bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The significance of translation regulation in the stress response
Authors: Picard Flora , Loubière Pascal , Girbal Laurence , Cocaign-Bousquet Muriel
Published: August 2013

Background

The stress response in bacteria involves the multistage control of gene expression but is not entirely understood. To identify the translational response of bacteria in stress conditions and assess its contribution to the regulation of gene expression, the translational states of all mRNAs were compared under optimal growth condition and during nutrient (isoleucine) starvation.

Results

A genome-scale study of the translational response to nutritional limitation was performed in the model bacterium Lactococcus lactis. Two measures were used to assess the translational status of each individual mRNA: the fraction engaged in translation (ribosome occupancy) and ribosome density (number of ribosomes per 100 nucleotides). Under isoleucine starvation, half of the mRNAs considered were translationally down-regulated mainly due to decreased ribosome density. This pattern concerned genes involved in growth-related functions such as translation, transcription, and the metabolism of fatty acids, phospholipids and bases, contributing to the slowdown of growth. Only 4% of the mRNAs were translationally up-regulated, mostly related to prophagic expression in response to stress. The remaining genes exhibited antagonistic regulations of the two markers of translation. Ribosome occupancy increased significantly for all the genes involved in the biosynthesis of isoleucine, although their ribosome density had decreased. The results revealed complex translational regulation of this pathway, essential to cope with isoleucine starvation.

To elucidate the regulation of global gene expression more generally, translational regulation was compared to transcriptional regulation under isoleucine starvation and to other post-transcriptional regulations related to mRNA degradation and mRNA dilution by growth. Translational regulation appeared to accentuate the effects of transcriptional changes for down-regulated growth-related functions under isoleucine starvation although mRNA stabilization and lower dilution by growth counterbalanced this effect.

Conclusions

We show that the contribution of translational regulation to the control of gene expression is significant in the stress response. Post-transcriptional regulation is complex and not systematically co-directional with transcription regulation. Post-transcriptional regulation is important to the understanding of gene expression control.
SU6668 suppresses proliferation of triple negative breast cancer cells through down-regulating MTDH expression
Authors: Wang Lu , Liu Zhaozhe , Ma Dongchu , Piao Ying , Guo Fang , Han Yaling , Xie Xiaodong
Published: August 2013

Background

The multiple tyrosine kinase inhibitors SU6668 have a promising therapeutic effect on the progression of hematological malignancies and some solid tumors. Here, we determined its effect on triple negative breast cancer (TNBC) cells and explored the potential molecular mechanism.

Methods

In this study, MDA-MB-231 cells were treated with SU6668 (15 μM, 30 μM) for 72 h and the change of proliferation was examined by MTT and tablet cloning. DNA ploidy was detected by flow cytometric analysis with PI staining. Double-label immunofluorescence method was used to detect the expression and distribution of MTDH proteins. VEGFR2, HIF-1α, MTDH, E-cadhrein, and SMA expressions were detected by Western bolt assay.

Results

This study showed that SU6668 inhibited the proliferation and induced polyploidization of MDA-MB-231 cells in a dose dependent form. SU6668 exposure increased the distribution of MTDH in cytoplasm and decreased its distribution in nuclei. After the treatment of SU6668, VEGFR2, HIF-1α, MTDH and SMA proteins were down-regulated, while E-cadhrein was up-regulated in MDA-MB-231 cells.

Conclusions

In conclusion, SU6668 exposure maybe induces polyploidization, inhibit EMT and influence the expression of MTDH, which suppresses the proliferation in TNBC cells. MTDH is a key signal protein in downstream of VEGF/HIF-1αpathway in MDA-MB-231 cells, which may be used as the potential target in the treatment of TNBC.
A comprehensive survey of polymorphisms conferring anti-malarial resistance in Plasmodium falciparum across Pakistan
Authors: Khattak Aamer A , Venkatesan Meera , Jacob Christopher G , Artimovich Elena M , Nadeem Muhammad F , Nighat Farida , Hombhanje Francis , Mita Toshihiro , Malik Salman A , Plowe Christopher V
Published: August 2013

Background

Few studies have been conducted in Pakistan to determine the efficacy of chloroquine and sulphadoxine-pyrimethamine (SP), which remain in use as treatment for Plasmodium vivax and in combination with artesunate to treat Plasmodium falciparum, respectively. In this study, samples from several sites across Pakistan were characterized to determine prevalence of molecular resistance markers in the P. falciparum chloroquine resistance transporter (pfcrt), multidrug resistance (pfmdr1), dihydrofolate reductase (pfdhfr) and dihydropteroate synthase (
pfdhps) genes and the origin of chloroquine-resistant P. falciparum parasites.

Methods

Microscopy-confirmed malaria parasite-positive blood samples from 801 patients across the country were collected in 2011. Of these, 171 infections were identified by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) as P. falciparum and analysed by pyrosequencing for mutations conferring chloroquine resistance (pfcrt codons 72–76), multidrug resistance (pfmdr1 N86Y, Y184F, S1034C, N1042D and D1246Y), pyrimethamine resistance (pfdhfr, C50R, N51I, C59R, S108N and I164L) and sulphadoxine resistance (pfdhps, S436A, A437G, K540E, A581G and A613T/S). pfmdr1 gene copy number variation was determined by real-time PCR, and microsatellites flanking the pfcrt locus were typed to determine the origin of the chloroquine-resistant haplotype.

Results

The pfcrt K76T mutation was found in all samples as part of the S72/V73/M74/N75/T76 (SVMNT) haplotype. Microsatellites flanking pfcrt showed high similarity to the signature found in India and Papua New Guinea. pfmdr1 N86Y was found in 20% of samples and all samples harboured a single copy of the pfmdr 1 gene. The pfdhfr double mutation C59R + S108N was present in 87% of samples while the pfdhfr triple mutant (N51I + C59R + S108N) was not detected. Pfdhps A437G was found in 60% of samples. Pure pfdhps K540E was rare, at 4%, but mixed genotype 540 K/E was found in 77% of samples. Similarly, pure pfdhps A581G was found in 4% of the isolates while mixed 581A/G was found in 39% of samples.

Conclusions

These results suggest an emerging problem with multidrug resistant P. falciparum in Pakistan. The chloroquine resistance genotype has reached complete fixation in the population, with a microsatellite pattern indicative of a selective sweep. Moreover, the prevalence of mutations in both pfdhfr and pfdhps, albeit without the presence of the pfdhfr triple mutant, indicates that continued monitoring is warranted to assess whether SP remains efficacious as a partner drug for artesunate for the treatment of P. falciparum.
The independent, unfavorable prognostic factors endothelin A receptor and chemokine receptor 4 have a close relationship in promoting the motility of nasopharyngeal carcinoma cells via the activation of AKT and MAPK pathways
Authors: Luo Dong-Hua , Chen Qiu-Yan , Liu Huai , Xu Li-Hua , Zhang Hui-Zhong , Zhang Lu , Tang Lin-Quan , Mo Hao-Yuan , Huang Pei-Yu , Guo Xiang , Mai Hai-Qiang
Published: August 2013

Background

Recent studies have indicated that the expression of endothelin A receptor (ETAR) and chemokine receptor 4 (CXCR4) could be used as an indicator of the metastatic potential of nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC). The aim of this study was to determine the prognostic value of ETAR and CXCR4 in NPC patients and to reveal the interplay of the endothelin-1 (ET-1)/ETAR and stromal-derived factor-1(SDF-1)/CXCR4 pathways in promoting NPC cell motility.

Methods

Survival analysis was used to analyze the prognostic value of ETAR and CXCR4 expression in 153 cases of NPC. Chemotaxis assays were used to evaluate alterations in the migration ability of non-metastatic 6-10B and metastatic 5-8F NPC cells. Real-time PCR, immunoblotting, and flow cytometric analyses were used to evaluate changes in the expression levels of CXCR4 mRNA and protein induced by ET-1.

Results

The expression levels of ETAR and CXCR4 were closely related to each other and both correlated with a poor prognosis. A multivariate analysis showed that the expression levels of both ETAR and CXCR4 were independent prognostic factors for overall survival (OS), progression-free survival (PFS), and distant metastasis-free survival (DMFS). The migration of 6-10B and 5-8F cells was elevated by ET-1 in combination with SDF-1α. The knockdown of ETAR protein expression by siRNA reduced CXCR4 protein expression in addition to ETAR protein expression, leading to a decrease in the metastatic potential of the 5-8F cells. ET-1 induced CXCR4 mRNA and protein expression in the 6-10B NPC cells in a time- and concentration-dependent fashion and was inhibited by an ETAR antagonist and PI3K/AKT/mTOR and MAPK/ERK1/2 pathway inhibitors.

Conclusions

ETAR and CXCR4 expression levels are potential prognostic biomarkers in NPC patients. ETAR activation partially promoted NPC cell migration via a mechanism that enhanced functional CXCR4 expression.
Evaluation of anti-citrullinated type II collagen and anti-citrullinated vimentin antibodies in patients with juvenile idiopathic arthritis
Authors: Gilliam Brooke E , Chauhan Anil K , Moore Terry L
Published: August 2013

Background

To determine the prevalence and significance of anti-citrullinated vimentin and anti-citrullinated type II collagen antibodies and elucidate their role in the disease process of juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA).

Methods

Sera were obtained from 95 patients with various subtypes of JIA, 19 systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) patients, and 10 healthy children. Antibodies were measured in the sera against citrullinated and native type II collagen and vimentin (vim1-16 and vim 59-74) by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Samples were compared to anti-cyclic citrullinated peptide (anti-CCP) antibody and rheumatoid factor (RF) isotypes, and our previously measured anti-citrullinated fibrinogen and α-enolase antibodies on the same patient population, in addition to erythrocyte sedimentation rate and C-reactive protein. The relationship between the anti-citrullinated antibody profile and disease activity and joint damage were also investigated.

Results

Twenty-three JIA patients (24%) demonstrated reactivity to anti-citrullinated type II collagen. Ten JIA patients (10.5%) demonstrated reactivity to anti-citrullinated vimentin 1–16 antibodies and 7 (7.4%) to anti-citrullinated vimentin 59–74 antibodies. One IgM RF-positive polyarticular patient was positive for all 5 of the citrullinated autoantibodies tested. Thirty-seven different subsets of patients were identified based on their anti-citrullinated autoantibody and RF isotype profile. No significant associations were noted with anti-citrullinated type II collagen and anti-citrullinated vimentin antibodies with joint damage or disease activity. Anti-citrullinated vimentin 59–74 antibodies demonstrated the highest overall specificity at 89.7%, with anti-citrullinated vimentin 1–16 and anti-citrullinated type II collagen antibodies at 86.2%.

Conclusion

This study demonstrates that antibodies to multiple citrullinated epitopes are present in the sera of patients with various subtypes of JIA. It also demonstrates the frequent occurrence of anti-citrullinated type II collagen and anti-citrullinated fibrinogen antibodies. The presence of autoantibodies to citrullinated antigens in JIA patients is highly diverse.
Systematic review of clinical practice guidelines in the diagnosis and management of thyroid nodules and cancer
Authors: Huang Tsai-Wei , Lai Jun-Hung , Wu Mei-Yi , Chen Shiah-Lian , Wu Chih-Hsiung , Tam Ka-Wai
Published: August 2013

Background

Given the uncertainties regarding thyroid nodule assessment and management, physicians require systematically and transparently developed recommendations. This systematic review assesses the quality and consistency of the recommendations of international clinical practice guidelines (CPGs) for the diagnosis and management of thyroid nodules and cancer to assist physicians in making appropriate recommendations.

Methods

The CPGs on the management of thyroid nodules and cancer published before June 2013 were retrieved. All the reviewed guidelines were in English. Four reviewers independently assessed the rigor of guideline development by using the Appraisal of Guidelines Research and Evaluation II (AGREE-II) instrument, and their reported evidence was evaluated.

Results

Ten eligible guidelines were included: nine had been developed by professional organizations, and the remaining guideline was endorsed by an independent regional body. Three guidelines achieved a score of greater than 50% in all six AGREE-II domains. Guidelines scored highest on the measurement of ‘scope and purpose’ (≥61.1% for eight CPGs) and lowest on the measurement of ‘applicability’ (≤38.5% for five CPGs). The overall quality ranged from 3.0 to 6.25 on a seven-point scale on the AGREE-II tool. Most CPG recommendations on the management of thyroid cancer were relatively consistent. Guidelines varied regarding the indication of fine-needle aspiration for thyroid nodules, as well as in their suggestions for postoperative radioiodine ablation.

Conclusions

Our analysis showed that the current CPGs varied in methodological quality. More effort is needed to improve the quality of recommendations on the diagnosis and management of thyroid nodules and cancer.
Alcohol intake, wine consumption and the development of depression: the PREDIMED study
Authors: Gea Alfredo , Beunza Juan J , Estruch Ramón , Sánchez-Villegas Almudena , Salas-Salvadó Jordi , Buil-Cosiales Pilar , Gómez-Gracia Enrique , Covas María-Isabel , Corella Dolores , Fiol Miquel , Arós Fernando , Lapetra José , Lamuela-Raventós Rosa-María , Wärnberg Julia , Pintó Xavier , Serra-Majem Lluis , Martínez-González Miguel A ,   for the PREDIMED GROUP
Published: August 2013

Background

Alcoholic beverages are widely consumed. Depression, the most prevalent mental disorder worldwide, has been related to alcohol intake. We aimed to prospectively assess the association between alcohol intake and incident depression using repeated measurements of alcohol intake.

Methods

We followed-up 5,505 high-risk men and women (55 to 80 y) of the PREDIMED Trial for up to seven years. Participants were initially free of depression or a history of depression, and did not have any history of alcohol-related problems. A 137-item validated food frequency questionnaire administered by a dietician was repeated annually to assess alcohol intake. Participants were classified as incident cases of depression when they reported a new clinical diagnosis of depression, and/or initiated the use of antidepressant drugs. Cox regression analyses were fitted over 23,655 person-years.

Results

Moderate alcohol intake within the range of 5 to 15 g/day was significantly associated with lower risk of incident depression (hazard ratio (HR) and 95% confidence interval (95% CI) = 0.72 (0.53 to 0.98) versus abstainers). Specifically, wine consumption in the range of two to seven drinks/week was significantly associated with lower rates of depression (HR (95% CI) = 0.68 (0.47 to 0.98)).

Conclusions

Moderate consumption of wine may reduce the incidence of depression, while heavy drinkers seem to be at higher risk.
GEMBASSY: an EMBOSS associated software package for comprehensive genome analyses
Authors: Itaya Hidetoshi , Oshita Kazuki , Arakawa Kazuharu , Tomita Masaru
Published: August 2013

The popular European Molecular Biology Open Software Suite (EMBOSS) currently contains over 400 tools used in various bioinformatics researches, equipped with sophisticated development frameworks for interoperability and tool discoverability as well as rich documentations and various user interfaces. In order to further strengthen EMBOSS in the fields of genomics, we here present a novel EMBOSS associated software (EMBASSY) package named GEMBASSY, which adds more than 50 analysis tools from the G-language Genome Analysis Environment and its Representational State Transfer (REST) and SOAP web services. GEMBASSY basically contains wrapper programs of G-language REST/SOAP web services to provide intuitive and easy access to various annotations within complete genome flatfiles, as well as tools for analyzing nucleic composition, calculating codon usage, and visualizing genomic information. For example, analysis methods such as for calculating distance between sequences by genomic signatures and for predicting gene expression levels from codon usage bias are effective in the interpretation of meta-genomic and meta-transcriptomic data. GEMBASSY tools can be used seamlessly with other EMBOSS tools and UNIX command line tools. The source code written in C is available from GitHub (https://github.com/celery-kotone/GEMBASSY/) and the distribution package is freely available from the GEMBASSY web site (http://www.g-language.org/gembassy/).
MicroRNA profiling implicates the insulin-like growth factor pathway in bleomycin-induced pulmonary fibrosis in mice
Authors: Honeyman Lisa , Bazett Mark , Tomko Tomasz G , Haston Christina K
Published: August 2013

Background

Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis is a disease characterized by alveolar epithelial cell injury, inflammatory cell infiltration and deposition of extracellular matrix in lung tissue. As mouse models of bleomycin-induced pulmonary fibrosis display many of the same phenotypes observed in patients with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis, they have been used to study various aspects of the disease, including altered expression of microRNAs.

Results

In this work, microRNA expression profiling of the lungs from treated C57BL/6J mice, relative to that of untreated controls, was undertaken to determine which alterations in microRNAs could in part regulate the fibrosis phenotype induced by bleomycin delivered through mini-osmotic pumps. We identified 11 microRNAs, including miR-21 and miR-34a, to be significantly differentially expressed (P < 0.01) in lungs of bleomycin treated mice and confirmed these data with real time PCR measurements. In situ hybridization of both miR-21 and miR-34a indicated that they were expressed in alveolar macrophages. Using a previously reported gene expression profile, we identified 195 genes to be both predicted targets of the 11 microRNAs and of altered expression in bleomycin-induced lung disease of C57BL/6J mice. Pathway analysis with these 195 genes indicated that altered microRNA expression may be associated with hepatocyte growth factor signaling, cholecystokinin/gastrin-mediated signaling, and insulin-like growth factor (IGF-1) signaling, among others, in fibrotic lung disease. The relevance of the IGF-1 pathway in this model was then demonstrated by showing lung tissue of bleomycin treated C57BL/6J mice had increased expression of Igf1 and that increased numbers of Igf-1 positive cells, predominantly in macrophages, were detected in the lungs.

Conclusions

We conclude that altered microRNA expression in macrophages is a feature which putatively influences the insulin-like growth factor signaling component of bleomycin-induced pulmonary fibrosis.
Mycelial mass production of fungi Duddingtonia flagrans and Monacrosporium thaumasium under different culture conditions
Authors: da Silva Manoel Eduardo , de Araújo Jackson Victor , Braga Fabio Ribeiro , Borges Luana Alcântara , Soares Filippe Elias F , dos Santos Lima Walter , Guimarães Marcos Pezzi
Published: August 2013

Background

Duddingtonia flagrans and Monacrosporium thaumasium are promising fungus species in veterinary biological control of gastrointestinal nematodes because of their production capacity of fungal structures (conidia and/or chlamydospores), growth efficiency in laboratory solid media and especially their predatory capacity. However, their large-scale production remains a challenge. This work aimed at evaluating the mycelial mass production of D. flagrans (AC001 and CG722) and M. thaumasium (NF34A) nematophagous fungi under different culture conditions.

Results

The results did not present significant differences (p > 0.05) in mycelia mass production between the isolates cultured under pH 4.0. Furthermore, after 168 hrs., the isolate CG722 presented a lower production of mycelial mass in medium CM (corn meal) (p < 0.05).

Conclusion

We therefore concluded the use of culture media SD (soy dextrose) and CG (corn grits) at pH values between 6.0 and 7.0 is suitable for high mycelial mass production of D. flagrans and M. thaumasium.
Understanding of latent tuberculosis, its treatment and treatment side effects in immigrant and refugee patients
Authors: Butcher Katie , Biggs Beverley-Ann , Leder Karin , Lemoh Chris , O’Brien Daniel , Marshall Caroline
Published: August 2013

Background

Isoniazid treatment of latent tuberculosis infection (LTBI) is commonly prescribed in refugees and immigrants. We aimed to assess understanding of information provided about LTBI, its treatment and potential side effects.

Methods

A questionnaire was administered in clinics at a tertiary hospital. Total Knowledge (TKS) and Total Side Effect Scores (TSES) were derived. Logistic regression analyses were employed to correlate socio-demographic factors with knowledge.

Results

Fifty-two participants were recruited, 20 at isoniazid commencement and 32 already on isoniazid. The average TKS were 5.04/9 and 6.23/9 respectively and were significantly associated with interpreter use. Approximately half did not know how tuberculosis was transmitted. The average TSES were 5.0/7 and 3.5/7 respectively, but were not influenced by socio-demographic factors.

Conclusions

There was suboptimal knowledge about LTBI. Improvements in health messages delivered via interpreters and additional methods of distributing information need to be developed for this patient population.
Erectile function after permanent 125I prostate brachytherapy for localized prostate cancer
Authors: Njomnang Soh Patrice , Delaunay Boris , Thoulouzan Matthieu , Jonca Frederic , Bachaud Jean Marc , Delannes Martine , Soulie Michel , Huyghe Eric
Published: August 2013

Background and purpose

To analyze erectile function in men treated by prostate brachytherapy (PB) for localized prostate cancer.

Material and methods

Of a series of 270 sexually active men treated by PB, 241 (89%), mean age 65 yr (range, 43–80 yr), participated in a study on erectile function that was evaluated using the International Index of Erectile Function 5-item (IIEF-5) questionnaire before implantation and by postal survey after a mean follow-up of 36 months (range, 6–70 months).

Results

After PB, 27 patients (11%) had no erectile dysfunction (ED), 36 (15%) had mild ED, 58 (24%) had mild to moderate ED, 24 (10%) had moderate ED, 53 (22%) had severe ED and 43 (18%) were not sexually active. In patients with a preimplant IIEF score >12 (cut-off for intercourse with penetration), 73% had a deterioration of erectile function by at least one class after PB. Risk factors for ED after PB were age, preimplant IIEF score and prostate volume. Median time to ED onset was 16 months and was shorter with androgen deprivation (p = 0.007), diabetes (p = 0.03) and age over 55 (p = 0.01).

Conclusions

Following PB, the majority of patients progressively develop or major ED after a free interval that may last several months.

Support

Ligue Nationale contre le Cancer, France
Comparison of adaptive neuro-fuzzy inference system and artificial neutral networks model to categorize patients in the emergency department
Authors: Azeez Dhifaf , Ali Mohd Alauddin Mohd , Gan Kok Beng , Saiboon Ismail
Published: August 2013

Unexpected disease outbreaks and disasters are becoming primary issues facing our world. The first points of contact either at the disaster scenes or emergency department exposed the frontline workers and medical physicians to the risk of infections. Therefore, there is a persuasive demand for the integration and exploitation of heterogeneous biomedical information to improve clinical practice, medical research and point of care. In this paper, a primary triage model was designed using two different methods: an adaptive neuro-fuzzy inference system (ANFIS) and artificial neural network (ANN).When the patient is presented at the triage counter, the system will capture their vital signs and chief complains beside physiology stat and general appearance of the patient. This data will be managed and analyzed in the data server and the patient’s emergency status will be reported immediately. The proposed method will help to reduce the queue time at the triage counter and the emergency physician’s burden especially duringdisease outbreak and serious disaster. The models have been built with 2223 data set extracted from the Emergency Department of the Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia Medical Centre to predict the primary triage category. Multilayer feed forward with one hidden layer having 12 neurons has been used for the ANN architecture. Fuzzy subtractive clustering has been used to find the fuzzy rules for the ANFIS model. The results showed that the RMSE, %RME and the accuracy which evaluated by measuring specificity and sensitivity for binary classificationof the training data were 0.14, 5.7 and 99 respectively for the ANN model and 0.85, 32.00 and 96.00 respectively for the ANFIS model. As for unseen data the root mean square error, percentage the root mean square error and the accuracy for ANN is 0.18, 7.16 and 96.7 respectively, 1.30, 49.84 and 94 respectively for ANFIS model. The ANN model was performed better for both training and unseen data than ANFIS model in term of generalization. It was therefore chosen as the technique to develop the primary triage prediction model. This primary triage model will be combined with the secondary triage prediction model to produce the final triage category as a tool to assist the medical officer in the emergency department.
Prediction of sea water intrusion for mining activity in close precincts of sea shore
Authors: Singh Awanindra Pratap , Gupta Prem Kumar , Khandelwal Manoj
Published: August 2013

The mining lease area of Surka [District Bhavnagar, Gujarat (India)] is located within 6–12 km horizontal distance of sea shore of Gulf of Cambay. Whenever, there will be onset of lignite extraction, there will be always a threat of sea water intrusion into the mining lease area due to its close proximity to seashore. This article describes the prediction of sea water intrusion into the lease area of whole mining block using Ghyben-Herzberg relation between fresh and saline water, Remote Sensing, Ground Truth verification, Electrical Resistivity Survey and groundwater table monitored during the year 2004. As per the Ghyben-Herzberg relation, results show that there will not be sea water intrusion. If there is excess pumping of water then also the basement rock below the lignite seam will put hindrance to any possible upconing of saline water interface.
Review and analysis of augmented reality literature for construction industry
Authors: Rankohi Sara , Waugh Lloyd
Published: August 2013

Research has identified various beneficial capabilities for augmented reality technologies in the AEC industry such as virtual site visits, comparing as-built and as-planned status of projects, pre-empting schedule disputes, enhancing collaboration opportunities, and planning/training for similar projects. This paper provides an expanded foundation for future research by presenting a statistical review of augmented reality technology in the AEC industry. The review is based on articles found within eight well-known journals in architecture, engineering, construction, and facility management (AEC/FM) until the end of the year 2012. The review further narrows the literature within these journals by considering only those 133 articles found through a key word search for “augmented reality.” The selected journal articles are classified within the following dimensions: improvement focus, industry sector, target audience, project phase, stage of technology maturity, application area, comparison role, and technology. The number of articles within these dimensions are used to identify maturing and emerging trends in the literature as well as to synthesize the current state-of-the-art of augmented reality research in the AEC industry. In summary, the AR literature has increasingly focused on the demonstration of visualization and simulation applications for comparison of as-planned versus as-built statuses of the project during the construction phase to monitor project progress and address issues faced by field workers. In addition, the future trend is toward using web-based mobile augmented systems for field construction monitoring.
Spd1 accumulation causes genome instability independently of ribonucleotide reduction but functions to protect the genome when deoxynucleotide pools are elevated
Authors: Fleck Oliver , Vejrup-Hansen Rasmus , Watson Adam , Carr Antony M. , Nielsen Olaf , Holmberg Christian
Published: August 2013

Cullin4, Ddb1, and Cdt2 are core subunits of the ubiquitin ligase complex CRL4Cdt2, which controls genome stability by targeting Spd1 for degradation during DNA replication and repair in fission yeast. Spd1 has an inhibitory effect on ribonucleotide reductase (RNR), the activity of which is required for deoxynucleotide (dNTP) synthesis. Failure to degrade Spd1 in CRL4Cdt2 defective mutants leads to DNA integrity checkpoint activation and dependency. This correlates with reduced dNTP pools. Pools are restored in a spd1-deleted background and this also suppresses checkpoint activation and dependency. We hypothesized that fission yeast with RNR hyper activity would display a mutator phenotype on its own, but also possibly repress aspects of the phenotype associated with inability to target Spd1 for degradation. Here, we report that a mutation in the R1 subunit of ribonucleotide reductase cdc22 (cdc22-D57N) that alleviated allosteric feedback caused a highly elevated dNTP pool and that this was further increased by deleting spd1. The Δspd1 cdc22-D57N double mutant had elevated mutation rates and was sensitive to damaging agents that cause DNA strand breaks, demonstrating that Spd1 can protect the genome when dNTP pools are high. In ddb1-deleted cells, cdc22-D57N also potently elevated RNR activity, but failed to let them grow independently of the intact checkpoint. Our results provide evidence that excess Spd1 interferes with other functions in addition to its inhibitory effect on ribonucleotide reduction to generate replication stress and genome instability.
Disruption of disulfide-restriction at integrin knees induces activation and ligand-independent signaling of α4β7
Authors: Zhang Kun , Pan YouDong , Qi JunPeng , Yue Jiao , Zhang MingBo , Xu ChenQi , Li GuoHui , Chen JianFeng
Published: August 2013

Control of integrin activation and signaling plays critical roles in cell adhesion, spreading, and migration. Here, we report that selective breakage of two conserved disulfide bonds located at the knees of integrin, α4C589–C594 and β7C494–C526, induced α4β7 activation. This activated α4β7 had a unique structure different from the typical extended conformation of active integrin. In addition, these activated α4β7 integrins spontaneously clustered on the cell membrane and triggered integrin downstream signaling independent of ligand binding. Although these disulfide bonds were not broken during α4β7 activation by inside-out signaling or Mn2+, they could be specifically reduced by 0.1 mM dithiothreitol, a reducing strength that could be produced in vivo under certain conditions. Our findings reveal a novel mechanism of integrin activation under specific reducing conditions by which integrin can signal and promote cell spreading in the absence of ligand.
Mutation of a conserved residue enhances sensitivity of analogue sensitized kinases to generate a novel approach for mitotic studies in fission yeast
Authors: Tay Ye-Dee , Patel Avinash , Kaemena Daniel F. , Hagan Iain M.
Published: August 2013

The chemical genetic strategy in which mutational enlargement of the ATP binding site sensitizes of a protein kinase to bulky ATP analogues has proved to be an elegant tool for the generation of conditional, analogue-sensitive (as), kinase alleles in a variety of model organisms. Here we described a novel substitution mutation in the kinase domain that can enhance the sensitivity of as kinase. Substitution of a methionine residue to phenylalanine in the +2 position after HRDLKxxN motif of the subdomain VIb within the kinase domain markedly increased the sensitivities of the as kinases to ATP analogue in three out of five S. pombe kinases (i.e. Plo1, Orb5 and Wee1) that harbor this conserved methionine residue. Kinome alignment established that a methionine residue is found at this site of 5–9% of kinases in key model organisms, suggesting that a broader application of this structural modification may enhance ATP analogue sensitivity of as kinases in future studies. We also show that the enhanced sensitivity of the wee1.as8 allele in a cdc25.22 background can be exploited to generate highly synchronized mitotic and S phase progression at 36°C. Proof-of-principle experiments show how this novel synchronization technique will prove of great utility in the interrogation of the mitotic or S-phase functions through temperature sensitivity mutation of molecules of interest in fission yeast.
Density Function Theoretical Investigation on the Ni3PP Structure and the Hydrogen Adsorption Property of the Ni2P(0001) Surface
Authors: Ariga Hiroko , Kawashima Mayumi , Takakusagi Satoru , Asakura Kiyotaka
Published: August 2013

The electronic and structural properties of a phosphorus-terminated structure of Ni2P(0001) surface (Ni3PP) are investigated by density functional theory (DFT) calculations. Phosphorus adsorption largely stabilizes the Ni2P(0001) surface by creating Ni–P bonds on the Ni trimer. Atomic hydrogen can adsorb on the topmost P site although its adsorption energy is much lower than its adsorption energy on the Ni trimer site of the Ni3P2 surface. Our results suggest that the Ni trimer is the key factor for high catalytic activity.
Constructive geometric modeling as graphic disciplines’ teaching prospect
Authors: Волошинов  , Voloshinov Denis , Соломонов  , Solomonov K.
Published: August 2013

The questions related to advisability of descriptive geometry teaching in high education institutions are considered. A comparison of descriptive and analytical geometry as well as a comparison of engineering graphics and computer one is given. The necessity of formation in the students’ mind а schematic projection principles is proved.
Descriptive Geometry until 1917
Authors: Сальков  , Sal'kov Nikolay
Published: August 2013

The paper shows that the descriptive geometry teaching until 1917 was held in real schools, which in soviet period could be assumed to be equivalent to secondary polytechnic school. An album of drawings on descriptive geometry for pupils of the 7th form is cited as an example. A full course of descriptive geometry, which is mandatory for first year students of all technical specialties, is presented in this album.
Features of organization related to students’ independent work on graphics chair
Authors: Асекритова  , Asekritova Svetlana
Published: August 2013

The questions of students’ independent work organization within the limits of their graphic training in high education institution and in connection with requirements related to Federal State Educational Standards of new generation are considered in this paper. The possible problems arising for students and their supervisors of studies at participation in the computer academic competitions are designated.
Perspective and azimuthal projections of objects located on sphere surface
Authors: Милосердов  , Miloserdov Evgeniy
Published: August 2013

In this paper a constructing method related to perspective and azimuthal projections of objects located on sphere surface has been described, mathematical relations for construction of these projections’ planar images have been derived, results related to calculation and visualization of Earth surface images for observer’s different positions have been presented.
Computer system use for methodical providing of graphic courses
Authors: Бойков  , Boykov Aleksey
Published: August 2013

The paper describes the use of computer system with local and remote access to provide students with workbooks and manuals for laboratory and home works. Computer system use allowed to enter the workbook for descriptive geometry lectures. The presented approach can be implemented by means of any content control system, in particular by drupal and moodle.
Tasks decision on parameterization basis in AutoCAD package
Authors: Хейфец  , Kheyfets Aleksandr , Логиновский  , Loginovskiy A.
Published: August 2013

New opportunities of theoretical nature problems solving in AutoCAD package, associated with the use of parameterization, geometric and dimensional dependencies have been demonstrated in this paper. Some examples have been presented. The parametrization use allows simplify the decision algorithms, increase their accuracy, as well as raise the complexity level of geometric tasks regarded in the learning process, make them available for students enrolled in the bachelor program.
Getting off (on) the Shortbus (John Cameron Mitchell, 2006): The politics of hypothetical queer history
Authors: Shahani Nishant
Published: August 2013

In this article, I analyse how post-millennium queer cinema, even while no longer ‘new’, attempts to remember the old in order to articulate the new through what I call ‘queer hypothetical history’. I ground my arguments in relation to the film Shortbus (Mitchell, 2006), which, I suggest, returns to the pastness of the past in order to aesthetically represent a radically different ‘now’ – a new present that is informed by queer memory’s inventive and performative potential. My analysis of Shortbus analyses how the film troubles the binary between the material and the ‘immaterial’ to create queer cultural memory through a historical ‘what if’. While looking backward to the past to cull memories of what could have been, Shortbus also looks forward towards a queer futurity to imagine what could be. I thus analyse how hypothetical memories in the film serve as a queer index to hypothetical futures.
Taming transgression: Gender-bending in Hairspray (John Waters, 1988) and its remake
Authors: Woodward Suzanne
Published: August 2013

There are significant differences between the original John Waters version of Hairspray (1988) and Adam Shankman’s 2007 remake in terms of the films’ camp sensibility and representations of queerness. While the original reflects a subversive attitude towards heteronormativity that draws on the social upheavals of the 1960s (as reflected by its music and self-awareness), the remake offers a sanitized and reassuring representation of gender-bending through its composed (rather than compiled) score and casting choices. This article explores the significance of the camp musical as a political vehicle for queer politics. It provides a detailed comparison of the performances of Divine and John Travolta in the key role of Edna Turnblad in order to consider the ways by which queer representations are being recuperated for the entertainment and economic benefit of mainstream audiences.
The Multitude of Alehouses: The Effects of Alcohol Outlet Density on Highway Safety
Authors: Tang Meng-Chi
Published: August 2013

This article reports the use of detailed panel data on alcoholic beverage outlet licensing in Texas to determine the effects of alcohol outlet density on highway safety. After controlling for county heterogeneity, county and year fixed effects, and county-specific time trends, this study shows that alcohol outlet density decreases expected alcohol-related traffic accidents and arrests for driving under the influence (DUI). The negative correlation can be explained according to the reduced travel distance between alcohol outlets and home, but this distance effect does not appear when the number of off-premise alcohol outlets increases. The empirical results of this study show that the off-premise alcohol outlet density is negatively related to the number of expected accidents and DUI arrests. These results indicate that on-premise consumption decreases according to the number of available off-premise outlets. The results also indicate that this effect originates mainly from the off-premise outlets that sell alcoholic products with a relatively low alcohol content.
Association of the GCKR rs780094 polymorphism with metabolic traits including carotid intima-media thickness in Japanese community-dwelling men, but not in women
Authors: Murata-Mori Fumi , Hayashida Naomi , Ando Takao , Ikeoka Toshiyuki , Nakazato Mio , Sekita Harutaka , Abiru Norio , Yamasaki Hironori , Maeda Takahiro , Kawakami Atsushi , Takamura Noboru
Published: August 2013

The glucokinase regulator gene (

A total of 2491 Japanese adults (907 men and 1584 women) who participated in a medical screening program for the general population from 29 to 94 years of age during 2008 to 2010 were enrolled.

rs780094 AA genotype was significantly associated with higher TG (p<0.001 vs. GG), lower HDL-C (p=0.021 vs. GG), and lower HbA

rs780094 was associated with TG, HDL-C, and HbA
The Dilemma of Public–Private Partnerships as a Vehicle for the Provision of Regional Transport Infrastructure Development in Africa
Authors: Akinkugbe Olabisi Delebayo
Published: August 2013

With regional economic integration (REI) as a major strategy for development, the African continent hosts a plethora of regional economic communities of varying ambition longevity and success. While in the 1970s, political-economic ideas built mainly on the “developmental state” informed the design of most of these agreements, the change in economic thought in the 1980s which ushered in the “neoliberal turn” has since influenced the design of most REI schemes in Africa, including the New Partnership for African Development. However, among other factors, inadequate transport infrastructure linking regions poses a major impediment to regional trade and development in Africa. The more so as most African governments are not able to meet up with the financial burden, pace and managerial capability for the efficient provision and management of regional transport infrastructure. The article explores the dilemma associated with the adoption of Public–Private Partnerships (“PPP”) as a mechanism for the provision of regional transport infrastructure in Africa. While sourcing infrastructure provision through the PPP mechanism has significant advantages, it is however also embedded with a complex financial, contractual and legal process. First, it explores the theoretical assumptions which inform PPP based on ideologies within law and development debates. It argues that theoretically, PPPs are reflective of the neoliberal policy set. Against the trajectory of governance in Africa, it critically foregrounds insights that are derivable from an application of Path Dependency theory to the institutional change which comes with the planned adoption of PPP at the regional level. These insights are essential considerations for policy experts to bear in mind both while designing the regional institutional framework for PPP and during the implementation stage. Secondly, although most of the past initiatives for the provision of regional infrastructure have fallen short of their flamboyant development policy goals, the article argues that the recently initiated Programme for Infrastructure Development in Africa (“PIDA”) provides a new hope for the future of infrastructure development in the continent. The article contends that PIDA offers a legitimate platform which with the requisite support of the regional economic initiatives can generate the enabling environment for the implementation of successful regional PPP infrastructure projects.
Local pronouns in ditransitive scenarios: Corpus perspectives from English and Polish
Authors: Siewierska Anna
Published: August 2013

While there is no doubt that the Rs (recipients) of ditransitive clauses are much more likely to be rendered by LPs (local persons) than Ts (themes), as reflected in the Person Role Constraint (see e.g., Perlmutter 1971; Bonet 1991, 1995; Haspelmath 2004), this paper sets out to determine whether the preference for LP Rs holds only relative to Ts or is in fact an absolute preference, i.e., a general property of Rs in ditransitive clauses. The investigation is based on a consideration of corpus data from two languages, English and Polish, both of which have a rich array of ditransitive predicates and together cover a good range of ditransitive constructions differing in degrees of grammaticalization. The investigation reveals that distribution of LPs is strongly affected by the degree of grammaticalization of a ditransitive construction and the encoding of the person forms, the levels of LP Rs and the frequency effects of the Person Role Constraint being strongest in double object constructions (DOC), less strong in the dative-accusative construction (DAC) and weakest in the prepositional construction (Prep-Cs), as shown in the cline: DOC > DAC > Prep-C. Significant differences are also noted in the distribution of LPs between different classes of ditransitive predicates, the highest level of LP Rs being with communicated message predicates and the lowest with ballistic and accompanying motion predicates.
Cultivating the Spatial Politics of Community-Based Literacy Practices in Hip-Hop
Authors: Prier Darius D.
Published: August 2013

In this article, the social imagination of community-based sites of urban resistance enable out-of-school literacy practices in Black popular culture to foreground the contemporary context in which youth empowerment is nurtured in out-of-school learning settings. Second, the author chronicles how youth advocates in hip-hop–based community settings organize culturally relevant life lessons to political empower and facilitate healing of youth. Finally, the author expands insights from his previous work as a youth advocate for local high school rap artists in at-risk conditions of an urban community. As participants at a youth center, the students learned how to use the art of emceeing as a cultural outlet to overcome and heal from difficult life struggles. The students also developed strong mentoring relationships with youth advocates at the center. Finally, the author worked with the center in designing critical hip-hop curriculum texts to challenge gang activity, incarceration, and death. Each of these events demonstrates the cultivation of community-based literacy practices in hip-hop as social justice education.
Algal compost – toward sustainable fertilization
Authors: Michalak Izabela , Chojnacka Katarzyna
Published: August 2013

In the present paper, the possibilities of the utilization of large amounts of beach-cast seaweeds are discussed. It is important to examine the methods of removing and processing algal biomass and find a manner of its cost-effective utilization in order to obtain a value-added product. A review of composting methods of algal biomass is presented. Compost from seaweeds can find several applications, for example, as an alternative to conventional fertilizers. Algae have been used for centuries as a natural fertilizer in many coastal areas because they are known to be rich in nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium. Moreover, the biomass is characterized by the high content of trace elements and metabolites. There are different ways of management for algae for their use in agriculture. The most common is composting of algal biomass, for example, in piles. The advantages (i.e., high content of plant nutrients, organic components, etc.) and disadvantages (i.e., heavy metal content and salinity) of the composted biomass are presented. Finally, examples of the application of seaweed compost in plant cultivation are reported.