bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Elasticity Properties of Pulmonary Artery in Patients with Bicuspid Aortic Valve
Authors: Celik Murat , Yuksel Uygar Cagdas , Yalcinkaya Emre , Gokoglan Yalcin , Yildirim Erkan , Bugan Baris , Kaya Erkan , Gungor Mutlu
Published: December 2013

Objective

Although the vascular complications of bicuspid aortic valve (BAV) disease cause significant morbidity and mortality, the role of pulmonary artery in this pathogenesis is less understood. We aimed to assess the elastic properties of pulmonary artery with echocardiography in patients with BAV.

Material and Methods

Thirty patients with BAV (26 males) were enrolled in this study. The presence of aortic stenosis was accepted as exclusion criteria. Thirty‐two healthy subjects (27 males) with no any history of cardiovascular disease comprised the control group. In all patients, maximal frequency shift (MFS) and acceleration time (AcT) of the pulmonary artery flow trace were measured echocardiographically in parasternal short‐axis view. Subsequently, pulmonary artery stiffness (PAS) was calculated by using the following formula PAS (kHz/sec) = MFS/AcT.

Results

There were no significant differences in baseline demographic characteristics of the study population. Aortic strain and aortic distensibility index were lower, and aortic stiffness index (SI) higher, in patients with BAV. The PAS was significantly increased in patients with BAV compared with control subjects with tricuspid aortic valve (11.08 ± 2.27 vs. 7.11 ± 1.54, P < 0.001). There was a significant correlation between aortic diameters, aortic elasticity indexes, and PAS. Multivariate linear regression analysis, the only significant independent factor affecting the PAS was SI (β = 0.547, P < 0.001).

Conclusion

We demonstrated that elastic properties of pulmonary artery tend to be impaired as in the aorta in patients with BAV disease.
Unexplained Double‐Chambered Left Ventricle Associated with Contracting Right Ventricular Aneurysm and Right Atrial Enlargement
Authors: Finocchiaro Gherardo , Murphy Daniel , Pavlovic Aleksandra , Haddad Francois , Shiran Hadas , Sinagra Gianfranco , Ashley Euan A. , Knowles Joshua W.
Published: December 2013

In this article, we describe a double‐chambered left ventricle (LV) associated with a functional right ventricular (RV) aneurysm and right atrial (RA) enlargement in an asymptomatic 24‐year‐old woman with a family history of sudden cardiac death. We will discuss the differential diagnosis, genetic testing and possible prognostic implications.
Tree‐ring isotope analysis of Norway spruce suffering from long‐term infection by the pathogenic white‐rot fungus Heterobasidion parviporum
Authors: Gori Y. , La Porta N. , Camin F.
Published: December 2013

We report for the first time a tree‐ring isotopic analysis on host trees infected with Heterobasidion parviporum. By measuring carbon and oxygen stable isotope ratios in tree rings over ca. 150 years of forest growth, we obtained evidence that stomatal conductance increases in Picea abies affected by H. parviporum. We put forward this approach as a novel way of providing an insight into plant–pathogen relationships during tree life.
Subjective quality of life in At‐Risk Mental State for psychosis patients: relationship with symptom severity and functional impairment
Authors: Domínguez‐Martínez Tecelli , Kwapil Thomas R. , Barrantes‐Vidal Neus
Published: December 2013

Aims

The understanding of factors related to poor subjective quality of life (sQoL) in early psychosis patients is important for both research and treatment efforts. This study examined how sQoL is associated with age at onset of prodromal symptoms, duration of untreated illness (DUI), symptom severity, premorbid functioning and current functional impairment in At‐Risk Mental State (ARMS) for psychosis patients.

Methods

Forty ARMS patients were assessed for sQoL, symptom severity, premorbid functioning, and social and role functioning.

Results

As expected, a large number of significant and negative correlations between sQoL domains and several symptom dimensions emerged, especially for negative symptoms, behavioural change and depression. Poor premorbid functioning in late adolescence was associated with impairments in the psychological health and social relationship domains of sQoL. Current functional impairment was associated with all sQoL domains. Neither age at onset of prodromal symptoms nor DUI was related with sQoL.

Conclusions

Findings indicate that different domains of sQoL are differentially and meaningfully associated with symptom severity and functional impairment, suggesting that greater symptom severity and poor functioning are already related with decreased sQoL in the ARMS for psychosis stage. Furthermore, findings highlight the importance of examining functional impairment and affective‐motivational symptoms in future research on sQoL in ARMS populations due to their strong relationship with poor sQoL. Finally, findings underscore the importance of addressing the social and occupational dysfunctions already present in early psychosis with psychosocial interventions.
Route optimisation and solving Zermelo's navigation problem during long distance migration in cross flows
Authors: Hays Graeme C. , Christensen Asbjørn , Fossette Sabrina , Schofield Gail , Talbot Julian , Mariani Patrizio
Published: December 2013

The optimum path to follow when subjected to cross flows was first considered over 80 years ago by the German mathematician Ernst Zermelo, in the context of a boat being displaced by ocean currents, and has become known as the ‘Zermelo navigation problem’. However, the ability of migrating animals to solve this problem has received limited consideration, even though wind and ocean currents cause the lateral displacement of flyers and swimmers, respectively, particularly during long‐distance journeys of 1000s of kilometres. Here, we examine this problem by combining long‐distance, open‐ocean marine turtle movements (obtained via long‐term GPS tracking of sea turtles moving 1000s of km), with a high resolution basin‐wide physical ocean model to estimate ocean currents. We provide a robust mathematical framework to demonstrate that, while turtles eventually arrive at their target site, they do not follow the optimum (Zermelo's) route. Even though adult marine turtles regularly complete incredible long‐distance migrations, these vertebrates primarily rely on course corrections when entering neritic waters during the final stages of migration. Our work introduces a new perspective in the analysis of wildlife tracking datasets, with different animal groups potentially exhibiting different levels of complexity in goal attainment during migration.
Body mass evolution and diversification within horses (family Equidae)
Authors: Shoemaker Lauren , Clauset Aaron
Published: December 2013

Horses (family Equidae) are a classic example of adaptive radiation, exhibiting a nearly 60‐fold increase in maximum body mass and a peak taxonomic diversity of nearly 100 species across four continents. Such patterns are commonly attributed to niche competition, in which increased taxonomic diversity drives increased size disparity. However, neutral processes, such as macroevolutionary ‘diffusion’, can produce similar increases in disparity without increased diversity. Using a comprehensive database of Equidae species size estimates and a common mathematical framework, we measure the contributions of diversity‐driven and diffusion‐driven mechanisms for increased disparity during the Equidae radiation. We find that more than 90% of changes in size disparity are attributable to diffusion alone. These results clarify the role of species competition in body size evolution, indicate that morphological disparity and species diversity may be only weakly coupled in general, and demonstrate that large species may evolve from neutral macroevolutionary diffusion processes alone.
Evaluating the Compliance of Sea Turtle Light Ordinances in Florida Using Remote Sensing
Authors: Anderson Sharolyn J , Nuernberger Sarah , Yamamoto Kristina H , Sutton Paul C
Published: December 2013

Satellite‐based remote sensing has essentially been absent from processes evaluating compliance with environmental policy. Through a case study of the observance of sea turtle light ordinances in Florida, this study seeks to demonstrate that remotely sensed data can be beneficial in evaluation of environmental policy compliance. As a means to increase the successful sea turtle nesting rate, 21 counties and several other municipalities adapted policies prohibiting the lighting of beaches during sea turtle nesting season from May to October. Using visible/infrared imager radiometer suite (VIIRS) nighttime lights satellite imagery to determine mean radiance values and diamond plots of difference images of nighttime lights radiance values, this study confirms compliance with these light ordinances while emphasizing the benefits of remote sensing techniques in the process.
Geographic Divergence in Mortality in the United States
Authors: Fenelon Andrew
Published: December 2013

The United States trails other developed countries in adult mortality, a process that has become more pronounced over the past several decades. However, comparisons are complicated by substantial geographic variations in mortality within the United States. The second half of the twentieth century was characterized by a substantial divergence in adult mortality between the South and the rest of the United States. The article examines trends in US geographic variation in mortality between 1965 and 2004, in particular the aggregate divergence in mortality between the southern states and states with more favorable mortality experience. Relatively high smoking‐attributable mortality in the South explains 50–100 percent of the divergence for men between 1965 and 1985 and up to 50 percent for women between 1985 and 2004. There is also a geographic correspondence between the contribution of smoking and other factors, suggesting that smoking may be one piece of a more complex health‐related puzzle.
The Effects of Population on the Depletion of Fresh Water
Authors: Wyman Robert J.
Published: December 2013

The most immediate environmental problem in major regions of the world is probably the scarcity of fresh water for agriculture. Insufficiency and irregularity of rainfall require the use of stored water. Both major compartments for fresh water storage—glaciers and groundwater—are being depleted rapidly and at similar rates. Drawdown of groundwater is primarily the result of irrigation required to supply the food needs of large populations. Glacier melt is an effect of global warming chiefly caused by high levels of industrial production and transport. However, an important fraction of glacier melt is caused by food chain emissions (agricultural greenhouse gases and black carbon or cooking soot). In toto, the loss of water resulting from food and agriculture may be significantly greater than that resulting from industrial production and transport, the factors more commonly cited. This suggests that the role of population, closely linked to food and agriculture, is central to the depletion of fresh water.
Parental stress increases body mass index trajectory in pre‐adolescents
Authors: Shankardass K. , McConnell R. , Jerrett M. , Lam C. , Wolch J. , Milam J. , Gilliland F. , Berhane K.
Published: December 2013

What is already known about this subject

Rates of childhood obesity have increased since the mid‐1970s.

Research into behavioural determinants has focused on physical inactivity and unhealthy diets.

Cross‐sectional studies indicate an association between psychological stress experienced by parents and obesity in pre‐adolescents.

What this study adds

We provide evidence of a prospective association between parental psychological stress and increased weight gain in pre‐adolescents.

Family‐level support for those experiencing chronic stress might help promote healthy diet and exercise behaviours in children.

Objective

We examined the impact of parental psychological stress on body mass index (BMI) in pre‐adolescent children over 4 years of follow‐up.

Methods

We included 4078 children aged 5–10 years (90% were between 5.5 and 7.5 years) at study entry (2002–2003) in the Children's Health Study, a prospective cohort study in southern California. A multi‐level linear model simultaneously examined the effect of parental stress at study entry on the attained BMI at age 10 and the slope of change across annual measures of BMI during follow‐up, controlled for the child's age and sex. BMI was calculated based on objective measurements of height and weight by trained technicians following a standardized procedure.

Results

A two standard deviation increase in parental stress at study entry was associated with an increase in predicted BMI attained by age 10 of 0.287 kg m−2 (95% confidence interval 0.016–0.558; a 2% increase at this age for a participant of average attained BMI). The same increase in parental stress was also associated with an increased trajectory of weight gain over follow‐up, with the slope of change in BMI increased by 0.054 kg m−2 (95% confidence interval 0.007–0.100; a 7% increase in the slope of change for a participant of average BMI trajectory).

Conclusions

We prospectively demonstrated a small effect of parental stress on BMI at age 10 and weight gain earlier in life than reported previously. Interventions to address the burden of childhood obesity should address the role of parental stress in children.
Within‐ and across‐breed imputation of high‐density genotypes in dairy and beef cattle from medium‐ and low‐density genotypes
Authors: Berry D.P. , McClure M.C. , Mullen M.P.
Published: December 2013

The objective of this study was to evaluate, using three different genotype density panels, the accuracy of imputation from lower‐ to higher‐density genotypes in dairy and beef cattle. High‐density genotypes consisting of 777 962 single‐nucleotide polymorphisms (SNP) were available on 3122 animals comprised of 269, 196, 710, 234, 719, 730 and 264 Angus, Belgian Blue, Charolais, Hereford, Holstein‐Friesian, Limousin and Simmental bulls, respectively. Three different genotype densities were generated: low density (LD; 6501 autosomal SNPs), medium density (50K; 47 770 autosomal SNPs) and high density (HD; 735 151 autosomal SNPs). Imputation from lower‐ to higher‐density genotype platforms was undertaken within and across breeds exploiting population‐wide linkage disequilibrium. The mean allele concordance rate per breed from LD to HD when undertaken using a single breed or multiple breed reference population varied from 0.956 to 0.974 and from 0.947 to 0.967, respectively. The mean allele concordance rate per breed from 50K to HD when undertaken using a single breed or multiple breed reference population varied from 0.987 to 0.994 and from 0.987 to 0.993, respectively. The accuracy of imputation was generally greater when the reference population was solely comprised of the breed to be imputed compared to when the reference population comprised of multiple breeds, although the impact was less when imputing from 50K to HD compared to imputing from LD.
Long handling times of Praon unicum by Harmonia axyridis result in protection from predation
Authors: Simon F. W. , Gillespie D. R.
Published: December 2013

The intraguild predator Harmonia axyridis has a longer handling time of Praon unicum mummies in contrast to Aphidius matricariae mummies and the pest aphid Myzus persicae. In addition, the rejection rate of P. unicum is higher as compared to the A. matricariae and M. persicae. Harmonia Axyridis also has a shorter residence times when foraging in P. unicum patches. The longer handling time may provide P. unicum with a refuge from intraguild predation by H. axyridis. Thus, Praon unicum could be a better biocontrol agent than A. matricariae in the presence of intraguild predation, as it will face lower predation rates.
Application of synthetic photostable retinoids induces novel limb and facial phenotypes during chick embryogenesis in vivo
Authors: Lopez‐Real R. E. , Budge J. J. R. , Marder T. B. , Whiting A. , Hunt P. N. , Przyborski S. A.
Published: December 2013

We have recently developed a range of synthetic retinoid analogues which include the compounds EC23 and EC19. They are stable on exposure to light and are predicted to be resistant to the normal metabolic processes involved in the inactivation of retinoids in vivo. Based on the position of the terminal carboxylic acid groups in the compounds we suggest that EC23 is a structural analogue of all‐trans retinoic acid (ATRA), and EC19 is an analogue of 13‐cis retinoic acid. Their effects on the differentiation of pluripotent stem cells has been previously described in vitro and are consistent with this hypothesis. We present herein the first description of the effects of these molecules in vivo. Retinoids were applied to the anterior limb buds of chicken embryos in ovo via ion‐exchange beads. We found that retinoid EC23 produces effects on the wing digits similar to ATRA, but does so at two orders of magnitude lower concentration. When larger quantities of EC23 are applied, a novel phenotype is obtained involving production of multiple digit 1s on the anterior limb. This corresponds to differential effects of ATRA and EC23 on sonic hedgehog (shh) expression in the developing limb bud. With EC23 application we also find digit 1 phenotypes similar to thumb duplications described in the clinical literature. EC23 and ATRA are shown to have effects on the entire proximal–distal axis of the limb, including hitherto undescribed effects on the scapula. This includes suppression of expression of the scapula marker Pax1. EC23 also produces effects similar to those of ATRA on the developing face, producing reductions of the upper beak at concentrations two orders of magnitude lower than ATRA. In contrast, EC19, which is structurally very similar to EC23, has novel, less severe effects on the face and rarely alters limb development. EC19 and ATRA are effective at similar concentrations. These results further demonstrate the ability of retinoids to influence embryonic development. Moreover, EC23 represents a useful new tool to investigate developmental processes and probe the mechanisms underlying congenital abnormalities in vertebrates including man.
Is Happiness Good for Your Personality? Concurrent and Prospective Relations of the Big Five With Subjective Well‐Being
Authors: Soto Christopher J.
Published: December 2013

The present research examined longitudinal relations of the Big Five personality traits with three core aspects of subjective well‐being: life satisfaction, positive affect, and negative affect. Latent growth models and autoregressive models were used to analyze data from a large, nationally representative sample of 16,367 Australian residents. Concurrent and change correlations indicated that higher levels of subjective well‐being were associated with higher levels of Extraversion, Agreeableness, and Conscientiousness, and with lower levels of Neuroticism. Moreover, personality traits prospectively predicted change in well‐being, and well‐being levels prospectively predicted personality change. Specifically, prospective trait effects indicated that individuals who were initially extraverted, agreeable, conscientious, and emotionally stable subsequently increased in well‐being. Prospective well‐being effects indicated that individuals with high initial levels of well‐being subsequently became more agreeable, conscientious, emotionally stable, and introverted. These findings challenge the common assumption that associations of personality traits with subjective well‐being are entirely, or almost entirely, due to trait influences on well‐being. They support the alternative hypothesis that personality traits and well‐being aspects reciprocally influence each other over time.
Destructive Effects of a Mycoparasite Trichoderma atroviride SS003 on Aeciospores of Cronartium ribicola
Authors: Li Jing , Yang Yan‐Hong , Zhou Li , Cheng Li‐Jun , Chen Yu‐Hui
Published: December 2013

The white pine blister rust caused by Cronartium ribicola is one of the most severe diseases of Pinus armandii Franch in Yunnan Province, China, and controlling the disease is very difficult. A mycoparasite (Trichoderma atroviride P. Karsten SS003) we isolated can effectively destroy aeciospores. Microscopic analysis showed that aeciospore warts started to fall off 3 days after SS003 inoculation, and the outer wall of the aeciospores was deformed and completely broken 5 days after treatment. SS003 treatment indoors and in the field was effective against C. ribicola. SS003 mycelium grew well on aeciospore piles, and the outer walls of most aeciospores were broken when examined by microscope. The average efficacy of SS003 against Armandii pine blister rust reached 71.85% after continuous treatment for 1.5 years in the field. Additionally, safety tests showed that P. armandii seedlings experienced no side effects when they were inoculated with either conidial suspensions or mycelium solution of SS003. Our results suggest that T. atroviride SS003 is a promising mycoparasite for controlling Armandii pine blister rust.
Genetic diversity of Histoplasma capsulatum strains isolated from Argentina based on nucleotide sequence variations in the internal transcribed spacer regions of rDNA
Authors: Landaburu Fernanda , Cuestas María Luján , Rubio Andrea , Elías Nahuel Alejandro , Daneri Gabriela Lopez , Veciño Cecilia , Iovannitti Cristina A. , Mujica María Teresa
Published: December 2013

The internal transcribed spacer (ITS) regions of rDNA genes of 49 Histoplasma capsulatum (48 from clinical samples and one from soil) isolates were examined. Nucleotide sequence heterogeneity within this region was useful for phylogenetic classification of H. capsulatum and species identification. Thus, in 45 of 49 isolates we observed higher percentages of identity in the nucleotide sequences of ITS regions when the isolates studied herein were compared with those reported in our country in the South America B clade. Phylogenetic analyses of rDNA sequences corresponding to the 537 bp of the ITS region obtained from H. capsulatum isolates assigned South America type B clade (45 isolates), North America type 1 and Asia clade (2 isolates each one). H. capsulatum strains isolated from soil and from patients living in Argentina (45 of 49) clustered together with the H. capsulatum isolates of the South America B clade. The high level of genetic similarity among our isolates suggests that almost one genetic population is present in the microenvironment. Isolates described as H. capsulatum var. capsulatum or var. farciminosum (2 isolates) did not form a monophyletic group and were found in the Asia clade. Subsequent studies are needed to properly identify these isolates.
Review: The genetics of Alzheimer's disease; putting flesh on the bones
Authors: Medway C. , Morgan K.
Published: December 2013

For two decades the search for genes involved in Alzheimer's disease brought little reward; it was not until the advent of genome‐wide association studies (GWAS) that genetic associations started to be revealed. Since 2009 increasingly large GWAS have revealed 20 loci, which in itself is a substantial increase in our understanding, but perhaps the more important feature is that these studies have highlighted novel pathways that are potentially involved in the disease process. This commentary assembles our latest knowledge while acknowledging that the casual functional variants, and undoubtedly, other genes are still yet to be discovered. This is the challenge that remains and the promise of next‐generation sequencing is anticipated as there are a number of large initiatives which themselves should start to yield information before long.
N‐acetyl‐L‐cysteine protects against cadmium‐induced neuronal apoptosis by inhibiting ROS‐dependent activation of Akt/mTOR pathway in mouse brain
Authors: Chen Sujuan , Ren Qian , Zhang Jinfei , Ye Yangjing , Zhang Zhen , Xu Yijiao , Guo Min , Ji Haiyan , Xu Chong , Gu Chenjian , Gao Wei , Huang Shile , Chen Long
Published: December 2013

Aims

This study explores the neuroprotective effects and mechanisms of N‐acetyl‐L‐cysteine (NAC) in mice exposed to cadmium (Cd).

Methods

NAC (150 mg/kg) was intraperitoneally administered to mice exposed to Cd (10–50 mg/L) in drinking water for 6 weeks. The changes of cell damage and death, reactive oxygen species (ROS), antioxidant enzymes, as well as Akt/mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) signalling pathway in brain neurones were assessed. To verify the role of mTOR activation in Cd‐induced neurotoxicity, mice also received a subacute regimen of intraperitoneally administered Cd (1 mg/kg) with/without rapamycin (7.5 mg/kg) for 11 days.

Results

Chronic exposure of mice to Cd induced brain damage or neuronal cell death, due to ROS induction. Co‐administration of NAC significantly reduced Cd levels in the plasma and brain of the animals. NAC prevented Cd‐induced ROS and significantly attenuated Cd‐induced brain damage or neuronal cell death. The protective effect of NAC was mediated, at least partially, by elevating the activities of Cu/Zn‐superoxide dismutase, catalase and glutathione peroxidase, as well as the level of glutathione in the brain. Furthermore, Cd‐induced activation of Akt/mTOR pathway in the brain was also inhibited by NAC. Rapamycin in vitro and in vivo protected against Cd‐induced neurotoxicity.

Conclusions

NAC protects against Cd‐induced neuronal apoptosis in mouse brain partially by inhibiting ROS‐dependent activation of Akt/mTOR pathway. The findings highlight that NAC may be exploited for prevention and treatment of Cd‐induced neurodegenerative diseases.
Exposure to home and school environmental triggers and asthma morbidity in Chicago inner‐city children
Authors: Banda Elizabeth , Persky Victoria , Chisum Gay , Damitz Maureen , Williams Rhonda , Turyk Mary
Published: December 2013

Background

In children, asthma hospitalization rates are highest among those aged 0–4 yr, indicating more acute and/or severe asthma exacerbations in younger children. We investigated the relationship between indoor exposures and three asthma morbidity measures in children of different age groups (0–4, 5–11, and 12 yr of age or older). Identifying the factors leading to asthma morbidity in specific subgroups may lead to a better understanding of the disease and contribute to the development of effective interventions tailored to subgroups.

Methods

Children between 0 and 18 yr of age with asthma were enrolled in an asthma intervention program. At enrollment, hospitalizations, emergency room visits (ED), asthma night symptoms, and exposure to conditions in the child's home and school/daycare related to indoor allergens were collected using standardized questionnaires. Associations of exposure with the three asthma outcomes were estimated using logistic regression, stratified by age group.

Results

Of 246 children enrolled, the youngest age group had more hospitalizations in the past year, more ED visits in the past year, and more night awakenings in the past month due to asthma than the oldest two age groups (p = 0.02; p < 0.0001; and p = 0.01, respectively). Overall, more associations of exposures to home triggers were found with hospitalization in children aged 0–11 yr, while classroom triggers were more likely to be associated with hospitalizations among the oldest two groups, 5–18 yr of age.

Conclusions

Examining the relationship of specific environmental exposures with asthma exacerbations and hospitalizations across age group and in different indoor environments warrants further study.
The association of preterm birth with severe asthma and atopic dermatitis: a national cohort study
Authors: Trønnes Håvard , Wilcox Allen J. , Lie Rolv Terje , Markestad Trond , Moster Dag
Published: December 2013

Background

Asthma and atopic dermatitis are both regarded as atopic diseases. Being born too early is associated with increased risk of asthma, but some studies have indicated that the opposite might be true for atopic dermatitis. We explored in more detail the associations between preterm birth, asthma, and atopic dermatitis.

Methods

We analyzed data from Norwegian registries with prospectively collected data. All live births in Norway from 1967 through 2001 were followed through 2005 by linking the Medical Birth Registry of Norway to the National Insurance Scheme and to Statistics Norway. Only severe asthma and atopic dermatitis were registered in the National Insurance Scheme.

Results

Of a total of 1,760,821 children, we identified 9,349 cases (0.5%) with severe asthma and 6,930 cases (0.4%) with severe atopic dermatitis. Compared with children born at term (37–41 wk gestation), preterm birth was associated with increased odds for severe asthma (odds ratio (OR) 1.7 (95% confidence interval (CI): 1.6–1.8) for 32–36 wk gestation and OR 3.6 (95% CI: 3.1–4.2) for 23–31 wk) and decreased odds for severe atopic dermatitis (OR 0.9 (95% CI: 0.8–1.0) for 32–36 wk gestation and OR 0.7 (95% CI: 0.5–1.0) for 23–31 wk). Adjustment for perinatal and socio‐demographic factors weakened the association between gestational age and severe asthma, while slightly strengthening the association between gestational age and severe atopic dermatitis.

Conclusions

Preterm birth was associated with increased risk of severe asthma and decreased risk of severe atopic dermatitis.
Identification of a major QTL for adult plant resistance to coffee leaf rust (Hemileia vastatrix) in the natural Timor hybrid (Coffea arabica x C. canephora)
Authors: Romero Gladys , Vásquez Luisa M. , Lashermes Philippe , Herrera Juan C.
Published: December 2013

Most of the commercial varieties of coffee (Coffea arabica L.) derived from the Timor hybrid (TH) have been shown to contain major genes for coffee leaf rust (CLR) resistance. To identify markers tightly linked to such genes, an F2 mapping population derived from a cross between ‘Caturra’ (susceptible variety) and the TH‐derived DI.200 line (highly resistant) was generated. Using expressed sequence information and a bioinformatics approach, both targeted region amplified polymorphism (TRAPs) markers and simple sequence repeat (SSR) markers were identified. Phenotypic evaluations in the field and under controlled conditions confirmed the existence of one quantitative trait locus for CLR resistance. Four candidate SSR markers were associated with high CLR resistance. They spanning a region of 2.5 cM designated QCLR_4 located within chromosome 4 of the international C. canephora map. The presence of this region was confirmed in a set of elite lines and commercial varieties. The QCLR_4 region corresponds to a new and genetically independent SH locus that could potentially be useful in gene pyramiding with other genes to enhance rust resistance in TH derivatives.
Recent Work on the Meaning of Life and Philosophy of Religion
Authors: Mawson T. J.
Published: December 2013

‘The Meaning of Life’ and ‘The Philosophy of Religion’ have meant different things to different people, and so I do well to alert my reader to what these phrases mean to me and thus to the subject area of this review of recent work on their intersection. First, ‘The Meaning of Life’: within the analytic tradition, an idea has gained widespread assent; whatever the vague and enigmatic nature of the phrase ‘the meaningoflife’, we may sensibly speak of meaningfulnessina life as a particular, positive, normative feature that some individuals’ lives may well have, and this feature is to be distinguished from, though closely related to, other positive features – satisfaction, wellbeing, virtue and so forth. There has been much work done on these assumptions in recent years. An excellent summary of this work up to its date of publication is given by Thaddeus Metz (in his2007 a). Many – though by no means all – philosophers retain an instinctive scepticism toward the phrase ‘the meaning of life’ and a reluctance to engage with it, for it seems to connote vague and/or impossible‐to‐fulfil cosmic expectations. (See Thomson, chapter 11 and Seachris 2009 for attempts to engage with it nonetheless.) But philosophers are not generally now so sceptical about talk of meaningfulnessinlife and thus not so sceptical about the phrase ‘the meaning of life’ if it is taken to be referring merely to this. And that is how I shall be taking it. Secondly, ‘The Philosophy of Religion’: in the analytic tradition, this has usually been taken to be philosophical reflection on the rational acceptability or otherwise of classical theism and on what God's existence, should He exist, entails ontologically, metaphysically, metaethically and so forth. Therefore, I shall be talking about recent reflection in the analytic tradition on the relationship between the God of classical theism's existence (or lack of it) and meaningfulness (or lack of it) in human lives.
Old and New Problems in Philosophy of Measurement
Authors: Tal Eran
Published: December 2013

The philosophy of measurement studies the conceptual, ontological, epistemic, and technological conditions that make measurement possible and reliable. A new wave of philosophical scholarship has emerged in the last decade that emphasizes the material and historical dimensions of measurement and the relationships between measurement and theoretical modeling. This essay surveys these developments and contrasts them with earlier work on the semantics of quantity terms and the representational character of measurement. The conclusions highlight four characteristics of the emerging research program in philosophy of measurement: it is epistemological, coherentist, practice oriented, and model based.
Non‐Propositional Attitudes
Authors: Grzankowski Alex
Published: December 2013

Intentionality, or the power of minds to be about, to represent, or to stand for things, remains central in the philosophy of mind. But the study of intentionality in the analytic tradition has been dominated by discussions of propositional attitudes such as belief, desire, and visual perception. There are, however, intentional states that aren't obviously propositional attitudes. For example, Indiana Jones fears snakes, Antony loves Cleopatra, and Jane hates the monster under her bed. The present paper explores such mental states in an introductory but opinionated way.
Promoter‐associated histone acetylation is involved in the osmotic stress‐induced transcriptional regulation of the maize ZmDREB2A gene
Authors: Zhao Lin , Wang Pu , Yan Shihan , Gao Fei , Li Hui , Hou Haoli , Zhang Qi , Tan Junjun , Li Lijia
Published: December 2013

Epigenetic modifications play a key role in the transcriptional regulation of stress‐induced gene expression in plants. In this study, we showed that the overall acetylation levels of histone H3 lysine 9 (H3K9) and H4 lysine 5 (H4K5) in the genome were increased in maize seedlings after mannitol treatment (to mimic osmotic stress). Mannitol treatment significantly induced the upregulation of the maize osmotic stress responsive gene Zea mays dehydration‐responsive element binding protein 2A (ZmDREB2A), whereas abscisic acid (ABA) did not result in the induction of this gene. The application of exogenous ABA under osmotic stress conditions strongly repressed the induction of the ZmDREB2A gene. Chromatin immunoprecipitation and chromatin accessibility by real‐time PCR experiments revealed that the promoter region of the ZmDREB2A gene was quickly hyperacetylated and decondensed after the mannitol treatment, suggesting that the promoter region is poised for histone acetylation to allow for fast induction of the ZmDREB2A gene. However, under osmotic stress conditions, the ABA treatment decreased the acetylation status and chromatin accessibility to micrococcal nuclease. These results suggest that osmotic stress activates the transcription of the ZmDREB2A gene by increasing the levels of acetylated histones H3K9 and H4K5 associated with the ZmDREB2A promoter region.
Giannozzo Manetti's New Testament: new evidence on sources, translation process and the use of Valla's Annotationes
Authors: den Haan Annet
Published: December 2013

In the 1450s, the court of Pope Nicholas V was a centre of humanist learning, including humanist biblical scholarship. This is where Lorenzo Valla (1407–57) wrote his Annotationes in Novum Testamentum, a work that influenced later biblical scholarship through Erasmus' edition. However, Valla was not the only humanist to revise the Vulgate: around the same time, the Florentine humanist Giannozzo Manetti (1396–1459) produced a new Latin translation of the New Testament from the Greek, also at the Vatican court. This is the only Latin translation between Jerome's Vulgate and Erasmus' version, and it was probably commissioned by the pope himself. Although Valla's work is well known, Manetti's text remains in manuscript, and has hardly been studied. This article presents new insights in the writing process of Manetti's translation and its relation to Valla's biblical scholarship. It shows that Valla's project was not an isolated case, and that Manetti, though influenced by his more famous contemporary, was an independent scholar who developed his own method over time.
The Nature of Financial and Real Business Cycles: The Great Moderation and Banking Sector Pro‐Cyclicality
Authors: Égert Balázs , Sutherland Douglas
Published: December 2013

This study takes a fresh look at the nature of financial and real business cycles in OECD countries using annual data series and shorter quarterly economic indicators. It first analyses whether the last cycle has been different compared to previous cycles in terms of length, amplitude, asymmetry and changes of these parameters during expansions and contractions. We also study the degree of economic and financial cycle synchronization between OECD countries but also of economic and financial variables within a given country and gauge the extent to which cycle synchronization changed over time. We next describe the connection between the great moderation and the last cycle. Finally, the study discusses the synchronization between the real economy and the financial sector and provides some new evidence on the banking sector's pro‐cyclicality by using aggregate and bank level. The main findings show that the amplitude of the real business cycle was becoming smaller during the great moderation, but asset price cycles were becoming more volatile. In part, this was linked to developments in the banking sector which tended to accentuate pro‐cyclical behaviour. Greater synchronization of cycles may help explain the severity of the crisis.
Meaning Made of Stress among Veterans Transitioning to College: Examining Unique Associations with Suicide Risk and Life‐Threatening Behavior
Authors: Holland Jason M. , Malott Jesse , Currier Joseph M.
Published: December 2013

Meaning made of stress has been shown to be a unique predictor of mental and physical health. In this study, we examined the unique associations between two facets of meaning made of stress (comprehensibility and footing in the world) and suicide risk and life‐threatening behavior among military veterans who have transitioned to college were examined, controlling for demographic factors, religiousness, combat‐related physical injury, combat exposure, depressive symptoms, and posttraumatic stress symptoms. Findings suggest that comprehensibility (having “made sense” of a stressor) is uniquely associated with lower suicide risk and a lower likelihood of driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol and engaging in self‐mutilating behaviors.
On The Nature of Experiencing Self‐Agency: The Role of Goals and Primes in Inferring Oneself as the Cause of Behavior
Authors: van der Weiden Anouk , Aarts Henk , Ruys Kirsten
Published: December 2013

People often find themselves in situations where the cause of events may be ambiguous. Surprisingly though, the experience of self‐agency, i.e., perceiving oneself as the causal agent of behavioral outcomes, appears quite natural to most people. How then do these experiences arise? We discuss common models proposing that self‐agency experiences result from the comparison between actual action‐outcomes and the outcomes one explicitly set as a goal. However, recent developments in psychology and neuroscience suggest that our behaviors and the outcomes they produce can be primed and implicitly guided by environmental cues and yet are accompanied by experiences of self‐agency. Hence, we also review research revealing how self‐agency experiences may arise over behavioral outcomes that are implicitly primed before they occur and how such implicitly cued agency experiences may differ from agency experiences that are the result of explicitly set goals. Directions for future research are briefly addressed.
The use of an objective structured clinical examination to assess internal medicine residents' transfusion knowledge
Authors: Saidenberg Elianna , Pugh Debra
Published: December 2013

Background

Previous studies have indicated that medical trainees receive inadequate instruction in transfusion medicine and that this translates into insufficient transfusion knowledge throughout medical practice. We undertook to assess transfusion knowledge among internal medicine trainees in a single institution using a standardized oral examination case.

Study Design and Methods

A case of an adult with clear requirement for red blood cell transfusion was created. The case was reviewed by content experts and pilot tested on hematology trainees in their fifth postgraduate training year. The case was administered to internal medicine trainees in their first to fourth postgraduate years as part of a larger examination that is mandatory for all internal medicine trainees in our center. Scores on the transfusion case were assessed for each examinee.

Results

Seventy‐three residents participated in the examination and completed the transfusion objective structured clinical examination (OSCE) case. The mean score on this case was 6.6 of 10 with 31.5% of examinees failing this case. Scores did not differ as a function of increasing years of training.

Conclusion

This study again indicated that transfusion knowledge is poor among internal medicine trainees and that this does not improve with increasing number of years of training. Innovative strategies for transfusion education are urgently needed and should be rigorously assessed for efficacy.
Promotion and inhibition of oxygen transfer under fine bubble aeration by activated sludge
Authors: Fan Haitao , Qi Lu , Liu Guo‐hua , Zhang Yuankai , Chen Xulu , Wang Hongchen
Published: December 2013

The promotion and inhibition of inactivated and activated sludge on oxygen mass transfer (OMT) were studied using lab‐scale experiments. The results showed that the α‐values and oxygen transfer efficiency (OTE) decreased with increasing mixed liquor suspended solids (MLSS) concentration (1–10 g/L). Although OMT promotion rate by microbial respiration in activated sludge system increased from 39.8–97.5% for the α‐values and OTE, the two parameters were found to fall sharply when MLSS concentration was over 5 g/L. This indicated that the sludge concentration is a major influence factor on OMT in activated sludge system. Such results provide valuable knowledge for the operating optimization of the aeration system in wastewater treatment process.
The Valve Timing Optimization of the Diesel Engine Based on Response Surface Methodology
Authors: Li Jun , Ji Lei , Xu Yangjiao , Xie Jinli
Published: December 2013

To study the effect of valve timing on the diesel engine performance, the simulation model of diesel engine was established with AVL BOOST and its accuracy was proved. The volumetric efficiency is one of the important indicators to evaluate engine performance. The volumetric efficiency as optimization objective and valve timing were optimized and discussed by using Box-Behnken test method and the response surface methodology. Optimization result shows that volumetric efficiency of the diesel engine can been increased by 6.42% under rated speed.
Cholesterol and F‐actin are required for clustering of recycling synaptic vesicle proteins in the presynaptic plasma membrane
Authors: Dason Jeffrey S. , Smith Alex J. , Marin Leo , Charlton Milton P.
Published: December 2013

Key points

Extraction of cholesterol from synaptic vesicles trapped on the presynaptic plasma membrane causes synaptic vesicle proteins to disperse after exocytosis.

Vesicular cholesterol regulates both presynaptic phosphatidylinositol (4,5)‐bisphosphate levels and actin distribution during synaptic vesicle recycling.

Inhibition of actin polymerization results in the dispersal of proteins from trapped synaptic vesicles and impairs synaptic vesicle recycling.

Vesicular cholesterol and actin together confine synaptic vesicle proteins on the presynaptic plasma membrane during synaptic vesicle recycling.

Alteration of membrane or synaptic vesicle lipids might therefore affect the ability of synapses to undergo sustained exocytosis and endocytosis by compromising the recycling of synaptic vesicle proteins.

Synaptic vesicles (SVs) and their proteins must be recycled for sustained synaptic transmission. We tested the hypothesis that SV cholesterol is required for proper sorting of SV proteins during recycling in live presynaptic terminals. We used the reversible block of endocytosis in the Drosophila temperature‐sensitive dynamin mutant shibire‐ts1 to trap exocytosed SV proteins, and then examined the effect of experimental treatments on the distribution of these proteins within the presynaptic plasma membrane by confocal microscopy. SV proteins synaptotagmin, vglut and csp were clustered following SV trapping in control experiments but dispersed in samples treated with the cholesterol chelator methyl‐β‐cyclodextrin to extract SV cholesterol. There was accumulation of phosphatidylinositol (4,5)‐bisphosphate (PIP2) in presynaptic terminals following SV trapping and this was reduced following SV cholesterol extraction. Reduced PIP2 accumulation was associated with disrupted accumulation of actin in presynaptic terminals. Similar to vesicular cholesterol extraction, disruption of actin by latrunculin A after SV proteins had been trapped on the plasma membrane resulted in the dispersal of SV proteins and prevented recovery of synaptic transmission due to impaired endocytosis following relief of the endocytic block. Our results demonstrate that vesicular cholesterol is required for aggregation of exocytosed SV proteins in the presynaptic plasma membrane and are consistent with a mechanism involving regulation of PIP2 accumulation and local actin polymerization by cholesterol. Thus, alteration of membrane or SV lipids may affect the ability of synapses to undergo sustained synaptic transmission by compromising the recycling of SV proteins.
Experimental Investigation on the Minichannel Cold Plate for High Temperature Uniformity Based on a Compact Thermal Model
Authors: Luo Xiaobing , Mao Zhangming
Published: December 2013

A compact thermal model for multiple heat sources mounted on minichannel cold plate to achieve high temperature uniformity was presented in the authors’ previous work. In this paper, based on this compact thermal model, a fractal tree-like minichannel cold plate was designed and fabricated to obtain high temperature uniformity, and its thermal performance was tested under different working conditions by experiments. The comparison reveals that the measured temperatures are close to the ones predicted by the compact thermal model. The cold plate designed based on the compact thermal model can help multiple heat sources achieve high temperature uniformity, and the maximum temperature difference among the heat sources is 1.3 °C. Moreover, a straight minichannel cold plate was designed and tested under the same conditions. The measured results show that there exists relatively large temperature gap among the heat sources, and the maximum value is 6.7°C, which is much higher than 1.3 °C in the fractal tree-like minichannel. Therefore, the fractal tree-like microchannel or minichannel cold plate has an advantage over the straight one in obtaining temperature uniformity for multiple heat sources.