bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
From laboratory to pilot plant E. coli fed-batch cultures: optimizing the cellular environment for protein maximization
Authors: Ruiz J , Fernández-Castané A , de Mas C , González G , López-Santín J
Published: January 2013

For recombinant protein production in E. coli fed-batch cultures, post-induction conditions have great influence in the quantity and quality of the product. The present paper covers the effect of different factors affecting the cellular environment in recombinant aldolase (rhamnulose-1-phosphate aldolase, RhuA) production. An operational mode employing an exponential addition profile for constant specific growth rate has been analyzed, in order to understand and define possible modifications with influence on post-induction cellular behavior. A constant addition profile has been demonstrated to render higher specific aldolase production than the exponential addition profile, probably due to a more constant environment for the cells. On the other hand, amino acid (leucine) supplementation has proven to increase protein quality in terms of activity units (U) per unit mass of RhuA (U mg−1 RhuA), alleviating metabolic overload. Based on the above, a production process was set up and scaled up to pilot plant. Resulting production was double that of a standard laboratory operation, 45,000 U L−1, and almost all the protein retained the 6xHis-tag with the highest quality, 11.3 U mg−1 RhuA.
Synthesis and Properties of a Cationic Surfactant Based on Amidoamine and Glycerol
Authors: Sulakhe Swapnil P. , Bhagwat Sunil S.
Published: January 2013

Lauramidopropyl dimethyl amine was quaternized with 3‐chloroglycerol for synthesis of a cationic surfactant. The surfactant was synthesized in good yield without the use of a solvent. The structure of this surfactant was confirmed by infrared, nuclear magnetic resonance, and mass spectrometry. The effect exerted by the chemical moiety present in the structure was analyzed by comparing various physicochemical properties such as surface tension, critical micelle concentration, foaming, etc.
Choosing adolescent smokers as friends: The role of parenting and parental smoking
Authors: Mercken L. , Sleddens E.F.C. , de Vries H. , Steglich C.E.G.
Published: January 2013

The present study examined whether parenting and parental smoking can prevent children from selecting smoking friends during adolescence. 254 Adolescents of one Belgian secondary school participated. Self‐administered questionnaires were distributed among 2nd–4th graders (mean ages = 14.2–16.2 years) during spring 2006. Follow‐up was conducted 12 months later. Data was analyzed conducting longitudinal social network analyses. Results showed adolescents perceiving high parental psychological control had a significant higher tendency to select smoking friends. Perceived behavioral control and perceived parental support did not affect the selection of smoking friends. Furthermore, maternal smoking behavior affected the selection of smoking friends, although no effect of paternal smoking behavior on the selection of smoking friends was found. Adolescent smoking prevention efforts should focus on the influence of parents through their smoking behavior and their psychological control to decrease adolescents' tendency to select smoking friends resulting in fewer opportunities for negative peer influences to occur.
On the limit \( p\rightarrow∞ \) of global minimizers for a $p$-Ginzburg–Landau-type energy
Authors: Almog Yaniv , Berlyand Leonid , Golovaty Dmitry , Shafrir Itai
Published: January 2013

We study the limit

p\rightarrow \infty

of global minimizers for a

p

-Ginzburg–Landau-type energy

E_p(u)=\int_{\mathbb R^2} |\nabla u |^p + \frac{1}{2} (1-|u|^2)^2.

The minimization is carried over maps on

\mathbb{R}^{2}

that vanish at the origin and are of degree one at infinity. We prove locally uniform convergence of the minimizers on

\mathbb{R}^{2}

and obtain an explicit formula for the limit on

B(0,\sqrt{2}\:)

. Some generalizations to dimension

N⩾3

are presented as well.
Outcome of cervical cancer patients with single‐node compared with no nodal involvement treated with radical hysterectomy and pelvic lymphadenectomy
Authors: Suprasert Prapaporn , Charoenkwan Kittipat , Siriaree Sitthicha , Cheewakriangkrai Chalong , Saeteng Jaruwan , Srisomboon Jatupol
Published: January 2013

Objective

To evaluate disease‐free survival (DFS) after radical hysterectomy and pelvic lymphadenectomy (RHPL) among early‐stage cervical cancer patients with single‐node involvement versus patients with no nodal involvement.

Methods

A retrospective review was conducted of the medical records of 843 patients undergoing RHPL at Chiang Mai University Hospital, Thailand, between January 1, 2002, and December 31, 2008. Neoadjuvant chemotherapy was administered when the operative schedule was more than 1 month after diagnosis and adjuvant chemoradiation was administered to high‐risk patients. Five subgroups were defined on the basis of pelvic node involvement: group A (0 nodes; n = 706), group B (1 node; n = 65), group C (2 nodes; n = 38), group D (3 nodes; n = 13), and group E (≥ 4 nodes; n = 21).

Results

The 5‐year DFS was comparable for groups A and B (94.3% versus 92.1%; P = 0.454). In groups C, D, and E, the 5‐year DFS was 85.9%, 75.0%, and 61.8%, respectively. The survival outcomes for groups A and B were significantly different from those of the other 3 groups (P < 0.001).

Conclusion

Cervical cancer patients with single‐node involvement had comparable survival outcomes to those without nodal metastases; however, patients with multiple node involvement had reduced DFS.
Middle Pleistocene age of the fossiliferous sedimentary sequence from Tarija, Bolivia
Authors: MacFadden Bruce J. , Zeitler Peter K. , Anaya Federico , Cottle John M.
Published: January 2013

The highly fossiliferous sediments of the Tolomosa Formation from Tarija, southern Bolivia, represent one of the most important localities in South America that documents the Great American Biotic Interchange. Over the past several decades, chronostratigraphic studies have indicated a middle Pleistocene age for the Tolomosa Formation from ~ 1.1 to 0.7 Ma. This interval correlates to the Ensenadan South American Land Mammal Age as it is characterized from classic localities in Argentina. Recently, however, a new interpretation based on AMS 14C ages indicates that the fossiliferous sediments from Tarija are latest Pleistocene, i.e., < 44 ka, and thus of Lujanian age. Here we report a new age of 0.76 ± 0.03 Ma (2σ) based on 11 U–Th/Pb and U–Th/He individual determinations from the Tolomosa Formation. This is indistinguishable from the age published from the same ash in 1983, and was originally used to calibrate the magnetostratigraphic section at Tarija. The new age confirms that the age of the Tolomosa Formation is middle Pleistocene, and not latest Pleistocene. The age of the Tarija Fauna has significant implications with regard to the stage of evolution biochronology for Pleistocene fossil mammals in South America, and in particular, the classic and important reference sections in Argentina.
THE BAIRE PROPERTY IN THE REMAINDERS OF SEMITOPOLOGICAL GROUPS
Authors: XIE LI-HONG , LIN SHOU
Published: January 2013

It is proved that every remainder of a nonlocally compact semitopological group $G$ is a Baire space if and only if $G$ is not Čech-complete, which improves a dichotomy theorem of topological groups by Arhangel’skiǐ [‘The Baire property in remainders of topological groups and other results’, Comment. Math. Univ. Carolin. 50(2) (2009), 273–279], and also gives a positive answer to a question of Lin and Lin [‘About remainders in compactifications of paratopological groups’, ArXiv: 1106.3836v1 [Math. GN] 20 June 2011]. We also show that for a nonlocally compact rectifiable space $G$ every remainder of $G$ is either Baire, or meagre and Lindelöf.
Servile Sentinels of the City: Private Security Guards, Organized Informality, and Labour in Interactive Services in Globalized India
Authors: Gooptu Nandini
Published: January 2013

Through a study of private security guards in urban India, this paper investigates emerging labour processes in the increasingly dominant private corporate sector of Third World rising economies, in the wake of economic liberalization and globalization. To meet the escalating need for labour in interactive services, a vast cadre of low-paid, casual workers has emerged, working under a regime of organized informality. Recruitment and training here are systematically institutionalized and formalized by private agencies, with the imprimatur of the state, but employment relations remain informal and insecure. The paper examines forms of labour subordination and a culture of servility at the workplace, as well as embodied work and emotional labour that characterize low-end service jobs. The paper shows how workers’ political subjectivity and their perception of class difference and social identity are shaped by cultural and social interaction at work and how these relate to wider democratic politics and citizenship.
Neonatal aortic arch thrombosis: analysis of thrombophilic risk factors and prognosis
Authors: Wieland Ivonne , Jack Thomas , Seidemann Kathrin , Boehne Martin , Schmidt Florian , Happel Christoph M. , Koeditz Harald , Bertram Harald , Sasse Michael
Published: January 2013

Arterial thrombosis in neonates and children is a rare event and is often associated with external risk factors such as asphyxia or sepsis. We report our experiences with two neonates with spontaneous aortic arch thrombosis mimicking aortic coarctation. Despite single case reports until now, no data exist for the underlying thrombophilic risk factors and prognosis of this rare event. Both patients were carriers of a heterozygous factor V Leiden mutation, which has been reported once before as a risk factor for aortic arch thrombosis. One of our patients was operated upon successfully and is alive. The second patient suffered a large infarction of the right medial cerebral artery and had a thrombotic occlusion of the inferior caval vein. The patient obtained palliative care and died at the age of 6 days. In the literature, we identified 19 patients with neonatal aortic arch thrombosis. Of the 19 patients, 11 (58%) died. Including the two reported patients, the mortality rate of patients with multiple thromboses was 80% (8/10) compared with 18% (2/11) for patients with isolated aortic arch thrombosis; this difference reached statistical significance (p = 0.009). The analysis of thrombophilic disorders revealed that factor V Leiden mutation and protein C deficiency seem to be the most common risk factors for aortic arch thrombosis.Conclusion:Neonatal aortic arch thrombosis is a very rare but life-threatening event, with a high rate of mortality, especially if additional thrombotic complications are present. Factor V Leiden mutation seems to be one important risk factor in the pathogenesis of this fatal disease.
“THE MERCHANTS OF CADIZ AND LISBON”: PARSIMONY, THE RATE OF PROFIT, AND ACCUMULATION IN WEALTH OF NATIONS
Authors: WATERMAN A.M.C.
Published: January 2013

In Wealth of Nations, a high rate of profit is associated with sluggish or even negative growth, and vice versa. This is because capital accumulation (and therefore population growth) is driven by parsimony of the masters; and the incentive to self-denial is eroded by a high income too easily obtained. The causal relation between parsimony, the rate of profit, and accumulation is explicated in this article; Adam Smith’s observations concerning “the merchants of Cadiz and Lisbon” examined critically; and some conjectures offered as to why Smith’s successors should have rejected parsimony as a useful concept.
Redefining the deviance objective for generalised linear models ‐ Abstract of the London discussion
Authors: Lovick Tony
Published: January 2013

This abstract relates to the following paper:

LovickA.C.andLeeP.K.W.Redefining the deviance objective for generalised linear models.British Actuarial Journal, doi:10.1017/S1357321712000190
Neurodevelopmental Outcome Among Multiples and Singletons: A Regional Neonatal Intensive Care Unit's Experience in Turkey
Authors: Eras Zeynep , Ozyurt Banu Mutlu , Kanmaz Gozde , Erdeve Omer , Sakrucu Evrim Durgut , Oguz Serife Suna , Canpolat Fuat Emre , Uras Nurdan , Dilmen Ugur
Published: January 2013

Objective: The aim of this study was to compare the neurodevelopmental outcome at 12–18 months’ corrected age between multiples and singleton preterm infants. Methods: We designed a prospective study of preterm infants (≤32 weeks gestation) born and hospitalized in the neonatal intensive care unit between November 2008 and November 2009, whose assessments were performed at 12–18 months’ corrected age. Neurodevelopmental impairment was defined as the presence of any one of the following: moderate or severe cerebral palsy, severe bilateral hearing loss or bilateral blindness, mental developmental index score, or psychomotor developmental index score less than 70. Results were compared for both multiples and singleton infants. Results: One hundred and fifty-nine multiples and 211 singleton infants were assessed at 12–18 months’ corrected age. The neurodevelopmental outcome including all parameters at 12–18 months’ corrected age in multiples was not significantly different from singleton preterm infants. Conclusions: Multiple gestation in preterm infants is not associated with an increased risk of neurodevelopmental impairment at 12–18 months’ corrected age compared with singleton preterm infants. For further information, long term and high participation in neurodevelopmental follow-up and evaluation at pre-school age will be needed.
Climbing the ladder to literary Heaven
Authors: Gibbs Raymond W. , Blackwell Natalia
Published: January 2013

This study examined university students’ interpretations of a passage from the novel “The Anthologist” that notably described a poet’s career as his clinging onto an infinitely tall ladder leading up into the blinding blue. Understanding this excerpt requires readers to engage in “metaphor processing” where one applies a metaphoric reading to some instance of language or a situation to obtain allegorical meaning, as opposed to “processing metaphor” in which individual words and phrases are given metaphoric meaning. Students’ interpretations of both the individual segments and the entire text revealed significant allegorical abilities, many of which we centered on their elaboration of the common metaphorical theme LIFE IS A JOURNEY. But participants also clearly created textured, personal readings of fictional texts that gave each interpretive act it own unique, creative flavor. Although this study focused on the “products” of people’s interpretation for allegory, we speculate on the cognitive “processes” required for readers to produce their rich, detailed understandings of allegory in fiction.
Theory of Mind and embedding of perspective
Authors: Whalen Douglas , Zunshine Lisa , Holquist Michael
Published: January 2013

Theory of Mind (ToM) has been proposed to explain social interactions, with real people but also with fictional characters, by interpreting their mind as well as our own. “Perspective embedding” exploits ToM by placing events in characters’ minds (e.g., “he remembered she was home”). Three levels of embedment, common in literature, may be a “sweet spot” that provides enough information about a character’s motivation, but not a confusing over-abundance. Here, we use short vignettes with 1 or 3 characters and 0–5 levels of perspective embedding in two reading studies to see whether these preferences might be related to processing ease. Self-paced readers were fastest with one level of embedment, increasingly slower as embedment increased; vignettes without embedment were approximately as slow as level 4. With both self-paced and imposed timing, error rates on probe questions increased only at the fifth level. Readers seem to prefer literary texts in which ToM operations are obvious due to embedding of perspectives within the narrative but still somewhat challenging.
How to live without BRCA1
Authors: Leslie Mitch
Published: January 2013

Enzyme helps cancer cells reactivate repair mechanism and overcome loss of tumor suppressor.
A noncatalytic function of the ligation complex during nonhomologous end joining
Authors: Cottarel Jessica , Frit Philippe , Bombarde Oriane , Salles Bernard , Négrel Aurélie , Bernard Stéphanie , Jeggo Penny A. , Lieber Michael R. , Modesti Mauro , Calsou Patrick
Published: January 2013

Nonhomologous end joining is the primary deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) double-strand break repair pathway in multicellular eukaryotes. To initiate repair, Ku binds DNA ends and recruits the DNA-dependent protein kinase (DNA-PK) catalytic subunit (DNA-PKcs) forming the holoenzyme. Early end synapsis is associated with kinase autophosphorylation. The XRCC4 (X4)–DNA Ligase IV (LIG4) complex (X4LIG4) executes the final ligation promoted by Cernunnos (Cer)–X4-like factor (XLF). In this paper, using a cell-free system that recapitulates end synapsis and DNA-PKcs autophosphorylation, we found a defect in both activities in human cell extracts lacking LIG4. LIG4 also stimulated the DNA-PKcs autophosphorylation in a reconstitution assay with purified components. We additionally uncovered a kinase autophosphorylation defect in LIG4-defective cells that was corrected by ectopic expression of catalytically dead LIG4. Finally, our data support a contribution of Cer-XLF to this unexpected early role of the ligation complex in end joining. We propose that productive end joining occurs by early formation of a supramolecular entity containing both DNA-PK and X4LIG4–Cer-XLF complexes on DNA ends.
Mechanisms of spindle positioning
Authors: McNally Francis J.
Published: January 2013

Accurate positioning of spindles is essential for asymmetric mitotic and meiotic cell divisions that are crucial for animal development and oocyte maturation, respectively. The predominant model for spindle positioning, termed “cortical pulling,” involves attachment of the microtubule-based motor cytoplasmic dynein to the cortex, where it exerts a pulling force on microtubules that extend from the spindle poles to the cell cortex, thereby displacing the spindle. Recent studies have addressed important details of the cortical pulling mechanism and have revealed alternative mechanisms that may be used when microtubules do not extend from the spindle to the cortex.
Agricultural Landscape Value and Irrigation Water Policy
Authors: Thiene Mara , Tsur Yacov
Published: January 2013

Water is a limiting factor of agricultural production in an increasing number of regions. There is also ample empirical evidence to suggest that the economic value of agricultural landscape is substantial, which has been used to justify agricultural support programs in developed economies. We investigate the link between the environmental amenity of agricultural landscape and the value of water in crop production. We find that the environmental externality gives rise to a social derived demand for water which differs from the market‐based (private) derived demand for water. Policy implications regarding irrigation water allocation and pricing are drawn. An empirical example illustrates the methodology and main findings.
Hemodialysis Patients Born With a Low Birth Weight Should Have a Different Time Course of Kidney Diseases Than Those Born With a Normal Birth Weight
Authors: Imasawa Toshiyuki , Fukuda Naoyuki , Hirose Satoru , Kato Naohiko , Suganuma Shinya , Yamamoto Ryo , Kimura Hiroaki , Kadomura Moritoshi , Nishimura Motonobu , Yoshimura Mitsuhiro , Ikei Satoshi
Published: January 2013

Low birth weight (LBW) is thought to be one of the risk factors for the progression of kidney diseases. This study hypothesized that the onset age of kidney disease, the rate of progression of kidney disease, or the age at the time of hemodialysis (HD) induction among HD patients that were born with LBW is different from those without a history of LBW. A questionnaire survey in nine dialysis units in Japan was performed and 427 answer sheets were collected. There were statistically significant differences in the present age, the age of kidney disease onset, and the age of HD induction between LBW group and normal birth weight group (NBW). An analysis limited to participants whose underlying disease was diabetic nephropathy revealed that the duration from the onset of nephropathy to HD induction was much shorter in HD patients with a history of LBW than those with a NBW history. In addition, the Pearson's correlation coefficient between the birth weight and the period from onset of diabetic nephropathy to HD induction was 0.283. Although these results might partly support the primary hypothesis, the necessity to perform other clinical studies is also emphasized.
Preservation of H2 production activity in nanoporous latex coatings of Rhodopseudomonas palustris CGA009 during dry storage at ambient temperatures
Authors: Piskorska M. , Soule T. , Gosse J. L. , Milliken C. , Flickinger M. C. , Smith G. W. , Yeager C. M.
Published: January 2013

To assess the applicability of latex cell coatings as an ‘off‐the‐shelf’ biocatalyst, the effect of osmoprotectants, temperature, humidity and O2 on preservation of H2 production in Rhodopseudomonas palustris coatings was evaluated. Immediately following latex coating coalescence (24 h) and for up to 2 weeks of dry storage, rehydrated coatings containing different osmoprotectants displayed similar rates of H2 production. Beyond 2 weeks of storage, sorbitol‐treated coatings lost all H2 production activity, whereas considerable H2 production was still detected in sucrose‐ and trehalose‐stabilized coatings. The relative humidity level at which the coatings were stored had a significant impact on the recovery and subsequent rates of H2 production. After 4 weeks storage under air at 60% humidity, coatings produced only trace amounts of H2 (0–0.1% headspace accumulation), whereas those stored at < 5% humidity retained 27–53% of their H2 production activity after 8 weeks of storage. When stored in argon at < 5% humidity and room temperature, R. palustris coatings retained full H2 production activity for 3 months, implicating oxidative damage as a key factor limiting coating storage. Overall, the results demonstrate that biocatalytic latex coatings are an attractive cell immobilization platform for preservation of bioactivity in the dry state.
A cadherin‐like protein influences Bacillus thuringiensis Cry1Ab toxicity in the oriental armyworm, Mythimna separata
Authors: Wang Ling , Jiang Xingfu , Luo Lizhi , Stanley David , Sappington Thomas W. , Zhang Lei
Published: January 2013

Cadherins comprise a family of calcium‐dependent cell adhesion proteins that act in cell–cell interactions. Cadherin‐like proteins (CADs) in midguts of some insects act as receptors that bind some of the toxins produced by the Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt). We cloned a CAD gene associated with larval midguts prepared from Mythimna separata. The full‐length cDNA (MsCAD1, GenBank Accession No. JF951432) is 5642 bp, with an open reading frame encoding a 1757 amino acid and characteristics typical of insect CADs. Expression of MsCAD1 is predominantly in midgut tissue, with highest expression in the 3rd‐ to 6th‐instars and lowest in newly hatched larvae. Knocking‐down MsCAD1 decreased Cry1Ab susceptibility, indicated by reduced developmental time, increased larval weight and reduced larval mortality. We expressed MsCAD1 in E. coli and recovered the recombinant protein, rMsCAD1, which binds Cry1Ab toxin. Truncation analysis and binding experiments revealed that a contiguous 209‐aa, located in CR11 and CR12, is the minimal Cry1Ab binding region. These results demonstrate that MsCAD1 is associated with Cry1Ab toxicity and is one of the Cry1Ab receptors in this insect. The significance of this work lies in identifying MsCAD1 as a Cry1Ab receptor, which helps understand the mechanism of Cry1Ab toxicity and of potential resistance to Bt in M. separata.
Association between Big 4 auditor choice and cost of equity capital for multiple‐segment firms
Authors: Choi Jong‐Hag , Lee Woo‐Jong
Published: January 2013

Prior studies document a negative association between Big 4 auditor choice and the implied cost of equity capital, suggesting that Big 4 auditors mitigate information asymmetry (IA) between shareholders and managers. This study extends this line of research and reports that the negative association is more pronounced in multiple‐segment firms, where IA is more severe than in single‐segment firms. We also find that the association between Big 4 auditor choice and the cost of equity capital becomes more negative as the number of segments increases. Taken together, our findings suggest that the role of Big 4 auditors in reducing the cost of equity capital becomes more significant when greater IA exists.
f‐Wave Suppression Method for Improvement of Locating T‐Wave Ends in Electrocardiograms during Atrial Fibrillation
Authors: Du Xiaochuan , Rao Nini , Ou Feng , Xu Guogong , Yin Lixue , Wang Gang
Published: January 2013

This article is to propose an algorithm for improving T‐wave ends location during atrial fibrillation (AF). The traditional algorithms do not take the irregular baseline fibrillation of AF into consideration, so their location accuracy is relatively low. Based on simple assumptions that AF is a random signal while T waves and QRS complexes are deterministic signals, we suggest a novel method to suppress f wave for improving location of T‐wave ends during AF. We firstly define a new cardiac cycle and then match R peaks and T peaks in the three adjacent cardiac cycles. Finally, we suppress the interference of the f wave by averaging. When evaluating with the PhysioNet QT database and simulated AF signals in terms of the mean and the standard deviation of the T‐wave ends location errors, the proposed algorithm improves the performance of existing popular methods. Besides, the clinical significance of the proposed method is illustrated.
Microscope in modern spinal surgery: advantages, ergonomics and limitations
Authors: Damodaran Omprakash , Lee Jenny , Lee Gabriel
Published: January 2013

The surgical microscope has revolutionized the practice of modern spine surgery. The major advantages of the microscope include better illumination, magnification and coaxial vision. It has also contributed to the welfare of the surgeon through improved ergonomics and opportunities to demonstrate surgical nuances to a training resident. However, there are limitations to its role in complex, long segment fixations and a potential for higher risk of surgical infections secondary to intraoperative contamination.
Exploring the impact of oral diseases and disorders on quality of life of preschool children
Authors: Kramer Paulo Floriani , Feldens Carlos Alberto , Helena Ferreira Simone , Bervian Juliane , Rodrigues Priscila Humbert , Peres Marco Aurélio
Published: January 2013

Objective

To assess the impact of oral health outcomes on Oral Health‐Related Quality of Life (OHRQoL) in a school‐based sample of Brazilian preschool children and their families.

Methods

A cross‐sectional study was conducted in 1036 children aged 2–5 years attending all the public nurseries in Canoas, Brazil. Caregivers were asked to complete questionnaire on socioeconomic status and the Early Childhood Oral Health Impact Scale (ECOHIS) on their perception of the children's OHRQoL. Clinical assessment included dental caries, traumatic dental injuries (TDI) and malocclusion. Multivariable Poisson regression models with robust variance were fitted to assess covariates for the prevalence of impacts on OHRQoL following a theoretical hierarchical framework.

Results

17.4% of the caregivers reported that their child had an impact on at least one ECOHIS item. Negative impacts were more prevalent on items related to pain, difficult drinking and eating some foods. The multivariable Poisson regression analysis showed that dental caries, TDI and malocclusion were associated with the outcome. The prevalence of having any impact on OHRQoL was almost three times higher for children with dental caries (PR 2.74 95% CI 2.02–3.72) compared to those who were caries free; and approximately 1.5 times higher for those who presented TDI (PR 1.70 95% CI 1.27–2.27) and malocclusion (PR 1.42 95% CI 1.04–1.94).

Conclusions

The findings showed that caregivers of young children with oral disease and disorders perceived that both the children and other family members had poorer quality of life. Oral health policies should be included into general health programs based on common risk approach.
Larval myogenesis in Echinodermata: conserved features and morphological diversity between class‐specific larval forms of Echinoidae, Asteroidea, and Holothuroidea
Authors: Dyachuk Vyacheslav , Odintsova Nelly
Published: January 2013

The myogenesis of class‐specific larval forms of three classes belonging to the phylum Echinodermata (Echinoidae, Asteroidea, and Holothuroidea) was investigated via gross‐anatomy and comparative morphology of larval muscles. Using staining with phalloidin and antibodies against the muscle proteins, with subsequent CLSM and 3D imaging, we have examined myogenesis in the larvae from the gastrula stage to pre‐metamorphosis larval stages. We have shown that temporal and spatial expression of muscle proteins is similar in echinoidea and asteroidea larvae but differs in holothuroidea larvae at early developmental stages. New insights regarding the protein composition of maturing muscular fibrils during development in echinoderm larvae were detected. The first differentiating muscle structures in all tested classes have been found to be circular esophageal muscles that are associated with larval feeding. During early differentiation of echinoderm larval muscle cells, we observed that the expression patterns of the muscle proteins were not uniform but with a characteristic diffuse distribution, which is typical for smooth muscle. An unusual pattern of expression of the muscle proteins was detected in larval sphincters: the thick muscle proteins were first expressed during the early developmental stages, whereas F‐actin appeared at later stages. In addition, paired star‐shaped muscles were revealed in the mature Echinoidae plutei, but were absent in the Asteroidea, and Holothuroidea larvae. All tested species of Echinodermata exhibited both conserved features of muscle morphology during development indicating a common life history strategy and a planktonic habitat, and also an extensive morphological diversity representing specific anatomical adaptations during development.
Drosophila mutants suggest a strong drive toward complexity in evolution
Authors: Fleming Leonore , McShea Daniel W.
Published: January 2013

The view that complexity increases in evolution is uncontroversial, yet little is known about the possible causes of such a trend. One hypothesis, the Zero Force Evolutionary Law (ZFEL), predicts a strong drive toward complexity, although such a tendency can be overwhelmed by selection and constraints. In the absence of strong opposition, heritable variation accumulates and complexity increases. In order to investigate this claim, we evaluate the gross morphological complexity of laboratory mutants in Drosophila melanogaster, which represent organisms that arise in a context where selective forces are greatly reduced. Complexity was measured with respect to part types, shape, and color over two independent focal levels. Compared to the wild type, we find that D. melanogaster mutants are significantly more complex. When the parts of mutants are categorized by degree of constraint, we find that weakly constrained parts are significantly more complex than more constrained parts. These results support the ZFEL hypothesis. They also represent a first step in establishing the domain of application of the ZFEL and show one way in which a larger empirical investigation of the principle might proceed.
Intermittent nicotine exposure upregulates nAChRs in VTA dopamine neurons and sensitises locomotor responding to the drug
Authors: Baker Lorinda K. , Mao Danyan , Chi Henry , Govind Anitha P. , Vallejo Yolanda F. , Iacoviello Michael , Herrera Stacy , Cortright James J. , Green William N. , McGehee Daniel S. , Vezina Paul
Published: January 2013

Dopaminergic projections from the ventral tegmental area (VTA) to the nucleus accumbens (NAcc) mediate the behavioral and motivational effects of many drugs of abuse, including nicotine. Repeated intermittent administration of these drugs, a pattern often associated with initial drug exposure, sensitises the reactivity of dopamine (DA) neurons in this pathway, enhances the locomotor behaviors the drugs emit, and promotes their pursuit and self‐administration. Here we show that activation of nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (nAChRs) in the VTA, but not the NAcc, is essential for the induction of locomotor sensitisation by nicotine. Repeated intermittent nicotine exposure (4 × 0.4 mg/kg, base, i.p., administered over 7 days), a regimen leading to long‐lasting locomotor sensitisation, also produced upregulation of nAChRs in the VTA, but not the NAcc, in the hours following the last exposure injection. Functional nAChR upregulation was observed selectively in DA but not GABA neurons in the VTA. These effects were followed by long‐term potentiation of excitatory inputs to these cells and increased nicotine‐evoked DA overflow in the NAcc. Withdrawal symptoms were not observed following this exposure regimen. Thus, intermittent activation and upregulation by nicotine of nAChRs in DA neurons in the VTA may contribute to the development of behavioral sensitisation and increased liability for nicotine addiction.
Superior colliculus inactivation alters the relationship between covert visual attention and microsaccades
Authors: Hafed Ziad M. , Lovejoy Lee P. , Krauzlis Richard J.
Published: January 2013

Microsaccades are tiny saccades that occur during gaze fixation. Whereas these movements have traditionally been viewed as random, it was recently discovered that microsaccade directions can be significantly biased by covertly attended visual stimuli. The detailed mechanisms mediating such a bias are neither known nor immediately obvious, especially because the amplitudes of the movements influenced by attentional cueing could be up to two orders of magnitude smaller than the eccentricity of the attended location. Here, we tested whether activity in the peripheral superior colliculus (SC) is necessary for this correlation between attentional cueing and microsaccades. We reversibly and focally inactivated SC neurons representing peripheral regions of visual space while rhesus monkeys performed a demanding covert visual attention task. The normal bias of microsaccade directions observed in each monkey before SC inactivation was eliminated when a cue was placed in the visual region affected by the inactivation; microsaccades were, instead, biased away from the affected visual space. When the cue was placed at another location unaffected by SC inactivation, the baseline cue‐induced bias of microsaccade directions remained mostly intact, because the cue was in unaffected visual space, and any remaining changes were again explained by a repulsion of microsaccades away from the inactivated region. Our results indicate that peripheral SC activity is required for the link between microsaccades and the cueing of covert visual attention, and that it could do so by altering the probability of triggering microsaccades without necessarily affecting the motor generation of these movements.
Moving beyond the current paradigm in marine population connectivity: are adults the missing link?
Authors: Frisk Michael G , Jordaan Adrian , Miller Thomas J
Published: January 2013

During the past century, the field of fisheries oceanography has dominated the study of population connectivity in marine environments. The influence of physical and biological processes and their relationship to transport and retention of early life history stages has been central in providing insight into population structuring and connectivity. However, the focus on dispersive early life history stages has meant that the role of adults has received less attention and is not fully understood or appreciated. We argue that adults play a vital role in population connectivity for a wide range of marine taxa and hypothesize that adult‐mediated population connectivity commonly results in a diverse array of population structuring. Two case‐studies on winter skate, Leucoraja ocellata, and winter flounder, Pseudopleuronectes americanus, are presented to illustrate the role adults play in marine connectivity at both broad and fine scales, respectively. Indeed, if adults are important for population connectivity, we argue that the role of larval processes is conditional on adult choice and only management and research pursuits that integrate the full life cycle of species will capture the full dynamics of metapopulation connectivity. Failure to include the roles of adults can lead to misinterpretation of the causes and consequences of changes in ecosystem structure and fisheries productivity.
The Achilles heel for spiny lobsters: the energetics of the non‐feeding post‐larval stage
Authors: Fitzgibbon Quinn P , Jeffs Andrew G , Battaglene Stephen C
Published: January 2013

Spiny lobsters are highly valuable seafood species that are captured and marketed in more than 90 countries. After more than 30 years of stable catches, spiny lobster fisheries in many parts of the world are declining due to decreased recruitment. The planktonic larvae spend up to 2 years in offshore waters, accumulating energy stores to fuel the non‐feeding post‐larva, or puerulus, to actively migrate onshore and settle. The total energy required by spiny lobster pueruli for cross‐shelf migration has not been accurately determined. Recent advances in larval culture have provided the opportunity for the first detailed examination of the swimming performance, respiratory metabolism and nitrogen excretion of spiny lobster (Sagmariasus verreauxi) throughout the puerulus stage. The routine and active metabolic rates of pueruli were lower than for most other decapod larvae, probably to provide greater energy efficiency. However, pueruli were found to have limited time, swimming ability and fuel for active cross‐shelf migration. It is estimated that S. verreauxi pueruli require at least 13.8 mg of stored lipid to provide sufficient energy (18.4% DW) to complete the puerulus stage and recruit to coastal habitats. The ability of the preceding phyllosoma larvae to accumulate these reserves, and the presence of favourable oceanographic conditions during the limited time available to the migrating puerulus, are both crucial to subsequent successful recruitment. Spiny lobster recruitment processes appear to be particularly vulnerable to changes in oceanic climate which is likely to contribute to the recent large‐scale declines in recruitment to valuable fished populations.
Labour Market Segmentation: Standard and Non-Standard Employment in Germany
Authors: Garz Marcel
Published: January 2013

Data from the German Socio-Economic Panel provide insight into the relationship between standard and non-standard work, from the perspective of dual labour market theory. We identify two segments that largely correspond to the common distinction between these forms of employment and find substantial differences in the determination of wages, as well as the composition of worker and job characteristics. These differences tend to increase after the Hartz reforms. The estimates also indicate the existence of a primary sector wage premium and job rationing, as well as specific patterns of labour mobility due to (partly non-economic) barriers between segments.
IMP2 regulates differentiation potentials of mouse neocortical neural precursor cells
Authors: Fujii Yuki , Kishi Yusuke , Gotoh Yukiko
Published: January 2013

Neural precursor cells (NPCs) in the mammalian neocortex generate various neuronal and glial cell types in a developmental stage‐dependent manner. Most neocortical NPCs lose their neurogenic potential after birth. We have previously shown that high‐mobility group A (HMGA) proteins confer the neurogenic potential on early‐stage NPCs during the midgestation period, although the underlying mechanisms are not fully understood. In this study, we found that HMGA2 promotes the expression of insulin‐like growth factor 2 mRNA‐binding protein 2 (IMP2, Igf2bp2) in neocortical NPCs. The level of IMP2 was indeed high in early‐stage NPCs compared with that in late‐stage NPCs. Importantly, over‐expression of IMP2 increased the neurogenic potential and suppressed astrocytic differentiation of late‐stage NPCs, whereas knockdown of IMP2 promoted astrocytic differentiation and reduced the neurogenic potential of early‐stage neocortical NPCs without overtly affecting cell proliferation. Our results thus identified IMP2 as a developmental stage‐dependent regulator of the differentiation potentials of NPCs in the mouse neocortex.
The Pekin duck IL‐10R2 common chain: cDNA cloning, genomic structure, molecular characterization and mRNA expression analysis
Authors: Yao Q. , Fischer K. P. , Arnesen K. , Lorne Tyrrell D. , Gutfreund K. S.
Published: January 2013

The interleukin‐10 receptor 2 (IL‐10R2, IL‐10Rβ) is required for the signalling of the class 2 cytokines IL‐10, IL‐22, IL‐26 and IFN‐λ1–3. Here, we describe the identification of the Pekin duck IL‐10R2 (duIL‐10R2) common chain and its gene structure. The duIL‐10R2 cDNA encodes a 343 amino acid protein that has an amino acid identity of 76% and 42% with chicken and human IL‐10R2, respectively. Binding residues of human IL‐10R2 for IL‐10 and IL‐22 were mostly conserved in the avian IL‐10R2 proteins within loops L3 and L5, but not within loops L2 and L6. Homology modelling of the duIL‐10R2 extracellular domain structure using soluble human IL‐10R2 (shIL‐10R2, PDB ID: 3LQM) as a template revealed a protruding loop L5 and two distinct clefts between loops L2/L3 and L3/L5, similar to shIL‐10R2. However, in contrast to the three amino acid β‐hairpin loop L2 of shIL‐10R2, loop L2 of duIL‐10R2 is five residues longer. Residues within a putative Tyk2 binding site were highly conserved across all vertebrate IL‐10R2 proteins examined. The duIL‐10R2 gene shares a seven exon–six intron structure with chicken and human IL‐10R2 genes, but avian genes are more compact. DuIL‐10R2 mRNA was constitutively expressed in all tissues. Mitogen stimulation of duck peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) did not alter transcript levels. Our observations suggest that genomic organization and structural features implicated in multiple cytokine–binding properties of human IL‐10R2 are conserved in duck IL‐10R2, but the evolutionary changes that appear to have lead to low‐affinity cytokine interaction within loop L2 are distinct to mammalian species.
Structure‐activity relationships of acetylcholine derivatives with Lucilia cuprina nicotinic acetylcholine receptor α1 and α2 subunits in chicken β2 subunit hybrid receptors in comparison with chicken nicotinic acetylcholine receptor α4/β2
Authors: Dederer H. , Berger M. , Meyer T. , Werr M. , Ilg T.
Published: January 2013

Insect nicotinic acetylcholine (ACh) receptors (nAChRs) are the targets of several insecticide classes. In the present study, we report the gene identification and cloning of nAChR α1 and α2 subunits (Lcα1 and Lcα2) from the sheep blowfly Lucilia cuprina. Xenopus oocytes voltage clamp experiments as hybrids with the chicken β2 nAChR (Ggβ2) subunit resulted in ACh‐gated ion channels with distinct dose–response curves for Lcα1/Ggβ2 (effective concentration 50% [EC50] = 80 nM; nH = 1.05), and Lcα2/Ggβ2 (EC50 = 5.37 μM, nH = 1.46). The neonicotinoid imidacloprid was a potent agonist for the α‐bungarotoxin‐sensitive Lcα1/Ggβ2 (EC50 ∼ 20 nM), while the α‐bungarotoxin‐resistant Lcα2/Ggβ2 showed a 30‐fold lower sensitivity to this insecticide (EC50 = 0.62 μM). Thirteen close derivatives of ACh were analysed in EC50, Hill coefficient and maximum current (relative to ACh) determinations for Lcα1/Ggβ2 and Lcα2/Ggβ2 and the chicken Ggα4/Ggβ2 nAChRs, and comparisons relative to ACh allowed the definition of novel structure‐activity and structure‐selectivity relationships. In the case of N‐ethyl‐acetylcholine, the EC50 of the chicken Ggα4/Ggβ2 rose by a factor of 1000, while for both Lcα1/Ggβ2 and Lcα2/Ggβ2, potency remained unchanged. Further derivatives with insect nAChR selectivity potential were acetyl‐α‐methylcholine and trimethyl‐(3‐methoxy‐3‐oxopropyl)ammonium, followed by acetylhomocholine and trimethyl‐(4‐oxopentyl) ammonium. Our results may provide guidance for the identification or design of insect‐specific nAChR agonists using structure‐based or in silico methods.
Glucose transporter member 1 is involved in UVB‐induced epidermal hyperplasia by enhancing proliferation in epidermal keratinocytes
Authors: Tochio Takumi , Tanaka Hiroshi , Nakata Satoru
Published: January 2013

Background  Glucose transporter member 1 (GLUT‐1) is one of the major facilitated glucose transporters and contributes to the promotion of keratinocyte proliferation in psoriasis and carcinogenic lesions. In this study, we postulate that GLUT‐1 is involved in ultraviolet B (UVB)‐induced epidermal hyperplasia. The purpose of this study is to investigate the possible role of GLUT‐1 in UVB‐induced hyperplasia.

Materials and methods  The effects of UVB on GLUT‐1 expression levels were investigated in in vitro and in vivo studies. In addition, the involvement of epidermal growth factor (EGF) and hypoxia inducible factor‐1 alpha (HIF‐1α), transcriptional factors for GLUT‐1, in GLUT‐1‐related events were investigated.

Results  GLUT‐1 mRNA and its protein levels were markedly increased by UVB irradiation in HaCaT cells. In in vivo studies, a strong immunofluorescence signal of GLUT‐1 was clearly observed around the basal layer of the epidermis, which proliferated excessively by UVB irradiation. In HaCaT cells, EGF mRNA and its protein levels were markedly increased by UVB irradiation, and then the GLUT‐1 mRNA level was significantly increased by treatment with EGF. Additionally, the upregulation of GLUT‐1 by both UVB irradiation and treatment with EGF was significantly suppressed by transfection with HIF‐1α siRNA.

Conclusions  We conclude that GLUT‐1 is involved in UVB‐induced epidermal hyperplasia by enhancing proliferation of epidermal basal cells, and the GLUT‐1‐related event might be regulated by an increase in HIF‐1α stimulated by EGF.
‘The Feather'd Fair in a Fright’: The Emblem of the Feather in Graphic Satire of 1776
Authors: BLACKWELL CAITLIN
Published: January 2013

In England in the mid‐1770s the feather head‐dress emerged as a popular women's fashion and quickly became a prevalent comic trope in graphic satire. In 1776 over a dozen satires were published that featured feather head‐dresses, making it a significant year for this graphic motif. Not only was this around the time that the fashion was imported into England from France, but it was also the dawn of the American Revolution. This article looks at a selection of these images and considers the feather's role as a signifier of gendered, racial and national ‘otherness’ during a period of imperial instability.
Strategies of Feminist Bureaucrats: United Nations Experiences
Authors: Sandler Joanne , Rao Aruna , Eyben Rosalind
Published: January 2013

This paper explores the challenges and opportunities for feminists working as women's rights and gender equality specialists in the United Nations as analysed from a practitioner perspective. Part 1 by Joanne Sandler analyses the experience of feminists struggling with the institutional sexism of the UN bureaucratic machine and shows how this played out in the difficult but ultimately successful negotiations around the creation of UN Women. In Part 2, Aruna Rao describes how cross‐agency UN Gender Theme Groups worked together through a process of reflexive inquiry to strengthen the gender equality programming of three UN Country Teams, respectively in Morocco, Albania and Nepal.