bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Characterization of VAMP‐2 in the lung: implication in lung surfactant secretion
Authors: Wang Pengcheng , Howard Marcia D. , Zhang Honghao , Chintagari Narendranath Reddy , Bell Anna , Jin Nili , Mishra Amarjit , Liu Lin
Published: May 2012

Lung surfactant is crucial for reducing the surface tension of alveolar space, thus preventing the alveoli from collapse. Lung surfactant is synthesized in alveolar epithelial type II cells and stored in lamellar bodies before being released via the fusion of lamellar bodies with the apical plasma membrane. SNAREs (soluble N‐ethylmaleimide‐sensitive fusion protein‐attachment protein receptors) play an essential role in membrane fusion. We have previously demonstrated the requirement of t‐SNARE (target SNARE) proteins, syntaxin 2 and SNAP‐23 (N‐ethylmaleimide‐sensitive factor‐attachment protein 23), in regulated surfactant secretion. Here, we characterized the distribution of VAMPs (vesicle‐associated membrane proteins) in rat lung and alveolar type II cells. VAMP‐2, −3 and −8 are shown in type II cells at both mRNA and protein levels. VAMP‐2 and −8 were enriched in LB (lamellar body) fraction. Immunochemistry studies indicated that VAMP‐2 was co‐localized with the LB marker protein, LB‐180. Functionally, the cytoplasmic domain of VAMP‐2, but not VAMP‐8 inhibited surfactant secretion in type II cells. We suggest that VAMP‐2 is the v‐SNARE (vesicle SNARE) involved in regulated surfactant secretion.
Athelstan Laurence Johnson Beckwith 1930 - 2010
Authors: Rae Ian D.
Published: May 2012

Athel Beckwith was an organic chemist whose research was concerned with free radicals, the reactive intermediates that play important roles in many organic chemical reactions. After studies and junior appointments at Australian universities, at Oxford University he worked with W. A. Waters and completed his doctorate at a time when scepticism about the very existence of free radicals was being rolled back by a small group of experimentalists. Returning to Australia, where he occupied chairs at the University of Adelaide and the Australian National University, Beckwith used studies of organic structure and mechanisms, revealed by kinetic methods and electron spin resonance spectroscopy, to become a world leader in this field of chemistry. He was honoured by election to Fellowship of the Australian Academy of Science (1973) and the Royal Society of London (1989), by several awards from the Royal Australian Chemical Institute, and by membership of the Order of Australia (2004). His extensive travels, often accompanied by his wife Kaye and their children, to work in overseas chemical research laboratories and to give presentations at international meetings, helped him to secure his place in networks at the highest levels of his profession. Several those who studied with him now hold important positions in Australian chemistry.
National Identity and International Science: The Case of Acacia
Authors: Robin Libby , Carruthers Jane
Published: May 2012

The article considers the role that history and botanical politics played during the nomenclatural debates surrounding the decision taken at the XVII International Botanical Congress (IBC) in Vienna in 2005 to conserve the genus Acacia with the type A. penninervis, an acacia from the Australian group, and the confirmation of this decision at the XVIII IBC in Melbourne in 2011. What was unusual about this issue was that it was contested in the public media as well as in professional botanical circles. It also resulted in fierce critiques about how the processes of international botany should operate. Many natural scientists strongly believe that their disciplines are objective and untainted by influences outside ?science', yet this recent example from international botany shows how politics in science, and scientific politics, may cast a long shadow over scientific decisions. In terms of external influences on science, we provide an overview of the competitive claims to Acacia as a national symbol in Australia and Africa that fuelled some of the discussion. We present some of the ?compromise proposals' that were circulated in advance of the Melbourne meeting and describe that meeting, focusing on the implications of the Acacia decision for the International Code of Botanical Nomenclature. We reflect on the complex role played by national identity and emotional passion for plants that has been revealed, while also highlighting how this experience has encouraged many botanists around the world to scrutinize more carefully how their international bodies function and to suggest changes and improvements.
Livestock infectious disease and climate change: a review of selected literature.
Authors: Heffernan C. , Salman M. , York L.
Published: May 2012

It is indisputable that climate is an important factor in many livestock diseases. Nevertheless, our knowledge of the impact of climate change on livestock infectious diseases is much less certain. Therefore, the aim of the article is to conduct a systematic review of the literature on the topic utilizing available retrospective data and information. Across a corpus of 175 formal publications, limited empirical evidence was offered to underpin many of the main arguments. The literature reviewed was highly polarized and often inconsistent regarding what the future may hold. Historical explorations were rare. However, identifying past drivers to livestock disease may not fully capture the extent that new and unknown drivers will influence future change. As such, our current predictive capacity is low. We offer a number of recommendations to strengthen this capacity in the coming years. We conclude that our current approach to research on the topic is limiting and unlikely to yield sufficient, actionable evidence to inform future praxis. Therefore, we argue for the creation of a reflexive, knowledge-based system, underpinned by a collective intelligence framework to support the drawing of inferences across the literature.
The Unveiled Apple: Ethnicity, Gender, and the Limits of Inter-discursive Interpretation of Iranian Contemporary Art
Authors: Torshizi Foad
Published: May 2012

In the past two decades, Iranian contemporary art has been eagerly embraced by international art venues. The transportation of artworks from Tehran to mostly western European and North American cultural centers entails inter-discursive translations that will render them legible for their reception in a new context. This paper argues that bound up in these translations are performative acts of language that label these artworks as markers of ethnic alterity, unexplored localities and most of the time associates them with issues of gender and femininity (and therefore limited to the vocabulary of “veil,” “plight of women” and “sexual inequality”). Looking at a seven-minute piece of video-art by Ghazaleh Hedayat entitledEve's Apple(2006), the article examines this predicament and the possibilities for the artists to circumvent it. It argues that Hedayat's video enables an observation of the performative dominance of Western discourses of art history that mark the limits of inter-discursive interpretation in disciplines such as art history and art criticism.
A review of research on student teachers' professional identity
Authors: Izadinia Mahsa
Published: May 2012

This article presents a review of 29 empirical studies to identify the main foci of research on student teachers' identity, the methodologies used and their major findings. The reviewed studies were found to investigate four broad factors: the contribution of: (1) reflective activities, (2) learning communities, (3) context and (4) (prior) experiences. Reflective practices and interviews were found to be mainly used by researchers as data collection tools and the findings were mainly reported to be changes in components of student teachers' identity, including their cognitive knowledge, sense of agency and voice. Questions raised in this review and suggestions for further research are discussed.
Hydrogen Permeation Performance of Ni-BaZr0.1Ce0.7Y0.2O3−δ Metal-Ceramic Hollow Fiber Membrane
Authors: Yang Chun-li , Xu Qi-ming , Zhu Zhi-wen , Liu Wei
Published: May 2012

A dense Ni-BaZr0.1Ce0.7Y0.2O3−δ (BZCY) cermet hollow fiber is fabricated by sintering NiO-BZCY hollow fiber precursors prepared by phase inversion method in 5%H2/95%Ar and its hydrogen permeation performance is investigated. The Ni-BZCY hollow fiber membrane possesses a “sandwich" structure. Finger-like structures are observed near both the inner and outer surfaces, while a dense layer is present in the center part. With 200 mL/min wet 20%H2/80%N2 on the shell side and 150 mL/min high purity Ar on the core side, the hydrogen permeation flux through the Ni-BZCY hollow fiber membrane at 900 °C is 0.53 μmol/cm2s. Owing to a high packing density, the hydrogen permeation flux per unit volume is greatly improved and membrane components composed of an assembly of hollow fibers may be applied in industrial hydrogen separation.
Kinetic Simulation of Gold Nanorod Growth in Solution Based on Optical Spectra
Authors: Wang Ying-ying , Li Bo-xuan , Vdovic Silvije , Wang Xue-fei , Xia An-dong
Published: May 2012

By monitoring the time evolution of the optical absorption spectrum corresponding to dynamic information of aspect ratio (AR) and volume, we succeeded in following the growth kinetics of gold nanorods. The results indicate that the rods growth consists of two stages: seeds develop into rods with a fast AR increase and the rods grow big with constant AR. Here, a charge transfer model, involving positive charge transfer from Au(I) to seed and neutralization by electron from ascorbic acid, has been introduced to explain the autocatalysis mechanism of rod growth. The good agreement between the numerical simulation based on this moldel and experimental results supports the proposed mechanism.
Enthalpies Estimation of Formation of Monosubstituted Alkanes by Interaction Potential Index
Authors: Wu Ya-xin , Cao Chen-zhong , Yuan Hua
Published: May 2012

The interaction potential index IPI(X) of 16 kinds of substituents X (X=OH, SH, NH2, Br, Cl, I, NO2, CN, CHO, COOH, CH3, CH=CH2, C≡CH, Ph, COCH3, COOCH3) were proposed, which are derived from the experimental enthalpies of formation (see PDF) values of monosubstituted straight-chain alkanes. Based on the IPI(X) and polarizability effect index, a simple and effective model was constructed to estimate the (see PDF) values of monosubstituted alkanes RX (including the branched derivatives). The present model takes into account not only the contributions of the alkyl R and the substituent X, but also the contribution of the interaction between R and X. Its stability and prediction ability was confirmed by the results of leave-one-out method. Compared with previous reported studies, the obtained equation can be used to estimate enthalpies of formation for much more kinds of monosubstituted alkanes with less parameters. Thus, it is recommended for the calculation of the (see PDF) for the RX.
Geometrical Structures and Electronic Properties of Copper-Doped Aluminum Clusters
Authors: Cheng Xi-hui , Ding Da-jun , Yu Yong-gang , Jin Ming-xing
Published: May 2012

Using density function theory (DFT), the Cu-doped Aln (n=1−15) clusters have been studied. The electron affinity, ionization potential, Mulliken population analysis of Cu, mean polarizability, polarizability anisotropy, dipole moments and HOMO-LUMO gaps have also been calculated on the basis of optimized geometries. The results indicate that there is magic numbers in copper-doped aluminum clusters and electronic characteristic depended on the size of clusters. As n=13, the electron affinity and ionization potential of cluster changed more than 0.3 and 0.6 eV respectively, compared with neighborhood clusters.
Bifunctional TiO2 Catalysts for Efficient Cr(VI) Photoreduction Under Solar Light Irradiation Without Addition of Acids
Authors: Shi Fu-cheng , Wang Wen-dong , Huang Wei-xin
Published: May 2012

Bifunctional TiO2 photocatalysts co-doped with nitrogen and sulfur were prepared by the controlled thermal decomposition of ammonium titanyl sulfate precursor. They have both photocatalytic activity and Brønsted acidity, and thus are active in the photoreduction of Cr(VI) under solar light irradiation without the addition of acids. The activity is superior to that of Degussa P25 in the acidified suspension at the same pH adjusted by H2SO4.
Molecular Dynamics Simulation on Scale Inhibition Mechanism of Polyepoxysuccinic Acid to Calcium Sulphate
Authors: Zeng Jian-ping , Wang Feng-he , Zhou Chen , Gong Xue-dong
Published: May 2012

Molecular dynamics simulation has been performed to simulate the interaction between PESA and the (001) face of anhydrite crystal CaSO4 at different temperatures with the presence of various number of H2O molecules. The results show that PESA can effectively prevent the growth of CaSO4 scale at 323–343 K. At the same temperature, the binding energy between PESA and the (001) face of CaSO4 for systems with various number of H2O has the order of Ebind(0H2O) > Ebind(200–400H2O) > Ebind(100H2O). For the same system at different temperatures the binding energies are close and are mainly contributed from the Coulomb interaction, including ionic bonds. The bonds are formed between the calcium atoms of anhydrite scale crystal and the oxygen atoms of the carboxyl group of PESA. Hydrogen bonds are formed between the O atoms of the carboxyl group of PESA and the H atoms of H2O. van der Waals interaction is conducive to the stability of the system of PESA, H2O, and CaSO4. The radial distribution functions of O(carbonyl of PESA)-H(H2O), O(CaSO4)-H(H2O), and O(CaSO4)-H(PESA) imply that solvents have effects on the anti-scale performance of PESA to CaSO4.
CUSHAW: a CUDA compatible short read aligner to large genomes based on the Burrows–Wheeler transform
Authors: Liu Yongchao , Schmidt Bertil , Maskell Douglas L.
Published: May 2012

Motivation: New high-throughput sequencing technologies have promoted the production of short reads with dramatically low unit cost. The explosive growth of short read datasets poses a challenge to the mapping of short reads to reference genomes, such as the human genome, in terms of alignment quality and execution speed.

Results: We present CUSHAW, a parallelized short read aligner based on the compute unified device architecture (CUDA) parallel programming model. We exploit CUDA-compatible graphics hardware as accelerators to achieve fast speed. Our algorithm uses a quality-aware bounded search approach based on the Burrows–Wheeler transform (BWT) and the Ferragina–Manzini index to reduce the search space and achieve high alignment quality. Performance evaluation, using simulated as well as real short read datasets, reveals that our algorithm running on one or two graphics processing units achieves significant speedups in terms of execution time, while yielding comparable or even better alignment quality for paired-end alignments compared with three popular BWT-based aligners: Bowtie, BWA and SOAP2. CUSHAW also delivers competitive performance in terms of single-nucleotide polymorphism calling for an Escherichia coli test dataset.

Availability:  http://cushaw.sourceforge.net.

Contact:  liuy@uni-mainz.de; bertil.schmidt@uni-mainz.de

Supplementary information: Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online.
BEDOPS: high-performance genomic feature operations
Authors: Neph Shane , Kuehn M. Scott , Reynolds Alex P. , Haugen Eric , Thurman Robert E. , Johnson Audra K. , Rynes Eric , Maurano Matthew T. , Vierstra Jeff , Thomas Sean , Sandstrom Richard , Humbert Richard , Stamatoyannopoulos John A.
Published: May 2012

Summary: The large and growing number of genome-wide datasets highlights the need for high-performance feature analysis and data comparison methods, in addition to efficient data storage and retrieval techniques. We introduce BEDOPS, a software suite for common genomic analysis tasks which offers improved flexibility, scalability and execution time characteristics over previously published packages. The suite includes a utility to compress large inputs into a lossless format that can provide greater space savings and faster data extractions than alternatives.

Availability:  http://code.google.com/p/bedops/ includes binaries, source and documentation.

Contact:  sjn@u.washington.edu and jstam@u.washington.edu

Supplementary information:  Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online.
The Hematopoietic Expression Viewer: expanding mobile apps as a scientific tool
Authors: James Regis A. , Rao Mitchell M. , Chen Edward S. , Goodell Margaret A. , Shaw Chad A.
Published: May 2012

Summary: Many important data in current biological science comprise hundreds, thousands or more individual results. These massive data require computational tools to navigate results and effectively interact with the content. Mobile device apps are an increasingly important tool in the everyday lives of scientists and non-scientists alike. These software present individuals with compact and efficient tools to interact with complex data at meetings or other locations remote from their main computing environment. We believe that apps will be important tools for biologists, geneticists and physicians to review content while participating in biomedical research or practicing medicine. We have developed a prototype app for displaying gene expression data using the iOS platform. To present the software engineering requirements, we review the model-view-controller schema for Apple's iOS. We apply this schema to a simple app for querying locally developed microarray gene expression data. The challenge of this application is to balance between storing content locally within the app versus obtaining it dynamically via a network connection.

Availability: The Hematopoietic Expression Viewer is available at http://www.shawlab.org/he_viewer. The source code for this project and any future information on how to obtain the app can be accessed at http://www.shawlab.org/he_viewer.

Contact:  cashaw@bcm.edu

Supplementary information:  Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online.
CPSS: a computational platform for the analysis of small RNA deep sequencing data
Authors: Zhang Yuanwei , Xu Bo , Yang Yifan , Ban Rongjun , Zhang Huan , Jiang Xiaohua , Cooke Howard J. , Xue Yu , Shi Qinghua
Published: May 2012

Summary: Next generation sequencing (NGS) techniques have been widely used to document the small ribonucleic acids (RNAs) implicated in a variety of biological, physiological and pathological processes. An integrated computational tool is needed for handling and analysing the enormous datasets from small RNA deep sequencing approach. Herein, we present a novel web server, CPSS (a computational platform for the analysis of small RNA deep sequencing data), designed to completely annotate and functionally analyse microRNAs (miRNAs) from NGS data on one platform with a single data submission. Small RNA NGS data can be submitted to this server with analysis results being returned in two parts: (i) annotation analysis, which provides the most comprehensive analysis for small RNA transcriptome, including length distribution and genome mapping of sequencing reads, small RNA quantification, prediction of novel miRNAs, identification of differentially expressed miRNAs, piwi-interacting RNAs and other non-coding small RNAs between paired samples and detection of miRNA editing and modifications and (ii) functional analysis, including prediction of miRNA targeted genes by multiple tools, enrichment of gene ontology terms, signalling pathway involvement and protein–protein interaction analysis for the predicted genes. CPSS, a ready-to-use web server that integrates most functions of currently available bioinformatics tools, provides all the information wanted by the majority of users from small RNA deep sequencing datasets.

Availability: CPSS is implemented in PHP/PERL+MySQL+R and can be freely accessed at http://mcg.ustc.edu.cn/db/cpss/index.html or http://mcg.ustc.edu.cn/sdap1/cpss/index.html.

Contact:  xueyu@mail.hust.edu.cn or qshi@ustc.edu.cn

Supplementary information:  Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online.
Genome-scale analysis of interaction dynamics reveals organization of biological networks
Authors: Das Jishnu , Mohammed Jaaved , Yu Haiyuan
Published: May 2012

Summary: Analyzing large-scale interaction networks has generated numerous insights in systems biology. However, such studies have primarily been focused on highly co-expressed, stable interactions. Most transient interactions that carry out equally important functions, especially in signal transduction pathways, are yet to be elucidated and are often wrongly discarded as false positives. Here, we revisit a previously described Smith–Waterman-like dynamic programming algorithm and use it to distinguish stable and transient interactions on a genomic scale in human and yeast. We find that in biological networks, transient interactions are key links topologically connecting tightly regulated functional modules formed by stable interactions and are essential to maintaining the integrity of cellular networks. We also perform a systematic analysis of interaction dynamics across different technologies and find that high-throughput yeast two-hybrid is the only available technology for detecting transient interactions on a large scale.

Contact:  haiyuan.yu@cornell.edu

Supplementary information:  Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online.
Estimating the Causal Effects of Social Interaction with Endogenous Networks
Authors: Rogowski Jon C. , Sinclair Betsy
Published: May 2012

Identifying causal effects attributable to network membership is a key challenge in empirical studies of social networks. In this article, we examine the consequences of endogeneity for inferences about the effects of networks on network members' behavior. Using the House office lottery (in which newly elected members select their office spaces in a randomly chosen order) as an instrumental variable to estimate the causal impact of legislative networks on roll call behavior and cosponsorship decisions in the 105th–112th Houses, we find no evidence that office proximity affects patterns of legislative behavior. These results contrast with decades of congressional scholarship and recent empirical studies. Our analysis demonstrates the importance of accounting for selection processes and omitted variables in estimating the causal impact of networks.
2-(Pyridin-2-yl)-1,3-oxathiane
Authors: Turner David , Fratini Albert , Turro Claudia , Check Michael , Hunter Chad
Published: May 2012

The title compound, C9H11NOS, exhibits a unique structural motif, with free rotation of the aliphatic oxathiane ring about the C—C bond connecting this moiety to the aromatic pyridine ring. The structure elucidation was undertaken due to its potential as a bidentate ligand for organometallic complexes. The oxathiane ring adopts the expected chair conformation, with the S atom in proximity to the N atom on the pyridine ring. The corresponding S—C—C—N torsion angle is 69.07 (14)°. In the crystal, molecules aggregate as centrosymmetric pairs connected by pairs of C—H...N hydrogen bonds.
3-Cyanoanilinium hydrogen oxalate hemihydrate
Authors: Chen Xin-Yuan
Published: May 2012

In the title hydrated molecular salt, C7H7N2
+·C2HO4
−·0.5H2O, contains a 3-cyanoanilinium cation, a hydrogen oxalate anion and half a water molecule in an asymmetric unit. The dihedral angle between the CO2(H) and CO2 planes of the hydrogen oxalate ion is 7.96 (1)°. In the crystal, the components are linked by N—H...O and O—H...O hydrogen bonds, forming a layer lying parallel to the ac plane.
catena-Poly[[(1,10-phenanthroline-κ2
N,N′)zinc]-μ-furan-2,5-dicarboxylato-κ4
O
2,O
2′:O
5,O
5′]
Authors: Li Ya-Feng , Xu Yue , Qin Xiao-Lin , Gao Wen-Yuan , Gao Yue
Published: May 2012

In the title coordination polymer, [Zn(C6H2O5)(C12H8N2)]
n
, an infinite chain is formed along [010] by linking the chelated {Zn(phen)} entities (phen is 1,10-phenanthroline) with two carboxylate groups of the furan-2,5-dicarboxylate ligand. The ZnII atom shows trigonal–prismatic coordination.
Poly[chlorido[μ4-2,2′-(2-methyl-1H-benzimidazol-3-ium-1,3-diyl)diacetato]zinc]
Authors: Liu Jia-Qin , Jiang Zhen-Jü , Xu Zhi-Hong , Zhang Yan
Published: May 2012

The title compound, [Zn(C12H11N2O4)Cl]
n
, contains a centrosymmetric dimetal tetracarboxylate paddle-wheel moiety in which the ZnII atom is square-pyramidally coordinated by four carboxylate O atoms at the basal positions and one Cl− anion at the apical position. Each paddle-wheel unit is joined to four such neighbours through bridging dicarboxylate ligands, producing a two-dimensional undulating layer parallel to (-101). Adjacent sheets are stacked in a parallel fashion to form a three-dimensional supramolecular structure which is stabilized by interlayer π–π interactions between benzene rings, with a centroid–centroid distance of 3.722 Å. The range of Zn—O bond lengths is 2.0440 (17)–2.1256 (15) Å and the Zn—Cl bond length is 2.2622 (6) Å.
{4,4′,6,6′-Tetraiodo-2,2′-[2,2-dimethylpropane-1,3-diylbis(nitrilomethanylylidene)]diphenolato}copper(II)
Authors: Kargar Hadi , Kia Reza , Shakarami Tayebeh , Tahir Muhammad Nawaz
Published: May 2012

In the title compound, [Cu(C19H16I4N2O2)], the CuII atom and the substituted C atom of the diamine segment lie on a crystallographic twofold rotation axis. The geometry around the CuII atom is distorted square-planar, which is supported by the N2O2 donor atoms of the coordinated Schiff base. The dihedral angle between the symmetry-related substituted benzene rings is 29.40 (19)°. In the crystal, a short I...I [3.8766 (6) Å] contact is present and links neighbouring molecules into chains propagating along the a axis.
1,4-Ditosyl-1,4-diazepane
Authors: Yang Shuang-Hua , Zhai Zhi-Wei
Published: May 2012

In the title compound, C19H24N2O4S2, the dihedral angle formed by the benzene rings is 82.88 (7)°, and the molecular conformation is enforced by weak intramolecular C—H...O contacts. Two C atoms of the 1,4-diazepane ring are disordered over two sets of sites with a refined occupancy ratio of 0.534 (13):0.466 (13). In the crystal, molecules are linked by weak intermolecular C—H...O interactions into chains parallel to the a axis.
N-Methylpyrrolidine-1-carbothioamide
Authors: Umar M. Naveed , Tahir M. Nawaz , Shoaib Mohammad , Ali Akbar , Khan Imran
Published: May 2012

There are two independent molecules in the asymmetric unit of the title compound, C6H12N2S, in which the N-methylthioformamide unit and the pyrrolidine ring mean plane are oriented at dihedral angles of 5.9 (5) and 5.9 (4)°. In the crystal, zigzag C(4) chains extending along the a axis are formed due to N—H...S hydrogen bonds between alternate arrangements of molecules. The chains are interlinked by C—H...S hydrogen bonds.
Mediational relations between 12‐Step attendance, depression and substance use in patients with comorbid substance dependence and major depression
Authors: Worley Matthew J. , Tate Susan R. , Brown Sandra A.
Published: May 2012

Aims

Among patients with substance dependence and comorbid major depressive disorder (MDD) receiving treatment in a controlled trial, we examined if group differences in depression were mediated by 12‐Step involvement, and if the effects of 12‐Step involvement on future alcohol and drug use were mediated by reductions in depression.

Design

Controlled trial of Twelve‐Step facilitation (TSF) and integrated cognitive–behavioral therapy (ICBT), delivered in out‐patient groups for 6 months with adjunct pharmacotherapy.

Setting

Out‐patient dual diagnosis clinic in Veteran's Affairs Healthcare Center.

Participants

Veterans (n = 209) diagnosed with alcohol, stimulant or marijuana dependence and substance‐independent MDD.

Measurements

Twelve‐Step attendance and affiliation, depression severity, percentage of days drinking and percentage of days using drugs assessed at baseline and months 3, 6 and 9.

Findings

In multi‐level analyses greater 12‐Step meeting attendance predicted lower depression and mediated the superior depression outcomes of the TSF group, explaining 24.3% of the group difference in depression. Independent of treatment group, lower depression severity predicted lower future alcohol use and mediated the effects of 12‐Step meetings, explaining 15.7% of their effects on future drinking. Controlled, lagged models indicated these effects were not confounded by current substance use, suggesting that depression had unique associations with 12‐Step meeting attendance and future drinking.

Conclusions

For patients with substance dependence and major depressive disorder, attendance at 12‐Step meetings is associated with mental health benefits that extend beyond substance use, and reduced depression could be a key mechanism whereby 12‐Step meetings reduce future drinking in this population.
Future climate change driven sea‐level rise: secondary consequences from human displacement for island biodiversity
Authors: Wetzel Florian T. , Kissling W. Daniel , Beissmann Helmut , Penn Dustin J.
Published: May 2012

Sea‐level rise (SLR) due to global warming will result in the loss of many coastal areas. The direct or primary effects due to inundation and erosion from SLR are currently being assessed; however, the indirect or secondary ecological effects, such as changes caused by the displacement of human populations, have not been previously evaluated. We examined the potential ecological consequences of future SLR on >1,200 islands in the Southeast Asian and the Pacific region. Using three SLR scenarios (1, 3, and 6 m elevation, where 1 m approximates most predictions by the end of this century), we assessed the consequences of primary and secondary SLR effects from human displacement on habitat availability and distributions of selected mammal species. We estimate that between 3–32% of the coastal zone of these islands could be lost from primary effects, and consequently 8–52 million people would become SLR refugees. Assuming that inundated urban and intensive agricultural areas will be relocated with an equal area of habitat loss in the hinterland, we project that secondary SLR effects can lead to an equal or even higher percent range loss than primary effects for at least 10–18% of the sample mammals in a moderate range loss scenario and for 22–46% in a maximum range loss scenario. In addition, we found some species to be more vulnerable to secondary than primary effects. Finally, we found high spatial variation in vulnerability: species on islands in Oceania are more vulnerable to primary SLR effects, whereas species on islands in Indo‐Malaysia, with potentially 7–48 million SLR refugees, are more vulnerable to secondary effects. Our findings show that primary and secondary SLR effects can have enormous consequences for human inhabitants and island biodiversity, and that both need to be incorporated into ecological risk assessment, conservation, and regional planning.
Habitat associations of thermophilous butterflies are reduced despite climatic warming
Authors: Oliver Tom H. , Thomas Chris D. , Hill Jane K. , Brereton Tom , Roy David B.
Published: May 2012

Climate warming threatens the survival of species at their warm, trailing‐edge range boundaries but also provides opportunities for the ecological release of populations at the cool, leading edges of their distributions. Thus, as the climate warms, leading‐edge populations are expected to utilize an increased range of habitat types, leading to larger population sizes and range expansion. Here, we test the hypothesis that the habitat associations of British butterflies have expanded over three decades of climate warming. We characterize the habitat breadth of 27 southerly distributed species from 77 monitoring transects between 1977 and 2007 by considering changes in densities of butterflies across 11 habitat types. Contrary to expectation, we find that 20 of 27 (74%) butterfly species showed long‐term contractions in their habitat associations, despite some short‐term expansions in habitat breadth in warmer‐than‐usual years. Thus, we conclude that climatic warming has ameliorated habitat contractions caused by other environmental drivers to some extent, but that habitat degradation continues to be a major driver of reductions in habitat breadth and population density of butterflies.
Controlling information systems development: a new typology for an evolving field
Authors: Cram W. Alec , Brohman M. Kathryn
Published: May 2012

This study explores how and why information systems development (ISD) approaches differ in their tactics to control the behaviour of development teams. Drawing from prior research on organisational control, we conduct qualitative case studies at four organisations to examine the extent that traditional and contemporary systems development approaches can highlight a unique combination of control attributes. Based on the data collected, we build an ISD control typology that differentiates ISD approaches on the basis of control objectives (product or process focused) and control practices (preventive or detective/corrective focused). The proposed typology can be used by practitioners to inform and guide more effective systems development control choices while providing researchers with a new model that recognises the unique control aspects of today's systems development approaches.
Plasmodium infection, anaemia and mosquito net use among school children across different settings in Kenya
Authors: Gitonga Caroline W. , Edwards Tansy , Karanja Peris N. , Noor Abdisalan M. , Snow Robert W. , Brooker Simon J.
Published: May 2012

Objective  To investigate risk factors, including reported net use, for Plasmodium infection and anaemia among school children and to explore variations in effects across different malaria ecologies occurring in Kenya.

Methods  This study analysed data for 49 975 school children in 480 schools surveyed during a national school malaria survey, 2008–2010. Mixed effects logistic regression was used to investigate factors associated with Plasmodium infection and anaemia within different malaria transmission zones.

Results  Insecticide‐treated net (ITN) use was associated with reduction in the odds of Plasmodium infection in coastal and western highlands epidemic zones and among boys in the lakeside high transmission zone. Other risk factors for Plasmodium infection and for anaemia also varied by zone. Plasmodium infection was negatively associated with increasing socio‐economic status in all transmission settings, except in the semi‐arid north‐east zone. Plasmodium infection was a risk factor for anaemia in lakeside high transmission, western highlands epidemic and central low‐risk zones, whereas ITN use was only associated with lower levels of anaemia in coastal and central zones and among boys in the lakeside high transmission zone.

Conclusions  The risk factors for Plasmodium infection and anaemia, including the protective associations with ITN use, vary according to malaria transmission settings in Kenya, and future efforts to control malaria and anaemia should take into account such heterogeneities among school children.
Performance of the new WHO diagnostic algorithm for smear‐negative pulmonary tuberculosis in HIV prevalent settings: a multisite study in Uganda
Authors: Alamo Stella‐Talisuna , Kunutsor Setor , Walley John , Thoulass Janine , Evans Morgan , Muchuro Simon , Matovu Ahmed , Katabira Elly
Published: May 2012

Objective  To compare the performance of the new WHO (2007) diagnostic algorithm for pulmonary tuberculosis (PTB) in high HIV prevalent settings (WHO07) to the WHO 2003 guidelines used by the Ugandan National Tuberculosis Program (UgWHO03).

Methods  A prospective observational cohort design was used at Reach Out Mbuya Parish HIV/AIDS Initiative, an urban slum community‐based AIDS Service Organisation (ASO) and Kayunga Rural District Government Hospital. Newly diagnosed and enrolled HIV‐infected patients were assessed for PTB. Research staff interviewed patients and staff and observed operational constraints.

Results  WHO07 reduced the time to diagnosis of smear‐negative PTB with increased sensitivity compared with the UgWHO03 at both sites. Time to diagnosis of smear‐negative PTB was significantly shorter at the urban ASO than at the rural ASO (12.4 vs. 28.5 days, P = 0.003). Diagnostic specificity and sensitivity [95% confidence intervals (CIs)] for smear‐negative PTB were higher at the rural hospital compared with the urban ASO: [98% (93–100%) vs. 86% (77–92%), P = 0.001] and [95% (72–100%) vs. 90% (54–99%), P > 0.05], respectively. Common barriers to implementation of algorithms included failure by patients to attend follow‐up appointments and poor adherence by healthcare workers to algorithms.

Conclusion  At both sites, WHO07 expedited diagnosis of smear‐negative PTB with increased diagnostic accuracy compared with the UgWHO03. The WHO07 expedited diagnosis more at the urban ASO but with more diagnostic accuracy at the rural hospital. Barriers to implementation should be taken into account when operationalising these guidelines for TB diagnosis in resource‐limited settings.
Canine noninflammatory alopecia: a comprehensive evaluation of common and distinguishing histological characteristics
Authors: Müntener Tabitha , Schuepbach‐Regula Gertraud , Frank Linda , Rüfenacht Silvia , Welle Monika M.
Published: May 2012

Background – Noninflammatory alopecia is a frequent problem in dogs, and the pathogenesis is still unclear.

Objective – The objective of this study was a comparative histological description of skin biopsies from dogs with different alopecic disorders and control dogs matched for coat type, season and disease duration.

Animals – Twenty‐one cases of alopecia X in plush‐coated dogs, 12 cases of recurrent flank alopecia, three cases of hyperestrogenism, 15 cases of hyperadrenocorticism, 12 cases of hypothyroidism and 12 cases of primary alopecic disorders of unknown cause were evaluated. The controls were biopsies from 38 dogs of different coat types.

Methods – We evaluated five serial sections of each biopsy histologically and immunohistologically to compare the histological findings within the disease groups and with the control.

Results – All the dogs with hair cycle disorders had a significant increase in the number of hairless hair follicles, which we assigned to kenogen. In addition, dogs with alopecia X had the lowest percentage of anagen follicles and the highest percentage of telogen follicles.

Conclusions – The marked increase in kenogen follicles is a strong indication that the induction of the new anagen phase is impaired in hair cycle disorders. The findings in dogs with alopecia X further suggest that premature catagen is also involved in the pathogenesis. Further work to investigate the stem cell compartment and possible initiating factors for the different cycle phases is required to elucidate the exact pathogenesis.
Functional neuroimaging studies of alcohol cue reactivity: a quantitative meta‐analysis and systematic review
Authors: Schacht Joseph P. , Anton Raymond F. , Myrick Hugh
Published: May 2012

A comprehensive understanding of the neurobiology of alcohol cue reactivity is critical in identifying the neuropathology of alcohol use disorders (AUD) and developing treatments that may attenuate alcohol craving and reduce relapse risk. Functional neuroimaging studies have identified many brain areas in which alcohol cues elicit activation. However, extant studies have included relatively small numbers of cases, with AUD of varying severity, and have employed many different cue paradigms. We used activation likelihood estimation, a quantitative, coordinate‐based meta‐analytic method, to analyze the brain areas activated by alcohol‐related cues across studies, and to examine whether these areas were differentially activated between cases and controls. Secondarily, we reviewed correlations between behavioral measures and cue‐elicited activation, as well as treatment effects on such activation. Data analyzed were from 28 studies of 679 cases and 174 controls. Among cases, alcohol cues elicited robust activation of limbic and prefrontal regions, including ventral striatum, anterior cingulate and ventromedial prefrontal cortex. As compared to controls, cases demonstrated greater activation of parietal and temporal regions, including posterior cingulate, precuneus and superior temporal gyrus. Cue‐elicited activation of ventral striatum was most frequently correlated with behavioral measures and most frequently reduced by treatment, but these results were often derived from region‐of‐interest analyses that interrogated only limbic regions. These findings support long‐standing theories of mesolimbic involvement in alcohol cue processing, but suggest that cue‐elicited activation of other brain areas may more clearly differentiate cases from controls. Prevention and treatment for AUD should consider interventions that may reduce cue‐elicited activation of these areas.
Minor and intermediate surgeries in lung transplant recipients
Authors: Kramer Mordechai R. , Krilo Yori , Fuks Leonardo , Shitrit David
Published: May 2012

Background

Only limited data exist regarding the incidence and outcome of surgical procedures following lung transplantation (LTX).

Methods

A retrospective analysis of surgical procedures performed in all LTX patients (n = 250) between 1997 and 2008.

Results

Of 250 patients who underwent LTX, 68 (27.2%) required 154 surgical procedures. Mean age was 53 ± 13 yr. Mean interval between LTX and surgery was 41 ± 40 months. Mean follow‐up was 21 ± 9.4 months. Fourteen (9.1%) emergency operations were performed. Sixty patients (39%) underwent general anesthesia, 12 (7.8%) regional anesthesia, and 82 (53%) local anesthesia. Two patients required a major surgical procedure, while 76 of the procedures (49.4%) were intermediate, and 76 were minor surgeries. Only two patients (0.8%) developed complications (one infectious and one bronchospasm). One patient (0.4%) died following surgery as a result of septic shock.

Conclusions

Minor and intermediate procedures can be performed safely in LTX patients without associated morbidity or mortality.
Identification of differentially expressed genes in sorghum (Sorghum bicolor) brown midrib mutants
Authors: Yan Li , Liu Shuwei , Zhao Shuangyi , Kang Yali , Wang Duoxiang , Gu Tongwei , Xin Zhanguo , Xia Guangmin , Huang Yinghua
Published: May 2012

Sorghum, a species able to produce a high yield of biomass and tolerate both drought and poor soil fertility, is considered to be a potential bioenergy crop candidate. The reduced lignin content characteristic of brown midrib (bmr) mutants improves the efficiency of bioethanol conversion from biomass. Suppression subtractive hybridization combined with cDNA microarray profiling was performed to characterize differential gene expression in a set of 13 bmr mutants, which accumulate significantly less lignin than the wild‐type plant BTx623. Among the 153 differentially expressed genes identified, 43 were upregulated and 110 downregulated in the mutants. A semi‐quantitative RT–PCR analysis applied to 12 of these genes largely validated the microarray analysis data. The transcript abundance of genes encoding l‐phenylalanine ammonia lyase and cinnamyl alcohol dehydrogenase was less in the mutants than in the wild type, consistent with the expectation that both enzymes are associated with lignin synthesis. However, the gene responsible for the lignin synthesis enzyme cinnamic acid 4‐hydroxylase was upregulated in the mutants, indicating that the production of monolignol from l‐phenylalanine may involve more than one pathway. The identity of the differentially expressed genes could be useful for breeding sorghum with improved efficiency of bioethanol conversion from lignocellulosic biomass.
Evaluation of novel nystatin nanoemulsion for skin candidosis infections
Authors: Fernández‐Campos F. , Clares Naveros B. , López Serrano O. , Alonso Merino C. , Calpena Campmany A. C.
Published: May 2012

One of the most common fungal skin infections is candidosis. Topical application of drugs at the pathological sites offers potential advantage of direct drug delivery to the site of action. The main aim of this work was to evaluate an optimal nystatin nanoemulsion for topical application avoiding undesirable side effects as systemic absorption and toxicity. Surface morphology and droplet size distribution of nystatin nanoemulsion was determined by transmission electronic microscopy and dynamic light scattering. Vertical diffusion Franz‐type cells and high‐performance liquid chromatography were used to perform the in vitro release and ex vivo human skin permeation studies. Transdermal permeation parameters were estimated from the permeation values using different theoretical approaches. Microbiological studies were performed to evaluate the antifungal effect. Nanoemulsion exhibited a spherical shape with smooth surface and mean droplet size between 70 and 80 nm. The pharmacokinetic release showed the nanoemulsion is faster than commercial ointment Mycostatin® improving the potential therapeutic index. Permeation studies demonstrated nystatin was not absorbed into systemic circulation and the retained amount in the skin was sufficient to ensure an antifungal effect. This antifungal effect was higher for nystatin loaded nanoemulsion than nystatin itself. A therapeutic improvement of the nystatin nanoemulsion treatment compared with the classical ones was achieved.
Comparison of mortality outcomes after radical prostatectomy versus radiotherapy in patients with localized prostate cancer: A population‐based analysis
Authors: Abdollah Firas , Schmitges Jan , Sun Maxine , Jeldres Claudio , Tian Zhe , Briganti Alberto , Shariat Shahrokh F , Perrotte Paul , Montorsi Francesco , Karakiewicz Pierre I
Published: May 2012

Objectives:  To compare the mortality outcomes of radical prostatectomy and radiotherapy as treatment modalities for patients with localized prostate cancer.

Methods:  Our cohort consisted of 68 665 patients with localized prostate cancer, treated with radical prostatectomy or radiotherapy, between 1992 and 2005. Propensity‐score matching was used to minimize potential bias related to treatment assignment. Competing‐risks analyses tested the effect of treatment type on cancer‐specific mortality, after accounting for other‐cause mortality. All analyses were stratified according to prostate cancer risk groups, baseline Charlson Comorbidity Index and age.

Results:  For patients treated with radical prostatectomy versus radiotherapy, the 10‐year cancer‐specific mortality rates were 1.4 versus 3.9% in low‐intermediate risk prostate cancer and 6.8 versus 11.5% in high‐risk prostate cancer, respectively. Rates were 2.4 versus 5.9% in patients with Charlson Comorbidity Index of 0, 2.4 versus 5.1% in patients with Charlson Comorbidity Index of 1, and 2.9 versus 5.2% in patients with Charlson Comorbidity Index of ≥2. Rates were 2.1 versus 5.0% in patients aged 65–69 years, 2.8 versus 5.5% in patients aged 70–74 years, and 2.9 versus 7.6% in patients aged 75–80 years (all P < 0.001). At multivariable analyses, radiotherapy was associated with less favorable cancer‐specific mortality in all categories (all P < 0.001).

Conclusions:  Patients treated with radical prostatectomy fare substantially better than those treated with radiotherapy. Patients with high‐risk prostate cancer benefit the most from radical prostatectomy. Conversely, the lowest benefit was observed in patients with low‐intermediate risk prostate cancer and/or multiple comorbidities. An intermediate benefit was observed in the other examined categories.