bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Anti-inflammatory effect of enzymatic hydrolysate of corn gluten in an experimental model of colitis
Authors: Mochizuki Miyako , Shigemura Hayato , Hasegawa Noboru
Published: October 2010

Objectives

Intestinal bacteria are thought to be involved in the initiation and perpetuation of inflammatory bowel diseases. Prebiotics (non-digestable dietary carbohydrate) have beneficial properties that alter the intestinal flora and contain glutamine-rich protein. Glutamine significantly decreases indices of inflammation. In this study, an enzymatic hydrolysate of corn gluten (EHCG) was administered by gavage to Sprague-Dawley rats fed an elemental diet to determine whether EHCG can ameliorate experi- mental colitis.

Methods

Colitis was induced by intrarectal administration of 2,4,6-trinitrobenzene sulfonic acid after 10 days' daily oral administration of EHCG at 100 and 300 mg/kg. Macroscopic damage was assessed using a scoring system. The mucosa homogenate was sonicated and myeloperoxidase activity and histamine levels measured.

Key findings

Treatment with EHCG significantly decreased the severity of injury and reduced myeloperoxidase activity and histamine levels in the distal colon mucosa.

Conclusions

EHCG may have therapeutic benefit as a supplement in enteral nutrition for patients with inflammatory bowel diseases.
Changes in the nuclear deposition of histone H2A variants during pre-implantation development in mice
Authors: Nashun Buhe , Yukawa Masashi , Liu Honglin , Akiyama Tomohiko , Aoki Fugaku
Published: October 2010

Histone H2A has several variants, and changes in chromatin composition associated with their replacement might involve chromatin structure remodeling. We examined the dynamics of the canonical histone H2A and its three variants, H2A.X, H2A.Z and macroH2A, in the mouse during oogenesis and pre-implantation development when genome remodeling occurs. Immunocytochemistry with specific antibodies revealed that, although H2A and all variants were deposited in the nuclei of full-grown oocytes, only histone H2A.X was abundant in the pronuclei of one-cell embryos after fertilization, in contrast with the low abundance of histone H2A and the absence of H2A.Z. The decline in H2A and the depletion of H2A.Z and macroH2A after fertilization were confirmed using Flag epitope-tagged H2A, H2A.Z and macroH2A transgenic mouse lines. Microinjection experiments with mRNA encoding the Flag-tagged proteins revealed a similar pattern of nuclear incorporation of the H2A variants. Fusion protein experiments using H2A, H2A.Z and macroH2A fused with the C-terminal 23 amino acids of H2A.X showed that the C-terminal amino acids of H2A.X function specifically to target this variant histone into chromatin in embryos after fertilization and that the absence of H2A.Z and macroH2A from the chromatin is required for normal development. These results suggest that global changes in the composition of histone H2A variants in chromatin play a role in genome remodeling after fertilization.
Asymmetric Information and Economies of Scale in Service Contracting
Authors: Akan Mustafa , Ata Barış , Lariviere Martin A.
Published: October 2010

We consider outsourcing in two important service settings: call center and order fulfillment operations. An important factor in both is the inherent economies of scale. Therefore, we advance a unifying model covering both applications and study the associated contracting problem under information asymmetry. At the time of contracting, the outsourcing firm, “the originator,” faces uncertainty regarding the demand volume but has private information about its probability distribution. The true demand is quickly observed once the service commences. The service provider invests in capacity before the start of the operation and offers a menu of contracts to screen different types of the originator. Adopting a mechanism design approach, we prove that a menu of two-part tariffs achieves the full-information solution. Hence, it is optimal among all possible contracts (in both settings) because of economies of scale and contractibility of realized demand.
Estimating the Implied Value of the Customer's Waiting Time
Authors: Robinson Lawrence W. , Chen Rachel R.
Published: October 2010

Almost all research in appointment scheduling has focused on the trade-off between customer waiting times and server idle times. In this paper, we present an observation-based method for estimating the relative cost of the customer waiting time, which is a critical parameter for finding the optimal appointment schedule.
The structure of effortful control in preschoolers and its relation to externalizing problems
Authors: Gusdorf Lisette M. A. , Karreman Annemiek , van Aken Marcel A. G. , Deković Maja , van Tuijl Cathy
Published: October 2010

The first aim of the present study was to examine the structure of effortful control. The second aim was to determine whether components of effortful control relate to conduct problems and hyperactivity. Effortful control was measured in 3‐year‐old children (N= 89) with an observational measure, the effortful control battery (ECB), and a parent report, the Children's Behaviour Questionnaire (CBQ). Principal component analysis showed that the ECB measures five components, assessing two higher‐order constructs, which can be labelled as Self‐Control and Attention/Motor Control. The five scales of the CBQ appeared to measure one construct – a more general measure of effortful control. The components and constructs of the ECB as well as the scales of the CBQ were differently related to conduct problems and hyperactivity. Conduct problems were most strongly predicted by observed Delay of Gratification and parent‐reported Inhibitory Control, whereas Hyperactivity was most strongly predicted by observed Delay of Gratification, and the higher‐order construct Attention/Motor Control, as well as parent‐reported Attentional Focusing and Inhibitory Control. It is important to keep in mind that effortful control is composed of heterogeneous components, all having their own unique values.
Using a Parent Survey to Advance Knowledge About the Nature and Consequences of Fragile X Syndrome
Authors: Bailey Donald B. , Raspa Melissa , Olmsted Murrey G.
Published: October 2010

Understanding the nature and consequences of intellectual and developmental disabilities is challenging, especially when the condition is rare, affected individuals are geographically dispersed, and/or resource constraints limit large-scale studies involving direct assessment. Surveys provide an alternative methodology for gathering information but must be carefully designed and interpreted in light of obvious limitations. In this paper we discuss the potential of surveys in understanding a disabling condition; delineate characteristics of successful survey research; describe a survey of families of individuals with fragile X syndrome; and synthesize major findings. The survey has provided new information about the nature and consequences of fragile X syndrome in a cost-effective fashion, suggesting that survey methodology has a useful place in creating new knowledge about intellectual and developmental disabilities.
Seizures in Fragile X Syndrome: Characteristics and Comorbid Diagnoses
Authors: Berry-Kravis Elizabeth , Raspa Melissa , Loggin-Hester Lisa , Bishop Ellen , Holiday David , Bailey Donald B.
Published: October 2010

A national survey of caregivers of individuals with fragile X syndrome addressed characteristics of epilepsy and co-occurring conditions. Of the 1,394 individuals (1,090 males and 304 females) with the full mutation, 14% of males and 6% of females reported seizures. Seizures were more often partial, began between ages 4 and 10 years, and were infrequent and easily treated. Similar characteristics and patterns were seen in medical chart review data from a large clinic cohort of patients with fragile X syndrome. National survey data showed that autism was significantly associated with seizures as a co-occurring condition. Although seizures in fragile X syndrome are typically not severe and easily treated with medications, they appear to be associated with developmental–behavioral comorbidity that impacts function.
Self-Injurious Behavior and Fragile X Syndrome: Findings From the National Fragile X Survey
Authors: Symons Frank J. , Byiers Breanne J. , Raspa Melissa , Bishop Ellen , Bailey Donald B.
Published: October 2010

We used National Fragile X Survey data in order to examine reported self-injurious behavior (SIB) to (a) generate lifetime and point prevalence estimates, (b) document detailed features of SIB (frequency, types, location, severity) in relation to gender, and (c) compare comorbid conditions between matched pairs (SIB vs. no SIB). Results indicate significant gender differences in frequency, topography, and location of SIB as well as sleep difficulties, comorbid conditions, pain sensitivity, and seizures. Matched pair comparisons (SIB vs. no SIB) revealed differences for males in sensory and attention problems, hyperactivity, aggression, autism, and anxiety and for females, in autism, attention, and anxiety. These results further clarify gender differences as well as comorbidity patterns between children with fragile X syndrome with and without SIB.
Adaptation and Psychometric Properties of the Spanish Version of the Supports Intensity Scale (SIS)
Authors: Verdugo Miguel-Angel , Arias Benito , Ibáñez Alba , Schalock Robert L.
Published: October 2010

The Supports Intensity Scale (SIS) is used to determine the profile and intensity of the supports needed by a person to participate successfully in major life activities. With its publication into 13 languages, a need has arisen to document its reliability and validity across language and cultural groups. Here we explain the adaptation and the validation process of the SIS on a Spanish sample of 885 people with intellectual disability. Results of the study are discussed in terms of the reliability and validity of the SIS on the Spanish sample and its efficacy for multiple uses in Spain.
Automated Extraction of DNA and RNA from a Single Formalin-Fixed Paraffin-Embedded Tissue Section for Analysis of Both Single-Nucleotide Polymorphisms and mRNA Expression
Authors: Hennig Guido , Gehrmann Mathias , Stropp Udo , Brauch Hiltrud , Fritz Peter , Eichelbaum Michel , Schwab Matthias , Schroth Werner
Published: October 2010

BACKGROUND

There is an increasing need for the identification of both DNA and RNA biomarkers from pathodiagnostic formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded (FFPE) tissue samples for the exploration of individualized therapy strategies in cancer. We investigated a fully automated, xylene-free nucleic acid extraction method for the simultaneous analysis of RNA and DNA biomarkers related to breast cancer.

METHODS

We copurified both RNA and DNA from a single 10-μm section of 210 paired samples of FFPE tumor and adjacent normal tissues (1–25 years of archival time) using a fully automated extraction method. Half of the eluate was DNase I digested for mRNA expression analysis performed by using reverse-transcription quantitative PCR for the genes estrogen receptor 1 (ESR1), progesterone receptor (PGR), v-erb-b2 erythroblastic leukemia viral oncogene homolog 2, neuro/glioblastoma derived oncogene homolog (avian) (ERBB2), epoxide hydrolase 1 (EPHX1), baculoviral IAP repeat-containing 5 (BIRC5), matrix metallopeptidase 7 (MMP7), vascular endothelial growth factor A (VEGFA), and topoisomerase (DNA) II alpha 170kDa (TOP2A). The remaining undigested aliquot was used for the analysis of 7 single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) by MALDI-TOF mass spectrometry.

RESULTS

In 208 of 210 samples (99.0%) the protocol yielded robust quantification-cycle values for both RNA and DNA normalization. Expression of the 8 breast cancer genes was detected in 81%–100% of tumor tissues and 21%–100% of normal tissues. The 7 SNPs were successfully genotyped in 91%–97% of tumor and 94%–97% of normal tissues. Allele concordance between tumor and normal tissue was 98.9%–99.5%.

CONCLUSIONS

This fully automated process allowed an efficient simultaneous extraction of both RNA and DNA from a single FFPE section and subsequent dual analysis of selected genes. High gene expression and genotyping detection rates demonstrate the feasibility of molecular profiling from limited archival patient samples.
The introduction of an ex ante evaluation for new media services: Is Europe asking for it, or does public service broadcasting need it?
Authors: Donders Karen , Pauwels Caroline
Published: October 2010

In a digital age, national legislators face difficulties in adapting the regulatory framework within which public broadcasters deliver services to the wider audience. Often, rules are still orientated towards the traditional delivery of radio and television programmes. The importance
of new media and innovation is mentioned, but not thoroughly dealt with. Policy-makers stick to the superficial adaptation of legislation and fail to fundamentally reconsider the case for public service broadcasting. This has created a legal vacuum, which is increasingly tackled by the European
Commission. The latter urges Member States to set standards for the expansion of public broadcasters into new media markets and has, in light thereof, proposed to introduce an ex ante test for the evaluation of the public value and market impact of new media services of public broadcasters.
The question that is at the core of this article is not necessarily whether an ex ante test restores competition, which is the intention of the Commission's state aid policy, but whether a test can add to the rethinking of broadcasting policies in a manner re-orientated to public service
media. The implementation of an ex ante test in Germany and Flanders is analysed. The analysis reveals that both the legislative and practical implementation of an ex ante test is a difficult exercise. Nevertheless, research results indicate that an ex ante test can be
a useful instrument to evaluate in a flexible and adaptive way whether certain services fit within the public service remit.
Neo-conned: The Murdoch press and the Iraq War
Authors: Hobbs Mitchell
Published: October 2010

This article explores the relationship between ideology and media representations. It seeks to (1) re-contextualize the 2003 invasion of Iraq by exposing the ideological impetus for the conflict; (2) highlight the role played by the Chief Executive Officer of News Corporation, Rupert Murdoch, in helping neoconservative mandarins gain influence over the political public sphere of the United States; and (3) determine whether the Iraq/weapons of mass destruction story, as reported in the Australian Murdoch press, was influenced by the ideological proclivities of the CEO of News Corporation. Drawing on an empirical case study, this article contends that Murdoch's influential broadsheet newspaper,The Australian, contained a pro-war/pro-neoconservative ideological bias during the sampled period.
Framing international conflicts:Media coverage of fighting in the Middle East
Authors: Evans Matt
Published: October 2010

Media framing of foreign conflicts determines the way in which the public and policy-makers perceive the causes, consequences and importance of those conflicts and where diplomatic and material resources are committed. Framing is manifested in, among other things, the amount of media
coverage of a particular conflict and the language used to describe the actors and events in that conflict. The type of framing employed determines whether the public will empathize with one of the sides involved or feel detached from events taking place far from them. This article builds
on earlier research on media framing through a study of two foreign conflicts that had a number of key similarities but were framed very differently. Framing is analysed through a comparison of New York Times coverage of army sieges of two Palestinian refugee camps: the first in the
town of Jenin in theWest Bank in 2002 and the second in Nahr al-Bared in Lebanon in 2007. The research examines the depth of coverage and the language used to portray the context of events, the two armies, combatants within the camps, civilian casualties, damage to property and the effectiveness
of the military operations. Analysis of differences in the reporting of these two conflicts expands on existing literature on media framing, discusses causes of inconsistent framing and elucidates the effect of framing on perceptions of reality in foreign conflict and the subsequent effect
on policy-making.
Thermal degradation of bending properties of structural wood and wood-based composites
Authors: Sinha Arijit , Gupta Rakesh , Nairn John A.
Published: October 2010

Wood and wood-based composites are being used extensi-vely in single-family residential dwellings. Therefore, it is important to categorize their response when exposed to elevated temperatures for a sustained period of time. In fire-resistant design for wood structures, the main goal is to ensure that enough structural integrity is maintained, during and after a fire, to prevent collapse and to maintain means of egress. Another goal is an ability to assess post-fire structural integrity and residual strength of an existing structure. The objectives of this study are: (a) to study the effect of temperature and exposure time on bending strength (MOR) and stiffness (MOE) of solid sawn lumber (SSL), laminated veneer lumber (LVL), oriented strand board (OSB) and plywood; and (b) to develop predictive relations between different temperatures and times of exposure and the thermal degradation of strength. A total of 1080 samples were tested in static bending under various heat treatments. The results indicated that exposure to elevated temperature caused significant degradation of bending strength and stiffness. A statistical regression-based model and a kinetics-based model were developed and evaluated for predicting the strength loss of wood and wood-based composites as a function of thermal exposure temperature and exposure time. The kinetics-based model fit the data better and predictions consistently matched the observed values, making the model preferred over the regression approach.
Die Europakonzeption von Faschismus und Nationalsozialismus (1939–1943)
Authors: Fioravanzo Monica
Published: October 2010

Die „Achse“ ist noch immer ein Rätsel. Wir wissen wenig darüber, was sie einte, und genauso wenig, was sie trennte. Monica Fioravanzo, eine in Padua lehrende Historikerin, nähert sich diesem Themenkomplex und untersucht die Pläne für ein Neues Europa, die nach 1939 dies- und jenseits der Alpen geschmiedet wurden. Dabei zeigt sich: Das faschistische Italien gab sich ähnlich hybriden Eroberungs- und Raumfantasien hin wie das Deutsche Reich, Mussolinis Regime beanspruchte sogar die geistige Führung eines monströsen eurasisch-afrikanischen Superkontinents – besann sich 1942/43 aber doch eines Besseren: „Europa der Nationen“ hieß nun die Losung, deren anti-deutsche Stoßrichtung nicht verborgen blieb.
Wie erfolgreich war die nationalsozialistische Presselenkung?
Authors: Dussel Konrad
Published: October 2010

Vorspann

Genau wusste es keiner, aber viele hatten eine Meinung dazu. Vor allem zahlreiche interessierte Journalisten redeten sich und anderen nach 1945 ein, dass es im Dritten Reich durchaus möglich gewesen sei, auf subtile Weise seine Meinung zu äußern – und dass sie das in ihren Zeitungen auch getan hätten. Der Historiker Konrad Dussel, seit langem auf diesem Feld profiliert, geht den Dingen auf den Grund: Er untersucht die Presseanweisungen des Regimes und deren Umsetzung in der journalistischen Alltagspraxis in einer ambitionierten Fallstudie. Das Ergebnis ist bestürzend: Die Anweisungen wurden eins zu eins umgesetzt, dissidente Stimmen gab es nicht.
Country Matters: Rural Fiction, Urban Modernity, and the Problem of American Regionalism
Authors: Storey Mark
Published: October 2010

Mark Storey, "Country Matters: Rural Fiction, Urban Modernity, and the Problem of American Regionalism" (pp. 192–213)

This essay intervenes in the critical debates surrounding nineteenth-century American regionalism, arguing that such debates have tended to ignore the possibility of a shared and trans-regional category of "rural fiction." Developing this notion, I suggest that literary representations of rural life in the late nineteenth century are a crucial and neglected way of understanding the geographically indiscrete transformations of urban-capitalist modernity. Further, by examining these transformations through the prism of rural fiction, we can challenge the urban-centric tendency of postbellum American literary history. Drawing on several writers who have been the focus of much of critics' attentions on regionalism (Edward Eggleston, Hamlin Garland, and Sarah orne Jewett in particular), this essay considers both the generic and thematic instabilities of rural fiction, arguing that these instabilities serve to encode and refract the social and cultural context from which this fiction emerges. Reading rural fiction against the background of the increasing similarities between geographically distinct areas of rural life, and reconsidering many of the works that we currently gather under the regionalist rubric as, instead, rural, a distinct perspective can be gained on the standardizing and flattening processes of modernity itself.
Overlapping Regulation of CenH3 Localization and Histone H3 Turnover by CAF-1 and HIR Proteins in Saccharomyces cerevisiae
Authors: Rosa Jessica Lopes da , Holik John , Green Erin M , Rando Oliver J , Kaufman Paul D
Published: October 2010

Accurate chromosome segregation is dependent on the centromere-specific histone H3 isoform known generally as CenH3, or as Cse4 in budding yeast. Cytological experiments have shown that Cse4 appears at extracentromeric loci in yeast cells deficient for both the CAF-1 and HIR histone H3/H4 deposition complexes, consistent with increased nondisjunction in these double mutant cells. Here, we examined molecular aspects of this Cse4 mislocalization. Genome-scale chromatin immunoprecipitation analyses demonstrated broader distribution of Cse4 outside of centromeres in cac1Δ  hir1Δ double mutant cells that lack both CAF-1 and HIR complexes than in either single mutant. However, cytological localization showed that the essential inner kinetochore component Mif2 (CENP-C) was not recruited to extracentromeric Cse4 in cac1Δ  hir1Δ double mutant cells. We also observed that rpb1-1 mutants displayed a modestly increased Cse4 half-life at nonpermissive temperatures, suggesting that turnover of Cse4 is partially dependent on Pol II transcription. We used genome-scale assays to demonstrate that the CAF-1 and HIR complexes independently stimulate replication-independent histone H3 turnover rates. We discuss ways in which altered histone exchange kinetics may affect eviction of Cse4 from noncentromeric loci.
Differential neonatal testosterone imprinting of GH-dependent liver proteins and genes in female mice
Authors: Ramirez María Cecilia , Luque Guillermina María , Ornstein Ana María , Becu-Villalobos Damasia
Published: October 2010

Abnormal exposure to steroid hormones within a critical developmental period elicits permanent alterations in female reproductive physiology in rodents, but the impact on the female GH axis and the underlying sexual differences in hepatic enzymes have not been described in detail. We have investigated the effect of neonatal androgenization of female mice (achieved by s.c. injection of 100 μg testosterone propionate (TP) on the day of birth: TP females) on the GHRH–somatostatin–GH axis and downstream GH targets, which included female and male predominant liver enzymes and secreted proteins. At 4 months of age, an organizational effect of neonatal testosterone was evidenced on hypothalamic Ghrh mRNA level but not on somatostatin (stt) mRNA level. Ghrh mRNA levels were higher in males than in females, but not in TP females. Increased expression in TP females correlated with increased pituitary GH content and somatotrope population, increased serum and liver IGF-I concentration, and ultimately higher body weight. Murine urinary proteins (MUPs) that were excreted at higher levels in male urine, and whose expression requires pulsatile occupancy of liver GH receptors, were not modified in TP females and neither was liver Mup 1/2/6/8 mRNA expression. Furthermore, a male predominant liver gene (Cyp2d9) was not masculinized in TP females either, whereas two female predominant genes (Cyp2b9 and Cyp2a4) were defeminized. These data support the hypothesis that neonatal steroid exposure contributes to the remodeling of the GH axis and defeminization of hepatic steroid-metabolizing enzymes, which may compromise liver physiology.
Evaluating the Outcomes of an Ementoring Program
Authors: Penny Chris , Bolton David
Published: October 2010

While the term mentor can mean different things to different people, a true mentoring relationship is “characterized by a richness of interdependence between two people” (O'Neill, Wagner, & Gomez, 1996, p. 42). In the last 20 years, mentoring has become more popular in education. The increased interest in mentoring has resulted in part from the development and increased popularity of e-mail and other forms of electronic communication. At Central University we have been conducting an e-mentoring program with the Philadelphia School District. This program pairs teacher candidates from an educational technology class with students from predominately African-American, inner-city elementary and middle schools. These teacher candidates were required to mentor these students while they were working on a school science project. The purpose of the study was to evaluate the effect of this e-mentoring program upon attitudes and potential behaviors of teacher candidates.
Modeling Thermal Decomposition Kinetic Algorithms on CL-20 and HMX
Authors: Lin Chun-Ping , Tseng Jo-Ming , You Mei-Li , Chu Yung-Chuan , Shu Chi-Min
Published: October 2010

This study established a kinetic model of the thermal decomposition properties of hexanitrohexaazaisowurtzitane (CL-20) and cyclotetramethylene tetranitramine (HMX) using differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and kinetic evaluation simulations. The goal was to analyze the thermokinetic parameters of CL-20 and HMX by DSC and then to compare thermal decomposition energy parameter simulations under various conditions using a kinetic model. The experimental results that were obtained depend strongly on the reliability of the applied kinetic model, which is essentially defined by the suitable selection of a mathematical model and the accuracy of the methods used in the kinetic evaluation. This study resulted in a quick and efficient procedure for obtaining information about the thermal decomposition characteristics and the reaction hazards of CL-20 and HMX. This procedure could be applied to develop inherently safer reaction designs under normal or extraordinary operating conditions.
Control of Reactive Distillation Column: A Review
Authors: Sharma Neha , Singh Kailash
Published: October 2010

The objective of this paper is to give a critical survey of the present status within the field of control of a reactive distillation column. Control of a reactive distillation column is a challenging task due to process nonlinearity and complex interactions between the vapor-liquid equilibrium and chemical reactions. There are different types of control methodologies, which have been studied in the reactive distillation, ranging from a simple proportional-integral (PI) controller to advanced model predictive controllers (MPC) such as dynamic matrix control (DMC), quadratic dynamic matrix control (QDMC), robust multivariable predictive control technology (RMPCT), generalized predictive control (GPC), and other advanced control techniques. With the goals of optimal performance, energy conservation and cost effectiveness of process operations in industries, the design of optimal controllers and controller performance assessment have received great attention in both industries and academia. The main objective of control is to maintain the product purity within the desired range.
Effects of AlCl3-NaCl Content on the Formation of Mesocarbon Microbeads
Authors: Cheng Youliang , Li Tiehu , Hou Xianliang , Jing Deqi , Zhuang Qiang , Zhao Tingkai
Published: October 2010

Mesocarbon microbeads (MCMB) have been synthesized from coal tar pitch with the molten salt mixture composed of AlCl3 and NaCl at 300°C for 1h. The effects of the molten salt on the synthesis of MCMB have been studied. The results indicate that the content of molten salt has an important effect on the formation of mesophase, and the polymerization basically reaches the equilibrium when the weight ratio of molten salt mixture to coal tar pitch is 1. The molten salt can promote the formation of mesophase at low temperature, and the pyrolytic products show the optical anisotropy. Microcrystalline structure of extracted product gets more regular and the yield increases with the molten salt content increasing, but microcrystalline structure at the ratio of 1 gets disordered. When the ratio is over 2, the yield is high, and the obtained MCMB show a smooth surface, small dimension and lamellar structures whose building units are molecular layers.
Comment on Nordhaus: Carbon Tax Calculations
Authors: Bauman Yoram
Published: October 2010

William Nordhaus confuses the impact of a tax on carbon and a tax on carbon dioxide, according to Yoram Bauman.
FTO Is Increased in Muscle During Type 2 Diabetes, and Its Overexpression in Myotubes Alters Insulin Signaling, Enhances Lipogenesis and ROS Production, and Induces Mitochondrial Dysfunction
Authors: Bravard Amélie , Lefai Etienne , Meugnier Emmanuelle , Pesenti Sandra , Disse Emmanuel , Vouillarmet Julien , Peretti Nöel , Rabasa-Lhoret Rémi , Laville Martine , Vidal Hubert , Rieusset Jennifer
Published: October 2010

OBJECTIVE

A strong association between genetic variants and obesity was found for the fat mass and obesity-associated gene (FTO). However, few details are known concerning the expression and function of FTO in skeletal muscle of patients with metabolic diseases.

RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS

We investigated basal FTO expression in skeletal muscle from obese nondiabetic subjects and type 1 and type 2 diabetic patients, compared with age-matched control subjects, and its regulation in vivo by insulin, glucose, or rosiglitazone. The function of FTO was further studied in myotubes by overexpression experiments.

RESULTS

We found a significant increase of FTO mRNA and protein levels in muscle from type 2 diabetic patients, whereas its expression was unchanged in obese or type 1 diabetic patients. Moreover, insulin or glucose infusion during specific clamps did not regulate FTO expression in skeletal muscle from control or type 2 diabetic patients. Interestingly, rosiglitazone treatment improved insulin sensitivity and reduced FTO expression in muscle from type 2 diabetic patients. In myotubes, adenoviral FTO overexpression increased basal protein kinase B phosphorylation, enhanced lipogenesis and oxidative stress, and reduced mitochondrial oxidative function, a cluster of metabolic defects associated with type 2 diabetes.

CONCLUSIONS

This study demonstrates increased FTO expression in skeletal muscle from type 2 diabetic patients, which can be normalized by thiazolidinedione treatment. Furthermore, in vitro data support a potential implication of FTO in oxidative metabolism, lipogenesis and oxidative stress in muscle, suggesting that it could be involved in the muscle defects that characterize type 2 diabetes.
Gaucher Disease with Prenatal Onset and Perinatal Death Due to Compound Heterozygosity for the Missense R131C and Null RecNciI GBA Mutations
Authors: Goebl April , Ferrier Raechel A. , Ferreira Patrick , Pinto-Rojas Alfredo , Matshes Evan , Choy Francis Y.M.
Published: October 2010

Gaucher disease is an autosomal recessive disorder resulting from deficient activity of the lysosomal enzyme glucocerebrosidase (GBA, E.C.3.2.1.45). Three clinical forms of Gaucher disease have been described: type 1, nonneuronopathic; type 2, acute neuronopathic; and type 3, subacute neuronopathic (OMIM 230800, 230900, 231000). Over the past decade, recognition of a distinct, perinatal lethal form of Gaucher disease (PLGD) has led researchers and clinicians to evaluate Gaucher disease in the differential diagnosis of congenital ichthyosis and nonimmune hydrops fetalis. To date, more than 30 cases of PLGD have been genotyped and reported. It has been observed that homozygosity for recombinant GBA alleles, which are fundamentally null alleles, leads to early lethality, usually in utero or during the 1st few days of life, whereas genotypes involving a recombinant allele and a missense mutation may be less detrimental. Here, we report a case of Gaucher disease with prenatal onset and death within hours of birth, likely due to compound heterozygosity for the GBA Rec NciI null allele and a R131C missense mutation. In view of the patient's severe clinical course, and based on reviews of other PLGD cases, we postulate that a missense mutation that abruptly disrupts the structure/function of GBA, in combination with a null allele, may result in early lethality in patients with PLGD. We also speculate that R131C is an extremely severe mutation that has occurred more than once in different populations and, in either the homozygous form or heterozygous with another severe mutation, will result in a poor prognosis.
A family of $$
2^{\aleph _1 }
$$ logarithmic functions of distinct growth rates
Authors: Kuhlmann Salma
Published: October 2010

We construct a totally ordered set Γ of positive infinite germs (i.e. germs of positive real-valued functions that tend to +∞), with order type being the lexicographic product ℵ1 × ℤ2. We show that Γ admits $$
2^{\aleph _1 }
$$ order preserving automorphisms of pairwise distinct growth rates.
Sensitizing of Sm3+ fluorescence by silver dopant in the TiO2 films
Authors: Dolgov Leonid , Kiisk Valter , Reedo Valter , Pikker Siim , Sildos Ilmo , Kikas Jaak
Published: October 2010

Composite material based on a TiO2 matrix doped with Sm3+ ions and co-doped with silver was investigated. Samarium ions together with nano- and micro-aggregates of silver were incorporated into the titanium alkoxide during the sol-gel process. Samarium ions were excited either directly (λ
exc = 488 nm) or through the TiO2 host (λ
exc = 355 nm). It was revealed that samarium fluorescence (λ
exc = 488 nm) in gelled TiO2 films is enhanced by up to 20 times in the vicinity of silver inclusions. Sensitizing and plasmonic mechanisms of enhancement in Sm3+ fluorescence are discussed.
Acute renal failure after licorice ingestion: A case report
Authors: Velickovic-Radovanovic Radmila , Mitic Branka , Kitic Dusanka , Kostic Svetislav , Cvetkovic Tatjana , Djordjevic Vidojko
Published: October 2010

A 39-year-old female presented to the nephrology clinic emergency department with a complaint of muscle weakness and stomach pain. A detailed personal history revealed ingestion of 50–100 g herbal products which contained licorice, every day for 8 weeks to treat sterility. The herbal product was studied and determined to contain ‘licorice’ containing glycyrrhizic acid. Licorice (a plant which contains glycyrrhizic acid) induced hypokalemia which usually has a mild progression. However, it may cause critical failure in physical action by means of weakness followed by paralysis and may cause rhabdomyolysis, acute renal failure and hyperaldosteronism. This report presents the first case with acute renal failure due to licorice consumption from Serbia. In addition, the report aims to emphasize the importance of obtaining the detailed personal history of a patient for precise diagnosis.
Effectiveness of nitric oxide ozonation
Authors: Skalska Kinga , Miller Jacek , Ledakowicz Stanisław
Published: October 2010

Attempts to develop new technologies of NOx (NO + NO2) emission reduction are still carried out all around the world. One of the relatively new approaches is the application of ozone injection into the exhaust gas stream followed by the absorption process. Ozone is used to transform NOx to higher nitrogen oxides which yield nitric acid with better effectiveness. The main objective of this paper was to study the influence of mole ratio (MR) O3/NO used in the ozonation process of NOx on the effectiveness of NOx oxidation to higher oxides. The ozonation process was carried out in a flow reactor for concentrations of nitric oxide in the range of 1.5 × 10−5−7.7 × 10−5 mol dm−3 and varying O3/NO mole ratios. Measurements were conducted with the use of a FTIR spectrometer. The results obtained prove that for MR higher than 1, the oxidation effectiveness of nitric oxides generally reaches 95 %, whereas for MR higher than 2, oxidation of NOx to higher nitrogen oxides is completed.
Early late Visean ammonoid faunas from the Jadar Block (NW Serbia)
Authors: Korn Dieter , Jovanović Divna , Novak Matevž , Sudar Milan
Published: October 2010

Early late Visean ammonoid faunas from the Jadar Block (NW Serbia)

The outcrop at Milivojevića Kamenjar in Družetić (Jadar Block, Vardar Zone, NW Serbia), which exposes a fossiliferous limestone olistolith, is one of the key sites for Carboniferous stratigraphy and paleogeography in the Balkan Peninsula. Its age has been debated several times, and re-examination of the succession was required. Based on ammonoids and conodonts, an interval spanning from the latest Devonian to the basal Serpukhovian is represented. From the early late Visean portion of the section, the new ammonoid genus and speciesUbites filipovicigen. nov. et sp. nov. is described.Entogonites tetragonus(Kullmann, 1962), a formerly misinterpreted ammonoid species, is revised.
Nannofossil biostratigraphy of the Lower Cretaceous Shadui Formation (Northern Tethyan Himalayas, Southern Tibet)
Authors: Švábenická Lilian , Li Xianghui , Jansa Lubomír , Wei Yushuai
Published: October 2010

Nannofossil biostratigraphy of the Lower Cretaceous Shadui Formation (Northern Tethyan Himalayas, Southern Tibet)

Calcareous nannofossils of Aptian-Albian age were found in the basal part of the Shadui Formation, Northern Tethyan Himalayas, Southern Tibet. The predominantly shale strata are exposed near the northeastern tip of Yamdrock Tso Lake at the locality of Bangbu and they were previously considered to be of Late Cretaceous age. Occurrence of the nannofossil speciesPrediscosphaera columnataandCribrosphaerella ehrenbergiiindicates the Upper Aptian-Lower Albian Zone BC23. Nannofossil species of Late Albian, Cenomanian or younger Cretaceous age were not present in the studied part of the Shadui Formation. Nannofossils are badly preserved and hardly identifiable probably as a result of strong post mortem etching and dissolution during burial. The depositional setting of the Shadui Formation is interpreted as hemipelagic to pelagic. A horizon of dark shale in the lower part of the Shadui Formation may be stratigraphically correlated with ocean anoxic event OAE1b. The discovery of calcareous nannofossils at the Bangbu locality increases the stratigraphic precision in the correlation of Cretaceous strata between hemipelagic-pelagic facies and shelf depositional areas in the Tibetan Tethyan Himalayas.
Paleoenvironmental changes across the Eocene-Oligocene boundary: insights from the Central-Carpathian Paleogene Basin
Authors: Soták Ján
Published: October 2010

Paleoenvironmental changes across the Eocene-Oligocene boundary: insights from the Central-Carpathian Paleogene Basin

The sedimentary sequence of the Central-Carpathian Paleogene Basin provides proxy records of climatic changes related to cooling events at the Eocene/Oligocene boundary (TEE). In this basin, climatic deterioration is inferred from the demise of the carbonate platform and oligotrophic benthic biota in the SBZ19 and from the last species of warm-water planktonic foraminifers in the E14 Zone. Upper Eocene formations already indicate warm-temperate to cool-temperate productivity and nutrient-enriched conditions (Bryozoan Marls, Globigerina Marls). Rapid cooling during the earliest Oligocene (Oi-1 event) led to a temperature drop (~11 °C), humidity, fresh water influx and continental runoff, water mass stratification, bottom water anoxia, eutrofication, estuarine circulation and upwelling, carbonate depletion, sapropelitic and biosiliceous deposition, H2S intoxication and mass faunal mortality, and also other characteristics of Black Sea-type basins. Tectonoeustatic events with the interference of TA 4.4 sea-level fall and the Pyrenean phase caused basin isolation at the beginning of the Paratethys. The Early Oligocene stage of Paratethyan isolation is indicated by a stagnant regime, low tide influence, endemic fauna development, widespread anoxia and precipitation of manganese deposits. The episodic rise in the sea-level, less humid conditions and renewed circulation is marked by calcareous productivity, nannoplankton blooms and the appearance of planktic pteropods and re-oxygenation. Paleogeographic differentiation of the Carpatho-Pannonian Paleogene basins resulted from plate-tectonic reorganization during the Alpine orogenesis.
Magnetic field of the Western Carpathians (Slovakia): reflections on the structure of the crust
Authors: Kubeš Peter , Bezák Vladimír , Kucharič Ľudovít , Filo Miroslav , Vozár Jozef , Konečný Vlastimil , Kohút Milan , Gluch Augustín
Published: October 2010

Magnetic field of the Western Carpathians (Slovakia): reflections on the structure of the crust

A new digital magnetic map of Slovakia on the scale of 1: 200,000 and 1: 500,000 was compiled at the end of 2008 as the output of database magnetic objects from the whole territory of Slovakia at a scale of 1: 50,000. The variable geological structure of the West Carpathian crust is depicted in the equally variable magnetic field of this region. A sizable number of magnetic anomalies with manifold character have been recognized. The basic anomalies distribution was divided into two groups: anomalies connected with rocks of the pre-Neogene basement and anomalies which originate in Neogene and Quaternary volcanic products. Most of the significant anomalies in the pre-Neogene basement were interpreted, modelled and consequently its geological and tectonic classification was worked out. On the basis of the anomalous field features, the following sources of anomalies have been distinguished: a) known, located on the surface, or at shallow depths verified by boreholes, mainly expressed by simple morphology, b) deep-seated and expressed by complicated morphology, reinterpreted or newly interpreted and also problematic. According to our present knowledge the interpretations are insufficient and remain open for further investigation. The above mentioned sources of magnetic anomalies are classified in terms of tectonic provenience to the main tectonic units.
FDG PET/CT for therapeutic response monitoring in multi-site non-respiratory tuberculosis
Authors: Tian Geng , Xiao Yong , Chen Bin , Xia Jun , Guan Hong , Deng Qunyi
Published: October 2010

Background: Tuberculosis (TB) can produce positive signals during 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission/computed tomography (FDG PET/CT) scanning. Until now, there has been no better method than clinical assessment to evaluate the therapeutic response of non-respiratory TB (NRTB).

Purpose: To retrospectively assess the ability of FDG PET/CT to evaluate the response to anti-TB treatment in patients with NRTB.

Material and Methods: Three patients with multi-site NRTB underwent repeat PET/CT scans during anti-TB treatment. Changes in maximal standard uptake value (SUVmax) of the TB lesions on PET/CT images were analyzed between two scans. Initial PET/CT scans were performed before the start of anti-TB treatment, and later scans were performed after completion of the treatment.

Results: Patient 1, a 63-year-old female, and patient 2, a 50-year-old male, were diagnosed as multi-site NRTB by biopsy. Patient 3, a 37-year-old male was diagnosed clinically. These patients demonstrated multiple FDG-avid lesions in whole body on initial PET/CT images. The highest SUVmax of patient 1, 2, and 3 were 13.6, 17.7, and 13.9 separately. After completion of the treatment, all positive signals of patient 1, 2, and 3 decreased to undetectable value on repeated PET/CT scans with intervals of 318 days, 258 days, and 182 days separately.

Conclusion: FDG PET/CT scan may be useful for monitoring responses to anti-TB treatment in patients with NRTB.
Screen-film mammography versus full-field digital mammography in a population-based screening program: The Sogn and Fjordane study
Authors: Juel Inger-Marie , Skaane Per , Hoff Solveig Roth , Johannessen Gunnar , Hofvind Solveig
Published: October 2010

Background: Studies comparing analog and digital mammography in breast cancer screening have shown conflicting results. Little is known about the use of digital photon-counting detectors.

Purpose: To retrospectively compare performance indicators in screen-film (SFM) and full-field digital mammography (FFDM) using a photon-counting detector in a population-based screening program.

Material and Methods: The Norwegian Social Science Data Services approved the study, which was part of the Norwegian Breast Cancer Screening Program. The program invites women aged 50–69 years to two-view mammography biannually. The study period was January 2005 to June 2006 for SFM and August 2006 to December 2007 for FFDM. Independent double reading was performed using a five-point rating scale for probability of cancer. Recalls due to abnormal mammography were retrospectively reviewed by an expert panel. Performance indicators for the two techniques were compared. Attendance rate was 83.6% (7442/8901) for SFM and 82.0% (6932/8451) for FFDM.

Results: The recall rate due to abnormal mammography, cancer detection rate and positive predictive value did not differ significantly between SFM and FFDM: recall 2.3% (174/7442) versus 2.4% (168/6932), cancer detection 0.39% (29/7442) versus 0.48% (33/6932), positive predictive value 16.7% (29/174) versus 19.6% (33/168), respectively ( P>0.05 for all). The recall rate due to technically inadequate mammograms was 0.3% (19/7442) for SFM and 0.01% (1/6932) for FFDM. In the retrospective review, a significantly higher proportion of calcifications and asymmetric density were categorized as normal or definitively benign in FFDM compared with SFM. The average glandular dose was 2.17 mGy for SFM and 1.25 mGy for FFDM.

Conclusion: Performance indicators show that FFDM using photon-counting detector is suitable for breast cancer screening. The lower radiation dose and lower recalls due to technically inadequate mammograms are of importance in mammography screening.