bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Walking the interactome to identify human miRNA-disease associations through the functional link between miRNA targets and disease genes
Authors: Shi Hongbo , Xu Juan , Zhang Guangde , Xu Liangde , Li Chunquan , Wang Li , Zhao Zheng , Jiang Wei , Guo Zheng , Li Xia
Published: October 2013

Background

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are important post-transcriptional regulators that have been demonstrated to play an important role in human diseases. Elucidating the associations between miRNAs and diseases at the systematic level will deepen our understanding of the molecular mechanisms of diseases. However, miRNA-disease associations identified by previous computational methods are far from completeness and more effort is needed.

Results

We developed a computational framework to identify miRNA-disease associations by performing random walk analysis, and focused on the functional link between miRNA targets and disease genes in protein-protein interaction (PPI) networks. Furthermore, a bipartite miRNA-disease network was constructed, from which several miRNA-disease co-regulated modules were identified by hierarchical clustering analysis. Our approach achieved satisfactory performance in identifying known cancer-related miRNAs for nine human cancers with an area under the ROC curve (AUC) ranging from 71.3% to 91.3%. By systematically analyzing the global properties of the miRNA-disease network, we found that only a small number of miRNAs regulated genes involved in various diseases, genes associated with neurological diseases were preferentially regulated by miRNAs and some immunological diseases were associated with several specific miRNAs. We also observed that most diseases in the same co-regulated module tended to belong to the same disease category, indicating that these diseases might share similar miRNA regulatory mechanisms.

Conclusions

In this study, we present a computational framework to identify miRNA-disease associations, and further construct a bipartite miRNA-disease network for systematically analyzing the global properties of miRNA regulation of disease genes. Our findings provide a broad perspective on the relationships between miRNAs and diseases and could potentially aid future research efforts concerning miRNA involvement in disease pathogenesis.
Structural and functional alterations in photosynthetic apparatus of plants under cadmium stress
Authors: Parmar Pooja , Kumari Nilima , Sharma Vinay
Published: October 2013

Cadmium is a potentially toxic heavy metal that hampers plant productivity by interfering with their photochemistry. Cd causes disturbances in a range of physiological processes of plants such as photosynthesis, water relations, ion metabolism and mineral uptake. Cd pronouncedly affects photosynthesis by alteration of its vital machinery in all aspects. Photosynthesis is a well organised and sequential process fundamental to all green plants and microorganisms which involves various components, including photosynthetic pigments and photosystems, the electron transport system and CO2 reduction pathways. Any damage at any level caused by Cd, critically affects overall photosynthetic capacity. Present review focuses on key effects of Cd on photosynthetic apparatus including chloroplast structure, photosynthetic pigments, Chl-protein complexes and photosystems resulting in overall decrease in efficiency of carbon assimilation pathway.
Environmental assessment of residues generated after consecutive acid-base pretreatment of sugarcane bagasse by advanced oxidative process
Authors: Oliveira Ivy dos Santos , Chandel Anuj K , Silva Messias Borges , da Silva Silvio Silvério
Published: October 2013

Background

Biofuels produced from sugarcane bagasse (SB) have shown promising results as a suitable alternative of gasoline. Biofuels provide unique, strategic, environmental and socio-economic benefits. However, production of biofuels from SB has negative impact on environment due to the use of harsh chemicals during pretreatment. Consecutive sulfuric acid-sodium hydroxide pretreatment of SB is an effective process which eventually ameliorates the accessibility of cellulase towards cellulose for the sugars production. Alkaline hydrolysate of SB is black liquor containing high amount of dissolved lignin.

Results

This work evaluates the environmental impact of residues generated during the consecutive acid-base pretreatment of SB. Advanced oxidative process (AOP) was used based on photo-Fenton reaction mechanism (Fenton Reagent/UV). Experiments were performed in batch mode following factorial design L9 (Taguchi orthogonal array design of experiments), considering the three operation variables: temperature (°C), pH, Fenton Reagent (Fe2+/H2O2) + ultraviolet. Reduction of total phenolics (TP) and total organic carbon (TOC) were responsive variables. Among the tested conditions, experiment 7 (temperature, 35°C; pH, 2.5; Fenton reagent, 144 ml H2O2+153 ml Fe2+; UV, 16W) revealed the maximum reduction in TP (98.65%) and TOC (95.73%). Parameters such as chemical oxygen demand (COD), biochemical oxygen demand (BOD), BOD/COD ratio, color intensity and turbidity also showed a significant change in AOP mediated lignin solution than the native alkaline hydrolysate.

Conclusion

AOP based on Fenton Reagent/UV reaction mechanism showed efficient removal of TP and TOC from sugarcane bagasse alkaline hydrolysate (lignin solution). To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report on statistical optimization of the removal of TP and TOC from sugarcane bagasse alkaline hydrolysate employing Fenton reagent mediated AOP process.
Moveout approximations for P- and SV-waves in dip-constrained transversely isotropic media
Authors: Farra Véronique , Pšenčík Ivan
Published: October 2013

We generalize the P- and SV-wave moveout formulas obtained for transversely isotropic media with vertical axes of symmetry (VTI), based on the weak-anisotropy approximation. We generalize them for 3D dip-constrained transversely isotropic (DTI) media. A DTI medium is a transversely isotropic medium whose axis of symmetry is perpendicular to a dipping reflector. The formulas are derived in the plane defined by the source-receiver line and the normal to the reflector. In this configuration, they can be easily obtained from the corresponding VTI formulas. It is only necessary to replace the expression for the normalized offset by the expression containing the apparent dip angle. The final results apply to general 3D situations, in which the plane reflector may have arbitrary orientation, and the source and the receiver may be situated arbitrarily in the DTI medium. The accuracy of the proposed formulas is tested on models with varying dip of the reflector, and for several orientations of the horizontal source-receiver line with respect to the dipping reflector.
Emerging Paradigms in the Development of Resistance to Tyrosine Kinase Inhibitors in Lung Cancer
Authors: Gainor Justin F. , Shaw Alice T.
Published: October 2013

The success of tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) in select patients with non–small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) has transformed management of the disease, placing new emphasis on understanding the molecular characteristics of tumor specimens. It is now recognized that genetic alterations in the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) and anaplastic lymphoma kinase (ALK) define two unique subtypes of NSCLC that are highly responsive to genotype-directed TKIs. Despite this initial sensitivity, however, the long-term effectiveness of such therapies is universally limited by the development of resistance. Identifying the mechanisms underlying this resistance is an area of intense, ongoing investigation. In this review, we provide an overview of recent experience in the field, focusing on results from preclinical resistance models and studies of patient-derived, TKI-resistant tumor specimens. Although diverse TKI resistance mechanisms have been identified within EGFR-mutant and ALK-positive patients, we highlight common principles of resistance shared between these groups. These include the development of secondary mutations in the kinase target, gene amplification of the primary oncogene, and upregulation of bypass signaling tracts. In EGFR-mutant and ALK-positive patients alike, acquired resistance may also be a dynamic and multifactorial process that may necessitate the use of treatment combinations. We believe that insights into the mechanisms of TKI resistance in patients with EGFR mutations or ALK rearrangements may inform the development of novel treatment strategies in NSCLC, which may also be generalizable to other kinase-driven malignancies.
“Un Nouveau ’93”: Discourses of Mimicry and Terror in the Paris Commune of 1871
Authors: Chang Dominica
Published: October 2013

This article examines the delegitimizing effects of the discourse of terrorist revolutionary mimicry during the 1871 Paris Commune. During the conflict, spirits of the 1793 Terror were repeatedly invoked for inspiration. Yet while the rhetoric of enacting “un nouveau ’93” (a new ’93) was common in the public political sphere, dissenting voices challenged the paradigm of historical repetition and warned of the political dangers of appearing slavishly tied to an outdated and repressive revolutionary model. The situation culminated in the proposal of a new Committee of Public Safety, causing a divisive ideological debate focused on the creation and appellation of an executive body with the power to “make heads roll.” The question of revolutionary mimicry, especially when linked to images of the Terror, shaped not only how nineteenth-century French revolutions were represented and judged but also how they were performed.

Dans cet article, j’examine les effets dé-légitimisateurs du discours du mimétisme révolutionnaire-terroriste pendant la Commune de Paris de 1871, conflit pendant lequel les esprits de la Terreur ont souvent été invoqués comme source d’inspiration. Bien que la rhétorique d’un « nouveau ’93 » fût d’un usage courant dans la sphère publique, des voix dissidentes sont finalement apparues pour contester le paradigme de l’imitation historique et pour signaler les dangers politiques inhérents au mimétisme irréfléchi des modèles répressifs et dépassés. Cette situation est arrivée à un point critique avec le débat sur la proposition et l’appellation d’un nouveau Comité de salut public, ayant le pouvoir exécutif de « faire tomber les têtes des traîtres ». Je soutiens, alors, que le discours du mimétisme révolutionnaire, surtout quand il était lié aux images de la Terreur de 1793, a influencé non seulement la façon dont les révolutions du dix-neuvième siècle en France ont été représentées et jugées, mais surtout comment elles ont été exécutées.
The cell end marker TeaA and the microtubule polymerase AlpA contribute to microtubule guidance at the hyphal tip cortex of Aspergillus nidulans for polarity maintenance
Authors: Takeshita Norio , Mania Daniel , Herrero de Vega Saturnino , Ishitsuka Yuji , Nienhaus G. Ulrich , Podolski Marija , Howard Jonathon , Fischer Reinhard
Published: October 2013

In the absence of landmark proteins, hyphae of Aspergillus nidulans lose their direction of growth and show a zigzag growth pattern. Here, we show that the cell end marker protein TeaA is important for localizing the growth machinery at hyphal tips. The central position of TeaA at the tip correlated with the convergence of the microtubule (MT) ends to a single point. Conversely, in the absence of TeaA, the MTs often failed to converge to a single point at the cortex. Further analysis suggested a functional connection between TeaA and AlpA (MT polymerase XMAP215 orthologue) for proper regulation of MT growth at hyphal tips. AlpA localized at MT plus ends, and bimolecular fluorescence complementation assays suggested that it interacted with TeaA after MT plus ends reached the tip cortex. In vitro MT polymerization assays showed that AlpA promoted MT growth up to seven-fold. Addition of the C-terminal region of TeaA increased the catastrophe frequency of the MTs. Thus, the control of the AlpA activity through TeaA may be a novel principle for MT growth regulation after reaching the cortex. In addition, we present evidence that the curvature of hyphal tips also could be involved in the control of MT growth at hyphal tips.
Tubulin-binding cofactor C domain-containing protein TBCCD1 orchestrates cytoskeletal filament formation
Authors: André Jane , Harrison Stephanie , Towers Katie , Qi Xin , Vaughan Sue , McKean Paul G. , Ginger Michael L.
Published: October 2013

TBCCD1 is an enigmatic member of the tubulin-binding cofactor C (TBCC) family of proteins required for mother-daughter centriole linkage in the green alga Chlamydomonas reinhardtii and nucleus-centrosome-Golgi linkage in mammalian cells. Loss of these linkages has severe morphogenetic consequences, but the mechanism(s) through which TBCCD1 contributes to cell organisation is unknown. In the African sleeping sickness parasite Trypanosoma brucei a microtubule-dominant cytoskeleton dictates cell shape, influencing strongly the positioning and inheritance patterns of key intracellular organelles. Here we show the trypanosome orthologue of TBCCD1 is found at multiple locations: centrioles, the centriole-associated Golgi ‘bi-lobe’, and the anterior end of the cell body. Loss of TbTBCCD1 results in disorganisation of the structurally complex ‘bi-lobe’ architecture and loss of centriole linkage to the parasite's single unit-copy mitochondrial genome (or kinetoplast). We therefore identify TBCCD1 as an essential protein associated with at least two filament-based structures in the trypanosome cytoskeleton. The last common ancestor of trypanosomes, animals and green algae was arguably the last common ancestor of all eukaryotes. Based on our observations, and interpretation of published data, we argue for unexpected co-option of the TBCC domain for an essential, non-tubulin related function, at an early point during evolution of the eukaryotic cytoskeleton.
Dispositioned intimacy
Authors: Grant Stuart
Published: October 2013

This article addresses fundamental issues raised by a site-specific performance research project conducted by two dancers on rush hour trains and station platforms. Emerging from this moving, fleeting environment, characterized by a placiality and temporality of passingness, this project highlights questions of relationships between intimacy, time, place and movement. These questions are addressed using Martin Buber’s philosophy of the primacy of the I–You relation and Edward S. Casey’s schema of the co-constitution of place and self through the body. Although the rush hour train is a very specific and limited environment, the precariousness of its inhabitation serves to reveal something of the basic processes by which emplacement and intimacy take hold. Site-based performance generally explores place in its endurance and rootedness. These performances in trains reveal place in its slow tenuousness rather than in its apparent obduracy.
Dancing with myself, oh oh oh
Authors: Ellis Simon
Published: October 2013

This writing is an attempt to draw together a number of diverse ideas about information, curation, friendship and identity, and to consider these in relation to experiences of dancing on and around screens. Much of the writing might be thought of as playfully experimental, and in it I reflect on what it is like to be a choreographer in this rapidly changing time, and how technology might be valued, abandoned, questioned and even used as a tool for listening. As a choreographic artist working amongst the eclecticism and noise of contemporary dance influences and practices, I propose that acts and experiences of solitude and silence might help us make sense of the complex choreography of our social and artistic lives.
Because we have to: Digitalization of terrestrial television in South East Europe
Authors: Milosavljević Marko , Micova Sally Broughton
Published: October 2013

This article looks at the roll-out of digital terrestrial television in South East Europe. It argues that these states have few industrial interests driving digital switchover because of their size and the state of their media markets. It examines the strategies for and progress towards meeting the June 2015 deadline in the successor states of the former Yugoslavia. It finds them characterized by the push nature of the policy as heavy state and even EU intervention is needed to compensate for the lack of market drivers for digitalization.
How we survived digital television broadcasting switchover: The case of Croatia
Authors: Andrijašević Ivana , Car Viktorija
Published: October 2013

It is not only political decisions or imperatives of industry that have pushed television into transition. Often, it was and still is technology that unavoidably induces television to change. The last challenge was the transition from analogue to digital broadcasting. Regardless of the fact matter that Croatia was not an EU member state, its process of digital television switchover followed the EU deadline. As a result of well-designed and implemented public policy, on 5 October 2010 Croatia was the first country in this part of Europe to successfully switch to digital television broadcasting at the national level. This article provides an overview of the key activities undertaken during the implementation process of DTV in Croatia and underlines the role of the government.
La extrema-derecha en Facebook. España 2000 y Democracia Nacional durante la campaña electoral de 2011
Authors: Sánchez Duarte José Manuel , Rodríguez Esperanza Soledad
Published: October 2013

El siguiente artículo se centra en analizar el uso que dos de los principales partidos de extrema derecha en España (España 2000 y Democracia Nacional) realizan de Facebook. Para ello se analizarán sus perfiles durante la campaña de las elecciones generales de 2011. En la actualidad, las redes sociales forman parte de nuestra forma de comunicarnos e informarnos. Las herramientas digitales rompen el esquema vertical de la comunicación para dar paso a la horizontalidad de un proceso, donde el emisor puede ser al mismo tiempo emisor y receptor. Trasladado al terreno de la comunicación política este cambio puede favorecer la interacción y, por tanto, el diálogo y el debate entre gobernantes y gobernados sin la mediación habitual de los medios de comunicación. La importancia del estudio reside en analizar el uso de Facebook por parte de estos dos partidos en un periodo de máxima actividad y relevancia política como unas elecciones generales y en un contexto de inestabilidad y crisis.
Las mujeres en la ficción televisiva española de prime time (I Informe del Observatorio Audiovisual de Identidades de la Universidad Internacional de La Rioja)
Authors: Hidalgo-Marí Tatiana
Published: October 2013

El I Informe del Observatorio Audiovisual de Identidades de la Universidad Internacional de La Rioja se caracteriza por tratarse de un libro que recoge los resultados de investigación de un estudio centrado en la representación de las mujeres en la series televisivas emitidas en prime time en España.
Prensa y "Big Data": El desafío de la acumulación y análisis de datos
Authors: Colle Raymond
Published: October 2013

Los “Big Data” o acumulación masiva de datos son un importante tema del momento para empresas presentes en internet. Se presentan aquí las dos vertientes de los Big Data que los medios de comunicación digitales están o deberían acumular y analizar para adecuarse a la nueva realidad de la información en línea por múltiples canales: las bases de datos de información noticiosa y sus múltiples fuentes por una parte, y la necesaria información sobre los destinatarios y su conducta por otra parte, principalmente para adaptarse a la lectura en móviles. Se señalan las principales dificultades y la forma de enfrentarlas.
Schizosaccharomyces japonicus Yeast Poised to Become a Favorite Experimental Organism for Eukaryotic Research
Authors: Klar Amar J S
Published: October 2013

Both budding yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae and fission yeast Schizosaccahromyces pombe have been very popular organisms used for biological research with eukaryotes for many decades. Judging from the fission yeast Schizosaccharomyces japonicus DNA sequence determined 2 years ago, this species is evolutionarily very much unrelated to the commonly used yeasts for research. Indicating evolutionary divergence, the S. japonicus makes 8-spored asci and mitosis occurs with a partial breakdown of nuclear membrane whereas the other yeasts make 4-spored asci and cells divide without nuclear breakdown. The commonly used yeast species exhibit a generation time between 1.5 and 2.0 hr, and their genetic cross takes a period of more than 7 working d. As described here, a generation time of only 63 min and meiotic analysis completed in just 2.5 d, the S. japonicus fission yeast is predicted to become a choice organism for future research on the biology of eukaryotes.
Prenatal Exposure to Air Pollution, Maternal Psychological Distress, and Child Behavior
Authors: Perera Frederica P. , Wang Shuang , Rauh Virginia , Zhou Hui , Stigter Laura , Camann David , Jedrychowski Wieslaw , Mroz Elzbieta , Majewska Renata
Published: October 2013

BACKGROUND:

Airborne polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are pollutants generated by combustion of fossil fuel and other organic material. Both prenatal PAH exposure and maternal psychological distress during pregnancy have each been associated with neurodevelopmental problems in children. The goal was to evaluate potential interactions between prenatal exposure to airborne PAHs and maternal psychological distress during pregnancy on subsequent behavioral problems in children.

METHODS:

In a longitudinal birth cohort study, 248 children of nonsmoking white women in the coal-burning region of Krakow, Poland, were followed from in utero until age 9. Prenatal PAH exposure was measured by personal air monitoring during pregnancy, maternal demoralization during pregnancy by the Psychiatric Epidemiology Research Instrument–Demoralization, and child behavior by the Child Behavior Checklist.

RESULTS:

Significant interactions between maternal demoralization and PAH exposure (high versus low) were identified for symptoms of anxious/depressed, withdrawn/depressed, social problems, aggressive behavior, internalizing problems, and externalizing problems. The effects of demoralization on syndromes of anxious/depressed, withdrawn/depressed, rule-breaking, aggressive behavior, and the composite internalizing and externalizing scores were seen only in conjunction with high PAH exposure. Fewer significant effects with weaker effect sizes were observed in the low-PAH-exposure group.

CONCLUSIONS:

Maternal demoralization during pregnancy appears to have a greater effect on child neurobehavioral development among children who experienced high prenatal PAH exposure. The results provide the first evidence of an interaction between prenatal exposure to maternal demoralization and air pollution on child neurobehavioral development, indicating the need for a multifaceted approach to the prevention of developmental problems in children.
Athlete Endorsements in Food Marketing
Authors: Bragg Marie A. , Yanamadala Swati , Roberto Christina A. , Harris Jennifer L. , Brownell Kelly D.
Published: October 2013

OBJECTIVE:

This study quantified professional athletes’ endorsement of food and beverages, evaluated the nutritional quality of endorsed products, and determined the number of television commercial exposures of athlete-endorsement commercials for children, adolescents, and adults.

METHODS:

One hundred professional athletes were selected on the basis of Bloomberg Businessweek’s 2010 Power 100 rankings, which ranks athletes according to their endorsement value and prominence in their sport. Endorsement information was gathered from the Power 100 list and the advertisement database AdScope. Endorsements were sorted into 11 endorsement categories (eg, food/beverages, sports apparel). The nutritional quality of the foods featured in athlete-endorsement advertisements was assessed by using a Nutrient Profiling Index, whereas beverages were evaluated on the basis of the percentage of calories from added sugar. Marketing data were collected from AdScope and Nielsen.

RESULTS:

Of 512 brands endorsed by 100 different athletes, sporting goods/apparel represented the largest category (28.3%), followed by food/beverages (23.8%) and consumer goods (10.9%). Professional athletes in this sample were associated with 44 different food or beverage brands during 2010. Seventy-nine percent of the 62 food products in athlete-endorsed advertisements were energy-dense and nutrient-poor, and 93.4% of the 46 advertised beverages had 100% of calories from added sugar. Peyton Manning (professional American football player) and LeBron James (professional basketball player) had the most endorsements for energy-dense, nutrient-poor products. Adolescents saw the most television commercials that featured athlete endorsements of food.

CONCLUSIONS:

Youth are exposed to professional athlete endorsements of food products that are energy-dense and nutrient-poor.
Childhood Anemia at High Altitude: Risk Factors for Poor Outcomes in Severe Pneumonia
Authors: Moschovis Peter P. , Banajeh Salem , MacLeod William B. , Saha Samir , Hayden Douglas , Christiani David C. , Mino Greta , Santosham Mathuram , Thea Donald M. , Qazi Shamim , Hibberd Patricia L.
Published: October 2013

BACKGROUND:

Pneumonia is the leading cause of mortality in young children globally, and factors that affect tissue delivery of oxygen may affect outcomes of pneumonia. We studied whether altitude and anemia influence disease severity and outcomes in young children with World Health Organization–defined severe pneumonia.

METHODS:

We analyzed data from the SPEAR (Severe Pneumonia Evaluation Antimicrobial Research) study, a World Health Organization– and USAID-sponsored multinational randomized controlled trial of antibiotics for severe pneumonia among children aged 2 to 59 months in resource-poor settings. The trial enrolled 958 children in 8 sites at varying elevations, classified as high (≥2000 m) or low (<2000 m) altitude. We compared illness severity and assessed the effect of anemia on treatment outcome at high and low altitudes, adjusting for potential confounders and study site.

RESULTS:

Children at high altitudes had significantly lower oxygen saturation on presentation, more cyanosis, lower systolic blood pressure, and higher hemoglobin. After adjusting for potential confounders, anemia predicted treatment failure in children living at high altitude (relative risk: 4.07; 95% confidence interval: 2.60–6.38) but not at low altitude (relative risk: 1.12; 95% confidence interval: 0.96–1.30). Children at high altitude took longer to reach normoxemia than did children at lower altitudes (5.25 vs 0.75 days; P < .0001).

CONCLUSIONS:

Children at high altitude present with more severe disease, and children with anemia at high altitude are at greater risk of poor outcome when being treated for severe pneumonia. Given the high global prevalence of anemia among young children, prevention and treatment of anemia should be a priority in children living at high altitude and could improve outcomes of pneumonia.
Maternal Influence on Child HPA Axis: A Prospective Study of Cortisol Levels in Hair
Authors: Karlén Jerker , Frostell Anneli , Theodorsson Elvar , Faresjö Tomas , Ludvigsson Johnny
Published: October 2013

OBJECTIVE:

To investigate cortisol concentrations in hair as biomarker of prolonged stress in young children and their mothers and the relation to perinatal and sociodemographic factors.

METHODS:

Prospective cohort study of 100 All Babies In Southeast Sweden study participants with repeated measures at 1, 3, 5, and 8 years and their mothers during pregnancy. Prolonged stress levels were assessed through cortisol in hair. A questionnaire covered perinatal and sociodemographic factors during the child’s first year of life.

RESULTS:

Maternal hair cortisol during the second and third trimester and child hair cortisol at year 1 and 3 correlated. Child cortisol in hair levels decreased over time and correlated to each succeeding age, between years 1 and 3 (r = 0.30, P = .002), 3 and 5 (r = 0.39, P < .001), and 5 and 8 (r = 0.44, P < .001). Repeated measures gave a significant linear association over time (P < .001). There was an association between high levels of hair cortisol and birth weight (β = .224, P = .020), nonappropriate size for gestational age (β = .231, P = .017), and living in an apartment compared with a house (β = .200, P = .049). In addition, we found high levels of cortisol in hair related to other factors associated with psychosocial stress exposure.

CONCLUSIONS:

Correlation between hair cortisol levels in mothers and their children suggests a heritable trait or maternal calibration of the child’s hypothalamic–pituitary–adrenocortical axis. Cortisol output gradually stabilizes and seems to have a stable trait. Cortisol concentration in hair has the potential to become a biomarker of prolonged stress, especially applicable as a noninvasive method when studying how stress influences children’s health.
Pouteria ramiflora extract inhibits salivary amylolytic activity and decreases glycemic level in mice
Authors: GOUVEIA NEIRE M. DE , ALBUQUERQUE CIBELE L. DE , ESPINDOLA LAILA S. , ESPINDOLA FOUED S.
Published: October 2013

In this study, extracts of plant species from the Cerrado biome were assessed in order to find potential inhibitors of human salivary alpha-amylase. The plants were collected and extracts were obtained from leaves, bark, and roots. We performed a preliminary phytochemical analysis and a screening for salivar alpha-amylase inhibitory activity. Only three botanical families (Sapotaceae, Sapindaceae and Flacourtiaceae) and 16 extracts showed a substantial inhibition (>75%) of alpha-amylase. The ethanolic extracts of Pouteria ramiflora obtained from stem barks and root barks decreased amylolytic activity above 95% at a final concentration of 20 µg/mL. Thus, adult male Swiss mice were treated orally with P. ramiflora in acute toxicity and glycemic control studies. Daily administration with 25, 50 and 100 mg/kg of aqueous extract of P. ramiflora for eight days can reduce significantly body weight and blood glucose level in mice. These data suggest that the crude polar extract of P. ramiflora decreases salivary amylolytic activity while lowering the blood levels of glucose.
Regressão via componentes independentes aplicada à seleção genômica para características de carcaça em suínos
Authors: Azevedo Camila Ferreira , Resende Marcos Deon Vilela de , Silva Fabyano Fonseca e , Lopes Paulo Sávio , Guimarães Simone Eliza Facioni
Published: October 2013

O objetivo deste trabalho foi avaliar a eficiência do método de regressão via componentes independentes (ICR) na estimação de valores genéticos genômicos e dos efeitos de marcadores SNP para características de carcaça de uma população F2 de suínos (Piau x linhagem comercial). Os métodos foram avaliados por meio da concordância entre os valores genéticos preditos e os fenótipos corrigidos, observados por validação cruzada, e também foram comparados com outros métodos geralmente utilizados para os mesmos propósitos, tais como RR-BLUP, PCR e PLS. Os métodos ICR e PCR apresentam resultados similares, mas o método ICR apresenta maiores valores de acurácia.
The Impact of CEO Compensation on Nonprofit Donations
Authors: Balsam Steven , Harris Erica E.
Published: October 2013

In this paper we show that supporters reduce donations to nonprofits subsequent to disclosure of high executive compensation. We find evidence consistent with large, sophisticated donors actively seeking out and reacting to compensation information made available in IRS Form 990, while smaller donors react to compensation disclosures in the media. Additional analysis indicates that these results vary systematically across nonprofits, as we find a stronger negative relation in nonprofits classified as more charitable, and a weaker relation in nonprofits that provide services to their donors. In contrast neither grantors nor patrons appear to react to executive compensation disclosures.

Data Availability: All data are available from public sources.
Increased Number of Fetal Nucleated Red Blood Cells in the Placentas of Term or Near-Term Stillborn and Neonates Correlates with the Presence of Diffuse Intradural Hemorrhage in the Perinatal Period
Authors: Cohen Marta C. , Peres Luiz C. , Al-Adnani Mudher , Zapata-Vázquez Rita
Published: October 2013

Release of nucleated red blood cells (nRBCs) into the peripheral blood occurs in stillbirths/neonates with a probable hypoxic mode of death and antenatal stress. We correlated the number of nRBCs in the placenta with the occurrence of intradural (IDH) and subdural hemorrhage (SDH) and the potential link with fetal hypoxia. Two groups of 22 cases each of nonmacerated term or near-term (≥36 weeks of gestational age) stillborn or newborns dying in the 1st day of life were studied. One group had IDH (with or without SDH) and the other did not have IDH or SDH. In each case, the number of nRBCs was determined in 10 consecutive placental fields at ×40. Data were analyzed with Fisher exact test, receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis, and logistic regression. There was a significant association between the diffuse IDH and increased number of nRBCs (Fisher exact test P = 0.0165). An ROC curve analysis showed that the cut-off number of nRBCs with the highest accuracy was 2.15 nRBCs/high-power field, with 79% sensitivity and 67% specificity. The presence of diffuse IDH was associated with SDH (Fisher exact test, P = 0.002). The absence of hypoxic brain change was associated with the absence of diffuse IDH (odds ratio 0.308; P = 0.039). We established a significant correlation between the release of nRBCs into the placental circulation and the occurrence of diffuse IDH and between diffuse IDH and the presence of SDH.
The Development of a Repetition-Load Scheme for the Eccentric- Only Bench Press Exercise
Authors: Moir Gavin L. , Erny Kyle F. , Davis Shala E. , Guers John J. , Witmer Chad A.
Published: October 2013

The purpose of the present study was to develop a repetition-load scheme for the eccentric-only bench press exercise. Nine resistance trained men (age: 21.6 ± 1.0 years; 1-repetition maximum [RM] bench press: 137.7 ± 30.4 kg) attended four testing sessions during a four week period. During the first session each subject’s 1-RM bench press load utilizing the stretch-shortening cycle was determined. During the remaining sessions they performed eccentric-only repetitions to failure using supra-maximal loads equivalent to 110%, 120% and 130% of their 1-RM value with a constant cadence (30 reps·min-1). Force plates and a three dimensional motion analysis system were used during these final three sessions in order to evaluate kinematic and kinetic variables. More repetitions were completed during the 110% 1-RM condition compared to the 130% 1-RM condition (p=0.01). Mean total work (p=0.046) as well as vertical force (p=0.049), vertical work (p=0.017), and vertical power output (p=0.05) were significantly greater during the 130% 1-RM condition compared to the 110% 1-RM condition. A linear function was fitted to the number of repetitions completed under each load condition that allowed the determination of the maximum number of repetitions that could be completed under other supra-maximal loads. This linear function predicted an eccentric-only 1-RM in the bench press with a load equivalent to 164.8% 1-RM, producing a load of 227.0 ± 50.0 kg. The repetition-load scheme presented here should provide a starting point for researchers to investigate the kinematic, kinetic and metabolic responses to eccentric-only bench press workouts.
A Comparison of Muscle Activity in Concentric and Counter Movement Maximum Bench Press
Authors: Tillaar Roland van den , Ettema Gertjan
Published: October 2013

The purpose of this study was to compare the kinematics and muscle activation patterns of regular free-weight bench press (counter movement) with pure concentric lifts in the ascending phase of a successful one repetition maximum (1-RM) attempt in the bench press. Our aim was to evaluate if diminishing potentiation could be the cause of the sticking region. Since diminishing potentiation cannot occur in pure concentric lifts, the occurrence of a sticking region in this type of muscle actions would support the hypothesis that the sticking region is due to a poor mechanical position. Eleven male participants (age 21.9 ~ 1.7 yrs, body mass 80.7 ~ 10.9 kg, body height 1.79 ~ 0.07 m) conducted 1-RM lifts in counter movement and in pure concentric bench presses in which kinematics and EMG activity were measured. In both conditions, a sticking region occurred. However, the start of the sticking region was different between the two bench presses. In addition, in four of six muscles, the muscle activity was higher in the counter movement bench press compared to the concentric one. Considering the findings of the muscle activity of six muscles during the maximal lifts it was concluded that the diminishing effect of force potentiation, which occurs in the counter movement bench press, in combination with a delayed muscle activation unlikely explains the existence of the sticking region in a 1-RM bench press. Most likely, the sticking region is the result of a poor mechanical force position.
Multi-source-supplied parallel hybrid propulsion of the inland passenger ship STA.H. Research work on energy efficiency of a hybrid propulsion system operating in the electric motor drive mode
Authors: Kowalski Jakub , Leśniewski Wojciech , Litwin Wojciech
Published: October 2013

In the Faculty of Ocean Engineering and Ship Technology, Gdansk University of Technology, design has recently been developed of a small inland ship with hybrid propulsion and supply system. The ship will be propelled by a specially designed so called parallel hybrid propulsion system.

The work was aimed at carrying out the energy efficiency analysis of a hybrid propulsion system operating in the electric motor drive mode and at performing the noise pollution measurements.

The performed investigations have shown that a significant impact on the efficiency and on the acoustic emission has the type of belt transmission applied.
Capecitabine in adjuvant radiochemotherapy for gastric adenocarcinoma
Authors: Oblak Irena , Skoblar Vidmar Marija , Anderluh Franc , Velenik Vaneja , Jeromen Ana , But Hadzic Jasna
Published: October 2013

Background. In patients with non-metastatic gastric cancer surgery still remains the treatment of choice. Postoperative radiochemotherapy with 5-fluorouracil and leucovorin significantly improves the treatment outcome. The oral fluoropyrimidines, such as capecitabine, mimic continuous 5-fluorouracil infusion, are at least as effective as 5-fluorouracil, and such treatment is more comfortable for the patients.

Patients and methods. In the period from October 2006 to December 2009, 101 patients with gastric cancer in stages Ib-IIIc were treated with postoperative chemoradiation with capecitabine. Distal subtotal resection of the stomach was performed in 46.3%, total resection in 50.5% and multivisceral resection in 3.2% of patients. The main endpoints of this study were loco-regional control (LRC), disease-free survival (DFS), disease-specific survival (DSS) and overall survival (OS). The rates of acute side-effects were also estimated.

Results. Seventy-seven percent of patients completed the treatment according to the protocol. The median followup time of all patients was 3.9 years (range: 0.4-6.3 years) and in survivors it was 4.7 years (range: 3.2-6.3 years). No death occurred due to the therapy. Acute toxicity, such as nausea and vomiting, stomatitis, diarrhoea, hand-foot syndrome and infections of grade 3 or 4, occurred in 5%, 1%, 2%, 8.9% and 18.8% of patients, respectively. On the close-out date 63.4% patients were still alive and with no signs of the disease. The 4-years follow-up survey showed that LRC, DFS, DSS and OS were 95.5%, 69.2%, 70.7%, and 66.2%, respectively. Higher pN-stage and splenectomy were found to be independent prognostic factors for all four types of survival and perineural invasion and lower treatment intensity for DFS, DSS and OS.

Conclusions. Postoperative radiochemotherapy with capecitabine is feasible, with low toxicity and the results of such treatment are good
The Impact of the Financial Crisis on Business Ethics in the Banking Sector: A Case Study from Slovakia
Authors: Belás Jaroslav
Published: October 2013

The importance of ethical standards for financial markets is based on the purpose of commercial banks and other financial institutions which operate with money of others. Besides significant economic implications, the financial crisis has also revealed considerable lack of moral values in commercial banking, which has been reflected by a very unscrupulous approach of bankers to their clients. The crisis has also caused a fundamental turnaround in public opinions on commercial banking and increased the pressure on application of moral principles in banking, which represents an appropriate complement of banking regulations.

The aim of this article is to determine the basic attributes of business ethics in commercial banking and quantify changes in moral attitudes of bank employees in Slovakia through own research, which occurred during the financial crisis. Moral attitudes of bank employees are analyzed in relation to reaching customer satisfaction.

The research focuses on identificating satisfaction of bank employees and also on how their satisfaction reflects acceptance of customers’ needs. A part of the research also deals with evaluation of customer satisfaction in the same timeframe.

The results of our empirical research show that the low level of satisfaction and loyalty of bank employees is transferred to the low acceptance rate of customer need to sell bank’s products in the banking sector in Slovakia. The low level of satisfaction and loyalty has also caused a decline in the overall customer satisfaction. Index of personal satisfaction of bank’s customers has slightly increased in the examined period, but its current level is still very low.
Recent distribution of the Euro-Siberian-sub- Mediterranean species Elatine alsinastrum L. (Elatinaceae)
Authors: Popiela Agnieszka , Łysko Andrzej , Molnár Attila
Published: October 2013

- The general distribution of the endangered Euro-Siberian sub-Mediterranean species Elatine alsinastrum L. is provided using literature, web-sources and herbaria dataset. The distribution pattern shows some regularities: occurrence of locations along river valleys, formation of concentrated site clusters in some lowlands, wide distances between locations or site clusters or single locations between their clusters. The distribution patterns in central Europe seem to be rather well related to the history of the human migration in Europe at least since the Late Holocene. The scattered locations on the eastern part of the distribution area are likely to be a consequence of missing information, rather than to the fragmentation of its distribution.
Some Wheat Varieties Behavior Regarding the Attack of Main Pathogens Under Climatic Conditions from Central Area of Moldavia, Romania
Authors: Arsene C.I. , Bălău Andreea-Mihaela , Ulea E.
Published: October 2013

Due to the attack of the main pathogens agents in the wheat crop the wheat production is not exploited at the full potential. Powdery mildew, leaf spot and rust brown leaves are considered to be the most widespread and damaging diseases of wheat. In our country, the attack of these pathogens is present every year, with different intensities and it can cause production damages ranging from 3-4% to 20%. Due to this fact, the main attention of the farmers is to cultivate resistant wheat varieties to Blumeria graminis (DC.) Speer., Septoria tritici Rob. Desm. and Puccinia recondita Rob. et Desm. The main objective of this study was to evaluate the phytosanitary condition of 24 wheat varieties cultivated in 2011-2012 at the Ezăreni didactic Farm from University of Agricultural Sciences and Veterinary Medicine of Iaşi, Romania, localized in the central area of Moldavia. This study contains data regarding the spread and evolution of the main pathogens that were observed at the 24 wheat varieties studied. These varieties showed different reactions to different pathogens observed in the same environmental conditions thus some of them were resistant to Blumeria graminis (DC.) Speer. and Septoria tritici Rob. ex. Desm. attack, and some recorded a disease incidence of 18.75% at the Puccinia recondita Rob. et Desm attack.
Effects of Fenugreek and Dill Different Intercropping Patterns and Harvesting Times on Essential Oil pf Dill
Authors: Shokati B. , Ghassemi-Golezan K.
Published: October 2013

Intercropping is an important and sustainable cropping practice in agroecosystems. Intercropping is a planting technique that farmers and gardeners can use to promote beneficial plant interactions and increases in biodiversity, enhanced production and lower economic risk. In the search for sustainable agricultural methods for medicinal plants, fenugreek and dill plants were intercropped at different additive (1:20, 1:40 and 1:60) and replacement (1:1, 1:2 and 1:3) series, at the Research Farm of the Faculty of Agriculture, University of Tabriz, Iran. Field experiment was arranged as split plot based on randomized complete block design in three replicates. Dill umbels were harvested at flowering, pasty and complete ripening stages. Results showed that among harvesting times, pasty stage had maximum essential oil percentage, essential oil yield and harvest index of essential oil, whereas among intercropping patterns, 1:1 and 1:20 treatments had the maximum values. Fenugreek as a medicinal, forage and legume crop promote dill essential oil yield and harvest index and could be an effective plant in intercropping systems.
Viticultural Zoning: A Comparative Study Regarding the Accuracy of Different Approaches in Vineyards Climate Suitability Assessment
Authors: Irimia L. , Patriche C.V. , Quénol H.
Published: October 2013

The paper presents the results of a study regarding the mesoclimate suitability assessment of three Romania’s wine-growing centres (Urlaţi-Dealu Mare vineyard, Huşi-Huşi vineyard, Bucium-Iaşi vineyard), by the Huglin’s heliothermal index and by a GIS based multicriteria method. The results are compared between the two types of analysis and with the macroclimate suitability map of Romania’s wine regions, expressed by Huglin’s heliothermal index spatial distribution. The research show that the values of Huglin’s heliothermal index in Romania’s wine regions varies between 2341.48 on the Danube Terraces from the southern limit of the country to lower than 1500 on the intramountainous wine region Transylvania. The prevailing climate class over the Romania’s wine regions is IH-1 that define temperate climate. According to the assessment on Romania’s macroclimate scale by Huglin’s heliothermal index, the three wine-growing centers are characterized by temperate climate (IH-1), that indicate the existence of climate conditions for grapes maturation to Cabernet Sauvignon variety. The assessment on mesoclimate scale by the GIS based multicriteria method reveals a wider variability of local climate than that resulted from macroclimate and mesoclimate analysis by Huglin’s heliothermal index, as follows: the climate of Urlaţi wine-growing center is suitable for quality red wines production; in Huşi wine-growing centre only 16.95% from the area has climate suitable to produce red table wines; the climate of Bucium wine-growing centre is not suitable for red wine production. Comparison with the Romania’s vineyards wine production specialization confirms that the results of multicriteria GIS based evaluation reveal accurate the local climate suitability and demonstrate the need of the fine-scale assessment of vineyard climate in the viticultural zoning.