bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Changes in wood and stem properties of Pinus sylvestris caused by provenance transfer
Authors: Ståhl Erik
Published: October 2014

Wood properties focused in forest tree breeding should be of economic importance, have a large total variation and a high heritability. The properties of interest are those that influence the strength and durability of sawn products or the amount and properties of pulp produced. The following wood properties are treated: width of the annual ring, juvenile wood, late wood content, heart wood, tracheid dimensions, basic density, stem straightness and branch diameter. The provenance variation in wood properties can be related to differences in growth phenology. In the northern part of distribution P. sylvestris (L.) provenances transferred a few degrees southwards have a high survival and yield but stem wood production is low. Trees from these provenances will be straight and with few spike knots or other injuries. The shoot elongation period will be short and the temperature sum required for wood formation sufficient. Provenances transferred southwards will form thin annual rings, few and thin branches, little early wood, high basic density and slender tracheids with thick cell walls in comparison to local provenances. An example of the effect of alternative transfers on the yield and wood properties is evaluated. In regions with deviating climatic patterns alternative provenance transfer patterns may be better. The objectives of the land owner should influence the provenance choice. The importance of integrating tree improvement with silvicultural management is discussed with reference to spacing.
Evolutionary forces influencing variation among populations of Pinus sylvestris
Authors: Eriksson Gösta
Published: October 2014

The evolutionary forces influencing genetic differentiation among populations are identified. Natural selection, random genetic drift, and mutations promote differentiation while phenotypic plasticity and gene flow delay or prevent differentiation. Evolution is a dynamic force which leads to instability and absence of any perfection in the adaptive process. Natural selection acts mainly on phenotypes and only indirectly on the components of important breeding traits. In the northern part of the distribution of Scots pine there is a large among- and within-population variation in survival. The high among-population variation occurs in spite of an assumed high gene flow. Biomass is a product of many components and it also shows a high population variation. Many markers are neutral and such markers will not reveal adaptive variation.
Factors influencing occurrence and impacts of fires in northern European forests
Authors: Päätalo Marja-Leena
Published: October 2014

The return interval and number of fires vary, depending on the geographical location in interaction with climate, topography and amount of fuel. During recent decades, in northern Europe the number and severity of fires have been insignificant compared with Mediterranean region, in which fire return intervals may be 15â35 years, compared to the average of 60â120 years for boreal forests. This is partly due to the efficient system of fire protection in northern Europe, but is mainly due to the less favourable climate for fire and the smaller human impact on ignition of forest fires. The consequences of fire are related to both site and stand characteristics, site being the most important factor controlling the stability of stands. Dry sites being more flammable and likely to ignite are associated with high risk of fire. In northern Europe, due to the interaction between species and site, the role of species difference in risk of fire damage is not clear. In southern Europe, fire risk cannot be explained by differences between tree species. There, other vegetation (shrubs, etc.) is of major importance for the risk of fire. Management of forests can, to some degree, alter the risk and the occurrence of fire. In northern Europe, logging may have compensated for fire occurrence by decreasing the amount of fuel. In addition, forest roads act as fire-breaks and facilitate fire-fighting. On the contrary, in southern Europe the risk of fire has been found to increase because the traditional forest uses and management have decreased, which increases the accumulation of fuel. However, it is not yet possible to quantify and compare the effect of management in absolute terms. Currently, some tools, such as fire-risk indices, remote sensing and GIS-based techniques, are available for prediction of fire risk in some areas. For example, fire-risk indices are most suitable for areas, like northern Europe, which have a low fire risk. In high-risk areas, such as southern Europe, more sophisticated techniques are needed for assessment of the risk. In the future, assuming global warming at northern latitudes (2 x CO2 climate), the risk of fire damage could also increase in northern Europe. Therefore, to allow the various locational and silvicultural factors to be assessed on the European level, an integrated risk model is needed.
Integrating variation in tree growth into forest planning
Authors: Pasanen Kari
Published: October 2014

Forest planning is always influenced by uncertain factors. Variations in growth, outcome of regeneration, timber prices, costs and mortality cannot be avoided, whereas the quality of inventory data and the models used for estimation of the state and development of forests can be improved. Methods have been developed for incorporating risk and attitude toward risk in decision analysis, but there has been a lack of good models for dealing with the various sources of risk. The aim of this study was to estimate stochastic models for the variation in growth of Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris), Norway spruce (Picea abies) and birch (Betula pendula and Betula pubescens). The said models had to be capable of generating growth scenarios, and thus correlations between series had to be taken into account. ARMA models were estimated for mean growth index series from Pohjois-Karjala, eastern Finland. Several ARMA models, some of which had seasonal parameters, were found to be adequate for each series. Non-seasonal AR(1) and seasonal AR(1,1) models were used to produce growth scenarios in the case study, in which variation in growth was integrated into forest planning.
Values and objectives of non-industrial private forest owners in Finland
Authors: Karppinen Heimo
Published: October 2014

The purpose of the study was to create an empirical typology of non-industrial private forest owners based on forest values and long-term objectives of forest ownership, to identify these types by owner and holding characteristics, as well as to analyze silvicultural and harvesting behavior in these groups. The analysis was based on survey data on 245 forest owners in southeastern Finland. The results indicated that general forest values and long-term objectives of forest ownership are not strongly correlated. The results further suggested that the sole emphasis on economic benefits of forests does not lead to the most active silvicultural and harvesting behavior. Multiobjective owners, who underlined both monetary and amenity benefits of their forest property, were the most active in their silvicultural and cutting behavior. Non-timber objectives seemed not to exclude wood production: a group called recreationists harvested slightly less than other owners. Recreationists were willing to invest in forestry but were selective with respect to management practices. The results can be used in planning and implementation of public forest policy such as allocation of the resources of forestry extension services. Forest industries should also benefit from a knowledge of the objectives of roundwood sellers.
Short-needle disease of Scots pine: an abnormal needle length distribution
Authors: Kurkela Timo , Nuorteva Heikki
Published: October 2014

Short-needle syndrome occurs commonly in southern Finland. The disease is characterized by abnormal length distribution of the needles in shoots. In most cases, affected shoots have needles of normal length as well as very short needles. The short needles are those injured during the needle elongation period; the tissues formed abnormal sclerenchymatic structures and wound periderm. One possible cause could be hemipterous insects feeding on growing needles. Salivary sheaths of such insects were often present in both deformed needle bases and undeformed mature tissues.
Inflammation and C-Reactive Protein in Atrial Fibrillation: Cause or Effect?
Authors: Galea Roberto , Cardillo Maria Teresa , Caroli Annalisa , Marini Maria Giulia , Sonnino Chiara , Narducci Maria L. , Biasucci Luigi M.
Published: October 2014

Atrial fibrillation is associated with substantial morbidity and mortality rates. The incompletely understood pathogenesis of this cardiac dysrhythmia makes it difficult to improve approaches to primary and secondary prevention. Evidence has accumulated in regard to a relationship between inflammation and atrial fibrillation. Investigators have correlated the dysrhythmia with myocarditis, pericardiotomy, and C-reactive protein levels, suggesting that inflammation causes atrial fibrillation or participates in its onset and continuation. Conversely, other investigators suggest that atrial fibrillation induces an inflammatory response. In this review, we summarize and critically discuss the nature and clinical role of inflammation and C-reactive protein in atrial fibrillation.
The Warden Procedure through a Posterolateral Thoracotomy Approach
Authors: Ramanan Sowmya , Sasikumar Navaneetha , Manohar Soman Rema Krishna , Cherian Kotturathu Mammen
Published: October 2014

The Warden procedure for the correction of a right-sided partial anomalous pulmonary venous connection to the high superior vena cava is well established. It has the advantages of avoiding sinoatrial node dysfunction and pulmonary and systemic venous obstruction. In the case related here, a 3-year-old girl presented with a superior vena cava type of sinus venosus atrial septal defect and an anomalously draining right upper pulmonary vein, with bilateral superior venae cavae. Our approach to the Warden procedure was through a right posterolateral thoracotomy, which provided additional advantages.
Fulminant Cytomegalovirus Myocarditis in an Immunocompetent Host: Resolution with Oral Valganciclovir
Authors: Padala Santosh K. , Kumar Anupam , Padala Sandeep
Published: October 2014

We report a case of fulminant myocarditis after a primary cytomegalovirus infection, in a previously healthy 72-year-old woman. The infection underwent clinical and immunologic resolution consequent to treatment with oral valganciclovir. In an immunocompetent host, the primary cytomegalovirus infection is usually asymptomatic or manifests itself as a heterophile-negative mononucleosis-like syndrome. Cytomegalovirus myocarditis is uncommon in immunocompetent patients. After presenting our case, we review the literature on cytomegalovirus myocarditis in immunocompetent individuals.
Recurrent Primary Cardiac Lymphoma on Aortic Valve Allograft: Implications for Therapy
Authors: Farah Fahmi J. , Chiles Christopher D.
Published: October 2014

Primary malignant cardiac lymphomas associated with grafts are extremely rare: to our knowledge, only 6 cases of prosthesis-associated B-cell lymphoma have been reported. Ours is the first report of recurrent diffuse large B-cell lymphoma associated with aortic valve allografts.

We treated a 60-year-old man who presented in early 2007 with aortic valve endocarditis. He underwent aortic valve replacement with an allograft; the resected native valve showed active endocarditis without tumor. In January 2011, the patient underwent repeat aortic valve replacement because of symptomatic aortic regurgitation. The explanted valve specimen displayed diffuse large B-cell lymphoma. In September 2011, the patient presented with fever and a mass around the aortic valve. He died in January 2012. On autopsy, the explanted replacement valve displayed recurrent diffuse large B-cell lymphoma. The recurrent lymphoma on a new graft leads us to believe that this tumor is more aggressive than had been thought. We propose early systemic chemotherapy, in addition to tumor resection, for the possibility of a better prognosis. We discuss our patient's case and review the relevant medical literature.
Tuberous Sclerosis and Cardiac Tumors: New Electrocardiographic Finding in an Infant
Authors: Aslan Eyup , Sap Fatih , Sert Ahmet , Odabas Dursun
Published: October 2014

Cardiac rhabdomyoma, the primary cardiac tumor most often diagnosed in children, is frequently present in patients with tuberous sclerosis. Most pediatric patients with rhabdomyoma are asymptomatic; however, various electrocardiographic abnormalities can be detected, such as Wolff-Parkinson-White syndrome, ectopic atrial tachycardia, and atrioventricular node dysfunction. We describe the case of a 10-month-old infant girl who had tuberous sclerosis and multiple cardiac rhabdomyomas. Her electrocardiographic presentation was notable for dome-shaped T waves and no ST segment in some leads. To our knowledge, this electrocardiographic finding has not been described in patients with tuberous sclerosis and cardiac masses.
Pulmonary Artery Sarcoma Masquerading as Chronic Pulmonary Thromboembolism
Authors: Coskun Ugur , Sinan Umit Yasar , Calpar Ilknur , Yildizeli Bedrettin , Yanartas Mehmet , Filinte Deniz , Kucukoglu Mehmet Serdar
Published: October 2014

We describe the case of a 60-year-old woman who presented with pulmonary artery sarcoma, a very rare tumor of the cardiovascular system. Her tumor was initially misdiagnosed as chronic pulmonary thromboembolism, and she underwent pulmonary endarterectomy.

Early diagnosis of primary pulmonary artery sarcoma is crucial. That alternative should always be considered before settling on a diagnosis of pulmonary embolism. Suspicion should be aroused by the failure of anticoagulant treatment to alleviate pulmonary perfusion abnormalities and systemic symptoms. Surgical resection of the tumor—preferably by pulmonary endarterectomy, followed by reconstruction as needed—is currently the most promising treatment for pulmonary artery sarcoma.
Effect of Electrocautery on Endothelial Integrity of the Internal Thoracic Artery: Ultrastructural Analysis with Transmission Electron Microscopy
Authors: Onan Burak , Yeniterzi Mehmet , Onan Ismihan Selen , Ersoy Burak , Gonca Suheyla , Gelenli Elif , Solakoglu Seyhun , Bakir Ihsan
Published: October 2014

The internal thoracic artery (ITA) is typically harvested from the chest wall by means of conventional electrocautery. We investigated the effects of electrocautery on endothelial-cell and vessel-wall morphology at the ultrastructural level during ITA harvesting.

Internal thoracic artery specimens from 20 patients who underwent elective coronary artery bypass grafting were investigated in 2 groups. The ITA grafts were sharply dissected with use of a scalpel and clips in the control group (n=10) and were harvested by means of electrocautery in the study group (n=10). Each sample was evaluated for intimal, elastic-tissue, muscular-layer, and adventitial changes. Free flow was measured intraoperatively. Light microscopic examinations were performed after hematoxylin-eosin and Masson's trichrome staining. Transmission electron microscopy was used to evaluate ultrastructural changes in the endothelial cells and vessel walls of each ITA.

In the sharp-dissection group, the endothelial surfaces were lined with normal amounts of original endothelium, endothelial cells were distinctly attached to the basal lamina, cytoplasmic organelles were evident, and intercellular junctional complexes were intact. Conversely, in the electrocautery group, the morphologic integrity of endothelial cells was distorted, with some cell separations and splits, contracted cells, numerous large cytoplasmic vacuoles, and no visible cytoplasmic organelles. The subendothelial layer exhibited disintegration. Free ITA flow was higher in the sharp-dissection group (P=0.04).

The integrity of endothelial cells can be better preserved when the ITA is mobilized by means of sharp dissection, rather than solely by electrocautery; we recommend a combined approach.
Active Consumership as a Driver towards Sustainability?
Authors: Blättel-Mink Birgit
Published: October 2014

Recently, more and more providers of goods and services have actively involved consumers and users in processes of value creation and innovation. Bottom-up processes of collaborative production of consumer communities have gained public attention. In sustainability research, these phenomena
are considered as promising for fostering sustainability in consumption. Active consumer ship, in this sense, may well encourage people to be more creative in finding sustainable solutions for satisfying needs and – even more importantly – help them be more open in embracing the
opportunities these solutions can offer. Discussing different kinds of active consumership, the author identifies three new roles for consumers: prosuming, co-innovation and social innovation. She explores their relevance for fostering sustain ability in consumption by means of examples. For
instance, prosuming might increase sustainability in consumption if different kinds of motivations are taken into account; co-innovation very often relies on lead users who may help to increase sustainability if they themselves show characteristics of opinion leaders.
Rola wychowawcza ojca w rodzinie rzymskiej według Plutarcha z Cheronei
Authors: Ciesielski Mariusz
Published: October 2014

The paper is devoted to the educational role of the father in a Roman family as envisioned by Plutarch of Chaeronea in his notion of optimised moral and intellectual development of a boy and young man. Furthermore, the article depicts Roman realities and their relation to the “ideal” recommendations of the Chaeronean, in the context of transformation of morals and changes in methods of bringing up resulting from the expansive policy of Rome from the 3rd century BC to the 3rd century AD.
Postać Elżbiety Batory w historiografii
Authors: Szabelski Adam
Published: October 2014

The aim of the paper is to present the figure of Elisabeth Bathory as it is shown in historiography and to confront the myths surrounding her person with the findings of the researchers, especially Hungarian scholars who studied her life. It has been shown that Elisabeth Bathory fell victim to the plot of the palatine György Turzó, probably instigated by the court in Vienna. Unfortunately, Polish historians have so far neglected to address this issue in their research.
Musaryzm: między chasydyzmem a haskalą
Authors: Postek Halina
Published: October 2014

The aim of paper is to acquaint Polish readers with the little known religious and ethical movement which developed in the latter half of the 19th century in Lithuania.  Associated with traditional Judaism, the Musar movement was to be an alternative both to Chasidism and the Haskalah
Do Charitable Subsidies Crowd Out Political Giving? The Missing Link between Charitable and Political Contributions
Authors: Yörük Bariş K.
Published: October 2014

In the United States, charitable contributions can be deducted from taxable income making the price of giving inversely related to the marginal tax rate. However, several other types of contributions such as donations to political organizations are not tax deductible. This paper investigates the spillover effects of charitable subsidies on political giving using five cross-sectional surveys of charitable and political giving in the United States conducted from 1990 to 2001. The results show that charitable and political giving are complements. Compared with non-donors, charitable donors are more likely to donate and give more to political organizations. Increasing the price of charitable giving decreases not only charitable giving but also the probability of giving and the amount of donations to political organizations. This effect is robust under different specifications and highlights the externalities created by charitable subsidies.
Consumption composition and macroeconomic dynamics
Authors: Alonso-Carrera Jaime , Caballé Jordi , Raurich Xavier
Published: October 2014

We analyze the transitional dynamics of an economic model with heterogeneous consumption goods where convergence is driven by two different forces: the typical diminishing returns to capital and the dynamic adjustment in consumption expenditure induced by the variation in relative prices. We show that this second force affects the growth rate if the consumption goods are produced with technologies exhibiting different capital intensities and if the intertemporal elasticity of substitution is not equal to one. Because the aforementioned growth effect of relative prices arises only under heterogeneous consumption goods, the transitional dynamics of this model exhibits striking differences with the growth model with a single consumption good. We also show that these differences in the transitional dynamics can give raise to large discrepancies in the welfare cost of shocks.
Factors accounting for acquisition of polysemous shàng ‘to go up’-phrases in Chinese as a second language (CSL)
Authors: Liang Haiyan
Published: October 2014

This study looks into how factors such as Chinese L1 prototypicality, imageability, concreteness, literalness and frequency account for Chinese L2 acquisition of polysemous shàng ‘to go up’-phrases. As the first step, Chinese L1 speakers (N = 92) were instructed to produce five sentences with the verb shàng ‘to go up’. The production prototypicality pattern was achieved. This led to the selection of a list of 20 test items. In the second step the list of items were used to measure Chinese L2 learners' acquisition of them with a translation task (N = 96). Following this another four independent groups of Chinese L1 participants were asked to rank the test items according to their perceptions of teaching sequence in CSL (N = 95) and rate them based on their perceptions of imageability (N = 68), concreteness (N = 52) and literalness (N = 63). The same set of data was also checked in two Chinese corpora for the objective frequency in language use. The analyses indicate that L1 perceptions are reliable in predicting the acquisition sequence of the target shàng-phrases in CSL. The sequence correlates significantly with the prototypicality patterns but not with concreteness, imageability or literalness rating patterns. No conclusion, however, can be drawn about how objective frequency in corpora contributes to the acquisition pattern because of discrepancy between the two corpora. The results of the study support the cognitive reality of prototypicality and have implications for prototypicality-based L2 research and teaching practice.
Characterization and Semiquantitative Analysis of Volatile Compounds in Six Varieties of Sugarcane Juice
Authors: Yang Hua-Feng , Wang Song-Lei , Yu Shu-Juan , Zeng Xin-An , Wen Sun Da
Published: October 2014

The volatile composition of six Chinese sugarcane varieties has been analyzed by headspace solid-phase microextraction (HS-SPME) method coupled with gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). A total of 40 volatile compounds were identified by the optimized HS-SPME procedure. It was found that the sugarcane juice from Daheixiong variety contained the highest amount of volatile compounds (108.48 mg/L), followed by Tai 22 (90.13 mg/L), 94128 (87.19 mg/L), Gui 00122 (80.16 mg/L), Yue 00236 (79.43 mg/L) and Taiyou (22.54 mg/L). Ethyl alcohol, limonene, hexanol, (s)-2-heptanol and acetic acid were the most abundant compounds present in sugarcane juice. Interestingly, these compounds were also selected by principal component analysis (PCA) to discriminate the sugarcane juices in terms of their varieties. Overall, the identification of aromatic compounds in sugarcane juice could provide useful information for determining sugarcane varieties and be used as a reference for choosing the suitable sugarcane variety as raw material for producing other product, like rums.
Fusion systems on 2-groups with exactly three involutions
Authors: Reichenbach René
Published: October 2014

We determine all saturated fusion systems ℱ on many 2-groups P with exactly three involutions. For this we use Janko's classification of these groups ([Groups of Prime Power Order. Vol. 1, Walter de Gruyter, Berlin, 2008, Section 82]) as a guide. On the way we describe all such P which contain an ℱ-essential subgroup isomorphic to

C

2
k

×

Q
8

${C_{2^k} \times Q_8}$

or to the Sylow 2-subgroup of PSU(3,4). Furthermore, we classify all saturated fusion systems on these P. This contributes to the outstanding classification of fusion systems on 2-groups of 2-rank 2.
Long-Term Seizure Suppression and Optogenetic Analyses of Synaptic Connectivity in Epileptic Mice with Hippocampal Grafts of GABAergic Interneurons
Authors: Henderson Katharine W. , Gupta Jyoti , Tagliatela Stephanie , Litvina Elizabeth , Zheng XiaoTing , Van Zandt Meghan A. , Woods Nicholas , Grund Ethan , Lin Diana , Royston Sara , Yanagawa Yuchio , Aaron Gloster B. , Naegele Janice R.
Published: October 2014

Studies in rodent epilepsy models suggest that GABAergic interneuron progenitor grafts can reduce hyperexcitability and seizures in temporal lobe epilepsy (TLE). Although integration of the transplanted cells has been proposed as the underlying mechanism for these disease-modifying effects, prior studies have not explicitly examined cell types and synaptic mechanisms for long-term seizure suppression. To address this gap, we transplanted medial ganglionic eminence (MGE) cells from embryonic day 13.5 VGAT-Venus or VGAT-ChR2-EYFP transgenic embryos into the dentate gyrus (DG) of adult mice 2 weeks after induction of TLE with pilocarpine. Beginning 3–4 weeks after status epilepticus, we conducted continuous video-electroencephalographic recording until 90–100 d. TLE mice with bilateral MGE cell grafts in the DG had significantly fewer and milder electrographic seizures, compared with TLE controls. Immunohistochemical studies showed that the transplants contained multiple neuropeptide or calcium-binding protein-expressing interneuron types and these cells established dense terminal arborizations onto the somas, apical dendrites, and axon initial segments of dentate granule cells (GCs). A majority of the synaptic terminals formed by the transplanted cells were apposed to large postsynaptic clusters of gephyrin, indicative of mature inhibitory synaptic complexes. Functionality of these new inhibitory synapses was demonstrated by optogenetically activating VGAT-ChR2-EYFP-expressing transplanted neurons, which generated robust hyperpolarizations in GCs. These findings suggest that fetal GABAergic interneuron grafts may suppress pharmacoresistant seizures by enhancing synaptic inhibition in DG neural circuits.
Doxorubicin Attenuates Serotonin-Induced Long-Term Synaptic Facilitation by Phosphorylation of p38 Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinase
Authors: Liu Rong-Yu , Zhang Yili , Coughlin Brittany L. , Cleary Leonard J. , Byrne John H.
Published: October 2014

Doxorubicin (DOX) is an anthracycline used widely for cancer chemotherapy. Its primary mode of action appears to be topoisomerase II inhibition, DNA cleavage, and free radical generation. However, in non-neuronal cells, DOX also inhibits the expression of dual-specificity phosphatases (also referred to as MAPK phosphatases) and thereby inhibits the dephosphorylation of extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) and p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase (p38 MAPK), two MAPK isoforms important for long-term memory (LTM) formation. Activation of these kinases by DOX in neurons, if present, could have secondary effects on cognitive functions, such as learning and memory. The present study used cultures of rat cortical neurons and sensory neurons (SNs) ofAplysiato examine the effects of DOX on levels of phosphorylated ERK (pERK) and phosphorylated p38 (p-p38) MAPK. In addition,Aplysianeurons were used to examine the effects of DOX on long-term enhanced excitability, long-term synaptic facilitation (LTF), and long-term synaptic depression (LTD). DOX treatment led to elevated levels of pERK and p-p38 MAPK in SNs and cortical neurons. In addition, it increased phosphorylation of the downstream transcriptional repressor cAMP response element-binding protein 2 in SNs. DOX treatment blocked serotonin-induced LTF and enhanced LTD induced by the neuropeptide Phe-Met-Arg-Phe-NH2. The block of LTF appeared to be attributable to overriding inhibitory effects of p-p38 MAPK, because LTF was rescued in the presence of an inhibitor (SB203580 [4-(4-fluorophenyl)-2-(4-methylsulfinylphenyl)-5-(4-pyridyl)-1H-imidazole]) of p38 MAPK. These results suggest that acute application of DOX might impair the formation of LTM via the p38 MAPK pathway.
Photoactivation-Induced Instability of Rhodopsin Mutants T4K and T17M in Rod Outer Segments Underlies Retinal Degeneration inX. laevisTransgenic Models of Retinitis Pigmentosa
Authors: Tam Beatrice M. , Noorwez Syed M. , Kaushal Shalesh , Kono Masahiro , Moritz Orson L.
Published: October 2014

Retinitis pigmentosa (RP) is an inherited neurodegenerative disease involving progressive vision loss, and is often linked to mutations in the rhodopsin gene. Mutations that abolish N-terminal glycosylation of rhodopsin (T4K and T17M) cause sector RP in which the inferior retina preferentially degenerates, possibly due to greater light exposure of this region. Transgenic animal models expressing rhodopsin glycosylation mutants also exhibit light exacerbated retinal degeneration (RD). In this study, we used transgenicXenopus laevisto investigate the pathogenic mechanism connecting light exposure and RD in photoreceptors expressing T4K or T17M rhodopsin. We demonstrate that increasing the thermal stability of these rhodopsins via a novel disulfide bond resulted in significantly less RD. Furthermore, T4K or T17M rhodopsins that were constitutively inactive (due to lack of the chromophore-binding site or dietary deprivation of the chromophore precursor vitamin A) induced less toxicity. In contrast, variants in the active conformation accumulated in the ER and caused RD even in the absence of light.In vitro, T4K and T17M rhodopsins showed reduced ability to regenerate pigment after light exposure. Finally, although multiple amino acid substitutions of T4 abolished glycosylation at N2 but were not toxic, similar substitutions of T17 were not tolerated, suggesting that the carbohydrate moiety at N15 is critical for cell viability. Our results identify a novel pathogenic mechanism in which the glycosylation-deficient rhodopsins are destabilized by light activation. These results have important implications for proposed RP therapies, such as vitamin A supplementation, which may be ineffective or even detrimental for certain RP genotypes.
Loss of Smarc Proteins Impairs Cerebellar Development
Authors: Moreno Natalia , Schmidt Christin , Ahlfeld Julia , Pöschl Julia , Dittmar Stefanie , Pfister Stefan M. , Kool Marcel , Kerl Kornelius , Schüller Ulrich
Published: October 2014

SMARCA4(BRG1) andSMARCB1(INI1) are tumor suppressor genes that are crucially involved in the formation of malignant rhabdoid tumors, such as atypical teratoid/rhabdoid tumor (AT/RT). AT/RTs typically affect infants and occur at various sites of the CNS with a particular frequency in the cerebellum. Here, granule neurons and their progenitors represent the most abundant cell type and are known to give rise to a subset of medulloblastoma, a histologically similar embryonal brain tumor. To test how Smarc proteins influence the development of granule neurons and whether this population may serve as cellular origin for AT/RTs, we specifically deleted Smarca4 and Smarcb1 in cerebellar granule cell precursors. Respective mutant mice displayed severe ataxia and motor coordination deficits, but did not develop any tumors. In fact, they suffered from a severely hypoplastic cerebellum due to a significant inhibition of granule neuron precursor proliferation. Molecularly, this was accompanied by an enhanced activity of Wnt/β-catenin signaling that, by itself, is known to cause a nearly identical phenotype. We further used anhGFAP-creallele, which deleted Smarcb1 much earlier and in a wider neural precursor population, but we still did not detect any tumor formation in the CNS. In summary, our results emphasize cell-type-dependent roles of Smarc proteins and argue against cerebellar granule cells and other progeny ofhGFAP-positive neural precursors as the cellular origin for AT/RTs.
Linkage Disequilibrium with Linkage Analysis of Multiline Crosses Reveals Different Multiallelic QTL for Hybrid Performance in the Flint and Dent Heterotic Groups of Maize
Authors: Giraud Héloïse , Lehermeier Christina , Bauer Eva , Falque Matthieu , Segura Vincent , Bauland Cyril , Camisan Christian , Campo Laura , Meyer Nina , Ranc Nicolas , Schipprack Wolfgang , Flament Pascal , Melchinger Albrecht E , Menz Monica , Moreno-González Jesús , Ouzunova Milena , Charcosset Alain , Schön Chris-Carolin , Moreau Laurence
Published: October 2014

Multiparental designs combined with dense genotyping of parents have been proposed as a way to increase the diversity and resolution of quantitative trait loci (QTL) mapping studies, using methods combining linkage disequilibrium information with linkage analysis (LDLA). Two new nested association mapping designs adapted to European conditions were derived from the complementary dent and flint heterotic groups of maize (Zea mays L.). Ten biparental dent families (N = 841) and 11 biparental flint families (N = 811) were genotyped with 56,110 single nucleotide polymorphism markers and evaluated as test crosses with the central line of the reciprocal design for biomass yield, plant height, and precocity. Alleles at candidate QTL were defined as (i) parental alleles, (ii) haplotypic identity by descent, and (iii) single-marker groupings. Between five and 16 QTL were detected depending on the model, trait, and genetic group considered. In the flint design, a major QTL (R2 = 27%) with pleiotropic effects was detected on chromosome 10, whereas other QTL displayed milder effects (R2 < 10%). On average, the LDLA models detected more QTL but generally explained lower percentages of variance, consistent with the fact that most QTL display complex allelic series. Only 15% of the QTL were common to the two designs. A joint analysis of the two designs detected between 15 and 21 QTL for the five traits. Of these, between 27 for silking date and 41% for tasseling date were significant in both groups. Favorable allelic effects detected in both groups open perspectives for improving biomass production.
A Flexible Bayesian Model for Testing for Transmission Ratio Distortion
Authors: Casellas Joaquim , Manunza Arianna , Mercader Anna , Quintanilla Raquel , Amills Marcel
Published: October 2014

Current statistical approaches to investigate the nature and magnitude of transmission ratio distortion (TRD) are scarce and restricted to the most common experimental designs such as F2 populations and backcrosses. In this article, we describe a new Bayesian approach to check TRD within a given biallelic genetic marker in a diploid species, providing a highly flexible framework that can accommodate any kind of population structure. This model relies on the genotype of each offspring and thus integrates all available information from either the parents’ genotypes or population-specific allele frequencies and yields TRD estimates that can be corroborated by the calculation of a Bayes factor (BF). This approach has been evaluated on simulated data sets with appealing statistical performance. As a proof of concept, we have also tested TRD in a porcine population with five half-sib families and 352 offspring. All boars and piglets were genotyped with the Porcine SNP60 BeadChip, whereas genotypes from the sows were not available. The SNP-by-SNP screening of the pig genome revealed 84 SNPs with decisive evidences of TRD (BF > 100) after accounting for multiple testing. Many of these regions contained genes related to biological processes (e.g., nucleosome assembly and co-organization, DNA conformation and packaging, and DNA complex assembly) that are critically associated with embryonic viability. The implementation of this method, which overcomes many of the limitations of previous approaches, should contribute to fostering research on TRD in both model and nonmodel organisms.
The Genetics of Aminoglycoside-Related Deafness
Authors: Cernada María , Pérez-Aytes Antonio , Vento Máximo , Millán José María
Published: October 2014

Preterm infants are at high risk for both early-onset and late-onset, hospital-acquired bloodstream infections. Aminoglycoside antibiotics are commonly used in the empiric treatment of suspected infection among these infants. A number of mutations in mitochondrial deoxyribonucleic acid (mtDNA) are known to increase the risk of developing irreversible hearing loss after exposure to aminoglycoside antibiotics. These mutations modify the mitochondrial ribosome, increasing the binding affinity of aminoglycosides and resulting in inhibition of mitochondrial protein synthesis. The mitochondrial m.1555A>G mutation in the gene encoding the mitochondrial 12S ribosomal ribonucleic acid (rRNA) subunit is the most common mutation mediating aminoglycoside ototoxicity. The opportunity for effective prevention may be limited by the fact that an aminoglycoside, such as gentamicin, is frequently used in the first few days after birth to prevent possible early-onset sepsis. Screening at-risk mothers might overcome this problem, if there is clinical evidence that it can be performed in a timely manner to be clinically useful.
FITC-Functionalized TiO2 Nanoparticles for Simultaneous Neuron Imaging and in Cell Photocatalysis
Authors: Zhang Tina , Go Mary Ann , Stricker Christian , Daria Vincent , Tricoli Antonio
Published: October 2014

Crystalline TiO2 nanoparticles were produced by scalable flame spray pyrolysis of organometallic solutions. A protocol is presented for the optimized functionalization of these particles with fluorescein isothiocyanate (FITC), an important biomedical dye via a lysine linker. The pH, stoichiometry and time for lysine reaction were determined for highest dye loading and minimized degree of polylysine formation. Acidic reaction conditions, low lysine concentration and short reaction times were found to meet this aim. The resulting particles were used for imaging single neurons, showing high fluorescence emission and ability for the particles to diffuse into small neuron structures such as dendrites.
Microcrystalline Si thin films by re-crystallization of electrophoretic deposited Si nanoparticle films
Authors: Bills Braden , Dubey Mukul , Yan Baojie , Stevenson David , Fan Qi Hua
Published: October 2014

A new route to producing microcrystalline silicon (µc-Si) thin films by re-crystallizing Si nanoparticle films by flash lamp method is presented. High quality Si nanoparticle films with high uniformity and high particle packing density were obtained using a stable non-aqueous Si nanoparticle suspension and the electrophoretic deposition (EPD) method. Morphology and crystallinity of as-deposited and flash lamp re-crystallized Si nanoparticle films were studied.
Dificuldades e perspectivas no acesso de micro e pequenas empresas a linhas de crédito públicas: o caso de Chapecó
Authors: Aoki Vanessa Cristina Grabowski , Badalotti Rosana Maria
Published: October 2014

Estas linhas se constituem em políticas que pretendem promover o desenvolvimento econômico e social através da geração de trabalho e renda. Este artigo tem como objetivo analisar se as linhas de crédito públicas - Proger e BNDES/Finame - foram acessadas pelas microempresas no município de Chapecó (SC), suas dificuldades e perspectivas. Caracteriza-se como um estudo exploratório descritivo, com abordagem qualitativa. Do universo investigado constatou-se um baixo índice de acesso, existindo mais dificuldades do que perspectivas concretas de que essas linhas se constituam em políticas de inclusão social que promovam o desenvolvimento para o município e região. A ausência de informações dos públicos-alvo a serem beneficiados por essas políticas mostra a necessidade de reformular as diretrizes de exigência necessárias para o acesso ao crédito.
Bases de dados orçamentários e qualidade da informação: uma avaliação do Finanças do Brasil (Finbra) e do Sistema de Informações sobre Orçamentos Públicos em Saúde (Siops)
Authors: Medeiros Katia Rejane de , Albuquerque Paulette Cavalcanti de , Diniz George Tadeu Nunes , Alencar Fabio Lima , Tavares Ricardo Antônio Wanderley
Published: October 2014

O artigo caracteriza e avalia o sistema Finanças do Brasil (Finbra) e o Sistema de Informações sobre Orçamentos Públicos em Saúde (Siops) nas dimensões de qualidade de acessibilidade, oportunidade e clareza metodológica. Fez-se uma pesquisa descritiva com abordagem quantitativa e qualitativa mediante fontes bibliográficas e documentais. Constatou-se que o Finbra e o Siops surgiram no contexto de descentralização das políticas públicas brasileiras, que exigiu, além do acesso às informações, maior controle das contas públicas. Os sistemas apresentam semelhantes vantagens quanto à acessibilidade e oportunidade, mas o Siops revelou-se com melhor clareza metodológica. Aponta-se que há necessidade de ampliar o conhecimento sobre essas importantes fontes de registro contábil dos entes subnacionais, com vista a seu melhoramento e aperfeiçoamento.
Os impactos da judicialização da saúde no município de São Paulo: gasto público e organização federativa
Authors: Wang Daniel Wei L. , Vasconcelos Natália Pires de , Oliveira Vanessa Elias de , Terrazas Fernanda Vargas
Published: October 2014

Nos últimos anos constata-se no Brasil um aumento do número de decisões judiciais obrigando o poder público a fornecer medicamentos, insumos, equipamentos e cirurgias. Os juízes tendem a desconsiderar o impacto orçamentário de suas decisões e entendem que todos os entes da federação podem ser igualmente responsabilizados pelo fornecimento de qualquer item pedido pelo paciente. O presente estudo analisa o impacto dessas decisões para a gestão orçamentária da política de saúde no município de São Paulo por meio de uma estimativa de gastos com a judicialização para o ano de 2011 a partir dos dados disponibilizados pelo município e as publicações no Diário Oficial concernentes à compra de medicamentos e insumos sem licitação pela Secretaria Municipal de Saúde. De acordo com as estimativas do presente trabalho, o gasto do município com judicialização da saúde em 2011 é o equivalente a 6% do que o município gastou com sua política de assistência farmacêutica e 10% do total gasto com fornecimento de medicamentos e material hospitalar, ambulatorial e odontológico. Além do mais, cerca de 55% desse gasto são destinados ao fornecimento de medicamentos de responsabilidade de estados ou União, e por volta de 45% para tratamentos não contemplados pelo Sistema Único de Saúde.
The study of public administration in India, the Philippines, Canada and Australia: the universal struggle against epistemic colonization, and toward critical assimilation
Authors: Candler Gaylord George
Published: October 2014

The study of public administration has been characterized as a strong international focus, as both governments and scholars have sought to learn from the experience of other societies. While in a perfect world, one would expect a sort of pragmatic universalism, instead, many scholars tend to bring lessons from one country, or from a single cultural reality. This modest contribution lies in showing a series of national experiences rarely brought to the discourse about public administration in Brazil: Canada, Australia, India and the Philippines. Special emphasis will be given to the following: the origins and the development of public administration; the influence of ideology; and the complex tension between global theory and local practices.
The effects of compensatory workplace exercises to reduce work-related stress and musculoskeletal pain
Authors: Freitas-Swerts Fabiana Cristina Taubert de , Robazzi Maria Lúcia do Carmo Cruz
Published: October 2014

OBJECTIVES: to assess the effect of a compensatory workplace exercise program on workers with the purpose of reducing work-related stress and musculoskeletal pain.METHOD: quasi-experimental research with quantitative analysis of the data, involving 30 administrative workers from a Higher Education Public Institution. For data collection, questionnaires were used to characterize the workers, as well as the Workplace Stress Scale and the Corlett Diagram. The research took place in three stages: first: pre-test with the application of the questionnaires to the subjects; second: Workplace Exercise taking place twice a week, for 15 minutes, during a period of 10 weeks; third: post-test in which the subjects answered the questionnaires again. For data analysis, the descriptive statistics and non-parametric statistics were used through the Wilcoxon Test.RESULTS: work-related stress was present in the assessed workers, but there was no statistically significant reduction in the scores after undergoing Workplace Exercise. However, there was a statistically significant pain reduction in the neck, cervical, upper, middle and lower back, right thigh, left leg, right ankle and feet.CONCLUSION: the Workplace Exercise promoted a significant pain reduction in the spine, but did not result in a significant reduction in the levels of work-related stress.
Association of cardiovascular risk factors with the different presentations of acute coronary syndrome
Authors: Brunori Evelise Helena Fadini Reis , Lopes Camila Takáo , Cavalcante Agueda Maria Ruiz Zimmer , Santos Vinicius Batista , Lopes Juliana de Lima , Barros Alba Lucia Bottura Leite de
Published: October 2014

OBJECTIVE: to identify the relationship between different presentations of acute coronary syndrome and cardiovascular risk factors among hospitalized individuals.METHOD: cross-sectional study performed in a teaching hospital in São Paulo, in the State of São Paulo (SP). Socio-demographic, clinical and anthropometric data of 150 individuals hospitalized due to acute coronary syndrome were collected through interviews and review of clinical charts. Association between these data and the presentation of the syndrome were investigated.RESULTS: there was a predominance of ST segment elevation acute myocardial infarction. There was significant association of systemic hypertension with unstable angina and high values of low density lipoprotein with infarction, without influence from socio-demographic characteristics.CONCLUSION: arterial hypertension and high levels of low-density lipoprotein were associated with different presentations of coronary syndrome. The results can provide support for health professionals for secondary prevention programs aimed at behavioural changing.
Impact of "+Contigo" training on the knowledge and attitudes of health care professionals about suicide
Authors: Santos José Carlos , Simões Rosa Maria Pereira , Erse Maria Pedro Queiroz de Azevedo , Façanha Jorge Daniel Neto , Marques Lúcia Amélia Fernandes Alves
Published: October 2014

OBJECTIVES: to evaluate the results of "+Contigo" training, developed by nurses and directed at 66 health professionals of integrated school health teams in Primary Health Care.METHOD: quantitative with data collection through the Suicide Behavior Attitude Questionnaire, administered before and after the training.RESULTS: significant increases were observed in suicide prevention knowledge and in changing attitudes of health professionals towards individuals with suicidal behavior.CONCLUSION: these results allow us to affirm that nurses hold scientific and pedagogical knowledge that grant them a privileged position in the health teams, to develop training aimed at health professionals involved in suicide prevention.