bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Drug Errors and Related Interventions Reported by United States Clinical Pharmacists: The American College of Clinical Pharmacy Practice‐Based Research Network Medication Error Detection, Amelioration and Prevention Study
Authors: Kuo Grace M. , Touchette Daniel R. , Marinac Jacqueline S.
Published: February 2013

Objective

To describe and evaluate drug errors and related clinical pharmacist interventions.

Design

Cross‐sectional observational study with an online data collection form.

Setting

American College of Clinical Pharmacy practice‐based research network (ACCP PBRN).

Participants

A total of 62 clinical pharmacists from the ACCP PBRN who provided direct patient care in the inpatient and outpatient practice settings.

Intervention

Clinical pharmacist participants identified drug errors in their usual practices and submitted online error reports over a period of 14 consecutive days during 2010.

Measurements and Main Results

The 62 clinical pharmacists submitted 924 reports; of these, 779 reports from 53 clinical pharmacists had complete data. Drug errors occurred in both the inpatient (61%) and outpatient (39%) settings. Therapeutic categories most frequently associated with drug errors were systemic antiinfective (25%), hematologic (21%), and cardiovascular (19%) drugs. Approximately 95% of drug errors did not result in patient harm; however, 33 drug errors resulted in treatment or medical intervention, 6 resulted in hospitalization, 2 required treatment to sustain life, and 1 resulted in death. The types of drug errors were categorized as prescribing (53%), administering (13%), monitoring (13%), dispensing (10%), documenting (7%), and miscellaneous (4%). Clinical pharmacist interventions included communication (54%), drug changes (35%), and monitoring (9%). Approximately 89% of clinical pharmacist recommendations were accepted by the prescribers: 5% with drug therapy modifications, 28% due to clinical pharmacist prescriptive authority, and 56% without drug therapy modifications.

Conclusion

This study provides insight into the role clinical pharmacists play with regard to drug error interventions using a national practice‐based research network. Most drug errors reported by clinical pharmacists in the United States did not result in patient harm; however, severe harm and death due to drug errors were reported. Drug error types, therapeutic categories, and clinical pharmacist interventions varied between the inpatient and outpatient settings. Nearly half of reported errors were prevented by clinical pharmacists before the drugs reached the patients. The majority of clinical pharmacist recommendations were accepted by prescribers.
Increased serum insulin‐like growth factor‐1 levels are associated with prolonged response to dasatinib‐based regimens in metastatic prostate cancer
Authors: Dayyani Farshid , Varkaris Andreas , Araujo John C. , Song Jian H. , Chatterji Tanushree , Trudel Geralyn C. , Logothetis Christopher J. , Gallick Gary E.
Published: January 2013

BACKGROUND

Dasatinib, an inhibitor of Src‐family kinases, combined with docetaxel in men with castrate‐resistant prostate cancer (CRPC), affects bone turnover markers in a phase I/II clinical trial in metastatic CRPC. Only a subset of men benefit from this therapy, and predictive markers are lacking. We hypothesized a role for insulin‐like growth factor‐1 (IGF‐1) as a predictive marker, since IGF‐1 is important in both prostate cancer progression and bone development. Hence, we determined the association of IGF‐1 expression to treatment response, and whether this expression resulted from tumor cells, the microenvironment, or their interactions.

METHODS

We measured serum IGF‐1 levels in men with CRPC treated with dasatinib plus docetaxel. To investigate the source of IGF‐1, we utilized two different mouse models harboring human prostate cancer cells, and used species‐specific IGF‐1 ELISA kits (mouse vs. human).

RESULTS

In men with CRPC, an increase in IGF‐1 levels after one cycle of treatment with dasatinib and docetaxel is associated with a higher response rate and longer duration of treatment. Xenograft experiments with subcutaneous and intratibial injection of prostate cancer cells suggest that direct interaction of prostate cancer cells with bone microenvironment is necessary for IGF‐1 induction, is entirely host‐derived, and occurs only in mice that respond to dasatinib‐based therapy.

CONCLUSION

Our results support a role for serum IGF‐1 as a potential biomarker for benefit from dasatinib‐based combination treatments in CRPC. Prostate 73: 979–985, 2013. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
An oil‐based formulation of Isaria fumosorosea blastospores for management of greenhouse whitefly Trialeurodes vaporariorum (Homoptera: Aleyrodidae)
Authors: Kim Jae Su , Je Yeon Ho , Skinner Margaret , Parker Bruce L
Published: January 2013

Background

To date, emphasis has been placed on studying the virulence of Isaria fumosorosea conidia rather than the virulence of their blastospores. In the present study, a comparison was made of the efficacy of blastospores of I. fumosorosea (SFP‐198) versus conidia against greenhouse whitefly (GWF) Trialeurodes vaporarioum nymphs and thermotolerance at 50 °C. To improve thermotolerance and potency, the blastospores were suspended in corn oil with a wetting and an insect‐filming agent.

Results

Blastospores had similar efficacy against GWF nymphs to conidia in glasshouse conditions but had less thermotolerance than conidia. However, blastospores in corn oil had increased thermotolerance, comparable with that of conidia in corn oil. Application of SFP‐198 blastospore oil‐based formulation containing isotridecyl alcohol ethoxylated‐3EO (TDE‐3) and sodium alginate (SA) as adjuvants showed enhanced efficacy (95.7% mortality), compared with the SA‐free oil formulation (72.8%) in 10 days.

Conclusion

SFP‐198 blastospores can be used as an effective biological control agent, given their virulence against GWF, the enhanced thermotolerance in corn oil and the oil‐based formulation studies to enhance their efficacy. Blastospores can be easily produced in liquid cultures in less than 4 days, which is significantly shorter than using traditional solid cultures for conidial production. © 2013 Society of Chemical Industry© 2013 Society of Chemical Industry
Development of semipolar laser diode
Authors: Sizov Dmitry , Bhat Rajaram , Wang Jie , Allen Donald , Paddock Barry , Zah Chung‐en
Published: January 2013

In this paper, we discuss experimental results and the potential for improvement of blue and green laser diode (LD) performance by using semipolar substrates. We show that the InGaN quantum well (QW) grown on a semipolar plane allows higher characteristic temperature, T0, and higher optical gain, which are important for improving laser efficiency, thanks to its unique electronic spectrum properties. Epitaxial structure growth benefits from the wider process window for certain orientations. At the same time it is associated with a risk of strain relaxation, which can be addressed by appropriate strain relaxation management and/or strain balancing of waveguide core.
Revealing the three dimensional internal structure of aluminium alloys
Authors: Thompson George Edward , Hashimoto Teruo , Zhong Xiang Li , Curioni Michele , Zhou Xiaorong , Skeldon Peter , Withers Philip John , Carr James Andrew , Monteith Alexander George
Published: January 2013

Materials ultramicrotomy has been progressed at Manchester for many years, enabling generation of suitably thin specimens for transmission electron microscopy. In addition, the remaining block specimen from which thin, electron transparent specimens have been generated also provides the basis for specimen preparation for high resolution backscattered electron imaging in the scanning electron microscope. This knowledge allows generation of serial sections of appropriate specimens that are oxide‐ and contamination‐free for high resolution observation in the backscattered imaging mode. With recent instrumental developments, i.e. the GATAN 3View System, enabling ultramicrotomy to be performed in‐SEM, relatively rapid sectioning and imaging can now be performed with ready reconstruction of electron tomographs. Further, correlative microscopy can be undertaken by utilising the GATAN XuM system in the same scanning electron microscope, enabling non‐destructive X‐ray tomography in addition to destructive electron tomography. The in‐SEM, serial sectioning of selected aluminium alloys is considered here, as well as correlation of the X‐ray and electron tomography approaches on the penetration of localised corrosion into an AA2024 T351 aluminium aerospace alloy. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Product proliferation strategies and firm performance: The moderating role of product space complexity
Authors: Barroso Alicia , Giarratana Marco S.
Published: January 2013

In the Spanish automobile market between 1990 and 2000, significant reductions in tariff and nontariff protections increased the complexity of the product space, through the penetration of new car brands and models. Acknowledging these environmental dynamics, this study details conditions in which across‐niche (product breadth or intraindustry diversification) and within‐niche (product depth or versioning) product proliferation exerts a positive relationship on firm performance, as well as how key relationships change according to the complexity of the product space in the industry. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Re: Impact of cord entanglement on perinatal outcome of monoamniotic twins: a systematic review of the literature. A. C. Rossi and F. Prefumo. Ultrasound Obstet Gynecol 2013; 41: 131–135
Authors: Bhide A.
Published: January 2013

Linked Comment: Ultrasound Obstet Gynecol 2013:41:131–135
Hydrothermal Synthesis, Structure, and Electrochemical Properties of a Three‐dimensional Vanadium‐Nickel Phosphate (C2H10N2)4[H2Ni(H2O)2(VO)8(OH)4(PO4)8]·H2O
Authors: Yin Fan‐Wen , Peng Cheng‐Dong , Li Ya‐Si , Zhuang Ting‐Ting , Zeng Qing‐Xin , Yuan Zhan‐Hui
Published: January 2013

The three‐dimensional vanadium‐nickel phosphate (C2H10N2)4[H2Ni(H2O)2(VO)8(OH)4(PO4)8]·H2O (1) was prepared by hydrothermal methods and its structure and electrochemical properties were characterized. The compound crystallizes in the monoclinic system with the space group P21/n and cell parameters a = 14.392(3) Å, b = 10.122(2) Å, c = 18.305(4) Å, β = 90.34(3)°, V = 2666.7(9) Å3, Z = 2. The structure consists of macroanionic V–Ni–P layers constructed from VO5 square pyramids, NiO6 octahedra, and PO43– tetrahedral groups. The layers are further connected into a 3D infinite structure through the NiO6 octahedra and there are organic species protonated ethanediamine molecules and water molecules located, which make the structure more stable. Its electron sponge behavior was revealed via electrochemical tests.
New Coordination Compounds Based on Cd(NCS)2(4‐Ethylpyridine)x (x = 4, 2, 1)
Authors: Wöhlert Susanne , Jess Inke , Näther Christian
Published: January 2013

The reactions of different ratios of cadmium(II) thiocyanate and 4‐ethylpyridine as neutral co‐ligand in water at room temperature leads to the formation of the three new coordination compounds of different topology. In the crystal structure of the 1:4 compound (1:4 = ratio between metal and neutral co‐ligand) Cd(NCS)2(4‐ethylpyridine)4 (1) discrete complexes are found, in which the cadmium ions are coordinated by two terminal N‐bonded anionic ligands and four 4‐ethylpyridine co‐ligands. In the crystal structure of the 1:2 compound [Cd(NCS)2(4‐ethylpyridine)2]n (2) the cadmium cations are coordinated by two S‐bonded, two N‐bonded thiocyanato anions and two 4‐ethylpyridine ligands, all of them are trans‐oriented. The Cd2+ cations are connected by μ‐1, 3 bridging thiocyanato anions into chains, which elongate in the direction of the crystallographic a axis. In the crystal structure of the 1:1 compound [Cd(NCS)2(4‐ethylpyridine)]n (3) a more condensed coordination network is observed, in which each Cd2+ cation is coordinated by two N‐bonded and three S‐bonded as well as one 4‐ethylpyridine ligand within slightly distorted octahedra. The cadmium cations are linked into chains by μ‐1, 3‐ and μ‐1, 1, 3‐bridging thiocyanato anions. On heating the 1:4 compound 1 two mass steps are observed in the TG curve, of which the first one is well resolved. The residue obtained after the first TG step is investigated by XRPD, elemental analysis, and IR spectroscopy, it is proven that the 1:2 compound Cd(NCS)2(4‐ethylpyridine)2 is obtained as a phase pure material. Based on the results of IR spectroscopic investigations the coordination mode of the thiocyanato anions was additionally investigated.
A Bayesian Modeling Approach for Generalized Semiparametric Structural Equation Models
Authors: Song Xin-Yuan , Lu Zhao-Hua , Cai Jing-Heng , Ip Edward Hak-Sing
Published: January 2013

In behavioral, biomedical, and psychological studies, structural equation models (SEMs) have been widely used for assessing relationships between latent variables. Regression-type structural models based on parametric functions are often used for such purposes. In many applications, however, parametric SEMs are not adequate to capture subtle patterns in the functions over the entire range of the predictor variable. A different but equally important limitation of traditional parametric SEMs is that they are not designed to handle mixed data types—continuous, count, ordered, and unordered categorical. This paper develops a generalized semiparametric SEM that is able to handle mixed data types and to simultaneously model different functional relationships among latent variables. A structural equation of the proposed SEM is formulated using a series of unspecified smooth functions. The Bayesian P-splines approach and Markov chain Monte Carlo methods are developed to estimate the smooth functions and the unknown parameters. Moreover, we examine the relative benefits of semiparametric modeling over parametric modeling using a Bayesian model-comparison statistic, called the complete deviance information criterion (DIC). The performance of the developed methodology is evaluated using a simulation study. To illustrate the method, we used a data set derived from the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth.
PPIase independent chaperone‐like function of recombinant human Cyclophilin A during arginine kinase refolding
Authors: Zhang Xin-Chao , Wang Wei-Dong , Wang Jin-Song , Pan Ji-Cheng
Published: January 2013

Whether Cyclophilin A (CyPA) functions as a foldase or a chaperone when assisting protein folding has long been argued. In this study, we engineered four variants of recombinant human Cyclophilin A (rhCyPA), all of which were inactive to tetrapeptide substrate Suc‐AAPF‐pNA. However, these variants were able to suppress aggregation during arginine kinase (AK) refolding as efficient as wild‐type rhCyPA, especially, variant Q63A had even more efficiency to suppress aggregation and improve reactivation yields of AK. These results indicate that rhCyPA have peptidyl–prolyl cis–trans isomerase (PPIase) independent chaperone‐like activity during AK folding. In addition, results suggest that surface hydrophobicity of rhCyPA can suppress AK aggregation and binding to rhCyPA hydrophobic active pocket is a prerequisite for chaperoning AK folding.
Metalloprotein‐based MRI probes
Authors: Matsumoto Yuri , Jasanoff Alan
Published: January 2013

Metalloproteins have long been recognized as key determinants of endogenous contrast in magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of biological subjects. More recently, both natural and engineered metalloproteins have been harnessed as biotechnological tools to probe gene expression, enzyme activity, and analyte concentrations by MRI. Metalloprotein MRI probes are paramagnetic and function by analogous mechanisms to conventional gadolinium or iron oxide‐based MRI contrast agents. Compared with synthetic agents, metalloproteins typically offer worse sensitivity, but the possibilities of using protein engineering and targeted gene expression approaches in conjunction with metalloprotein contrast agents are powerful and sometimes definitive strengths. This review summarizes theoretical and practical aspects of metalloprotein‐based contrast agents, and discusses progress in the exploitation of these proteins for molecular imaging applications.
Three-dimensionality in the wake of a rotating cylinder in a uniform flow
Authors: Rao A. , Leontini J. , Thompson M. C. , Hourigan K.
Published: February 2013

The wake of a rotating circular cylinder in a free stream is investigated for Reynolds numbers $\mathit{Re}\leqslant 400$ and non-dimensional rotation rates of $\alpha \leqslant 2. 5$. Two aspects are considered. The first is the transition from a steady flow to unsteady flow characterized by periodic vortex shedding. The two-dimensional computations show that the onset of unsteady flow is delayed to higher Reynolds numbers as the rotation rate is increased, and vortex shedding is suppressed for $\alpha \geqslant 2. 1$ for all Reynolds numbers in the parameter space investigated. The second aspect investigated is the transition from two-dimensional to three-dimensional flow using linear stability analysis. It is shown that at low rotation rates of $\alpha \leqslant 1$, the three-dimensional transition scenario is similar to that of the non-rotating cylinder. However, at higher rotation rates, the three-dimensional scenario becomes increasingly complex, with three new modes identified that bifurcate from the unsteady flow, and two modes that bifurcate from the steady flow. Curves of marginal stability for all of the modes are presented in a parameter space map, the defining characteristics for each mode presented, and the physical mechanisms of instability are discussed.
Reproductive biology, age and growth of the two-banded seabream Diplodus vulgaris (Pisces: Sparidae) in the Gulf of Gabès, Tunisia
Authors: Hadj Taieb Aymen , Ghorbel Mohamed , Hamida Nader Ben Hadj , Jarboui Othman
Published: January 2013

Samples of common two-banded seabream Diplodus vulgaris (N = 1097), used in this study, were caught in the Gulf of Gabès (Tunisia) from March 2008 to February 2010. Total length ranged from 7 to 25 cm. Diplodus vulgaris is a protandric hermaphrodite. The overall ratio of females to males was 1:1.66. The reproductive season extended from October to February, and the peak spawning activity occurred in December–January. The total length at which 50% of the population reached maturity was 14.14 ± 0.16 cm for females and 13.57 ± 0.01 cm for males. Parameters of the length–weight relationship (TW = aTLb) for all individuals were a = 0.0185 and b = 2.9319. The youngest specimen in this study was 0+ years, whereas the oldest one was 9 years. The von Bertalanffy growth parameters for the whole sample were: L∞ = 25.4 cm, k = 0.179 and t0 = −1.631 year. The instantaneous rate of natural mortality was: M = 0.333 year−1.
The emotional shape of our moral life: Anger-related emotions and mutualistic anthropology
Authors: Cova Florian , Deonna Julien , Sander David
Published: February 2013

The evolutionary hypothesis advanced by Baumard et al. makes precise predictions on which emotions should play the main role in our moral lives: morality should be more closely linked to “avoidance” emotions (like contempt and disgust) than to “punitive” emotions (like anger). Here, we argue that these predictions run contrary to most psychological evidence.
Non-mutualistic morality
Authors: Sachdeva Sonya , Iliev Rumen , Medin Douglas L.
Published: February 2013

Although mutually advantageous cooperative strategies might be an apt account of some societies, other moral systems might be needed among certain groups and contexts. In particular, in a duty-based moral system, people do not behave morally with an expectation for proportional reward, but rather, as a fulfillment of debt owed to others. In such systems, mutualistic motivations are not necessarily a key component of morality.
The European Nation State: A Great Survivor
Authors: Van Caenegem R.C.
Published: January 2013

Today Europe consists of a great number of nation states – some large like Germany, some small like Latvia – where nationhood coincides with statehood. This situation is the result of political upheavals, such as the Italianresorgimentoand the waning of the Ottoman Empire in the nineteenth century, and the dismemberment of the Austro-Hungarian Empire and the collapse of the Soviet Union and Communist Yugoslavia in the twentieth century. The process is still going on and the United Kingdom may one day be divided into three nation states, England, Scotland and Ireland. The author explores the origins of the modern state after Europe had passed through the tribal and feudal phases (fifth–twelfth centuries) and the role of the Church in the success of the late medieval monarchies, while making clear that the Church also thwarted their ambition to achieve full sovereignty. The author finally wonders what encouraged the European peoples to achieve independence and national statehood.
European ‘Dis-integration’ in Bosnia and Herzegovina: A Critical Reflection on Legal, Administrative and Political Obstacles Affecting the Approximation of Chapters 23 and 24 of theAcquis Communautaire
Authors: Roccia Marco
Published: January 2013

Several pieces of legislation have been enacted with a view to regulating the European integration process in Bosnia and Herzegovina. A plethora of bodies are in charge for approximating the EUacquis. However, the stabilisation and association process in the field of justice related matters has not proceeded as planned due to the existence of at least four legislatures for the Justice Sector and 14 Ministries of Justice (MoJs) whose competences and tasks are not well delineated. This article focuses on the specific issues affecting the transposition of Chapters 23 (Judiciary and fundamental rights) and 24 (Justice, freedom and security) of the EUacquis. Based on the analysis of existing legislation and administrative structures and meetings with local officials and foreign donors, the author argues how, for an effective legal approximation process, a review of the current allocation of competences among State, Entities, Brčko District and canton level cannot wait. After drawing comparisons with regional best practices in the field of European integration and illustrating the complex constitutional framework of the country, the administrative and legislative obstacles characterising the approximation of domestic legislation with European standards in the field of Justice and Home affairs are explained. The author concludes by offering a set of solutions to overcome the current situation.
The Miraculous Left Hand – On Leonardo da Vinci and the Search for a Common Understanding of Man and Nature
Authors: Fenstad Jens Erik
Published: January 2013

Is a common approach to knowledge about man and nature possible? With Leonardo da Vinci as our starting point we will explore this question. Leonardo was much more than a painter; he was a sharp observer of man and nature. What he saw (structures) and what he did (using his miraculous left hand as syntax) was translated into insights and methods of constructions as recorded in his notebooks. His view was holistic, as witnessed by his study of the eye; from the anatomy of the eye he proceeded outwards to a theory of perspective, and inwards to an understanding how perception and the mind are grounded in the brain. In this we see similarities to current studies of language, mind and brain. It is possible to see a kind of proto-version of the art and science of mathematical modelling in Leonardo. This is a methodology of wide scope, extending far beyond physics and engineering. With a sufficiently broad understanding of the key concepts of structure, syntax and algorithms we have a method strong enough to allow for a common approach to knowledge of man and nature, to what there is and how we know.
Calculating and communicating tail association and the risk of extreme loss ‐ Abstract of the London Discussion
Authors: Sweeting Paul
Published: February 2013

This abstract relates to the following paper:

SweetingP. and FotiouF.Calculating and communicating tail association and the risk of extreme loss.British Actuarial Journal, doi:10.1017/S1357321712000347
“Those Entertaining Frisco Boys”: Hedges Brothers and Jacobson
Authors: VERMAZEN BRUCE
Published: February 2013

Charles Frederick (Freddie) Hedges (1886–1920), his brother Elven Everett Hedges (1889–1931), and Jesse Jacobson (1882–1959) converged as Hedges Brothers and Jacobson in 1910 in San Francisco. Elven played piano, saxophone, and guitar, and all three sang and danced. In 1910–11, critics in San Francisco, Chicago, New York, and smaller cities greeted the act as something new and exceptionally good. Instead of pursuing more general fame in North America, the trio accepted a music-hall contract in England, where they became leaders in creating a craze for American ragtime singing, a craze that prepared the English public for the momentous arrival of jazz after the First World War. The trio recorded eight released songs for Columbia in 1912–13. In 1913, they also performed in Paris and South Africa. In 1914, after eight months back in the United States, they returned to English success but soon dissolved the act and performed separately until 1919, when they reunited to accept an unprecedented contract (£30,000 for six years). Early in 1920, Freddie killed himself. Forest Tell (b. 1888) replaced him in the trio, and the new group recorded six released songs for Zonophone in 1920. The trio disbanded at the end of the contract. Elven retired shortly afterward, but Jesse stayed in show business at least through World War II.
The principle of subsidiarity as a constitutional principle in international law
Authors: FOLLESDAL ANDREAS
Published: January 2013

This paper explores subsidiarity as a constitutional principle in international law. Some authors have appealed to a principle of subsidiarity in order to defend the legitimacy of several striking features of international law, such as the centrality of state consent, the leeway in assessing state compliance and weak sanctions in its absence. The article presents such defences of state-centric aspects of international law by appeals to subsidiarity, and finds them wanting. Different interpretations of subsidiarity have strikingly different institutional implications regarding the objectives of the polity, the domain and role of subunits, and the allocation of authority to apply the principle of subsidiarity itself. Five different interpretations are explored, drawn from Althusius, the US federalists, Pope Leo XIII, and others. One upshot is that the principle of subsidiarity cannot provide normative legitimacy to the state-centric aspects of current international law on its own. It stands in need of substantial interpretation. The versions of subsidiarity that match current practices of public international law are questionable. Many crucial aspects of our legal order must be reconsidered – in particular the standing and scope of state sovereignty.
The Effect of Attentional Focus Strategy on Physiological and Motor Performance During a Sit-Up Exercise
Authors: Neumann David L. , Brown Justine
Published: January 2013

The attentional focus of an individual can influence performance and physiological outcomes during strength training exercises. However, prior research has largely investigated this issue with male participants performing a biceps curl exercise and has not investigated the full range of attentional focus strategies. In the present experiment, 24 females did a sit-up exercise while adopting an associative or dissociative strategy of attending to cues that were external or internal to result in four conditions: external association, internal association, external dissociation, and internal dissociation. The external association condition produced the lowest electromyographic activity of the abdominal muscles, the lowest heart rate, and the greatest range of movement. The internal dissociation condition produced the lowest level of exercise satisfaction. The results suggest that a focus on the effects of muscle action is the most economical and least strenuous way to exercise with sit-ups and similar forms of exercise.
Mismatch Negativity Does Not Show Evidence of Memory Reactivation in the Visual Modality
Authors: Sulykos István , Kecskés-Kovács Krisztina , Czigler István
Published: January 2013

The possibility of reactivation of the memory representation underlying visual mismatch negativity (vMMN) was investigated in a modified passive roving-standard paradigm. Stimuli (arrays of Gábor patches) were presented in sequences with blank interval between the sequences. The first member of each sequence was identical to the standard of the previous sequence, while the second stimulus had different orientation therefore the second stimulus was considered as deviant. In a control condition the stimuli of the previous sequence had random orientations. Event-related potentials (ERPs) in response to the deviants were compared to ERPs in response to the (physically identical) second stimulus of the control sequences. The comparison showed emergence of a positive component at an early (98–132 ms) latency range elicited by deviants. This component is interpreted as an index of increased sensitivity to rare changes in sequences dominated by identical stimuli rather than a component specific to violation of sequential regularity. Consequently, contrary to the findings in the auditory modality, the first stimulus of the sequence did not reactivate the memory representation underlying the vMMN, since subsequent deviant elicited no vMMN.
Interoceptive Awareness as a Moderator of Affective Responses to Social Exclusion
Authors: Werner Natalie S. , Kerschreiter Rudolf , Kindermann Nicole K. , Duschek Stefan
Published: January 2013

Previous research has yielded inconsistent results concerning affective reactions to social exclusion. The present study provides evidence that conscious perception of bodily signals (“interoceptive awareness”) constitutes an important moderating factor in this context. We compared participants with high versus low cardiac interoceptive awareness in regard to affective, cognitive, and physiological measures while they were included and excluded in a discussion with confederates. Participants with high interoceptive awareness showed a smaller decrease of positive affect and perceived acceptance as well as a smaller increase of negative affect and perceived rejection when comparing an inclusion phase with a subsequent exclusion phase than did participants with low interoceptive awareness. No significant differences in cognitive and physiological measures were observed. We assume that individuals with high interoceptive awareness, to whom physiological signals are more easily accessible, reduce aversive states to a larger degree by using somatic information for self-regulation.
Speedy speciation in a bacterial microcosm: new species can arise as frequently as adaptations within a species
Authors: Koeppel Alexander F , Wertheim Joel O , Barone Laura , Gentile Nicole , Krizanc Danny , Cohan Frederick M
Published: January 2013

Microbiologists are challenged to explain the origins of enormous numbers of bacterial species worldwide. Contributing to this extreme diversity may be a simpler process of speciation in bacteria than in animals and plants, requiring neither sexual nor geographical isolation between nascent species. Here, we propose and test a novel hypothesis for the extreme diversity of bacterial species—that splitting of one population into multiple ecologically distinct populations (cladogenesis) may be as frequent as adaptive improvements within a single population’s lineage (anagenesis). We employed a set of experimental microcosms to address the relative rates of adaptive cladogenesis and anagenesis among the descendants of a Bacillus subtilis clone, in the absence of competing species. Analysis of the evolutionary trajectories of genetic markers indicated that in at least 7 of 10 replicate microcosm communities, the original population founded one or more new, ecologically distinct populations (ecotypes) before a single anagenetic event occurred within the original population. We were able to support this inference by identifying putative ecotypes formed in these communities through differences in genetic marker association, colony morphology and microhabitat association; we then confirmed the ecological distinctness of these putative ecotypes in competition experiments. Adaptive mutations leading to new ecotypes appeared to be about as common as those improving fitness within an existing ecotype. These results suggest near parity of anagenesis and cladogenesis rates in natural populations that are depauperate of bacterial diversity.
Professional athletes have extraordinary skills for rapidly learning complex and neutral dynamic visual scenes
Authors: Faubert Jocelyn
Published: January 2013

Evidence suggests that an athlete's sports-related perceptual-cognitive expertise is a crucial element of top-level competitive sports1. When directly assessing whether such experience-related abilities correspond to fundamental and non-specific cognitive laboratory measures such as processing speed and attention, studies have shown moderate effects leading to the conclusion that their special abilities are context-specific2. We trained 308 observers on a complex dynamic visual scene task void of context and motor control requirements3 and demonstrate that professionals as a group dramatically differ from high-level amateur athletes, who dramatically differ from non-athlete university students in their capacity to learn such stimuli. This demonstrates that a distinguishing factor explaining the capacities of professional athletes is their ability to learn how to process complex dynamic visual scenes. This gives us an insight as to what is so special about the elite athletes' mental abilities, which allows them to express great prowess in action.
Maxillofacial Fractures of Pedestrians Injured in a Motor Vehicle Accident
Authors: Yamamoto Kazuhiko , Matsusue Yumiko , Horita Satoshi , Murakami Kazuhiro , Ueyama Yoshihiro , Sugiura Tsutomu , Kirita Tadaaki
Published: January 2013

Maxillofacial fractures of pedestrians injured in a motor vehicle accident were retrospectively analyzed. The patients were 38 males and 26 females, and their age was distributed almost evenly from 1 to 91 years old (average 45.9 ± 24.8 years old). Motor vehicle collisions were with an automobile in 46 patients (71.9%), a motorcycle in 17 (26.6%), and a train in 1 (1.6%). The midface was involved in 32 patients (50.0%), the mandible in 19 (29.7%), and both the mandible and the midface in 13 (20.3%). Fractures were frequently observed in the zygoma and alveolus in the midface and in the condyle, symphysis, and body in the mandible. The facial injury severity scale (FISS) rating ranged from 1 to 9 (average 2.30 ± 1.79). Injuries to other sites of the body occurred in 29 patients (45.3%). Observation was most frequently chosen in 26 patients (40.6%), followed by open reduction and internal fixation (ORIF) in 18 (28.1%), and maxillomandibular fixation (MMF) in 8 (12.5%). The FISS rating was higher in patients treated with ORIF and MMF. Injuries to other sites of the body were observed at a higher rate in patients who collided with an automobile and were also treated by ORIF.
Association effects in pure methanol via Monte Carlo simulations. II. Thermodynamics
Authors: Gómez-Álvarez Paula , Romaní Luis , González-Salgado Diego
Published: February 2013

A simple methodology [P. Gómez-Álvarez, A. Dopazo-Paz, L. Romani, and D. González-Salgado, J. Chem. Phys. 134, 014512 (2011)10.1063/1.3524201] recently developed in the light of the Monte Carlo molecular simulation technique was used in this work to study the association effects on the response functions of methanol over the whole thermodynamic state space. It consists basically on evaluating the first order properties of the fluid (energy and volume) in terms of those for two hypothetical fluids living in the bulk composed by monomers and associated molecules, respectively. In this context, the second order thermodynamic derivatives can be expressed in a perturbative way as the sum of the monomer term (reference term) and the association contribution. Specifically, both contributions to the residual isobaric heat capacity, and to the pressure and temperature derivatives of the volume were determined for the optimized potential for liquid simulation (OPLS) of methanol through NPT Monte Carlo simulations from 250 K to 1000 K along the supercritical isobars 25, 100, 200, 500 MPa, and from 800 K to 350 K at 0.1 MPa. Results showed that both terms are relevant for the residual isobaric heat capacity and that their influence depends considerably on the thermodynamic conditions; however, the volumetric response functions were found mainly affected by the monomer contribution, especially the pressure derivative of the volume.
Electron transport in InAs-InAlAs core-shell nanowires
Authors: Holloway Gregory W. , Song Yipu , Haapamaki Chris M. , LaPierre Ray R. , Baugh Jonathan
Published: February 2013

Evidence is given for the effectiveness of InAs surface passivation by the growth of an epitaxial In0.8Al0.2As shell. The electron mobility is measured as a function of temperature for both core-shell and unpassivated nanowires, with the core-shell nanowires showing a monotonic increase in mobility as temperature is lowered, in contrast to a turnover in mobility seen for the unpassivated nanowires. We argue that this signifies a reduction in low temperature ionized impurity scattering for the passivated nanowires, implying a reduction in surface states.
Chaotic rotation of inertial spheroids in oscillating shear flow
Authors: Nilsen Christopher , Andersson Helge I.
Published: February 2013

The rotation of prolate spheroidal particles is studied in the flow-gradient plane of an oscillating creeping shear flow. Chaotic dynamics is observed for particles with strong inertia, and spheroids with aspect ratio 3:1 are seen to be the most prone to chaotic rotation. This makes the particles’ long-term behaviour unpredictable, and also affects the particles’ average statistics, such as the rotation energy. Chaos is only seen for Stokes numbers larger than a certain critical value, always greater than the Stokes number for which the particle rotation period in a constant shear rate transitions from long to short. This is because both inertial and nonlinear effects need to be significant for chaos to emerge.
Assessing the importance of subsoil constraints to yield of wheat and its implications for yield improvement
Authors: McDonald G. K. , Taylor J. D. , Verbyla A. , Kuchel H.
Published: January 2013

Many of the soils in the Australian cereal belt have subsoils with chemical and physical properties that restrict root growth, which limits water use and yield. On alkaline sodic soils salinity, high pH, high available boron (B), deficiencies of zinc (Zn) and manganese (Mn) and high soil strength occur commonly and aluminium (Al) toxicity restricts root growth on acid soils. While the effects of individual subsoil constraints have been studied there is some debate about the relative importance to yield of the different soil stresses across the region. To address this issue yield variation among a set of 52 varieties of bread wheat was analysed using yield data from 233 trials conducted over 12 years. The trials were conducted in all mainland States but the majority were in South Australia and Western Australia. Each variety was characterised for its response to high B, high pH, Al toxicity, salinity, deficiencies in Zn and Mn and resistance to root lesion nematode (Pratylenchus neglectus), root growth through strong soil, seminal root angle, carbon isotope discrimination (CID) and maturity. This data was then used to examine the contribution of each trait to the genetic variation in yield at each of the 233 trials. The contribution of a specific trait to the genetic variation in yield at each site was used to infer the importance of a particular constraint to yield at that site. Of the traits linked to soil constraints, salinity tolerance, (measured by Na+ exclusion) was most often associated with genetic variation in grain yield (34% of all experiments), followed by tolerance to high Al (26%) and B tolerance (21%). Tolerance to low Zn and Mn were not consistently associated with yield variation. However, maturity was the trait that was most frequently associated with yield variation (51% of experiments), although the relative importance of early and late flowering varied among the States. Yield variation was largely associated with early flowering in Western Australia and the relative importance of late flowering increased as trials moved eastward into South Australia, Victoria and New South Wales. Narrow, rather than wide, seminal root angle was more commonly associated with high yield (25% of sites) and there was little evidence of any regional pattern in the importance of root angle. CID was important in 18% of trials with a low CID being most commonly associated with high yields. The yield advantage at sites where a trait contributed significantly to yield variation ranged from ~15% for Na+ exclusion and B tolerance to 4% for tolerance to high pH. The analysis has provided an assessment of the relative importance of a range of traits associated with adaptation to environments where subsoil constraints are likely to affect yield and has indicated patterns in the importance and effects of these traits that may be linked to regional variation in rainfall and soils.
Application of a RUSLE-based soil erosion modelling on Mauritius Island
Authors: Nigel Rody , Rughooputh Soonil D. D. V.
Published: January 2013

Soil erosion by water is one of the most important natural resources management problems in the world. The damages it causes on-site are soil loss, breakdown of soil structure, and decline in organic matter content, nutrient content, fertility, and infiltration rate. Lands with the highest erosion risk on Mauritius Island are crop cultivations (sugarcane, tea, vegetables) on erosion-susceptible terrain (slopes >20% coupled with highly erodible soils). The locations of such lands on Mauritius were mapped during previous, qualitatively based regional-scale erosion studies. In order to propose soil conservation strategies, there is a need to apply a more quantitative approach to supplement the previous, qualitatively based studies. This paper reports an application of the Revised Universal Soil Loss Equation (RUSLE) within a geographical information system in order to estimate soil loss on the island, and particularly for the high-erosion areas. Results show that total soil loss on the island is estimated at 298 259 t year–1, with soil loss from high-erosion areas summing 84 780 t year–1 (28% of total soil loss). If all of the high-erosion areas were afforested, their soil loss would be reduced to 10 264 t year–1, i.e. a reduction of 88% for the high-erosion areas and a reduction of 25% for the island. This study thus calls for soil and water conservation programs directed to these erosion-prone areas before the land degradation and environmental damage they are causing become irreversible. The methodological approach used in this work to quantitatively estimate soil loss from erosion-prone areas can be adopted in other countries as the basis for a nationwide erosion assessment in order to better inform environmental policy needs for soil and water conservation.
Differentiating between Verbal and Spatial Encoding using Eye-Movement Recordings
Authors: Lange Elke B. , Engbert Ralf
Published: January 2013

Visual information processing is guided by an active mechanism generating saccadic eye movements to salient stimuli. Here we investigate the specific contribution of saccades to memory encoding of verbal and spatial properties in a serial recall task. In the first experiment, participants moved their eyes freely without specific instruction. We demonstrate the existence of qualitative differences in eye-movement strategies during verbal and spatial memory encoding. While verbal memory encoding was characterized by shifting the gaze to the to-be-encoded stimuli, saccadic activity was suppressed during spatial encoding. In the second experiment, participants were required to suppress saccades by fixating centrally during encoding or to make precise saccades onto the memory items. Active suppression of saccades had no effect on memory performance, but tracking the upcoming stimuli decreased memory performance dramatically in both tasks, indicating a resource bottleneck between display-controlled saccadic control and memory encoding. We conclude that optimized encoding strategies for verbal and spatial features are underlying memory performance in serial recall, but such strategies work on an involuntary level only and do not support memory encoding when they are explicitly required by the task.
The ERdj5-Sel1L complex facilitates cholera toxin retrotranslocation
Authors: Williams Jeffrey M. , Inoue Takamasa , Banks Lindsey , Tsai Billy
Published: January 2013

Cholera toxin (CT) traffics from the host cell surface to the endoplasmic reticulum (ER), where the toxin's catalytic CTA1 subunit retrotranslocates to the cytosol to induce toxicity. In the ER, CT is captured by the E3 ubiquitin ligase Hrd1 via an undefined mechanism to prepare for retrotranslocation. Using loss-of-function and gain-of-function approaches, we demonstrate that the ER-resident factor ERdj5 promotes CTA1 retrotranslocation, in part, via its J domain. This Hsp70 cochaperone regulates binding between CTA and the ER Hsp70 BiP, a chaperone previously implicated in toxin retrotranslocation. Importantly, ERdj5 interacts with the Hrd1 adaptor Sel1L directly through Sel1L's N-terminal lumenal domain, thereby linking ERdj5 to the Hrd1 complex. Sel1L itself also binds CTA and facilitates toxin retrotranslocation. By contrast, EDEM1 and OS-9, two established Sel1L binding partners, do not play significant roles in CTA1 retrotranslocation. Our results thus identify two ER factors that promote ER-to-cytosol transport of CTA1. They also indicate that ERdj5, by binding to Sel1L, triggers BiP–toxin interaction proximal to the Hrd1 complex. We postulate this scenario enables the Hrd1-associated retrotranslocation machinery to capture the toxin efficiently once the toxin is released from BiP.