bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Youths’ Views on Corruption Control in China
Authors: Jiang Guoping , Lo T. Wing , Li Carrie
Published: September 2012

It has been asserted that criminal law and common morality are not sufficient terms to describe specific behaviors as corruption because those in power have the capacity to include or exclude certain behavior as a category in the law. Thus, corruption should not be just treated as an objective behavioral category but as a form of social censure. This article reports on a quantitative and qualitative study that collected the views of Chinese youth on the control of corruption in China. It was found that they agreed with the moral-negative judgements behind the censure of corruption, and that bureaucratic forces can be mobilised to punish the corrupt and degrade their status. Mediation analysis discovered that political functions mediate the association between the moral-negative nature and bureaucratic form of the censure of corruption and status degradation of the censured.
Looping Kinds and Social Mechanisms
Authors: Kuorikoski Jaakko , Pöyhönen Samuli
Published: September 2012

Human behavior is not always independent of the ways in which humans are scientifically classified. That there are looping effects of human kinds has been used as an argument for the methodological separation of the natural and the human sciences and to justify social constructionist claims. We suggest that these arguments rely on false presuppositions and present a mechanisms-based account of looping that provides a better way to understand the phenomenon and its theoretical and philosophical implications.
Ten Years’ Follow-Up of a Family With Myokymia and Muscle Cramps Without Ataxia
Authors: Moghimi Narges , Rosen Jennifer Block , Jabbari Bahman
Published: September 2012

We report 10 years’ follow-up of the previously described family with a novel mutation of the KCNA1 gene. The family consisted of 3 affected boys (first seen at ages 3, 11, and 12) and their affected mother and asymptomatic father and sister. They clinically presented with diffuse myokymia, muscle cramps, and lower limb spasticity without ataxia, but episodic ataxia developed later during adolescence and early adulthood. Long-term follow-ups of families with known KCNA1 gene mutation are rarely mentioned in the literature. Treatment with carbamazepine, 600 to 800 mg daily resulted in cessation of muscle cramps and marked improvement of lower leg symptoms. In the youngest child, after 2 years carbamazepine had to be changed to oxcarbazepine because of side effects. Carbamazepine and oxcarbazepine are both effective in treatment of symptoms related to KCNA1 gene mutation. Symptoms will reoccur if treatment is stopped and there is variability of symptom severity between family members.
A Patient With Pyruvate Carboxylase Deficiency and Nemaline Rods on Muscle Biopsy
Authors: Unal Ozlem , Orhan Diclehan , Ostergaard Elsebet , Tokatli Aysegul , Dursun Ali , Ozturk-Hismi Burcu , Coskun Turgay , Wibrand Flemming , Kalkanoglu-Sivri H. Serap
Published: September 2012

Nemaline rods are the pathologic hallmark of nemaline myopathy, but they have also been described as a secondary phenomenon in a variety of other disorders. Nemaline rods have not been reported in pyruvate carboxylase deficiency before. Here we present a patient with pyruvate carboxylase deficiency and nemaline rods detected on muscle biopsy. The nemaline rods may be due to cellular energy shortage and altered energy metabolism in pyruvate carboxylase deficiency, similar to that in the previously reported patients. The mechanism of nemaline rod formation may be associated with the role of pyruvate carboxylase in cellular energy pathways.
The Potential of Outcome Measurement for Strengthening Nonprofits’ Accountability to Beneficiaries
Authors: Benjamin Lehn M.
Published: September 2012

This article considers one mechanism that could create a clearer accountability path between nonprofits and their beneficiaries: Outcome measurement. Outcome measurement focuses attention on a nonprofit’s beneficiaries and whether they are better off as a result of the nonprofit’s work. The article analyzed 10 outcome measurement guides targeted to nonprofits, totaling more than 1,000 pages of text. The analysis shows that the guides were neither uniform in the conceptualization of nonprofit beneficiaries nor in how they directed nonprofits to use outcome measurement with their beneficiaries. Despite scholars’ suggestion that a nonprofit’s relationship to their beneficiaries is a key accountability relationship, the guides suggest that beneficiaries have an ambiguous standing, relative to other stakeholders, in the nonprofit accountability environment.
An Analysis of Gender Pay Disparity in the Nonprofit Sector
Authors: Faulk Lewis , Edwards Lauren Hamilton , Lewis Gregory B. , McGinnis Jasmine
Published: September 2012

Although pay differences between men and women with comparable characteristics are generally smaller in the nonprofit than in the for-profit sector, gender pay gaps in the nonprofit sector vary widely across industries. In some industries, gender pay gaps are as large as in the for-profit sector, but in others, women make more than comparably qualified men. Using Hierarchical Linear Modeling on the combined 2001-2006 American Community Surveys, we test nonprofit labor motivation theories against a gendered-job hypothesis to explain this variation. We find that gender pay gaps in the nonprofit sector are smaller in industries where nonprofits outnumber for-profits and where higher proportions of female-dominated occupations exist.
A numerical control algorithm for a B-double truck–trailer with steerable trailer wheels and active hitch angles. Part 2: Reversing
Authors: Percy Andrew , Spark Ian
Published: September 2012

The authors have previously proposed a solution to the twin problems of wheel scuffing and off-tracking of B-double truck–trailer vehicles thereby reducing tyre wear and environmental damage as well as improving maneuverability. The solution to the scuffing problem requires that trailer axles in excess of one per trailer must have steerable wheels. However, if all trailer wheels are steerable, then the off-tracking problem can also be solved. The previous work devised an algorithm for a B-double in forward motion, whereby an on-board computer would be used to calculate the correct wheel and hitch angles and a control system would implement these angles.

The purpose of the present technical note is to complete the study of a numerical algorithm for navigating a B-double truck–trailer vehicle by considering travel in the reverse direction. In this case the angle of the front wheels of the truck must also be controlled by the on-board computer. The algorithm for determining the effective angle of the truck’s steerable wheels is derived using an innovative combination of vector geometry and calculus and completes the total control system for these B-double vehicles.

The paper concludes with a simulation study of the control algorithm demonstrating its versatility for reversing along twisting paths and effectiveness in reducing off-tracking.
Self-Interest Without Selfishness
Authors: Berman Jonathan Z. , Small Deborah A.
Published: September 2012

Despite commonsense appeal, the link between self-interest and happiness remains elusive. One reason why individuals may not feel satisfied with self-interest is that they feel uneasy about sacrificing the needs of others for their own gain. We propose that externally imposing self-interest allows individuals to enjoy self-benefiting outcomes that are untainted by self-reproach for failing to help others. Study 1 demonstrated that an imposed self-interested option (a reward) leads to greater happiness than does choosing between a self-interested option and a prosocial option (a charity donation). Study 2 demonstrated that this effect is not driven by choice in general; rather, it is the specific trade-off between benefiting the self and benefiting others that inhibits happiness gained from self-interest. We theorize that the agency inherent in choice reduces the hedonic value of self-interest. Results of Study 3 find support for this mechanism.
Exclusionary power in sports organisations: The merger between the Women’s Cricket Association and the England and Wales Cricket Board
Authors: Velija Philippa , Ratna Aarti , Flintoff Anne
Published: September 2012

This paper contributes to existing literature on gender equity within sporting organisations, focusing on the merger between the Women’s Cricket Association (WCA) and the England and Wales Cricket Board in 1998. At the time of the merger those involved in the WCA debated whether the merger would be positive for the future of the women’s game. In this paper we discuss the impact of the merger on the women’s role in the governance of their sport through the views of 10 women who were involved in playing, administrating, managing or coaching cricket during the time of the merger. The interviewees’ experiences are located within wider debates about power, gender and sport. We specifically draw on the concept of exclusionary power to highlight how gender inequities continue to impact upon the management and organisation of women’s cricket in England. Our participants’ testimonies suggest that since the merger, the game has unquestionably benefited from increased financial support. This has significantly boosted the elite development of the game. However, since the merger the role of women has changed. They now have limited power over the organisation and development of both elite and grassroots levels of play. This paper therefore contributes to existing research on gender relations and sporting organisations, such as the work of Stronach and Adair ((2009) ‘Brave new world’ or ‘sticky wicket’? Women, management and organizational power in Cricket Australia. Sport in Society 12(7): 910–932) and Sibson ((2010) “I Was Banging My Head against a Brick Wall”: Exclusionary power and the gendering of sport organisations. Journal of Sport Management 24: 379–399), by further applying the concept of exclusionary power to understanding gender relations within a UK sports context.
Ring test evaluation of the repeatability and reproducibility of a Porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus oral fluid antibody enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay
Authors: Kittawornrat Apisit , Wang Chong , Anderson Gary , Ballagi Andrea , Broes André , Carman Suzanne , Doolittle Kent , Galeota Judith , Johnson John , Lizano Sergio , Nelson Eric , Patnayak Devi , Pogranichniy Roman , Rice Anna , Scherba Gail , Zimmerman Jeffrey
Published: September 2012

The precision of a Porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus (PRRSV) oral fluid antibody enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) was evaluated by calculating reliability coefficients for assay repeatability (within laboratory) and assay reproducibility (between laboratories). Randomly ordered oral fluid samples of known ( n = 39) and unknown ( n = 224) PRRSV antibody status were tested in 12 diagnostic laboratories. Each laboratory tested the samples twice, first using an antibody ELISA kit and reagents provided to them (phase 1) and then using an ELISA kit and reagents configured in their respective laboratory (phase 2). Repeatability (within laboratory) reliability coefficients calculated using results from samples of known PRRSV antibody status ranged from 0.724 to 0.997 in phase 1 and from 0.953 to 0.998 in phase 2. Reproducibility (between laboratories) reliability coefficients were calculated for 3 conditions: case 1—samples of unknown status ( n = 224); case 2—samples of known status ( n = 39), and case 3—all samples ( n = 263). Among the 3 cases, reliability coefficients ranged from 0.937 to 0.964 in phase 1 and from 0.922 to 0.935 in phase 2. For case 3, it was estimated that 96.67% of the total variation in phase 1 and 93.21% in phase 2 could be attributed to the oral fluid samples themselves. Overall, the PRRSV oral fluid antibody ELISA was highly repeatable and reproducible. The current study supports the routine use of this test in laboratories providing diagnostic service to pig producers.
Anticholinergics in Palliative Medicine
Authors: Prommer Eric
Published: September 2012

Anticholinergics, or antimuscarinic drugs, are drugs that competitively inhibit the action of acetylcholine at muscarinic receptors, leading to a blockade of the actions of the parasympathetic nervous system at sites where overactivity can lead to increased symptom burden. Successful blockade of the parasympathetic nervous system ultimately leads to decreased production of secretions in the salivary, bronchial, and gastrointestinal tracts. These effects are often used for several symptoms that originate due to parasympathetic nervous system overactivity, such as the “death rattle” and malignant bowel obstruction. Anticholinergic agents are divided into either tertiary amines or quaternary ammonium compounds, which differ in their ability to cross into the central nervous system. Quaternary compounds do not cross into the central nervous system and have a different adverse effect profile than the tertiary amines. The purpose of this review is to highlight anticholinergic agents, their pharmacology, and an evidence-based assessment of their role in palliative care.
The Rhythm of Leading Change
Authors: Peters Larry
Published: September 2012

This article focuses on an interesting type of challenge that can fight against effective leadership in large-scale change efforts. The type of challenge the author refers to is a paradox—alternatives that don’t follow from each other, where both alternatives appear necessary, but where choosing one acts to negate the other. In this article, the author argues that paradoxical circumstances are both common and have predictable effects that act to stall or stop change efforts. He provides two examples of paradoxes from his consulting in a culture change effort and shows how the leader was supported to bridge the gap between paradoxical paths. The author concludes by making several suggestions that will help leaders identify and deal with paradoxical circumstances successfully.
Effect of Verbal Praise on Achievement Goal Orientation, Motivation, and Performance Attribution
Authors: Droe Kevin L.
Published: September 2012

The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of verbal praise. Modeled after the work of Mueller and Dweck, participants were 87 fourth-grade students who each took a simple rhythm-tapping test and were assigned one of three treatments: (a) verbal praise for effort, (b) verbal praise for talent, or (c) no praise. Each student was then asked to select an achievement goal (performance or learning) followed by a second rhythm-tapping test of challenging rhythms. Following both tasks, students were asked to rate measures of motivation and performance attribution. Results indicated that students who received praise for effort more often selected learning goals and reported a higher attitude toward task persistence. Students who received praise for talent more frequently selected performance goals. Results suggest that music teachers and teacher educators might examine the use of verbal praise and reconsider how the idea of talent or ability is conveyed within the context of a music classroom.
Severe Pediatric Blunt Trauma—Successful ROTEM-Guided Hemostatic Therapy With Fibrinogen Concentrate and No Administration of Fresh Frozen Plasma or Platelets
Authors: Ziegler Bernhard , Schimke Christa , Marchet Peter , Stögermüller Birgit , Schöchl Herbert , Solomon Cristina
Published: September 2012

Use of allogeneic blood products to treat pediatric trauma may be challenged, particularly in relation to safety. We report successful treatment of a child with severe abdominal and pelvic injuries with preemptive fibrinogen supplementation followed by rotational thromboelastometry (ROTEM)-guided, goal-directed hemostatic therapy. Fibrinogen concentrate was administered (total dose: 2 g), while transfusion of fresh frozen plasma and platelet concentrate was avoided. Activated partial thromboplastin time was prolonged and Quick values were low but ROTEM clotting time values remained normal, therefore, no thrombin-generating drugs were considered necessary. This case shows the potential for hemostatic treatment with coagulation factor concentrates to be applied to pediatric trauma.
High-resolution spectral-analysis for identifying the natural modes of a truss-type structure by means of vibrations
Authors: Amezquita-Sanchez Juan Pablo , Garcia-Perez Arturo , Romero-Troncoso Rene J , Osornio-Rios Roque A , Herrera-Ruiz Gilberto
Published: September 2012

Nowadays, the system identification methods applied to civil structures are rising in order to get a better understanding of structural behavior and improve traditional analytical analysis. Accurate identification of the modal parameters of a structure is essential because it allows building a proper analytical model, and it discloses the difficulties that may not have been considered in analytical studies, as well as finding out the existence of structural damages or deterioration, and sometimes estimating the remaining life of the structure. A clear disadvantage of most experimental methodologies is to require of a long sampling time window that stresses the structure under test. This paper shows the effectiveness of a novel methodology based on the multiple signal classification (MUSIC) algorithm and its high-resolution properties, applied for identifying most of the natural modes and analyzing vibration signals in a truss-type structure by using a reduced sample data set and short sampling time window. It has the advantage of submitting the structure to a reduced fatigue and stress during testing as a difference from other works, where the analysis involves putting the structures under severe fatigue and stress. Identifying most of the natural modes in the truss-type structure is realized at first by locating the fundamental mode in a frequency region, and the other natural modes are identified in higher frequencies, where each of these natural modes is located in different frequency regions. Thus, the MUSIC algorithm can identify most of the natural modes in different frequency regions of a vibration signal successfully.
“It’s Cool to Care about Sexual Violence”
Authors: Piccigallo Jacqueline R. , Lilley Terry G. , Miller Susan L.
Published: September 2012

We explore the paths related to college men’s involvement in all-male antirape prevention groups using in-depth interviews conducted with twenty-five male college students who are active members of such groups from eleven campuses located on the East Coast of the United States. Major themes deriving from analysis of the interviews were all related to the engagement of the participants with the programs on four different levels. These themes, which are developmentally related, are (1) a disclosure which makes sexual assault a personal issue at the same time that it reveals a lack of knowledge and skills on the part of the respondents, (2) the evaluation of the approach of individual programs, (3) the evaluation of the relative effectiveness of the approacher, and (4) the creation of a social context which the engagement facilitates. Overall, we find that when the men in our study were approached in a nonconfrontational, alliance-building fashion by other men, they reported that their knowledge related to sexual assault, their empathy toward sexual assault survivors, and their motivation to actively engage in the prevention of sexual violence all increased. Thus, we see evidence of a pathway to behavioral change represented by the recruitment and participation of men to these programs.
The real other? Museum objects in digital contact networks
Authors: Hogsden Carl , Poulter Emma K
Published: September 2012

What can museum objects do when they are placed within a digital contact network – a system made up of reciprocally linked but otherwise separate nodes in which control and ownership of content lies with each location? What new connections are enabled through the placement of objects within this contact network and what are the new understandings that result? Dynamics of access, ownership and meaning change when museum collections are transformed into digital forms, in ways that require the reconceptualization of digital objects and their relational capacities. In theory and in practice, the ‘real’ and the digital object are often framed as disconnected and oppositional entities, a separation that hinders approaches to, and uses of, digital forms. Using examples of recent projects at the University of Cambridge Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology, and at the British Museum, it is argued that digital contact networks enable the unique qualities of digital objects to come to the fore, providing platforms for effective engagement and digital reciprocation.
The single nucleotide polymorphisms in BRAP decrease the risk of metabolic syndrome in a Chinese young adult population
Authors: Wu Lijun , Xi Bo , Hou Dongqing , Zhao Xiaoyuan , Liu Junting , Cheng Hong , Shen Yue , Wang Xingyu , Mi Jie
Published: September 2012

The single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in the gene of breast cancer suppressor protein (BRCA1)–associated protein ( BRAP) are significantly associated with coronary artery disease, but the molecular mechanisms are not understood. We examined the associations of the SNPs (rs11066001 and rs3782886) in BRAP with metabolic syndrome (MetS), which is a strong predictor of cardiovascular disease, and potential associations between these SNPs and factors related to inflammation. There were significant associations of both the SNPs with MetS [rs11066001, odds ratio (OR) 0.70, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.51–0.96, p = 0.028; rs3782886, OR 0.69, 95% CI 0.50–0.94, p = 0.020] under a dominant model after age and gender adjustment. Both SNPs were significantly associated with waist circumference, plasma glucose, glycated haemoglobin, triglycerides and nonesterified fatty acid. Our data provide evidence that the SNPs (rs11066001 and rs3782886) in BRAP decrease the risk of MetS, and associations of the SNPs with various components of MetS are different. Moreover, there are significant associations of both the SNPs with nonesterified fatty acid that could be involved in the inflammatory activity of electronegative low-density lipoprotein.
Knowledge discovery for friction stir welding via data driven approaches
Authors: Zhang Q , Mahfouf M , Panoutsos G , Beamish K , Norris I
Published: September 2012

In this final part of this extensive study, a new systematic data driven fuzzy modelling approach has been developed, taking into account both the modelling accuracy and its interpretability (transparency) as attributes. For the first time, a data driven modelling framework has been proposed designed and implemented in order to model the intricate friction stir welding (FSW) behaviours relating to AA 5083 aluminium alloy, consisting of the grain size, mechanical properties, as well as internal process properties. As a result, Pareto-optimal predictive models have been successfully elicited which, through validations on real data for the aluminium alloy AA 5083, have been shown to be accurate, transparent and generic despite the conservative number of data points used for model training and testing. Compared with analytically based methods, the proposed data driven modelling approach provides a more effective way to construct prediction models for FSW when there is an apparent lack of fundamental process knowledge.
Heme oxygenase-1 gene promoter polymorphism is associated with reduced incidence of acute chest syndrome among children with sickle cell disease
Authors: Bean Christopher J. , Boulet Sheree L. , Ellingsen Dorothy , Pyle Meredith E. , Barron-Casella Emily A. , Casella James F. , Payne Amanda B. , Driggers Jennifer , Trau Heidi A. , Yang Genyan , Jones Kimberly , Ofori-Acquah Solomon F. , Hooper W. Craig , DeBaun Michael R.
Published: September 2012

Sickle cell disease is a common hemolytic disorder with a broad range of complications, including vaso-occlusive episodes, acute chest syndrome (ACS), pain, and stroke. Heme oxygenase-1 (gene HMOX1; protein HO-1) is the inducible, rate-limiting enzyme in the catabolism of heme and might attenuate the severity of outcomes from vaso-occlusive and hemolytic crises. A (GT)n dinucleotide repeat located in the promoter region of the HMOX1 gene is highly polymorphic, with long repeat lengths linked to decreased activity and inducibility. We examined this polymorphism to test the hypothesis that short alleles are associated with a decreased risk of adverse outcomes (hospitalization for pain or ACS) among a cohort of 942 children with sickle cell disease. Allele lengths varied from 13 to 45 repeats and showed a trimodal distribution. Compared with children with longer allele lengths, children with 2 shorter alleles (4%; ≤ 25 repeats) had lower rates of hospitalization for ACS (incidence rate ratio 0.28, 95% confidence interval, 0.10-0.81), after adjusting for sex, age, asthma, percentage of fetal hemoglobin, and α-globin gene deletion. No relationship was identified between allele lengths and pain rate. We provide evidence that genetic variation in HMOX1 is associated with decreased rates of hospitalization for ACS, but not pain. This study is registered at www.clinicaltrials.gov as #NCT00072761.
In vitro and clinical studies examining the expression of osteopontin in cigarette smoke-exposed endothelial cells and cigarette smokers
Authors: Bishop Emma , Theophilus Eugenia H , Fearon Ian M
Published: September 2012

Background

Cigarette smoking is a leading cause of mortality and morbidity and is associated with cardiovascular disease via contributory processes such as endothelial dysfunction, inflammation and thrombosis. Cigarette smoke both contains and stimulates the production of cellular oxidants and it may also promote vascular inflammation. Osteopontin is a non-collagenous matrix protein first identified in bone and there is increasing evidence for its role in inflammation and cardiovascular disease via its action as a soluble cytokine.

Methods

In this study we have examined the mechanisms underlying the expression of osteopontin in human vascular endothelial cells in vitro following exposure to cigarette smoke particulate matter (PM), using PCR, electrochemiluminescence, immunostaining and Western blotting. We further determined if serum osteopontin levels changed in humans who quit smoking.

Results

Non-cytotoxic concentrations of PM increased osteopontin levels in cultured human endothelial cells and this effect was reduced in the presence of ascorbate, suggesting a role for oxidants in the response to PM. However, oxidant production played no role in the PM-evoked induction MMP-3, an enzyme which cleaves osteopontin. In smokers who quit smoking for 5 days, serum osteopontin levels were significantly lowered compared to those measured prior to smoking cessation.

Conclusions

In vitro cigarette smoke extract exposure induced osteopontin expression in human endothelial cells in an oxidative stress-dependent manner, which may involve MMP-3 cleavage. In humans, serum osteopontin was decreased with short-term smoking cessation. Endothelial-derived osteopontin may contribute to inflammation in smokers, and may also contribute to atherosclerosis and cardiovascular disease-related processes.
Lactobacillus plantarum possesses the capability for wall teichoic acid backbone alditol switching
Authors: Bron Peter A , Tomita Satoru , van Swam Iris I , Remus Daniela M , Meijerink Marjolein , Wels Michiel , Okada Sanae , Wells Jerry M , Kleerebezem Michiel
Published: September 2012

Background

Specific strains of Lactobacillus plantarum are marketed as health-promoting probiotics. The role and interplay of cell-wall compounds like wall- and lipo-teichoic acids (WTA and LTA) in bacterial physiology and probiotic-host interactions remain obscure. L. plantarum WCFS1 harbors the genetic potential to switch WTA backbone alditol, providing an opportunity to study the impact of WTA backbone modifications in an isogenic background.

Results

Through genome mining and mutagenesis we constructed derivatives that synthesize alternative WTA variants. The mutants were shown to completely lack WTA, or produce WTA and LTA that lack D-Ala substitution, or ribitol-backbone WTA instead of the wild-type glycerol-containing backbone. DNA micro-array experiments established that the tarIJKL gene cluster is required for the biosynthesis of this alternative WTA backbone, and suggest ribose and arabinose are precursors thereof. Increased tarIJKL expression was not observed in any of our previously performed DNA microarray experiments, nor in qRT-PCR analyses of L. plantarum grown on various carbon sources, leaving the natural conditions leading to WTA backbone alditol switching, if any, to be identified. Human embryonic kidney NF-κB reporter cells expressing Toll like receptor (TLR)-2/6 were exposed to purified WTAs and/or the TA mutants, indicating that WTA is not directly involved in TLR-2/6 signaling, but attenuates this signaling in a backbone independent manner, likely by affecting the release and exposure of immunomodulatory compounds such as LTA. Moreover, human dendritic cells did not secrete any cytokines when purified WTAs were applied, whereas they secreted drastically decreased levels of the pro-inflammatory cytokines IL-12p70 and TNF-α after stimulation with the WTA mutants as compared to the wild-type.

Conclusions

The study presented here correlates structural differences in WTA to their functional characteristics, thereby providing important information aiding to improve our understanding of molecular host-microbe interactions and probiotic functionality.
Capsid protein expression and adeno-associated virus like particles assembly in Saccharomyces cerevisiae
Authors: Backovic Ana , Cervelli Tiziana , Salvetti Alessandra , Zentilin Lorena , Giacca Mauro , Galli Alvaro
Published: September 2012

Background

The budding yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae supports replication of many different RNA or DNA viruses (e.g. Tombusviruses or Papillomaviruses) and has provided means for up-scalable, cost- and time-effective production of various virus-like particles (e.g. Human Parvovirus B19 or Rotavirus). We have recently demonstrated that S. cerevisiae can form single stranded DNA AAV2 genomes starting from a circular plasmid. In this work, we have investigated the possibility to assemble AAV capsids in yeast.

Results

To do this, at least two out of three AAV structural proteins, VP1 and VP3, have to be simultaneously expressed in yeast cells and their intracellular stoichiometry has to resemble the one found in the particles derived from mammalian or insect cells. This was achieved by stable co-transformation of yeast cells with two plasmids, one expressing VP3 from its natural p40 promoter and the other one primarily expressing VP1 from a modified AAV2 Cap gene under the control of the inducible yeast promoter Gal1. Among various induction strategies we tested, the best one to yield the appropriate VP1:VP3 ratio was 4.5 hour induction in the medium containing 0.5% glucose and 5% galactose. Following such induction, AAV virus like particles (VLPs) were isolated from yeast by two step ultracentrifugation procedure. The transmission electron microscopy analysis revealed that their morphology is similar to the empty capsids produced in human cells.

Conclusions

Taken together, the results show for the first time that yeast can be used to assemble AAV capsid and, therefore, as a genetic system to identify novel cellular factors involved in AAV biology.
ERP differences between processing of physical characteristics and personality attributes
Authors: Kong Fanchang , Zhang Yan , Chen Hong
Published: September 2012

Background

Limited data from behavioral and brain-imaging studies indicate that personality traits and physical characteristics are processed differently by the brain. Additionally, electrophysiological results of studies comparing the processing of positive and negative words have produced mixed results. It is therefore not clear how physical and personality attributes with emotional valence (i.e., positive and negative valence) are processed. Thus, this study aimed to examine the neural activity associated with words describing personality traits and physical characteristics with positive or negative emotional valence using Event Related Potentials (ERPs).

Methods

A sample of 15 healthy adults (7 men, 8 women) participated in a computerized word categorization task. Participants were asked to categorize visual word stimuli as physical characteristics or personality traits, while ERPs were recorded synchronously.

Results

Behavioral reaction times to negative physical stimuli were shorter compared to negative personality words, however reaction times did not significantly differ for positive stimuli. Electrophysiological results showed that personality stimuli elicited larger P2 and LPC (Late Positive Component) amplitudes compared to physical stimuli, regardless of negative or positive valence. Moreover, negative as compared with positive stimuli elicited larger P2 and LPC amplitudes.

Conclusion

Personality and physical stimuli were processed differently regardless of positive or negative valence. These findings suggest that personality traits and physical characteristics are differentially classified and are associated with different motivational significance.
Combination of peptide receptor radionuclide therapy with fractionated external beam radiotherapy for treatment of advanced symptomatic meningioma
Authors: Kreissl Michael C , Hänscheid Heribert , Löhr Mario , Verburg Frederik A , Schiller Markus , Lassmann Michael , Reiners Christoph , Samnick Samuel S , Buck Andreas K , Flentje Michael , Sweeney Reinhart A
Published: September 2012

Background

External beam radiotherapy (EBRT) is the treatment of choice for irresectable meningioma. Due to the strong expression of somatostatin receptors, peptide receptor radionuclide therapy (PRRT) has been used in advanced cases. We assessed the feasibility and tolerability of a combination of both treatment modalities in advanced symptomatic meningioma.

Methods

10 patients with irresectable meningioma were treated with PRRT (177Lu-DOTA0,Tyr3 octreotate or - DOTA0,Tyr3 octreotide) followed by external beam radiotherapy (EBRT). EBRT performed after PRRT was continued over 5–6 weeks in IMRT technique (median dose: 53.0 Gy). All patients were assessed morphologically and by positron emission tomography (PET) before therapy and were restaged after 3–6 months. Side effects were evaluated according to CTCAE 4.0.

Results

Median tumor dose achieved by PRRT was 7.2 Gy. During PRRT and EBRT, no side effects > CTCAE grade 2 were noted. All patients reported stabilization or improvement of tumor-associated symptoms, no morphologic tumor progression was observed in MR-imaging (median follow-up: 13.4 months). The median pre-therapeutic SUVmax in the meningiomas was 14.2 (range: 4.3–68.7). All patients with a second PET after combined PRRT + EBRT showed an increase in SUVmax (median: 37%; range: 15%–46%) to a median value of 23.7 (range: 8.0–119.0; 7 patients) while PET-estimated volume generally decreased to 81 ± 21% of the initial volume.

Conclusions

The combination of PRRT and EBRT is feasible and well tolerated. This approach represents an attractive strategy for the treatment of recurring or progressive symptomatic meningioma, which should be further evaluated.
Cardiac inflammatory myofibroblastic tumor: does it recur after complete surgical resection in an adult?
Authors: Yang Xuedong , Xiao Cangsong , Liu Mei , Wang Yu
Published: September 2012

Inflammatory myofibroblastic tumor is currently considered to be a low-grade neoplasm, and it rarely involves the heart. We reported a rare case of a 59-year-old female who received cardiac surgery for complete resection of inflammatory myofibroblastic tumor in the left atrium. Five months after surgery, the patient presented with acute cardiogenic pulmonary edema and subsequent sudden death due to a left atrial tumor which protruded into the left ventricle through mitral annulus during diastole. The recurrence of inflammatory myofibroblastic tumor in the left atrium was strongly suggested clinically.
Risky alcohol use among reproductive-age men, not women, in Mae La refugee camp, Thailand, 2009
Authors: Ezard Nadine , Thiptharakun Supan , Nosten François , Rhodes Tim , McGready Rose
Published: September 2012

Background

Globally, alcohol use contributes to close to 4% of all deaths and is a leading cause of ill health and premature death among men of reproductive age. Problem alcohol use is an unaddressed public health issue among populations displaced by conflict. Assessing the magnitude of the problem and identifying affected groups and risk behaviours is difficult in mobile and unstable populations.

Methods

From 15–28 December 2009 we conducted a simple rapid screening test of risky alcohol use using the single item modified Short Assessment Screening Questionnaire (mSASQ) by all women currently enrolled in the antenatal care clinic in Mae La refugee camp, a long standing displaced setting on the Thai Burma border. Women self- reported and gave a secondary report of their male partners. Gender differences in alcohol use were further explored in semi-structured interviews with camp residents on attitudes, behaviours, and beliefs regarding alcohol and analysed thematically.

Results

Of 636 women screened in the antenatal clinic, almost none (0.2%, 95CI 0.0-0.9%) reported risky alcohol use prior to pregnancy, whereas around a quarter (24.4%, 95CI 21.2-27.9%) reported risky alcohol use by their male partners. Interviews with 97 camp residents described strong social controls against women’s alcohol use and men’s drinking to intoxication, despite a dominant perception that the social context of life in displacement promoted alcohol use and that controls are loosening.

Conclusions

As a stigmatised behaviour, alcohol use is difficult to assess, particularly in the context of highly mobile adult male populations: the simple assessment methods here show that it is feasible to obtain adequate data for the purposes of intervention design. The data suggest that risky drinking is common and normalised among men, but that the population may have been partially protected from rapid rises in problem alcohol use observed in nation-wide data from Thailand. The changing social context contains vulnerabilities that might promote problem alcohol use: further investigation, ongoing monitoring, and development of targeted interventions are warranted.
Proliferative cell nuclear antigen (PCNA) expression in the intestine of Salmo trutta trutta naturally infected with an acanthocephalan
Authors: Dezfuli Bahram Sayyaf , Giari Luisa , Lui Alice , Squerzanti Samantha , Castaldelli Giuseppe , Shinn Andrew Paul , Manera Maurizio , Lorenzoni Massimo
Published: September 2012

Background

Changes in the production of proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA), a 36 kd protein involved in protein synthesis, within intestinal epithelia can provide an early indication of deviations to normal functioning. Inhibition or stimulation of cell proliferation and PCNA can be determined through immunohistochemical staining of intestinal tissue. Changes in the expression of PCNA act as an early warning system of changes to the gut and this application has not been applied to the fields of aquatic parasitology and fish health. The current study set out to determine whether a population of wild brown trout,Salmo trutta trutta(L.) harbouring an infection of the acanthocephalanDentitruncus truttaeSinzar, 1955 collected from Lake Piediluco in Central Italy also effected changes in the expression of PCNA.

Methods

A total of 29 brown trout were investigated, 19 of which (i.e.65.5%) were found to harbour acanthocephalans (5–320 worms fish-1). Histological sections of both uninfected and infected intestinal material were immunostained for PCNA.

Results

The expression of PCNA was observed in the epithelial cells in the intestinal crypts and within the mast cells and fibroblasts in the submucosa layer which is consistent with its role in cell proliferation and DNA synthesis. The number of PCNA-positive cells in both the intestinal epithelium and the submucosa layer in regions close to the point of parasite attachment were significantly higher than the number observed in uninfected individuals and in infected individuals in zones at least 0.7 cm from the point of parasite attachment (ANOVA,p < 0.05).

Conclusions

An infection of the acanthocephalanD. truttaewithin the intestinal tract ofS. t. truttaeffected a significant increase in the number of PCNA positive cells (mast cells and fibroblasts) at the site of parasite attachment when compared to the number of positive cells found in uninfected conspecifics and in tissue zones away from the point of parasite attachment.
Increased expression of CD133 and reduced dystroglycan expression are strong predictors of poor outcome in colon cancer patients
Authors: Coco Claudio , Zannoni Gian Franco , Caredda Emanuele , Sioletic Stefano , Boninsegna Alma , Migaldi Mario , Rizzo Gianluca , Bonetti Luca Reggiani , Genovese Giannicola , Stigliano Egidio , Cittadini Achille , Sgambato Alessandro
Published: September 2012

Background

Expression levels of CD133, a cancer stem cell marker, and of the α-subunit of the dystroglycan (α-DG) complex, have been previously reported to be altered in colorectal cancers.

Methods

Expression levels of CD133 and α-DG were assessed by immunohistochemistry in a series of colon cancers and their prognostic significance was evaluated.

Results

Scattered cells positive for CD133 were rarely detected at the bases of the crypts in normal colonic mucosa while in cancer cells the median percentage of positive cells was 5% (range 0–80). A significant correlation was observed with pT parameter and tumor stage but not with tumor grade and N status. Recurrence and death from disease were significantly more frequent in CD133-high expressing tumors and Kaplan-Meier curves showed a significant separation between high vs low expressor groups for both disease-free (p = 0.002) and overall (p = 0.008) survival.

Expression of α-DG was reduced in a significant fraction of tumors but low α-DG staining did not correlate with any of the classical clinical-pathological parameters. Recurrence and death from the disease were significantly more frequent in α-DG-low expressing tumors and Kaplan-Meier curves showed a significant separation between high vs low expressor tumors for both disease-free (p = 0.02) and overall (p = 0.02) survival. Increased expression of CD133, but not loss of α-DG, confirmed to be an independent prognostic parameters at a multivariate analysis associated with an increased risk of recurrence (RR = 2.4; p = 0.002) and death (RR = 2.3; p = 0.003).

Conclusions

Loss of α-DG and increased CD133 expression are frequent events in human colon cancer and evaluation of CD133 expression could help to identify high-risk colon cancer patients.
A constraints-based resource discovery model for multi-provider cloud environments
Authors: Wright Peter , Sun Yih Leong , Harmer Terence , Keenan Anthony , Stewart Alan , Perrott Ronald
Published: September 2012

Increasingly infrastructure providers are supplying the cloud marketplace with storage and on-demand compute resources to host cloud applications. From an application user’s point of view, it is desirable to identify the most appropriate set of available resources on which to execute an application. Resource choice can be complex and may involve comparing available hardware specifications, operating systems, value-added services (such as network configuration or data replication) and operating costs (such as hosting cost and data throughput). Providers’ cost models often change and new commodity cost models (such as spot pricing) can offer significant savings. In this paper, a software abstraction layer is used to discover the most appropriate infrastructure resources for a given application, by applying a two-phase constraints-based approach to a multi-provider cloud environment. In the first phase, a set of possible infrastructure resources is identified for the application. In the second phase, a suitable heuristic is used to select the most appropriate resources from the initial set. For some applications a cost-based heuristic may be most appropriate; for others a performance-based heuristic may be of greater relevance. A financial services application and a high performance computing application are used to illustrate the execution of the proposed resource discovery mechanism. The experimental results show that the proposed model can dynamically select appropriate resouces for an application’s requirements.
High TWIST1 mRNA expression is associated with poor prognosis in lymph node-negative and estrogen receptor-positive human breast cancer and is co-expressed with stromal as well as ECM related genes
Authors: Riaz Muhammad , Sieuwerts Anieta M , Look Maxime P , Timmermans Mieke A , Smid Marcel , Foekens John A , Martens John WM
Published: September 2012

Introduction

The TWIST homolog 1 (TWIST1) is a transcription factor that induces epithelial to mesenchymal transition (EMT), a key process in metastasis. The purpose of this study was to investigate whether TWIST1 expression predicts disease progression in a large breast cancer cohort with long-term clinical follow-up, and to reveal the biology related to TWIST1 mediated disease progression.

Methods

TWIST1 mRNA expression level was analyzed by quantitative real-time reverse polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) in 1,427 primary breast cancers. In uni- and multivariate analysis using Cox regression, TWIST1 mRNA expression level was associated with metastasis-free survival (MFS), disease-free survival (DFS) and overall survival (OS). Separate analyses in lymph node-negative patients (LNN, n = 778) who did not receive adjuvant systemic therapy, before and after stratification into estrogen receptor (ER)-positive (n = 552) and ER-negative (n = 226) disease, were also performed. The association of TWIST1 mRNA with survival endpoints was assessed using Kaplan-Meier analysis. Using gene expression arrays, genes showing a significant Spearman rank correlation with TWIST1 were used to identify overrepresented Gene Ontology (GO) terms and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG)-annotated biological pathways.

Results

Increased mRNA expression level of TWIST1 analyzed as a continuous variable in both uni- and multivariate analysis was associated with shorter MFS in all patients (hazard ratio (HR): 1.17, 95% confidence interval, (95% CI):1.09 to 1.26; and HR: 1.17, 95% CI: 1.08 to 1.26; respectively), in LNN patients (HR: 1.22, 95% CI: 1.09 to 1.36; and HR: 1.21, 95% CI: 1.07 to 1.36; respectively) and in the ER-positive subgroup of LNN patients (HR: 1.34, 95% CI: 1.17 to 1.53; and HR: 1.32, 95% CI: 1.14 to 1.53; respectively). Similarly, high TWIST1 expression was associated with shorter DFS and OS in all patients and in the LNN/ER-positive subgroup. In contrast, no association of TWIST1 mRNA expression with MFS, DFS or OS was observed in ER-negative patients. Genes highly correlated with TWIST1 were significantly enriched for cell adhesion and ECM-related signaling pathways. Furthermore, TWIST1 mRNA was highly expressed in tumor stroma and positively related to tumor stromal content (P <0.001).

Conclusions

TWIST1 mRNA expression is an independent prognostic factor for poor prognosis in LNN/ER-positive breast cancer. The biological associations suggest an involvement of the tumor microenvironment in TWIST1's adverse role in breast cancer.