bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Description of a new species of rabbitfish (Perciformes: Siganidae) from southern India, Sri Lanka and the Maldives
Authors: WOODLAND DAVID J. , ANDERSON R. CHARLES
Published: May 2014

Siganus insomnis sp. nov. is described from the Maldives, Sri Lanka and southern India. It most closely resembles S. lineatus (Valenciennes) from the Western Pacific but differs in coloration, principally in that most if not all of the bronze bands on its mid and upper sides continue horizontally and unbroken through to the nape and opercular slit. By contrast, in S. lineatus, typically the anterior area below the spinous dorsal fin down to the mid-sides is irregularly marked with golden bronze spots, commas, or a maze of contorted lines. S. guttatus (Bloch) is the third member of this group of sibling species; its sides are covered with orange to bronze-gold spots. It is distributed throughout S.E. Asia, i.e., it occupies a geographic position between the areas inhabited by S. lineatus and S. insomnis. Thus the gene pools of S. lineatus and S. insomnis are quarantined from one another by distance and the intervening presence of S. guttatus in S.E. Asia. The geographical separation of the populations of S. lineatus and S. insomnis from one another is reinforced by the absence of suitable, coralline habitats for these species in the western half of the Bay of Bengal.
Review of the cicada genus Platylomia Stål (Hemiptera, Cicadidae) from China, with description and bioacoustics of a new species from Mts. Qinling
Authors: WANG XU , WEI CONG
Published: May 2014

The species of Platylomia Stål from China are reviewed and a new species, P. shaanxiensis sp. n., from Shaanxi, China is described. Acoustic signals produced by males of this new species were recorded and analyzed. P. juno Distant is transferred to the genus Macrosemia. A key to the species of Platylomia from China is provided.
Using Weather Forecasts to Help Manage Meningitis in the West African Sahel
Authors: Pandya Rajul , Hodgson Abraham , Hayden Mary H. , Akweongo Patricia , Hopson Thomas , Forgor Abudulai Adams , Yoksas Tom , Dalaba Maxwell Ayindenaba , Dukic Vanja , Mera Roberto , Dumont Arnaud , McCormack Kristen , Anaseba Dominic , Awine Timothy , Boehnert Jennifer , Nyaaba Gertrude , Laing Arlene , Semazzi Fredrick
Published: May 2014

Understanding and acting on the link between weather and meningitis in the Sahel could help improve vaccine distribution and save lives. People living there know that meningitis epidemics occur in the dry season and end after the start of the rainy season. Integrating and analyzing newly available epidemiological and meteorological data quantified this relationship, showing that that the risk of meningitis epidemics climbed from a background level of 2% to a maximum risk of 25% during the dry season. These data also suggested that, of all meteorological variables, relative humidity has the strongest correlation to cases of meningitis.

Weather acts alongside a complex set of environmental, social, and economic drivers, and a complementary investigation of local and regional knowledge, attitudes, and practices suggested several additional interventions to manage meningitis. These include improved awareness of early meningitis symptoms and vaccinations for farmworkers who migrate seasonally. An economic survey showed that the cost of a single case of meningitis is 3 times the average annual household income, underscoring the need for improved vaccination strategy.

Using these insights, meteorologists and public health workers developed a tool to guide vaccination decisions. Iterative development allowed a multinational team of public health officials to use the tool while guiding its refinement and directed research toward maximum practical use. That meant focusing on predicting areas where high humidity would naturally end epidemics so vaccines could be moved elsewhere. Using this tool and this approach could have prevented an estimated 24,000 cases of meningitis over a 3-yr period.
Complementing Scientific Monsoon Definitions with Social Perception in Bangladesh
Authors: Stiller-Reeve Mathew Alexander , Syed Md. Abu , Spengler Thomas , Spinney Jennifer A. , Hossain Rumana
Published: June 2014

The monsoon onset is a critical event in the Bangladesh calendar, especially for the domestic agricultural sector. Providing information about the monsoon onset for the past, present, and future has potential benefit for a country so vulnerable to changes in climate. But, when does the monsoon start? To produce any scientific information about monsoon onsets, lengths, and withdrawals, we first need to apply a monsoon definition to our data. Choosing a scientific definition is not such a simple exercise in Bangladesh. Different definitions lead to different monsoon onsets and thereby also monsoon lengths. If a climate application aims to provide information about the monsoon onset, then we need to understand how the people who might use this information perceive the monsoon onset. We then need to understand how their perceptions compare with previous scientific work. In this study we carried out a structured questionnaire in six rural regions around Bangladesh and asked the local agriculturists how they defined the monsoon and when they thought it started. It turns out that the agriculturists and previous scientific publications do not necessarily agree. Our results do not undermine previous scientific work on the monsoon in Bangladesh, but they do carry an important message about how we should design, implement, and evaluate climate applications in Bangladesh that encompass the monsoon onset.
The Value of Dual-Polarization Radar in Diagnosing the Complex Microphysical Evolution of an Intense Snowband
Authors: Picca Joseph C. , Schultz David M. , Colle Brian A. , Ganetis Sara , Novak David R. , Sienkiewicz Matthew J.
Published: June 2014

The northeast U.S. extratropical cyclone of 8–9 February 2013 produced blizzard conditions and more than 0.6–0.9 m (2–3 ft) of snow from Long Island through eastern New England. A surprising aspect of this blizzard was the development and rapid weakening of a snowband to the northwest of the cyclone center with radar ref lectivity factor exceeding 55 dBZ. Because the radar reflectivity within snowbands in winter storms rarely exceeds 40 dBZ, this event warranted further investigation. The high radar reflectivity was due to mixed-phase microphysics in the snowband, characterized by high differential reflectivity (ZDR > 2 dB) and low correlation coefficient (CC < 0.9), as measured by the operational dual-polarization radar in Upton, New York (KOKX). Consistent with these radar observations, heavy snow and ice pellets (both sleet and graupel) were observed. Later, as the reflectivity decreased to less than 40 dBZ, surface observations indicated a transition to primarily high-intensity dry snow, consistent with lower-tropospheric cold advection. Therefore, the rapid decrease of the 50+ dBZ reflectivity resulted from the transition from higher-density, mixed-phase precipitation to lower-density, dry-snow crystals and aggregates. This case study indicates the value that dual-polarization radar can have in an operational forecast environment for determining the variability of frozen precipitation (e.g., ice pellets, dry snow aggregates) on relatively small spatial scales.
Translating the Indian past: The poets’ experience
Authors: Mehrotra Arvind Krishna
Published: May 2014

This essay meditates on the work of three Indian poet-translators: Toru Dutt, A.K. Ramanujan, and Arun Kolatkar. It explores whether these three share a way of translating, or at least a sensibility. Does the global stride of their work make them exemplars of “world literature”, or is theirs an “Indian” view; or both?
A Status-Based Multilevel Model of Ethnic Diversity and Work Unit Performance
Authors: Leslie Lisa M.
Published: May 2014

The present research builds theory regarding the consequences of work unit ethnic diversity by advancing a status-based, multilevel model of when ethnic diversity is likely to constrain work unit performance. In contrast to past work unit diversity research, which has largely ignored the varying degrees of status ascribed to members of different ethnic groups, I propose that ethnic diversity is most likely to constrain work unit cohesion, and in turn work unit performance, in work units composed of two ethnic subgroups that are separated by large differences in status (i.e., ethnic status subgroups; ESS). Furthermore, and consistent with evidence that the consequences of work unit diversity are contingent on the broader social contexts in which work units are embedded, I predict that the presence of ethnic status subgroups in the community exacerbates the detrimental consequences of ethnic status subgroups in work units. Findings from a multisource, field-based data set ( N = 743 employees nested within 131 bank branches) support the study hypotheses. Implications for theory and practice are discussed.
Serving the Faculty Union in Fighting Austerity Policies
Authors: Nissen Bruce
Published: June 2014

This article reports and analyzes a case of a university labor studies program providing a series of research reports to the faculty union on campus that analyzed the allocation of resources between faculty and administrative overhead. The research helped the union slow down and stop a trend toward ever more resources being diverted from faculty to administration. The decisive role of the research in winning major union victories is detailed, and the case is analyzed with a view to opportunities and dangers involved in such research, what factors make it uniquely effectove or ineffective, and what lessons can be drawn from the experience.
Preliminary study on the mechanism of oridonin-induced apoptosis in human squamous cell oesophageal carcinoma cell line EC9706
Authors: Liu Jun-bao , Yue Jing-yu
Published: May 2014

Objective

To study the apoptosis-inducing effect of the Chinese medicine oridonin in the human oesophageal squamous cell carcinoma cell line EC9706, in vitro.

Methods

The effect of oridonin on cell proliferation was studied using the colorimetric 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay. Effects on the cell cycle and apoptosis were studied by flow cytometry; effects on intracellular Ca2+ concentration were studied by measuring the fluorescence intensity of a fluorescent Ca2+ probe by laser scanning confocal microscopy.

Results

The EC9706 cell-proliferation rate decreased with time and oridonin concentration (10–40 µmol/l). The number of cells in G0 and G1 phases increased significantly following exposure to oridonin for 48 and 72 h respectively, and oridonin was shown to be most effective at inducing apoptosis in EC9706 cells at 40 µmol/l. Compared with the control group, all concentrations of oridonin tested (10–40 µmol/l) significantly increased the Ca2+ fluorescence intensity of EC9706 cells.

Conclusions

Oridonin was shown to inhibit proliferation and induce apoptosis in the human oesophageal squamous cell carcinoma cell line EC9706, in vitro. These data provide preliminary experimental evidence for the anticancer effects of oridonin, which is as a traditional Chinese medicine used to treat various cancers, including oesophageal squamous cell carcinoma. Further studies are required to elucidate the mode of action.
Synthesis of carbon nanotubes/polyacrylamide nanocomposites with improved load-carrying capacity and antiwear ability
Authors: Zhang Liyuan , Shi Tiejun , Wu Shengli , Zhou Haiou
Published: May 2014

In this study, the functionalized carbon nanotubes (CNTs) were prepared and used for the first time as a high-efficient dispersant for the synthesis of CNTs/polyacrylamide nanocomposites via dispersion polymerization. The results showed that the functionalized CNTs not only could be use as an effective solid stabilizer for dispersion polymerization but also could be homogeneously dispersed into the production of polyacrylamide as nanofillers by this method. Furthermore, the functionalized CNTs/polyacrylamide nanocomposites can be dissolved in water and can effectively improve the load-carrying capacity and antiwear ability of base stock as a good lubricant additive in water-based fluid.
Plasminogen promotes macrophage phagocytosis in mice
Authors: Das Riku , Ganapathy Swetha , Settle Megan , Plow Edward F.
Published: May 2014

Key Points

Plasminogen influences uptake of apoptotic bodies and immunoglobulin-coated red cells by macrophages in mice. Plasminogen regulates expression of genes involved in macrophage phagocytosis in vivo.
Chemokine treatment rescues profound T-lineage progenitor homing defect after bone marrow transplant conditioning in mice
Authors: Zhang Shirley L. , Wang Xinxin , Manna Sugata , Zlotoff Daniel A. , Bryson Jerrod L. , Blazar Bruce R. , Bhandoola Avinash
Published: May 2014

Key Points

Homing of T-lineage progenitors to the thymus is reduced after irradiation. Chemokines limit thymic reconstitution after BMT.
Failure-free survival after initial systemic treatment of chronic graft-versus-host disease
Authors: Inamoto Yoshihiro , Flowers Mary E. D. , Sandmaier Brenda M. , Aki Sahika Z. , Carpenter Paul A. , Lee Stephanie J. , Storer Barry E. , Martin Paul J.
Published: May 2014

Key Points

Failure-free survival is a potentially useful, efficient, and robust basis for interpreting results of initial treatment of chronic GVHD.
Multiparameter flow cytometry for staging of solitary bone plasmacytoma: new criteria for risk of progression to myeloma
Authors: Paiva Bruno , Chandia Mauricio , Vidriales Maria-Belen , Colado Enrique , Caballero-Velázquez Teresa , Escalante Fernando , Garcia de Coca Alfonso , Montes Maria-Carmen , Garcia-Sanz Ramon , Ocio Enrique M. , Mateos Maria-Victoria , San Miguel Jesus F.
Published: May 2014

Key Points

MFC is a valuable biomarker to discriminate “true” SBP patients from those with “occult” BM clonal PCs and high-risk of progression to MM.
Molecular liaisons between erythropoiesis and iron metabolism
Authors: Kautz Leon , Nemeth Elizabeta
Published: May 2014

Although most circulating iron in blood plasma is destined for erythropoiesis, the mechanisms by which erythropoietic demand modulates the iron supply (“erythroid regulators”) remain largely unknown. Iron absorption, plasma iron concentrations, and tissue iron distribution are tightly controlled by the liver-produced hormone hepcidin. During the last decade, much progress has been made in elucidating hepcidin regulation by iron and inflammation. This review discusses the less understood mechanisms and mediators of hepcidin suppression in physiologically and pathologically stimulated erythropoiesis.
Altered glutamyl-aminopeptidase activity and expression in renal neoplasms
Authors: Blanco Lorena , Sanz Begoña , Perez Itxaro , Sánchez Clara E , Cándenas M Luz , Pinto Francisco M , Gil Javier , Casis Luis , López José I , Larrinaga Gorka
Published: May 2014

Background

Advances in the knowledge of renal neoplasms have demonstrated the implication of several proteases in their genesis, growth and dissemination. Glutamyl-aminopeptidase (GAP) (EC. 3.4.11.7) is a zinc metallopeptidase with angiotensinase activity highly expressed in kidney tissues and its expression and activity have been associated wtih tumour development.

Methods

In this prospective study, GAP spectrofluorometric activity and immunohistochemical expression were analysed in clear-cell (CCRCC), papillary (PRCC) and chromophobe (ChRCC) renal cell carcinomas, and in renal oncocytoma (RO). Data obtained in tumour tissue were compared with those from the surrounding uninvolved kidney tissue. In CCRCC, classic pathological parameters such as grade, stage and tumour size were stratified following GAP data and analyzed for 5-year survival.

Results

GAP activity in both the membrane-bound and soluble fractions was sharply decreased and its immunohistochemical expression showed mild staining in the four histological types of renal tumours. Soluble and membrane-bound GAP activities correlated with tumour grade and size in CCRCCs.

Conclusions

This study suggests a role for GAP in the neoplastic development of renal tumours and provides additional data for considering the activity and expression of this enzyme of interest in the diagnosis and prognosis of renal neoplasms.
Growth and characterization of Cu(In,Ga)Se2 thin films by nanosecond and femtosecond pulsed laser deposition
Authors: Chen Shih-Chen , Hsieh Dan-Hua , Jiang Hsin , Liao Yu-Kuang , Lai Fang-I , Chen Chyong-Hua , Luo Chih Wei , Juang Jenh-Yih , Chueh Yu-Lun , Wu Kaung-Hsiung , Kuo Hao-Chung
Published: June 2014

In this work, CuIn1 - x
Ga
x
Se2 (CIGS) thin films were prepared by nanosecond (ns)- and femtosecond (fs)-pulsed laser deposition (PLD) processes. Different film growth mechanisms were discussed in perspective of the laser-produced plasmas and crystal structures. The fs-PLD has successfully improved the inherent flaws, Cu2 - x
Se, and air voids ubiquitously observed in ns-PLD-derived CIGS thin films. Moreover, the prominent antireflection and excellent crystalline structures were obtained in the fs-PLD-derived CIGS thin films. The absorption spectra suggest the divergence in energy levels of radiative defects brought by the inhomogeneous distribution of elements in the fs-PLD CIGS, which has also been supported by comparing photoluminescence (PL) spectra of ns- and fs-PLD CIGS thin films at 15 K. Finally, the superior carrier transport properties in fs-PLD CIGS were confirmed by fs pump-probe spectroscopy and four-probe measurements. The present results indicate a promising way for preparing high-quality CIGS thin films via fs-PLD.
Intensify the application of ZnO-based nanodevices in humid environment: O2/H2 plasma suppressed the spontaneous reaction of amorphous ZnO nanowires
Authors: Lai Chun-Yen , Chien Tzu-Chiao , Lin Ting-Yi , Ke Teng , Hsu Shih-Han , Lee Yun-Ju , Su Chien-ying , Sheu Jeng-Tzong , Yeh Ping-Hung
Published: June 2014

In this work, we have demonstrated that amorphous ZnO nanobranches (a-ZnO NBs) could spontaneously react from the crystalline ZnO NWs (c-ZnO NWs) at specific humid environment. The spontaneous reaction mechanism and result can be analyzed by humidity controlling and optical microscope (OM)/scanning electron microscope (SEM)/Kelvin probe force microscopy (KPFM)/transmission electron microscopy (TEM) system. We can make the c-ZnO NWs spontaneous reaction happen at different humid environments and suppress the a-ZnO NBs spontaneous reaction by oxygen/hydrogen plasma surface passivation. The hydrogen plasma surface treatment also can improve the UV sensing sensitivity more than twofold. This work provides the mechanism and methods of the a-ZnO NBs spontaneous growth and offers the passivation treatment for strengthening and enhancing ZnO-based nanodevice application in humid environment and UV light detection, respectively.
The midgut of Aedes albopictus females expresses active trypsin-like serine peptidases
Authors: Saboia-Vahia Leonardo , Cuervo Patricia , Borges-Veloso Andre , de Souza Nathália Pinho , Britto Constança , Dias-Lopes Geovane , De Jesus Jose Batista
Published: May 2014

Background

Aedes albopictus is widely distributed across tropical and sub-tropical regions and is associated with the transmission of several arboviruses. Although this species is increasingly relevant to public health due its ability to successfully colonize both urban and rural habitats, favoring the dispersion of viral infections, little is known about its biochemical traits, with all assumptions made based on studies of A. aegypti. In previous studies we characterized the peptidase profile of pre-imaginal stages of A. albopictus and we reported the first proteomic analysis of the midgut from sugar-fed females of this insect species.

Methods

In the present work, we further analyzed the peptidase expression in the midgut of sugar-fed females using 1DE-substrate gel zymography, two-dimensional electrophoresis (2DE), mass spectrometry (MS), and protein identification based on similarity.

Results

The combination of zymography, in solution assays using fluorescent substrates and 2DE-MS/MS allowed us to identify the active serine peptidase “fingerprint” in the midgut of A. albopictus females. Zymographic analysis revealed a proteolytic profile composed of at least 13 bands ranging from ~25 to 250 kDa, which were identified as trypsin-like serine peptidases by using specific inhibitors of this class of enzymes. Concomitant use of the fluorogenic substrate Z-Phe-Arg-AMC and trypsin-like serine protease inhibitors corroborated the zymographic findings. Our proteomic approach allowed the identification of two different trypsin-like serine peptidases and one chymotrypsin in protein spots of the alkaline region in 2DE map of the A. albopictus female midgut. Identification of these protein coding genes was achieved by similarity to the A. aegypti genome sequences using Mascot and OMSSA search engines.

Conclusion

These results allowed us to detect, identify and characterize the expression of active trypsin-like serine peptidases in the midgut of sugar-fed A. albopictus females. In addition, proteomic analysis allowed us to confidently assign the expression of two trypsin genes and one chymotrypsin gene to the midgut of this mosquito. These results contribute to the gene annotation in this species of unknown genome and represent a small but important step toward the protein-level functional and localization assignment of trypsin-like serine peptidase genes in the Aedes genus.
Intestinal allergic inflammation in birch pollen allergic patients in relation to pollen season, IgE sensitization profile and gastrointestinal symptoms
Authors: Rentzos Georgios , Lundberg Vanja , Stotzer Per‐Ove , Pullerits Teet , Telemo Esbjörn
Published: May 2014

Background

Birch pollen allergic patients frequently experience gastrointestinal upset accompanied by a local allergic inflammation in the small intestine especially during the pollen season. However, it is not known if the GI pathology is connected to the subjective symptoms of the patient. The objective of this study was to evaluate the immune pathology of the duodenal mucosa and the serum IgE antibody profiles in birch pollen allergic patients in relation to their gastrointestinal symptoms, during and outside the birch pollen season.

Methods

Thirty‐two patients with birch pollen allergy and sixteen healthy controls were enrolled in the study. Twenty allergic patients had gastrointestinal symptoms and twelve did not. All participants underwent an allergy investigation and gastroscopy with duodenal biopsy. The duodenal biopsies were retrieved during the pollen season (May‐June) and off‐season (November‐March). The biopsies were immunostained for mast cells (IgE and tryptase), eosinophils, T cells (CD3), and dendritic cells (CD11c). Pollen‐specific IgE antibodies were determined by ImmunoCAP and component microarray (ISAC).

Results

Patients in both pollen allergic groups showed similar degree of intestinal allergic inflammation during the pollen season regardless of gastrointestinal symptoms. The eosinophils, mast cells and dendritic cells were increased in the mucosa. Patients with gastrointestinal symptoms had significantly elevated IgE antibodies to birch (rBet v 1), hazelnut (rCor a 1), and apple (rMal d1) during the pollen season.

Conclusions

Patients allergic to birch pollen have clear signs of an ongoing allergic inflammation in their intestinal mucosa, which is aggravated during the pollen season. The magnitude of the allergic intestinal inflammation is not associated with subjective gastrointestinal symptoms of the individual patient.
Microbiota from Litopenaeus vannamei: digestive tract microbial community of Pacific white shrimp (Litopenaeus vannamei)
Authors: Tzuc Jaqueline Tuyub , Escalante Diana Rendíz , Rojas Herrera Rafael , Gaxiola Cortés Gabriela , Ortiz Maria Leticia Arena
Published: June 2014

Bacteria capable of producing different extracellular enzymes of potential relevance in digestive processes were isolated from the stomach, hepatopancreas and intestine of Pacific white shrimp Litopenaeus vannamei. A total of 64 strains with proteolytic activity were isolated and grouped into 16 clusters based on morphological characteristics: 4 groups were isolated from the intestine; 5 from the hepatopancreas; and 7 from the stomach. Molecular methods (16S rRNA gene amplification and sequencing) and phenotypic criteria (Gram stain, catalase and oxidase tests, cell and colony morphology) were used to identify strains, which corresponded to Pseudoalteromonas and Vibrio genera. These genera are reported to form part of the digestive tract microbial community in shrimp. Both genera were isolated from all three tested tissues. One member of each morphologic group was selected for analysis of the presence of amylases, lipases/esterases and chitinases. Most of the strains had all the tested enzymes, indicating that the L. vannamei digestive tract microbiotic flora includes groups which have the potential to contribute to the degradation of dietary components.
An integrated genomic approach identifies persistent tumor suppressive effects of transforming growth factor-β in human breast cancer
Authors: Sato Misako , Kadota Mitsutaka , Tang Binwu , Yang Howard H , Yang Yu-an , Shan Mengge , Weng Jia , Welsh Michael A , Flanders Kathleen C , Nagano Yoshiko , Michalowski Aleksandra M , Clifford Robert J , Lee Maxwell P , Wakefield Lalage M
Published: June 2014

Introduction

Transforming growth factor-βs (TGF-βs) play a dual role in breast cancer, with context-dependent tumor-suppressive or pro-oncogenic effects. TGF-β antagonists are showing promise in early-phase clinical oncology trials to neutralize the pro-oncogenic effects. However, there is currently no way to determine whether the tumor-suppressive effects of TGF-β are still active in human breast tumors at the time of surgery and treatment, a situation that could lead to adverse therapeutic responses.

Methods

Using a breast cancer progression model that exemplifies the dual role of TGF-β, promoter-wide chromatin immunoprecipitation and transcriptomic approaches were applied to identify a core set of TGF-β-regulated genes that specifically reflect only the tumor-suppressor arm of the pathway. The clinical significance of this signature and the underlying biology were investigated using bioinformatic analyses in clinical breast cancer datasets, and knockdown validation approaches in tumor xenografts.

Results

TGF-β-driven tumor suppression was highly dependent on Smad3, and Smad3 target genes that were specifically enriched for involvement in tumor suppression were identified. Patterns of Smad3 binding reflected the preexisting active chromatin landscape, and target genes were frequently regulated in opposite directions in vitro and in vivo, highlighting the strong contextuality of TGF-β action. An in vivo-weighted TGF-β/Smad3 tumor-suppressor signature was associated with good outcome in estrogen receptor-positive breast cancer cohorts. TGF-β/Smad3 effects on cell proliferation, differentiation and ephrin signaling contributed to the observed tumor suppression.

Conclusions

Tumor-suppressive effects of TGF-β persist in some breast cancer patients at the time of surgery and affect clinical outcome. Carefully tailored in vitro/in vivo genomic approaches can identify such patients for exclusion from treatment with TGF-β antagonists.
DNA → RNA: What Do Students Think the Arrow Means?
Authors: Wright L. Kate , Fisk J. Nick , Newman Dina L.
Published: June 2014

The central dogma of molecular biology, a model that has remained intact for decades, describes the transfer of genetic information from DNA to protein though an RNA intermediate. While recent work has illustrated many exceptions to the central dogma, it is still a common model used to describe and study the relationship between genes and protein products. We investigated understanding of central dogma concepts and found that students are not primed to think about information when presented with the canonical figure of the central dogma. We also uncovered conceptual errors in student interpretation of the meaning of the transcription arrow in the central dogma representation; 36% of students (n = 128; all undergraduate levels) described transcription as a chemical conversion of DNA into RNA or suggested that RNA existed before the process of transcription began. Interviews confirm that students with weak conceptual understanding of information flow find inappropriate meaning in the canonical representation of central dogma. Therefore, we suggest that use of this representation during instruction can be counterproductive unless educators are explicit about the underlying meaning.
Convergence of IPMK and LKB1-AMPK Signaling Pathways on Metformin Action
Authors: Bang Sookhee , Chen Yong , Ahima Rexford S. , Kim Sangwon F.
Published: May 2014

Metformin is a biguanide drug that is widely prescribed for type 2 diabetes. Metformin suppresses hepatic gluconeogenesis and increases fatty acid oxidation. Although studies have suggested that metformin acts, at least in part, via activation of the liver kinase B1 (LKB1)/AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) pathway, the specific molecular mechanisms underlying metformin's regulation of glucose and lipid metabolism have not been well delineated. Recently, we have shown that inositol polyphosphate multikinase (IPMK) plays an important role in cellular energy metabolism and glucose-mediated AMPK regulation. Here we investigated the role of IPMK in metformin-induced AMPK activation. We observed that metformin-mediated activation of AMPK was impaired in the absence of IPMK. Overexpression of wild-type IPMK was sufficient to restore LKB1-AMPK activation by either metformin or AICAR in IPMK−/− murine embryonic fibroblast cells, suggesting that IPMK may act as an upstream regulator of LKB1-AMPK signaling in response to metformin. Moreover, this regulation was mediated by protein-protein interaction between IPMK and LKB1 as a dominant-negative peptide, which abrogates this interaction, attenuated metformin's ability to activate AMPK. Our data demonstrate that IPMK plays an important role in LKB1/AMPK signaling and may be targeted for treatment of metabolic diseases.
Caucus-Racing
Authors: Puckett Kent
Published: June 2014

This essay asks why Alice's Adventures in Wonderland would feature something as practically political as a caucus. After nearly drowning in Alice's tears, the Dodo suggests to her and other animals “that the best thing to get us dry would be a Caucus-race.” In order to figure out what a “caucus-race” is doing in Wonderland, this essay looks at the history of the caucus, recent political theories of democracy, Lewis Carroll's mathematical work on the theory and practice of elections, and, finally, his literary thinking about what it might really mean to live democratically.
Hawthorne on the Paradox of Popular Sovereignty
Authors: Armstrong Nancy
Published: June 2014

This essay looks at the form of sovereignty that Alexis de Tocqueville saw as uniquely American in relation to the form of self-sovereignty that had developed in eighteenth-century England and France. By 1840, American democracy had, in Tocqueville's view, become the perfect breeding ground for the new form of sovereignty he called “the will of the majority” or “public opinion.” This popular rule worked against the very form of self-sovereignty coveted by European liberalism and cultivated by the English novel to transform such individuals into an irresistibly powerful political body. A Hawthorne story from the same period as Tocqueville's study shows the new collectivity paradoxically requiring the constraints of classical liberalism just as liberalism in turn seemed to require the popular energy unleashed by democracy to justify its constraints and exclusions. Hawthorne thus helps me argue that where theory, being theory, necessarily drives toward a point where the emerging nation becomes incoherent, fiction tells us that this point is where affect takes over and holds a liberal democracy together.
The Pedagogy of the Japanese Novel
Authors: Tansman Alan
Published: June 2014

This essay concerns three of Japan's most famous novels and one propaganda tract, all written with pedagogical intent. Each crafted a sense of what it means to be a human being open to or closed down from the social and political world. Each was written during a critical turning point in the nation's cultural and political life, when forms of political engagement, democratic or anti-democratic, were at issue: Mori Ogai's 1890 The Dancing Girl, in the first mature bloom of Japan's cultural modernity and the formative years of a new democratic state; Natsume Soseki's 1914 Kokoro, during the dark climax of that modernity, with democracy still very much alive; the 1936 Essence of the National Polity, a book-length propaganda essay produced by a committee of literary scholars and political hacks in the linguistic vacuum of fascist Japan; and Oe Kenzaburo's 1964 A Personal Matter, in the politically contentious years of the early 1960s, at the beginning of the movement of the antinuclear left.
Asexual Resonances
Authors: Przybylo Ela , Cooper Danielle
Published: May 2014

This article works on two axes: first, employing queer archiving to push at the parameters of what might “count” as asexuality, and second, addressing feminist and queer inattentiveness to asexuality through rethinking queerness from asexual perspectives. We argue that an attunement to asexual “resonances,” however subjective and impossible to measure, makes possible the imagining of a queerly asexual archive, an archive that troubles current understandings of both asexuality and queerness. Throughout, we make two central contributions that challenge both queerness and asexuality. First, we assert that where there is queerness, there is also asexuality. Second, we seek to demonstrate the pervasiveness of asexuality, not by proving its statistical significance, but by shifting away from identity toward a broader understanding of asexuality.
ER stress signaling requires RHD3, a functionally conserved ER-shaping GTPase
Authors: Lai Ya-Shiuan , Stefano Giovanni , Brandizzi Federica
Published: May 2014

Whether structure and function are correlated features of organelles is a fundamental question in cell biology. Here we have queried the ability of mutants with defective structure of the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) to invoke the unfolded protein response (UPR), an essential ER signaling pathway. Through molecular and genetic approaches we show that loss of the ER-shaping GTPase Root Hair Defective 3 (RHD3) specifically disrupts UPR by interfering with the mRNA splicing function of the master regulator IRE1. These findings establish a novel role for RHD3 in the ER and support specificity of the effects of ER-shaping mutations on ER function.
A Differential Approach to the Choice of Treatment of Facial Bone Fractures in the Children
Authors: Тихонов  , Tikhonov E. , Харитонов  , Kharitonov D. , Гаршина  , Garshina M.
Published: June 2014

The choice of treatment of facial bone fractures in the early age remains a challenge for dentists and maxillofacial surgeons due to the peculiarities of child organism. The purpose of this study was to develop a differential approach to the choice of treatment of children´s facial bone fractures taking into account the age of a child, location of injury and possible complications. This paper presents the analysis of current epidemiological situation regarding to facial bone fractures in children in Voronezh city and Voronezh region. It is shown that the most common injuries is a fall from a height of its own growth, i.e. low-trauma; at the same time the number of high-speed traumas, such as road-traffic accidents, high falls, has decreased. The analysis was carried out 58 cases of facial bone fractures in a group of children from 1 month to 16 years being treated in Maxillofacial Department of Voronezh Regional Pediatric Hospital №2. The developed model of differential choice of treatment of facial bone fractures in children allows to choosing the method taking into account a child age, location of injury and severity, as well as possible consequences of surgery. The clinical monitoring has proved the efficacy of the model which gives an opportunity to decrease post-traumatic complications associated with growth and occlusion deformations as well as complications of inflammatory genesis. It was convincingly shown the need for follow-up care of children with facial fracture that the doctor-orthodontist should continue. The presented data of this study about correlation between surgical and conservative treatment of facial bone fractures in children coincide with the worldwide statistics showing the current tendency to a wide application of mini-invasive methods of fractures fragments immobilization.
Region’s Investment Appeal as Major Indicator of Its Competitiveness
Authors: Михалева  , Mikhaleva Elena
Published: June 2014

Concept integrity of investment climate which should be considered as

a complex characteristic has been specified on macro- and micro levels. Factors

influencing efficiency of regulation process of investment climate in a region

have been defined, and indicators of Tula region investment appeal have been

reported. Advantages of management by objectives use for solution of problem

related to increase of region’s investment appeal have been proved, what will

allow provide this region’s competitiveness in a long-term period.
Problem of Electronic Commerce in Russia: Electronic Signature
Authors: Швецов  , Shvetsov Sergey
Published: June 2014

In this paper from the position of electronic commerce as a scope of business

activities, including not only trade, payments system, marketing research and

advertising, enterprise resource management systems, etc., but also electronic

document management, it has been explained that for implementation of legally

significant document management the main role is played by an electronic

signature. Fundamental legal documents in the area of electronic signature and

a scope of its application have been also considered.
Application of the preparation "Spiramycin-Vero" for treatment of inflammatory diseases of female genital organs
Authors: Раннева  , Ranneva L. , Хадарцева  , Khadartseva K.
Published: June 2014

The paper presents the results of clinical and laboratory examination of 60 women living in Tula city, who were examined by a gynecologist with microscopy study, PCR research and culture of the vagina on the flora and sensitivity to antibiotics. The control examination was after 1 and 3 months. Of the total surveyed, the 60 persons with inflammation of the lower genital tract, with identical clinical picture, Chlamydia, Mycoplasma, Ureaplasma, and mixed infection were selected. Clinical diagnoses were: at 53,3% - coleitis, 10% - cervicitis, 13,3% - vulvit, 23.3% - vulvovaginitis. The system preparation "Spiramycin-Vero" was prescribed to all patients. It was established its effectiveness at the vulvovaginitis and the effectiveness of this preparation in combination with intravaginal form of antibiotics.
Oxigen regime and functional activity of body tissues during brain and kidney disorder in the course of hyperoxia
Authors: Мальцева  , Maltseva L.
Published: June 2014

The paper contains information about the mechanisms of therapeutic action of hyperbaric oxy-genation on oxygen regime and state functions of brain cortex and stem during acute cerebral ischemia of 90 minutes length and on renal cortex during acute serum glomeralonephritis. Experimental acute cerebral ischemia is simulated by deligation of both common carotid arteries which leads to subcompensated and decompensated forms of ischemia. Experimental acute serum glomeralonephritis is simulated by a single intravenous injection of bovine serum albumin. A single session of hyperbaric oxygenation is carried out within 60 minutes (3 absolute atmospheres mode) at the first day of the pathological process formation. The following factors are analyzed: motion activity, electrical activity of brain and heart, volume rate of cerebral blood flow, blood pH, oxygen tension in the arterial and venous blood, arteriovenous oxygen and oxyhemoglobin difference, oxygen consumption by brain tissue in the end of 90 minutes of cerebral ischemia in conditions of hyperoxia. Volumetric blood flow rate, oxygen tension in renal cortex are measured; condition of renal ultrafiltration in early and late post hyperoxia periods during acute serum glomeralonephritis is defined.

This paper shows a positive effect which hyperoxia has on the functional and metabolic processes at tissue and cellular level in the brain suffered from ischemia and kidneys during acute serum glomeralonephritis. Hyperbaric oxygenation restores blood flow and oxygen regime in the brain cortex and stem and renal cortex, normalizes metabolic processes in the brain cells and restore renal function.
Facilitating antenatal education classes in Scotland
Authors: Hardie Kathryn , Horsburgh Dorothy , Key Susan
Published: June 2014

Provision of antenatal education classes by registered midwives is viewed as pivotal in sharing information and providing health education for women and their partners during their journey into parenthood. The midwife's influence on the overall success of antenatal education classes has been identified in research but without focus on experiences of community midwives when fulfilling this aspect of their role. A study to address this gap using an interpretive/hermeneutic phenomenological approach was carried out. Semi-structured audiotaped individual interviews were transcribed and analysed by the researcher. The following themes were identified and explored: educator skills and confidence, midwife/client satisfaction and midwife perceptions. Community midwives appeared enthusiastic about their role in the provision of antenatal education classes, which facilitated the development of trusting relationships between women and the midwives. Despite expressing personal interest and motivation, some community midwives indicated that a few colleagues disliked or avoided facilitating antenatal education classes. The reluctance of some community midwives to fulfil this responsibility and meet the requirements of their professional role is of particular concern and further exploration of this issue is required.
Stillbirth: A reflective case study
Authors: Stott Sarah
Published: June 2014

Stillbirth rates both in the UK and worldwide are extremely high. This reflective case study is centred on my first experience at caring for a bereaved couple who lost their baby boy, stillborn, at 27 weeks gestation. Whilst causes of stillbirth are often multi-factorial and unexplained, this reflection aims to explore how midwives can adopt simple measures to care for bereaved parents and how they can support themselves. Although research has focused on how improvements in research and training have contributed to a decline in stillbirth rates, this reflection also gives particular emphasis to the emotional aspects of bereavement care.
Opioid prescription increase in pregnancy
Authors: Bainbridge Jane
Published: June 2014

Research in the US has found that more than 14% of pregnant women are prescribed opioids for pain relief
Being reflective together
Authors: Lindridge Karen
Published: June 2014

Our experiences of working in partnership with other professionals, without judgements or imposed areas to develop, enabled us to reflect, refocus and further improve the provision in our reception class.
The cycle of discovery
Authors: Ouvry Marjorie
Published: June 2014

Music and movement should form the basis of every early years curriculum, yet despite the benefits for young children, there is still a lack of training available for practitioners who want to extend these skills.
A shortened version of the Dementia Drivers’ Screening Assessment
Authors: Lincoln Nadina , Radford Kate , Devos Hannes , Akinwuntan Abiodun E
Published: June 2014

Introduction:

Cognitive tests are used to inform recommendations about the safety of people with dementia to continue driving. The Dementia Drivers’ Screening Assessment (DDSA) is a neuropsychological battery designed to assist in this process. However, it is lengthy to administer and requires materials from various test batteries.

Aims:

The primary aim of this study was to develop a shortened version of the DDSA for individuals with dementia.

Methods:

Data on participants with dementia from two studies were analysed. These participants were all drivers with dementia who were identified by community mental health teams and psychiatrists. Each participant was assessed on the DDSA and also assessed on-road by an ‘approved driving instructor’ using the Nottingham Neurological Driving Assessment.

Results:

This study analysed 102 participants, who had a mean age of 74.0 (SD=7.7) years and of whom 80 (78%) were men. Twenty three drivers were judged to be unsafe and 79 safe. The agreement between the short version and on-road assessment was 79%. The assessment was better at detecting safe drivers than unsafe drivers.

Conclusion:

The findings suggested that the shortened DDSA is suitable for participants who are unable or do not wish to undergo lengthier assessment.
Assessment of occupational performance problems due to cognitive deficits in stroke rehabilitation: A survey
Authors: Pilegaard Marc Sampedro , Pilegaard Britt Sampedro , Birn Ida , Kristensen Hanne Kaae , Morgan Mike F G
Published: June 2014

Aim:

This study aimed to survey the choices occupational therapists (OTs) make when selecting assessment tools and methods for assessing patients’ occupational performance problems due to cognitive deficits during the immediate post-acute phase of stroke (approximately 1–7 days after). This study also aimed to examine the extent to which OTs use standardised, occupation-based assessments and whether factors such as education level, the time needed to use assessment tools, and the impact of local departmental guidelines, affect the selection of standardised, occupation-based assessments.

Methods:

A cross-sectional survey, completed via post with responses from 150 Danish occupational therapists was conducted.

Results:

The survey participants used 13 different assessment tools and methods to assess patients with stroke for occupational performance problems due to cognitive deficits. Only 9% of the OTs were using standardised, occupation-based assessments. Educational level, the time needed to use the assessment tools and the impact of local departmental guidelines were not significantly associated with selection of standardised, occupation-based assessments.

Conclusion:

The majority of the OTs in this study did not use standardised, occupation-based assessments. These findings indicate a need for further investigation into the changes necessary to the practitioners’ knowledge, skills, or priorities in the use of standardised, occupation-based assessments in clinical practice.