bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Nikolay Ivanovich Pirogov (1810–1881) and Bernhard von Langenbeck (1810–1887): similarities on the anniversary of their 200th birthdays
Authors: Telichkin Igor
Published: November 2013

The year 2010 marked the 200th anniversary of the birth of two great surgeons, the German Bernard von Langebeck and the Russian Nikolay Ivanovich Pirogov. The anniversary was celebrated throughout the world and in Russia where the year 2010 was declared ‘The Year of Pirogov’. However, in England the work of these men is not well known and is little appreciated. Both men were born in the same month of the same year in different countries with different cultures. Despite the contrasts, the similarities between their lives are striking. This paper explores the parallels between their lives and their contributions to the field of surgery. The work of both men prepared the ground for the work of Joseph Lister (1827–1912) in Glasgow (1867) and the development of antiseptic techniques.
How Clinicians Develop Confidence in Their Competence in Performing Aspiration Abortion
Authors: Freedman Lori , Levi Amy
Published: November 2013

In this article we explore how nurse practitioners, physician assistants, and nurse midwives in California (collectively referred to as clinicians) developed confidence while learning to provide vacuum aspiration abortion. We interviewed clinicians ( n = 30) who worked in reproductive health care settings and had participated in a large abortion-training study. Although the training had moral and political significance for the trainees, in this article we focus on their experience of skill development and how they gained confidence and competence in aspiration abortion, a procedure typically performed by physicians. We argue that confidence is not one dimensional. Understanding the diverse ways in which clinicians arrive at confidence might inform health care training and education generally. By examining attained competency from the clinicians’ perspectives, we continue the discussion within the social science of health care and medicine about how clinicians know what they know and what expertise feels like to them.
Making Change
Authors: Raymond Leigh , Weldon S. Laurel , Kelly Daniel , Arriaga Ximena B. , Clark Ann Marie
Published: November 2013

This paper identifies and describes two new norm-based strategies for institutional change to address intractable social problems. In both strategies, advocates “foreground” and criticize norms supporting the institutional status quo before either promoting an alternative existing norm via normative reframing of the issue, or creating and promoting an entirely new norm via normative innovation to build support for new institutional arrangements. Drawing on examples of institutional change addressing the problems of climate change and violence against women, the analysis illustrates how these strategies are especially effective in the face of opposition from vested interests or problematic existing norms.
Cultural Differences in Victory Signals of Triumph
Authors: Hwang Hyisung C. , Matsumoto David
Published: November 2013

A recent study reported that winners in agonistic competition displayed a victory signal that might be related to power and dominance, but losers did not. We explored cultural differences in this victory expression by reanalyzing data from that study on the country level, examining the association between country means in Olympic judo players’ first expressions at the moment of winning or losing a medal and Hofstede’s Power Distance (PD) dimension. Country-level PD was correlated with winners’ victory signals but not with those of losers, even when country-level Individualism-Collectivism was controlled. These findings indicated that hierarchical and dominant cultures may endorse more expressivity of triumph in competitive contexts.
Solidarity networks that challenge racialized discourses: The case of Romani immigrant women in Spain
Authors: Sordé Teresa , Serradell Olga , Puigvert Lidia , Munté Ariadna
Published: November 2013

In the midst of the global financial crisis and in the ‘anti-race era’, Europe has witnessed a revival of deeply racialized discourses targeting the Roma, leading to new discriminatory practices and legitimating existing ones in many social domains. While westward Roma immigration has spurred these discourses, it has also favored the emergence of invisible grassroots reactions against them that need to be further analyzed. Drawing on interviews with migrant Romani women, this article aims to shed light on these unknown processes, as experienced by women in Romani women-based solidarity networks. Data show that these networks help the women to access basic social facilities, while also challenging the abovementioned racialized discourses.
Using magnetic resonance imaging in animal models to guide drug development in multiple sclerosis
Authors: Nathoo Nabeela , Yong V Wee , Dunn Jeff F
Published: November 2013

Major advances are taking place in the development of therapeutics for multiple sclerosis (MS), with a move past traditional immunomodulatory/immunosuppressive therapies toward medications aimed at promoting remyelination or neuroprotection. With an increase in diversity of MS therapies comes the need to assess the effectiveness of such therapies. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is one of the main tools used to evaluate the effectiveness of MS therapeutics in clinical trials. As all new therapeutics for MS are tested in animal models first, it is logical that MRI be incorporated into preclinical studies assessing therapeutics. Here, we review key papers showing how MR imaging has been combined with a range of animal models to evaluate potential therapeutics for MS. We also advise on how to maximize the potential for incorporating MRI into preclinical studies evaluating possible therapeutics for MS, which should improve the likelihood of discovering new medications for the condition.
Disclosure of diagnosis of multiple sclerosis in the workplace positively affects employment status and job tenure
Authors: Kirk-Brown AK , Van Dijk PA , Simmons RD , Bourne MP , Cooper BK
Published: November 2013

Background:

For many employees with multiple sclerosis (MS), disclosure of their diagnosis at work is seen as a high-risk strategy that might lead to diminished perceptions of their capabilities by supervisors and colleagues, if not outright discrimination. The consequence of this mistrust surrounding the disclosure process is that employees with MS may leave it until too late to effectively manage symptoms at work.

Objective:

The objective of this paper is to statistically evaluate the relationship between disclosure of diagnosis at work and maintenance of employment.

Methods:

Three annual, large-sample self-report surveys of MS patients prospectively examined the relationship between disclosure of diagnosis at work and employment status. A total of 1438 people responded to all three surveys. Of employed persons in 2010 ( n = 946), 673 also responded to the 2012 survey. Of these 673 respondents 564 were still employed.

Results:

People who had disclosed their MS status to an employer were more likely to remain in employment in Year 3. The effect of disclosure in predicting employment status remained after controlling for age, gender, hours worked and level of disability.

Conclusion:

This study provides the first empirical support for the positive role of disclosure in maintaining employment status, measured both as job retention and tenure in current employment.
Age- and education-matched comparison of aging HIV+ men who have sex with men to general population on common neuropsychological assessments
Authors: Kupprat Sandra Anne , Halkitis Perry N , Pérez-Figueroa Rafael , Solomon Todd M , Ashman Teresa , Kingdon Molly J , Levy Michael David
Published: November 2013

Little is known about the impact of HIV and aging on cognitive functioning. This New York City cross-sectional study of aging HIV-positive gay and bisexual men assessed their neuropsychological state. Working memory and verbal abstract reasoning were relatively intact. After 55 years of age, attention abilities were impaired. Executive function impairment was present regardless of age and education. Results suggest the need for HIV-specific norms, and the use of neuropsychological assessments (i.e. baseline and over time) as a cost-effective way to assess HIV-related cognitive decline in developed and under-developed countries.
Hand hygiene performance and beliefs among public university employees
Authors: Stedman-Smith Maggie , DuBois Cathy LZ , Grey Scott F
Published: November 2013

The workplace is an important location to access community members, and employers have a direct interest in employee well-being. A survey administered to a random sample of employees at a Midwestern US university tested the ability of a model informed by the theory of planned behavior to predict hand hygiene practices and beliefs using structural equation modeling. Questions demonstrated acceptable validity and reliability. Constructs predicted self-reported hand hygiene behaviors, and hand hygiene behaviors reduced the odds of reporting sickness from respiratory tract and gastrointestinal infections. The findings support multi-modal hand hygiene improvement interventions.
A fine-grained analysis of the effects of negative evidence with and without metalinguistic information in language development
Authors: Lado Beatriz , Bowden Harriet Wood , Stafford Catherine A , Sanz Cristina
Published: November 2013

The current study compared the effectiveness of computer-delivered task-essential practice coupled with feedback consisting of (1) negative evidence with metalinguistic information (NE+MI) or (2) negative evidence without metalinguistic information (NE–MI) in promoting absolute beginners’ ( n = 58) initial learning of aspects of Latin morphosyntax. This study measured language development on a variety of dependent measures (three comprehension-based tests and one production test), assessing both changes in accuracy and reaction time as well as examining effects on trained (old) vs. untrained (new) items. Although participants under both conditions improved in accuracy and reaction time on all measures, on immediate post-tests, participants receiving metalinguistic information outperformed those who did not. However, this advantage had largely dissipated by the time of the delayed tests. Performance on untrained items also suggests an advantage for metalinguistic feedback on system learning and on transfer of skills from comprehension-based practice to production. Furthermore, we argue, based on findings in cognitive neuroscience, that greater maintenance of gains in accuracy as well as evidence of some faster processing by participants not exposed to metalinguistic information may reflect qualitatively different learning processes at work: more explicit learning in the [NE+MI] group and more implicit learning in the [NE–MI] group (Li, 2010).
Sensibility Development Program against Cyberbullying
Authors: Tanrıkulu Taşkın , Kınay Hüseyin , Arıcak O Tolga
Published: November 2013

The aim of this study was to test the effectiveness of the Sensibility Development Program against Cyberbullying in raising awareness around cyberbullying and reducing cyberbullying behaviors. The program specifically targeted adolescents who were at risk of exposure to cyberbullying behaviors. For this study, an experimental design with a control group was used ( N = 18). The Cyberbullying Sensibility Scale (CBSS) was administered to the experimental and the control groups before and after the program. The experimental group also filled out the Cyberbullying Scale, which measured engagement with cyberbullying behaviors. Statistical analysis indicated that there was a significant difference between CBSS pre-and-post-test scores in the experimental group. No significant difference was found for the control group, suggesting that the program was effective in helping students develop a level of sensibility against cyberbullying. No significant difference was found between pre-and-post-tests with respect to students’ engagement with cyberbullying behaviors. The implications for prevention and intervention programs were discussed.
The cultural work of microwork
Authors: Irani Lilly
Published: November 2013

Crowdsourcing systems do more than get information work done. This paper argues that microwork systems produce the difference between “innovative” laborers and “menial” laborers, ameliorating resulting tensions in new media production cultures in turn. This paper focuses on Amazon Mechanical Turk (AMT) as an emblematic case of microwork crowdsourcing. Ethical research on crowdsourcing has focused on questions of worker fairness and microlabor alienation. This paper focuses on the cultural work of AMT’s mediations: divisions of labor and software interfaces. This paper draws from infrastructure studies and feminist science and technology studies to examine Amazon Mechanical Turk labor practice, its methods of worker control, and the kinds of users it produces.
Every little helps? YouTube, sousveillance and the ‘anti-Tesco’ riot in Stokes Croft
Authors: Reilly Paul
Published: November 2013

On 21 April 2011, violence flared in the Stokes Croft area of Bristol following a police raid on a squat. Media coverage suggested that this riot was a manifestation of the campaign against the opening of a Tesco supermarket in the area. Footage later emerged on YouTube, which appeared to support claims by local residents that the violence was caused by heavy-handed police tactics rather than the anti-Tesco campaign. This study uses a critical thematic analysis to explore the comments left by those who viewed these acts of ‘inverse surveillance’, or sousveillance. Results indicate that YouTube provided a space in which alternative views on the Stokes Croft riot were seen and heard but the views of many commentators still appeared to be influenced by the news media.
Considering the wet homelands of indigenous Massachusetts
Authors: Patton Jonathan K.
Published: November 2013

This paper uses ideas developed by Ian McNiven in his analysis of ethnographic and archeological data for indigenous relationships with the sea in northeastern Australia, in combination with regional New England ethnographic and archeological scholarship to offer an alternative way to think about indigenous culture in Massachusetts as wet and dry aspects of indigenous homelands within a hydrogeographic perspective using fresh and saltwater drainages. This way to think is based on local people’s accumulated knowledge that conceptualizes water and landscapes as animated seascapes and spiritscapes of a homeland, incorporating cognitive aspects of navigation and watercraft construction and use.
Life or death decision making: Qualitative analysis of death penalty jurors
Authors: Barner John Robert
Published: November 2013

The relationship between capital jury instructions and imposition of the death penalty in the United States is analyzed through 36 semi-structured interviews collected as part of the archives of the national Capital Jury Project (CJP) at the School of Criminal Justice at the State University of New York in Albany. Former capital jurors expressed confusion, frustration, or ambivalence in areas of instruction clarity and procedural integrity. Specifically, jurors reported significant degrees of confusion as to the clarity of the instructions and the verbiage used to define their role and the exact parameters guiding both their sentencing decision and findings of fact. Moreover, a discrepancy was found in the degree to which statutory aggravation influenced decision making as opposed to mitigating testimony, calling into question both the constitutionality of the death penalty and its compliance with legal precedent. The article concludes with a discussion of the relevance these findings have for forensic social workers working in capital cases including implications for policy and practice.
Social work and netnography: The case of Spain and generic drugs
Authors: del Fresno García Miguel , Peláez Antonio López
Published: November 2013

In this study, we examine a key issue for the sustainability of our welfare state: the patterns of consumption of generic drugs, the Internet, and healthcare social work. Taking the online context (netnography) as an object of ethnographic analysis, we analyze climates of opinion in relation to the consumption of generic drugs. We identify and analyze the linguistic framing and social discrediting of generic drugs via misinformation and the creation of risk perception to curb the social acceptability and consumption of these medicines in Spain. Based on the results obtained, we provide strategies that can be used by healthcare social workers.
‘I’m loving life’: Adolescents’ empowering experiences of living with a mental illness
Authors: Kranke Derrick , Jackson Sally E , Taylor Debbie A , Landguth Joan , Floersch Jerry
Published: November 2013

Objective:

Self-stigma is a common phenomenon among adolescents suffering from psychiatric disorders; however, this important research area has received little attention. Furthermore, there is a lack of clarity in the current literature on what makes individuals more or less likely to experience self-stigma. The objectives of our article are to identify the external conditions that help promote empowerment and present a model that explicates the process of those adolescents who do not self-stigmatize.

Methods:

In this qualitative study, we examine the cases of three adolescents between the ages of 12–17 who were taking psychiatric medication. We gathered adolescents’ experiences and perceptions of psychiatric treatment using the TeenSEMI, coded responses, utilized Atlas.ti software to connect and hyperlink the codes, and constructed individual narratives that ultimately elicited an empowerment process among the adolescents.

Results:

We identified themes that helped adolescents to buffer against self-stigma; and categorized the components of the empowerment process as: diminish, normalize and attribute.

Conclusion and implications for practice:

We compare our empowerment model with an adolescent self-stigma model and identify key differences that may mitigate the effects of self-stigma. Although there are limitations to the generalizability of the study, authors recommend interventions applicable to youths with mental illness, as well as family and peers. This study indicates positive outcomes among adolescents who adhere to and are engaged in treatment.
Neural Stem Cell Transplantation Improves Spatial Learning and Memory via Neuronal Regeneration in Amyloid-β Precursor Protein/presenilin 1/tau Triple Transgenic Mice
Authors: Chen Shuang-Qing , Cai Qing , Shen Yu-Ying , Wang Pei-Yun , Li Ming-Hua , Teng Gao-Yun
Published: November 2013

Neural stem cell (NSC) transplantation has recently become a main research target for Alzheimer’s disease (AD) treatment. In the present study, we transplanted NSCs from C57BL/6 mice into the hippocampus in the 12-month-old triple transgenic model of AD (3 × Tg) and determined whether NSC transplantation can alleviate impairments in spatial learning and memory via neuronal regeneration in AD mice. Two months after transplantation, Morris water maze tests suggested that spatial learning and memory in the 3 × Tg mice receiving NSCs was significantly improved compared to 3 × Tg mice not receiving NSCs. Furthermore, quantification of Nissl staining revealed that the number of neurons in the hippocampus of 3 × Tg mice receiving NSCs was significantly greater than that in 3 × Tg mice not receiving NSCs, indicating that new neurons were generated. These results may demonstrate that NSC transplantation can improve spatial learning and memory via neuronal regeneration in amyloid-β precursor protein/presenilin 1/tau 3 × Tg mice.
Developing Weight Management Messages and Interventions for Baby Boomer Men
Authors: Wirth Christopher K. , James Delores C. S. , Fafard Mark , Ochipa Kathleen
Published: November 2013

The goal of this study was to explore the weight management experiences of Baby Boomer men (born between 1946 and 1964) and to use the information to develop targeted messages and interventions. Twenty men were interviewed. The Health Belief Model was used as the study’s theoretical framework. Men correctly identified health risks of being obese. However, most believed that body mass index and weight charts were unrealistic, and a few felt that they would be too “skinny” at the recommended weight. Wives were sources of nutrition information and social support. Perceived benefits of losing weight included reduced risk for health problems and looking good. Perceived barriers included apathy and weight loss programs being “too feminine.” Motivators for losing weight included being diagnosed with a health problem, health requirements for work, and financial incentives. The data themes suggest ways to develop male-specific messages and interventions that consider the aging body.
Fathers Matter
Authors: Doamekpor Lauren Abla , Amutah Ndidiamaka Nneoma , Ramos Lauren Juliette
Published: November 2013

Infant mortality is the most widely used indicator of a nation’s health status and is associated with a plethora of maternal and socioeconomic factors. Although the association between young and old maternal age and the risk of infant mortality is well established, the link between paternal age and birth outcomes has received far less attention. This study seeks to examine the added impact of paternal age on infant mortality, above and beyond that of maternal age among married couples. Using the 2002 linked birth and infant death data set ( N = 63,754), hazard odds ratios for the association between combined adolescent and adult maternal and paternal age and the risk of infant mortality were estimated. Maternal demographic characteristics, such as education and race/ethnicity were controlled. The findings indicate that, independent of maternal education and race/ethnicity, adolescent father adds additional risk, above and beyond that of maternal age, only when the mother is older (21-45 years; hazard ratio = 2.7). This study highlights that for married couples, adolescent fathers add to the risk of infant mortality when the mothers are older, providing insight into the role of paternal age in infant mortality. Implications for additional research are discussed.
Tissue engineering in flexor tendon surgery: current state and future advances
Authors: Galvez M. G. , Crowe C. , Farnebo S. , Chang J.
Published: November 2013

Tissue engineering of flexor tendons addresses a challenge often faced by hand surgeons: the restoration of function and improvement of healing with a limited supply of donor tendons. Creating an engineered tendon construct is dependent upon understanding the normal healing mechanisms of the tendon and tendon sheath. The production of a tendon construct includes: creating a three-dimensional scaffold; seeding cells within the scaffold; encouraging cellular growth within the scaffold while maintaining a gliding surface; and finally ensuring mechanical strength. An effective construct incorporates these factors in its design, with the ultimate goal of creating tendon substitutes that are readily available to the reconstructive hand surgeon.
Sarcoidois: is it only a mimicker of primary rheumatic disease? A single center experience
Authors: Kobak Şenol , Sever Fidan , Sivrikoz Oya Nermin , Orman Mehmet
Published: November 2013

Background:

Sarcoidosis is known as a T helper 1 lymphocyte (Th1-Ly) mediated disease which can imitate or sometimes accompany many primary rheumatic diseases. The purpose of this study is to share the clinical, demographic and laboratory data of patients presenting with rheumatologic manifestations and diagnosed with sarcoidosis.

Methods:

A total of 42 patients (10 men) were included in the study. The patients were admitted to the rheumatology outpatient clinic for the first time with different rheumatic complaints between November 2011 and May 2013 and were diagnosed with sarcoidosis after relevant tests. Clinical, demographic, laboratory, radiological and histological data of these patients were collected during the 18-month follow-up period and then analyzed.

Results

Mean patient age was 45.2 years (20–70 years) and mean duration of disease was 3.5 years (1 month–25 years). Evaluation of system and organ involvement revealed that 20 (47.6%) patients had erythema nodosum, 3 (7.1%) had uveitis, 1 (2.3%) had myositis, 1 (2.3%) had neurosarcoidosis, 32 (76.2%) had arthritis and 40 (95.2%) had arthralgia. Of the 32 patients with arthritis, 28 (87.5%) had involvement of the ankle, 3 (9.4%) had involvement of the knee and 1 (3.2%) had involvement of the wrist. No patient had cardiac involvement. Thoracic computed tomography scan showed stage 1, 2, 3 and 4 sarcoidosis in 12 (28.5%), 22 (52.4%), 4 (9.5%) and 4 (9.5%) patients, respectively. Histopathology of sarcoidosis was verified by endobronchial ultrasound, mediastinoscopy and skin and axillary biopsy of lymphadenopathies, which revealed noncaseating granulomas. Laboratory tests showed elevated serum angiotensin-converting enzyme in 15 (35.7%) patients, elevated serum calcium level in 6 (14.2%) patients and elevated serum 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D concentrations in 2 (4.7%) patients. Serological tests showed antinuclear antibody positivity in 12 (28.5%) patients, rheumatoid factor positivity in 7 (16.6%) patients and anticyclic citrullinated antibody positivity in 2 (4.8%) patients.

Conclusion:

Sarcoidosis can imitate or accompany many primary rheumatic diseases. Sarcoidosis should be considered not simply as an imitator but as a primary rheumatic pathology mediated by Th1-Ly. New studies are warranted on this subject.
Kill One to Warn One Hundred
Authors: Cain Geoffrey
Published: November 2013

Recent literature on “soft authoritarianism” has called into question the extent to which policy, rather than personality and patronage, sets the direction of elite politics in the Communist Party of Vietnam (CPV). This strand of thinking argues that the state’s direction toward “reform” is not as coherent as commonly believed, a relevant model for examining the role of the state-owned print and online press as an arm of Vietnam’s post-communist marketization project. It argues that Party leaders, facing a breakdown of consensus across the spectrum of political and business elites, are using the press in an attempt to manage a growing number of voices in the political system, but that reporting on many political and corruption scandals has simply become unmanageable for state leaders. Under this paradigm, policy debates between “reformers” and “conservatives” in Vietnam fall short of explaining press censorship. This semidemocratic concept of the media’s role opens up room for a wider understanding of civil society under transitional regimes in Asia. This paper draws on twenty-nine interviews with Vietnamese journalists, editors, media executives, Vietnamese and foreign journalism trainers, and government officials from 2010 to 2011, as well as an analysis of press coverage and internal newsroom documents.
Viral Inactivation of Human Osteochondral Grafts with Methylene Blue and Light
Authors: Squillace Donna M. , Zhao Zhixing , Call Gazell M. , Gao Jizong , Yao Jian Q.
Published: November 2013

Objective:

Cartilage injury is one of the most common disorders of synovial joints. Fresh osteochondral allografts are becoming a standard treatment; however, they are supply constrained with a potential risk of disease transmission. There are no known virucidal processes available for osteochondral allografts and most methods presently available are detrimental to cartilage. Methylene blue light treatment has been shown to be successful in the literature for viral inactivation of fresh frozen plasma. The purpose of this study was to determine the capacity of methylene blue light treatment to inactivate a panel of clinically relevant viruses inoculated onto osteochondral allografts.

Design:

Osteochondral grafts recovered from human cadaveric knees were inoculated with one of the following viruses: bovine viral diarrhea virus (BVDV), hepatitis A virus (HAV), human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1), porcine parvovirus (PPV), and pseudorabies virus (PrV). The samples were processed through a methylene blue light treatment, which consisted of an initial soak in nonilluminated circulating methylene blue at ambient temperature, followed by light exposure with circulating methylene blue at cool temperatures. The final titer was compared with the recovery control for the viral log reduction.

Results:

HIV-1, BVDV, and PrV were reduced to nondetectable levels while HAV and PPV were reduced by 3.1 and 5.6 logs, respectively.

Conclusions:

The methylene blue light treatment was effective in reducing ( a) enveloped DNA and RNA viruses to nondetectable levels and (b) nonenveloped DNA and RNA viruses of inoculated human osteochondral grafts by 3.1 to 5.6 logs. This study demonstrates the first practical method for significantly reducing viral load in osteochondral implants.
Auditory Processing in Growth-Restricted Fetuses and Newborns and Later Language Development
Authors: Kisilevsky Barbara S. , Chambers Beverly , Parker Kevin C. H. , Davies Gregory A. L.
Published: November 2013

Growth-restricted fetuses and newborns are at increased risk for language deficits, and language impairments have been associated with increased risk for cognitive, social, emotional, and behavioral clinical disorders. Auditory-information processing was examined longitudinally in 167 fetuses in Study 1, 96 of whom were reexamined as newborns in Study 2. In Study 3, language was assessed at 15 months of age for 75 infants from Study 1. Compared with participants who were appropriately grown for gestational age, growth-restricted fetuses showed less sustained response to their mother’s voice; growth-restricted newborns showed less recovery to a novel word after habituation and no preference for their mother’s voice. At 15 months of age, those infants who had been born growth restricted showed expressive-language deficits on Mullen Scales of Early Learning and MacArthur-Bates Communicative Development Inventory subscales. Our results support the hypothesis that fetal growth restriction affects the development of auditory-system functioning and indicate that it may be possible to identify individual fetuses and newborns at risk for language deficits and to intervene early, when the foundation for language is being laid.
Enhancement of interfacial reaction between solid iron and molten tin by mechanical actions
Authors: Kato H. , Husain N. A. B. A. , Senda H. , Kondo Y. , Ming Z.
Published: November 2013

The influences of mechanical actions on interfacial reactions between an iron plate and molten tin were examined. Tensile and compressive stresses up to 100 MPa on the iron plate did not significantly change the thickness of the reaction layer and the corrosion depth of the plate. However, when the iron plate was subjected to repeated rubbing with tungsten and Pb–Sn eutectic alloy wires and when it was immersed in the rotating molten tin, the reaction layer thickness decreased and the corrosion depth of the iron plate increased. From these results, it was concluded that the corrosion of the iron plate in the molten tin was enhanced by repeated rubbing with the solder alloy on the plated iron layer and also by flow of molten solder alloy down the surface of the soldering tip in the soldering process.
Soil bacterial communities shaped by geochemical factors and land use in a less-explored area, Tibetan Plateau
Authors: Guan Xiangyu , Wang Jinfeng , Zhao Hui , Wang Jianjun , Luo Ximing , Liu Fei , Zhao Fangqing
Published: November 2013

Background

As the largest low-latitude permafrost region, the Tibetan Plateau (TP) is an important part of the earth’s terrestrial ecosystem and one of the most vulnerable areas to climate change and human activities. However, to the best of our knowledge, the bacterial communities in TP soils and their roles in biogeochemical cycles remain limited.

Results

In this study, we report the bacterial community structure and function as well as their correlation with environmental factors in TP major ecosystems (farmland, alpine meadow and oligosaline lake) by using metagenomic approaches. Compared with other soil samples in various environments, TP soils share a core set of microorganisms with a distinct abundance and composition. Among TP soil samples, the taxonomic and functional composition of bacterial communities among the upper (3-5 cm) and lower (18-20 cm) soils of farmland sites were highly similar, whereas the dissimilarities within alpine meadow samples were significantly greater than among farmland samples. A similar pattern was observed in elements cycles and pathways associated with adaption to environment and land use types. Canonical correlation analysis revealed that the bacterial communities in most of farmland and alpine meadow soil samples were also significantly correlated with geogenic variables. Specifically, the root-nodule bacteria are negatively correlated with the soil moisture and pH, while Thiobacillus associated with sulfur cycles show potential responses to low temperature and intense UV radiation.

Conclusions

These findings indicate that the bacterial community structure and functions in TP soils were influenced by both human activities and soil environmental properties, and that the bacterial communities appeared to be more homogenized in the farmland soils compared with pristine alpine meadows.
Analysis of localized immune responses reveals presence of Th17 and Treg cells in cutaneous leishmaniasis due to Leishmania tropica
Authors: Katara Gajendra Kumar , Raj Anand , Kumar Rajesh , Avishek Kumar , Kaushal Himanshu , Ansari Nasim Akhtar , Bumb Ram Awatar , Salotra Poonam
Published: November 2013

Purpose

The interaction between the Leishmania parasite and the host cell involves complex, multifaceted processes. The disease severity in cutaneous leishmaniasis (CL) is largely dependent on the causative species. Most of the information on immune responses in human CL is available with respect to L. major infection and is lacking for L. tropica species. In this study, we employed cytokine/chemokine/receptor membrane cDNA array to capture comprehensive picture of immuno-determinants in localized human tissue during L. tropica infection. Expression of selected molecules was evaluated by real time PCR in dermal lesion tissues at pre- and post treatment stages. Plasma IL-17 level was estimated by sandwich ELISA.

Results

The cDNA array analysis identified several immuno-determinants in tissue lesions of Indian CL including cytokines (IFN-γ, TNF-α, IL-1β, IL-10, IL-13), chemokines (IL-8, CCL2, CCL3, CCL4) and apoptotic molecules (Fas, TRAIL, IRF-1). Elevated mRNA levels of Th17 (IL-17, IL-23 and RORγt) and Treg (CD25, CTLA-4 and Foxp3) markers were observed in lesion tissues of CL patients compared to the control group, which subsided post treatment. Plasma IL-17 levels were found to be significantly higher in CL samples compared to controls.

Conclusions

In addition to defining comprehensive immunological responses inside lesion tissues of CL patients, our study demonstrated the presence of Th17 and Treg cells in CL caused by L. tropica.
Novel associations of UDP-glucuronosyltransferase 2B gene variants with prostate cancer risk in a multiethnic study
Authors: Vidal Adriana C , Tucker Cocoa , Schildkraut Joellen M , Richardson Ricardo M , McPhail Megan , Freedland Stephen J , Hoyo Cathrine , Grant Delores J
Published: November 2013

Background

We have previously shown that a functional polymorphism of the UGT2B15 gene (rs1902023) was associated with increased risk of prostate cancer (PC). Novel functional polymorphisms of the UGT2B17 and UGT2B15 genes have been recently characterized by in vitro assays but have not been evaluated in epidemiologic studies.

Methods

Fifteen functional SNPs of the UGT2B17 and UGT2B15 genes, including cis-acting UGT2B gene SNPs, were genotyped in African American and Caucasian men (233 PC cases and 342 controls). Regression models were used to analyze the association between SNPs and PC risk.

Results

After adjusting for race, age and BMI, we found that six UGT2B15 SNPs (rs4148269, rs3100, rs9994887, rs13112099, rs7686914 and rs7696472) were associated with an increased risk of PC in log-additive models (p < 0.05). A SNP cis-acting on UGT2B17 and UGT2B15 expression (rs17147338) was also associated with increased risk of prostate cancer (OR = 1.65, 95% CI = 1.00-2.70); while a stronger association among men with high Gleason sum was observed for SNPs rs4148269 and rs3100.

Conclusions

Although small sample size limits inference, we report novel associations between UGT2B15 and UGT2B17 variants and PC risk. These associations with PC risk in men with high Gleason sum, more frequently found in African American men, support the relevance of genetic differences in the androgen metabolism pathway, which could explain, in part, the high incidence of PC among African American men. Larger studies are required.
Perseverant, non-indicated treatment of obese patients for obstructive lung disease
Authors: Fortis Spyridon , Kittah Joseph , De Aguirre Manuel , Plataki Maria , Wolff Armand , Amoateng-Adjepong Yaw , Manthous Constantine A
Published: November 2013

Background

Bronchodilators are a mainstay of treatment for patients with airflow obstruction. We hypothesized that patients with obesity and no objective documentation of airflow obstruction are inappropriately treated with bronchodilators.

Methods

Spirometric results and medical records of all patients with body mass index >30 kg/m2 who were referred for testing between March 2010 and August 2011 were analyzed.

Results

155 patients with mean age of 52.6 ± (SE)1.1 y and BMI of 38.7 ± 0.7 kg/m2 were studied. Spirometry showed normal respiratory mechanics in 62 (40%), irreversible airflow obstruction in 36 (23.2%), flows suggestive of restriction in 35 (22.6%), reversible obstruction, suggestive of asthma in 11 (7.1%), and mixed pattern (obstructive and restrictive) in 6 (3.9%). Prior to testing, 45.2% (28 of 62) of patients with normal spirometry were being treated with medications for obstructive lung diseases and 33.9% (21 of 62) continued them despite absence of airflow obstruction on spirometry. 60% (21 of 35) of patients with a restrictive pattern in their spirometry received treatment for obstruction prior to spirometry and 51.4% (18 of 35) continued bronchodilator therapy after spirometric testing. There was no independent association of non-indicated treatment with spirometric results, age, BMI, co-morbidities or smoking history. All patients with airflow obstruction on testing who were receiving bronchodilators before spirometry continued to receive them after testing.

Conclusion

A substantial proportion of patients with obesity referred for pulmonary function testing did not have obstructive lung disease, but were treated nonetheless, before and after spirometry demonstrating absence of airway obstruction.
RETRACTED ARTICLE: α-santalol inhibits the angiogenesis and growth of human prostate tumor growth by targeting vascular endothelial growth factor receptor 2-mediated AKT/mTOR/P70S6K signaling pathway
Authors: Saraswati Sarita , Kumar Shakti , Alhaider Abdulqader A
Published: November 2013

Background

VEGF receptor 2 (VEGFR2) inhibitors, as efficient antiangiogenesis agents, have been applied in the cancer treatment. However, recently, most of these anticancer drugs have some adverse effects. Discovery of novel VEGFR2 inhibitors as anticancer drug candidates is still needed.

Methods

We used α-santalol and analyzed its inhibitory effects on human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) and Prostate tumor cells (PC-3 or LNCaP)in vitro. Tumor xenografts in nude mice were used to examine thein vivoactivity of α-santalol.

Results

α-santalol significantly inhibits HUVEC proliferation, migration, invasion, and tube formation. Western blot analysis indicated that α-santalol inhibited VEGF-induced phosphorylation of VEGFR2 kinase and the downstream protein kinases including AKT, ERK, FAK, Src, mTOR, and pS6K in HUVEC, PC-3 and LNCaP cells. α-santalol treatment inhibitedex vivoandin vivoangiogenesis as evident by rat aortic and sponge implant angiogenesis assay. α-santalol significantly reduced the volume and the weight of solid tumors in prostate xenograft mouse model. The antiangiogenic effect by CD31 immunohistochemical staining indicated that α-santalol inhibited tumorigenesis by targeting angiogenesis. Furthermore, α-santalol reduced the cell viability and induced apoptosis in PC-3 cells, which were correlated with the downregulation of AKT, mTOR and P70S6K expressions. Molecular docking simulation indicated that α-santalol form hydrogen bonds and aromatic interactions within the ATP-binding region of the VEGFR2 kinase unit.

Conclusion

α-santalol inhibits angiogenesis by targeting VEGFR2 regulated AKT/mTOR/P70S6K signaling pathway, and could be used as a potential drug candidate for cancer therapy.
Polarizing cytoskeletal tension to induce leader cell formation during collective cell migration
Authors: Rausch Sebastian , Das Tamal , Soiné Jérôme RD , Hofmann Tobias W , Boehm Christian HJ , Schwarz Ulrich S , Boehm Heike , Spatz Joachim P
Published: November 2013

The collective migration of cells is fundamental to epithelial biology. One of the hallmarks of collective behavior in migrating cohesive epithelial cell sheets is the emergence of so called leader cells. These cells exhibit a distinct morphology with a large and highly active lamellipodium. Although it is generally accepted that they play a crucial part in collective migration, the biophysical factors that regulate their formation remain unknown.

Here we show that a geometry-based cue like local variation of curvature of the collective’s perimeter is capable of triggering leader cell formation and promoting enhanced motility at defined positions. Remarkably, the extent of this effect scales with the magnitude of the curvature.

Cytoskeletal tension was found to be important for geometry induced leader cell formation, as cells treated with tension reducing agents appeared less sensitive to local curvature variation. Accordingly, traction force microscopy revealed an increased level of shear stress at highly curved positions even before the cell migration had actually started, indicating the presence of a collective polarization induced by the geometry of the confinement.

Together our findings suggest that high curvature leads to locally increased stress accumulation, mediated via cell-substrate interaction as well as via cytoskeleton tension. The stress accumulation in turn enhances the probability of leader cell formation as well as cell motility. This work defines the importance of geometric cue such as local curvature in the collective migration dynamics of epithelial cells and thus shows implications for the biophysical regulation of epithelium during wound healing, embryonic development, and oncogenesis.
A Schauder fixed point theorem in semilinear spaces and applications
Authors: Agarwal Ravi P , Arshad Sadia , O’Regan Donal , Lupulescu Vasile
Published: November 2013

In this paper we present existence and uniqueness results for a class of fuzzy fractional integral equations. To prove the existence result, we give a variant of the Schauder fixed point theorem in semilinear Banach spaces.

MSC:34A07, 34A08.
Algorithms for treating equilibrium and fixed point problems
Authors: Qin Xiaolong , Cho Sun Young , Wang Lin
Published: November 2013

In this paper, a common solution problem is investigated based on a projection algorithm. Strong convergence theorems for common solutions of a system of equilibrium problems and a family of asymptotically quasi-ϕ-nonexpansive mappings are established in a uniformly smooth and strictly convex Banach space which also enjoys the Kadec-Klee property.
General exponential dichotomies on time scales and parameter dependence of roughness
Authors: Zhang Jimin , Song Yajun , Zhao Zhitao
Published: November 2013

This paper focuses on a new notion called the general exponential dichotomy on time scales, which is more general and contains as special cases most versions of dichotomies on the continuous systems and discrete systems. We establish the existence of parameter dependence of roughness for the general exponential dichotomy on time scales under sufficiently small linear perturbation. Moreover, we also show that the stable and unstable subspaces of general exponential dichotomies for the perturbed system are Lipschitz continuous for the parameters.

MSC:34N05, 34D09.
Combining de novo and reference-guided assembly with scaffold_builder
Authors: Silva Genivaldo GZ , Dutilh Bas E , Matthews T David , Elkins Keri , Schmieder Robert , Dinsdale Elizabeth A , Edwards Robert A
Published: November 2013

Genome sequencing has become routine, however genome assembly still remains a challenge despite the computational advances in the last decade. In particular, the abundance of repeat elements in genomes makes it difficult to assemble them into a single complete sequence. Identical repeats shorter than the average read length can generally be assembled without issue. However, longer repeats such as ribosomal RNA operons cannot be accurately assembled using existing tools. The application Scaffold_builder was designed to generate scaffolds – super contigs of sequences joined by N-bases – based on the similarity to a closely related reference sequence. This is independent of mate-pair information and can be used complementarily for genome assembly, e.g. when mate-pairs are not available or have already been exploited. Scaffold_builder was evaluated using simulated pyrosequencing reads of the bacterial genomes Escherichia coli 042, Lactobacillus salivarius UCC118 and Salmonella enterica subsp. enterica serovar Typhi str. P-stx-12. Moreover, we sequenced two genomes from Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium LT2 G455 and Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium SDT1291 and show that Scaffold_builder decreases the number of contig sequences by 53% while more than doubling their average length. Scaffold_builder is written in Python and is available at http://edwards.sdsu.edu/scaffold_builder. A web-based implementation is additionally provided to allow users to submit a reference genome and a set of contigs to be scaffolded.
Total solids content: a key parameter of metabolic pathways in dry anaerobic digestion
Authors: Motte Jean-Charles , Trably Eric , Escudié Renaud , Hamelin Jérôme , Steyer Jean-Philippe , Bernet Nicolas , Delgenes Jean-Philippe , Dumas Claire
Published: November 2013

Background

In solid-state anaerobic digestion (AD) bioprocesses, hydrolytic and acidogenic microbial metabolisms have not yet been clarified. Since these stages are particularly important for the establishment of the biological reaction, better knowledge could optimize the process performances by process parameters adjustment.

Results

This study demonstrated the effect of total solids (TS) content on microbial fermentation of wheat straw with six different TS contents ranging from wet to dry conditions (10 to 33% TS). Three groups of metabolic behaviors were distinguished based on wheat straw conversion rates with 2,200, 1,600, and 1,400 mmol.kgVS
-1 of fermentative products under wet (10 and 14% TS), dry (19 to 28% TS), and highly dry (28 to 33% TS) conditions, respectively. Furthermore, both wet and dry fermentations showed acetic and butyric acid metabolisms, whereas a mainly butyric acid metabolism occurred in highly dry fermentation.

Conclusion

Substrate conversion was reduced with no changes of the metabolic pathways until a clear limit at 28% TS content, which corresponded to the threshold value of free water content of wheat straw. This study suggested that metabolic pathways present a limit of TS content for high-solid AD.