bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Regulatory T cell phenotype and function 4 years after GAD–alum treatment in children with type 1 diabetes
Authors: Pihl M , Åkerman L , Axelsson S , Chéramy M , Hjorth M , Mallone R , Ludvigsson J , Casas R
Published: January 2013

Glutamic acid decarboxylase (GAD)65 formulated with aluminium hydroxide (GAD-alum) was effective in preserving insulin secretion in a Phase II clinical trial in children and adolescents with recent-onset type 1 diabetes. In addition, GAD-alum treated patients increased CD4+CD25hi forkhead box protein 3+ (FoxP3+) cell numbers in response to in-vitro GAD65 stimulation. We have carried out a 4-year follow-up study of 59 of the original 70 patients to investigate long-term effects on the frequency and function of regulatory T cells after GAD-alum treatment. Peripheral blood mononuclear cells were stimulated in vitro with GAD65 for 7 days and expression of regulatory T cell markers was measured by flow cytometry. Regulatory T cells (CD4+CD25hiCD127lo) and effector T cells (CD4+CD25–CD127+) were further sorted, expanded and used in suppression assays to assess regulatory T cell function after GAD-alum treatment. GAD-alum-treated patients displayed higher frequencies of in-vitro GAD65-induced CD4+CD25+CD127+ as well as CD4+CD25hiCD127lo and CD4+FoxP3+ cells compared to placebo. Moreover, GAD65 stimulation induced a population of CD4hi cells consisting mainly of CD25+CD127+, which was specific of GAD-alum-treated patients (16 of 25 versus one of 25 in placebo). Assessment of suppressive function in expanded regulatory T cells revealed no difference between GAD-alum- and placebo-treated individuals. Regulatory T cell frequency did not correlate with C-peptide secretion throughout the study. In conclusion, GAD-alum treatment induced both GAD65-reactive CD25+CD127+ and CD25hiCD127lo cells, but no difference in regulatory T cell function 4 years after GAD-alum treatment.
Prenatal testing for Huntington's disease in the Netherlands from 1998 to 2008
Authors: van Rij MC , de Koning Gans PAM , Aalfs CM , Elting M , Ippel PF , Maat‐Kievit JA , Vermeer S , Verschuuren‐Bemelmans CC , van Belzen MJ , Belfroid RDM , Losekoot M , Geraedts JPM , Roos RAC , Tibben A , de Die‐Smulders CEM , Bijlsma EK
Published: January 2013

This study aims to give an overview of the number of prenatal tests for Huntington's disease (HD), test results, and pregnancy outcomes in the Netherlands between 1998 and 2008 and to compare them with available data from the period 1987 to 1997. A total of 126 couples underwent prenatal diagnosis (PND) on 216 foetuses: 185 (86%) direct tests and 31 (14%) exclusion tests. In 9% of direct tests the risk for the foetus was 25%. Four at‐risk parents (4%) carried intermediate alleles. Ninety‐one foetuses had CAG expansions ≥36% or 50% risk haplotypes: 75 (82%) were terminated for HD, 12 (13%) were carried to term; four pregnancies were miscarried, terminated for other reasons or lost to follow‐up. Unaffected pregnancies (122 foetuses) resulted in the birth of 112 children. The estimated uptake of PND was 22% of CAG expansion carriers (≥36 repeats) at reproductive age. PND was used by two new subgroups: carriers of intermediate alleles and 50% at‐risk persons opting for a direct prenatal test of the foetus. A significant number of HD expansion or 50% risk pregnancies were continued. Speculations were made on causative factors contributing to these continuations. Further research on these couples' motives is needed.
Ridge dimensional changes following single‐tooth extraction in the aesthetic zone
Authors: Farmer Mark , Darby Ivan
Published: January 2013

Objectives

The aims of this study were to investigate the magnitude of the dimensional changes following extraction of a single tooth in the aesthetic zone over a 6‐ to 8‐week healing period and to examine the degree and pattern of resorption of the buccal bone plate during this time frame.

Materials and methods

Twenty subjects who were to have a single tooth in the aesthetic zone extracted and replaced by an implant after a 6–8 week healing period were selected for this study. Hard and soft tissue measurements of the extraction site were obtained pre‐extraction and were repeated 6–8 weeks post‐extraction at defined points using a key.

Results

After a 6‐ to 8‐week healing period, the total ridge thickness in the crestal midline reduced by 15% of the original value. The buccal plate resorbed in an “inverted V shape”. Forty‐two percentage of subjects had lost 4 mm or more of buccal bone in the midpoint of the extraction socket.

Discussion

After a 6‐ to 8‐week healing period post‐extraction, there were significant reductions in the hard and soft tissue dimensions of the ridge, most notably on the most coronal mid‐buccal aspect. All implants placed required simultaneous augmentation as a result.
Is colectomy for fulminant Clostridium difficile colitis life saving? A systematic review
Authors: Stewart D. B. , Hollenbeak C. S. , Wilson M. Z.
Published: January 2013

Aim

It is unclear whether colectomy for fulminant Clostridium difficile colitis (FCDC) leads to a improvement in survival compared with continued medical therapy for this moribund population.

Method

Selected studies from 1994–2010 were identified through a comprehensive search theme applied to MEDLINE (OvidSP and PubMed), EMBASE and by hand searching. Data regarding mortality rates between medically and surgically treated patients were extracted. Risk of bias was assessed using a Newcastle–Ottawa Scale score. A meta‐analysis of the odds ratios for mortality between surgical and medical treatment for FCDC was conducted using the Mantel–Haenszel method and fixed‐effects modelling.

Results

Five hundred and ten patients with FCDC were identified in six studies. The pooled adjusted odds ratio of mortality comparing surgery with medical therapy was 0.70 (0.49–0.99), suggesting that surgery provided a survival benefit.

Conclusion

Emergent colectomy for patients with FCDC provides a survival advantage compared with continuing antibiotics. Though there is selection bias of patients having surgery, the results of this systematic review suggest that colectomy has a therapeutic role in treating severe forms of C. difficile colitis.
Visuo‐tactile integration and body ownership during self‐generated action
Authors: Rognini G. , Sengül A. , Aspell J. E. , Salomon R. , Bleuler H. , Blanke O.
Published: January 2013

Although there is increasing knowledge about how visual and tactile cues from the hands are integrated, little is known about how self‐generated hand movements affect such multisensory integration. Visuo‐tactile integration often occurs under highly dynamic conditions requiring sensorimotor updating. Here, we quantified visuo‐tactile integration by measuring cross‐modal congruency effects (CCEs) in different bimanual hand movement conditions with the use of a robotic platform. We found that classical CCEs also occurred during bimanual self‐generated hand movements, and that such movements lowered the magnitude of visuo‐tactile CCEs as compared to static conditions. Visuo‐tactile integration, body ownership and the sense of agency were decreased by adding a temporal visuo‐motor delay between hand movements and visual feedback. These data show that visual stimuli interfere less with the perception of tactile stimuli during movement than during static conditions, especially when decoupled from predictive motor information. The results suggest that current models of visuo‐tactile integration need to be extended to account for multisensory integration in dynamic conditions.
Multiple congenital ocular anomalies syndrome in a family of Shetland and Deutsches Classic ponies in Belgium
Authors: Premont J. E. , Andersson L. , Grauwels M.
Published: January 2013

See also Clinical Commentary by Mathews
Modelling as a tool for analysing the temperature‐dependent future of the Colorado potato beetle in Europe
Authors: Jönsson Anna Maria , Pulatov Bakhtiyor , Linderson Maj‐Lena , Hall Karin
Published: January 2013

A warmer climate may increase the risk of attacks by insect pests on agricultural crops, and questions on how to adapt management practice have created a need for impact models. Phenological models driven by climate data can be used for assessing the potential distribution and voltinism of different insect species, but the quality of the simulations is influenced by a range of uncertainties. In this study, we model the temperature‐dependent activity and development of the Colorado potato beetle, and analyse the influence of uncertainty associated with parameterization of temperature and day length response. We found that the developmental threshold has a major impact on the simulated number of generations per year. Little is known about local adaptations and individual variations, but the use of an upper and a lower developmental threshold gave an indication on the potential variation. The day length conditions triggering diapause are known only for a few populations. We used gridded observed temperature data to estimate local adaptations, hypothesizing that cold autumns can leave a footprint in the population genetics by low survival of individuals not reaching the adult stage before winter. Our study indicated that the potential selection pressure caused by climate conditions varies between European regions. Provided that there is enough genetic variation, a local adaption at the northern distribution limit would reduce the number of unsuccessful initiations and thereby increase the potential for spreading to areas currently not infested. The simulations of the impact model were highly sensitive to biases in climate model data, i.e. systematic deviations in comparison with observed weather, highlightening the need of improved performance of regional climate models. Even a moderate temperature increase could change the voltinism of Leptinotarsa decemlineata in Europe, but knowledge on agricultural practice and strategies for countermeasures is needed to evaluate changes in risk of attacks.
Impact of agricultural management practices on soil organic carbon: simulation of Australian wheat systems
Authors: Zhao Gang , Bryan Brett A. , King Darran , Luo Zhongkui , Wang Enli , Song Xiaodong , Yu Qiang
Published: January 2013

Quantifying soil organic carbon (SOC) dynamics at a high spatial and temporal resolution in response to different agricultural management practices and environmental conditions can help identify practices that both sequester carbon in the soil and sustain agricultural productivity. Using an agricultural systems model (the Agricultural Production Systems sIMulator), we conducted a high spatial resolution and long‐term (122 years) simulation study to identify the key management practices and environmental variables influencing SOC dynamics in a continuous wheat cropping system in Australia's 96 million ha cereal‐growing regions. Agricultural practices included five nitrogen application rates (0–200 kg N ha−1 in 50 kg N ha−1 increments), five residue removal rates (0–100% in 25% increments), and five residue incorporation rates (0–100% in 25% increments). We found that the change in SOC during the 122‐year simulation was influenced by the management practices of residue removal (linearly negative) and fertilization (nonlinearly positive) – and the environmental variables of initial SOC content (linearly negative) and temperature (nonlinearly negative). The effects of fertilization were strongest at rates up to 50 kg N ha−1, and the effects of temperature were strongest where mean annual temperatures exceeded 19 °C. Reducing residue removal and increasing fertilization increased SOC in most areas except Queensland where high rates of SOC decomposition caused by high temperature and soil moisture negated these benefits. Management practices were particularly effective in increasing SOC in south‐west Western Australia – an area with low initial SOC. The results can help target agricultural management practices for increasing SOC in the context of local environmental conditions, enabling farmers to contribute to climate change mitigation and sustaining agricultural production.
The evolution of the social welfare system in Palestine: Perspectives of policymakers in the West Bank
Authors: Safadi Najwa Sado , Easton Scott D.
Published: January 2013

Palestinians living in the West Bank and the Gaza Strip have long experienced social problems such as high rates of poverty and unemployment. These social problems necessitate the development of a viable, effective social welfare system. Relying on colonialism theory, this study examined the evolution of the social welfare system in the Palestinian Territories with an emphasis on the West Bank. Data were collected through semi‐structured interviews with 16 staff officials in Palestinian ministries and through archival material and administrative records. Results indicate that the Palestinian National Authority inherited a fragmented social welfare system in 1994 that lacked an appropriate legal framework. Additionally, internal deficiencies (e.g., unclear legal mandates, duplication of services) and external restrictions (e.g., road closures) have undermined the effectiveness of Palestinian social welfare institutions. The newly adopted approach to social welfare planning (i.e., partnership) and recent national planning initiatives show promise. Implications for social welfare policy and future research are discussed.
Rabson–Mendenhall syndrome with recurrent cerebral infarcts caused by a novel INSR mutation
Authors: Mohanan Saritha , Chandrashekar Laxmisha , Semple Robert K. , Thappa Devinder M. , Parameswaran Narayanan , Negi Vir S. , Ramassamy Sivaranjini
Published: January 2013

Rabson–Mendenhall syndrome (RMS) is an autosomal recessive disorder characterized by extreme insulin resistance and certain characteristic phenotypic features. The primary defect lies in the insulin receptor and involves biallelic mutations that lead to a loss of function through various postulated defects. We present a 9‐year‐old female patient with RMS complicated by multiple cerebral infarcts, in whom genetic analysis revealed a novel insulin receptor mutation.
Knowledge exchange, ‘impact’ and engagement: exploring low‐carbon urban transitions
Authors: North Peter
Published: January 2013

This paper engages with recent discussions about new requirements for the consideration of the ‘impact’ of research by the UK research councils, and in the forthcoming Research Excellence Framework (REF). The paper argues that the need to consider impact should be critically welcomed, and, given that research is always subjectively evaluated, for academics to take a broad, rather than self‐limiting conceptionalisation of what constitutes impact in their research funding bids and submissions to the REF. The paper argues that the emerging Knowledge Exchange (KE) agenda provides a welcome mechanism for funding critically engaged research with real world partners on a participatory basis, and explores experiences of one such KE partnership, Low Carbon Liverpool, to discuss potentialities and problems.
The Other Type of Performance Information: Nonroutine Feedback, Its Relevance and Use
Authors: Kroll Alexander
Published: January 2013

The literature on performance information use explains how public managers deal with mainly quantitative data that are systematically collected and formally reported. This article argues that such a narrow understanding is incomplete, as it excludes all kinds of nonroutine performance information, including verbal, ad hoc, and qualitative feedback. To understand how responsive public managers are to performance feedback, alternative sources of performance information need to be taken into account. A literature review suggests considering two important sources of nonroutine feedback: organizational insiders and relevant external stakeholders. Using survey data from German local government, this article shows that public managers prefer to use nonroutine feedback over routine data from performance reports. Furthermore, a regression analysis indicates that different sources of performance information require different determinants to trigger their use. This finding is essential because it suggests that explanations of performance information use can covary with the information source studied.
Contracting Revisited: Determinants and Consequences of Contracting Out for Public Education Services
Authors: Rho Eunju
Published: January 2013

The determinants and consequences of contracting are examined in more than 1,000 Texas school districts for 1997–2008. The results largely replicate prior research by O'Toole and Meier, showing that contracting is negatively related to spending on school districts’ core instructional functions and that the relationship between contracting and bureaucracy is reciprocal. The present findings, based on data from a longer period, indicate that contracting is positively related to school district performance. This article also finds support for an extended model of contracting determinants involving two environmental shocks: negative budget shocks and enrollment shocks.
Moderators of the effect of weight on job‐related outcomes: a meta‐analysis of experimental studies
Authors: Roehling Mark V. , Pichler Shaun , Bruce Tamara A.
Published: January 2013

This study provides the first meta‐analytic testing of (1) several proposed moderators of the relationship between employee weight and job‐related outcomes (e.g., target gender, target qualifications, and rater gender); and (2) the effect of specific design features on the variation in results obtained across relevant experimental studies (e.g., weight manipulation and amount of job‐relevant information). The results indicate that there are important moderators of the relationship between people's weight and job‐related outcomes. However, design feature may significantly influence the obtained results. In particular, inconsistent experimental findings regarding the hypothesized moderating role of target sex appear to be explained by limitations in the way in which target weight was manipulated in some studies. Directions for future research are identified.
Health professionals' and students' perceptions of elder abuse
Authors: Dow Briony , Hempton Courtney , Cortes‐Simonet Emanuel N , Ellis Kathryn A , Koch Susan H , LoGiudice Dina , Mastwyk Maree , Livingston Gill , Cooper Claudia , Ames David
Published: January 2013

Aim

This study aimed to compare perceptions about elder abuse among health professionals and students in the same health disciplines.

Methods

The Caregiving Scenario Questionnaire (CSQ) was disseminated to Australian health professionals from two metropolitan health services and to university health care students.

Results

One hundred and twenty health professionals and 127 students returned surveys. Significantly more students than health professionals identified locking someone in the house alone all day and restraining someone in a chair as abusive.

Conclusion

There is a need for further definition clarification and education about detection and management of elder abuse for health students and professionals in Australia. Student education should include consideration of the real‐life situations likely to be encountered in practice. Education for both students and health professionals should include strategies for carers to manage difficult situations such as the one described in the CSQ.
No evidence of shelter providing a metabolic advantage to the false clown anemonefish Amphiprion ocellaris
Authors: Kegler P. , Kunzmann A. , Bröhl S. , Herbert N. A.
Published: January 2013

There was no evidence that shelter conveyed a metabolic advantage to the false clown anemonefish Amphiprion ocellaris in terms of standard and routine rates of oxygen uptake. The metabolic and fitness benefit of shelter might not, therefore, be widespread among all fish species.
Ontogenetic shifts in morphology and resource use of cisco Coregonus artedi
Authors: Muir A. M. , Vecsei P. , Pratt T. C. , Krueger C. C. , Power M. , Reist J. D.
Published: January 2013

Two previously described lacustrine cisco Coregonus spp. morphs [i.e. a small (<300 mm fork length, LF), low‐gillraker (≤44) morph and a large (≥300 mm LF), high‐gillraker (≥45) morph] from Great Slave Lake, NT, Canada, were found to be synonymous with cisco Coregonus artedi. Geometric body shape did not differ between the two size classes nor could they be differentiated by 24 size‐corrected linear measurements, indicating that the two groups had similar phenotypes. Strong, positive correlations between all linear characters and geometric centroid size (a composite variable of fish body length, mass and age) suggested that body morphology changed with age as fish grew. Total gillraker number (NGR) increased with LF according to: NGR = 36·3 + 0·034LF. Differences in gillraker number and phenotype with age and size were explained by shifts in habitat and trophic resource use. Relative abundance within 0–30, 30–60, 60–90 and >90 m depth strata differed between size classes suggesting that morphology changed when fish shifted their habitat as they grew older. Large C. artedi had lower δ13C and slightly higher δ15N, indicating greater reliance on pelagic prey resources (i.e. more or larger zooplankton, such as Mysis spp.), compared to small C. artedi, which relied slightly more on benthic prey. Gillraker shape and number have always been used as key diagnostic characters in coregonine taxonomy; based on the findings presented here, ontogenetic shifts should be accounted for in resulting classifications.
Antihypertensive Therapy and Cerebral Hemodynamics in Executive Mild Cognitive Impairment: Results of a Pilot Randomized Clinical Trial
Authors: Hajjar Ihab , Hart Meaghan , Chen Yu‐Ling , Mack Wendy , Novak Vera , C. Chui Helena , Lipsitz Lewis
Published: January 2013

Objectives

To compare the effects of three antihypertensive medications on cerebral hemodynamic and cognitive function in hypertensive individuals with executive dysfunction.

Design

Double‐blind randomized clinical trial.

Setting

Community.

Participants

Fifty‐three individuals aged 60 and older with hypertension and executive dysfunction.

Intervention

Lisinopril, candesartan, or hydrochlorothiazide for 1 year.

Measurements

Cerebral blood flow velocity (BFV; transcranial Doppler ultrasonography during rest, sitting, standing, hypercapnia, and hypocapnia), cognition, and blood pressure were measured at baseline and after 6 and 12 months. Linear mixed models were used to compare the three groups.

Results

Of the 53 participants, 47 had successful insonation (mean age 72; 70% white; 57% women). There was a tendency toward an increase in BFV in the candesartan group and a decrease in the lisinopril and hydrochlorothiazide groups (between‐group P = .57) that was significant in those with low BFV at baseline (<median 27.6 cm/s, between‐group P = .03). The candesartan group also had the greatest improvement in executive function (Trail Making Test Part B improved by 17.1 seconds, vs hydrochlorothiazide improved by 4.2 seconds and lisinopril worsened by 14.4 seconds, P = .008). Carbon dioxide vasoreactivity and vasomotor range declined significantly in the lisinopril (within‐group P = .001 for vasoreactivity and .02 for vasomotor range) and hydrochlorothiazide groups (within‐group P = .10 and .009, respectively) but not in the candesartan group (within‐group P = .25 and .38, respectively; between‐group P = .30 and .46, respectively).

Conclusion

Angiotensin receptor blockers may preferentially preserve cerebral hemodynamics and executive function in individuals with executive dysfunction. These findings warrant further investigation in a larger trial.
Pain and Anxiety Mediate the Relationship Between Dizziness and Falls in Older People
Authors: Menant Jasmine C. , Wong Alfred , Sturnieks Daina L. , Close Jacqueline C.T. , Delbaere Kim , Sachdev Perminder S. , Brodaty Henry , Lord Stephen R.
Published: January 2013

Objectives

To identify medical, psychological, and physiological mediators of the relationship between dizziness and falls in older adults.

Design

Secondary analysis of a prospective cohort study.

Setting

Community.

Participants

Five hundred sixteen community‐dwelling adults aged 73 to 92.

Measurements

Participants completed questionnaires related to health and psychological well‐being and underwent a tilt table blood pressure test, the Physiological Profile Assessment (PPA; vision, reaction time, proprioception, postural sway, and quadriceps strength), and leaning balance tests. Prospective falls data were collected using monthly calendars for 12 months. Participants were categorized into dizzy and nondizzy groups based on self‐report of dizziness, vertigo, and light‐headedness.

Results

Two hundred seventeen (42%) participants reported vertigo or dizziness (10%), light‐headedness (16%), or both (16%). The dizzy participants were significantly more likely to report neck and back pain, past transient ischemic attacks, and feeling dizzy upon upright tilting. They also had poorer balance and less strength and scored higher on measures of depression and anxiety (P < .05). There were no blood pressure measurement–related differences between the groups. Dizziness increased the risk of multiple falls in an unadjusted analysis (relative risk (RR) = 1.55, 95% confidence interval = 1.08–2.23). After controlling for PPA scores, neck and back pain and anxiety were mediators that reduced the RR of the relationship between dizziness and faller status the most (14%) in a modified Poisson regression model.

Conclusion

Suffering from neck and back pain and anxiety were mediators of the relationship between dizziness and falls after controlling for poor sensorimotor function and balance. Older people with dizziness might benefit from interventions targeting these mediators such as pain management and cognitive behavioral therapy.
Silencing Brassinosteroid Receptor BRI1 Impairs Herbivory‐elicited Accumulation of Jasmonic Acid‐isoleucine and Diterpene Glycosides, but not Jasmonic Acid and Trypsin Proteinase Inhibitors in Nicotiana attenuata
Authors: Yang Da‐Hai , Baldwin Ian T. , Wu Jianqiang
Published: January 2013

The brassinosteroid (BR) receptor, BR insensitive 1 (BRI1), plays a critical role in plant development, but whether BRI1‐mediated BR signaling is involved in plant defense responses to herbivores was largely unknown. Here, we examined the function of BRI1 in the resistance of Nicotiana attenuata (Solanaceae) to its specialist insect herbivore Manduca sexta. Jasmonic acid (JA) and JA‐isoleucine conjugate (JA‐Ile) are important hormones that mediate resistance to herbivores and we found that after wounding or simulated herbivory NaBRI1 had little effect on JA levels, but was important for the induction of JA‐Ile. Further experiments revealed that decreased JAR (the enzyme for JA‐Ile production) activity and availability of Ile in NaBRI1‐silenced plants were likely responsible for the low JA‐Ile levels. Consistently, M. sexta larvae gained more weight on NaBRI1‐silenced plants than on the control plants. Quantification of insect feeding‐induced secondary metabolites revealed that silencing NaBRI1 resulted in decreased levels of carbon‐rich defensive secondary metabolites (hydroxygeranyllinalool diterpene glycosides, chlorogenic acid, and rutin), but had little effect on the nitrogen‐rich ones (nicotine and trypsin proteinase inhibitors). Thus, NaBRI1‐mediated BR signaling is likely involved in plant defense responses to M. sexta, including maintaining JA‐Ile levels and the accumulation of several carbon‐rich defensive secondary metabolites.
Mechanisms of neuroprotection by hemopexin: modeling the control of heme and iron homeostasis in brain neurons in inflammatory states
Authors: Hahl Peter , Davis Taron , Washburn Cecilia , Rogers Jack T. , Smith Ann
Published: January 2013

Hemopexin provides neuroprotection in mouse models of stroke and intracerebral hemorrhage and protects neurons in vitro against heme or reactive oxygen species (ROS) toxicity via heme oxygenase‐1 (HO1) activity. To model human brain neurons experiencing hemorrhages and inflammation, we used human neuroblastoma cells, heme–hemopexin complexes, and physiologically relevant ROS, for example, H2O2 and HOCl, to provide novel insights into the underlying mechanism whereby hemopexin safely maintains heme and iron homeostasis. Human amyloid precursor protein (hAPP), needed for iron export from neurons, is induced ~twofold after heme–hemopexin endocytosis by iron from heme catabolism via the iron‐regulatory element of hAPP mRNA. Heme–hemopexin is relatively resistant to damage by ROS and retains its ability to induce the cytoprotective HO1 after exposure to tert‐butylhydroperoxide, although induction is impaired, but not eliminated, by exposure to high concentrations of H2O2 in vitro. Apo‐hemopexin, which predominates in non‐hemolytic states, resists damage by H2O2 and HOCl, except for the highest concentrations likely in vivo. Heme–albumin and albumin are preferential targets for ROS; thus, albumin protects hemopexin in biological fluids like CSF and plasma where it is abundant. These observations provide strong evidence that hemopexin will be neuroprotective after traumatic brain injury, with heme release in the CNS, and during the ensuing inflammation. Hemopexin sequesters heme, thus preventing unregulated heme uptake that leads to toxicity; it safely delivers heme to neuronal cells; and it activates the induction of proteins including HO1 and hAPP that keep heme and iron at safe levels in neurons.
Cell cycle implication on nitrogen acquisition and synchronization in Thalassiosira weissflogii (Bacillariophyceae)
Authors: Mocquet Christophe , Sciandra Antoine , Talec Amélie , Bernard Olivier
Published: January 2013

The Michaelis–Menten model of nitrogen (N) acquisition, originally used to represent the effect of nutrient concentration on the phytoplankton uptake rate, is inadequate when other factors show temporal variations. Literature generally links diurnal oscillations of N acquisition to a response of the physiological status of microalgae to photon flux density (PFD) and substrate availability. This work describes how the cell cycle also constitutes a significant determinant of N acquisition and, when appropriate, assesses the impact of this property at the macroscopic level. For this purpose, we carried out continuous culture experiments with the diatom Thalassiosira weissflogii (Grunow) G. Fryxell & Hasle exposed to various conditions of light and N supply. The results revealed that a decrease in N acquisition occurred when a significant proportion of the population was in mitosis. This observation suggests that N acquisition is incompatible with mitosis and therefore that its acquisition rate is not constant during the cell cycle. In addition, environmental conditions, such as light and nutrient supply disrupt the cell cycle at the level of the individual cell, which impacts synchrony of the population.
Acoustic Analysis of the Swallowing Sounds of Food with Different Physical Properties Using the Cervical Auscultation Method
Authors: Taniwaki Mitsuru , Gao Zhihong , Nishinari Katsuyoshi , Kohyama Kaoru
Published: January 2013

The cervical auscultation method was applied to investigate sounds generated while swallowing various foods with different consistencies, including water, yogurt, and konjac jelly. Dynamic viscoelasticity, viscosity, and compression or penetration force of yogurt and konjac jelly were measured. The yogurt was fractured by the tongue while swallowing, whereas konjac jelly was not. Significant differences were detected in the durations of the swallowing sound component, generated by food bolus flow through the pharynx. The root mean square amplitude of the component that was attributed to the water flow was significantly higher than that for the flow of other food samples. No significant differences were detected in the duration of sound components appearing before and after the bolus flow or in the total duration among the food samples. Scattered or heterogeneous food bolus flow appeared to significantly reflect the duration of swallowing sounds, generated by the food flow.

Practical Applications

Nursing‐care foods are in much demand in the expanding elderly society. Ease in swallowing is an important factor for such foods and it is strongly correlated to food texture. Our results indicated significant differences in the duration and amplitude of swallowing sounds, generated by food bolus flow through the pharynx. Because the swallowing sounds depend on the food texture, monitoring such sounds can aid in designing and evaluating the foods to ease swallowing. The method used in this study is noninvasive and cost effective and is therefore practical for use in the food industry. The dependence of the swallowing sounds on human subjects can be analyzed if the data from a greater number of subjects are gathered.
The Dependence of Peleg's Coefficients on Selected Conditions of a Relaxation Test in Model Samples of Edam Cheese
Authors: Buňka František , Pachlová Vendula , Pernická Lenka , Burešová Iva , Kráčmar Stanislav , Lošák Tomáš
Published: January 2013

The first aim of this work was to compare the influence of using two probes (a 100‐mm plate and a 5‐mm spherical probe) during a compression test on the trends of hardness changes during ripening of Edam cheese. Both of the above‐mentioned probes were also applied in relaxation tests for a relaxation time of 30–300 s (10 arbitrary times were used). By means of Peleg's model, the values of a parameter (the extent of material relaxation) and b parameter (the initial rate at which the stress relaxes) were calculated. Moreover, the values of a and b parameters, obtained during 10 different relaxation times of the probe after reaching the maximum deformation of the sample (30–300 s), were compared (calculated on the basis of Peleg's model). Edam cheese during ripening (1–84 days) was used as a model product. The values of cheese hardness within the ripening period (determined by means of both of the above‐mentioned probes) strongly correlated among themselves and also with the sensorially evaluated rigidity. Only a parameter was able to provide an adequate description of the actual changes in cheese within the ripening period but only at a relaxation time of ≤120 s (after reaching the maximum deformation of the sample; valid for both probes tested). Longer relaxation times do not provide a relevant description of the changes in cheese texture during ripening. B parameter provided no relevant description of the changes in cheese during ripening in any of the relaxation times studied (concerning both probes).

Practical Application

The study compares the influence of the probes used (a 100‐mm plate and a 5‐mm spherical probe) on the ability to describe changes of selected texture parameters during the ripening period of Edam cheese by using simple compression and relaxation tests. Both types of probes proved to be successful in observing the actual changes in cheese texture during ripening by means of hardness parameter (determined by a simple compression test). Moreover, the information capability of both parameters of Peleg's model (a and b), applied to the data obtained from the relaxation tests with a relaxation time of 30–300 s (after reaching the maximum deformation), was studied. It was observed that only a parameter is suitable for assessing the changes within the ripening period of cheese, which holds true only for a relaxation time of ≤120 s (after reaching the maximum deformation; valid for both probes observed). Longer relaxation times do not provide a good correlation with sensorially evaluated changes in texture parameters. The users are given by instructions on how to perform relaxation tests and, above all, on how to choose the times after reaching the maximum deformation of a cheese sample.
Dynamic Viscoelastic Behavior of Vegetable‐Based Infant Purees
Authors: Alvarez María Dolores , Canet Wenceslao
Published: January 2013

Viscoelastic properties of four vegetable‐based infant purees were evaluated in temperature range of 5–80C. Samples behaved like weak gels, with the exception of rice and chicken puree at 35, 50 and 65C, which behaved like a macromolecular solution. At 5–65C, storage modulus (G′) and storage loss (G″) could be well described by a power function of the frequency (R2 > 0.92), and the dependency of their parameters with temperature was modeled by Arrhenius's model and quadratic functions. Approach named “weak gel model” was also applied to the baby foods, and both G′ and G″ values decreased with an increase in temperature between 5 and 50C. Master curves were obtained applying time‐temperature superposition principle, and horizontal shift factor was sensitive to choice of viscoelastic property being selected for shifting procedure. At 5–50C, infant purees behaved like thermoreologically complex materials. Rheological measurements were well supported by particle size distributions.

Practical Applications

Composition of baby foods is being continually modified and adapted with the aim of producing healthier foods. However, there are no recent rheological studies of vegetable and fruit puree‐based baby foods. A comprehensive study on viscoelastic behavior of four current commercial types of Spanish vegetable‐based infant purees was carried out. The effect of a wide range of temperatures, which are encountered during processing and storage of baby foods, on rheological properties was documented. Based on frequency sweep data, the dynamic rheological behavior of these products ranged from that of a concentrated biopolymer solution to a “weak gel.” Controlling temperature, moisture content and particle size distribution may be employed to optimize applicability, stability and sensory of baby foods. Results provide a useful fingerprint of rheological behavior of these products. Generated data and findings can be extrapolated to other infant systems for developing new products for convenience to newborn consumers and manufacturers.
Newly identified “Tunnunik” impact structure, Prince Albert Peninsula, northwestern Victoria Island, Arctic Canada
Authors: DEWING Keith , PRATT Brian R. , HADLARI Thomas , BRENT Tom , BÉDARD Jean , RAINBIRD Robert H.
Published: January 2013

Regional geological mapping of the glaciated surface of northwestern Victoria Island in the western Canadian Arctic revealed an anomalous structure in otherwise flat‐lying Neoproterozoic and lower Paleozoic carbonate rocks, located south of Richard Collinson Inlet. The feature is roughly circular in plan view, approximately 25 km in diameter, and characterized by quaquaversal dips of approximately 45°, decreasing laterally. The core of the feature also exhibits local vertical dips, low‐angle reverse faults, and drag folds. Although brecciation was not observed, shatter cones are pervasive in all lithologies in the central area, including 723 Ma old dikes that penetrate Neoproterozoic limestones. Their abundance decreases distally, and none was observed in surrounding, horizontally bedded strata. This circular structure is interpreted as a deeply eroded meteorite impact crater of the complex type, and the dipping strata as the remnants of the central uplift. The variation in orientation and shape of shatter cones point to variably oriented stresses with the passage of the shock wave, possibly related to the presence of pore water in the target strata as well as rock type and lithological heterogeneities, especially bed thickness. Timing of impact is poorly constrained. The youngest rocks affected are Late Ordovician (approximately 450 Ma) and the impact structure is mantled by undisturbed postglacial sediments. Regional, hydrothermal dolomitization of the Ordovician limestones, possibly in the Late Devonian (approximately 360 Ma), took place before the impact, and widespread WSW–ENE‐trending normal faults of probable Early Cretaceous age (approximately 130 Ma) apparently cross‐cut the impact structure.
New lunar meteorite Northwest Africa 2996: A window into farside lithologies and petrogenesis
Authors: Mercer Celestine N. , Treiman Allan H. , Joy Katherine H.
Published: January 2013

The Northwest Africa (NWA) 2996 meteorite is a lunar regolith breccia with a “mingled” bulk composition and slightly elevated incompatible element content. NWA 2996 is dominated by clasts of coarse‐grained noritic and troctolitic anorthosite containing calcic plagioclase (An#~98) and magnesian mafic minerals (Mg#~75), distinguishing it from Apollo ferroan anorthosites and magnesian‐suite rocks. This meteorite lacks basalt, and owes its mingled composition to a significant proportion of coarse‐grained mafic clasts. One group of mafic clasts has pyroxenes similar to anorthosites, but contains more sodic plagioclase (An#~94) distinguishing it as a separate lithology. Another group contains Mg‐rich, very low‐titanium pyroxenes, and could represent an intrusion parental to regional basalts. Other clasts include granophyric K‐feldspar, disaggregated phosphate‐bearing quartz monzodiorites, and alkali‐suite fragments (An#~65). These evolved lithics are a minor component, but contain minerals rich in incompatible elements. Several anorthosite clasts contain clusters of apatite, suggesting that the anorthosites either assimilated evolved rocks or were metasomatized by a liquid rich in incompatible elements. We used Lunar Prospector gamma‐ray spectrometer remote sensing data to show that NWA 2996 is most similar to regoliths in and around the South Pole Aitken (SPA) basin, peripheral regions of eastern mare, Nectaris, Crisium, and southern areas of Mare Humorum. However, the mineralogy of NWA 2996 is distinctive compared with Apollo and Luna mission samples, and is likely consistent with an origin near the SPA basin: anorthosite clasts could represent local crustal material, mafic clasts could represent intrusions beneath basalt flows, and apatite‐bearing rocks could carry the SPA KREEP signature.
Keeping (Direct) Reference in Mind
Authors: Edwards Kevan
Published: January 2013

This paper explores the psychological analogues of a cluster of arguments that have played an important role in motivating a now widespread, reference‐based approach in philosophy of language. What I will call thepsychological analogues of Kripke‐style argumentsprovide a substantial motivation for a reference‐based approach to concepts. Insofar as such an approach is rarely given serious consideration, the availability of these arguments suggests the need for a rethinking of some foundational assumptions in philosophy of mind and other branches of the cognitive sciences.
Boron neutron capture therapy for oral precancer: proof of principle in an experimental animal model
Authors: Hughes A Monti , Pozzi ECC , Thorp S , Garabalino MA , Farías RO , González SJ , Heber EM , Itoiz ME , Aromando RF , Molinari AJ , Miller M , Nigg DW , Curotto P , Trivillin VA , Schwint AE
Published: January 2013

Objectives

Field‐cancerized tissue can give rise to second primary tumours, causing therapeutic failure. Boron neutron capture therapy (BNCT) is based on biological targeting and would serve to treat undetectable foci of malignant transformation. The aim of this study was to optimize BNCT for the integral treatment for oral cancer, with particular emphasis on the inhibitory effect on tumour development originating in precancerous conditions, and radiotoxicity of different BNCT protocols in a hamster cheek pouch oral precancer model.

Materials and Methods

Groups of cancerized hamsters were locally exposed to single or double (2 or 4 weeks apart) applications of BNCT at different dose levels, mediated by the boron compounds boronophenylalanine (BPA) or BPA and decahydrodecaborate (GB‐10) administered jointly. Cancerized, sham‐irradiated hamsters served as controls. Clinical status, tumour development from field‐cancerized tissue and mucositis were followed for 8 months.

Results

A double application (4 weeks apart) of BNCT mediated by GB‐10+ BPA at a total dose of 10 Gy in two 5‐Gy doses rendered the best therapeutic advantage (63–100% inhibition of tumour development from field‐cancerized tissue), minimizing dose‐limiting mucositis.

Conclusion

BNCT can be optimized for the integral treatment for head and neck cancer, considering the implications for field‐cancerized tissue.
Face‐specificity is robust across diverse stimuli and individual people, even when interstimulus variance is zero
Authors: Schendan Haline E. , Ganis Giorgio
Published: January 2013

The N170 is a brain electrical potential proposed to index the earliest time of categorical perception of faces in occipitotemporal visual areas implicated in face cognition, being more negative for faces than nonface objects between 120 and 200 ms. The interstimulus variance (ISV) account instead explained N170 face‐specificity as an artifact due to objects varying more visually than faces. Ganis, Smith, and Schendan (2012) tested this account directly, finding that N170 face‐specificity remains even when ISV is eliminated. Here, N170 peak amplitude and face‐specificity is quantified for individual stimuli and participants, revealing that the right hemisphere N170 is especially sensitive to stimulus variability. Further, ISV contributes 0 to 37% to N170 face‐specificity. These findings provide evidence for optimizing face processing science. The paradigm can apply to any research in which ISV may be uncontrolled (e.g., category comparisons).
Blunted cardiac stress reactivity relates to neural hypoactivation
Authors: Ginty Annie T. , Gianaros Peter J. , Derbyshire Stuart W. G. , Phillips Anna C. , Carroll Douglas
Published: January 2013

The present study compared neural activity in participants with blunted (N = 9) or exaggerated (N = 8) cardiac stress reactions. Neural activity was recorded with fMRI while participants performed a validated stress task and control task. Exaggerated reactors exhibited significant increases in heart rate from control to stress task, whereas blunted reactors had no change in heart rate. Blunted reactors also had reduced activation in the anterior midcingulate cortex and insula compared to exaggerated reactors during the stress condition, and a greater deactivation in the amygdala and posterior cingulate. The biological differences between groups in response to the stress task could not be explained by subjective measures of engagement, stressfulness, or difficulty. This study supports the notion that blunted peripheral physiological stress reactivity may be a marker of a corresponding under‐recruitment of brain systems during behavioral states requiring motivated action.
Does arousal per se account for the influence of appetitive stimuli on attentional scope and the late positive potential?
Authors: Gable Philip A. , Harmon‐Jones Eddie
Published: January 2013

Past research suggests that high approach‐motivated positive affects narrow attentional scope and cause greater late positive potential (LPP) amplitudes. However, because arousal is related to motivational intensity, arousal may be responsible for these past findings. The present research investigated whether arousal, manipulated independently of affect using physical exercise, would influence attentional and LPP responses to stimuli. Results revealed that appetitive (vs. neutral) pictures evoked larger LPPs over central and left frontal regions, and caused more attentional narrowing. Individual differences in approach motivation predicted more attentional narrowing following appetitive stimuli. However, manipulated arousal did not influence attentional scope or LPPs to neutral or appetitive stimuli. Results suggest that attentional narrowing and LPPs to appetitive stimuli are related to approach motivation rather than enhanced general arousal.