bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The impact of genetic variants in inflammatory-related genes on prostate cancer risk among men of African Descent: a case control study
Authors: Jones Dominique Z , Ragin Camille , Kidd Nayla C , Flores-Obando Rafael E , Jackson Maria , McFarlane-Anderson Norma , Tulloch-Reid Marshall , Kimbro Kevin S , Kidd LaCreis R
Published: December 2013

Purpose

Although case–control studies have evaluated the role of variant inflammatory-related loci in prostate cancer, their impact is virtually unknown among men of African descent. To address this, we evaluated the impact of inflammatory cytokine single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) on prostate cancer risk for men of African descent.

Methods

Forty-four SNPs in inflammatory cytokine-associated genes were evaluated among 814 African-American and Jamaican men (279 prostate cancer cases and 535 controls) using Illumina’s Golden gate genotyping system. Individual SNP effects were evaluated using logistic regression analysis.

Results

Four SNPs were modestly associated with prostate cancer after adjusting for age. In the total population, inheritance of the IL1R2 rs11886877 AA, IL8RB rs11574752 AA, TNF rs1800629 GA + AA, and TNF rs673 GA genotypes modestly increased prostate cancer risk by 1.45 to 11.7-fold relative to the referent genotype. Among U.S. men, age-adjusted dominant, recessive and additive genetic models for the IL1R2 rs11886877 locus were linked to an increase in prostate cancer susceptibility. However, these main effects did not persist after adjusting for multiple hypothesis testing.

Conclusion

Our preliminary data does not strongly support the hypothesis that inflammatory-related sequence variants influence prostate cancer risk among men of African descent. However, further evaluation is needed to assess whether other variant inflammatory-related genes may contribute to prostate cancer risk and disease progression in larger and ethnically diverse multi-center studies.
Acidosis induces reprogramming of cellular metabolism to mitigate oxidative stress
Authors: LaMonte Gregory , Tang Xiaohu , Chen Julia Ling-Yu , Wu Jianli , Ding Chien-Kuang Cornelia , Keenan Melissa M , Sangokoya Carolyn , Kung Hsiu-Ni , Ilkayeva Olga , Boros László G , Newgard Christopher B , Chi Jen-Tsan
Published: December 2013

Background

A variety of oncogenic and environmental factors alter tumor metabolism to serve the distinct cellular biosynthetic and bioenergetic needs present during oncogenesis. Extracellular acidosis is a common microenvironmental stress in solid tumors, but little is known about its metabolic influence, particularly when present in the absence of hypoxia. In order to characterize the extent of tumor cell metabolic adaptations to acidosis, we employed stable isotope tracers to examine how acidosis impacts glucose, glutamine, and palmitate metabolism in breast cancer cells exposed to extracellular acidosis.

Results

Acidosis increased both glutaminolysis and fatty acid β-oxidation, which contribute metabolic intermediates to drive the tricarboxylic acid cycle (TCA cycle) and ATP generation. Acidosis also led to a decoupling of glutaminolysis and novel glutathione (GSH) synthesis by repressingGCLC/GCLMexpression. We further found that acidosis redirects glucose away from lactate production and towards the oxidative branch of the pentose phosphate pathway (PPP). These changes all serve to increase nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate (NADPH) production and counter the increase in reactive oxygen species (ROS) present under acidosis. The reduced novel GSH synthesis under acidosis may explain the increased demand for NADPH to recycle existing pools of GSH. Interestingly, acidosis also disconnected novel ribose synthesis from the oxidative PPP, seemingly to reroute PPP metabolites to the TCA cycle. Finally, we found that acidosis activates p53, which contributes to both the enhanced PPP and increased glutaminolysis, at least in part, through the induction ofG6PDandGLS2genes.

Conclusions

Acidosis alters the cellular metabolism of several major metabolites, which induces a significant degree of metabolic inflexibility. Cells exposed to acidosis largely rely upon mitochondrial metabolism for energy generation to the extent that metabolic intermediates are redirected away from several other critical metabolic processes, including ribose and glutathione synthesis. These alterations lead to both a decrease in cellular proliferation and increased sensitivity to ROS. Collectively, these data reveal a role for p53 in cellular metabolic reprogramming under acidosis, in order to permit increased bioenergetic capacity and ROS neutralization. Understanding the metabolic adaptations that cancer cells make under acidosis may present opportunities to generate anti-tumor therapeutic agents that are more tumor-specific.
Informality and exclusion: evidence from matched employer-employee data for Lebanon and Syria
Authors: Alloush Mohamad , Chartouni Carole , Gatti Roberta , Silva Joana
Published: December 2013

Informality, measured as the share of the employed who do not have access to social security, is high in Lebanon and the Syrian Arab Republic. This paper uses new data from the 2010 Lebanon and Syria matched employer-employee surveys, which include modules that directly test for ability (Raven’s progressive matrices) and self-reported personality characteristics in addition to a detailed section on job quality. The analysis of differentials in earning, self-reported attitudes toward jobs, working conditions, and self-rated satisfaction across formal and informal jobs shows that, even after controlling for measured ability and personality traits, there is a significant formality premium. Moreover, in Lebanon, informal workers are significantly more likely than formal workers to want to change jobs. These findings suggest that much of the observed informality in these two countries might not be due to individual choice but more likely to exclusion from formal markets.

JEL codes

H53, H55, J23, J24, J31, J32, J42, J71, J81, K31, M51, O53
“A Tattling Town Like Windsor”: Negotiating Proper Relations in Frances Burney’s Early Court Journals and Letters (1786-87)
Authors: Skinner Gillian
Published: December 2013

The idea that Burney features in her own journals and letters as a novelistic heroine is something that readers over the years have noted and attributed variously to straightforward egotism or to a need for compensation. In this article, I read narrative performances Burney produced in her journals for 1786 and 1787, some of which are made widely available for the first time in the new edition of the court journals, not as egotistical or compensatory, but rather as evidence of the dilemmas Burney felt she had to deal with as a single woman in a particular context, dilemmas that, rather than fueling escapist fantasy, allowed her to reflect on practical problems of conduct. In particular, to see her concern about the nature of her relationships with male courtiers as evidence of compensation is to overlook its material importance to a woman of Burney’s rank, upbringing, and temperament. A close reading of her accounts of her encounters with the Reverend Charles de Guiffardière, reader to the queen, reveals Burney’s anxious internal negotiations with the requirements of propriety and her understandable fear of rumor and gossip in “a tattling Town like Windsor.” Such negotiations are, of course, entirely typical of her own heroines, and they did not help Burney to protect herself from reality or allow her to indulge a fantasy of being the cynosure of all eyes. Rather, both she and her heroines address questions about how women were to navigate through life, the court being an especially challenging and unfamiliar environment through which to navigate.
Walmart, Financialization, and the Cultural Politics of Securitization
Authors: Haiven Max
Published: December 2013

Walmart is not only the world's single largest retailer and private employer, it is also a crystallization and an agent of a broader paradigm shift toward “securitization”: the convergence of financial and security-oriented logics of risk management. This paper examines the way Walmart mobilizes and manipulates risk to cultivate profit and power and to transform the social and cultural politics within its orbit. Walmart emblematizes and advances capitalist securitization and offers a “risk-free” consumer space as a refuge in an uncertain world, yet it ultimately contributes to a world of systemic insecurity and economic anxiety.
Temporary, Emergent Interorganizational Collaboration in Unexpected Circumstances: A Study of theColumbiaSpace Shuttle Response Effort
Authors: Beck Tammy E. , Plowman Donde Ashmos
Published: December 2013

In an inductive case study of the Columbia space shuttle disaster response effort, we use observations, archival records, and in-depth interviews with representatives from several responding agencies to explore factors that facilitated this interorganizational collaboration. The Columbia response effort defies conventional theories of collaboration. Relative strangers from dissimilar agencies, without a designated leader or existing structure, quickly collaborated across organizational boundaries on an unprecedented and complex undertaking. We explain how four organizing actions enabled self-organizing and the two-staged development of trust and identity, ultimately leading to a successful unplanned collaboration. We rely on tenets of complexity theory to orient our case study and to propose a grounded theory of temporary, emergent interorganizational collaboration.
Application of Hypothetical Cathepsin-like Protein from Nematostella vectensis and Its Mutant Silicatein-like Cathepsin for Biosilica Production
Authors: Ki Mi-Ran , Min Ki Ha , Pack Seung Pil
Published: December 2013

Silicatein is general catalyst for synthesis of silica structure in siliceous sponges. However, the advent of biomimetic silicification by this recombinant version is limited by its poor yield. To overcome this limitation, we employed a cathepsin L as an alternative to silicatein. Cathepsin L has high sequence identity and similarity with silicatein alpha except cysteine other than serine residues at the active site. Here, we expressed recombinant hypothetical cathepsin-like protein (CAT) from Nematostella vectensis, displaying not only protease activity but also silica condensing activity. To increase the silica forming activity, some residues including cysteine in active site were changed into silicatein conserved residues. The mutant silicatein-like cathepsin (SLC) revealed increased protein stability in comparison with that of CAT when expressed in E. coli. The silica forming activity of SLC was comparable to that of SIL. SLC produced silica particles of size less than 50 nm which were increased to 200∼300 nm in the presence of a structure-directing agent, Triton X-100. Protein immobilization by SLC-mediated silicification was performed using bovine carbonic anhydrase under ambient conditions. Immobilized protein retained its enzymatic activity for a longer time and was reused up to several times. In conclusion, CAT from Nematostella vectensis was evolved to a more soluble and available biosilica forming protein that can be applied for various silica-based materials.
First Evidence of Singlet Oxygen Species Mechanism in Silicate Clay for Antimicrobial Behavior
Authors: Wei Jiun-Chiou , Wang Yi-Ting , Lin Jiang-Jen
Published: December 2013

Thin silicate nanoplatelets, derived from the exfoliation of natural Sodium montmorillonite (Na+-MMT) clays, show an unexpected antimicrobial property. A physical trapping mechanism has been proposed because the clay nanoplatelets can indiscriminately inhibit the growth of a broad spectrum of bacteria, including drug-resistant species such as methicillin-resistance S. aureus (MRSA) and silver ion-resistant E. coli. The ability to generate singlet oxygen species was first observed for the clay platelets that showed a high-aspect-ratio geometric shape and the presence of surface ionic charges. By comparison, the pristine clay with a multilayered structure failed to generate any singlet oxygen species. The ability to emit singlet oxygen species provides direct evidence for the antimicrobial ability of clay through a non-chemical mechanism, which opens the potential for medical use.
Relationship between grain size and the degrees of orientation in a twinned ErBa2Cu3Oy superconductor oriented in modulated rotating magnetic fields
Authors: Horii Shigeru , Okuhira Shota , Yamaki Momoko , Haruta Masakazu , Shimoyama Jun-ichi
Published: December 2013

We report the dependences of the degrees of tri- or bi-axial orientation on strength of applied magnetic fields of modulated rotating field (MRF) for twinned ErBa2Cu3Oy (Er123) powder samples oriented in epoxy resin under various MRF conditions. Introduction of a pulverization process in the Er123 powders improved the degrees of inplane orientations, and is effective for enhancing the inplane magnetic anisotropy of Er123 grains with twin microstructure. Formation of inhomogeneous domain structure is a dominant factor of the enhancement, and the present study indicates possibility of tri- or bi-axial orientation of the twinned Er123 grains even under relatively low MRF conditions around 1 T.
Catalytic Activity of Ceria-Based Complex Metal Oxides in Alkaline and Acidic Environments
Authors: Schrandt Matthew C , Kolla Praveen , Smirnova A.
Published: December 2013

Pt catalysts are the leading catalysts for use in ORR. However, Pt is an expensive catalyst and with limited supply can not be considered a sustainable material for feasible application that is scalable in the economy. This calls for new solutions for catalyst materials that either mitigate the amount of Pt used in catalysts by developing hybrid catalysts, or to replace Pt altogether with a material with similar or better catalytic activity. Perovskite LSCF and Fluorite GDC materials with proven catalytic activity in solid oxide fuel cells are herein explored for their catalytic reduction of oxygen for use at low temperatures. Since the materials lack electronic conductivity at low temperatures, we have improved their conductivity with graphene. The resulting materials are compared to Pt in their ORR catalytic capabilities and electronic conductivity.
Breakdown in ALD-processed oxide based thin film structures
Authors: Spahr Holger , Bülow Tim , Nowak Christine , Hirschberg Felix , Reinker Johannes , Hamwi Sami , Johannes Hans-Hermann , Kowalsky Wolfgang
Published: December 2013

We report on the continuous increase of the breakdown electric field, also known as disruptive strength, of an ultra thin layer based on Al2O3 prepared by atomic layer deposition (ALD) by reducing its thickness from 90 nm down to 3 nm. By calculating the disruptive strength for lower thicknesses, we demonstrate that our observations are in agreement with recent reports. Additionally, the disruptive strength increases to lower thicknesses as the pinhole density rises. The pinholes, referred to as morphological defects, are detected by Cu electroplating and result in a lower permittivity of the dielectric. As a conclusion, the dielectric breakdown is predominantly attributed to intrinsic, meaning stoichiometric defects. Thus, morphological defects, consisting of pinholes generated by agglomerative growth of the dielectric, surprisingly do not have a negative influence on the dielectric breakdown of ALD-processed ultra thin dielectric layers.
Contact Resistance Study of Pt, Ni and Au on La0.7Sr0.3MnO3 (LSMO)/Si for Heterojunction Device Applications
Authors: Nori Rajashree , Kumbhare Pankaj , Paramahans Prashanth , Kale S. N. , Pinto R. , Rao V. Ramgopal
Published: December 2013

Achieving low resistance ohmic contacts for heavily doped devices is critical towards ensuring that contact resistance does not dominate the device performance. Here, we report contact resistance studies done on Pt/LSMO, Ni/LSMO and Au/LSMO metal-semiconductor interfaces. Phase-pure LSMO thin films deposited on n+ Si substrates were lithographically patterned and metallized to produce circular transfer length method (CTLM) based specific contact resistivity (ρc) and transfer length (LT) evaluation structures. Based on the electrical performance, interfacial reactivity and mechanical stability of the three metal junctions, the lowest ρc and LT metal for LSMO films on Si is identified for device applications.
Plant and microbial responses to nitrogen and phosphorus addition across an elevational gradient in subarctic tundra
Authors: Sundqvist Maja K. , Liu Zhanfeng , Giesler Reiner , Wardle David A.
Published: December 2013

Temperature and nutrients are major limiting factors in subarctic tundra. Experimental manipulation of nutrient availability along elevational gradients (and thus temperature) can improve our understanding of ecological responses to climate change. However, no study to date has explored impacts of nutrient addition along a tundra elevational gradient, or across contrasting vegetation types along any elevational gradient. We set up a full factorial nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) fertilization experiment in each of two vegetation types (heath and meadow) at 500 m, 800 m, and 1000 m elevation in northern Swedish tundra. We predicted that plant and microbial communities in heath or at lower elevations would be more responsive to N addition while communities in meadow or at higher elevations would be more responsive to P addition, and that fertilizer effects would vary more with elevation for the heath than for the meadow. Although our results provided little support for these predictions, the relationship between nutrient limitation and elevation differed between vegetation types. Most plant and microbial properties were responsive to N and/or P fertilization, but responses often varied with elevation and/or vegetation type. For instance, vegetation density significantly increased with N + P fertilization relative to the other fertilizer treatments, and this increase was greatest at the lowest elevation for the heath but at the highest elevation for the meadow. Arbuscular mycorrhizae decreased with P fertilization at 500 m for the meadow, but with all fertilizer treatments in both vegetation types at 800 m. Fungal to bacterial ratios were enhanced by N + P fertilization for the two highest elevations in the meadow only. Additionally, microbial responses to fertilization were primarily direct rather than indirect via plant responses, pointing to a decoupled response of plant and microbial communities to nutrient addition and elevation. Because our study shows how two community types differ in their responses to fertilization and elevation, and because the temperature range across this gradient is ∼3°C, our study is informative about how nutrient limitation in tundra may be influenced by temperature shifts that are comparable to those expected under climate change during this century.
Long‐term resilience of above‐ and belowground ecosystem components among contrasting ecosystems
Authors: Wardle David A. , Jonsson Micael
Published: December 2013

While several studies have explored how short‐term ecological responses to disturbance vary among ecosystems, experimental studies of how contrasting ecosystems recover from disturbance in the longer term are few. We performed a simple long‐term experiment on each of 30 contrasting forested islands in northern Sweden that vary in size; as size decreases, time since fire increases, soil fertility and ecosystem productivity declines, and plant species diversity increases. We predicted that resilience of understory plant community properties would be greatest on the larger, more productive islands, and that this would be paralleled by greater resilience of soil biotic and abiotic properties. For each island, we applied three disturbance treatments of increasing intensity to the forest understory once in 1998, i.e., light trimming, heavy trimming, and burning; a fourth treatment was an undisturbed control. We measured recovery of the understory vascular plant community annually over the following 14 years, and at that time also assessed recovery of mosses and several belowground variables. Consistent with our predictions, vascular plant whole‐community variables (total cover, species richness, diversity [Shannon's H′], and community composition) recovered significantly more slowly on the smaller (least fertile) than the larger islands, but this difference was not substantial, and only noticeable in the most severely disturbed treatment. When an index of resilience was used, we were unable to detect effects of island size on the recovery of any property. We found that mosses and one shrub species (Empetrum hermaphroditum) recovered particularly slowly, and the higher abundance of this shrub on small islands was sufficient to explain any slower recovery of whole‐ecosystem variables on those islands. Further, several belowground variables had not fully recovered from the most intense disturbance after 14 yr, and counter to our predictions, the degree of their recovery was never influenced by island size. While several studies have shown large variation among plant communities in their short‐term response (notably resistance) to environmental perturbations, our results reveal that when perturbations are applied equally to highly contrasting ecosystems, differences in resilience among them in the longer term can be relatively minor, regardless of the severity of disturbance.
ZBTB16 Induces Osteogenic Differentiation Marker Genes in Dental Follicle Cells Independent From RUNX2
Authors: Felthaus Oliver , Gosau Martin , Morsczeck Christian
Published: December 2013

Background: Dental follicle cells (DFCs) are neural crest cell–derived cells and the genuine precursor cells of cementoblast and alveolar osteoblasts. After osteogenic differentiation, expression levels of the transcription factor zinc factor and BTB domain containing 16 (ZBTB16) were significantly increased. ZBTB16 is associated with the process of osteogenic differentiation in bone marrow–derived mesenchymal stem cells and crucial for the expression of the osteogenic transcription factor runt‐related transcription factor 2 (RUNX2). It is proposed that ZBTB16 plays also a crucial role for the differentiation of DFCs into osteoblasts.

Methods: In this study, the differentiation of DFCs by alkaline phosphatase (ALP) activity measurement, alizarin red staining, and electron‐dispersive x‐ray spectrometry (EDX) analysis is investigated. The expression of ZBTB16 during osteogenic differentiation and the expression of osteogenic differentiation markers were assessed by real‐time reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction. Glucocorticoid stimulation was inhibited using RU486 (11β‐[p‐(Dimethylamino)phenyl]‐17β‐hydroxy‐17‐(1‐propynyl)estra‐4,9‐dien‐3‐one), and ZBTB16 was overexpressed via transient transfection of an expression vector.

Results: After the initiation of osteogenic differentiation, ZBTB16 levels were increased highly in DFCs, whereas RUNX2 was expressed constitutively only. An EDX analysis verified the differentiation of DFCs into osteoblast‐like cells because clusters of mineralization consisted of hydroxyapatite. ZBTB16 induced the expression of nuclear receptor subfamily 4, group A, member 3; osteocalcin; and stanniocalcin 1 (STC1) but not of RUNX2 and ALP in DFCs. STC1 was upregulated in DFCs downstream of ZBTB16 and after the osteogenic differentiation. The overexpression of STC1 in DFCs increased the expression of ZBTB16 and specific markers for biomineralization.

Conclusions: The present study shows that ZBTB16 induced the expression of osteogenic differentiation markers independently of RUNX2. Moreover, STC1 is a new candidate for the evaluation of late mechanisms of osteogenic differentiation downstream of ZBTB16.
Lively Entanglements: The Doings, Movements and Enactments of Photography
Authors: Kind Sylvia
Published: December 2013

Working with a camera means engaging with an already troubled material and photography's history of voyeurism, othering, and violence. The language and conventions of photography tend to emphasize images that are ‘captured’ and a gaze that objectifies. However, in discussing a photography project that took place over several months at a Canadian early childhood center, this article explores what it might mean not to erase the camera's voyeuristic gaze and photography's colonial histories, but to play with them. In improvising with the camera we engage in a world, not of subjects and objects, binaries of perceiver and perceived, but rather various materialities, material relations, compositions, intra-actions and lively entanglements.
A quantum version of the classical Szilard engine
Authors: Bracken Paul
Published: December 2013

A reinvention of the classical Maxwel demon was proposed by Szilard around the time quantum mechanics was developed. His model continues to attract great interest, especially quantum versions of it. A quantum formulation of the Szilard engine is introduced and investigated here. It is made to operate through specified cycles in such a way that all thermodynamic quantities which pertain to the system can be evaluated exactly in closed form along each sequence of steps through a cycle. It is shown that as a result of the structure of the model, it is possible to calculate and compare various thermodynamic quantities as the engine proceeds around a well defined specific cycle.
CD44 and CD24 cannot act as cancer stem cell markers in human lung adenocarcinoma cell line A549
Authors: Roudi Raheleh , Madjd Zahra , Ebrahimi Marzieh , Samani Fazel , Samadikuchaksaraei Ali
Published: December 2013

Cancer stem cells (CSCs) are subpopulations of tumor cells that are responsible for tumor initiation, maintenance and metastasis. Recent studies suggested that lung cancer arises from CSCs. In this study, the expression of potential CSC markers in cell line A549 was evaluated. We applied flow cytometry to assess the expression of putative stem cell markers, including aldehyde dehydrogenase 1 (ALDH1), CD24, CD44, CD133 and ABCG2. Cells were then sorted according to the expression of CD44 and CD24 markers by fluorescence-activated cell sorting (FACS) Aria II and characterized using their clonogenic and sphere-forming capacity. A549 cells expressed the CSC markers CD44 and CD24 at 68.16% and 54.46%, respectively. The expression of the putative CSC marker ALDH1 was 4.20%, whereas the expression of ABCG2 and CD133 was 0.93%. Double-positive CD44/133 populations were rare. CD44+/24+ and CD44+/CD24−/low subpopulations respectively exhibited 64% and 27.92% expression. The colony-forming potentials in the CD44+/CD24+ and CD44+/CD24−/low subpopulations were 84.37 ± 2.86% and 90 ± 3.06%, respectively, while the parental A549 cells yielded 56.65 ± 2.33% using the colony-formation assay. Both isolated subpopulations formed spheres in serumfree medium supplemented with basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF) and epidermal growth factor (EGF). CD44 and CD24 cannot be considered potential markers for isolating lung CSCs in cell line A549, but further investigation using in vivo assays is required.
Effect of sintering temperature on the magnetic properties and charge density distribution of nano-NiO
Authors: Saravanakumar Subramanian , Saravanan Ramachandran , Sasikumar Subramanian
Published: December 2013

Phase pure nano nickel oxide was synthesized by the chemical precipitation method and sintered at 200°C, 400°C and 600°C, respectively, to study the effect of sintering on the charge distribution and magnetism. The samples were analyzed by X-ray diffraction for electron density distribution studies, vibrating sample magnetometry for magnetic behavior and by UV-VIS spectrophotometry for optical characteristics. Rearrangement of charge density distribution with respect to sintering temperature was analyzed through the maximum entropy method employed using powder X-ray diffraction data. The observed magnetic transition with respect to the temperature/size effect was analyzed and correlated with electron density distribution studies.
Effect of extraction method on phenolic content and antioxidant activity of mistletoe extracts from Viscum album subsp. abietis
Authors: Pietrzak Wioleta , Nowak Renata , Olech Marta
Published: December 2013

The total content of polyphenols and flavonoids determined in the same plant and their corresponding antioxidant activities may vary widely, depending on the extraction conditions applied. This study was conducted to optimise the extraction conditions of phenolics and flavonoids from the mistletoe plant. Various extraction methods, i.e. ultrasound-assisted extraction technology, maceration, maceration with stirring, accelerated solvent extraction (ASE), and extraction under reflux were evaluated for their percentage extraction of polyphenols (TPC) and flavonoids (TFC) from Viscum album subsp. abietis. In addition, the anti-radical activity of extracts was analysed using the 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl method. The effects of temperature, solvent type, and concentration on the phenolic extraction efficiency and antioxidant activity were studied using chemometric and statistical methods. The results showed that the extracts of V. album subsp. abietis contained large amounts of polyphenols and flavonoids (up to 57.673 mg g−1 and 9.955 mg g−1 of dry extract, respectively) and exhibited potent antioxidant activity, hence representing promising sources of powerful antioxidants. Due to its high extraction efficiency and considerable saving of time and solvent, ASE was more effective than the other extraction techniques. Extracts prepared with water-polar solvent mixtures displayed the highest TPC, TFC, and antioxidant activity, while organic polar solvents were the least efficient extractants.
Invariant Natural Killer T Cells
Authors: Cianferoni Antonella
Published: December 2013

Invariant Natural killer T cell (iNKT cells) are a subset of T cells, which are narrowly defined as a T cell lineage expressing a semi-invariant CD1d-restricted T cell Receptors (TCRs) composed by Vα24-Jα18/Vβ11 in human, and Vα14-Jα18/Vβ8,Vβ7, and Vβ2 in mouse. Unlike conventional T cells which recognize peptides bound to highly polymorphic major histocompatibility complex (MHC) class I and II molecules, iNKT cells recognize lipid antigens, such as glycolipids, presented by CD1d, a non-polymorphic non-classical MHC class I molecule. Lipids derived from microbes, tumors, and allergens, as well as self lipids have been shown to be able to activate iNKT cells. Early on, in an immune response, ligation of the iNKT cell TCR leads to rapid and copious secretion of prototypical Th1 and Th2 cytokines. Moreover, like NK cells, iNKT cells express cytotoxic granules, such as perforin and granzyme that polarize upon activation of TCR and are able to kill target cells. Therefore iNKT cells are a very interesting subset of T cells that may bridge the innate and adaptive immune systems. Indeed, iNKT cells can mount specific responses to antigen with cytokine production and cytotoxic activity, however, their TCR evolved to recognize different glycolipid antigens in a conserved manner and to perform innate-like rather than adaptive functions. iNKT cells are now recognized as important players in atopic, autoimmune, infectious diseases, and cancer.
Business Decision-Making Using Geospatial Data: A Research Framework and Literature Review
Authors: Erskine Michael , Gregg Dawn , Karimi Jahangir , Scott Judy
Published: December 2013

Organizations that leverage their increasing volume of geospatial data have the potential to enhance their strategic and organizational decisions. However, literature describing the best techniques to make decisions using geospatial data and the best approaches to take advantage of geospatial data’s unique visualization capabilities is limited. This paper reviews the use of geospatial visualization and its effects on decision performance, which is one of the many components of decision-making when using geospatial data. Additionally, this paper proposes a comprehensive model allowing researchers to better understand decision-making using geospatial data and provides a robust foundation for future research. Finally, this paper makes an argument for further research of information-presentation, task-characteristics, user-characteristics and their effects on decision-performance when utilizing geospatial data.
Modeling Melanoma In Vitro and In Vivo
Authors: Beaumont Kimberley , Mohana-Kumaran Nethia , Haass Nikolas
Published: December 2013

The behavior of melanoma cells has traditionally been studied in vitro in two-dimensional cell culture with cells adhering to plastic dishes. However, in order to mimic the three-dimensional architecture of a melanoma, as well as its interactions with the tumor microenvironment, there has been the need for more physiologically relevant models. This has been achieved by designing 3D in vitro models of melanoma, such as melanoma spheroids embedded in extracellular matrix or organotypic skin reconstructs. In vivo melanoma models have typically relied on the growth of tumor xenografts in immunocompromised mice. Several genetically engineered mouse models have now been developed which allow the generation of spontaneous melanoma. Melanoma models have also been established in other species such as zebrafish, which are more conducive to imaging and high throughput studies. We will discuss these models as well as novel techniques that are relevant to the study of the molecular mechanisms underlying melanoma progression.
Residential Mobility and Breast Cancer in Marin County, California, USA
Authors: Jacquez Geoffrey , Barlow Janice , Rommel Robert , Kaufmann Andy , Rienti Michael , AvRuskin Gillian , Rasul Jawaid
Published: December 2013

Marin County (California, USA) has among the highest incidences of breast cancer in the U.S. A previously conducted case-control study found eight significant risk factors in participants enrolled from 1997–1999. These included being premenopausal, never using birth control pills, lower highest lifetime body mass index, having four or more mammograms from 1990–1994, beginning drinking alcohol after age 21, drinking an average two or more alcoholic drinks per day, being in the highest quartile of pack-years of cigarette smoking, and being raised in an organized religion. Previously conducted surveys provided residential histories; while statistic accounted for participants’ residential mobility, and assessed clustering of breast cancer cases relative to controls based on the known risk factors. These identified specific cases, places, and times of excess breast cancer risk. Analysis found significant global clustering of cases localized to specific residential histories and times. Much of the observed clustering occurred among participants who immigrated to Marin County. However, persistent case-clustering of greater than fifteen years duration was also detected. Significant case-clustering among long-term residents may indicate geographically localized risk factors not accounted for in the study design, as well as uncertainty and incompleteness in the acquired addresses. Other plausible explanations include environmental risk factors and cases tending to settle in specific areas. A biologically plausible exposure or risk factor has yet to be identified.
Spatio-Temporal Distribution and Hotspots of Hand, Foot and Mouth Disease (HFMD) in Northern Thailand
Authors: Samphutthanon Ratchaphon , Tripathi Nitin , Ninsawat Sarawut , Duboz Raphael
Published: December 2013

Hand, Foot and Mouth Disease (HFMD) is an emerging viral disease, and at present, there are no antiviral drugs or vaccines available to control it. Outbreaks have persisted for the past 10 years, particularly in northern Thailand. This study aimed to elucidate the phenomenon of HFMD outbreaks from 2003 to 2012 using general statistics and spatial-temporal analysis employing a GIS-based method. The spatial analysis examined data at the village level to create a map representing the distribution pattern, mean center, standard deviation ellipse and hotspots for each outbreak. A temporal analysis was used to analyze the correlation between monthly case data and meteorological factors. The results indicate that the disease can occur at any time of the year, but appears to peak in the rainy and cold seasons. The distribution of outbreaks exhibited a clustered pattern. Most mean centers and standard deviation ellipses occurred in similar areas. The linear directional mean values of the outbreaks were oriented toward the south. When separated by season, it was found that there was a significant correlation with the direction of the southwest monsoon at the same time. An autocorrelation analysis revealed that hotspots tended to increase even when patient cases subsided. In particular, a new hotspot was found in the recent year in Mae Hong Son province.
Advanced Glycation End Product-Induced Astrocytic Differentiation of Cultured Neurospheres through Inhibition of Notch-Hes1 Pathway-Mediated Neurogenesis
Authors: Guo Yijing , Wang Pin , Sun Haixia , Cai Rongrong , Xia Wenqing , Wang Shaohua
Published: December 2013

This study aims to investigate the roles of the Notch-Hes1 pathway in the advanced glycation end product (AGE)-mediated differentiation of neural stem cells (NSCs). We prepared pLentiLox3.7 lentiviral vectors that express short hairpin RNA (shRNA) against Notch1 and transfected it into NSCs. Cell differentiation was analyzed under confocal laser-scanning microscopy. The percentage of neurons and astrocytes was quantified by normalizing the total number of TUJ1+ (Neuron-specific class III β-tubulin) and GFAP+ (Glial fibrillary acidic protein) cells to the total number of Hoechst 33342-labeled cell nuclei. The protein and gene expression of Notch-Hes1 pathway components was examined via western blot analysis and real-time PCR. After 1 week of incubation, we found that AGE-bovine serum albumin (BSA) (400 μg/mL) induced the astrocytic differentiation of cultured neurospheres and inhibited neuronal formation. The expression of Notch-Hes1 pathway components was upregulated in the cells in the AGE-BSA culture medium. Immunoblot analysis indicated that shRNA silencing of Notch1 expression in NSCs significantly increases neurogenesis and suppresses astrocytic differentiation in NSCs incubated with AGE-BSA. AGEs promote the astrocytic differentiation of cultured neurospheres by inhibiting neurogenesis through the Notch-Hes1 pathway, providing a potential therapeutic target for hyperglycemia-related cognitive deficits.
Asymmetric Synthesis of 4,1-Benzoxazepine-2,5-Diones — Effect of the Halogen of (2S)-α-Haloacids
Authors: Rubab Syeda , Nisar Bushra , Raza Abdul , Ullah Nisar , Tahir Muhammad
Published: December 2013

Novel chiral 4,1-benzoxazepine-2,5-diones have been unusually synthesized in a single step by exploiting the chiral pool methodology. Substituted anthranilic acids afford N-acylanthranilic acids and (3R)-3-alkyl-4,1-benzoxazepines-2,5-dione upon coupling with α-chloroacids or α-bromoacids, respectively.
Integrated Cantilever-Based Flow Sensors with Tunable Sensitivity for In-Line Monitoring of Flow Fluctuations in Microfluidic Systems
Authors: Noeth Nadine , Keller Stephan , Boisen Anja
Published: December 2013

For devices such as bio-/chemical sensors in microfluidic systems, flow fluctuations result in noise in the sensor output. Here, we demonstrate in-line monitoring of flow fluctuations with a cantilever-like sensor integrated in a microfluidic channel. The cantilevers are fabricated in different materials (SU-8 and SiN) and with different thicknesses. The integration of arrays of holes with different hole size and number of holes allows the modification of device sensitivity, theoretical detection limit and measurement range. For an average flow in the microliter range, the cantilever deflection is directly proportional to the flow rate fluctuations in the microfluidic channel. The SiN cantilevers show a detection limit below 1 nL/min and the thinnest SU-8 cantilevers a detection limit below 5 nL/min. Finally, the sensor is applied for in-line monitoring of flow fluctuations generated by external pumps connected to the microfluidic system.
Exosomal ITGA3 interferes with non‐cancerous prostate cell functions and is increased in urine exosomes of metastatic prostate cancer patients
Authors: Bijnsdorp Irene V. , Geldof Albert A. , Lavaei Mehrdad , Piersma Sander R. , van Moorselaar R. Jeroen A. , Jimenez Connie R.
Published: December 2013

Background

Cancer cells are able to change the protein expression and behavior of non‐cancerous surrounding cells. Exosomes, secreted by prostate cancer (PCa) cells, may have a functional role in cancer metastasis and present a promising source for protein biomarkers. The aim of the present study was to identify which proteins in exosomes can influence non‐cancerous cells, and to determine whether we can use urine exosomal proteins to identify high‐risk PCa patients.

Method

Exosomes were isolated by ultracentrifugation. Migration and invasion were studied by the transwell (invasion) assay. Proteomics was performed by LC‐MS/MS and identified proteins were validated by Western blotting. Cellular uptake of fluorescent labeled PKH67‐exosomes was measured by FACS.

Results

Based on comparative protein profiling by mass spectrometry‐based proteomics of LNCaP‐ and PC3‐exosomes, we selected ITGA3 and ITGB1, involved in migration/invasion, for further analyses. Inhibition of exosomal ITGA3 reduced the migration and invasion of non‐cancerous prostate epithelial cells (prEC) almost completely. Cellular uptake of exosomes by prEC was higher with PC3‐exosomes compared to LNCaP exosomes. Finally, ITGA3 and ITGB1 were more abundant in urine exosomes of metastatic patients (p<0.05), compared to benign prostate hyperplasia or PCa.

Conclusion

These data indicate exosomal ITGA3 and ITGB1 may play a role in manipulating non‐cancerous surrounding cells and that measurement of ITGA3 and ITGB1 in urine exosomes has the potential to identify patients with metastatic PCa in a non‐invasive manner.
Study of creep behavior of a calcarenite: San Julián´s stone (Alicante)
Authors: Brotóns V. , Ivorra S. , Martínez-Martínez J. , Tomás R. , Benavente D.
Published: December 2013

Rocks creep has a great importance in the evaluation of the long-term behaviour of elements built with or within these materials. In this work, a porous well-known limestone locally named as San Julián stone has been physically and mechanically characterized. Uniaxial compressive tests for 96 h. at constant stress are carried out. Long-term behaviour has been modelled by means of a well-known creep model, the CEB-FIP Model code 2010, used for modelling other stony-material (i.e. concrete). Furthermore, a rheological model has been proposed. The main aim of this work is to investigate the possibility of exploiting the vast experience accumulated in the study of concrete deformational long-term behaviour in order to obtaining a reasonable approach to the behaviour of the rock, for too long testing times difficult to implement in laboratory. A creep function adapted to the studied rock only dependent on its elastic and mechanical characteristics is also proposed in this work.
Five new aquatic dance flies of the genusHemerodromiaMeigen (Diptera: Empididae: Hemerodromiinae) from Puerto Rico*
Authors: Harper P.P. , Masteller E.C.
Published: December 2013

Systematic emergence trapping in two streams in the Luquillo Mountains Experimental Rainforest in Puerto Rico from 1989 to 1992 produced fivenew speciesof aquatic dance flies (Diptera: Empididae: Hemerodromiinae). They are described and illustrated asHemerodromia marciMastellernew species,Hemerodromia melissaMastellernew species,Hemerodromia oncillaMastellernew species,Hemerodromia prietaHarpernew species, andHemerodromia simonisHarpernew species.
Geology, Toad River (northeast), British Columbia
Authors: McMechan M E
Published: December 2013

The Toad River northeast area (NTS 94-N/NE) in western Liard Basin is underlain by a thick Mississippian to Cretaceous clastic-dominated succession deformed into a few north- or northeast-trending folds. Local abrupt changes in the thickness of Permian
sandstone-carbonate and chert units indicate episodes of older block faulting. A major unconformity at the base of the Cretaceous has removed much of the Triassic succession preserved to the southwest. A prominent escarpment capped by Upper Cretaceous Dunvegan conglomerate marks the west limb of the
Liard syncline. To the east, poorly exposed Upper Cretaceous conglomerate, shale, and sandstone outline gentle folds. In the Liard Fold and Thrust Belt to the west, four prominent, south-plunging anticlines occur near 60°N. West-directed backthrusts, that follow the locus of older structures
and die out southward, offset their steeper west limb at Paleozoic levels. Significant natural gas reserves occur in middle Devonian carbonate beneath the Beaver River Anticline.
Detection of main-effect and epistatic QTL for yield-related traits in rice under drought stress and normal conditions
Authors: Xing Wang , Zhao Hongwei , Zou Detang
Published: December 2013

Xing, W., Zhao, H. and Zou, D. 2014. Detection of main-effect and epistatic QTL for yield-related traits in rice under drought stress and normal conditions. Can. J. Plant Sci. 94: 633–641. Drought-resistant cultivars play an important role in maintaining high and stable crop yields under drought-stress conditions. However, the genetic mechanism of drought resistance must first be elucidated. Therefore, 220 recombinant inbred lines from a cross between Xiaobaijingzi (upland rice) and Kongyu 131 (Oryza sativa L.) were used to identify quantitative trait loci (QTLs) for yield and yield-component traits under drought stress and control conditions in Heilongjiang and Tieli. As a result, 23 main-effect QTLs and 11 digenic interactions were detected for four traits under the above two conditions. Of the main-effect QTLs, 10 and 8 were detected under control and drought-stress conditions, respectively; and five common QTLs were observed. In addition, five QTLs were found to be responsible for the difference across the two conditions. Among all epistatic QTLs, three types of epistatic QTLs were observed: one was between two main-effect QTLs, such as qPH-3-1 and qPH-7-2; one was between one locus with and another without main-effect, e.g., qPN-4 and qPN-3-2; and one was between two loci without main-effect, e.g., qYP-6-1 and qYP-12-2. In the above epistatic examples, their recombinant genotypes tended to reduce plant height and the number of grains per panicle and increase yield, respectively. Our results provide a good foundation for designed molecular breeding of drought-resistant rice.