christin , Lummer Martina , Navarro Lionel
Published: November 2012

Infection by phytopathogenic bacteria triggers massive changes in plant gene expression, which are thought to be mostly a result of transcriptional reprogramming. However, evidence is accumulating that plants additionally use post‐transcriptional regulation of immune‐responsive mRNAs as a strategic weapon to shape the defense‐related transcriptome. Cellular RNA‐binding proteins regulate RNA stability, splicing or mRNA export of immune‐response transcripts. In particular, mutants defective in alternative splicing of resistance genes exhibit compromised disease resistance. Furthermore, detection of bacterial pathogens induces the differential expression of small non‐coding RNAs including microRNAs that impact the host defense transcriptome. Phytopathogenic bacteria in turn have evolved effector proteins to inhibit biogenesis and/or activity of cellular microRNAs. Whereas RNA silencing has long been known as an antiviral defense response, recent findings also reveal a major role of this process in antibacterial defense. Here we review the function of RNA‐binding proteins and small RNA‐directed post‐transcriptional regulation in antibacterial defense. We mainly focus on studies that used the model system Arabidopsis thaliana and also discuss selected examples from other plants.

Contents

Summary

I.
Introduction

II.
RNA decay

III.
Pre‐mRNA splicing

IV.
The nuclear mRNA export machinery

V.
General RBPs

VI.
Gene silencing

VII.
Perspective

Acknowledgements

References
The exocyst complex contributes to PIN auxin efflux carrier recycling and polar auxin transport in Arabidopsis
Authors: Drdová Edita Janková , Synek Lukáš , Pečenková Tamara , Hála Michal , Kulich Ivan , Fowler John E. , Murphy Angus S. , Žárský Viktor
Published: November 2012

In land plants polar auxin transport is one of the substantial processes guiding whole plant polarity and morphogenesis. Directional auxin fluxes are mediated by PIN auxin efflux carriers, polarly localized at the plasma membrane. The polarization of exocytosis in yeast and animals is assisted by the exocyst: an octameric vesicle‐tethering complex and an effector of Rab and Rho GTPases. Here we show that rootward polar auxin transport is compromised in roots of Arabidopsis thaliana loss‐of‐function mutants in the EXO70A1 exocyst subunit. The recycling of PIN1 and PIN2 proteins from brefeldin–A compartments is delayed after the brefeldin‐A washout in exo70A1 and sec8 exocyst mutants. Relocalization of PIN1 and PIN2 proteins after prolonged brefeldin‐A treatment is largely impaired in these mutants. At the same time, however, plasma membrane localization of GFP:EXO70A1, and the other exocyst subunits studied (GFP:SEC8 and YFP:SEC10), is resistant to brefeldin‐A treatment. In root cells of the exo70A1 mutant, a portion of PIN2 is internalized and retained in specific, abnormally enlarged, endomembrane compartments that are distinct from VHA‐a1‐labelled early endosomes or the trans‐Golgi network, but are RAB‐A5d positive. We conclude that the exocyst is involved in PIN1 and PIN2 recycling, and thus in polar auxin transport regulation.
Lagrangians for Damped Linear Multi-Degree-of-Freedom Systems
Authors: Udwadia Firdaus E. , Cho Hancheol
Published: November 2012

This paper deals with finding Lagrangians for damped, linear multi-degree-of-freedom systems. New results for such systems are obtained using extensions of the results for single and two degree-of-freedom systems. The solution to the inverse problem for an n-degree-of-freedom linear gyroscopic system is obtained as a special case. Multi-degree-of-freedom systems that commonly arise in linear vibration theory with symmetric mass, damping, and stiffness matrices are similarly handled in a simple manner. Conservation laws for these damped multi-degree-of-freedom systems are found using the Lagrangians obtained and several examples are provided.
Comparative Genomic Analysis of Duck Enteritis Virus Strains
Authors: Wu Ying , Cheng Anchun , Wang Mingshu , Zhu Dekang , Jia Renyong , Chen Shun , Zhou Yi , Chen Xiaoyue
Published: November 2012

The icosahedral virion of duck enteritis virus (DEV) is roughly spherical and approximately 150 nm in diameter. Here, we describe the genomic features of DEV CHv together with a draft genome sequence and its annotation, highlighting the homogeneity and heterogeneity of this genome in comparison with its reference genomes.
Complete Genome Sequence of Cronobacter sakazakii Bacteriophage vB_CsaM_GAP161
Authors: Abbasifar Reza , Kropinski Andrew M. , Sabour Parviz M. , Ackermann Hans-Wolfgang , Lingohr Erika J. , Griffiths Mansel W.
Published: November 2012

Cronobacter sakazakii
is an opportunistic pathogen that causes infant meningitis and is often associated with milk-based infant formula. We have fully sequenced the genome of a newly isolated lytic
C. sakazakii
myovirus, vB_CsaM_GAP161, briefly named GAP161. It consists of 178,193 bp and has a G+C content of 44.5%. A total of 277 genes, including 275 open reading frames and two tRNA-encoding genes, were identified. This phage is closely related to coliphages RB16 and RB43 and
Klebsiella pneumoniae
phage KP15.
Complete Genome Sequence of Newcastle Disease Virus Mesogenic Vaccine Strain R2B from India
Authors: Chellappa Madhan Mohan , Dey Sohini , Gaikwad Satish , Kataria J. M. , Vakharia V. N.
Published: November 2012

Mesogenic vaccine strains of Newcastle disease virus (NDV) are widely used in many countries of Asia and Africa to control the Newcastle disease of poultry. In India, the mesogenic strain R2B was introduced in 1945; it protects adult chickens that have been preimmunized with a lentogenic vaccine virus and provides long-lasting immunity. In this article, we report the complete genome sequence of the hitherto unsequenced Indian vaccine virus strain R2B. The viral genome is 15,186 nucleotides in length and contains the polybasic amino acid motif in the fusion protein cleavage site, indicating that this vaccine strain has evolved from a virulent virus. Phylogenetic analysis of this mesogenic vaccine virus classified it with the viruses belonging to genotype III of the class cluster II of NDV.
Genetic Characterization of a Novel Recombinant H5N2 Avian Influenza Virus Isolated from Chickens in Tibet
Authors: Zhao Suhong , Suo Langsizhu , Jin Meilin
Published: November 2012

In this report, a novel H5N2 avian influenza virus (AIV) was isolated from chickens in Tibet in 2010, western China. Phylogenetic analysis demonstrated that it was a natural reassortant between H9N2 and H5N1 subtypes. It is of note that this virus has an HP genotype with HA, PB2, M, and NS genes homologous to those of A/peregrine falcon/Hong Kong/2142/2008(H5N1)-like HPAIV isolated from dead wild birds. Publishing this genome information will contribute to the investigation of avian influenza epidemiology and to further research of AIV's biological properties.
Complete Genome Sequence of Equine Herpesvirus Type 9
Authors: Fukushi Hideto , Yamaguchi Tsuyoshi , Yamada Souichi
Published: November 2012

Equine herpesvirus type 9 (EHV-9), which we isolated from a case of epizootic encephalitis in a herd of Thomson's gazelles (
Gazella thomsoni
) in 1993, has been known to cause fatal encephalitis in Thomson's gazelle, giraffe, and polar bear in natural infections. Our previous report indicated that EHV-9 was similar to the equine pathogen equine herpesvirus type 1 (EHV-1), which mainly causes abortion, respiratory infection, and equine herpesvirus myeloencephalopathy. We determined the genome sequence of EHV-9. The genome has a length of 148,371 bp and all 80 of the open reading frames (ORFs) found in the genome of EHV-1. The nucleotide sequences of the ORFs in EHV-9 were 86 to 95% identical to those in EHV-1. The whole genome sequence should help to reveal the neuropathogenicity of EHV-9.
Complete Genomes of Three Human Bocavirus Strains from Children with Gastroenteritis and Respiratory Tract Illnesses in Jiangsu, China
Authors: Wang Xiaochun , Zhang Xiaodan , Tian Hua , Ling Feng , Yu Min , Sun Guangming , Yang Shixing , Shen Quan , Wang Yan , Shao Shihe , Zhang Wen
Published: November 2012

Human bocavirus (HBoV) is a newly discovered parvovirus associated with acute respiratory tract illness (ARTI) and gastrointestinal illness. No previous reports indicated the presence of HBoV infection in Jiangsu Province, China. Here we report three complete genomic sequences of HBoV strains from children with gastroenteritis and respiratory tract illnesses in Jiangsu, China. Phylogenetic analysis indicated that the three HBoV strains in the present study belong to the HBoV1 lineage, where jz-42 clustered separately, forming a single branch, while zj-68 and zj-92 existed in two separate branches, clustering with several other Chinese HBoV1 strains.
Complete Genome Sequence Analysis of a Newcastle Disease Virus Isolated from a Wild Egret
Authors: Xie Zhixun , Xie Liji , Chen Anli , Liu Jiabo , Pang Yaoshan , Deng Xianwen , Xie Zhiqin , Fan Qing
Published: November 2012

We report here the complete genomic sequence of a novel Newcastle disease virus (NDV) strain, egret/China/Guangxi/2011, isolated from an egret in Guangxi Province, southern China. A phylogenetic analysis based on a fusion gene comparison with different NDV strains revealed that egret/China/Guangxi/2011 was phylogenetically close to genotype VIIa NDV, and the deduced amino acid sequence was
112
R-R-R-K-R-F
117
at the fusion protein cleavage site. The whole nucleotide sequence had the highest homology (93.3%) with the sequence of strain chicken/Sukorejo/019/10 (GenBank accession number
HQ697255
). This study will help us to understand the epidemiology and molecular characteristics of Newcastle disease virus in a migratory egret.
Juvenile cystic adenomyoma
Authors: Branquinho Maryjo Marques , Marques Andreia Leitão , Leite Helena Barros , Silva Isabel Santos
Published: November 2012

The purpose of this paper is to describe a case of juvenile cystic adenomyoma in a 17 year-old female patient with severe dysmenorrhoea unresponsive to non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs. The patient presents progressively worsening dysmenorrhoea that started 2 years after menarche and a cystic uterine lesion in MRI. The cyclic nature of symptoms, the similarity of the lesion and endometrium in MRI signal intensity and response to hormone suppression are consistent with juvenile cystic adenomyoma. The treatment depends on the age of the patient, severity of her symptoms and size and localisation of the cyst. This is a rare condition in young nulliparous women with a challenging differential diagnosis. This case highlights the relevance of MRI in the patient's study, featuring important characteristics of the lesion that disclosed the final diagnosis.
Large ameloblastic fibro-odontoma in an 18-year-old girl and review of literature
Authors: Pillai Ajay , Moghe Swapnil , Guru Kanishka Navin , Nair Preeti P
Published: November 2012

The ameloblastic fibro-odontoma is a rare, benign, mixed neoplasm composed of proliferating odontogenic epithelium, ectomesenchymal tissue and varying degrees of dental hard tissue formation. It occurs exclusively as an intraosseous lesion. It usually exhibits slow growth and is commonly seen in children and young adults. Radiologically, ameloblastic fibro-odontoma appears as a circumscribed radiolucency which may contain radiopaque foci. Most cases of ameloblastic fibro-odontoma exhibit benign behaviour, but cases of malignant transformation have been reported. The treatment modality in most cases involves conservative surgery, but in cases with malignant transformation more radical treatment will be required. A massive ameloblastic fibro-odontoma involving the mandible is being described here with its clinical, radiological and histopathological features.
Hypertension, secondary to a renal artery aneurysm, treated by ex vivo aneurysm repair and autotransplantation
Authors: Prajapati Hitesh , McCallum Amy , Finlay Eric
Published: November 2012

Hypertension is becoming a more common problem in childhood and adolescence. About 5–10% of paediatric patients with hypertension have underlying renovascular disease. Although renal artery aneurysms (RAAs) are an uncommon cause of disease of the renal vessels, they are recognised as a cause of hypertension. We describe a 15-year-old man with symptomatic hypertension who after extensive investigation was found to have a right RAA. Our patient responded to conservative management with two antihypertensive agents, but as a young sports enthusiast, he was keen to pursue more definitive options. Complex anatomy of the aneurysm precluded the use of endovascular treatment. Surgical options were explored, and after counselling, our patient underwent a nephrectomy, ex vivo aneurysm repair and autotransplantation with which his hypertension resolved. Our case highlights the difficulty of diagnosing RAAs in hypertensive patients and that, in carefully selected patients, invasive surgical intervention of RAAs is a viable treatment option.
Syndrome of inappropriate antidiuresis in doxylamine overdose
Authors: Carrascosa Miguel F , Caviedes José-Ramón Salcines , Lucena M Isabel , Cuadrado-Lavín Antonio
Published: November 2012

Doxylamine succinate, an H1-antihistamine drug, is commonly used as sleep-inducing agent as well as therapy for nausea and vomiting in pregnancy. At usual doses, it may cause impairment of cognitive and psychomotor performance, anticholinergic effects, agitation and postural hypotension. Besides, since this drug is frequently involved in either accidental or intentional overdoses, it seems relevant to bear in mind other possible toxic effects. We report a case of acute severe hyponatremia in the setting of a syndrome of inappropriate antidiuresis (SIAD), an apparent new adverse effect linked to doxylamine overdose. The Naranjo adverse drug reaction probability scale indicated a probable relationship between doxylamine intake and SIAD development. SIAD may be considered as a potential, serious adverse reaction of doxylamine overdose. Clinicians should consider this aetiological possibility when attending patients suffering from hyponatremia.
A non-perturbative contribution to jet quenching
Authors: Laine M.
Published: November 2012

It has been argued by Caron-Huot that infrared contributions to the jet quenching parameter in hot QCD, denoted by $\hat{q}$, can be extracted from an analysis of a certain static-potential related observable within the dimensionally reduced effective field theory. Following this philosophy, the order of magnitude of a non-perturbative contribution to $\hat{q}$ from the colour-magnetic scale, g2T/π, is estimated. The result is small; it is probably below the parametrically perturbative but in practice slowly convergent contributions from the colour-electric scale, whose all-orders resummation therefore remains an important challenge.
CHAOTIC ENCRYPTION BASED ON LORENZ SYSTEM
Authors: WANG XING-YUAN , WANG XIAO-JUAN
Published: November 2012

Compared with the low dimension chaotic systems (LDCS), the high dimension chaotic systems (HDCS) have many advantages as more complex mechanism, increasing the key space, more ruleless for the time series of the system variable, etc. Based on these reasons, a new encryption cryptosystem based on Lorenz system is proposed. The theoretical and experimental results show that, this algorithm can resist the local linear attack, the phase space reconstruct attack, the entropy attack, etc. The proposed cryptosystem has higher security.
ARE QUANTUM STATES REAL?
Authors: HARDY LUCIEN
Published: November 2012

In this paper we consider theories in which reality is described by some underlying variables, λ. Each value these variables can take represents an ontic state (a particular state of reality). The preparation of a quantum state corresponds to a distribution over the ontic states, λ. If we make three basic assumptions, we can show that the distributions over ontic states corresponding to distinct pure states are nonoverlapping. This means that we can deduce the quantum state from a knowledge of the ontic state. Hence, if these assumptions are correct, we can claim that the quantum state is a real thing (it is written into the underlying variables that describe reality). The key assumption we use in this proof is ontic indifference — that quantum transformations that do not affect a given pure quantum state can be implemented in such a way that they do not affect the ontic states in the support of that state. In fact this assumption is violated in the Spekkens toy model (which captures many aspects of quantum theory and in which different pure states of the model have overlapping distributions over ontic states). This paper proves that ontic indifference must be violated in any model reproducing quantum theory in which the quantum state is not a real thing. The argument presented in this paper is different from that given in a recent paper by Pusey, Barrett and Rudolph. It uses a different key assumption and it pertains to a single copy of the system in question.
MODELING YEAST OSMOADAPTATION AT DIFFERENT LEVELS OF RESOLUTION
Authors: KÜHN CLEMENS , GENNEMARK PETER
Published: November 2012

We review the proposed mathematical models of the response to osmotic stress in yeast. These models mainly differ in the choice of mathematical representation (e.g. Bayesian networks, ordinary differential equations, or rule-based models), the extent to which the modeling is data-driven, and predictability. The overview exemplifies how one biological system can be modeled with various modeling techniques and at different levels of resolution, and how the choice typically is based on the amount and quality of available data, prior information of the system, and the research question in focus. As a natural part of the overview, we discuss requirements, advantages, and limitations of the different modeling approaches.
Osteoporosis Knowledge of Students in Relevant Healthcare Academic Programs
Authors: Nguyen Vu H. , Wang Ze
Published: November 2012

For healthcare professionals who treat individuals with osteoporosis, it is vital that they receive adequate education on osteoporosis to ensure sufficient knowledge of osteoporosis to properly treat individuals with the disease. To test for adequate osteoporosis education, a study was conducted to measure osteoporosis knowledge in 206 students in relevant healthcare academic programs, such as nursing, pharmacy, physical therapy, and dietetics. The study showed that differences existed in osteoporosis knowledge in general between the programs and between different years of students in the same programs. There were also discrepancies in specific areas of osteoporosis knowledge between the classes of students, and the average scores of correctly answered items were only as high as 24.40 (76.3%) out of 32 items on osteoporosis knowledge. This study shows that students have osteoporosis knowledge and that it is not completely inadequate; however, osteoporosis knowledge could still be more sufficient, and results demonstrate the need to increase osteoporosis education in the curriculum for these healthcare academic programs to increase osteoporosis knowledge and better prepare graduates and professionals to treat individuals with the disease.
Injection of Vaseline under Penis Skin for the Purpose of Penis Augmentation
Authors: Karakan Tolga , Ersoy Erim , Hasçiçek Metin , Özgür Berat Cem , Özcan Serkan , Aydın Arif
Published: November 2012

Penile foreign body injection is an uncommon entity produced by penile paraffin, mineral oil, and vaseline injections for the purpose of penile enlargement. Generally, penile subcutaneous and glandular injections for penile augmentation are performed by a nonmedical person, under unacceptable conditions. It will be an aim to share our experiences about penile vaseline injection.
Hypoglossal Schwannoma Masquerading as a Carotid Body Tumor
Authors: Lee Matthew K. , Sidell Douglas R. , Mendelsohn Abie H. , Blackwell Keith E.
Published: November 2012

Study Objective. To describe the clinical presentation, evaluation, and treatment of a hypoglossal schwannoma.Methods. We report an unusual case of a hypoglossal schwannoma presenting as a pulsatile level II neck mass at the bifurcation of the external and internal carotid arteries, mimicking a carotid body tumor. Radiologic findings are reviewed in detail.Results. A 59-year-old female presented to a tertiary care medical center with complaints of a pulsatile right-sided neck mass. An MRA of the neck was obtained demonstrating a 5 cm mass located at the carotid artery bifurcation and causing splaying of the internal and external carotids. Based on clinical presentation and imaging, a diagnosis of a carotid body tumor was conferred and the patient scheduled for excision. Intraoperatively, the mass was noted to arise from the hypoglossal nerve, remaining independent of the carotid artery. On histopathologic analysis, the mass was determined to be consistent with hypoglossal schwannoma.Conclusion. Though rare, the hypoglossal schwannoma should remain a consideration in the evaluation of a parapharyngeal space mass. As this report demonstrates, the clinical and radiologic presentation of a hypoglossal schwannoma may closely mimic that of the more common carotid body tumor.
Endoscopic Color Doppler Ultrasonography for Esophagogastric Varices
Authors: Sato Takahiro , Yamazaki Katsu
Published: November 2012

Esophagogastric varices are considered to be the most common complication in patients with portal hypertension. Endoscopic ultrasonography not only visualizes the surface of the varices but also provides detailed information about their internal structure. The direction of blood flow can be determined and its velocity measured only via endoscopic color Doppler ultrasonography (ECDUS). This can show graphically esophageal varices, paraesophageal veins, and passageways in esophageal variceal patients and gastric varices, perigastric collateral veins in gastric variceal patients. It is important to evaluate the hemodynamics of the portal venous system when treating the esophago-gastric varices. ECDUS is a useful modality for the evaluation of the detailed hemodynamics and the therapeutic effects of esophago-gastric varices.
Human-Induced Effects on RSS Ranging Measurements for Cooperative Positioning
Authors: Della Rosa Francescantonio , Pelosi Mauro , Nurmi Jari
Published: November 2012

We present experimental evaluations of human-induced perturbations on received-signal-strength-(RSS-) based ranging measurements for cooperative mobile positioning. To the best of our knowledge, this work is the first attempt to gain insight and understand the impact of both body loss and hand grip on the RSS for enhancing proximity measurements among neighbouring devices in cooperative scenarios. Our main contribution is represented by experimental investigations. Analysis of the errors introduced in the distance estimation using path-loss-based methods has been carried out. Moreover, the exploitation of human-induced perturbations for enhancing the final positioning accuracy through cooperative schemes has been assessed. It has been proved that the effect of cooperation is very limited if human factors are not taken into account when performing experimental activities.
A Comparison of Modifications Induced by Li3+and Ag14+Ion Beam in Spectroscopic Properties of Bismuth Alumino-Borosilicate Glass Thin Films
Authors: Kaur Ravneet , Singh Surinder , Pandey Om Prakash
Published: November 2012

Ion irradiation effects on the glass network and structural units have been studied by irradiating borosilicate glass thin film samples with 50 MeV Li3+and 180 MeV Ag14+swift heavy ions (SHI) at different fluence rates ranging from 1012 ions/cm2to 1014 ions/cm2. Glass of the composition (65-x) Bi2O3-10Al2O3-(65-y) B2O3-25SiO2(x= 45, 40;y= 20, 25) has been prepared by melt quench technique. To study the effects of ionizing radiation, the glass thin films have been prepared from these glasses and characterized using XRD, FTIR, and UV-Vis spectroscopic techniques. IR spectra are used to study the structural arrangements in the glass before and after irradiation. The values of optical band gap, Urbach energy, and refractive index have been calculated from the UV-Vis measurements. The variation in optical parameters with increasing Bi2O3content has been analyzed and discussed in terms of changes occurring in the glass network. A comparative study of the influence of Li3+ion beam on structural and optical properties of the either glass system with Ag14+ion is done. The results have been explained in the light of the interaction that SHI undergo on entering the material.
Multiwall Carbon Nanotube Coated with Conducting Polyaniline Nanocomposites for Quasi‐Solid‐State Dye‐Sensitized Solar Cells
Authors: Karim Mohammad Rezaul , Islam Ashraful , Akhtaruzzaman M. D. , Han Liyuan , Al-Ahmari Abdurahman
Published: November 2012

Multiwalled carbon nanotube (MWNT) coated with conducting polyaniline (PAni) nanocomposites has been enforced as for quasi‐solid‐state electrolyte layer in the dye‐sensitized solar cells (DSSCs), and the incorporation of MWNT‐PAni nanoparticles on the cell performance has been examined. The MWNT‐PAni nanoparticles exploited as the extended electron transfer materials, which can reduce charge diffusion length and serve simultaneously as catalyst for the electrochemical reduction of . An ionic liquid of 1‐methyl‐3‐propyl‐imidazolium iodide (PMII) together with the hybrid MWNT‐PAni nanocomposites was placed between the dye‐sensitized porous TiO2 and the Pt counter electrode without adding iodine and achieved a moderately higher cell efficiency (3.15%), as compared to that containing bare PMII (0.26%).
The Perception of Lexical Stress in German: Effects of Segmental Duration and Vowel Quality in Different Prosodic Patterns
Authors: Kohler Klaus J.
Published: November 2012

Several decades of research, focusing on English, Dutch and German, have set up a hierarchy of acoustic properties for cueing lexical stress. It attributes the strongest cue to criterial-level f0 change, followed by duration, but low weight to energy and to stressed-vowel spectra. This paper re-examines the established view with new data from German. In the natural productions of the German word pair Kaffee ‘coffee’ – Café ‘locality’ (with initial vs. final stress in a North German pronunciation), vowel duration was manipulated in a complementary fashion across the two syllables in five steps, spanning the continuum from initial to final stress on each word. The two base words provided different vowel qualities as the second variable, the intervocalic fricative was varied in two values, long and short, taken from Café and Kaffee, and the generated test words were inserted in a low f0 tail and in a high f0 hat-pattern plateau, which both eliminated f0 change as a cue to lexical stress. The sentence stimuli were judged in two listening experiments by 16 listeners in each as to whether the first or the second syllable of the test word was stressed. The results show highly significant effects of vowel duration, vowel quality and fricative duration. The combined vowel-quality and fricative variable can outweigh vowel duration as a cue to lexical stress. The effect of the prosodic frame is only marginal, especially related to a rhythmic factor. The paper concludes that there is no general hierarchy with a fixed ranking of the variables traditionally adduced to signal lexical stress. Every prosodic embedding of segmental sequences defines the hierarchy afresh.
Effect of Vascular Comorbidities on Survival of Type 2 Diabetes Patients on Renal Replacement Therapy
Authors: Kervinen Marjo , Lehto Seppo , Grönhagen-Riska Carola , Finne Patrik
Published: November 2012

Background: Atherosclerosis is an important predictor of mortality in patients with end-stage renal disease. The aim of this study was to determine how various vascular comorbidities such as coronary heart disease (CHD), peripheral vascular disease (PVD) or cerebrovascular disease (CeVD) affect survival of type 2 diabetic patients on renal replacement therapy (RRT). Methods: Patients who entered RRT because of type 2 diabetes in 2000–2008 (n = 877) were identified within the Finnish Registry for Kidney Diseases. The patients were followed up until death or end of follow-up. Survival probabilities were calculated using Kaplan-Meier curves. Multivariate modeling was performed using Cox regression. Results: 41% of the patients had CHD, 27% PVD and 16% CeVD at the start of RRT. Patients with PVD had a 1.9-fold (95% CI 1.6–2.3) risk of death compared to those without PVD when adjusting for age and gender, while patients with CHD had a 1.5-fold (95% CI 1.2–1.8) and those with CeVD a 1.4-fold (95% CI 1.1–1.8) risk compared to those without these diseases. The hazard ratio (HR) for death was highest in patients with the combination of PVD and either CHD (HR 2.8, 95% CI 2.1–3.8) or CeVD (HR 2.9, 95% CI 1.6–5.2) as compared to patients without any vascular comorbidities. Conclusion: PVD is the vascular comorbidity that increases risk of death the most among patients with type 2 diabetes starting RRT. Prevention of PVD in this patient group would merit further studies.
The Effect of Diurnal Sea Surface Temperature Warming on Climatological Air–Sea Fluxes
Authors: Clayson Carol Anne , Bogdanoff Alec S.
Published: November 2012

Diurnal sea surface warming affects the fluxes of latent heat, sensible heat, and upwelling longwave radiation. Diurnal warming most typically reaches maximum values of 3°C, although very localized events may reach 7°–8°C. An analysis of multiple years of diurnal warming over the global ice-free oceans indicates that heat fluxes determined by using the predawn sea surface temperature can differ by more than 100% in localized regions over those in which the sea surface temperature is allowed to fluctuate on a diurnal basis. A comparison of flux climatologies produced by these two analyses demonstrates that significant portions of the tropical oceans experience differences on a yearly average of up to 10 W m−2. Regions with the highest climatological differences include the Arabian Sea and the Bay of Bengal, as well as the equatorial western and eastern Pacific Ocean, the Gulf of Mexico, and the western coasts of Central America and North Africa. Globally the difference is on average 4.45 W m−2. The difference in the evaporation rate globally is on the order of 4% of the total ocean–atmosphere evaporation. Although the instantaneous, year-to-year, and seasonal fluctuations in various locations can be substantial, the global average differs by less than 0.1 W m−2 throughout the entire 10-yr time period. A global heat budget that uses atmospheric datasets containing diurnal variability but a sea surface temperature that has removed this signal may be underestimating the flux to the atmosphere by a fairly constant value.
Stratospheric Ozone and Temperature Simulated from the Preindustrial Era to the Present Day
Authors: Austin John , Horowitz Larry W. , Schwarzkopf M. Daniel , Wilson R. John , Levy Hiram
Published: November 2012

Results from the simulation of a coupled chemistry–climate model are presented for the period 1860 to 2005 using the observed greenhouse gas (GHG) and halocarbon concentrations. The model is coupled to a simulated ocean and uniquely includes both detailed tropospheric chemistry and detailed middle atmosphere chemistry, seamlessly from the surface to the model top layer centered at 0.02 hPa. It is found that there are only minor changes in simulated stratospheric temperature and ozone prior to the year 1960. As the halocarbon amounts increase after 1970, the model stratospheric ozone decreases approximately continuously until about 2000. The steadily increasing GHG concentrations cool the stratosphere from the beginning of the twentieth century at a rate that increases with height. During the early period the cooling leads to increased stratospheric ozone. The model results show a strong, albeit temporary, response to volcanic eruptions. While chlorofluorocarbon (CFC) concentrations remain low, the effect of eruptions is shown to increase the amount of HNO3, reducing ozone destruction by the NOx catalytic cycle. In the presence of anthropogenic chlorine, after the eruption of El Chichón and Mt. Pinatubo, chlorine radicals increased and the chlorine reservoirs decreased. The net volcanic effect on nitrogen and chlorine chemistry depends on altitude and, for these two volcanoes, leads to an ozone increase in the middle stratosphere and a decrease in the lower stratosphere. Model lower-stratospheric temperatures are also shown to increase during the last three major volcanic eruptions, by about 0.6 K in the global and annual average, consistent with observations.
Reducing Biases in XBT Measurements by Including Discrete Information from Pressure Switches
Authors: Goes Marlos , Goni Gustavo , Keller Klaus
Published: November 2012

Biases in the depth estimation of expendable bathythermograph (XBT) measurements cause considerable errors in oceanic estimates of climate variables. Efforts are currently underway to improve XBT probes by including pressure switches. Information from these pressure measurements can be used to minimize errors in the XBT depth estimation. This paper presents a simple method to correct the XBT depth biases using a number of discrete pressure measurements. A blend of controlled simulations of XBT measurements and collocated XBT/CTD data is used along with statistical methods to estimate error parameters, and to optimize the use of pressure switches in terms of number of switches, optimal depth detection, and errors in the pressure switch measurements to most efficiently correct XBT profiles. The results show that given the typical XBT depth biases, using just two pressure switches is a reliable strategy for reducing depth errors, as it uses the least number of switches for an improved accuracy and reduces the variance of the resulting correction. Using only one pressure switch efficiently corrects XBT depth errors when the surface depth offset is small, its optimal location is at middepth (around or below 300 m), and the pressure switch measurement errors are insignificant. If two pressure switches are used, then results indicate that the measurements should be taken in the lower thermocline and deeper in the profile, at approximately 80 and 600 m, respectively, with an RMSE of approximately 1.6 m for pressure errors of 1 m.