bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Digital Radiographic Evaluation of Hand-Wrist Bone Maturation and Prediction of Age in South Indian Adolescents
Authors: Mohammed Rezwana Begum , Reddy M. Asha Lata , Jain Megha , Singh Johar Rajvinder , Sanghvi Praveen , Thetay Anshuj Ajay Rao
Published: January 2014

Background

In the growing years, indicators of the level of maturational development of the individual provide the best means for evaluating biologic age and the associated timing of skeletal growth. The relative stage of maturity of a child may be determined by comparing the child's hand-wrist radiograph to the known standards of skeletal development.

Aims and Objectives

In this study, we assessed various levels of skeletal maturation and also identified the relationship between chronological age (CA) and maturation stage using the hand-wrist radiographs in adolescents of Indian origin. Materials and Methods Three hundred and thirty hand-wrist digital radiographs of individuals aged 8 to 18 years were evaluated for skeletal maturity levels using Fishman's method. The data was analysed using the SPSS software package (version 12, SPSS Inc., Chicago, IL, USA). Regression analysis was performed for calculating bone age of both males and females. Spearman's rank-order correlation coefficients were estimated separately for males and females to assess the relation between CA and maturation level.

Results

An association between skeletal maturation indicator stages and CA ( r=0.82) was significant. Interestingly, female subjects were observed to be advanced in skeletal maturity compared to males. Regression equations were derived to calculate bone age in males, females and the whole sample. Conclusion The results of this study showed significant association between hand-wrist skeletal maturation levels and CA. Digital radiographic assessment of hand-wrist skeletal maturation can be used as a better choice for predicting average bone age of an individual because of its simplicity, reliability and lesser radiation exposure.
Acute exercise induces cortical inhibition and reduces arousal in response to visual stimulation in young children
Authors: Mierau Andreas , Hülsdünker Thorben , Mierau Julia , Hense Andreas , Hense Johannes , Strüder Heiko K.
Published: January 2014

Physical exercise is known to induce a range of transient or sustained psychophysiological effects including stress reduction and improvements in cognitive performance. Previous studies in the area have focused on adults and there has been little research on the relationship between physical exercise and brain function in young children. This study examined the relationship between cortical oscillations, arousal and cognitive performance following physical exercise in 5/6‐year preschoolers. Participants completed two counterbalanced sessions of 45 min exercise or a control condition. Electroencephalography (EEG) was measured at rest with the eyes closed and the eyes open, as well as during cognitive performance in a task requiring attention and reaction speed. This was done before (PRE) and after (POST) each session once the participants' heart rate returned to within 10% of pre‐exercise values. The percentage change in spectral power from PRE to POST (Δ) differed significantly between conditions. Specifically, Δ alpha‐1 power differed significantly between exercise (+5%) and the control condition (−5.9%) with the eyes‐open, but not with the eyes‐closed. This effect did not significantly differ between cortical regions (i.e., it was global). Further, Δ beta‐1 and Δ beta‐2 power differed significantly between exercise (beta‐1: −10.8%, beta‐2: −23.8%) and the control condition (beta‐1: −4.3%, beta‐2: −5.3%) at frontal sites independent of visual input. Despite significant changes in resting state EEG, cognitive performance and task‐related EEG remained unaffected by exercise. The results were interpreted to indicate cortical inhibition and attenuation of arousal in response to visual stimulation following exercise in young children.
Christian Transformation and the Encounter with the World's Holy Canons
Authors: Feldmeier Peter
Published: January 2014

Philosophical approaches to hermeneutics, such as we find in Hans-Georg Gadamer and Paul Ricoeur, offer insights into how a classic text expands one's horizons, through both a dynamic game of conversation between reader and text and the enlarged sense of self that comes from entering into the proposed world of the text. Comparative theology follows these leads by showing how engaging in the canons of the religious other allows one fresh insights into one's own religious tradition's familiar and revered truths. This article is an exercise in such an approach, examining three Asian traditions and samples from their most classic textual representatives. By engaging the Dhammapada from Theravada Buddhism, classic sayings from Zen, and the Dao-De-Jing and Zhuangzi from the Daoist tradition, we see how we might appropriate the Catholic theological and spiritual traditions with fresh eyes and new insights.
Deconversion and Disaffiliation in Contemporary US Roman Catholicism
Authors: Hornbeck J. Patrick
Published: January 2014

Disaffiliation—when members of religious communities leave—has recently become a popular topic for theological and social scientific investigation. Today, fewer Roman Catholics than in recent memory describe themselves as strong members of their church. Many have left to seek other spiritual paths, and many of those who remain do not believe and practice as the Church teaches that they should. These essays propose that the theoretical framework of “deconversion” provides a broader and more effective way to understand forms of religious change that are occurring in contemporary America. In the classroom, teaching theology can take on a specific productive shape when the surrounding culture challenges theologians to take deconversion seriously as an element of, and larger context for, spiritual identity today. Theology remains vital when patient curiosity about the current adventure of religious identity is foregrounded pedagogically. Concluding thoughts sketch some important characteristics of an evangelical church, more concerned with its mission and witness in the world than with maintaining its internal life.
Self-similar behaviour of a rotor wake vortex core
Authors: Ali Mohamed , Abid Malek
Published: January 2014

We report a self-similar behaviour of solutions (obtained numerically) of the Navier–Stokes equations behind a single-blade rotor. That is, the helical vortex core in the wake of a rotating blade is self-similar as a function of its age. Profiles of vorticity and azimuthal velocity in the vortex core are characterized, their similarity variables are identified and scaling laws of these variables are given. Solutions of incompressible three-dimensional Navier–Stokes equations for Reynolds numbers up to $Re= 2000$ are considered.
Scale Reduction of a Systems Coagulation Model With an Application to Modeling Pharmacokinetic–Pharmacodynamic Data
Authors: Gulati A , Isbister GK , Duffull SB
Published: January 2014

Bridging systems biology and pharmacokinetics–pharmacodynamics has resulted in models that are highly complex and complicated. They usually contain large numbers of states and parameters and describe multiple input–output relationships. Based on any given data set relating to a specific input–output process, it is possible that some states of the system are either less important or have no influence at all. In this study, we explore a simplification of a systems pharmacology model of the coagulation network for use in describing the time course of fibrinogen recovery after a brown snake bite. The technique of proper lumping is used to simplify the 62‐state systems model to a 5‐state model that describes the brown snake venom–fibrinogen relationship while maintaining an appropriate mechanistic relationship. The simplified 5‐state model explains the observed decline and recovery in fibrinogen concentrations well. The techniques used in this study can be applied to other multiscale models.

CPT Pharmacometrics Syst. Pharmacol. (2014) 3, e90; doi:10.1038/psp.2013.67; published online 8 January 2014
Fano resonance in anodic aluminum oxide based photonic crystals
Authors: Shang Guo Liang , Fei Guang Tao , Zhang Yao , Yan Peng , Xu Shao Hui , Ouyang Hao Miao , De Zhang Li
Published: January 2014

Anodic aluminum oxide based photonic crystals with periodic porous structure have been prepared using voltage compensation method. The as-prepared sample showed an ultra-narrow photonic bandgap. Asymmetric line-shape profiles of the photonic bandgaps have been observed, which is attributed to Fano resonance between the photonic bandgap state of photonic crystal and continuum scattering state of porous structure. And the exhibited Fano resonance shows more clearly when the sample is saturated ethanol gas than air-filled. Further theoretical analysis by transfer matrix method verified these results. These findings provide a better understanding on the nature of photonic bandgaps of photonic crystals made up of porous materials, in which the porous structures not only exist as layers of effective-refractive-index material providing Bragg scattering, but also provide a continuum light scattering state to interact with Bragg scattering state to show an asymmetric line-shape profile.
Facile synthesis of water-soluble and biocompatible fluorescent nitrogen-doped carbon dots for cell imaging
Authors: Wang Weiping , Lu Ya-Chun , Huang Hong , Feng Jiu-Ju , Chen Jian-Rong , Wang Ai-Jun
Published: January 2014

A simple and green hydrothermal method was developed for preparation of water-soluble nitrogen-doped carbon dots (N-CDs) from streptomycin. The prepared N-CDs reveal low toxicity, high stability and good biocompatibility, which can be used as fluorescent probes for cell imaging.
High-throughput and high-sensitivity quantitative analysis of serum unsaturated fatty acids by chip-based nanoelectrospray ionization-Fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance mass spectrometry: Early stage diagnostic biomarkers of pancreatic cancer
Authors: Zhang Yaping , Qiu Ling , Wang Yanmin , Qin Xuzhen , Li Zhili
Published: January 2014

Simultaneous qualitative and quantitative determination of serum unsaturated FAs as early-stage cancer indicators.
A computational study of the mechanism of the [(salen)Cr + DMAP]-catalyzed formation of cyclic carbonates from CO2 and epoxide
Authors: Adhikari Debashis , Nguyen SonBinh T. , Baik Mu-Hyun
Published: January 2014

Epoxide and CO2 coupling reactions catalyzed by (salen)CrIIICl have been modeled computationally to contrast a monometallic vs. bimetallic mechanism.
Supramolecular polymeric peptide amphiphile vesicles for the encapsulation of basic fibroblast growth factor
Authors: Loh Xian Jun , del Barrio Jesús , Lee Tung-Chun , Scherman Oren A.
Published: January 2014

The synthesis of a supramolecular double hydrophilic peptide polymer conjugate, held together by cucurbit[8]uril (CB[8]) ternary complexation, and its subsequent temperature triggered self assembly into vesicles are reported.
Highly stable covalent organic framework–Au nanoparticles hybrids for enhanced activity for nitrophenol reduction
Authors: Pachfule Pradip , Kandambeth Sharath , Díaz Díaz David , Banerjee Rahul
Published: January 2014

Gold nanoparticles immobilized into a stable covalent organic framework have been synthesized via the solution infiltration method. The as-synthesized Au(0)@TpPa-1 catalyst shows high recyclability and superior reactivity for nitro reduction reaction than HAuCl4·3H2O.
Direct access to isoindolines through tandem Rh(iii)-catalyzed alkenylation and cyclization of N-benzyltriflamides
Authors: Mishra Neeraj Kumar , Park Jihye , Sharma Satyasheel , Han Sangil , Kim Mirim , Shin Youngmi , Jang Jinbong , Kwak Jong Hwan , Jung Young Hoon , Kim In Su
Published: January 2014

The rhodium-catalyzed oxidative alkenylation ofN-benzyltriflamides with olefins followed by an intramolecular cyclizationviaC–H bond activation is described.
Mechanism of cellular accumulation of an iridium(iii) pentamethylcyclopentadienyl anticancer complex containing a C,N-chelating ligand
Authors: Novohradsky Vojtech , Liu Zhe , Vojtiskova Marie , Sadler Peter J. , Brabec Viktor , Kasparkova Jana
Published: January 2014

A new antitumor iridium complex [(η5-Cp*)(Ir)(bq)Cl] (Cp* = pentamethylcyclopentadienyl, bq = 7,8-benzoquinoline) and conventional cisplatin have contrasting mechanisms of accumulation in ovarian cancer cells.
Angular dependence of the magnetoresistance effect in a silicon based p–n junction device
Authors: Wang Tao , Si Mingsu , Yang Dezheng , Shi Zhong , Wang Fangcong , Yang Zhaolong , Zhou Shiming , Xue Desheng
Published: January 2014

Anisotropic MR effect is seen in a non-magnetic p–n junction due to the space charge region being modulated by an external magnetic field.
Synthesis and microwave absorption enhancement of graphene@Fe3O4@SiO2@NiO nanosheet hierarchical structures
Authors: Wang Lei , Huang Ying , Sun Xu , Huang Haijian , Liu Panbo , Zong Meng , Wang Yan
Published: January 2014

Hierarchical structures of graphene@Fe3O4@SiO2@NiO nanosheets were prepared by combining the versatile sol–gel process with a hydrothermal reaction.
Direct large-scale synthesis of 3D hierarchical mesoporous NiO microspheres as high-performance anode materials for lithium ion batteries
Authors: bai Zhongchao , Ju Zhicheng , Guo Chunli , Qian Yitai , Tang Bin , Xiong Shenglin
Published: January 2014

3D hierarchical mesoporous NiO microspheres were scalably synthesized by a thermal decomposition method; they exhibit superior performance as anode materials for LIBs.
Ring contraction of 1,3-diphenylbenzo[1,2,4]triazinyl radicals to 1,2-diphenylbenzimidazoles
Authors: Berezin Andrey A. , Koutentis Panayiotis A.
Published: January 2014

Optimized conditions for the reductive ring contraction of benzotriazinyl radicals and related analogues afford benzimidazoles in near quantitative yields.
A gel-state 2D-NMR method for plant cell wall profiling and analysis: a model study with the amorphous cellulose and xylan from ball-milled cotton linters
Authors: Kim Hoon , Ralph John
Published: January 2014

Amorphous cellulose and xylan structures were analyzed using high-resolution 2D-NMR, and the NMR data were obtained in a DMSO-d6/pyridine-d5 (4 : 1) solvent system.
Facile synthesis of Pt–Pd nanodendrites and their superior electrocatalytic activity
Authors: Lv Jing-Jing , Zheng Jie-Ning , Li Shan-Shan , Chen Li-Li , Wang Ai-Jun , Feng Jiu-Ju
Published: January 2014

Porous Pt–Pd nanodendrites were fabricated by a co-chemical reduction method using both PVP and urea as the co-stabilizing and co-structure-directing agents. The Pt–Pd nanodendrites displayed high catalytic activity and stability toward the electrooxidation of methanol and ethylene glycol in alkaline media.
Coprecipitation fabrication and electrochemical performances of coral-like mesoporous NiO nanobars
Authors: Li Jing , Luo Fulian , Zhao Qian , Li Zhanpeng , Yuan Hongyan , Xiao Dan
Published: January 2014

Coral-like mesoporous NiO nanobars, which possess favourable pseudocapacitive properties, have been fabricated by a facile and template-free coprecipitation method followed with a simple calcination procedure.
Heterostructured Co3O4/PEI–CNTs composite: fabrication, characterization and CO gas sensors at room temperature
Authors: Dang Lifang , Zhang Guo , Kan Kan , Lin Yufei , Bai Fuquan , jing Liqiang , Shen Peikang , Li Li , Shi Keying
Published: January 2014

A noncovalent chemical approach is developed for hybridizing PEI–CNTs with Co3O4nanoparticles. The Co3O4/PEI–CNTs composite sensor exhibits excellent sensing properties at room temperature to CO detection.
Supercritical fluid assisted synthesis of N-doped graphene nanosheets and their capacitance behavior in ionic liquid and aqueous electrolytes
Authors: Sathish Marappan , Mitani Satoshi , Tomai Takaaki , Honma Itaru
Published: January 2014

N-doped GNS have been prepared by a single step supercritical fluid assisted reaction. They show specific capacitances of 280 F g−1 in aqueous solution and 104 F g−1 in ionic liquid with energy densities of 8 W h kg−1 and 40 W h kg−1, respectively.
Highly efficient organic solar cells using a solution-processed active layer with a small molecule donor and pristine fullerene
Authors: Lin Hao-Wu , Chang Jung-Hao , Huang Wei-Ching , Lin Yu-Ting , Lin Li-Yen , Lin Francis , Wong Ken-Tsung , Wang Hsiao-Fang , Ho Rong-Ming , Meng Hsin-Fei
Published: January 2014

Efficient SMOSCs with a solution-processed active layer composed of organic compounds without long alkyl chains as donors and pristine C70 as the acceptor have been successfully achieved by spin- and bar-coating methods.
Ho3+ doped NaGdF4 nanoparticles as MRI/optical probes for brain glioma imaging
Authors: Deng Yunlong , Wang Hao , Gu Wei , Li Shuai , Xiao Ning , Shao Chen , Xu Qunyuan , Ye Ling
Published: January 2014

CTX-conjugated doped NaGdF4 (CTX-NaGdF4:Ho3+) NPs were prepared by a thermal decomposition method followed by ligand-exchange with TETT silane and CTX conjugation. The potential of these NPs as dual-modal nanoprobes in tiny glioma imaging was demonstrated.
Multiscale evaluation of pore curvature effects on protein structure in nanopores
Authors: Hao Dong-Xia , Huang Yong-Dong , Wang Kang , Wei Yu-Ping , Zhou Wei-Qing , Li Juan , Ma Guang-Hui , Su Zhi-Guo
Published: January 2014

This paper examined how pore curvature perturbed protein structures, by multiscale approaches including HPLC, confocal scanning, NMR H/D exchange, and molecular docking simulations.
Generalized Onsager theory for strongly anisometric patchy colloids
Authors: Wensink H. H. , Trizac E.
Published: January 2014

The implications of soft “patchy” interactions on the orientational disorder-order transition of strongly elongated colloidal rods and flat disks is studied within a simple Onsager-van der Waals density functional theory. The theory provides a generic framework for studying the liquid crystal phase behaviour of highly anisometric cylindrical colloids which carry a distinct geometrical pattern of repulsive or attractive soft interactions localized on the particle surface. In this paper, we apply our theory to the case of charged rods and disks for which the local electrostatic interactions can be described by a screened-Coulomb potential. We consider infinitely thin rod like cylinders with a uniform line charge and infinitely thin discotic cylinders with several distinctly different surface charge patterns. Irrespective of the backbone shape the isotropic-nematic phase diagrams of charged colloids feature a generic destabilization of nematic order at low ionic strength, a dramatic narrowing of the biphasic density region, and a reentrant phenomenon upon reducing the electrostatic screening. The low screening regime is characterized by a complete suppression of nematic order in favor of positionally ordered liquid crystal phases.
Diversity of hydrogen configuration and its roles in SrTiO3−δ
Authors: Iwazaki Yoshiki , Gohda Yoshihiro , Tsuneyuki Shinji
Published: January 2014

As a source of carrier electron, various configurations of hydrogen in SrTiO3 are searched by using first-principles calculations. The most stable form of hydrogen is found to be H−, where doubly charged oxygen vacancy $V_{\rm O}^{2+}$VO2+ changes into singly charged ${\rm H}_{\rm O}^+$HO+. Most importantly, an additional H− is found to be weakly trapped by ${\rm H}_{\rm O}^+$HO+, which completely neutralizes carrier electrons by forming ${\rm (2H)}_{\rm O}^0$(2H)O0. These unexpected behaviors of hydrogen, which can explain reported experimental results, expand the role of the hydrogen in carrier-control technology in transition-metal oxides.
Production, formation, and transport of high-brightness atomic hydrogen beam studies for the relativistic heavy ion collider polarized source upgrade
Authors: Kolmogorov A. , Atoian G. , Davydenko V. , Ivanov A. , Ritter J. , Stupishin N. , Zelenski A.
Published: January 2014

The RHIC polarized H− ion source had been successfully upgraded to higher intensity and polarization by using a very high brightness fast atomic beam source developed at BINP, Novosibirsk. In this source the proton beam is extracted by a four-grid multi-aperture ion optical system and neutralized in the H2 gas cell downstream from the grids. The proton beam is extracted from plasma emitter with a low transverse ion temperature of ∼0.2 eV which is formed by plasma jet expansion from the arc plasma generator. The multi-hole grids are spherically shaped to produce “geometrical” beam focusing. Proton beam formation and transport of atomic beam were experimentally studied at test bench.
Magnetic orders of LaTiO3 under epitaxial strain: A first-principles study
Authors: Weng Yakui , Huang Xin , Tang Yankun , Dong Shuai
Published: January 2014

Perovskite LaTiO3 bulk is a typical Mott-insulator with G-type antiferromagnetic order. In this work, the biaxial strain effects on the ground magnetic order of LaTiO3 films grown on various substrates have been studied. For the compressive strain, LaTiO3 films grown on LaAlO3, LaGaO3, and SrTiO3 substrates undergo a phase transition from the original G-type antiferromagnet to A-type antiferromagnet. The underlying physical mechanisms are the lattice distortions tunned by strain. While for the tensile strain, the BaTiO3 and LaScO3 substrates have been tested, which show a tendency to transit the LaTiO3 to the C-type antiferromagnet. Furthermore, our calculations find that the magnetic transitions under epitaxial strain do not change the insulating fact of LaTiO3.
Effect of tungsten doping in bismuth-layered Na0.5Bi2.5Nb2O9 high temperature piezoceramics
Authors: Zhou Zhiyong , Li Yuchen , Hui Shipeng , Dong Xianlin
Published: January 2014

The effects of W6+ doping for B site on the structural and electrical properties of Na0.5Bi2.5Nb2O9-based ceramics were studied. It shows a trend of preferable orientation growth along c-axis and the Curie point (Tc) decreases slightly from 792 to 761 °C with the increasing W6+ amount. The electrical resistivity of Na0.5Bi2.5Nb2O9-based ceramics increases as much as about two orders of magnitude and the piezoelectric constant d33 is significantly improved from 10.5 to 21.8 pC/N by W6+ modification. The composition of Na0.5Bi2.5Nb1.99W0.01O9 with a high Tc (792 °C), very good temperature stability up to ∼0.96Tc, a large d33 of 17.9 pC/N and sufficient high resistivity, is an excellent candidate for high temperature piezoelectric applications.
Nonlinear dynamics in aluminum nitride contour-mode resonators
Authors: Miller Nicholas , Piazza Gianluca
Published: January 2014

In this work, we discuss the self-heating nonlinear dynamics of aluminum nitride contour mode resonators. The self-heating introduces a quadratic coupling between the resonator motion and its temperature. This coupling produces a nonlinear frequency response identical to the weakly nonlinear Duffing resonator in steady-state. However, since the thermal relaxation rate is much smaller than the mechanical relaxation rate, the dynamics of the resonator differ from the conventional Duffing resonator.
Superior dielectric properties for template assisted grown (100) oriented Gd2O3 thin films on Si(100)
Authors: Roy Chaudhuri Ayan , Fissel A. , Osten H. J.
Published: January 2014

We report about the single crystalline growth and dielectric properties of Gd2O3(100) thin films on Si(100) surface. Using a two step molecular beam epitaxy growth process, we demonstrate that controlled engineering of the oxide/Si interface is a key step to achieve the atypical (100) oriented growth of Gd2O3. Unusually, high dielectric constant values (∼23–27) were extracted from capacitance voltage measurements. Such effect can be understood in terms of a two dimensional charge layer at the Gd2O3/Si interface (W. Sitaputra and R. Tsu, Appl. Phys. Lett. 101, 222903 (2012)) which can influence the dielectric properties of the oxide layer by forming an additional negative quantum capacitance.
Are Conservation Laws Metaphysically Necessary?
Authors: Wolff Johanna
Published: January 2014

Are laws of nature necessary, and if so, are all laws of nature necessary in the same way? This question has played an important role in recent discussion of laws of nature. I argue that not all laws of nature are necessary in the same way: conservation laws are perhaps to be regarded as metaphysically necessary. This sheds light on both the modal character of conservation laws and the relationship between different varieties of necessity.
Reassessing Woodward’s Account of Explanation: Regularities, Counterfactuals, and Noncausal Explanations
Authors: Saatsi Juha , Pexton Mark
Published: January 2014

We reassess Woodward’s counterfactual account of explanation in relation to regularity explananda. Woodward presents an account of causal explanation. We argue, by using an explanation of Kleiber’s law to illustrate, that the account can also cover some noncausal explanations. This leads to a tension between the two key aspects of Woodward’s account: the counterfactual aspect and the causal aspect. We explore this tension and make a case for jettisoning the causal aspect as constitutive of explanatory power in connection with regularity explananda.
Why Do Biologists Use So Many Diagrams?
Authors: Sheredos Benjamin , Burnston Daniel , Abrahamsen Adele , Bechtel William
Published: January 2014

Diagrams have distinctive characteristics that make them an effective medium for communicating research findings, but they are even more impressive as tools for scientific reasoning. To explore this role, we examine diagrammatic formats that have been devised by biologists to (a) identify and illuminate phenomena involving circadian rhythms and (b) develop and modify mechanistic explanations of these phenomena.
A comparison of norm maps
Authors: Bohmann Anna Marie
Published: January 2014

We present a spectrum-level version of the norm map in equivariant homotopy theory based on the algebraic construction in the 1997 paper by Greenlees and May. We show that this new norm map is the same as the construction in the 2009 paper by Hill, Hopkins and Ravenel. Our comparison of the two norm maps gives a conceptual understanding of the choices inherent in the definition of the multiplicative norm map.
Novel Resistance in Heirloom Tomatoes and Effectiveness of Resistance in Hybrids to Phytophthora infestans US-22, US-23, and US-24 Clonal Lineages
Authors: Seidl Johnson Anna C. , Jordan Stephen A. , Gevens Amanda J.
Published: January 2014

Late blight, caused by the oomycete Phytophthora infestans, causes serious losses in tomato production worldwide. Application of fungicides is the primary means of management but cultivar resistance, primarily through Ph resistance genes from Solanum pimpinellifolium, can provide a cost-effective and environmentally sound approach to an overall disease management program. Due to highly adaptable pathogen populations, cultivar resistance against late blight is often short lived and continual assessment of disease response to new pathogen types is necessary. We evaluated the disease response of 11 tomato cultivars to one isolate from each of three clonal lineages (US-22, US-23, and US-24) of P. infestans novel to the United States to determine the efficacy of currently deployed Ph genes in hybrid cultivars and the validity of claims of resistance in heirloom cultivars. Lesion length and pathogen growth were reduced on tomato genotypes ‘Plum Regal’ (Ph-3) and ‘Legend’ (Ph-2) compared with the susceptible control ‘Brandywine Red’ following inoculation with one isolate (US-23) but were not significantly different from the control with an isolate of US-22. ‘Mountain Magic’ (Ph-2 and Ph-3) and three heirloom cultivars (‘Wapsipinicon Peach’, ‘Matt's Wild Cherry,’ and ‘Pruden's Purple’) had reduced lesion length and pathogen growth to all three isolates. Although the genetics of resistance are not fully understood for many of these, the heirloom cultivars may be useful for future tomato late blight breeding efforts. All of the cultivars investigated in this work are currently available and use of cultivars exhibiting reduced disease development may limit losses to late blight and reduce reliance on fungicides. Resistant cultivars also limit the production of inoculum, reducing overall late blight risk and spread in tomato and potato crops.
Humans rely on the same rules to assess emotional valence and intensity in conspecific and dog vocalizations
Authors: Faragó Tamás , Andics Attila , Devecseri Viktor , Kis Anna , Gácsi Márta , Miklósi Ádám
Published: January 2014

Humans excel at assessing conspecific emotional valence and intensity, based solely on non-verbal vocal bursts that are also common in other mammals. It is not known, however, whether human listeners rely on similar acoustic cues to assess emotional content in conspecific and heterospecific vocalizations, and which acoustical parameters affect their performance. Here, for the first time, we directly compared the emotional valence and intensity perception of dog and human non-verbal vocalizations. We revealed similar relationships between acoustic features and emotional valence and intensity ratings of human and dog vocalizations: those with shorter call lengths were rated as more positive, whereas those with a higher pitch were rated as more intense. Our findings demonstrate that humans rate conspecific emotional vocalizations along basic acoustic rules, and that they apply similar rules when processing dog vocal expressions. This suggests that humans may utilize similar mental mechanisms for recognizing human and heterospecific vocal emotions.
Ecological networks: delving into the architecture of biodiversity
Authors: Heleno Ruben , Garcia Cristina , Jordano Pedro , Traveset Anna , Gómez José Maria , Blüthgen Nico , Memmott Jane , Moora Mari , Cerdeira Jorge , Rodríguez-Echeverría Susana , Freitas Helena , Olesen Jens M.
Published: January 2014

In recent years, the analysis of interaction networks has grown popular as a framework to explore ecological processes and the relationships between community structure and its functioning. The field has rapidly grown from its infancy to a vibrant youth, as reflected in the variety and quality of the discussions held at the first international symposium on Ecological Networks in Coimbra—Portugal (23–25 October 2013). The meeting gathered 170 scientists from 22 countries, who presented data from a broad geographical range, and covering all stages of network analyses, from sampling strategies to effective ways of communicating results, presenting new analytical tools, incorporation of temporal and spatial dynamics, new applications and visualization tools.1During the meeting it became evident that while many of the caveats diagnosed in early network studies are successfully being tackled, new challenges arise, attesting to the health of the discipline.
Strong but opposingβ-diversity–stability relationships in coral reef fish communities
Authors: Mellin C. , Bradshaw C. J. A. , Fordham D. A. , Caley M. J.
Published: January 2014

The ‘diversity–stability hypothesis’, in which higher species diversity within biological communities buffers the risk of ecological collapse, is now generally accepted. However, empirical evidence for a relationship betweenβ-diversity (spatial turnover in community structure) and temporal stability in community structure remains equivocal, despite important implications for theoretical ecology and conservation biology. Here, we report strongβ-diversity–stability relationships across a broad sample of fish taxa on Australia's Great Barrier Reef. These relationships were robust to random sampling error and spatial and environmental factors, such as latitude, reef size and isolation. Whileβ-diversity was positively associated with temporal stability at the community level, the relationship was negative for some taxa, for example surgeonfishes (Acanthuridae), one of the most abundant reef fish families. This demonstrates that theβ-diversity–stability relationship should not be indiscriminately assumed for all taxa, but that a species’ risk of extirpation in response to disturbance is likely to be taxon specific and trait based. By combining predictions of spatial and temporal turnover across the study area with observations in marine-protected areas, we conclude that protection alone does not necessarily confer temporal stability and that taxon-specific considerations will improve the outcome of conservation efforts.
Structural and Functional Modularity of the Orange Carotenoid Protein: Distinct Roles for the N- and C-Terminal Domains in Cyanobacterial Photoprotection
Authors: Leverenz Ryan L. , Jallet Denis , Li Ming-De , Mathies Richard A. , Kirilovsky Diana , Kerfeld Cheryl A.
Published: January 2014

The orange carotenoid protein (OCP) serves as a sensor of light intensity and an effector of phycobilisome (PB)–associated photoprotection in cyanobacteria. Structurally, the OCP is composed of two distinct domains spanned by a single carotenoid chromophore. Functionally, in response to high light, the OCP converts from a dark-stable orange form, OCPO, to an active red form, OCPR. The C-terminal domain of the OCP has been implicated in the dynamic response to light intensity and plays a role in switching off the OCP's photoprotective response through its interaction with the fluorescence recovery protein. The function of the N-terminal domain, which is uniquely found in cyanobacteria, is unclear. To investigate its function, we isolated the N-terminal domain in vitro using limited proteolysis of native OCP. The N-terminal domain retains the carotenoid chromophore; this red carotenoid protein (RCP) has constitutive PB fluorescence quenching activity comparable in magnitude to that of active, full-length OCPR. A comparison of the spectroscopic properties of the RCP with OCPR indicates that critical protein–chromophore interactions within the C-terminal domain are weakened in the OCPR form. These results suggest that the C-terminal domain dynamically regulates the photoprotective activity of an otherwise constitutively active carotenoid binding N-terminal domain.
Interaction between MYC2 and ETHYLENE INSENSITIVE3 Modulates Antagonism between Jasmonate and Ethylene Signaling inArabidopsis
Authors: Song Susheng , Huang Huang , Gao Hua , Wang Jiaojiao , Wu Dewei , Liu Xili , Yang Shuhua , Zhai Qingzhe , Li Chuanyou , Qi Tiancong , Xie Daoxin
Published: January 2014

Plants have evolved sophisticated mechanisms for integration of endogenous and exogenous signals to adapt to the changing environment. Both the phytohormones jasmonate (JA) and ethylene (ET) regulate plant growth, development, and defense. In addition to synergistic regulation of root hair development and resistance to necrotrophic fungi, JA and ET act antagonistically to regulate gene expression, apical hook curvature, and plant defense against insect attack. However, the molecular mechanism for such antagonism between JA and ET signaling remains unclear. Here, we demonstrate that interaction between the JA-activated transcription factor MYC2 and the ET-stabilized transcription factor ETHYLENE-INSENSITIVE3 (EIN3) modulates JA and ET signaling antagonism in Arabidopsis thaliana. MYC2 interacts with EIN3 to attenuate the transcriptional activity of EIN3 and repress ET-enhanced apical hook curvature. Conversely, EIN3 interacts with and represses MYC2 to inhibit JA-induced expression of wound-responsive genes and herbivory-inducible genes and to attenuate JA-regulated plant defense against generalist herbivores. Coordinated regulation of plant responses in both antagonistic and synergistic manners would help plants adapt to fluctuating environments.
Presidents, Prime Ministers and Policy Rhetoric: The ‘Credibility Gaps’ of Woodrow Wilson and Kevin Rudd in the League of Nations and Climate Change Debates
Authors: Widmaier Wesley , Grube Dennis
Published: January 2014

US President Woodrow Wilson and Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd were separated by institutional contexts, relative power positions and decades in time. However, each confronted a similar dilemma — of reconciling rhetorical idealism with policy practicalities. Building on insights from studies of the US rhetorical presidency, we offer a framework highlighting the tensions between ‘outside’ moral appeals which raise expectations and the ‘inside’ technocratic rhetoric of policy administration. We argue that norms encouraging moral appeals have come to transcend institutional differences between ‘presidential’ and ‘prime ministerial’ systems. Despite the different contexts of the Wilson-era League of Nations debate and the Rudd-era carbon tax-Kyoto controversies, we argue that pressures to ‘speak in two voices’ engendered credibility gaps that undermined each leader's congressional and parliamentary support. In concluding, we suggest that this analysis supports a more nuanced appreciation of the rhetorical imperatives that can impede policy efficiency — and the need to limit tendencies to either populist or intellectual partisanship.
Social Values and Cross-National Differences in Attitudes towards Welfare
Authors: Arikan Gizem , Bloom Pazit Ben-Nun
Published: January 2014

Studies on public opinion about welfare already acknowledge the role context plays in individual attitudes towards welfare. However, the much-debated effect of socially held values and beliefs on attitudes towards social policy has not been empirically investigated. Drawing on studies in political and social psychology, as well as Shalom Schwartz's work on universal human values, this article argues that social values, specifically egalitarianism and embeddedness, affect individual support for social welfare policies. Moreover, we posit that social values condition the effect that individual ideological orientations have on attitudes towards government responsibility, such that the effect of embeddedness is much stronger for right-wing and moderate identifiers than those who lean towards the left. We test our hypotheses using data from the European Social Surveys (ESS) and International Social Survey Programme (ISSP) Role of Government module and employing multi-level modelling. Our results provide evidence of the importance of social context and shared values in influencing attitudes towards welfare.
Why Pick on Us? Environmental INGOs and State Shaming as a Strategic Substitute
Authors: Murdie Amanda , Urpelainen Johannes
Published: January 2014

Why do international non-governmental organizations (INGOs) ‘name and shame’ the countries that they do? Do they target states that provide domestic groups with political opportunities to collaborate with INGOs, or do they target states that repress domestic activism? Focusing on the case of the environment, we test the empirical validity of these competing hypotheses. We find that environmental INGOs target countries as a substitute for national political institutions that encourage domestic activism or a lack of environmental institutions. This is in contrast to a ‘strategic complementarity’ approach, where INGOs would target ‘easy’ countries in which domestic institutions would bolster the effectiveness of international shaming. Using a novel data set of environmental INGO shaming by over 2,000 organizations, we find support for the strategic substitution approach: INGOs shame autocratic regimes and those countries that lack environmental ministries. This article offers insight into the strategies that INGOs use to shape state behavior.
Metabolic tumour volume and total lesion glycolysis, measured using preoperative 18F–FDG PET/CT, predict the recurrence of endometrial cancer
Authors: Shim S‐H , Kim D‐Y , Lee D‐Y , Lee S‐W , Park J‐Y , Lee JJ , Kim J‐H , Kim Y‐M , Kim Y‐T , Nam J‐H
Published: January 2014

Objective

To investigate the prognostic value of metabolic tumour volume (MTV) and total lesion glycolysis (TLG), measured by preoperative positron emission tomography and computerised tomography (PET/CT), in women with endometrial cancer.

Design

Retrospective cohort study.

Setting

A tertiary referral centre.

Population

Women with endometrial cancer who underwent preoperative 18F‐FDG PET/CT in the period 2004–2009.

Methods

Clinicopathological data for 84 women with endometrial cancer were reviewed from medical records. Cox proportional hazards modelling identified recurrence predictors. The receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve was used to determine the cut‐off value for predicting recurrence.

Main outcome measure

Disease‐free survival (DFS).

Results

The number of patients with International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics (FIGO) stages were: I (58); II (11); III (13); and IV (2). The median DFS was 48 (1–85) months. By univariate analysis, DFS was significantly associated with FIGO stage, histology, peritoneal cytology, myometrial invasion, nodal metastasis, serum CA‐125, MTV, and TLG. Using multivariate analysis, the MTV (P = 0.010; hazard ratio, HR = 1.010; 95% confidence interval, 95% CI = 1.002–1.018) and TLG (P = 0.024; HR = 1.001; 95% CI = 1.000–1.002) were associated with DFS. The area under the ROC curve was 0.679 (95% CI = 0.505–0.836) after discriminating for recurrence using an MTV cut‐off value of 17.15 ml. Regarding TLG, the cut‐off value was 56.43 g and the area under the ROC plot was 0.661 (95% CI = 0.501–0.827). Kaplan–Meier survival graphs demonstrated a significant difference in DFS between groups categorised using the cut‐off values for MTV and TLG (P < 0.022 for MTV and P < 0.047 for TLG, by log‐rank test).

Conclusions

Preoperative MTV and TLG could be independent prognostic factors predicting the recurrence of endometrial cancer.
Striated muscle fiber size, composition, and capillary density in diabetes in relation to neuropathy and muscle strength 糖尿病患者的横纹肌纤维尺寸、成份以及毛细血管密度与神经病变以及肌肉强度相关
Authors: Andreassen Christer Swan , Jensen Jacob Malte , Jakobsen Johannes , Ulhøj Benedicte Parm , Andersen Henning
Published: January 2014

Objective

Diabetic polyneuropathy (DPN) leads to progressive loss of muscle strength in the lower extremities due to muscular atrophy. Changes in vascularization occur in diabetic striated muscle; however, the relationship between these changes and DPN is as yet unexplored. The aim of the present study was to evaluate histologic properties and capillarization of diabetic skeletal muscle in relation to DPN and muscle strength.

Methods

Twenty type 1 and 20 type 2 diabetic (T1D and T2D, respectively) patients underwent biopsy of the gastrocnemic muscle, isokinetic dynamometry at the ankle, electrophysiological studies, clinical examination, and quantitative sensory examinations. Muscle biopsies were stained immunohistochemically and muscle fiber diameter, fiber type distribution, and capillary density determined. Twenty control subjects were also included in the study.

Results

No relationship was found between muscle fiber diameter, muscle fiber type distribution, or capillary density and degree of neuropathy or muscle strength for either patient group. Muscle fiber diameter and the proportion of Type II fibers were greater for T1D patients than both T2D patients and controls. The T2D patients had fewer capillaries per muscle fiber than T1D patients and controls.

Conclusions

Striated muscle fiber size, muscle fiber distribution, and vascularization are unrelated to DPN and muscle strength in diabetes.
Sensitization of Hepatocellular Carcinoma Cells to Apo2L/TRAIL by a Novel Akt/NF‐κB Signalling Inhibitor
Authors: Omar Hany A. , Arafa El‐Shaimaa A. , Maghrabi Ibrahim A. , Weng Jing‐Ru
Published: January 2014

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) cells are intrinsically resistant to tumour necrosis factor‐related apoptosis ligand (Apo2L/TRAIL), in part, due to the compensatory activation of nuclear factor‐kappaB (NF‐κB). To broaden the clinical utilization of Apo2L/TRAIL in HCC, OSU‐A9, a potent indole‐3‐carbinol‐derived Akt/NF‐κB signalling inhibitor was used to overcome the intrinsic resistance. The antitumour effects of OSU‐A9, Apo2L/TRAIL and the therapeutic combination were assessed by MTT assay, caspase activation and PARP cleavage, and the synergistic interactions were determined by Calcusyn analysis. NF‐κB reporter gene and RT‐PCR were tested for the activation of NF‐κB and the expression of death receptors (DR)4 and 5. OSU‐A9 could sensitize HCC cells to Apo2L/TRAIL with high potency through down‐regulation of Akt/NF‐κB signalling. OSU‐A9 dose‐dependently reduced Akt phosphorylation and the expression and nuclear localization of RelA/p65, accompanied by parallel decreases in the expression of NF‐κB target products, including Bcl‐xL, Mcl‐1, cIAP1, cIAP2 and survivin. Moreover, OSU‐A9 increased DR5 expression through a reactive oxygen species (ROS)‐dependent mechanism. Concertedly, these mechanisms underlie the synergistic interaction between OSU‐A9 and Apo2L/TRAIL in mediating apoptotic death in HCC cells. The ability of OSU‐A9 to accentuate Apo2L/TRAIL‐induced apoptosis by inactivating Akt/NF‐κB signalling might foster a promising therapeutic strategy for HCC.
Globalized Labour Markets? International Rent Sharing Across 47 Countries
Authors: Martins Pedro S. , Yang Yong
Published: January 2014

We present evidence about the role of rent sharing in fostering the interdependence of labour markets around the world. Our results draw on a firm‐level panel of more than 2,000 multinationals and over 5,000 of their affiliates, covering 47 home and host countries. We find considerable evidence that multinationals share profits internationally by paying higher wages to their workers in foreign affiliates in periods of higher headquarter profits. This occurs even across continents, and not only within Europe, as shown in earlier research. The results are robust to different tests, including a falsification exercise based on ‘matched’ parents. Finally, we show that rent sharing is higher when the affiliate is located in countries with specific relative characteristics, such as lower economic development or taxation, while it falls with the number of affiliates. We argue that these results are consistent with transfer pricing and bargaining views.