bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Synthesis and Antibacterial Evaluation of a New Series of N-Alkyl-2-alkynyl/(E)-alkenyl-4-(1H)-quinolones
Authors: Wube Abraham , Guzman Juan-David , Hüfner Antje , Hochfellner Christina , Blunder Martina , Bauer Rudolf , Gibbons Simon , Bhakta Sanjib , Bucar Franz
Published: July 2012

To gain further insight into the structural requirements of the aliphatic group at position 2 for their antimycobacterial activity, some N-alkyl-4-(1H)-quinolones bearing position 2 alkynyls with various chain length and triple bond positions were prepared and tested for in vitro antibacterial activity against rapidly-growing strains of mycobacteria, the vaccine strain Mycobacterium bovis BCG, and methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus strains, EMRSA-15 and -16. The compounds were also evaluated for inhibition of ATP-dependent MurE ligase of Mycobacterium tuberculosis. The lowest MIC value of 0.5 mg/L (1.2–1.5 µM) was found against M. fortuitum and M. smegmatis. These compounds displayed no or only weak toxicity to the human lung fibroblast cell line MRC-5 at 100 µM concentration. The quinolone derivatives exhibited pronounced activity against the epidemic MRSA strains (EMRSA-15 and -16) with MIC values of 2–128 mg/L (5.3–364.7 µM), and M. bovis BCG with an MIC value of 25 mg/L (66.0–77.4 µM). In addition, the compounds inhibited the MurE ligase of M. tuberculosis with moderate to weak activity showing IC50 values of 200–774 µM. The increased selectivity towards mycobacterial bacilli with reference to MRC-5 cells observed for 2-alkynyl quinolones compared to their corresponding 2-alkenyl analogues serves to highlight the mycobacterial specific effect of the triple bond. Exploration of a terminal bromine atom at the side chain of N-alkyl-2-(E)-alkenyl-4-(1H)-quinolones showed improved antimycobacterial activity whereas a cyclopropyl residue at N-1 was suggested to be detrimental to antibacterial activity.
The “Funny” Current (If) Inhibition by Ivabradine at Membrane Potentials Encompassing Spontaneous Depolarization in Pacemaker Cells
Authors: Yaniv Yael , Maltsev Victor A. , Ziman Bruce D. , Spurgeon Harold A. , Lakatta Edward G.
Published: July 2012

Recent clinical trials have shown that ivabradine (IVA), a drug that inhibits the funny current (If) in isolated sinoatrial nodal cells (SANC), decreases heart rate and reduces morbidity and mortality in patients with cardiovascular diseases. While IVA inhibits If, this effect has been reported at essentially unphysiological voltages, i.e., those more negative than the spontaneous diastolic depolarization (DD) between action potentials (APs). We tested the relative potency of IVA to block If over a wide range of membrane potentials, including those that encompass DD governing to the SANC spontaneous firing rate. A clinically relevant IVA concentration of 3 μM to single, isolated rabbit SANC slowed the spontaneous AP firing rate by 15%. During voltage clamp the maximal If was 18 ± 3 pA/pF (at −120 mV) and the maximal If reduction by IVA was 60 ± 8% observed at −92 ± 4 mV. At the maximal diastolic depolarization (~−60 mV) If amplitude was only −2.9 ± 0.4 pA/pF, and was reduced by only 41 ± 6% by IVA. Thus, If amplitude and its inhibition by IVA at physiologically relevant membrane potentials are substantially less than that at unphysiological (hyperpolarized) membrane potentials. This novel finding more accurately describes how IVA affects SANC function and is of direct relevance to numerical modeling of SANC automaticity.
Modeling Species Distribution Using Niche-Based Proxies Derived from Composite Bioclimatic Variables and MODIS NDVI
Authors: Feilhauer Hannes , He Kate S. , Rocchini Duccio
Published: July 2012

Vegetation mapping based on niche theory has proven useful in understanding the rules governing species assembly at various spatial scales. Remote-sensing derived distribution maps depicting occurrences of target species are frequently based on biophysical and biochemical properties of species. However, environmental conditions, such as climatic variables, also affect spectral signals simultaneously. Further, climatic variables are the major drivers of species distribution at macroscales. Therefore, the objective of this study is to determine if species distribution can be modeled using an indirect link to climate and remote sensing data (MODIS NDVI time series). We used plant occurrence data in the US states of North Carolina and South Carolina and 19 climatic variables to generate floristic and climatic gradients using principal component analysis, then we further modeled the correlations between floristic gradients and NDVI using Partial Least Square regression. We found strong statistical relationship between species distribution and NDVI time series in a region where clear floristic and climatic gradients exist. If this precondition is given, the use of niche-based proxies may be suitable for predictive modeling of species distributions at regional scales. This indirect estimation of vegetation patterns may be a viable alternative to mapping approaches using biochemistry-driven spectral signature of species.
Investigating the Quantitative Structure-Activity Relationships for Antibody Recognition of Two Immunoassays for Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons by Multiple Regression Methods
Authors: Zhang Yan-Feng , Zhang Li , Gao Zhi-Xian , Dai Shu-Gui
Published: July 2012

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are ubiquitous contaminants found in the environment. Immunoassays represent useful analytical methods to complement traditional analytical procedures for PAHs. Cross-reactivity (CR) is a very useful character to evaluate the extent of cross-reaction of a cross-reactant in immunoreactions and immunoassays. The quantitative relationships between the molecular properties and the CR of PAHs were established by stepwise multiple linear regression, principal component regression and partial least square regression, using the data of two commercial enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) kits. The objective is to find the most important molecular properties that affect the CR, and predict the CR by multiple regression methods. The results show that the physicochemical, electronic and topological properties of the PAH molecules have an integrated effect on the CR properties for the two ELISAs, among which molar solubility (Sm) and valence molecular connectivity index (3χv) are the most important factors. The obtained regression equations for RisC kit are all statistically significant (p < 0.005) and show satisfactory ability for predicting CR values, while equations for RaPID kit are all not significant (p > 0.05) and not suitable for predicting. It is probably because that the RisC immunoassay employs a monoclonal antibody, while the RaPID kit is based on polyclonal antibody. Considering the important effect of solubility on the CR values, cross-reaction potential (CRP) is calculated and used as a complement of CR for evaluation of cross-reactions in immunoassays. Only the compounds with both high CR and high CRP can cause intense cross-reactions in immunoassays.
Emergence of the Coherent Structure of Liquid Water
Authors: Bono Ivan , Del Giudice Emilio , Gamberale Luca , Henry Marc
Published: July 2012

We examine in some detail the interaction of water molecules with the radiative electromagnetic field and find the existence of phase transitions from the vapor phase to a condensed phase where all molecules oscillate in unison, in tune with a self-trapped electromagnetic field within extended mesoscopic space regions (Coherence Domains). The properties of such a condensed phase are examined and found to be compatible with the phenomenological properties of liquid water. In particular, the observed value of critical density is calculated with good accuracy.
Film Literacy: Media Appropriations with Examples from the European Film Context
Authors: Reia-Baptista Vitor
Published: July 2012

The increasing development of new multimedia materials as supporting vehicles of film languages has raised some global literacy questions and problems within teacher training. These new literacy problems pose a specific curricular question: How shall different media, social and cultural contexts approach the specific training of teachers (and, in fact, media makers) in order to address those global problems of a common film language with the corresponding civic and curricular appropriations? The UNESCO MIL Curriculum for Teachers places media and information literacy at the core of lifelong learning for the acquisition of necessary civic competences within a universal perspective. A review of some European case studies helps us to understand some of the most contemporary interrelations between the predominant multimedia messages and their communication channels and social networks, taking account of the preservation of the collective memory of sounds and images as a form of cultural heritage connected to the audiovisual cultures of the world at large, since these processes never occur in geographical or cultural isolation. The aim of this article is to present the context of a possible inter-disciplinary and inter-cultural approach to a global film literacy process, taking some interesting European case studies that appeared in «Comunicar, 35» as a starting point.

El creciente desarrollo de nuevos materiales multimedia como apoyo al lenguaje fílmico ha promovido y generado algunos interrogantes y problemas en torno a la necesaria alfabetización global, así como nuevas perspectivas en la formación de los docentes. Así han surgido nuevos interrogantes sobre el currículum en medios: ¿cómo sintonizar la formación específica de los docentes con la dinámica diaria de los diversos medios de comunicación en contextos culturales diversos, con el objeto de aproximar los problemas globales a un lenguaje cinematográfico común, poseedor de apropiaciones cívicas y curriculares contemporáneas? El Curriculum MIL de la UNESCO (Media and Information Literacy), destinado a la formación del profesorado, sitúa la alfabetización mediática e informacional en el centro del aprendizaje a lo largo de toda la vida, así como en la adquisición de las competencias cívicas necesarias desde una perspectiva universal. Este trabajo plantea el análisis de algunos estudios de caso europeos para comprender las actuales interrelaciones entre los mensajes multimedia predominantes, sus canales de comunicación y las redes sociales, teniendo muy presente la importancia de la conservación de la memoria colectiva de sonidos, imágenes… como patrimonio cultural conectada con las diversas culturas del mundo, y sabiendo que estos procesos jamás ocurren geográfica y socialmente aislados. En esta propuesta se avanza un posible modelo interdisciplinario e intercultural para una alfabetización fílmica global, partiendo de estudios fílmicos de casos europeos, seleccionados de las aportaciones de «Comunicar, 35».
Digital Libraries: Electronic Bibliographic Resources on Basic Education
Authors: Gómez-Zermeño Marcela Georgina
Published: July 2012

Studying electronic bibliographic resources for basic education involves thinking about search mechanisms that meet the needs of young users. Through the investigation carried out during the educational research project «Digital libraries», it became evident that the collections explored use a language better suited to higher education. Faced with this problem, the following question arose: What are the criteria for classifying electronic bibliographic resources for basic education? The proposed investigation was non-experimental, with a non-probabilistic sample of case studies; the sample comprised 250 resources from 10 bibliographic collections. The analysis assessed resources according to: accessibility, the curricular axis to which it is addressed, and format; pedagogical, functional, technological and aesthetic aspects. The results show a mean of 3.76, which indicates that the bibliographic collections provide quality resources, although it is necessary to improve educational and functional aspects. Classifying electronic resources for basic education requires the consideration of pedagogical needs, graphical and technological qualities and, especially, the dynamic way in which information is conceived nowadays. This confirms the need to establish a set of indicators that enable teachers to select electronic resources based on basic education curricular axes.

Estudiar recursos bibliográficos en formato electrónico para la educación básica implica reflexionar sobre mecanismos de búsqueda que atiendan las necesidades de los pequeños usuarios. A través de los trabajos realizados en el proyecto de investigación educativa «Bibliotecas digitales», se puso en evidencia que los acervos explorados, manejan un lenguaje para un nivel de educación superior. Ante esta problemática, se planteó la siguiente pregunta de investigación: ¿Cuáles son los criterios de clasificación de los recursos bibliográficos electrónicos para la educación básica? Se propuso una investigación no experimental, con una muestra de estudio no probabilística de casos tipo, integrada por 250 recursos que ofrecen los diez acervos bibliográficos seleccionados en base a un estudio exploratorio previamente realizado. Para el análisis, se valoraron los siguientes recursos: accesibilidad, eje curricular al que está dirigido, formato y aspectos pedagógicos, funcionales, tecnológicos y estéticos. Los resultados muestran una media de 3.76, la cual indica que los acervos bibliográficos ofrecen recursos de calidad, aunque es necesario trabajar en los aspectos pedagógicos y funcionales. Clasificar recursos electrónicos para educación básica requiere considerar necesidades pedagógicas, entorno gráfico, tecnológico y sobre todo, la forma dinámica y cambiante de cómo se concibe la información. Esto corrobora la necesidad de establecer un conjunto de indicadores que permita a los docentes seleccionar recursos electrónicos en relación a los ejes curriculares de la educación básica.
Uses of Digital Tools among the Elderly
Authors: Agudo-Prado Susana , Pascual-Sevillana Ángeles , Fombona Javier
Published: July 2012

A «multiage» society needs the design and creation of new areas of learning and communication to manage the digital demands of the elderly. In this article, the relation of the elderly to information and communication technologies (ICT) is approached and two objectives are considered: to discover the technological resources they use and to objectively describe the types of usage that senior citizens make of ICT. To that end, a survey technique is used, with the results validated by means of discussion groups. The study participants consisted of 215 elderly people, all ICT users, and 7 discussion groups of 5 people each. The results indicate that the resources most widely used by the elderly are computers and the Internet, and the type of usage is grouped into 4 categories: education, information, communication and entertainment. There were no significant differences in gender or age although differences were found in the availability of these resources for private use based on the level of education.

Una sociedad «multiedades» supone diseñar y crear nuevos espacios de aprendizaje y comunicación, capaces de gestionar la demanda existente por parte de las personas mayores. En este artículo, se aborda la relación de las personas mayores con las tecnologías de la información y la comunicación (TIC) y para ello se plantean dos objetivos: el primero va dirigido a conocer los recursos tecnológicos que utilizan y el segundo, a describir objetivamente los tipos de uso que estas personas hacen de las TIC. Para ello, se utiliza la técnica de encuesta, cuyos resultados son contrastados mediante grupos de discusión. En el estudio participaron 215 personas mayores usuarias de las TIC y siete grupos de discusión de cinco personas cada uno. Los resultados encontrados indican que los recursos que más utilizan los mayores son, los ordenadores e Internet y el uso que hacen de los mismos se ha agrupado en cuatro grandes categorías: formación, información, comunicación y entretenimiento, no encontrándose diferencias significativas en función del género o de la edad y sí se encontraron diferencias en cuanto a la disponibilidad de dichos recursos para uso particular en función del nivel de estudios.
Quasiconvexity and Density Topology
Authors: Rabier Patrick J.
Published: July 2012

We prove that if f : ℝN → ℝ̄ is quasiconvex and U ⊂ ℝN is open in the density topology, then supU ƒ = ess supU f ; while infU ƒ = ess supU ƒ if and only if the equality holds when U = RN: The first (second) property is typical of lsc (usc) functions, and, even when U is an ordinary open subset, there seems to be no record that they both hold for all quasiconvex functions.

This property ensures that the pointwise extrema of f on any nonempty density open subset can be arbitrarily closely approximated by values of ƒ achieved on “large” subsets, which may be of relevance in a variety of situations. To support this claim, we use it to characterize the common points of continuity, or approximate continuity, of two quasiconvex functions that coincide away from a set of measure zero.
Effect of ocean acidification on the fatty acid composition of a natural plankton community
Authors: Leu E. , Daase M. , Schulz K. G. , Stuhr A. , Riebesell U.
Published: July 2012

Abstract. The effect of ocean acidification on the fatty acid composition of a natural plankton community in the Arctic was studied in a large-scale mesocosm experiment, carried out in Kongsfjorden (Svalbard, Norway) at 79° N. Nine mesocosms of ~50 cbm each were exposed to different pCO2 levels (from natural background conditions to ~1420 μatm), yielding pH values (on the total scale) from ~8.3 to 7.5. Inorganic nutrients were added on day 13. The phytoplankton development during this 30 days experiment passed three distinct phases: (1) prior to the addition of inorganic nutrients, (2) first bloom after nutrient addition, and (3) second bloom after nutrient addition. The fatty acid composition of the natural plankton community was analysed and showed, in general, high percentages of polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs): 44–60% of total fatty acids. Positive correlations with pCO2 were found for most PUFAs during phases 2 and/or 3, with the exception of 20:5n3 (eicosapentaenoic acid, EPA), an important diatom marker. There are strong indications for these correlations being mediated indirectly through taxonomic changes and the natural development of the communities in the mesocosms exposed to different pCO2 levels. While diatoms increased during phase 3 mainly in the low and intermediate pCO2 treatments, dinoflagellates were favoured by high CO2 concentrations during the same time period. This is reflected in the development of group-specific fatty acid trophic markers. No indications were found for a generally detrimental effect of ocean acidification on the planktonic food quality in terms of essential fatty acids. The significant positive correlations between most PUFAs and pCO2 reflected treatment-dependent differences in the community composition between the mesocosms rather than a direct positive effect of pCO2 on specific fatty acids.
Crédibilité des autorités monétaires et transparence – Quelle complémentarité dans le cas de la Tunisie? Une contribution au débat
Authors: Miniaoui Héla , Smida Mounir
Published: July 2012

Selon Goodhart (1993), l’indépendance des banques centrales se réfère « plutôt à leur liberté d’entreprendre des opérations monétaires qui, de leur point de vue, sont nécessaires pour atteindre leurs objectifs statuaires (ou imposées par l’extérieur) ». Avec son corollaire la transparence, cette approche a été présentée comme le meilleur gage pour assurer la crédibilité de la politique monétaire et la stabilité de la valeur de la monnaie. Cette réforme a été largement suggérée dans la littérature d’expertise sur les stratégies de la politique monétaire dans les pays en voie de développement et en Tunisie. L’indépendance se présenterait ainsi comme alternative à la règle (voir règle automatique de Friedman) et permettrait à la banque centrale de répondre plus efficacement aux chocs imprévus sans être obnubilée par les objectifs réels. Au vu des critères établis par la théorie, l’article présente l’expérience de la Banque Centrale de Tunisie en la matière. Il soulève la difficulté pour les autorités monétaires de gérer le couplet crédibilité-transparence difficilement dissociable (Pollin, 2002). Effectivement, la politique monétaire s’exerce dans un monde où l’information conditionne largement le pouvoir donc l’indépendance de la banque centrale vis-à-vis des influences externes.
Utilisation des poids empiriques dans l’analyse syntaxique : une application en Traduction Automatique
Authors: Lomdin L. L. , Sizov V. G. , Tsinman L. L.
Published: July 2012

Le présent article traite d’un ensemble de solutions visant la résolution des ambiguïtés dans la composante syntaxique du système polyvalent de traitement automatique de la langue, ETAP-3. L’idée principale est d’introduire un système de poids, ou de priorités, dynamiquement produits pour les éléments du texte traité et pour les structures générées en cours d’analyse syntaxique. Ces poids, empiriquement assignés aux descriptions des unités lexicales et aux règles d’analyse, permettent à l’analyseur syntaxique de trouver la procédure d’analyse optimale pour une phrase ambiguë.
On Representing Aesthetic Values of Literary Work in Literary Translation
Authors: Ma Huijuan
Published: July 2012

The beauty of literary translation is determined by the artistic nature of the original work. Therefore, how to represent its aesthetic values should be considered the ultimate objective of literary translation. This paper, which is theoretically based on formal and non-formal aesthetic constituents of literature classified by the Chinese translation theorist Liu Miqing as well as traditional Chinese philology and modern literature stylistics, discusses extensively how to succeed in representing aesthetic values of literary works from two aspects, i.e., formal aesthetic markers and non-formal aesthetic markers. It also points out that since in a literary work formal markers and non-formal markers are really inseparable, the proper combination of the two can provide a satisfactory solution.
Maurice: Translating the Controversy, a Comparative Study of the English Text and its Spanish Version
Authors: Valdeón García Roberto A.
Published: July 2012

This article presents an overview of the literary controversy surrounding the publication of E. M. Forster’s so-called homosexual novel,Maurice,in 1971 and its subsequent publication in Spanish. Some critics published revisionist works in which his other novels were presented in the light of the revelations about Forster’s own homosexuality whereas others claimed that the novel shares some of the author’s major preoccupations as well as the literary themes and techniques present in all his narrative. Then we proceed to review some key concepts in Translation Studies necessary to carry out a comparative study of the text and the Spanish version: communicative translation, translators as cultural mediators, translation competence, factory translation. The study of the two texts covers three major areas: text level (including an analysis of grammatical features, lexicon, narrative style, conversational English), cultural level (studying key cultural concepts in the novel) and literary level (covering some of Forster’s key literary features, the notion ofmuddle, the anticipatory technique). We then proceed to study all these aspects at play in chapter 25, regarded as the turning point in the novel and as a key chapter both at discursive and literary levels. In the final section, we discuss the inadequacy of the choices made by the translators and the way in which they fail to offer the Spanish readership an adequate version both as regards the text per se and as part of Forster’s literary production, and we claim that it shares some of the characteristics of what Milton has called “factory translation.”
The Influence of Just‐World Beliefs on Driving Anger and Aggressive Driving Intentions
Authors: Nesbit Sundé M. , Blankenship Kevin L. , Murray Renee A.
Published: July 2012

Decades of research demonstrate that the extent to which one believes the world is just can have important interpersonal consequences. Unfortunately, most of the commonly studied consequences are negative in nature. Guided by previous research demonstrating the buffering effect of just‐world beliefs and anger, the present research explores how belief in a just world (BJW) may mitigate anger in the domain of driving anger and examines the limiting conditions of this effect. Study 1 demonstrated the expected negative relation between common measures ofBJWand anger expression in a driving context. Study 2 found that the buffering effects of just‐world beliefs and driver aggression were greater whenBJWwas violated (vs. not). Study 3 replicated the effects on aggression and anger and established a mediational role of anger on the buffering effects of just‐world beliefs on thoughts and driver aggression. Aggr. Behav. 38:389‐402, 2012. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Individual and Class Moral Disengagement in Bullying Among Elementary School Children
Authors: Pozzoli Tiziana , Gini Gianluca , Vieno Alessio
Published: July 2012

A cross‐sectional study from a sample of 663 elementary school children assessed the four sets of moral disengagement mechanisms conceptualized by Bandura (i.e., cognitive restructuring, minimizing one's agentive role, disregarding/distorting the consequences, blaming/dehumanizing the victim) at both the individual and the class level. Additionally, an analysis of the relations of these mechanisms to pro‐bullying behavior was conducted. Multilevel analysis showed a significant relationship between cognitive restructuring and individual pro‐bullying behavior. Moreover, between‐class variability of pro‐bullying behavior was positively related to minimizing one's agentive role and blaming/dehumanizing the victim at the class level. Conversely, class disregarding/distorting the consequences was negatively associated with between‐class variation in the outcome behavior. Implications for understanding the role of morality in children's bullying are discussed. Aggr. Behav. 38:378‐388, 2012. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Effect of birth season on longevity: Thrifty and hopeful phenotypes in historical quebec
Authors: Gagnon Alain
Published: July 2012

Objectives:

Individuals with fetal growth restrictions may become unhealthy as adult if they live in a nutritionally rich environment. Yet, there is little evidence for the counterpart that profuse resources during early development may prove detrimental in an impoverished adult environment. Using birth season as a proxy for nutrition in utero, this study tests whether early life effects on longevity are conditional on the environment in which people reside during adulthood.

Methods:

I used Cox proportional hazard models of mortality after the age of 60 years among historical cohorts of French Canadian women born before 1750. Models are stratified by siblings to adjust the results for unobserved factors shared by family members.

Results:

A birth during winter conferred the best‐survival prospects in the south of the Saint‐Lawrence River but the worse prospects in the north, where a birth during the fall was associated with the lowest mortality. Women who migrated to live on the other side of the river lost whatever advantage or disadvantage they had from their birth season and faced increases or decreases in risk that were specific to their new location.

Conclusions:

Based on Hales and Barker's thrifty phenotype hypothesis, and adding the “hopeful phenotype” counterpart, this study suggests that cues from the external environment during development are highly specific to that environment and that the slightest change of location may affect the chances for survival into old age. I finally address the role of fertility as a possible mediator or modifier of the effect of birth season on longevity. Am. J. Hum. Biol., 2012. © 2012Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Good grapes make good wine
Authors: Monti Andrea
Published: July 2012

One of the main sources of uncertainty is undoubtedly the lack of knowledge about the potential yield and the real yield of crops
Rieske Iron–Sulfur Protein of the Cytochrome bc1 Complex: A Potential Target for Fungicide Discovery
Authors: Yang Wen‐Chao , Li Hui , Wang Fu , Zhu Xiao‐Lei , Yang Guang‐Fu
Published: July 2012

The cytochrome bc1 complex (complex III, cyt bc1) is an essential component of cellular respiration. Cyt bc1 has three core subunits that are required for its catalytic activity: cytochrome b, cytochrome c1, and the Rieske iron–sulfur protein (ISP). Although most fungicides inhibit this enzyme by binding to the cytochrome b subunit, resistance to these fungicides has developed rapidly due to their widespread application. Resistance is mainly associated with mutations in cytochrome b, the only subunit encoded by mitochondrial DNA. Recently, the flexibility and motion of the ISP and its essential role in electron transfer have received intense attention; this leads us to propose a new classification of cyt bc1 inhibitors (three types of Qo inhibitors) that mobilize, restrict, or fix the rotation of the ISP. Importantly, the strengths of the ISP–inhibitor interactions correlate with inhibitor activity and the development of resistance to Qo inhibitors, thereby offering clues for designing novel cyt bc1 inhibitors with high potency and a low risk of resistance.
NaOH‐Catalyzed Imine Synthesis: Aerobic Oxidative Coupling of Alcohols and Amines
Authors: Donthiri Ramachandra Reddy , Patil Rajendra D. , Adimurthy Subbarayappa
Published: July 2012

The convenient transition‐metal‐free synthesis of imines through oxidative coupling of alcohols and amines is reported. The reaction is catalyzed by NaOH (10 mol‐%) and is performed with air as an oxidant in the absence of any co‐solvent.
Ambassadors of gender equality? How use of pair forms versus masculines as generics impacts perception of the speaker
Authors: Vervecken Dries , Hannover Bettina
Published: July 2012

Although the use of gender fair language is strongly promoted in German‐speaking countries, the impact of its use on the way speakers are perceived by others is still unknown. Results of two experimental studies showed that irrespective of their sex, speakers using pair forms rather than generic masculines were perceived more competent by both men and women. Also, they were seen as less sexist by male and female listeners with positive attitudes towards linguistic equality. Findings with respect to the attribution of warmth were more complex: they were not only impacted by language use, but also dependent on speaker's sex and listener's attitude towards linguistic equality. Results are discussed in the context of language and stereotypes. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
The level of effort required for behaviour as a moderator of the attitude–behaviour relation
Authors: Bagozzi Richard P. , Yi Youjae , Baumgartner Johann
Published: July 2012

It was hypothesized that the manner in which attitudes influence behaviour is moderated by the level of effort required to perform a behaviour. The effort needed was manipulated in a field experiment by varying the difficulty of getting access to the attitude object. When the behaviour required substantial effort, the mediating role of intentions was strong, and attitudes had only indirect effects on behaviour, consistent with the theory of reasoned action. When the behaviour required little effort, however, attitudes had a significant direct effect on behaviour, and the mediating role of intentions was reduced. The theoretical and practical implications of these findings are discussed.
Advance planning of discourse in potential exchange situations
Authors: Bromberg Marcel
Published: July 2012

Advance planning discourse strategies are examined in an experiment where subjects expect to be in a communicative situation (discussion vs appraisal) with another speaker (expert vs peer) whose opinions on a given topic differ diametrically from theirs.

Findings indicate that two complementary processes are implemented: one on the level of the components of the universe of reference (via predication operations) and the other on the level of relationships between actors (through hedges).
Minority influence: The role of argument refutation of the majority position and social support for the minority position
Authors: Clark Russell D.
Published: July 2012

This study was conducted to determine the impact of social support for the minority position and the minority's argument refutation of the majority viewpoint. The results indicated that both the minority's refutation of majority arguments and majority defection to the minority position enhanced minority influence. Subjects changed more toward the minority position when the minority could refute the majority position than when the minority could not; the more arguments the minority refuted, the greater was minority influence. In addition, minority influence was a positive function of the number of the majority members who deserted to the minority position.
Breite Spitze, spitze Breite
Authors: Kleiner Matthias
Published: July 2012

Die Entscheidungen in der zweiten Phase der Exzellenzinitiative sind gefallen. Sie zeigen erneut, wie sehr dieser Wettbewerb die deutsche Wissenschaft vorangebracht hat und noch weiter voranbringen wird. Und sie stärken die Universitäten als Herzstück des Wissenschaftssystems.
No association between the type 2 diabetes mellitus susceptibility gene, SLC30A8 and schizophrenia in a Chinese population
Authors: Zhang Xuan , Guan Song‐Lei , Wang Zhen‐Qi , You Yang , Sun Shi‐Long , Hui Li , Miao Li‐ning , Yu Yaqin , Kosten Thomas R , Zhang Xiang Yang
Published: July 2012

Background

The co‐occurrence of schizophrenia and type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) has been well documented. Recent genome‐wide association studies and meta‐analyses have shown robust associations of the solute carrier family 30 member 8 (SLC30A8) gene variants with T2DM in various populations. We examined the involvement of the SLC30A8 in the susceptibility to schizophrenia in a Han Chinese population.

Methods

The SLC30A8 rs13266634 gene polymorphism was genotyped in 837 chronic schizophrenic and 1109 unrelated healthy controls by using a case control design. We also assessed clinical symptoms.

Results

There were no significant differences in the rs13266634 genotype (χ2 = 1.95, df = 2, p = 0.38) and allele (χ2 = 0.47, df = 1, p = 0.50) distributions between the patient and control groups. There was no association between rs13266634 and clinical symptoms.

Conclusion

The SLC30A8 gene variation does not appear to contribute a genetic basis for the co‐occurrence of schizophrenia and T2DM. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
College‐Level Choice of Latino High School Students: A Social‐Cognitive Approach
Authors: Gonzalez Laura M.
Published: July 2012

Latino students attend 2‐year colleges more often than 4‐year colleges. This has an impact on the rate of bachelor's degree attainment, because the transfer rate between the 2 levels is low. The author uses national data to identify predictors associated with college‐level choice and then uses social‐cognitive career theory (Lent, Brown, & Hackett, 1994) to frame counseling implications.

Los estudiantes Latinos se matriculan con más frecuencia en estudios universitarios de 2 años que en estudios de 4 años. Esto produce un impacto en el porcentaje de obtención de licenciaturas, porque la tasa de transferencia entre ambos niveles es baja. El autor emplea datos a nivel nacional para identificar predictores asociados con la elección del nivel de estudios universitarios, y después emplea la teoría social cognitiva de las carreras (Lent, Brown, & Hackett, 1994) para formular las implicaciones para la consejería.
Electron‐pair density decomposition for core–valence separable systems
Authors: Wang Jian , Wang Yu , Ugalde Jesus M.
Published: July 2012

The electron pair density of a core‐valence separable system can be decomposed into three parts: core‐core, core‐valence, and valence‐valence. The core‐core part has a Hartree‐Fock like structure. The core‐valence part can be written as Γcv (1,2) = γc (1,1)γv (2,2) − γc (1,2)γv (2,1) + γc (2,2)γv (1,1) − γc (2,1)γv (1,2), where only the 1‐matrices from the core and valence orbitals contribute. The valence‐valence part is left to be determined from the reduced frozen‐core type wave function, which often contains the essential information on the electron correlation and the chemical bond. We demonstrate the analysis to the ground state of negative ion Li− and 21Σu+ excited state of the Li2 molecule. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Fluoro‐Sorafenib (Regorafenib) effects on hepatoma cells: Growth inhibition, quiescence, and recovery
Authors: Carr Brian I. , Cavallini Aldo , Lippolis Catia , D'Alessandro Rosalba , Messa Caterina , Refolo Maria G. , Tafaro Angela
Published: July 2012

To evaluate the growth‐inhibitory properties of the potent multi‐kinase antagonist Regorafenib (Fluoro‐Sorafenib), which was synthesized as a more potent Sorafenib, a Raf inhibitor and to determine whether similar mechanisms were involved, human hepatoma cell lines were grown in the presence or absence of Regorafanib and examined for growth inhibition. Western blots were performed for Raf targets, apoptosis, and autophagy. Regorafenib inhibited growth of human Hep3B, PLC/PRF/5, and HepG2 cells in a concentration‐ and time‐dependent manner. Multiple signaling pathways were altered, including MAP kinases phospho‐ERK and phospho‐JNK and its target phospho‐c‐Jun. There was evidence for apoptosis by FACS, cleavage of caspases and increased Bax levels; as well as induction of autophagy, as judged by increased Beclin‐1 and LC3 (II) levels. Prolonged drug exposure resulted in cell quiescence. Full growth recovery occurred after drug removal, unlike with doxorubicin chemotherapy. Regorafenib is a potent inhibitor of cell growth. Cells surviving Regorafenib treatment remain viable, but quiescent and capable of regrowth following drug removal. The reversibility of tumor cell growth suppression after drug removal may have clinical implications. J. Cell. Physiol. 228: 292–297, 2013. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Analysis of 30 synthetic cannabinoids in serum by liquid chromatography‐electrospray ionization tandem mass spectrometry after liquid‐liquid extraction
Authors: Kneisel Stefan , Auwärter Volker
Published: July 2012

The analysis of synthetic cannabinoids in human matrices is of particular importance in the fields of forensic and clinical toxicology since cannabis users partly shift to the consumption of ‘herbal mixtures’ as a legal alternative to cannabis products in order to circumvent drug testing. However, comprehensive methods covering the majority of synthetic cannabinoids already identified on the drug market are still lacking.

In this article, we present a fully validated method for the analysis of 30 synthetic cannabinoids in human serum utilizing liquid‐liquid extraction and liquid chromatography‐electrospray ionization tandem mass spectrometry. The method proved to be suitable for the quantification of 27 substances. The limits of detection ranged from 0.01 to 2.0 ng/mL, whereas the lower limits of quantification were in the range from 0.1 to 2.0 ng/mL. The presented method was successfully applied to 833 authentic serum samples during routine analysis between August 2011 and January 2012. A total of 227 (27%) samples was tested positive for at least one of the following synthetic cannabinoids: JWH‐018, JWH‐019, JWH‐073, JWH‐081, JWH‐122, JWH‐200, JWH‐203, JWH‐210, JWH‐307, AM‐2201 and RCS‐4. The most prevalent compounds in positive samples were JWH‐210 (80%), JWH‐122 (63%) as well as AM‐2201 (29%). Median serum concentrations were all below 1.0 ng/mL. These findings demonstrate a significant shift of the market of synthetic cannabinoids towards substances featuring a higher CB1 binding affinity and clearly emphasize that the analysis of synthetic cannabinoids in serum or blood samples requires highly sensitive analytical methods covering a wide spectrum of substances. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Desulfurization of phosphorothioate oligonucleotides via the sulfur‐by‐oxygen replacement induced by the hydroxyl radical during negative electrospray ionization mass spectrometry
Authors: Wu Lianming , White David E. , Ye Connie , Vogt Frederick G. , Terfloth Gerald J. , Matsuhashi Hayao
Published: July 2012

While the occurrence of desulfurization of phosphorothioate oligonucleotides in solution is well established, this study represents the first attempt to investigate the basis of the unexpected desulfurization via the net sulfur‐by‐oxygen (S‐O) replacement during negative electrospray ionization (ESI). The current work, facilitated by quantitative mass deconvolution, demonstrates that considerable desulfurization can take place even under common negative ESI operating conditions. The extent of desulfurization is dependent on the molar phosphorothioate oligonucleotide‐to‐hydroxyl radical ratio, which is consistent with the corona discharge‐induced origin of the hydroxyl radical leading to the S‐O replacement. This hypothesis is supported by the fact that an increase of the high‐performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) flow rate and the on‐column concentration of a phosphorothioate oligonucleotide, as well as a decrease of the electrospray voltage reduce the degree of desulfurization. Comparative LC‐tandem mass spectrometry (MS/MS) sequencing of a phosphorothioate oligonucleotide and its corresponding desulfurization product revealed evidence that the S‐O replacement occurs at multiple phosphorothioate internucleotide linkage sites. In practice, the most convenient and effective strategy for minimizing this P = O artifact is to increase the LC flow rate and the on‐column concentration of phosphorothioate oligonucleotides. Another approach to mitigate possible detrimental effects of the undesired desulfurization is to operate the ESI source at a very low electrospray voltage to diminish the corona discharge; however this will significantly compromise sensitivity when analyzing the low‐level P = O impurities in phosphorothioate oligonucleotides. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
The ESI CAD fragmentations of protonated 2,4,6‐tris(benzylamino)‐ and tris(benzyloxy)‐1,3,5‐triazines involve benzyl–benzyl interactions: a DFT study
Authors: Ramesh M. , Raju B. , George M. , Srinivas K. , Jayathirtha Rao V. , Bhanuprakash K. , Srinivas R.
Published: July 2012

The electrospray ionization collisionally activated dissociation (CAD) mass spectra of protonated 2,4,6‐tris(benzylamino)‐1,3,5‐triazine (1) and 2,4,6‐tris(benzyloxy)‐1,3,5‐triazine (6) show abundant product ion of m/z 181 (C14H13+). The likely structure for C14H13+ is α‐[2‐methylphenyl]benzyl cation, indicating that one of the benzyl groups must migrate to another prior to dissociation of the protonated molecule. The collision energy is high for the ‘N’ analog (1) but low for the ‘O’ analog (6) indicating that the fragmentation processes of 1 requires high energy. The other major fragmentations are [M + H‐toluene]+ and [M + H‐benzene]+ for compounds 1 and 6, respectively. The protonated 2,4,6‐tris(4‐methylbenzylamino)‐1,3,5‐triazine (4) exhibits competitive eliminations of p‐xylene and 3,6‐dimethylenecyclohexa‐1,4‐diene. Moreover, protonated 2,4,6‐tris(1‐phenylethylamino)‐1,3,5‐triazine (5) dissociates via three successive losses of styrene. Density functional theory (DFT) calculations indicate that an ion/neutral complex (INC) between benzyl cation and the rest of the molecule is unstable, but the protonated molecules of 1 and 6 rearrange to an intermediate by the migration of a benzyl group to the ring ‘N’. Subsequent shift of a second benzyl group generates an INC for the protonated molecule of 1 and its product ions can be explained from this intermediate. The shift of a second benzyl group to the ring carbon of the first benzyl group followed by an H‐shift from ring carbon to ‘O’ generates the key intermediate for the formation of the ion of m/z 181 from the protonated molecule of 6. The proposed mechanisms are supported by high resolution mass spectrometry data, deuterium‐labeling and CAD experiments combined with DFT calculations. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Seasonal prediction of the Indian summer monsoon rainfall using canonical correlation analysis of the NCMRWF global model products
Authors: Sinha P. , Mohanty U. C. , Kar S. C. , Dash S. K. , Robertson A. W. , Tippett M. K.
Published: July 2012

In this study, canonical correlation analysis (CCA) has been used to statistically downscale the seasonal predictions of the Indian summer monsoon rainfall (ISMR) from a global spectral model. An extensive diagnostic study of the global model products and observed data for the period 1981–2008 indicates that while the predictions of rainfall anomalies have poor skill, the mean flow patterns are brought out reasonably well by the model. The model precipitation is found to be more strongly dependent on sea surface temperature over the Nino regions in the Pacific Ocean. However, the observed precipitation has a stronger links to winds at 850 hPa near the Somali coast than is evident in the model. On the basis of correlation maps, potential model predictors (specific humidity and zonal and meridional winds over different regions at different levels) are chosen for CCA for the prediction of ISMR. Using leave‐three‐out cross‐validation technique, canonical coefficients are computed using 25 years data (as training period) for CCA model. With this, predictions from the CCA model have also been prepared for the period of 1981–2005 to evaluate the performance. In addition to the above, predictions are made for four independent years (2006–2009). An improvement in skill of the composite forecasts (obtained using all the predictors) in terms of interannual variability is noticed over some parts of east‐ and northeast India as well as many parts of peninsular region especially over west coast of India. Copyright © 2012 Royal Meteorological Society
Admittance tympanometry with 2‐kHz probe tones in patients with low‐frequency hearing loss
Authors: Yasui Takuya , Iwasaki Shinichi , Sugasawa Keiko , Sakamoto Takashi , Kashio Akinori , Suzuki Mitsuya , Kakigi Akinobu , Yamasoba Tatsuya
Published: July 2012

Objectives/Hypothesis:

To assess the reliability of admittance tympanometry with 2‐kHz probe tones in diagnosing ears with endolymphatic hydrops in patients with low‐frequency hearing loss.

Study Design:

Case–control study.

Methods:

Thirty‐six Japanese patients with low‐frequency hearing loss (including 21 with Mènière disease, three with delayed endolymphatic hydrops, and 12 with acute or repetitious low‐frequency sensorineural hearing loss), 18 patients with other types of hearing loss, and 16 subjects with normal hearing were enrolled at University of Tokyo Hospital. We measured the width of the splitting peaks in the admittance tymapnometry with 2‐kHz probe tones.

Results:

Widths of the probe pressure corresponding to splitting peaks of admittance (Y) tympanometry were significantly greater in the ears with endolymphatic hydrops than in the ears without endolymphatic hydrops in patients with low‐frequency hearing loss. Furthermore, the widths in the ears with endolymphatic hydrops were greater than those in ears with other types of hearing loss. Widths of >255 daPa were observed in 38% of ears with endolymphatic hydrops and low‐frequency hearing loss and in 21% of ears with other types of hearing loss.

Conclusions:

The current study demonstrated that wide splitting peaks of Y tympanometry are more frequently observed in ears showing low‐frequency hearing loss than in those with other types of hearing loss, indicating that Y tympanometry can be used to diagnose endolymphatic hydrops in daily practice. Laryngoscope, 2012